The 15th Member

14

"There are only 14 barrels." I pointed out.

But nobody seemed to listen to me as they began getting into the barrels. Thorin lifted me by the waist and placed me into one of the barrels on top. "Hurry Kíli get in." He instructed.

Kíli seemed slightly reluctant as he continued to look back but eventually gave in and crawled into one.

Thorin helped the others before finally entering into the same barrel as me, "you didn't think i'd let you be away from my side for even a moment did you?"

He gently placed his hands on my cheeks and pressed his forehead to mine as I closed my eyes. "I hope we get your home back soon."

"As do I Miz vaen, and I vow to you that one day you will be the most beloved by my kind as well as yours, you will sit atop a throne encrusted with gems of the earth and wear only the finest garments and crowns, you will be MY queen and everyone around Middle Earth will acknowledge and accept it as they bow to your feet."

I smiled and as I lifted my head to kiss him our barrel started to move and soon we were falling. I hugged Thorin tightly as I looked around but instantly hit water.

Our combined weight tilted the barrel from side to side and water splashed us.

"Hold on to the side Miz vaen." Thorin instructed and then he put his back to me and began to paddle us away using only his hands, the others mimicked his actions and soon we were all going.

A light at the end of the small tunnel held a promise of freedom away from the Woodland Elves.

But my stomach fell at the sight of the drop, "HOLD ON!" Thorin yelled just before we plunged over the edge.

Now soaked, the water took on a violent edge and carried us away down the wild river.

Others shouted for Bilbo which made me worry for him, was he not in a barrel?

We were out of the castle but not off their lands as the elves proved when they easily found us, a loud horn blared, warning the Elven guards on the bridge of our approach.

We reached the bridge only to have the gate slammed in our face.

"NO!" Thorin sounded.

Soon the sound of swords being drawn filled our ears but it all stopped when the body of an Elf

Had fallen off the bridge, dead.

A distinct growl sounded and I knew deep in the pit of my stomach that the Orcs who had been chasing us found us once more.

"Orcs." I whispered to Thorin as more bodies began to fall into the river.

He turned to face me, he kissed me and then pushed me down into a crouching possion. "Stay down Maecel, this is not a request."

I looked up at him and could see the worry in his eyes as we were trapped in by a gate and were just sitting in open water for both Elves and Orcs to kill us.

"KÍLI!" Dwalin's rough voice shouted.

My heart raced, either he was now out of his barrel or dead.

"KÍLI!" The sound of Fíli's worried voice rang out.

"Kíli?" Thorin sounded in fear.

Then the gate opened and the water pushed us through, we experienced another drop and I felt as the hard water had made our barrel thrash about, taking us under every now any again.

We drifted down the river bobbing in and out of the water, the dwarves using whatever they could as weapons including weapons from slain Orcs.

With so much water in the barrel I had no choice but to stand up, when I did I saw chaos everywhere as Dwarves and Elves unknowingly worked together to kill Orcs.