Kili sat staring at the stone wall, fear grew in the pit of his torso. He glanced his head up when he heard someone throw himself against their cell door.
A hooded figure stood there looking down upon him.
"I thought you'd be better looking," the man stated before slowly removing the hood from his head. Kili first noticed the long pale scar. It ran diagonally down his face, starting just above his right eye, and ending at just below his lip.
"Who are you?" Kili said slowly standing up.
"I know Emilia has said some unkind things about me, about our… past. But most of it was untrue."
"Demisrie." Kili breathed, anger seeping into his voice.
"Ah, so you do know who I am. Good."
"Where is she?"
"Why should I tell you, you and that girl turned my two comrades against me."
Kili remembered Caio and Aros.
"Who's there?" Kili asked as he took out a knife.
"There is no need for violence. I am a friend not an enemy." A man's voice spoke to Kili.
"If you're not here to hurt me show yourself." Two figures appeared from behind two trees, Kili was unable to see their faces.
"It's alright Kili, son of Dis. We are friends of the one you call Emilia. I am Aros." A woman pulled back her hood so Kili could see her blonde ringlets fall past her shoulders. She had bright blue eyes, brighter than Thorin's, and a smile.
"I am Caio." The other pulled back his hood revealing black hair that came to about his shoulders and dark green eyes. Ember spoke so highly of them and Kili felt it right to trust them.
"How can I serve thee, upon Emilia's behalf?"
"There is no need to serve us young master Dwarf, we are here to give you some… assistance. Demisrie was furious upon the hearing of the Great Goblin's death, and that Emilia was there. He has not quite figured out what we had done to aid Emilia, but I fear he is close to doing so. He wants only her, and nothing can stop him from getting her, trust me when we say this, we've already tried. He is set on having her power for his own." Aros spoke with kindness.
"How did you help her?"
"When we helped her escape we hid her from Demisrie's sight, strictly so he could not find her, ever. The spell we used was strong. But if Demisrie finds out what we did, his counter spell will be stronger. We fear for her life. If Demisrie finds her, you have to protect her, with your life. Because if Demisrie takes a grasp to her gift, Middle Earth will be beyond saving. You cannot let that happen." Caio said, and Kili nodded he felt so much pressure put on his shoulders.
"I know this will seem like a lot young dwarf, but for her sake and safety. If Demisrie gets her she will die then all of Middle Earth will die, do you understand?"
"Yes I understand."
"Good, now Demisrie has probably noticed our absence so we best be leaving. But if you ever need help in the darkest of situations take this." Aros placed a small turquoise gem in the palm of Kili's hand, it glowed in his palm.
"What is it?"
"Possibly the one thing that could save the girl you love." Aros said with a smile before disappearing in a flash of white light.
"Protect her, please. She is all we have left." Caio said before disappearing in a flash of blue.
Kili sunk to his knees as he held the small gem in his palm, he held it close to his chest. There were so many questions he wanted answered, such as what the little gem was. But all he was able to do was breathe, breathe and wonder.
"Good, so you do remember them. Well, I can assure you, you will never see either of them again."
"Why?"
"They were… taken care of." Demisrie responded, a hint of murder in his voice.
"You killed them?"
"Yes, well it was my plan all along. Let me just gloat for a moment at my kill... But yes, it was my plan. Befriend them, gain their trust, kill them, take their power. Simple really. Now all I have to do, is get rid of your little love interest. Then everything is perfect."
Kili threw himself against the door, sending Demisrie back a step.
"You touch her I swear it'll be the last thing you ever do."
Demisrie leaned in toward Kili where he was only inches from his face.
"Much too late for that." His voice was evil, cold. Kili flung himself against the door once more time before sinking to the floor.
Emilia sat, her back against the ornate door, tears streaming down her face. She whipped around when she heard someone knock on the door.
"Who is it?"
"Tauriel. Kili asked me to help you."
"Kili? How is he?"
"Very worried. I managed to sneak your bow and one knife but I didn't get anything else."
"Why are you helping me?" Emilia asked before opening the door wearily.
"I'm not sure honestly. I know if I do though I'm going to regret it." Tauriel replied with a smile.
"Thank you though. Thank you so much."
Bilba invisibly walked through the wine cellar. She saw elves moving around wine barrels and speaking. One drank from a large flagon; Bilba saw the ring of dungeon keys in his hand.
"...we're running out of drink." She heard one elf comment.
"These empty barrels should have been sent back to Esgarrouth hours ago. The bargeman will be waiting for them." The other retorted.
"Say what you like about our ill-tempered king, but he has excellent taste in wine. Come, Elros, try it." The first elf coaxed.
"I have the dwarves in my charge."
They're in the dungeon, easy enough, Bilba thought sarcastically to herself.
She watched the other elf take the keys and hang them on a hook in the wall.
"They're locked up; where can they go?"
Anywhere but here, she commented inside her head.
The elves laughed; Bilba took note of the hanging keys.
"I'll wager the sun's on the rise. It must be nearly dawn."
Kili sat by the door of his cell, waiting to see Emilia's face, but she never came.
"We're never going to reach the mountain, are we?" Ori groaned.
Bilba suddenly appeared, holding up the ring of keys.
"Not stuck in here, you're not!" She added slyly.
Thorin and the other dwarves jumped up in surprise; Bilba hastily tucked her Ring into her pocket."Bilba!" Balin yelled.
As the dwarves exclaimed in surprise, Bilba shushed them.
"Shhh! There are guards nearby!"
Bilba unlocked Thorin's cell and let him out. When Thorin was out, he embraced Bilba and kissed her, none of the other dwarves seemed to care at the sudden action of love. She then proceeded to let all the dwarves out of their various cells, and they all chuckled gleefully at their good fortune, except Kili. Some of the dwarves start walking in a certain direction.
"Where is Emilia?" Bilba asked. The dwarves stopped to hear his answer.
"Demisrie has her. I have to get her back." Kili exclaimed.
"She can hold her own, she will manage." Thorin stated.
The dwarves began to scramble at the faint sound of elven speech.
"The stairs. You first. Ori!" Dwalin commanded.
"Not that way, down here. Follow me."
Bilba proceeded lead the dwarves through the Woodland Realm, and they whispered indistinctly. They snuck through the halls of the Woodland Realm, and eventually found themselves in the wine cellar.
The elves there were sound asleep around a table, with several empty bottles of wine in front of them. Bilba lead the dwarves further in.
"This way." Bilba commanded.
"I don't believe it; we're in the cellars!" Kili argued.
The dwarves were getting mad at Bilba.
"You were supposed to be leading us out, not further in!" Bofur explained.
"I know what I'm doing!" Bilba countered.
"Shhh!" Bofur hushed as the sleeping elves stirred.
"This way." Bilba gestured.
They snuck into a large room in which several barrels were stacked sideways down the middle of the room. All the barrels have one end open.
"Everyone, climb into the barrels, quickly!" Bilba commanded.
"Are you mad?! They'll find us!" Dwalin called.
"No, no, they won't, I promise you. Please, please, you MUST trust me!" She pleaded.
"Emilia would have listened," she said under her breath, only so Kili could hear, which sent him into a guilt trip.
The dwarves milled around, as they tried to decide. They heard a commotion in the distance.
"Do as she says!" Thorin commanded.
Each of the dwarves climbed into a barrel. Bilba walked along, counting to make sure all the dwarves had been accounted for. She stopped at the barrel that would have been Emilia's sighing she stared at the company.
"What do we do now?" Bofur asked.
All the dwarves stuck their heads out of their barrels and watched Bilba as she walked toward a lever in the ground.
"Hold your breath." She commanded.
"Hold my breath? What do you mean?" Bofur stuttered.
Bilba pulled the lever, and the part of the floor that the barrels were on tilted downward into an opening; the barrels rolled out the opening and fell several feet into a river that ran beneath the Woodland Realm. The dwarves yelled as they fall, and the barrels made loud thumping noises. The elves sleeping around the table stirred and began to wake up. Bilba triumphantly looked around, then realizes that she forgot to get out herself, and that the trap door had closed.
Tauriel strided up to the empty cells and addressed the other elven guards. Emilia stood next to her, hidden in a disguise of light elven armor. Helping Emilia, Tauriel knew not to rush the search for the dwarves.
"Where is the keeper of the keys?" She asked.
In the cellar, Bilba frantically ran back and forth and stomped on the ground, trying to make the floor tip again. Tauriel, Emilia, and her elves ran toward the cellar.
"Tolo hi!" [Translation: Come now!] She told Emilia, who nodded and followed along.
Just as Tauriel and the guards got to the cellar, the floor tipped and Bilba fell into the river, yelling. She surfaced and grabbed onto Nori's barrel. Thorin and the company, still in their barrels, had been waiting for her.
"Well done, Mistress Baggins."
Bilba, half drowned, waved her hand in thanks and managed to splutter out a word.
"Go."
"Come on, let's go."
The dwarves paddled with their hands as the river pulled their barrels along; elves rushed along passages in the Woodland Realm. The dwarves emerged into the sunlight, and Thorin saw a waterfall right in front of them.
"Hold on!"
Emilia ran next to Tauriel, who was practically protecting her. She gasped and ran faster as they approached the waterfall.
"Please don't get hurt!" She repeated to herself.
The dwarves, Bilba, and the barrels plunged through the rapids, then float swiftly down the raging river. Legolas, followed by other elves, emerges from a gateway and sees them floating away.
An elf blew on a horn; as the dwarves rounded a corner in the river, they saw a guardpost built above the river. The heavily armored elves standing guard there heard the horn and came to attention.
One of them pulled a lever, causing a heavy metal sluice gate to block the river. The dwarves in their barrels came to a stop at the gate, unable to float further.
"No!" Emilia called.
The barrels piled into each other; the elven guards drew their swords, but one is suddenly shot in the back with a black arrow. Several growling orcs swarmed over the guardpost, killing the elves. Multitudes of orcs ran in from the bushes, with Bolg.
"Watch out! Those are orcs!" Bofur called.
"Gorid! Zib! Goridug!" [Translation: Slay them all!]
The orcs began throwing themselves at the dwarves in their barrels; Bilba managed to kill one with Sting, and Dwalin elbowed another in the face.
Kili looked up and saw the lever the elven guard had pulled earlier. He managed to get out of his barrel and run up the stairs toward the lever. Unarmed, he ducked as an orc swung at him.
"Kili!" Dwalin yelled.
Dwalin, who had managed to grab a sword from one of the elves or orcs, threw it to Kili, who then fought his way to the top of the stairs. As Kili fights an orc, another one leaps up from behind him, raising its spear to stab him.
Emilia ran out of the brush and threw a dagger at the orc. Kili stopped short to look at her.
She grabbed his hand quickly.
"Go I'll cover for you." She said.
He nodded.
Emilia killed an orc before letting out a scream. Kili saw Demisrie grab her, she struggled, hard.
Demisrie nodded toward the lead orc. Then he gestured toward Kil, who didn't notice the exchange of signs.
Bolg, noticing Kili, pulled his bow and arrows from his back. As Kili reached for the lever, Bolg fired an arrow, which hit Kili in the calf. Kili stopped short, panting.
Emilia let out a cry as he stopped.
"Let me go!" She screamed. Demisrie only tightened his grip.
"Kili!" Fili yelled.
Kili groaned in pain and strains to pull the lever, but falls over onto his back. Bolg strings another arrow. Thorin looks shocked. Emilia saw Bolg as well. In a dying effort, a burst of flame ruptured from her body, not only did it burn her captor, but it sent him flying back. Using the rims of the barrels as stepping stones she crossed the river to the other side.
"Kili."
An orc leapt over to kill Kili, but an arrow suddenly flew into its head. Kili looked over and saw his love fighting to keep him alive. She shot another orc, then killed others with her knife.
"Gor'-ash! Gor golginul! " [Translation: Kill her! Kill the She-Elf!]
Several orcs rushed at Emilia; Legolas, Tauriel, and other elves appeared from the bushes and shot them down. As Tauriel, Legolas, and the other elves fought the orcs, Kili managed to grab the lever and pull it, opening the sluice gate and letting the dwarves in their barrels through. He then fell on his back again in pain. Sliding into his barrel, the arrow broke, causing him greater pain.
"Emilia come on!" He cried, hiding the pain in his voice.
When she turned around to move to him, she showed a moment of vulnerability. Demisrie raised his sword, and the hilt came crashing down upon her black hair. She fell into his arms, where he carried her into the brush, farther and farther away from Kili.
Kili moved to go after her, but the pain in his leg leaked and his barrel moved down the river, he heard himself yell her name.
The dwarves in barrels fell down another waterfall and float down the river. Bolg saw them.
"Khozdayin obguryash! Abgurid!" [Translation: After them!]
"Kili!" Fili called to his brother.
The dwarves tried to paddle and steer with their hands, but to no avail; the river was running too wild. As they came to a narrow part of the river, orcs on either side began shooting arrows at them.
In the river, an orc leapt at Thorin in his barrel, but he managed to kill it with a sword he grabbed earlier. Tauriel, Legolas, and the other elves ran after the orcs chasing the dwarves, shooting them.
An orc jumped from an overhanging tree branch toward Balin, but Thorin threw his sword and pinned the orc to the tree.
As the orc dropped its weapon, Thorin caught it while floating beneath him, and he threw back to Bombur, who threw it to Nori, who threw it to Fili, who killed an orc with it.
An orc leapt onto Dwalin barrel, only for Dwalin to headbutt it off and steal its axe. The dwarves saw a low-hanging tree branch stretched across the river in front of them, with several orcs on it."Cut the log!"
As he floats under it, Thorin hit it with his sword, then Bofur hit it with his weapon, and Dwalin, right behind him, hit the branch with his axe, breaking it and causing the orcs on it to fall into the river. Bilba managed to climb atop a floating barrel.
"Bombur!" Dwalin yelled.
Dwalin threw his axe to Bombur, who killed an orc that had just jumped onto his barrel. The Orc's spear ended up pinning it to an overhanging tree branch; the other end of the spear caught onto Bombur's barrel and catapulted it through the air and onto the riverbank, where the barrel rolled and trampled multitudes of orcs.
The barrel flipped through the air to the other side of the river, where it trampled more orcs. Eventually, the barrel came to a stop, and orcs surrounded it; however, Bombur kicked out the bottom, then stuck his arms holding axes through the sides. He then started spinning rapidly with the axes extended, mowing down all the orcs around him. He then ran toward the river, tossed his axe to one of the floating dwarves, then gracefully jumped into an empty barrel.