Queen Under the Mountain - Thorin Oakenshield

~Nine~

~Barrel Riders and Orc Slayers~

Splash!

Bilbo pulled a lever and the floorboards beneath them tipped, and and the barrels were dropped right into the rushing river below that ran beneath the Elven kingdom. Dahlia instantly saw the genius of Bilbo's plan - the river would carry them right out of the kingdom and far away.

Splash!

Moments later, there was another splash and Bilbo himself, with no barrel, landed amongst the Dwarves' barrels bobbing in the water. 

"Well done, Master Baggins," Thorin congratulated him. 

Bilbo just waved away his praise, looking much less than pleased at their current situation.

"Here, Bilbo, grab on-" Dahlia extended her hand out to the Hobbit, pulling him towards her barrel, which he clung to the side of, hanging on for dear life. 

The current carried them out of the cellars and soon out of the palace itself. The midday sunlight was blinding after being locked away within the dim cells.  

A horn blast carried out - the Elves must have noticed their disappearance, not that it would have been difficult to miss.

This was confirmed when, up ahead, a lever was pulled by a guard and the gate in their path was swung closed.

"No!" Thorin's barrel bumped into the gate as it swung shut, sealed closed, cutting off their escape route.  Soon all the barrels bumped together, lodged under the bridge. 

Swish!

One of the guards gave a cry as he was suddenly struck by an arrow - and it was no Elf arrow...

"Watch out! There's Orcs!"

"Get under the bridge!"

The Orc pack had caught up with them - now they were surrounded by two enemies. 

The Orcs were led this time, not by Azog himself, but by the Pale Orc's vile son, Bolg. 

The Dwarves were unarmed so the only weapons they got were from any fallen Orcs or Elves. Those who  didn't catch hold of a weapon had to result to throwing punches at their Orc attackers in order to defend themselves. 

Luckily for the Dwarves, the Elves now had more of a problem to face rather than some escaping Dwarf prisoners, and they were distracted. However, this also meant the Dwarves were facing a greater problem now too - they didn't have to worry about being attacked by the Elf guards, but now had to worry about being killed by the Orcs.  Now if only they could open the gate...

Kili was on it - he leapt out of his barrel and climbed up the wall, making for the lever. 

"KILI!" screamed Fili suddenly. 

Ki had been struck in the leg by an Orc arrow, one shot by Bolg himself. 

An Orc fell into the water, splashing the Dwarves, as it was struck by an arrow - this time an Elf arrow.

The blond prince and the red-haired captain, leading some guards, had arrived on the scene. 

Despite being injured, Kili must have gotten the gate open, for the doors opened and the current pushed the Dwarves back out into the rushing river. And so the chase began - the Dwarves fleeing from the Elves and now the Orcs as well, the Orcs pursuing the Dwarves, and the Elves chasing the Dwarves and the Orcs.