Chapter 20
Getting Out of Mirkwood
I woke up with Stacia curled up in my arms and face burried in my chest. I sat up and leaned against the wall with Stacia still in my arms. I saw Thorin pacing the floor of his cell. I leaned my head against the wall.
"You'll put a hole in the floor if you keep that up, my love." I said. Thorin smiled when he saw that I was awake with our daughter nestled in my arms.
"You don't know how much I miss you being in my arms right now." Thorin said, taking ahold of the cell doors.
"Same here, love. I'm just happy to have Stacia in my arms." I said. Thorin nodded and sat next to the wall as sunlight came through the holes.
"I'll wager the sun's on the rise. It must be nearly dawn." Bofur said.
"We're never going to reach the mountain, are we?" Ori asked. Bilbo appears next to Thorin's cell, holding the keys.
"Not stuck in here, you're not!" Bilbo said. I shook Stacia awake.
"Bilbo!" Balin said.
"Shh! There are guards nearby." Bilbo said.
"Mommy?" Stacia asked, rubbing her eyes.
"We're getting out of here." I said. Stacia wrapped her arms around my neck as cell doors were unlocked and mine was next. I was in Thorin's arms in an instant. Thorin's lips met mine and I melted into the kiss.
"Hey." Stacia said, giving a pout. Thorin chuckled and kissed her check. We start walking in one direction.
"The stairs. You first, Ori!" Dwalin said.
"Not that way, down here. Follow me." Bilbo said. Bilbo leads us through the palace. Stacia clung to my neck. We come into a wine cellar. There were elves that were sound asleep around a table with empty bottles of wine in front of them. We were lead further in. "This way."
"I don't beleive it, we're in the cellars." Kili said. The dwarves started getting mad. Anna and I passed a look.
"You were supposed to be leading us out, not further in!" Bofur said.
"I know what I'm doing!" Bilbo said.
"Just shut up and listen." I said. Bilbo shot me a thankful look.
"This way." Bilbo said. We come into a large room in which several barrels are stacked sideways down the middle of the room. "Everyone, climb into the barrels, quickly!" Bilbo said.
"Are you mad!? They'll find us!" Dwalin said.
"No, no, they won't, I promise you. Please, please, you MUST trust me!" Bilbo said. The dwarves started muttering when we heard a commotion.
"Not good." Anna said. I look at Thorin.
"Do as he says!" Thorin said. Thorin helped me and Stacia into one barrel and got into the one next to ours as the others climb into the barrels. Bilbo walks by counting to make sure we all were there.
"What do we do now?" Bofur asked, popping his head out of the barrel.
"Hold your breath." Bilbo said. Stacia burried her face in my chest and I closed my eyes.
"Hold my breath? What do you mean?" Bofur asked. The lever got pulled and the barrels were rolling. I held my breath as we go under. We came up and I pushed my hair out of my face. Thorin was holding the walls with the help of Dwalin and Fili.
"Waiting for Bilbo." Thorin said. Stacia popped her head out. I kissed her check. A splash came and I turn to see Bilbo come up for air and Nori pulled him onto his barrel.
"Well done, Master Baggins." Thorin said. Bilbo waves his hand.
"Go!" Bilbo said.
"Come on. Let's go." Thorin said. I started paddling with my hands following Thorin We emerge into sunlight and a waterfall was right in front of us. "Hold on!" Thorin shouted. The barrels plunge into the water and into rapids as horns blew. A shout in elvish came. There was a guard post above the river and a lever is pulled and a gate close. Thorin comes to it, followed by me. We all came to a stop, now at a stand still. "No!" Thorin said, slamming against the gate. I put a hand on his shoulder. He turned. Elf guards draw their swords, but they were shot in the back with arrows. Stacia screamed as orcs came, killing the elves.
"Get down." I said, shoving Stacia down and out of sight. I saw a orc that I knew from the movies and books, Bolg, emerge.
"Watch out! Those are orcs!" Bofur said.
"No shit, sherlock." I yell. Bolg yells something in the Black speech and orcs throw themselves at the dwarves. Bilbo kills one with his sword. I punch one right in the throat and it fell as we fought for our lives. Kili pulls himself out of the barrel and onto the ledge. I knew what was going to happen.
"Kili." Dwalin called, throwing him a sword that he got from one of the elves. I grabbed a sword from a fallen elf. Others did the same thing. I could hear the fight but couldn't see what was happening. Thorin looked worried.
"KILI!" Fili yelled and I knew Bolg had shot Kili. I swore.
"Kili." Thorin said, looking worried. The gate opened and we were going. We tried to paddle and steer with our hands, but no luck. The river was to wild. Orcs begin shooting arrows at us. I duck down to not get hit and check on Stacia. She was shivering, but she was alright. I come up in time to see an Orc heading my way. I swung my sword around and cut off its head.
"Nice one." Anna yelled. I shot her a smirk. Thorin gets one of the orcs weapons and throws it back to Bombur, who throws it to Nori, who passes it to Fili, who kills an orc with it. Dwalin headbutts an orc and steals the axe. A low hanging tree branch had orcs on it.
"Cut the log!" Thorin said. Thorin hits it with his, then I hit it with mine, and then Dwalin hits it. The tree branch breaks making the orcs fall into the river. I saw Bilbo laying on a barrel. I grin as Bombur is fighting on shore and then jumps into an empty barrel. Thorin looked for me and smiled to see I was alright.
"Stacia?" Thorin asked, worried.
"She's safe." I said, pointing down. I heard yells of anger and turn. Anna and I started laughing to see Legolas standing on Dwalin's and Bofur's head.
"NOT FUNNY!" Dwalin said.
"It is." Anna said. Legolas jumped off onto shore, killing more orcs. One came up behind to kill him, but Thorin throws his sword and kills the Orc. They shared nods of understanding at each other. The close was clear and I let Stacia pops her head up.
"Can we do that again? Please! Please!" Stacia asked, excitedly. Throin and I smile at her as the river calmed.
"Anything behind us?" Thorin asked.
"Not that I can see." Balin said.
"I think we've outrun the orcs." Bofur said.
"Not for long, we've lost the current." Thorin said.
"Bofur is half drown." Dwalin said.
"And Stacia is shaking." I said, holding my daughter close.
"Make for the shore! Come on, let's go!" Thorin said. We all head to the shore.
"Come on." Dwalin said. Kili gets to the shore and falls to his knees in pain, from his wound. Fili and Anna hurry over to him. Thorin pulled Stacia up into his arms and held her close to warm her up.
"I'm fine, it's nothing." Kili said.
"On your feet." Thorin said.
"Kili's wounded. His leg needs binding." Fili said.
"There's an orc pack on our tail. We keep moving." Thorin said.
"You stubborn dwarf." Anna growled.
"To where?" Balin asked.
"To the mountain, we're so close." Bilbo said.
"A lake lies between us and the mountain. We have no way to cross it." Balin said as I slipped to Fili, Kili, and Anna to help.
"So then we go around." Bilbo said.
"The orcs will run us down, as sure as daylight. We have no weapons to defend ourselves." Dwalin said.
"Bind his leg, quickly. You have two minutes." Thorin said. Anna and I got to work wrapping the wound. A shadow falls on us. Thorin pulls me behind him as he aims his bow at us. Kili grabs a rock to throw, but the man shoots the rock out of his hand. Anna and I recognized him. Bard.
"Do it again, and you're dead." Bard said.
AN: There's the new chapter. Hope you liked. I'll update when I can. :)