„Kate?"
She could hear his soft voice whispering in the dark and shifted closer to the door of her cell.
„Thorin...is this the end?", she asked afraid. His heart sank even more, he would give anything to hold her in his arms, soothing her.
„No,Kate...we'll leave this place"
„How?"
He fell silent, unsure what to say.
„We'll find a way, Kate. Have faith..."
She smiled as he said this to her. Those had been her words to him before entering Mirkwood.
„I feel sick, Thorin..."
„Do you have enough water?"
„Y-yes...I think I might sleep a while."
„Kate?"
„Yes?"
„I love you..."
She sobbed.
„I love you too..."
Silence fell over them again.
/
„Take your hands off me you filthy...", Dwalin grumbled and the whole Company with him as they got dragged in front of Thranduil. The Elfkings eyes watched every one of them and his eyes rested on Lindsey for a while.
„What?", she snapped at him and he chuckled. He could see the resemblance of the sisters but kept silent.
„Tell me, what are you doing in my kingdom?"
Balin spoke up:"We were looking for food and got captured by spiders. Is this why we're here? Were those your pets that you're angry we killed some of them?"
Thranduil spun around and growled:"Watch your tongue, dwarf! You got no permission to walk in my woods!"
„We used the path..."
„And why did you left it? Why did you attack my people?"
Kili was angry now. „We did not attack your people! We were starving and we still are! Why can't you just let us go?"
„Let you go? My dear Mister Dwarf, I cannot let you go. No one can leave this place once he or she is in here. No one but my folk,of course. There is just one thing I can do for you. I will give you food and water..."
The Company mumbled but Lindsey could see a twinkle in the Elfkings eyes and she shoved Fili. He looked up and the whole Company with him.
„As soon as you're locked up in your single cells...", Thranduil finished and dropped down on his throne, gesturing his soldiers to separate the group and they brought them into the dungeon as well. All locked up in different cells in different floors.
„NO! Lindsey!", Fili cried out as she got pushed into the cell and he was brought far away into another one.
Soon they were all locked up. The elves gave them enough food and drinks but their mood was grave.
Lindsey leaned against the cold stone, drinking some water. It was warm water, but she did not care.
They had lost Thorin and Kate. It was early in the morning as they were aware the two of them were missing. Soon they got captured by those elves. How could they be so hateful? Why couldn't they be like the ones in Rivendell. What happened to Kate? Was she down in the dungeon as well? What about Thorin? Suddenly she frowned. She thought back to the morning and remembered Bilbo standing next to her until they got captured. She did not really pay attention to him in that moment but now she was aware that he was not with them anymore. He was not with them in front of the Elfking.
Where was Bilbo?
/
Bilbo sneaked through the hallways for at least one maybe two weeks now. He was thankful for that ring he found in the cave back in the Misty Mountains. The ring that could make him invisible. That was his chance to sneak into this elven kingdom without being seen. Soon he found all the cells and as he overheard the conversation between two soldiers that there might be two more cells deeper in the dungeon he knew that this would be where Thorin and Kate were.
So he made his way deep down into the dungeon and found two cells across from each other.
He sneaked closer to the door on the right and whispered:"Thorin? Kate?"
There was slight movement behind the door and he could see the amber-colored eyes of Kate in the dim light.
She looked tired, exhausted and it seems as if she had cried a lot.
„Who...who's there?"
Oh, he forgot she couldn't see him.
„It's me, Bilbo..."
Her eyes lit up a bit.
„Where are you? Why can't I see you? Why are you not locked up?"
„Shhh...I'll answer this as soon as we're all out of this place. Where is Thorin?"
She sobbed.
„In the cell across..."
„Kate? Kate, who are you talking to?", that was Thorins concerned and tired voice.
Bilbo turned and walked to the cell and whispered:"It's me...Bilbo"
He could hear Thorin shifting closer to the door.
„I can't see you..."
„That doesn't matter now...listen, the whole Company is up in single cells..."
„Lindsey, is she with you?", Kate whispered.
Bilbo nodded.
„Bilbo?"
„Oh...yes, yes she is up there as well. Don't worry she's a strong girl."
Kate smiled in the dark.
„Bilbo, whatever that is that makes you disappear...can we use it to get out of here?", Thorin asked.
„No...but I can tell the others that the two of you are down here as well...should I tell them something?"
„Yes, tell them not to reveal our Quest to anyone."
„And tell Lindsey I'm fine...", Kate said though she really did not feel fine at all.
Bilbo nodded again but then he said:"All right. I'll be back soon. Stay strong"
And with that he left upstairs and told each of them what Thorin had said and he brought Lindsey the message from Kate.
Now all of them including the King and Kate were waiting for Bilbo to come up with an idea how to escape.
/
Bilbo sat and thought until his head nearly bursted, but there was absolutely no idea coming up. He had one invisible-ring but that would be of no use for sixteen.
One day he was nosing and wandering around like he did the past weeks. It was by then that he discovered a very interesting thing. He was aware that the great gates were not the only entrance to the caves. He could hear and see a stream flowing under part of the lowest regions of the palace, and joined the Forest River some way further to the east, beyond the steep slope out of which the main mouth opened.
He followed that underground watercourse and soon discovered a water-gate. There the rocky roof came down close to the surface of the stream, and from it a portcullis could be dropped right to the bed of the river to prevent anyone coming in or out that way.
Bilbo was hiding there for a while and could see that the portcullis was often open, for a good deal of traffic went out and in by the water-gate.
The Hobbit also discovered two oaken trapdoors. These opened upwards into the king's cellars. There stood barrels, and barrels, and barrels. Bilbo knew these elves and their king were very fond of wine. But he also knew that no vines grew in those parts. The wine, and other goods, were brought from far away, from their kinsfolk in the south, or from the vineyards of Men in distant lands.
He hid there for a while until he came up with a plan.
/
„Thorin...I really can't stay in here any longer...", Kates tired voice cut the silence.
„I'm certain Bilbo will come up with a plan soon...you have to stay strong"
Once again she could feel hot tears running down her face.
She sobbed. „I want to feel you, Thorin. I don't want to be in this cell. I want to be with you...in your arms...until..."
„Shhh, stop Kate...don't even think about these things. We will make it out of here..."
„I should have let you say what you wanted to say back when you braided my hair..."
He frowned but remembered the day.
„I cut you off...because I thought there will be brighter days for us...", she added and her voice nearly faded away.
„Kate...Kate,listen to me...as soon as we're out of here I will make your days brighter again...all right?"
She did not answer.
„Kate? Talk to me, Kate..."
„Y-yes...Thorin, that would be great..."
He breathed out relieved for he had thought she would be unconscious.
/
Bilbo was trotting as fast as he could along the passage towards the cells. He was carrying a heavy keyring he had stolen from the sleeping chief guard.
First he unlocked Balins door, and locked it again carefully as soon as the dwarf was outside. Balin was surprised but happy to be out of that cell and so they walked from cell to cell. Lindsey wrapped her arms around Fili and he kissed her softly.
„I thought I would never see you again...", she whispered. Then turned to look at Bilbo.
„Where's Kate? And Thorin?", she asked.
„No time now! You must follow me! We must all keep together and not risk getting separated. All of us must escape or none, and this is our last chance.", the hobbit whispered and walked off, the whole Company behind. And to their luck, all went well and they met no guards. Bilbo had found out that there was a great autumn feast in the woods that night and in the halls above. Nearly all the king's folks were merrymaking.
After a long walk they finally arrived the dungeon with the two single cells.
„You're back...", they could hear Thorins voice.
Bilbo was opening his door and the dwarf king stumbled out of the cell. He could feel a hand patting his shoulder and as he looked around he could see Dwalin nodding at him.
„Kate...go on Bilbo, open that door!", Thorin said and Bilbo opened the cell with trembling hands.
Thorin entered the cell and Kate looked up at him, dark shadows under her eyes and she reached out for him.
„Is this a dream?", she mumbled and he gently stroked her hair out of her face.
„No...I'm really here. Bilbo and the whole Company is here. Lindsey is here. We're going to escape.", he whispered placing a kiss on her forehead.
She simply nodded. He wrapped his arm around her waist and picked her up on his arms. Lindsey stroked her sisters cheek as he carried her out of the cell.
„What's wrong with her?", she whispered with tears in her eyes.
„She's tired...", Thorin simply replied. He did not want to scare Lindsey by telling her what happened between Thranduil and them.
„Tell me, Bilbo, what's next?", he asked.
Bilbo explained his idea, and he knew they would not like it and they started grumbling.
„Silence! All of you!", Thorin hissed. He looked at all of them before his eyes rested on Kate for a moment. „I want to get out of here. I promised her...I don't know if that plan is a good one but at least it IS a plan. So we're going to do it...now!"
There was still quiet mumbling but in the end they agreed.
They all managed to get into the empty barrels, so Thorin took Kate with him and Fili took Lindsey in his.
Soon the guards walked up and started to roll the empty barrels into the water and through the trap doors.
„Some of them seem to be heavier...", one of them said.
„Your arms are heavier from all that wine! So stop grumbling and work on!", the other one said but suddenly Bilbo was aware of a weak point in his plan. He was still outside. How should he escape? He was thinking hard and in the last moment he jumped at the last barrel and held tight to it. And so he managed to escape with them.
/
Yey!
They'll reach the Sea City in the next chapter and that will be some calmer days/weeks again with a lot of nice moments :)
Stay tuned!