Author's Note: I own nothing.

16 Only Chance

Thorin was pulled away from the rest of the group who all fought and cried out as they were taken down a fight of stairs and he was taken up a different one. He recognized this place. He'd only been once with his grandfather and father shortly after the fall of Erebor but it had not changed in the sixty years since. Nor had the figure lounging on the throne. Thranduil sat above all on his throne. It was not something Thorin would call good craftsmanship, made as it was of a living tree, coaxed with magic and artifice into the likeness of a massive set of sweeping antlers like those of an elk. Ivy flowed from the tips of the antler-like branches. Thorin was escorted to the base of the throne and released, though his weapon had already been rested from him by the cocky blond elven boy. The elven king leaned forward slightly before standing and stepping down the intricate stairs that led to his throne.

"It has been long since I have seen you Thorin son of Thrain, son of Thror. What, my I ask, brings you here?" His tone was slightly condescending, as though he already knew what was happening here. "Some may believe some kind of noble quest is afoot. A quest to slay a dragon, reclaim a homeland. But I suspect something much more prosaic is afoot." Thranduil said stepping around Thorin who refused to turn to look at him. The elf king allowed him his silence for a moment before stepping around to face him again.

"Attempted burglary." His phrasing made Thorin twitch. Where was Bella, had the elves found her or had she been left outside the intricate gate to the woodland realm to be spider food. How exactly did one miss a Hobbit. He certainly couldn't seem to keep her out of his thoughts as Thranduil continued speaking.

"The Arkenstone." That caught Thorin's attention, pulling his mind away from the horrors that might be even now befalling their burglar. "It is precious to you beyond measure. I understand that, there are gems in that mountain that I too desire." Thorin remembered the gems to which Thranduil referred. Shortly before Thror had been taken by his gold madness and refused to let any precious stone or coin leave Erebor Thranduil had sent his wife's jewelery to the master smiths in Erebor for repair. But Thror had refused their return, shortly before the dragon attacked.

"I would offer my help." Thranduil said with a slight incline of the head. That cut through all of Thorin's memories and brought up an old festering anger.

"I am listening." He said, he wasn't sure if his anger showed through or not but since Thranduil smiled and began to speak again he would guess not.

"If you but return what is mine." Thranduil said like it was the simplest thing in the world. Thorin tilted his head pacing to the edge of the platform on which Thranduil's throne stood. Looking over he could see what could pass for a ballroom bellow, there were not many elves there now but there were enough.

"A favor for a favor." Thorin said lightly, trying not to let his anger control him, his back to Thranduil.

"You have my word, one king to another." The elven king assured him.

"Your word." Thorin said, his anger bubbling to the top. "I would not trust the word of Thranduil the great king should the end of all days be upon us!" He was shouting by the end of his sentence but he couldn't help it. He remembered what Thranduil seemed to have forgotten. "I remember what your word is worth, how you treat your friends! You who lack all honor! What aid came from elves when Smaug came to take our home! Or after when we came to your door begging for help, you turned your back!" He was so angry his grip on common was beginning to slip. "You left innocents to die! You still leave innocents to die!" He shouted in Khuzdul. Thranduil snapped back at him.

"Do not blame me for what the madness of your grandfather brought down on your head! I have faced the great serpents of the north, I know their wrath and ruin." His face shuddered, his beauty melting away. A terrible burn covered the left hand side of his face turning his once clear eye a milky blind white. He pulled back, shuddering slightly as his face reformed. He took a breath and nodded. Thorin was seized by the guards. "Very well, you'll find I can be very patient Thorin son of Thrain. We will see how you feel about your situation in a hundred years. That is but the blink of an eye for an elf. How patient can you be?" He asked as Thorin was dragged away.

Kili was worried. Thorin had been taken away and had not reappeared, but worse than that Bella had not been taken with them. He was pacing his cell when he heard footsteps outside it. He lunged to the bars and reached out catching hold of the elf who was passing by. He blinked it was the same redhead who had saved him from the spiders before taking him captive. She frowned at him pulling her sleeve from his hand. Before she could leave though he found his words.

"One of our companions is missing! How many were taken?" He asked and that seemed to surprise her. She looked him over.

"We found all thirteen of you in the woods where the spiders had their nest." Her common was good, as he understood it not all elves spoke it. His heart dropped, he pulled back from the bars burying his head in his hands. The elf woman frowned at him. "There was another, wasn't there. I will speak to the scouts sent to clear out the nest and see if anything of your companion can be found." She offered. Kili glanced up at her.

"Thank you." He said, surprised that the elven woman was offering any kind of help. He paused wishing he knew her name. She stepped away from his cell. He flopped back down on the cot in his cell and began to hum an old tune, a lament for lost friends. He began to sing lowly, and heard a gasp from outside but Fili, in the next cell over had already taken up the song. Kili did not let his voice falter as the others joined in the old Khuzdul song. They were only interrupted when Thorin was dragged past them to a lower cell set away from all of them. It was only then that Kili noticed that the red headed elf hadn't left. She was quick to follow the guards who'd brought Thorin out of the dungeon, though she looked back at him several times.

"Did he offer you a deal?" Balin called down to Thorin.

"He did. I told him he could go die a fiery death." Thorin said leaning on the bars of his cell. "Him and all his kin!" He called in common so any guards listening would be sure to hear him. Balin sighed.

"That's it then, a deal was our only hope." Silence fell in the dungeon for a moment.

"Not quite our only hope." A voice said from nowhere. Everyone shot to their feet and Thorin gasped as Bella appeared in front of his cell from thin air, her hand slipping into her pocket. He felt an incredulous laugh pulling at him and barely managed to suppress it.

"You're alive." He was breathless as a few of the others cheered.

"Oh will you lot hush! You'll bring the guards down on my head!" Silence fell again. "I'm going to try and find a way to get you lot out of here but it's going to take some time. Thought I would return something before I did though." She said reaching into her pocket and pulling the key to the hidden door out of her pocket. Thorin gasped reaching for where it normally hung around his neck.

"How?"

"Seems the chain snapped when the spiders took you." She said holding it out to him between the bars. He wrapped his hand around hers, closing her fingers around the key.

"Keep it until we leave here. I cannot have the elves finding it." Or you. She blinked blushing bright red and pulling her hand away. "Tread carefully Bella." She blinked at him but as footsteps came back down the stairs slipped her hand back into her pocket and vanished in front of his eyes. A weight lifted off his shoulders, knowing she was alive, and as safe as she could be here in the heart of enemy territory.