The Waterway Wasn’t Safe Either

"Galion, you old bastard, we’re almost out of wine."

"Those empty barrels should have been sent to Esgaroth hours ago. The boatman is waiting!"

"Complain all you like. Our king has a bad temper, and his taste in wine is exceptionally high."

"Here, Elros." An elf handed Elros a bottle of red wine. "Try it."

"I still have to keep watch over the dwarves." Elros helplessly took out a ring of keys.

"They’re locked up. Where could they possibly go?"

Elros thought that made sense, so he hung the keys on the wall, turned around, and sampled the fine wine with his friends.

Bilbo crouched boredly behind a large wine barrel. Only after hearing snores did he creep out and take the keys from the wall.

Even he had not expected everything to go so smoothly. He had the keys and had found an exit—the passage used to transport the empty barrels.

This was also a wine cellar, which happened to satisfy Gloin’s request.

As for weapons, there was truly nothing he could do. Ordinary weapons were locked in the armory, which he could not enter. Even if he got in, there was no way he could carry out so many things.

Orcrist and the Wand were in Legolas’s hands. He had no confidence in taking them from the highly skilled elven prince.

Bilbo did not linger and quickly returned to the cells.

The dwarves were all astonished when they saw the keys in his hand. None of them had expected him to complete the task so quickly.

"Did you find an exit?" Aaron asked.

Bilbo nodded as he unlocked the dwarves’ cells. "I found one. There aren’t many guards on that route. Unless something unexpected happens, we should be able to get through safely."

"That’s good."

"This way. Follow me." Bilbo lowered his voice. The dwarves instinctively formed a line and followed behind him, but when they reached the wine cellar, everyone was dumbfounded.

The elf who should have been guarding the dwarves was slumped over the table, snoring loudly, with a pile of empty wine bottles beside him.

"I can’t believe it. We’re in a wine cellar." Kili was both excited and confused.

Gloin pointed at the empty bottles on the table, his face full of regret. "Too bad there’s none left."

"You were supposed to lead us out, not deeper in," Bofur said gloomily.

"A secret passage, or a Secret Chamber?" Aaron mused. His family’s wine cellar was like this too.

Bilbo nodded, then led everyone to a pile of empty barrels. "Quick, everyone, climb into the barrels."

"Are you crazy? They’ll find us," Dwalin said angrily, glaring at Bilbo.

Bilbo was just about to say something when voices from above cried, "They’ve escaped!" An elf had discovered their jailbreak.

"There’s no time to explain. You have to trust me," Bilbo said anxiously. "Please."

"Do as he says."

At Thorin’s command, the dwarves climbed into the barrels one after another.

Aaron climbed in as well. He could vaguely hear the sound of flowing water beneath the floor and immediately understood Bilbo’s plan.

"Get ready. There may be an underground river below us."

"Taking the waterway is much safer than going through the main gate." As Bilbo spoke, he pulled the lever. The wooden boards slowly tilted, and all the barrels rolled into the underground river.

Bilbo was just about to leave when the boards returned to their original position.

The lever remained open, and the guards’ footsteps drew closer and closer. Bilbo was at a loss and backed away in panic.

But after only a few steps, the boards began to tilt under his weight. Bilbo slid into the passage below, though Tauriel and the other pursuing elves still saw him.

Splash!

Water sprayed everywhere. Bilbo grabbed hold of a barrel, sparing himself a more embarrassing fall.

Beyond the dark underground river was a small waterfall.

Their only means of transportation were the barrels, so they could only drift with the current and struggle onward through the rushing water.

When Legolas, who had chased after them, saw this, he immediately ordered someone to close the waterway sluice.

As a long horn sounded, the elves guarding the dam pulled the lever, and an iron gate slowly closed.

"No!" Thorin roared in grief and fury. He had been less than half a meter from escape.

Aaron let out a long sigh and shrugged at Bilbo in the river. "It’s not that you found the wrong way. Our luck was just a little worse.

"But it’s fine. We still have value to Thranduil. He won’t kill us."

"But we’ll still be locked up. This time, it won’t be so easy to escape," Balin said bitterly.

"It’s not like we have no options. At worst, we’ll follow the previous plan. Once we’re released, we’ll find a way to break out again. The only question is whether we can reach the Lonely Mountain before Durin’s Day."

"Absolutely not. We have to find a way to open the sluice and pull the lever before the elves catch up," Thorin said urgently.

"I’ll go." Kili volunteered and began paddling toward the shore.

"Where do you think you’re going?" Aaron grabbed his barrel. "There’s a squad of elven guards up there, and you’re unarmed. One arrow from each of them would turn you into a sieve."

"Then what do we do?"

Aaron hesitated, then turned to Bilbo.

Other than himself, Bilbo was the only one here who could turn invisible and pull the lever openly yet silently.

"Me again?" Bilbo pointed at himself speechlessly. "Can’t you do it?"

"My Wand was confiscated." Aaron refused with perfect confidence. He could use Wandless Casting, but there was no need to expose it.

"Surely Mr. Burglar knows that those who are capable must do more?"

Bilbo’s mouth twitched. It seemed he was the only one who could do this job.

"I’ll do my best!"

Bilbo sighed helplessly and prepared to dive into the water and put on the Ring.

But before he could act, he saw an Orc climb onto the dam.

"Uh-oh!" Aaron shook his head wearily. "Out of the frying pan and into the fire!"

"Careful, Orcs are here."

The elves spotted the Orcs and decisively abandoned the dwarves below to fight them.

But faced with this ambush, the few unprepared elves quickly fell into a disadvantage and suffered heavy losses.

"Kill them! Hurry! Kill them all!"

A burly Orc roared from above as a great Orc army continually charged out from behind him.

"Who’s that?" Aaron asked in surprise. "He doesn’t seem weak. He’s much bigger than ordinary Orcs."

"Bolg, the Orc Warlord." Balin’s expression turned grave. "He is Azog’s trusted subordinate. His strength is no less than Azog’s, and among the Orcs, he stands above tens of thousands."

"Warlord?" Aaron raised an eyebrow. "Judging by how they’re crushing the elves, he deserves that rank."

"They may not have come for the elves," Oin said gravely.

"If not the elves, then us…" Halfway through his sentence, Aaron’s face changed drastically. "What the heck!"

As if to confirm his words, several Orcs jumped straight down from the bridge and attacked them.

The dwarves fought back fiercely. Though they had no weapons, they could barely fend off the assault with their fists alone.

Bilbo stabbed an Orc to death. Aaron decisively seized the short blade from its hand and used the crude weapon to defend himself.

"Damn it, I take back what I said.

"What kind of brain is this? Even if they wanted to intercept us, why do it on elven territory? Wouldn’t it be easier once we escaped?" Aaron was furious, but he quickly realized something. "No, we’re the primary target, but they have no intention of sparing the elves either.

"Bilbo, hurry up. We need to get out of here fast."

"I really can’t do it right now." Bilbo looked troubled. He could have taken the risk just now, but he was now surrounded by a pile of barrels, jammed beneath the stone bridge. With all these Orcs obstructing him, he could not move at all.

"I’ll go."

Kili jumped ashore, killed an Orc, seized its weapon, and charged toward the lever.

The distance of over ten meters was not long, but four Orcs stood in his way, trying to kill him.

Fortunately, with the people below the bridge supporting him, he successfully reached the lever.

However, at that moment, Bolg fired a cold arrow that struck Kili in the right leg.

"Kili." Fili watched his younger brother lying on the ground and crying out in pain, his heart filled with anxiety.

"Damn it!" Aaron cursed under his breath. "I’ll go take a look."

With that, Aaron jumped onto a barrel, stepped on several dwarves’ shoulders, and leaped ashore.

Just then, an Orc climbed onto the dam and spotted the injured Kili.

Aaron had just thrown the short blade in his hand when an arrow struck the Orc in the neck.

Turning around, he saw Tauriel charging over alone with bow in hand.

None of the Orcs in her path were a match for her. Their lives were harvested as easily as chopping vegetables.

"What are you looking at?" Aaron patted Kili’s face. "I admit she’s impressive, but you’re the one being rescued. Aren’t you embarrassed?"

"Not at all." Kili smiled happily, even forgetting the agonizing pain in his leg.

Aaron was speechless.

With a crush like yours, you’ll probably be henpecked after you get married.

"Stop chatting and open the sluice!" Thorin said impatiently.

"Right away." Aaron tossed Kili into his barrel, then pulled the lever.

Everyone was swept over the waterfall, swaying from side to side in the rushing current.

"The dwarves are escaping!" Bolg roared. "Pursue them!"

More than half of the Orc army immediately split off and chased the expedition along the river.

Aaron looked at the dozen or so barrels drifting farther and farther away, utterly stunned. Did they forget me?

A whistling sound came from the side. Hearing it, Aaron decisively reached out with his left hand and caught the arrow.

"It won’t be that easy to ambush me." Aaron gave Bolg the middle finger, then turned and ran after the expedition. After running for a while, he jumped into his own empty barrel.

"Don’t tell me you forgot me again," Aaron said, looking at everyone.

"We knew you would catch up," Kili said weakly with a smile. "None of us doubted it."

"Isn’t your face a little too pale?" Aaron frowned slightly and, as if possessed, looked at the arrow in his hand. Seeing the strange pure black stain on its tip, his pupils abruptly widened.

"Kili, you… you…"

Kili’s expression changed slightly, and he immediately said, "It’s just an injury. I lost too much blood. That’s normal."

Aaron read the plea in his eyes. After struggling for a moment, he threw the arrow into the rushing river.