Being clean does not improve the moods of any of the captive dwarves, not that they were all that high to begin with, and Billana has to take a day to rest in her cell with Fili and Kili before resuming her search for an escape route purely because of the number of shifts she had done the day before. Nori, it turned out, had been tasked with trying to lift the keys to her cell as the guards walked past them once the Company had been bathed. She had been unsuccessful, more due to bad luck than lack of skill on her part. The guard, though not accustomed to dealing with dwarves, had apparently been one of the more competent ones and had checked for them before leaving. According to Nori, when Billana stops by on her way to see Balin a couple of days later, the guard had been good humoured about it. Unfortunately, it will make things more awkward.

Thorin's instructions had been a repeat of many of his words in Thranduil's throne room; they will not make a deal with the elves, Thranduil has no right or business holding them, Fili isn't to attempt to make such an offer and Balin isn't to encourage him to try it either. The implication that Billana might take Balin's side and encourage Fili was left unsaid, but she got the message loud and clear all the same. She isn't to attempt it either. She is to find them a way out however she can and not get killed doing it. She wants to point out that saving Thorin from crazy orcs with metal prosthetics, leading the Company through a cursed forest and finding a way out of a dungeon is not in her contract, but she doesn't bother. It wouldn't change the fact that she is the only one who can get them out.

For three days she doesn't do much more than explore, careful to scent mark her path as she goes so that she doesn't get lost and end up caught. This place truly is a warren and if she weren't so accustomed to finding her way in the Shire and with the resources available to her as an animal she would be completely scuppered. Eventually, she runs across the prince as he sits on a high balcony above the long downward spiral that is lined with the dozens of occupied cells. She doesn't approach, already aware the most of the elf occupants of this place see cats as a necessary solution to the problem of mice and little more. She simply watches as he gazes down upon those of his people who have been locked away for the safety of themselves and others. It cannot have been an easy thing for him to do, and that they are still suffering within their minds is clear. As frustrated as Billana is at how little she has been able to accomplish to help her friends, she is certain that it is nothing compared to what Legolas must be feeling.

"My Prince," another elf approaches and Billana shrinks further into the shadows. "The envoys from Rivendell have arrived with the Miruvor."

"I will be there directly," Legolas sighs, getting to his feet with enviable grace.

Billana races after him. If the Miruvor is as valuable as the twins had implied when they gave her the small flask of it she can only think of a few people who would be trusted enough to bring it here. Elladan and Elrohir are high on that list, though she knows that there will be others, and she finds herself desperately hoping that they are here. Whether they will help her to get the Company out is another matter, they must know what her intended destination is by now and she very much doubts that they will be happy about it. She ducks behind a statue when she sees the courtyard where six elves are being greeted. They all wear the familiar light armour of Rivendell elves and she quickly spots the twins as they place their hands over their hearts in greeting to the prince. His smile is tight and grim as he returns the gesture, one that indicates great fondness she knows, and then delivers orders that the barrels of healing cordial be taken to the healers immediately. Far from going with it, the twins allow their four companions to guard it as they linger with Legolas.

"The path was worse than your father led ours to believe," Elladan says finally. "If we had known we would have taken the longer route or brought more riders."

"Much as I hate to admit it, I think he may have misled Lord Elrond deliberately," Legolas replies. "Our difficulties increase with each passing day."

"Why did he not ask for help sooner?" Elrohir asks.

"He did not want to admit that it had gotten so out of control," the prince shrugs, "would your father in his place?" There is a moment of silence. "He will want to speak with you once the first doses have been administered, I will take you to rooms so that you can wash the road from you."

Billana knows that she is cutting it close to dinner time, though Fili and Kili have built a pile of discarded clothing and their coats to resemble a hobbit at rest if taken at a glance. Whether it will fool an elf is another matter entirely, but she can't afford to lose the twins now that they are here, even if she only finds their chambers and has to come back later. Fortunately, the path there is quick, and on a direct route to the dungeons at that, so she marks the way and hurries back to her cell to discover that she is only just ahead of the elf who delivers their meals. She slips past her, darting ahead and into her corner, changing quickly and yanking Kili's coat around her to hide the fact that she isn't clothed as the elf passes their meals through. His face is neutral, lacking the sneer that he had worn the first day, but there is little care in the way he slides their food through to them and Billana quietly plots a number of unpleasant things she can do to the elves here before she leaves. She has been treated like this before, and left feeling unable to retaliate or stand up for herself, she will not allow herself to experience it again.

"Do you think they'll help us?" Kili asks when she is finished telling them about the arrival of the twins.

"I hope so," Billana replies. "I don't think we have any choice but to ask them. They know this place, maybe not as well as its inhabitants but they've obviously been here before. They'll have more answers than I can get, and certainly greater freedom of movement."

"And if they betray us?" Fili asks, understandably wary.

"They won't," she assures him, more certain of her belief in them than anything else. "Whether they like the fact that I joined this quest or not, they won't want me locked up here for the rest of my life."

"I don't like it," Fili grumbles.

"Do we have a choice?" Kili responds. "Billana's right, they'll have more freedom of movement and we can't keep hiding what she's doing forever, eventually one of them will notice."

"It's risky," Fili disagrees, "what if they decide that this is the opportunity to remove you from the situation for your own good?"

"They wouldn't," she argues. "I'd be able to make their lives very difficult and they know it. There isn't anything else, Fili, it could take me months to find a way out with only a few hours at a time to search." He nods. "I'll go after the next guard, I should be clear until breakfast then."

They finish their food in silence, though there is an air of discomfort to it that has never been present before. Fili and Kili do not like the twins, and have little reason to trust them, but she needs them to trust her judgement on this. It is the only way out and the fact is that she has been downplaying how difficult she has been finding it to get much done knowing that she needs to be back in the cells before anyone realises that she is missing. It is exhausting, if she admits the truth to herself, to be constantly shifting and searching with only two proper meals a day along with whatever the others can put to one side for her. Billana longs to rest, though she doubts she will be able to fully relax, and take a bit of time with Fili and Kili without the pressure of being the Company's only hope of making the mountain by Durin's Day. It is a lot for one hobbit to bear and she suspects Fili sees some of this on her face because as soon as they have finished eating he pulls her into his arms and kisses her.

"Talk to them tonight," he says. "Whether they agree to help us or not, I want you to rest tomorrow." She opens her mouth to object. "You need to take care of yourself too, Kitten."

She nods, curling against him as they wait and dozing lightly. She dimly hears them debate leaving her to rest, but she knows that they are as aware as she is that they cannot really afford to miss this opportunity to get help. So when they wake her she yawns and stretches, kisses them both and transforms. If one good thing has come out of this imprisonment, it is that she has had the opportunity to get to know them without the others hovering nearby and explore more of their relationship than just the little touches and moments they have been able to grab before now. It's odd to think that she is doing all that is in her power to get out of just the position she had been longing for.

It's easy enough to find her way back to the twins' rooms, and even easier to get into Elladan's since he has left the door ajar. The reason for that it clear enough when she enters and sees both the twins lounging in comfortable chairs as the prince perches on the edge of a desk, moodily nursing a glass of something as he speaks.

"There is nothing more?"

"We had no guarantee the Miruvor would make any difference at all," Elladan spreads his hands. "All there is to do is wait. They've only had a single dose. I think, however, you would be better focussing on getting those less affected well and able to go back out to drive this darkness back than on those you've had to imprison."

"If it were your friends you would do the same," Legolas sniffs.

Billana trots through the room on silent feet, making her way to Elrohir's side and rubbing herself against the side of his leg as he listens to the conversation. He picks her up, rubbing his fingers over her head until he encounters the chain which holds her charm. He lifts it and she hears him take a sharp breath. He looks at his twin, holding the crystal up for him to see and Elladan nods in silent understanding.

"I won't even try to dispute that," he says, "but perhaps it's a discussion for clear heads. It is late, Legolas, and the road was a long one. Let us examine it in the morning. You need rest, mellon nin, you won't do anyone any good without it."

Legolas sighs but gets to his feet. For a moment and expression crosses his face that makes Billana wonder if Elladan has offended him, but then he inclines his head and excuses himself. The twins wait quietly for a while, making idle conversation as they putter around the room, closing the door into the corridor, and Elrohir disappears through another door that turns out to be a connecting door for their rooms. He reappears in light linen trousers and tunic, looking for all the world like he is preparing for bed and Elladan ducks behind a screen to do the same.

"What are you doing here, Billana?" Elrohir demands finally.

"Can I get a blanket?" She asks, resuming her natural form after deciding that this is a discussion that should be had properly. Elladan brings one with him from the bed as he comes over and drapes it around her shoulders. "There was a complication in the mountains," she tells them and proceeds to explain the events that have led to them being locked in the dungeons underneath them.

"You want us to help you all escape," Elrohir concludes when she is done.

"I thought it couldn't hurt to ask," she shrugs. "I'll work it out myself if I have to, but-"

"You're exhausted," Elladan finishes and she nods. "I wish I could say I wasn't at all happy about this, Dilthen Rís, but the thought of you going anywhere near that mountain has had both of us worried. It's one of the reasons we told Ada we would bring this delivery to Thranduil. We had hoped to catch you up and talk you out of it."

"I'm committed," she shakes her head. "This is my future now too, I won't turn my back on them, you know that."

"What if we make it a condition of us giving you the aid you need?" Elrohir asks.

"Then I'll work it out for myself," she informs him. They stare at her. "I need help, I'm asking for it, just like you told me I should. But if you ask me to walk away from the ones I love then I'll find some other way. Will you help me?"

A.N: I am on fire! Well, I'm not, apparently I just write lots while the kids are at karate and I have half a chapter done