Author's Note: I'm sorry for the wait on this chapter! I tried my best to show the individuality of the dwarves in this one, since its so easy to see them as just as their group. I'd love to hear any feedback :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Laura.

Had I – did I actually-

I stared up at the ceiling. The sputtering light from the sconces created dancing shadows here that I never saw in my own cell. I rolled my head to the side, staring down the long corridor that was engulfed in darkness not a few feet out from what little light the sconces gave out.

The cold stone at my back rallied me quickly and I found myself back on my feet. I turned to stare into my cell. It looked even darker and more damp that it did from inside of it. I then turned to meet Thorin's eyes.

We both stared, shocked, before I found myself moving. Thorin's hands were immediately on my shoulders when I came within reach, pulling me closer, his eyes roaming over me.

"Master Baggins," Thorin breathed out, voice full of wonder.

"Thorin," I answered, the combination of the warm weight of his hands on my shoulders and the giddiness spilling over in my chest made it impossible to hide my own wonder.

I was free.

"Should I," I started, glancing down the corridor before turning back to Thorin, unsure. Thorin's face briefly lit up with interest until uncertainty quickly washed it away.

Thorin shook his head slowly, but he didn't say anything. His eyes turned back to where the corridor was dark, brows furrowed.

"Maybe just a look?" I asked hopefully.

Thorin visibly wavered. His eyes flitted between my face and the inky darkness as he echoed, "A look."

I nodded, nervous now, feeling suddenly cold as Thorin released me. The elves wouldn't be back for hours, I knew, not until our next meal and they only came twice a day. But we didn't know what was out there or how deep in the dungeons we actually were.

"I'll be right back," I promised, not waiting for an answer before taking off.

The darkness swallowed me immediately and instinctively I reached out to steady myself against the stone wall, both for the illusion of safety and as a guide. The door, if I remembered right, was on the right side when we were brought in all those weeks ago. And there was only ever a clang to signal the elves' arrival and departure, no scrape of a lock or rattle of keys.

After a few tense minutes I found it, the feeling of wood beneath my fingers almost alien. I ran both hands over the door and pushed. There was a little give on my left side, so I shifted and pushed harder. The door swung open silently. Immediately I drew back, one arm thrown up to protect my eyes from the sudden brightness, the other bracing against the door to keep it from swinging back on me.

Dazed, I waited impatiently for my eyes to adjust, squinting in pain, before taking in this new unknown.

It wasn't that unknown, though. It was another corridor, stone walls and floors and ceilings, but there were so many sconces here, so much light, that it reminded me of an early morning or late afternoon. We were apparently at the end of another corridor, though this one branched off at least a half dozen times into new ones. There were no other doors.

I ducked back into the shadows, easing the door slowly closed behind me. It didn't even click as it settled.

Thorin didn't look to have moved an inch while I was gone and was waiting for me at his cell door. His eyes watched me closely as I came to a stop in front of him and relayed what I had found.

Thorin, even after a long stretch of silence, said nothing.

An idea was already forming in my head, though I didn't like it. I knew Thorin would like it even less. But it seemed reasonable, if risky. And it felt like a waste, to not use this sudden unexpected opportunity.

"I could go look further," I started slowly, my next words catching in my throat as Thorin's eyes snapped up to meet mine.

"No," He answered immediately and unsurprisingly. It was my turn to frown.

Gandalf had said that hobbits had a certain magic about them. That they could go unseen if they wanted. And I knew I would want to. And I knew I'd managed it before, looking back, with the trolls.

"I can stay out of sight," I told Thorin with more confidence than I felt. "And if worse comes to worse I could, I could," I couldn't finish, instead a brought my hand up to clench at my waistcoat pocket.

I hated the idea. Thorin seemed to agree.

"No," he said again, this time even more forcefully. "It is not worth the risk."

I disagreed. My faith in Gandalf hadn't wavered, exactly, but now faced with a new possibility it was impossible to resist.

"I want to try," I said quietly, then adding, "And I'll be careful."

"It is not you I doubt," Thorin said slowly, carefully. It made my heart clench. "It is your trinket."

I nodded, to show I understood. But I couldn't help but try to bargain, "Just this once, maybe? If I don't find anything, then, well."

I didn't want to give up. But I knew Thorin was right. The longer I kept scouting the higher the risk that I would have to use my ring. The dungeons didn't exactly seem like a place that the elves would prefer to spend their time but we were here and so were the others. They must come down, at least twice a day.

Thorin was still clearly displeased. But I was surprised to see him wavering again and I held my breath for a few long moments before he nodded.

I let out a relieved sigh and offered Thorin a crooked smile. He didn't smile back, but his eyebrows unknitted, just a little. He nodded again.

I offered him a half-wave and before I could lose my nerve, I darted back down the corridor, letting the shadows engulf me once more.

The halls of the dungeon were mazelike. I had thought that perhaps the foggy memory of our first day here had exaggerated it, but no. It was a true labyrinth. So, I chose my route at random. Turning left and right at intersections whenever the impulse struck. I was very careful, though, to file away each turn, to count the number of sconces I passed between them, to find shapes in the stone walls to use as landmarks. I knew if I wasn't careful, I would never make it back to Thorin. Every once in a while, the ceilings would open up, reminding me that we were definitely in a cave, as huge canyons littered with staircases and glittering lights loomed above me before I'd duck into another narrow corridor.

I walked for hours. Up and down staircases, peering into every unlocked room I came across, discovering dead ends, but not a living soul. I hadn't come across a single person, elf or dwarf, and the dungeons themselves were eerily quiet.

I was about to turn back to try to retrace my steps to rejoin Thorin when an almost indistinguishable corridor appeared on my left, no more than a slightly-larger shadow. I actually backtracked to it, my mind taking a moment to register it for what it was. I stared down it thoughtfully, eyeing the cobwebs I could see on the ceiling with no little reluctance. Steeling myself, I decided that it would be my last investigation of the night and quickly strode into the darkness.

Once again, I used the stone walls for guidance and balance and that was what had saved me. The corridor itself seemed to end in a staircase after several dozen feet and I only figured it out by nearly toppling down it, the floor beneath my feet suddenly ending as I overcorrected to lean heavily against one of the walls. I let out a sharp breath, using my foot to gingerly feel out the next stair below.

I didn't think twice before following it down.

My impulsiveness was immediately validated. The staircase was spiraled, I realized quickly and I only knew I was close to the bottom of it when a soft light appeared as I rounded it after several minutes. When I reached it, the staircase opened out to a single corridor, only a little better lit than the one Thorin and I were stashed in.

At the end I found a single prison cell with a single occupant.

Balin.

I stopped in front of his cell, frozen in absolute disbelief at what I had found. There he was, looking as well as he could be in the circumstances, sitting on his suspended bed and staring at the wall in thought, much like Thorin. But unlike Thorin, Balin had an almost serene expression, his hands folded neatly in his lap.

I couldn't believe it. I'd found one.

Hoping I wouldn't startle him, I finally mustered up the nerve to call out softly, "Balin?"

Balin's head turned immediately. I watched with some amusement as his mouth dropped open in shock as he stared at me.

"Bilbo," Balin breathed out, pushing himself to his feet quickly. "Bilbo, how can this be?"

I grinned at him, lunging towards the bars and wrapping my hands around them, the same giddiness that had washed over me after managing to escape my own cell had come back in full force. "Balin! Are you alright?"

"By the Maker," Balin moving to join me, looking incredulous, "How are you here? And Thorin? Where is Thorin?"

"Thorin's fine, we both are," I assured him, watching his shoulders drop in relief. "We were found by Thranduil's men not long after we lost you and brought here."

Balin's face morphed from happiness to resignation in the blink of an eye. "I see."

"Yes," I admitted, "We met Thranduil but, well."

"As did we," Balin sighed, what little excitement he'd mustered upon our reunion was drained out of him now. His eyes met mine. "And so here we are. How is it that you are not locked away with him? Knowing Thranduil he has likely not extended you amnesty. Not if he knows you were in our Company."

"I was," I told him wryly, "Thorin and I were locked away together. But I don't think they accounted for my size and I was able to slip through the bars."

To be fair, I hadn't thought it was possible either. If I had, it would've saved us so much time.

Balin nodded, contemplative now, though he was looking more and more troubled. "Have you found any of the others?"

I shook my head. "No, you're the first."

Balin sighed heavily, eyes no longer meeting mine and fixed unseeingly on the wall in front of him. "I'm afraid it is perhaps lost then."

Lost? But I'd found Balin. That meant the others must be here too, somewhere. And there was still Gandalf. I'd found more hope today than I had since Gandalf told me he was leaving us. Speaking of-

"Gandalf will come back for us," I insisted, just as I had to Thorin, "He'll look for us when we don't meet up with him."

"Gandalf," Balin said softly, thoughtfully, "Yes, he has made his intentions clear. And I do not doubt your words, Master Baggins, but I'm afraid it will be far too late. It is well into autumn now and by the time he reaches us, Durin's Day will have long since passed."

"Durin's Day," I murmured to myself. Balin had mentioned it before, back in Rivendell. It had to do with a door, hadn't it?

Balin, whether he realized it or not, showed me mercy and continued, "The door into the mountain will only appear on Durin's Day. Without it, we have no way of entering Erebor."

I resisted the urge to curse. Instead, I thought over Balin's words. Finally, I asked, "But we could make it still? If we left soon?"

Balin turned to look at me, eyes bright. "It would need to be very soon. A fortnight is all we could spare."

Two weeks? God, I was kicking myself for not trying to escape sooner. I would need to spend every waking moment between meals searching if I wanted to find the others. And then there was the matter of an escape entirely.

I took a deep breath. I could do that. That was something, in fact, only I could do. I had to try.

"I'll keep looking then," I told Balin, meeting his eyes once more. "I won't stop looking. For the others and for a way out."

Balin's expression wasn't one of pity, but one of affection. It reminded me so much of Gandalf it was startling. "It is perhaps a fool's hope. But it is hope, nonetheless. You have found your way to me, Master Baggins, despite the odds. Perhaps you will continue to beat them."

"I'll try, I promise," I told him sincerely.

Balin nodded, his soft expression turning solemn. "All I ask, is that you are very careful. Should Thranduil's men discover you, I fear that your life will be forfeit."

I shivered, remembering Thranduil's cool disdain and the elven guards' apathy. I had no doubt that Balin was right.

"I will," I promised him, backing away from the bars. "I'm sorry, Balin, but I have to go. I need to return to my cell before our guards do. I'll return with news, when I have any."

"Farewell," Balin replied quietly.

I lifted my hand to wave then slipped back into the darkness, darting back up the stairs to find my way back to Thorin.

It took me less time than I thought, finding my way back to my cell. I, miraculously, remembered every turn and staircase as I retraced my steps. Perhaps being a server was useful after all. I memorized my turns and staircases and weird shapes in the stones I'd chosen as landmarks much in the same way I remembered drink orders and specials.

Finally, I turned down the familiar corridor in which our cells were located. It was strange, but the shadows in our corridor felt almost welcoming. Reaching the light, I made my way to stand in front of Thorin's cell. I was surprised to find Thorin already waiting, his hands curled tightly around the bars and his eyes already on me.

"Master Baggins," Thorin greeted me at once, eyes roaming over me quickly. "Are you well?"

"I'm fine," I told him, breathless with excitement, taking a step closer. "I'm fine and so is Balin."

Thorin's head tilted back minutely, like my words had struck him physically. His face was one of careful hope. "Balin?"

"Yes," I confirmed, and then relayed to him what Balin told me. Thorin turned contemplative again, and I knew I'd have to wait to get any more out of him.

So, I turned back to my cell and spotted one of my buttons, barely shining in the low light of the sconces. I added it to my waistcoat pocket and felt it settle against my ring. There'd be four, I knew. I never bothered to button the last one at the bottom and it was the only one left. I found two more after another moment of searching and when I glanced up Thorin was waiting patiently, arm outstretched and pointing out the last that had fallen into a shadowy corner.

I thanked him, which he acknowledged with a nod, his eyes becoming unfocused again. That was fine. I'd need to focus on my new task of wedging myself back through the bars again. It took longer than I'd liked, and I filed away that I'd need to give more force next time. It hurt, like before, but at least I expected it to this time. I didn't fall when I finally stumbled my way through the bars but it was a near thing.

I turned back to Thorin, and offered, "Once the guards come, I'll go out again. Hopefully I can find the others quickly."

Thorin gave a short nod. I raised a hand to rub at my shoulder before collapsing onto my prison bed. I rolled onto my back, eyes on the ceiling and already mapping out my next excursion.

"Sleep, Master Baggins," Thorin's deep rumble broke through my thoughts.

That sounded like a great idea.

I let my eyes flutter close. As I drifted off to sleep, I could hear Thorin humming in his cell. It was the same melody as before, the song about Erebor. There was something new to it, though. Less melancholy, more hopeful.

It made me smile even as I drifted off to sleep.

It was the telltale clang of the door that woke me. I sat up on instinct, a shot of adrenaline – or whatever hobbits had – giving me a burst of energy and snapping me away from what lingered from my nightmares.

Thorin wasn't singing this time, but I wasn't surprised. I figured that he wouldn't want the elves to hear. He was sitting up on his own cot, back pressed against the stone wall, arms folded across his chest. His face was obscured by shadows but his eyes still shone in the low light.

I staggered to my feet and hastily pulled my jacket front closed, to hid that my waistcoat was permanently open. I'd need to remember to do so every meal, moving forward. I moved to my door. I glanced down and saw a full pitcher and plate of food already sitting by my door. I frowned. Had I missed a meal?

The elven guards that had been assigned to give us our meals stepped into the light a moment later, and to my surprise, they were both turning to me. The closest one eyed me carefully, for a long stretch of time before Thorin snapped something out in elvish behind us. Annoyance passed over the elves' faces but it did the trick and my plate was offered to me.

I muttered a thank you as I took it awkwardly with one hand and resisted the urge to shuffle my feet as the elves stared at me for another long moment. Finally, one turned to deposit Thorin's plate in front of his door and the other bent to pick up the extra one in front of mine. Another heartbeat later, they were gone again.

"You should have woken me," I told Thorin sullenly, tearing into the dried meat – a rare treat – we'd been given.

Thorin looked entirely unbothered, despite knowing very well that we were on a tight schedule now. "You needed it."

I scowled, but decided it wasn't worth the argument. Instead, I said firmly, "Never again. We can't waste any time."

It was Thorin's turn to scowl, but he impressed me by not rising to the bait of an argument, too.

Once our plates were cleaned, I backed up to the farthest wall of my cell, broke into a run- which I figured was the best method of pushing myself through the bars- and painfully wedged myself in between the bars for a brief moment before pushing myself through the rest of the way.

I was grateful that I merely stumbled and didn't fall to the floor. I would be an expert at this by the time I had found everyone.

With a nod to Thorin, who returned it solemnly, I disappeared into the shadows.

I chose the first right instead of the first left that night, figuring it would be the best place to deviate and try to find the others. I did the same as before, taking turns whenever I could and cataloguing them into my brain for my return journey.

There were no elves again, and no sounds, either, except for the occasional drip of water somewhere I couldn't see. I paused and assessed my position. The corridor I was in was damp, cool, and poorly lit like the rest of the dungeons but it seemed narrower than the others. Then a door, farther down to my left caught my eye.

Deciding to follow my gut, I approached it cautiously and tested the latch. The door creaked open to reveal a long and even dimmer corridor. Not that two was a pattern, but given where Balin and Thorin and I had been stashed, this seemed promising.

The corridor split at its end into two branches, the right one ending within a dozen feet and the left one extending into the gloom.

With nothing to lose I went left. And promptly stumbled across my second dwarf.

Nori.

I beamed at him through the bars, watching him idly playing with a small knife by throwing it in the air and catching it between two fingers. I waited a few moments, mostly out of curiosity, but Nori didn't look up. Point for hobbit-magic, then.

"Be careful," I said, sudden and sharp, watching in satisfaction as the knife slipped through his fingers and clattered to the floor.

Nori's eyes narrowed dangerously in my direction before going so wide that I thought they might pop out of his head. "Bilbo!"

Nori was at the cell door in an instant, eyes trained on my face. "Well, well. Should've known you'd been clever enough to keep out of their grasp."

I could feel a smile tug at the corners of my mouth. "Not quite. More like I slip through their fingers from time to time. Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes," Nori said impatiently, waving a hand. "And you?"

I nodded, "As well as can be. Thorin and I are locked away together. And I found Balin."

Nori whistled lowly, looking almost impressed. It was such a stark contrast to Balin's resignation. "And Ori?" He hesitated, adopting an almost flippant tone that didn't fool me for a second, "Dori?"

I gave him a small regretful smile. "No not yet. But it's just a matter of time until I find them."

Hopefully I would have enough of it.

"Aye," Nori agreed, and as if reading my mind added, "Except we don't have much of that left, now do we?"

I sighed, deflating. "No, no we don't. Balin said a fortnight."

Nori watched me quietly for a long moment, then asked, "What's the plan then?"

I shook my head, unhappy. "Honestly I have no idea. Until I find the others, well."

"I know," Nori replied impatiently, "But always have an exit strategy, Burglar, as you well know."

I did not well know.

I was proud that I didn't flinch at the title. I'd leave it to Thorin to break the news to the others. Instead, I asked, given that Nori was probably now the default burglar, "Any recommendations?"

Nori hummed thoughtfully, eyes darting around his cell. "The doors are out. They're enchanted and only elves can come in or go out."

I let out a sigh. I figured. Maybe two or three of us could manage to get up through the actual Halls unseen – and that was very much a hard sell already – but fourteen of us?

Nori made a soft noise, a hand under his chin as he considered. Then, so suddenly that I flinched, he snapped his fingers and said, "The water."

I titled my head, confused. Nori pressed on, "When we were first brought in, I could hear water rushing below. The tales say that our ancestors helped to build the Halls over where the river runs beneath the earth."

I stared, mind working. The river. So, we wouldn't need to go up at all. We would need to go down. Down somewhere in dungeons, or close to them, where the elven guards hardly ever visited.

Yes. Yes.

"Nori," I breathed out, excitement rising and hope rising, "Nori, that is genius. Yes!"

Nori looked pleased, with no smugness beneath.

I stayed for a bit longer, allowing Nori to lament at how he hadn't even found an opportune moment to pickpocket and of the guards as they constantly stayed out of reach, before we both agreed that I would need to leave, and soon.

It took me a very long time to find my way back to Thorin, hours really. I was beginning to panic in earnest, when I finally found a jagged crack in one of the stone walls I recognized – it looked like a maple leaf – and realized I was far from where I wanted to be. I broke out into a run and didn't stop until I was back in our familiar corridor and collapsing against my cell door. I could hear Thorin behind me, presumedly saying my name, but I all I could concentrate on was getting back into my cell. I collapsed to the floor just as a familiar clang rang down the corridor, signaling our next meal.

I got to my feet, swaying dangerously before I shot out a hand to steady myself against my cell door. I had the chance to take only one deep steadying breath and pull my jacket close before our guards came into view.

I held out a hand for my meal, which was in a bowl this time. I realized belatedly my hand was shaking. I could only hope the elves wouldn't notice.

They did, in fact, notice. The elf that held my food – porridge, I could see now, and I resisted the urge to grimace- actually frowned, keeping my bowl out of my reach as his eyes roamed over me. He spoke a few short words to his comrades, clearly about me. I couldn't blame them. I didn't need a mirror to know I did not look good. Only after Thorin snapped at them again did the guard relent, depositing my bowl into my hands with surprising gentleness and then he practically tossing Thorin's bowl at him before swiftly departing, his fellow guards following in his wake.

"Master Baggins," Thorin said as soon as we heard the door shut, "What happened?"

I eyed my porridge in distaste. It wasn't even warm. I was absolutely going to slide it over to Thorin, it was worth the scolding. "I found Nori."

I resisted the urge to apologize. At this rate I wouldn't be able to find everyone before the deadline.

Thorin was quiet for a long moment. He seemed to come to the opposite conclusion as he said, "This is good news. And what did Master Nori have to say?"

"The doors we came in through won't be an option," I explained, sliding my bowl over and ignoring the glare I got for my trouble. "But we might be able to use the river. If I can find it down here."

"Indeed," Thorin said thoughtfully.

I waited for a long time for Thorin to say more, so long, in fact, that I found myself fast asleep before he spoke again.

The next time I was out, I found Fili and Dwalin.

Thorin offered me a few helpful pieces of advice before I left. The river was probably below even our cells, and it likely wouldn't be seen even below the open caverns I occasionally stumbled into. It would be near cellars, as the elves traded wine with the remaining people of Dale, who resettled in a town called Esgaroth, which was on the lake the river emptied into.

I filed it all away carefully. I had something to go off of now, and I resolved to open every door I came across to try and find an access point.

I'd wandered quite a bit, stumbling across another inconspicuous corridor just before I'd reached a new staircase that was unlit. I decided that if this led to another dwarf, I could absolutely count this as a pattern. When I reached the bottom, I continued down the passage without hesitation and was almost immediately rewarded with another cell with a dwarf pacing inside.

It was easy to tell which dwarf it was, without even seeing his face. Even in the sputtering sconces his hair gleamed like gold. "Fili!"

Fili froze, hair whipping around him as he turned to meet my eyes in disbelief.

"Bilbo," Fili said in wonder, moving towards me hurriedly.

I beamed, allowing him to reach through the bars and grab my shoulders, shaking me just a little. I felt a bolt of fondness run through me, for him and Thorin both. They were shockingly alike. "Are you alright?"

"Am I?" Fili replied uninterestedly, "Yes. Are you? Where is Uncle? Kili?"

"I'm fine," I assured him as his hands squeezed my shoulders again. "So is Thorin."

Fili relaxed a bit, shoulders drooping. "And Kili?"

I shook my head and looked away. "I haven't found him yet."

Fili nodded, eyes dropping to the floor.

"But I will," I said quickly, hoping to give Fili a little happiness. "I'll find all of you. I promise."

Fili's eyes met mine, solemn and unwavering. In that moment he very much reminded me of Thorin. "I know, Bilbo. I don't doubt it for a moment. You've proven yourself more than capable what with the spiders." Fili grinned mischievously as he added, "And the orcs," His grin widened further, "And the trolls."

I rolled my eyes instead of squirming uncomfortably. Fili was giving me far too much credit. "Those were all because of luck, good timing, and you, if you recall. I'm afraid we'll need more than that to get out of here."

"Yes," Fili agreed, sounding a bit exasperated, of all things, as his hands dropping to his sides. "Luck follows you closely, don't think I haven't noticed." I stared at him, flummoxed. That was absolutely not what I meant. "And we'll need cleverness, caution, and good sense, besides. All of which you have in abundance."

Oh my God. It was like talking to Gandalf. I had no idea where Fili could have found any of those things in me. I certainly couldn't see them. Fear, obliviousness, and lack of any real skill, were all I had and none of which could be called an asset.

Fili was watching me with a fond expression. He seemed to clock that I was at a loss, and mercifully switched the topic. "Have you found Dwalin yet?"

I frowned. "No, why?"

"His cell is nearby," Fili elaborated with a wry smile. "I hear him shouting sometimes. I can't hear what he says but I can guess. I think he's above me."

Holy shit.

"Awesome," I breathed out, suddenly giddy. This was turning out to be a very productive night indeed.

"You should go," Fili said, smile widening. "Maybe your appearance will brighten his mood."

I rather doubted it. Dwalin had been unflappably unimpressed with nearly everything on this quest. It was as dependable as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west.

"Very funny," I said flatly, which made Fili chuckle. "I'll be back. I promise."

"I know," Fili assured me, and I couldn't suppress a rush of affection as Fili lifted a hand in goodbye.

I darted down the corridor with one last look over my shoulder and sprinted up the staircase into a new one. I followed it for some time, climbing up a second staircase before my eyes caught another hidden dark corridor immediately to my right.

I knew before I even reached the cell door at the end of it that I had chosen correctly.

"Dwalin?" I called out quietly as I made my way closer, hoping my voice wouldn't be heard by anyone else.

Dwalin was already at his cell door, eyes wide with surprise.

"Burglar," Dwalin said, in the same way one might say "huh."

"I'm so glad I found you," I told him and I meant it. Dwalin was as steadfast as Thorin, which I had come to find comforting, if even less verbose. I hadn't forgot how careful he'd been with me during the storm on the mountains.

"Well, I'll be," Dwalin said, sounding almost amused now. "Now this is a sight to see."

I smiled sheepishly. "I was thinking the same."

Dwalin gave me a onceover, though what he was looking for I wasn't exactly certain. "Thorin?"

I nodded, exhaling gustily. "We were taken and locked together. He's well."

Dwalin grunted as if to acknowledge my words. "And the others?"

"I've found Balin, Nori, and Fili now. I'm hoping to come across the rest of the Company soon." I took a deep breath, "Balin says we're running out of time."

It was Dwalin's turn to nod. "Aye, Durin's Day is in less than a moon's turn."

"Yes," I agreed, because that sounded right, "I'm hoping to find a way out, too. Nori and I agree the doors we came through won't work."

Dwalin's face twisted the way it always did when he and Nori spoke. I suppressed a smile.

"You'll manage, Burglar," Dwalin told me. I blinked in surprise. All of the dwarves had a faith in me that I couldn't quite figure out. Maybe Gandalf was right.

"Thank you," I replied softly. I paused, unsure. "Is there anything you want to pass along? To Thorin? Or Balin?"

Dwalin gave me a second onceover, though this time if felt far more assessing. After a beat he answered, "No."

I nodded, still unsure. But I'd take it at face value. "Alright. I'll come back when I have news."

Dwalin dipped his head, "Watch yourself, Burglar."

I was almost positive that was meant out of genuine regard. It was more heartening than I expected and it stayed with me the entire walk back to Thorin.

The fourth excursion I hit the jackpot.

Thorin was in an almost cheerful mood when I left him, the news that I had found Fili and Dwalin was far more bolstering to him than I expected.

I followed the corridors that I was becoming familiar with for an hour or so before coming across a staircase whose entrance was masquerading as a torch alcove. I followed the corridor at its bottom for a short time before reaching a sharp right turn. Once I'd rounded the corner, I was surprised to find it more well-lit than rest.

Curious, I moved closer to the light, and found two cells but with three occupants.

Bifur and Bofur in one, and Bombur in the other.

Perhaps these elves weren't without hearts after all. They'd at least granted these three the small mercy of keeping them together.

"Good evening," I said blandly, trying to keep how relieved I felt out of my voice. "Or maybe good afternoon? Good morning?"

"Bilbo!" Bofur cried out, scrambling to his feet. "By my beard!"

I grinned sheepishly, approaching the bars to Bofur and Bifur's cell. "Hello, Bofur. Bifur," I turned to the second cell and raised a hand in greeting, "Bombur."

Bombur nodded back politely.

"How are you?" I asked them all.

"Well as can be, I suppose," Bofur replied blithely while Bombur muttered, "Starving."

"Oi!" Bofur called over my head to Bombur, "At least they've been feeding us! Would you rather go back to that wretched forest?"

Bifur said something in dwarvish, coming to join Bofur at their cell door. His eyes were strangely sharp.

"Exactly," Bofur agreed with a nod.

"Good, I'm so glad," I told them all. "It took longer than I'd like, but I've managed to learn how to escape my cell and I've been trying to track you all down."

Bofur whistled long and low, "So you've been taken too?"

I nodded, "Thorin and I both. Have they been kind enough to you?"

"That king of theirs had plenty to say," Bofur said, shaking his head. "But the rest have been alright. Dull as anything to talk to, though. Can barely get a word out of them."

I felt my lips twitch into a smile. I wasn't surprised, exactly, since Bofur had been the most amiable dwarf of the group to me since the start, but to learn he didn't seem to mind the elves was a contrast to Thorin's attitude.

"Hopefully not for much longer." I said, quickly, glad that I had good news to share, "Once I find the others, Nori and I have an idea on how to get out of here."

Bofur hummed thoughtfully. "Well, if anyone can find a way, it'd be the two of you."

Next to Bofur, Bifur spoke in dwarvish, and made a series of gestures, ending on one the stood out: pointing up.

I hesitated, unsure if I was understanding him correctly, but took my chance, "No, that won't be possible. The doors won't open for us without help."

Bifur muttered something that sounded vaguely disappointed.

"Tell me about it," I sighed again. "I haven't gotten the details down yet, but Nori and Thorin both think that another way out exists. I just need to find it."

"And find it you will, Master Baggins," Bombur said, fingers laced over his stomach. "Sooner rather than later, I hope?"

"Me too," I said, smiling truly now. Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur were a balm to my nerves that I hadn't realized until now.

The four of us spoke for a bit longer because, honestly, I was reluctant to leave them. I indulged Bofur's demanding I explain how I'd escaped my own cell, to which all three of them – embarrassingly for me – murmured their awe and appreciation over. By the end, we all exchanged goodbyes, and I left them with a promise to return once I had found an escape.

I continued my exploration for an hour or so more when I stumbled across the second hidden corridor of the evening. Embracing the pattern of finding hidden dark passages and finding dwarves, I quickly slipped into it, following it to its end and making a sharp right.

Only to find Dori and Ori.

God, I was on a roll.

I watched with interest as Dori fussed over Ori for a moment, redoing his braids to Dori's satisfaction before I said, "Hello Dori, hello Ori."

Both flinched in surprise, causing Dori to accidently tug a bit too hard on one of Ori's braids and Ori, in response, to yelp. When they turned to me, Ori saw me first and the look on his face was one of muted joy. "Master Baggins!"

"How in the Maker's name did you find us?" Dori demanded, stepping towards me, Ori close behind.

I offered a lopsided smile and a shrug, "It's taken me longer than I'd hoped. It's been a few days now since I managed to escape, though I do have to go back every now and then. I've been looking for the Company since."

"To what end, Master Baggins?" Dori asked, brows furrowed.

"An escape," I answered. Dori and Ori both looked surprised at the idea. "Nori has an idea, but I'm afraid it's in my hands until I can figure out a way to free you all from here."

Dori sniffed at the mention of his brother but shifted on his feet. Next to him, Ori's expression flitted so quickly to exasperation and back to apprehension that if I wasn't looking I would have missed it.

Ori was the one who spoke next, asking hopefully, "Nori? You've seen him?"

"He's quite well," I assured them both which cause Dori to relax if only minutely and Ori to sign in relief. "Everyone is, that I've found."

I watched Dori struggle for another few moments, waiting to see if he'd ask anything more. Finally, he simply said, "Very good. Give Thorin our regards, won't you?"

I bit my tongue to keep myself from smiling. "Of course, I'd be glad to. I'll come back in a few days, hopefully with better news."

"What you've brought is already more than we could hope for, Master Baggins," Ori insisted sincerely.

To my surprise, Dori agreed, "It is indeed. Perhaps we will be free of this accursed place, after all."

Was that a compliment? It was hard to tell.

After saying our goodbyes, I congratulated myself. Five dwarves in one night. I wondered if I could shoot for six.

I wandered for another few hours, hoping to continue my good luck streak of finding more dwarves, until I stumbled across something very different.

Voices. I could hear them faintly, so faintly I froze in place, straining to hear. Yes, I confirmed after a moment. But they weren't any I recognized. They were melodious, not high exactly, but almost airy. Whoever was speaking, wasn't one of the dwarves. Which only meant elves.

I knew exactly what Thorin would say if I asked him: don't risk it. But it was still a few more hours until our next meal, I was almost certain, which meant these elves were here for another reason. And I needed to find out what.

It was easy, given how empty the corridors had been so far, to find the source of the voices. Down two corridors and I was able to see a sliver of light cutting across the shadows of the stone floor and opposite wall. Cautiously I crept closer, the voices growing more distinct. This must be where they were coming from. I stopped before the door and peered through the narrow opening. I could see movement, but not much else.

I pushed open the door further before I could think twice and winced, realizing that it could give me away. But the door was silent on its hinges and once I had it halfway open, I moved closer to look through it.

It wasn't another corridor. It was a brightly lit room, with high ceilings and crowded with barrels and crates. A storage room?

No, I thought, taking in the bottled lining a full wall of the room just as the distinctive smell of wine hit me. It was the cellars. Did that mean-

Movement caught my eye again. There were three elves just within my line of sight at the doorway. None of them were dressed in armor like the guards who came down to give us our meals. They were the voices I heard, there was no doubt, and I strained my ears to catch what they were saying.

It was in elvish. Of course it was in elvish.

I listened halfheartedly and watched as the three of them moved towards the far wall at the foot of a staircase. Two of them started lifting barrels, stacking them just out of view. I didn't dare try to lean in farther to see. Instead, I focused on the elves' words, hoping that I could bring something back to Thorin to translate. There was only one phrase that they repeated, a 'mereth engilith' as they gestured towards where I assumed the barrels were stacked. I narrowed my eyes in thought. If this was the wine that went down the river, then where was the river? What was 'mereth engilith'? A type of wine?

One of the elves laughed suddenly, startling me, and moved out of sight.

There was a groan of metal and wood moving. Then the sound of what could only be the barrels rolling. A split second later, there was a series of splashes, more than a dozen, before there was a second groan of metal and wood. Then it was quiet.

Splashing - water. A river? A river.

I was in shock. I didn't dare breathe. This was it. This was our escape.

My hands shook as I slowly pulled the door back to its original angle. Once I was confident it was where it should be, I bolted immediately down the corridor.

I had to get to Thorin.

Unable to stop myself from grinning, I threw myself down the passages and staircases until I reached a familiar door.

"Thorin," I called out, reckless, as the door to our corridor swung closed behind me.

Thorin was at his cell door, waiting. "Master Baggins?"

"I've found," I wheezed out, "I've found our way out."

Thorin's face immediately lit up with joy. It was surreal in a way. I couldn't think of a time that Thorin had looked anything like it, but it suited him. The lines of his face were lessened, his eyes bright and mouth giving an almost-smile.

"The river?" Thorin asked. "Tell me."

So, I did. I told him of my outing, of finding Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, and Ori. And as I explained finding the storeroom and the elves and the barrels, I noticed Thorin's expression grow more contemplative.

"What is mereth engilith?" I asked, fumbling over the pronunciation, once I finished my explanation.

Thorin echoed the words, brows knitted, near-perfect to how the elves had said it. I tried not to feel too envious.

"It is the Feast of Starlight, in common," Thorin said after another thoughtful pause. "Light is something sacred to the elves, and the wood elves love starlight most of all. To them, it is a celebration of memory."

Thorin looked thoughtful again, then said, "Master Baggins, listen closely and tell me if any of my words sound familiar."

I resisted the urge to ask why. Instead, I nodded.

Thorin began, saying each word slowly and clearly. They sounded like numbers, if the cadence of his speech was any indication. I listened closely to the first few until one caught my attention.

"Leben," I repeated carefully. That was a word they had used. "That's one."

"Five days," Thorin said slowly. "Five days until the Feast. The woodland elves are well-known for their revelry. This may give us a chance to escape without notice that we may otherwise not have."

I hummed, hope rising. We had an escape route, that we wouldn't have to leave the dungeons to get to. An escape day, which met Balin's deadline.

Perhaps I really did have some luck. Fili wouldn't let me hear the end of it.

My luck continued for only one more excursion.

After a few hours of sleep, which weren't particularly restful, Thorin and I agreed that finding the keys to our cells was the next necessity. Without them, only I would be able leave, and what would be the point?

Once our next meal was delivered, the second that our two guards had disappeared into the shadows I began wedging myself through the bars. I had gotten good enough at it by that point that I was free by the time the door to our corridor clang shut. I didn't pause to say goodbye to Thorin the way I had taken to on previous attempts, too focused on not losing the guards.

They were remarkably easy to follow, even without the ring. They were just as talkative together as the elves had been in the river-room, so even though their footsteps made no sound, it didn't take much at all to track them. And I took Thorin's warnings to heart, keeping myself one corridor or turn behind them. It took no time at all to find the entrance to the dungeons. It was another door, of course, at the very top of a staircase that floated over the largest of the open caverns I had seen. It took every bit of strength and will I had to run up the stairs when they had finally made it to the top. I was never able to figure out how, looking back, but I made it just in time to slip my fingers between the door and the frame, preventing it from latching.

I collapsed on the last few stairs, arm outstretched and fingers pinched, and listened. I didn't dare move closer - I didn't want to give them any reason to look back at the door. They were still nearby, their voices were at the same level they'd been while I followed them. Finally, after I don't know how long, their voices began to recede and when they were gone completely, I waited and counted, agonizingly, to five-hundred before I got up to push the door open.

Across from the door was a room that was open to the hall with a large arched doorway, something that seemed to function both as an office and an armory. I moved quickly, focusing on keeping my footsteps silent, and when I moved closer I could see there was a table with paperwork stacked neatly, which I refused to touch, several bookshelves, and weapons that lined the walls, all looking very much like my sword.

One looked exactly like my sword, actually.

I moved closer, on instinct, and realized it was Sting. And mounted beside it was Orcrist, its signature curved blade making it easy to identify.

Well, well, well.

I ripped my eyes from Sting and continued my search. It only took a few moments before I found my prize: a ring of keys that I had seen on the hip of whatever guard had been assigned to give us our meal. There were a dozen keys, large and old fashioned, which were a little daunting given how I didn't know which applied to which cell, but I didn't have a doubt those were exactly what I needed.

Breathless with my success, I decided to take Thorin's advice and not court risk further and turned back to the dungeons. I wondered if Thorin would actually smile this time when I told him the good news.

But that was the last of the good news.

Fili was, in fact, unbearably smug when I made my rounds to the others the next outing to tell them that an escape was not only possible, but happening. None of them pressed for details, which was a relief because I was running on a tight timetable to tell them all between meals, and they all promised they would be ready when the time came.

After that, the next two outings I searched in vain for Oin, Gloin, and Kili only to come up empty. My only consolation was that I'd memorized the dungeon's layout quite well and I was fairly confident I could gather up the dwarves quickly when the time came.

I had one more chance to find them. Thorin seemed unconcerned, which made me even more worried, and when I made my way out to the corridor, my heart was pounding and my anxiety was bubbling over in a way it hadn't since our first day here.

After several fruitless hours later, I found myself climbing a staircase that, if I followed the next corridor and took the first left and then the second right, would lead me to Nori. Once I reached the top, I noticed another of those damn hidden corridors a few feet to my right that I must have missed the many previous times I'd taken this route.

I glared at it, annoyed. If there were any dwarves down it, I was going to kick myself.

I moved into the dark passage quietly, keeping one hand along the wall as a guide. As I continued, I heard shouting farther down in voices that were too low and angry to be elves.

I was going to have to kick myself. I put on a burst of speed and at the end of the corridor I was rewarded.

Oin and Gloin shouting at one another across their hallway in dwarvish.

Letting out a deep gasp of relief, I listened to them continue to shout at one another for a few more minutes, my smile slipping. I waited patiently for them to finish their argument- at least I assumed it was an argument- but after another long stretch there were no signs of them slowing down.

I sighed in resignation and slowly retreated down the corridor, archiving their location firmly in my mind. Gloin and Oin often sniped at each other and while the shouting was unusual, the determination I knew they both had to win wasn't. They'd be fine until I came back.

I returned to the corridor I'd started in and continued my search. It wasn't until I was close to Balin again that instead of going down the dark passage that would lead to his staircase, I pressed on further, finding another staircase. I didn't hesitate to follow the hallway I found at the bottom that twisted and turned for what felt like forever until I ended up at another fork. Hanging a right, I was surprised to see a lone elf standing at the end of the corridor, their hair glowing like fire in the dim light.

Tauriel.

And she was talking. I moved closer, thankful for my silent footsteps, only to hear a second, very familiar voice.

Kili.

Oh, my God. I found him.

I listened, amazed, as Tauriel and Kili argued for a short time about stars, which sounded like a long-standing disagreement. But there was no anger, no hurt, like there had been with Thorin and Thranduil. It sounded more like they were friends.

It wasn't until Tauriel said goodbye to Kili that panic hit me square in the chest. I fumbled, reaching up for my ring, only to watch with relief as Tauriel turned to drift down the corridor in the opposite direction of where I was.

I weighed my options before ultimately deciding to leave Kili be. I couldn't risk Tauriel overhearing us and I had no idea how far the corridor stretched or where it led. I was also, I realized, running out of time to make it back before our guards came again.

With one last look over my shoulder, I turned back the way I came.

Escape route? Check? Escape day? Check. Deadline met? Check. Keys found? Check. Dwarves? Check. Bonus: I could get Sting back.

Gandalf had told me that I needed to find my faith in myself. That was the first time I felt a glimmer of it.