Obsessed Over You (DISCONTINUED - The Hobbit AU fanfic)

The Great Escape

Thorin was able to see his kinsmen after he finished eating. He immediately sought out Balin.

"What think you?" He spoke in their common tongue.

"I think he'a trying to keep you prisoner. He knows you want us to be released and now, you know what he wants. He's going to make you stay in order for us to go."

"Or we could escape," a voice said from behind Thorin.

He jumped and spun around to see Bilbo Baggins standing behind him.

"Bilbo!" Dwalin stood up quickly.

"Silence, do you want the guards to hear? They'll come and supervise this conversation," Thorin scolded him.

Dwalin dipped his head in apology.

"How did you get in here?" Balin asked.

"That's for a later time, let'a just get you out of here first." Bilbo pulled a key ring out from his pocket.

"Mister Bilbo, you truly are a burglar," Balin said in amazement.

"And I've got a plan," he quietly unlocked their cell. "Step one is to get all these cells unlocked and the dwarves safely in the wine cellar."

"Wine cellar?" Dwalin eyed him oddly.

"Yes."

He scampered to Fili's cell and unlocked it. Fili clapped his shoulder and grinned. Then Bilbo went to Kili's cell. The young dwarf was red in the face and smiling brightly.

"What in the blazes is up with you?" Bilbo asked.

All Kili said in response was "Tauriel".

Bilbo didn't know who that was so he continued releasing the dwarves. When he was done, they all followed him to the cellar.

"Okay," Bilbo counted some wine barrels that were on their sides and nodded, "everyone pick one."

They all gave curious glances at the barrels.

"Uh... What?" Bofur scratched his neck.

"Pick a barrel, before the guards show," the hobbit urged.

"Do it," Thorin said as he positioned himself in a barrel.

The rest followed suit and soon they all had a barrel.

Bofur poked his head out of his barrel. "Now what?"

"Hold your breath." Before Bofur could ask another question, Bilbo pulled the barrel release bar and they all started rolling as the ground tilted underneath them.

They splashed into water underneath them and found themselves in a cave tunnel. Shortly after, Bilbo fell from above them and landed in the water as well.

"Excellent plan, Bilbo!" Thorin congratulated him.

They maneuvered their barrels to go down the water stream and soon they were out of the rock tunnel.

"The water has a current, watch yourself, boys!" One of the dwarves said.

They bobbed up and down on the current as they were pulled downstream. They could see the end of the little river far ahead. They had to pass the gate there to finally be free.

Their hopes were cut short by the sound of elves yelling. A few arrows began cascading around them. Then the arrows stopped and the dwarves saw that they were directed at a different target, orcs. Somehow they had passed over elvish land.

Thorin saw Dwalin pick up a dead orc's weapon and did the same. He tossed a throwing knife at an orc and was glad to see it fall down wounded.

The gate was getting closer. He could see that they were closed. When they got closer, he'd jump out of his barrel and pull the lever above for his company. Even if it meant giving up his freedom.

Dwalin, Bifur, and Fili were already ahead of him. Their barrels stopped by the gate. Thorin's barrel slowed down and he jumped out onto the rocks. He half-ran, half-jumped over the rocks and bound up the stairs to the overpass. An arrow nearly hit him and he ducked instinctively.

An orc stood in his way and Thorin pretended to try and pass on the creature's left, which is near the edge. The orc lent that direction to attack and Thorin turned and spun to go past the orc on its right. Then Thorin pushed the orc, who already lent towards the edge, and he fell into the water below.

He reached the lever and jumped on it to push it down. The gate opened and the dwarves filed out in their barrels.

"Hurry! Uncle!" Fili called back to him.

He was about to jump over the short wall to join them when an arrow was aimed at his head and he heard an elf speak. He turned towards the elf and recognized him as Thranduil's son, Legolas.

"Move, dwarf, and you're dead."