Devlin fired with his arrow into the air: the signal to his other cronies that things were not going according to plan! But...the arrow never reached its mark onto the mine shaft awning, because Elrohir skillfully blocked the shaft with one of his own, sending it to the ground!
"How many are there?" Thorin asked, his lips curled.
"I have nothing to say to you, dwarf scum." Devlin hissed with a sickening smile.
"Shame. Might have saved your life." Thorin shrugged.
"No! Thorin, wait! We need him for questioning!" Bilbo pleaded. Thorin gaped at him. Devlin took the momentary distraction to kick Thorin out from under his feet. Thorin toppled over onto his side, but his warrior reflexes kicked in and he raised Orcrist, barely blocking the blow the elf had attempted to remove the dwarf's head! Bilbo again, threw stones at the tall, imposing figure. This time, they were larger, heavier rocks. Devlin knelt on top of Thorin, raising his blade against his neck.
"I knew it was poor choice, to trust an elf." He chuckled darkly at his attempted assassin.
"The earth will be a cleaner place without filth like you. The Arkenstone is mine, King under the mountain." Devlin whispered cunningly. He nearly drove the blade into Thorin's throat when another rock hit him smack dab in the eye, completely stunning him. Thorin glanced over at Bilbo who was frozen, wondering if his aim had worked, or if it had gone too far. Thorin chuckled. Then three pairs of spindly arms and hands snatched up Devlin and jerked him to his feet. Thorin rolled his eyes.
"Are you hurt, dwarf?" One of Legolas's men asked dryly.
"I was doing alright." Thorin retorted, standing and retrieving his sword. The elf glowered at him and turned his attention back on his prince's main quarry. "Wood elves. I might have known." Thorin muttered. "They'd step in and claim glory to the capture."
"Thorin, come on!" Bilbo shook his arm. "We can worry about that later. Are we not going to save Fili and Kili? Now is the time."
"You are right, Master Baggins." Thorin nodded. "Let's go." He cocked his head. "By the way, nice move back there. If I did not already know you, I would've bought your act without a moment's hesitation, that you are an incorrigible, blundering burglar." He smiled.
"The young one, Bryceson. I want him kept away from all the others." Legolas instructed Voronwe. "You can't miss him. His shoulder is bandaged. Keep him safe, but do not let him out of your sight once you have him. He may be our only cooperative witness."
"Whatever you say, Your Highness." Voronwe nodded. Elladan shot an arrow out of the bough , across the valley where it hit thorn bush. Gandalf peered from behind a ledge, and waved his staff as the signal to go ahead. He had six of the dwarves sneaking into a secret entrance in the back of the mine rock, that he'd discovered when they'd arrived.
"Ready, Legolas?" Elrohir asked.
"Ready." Legolas nodded. He gazed down at the base of the tree where Fluffy was sitting patiently, his ears back in contempt. There were bad guys around this place, he could smell it. Legolas whistled and commanded in Elvish for him to go on inside and find Thranduil. Fluffy slowly rose and crept inside the cave entrance. Everyone waited, save for Thorin and Bilbo who were running straight to the cave.
Cries of fear echoed from the mouth of the rock as two elves, one brown-haired and the other blonde, fled for their lives, with splotches of red on their arms and legs. Thorin and Bilbo gaped. "Maybe the mutt has some use after all." Thorin approved.
"Let's get 'em!" Dwalin hollered, standing and raising his ax.
"Advance!" Legolas commanded. He and his companions lept from the tree as Gandalf and the remaining dwarves charged toward the cave, with Legolas's soldiers standing armed before it.
Fili had heard what sounded like a brutal intruder attacking his captors. He glanced around hopefully, and anxiously. Were there more elves? More men? More tormentors come to attack his brother and himself, and the king? He clasped Kili close to his chest and braced himself back against the wall as hard as he could, praying this wasn't an ambush on them. If it was, he couldn't see any way out of it!
There were many small tunnels, and if not for Fluffy's all too clear snarling and spitting, they would not have known exactly where to go. Thankfully, the halls were lit with many torches, so it was not as dark as one would expect for an evil lair. Legolas guessed it must have been Devlin's doing. After all, elves did NOT like caves! The ringleader must have been terribly angry, desperate, or just greedily stupid to retreat in a place like this for his revenge.
"Which way?" Bofur asked worriedly.
"There's too many paths." Dori stated.
"Elladan, Nori!" Gandalf spoke up. "You two go down that path. Take a torch with you. Dori, you accompany them. Elrohir, Oin? You and Bifur take that route. Stay close together! Watch your step! Thorin, Legolas, and the rest of you, come with me." Gandalf ordered as he led them through the winding halls.
Fili's heart thudded with fear when he heard scratching of large paws, very large paws clawing at the door trapping them inside and heard the heavy breath of some kind of animal panting angrily beneath it. Fili clutched Kili with all that he was. This was most definitely the end! How an animal got in this place he didn't know, and didn't want to know!
The door burst open, and Fili curled into a ball, trying to protect his brother, not even bothering to look up but trying to blend himself into the shadows. Gandalf's staff grew brighter, and the other's torches lit up the room. "Fili? Fili!" Thorin gasped. Fili was almost too afraid to believe his ears. "Fili!" Thorin repeated himself and the young prince found himself hugged almost to death by a pair of the strongest, most safe arms he'd ever known! He looked up in disbelief.
"Uncle?" He whimpered.
"I'm here, Fili. I'm here." Thorin smiled lovingly.
"Uncle!" Fili cried. "You must get us out of here! Kili is dying! He's very sick! And..."
"Give him to me." Thorin told him. Fili finally let his shoulders relax as Thorin took Kili into his arms. "Kili? Kili?" He tried to wake him. "Someone remove these bloody chains!" Thorin demanded.
"We've found them! We've found them!" Bilbo shouted in the doorway, his cheerful voice echoing through the caverns.
As Gandalf set about freeing the dwarves, Legolas glanced around the dim room. His eyes fell on a long, bold figure who was limply leaning against the wall, his head sank down to his chest. Legolas darted for him and threw his arms around him. "Ada! Oh, Ada! I found you!" Legolas wept with joy. Bilbo watched from a distance. Fluffy bounded into the room and went straight to his king, licking his bruised face and bloody chin. "Ada!" Legolas cried. "Ada, it's me! Can you hear me?"
Thranduil blinked dazedly, wincing. "Leg...Legolas?" He whispered.
"Ada, thank the Valar! We found you and we're going to get you out of here!" Legolas smiled. Thranduil blinked his eyes wider.
"Legolas?! Ohh, Legolas..." Thranduil cried, tears filling his eyes.
"I'm here." Legolas stroked his father's downtrodden face. "You look terrible."
"Never mind me! Find Alasse! Find your sister!" Thranduil choked desperately. "Bring her back to me!"
"I will, Ada. I promise!" Legolas assured him. "Do you know where she is?"
"No! I do not." Thranduil wept.
"Uncle, the little princess...they took her away. We have to help!" Fili implored Thorin as Bilbo, and Gandalf helped him to his feet.
"Get him out of here." Thorin told his kin.
"Here, I'll take Kili." Gandalf said, stooping down.
"Uncle, we cannot just leave her behind!" Fili begged. "You must help save her!"
"I will do what I can." Thorin clapped his shoulder. At that moment, Elladan, Elrohir, and the other dwarves had joined them. Fili was embraced tightly and escorted out.
"Thranduil!" Gandalf sputtered in dismay as he came to the king. "My old friend. What have they done to you?"
"It doesn't matter, Mithrandir. Find my daughter! Help her! Please, you must!" Thranduil pleaded in a strangled voice.
"First, we must release you of these dreadful bonds." Gandalf scowled.
"Legolas, find your sister!" Thranduil told his son.
"I will." Legolas nodded determinedly. "Where are Fluffy and Bilbo?" He frowned as he reached the door.
"Elladan, Elrohir, help me!" Gandalf told the sons of Elrond. Elrohir took Kili safely in his arms while Elladan helped the wizard remove the horrid chains.
"I will do what I can for your nephew." Elrohir nodded to Thorin then hurried out.
"We're getting you out of here." Elladan told Thranduil. "Come on." He and Gandalf placed Thranduil's arms over their shoulders while they clasped theirs around his waist.
"Shouldn't have come...Alasse..." Thranduil rambled anxiously.
Never in all his years had Thorin seen the arrogant elf king so emotional. Never! Displayed before him was not the stoic, proud, traitorous elf he had loathed and despised for so long. No, but a deeply troubled soul. The fear of a helpless father. He portrayed the same worry and helplessness Thorin himself had felt the passed week, desperately searching for his sister's sons, fearing their fate. Thorin could only stare at Thranduil, speechless. And then something happened he never dreamed he would ever do! His heart flooded with sympathy for the worried king.
With the Ring concealing his visage, Bilbo hurried along the large tunnels after the large, bushy tail ahead of him. Preparing to threaten with his little sword if needed, Bilbo kept going.
"Hurry! Move it! You should've had this out before now! Are you men so weak and pathetic you can't even lift a small child?" Rajiv's angry voice snarled ahead.
"We got lost again. Besides, ye said you didn't want 'er too mangled. What do you expect us to do?" Griffin barked back.
"Her?" Bilbo's ears perked up. He followed the voices till he saw three large figures, one definitely an elf, and with a nasty temper! The other two were men, carrying a small chest. That had to be where the little princess was being held. Bilbo reflected on Legolas's words:
"She's my little sister. She's so small, she can't defend herself. If they hurt her..."
Thankful that they could not see him, Bilbo ran forward and stabbed Donovan in the leg. He yelped in pain and dropped one end of the chest. "Idiot!" Rajiv growled.
"It wasn't me! Something...ahh!" Donovan screeched when Bilbo kicked his other leg.
Bilbo eyed the large elf. He was bearing a hook with several keys on it. He had to get those keys! He whistled loudly. "What the bloody h- was that?" Rajiv barked.
"Don't know!" Griffin shook his head. Bilbo whistled again, behind Griffin. He dropped the box.
"Bloody fool! Watch it! The goods won't be worth anything damaged." Rajiv slapped the man.
Just then, a huge Elven wolf lunged at them before they realized what was happening! Fluffy landed on top of the both of them, pinning Bilbo to the floor under the man. Griffin ran for his life, but Fluffy growled viciously down at Rajiv. Bilbo took the opportunity and yanked the keys from the elf's belt. There! He had them! Fluffy tore into Rajiv's shoulder, giving him a taste of his own medicine. Rajiv screamed like he had only heard from those he had beaten.
"Fluffy! Enough! Release!" Legolas yelled as he entered, his bow trained on the wounded elf. Fluffy backed off begrudgingly. Legolas had run into Griffin on his way in, but the man had ran away as if Morgoth was on his heels. Then Legolas had heard a faraway scream as the man fell into one of the ravines of the large mountain. "Where is she?" Legolas narrowed his eyes.
Rajiv was gagging on the floor. He did not answer. Fluffy's bite had shattered his collar bone and he passed out from the horrendous pain.
"Prince Legolas!" Bilbo gasped, having removed his Ring. Legolas frowned in confusion when he saw the hobbit. Where did he come from? When had he gotten in here, and without being heard? "Prince Legolas! Over here!" Bilbo beckoned. Legolas flew to his side. "I think I found something." Fluffy was anxiously pawing at the box. Legolas pounded on the lock.
"Bloody b-s." He cursed.
"Perhaps this might do the trick." Bilbo smiled, holding a set of keys. Legolas's eyes widened even more. How...how...He nodded gratefully and took them, fitting various keys into the lock until one of them clicked!
Legolas turned the lock. He yanked it off then threw open the lid. There inside, lying limp, was his little sister!
