J.R.R. Tolkien wrote the series. I didn't. Peter Jackson directed the movies. I didn't.

Hey guys. I am so sorry about the long absence. Between end of semester exams, work and home life issues in the past few weeks, I hardly had the time to write about our dear Relly. Tomorrow I'll be leaving for Italy for over two weeks so I won't have time to update in that span of time.

Thanks for sticking by this story. I know it's been a while but if you all still love Relly, Bilbo, Thorin and the rest of the company hopefully you all will forgive me for my disappearance. Now, on with the fic! This chapter is split between the POVs of Bilbo and Relly :)

The Unspoken Chain

For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams...
- Edgar Allan Poe, 'Annabel Lee'

There is nothing lonelier in the world than being a strained whisper in the open spaces of the Elf-king's unwelcome forest palace. Poor Bilbo Baggins was to remain silent, invisible and swifter than an elf maiden's sewing needle. Once again, the Hobbit had escaped another captor of Thorin and company and he was forced to meander in the Elf-king's territory like a causeless ghost.

He dared not remove the gold band around his ring finger. This ring by chance was the only advantage the mild-mannered Bag End bachelor had above the arrows, parties and attitudes of the Wood-elves. However, the hazy and shifting-sand sensation Bilbo felt when he was in this strange form was hard to ignore and he slept very little due to his body prickling from the exterior surfaces and textures that rubbed against his invisible skin. He would have almost traded sleeping in the clockwork hell-forest for a night in whatever dungeon Thorin, Relly, Bofur and the others were currently imprisoned in.

Bilbo didn't know what to do without the dwarves, without Relly. His lower lip twitched just thinking about the quarterling girl, his stomach not grumbling from hunger or sickness. He missed her terribly, even more terribly than one would miss a long-lost friend or forgotten family member. Granted, the last time he spoke to her led to an awkward but comforting moment. The lines in his forehead crinkled when he remembered how abrupt Relly had scurried away from him after the kiss; he was hurt by her so-sudden actions.

She is truly something else entirely. I think I do, in fact, love h— He shook his head as his ears perked up when he heard the distinct crunching of boots not so far from where he had been sleeping. He had taken up in a cave not too far from the magical gates that led into Thranduil's wooded hall. It smelled of perpetual autumn but was very cold and musty; not at all like the earthy and warm smells of his hobbit-hole back home. Until he could come up with a grand idea to break free his companions, Bilbo was stuck stealing bread and apples from the Wood-elves' feast tables and plucking berries in the wild bushes. Stealing, living by the scruff of his skin while never knowing what the next day brought...Bilbo really had been too harsh on Relly when the two first met and if this dreary, dull experience taught him anything, he regretted being so tough on the half-Hobbit for her lifestyle.

It began to rain. Bilbo peered outside his cave to see the torch lights in the distance dulling from a brilliant orange to a dying garnet color. Taking in a deep sigh, Bilbo peeled the apple in his hand with his own dirty fingernails as he took a bite, his head heavy with thought as well as his heart.

"I am like a burglar that can't get away," Bilbo glumly spoke, "one that must go on miserably burglaring the same house day after day. What sort of adventure is it for me to be stuck in a hard place," and a lilt of a faint smile crossed his pudgy face but quickly faded as the torch light fizzled out and left Bilbo alone with his thoughts. Night seeped into the crevices of the forest as Bilbo tossed away his apple core and stared out into the familiar darkness.

Bilbo Baggins was once again the only hero that Thorin and company could count on. Bilbo almost wished he were up against mindless spiders than the Wood-elves and their king. Straightening out his button-less vest, Bilbo cleared his throat and faded into the night, raindrops soaking his clothes but not dampening his spirit. An ingenious idea popped into that curly head of his: he was going to track down every individual dwarf and Relly to find out the location of their prisons in Thranduil's fortress.

Relly Crillynook was a pain in the rear for the prison guards and definitely a thorn in the side of King Thranduil. Since her imprisonment, Relly had attempted to break free from her jail a total of five times. At first she had the luck of her bobby pins, and sadly the first time was the only time Relly managed to even leave the stone chamber. The last four times were not as successful.

"If your insolence keeps up, King Thranduil will not be so kind as to give you fresh river water daily," one of the wood-elf guards sternly reminded Relly as the black haired thief gripped the bars of her cell. Insolence, sminsolence, it was part of Relly's nature to never give up. The wood-elf excused himself from her presence and went back to guarding the entrance to her chamber as Relly let go of the cell bars and untied the Warg skin around her neck.

Prison isn't so bad, Relly thought as she scarfed down most of her loaf of bread and chugged down a mug of fresh, non-magical river water. If they'd let me out to talk to Bofur and Ori I wouldn't try to break out so much.

The loneliness worsened due to all the glazed over memories of the adventure funneling into her brain while she slept. It was like looking at someone else's adventure through foggy glass; Relly's journey alongside her companions became clearer to her the more time she spent in her cell. The amnesia still made some things difficult to remember and sometimes she wasn't sure if she was dreaming or reliving episodes from the adventure. Either way, Relly wasn't so lost in the world as she had been before.

Relly kicked the mug with her hairy feet as she curled up at the back of her cell. She missed her friends. More importantly, she was currently feeling a strange emotion named guilt wracking her brain and her heart concerning a handsome Hobbit. During her time in prison, Relly tried to uncover her feelings for Bilbo and wanted to look back on the mostly-remembered past to see what made Bilbo so fascinating to her.

I didn't like him at first. Bilbo was so stuffy and didn't like me either. I thought he hated me. Relly scratched her scalp as she took another chomp of her bread loaf. Emotions and fondness weren't Relly's strongest traits and as she thought about Bilbo, she pieced together images of her and Thorin as well. The leader dwarf was possibly the closest father figure Relly ever had beside Beorn and she felt awful that Thorin had been kidnapped first.

"I'm sorry," she breathed, the phrase still unfamiliar on her tongue as she folded her arms against her chest in a pensive state of mind. Her time in the elf-king's captivity had prompted the quarterling to focus on her internal conflicts and feelings; things that Relly never felt the need for to sit down and sort through all the clutter inside her mind.

"I accept your apology," and the very voice she heard stunned Relly to her spine. The thief nearly jumped out of her skin as she flung herself to the front of her prison and lo and behold, saw Bilbo Baggins vanish and reappear before her. Was he for real?

"Bilbo?!" she exclaimed in a weird mix of shock, happiness and a tinge of embarrassment. She was about to ask how he slid into the chamber but realized he had that magic ring of his. "Bilbo, I...well that sorry wasn't meant for you but uh..." as she figuratively stuck her foot in her mouth and clammed up. That apology could have been meant for Bilbo too but this was Relly after all and she often forget to think through her words before speaking.

A slight chuckle escaped the Hobbit's mouth as he anxiously looked around and peered at the slightly cracked door behind him. "I hardly have the time to talk but I found Thorin and I'm going to set every last one of you all free. I haven't the foggiest idea how but...I suppose it's all up to me once more to rescue the company."

Relly bit her lower lip and her hazel eyes danced around her cell before she looked at Bilbo again. She wanted to say she missed him terribly but she was afraid of sounding stupid. It was rather ridiculous really. Relly kissed Bilbo before; was it really so hard to tell him something so simple? Apparently so. Her lips parted but no sound came out and a pale pink blush crept across her pointed face.

Bilbo hesitated and his shoulders leaned toward her as if he waited for her to tell him what was on her mind. The two awkward love birds stared at each other for a few seconds longer, neither one wanting to break the unspoken chain between them. Sadly, Bilbo heard the guards outside her the chamber stir and without a word he regretfully placed the ring on his finger to disappear into the background. Relly heard light Hobbit footsteps slipping past the guards as she slunk back into the darkness of her stone cell.

Why am I so stupid? Relly rested her head between her curled up knees as she began to doze off in her Warg skin. I wanted to say I missed him.

Immeasurable prison time passed before Relly had the slightest inkling of when she'd see Bilbo again. He said he was going to rescue her. So where was he?

Maybe he got caught, she wondered before shaking her head to immediately dismiss the theory. No, I would hear the guards say something about that. He better hurry up or else he'll wish he was with the spiders by the time he frees me. Relly wanted to be rescued and although she hated playing the part of the damsel she had exhausted all her resources, namely her bobby pins, and Thranduil was getting irritated with the stubborn prisoner. If Bilbo didn't hurry up, she would grow a beard just like the dwarves!

Relly rubbed her chin, imagining a beard like Dwalin's on her chin. The image was quite funny. Relly wasn't the most imaginative or creative being but having nothing to do in a stone cell 24-7 left her with very little entertainment. She would sort out all her memories in a mental pile and decide which ones were actually true or fabricated. Although the amnesia had nearly worn off, there were still some gaps here and there in the half-Hobbit's mind.

Relly supposed that another day or two passed and when she opened her mouth to drink some water, her throat felt rusty and stuffed with sawdust. Her chest ached with a possible cold and she had been coughing quite hard. The elf-guards had sent in a female healer to tend to Relly and soothe her sore throat but to no avail.

Great. I'm gonna die and never see Bilbo again. Good going Relly.

She hadn't seen her companions in weeks and the lack of social interaction was beginning to grind down on her mentally, emotionally and physically. Before going on the journey Relly could go weeks without talking to a stranger. But now she had ties to her dear friends and Relly found it difficult to be alone once more.

Clink a clink a link!

The quarterling's ears perked up as she tied the Warg skin around her neck like a cape and approached the front of the cell bars. It just hit Relly that she hadn't seen the elf-guard lately and as the clinking came closer, a small smile crossed her face. She weakly coughed once more as she blearily opened her eyes to see a most welcome sight in the moonlight.

Bilbo!

Twelve dwarves and a Hobbit filed into her chamber as Bilbo's hand trembled with the jailer's keys. Relly was indescribably happy and out of such emotion she nearly grabbed the keys through the bars to set herself free. Bilbo yanked them back as he, with a shy grin, unlocked the cell door.

"Relly!" cried out most of the male dwarves, elated to see their dear thief girl finally free. Relly cracked a smile at the dwarves as she nearly stumbled out from her cell and joined the newly freed prisoners.

"Balin! Bofur! Ori! Dwalin!" and Relly named the rest of the dwarves as she was given a giant bone-crushing hug from her companions. After all the merriment and adjusting to walking Relly turned to Bilbo, her close-lipped smile twitching from anxiety to joy. Bilbo's eyes lingered on her for a moment longer until he shifted to the entire group and cleared his throat.

"Thorin is in the deepest part of the fortress and although I haven't seen a single guard, we cannot just be thumping abound like ponies in a corral!" Bilbo looked irritated by the loud racket the dwarves had been causing upon their arrival to Relly's chamber. Relly blinked as she laughed quietly alongside Ori and Bombur, her eyes hardly leaving the back of Bilbo's vest.

"Is it true you were able to almost escape?" Ori asked wide-eyed when Relly told of the multiple attempts to break out of her chamber. Of course, she did embellish some of the details.

"With her survival wits, I would not be surprised," Balin commented as he gave a quick smile of the eyes to Relly. "Though, I am glad our Master Baggins was able to sneak in with that magic ring of his."

Relly rubbed her neck, the familiar blush creeping up her neck. "Yeah, me too."

After much bumping about and running into each other somehow the dwarves, half-Hobbit and the hero were able to locate Thorin's cell. Much to Bilbo's luck Thorin was located near the cellars where Bilbo had spotted the wine barrels earlier before. The gleeful exclamations awoke Thorin and the pepper haired dwarf nearly leapt to the front of his prison as Bilbo released the last member of their troupe.

"Mahal..." Thorin muttered as he left behind the cell to face Bilbo once more. "Once again, we owe our lives and freedom to the Hobbit from Bag End. Gandalf spoke true after all," and a hint of humor could be heard in his tired voice. "I am sure we are all forever in your service, whatever happens after this. Now, what is your next plan?"

Thirteen dwarves and his lady all looked at him for his plan. He puckered in his lower lip, not sure how to explain his wild escape in a believable sense. 'Oh let's just jump into the barrels and float on down the lazy river' would not go over well and his concerns were justified as he opened his mouth to tell the company how he planned to break out of Thranduil's halls.

"Er, well...You see, I was thinking we take the empty wine barrels from the cellar and tie us together so we could all float downstream to the next town over."

Silence. And then the loud ruckus of "What?" "That's ridiculous!" "This is a mad idea!" and many others littered with similar feelings.

Bilbo swallowed his words as he slid his hand down his face. Announcing had never been one of his best skills. He managed to save the rears and hides of his friends many times on this quest and yet here they were acting like faithless babies. Faithless bearded babies.

"You know what? Fine then," and he spun on his heel and pretended to walk away. "I will just escort all of you back to your cozy cells and lock you in if you're so content to do so. But I don't know of any other opportunity when I'll have these keys," and the jingling of the spinning jailer's keys seemed to quell any complaints of Thorin and the rest.

Bilbo could be sassy when he wanted to and he winked at Relly as he slipped the jingling jailer's keys in his front pocket. With the reluctant and grumbling acceptance of the backed-in-a-corner dwarves, Bilbo lead the company down into the deepest cellars, passing by the snoring guard and butler. The two were in a deep sleep from tasting the Dorwinion wine and their relaxed faces caused Bofur to crack a joke about how hung over they would be tomorrow. Feeling a little guilty that the elf-guard would most likely receive a scolding from King Thranduil, Bilbo attached the keys back onto the jailer's belt.

"It's not entirely his fault, you know," Bilbo answered the silent question inside Thorin's head as he walked alongside Oin and Bifur. "He was quite decent, for a jailer anyway. Hopefully the elven-king won't punish him too harshly. They will all think we had a very powerful magic to slip by their enchanted locks and doors."

Thorin still didn't look too pleased with the explanation but eventually his grumpiness subsided as the dwarf under the mountain talked to his daughter-figure. Bilbo could hear Relly chirping about how she had nearly regained most of her memories before the river incident. Her words brought a small grin to Bilbo's face; perhaps not all was lost and he promised himself that as soon as the two of them were out of danger he wanted to talk to her.

"It's a good thing we were able to find our weapons," Kili spoke as he gripped his bow, happy to be reunited with his weapon of choice.

"Yes, but now we only carry the clothes on our skin and the dulled blades of our axes," Gloin muttered with his empty stomach.

Everyone was tired and hungry, the two conditions that Bilbo himself could not cure. The least they could do is be appreciative of his half-baked plan, even if Bilbo hadn't quite revealed the fact he didn't know where the barrels were exactly headed. The company finally reached the innermost wine cellar while Balin and Bifur stood guard in case some stray drunk guest passed by the cellars.

Upon viewing the vast collection of wooden stock, Bilbo was pleased to learn that most of the barrels were wine barrels but there were also some filled with apples, butter and other treats. At the very least we should have snacks on the journey, he smiled inwardly at his mild joke.

The task of finding barrels for every individual dwarf was somewhat challenging. Many barrels were in fact too roomy and spacious and Fili brought up the acknowledged point that he might get bruised from all the bouncing and shaking about. He decided to enlist the help of Fili, Balin and Dori to pack straw into the extra-large containers so at the very least the dwarves stuck in those barrels would be snugly packed. Thorin and Balin had been the biggest pains to fit because they kept complaining about the air holes or how stifled they felt. Bilbo tried to make sure every barrel was secured as possible but even then he held his reservations.

"Bilbo?" Relly's voice broke his concentration as the Hobbit turned around to look at the thief.

He hesitated. "Yes?"

"Do I have to be in a barrel?" she asked with uncomfortable concern in her eyes. "It's not that I hate cramped spaces but...well, I don't like them very much after being in that cell for weeks."

Bilbo glanced from the barrel he was stuffing straw in as he let go of the rim and inhaled. "Relly. I want you to be with the others. I need you to be safe. Just...jump in this one right here. I've made it extra cozy for you," and he waved his hand over the full straw barrel. It was true, Bilbo had padded the smallest apple barrel with the most straw, intending that it be for Relly.

Relly pursed her lips tightly as she folded her arms. "Then why aren't you getting in one then?"

Bilbo grit his teeth in impatience and hurry. "I-I can't. Relly, we don't have much time, please get in the barrel—,"

The merry whispers and joyful stomping of feet echoed not too far from the cellar as the feast guests entered the cellar. Poor Bilbo did not know what else to do with a stubborn half-Hobbit so he grabbed her by the wrist as he slipped on his magic ring, turning the both of them invisible. He clamped his hand over Relly's shocked mouth, preventing a yelp from the sudden transformation. The two of them watched the number of elves sing snippets of songs as they approached the bundle of barrels that Thorin and company were hiding in.

Curse me for being so attached to such a loudmouth, came his exasperated thought as he continued holding on to Relly's hand. He could feel her clammy warmth spreading through his palm. Even though the two had kissed once, the act of hand holding caused tiny moths to flutter in his stomach.

However, this was not the time or place to feel like a young love-struck Hobbit lad. Bilbo and Relly anxiously watched Galion, the half-drunk butler, order the other elves to begin heaving the barrels through the trapdoor and into the gurgling river below.

It was precisely at this moment that Bilbo realized the weak link in his chain of a plan. Well, there were many obvious weak points in his majestic escape plan but this particular one finally occurred to him. I have no idea where they're going. I don't have a clue. Oh. No.

Relly cocked a black brow at him, puzzled as to why Bilbo was internally freaking out over the situation. She wanted to let go of his hand but Bilbo just tightened his grip as she let out an inaudible yawn. Things were about change rather rapidly.

Bilbo realized that he could either move now or forever lose his peace and sense of mind. He was usually not the impulsive type but his friends' lives were on the line as well as Relly's. The Hobbit had no time to relay his sudden plan to Relly as he yanked her alongside him and motioned to her to grab onto a barrel being pushed through the doors.

"Ack!" she yelled and even though she was invisible, the elf butler and the others heard the disembodied voice and shifted their attention to where the two had been previously standing. Luckily, Bilbo and Relly had disappeared below although on second thought luck wasn't in their favor at the moment.

The two were bobbing along in the cold crashes of the river and Relly had let go of Bilbo's hand in the chaos, becoming fully visible as she clawed onto the barrel.

"Relly, hold on! Hold on!" Bilbo cried out but it was useless. Their cork of a barrel was too empty and held no weight in the thrashing waters. Relly screamed as the dark waters overwhelmed her, much to his alarm. "No!"

He was like a rat in the sewers, sputtering and being tossed about like an insignificant pebble in the ocean. He was clinging onto his barrel but chanced whether or not he should jump ship and try his luck at swimming. He splashed his hand around trying to feel even the touch of Relly's skin. Sadly, he didn't find her. Bilbo was alone in the icy waters without his dear Relly or his friends. He was being beaten and battered like cake mix in a bowl but instead of a wooden spoon it were the craggy river rocks that tormented him. He knew he was slight in stature but never had he felt so...small.

"Bilbo!" screamed Relly as Bilbo desperately tried to paddle towards the source of the panicking thief. He was both grateful and terrified that Relly was still alive; he was still going to lecture her that she was better off in a barrel than free-swimming in these hellish waters. At first he was happy to see the grey doors of the water-gate before him but the feeling faded as he held in his breath, squeezing his eyes shut from the rush of icy droplets hitting his eyelids.

I hope I fastened the lids tight enough on those barrels, he thought as the freezing water washed over his head. I may have just doomed Thorin and everyone with my actions.

The tide literally turned in Bilbo's favor as the fast current eventually ebbed into a more steady but still upbeat rhythm. He decided to try and climb on the tippy top of his barrel and keep a lookout for his black haired lass. One barrel had bumped into his and was topside up so Bilbo gently laid across the lids of the barrels to keep balance as well to stay above the water.

"Relly? Relly!" he yelled over and over. He was met with no response and he cursed himself for allowing her stubbornness to risk her health and safety.

The breeze nipped at Bilbo's exposed skin but it was preferred over the hypothermia-inducing river he currently sailed on. He felt the gap grow wider between the two barrels as he gripped his fingers on the exposed rim of the second barrel to try and keep them together. Just when the barrels below him began to give out, the landscape around him morphed into thinner trees that revealed the large canvas of the night sky.

I can see the stars. It's been so long since I've seen stars and clouds, he moodily thought as he kept his grip on the winding barrels. The broken reflections of the glowing stars and the moon danced about the surface of the river, soothing Bilbo a little bit. The murky blankets of water that Bilbo had become accustomed to viewing became clearer and less dangerous. Maybe he was finally in the clear.

Or not. Bilbo lowered his head as he viewed some people on the stony piers and docks pulling in the load of barrels. At first he breathed a sigh of relief but the sight he held did not mean his friends were actually safe. Also, there was the case of Relly weighing on his mind. Figuring now was the time to jump from his makeshift boat, Bilbo plunged into the waters and waded to the shore away from where the humans dragged in the barrels. He slipped on his magic ring once more as he inconspicuously tiptoed through the thin trees.

The scent of a much welcome fire grazed his nostrils as his stomach bellowed from hunger so loud that even Bilbo hoped no one heard him. Although he still believed himself to be a respectful Hobbit, his Shire dainties and politeness had been largely put on the backburner since his escapades of stealing bread off the wood-elves's tables. He could forgive himself for snatching some food from unsuspecting people.

He just didn't expect to see who built the fire.

"Hungry?"

Bilbo's eyes grew large at the sight of Relly Crillynook roasting frogs on a spit over a small fire. A smug grin graced her face as she appeared nice and warm in that Warg skin of hers. Now Bilbo was very aware of how hungry, cold and tired he felt. He was soaked inside and out and something like animal fur appealed to him greatly.

"R-Relly! I thought you had...when you went under...how did you...?" he stammered multiple times but was unable to finish any of the questions as he plopped his sore bottom down on the ground before giving her a grave stare. "You could have died and I would have never forgiven myself for that."

The clever thief shook her head and the fire illuminated her facial features. "I would have died being in a barrel. Now we lost Thorin and everyone and it's all your fault," she stuck her tongue out. "Who knows which set of barrels they're in."

Bilbo was too sleepy to argue. "We'll keep looking," and left it at that. The two of them were exhausted and starving and no words were exchanged for the remainder of the evening despite the many things that could have been discussed involving the two of them. Bilbo did not like the taste of frog but Relly had cooked it and he did not want to go "hunting" for food.

It was many hours past midnight when Bilbo stirred awake from the sound of crunching leaves near his rock pillow. His body launched into fight-or-flight mode as he sprung up from his bed of leaves only to vaguely find the outline of Relly right near him. He relaxed his shoulders as he breathed, "You scared me."

There was an aching pause before she quietly said, "Bilbo, I missed you. That's what I tried to tell you before. I'm sorry I couldn't..." and she chewed her bottom lip before she added, "say it."

Relly sounded vulnerable and she crept closer him, the moonlight catching in the light strands of Warg fur around her arms. In all his time knowing her, Bilbo knew she struggled with genuine emotions and feelings. He was glad she had nearly regained her memories of the adventure beforehand but he was uncertain whether or not Relly was in her true state of mind when they kissed.

Bilbo couldn't see her red face nor could she see his but he was quite happy to hear the very words from her mouth. Sure, he was annoyed that Relly refused to get in a barrel and probably tens of other problems that he needed to address with her but at this very moment in the waking hours of morning Bilbo's heart was rather touched.

"I missed you too Relly."

AWWWWW. AWWWW. I hope you all like the twist I put in here. Originally Relly was going to bob along in the barrels with the dwarves but I figure you all deserve some cutesy moments.

Next chapter: The ~super awesome magical journey~ to Lake-town. Feelings develop and a kiss may happen again. Also, Fili dislikes apples.

I hope this keeps you all satisfied until my next update. Expect another chapter near the end of this month since I don't get back from my trip until June 19th.