Thank you all for the wonderful amazing reviews! I finally got over my tears (which is good) so Emi can stop writing the before and after notes!

"Finally." - Emilie Brandybuck

Shut up. Anyway! Please enjoy!

Thorin's eyes scanned the calming water as he braced himself on the walls of the river. He looked up at the ceiling. Nothing. There was no Emilie. The hobbit was nowhere to be seen. The eyes of the dwarves turned to him. All held the same question. What should they do? Thorin continued to search. Maybe he had missed her. Maybe she was just under the calming rapids. Maybe…

There was nothing. And his dwarves looked to him. The dwarf lord had to make a decision. Quickly.

Part of Thorin wanted to wait there forever until the little hobbit appeared through the trapped door. Or to find a way out of this accursed barrel and storm back into the elven labyrinth. He would find her. He would save her, even if he died trying.

But what would be the point of that? What would be the point of any of it? She was just a Halfling after all. He could not risk the quest for one life. She had worked so hard to ensure their freedom. Thorin could not just forsake her efforts in that way. He had to carry on to Erebor. And once the mountain was reclaimed, he would rally the dwarven armies and come back for her. That was it. She would not be abandoned. He would return.

"Thorin?" Balin asked, waiting for his king to make a decision. Thorin took a deep breath and opened his mouth. His heart ached to do this, but there was no other option. This was what had to be done. "We carry on…" But as the words began to slip out of his mouth, another sound drowned them out. A terrified scream as something splashed deep into torrent of water below. Nori immediately reached down into the river before, at last, pulling up a soaked sputtering hobbit.

A huge grin washed over Thorin's face. "Well done, Lady Brandybuck." He smirked.

"Guh!" Emi blurbled back, waving for the barrels too keep going. Thorin nodded.

"Come on," he said to the others. "Let's go." And they were off. One dwarf king, with a much lighter heart, leading the way.

Then came the waterfall.

All were knocked practically senseless as the barrels were tossed roughly about through the rapids. Emi did everything in her power to just hold on to the side of Nori's own floatation device.

Water. Hold breath.

Air. Breath.

The trouble was figuring out which was which. And it wasn't always easy considering she was soaked either way.

Then the hobbit felt herself jostled to a stop. She blinked rapidly and looked around like a frightened deer. The barrels were all funneled to a stop by a sturdy Iron Gate built into a wall that stretched over the river. Of course. And, of course, there were elves everywhere. Emi stared wide-eyed at a particularly fierce looking guard only to watch him slump to the ground, an arrow protruding from his back. An orc jumped in its place, snarling fiercely. More exploded from the bushes, charging the elves all along the gates.

"Watch out!" Bofur cried. "Those are orcs!" Really? I hadn't noticed! Thanks for pointing that out. Emi rolled her eyes before stabbing one in the neck with Sting. They had to get out of here. Now.

The hobbit took a large gulp of air before diving under the surface of the river. Thankfully, it wasn't too deep in that portion and she would be able to kick of the ground back to the surface for air. For, of course, it's a common known fact that Hobbits cannot swim. Not generally anyway. She couldn't. And that was the important thing at the moment.

Emi hurried as quickly as she could towards the Iron Gate. Maybe they could go underneath? No, it went under the water too. Emi might have been able to squeeze through, but the barrels would never have fit. Emi kicked off the ground as her breath ran out. The next moment she was gasping for air underneath the stone bridge, both hands clinging to the metal bars. She managed to glimpse Thorin staring at her in surprise.

"It's no good." Emi shook her head. "The gate goes all the way too the bottom." The dwarf cursed before looking anxiously back the way they had come. Most of the elves were gone and the orcs had begun to converge on the barrels.

"Kili!" Fili shouted in horror. Thorin's eyes widened as he heard his youngest nephew cry out in pain.

"Kili…" he whispered under his breath. Emi glanced up at Thorin before quickly disappearing under the water again. The dwarf lord took no notice. The hobbit came up, sputtering, at the side of the river by the stone stairs, and pulled herself out of the water. Bofur cried after her as the hobbit dashed up the steps coming to crouch next to Kili. The dwarf had an arrow protruding from his leg. She whirled around frantically, searching for the archer who had fired the arrow. It seemed to be a nasty looking dwarf with a large black bow. It seemed ready to fire another arrow, but now hesitated, seeing as there was a hobbit in between him and his prey.

Another orc, however, was on it's way to fixing that as it crept up the wall behind them. Emi did not turn until she heard the foul creature let out a gurgle of pain and collapse to the ground, dead, with an arrow through its head. Emi turned in shock to see two familiar elves spring out of the bushes, blades and arrows flying with speed and grace.

Just the distraction Emi needed.

"You." She pointed at Kili. "In the barrel, now." The dwarf replied in a pained nod and began inching to the edge of the wall. Emi looked around quickly for the lever, and finally spotted it. It had been right in front of her, how had she not seen it before? The hobbit pulled it down quickly as Kili slipped over the edge.

The creaking of gears sounded as the metal gates swung open. Emi grinned in triumph before following Kili over the edge and back into the icy cold water. Direction was lost as the current pulled her along.

Which way was up? Where were the barrels? She tried to open her eyes to spot them, but bubbles and foam were all that could be seen. Her lungs burned as she tried desperately to break the surface. She needed air. Which way was up again?

The river sure seemed to be darker than it was before. It hurt so much. Maybe, just a small gasp of air. She was under water… but… it was so dark.

Everything was dark.

Sorry to end at another cliff hanger! ._.

Happy Holidays!