A Place to Belong

Chapter 26: Breaking Out of Mirkwood

Fili lay flat across the floor of his assigned cell. He had lost track of how much time had actually passed and in all honesty didn't care, he wanted only to know if the others were alright and still living. The guards had all but not bothered with him since barring the door shut, and he'd neither seen nor heard hint or tale of the others. He fiddled with his braids, thinking of his brother of how he'd wrestled with the guard, how he'd been beaten into submission. He wondered how that had turned out, whether he or the elf had been left standing. He vowed that guard would get a taste of his own medicine if ever he saw him again.

He sat up hearing distant voices move down the corridor. Two guards, plastered in their battle garb approached him, one carrying a small plate of food. The other unlocked his cell and held the door open.

The plate of scraps was slid towards him and Fili scoffed at how pitiful it looked, 'Goblins would be more generous that this!' he subconsciously discerned.

The guard noticed his distaste and laughed, "Don't worry master dwarf I'm sure you'll have better takings tomorrow, what with all the leftovers from the feast!"

"What feast?" the other guard questioned, as his friend exited the cell and he began locking up.

"Haven't you heard? The Prince is getting married to that woman they brought in! They're having a big party to celebrate tonight." Said the first.

'Woman they brought in? Braerka?' Fili thought, but what would make her give in so easily.

"There must be something special about her then, if the King's allowing it!" responded the second.

"Aye! She's apparently one of those Guardians of the First Age or something!" the other began, starting to walk off with his friend.

Fili tossed the plate aside and, as he had when he first arrived, began wrestling with the chains holding him to the wall. He couldn't just let this happen, he couldn't believe Braerka would willingly accept marriage when she was in love with Kili, unless...

'No don't think that of her, she was forced, coerced, threatened into it! She does love him, she wasn't just pretending.' He thought, still tearing at the chains. He fell back with a sudden jolt as the chains gave way and departed from their homes on the stone wall.

He silently congratulated himself on this small victory, and proceeded to remove a pin from his hair. He slipped the pin into the keyhole and began picking the lock. The only thing racing through his mind was that this was all a setup and that Braerka was in trouble. And try as he might to ignore it, he still had feelings for her, feelings his couldn't just ignore. He had to help her, to help himself, and to help his brother too.

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The time was now come for their plan to be played and put into action, all Braerka could do was hope Bilbo had been successful in finding a key and that she could keep up appearances for as long needed.

She had spent the majority of that day walking with the King and his son, listening to Thranduil speak highly of Legolas and of his Kingdom, between the two of them Braerka and Legolas got about five words in. But to her it mattered not, as long as this 'marriage' didn't come true, she would let the elf-king speak of what he wanted to.

The whole time her thoughts had been with the company, hoping that Bilbo had gotten to them and explained it all, and that hopefully there were no objections.

Now she stood at Legolas' side in front of Thranduil's throne. The elf-king hadbeen kind enough allow her to keep all of her own attire, but she was made to clean them up bit. Although he had not been so willing for her to not wear a dress he accepted it; it was about the only nice thing he'd done for her.