Billana hurries back to her cell quickly, muttering to herself about how difficult everything about this quest has been. It's going to be difficult enough to find a way out, without having to find the missing member of their Company as well. Fili and Kili are waiting for her, leaning on the bars in such a way as to almost completely obscure the view into the cell, their backs to the walkway so that it looks as though they are talking to a third occupant rather than just quietly between themselves. For a moment she debates stopping to listen, but she has learnt that not everything she has overheard today has been to her benefit. She still isn't quite sure what to make of Balin's concerns about her feelings, though she is growing more certain as time passes that she is in love with both of the princes, or the fact that the rest of the Company seems to have been aware of it before her. She shoves it all to one side in favour of the more immediate task of retaking her own form and telling them what she has learnt.
Her mind, however, refuses to focus and her distraction is less about Balin and Dori's conversation and more about what she saw happening between Dwalin and Nori. Thinking on it, she can't see the appeal of it, but it had been just as obvious that both dwarves involved had been enjoying themselves. She shakes her head and forces herself to focus on Fili as he speaks, refusing to let her mind wander down the path that questions whether such an action would be something he would enjoy. Her mind, however, refuses to stay on topic and she finds herself watching both of them as her mind turns curiously.
"Billana, are you alright?" Kili asks, breaking her out of her trance. She blinks at him almost owlishly. "Did something happen?" Her cheeks flare and her lips move but no sound comes out.
"You saw something, didn't you, Kitten?" Fili says, his gaze moving over her to take in her flushed cheeks and wide eyes. "Tell us," he almost orders and she knows that she shouldn't, but she finds herself obeying all the same.
They both watch her with darkening eyes as she explains what she saw happening between Dwalin and Nori.
"You're curious," Kili grins when she is finished.
"I didn't say that," she replies quickly, the tremor in her voice betraying the lie.
"You didn't need to," Fili's eyes run over her face as Kili pulls her to them, "it's there for the world to see, Kitten." Kili's hands seem to dance over her as he spins her so that her back is against his chest. "I promise, once we're free, we'll find a warm, comfortable bed and teach you everything that you want to know." He arches an eyebrow at his brother, obviously of the opinion that it might be best for the discussion to end. "For now-"
"I'm sure there are a few things we could show her now," Kili interrupts, lips brushing her neck and he is clearly of a different opinion to his brother, his hands still tracing patterns on her stomach, though he has lifted her shirt so that the tips of his fingers dance over bare flesh.
"There are," Fili says after a moment of hesitation, leaning in so close that their lips are almost touching. "Do you want that, Billana?" She takes a sharp breath as Kili's fingers dip lower still and his teeth graze the soft skin of her shoulder, but Fili refuses to close the distance between them, waiting for her to answer him.
"Show me," she whispers, and this time he doesn't hesitate.
Later they curl together in a corner, Billana dozing lightly between them both and her thoughts filled with the way they have spent the last few hours. Little wonder her mother threw sense and caution to the wind if she experienced half of the sensations Billana just did. She is still musing on it when a fist clashes against the door to the cell and she startles as Fili and Kili tense. The elf prince is stood looking at them, sneer clear on his fine features.
"The hobbit female comes with me," he declares. Billana shrinks back as her companions get to their feet to stand in front of her. Oddly, Legolas' expression softens minutely. "We've had complaints about the smell," he says. "There isn't much that can be done about the natural stench of dwarf, but we can at least get rid of the spider entrails. That requires more than a bucket, if you wish to clean up, you will come with me. I cannot promise my people will continue to feed you should you decide to remain as you are."
There is an opportunity here, Billana thinks, to see more of this place. She may not go further than a guest room with a bath, but it will give her a better idea of the layout and every little piece of information will help her when it comes to planning an escape later. She cannot say as much to Fili and Kili, but she squeezes past them, turning pleading eyes on them when they try to stop her and mouthing at them to trust her. Her knife and beads are still tucked safely in Fili's pocket, and would do her no good at any rate, and both of them nod tersely before easing away from the door. It will do no good to rush Legolas once the door is open, he has four others behind him which clearly means that he is expecting trouble of some kind from the dwarves as she is released. That won't do the Company any good either, this is not the time or place because even if they did overwhelm Legolas by the time they had convinced him to take them to Thorin the alarm will have been raised and they would still be without an escape route.
"If anything happens to her-" Kili warns.
"She will be returned to you," Legolas replies, "and in better condition than she is now. Though why she would wish to be is beyond me."
Billana steps out of the cell quickly, warmed by Kili's need to protect her even though she knows how futile it all is. She also spares a moment to be thankful that the elf prince and his guard had not approached any earlier, she doubts she would have survived the mortification. She waits expectantly for the elf to guide her and follows in silent obedience as she takes in as much as she can. She is led past the others, not back past the captive elves as she had assumed she would be, and with each cell they pass her companions come to the gate to demand to know where she is being taken. Dwalin goes as far as to throw himself at the door, grunting when it does little more than clang, while Nori watches through narrowed eyes. Balin is the one who surprises her the most, however.
"Where are you taking my daughter?" He demands and they all pause, though one of the guard sniggers and mutters that the dwarves must still be addled by the forest.
"She is a hobbit," Legolas points out, "I see nothing dwarf-like about her."
"Do elves not adopt?" Balin responds reasonably.
"We never have reason to," is the reply, but Billana knows that isn't exactly true. "You have claimed her as your kin?"
"Aye," Balin says slowly, with a quick glance at her. Billana keeps silent, she isn't sure what Balin hopes to gain by this, but she will let it play out all the same. "So, I'll ask again, where are you taking her?"
"To bathe," Legolas says. "Everyone will get the chance, of course, but I thought I would do her the courtesy of going first. As her father, of course, if you should wish to join her-"
"No," Balin says after a beat, "my brother's wife, the red head next door, should go with her."
Legolas nods to one of the guards and two of them go back a few paces to the next cell. There is a moment and Billana half expects Nori or Dwalin to attack the elves, but obviously the discussion has been loud enough to be heard, because Nori approaches with the two elves on either side. Her expression is guarded as she comes to stand beside the hobbit, but Billana doesn't miss the movement of Balin's hands or the way that Nori wiggles her fingers in return.
"I'm going to kill him," she hisses to Billana as they walk, "I hope you don't mind being orphaned a second time."
"Why do you think I didn't want to be locked in with him?" She asks, deciding to give the elves the impression that there is some minor disagreement happening. "He's been so over protective since Fili and Kili-" she pauses when Nori glances down and moves the collar of her shirt slightly with a wide smirk.
"I can't imagine why," she comments dryly and Billana flushes. "Soon as we get in there you can tell your Auntie Nori all about it."
To Billana's surprise she sees their guard blush. That seems to be enough for the dwarf who cackles gleefully at the sight, only to be hushed impatiently by Legolas. Billana, however, notices another noise as they take a turn. It is distant, and in the opposite direction to the one that they are being led in, but it is something she knows she will need to investigate. She glances up at Nori, who seems to be watching where they are being led intently, and fixes this place in her mind. She may have to follow later when the elves bring the others this way if she cannot find the opportunity when they are bathing. They pause outside a door, one that is clearly to another cell, though this is solid with only a small opening at the bottom and a barred window at the top. She shares a glance with Nori as the door is pulled open, concerned that this is another ploy by the elves, only to be met with the sight of a large tub filled with steaming water.
"Pass your clothing under the door, it will be cleaned and returned to you," Legolas instructs. "The door will be locked behind you and you have fifteen minutes."
"I take it back," Nori says as they hear the door shut, "I won't kill Balin, just hurt him a little bit."
She removes her clothes quickly, pulling a number of small knives out of hidden pockets and placing them inside her heavy boots along with a pouch of coins. Billana isn't as quick to undress, and she doesn't have any coin or blade to hide either, but she is still unsure about being naked in front of others. Nori arches one of her braided eyebrows in her direction with a significant glance at the door, they don't have long and if they want to get clean they will need to be quick.
"So which one of them likes to bite?" Nori asks loudly as she climbs into the tub. Billana follows with a confused frown and Nori presses a finger to the point where her neck and shoulder meet. "Little tip? Don't let Balin see that, and tell them to go easy while you're in here." Her finger brushes the crystal that hangs on the silver chain around Billana's neck. "These don't work under dampening spell." Billana flushes.
"It didn't go that far," she whispers.
"It's nothing to do with me," Nori shrugs. She ducks to soak her hair, coming out of the water with her usual peaks tumbling about her shoulders, and grabs a bar of soap. Billana follows her example, scrubbing at her skin and hair as Nori talks. "You heard something out there?" She asks softly and Billana nods. "Think you can find out what it was?" The hobbit nods again. "Go," she instructs, "I can make enough noise to keep them thinking we're both in here."
Though she is clean, Billana would have liked to enjoy the warm water for a little bit longer. Their priority, however, has to be finding a way out, so she climbs slowly out of the tub and shifts quickly. She hasn't taken the form of a mouse since the day that she escaped Bag End, she doesn't like it and vows to change into a cat as soon as she is far enough away from the door guards to be ignored. The elves barely glance at her, their cheeks and ears flushed as they listen to the stream of lewd questions and stories that Nori had begun to utter as soon as Billana had moved to get out of the bath. Little wonder Balin wanted Nori to be the one to go with her. The elves are studiously trying to pretend that they can't hear a word being said in that room and with their attention so fixed on pretending that they aren't there it is easy for a mouse to slip past. She moves rapidly enough as a mouse, but the memories associated with the form hover at the fringes of her awareness and the last thing that she needs is to confront them right now. She shifts into cat form as she crosses the corridor they turned at, ears sensitive enough to hear the sound she is investigating clearly. She doesn't need to go too much further down since it is very obviously Thorin bellowing curses and threats for all to hear, but if she doesn't set eyes on him herself to confirm that he is unharmed none of the others will rest until she does. She doesn't have long, no more than a couple of minutes, and she certainly doesn't have the energy to make another shift if she should need it, so she eases in through the small opening at the bottom of the door that must be used to deliver Thorin's meals.
The dwarf king is there, stomping from one side of his cell to the other and pausing periodically to bellow some curse or another at the door. He stops for a moment when he sees her, mutters her name and she bobs her head in a nod. He breathes a sigh and mumbles a series of quiet instructions to her that she needs to pass on to Fili, Kili and Balin. Most of them she knows will be completely ignored but she nods anyway. She is out of time, however, and Nori's filthy tales won't keep the elves out of the room for too much longer. She darts off as soon as he finishes speaking, racing down the corridor as though orcs are on her tail and only remembering to turn into a mouse as the guards on the door come into view. Legolas is there with her cleaned clothing and she skitters past him. Nori, in what Billana hopes is a moment of genius and not a reaction to seeing a mouse, flings her empty boot at the door with a yell, knocking it closed as Billana takes her own shape again.
"You've got a pest problem," she says nonchalantly when the door opens and Legolas glares at her. "Where are my clothes?"
A.N: I had most of this chapter written before I even posted yesterdays, and I have most of the next chapter done too, the advantage of taking myself and my notebook to bed with a head cold is that I get to write in peace with no Manbeast asking me to help him with stuff. I do believe I handed myself another cut scene to write. Well aren't I silly? Balin is in for it when Dwalin and Nori get their hands on him, but he did what he had to. I have more I need to do with Nori later, aside from handing Billana a little tip that the boys may not have been aware of. And this is probably my most incoherent note to date.