Rue (A Thorin Oakenshield/Hobbit Fanfiction)

33

The hobbit held up the dangling keys, grinning at Ori. Thorin and Talia both smiled, beyond pleased with their hobbit. Naturally, he had snuck right past the pointy-eared bastards and infiltrated the Woodland Realm. Talia only wished she could rub it in Thranduil's face before their escape.

"Bilbo!" Balin said, happiness filling his voice.

They all started to cheer in excitement as Bilbo began to unlock each cell, but he made a point to shush them. "There are guards nearby!"

Once Bilbo reached Talia's cell, she stepped out from behind the bars, feeling a bit nostalgic in the action. Smiling softly, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry I lost you."

Bilbo could see the sorrow and regret in her features. "Come now, you can't lose me!" The hobbit teased back, shifting his weight on his enormous feet. "Though your Company did try on several occasions."

Talia was grateful for his humor, but she was still immensely guilty. "It won't happen again."

"There's nothing to happen again." Bilbo paused. "I know you all look after me, and I know you're one of the few that even enjoys it a little. But I don't want you to do so if it'll cause you so much grief. You have enough to worry about—for goodness' sakes, you're a Queen! I'm not worth the trouble."

But she could only shake her head softly, gesturing to the keys in his hand. "You've proven yourself time and time again, Master Baggins. You will always be worth it to me."

Bilbo nodded his thanks, moving to unlock the other cells. Once Thorin was free, the hobbit scurried off to the others while he walked over to Talia.

"Are you alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"That could not have been easy for you."

She took his hand and squeezed it gently, his concern warming her heart. "Life has never been easy."

The pair exchanged a small smile before following the other dwarves, who had begun to walk up the stairs. But Bilbo shooed them away from the steps, beckoning them back towards him. "Not that way. Down here, follow me!"

"Which way?" Talia asked.

But the hobbit ignored her, rushing the dwarves further into the dungeons. "Come on!"

She didn't like that she didn't know his plan, but she also knew that if they had any chance of escaping properly, they had to trust him. The Company grumbled their doubts as Bilbo led them on, shushing them again once they reached a small storage room of some sort.

Empty wine bottles littered the cellar, accompanied by their drunk consumers. Three guards were passed out on a little round table, fast asleep as they snored on. Beorn had called the Silvan Elves less wise and more dangerous than their Rivendell counterparts, and Talia knew danger was akin to recklessness. But this fascinated Talia, for she had never seen it in the flesh. She caught Bofur trying to make out what kind of wine they had been drinking, and she snorted to herself at the alcoholic of the group. If there was one thing all of the races in Middle Earth had in common, it was their love of a good drink.

"This way," Bilbo whispered, but the dwarves hesitated. This did not seem like any probable escape route to them. "Come on!"

"I don't believe it—we're in the cellars!" Kili kept his voice low, though his outrage was palpable.

"You're supposed to be leading us out, not further in!"

"I know what I'm doing!"

But when one of the Elves snorted in their slumber, it was Talia's turn to shush them all. The dwarves had never been quieter than when the guard lifted his head up ever so slightly, his back to them. Luckily, he decided his headache was too strong for him to wake up just yet, and so he slumped back in his seat, undisturbed.