"Hey Freya did you hear the news?" Ildols asks me.
"Probably not I've been helping prepare for the feast." I tell him as I polish King Thranduil's favorite silver.
"Prince Legolas brought thirteen tresspasing dwarves in from the forest." He tells me but I can tell from his voice it is hardly worth his time telling me.
"Dwarves..." I say playing it off as nothing much important.
"Yeah King Thranduil threw them in the dungeons. Anyway I gotta go meet back up with the guards. You wouldn't believe the amount of weapons these dwarves had on them." He tells me before nodding and walking out of sight.
I quickly finish polishing and sneak out of the ballroom to go find a certain blonde prince.
I can hear the dwarves angrily yelling to be released as I sneak up on Legolas. I walk as silently as I can until in right beside Legolas and I poke his side.
He jumps about three feet into the air before looking at me with his hand over his heart. "FREYA!" He complains as I laugh.
"It's not very often anyone can sneak up on you." I comment and he nods with a frown.
"Its those dwarves." He says as if dwarves is a nasty word. Which I suppose it is around here. "They're so loud."
"That they are but can you really blame them? I mean we did throw them into jail." I say.
He gives me a look. "They were tresspassing on our land. And before you ask no. I can't take you to see them."
"What why not???" I complain. I had been hoping he could get me access to them.
"They're off limits. Only the guard has access." He tells me before walking over to the edge and looking down at the angry dwarves who are beating at the bars. "This is as close as I can get you." He tells me.
"Alright. Are we still on for tonight?" I ask. We're supposed to spar tonight. We do almost every other night.
He sighs. "Im sorry I cant. Father wants me to take the guards back out to make sure no other dwarves are on our land."
"Thats okay. We can plan for some other time. Ive got to get back-"
"Preparing for the feast?" He asks with a smile. It is one of his favorite times of the year. "Hows it looking?"
"I think we might actually top last years." I tell him with a smile. Literally eveything in the palace is shining, itll catch the starlight beautifully.
I head back to the ballroom all the while plotting.
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Last night I watched the guard's rounds and memorized. Now I know them like the back of my hand. And I also know we arent treating the dwarves very well. Im going to change that.
Luckily tonight is the first night of the week long Feast of Starlight and it is surprisingly easy to dissapear among so many drunk Elves.
I sneak down to the dungeons with two baskets full of supplies and stop in front of the first cell. "Excuse me?" I ask quietly trying to get the two white haired dwarves. "Master Dwarves?"
They both look up at me. One has his hair and beard in intricate braids and the other has his hair and beard just flowing. The one with braids is glaring at me. "What do yeh want?" He asks.
"I brought food and blankets." I tell him. "Im sorry I couldnt bring them last night. I didn't know the guard's rounds."
"Why?" The other dwarf asks.
"I dont agree with the King. Besides it cant be comfortable in those cells. Food and blankets will help." I tell him.
They both watch me for a moment before looking at each other. "Alright." The braided dwarf says.
I give them some bread and cheese some water and some blankets. "Im sorry it's not much but it's what I could get."
"Its kind of you."
I give a small smile. "Ill have more tomorrow."
I go to each of the cells giving food and blankets. Some of the dwarves just ignored me, some took the provisions with a gruff (maybe) thank you. One fairly round dwarf thanked me profusely and scarfed down his food. Another with an axe in his head tried to thoroughly gripe me out in the dwarvish language but when he saw I was giving them good he quieted. The dwarf King Thorin refused the food but I gave it to him anyway.
Finally I am down to the last cell. Two dwarves left. They stand against the bars of the cell watching me. "Hello. I brought food and blankets."
"We saw you giving it to the others." The blonde dwarf tells me.
I slide the blankets and food through the gap at the bottom of the bars. "I know its not much but ill bring more tomorrow." I tell them. "Im sorry I have to go the guards will be on rounds soon. Try to not let them see you have food."
"Why?" The dark haired one asks.
"I dont want you to be punished." I tell him.
"No I mean why give it to us when you know you shouldnt?"
"You dont deserve to be thrown in the dungeon just for being here. Besides, you all should be receiving much better treatment." I tell him before giving a small polite now before slipping off back to my room.
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"I brought medicine as well as food tonight. I noticed yesterday many of you are in bad shape. Mirkwood does that to people." I tell the two dwarves with white hair. Ive learned their names are Balin and Dori.
"We cannot trust anything coming from an elf." An angry red haired dwarf tells me.
"Quiet Gloin!" A grey haired dwarf growls. "Come here lass." I walk over to him ans he takes the medicine examining it. "This is kingsfoil extract." He says quietly.
"Yes. It will help to heal most injuries." I tell him.
"Thank yah lass. We needed this."
As I hand out the food the I also give the medicine. I get the feeling that they wouldnt have trusted it without the grey haired dwarfs approval. He must be their healer.
"Thank you for helping us." The dark haired dwarf, Kili, tells me as I give him and his brother Fili the food.
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Over the next week I come to know all the dwarves names wether they liked it or not. They arent anything like the dwarves we are told about as children. They love music, sure it's a bit more fast paced than we okay but I like it. Kili and Fili play violin. Their King Thorin plays a golden harp. I like them. I know I shouldnt and they dont particularly like me but theyre much friendlier than some of my people.
Kili and I have even formed a bit of a friendship. We've had many hours of conversation and I find myself thinking of him during the day.
"It sounds like quite the party you're having." Kili commented one night.
"Its Merrith e-nGillith. The Feast of Starlight. It is a celebratory time for my people." I tell him.
"Why are you here feeding and caring for us when you could ve at a party?" He asks.
"Youre better company." I say and he scoffs.
"No really why?"
"I really do enjoy your company." I tell him. "And I hate the Feast of Starlight. Drunk elves and a crule King. I havent been outside of this palace in over a thousand years. No one but the guards may leave. I honestly hate this kingdom."
"Couldnt you just leave?" He asks with a frown.
"I'd have no where to go. The world has changed much in a thousand years. Besides if I left there would be no one to bring you all food."
A few nights later I found him tossing a stone back and forth. "What is that?" I ask as I see writing on it.
"Its cursed to any who read it." He tells me before breaking into a smile and handing it to me through the bars. "My mother gave it to me when I left home. It's to remind me of my promise."
"What'd you promise?" I ask.
"That I'd come home to her."
I feel my heart fall. "You cant go home to her while stuck behind these bars." I tell him.
And thats when we hatched our escape plan. Although without the quite clever invisible hobbit I do not think It would have worked.
The hobbit, Bilbo, is much too clever. Its really no wonder theu brought him with them. I never would have thought of the barrels and that is where we are now three drugged and passed out guards my handy work and thirteen dwarves climbing into barrels.
"Hurry." Bilbo urges the dwarves as they are quite reluctant but once their King tells them too they dont argue.
"Freya if they know you helped us escape-" King Thorin warned.
"I know." I say. "Hurry. They're coming." I can hear hurried footsteps over head.
Kili grabs my hand and I kneel down to his height. "Freya- come with me." He all but begs.
"Ill be right behind you. You need to hurry though." I feel his lips press against mine and I just melt.
"Keeper of the keys!" I hear Legolas' voice yell and I jump.
"Hurry Kili into the barrels." I tell him.
"I love you." He whispers to me.
"I love you too Kili." I tell him, my heart soaring before ge kisses me again quickly and runs to the barrels.
I feel my heart racing. "Bilbo get into a barrel." And he quickly does as I say squeezing in with Bofur.
I pull the lever down and watch as they disappear into the water below.
"FREYA NO!" Legolas yells from behind me. I turn to face him. "What have you done?" He asks shock written across his festures.
"I helped them escape." I tell him.
"Why?" He asks. "Is it because of that dark haired one?" He asks anger written in his voice.
"I love him." I tell Legolas and he freezes. I feel horrible watching him deal with the fact that I love a dwarf, when knowing he cares for me. I honestly thought I loved Legolas but meeting Kili.... I realized I didnt know what love was before him.
"I have to take you to my father." Legolas says in a voice very unlike his.
"Im sorry Legolas. I truly am.." I say as I back up. I hit the lever and fall down into the water.
As I surface im surrounded in barrels. Kili pulls me over to him. "I love you Freya." He tells me again before kissing me.
I feel my heart soar and I laugh. "I love you too Kili. Now come on. Let's get out of here.
As I am pulled down the river away from my home and my life I realize that wasnt living. Now, now I am finally living.