Hope and Memory[Thorin Oakenshield Love Story]

[Chapter Twenty Eight]

The two elves dragged the woman down the steps, harsher then they did, when they first brought her up with Thorin. Freya had to jump from step to step just to keep up with them. The dwarves had been waiting by the bars of their cells for the woman to return.

" There she is." one of the dwarves pointed out. Thorin moved over to his door to see and they walked right passed his cell and opened the one beside him and shoved the woman into it and she fell to the ground. She turned around to look behind her, and the elf shut her door and locked it and left.

" Freya. Are you alright lass?" Balin's voice called from his cell, which was two over from hers. She sat on the floor of her cell against the wall, beside the bars of her cell door.

" I'm fine." She answered, wrapping her arms around her knees. The prince could hear the doubt in her voice and whatever happened after he was taken away must have gotten to her. He was sure the Elf King would try to convince her of anything to persuade her to his side.

" Freya, don't believe whatever Thranduil said to you. He was just trying to use you to get to me" Thorin assured her. Still mad that the elf had even brought her into this.

" I know." She slumped back against the wall, wishing she could get out of here. Her cousin was still out there and she prayed he was alright, but as the thought consumed her about the possibility that he could be dead, she let out a soft cry, thinking nobody had heard it. Thorin's head perked up, hearing the muffled cry from the other side of wall.

" Freya. I know your worried about your cousin. But he'll be alright." Thorin stated, trying to comfort her.

" How do you know that?"

" Because I know how far you two have come, since leaving the Shire. I doubted you and your cousin at first; I didn't think you two had what it took to survive in the wild, but you two have proven yourselves and we wouldn't even be this far without you. Freya we are going to get out of here and we will find your cousin." Thorin promised her. Freya didn't say anything, but took comfort in his words and told herself that Bilbo would be alright.

The woman had closed her eyes, not aware she had passed out from her lack of her sleepless nights, since the attack of the White Warg. Her eyes fluttered open when she heard some of the dwarves shouting in defeat.

" I'll wager the sun is on the rise. Must be nearly dawn." Bofur grumbled.

" We're never going to reach the Mountain, are we?" Ori stated sadly, making the others sigh at there predicament they were in.

" Not stuck in here, you're not."

Freya's head peaked up as she heard the sound of her cousins voice. She got up from the back corner of her cell and ran over to the door.

" Bilbo!" Balin shouted, surprised like everyone else to see their burglar alive. Bilbo was at Thorin's cell door, getting worried when all the dwarves cheered excitedly that they would soon be out of here.

" Shh! There are guards nearby!" Bilbo snapped quietly. He unlocked Thorin's cell and moved to his cousin's next.

" Bilbo!" Freya cried. Pulling him into a hug. He returned the embrace. Glad to know his little cousin was unharmed. They released and Bilbo continued to unlock the rest of the cells.

" Close the doors. It'll buy us more time." Thorin insisted and the others nodded in agreement. The dwarves gathered near a flight of stairs. " Up the stairs." Thorin insisted.

" You first Ori." Dwalin ordered when they were all stopped.

" Not that way. Down here. Follow me." Bilbo pressed, running down the stairs in the opposite direction. They looked at Thorin who nodded and the dwarves and the woman followed their burglar. Thorin followed last behind Freya, making sure no one was left behind. As they reach closer to the bottom they hear the sound of snoring and see two elves passed out at the table. " This way." Bilbo urged them to continue to follow him, when he saw it was clear. " Come on."

But as the dwarves realized where they were, they stood their hesitant to go any further. " I don't believe it. We're in the cellars!" Kili shrieked quietly and the others started to panick.

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

" I know what I'm doing!" Bilbo hissed.

" Shh!"

The dwarves one by one walked passed the hobbit, giving him a stern look, hoping he knew what he was doing as they walked further into the cellars.

" This way. This way." Bilbo rushed them. They came to some empty barrows that were stacked neatly on top each other in rows. By now the elves had probably figured out the dwarves were no longer in their cells and they would be sending the guards after them.

" Everyone, climb into the barrels quickly." Dwalin suddenly came charging back towards Bilbo, wondering what gave him that idea. Freya and Thorin stood behind the hobbit.

" Are you mad? They'll find us." Dwalin, stated,

" No, no. They won't, I promise you. Please, please, you must trust me." Bilbo pleaded to the dwarves, but when they wouldn't move he turned to the prince himself.

" Do as he says." Thorin ordered them.

" Move your big ginger head." Dwalin grumbled and the dwarves started climbing into the barrels. Freya stopped when she noticed only one was left available and their was still three of them. She turned and looked at Thorin, who realized too they had to figure something out quick.

" We'll both fit." Thorin insisted, not seeing any other choice. He climbed into the barrel and urged Freya to come in beside him. Bilbo started counting off, making sure all dwarves were accounted for. He looked worried when he didn't see his cousin anywhere until he looked down at Thorin's barrow to see her hiding their beside him.

"Everyone's in." Dori whispered, as the dwarves tucked their heads inside the barrow.

" What do we do now?" Bofur asked, sticking out his head with everyone else following pursuit.

" Hold your breath." Bilbo told them.

" Hold my breath? What do you mean?" Bofur asked confused, when suddenly the floor board started tipping downwards, causing the barrows to roll down, making the woman and dwarves shriek as they went plop into the freezing water and the floor closed above them.