Exhaustion hits quickly once they are sat down, too many days of walking on short rations catching up rapidly. To their credit the elves bring them a meal of cold meat, fresh bread and cheese fairly swiftly and Billana is not the only one to fall on her meal as though she has not eaten in days. She takes some of the bread and cheese after a moment, wrapping it an unused handkerchief from the bottom of her pocket, and sets it to one side to hide later. She flushes when she catches Fili and Kili watching her and looks away.
"Billana?" Fili sets his meal aside and reaches for her, though the movement is obviously difficult for him.
"Ignore me," she whispers, "I'm being ridiculous."
"Tell us," Kili replies, though there is a gleam in his eyes that tells her that he might already have guessed what she is doing.
"Camellia didn't always let me eat," she breathes after a moment, "between the days when Gandalf turned me back and when she-" she stops and takes a shaky breath. Kili takes her hand and nods, he remembers what she told them and she can see that Fili does as well. "She locked me in my room and would pass food in. I got in the habit of keeping some just in case and- I know this isn't the same thing and I doubt the elves will forget us, I just did it." There is a moment of silence, then Fili passes her his bread and Kili does the same with his cheese. She stares at them.
"It isn't the worst idea," Fili replies. "You're right, I doubt the elves will forget about us, or feed us less than two meals a day, but you're going to be the one we're relying on to find a way out, and that's going to mean shape changing. You'll need the extra energy."
After so long without proper food she doesn't want to deprive them of anything that they are being given, but Fili's words make sense and the niggling doubt about whether the elves really will remember to feed them lingers. It brings with it the fear that Fili and Kili will realise she isn't what they thought, she isn't the future wife that they wanted because she has been too damaged by the actions of others. They don't mention it again, however, which she is glad of, and the three of them finish eating in silence. Once they're done the question of sleeping arrangements arises. Billana hadn't really thought about it when she darted in behind them, just knew that she would feel safer in with Fili and Kili, and that it would be easier to work something out for an escape if she was with them. Admittedly, she had relied on the fact that none of the elves had asked about any of the others being gifted and had hoped that they would be able to use that to their advantage, but now that they cannot she will simply have to come up with something else. So long as her magic still works there is always a chance that she will be able to find the keys and find a way out. Before she does any of that, however, she needs to sleep and while curling up with Fili and Kili has happened in the past it has always been surrounded by others. Even though the rest of the Company is nearby, however, in this cell they are completely alone with only the occasional scream from one of the captive elves to disturb them.
"I don't suppose they had the decency to leave us any blankets?" Fili asks as he sets his plate near enough to the door that it can be retrieved. Kili, who is nearer to the back, shakes his head.
"I get the feeling we were lucky to be left with a bucket," he comments, and Billana shudders.
The fact that she is exhausted, however, and a desire to be warm and comfortable while she sleeps wins out over concerns about propriety. She wouldn't be in this cell if she were truly concerned about that anyway, she would still be in the Shire desperately trying to prop up a crumbling smial. There is, though, the question of whether she should even touch either of them. Their discomfort, though they try to hide it, is clear and has been since the spells that lock away their gift were activated. Both of them move that little bit slower and their words are measured, their tones tightly controlled. If she weren't worried about what the elves might see were they to look in, she would turn into a wolf and curl up, her fur providing warmth and maybe a little comfort to her companions. She doesn't want the elves to see or know, because they will surely find some tiny room to lock her in and keep a close enough watch that not even a mouse could get past them. Fili has other ideas, however, tugging her close to him and tucking her against his side. Kili shifts from his position across from them, sitting on her other side. The effect is twofold, the first being that she finds herself immersed in the heat that they radiate and the second that she assumes she is now completely hidden from view of the door by simple virtue of the fact that they are both that much taller and bulkier than she is.
"Go to sleep, Kitten," Fili mutters, though he doesn't do much more than run a light finger up her arm. "We can work everything else out when we wake."
Kili mumbles something, already almost asleep, his head tilted back against the wall and one of her hands lightly gripped in his. She falls asleep almost as quickly, the problems of escape and the future can wait until morning. She knows as well as anyone that very little is accomplished well when a person is too tired to really see straight.
Billana wakes to the clatter of metal plates on the stone floor and she peers around Fili's sleeping form to see that an elf has let them breakfast and is peering through the bars with his nose wrinkled in utter disgust. At first she thinks it is the sight of the three of them curled up as they are, Kili having moved in the night to lie with his head in her lap and his arm tight about her waist as she rests against Fili. Then she hears him mutter about the smell and she realises that even though Thranduil may have ordered that they be provided with water for washing after being locked away, such a provision was never made. The elf moves on and she relaxes back a little only to notice that Fili has opened his eyes and is looking at the gate with a gaze that seem to burn with hate. Billana cannot even fault him it, though she has maintained whenever the subject came up that a distrust and animosity built on events lost to ancient history is a foolish thing to cling to, the elves here havw earnt every bit of scorn that the dwarves direct at them.
Breakfast, she notices, is a thin porridge that is almost tasteless when they eat it. It is filling, however, and warmer than she had expected given that it must have come from the kitchens. They share two of the three tankards of water, setting the other to one side for later, and then begin to quietly plan their next course of action. First, of course, will be to make sure that they know where everyone else is. There's no point in coming up with an escape plan only to discover that the elves have separated them all. Once they know where everyone is, they can work on the next part, which partially involves working out how often guards go past the cells. Billana is quick to turn into a cat, taking out the braid and beads that mark her as dwarf friend and handing them to Fili but not bothering to undress. Kili asks if she can go smaller still but the smaller she goes the longer it will take her to cover whatever ground she needs to, and she wants to get this part done quickly. She winds around their legs for a moment, affection coming more easily when she isn't in her natural form, then darts between the bars of the cell and begins in the direction she knows the elves had led the rest of the Company the day before.
She finds them quickly, Bifur and Bofur are in the next cell along and Bombur has managed to get one to himself after that. Ori, Oin and Gloin are all crammed in together, none looking particularly happy about the arrangement, and she bounds past without stopping to speak. Sensitive ears pick up a small groan from the next cell, Dwalin's voice and she wonders if he had been hurt during the fight with the spiders. She peers into the cell, sharp eyes quickly spotting the large dwarf standing with his back against the side wall. Nori is kneeling in front of him, hands resting on Dwalin's hip and head moving. It isn't until he pulls away that she realises what's going on and had she been in her natural form she knows she would be blushing from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes. Cats, however, don't feel embarrassment and the form she takes always has some small affect on her mind. She tilts her head curiously as Dwalin drags Nori back to his feet to kiss him, then realises what she's doing and races past before they can notice her.
Balin and Dori are in the cell after and she moves to continue forward only to realise that she has run out of places to look. Thorin is not with them in this part of the dungeons and panic grips her for a moment. There is nothing that can be done, however, and the only ones who might have an inkling about what happened to Thorin are Balin and Dori, so she eases back towards their cell. Neither of the cell's occupants notice her as she squeezes in through the bars, both leaning against opposite walls. Balin looks as drawn as Fili and Kili, so there must be dampening spells on this cell as well, and Dori has a pinched look on his face that she has come to recognise as the expression he gets when he is particularly concerned about something.
"Do you think they'll be alright in together?" Dori asks. "My sister and your brother, I mean." She pauses in the act of changing to add hobbit vocal cords and speaking abilities to her cat form, something that can be done with difficulty if it needs to be, as far as she knows Dori doesn't have a sister.
"He's been pining after Nori for years," Balin assures his friend, "why do you think she never stayed in any of the cells all that long?" Dori grumbles something. "I'm more concerned about Billana shutting herself in with Fili and Kili."
"I'm sure she will be well looked after," Dori soothes, "those lads adore her, we all see it and have since the Shire. She's in love with them as well, you know, or well on her way to it." She squirms a little uncomfortably at that, not sure how happy she is that the others can read her so well when she isn't even ready to admit the depths of her own feelings.
"How is it that none of you realised that Kili's more powerful than he looks, but all of you can see that?" Balin demands.
"Because we weren't looking for Kili's gift," Dori shrugs, "Thorin has all of Ered Luin fooled with that. But all of Ered Luin has also been waiting for those boys to stop playing games and settle down. There are going to be a lot of very disappointed lads and lasses when we get back." Balin grunts.
"She's a hobbit," Balin says just as Billana is getting up the courage to speak. Something on Dori's face shifts. "I expected her to turn them both down, or rethink it after a few days."
"This is about Amethyst, isn't it?" Dori asks. "You can't hold Billana to that standard, you know, I think we've seen enough to prove that she's not your average hobbit."
"I know she isn't, if we'd had time I-" he rubs his hand over his face. "We didn't so it doesn't matter. But normal hobbit or not, she's still a hobbit and she'll have no idea what she's in for. Hobbits don't usually even consider courting outside of their own kind and those that do are outcast for it."
"Amethyst wasn't," Dori points out.
"Amethyst 'saw the error of her ways'," Balin replies bitterly. "I know Billana won't, I just worry whether she'll be truly happy going so against her people like that."
"That's something to discuss with her, don't you think?" Dori asks. "She wasn't happy among her people, old friend, that much was obvious before we left. Her home was neat and clean, but it was in worse condition than the house I grew up in, and you know how bad that was." Balin hums. "If you're that worried talk to her once we're out of here."
"If we get out of here," Balin corrects.
"When we get out of here," Dori continues. "Thorin will give in eventually," Balin snorts. "We can dream." Dori shrugs.
"Or the boys and I could come up with something," Billana says finally. She is hurt, naturally, that Balin doesn't trust that she knows her own heart, but there are more important things to worry about than falling out with him because he thinks she'll regret opening her heart to Fili and Kili.
"Billana?" Dori exclaims, staring at her.
"Did we know you could do this, lass?" Balin asks.
"No," she jumps onto Dori's knee, kneading at his leg a little before sitting. "I don't like doing it, it's a drain, but better than sitting here naked."
"I can agree with that," Dori says, "these cells aren't exactly warm. How long were you there?"
"Long enough," she replies and Balin bows his head. "Why didn't you tell me Nori's female?" She asks curiously.
"It isn't done," Dori replies, fingers digging into her fur. "Our 'dams usually stay in the mountains because they're so rare, when one leaves they usually do so under a male disguise. It was up to Nori to decide to tell you, not me." Billana sighs.
"I don't suppose it matters really," she says. "There are more important things to worry about. Like finding out what they did with Thorin."
"They took him deeper, lass," Balin tells her. "We heard that much, but where in this maze I couldn't tell you."
"I'll need to find him before I can find us a way out," she replies. "But I haven't a clue how. I can't smell anything down here except elf and the rest of the Company, we don't exactly smell like roses, and I can't find a way out until I know that we can all get out."
"The elf prince might know," Balin mutters, "but it's dangerous, I'm not sure I'm happy with you taking the risk."
"No one else can," she points out. "Kili says all of the cells have dampening spells on them. Even if he could lift the one on our cell, he says it wouldn't do any of us much good."
"He's right," Balin admits, "which is why I'm only going to ask that you be careful."
"I'll have to take a couple of risks, we won't get out of here if I don't."
"I know," he holds his hand out and she pads over to him, "but nothing unnecessary. There are other ways to get out of here, Billana, even if it means having to ask Fili to go against Thorin, don't risk your life for us."
She rubs her head against his hand briefly, not able to stay angry with him when he is obviously so worried, then she bounds back out of the cell. She needs to tell Fili and Kili what she's found and work out where to go from here. It's one thing to plan an escape when they are all in one place, but with Thorin's location unknown things have suddenly become even more difficult than they already were.
A.N: Yes, in the other source the girl with Wild Magic can add her own voice to her animal form. It's not something that I pulled out of thin air. Also, sorry for any weird bobbles (do tell me so that I can correct them if you find them) cold meds and sinuses so swollen that they're making my teeth hurt have left me a little bit out of it. Writing is what I do to take it easy.
In other news, I was looking at my original chapter plans for this fic. This chapter should have been chapter 23, I'm not sure how I ended up so badly misjudging how long it was going to take me to tell this story, given that I know I aim for a chapter length of somewhere around 2k, but there we go. I'm about three quarters of the way through (maybe a little less) and I'm definitely going to go over my plan of 42 chapters. It was also summarised as "I'm a mouse and there's nothing the poncy elf king can do about it", so Billana is definitely being influenced by those dwarves.
As for Nori, I don't even know. My fics always have some element of Dwalin/Nori because I'm pathologically incapable of shipping them with anyone else (aside from a passing Dwalin/Thorin phase that rears its head every now and then). Nori has never been a girl before, I needed another girl for something coming up, it didn't have to be Nori but Dori and Balin spoke and here we are.