The Elf Kingdom

I slipped on the ring and chased after the company, doing my best to be as light on my feet as possible. I watched them be lead through the gates of the Elven kingdom. Legolas, bringing up the rear, stopped and looked back, as if he sensed me there.

I just managed to slip through the doors before they were snapped shut.

I followed as the company was lead further into the kingdom. This kingdom was built into the trunks of trees, all interconnected somehow.

The Elves shoved the Dwarves into cells, ignoring their shouts of protest and the odd insult thrown their way.

Fili groaned in frustration as an Elf discovered yet another blade strapped to his chest. The Elf took it and shoved him into a cell. I was seriously going to have to have a talk with Fili about his very obvious problem with weapon hoarding.

Kili was trying to flirt his way out of this whole mess. Looks like I'm gonna have to have a talk with him as well.

Legolas questioned the way Kili looked at Tauriel, clearly jealous. She shrugged it off saying she wasn't sure while also pointing out the fact Kili was tall for a Dwarf.

"But no less ugly." Legolas shot back.

Bitch, ugly?! Have you actually taken a look at Kili or are you just blind? He's hotter than you! Don't get me wrong Legolas had the same beauty all Elven men possessed and he was without a doubt very attractive but he was no Kili.

Soon Dwalin, Fili and Gloin we're trying to kick and punch their way out of the cells but it was no use. Balin tried to get them to stop, reminding them where they were currently being held.

I took one last look at the company and went searching for a way to free them.

I soon came across Thranduil's throne room. There we has speaking with Thorin. I watched curiously as the Elf King spoke, towering over the Dwarf. He seemed to have figured out our plan and was offering help. I glared at the Elven King, not caring that he couldn't see me. He wasn't one to just offer up help, especially to a Dwarf, no, he wanted something.

"I will let you go, if you but return what is mine." He said.

And there it is. He thinks he's entitled to something in that mountain. I had a feeling it was whatever began the rift between the Elves and the Dwarves in the first place.

"A favor for a favor." Thorin mused.

"You have my word." Thranduil assured him. "One king to another."

I almost laughed, his word didn't mean much.

"I would not trust Thranduil, the great king, to honor his word, should the end of all days be upon us!" Thorin shouted, his back to the Elven king making sure everyone around heard. "You! Who lack all honor! I have seen how you treat your friends. We came to you once, starving, homeless, seeking your help! But you turned your back! You turned away from the suffering of my people and the inferno that destroyed us!" Then he shouted something in Dwarvish I didn't understand.

"Do not talk to me of dragon fire!" Thranduil said getting right up in Thorin's face. "I know it's wrath and ruin!"

The king exhaled and revealed his true face. It was badly burned and mangled on the sides.

"I have faced the great serpents of the North." He continued quickly rebuilding his mask. "I warned your grandfather of what his greed would summon. But he would not listen. You are just like him." He gestured for the Elves to grab Thorin. "Stay here if you will and rot. A hundred years is a mere blink in the life of an Elf. I'm patient. I can wait."

Thorin was hauled away and I followed them back to the cells, just to be sure they were keeping him with the rest of the Dwarves. If they'd put him anywhere else I'd need to account for that.

Balin asked if Thranduil had offered a deal.

"He did. I told him he could go ish kakhfe ai-'d dur-rugnu! Him and all his kin!" He shouted louder at the end.

I wasn't sure what that meant but I'm sure it was something along the lines of "go fuck yourself" or "shove it up your ass".

"Well that's that then." Balin said looking amused.

But his amusement soon turned to defeat and disappointment. As he muttered that a deal was their only hope. I tried not to take offence at his lack of confidence in my ability to free them.

"Not our only hope." Thorin replied looking up and out of his cell.

At least someone has some faith in me.

With that I journeyed further into the Elven kingdom. On the look out for anything that could help in my escape plan.

"I know you're there." Thranduil said stepping out from behind a pillar scaring the absolute shit out of me. "Why do you linger in the shadows?"

He seemed to be able to sense exactly where I was as he looked directly at me.

I wasn't sure what to say until Tauriel stepped into view. I sighed in relief, he was speaking to the She-Elf. I was still safe, for now anyway.

"I was coming to report to you."

"I thought I ordered those nests to be destroyed not two moons past." Thranduil said.

"We cleared the forest as ordered, my Lord. But more spiders keep coming up from the South. They are spawning in the ruins of Dol Guldur." She explained as she paced. "If we could kill them at their source..."

"That fortress lies beyond our borders." Thranduil reminded her cutting her off mid sentence. "Keep our lands clear of those foul creatures. That is your task."

"And when we drive them off, what then?" She snapped. "Will they not spread to other lands?"

This girl had some balls, speaking to King Thranduil like that. I could tell she was different from the other Elves in her kingdom. Although I wasn't sure I liked the way she looked at Kili.

"Other lands are not my concern."

Typical Thranduil, only thinking about himself and his kingdom. He rarely, if ever thought about the other species of creatures living in our world. He didn't seem to care much about what happened to anyone except himself and his people.

"The fortunes of the world, will rise and fall." He continued. "But here in this kingdom, we will endure."

I quickly and quietly sprinted past the two Elves as they spoke, making it successfully to the other side of the room.

Tauriel was about to walk away when Thranduil spoke once more.

"Legolas said you fought well today. He's grown very fond of you."

The smile she had from his praise dropped.

"I assure you my Lord, Legolas thinks of me as no more than a captain of the guard."

"Perhaps he did once. Now I am not so sure."

"I do not think you would allow your son to pledge himself to a lowly Silvan Elf."

"No, you're right. I would not. Still, he cares about you. Do not give him hope where there is none."

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I was about to go take another look around, this time venturing deeper into the kingdom, but I wanted to make my presence known to the company first. I raced back to the cells and looked in Kili's first. I'd never seen him look so defeated. I was about to take off the ring when I spotted Tauriel coming our way.

I looked back at Kili, as she approached his cell, he was playing with a stone. I recognized it as the one his mother had given him before he left home.

"The stone in your hand, what is it?" Tauriel asked.

"It's a talisman. A powerful spell lies upon it. If any but a Dwarf reads the runes on this stone, they will be forever cursed!" He said as he shot his hand out holding the stone up as if it were a weapon.

Tauriel flinched away from the cell door. She was about to walk away when Kili spoke, stopping her.

"Or not."

I stifled a laugh. Kili was such a shit! Tauriel was genuinely scared of a harmless little stone.

"Depending on whether or not you believe in that kind of thing. Its just a token." He explained. "A rune stone."

I didn't like the way she smiled at him.

"My mother gave it to me so I'd remember my promise."

"What promise?" The She-Elf asked.

"That I would come back to her." Kili replied honestly.

He had given up on trying to flirt his way out of this mess and I was thankful for that.

"She worries. She thinks I'm reckless."

Maybe cuz you are!

"Are you?" Tauriel asked.

"Nah." He shook his head as he tossed the stone.

His aim was a little off and it landed outside his cell. Tauriel stopped it with her boot. She picked it up and inspected it. I could hear Elves talking and laughing in the distance.

"Sounds like quite the party you're having up there." Kili noted.

"It is Mereth e-nGilith, the Feast of Starlight. All light is sacred to the Eldar. But Wood Elves love best the light of the stars."

"I always thought it is a cold light. Remote and far away." He said.

His tone wasn't mocking or anything he was again just being honest. At this point I think Kili was just bored and desperate for someone, anyone to talk to. The other Dwarves were all lost in their own thoughts leaving him to sit in silence alone. Kili needed near constant stimulation, he was like a kid on a sugar high some days, always ready and eager for any adventure that might come his way. He hated just sitting around doing nothing.

"It is memory, precious and pure." Tauriel explained with a proud smile. "Like your promise."

She handed him back the stone.

She started talking about going out at night and watching the stars. Kili countered with the fact he'd seen a fire moon over the pass near Dunland once. Then went into this whole story, of which I'd heard a hundred times, about how he came to see the fire moon.

Neither of them Noticed Legolas on the level above watching the two of them converse, eyes full of jealousy. Not gonna lie, I was right there with him. The way Kili spoke to Tauriel so easily. I had to keep reminding myself that Kili loves me, and nothing, not even this gorgeous She-Elf was going to change that.

With that thought in mind I took my leave and went searching for a way out.

I noted each turn I took as I made my way deep down into the depths of the kingdom. I soon came to a wine cellar.

"Galion, you old rogue, we're running out of drink." One of the guard Elves complained.

"These empty barrels should have been sent back to Esgaroth hours ago! The bargeman will be waiting for them." Another noted.

"Say what you like about our ill-tempered king. He has excellent taste in wine." Galion said.

"Come Elros, try it."

"I have the Dwarves in my charge." He said declining the offer.

Galion snatched the keys from Elros.

"They're locked up! Where can they go?" He laughed.

Galion hung the keys on the wall and the Elves got to drinking. I took my chance and carefully grabbed the keys making sure not to jingle them. Then I made a run for the cells.

"I'll wager the sun is on the rise." Bofur said to no one in particular. "Must be nearly dawn."

"We're never gonna reach the mountain, are we?" Ori asked sounding as if he might cry.

I slipped off my ring when I was sure no Elves were around.

"Not without these, you're not." I said holding up the keys.

Fili and Kili jumped up to the doors of their cells grinning like fools.

"Ashryn!" Balin cried.

The Dwarves got too excited and started to get loud.

"Quiet! All of you! There's still guards near by!" I snapped.

Although I couldn't wipe the smile off my face at seeing how happy they all were to see me, especially Thorin, I never thought I'd see the day he was genuinely happy to see me, but things really had changed between us since the battle with Azog.

I freed Thorin first and then moved on to Balin. Then the others. I freed Kili last and he kissed me the moment he stepped out of the cell.

"Have I told you how much I love you?" He asked.

I grinned up at him.

"Hmm, I don't think so."

"Well, I do!"

I laughed and kissed him once more.

"You two can do all the kissing you want when we get to Erebor! Let's go!" Fili said dragging us over to the others.

The Dwarves began moving in the complete opposite direction I had planned.

"Wrong way! Follow me!"

I had taken note of just about every blind spot between the cells and the wine cellar and made sure we stuck to them as we moved through the kingdom. Once we made it the Dwarves immediately became confused. Lucky for us the Elves had drank themselves into oblivion and were all passed out.

"Um, Ash, hun, we're in the cellars!" Kili whisper yelled.

"You were supposed to be leading us out not further in!" Bofur snapped.

I sighed. Why? Why does no one seem to have any faith in me what-so-ever?!

"Trust me!"

Bofur shushed me.

"Now get in the barrels!" I ordered.

"Are you mad?!" Dwalin asked. "They'll find us!"

"No! They wont, I promise. You have my word." I turned to the others. "Please, I'm begging you, just trust me."

I looked to Dwalin with pleading eyes. He was basically Thorin's second in command, if he refused, so would the others.

Thankfully Thorin chose that exact moment to speak up.

"Do as she says."

Soon everyone was in a barrel.

"What do we do now?" Bofur asked popping his head out of his barrel.

"Now? Now you hold your breath."

"Hold my breath? What do you mean?"

I didn't respond as I pulled the nearby lever.

Suddenly the floor flipped up creating a ramp for the barrels sending everyone rolling into the river below.

Once they were all in the floor closed once more and I stood there thinking, well shit. Apparently I didn't think this plan through as well as I thought. How the hell do I get out?!

I stood there for a moment stunned at my own stupidity. Then I started frantically searching for a way out myself.

The guards were coming round from their drunken sleep and I could hear more coming from above. I began jumping on the far side of the platform hoping it would drop without me having to pull the lever again. I knew I wouldn't be able to slide down into the water before it closed again if I pulled it. I stumbled backwards and I must have hit just the right spot because next thing I know I'm sliding into the water below.

Lucky for me the Dwarves had held onto the rocks around them so they didn't drift down stream without me. Kili grabbed me and pulled me into the barrel with him.

"Well done, Ashryn." Thorin praised.

The Dwarves let go and let the current guide them as they paddled down stream.

Thorin yelled at us all to hold on as we came to a waterfall.

Kili held me tight against his chest as we went over.

"Help!" Ori cried out as he caught another current and was pulled in a different direction from the rest of us.

"Ori!" Dori cried.

I looked back and saw Legolas. He told the Elf behind him to close the gates. The Elf blew a warning horn.

We watched helplessly as the gates closed in front of us just as we reached them. All of us being brought back together by the current.

The Elves looked ready for a fight when suddenly one was hit with an arrow. For a split second I thought maybe we were saved, that is until the Orc appeared.