Everlong

56

Bilbo had the route memorised, he ran through the way in which he needed to go several times. He even paced about the small study muttering under his breath; he was determined to anchor the plan down, go through any possibilities of failure, and if failure appeared he tried to think of what exactly the details could be. But really, he was ignoring that. This plan was going to work and they were all going to get out of here, one way or another.

It just so happened the finding and following the changed guard was easy, he did a round of the cells and walked out of the door again; Bilbo watched his friends scowl outwards at the elf, who acted indifferently and uncaring to their sour dispositions. Bilbo was in the shadows of the doorway and the elf passed him by without a glance, helped he was invisible of course. The last place he expected to wind up was down below, Bilbo's eyes practically lit up upon seeing the barrels now present. They weren't when he came down here with Liruliniel, and naturally he wondered if he would need to keep coming to check if they had appeared. He didn't, in fact the time in which he was away from her company, he was pacing, fidgeting and thinking over this plan again.

The barrels were stacked upon each other and tethered loosely to keep them in place. They were empty, like Liruliniel had said and after glancing at the now drinking elf, Bilbo examined the barrels silently. They were definitely large enough to fit them all inside. That was somewhat of a relief, it would be bad enough persuading the dwarves to get into barrels let alone barrels which were too small.

Bilbo's nose twitched at that, no, that didn't sound like it would've been a fun conversation. He jerked upright and looked over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow he couldn't help but muse that the elf practically resting against the table was already half cut, and the guard he'd followed was readily following suit. And here Bilbo believed that elves and their constitution for wine or other alcoholic beverages would be quite high. They seemed reasonably unaffected by other things, the cold for one was something he had read upon in some random book. But no, these two were off on their merry ways of getting drunk and in all honesty, it was a bit amusing to watch.

The elves here never seemed carefree, oppressed by something may have been putting it lightly, but these two chatted amicably and even laughed a few times over inside jokes which Bilbo didn't understand. They seemed not too dissimilar to those within Rivendell now, he could see the tenuous similarity. Bilbo honestly didn't know how long he had stood here watching the pair, but by the time both seemed to pass out did he only then make his move. The keys were hanging upon a hook, easily reached by him if he stood on the stairs leading back up. Once he got them in hand, Bilbo wasted no more time in tailing it out of there. He didn't need to linger in this room, and in fact, he felt he perhaps had dragged this part of the plan out long enough. They needed to leave as soon as, even Liruliniel had pressed this. Not all of the elves would be this docile, to say the least, and even Bilbo knew that.

"I'll wager the sun is on the rise. It must be nearly dawn." Bofur's voice echoed out into the otherwise quiet space, even as Bilbo made his way invisibly down the winding stairs he could hear the defeat, the exhaustion. He could easily bet that none of his friends had had a wink of sleep.

"We're never going to reach the Mountain, are we?" Ori asked, sounding as hopeless as Bofur did as he turned away from the cell door.

"Not stuck in here you're not," Bilbo chose his moment to appear when there seemed to be no elves around and well, just good timing to answer a question all the others had unhappy answers to. He jangled the keys quite triumphantly while pocketing his ring with his other hand. Thorin, who was just leaning against the wall pushed away and rush to the door as Bilbo approached to let him out. Only, because the others recognised his voice, no matter how quiet he was trying to be...they weren't. Chorused shouts of his name suddenly echoed and he couldn't help but despair. He was pleased they were pleased to see him, but didn't they know now was not the time to be loud? He shushed them quietly, or tried to, "There are guards nearby!" He said impatiently while hauling the heavy door open and letting the dwarf-King within out.