Summary: Will the three survive their flight from the Nazgul? Legolas explains what it is and Thranduil chairs a meeting of Middle Earth leaders.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. This is fiction

Escape

Bilbo winced as a tree branch whipped him in the face, cutting his cheek bone. Normally, he would stop, tend to his wound and then berate Kili for moving the branch in the first place. But Bilbo was being hunted. By a man in black armour riding a black horse. He looked ahead and saw Legolas' blond hair weaving through the trees, Kili's small form following him.

"Bilbo, hurry! We can lose it if we find running water!"

Water. Bilbo thought over Legolas' words as he ran. Water!

"There's a river ahead of us! I saw it on a map when we were in Mirkwood."

Legolas had to think. That was hard to do when you were running for our life. The prince knew this area well. Was there a river? Yes, a small one, but running water could stop the Nazgul in it's tracks. Kili's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Legolas, Bilbo! There's more of them."

Shit. On either side of the small group as well. Four riders each side. And one behind. Legolas began to panic as he realised they were surrounded. He paused, waiting for Kili and Bilbo to catch up with him. As soon as they were by his side, Legolas hoisted them over his shoulders and started running again.

"What? Legolas, put me down! I can run!"

"Not as fast as I can Kili. We need to move."

He felt the dwarf sigh and stop struggling.

"Fine. But the Company must never find out about this."

"I swear on the trees of Mirkwood."

Legola ran, the weight of his friends barely slowing him down. He could hear the river, thank the Valar, they were getting closer. He could hear the hoof beats getting closer. The Nazgul were catching up. Kili starting fidgeting again, to such an extent that Legolas nearly dropped him.

"Dwarf! What are you doing?"

"This!"

Kili shot an arrow at the horse behind them, hitting it's leg. The black horse stumbled, throwing it's rider from it's back. Bilbo laughed in delight.

"Well done Kili."

"Yes Kili. Well done, but there are eight more!"

"That may be, but there's the river!"

And there it was.A small river, but Legolas had never been so glad to running water in his life. He waded to the other side and dropped his friends. Looking back at the river,Legolas spoke.

"Nîn o Chithaeglir lasto beth daer; Rimmo nîn Suir dan in Ulaer!"

As the first horse entered the river, figures becan to emerge from the water. Kili watched as a pack of horses, amde of river water, swept over the Nazgul, washing them downstream.

"That...that was amazing. Bilbo, did you see those horses?"

"Oh dear."

Kili and Legolas turned to their friend, horrified by what they saw. Sticking out of Bilbo's shoulder was a Nazgul arrow.

Dwalin grumbled as they were led through Mirkwood. Thorin, getting annoyed at his friend, turned around and punched his arm.

"Shut up! I don't want to be back here either but we have no choice. Not if we want to know where Kili and Bilbo are."

Thorin's Company(minus two) were travelling through Mirkwood to meet with the leaders of Middle Earth.

"Look Dwalin, I need to know that Bilbo and Kili are ok. And sadly, the only ways we will know that is by speaking to Thranduil."

The elf leading them bowed to his king as the dwarves went to their seats. Sitting around the long table were Elrond and his twin sons, Galadriel, Celeborn and Haldir, Gandalf, Radagast, Saruman, Bard, Sigrid and Bain, Dain and three Men that none of the dwarves recognised. Thranduil stood.

"Thank you all for coming. May I introduce Denethor, his son Boromir and Elrond's adopted son and Ranger of the North, Aragorn."

The group muttered greetings to the Men before Gandalf spoke up.

"Stop wasting time Thranduil. Where are Bilbo and Kili?"

"I must say Gandalf I'm surprised at you. Well, surprised and disappointed."

Gandalf frowned, confused. What had he done to disappoint Thranduil?

"Bilbo Baggin carries with him Sauron's one ring."

Thranduil sat down, letting the voices wash over him. Already the group was arguing. He could hear people calling him a liar, people demanding that armies were sent after the three and one voice shouting that the ring should go to Gondor. Men, so greedy. Almost worse than the dwarves.

"SILENCE!"

Galadriel sat back in her seat, glaring around the room.

"I am sure that Thranduil has a plan. Do you?"

"Of course. Legolas went with Kili and Bilbo. They travel to Mount Doom, where Bilbo will throw the ring into the fires. When they are half way to Mordor, Legolas will send me a message and I and an army will follow. I have called you all here to ask for your support. Can I depend on you to have armies ready to march on Mordor when you are called?"

Surprisingly, it was the dwarves who answered first.

"Erebor will answer your call, as will Dain and his men."

"Laketown will follow."

"You shall have healers and an army from Rivendell."

"Haldir will lead a troupe to Mordor."

"I will lead a group of Rangers there."

Thranduil looked to Denethor who had remained silent.

"Denethor? Will you stand with us?"

"Fine. I still think we could do some good with the ring in Gondor, but I know when I'm beat. You shall have your army Thranduil."

"Thank you. Return to your homes and start preparing. Your armies mst be ready to march at a moment's notice."

Bilbo woke to a strange man wrapping bandages around his shoulder.

"You're awake. The prince will be happy."

He finished his work and left Bilbo's side. He was quickly replaced by Kili.

"Thank the Valar. When we saw the arrow, we didn't think you'd survive."

"A little faith goes a long way young prince. Here Bilbo, drink this."

The man held a foul smelling concoction in front of the hobbit's mouth. It tasted worse than it smelt. He laughed at Bilbo's expression.

"Aye, tastes disgusting. But you feel more aware now, yes? You can have a conversation?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, but who are you?"

Before the man could answer, Legolas walked into the room, followed by a woman whose hair was even more golden than his.

"Bilbo, thank the Valar. We thought you'd never wake up."

"Well, I seem to have these people to thank."

"Yes, we do. Bilbo, meet Tom Bombadil and his wife, Goldberry."

"My love, leave the food tray on the table. I think these young folk need to talk."

Goldberry placed the tray on the table, near Bilbo's hand and left the room, smiling at Bilbo as she went. Tom left, but before he did, he turned to Bilbo.

"You carry a great evil with you Mr Baggins. Even know, it attempts to taint your soul, yet you are fighting back. There is a lot of strength in you Bilbo Baggins and you have two good people behind you. Why, you might succeed in this quest."

With those words, he left room, humming and leaving a very confused hobbit behind him.

"Who was that?"

"That was Tom."

"And what is he Legolas?"

"We don't know. The elves call him 'Iarwain Ben-adar', which translates to 'Oldest and Fatherless'. But, no one knows what he is or how long he's been here. He's extremely powerful, perhaps moreso than the Lady Galadriel. More importantly, he saved your life and for that, we owe him a great debt."

"Those things hunting us. What were they?"

Legolas placed the tray of food on Bilbo's knees and sat at the end of the bed. Kili sat at Bilbo's side, ready to help the Hobbit eat if he needed it.

"They are called Nazgul. You know Sauron created more than one ring yes?

"Three for the Elves, seven for the Dwarves and nine for the kings of Men."

"Very good Kili. The men became greedy, their hearts taken over by the rings. They wanted more gold, more power."

Bilbo shivered, reminded of Thorin before the battle.

"They became bound to their rings and in doing so, were bound to Sauron's one ring. They became Sauron's strongest warriors, for they have no physical form. They do not eat, sleep or drink. They need no rest. They are almost impossible to beat, their only weak point being the opening in their helmets."

"Will they be hunting us?"

"Yes Bilbo. They can sense the ring whenever it is used. Once it is around your neck, there is a faint trail, that will take them some time to notice. But if you put the ring on your finger, they will know and they will hunt you down."

"And kill me?"

"No, they will bring you to Mordor, to Sauron."

"And then what?"

"I don't know Bilbo. But I pray we never have to find out."

A/N Done. R&R please. I know Tom isn't in the right place, but I love Tom and wanted him in the fic. Next chapter, the three leave Tom's house and the White Council have a meeting.