Hi everybody! Sorry that I left you hanging with chapter 22. I had it written out but it needed some re-writes and honestly it might even get one more face lift (I'm not sure yet). I hope you guys are still interested in my dear ol' Amli and Sparrow in Moving On. I still am taking care with them and trying to make sure I give you guys quality work. Thank you to everyone who wrotereviews and I look forward to hearing from more of you. I hope this chapter finds you well.

An exhausted grumble left Thorin as his crystal eyes gazed across the chasm of their elven prison to the seemingly lifeless body resting against the iron bars.

"Balin can you tell…is she?" Thorin questioned softly not wanting to disturb the silence that finally descended upon them.

Amli's haunting scream filled the air and lingered since they had been sorted into their cells. The fear and rawness in it sent chills up the company's spines collectively as they eagerly awaited her return to them.

Watching the guards carry her unconscious form into her own cell shortly thereafter sent the entire group aflame with rage. Fili practically spearheaded the jeering with the most descriptive images of precisely what they cared to do to the Mirkwood scum. His nephew practically threw himself at the gate and was mad with rage.

Thorin knew that he wouldn't be able to soon forget himself the picture that the young dwarf maiden painted as he was escorted away for his own meeting with Thranduil.

**Beginning of Flashback**

As they began their ascension up the pathway, Thorin took the moment to quickly catch a glimpse of Amli's unconscious form among the sea of brownish elven garb.

Her whole demeanor held a ghostly pallor to it; from her somewhat scratched up hands and bruised face to even her parted lips. It appeared as though there had been some sort of a scuffle and she came out the clear loser.

Anger flushed through his veins at the thought of one of his own and more so prisoners being treated in such a deplorable manner. For Mahal's sake, her hands still remained bound together. Thorin wanted to be surprised by such an action on the King's part but it appeared that coward could and did in fact sink to such lows.

"They say that one tried to attack the King. It was as though she just snapped and when he was close enough; she was on top of him." One of the guards mumbled to another catching Thorin's attention as well as the elf's superior. With one look, the elf was silenced and took a firmer grip on Thorin's shoulder as he urged him further along.

The anger stilled in Thorin's blood stream as a pleased grin pulled at his lips. Surely there was more to the story but that was a just way of dealing with the king of Mirkwood.

**Ending of Flashback**

"No change from the looks of it." Balin began drawing Thorin from the memory of his nephew and Amli's animalistic behaviors.

"The elves suspect it a reaction to the venom. Will they do a thing? Of course not, though Oin believes it to be something else."

Thorin's brows quirked at the notion but nodded all the same.

Gazing once more at Amli, he was relieved to see her slightly strangled cough shutter through her body. Albeit slight but still she drew breathe. Oin did have a point. If it were the spider venom, it would have claimed its victim by now.

"What of Fili?" Thorin questioned softer than before intending to keep the peace.

"The lad is as to be expected; Bofur tried to calm him but the exhaustion has merely set in for the moment."

A strange feeling washed over Thorin as he rested against the rocky prison and let the information sink in. He had his suspicions early on that the two were mates but this confirmed it.

Not to mention that the two were as subtle as an orc's breathe.

You had to be both blind and stupid not to notice the braid haphazardly hidden in her hair. Let alone the looks they exchanged and the sparkle in Fili's eyes whenever she was near.

Amli had to be his nephew's mate; the anger and pacing like a caged beast cemented it.

Mates tended to have heightened senses and feelings whenever one was in distress or joyful; really anything. It was overrated in his opinion but…that's how they were created.

Thorin wasn't over fond of Amli in the beginning but she grew on him; much like the hobbit had. Amli was a member of a royal family too; brave, loyal, kind-hearted and strong.

His nephew was smitten and if she made him happy that's what mattered. Besides it would be a great asset to have any semblance of an alliance between Erebor and the Red Mountains.

She was certainly more favorable than that red headed Silvan elf Kili pined over.

Honestly did they believe him to be blind?

Mahal's sake, he wasn't that old and quite frankly they weren't any good at sneaking around. For now though; they had to focus on making an escape and just what role their missing burglar was going to play in it.

"I'll wager the sun is on the rise." Bofur began his forlorn voice echoing through the cavernous walls. "It must nearly be dawn."

"We're never going to reach the mountain, are we?" Ori questioned summarizing the failing morale felt amongst the company.

A frustrated growl escaped Fili's lips as he ran a hand through his hair and leaned against the wall. His eyes gazed out for the hundredth time at Amli's cell to see if there was any life left in her.

He was losing his mind in this cell. Amli had yet to utter nor a word or sound since she returned. The terror and anger that settled within his heart was nearly inexplicable.

Something was not right and that scared him to no end. She was within reach yet he could nothing. She was hurt and yet still he could do nothing.

"Not stuck in here you're not!" A soft voice teasingly echoed off their prison walls catching his attention immediately as a figure appeared before the cells across the way from him.

Rushing to the door eagerly grabbing at the prison bars, Fili's heart thumped excitedly taking in the form with more clarity.

"Bilbo!" The hobbit was quick to chastise their cheer moving from cell to cell freeing them.

"Shh! There are guards nearby!"

Fili's breath stilled eyeing Amli being freed from her cell. Her seated form tumbled over clumsily as the sturdiness of the gate gave way. Much to his relief though, she still had strength to stop herself from smacking the pavement roughly.

His heart warmed watching Bilbo gently righting Amli though his brow quirked watching as something shiny exchanged their hands.

That attention was redirected as their stealthy burglar appeared before him making quick work of the lock.

The moment the gate creaked and whined open, Fili was at his mate's side.

Being able to wrap a protective arm around her shoulders put him at ease instantly. The fact that her face, albeit pale, gaze up at him with sparkling eyes made him breathe easier.

"Hi there khahún" Amli murmured hoarsely with an exhausted smile upon her lips.

"Now that is music to my ears." Fili grinned warmly butting his forehead against her own softly gazing deeply into her eyes. The two certainly deserved to enjoy even the brief moment.

Ever mindful of their surroundings, Fili wrapped an arm around her waist and brought her to her feet. That moment could be significantly longer once they were escaped.

The company huddled around them and offered warm welcome to Amli as they made their way up the nearest staircase. Their thoughts and movements came to a standstill place hearing their hobbit's harsh yet soft call.

"Not that way." Bilbo began rushing down a different staircase. "Down here follow me."

With dwarves brushing past them, Fili gazed at Amli's state and the stairs trying to determine how to escape promptly and safely. A familiar memory washed over him as a grin tugged at the corner of his lips.

Swooping down, Fili took Amli in his arms and quickly descended the stairs rejoining the company. There was a safety in such a large number and with one of them slightly ill it was best to stay together.

Feeling Amli's gaze upon his face, Fili spared the moment to glance down at his beautiful mate.

"Nothing will befall you in my arms princess." Amli's cheeks bloomed into a rosy glow at the epithet and memory of him coming to her rescue once before. She believed it then and now all the more.

Fili winked before returning his focus to escaping with such precious cargo. That focus was painted with concern as Bilbo was leading further into the cavernous prison. Despite that, Fili wasn't going to second guess the hobbit now.

Strangely enough as they descended further, Fili could not help but notice and appreciate the beautiful architecture of the Mirkwood prison. The upper layers were the stereotypical tree and wood elements that the shaggers adore.

The under layer though was rooted in stone and metal than wood. There was functionality to it and almost a natural element. It was almost as though mighty "Thranduil" attempted to mimic the dwarfs' mighty architecture.

The smirked that teased his lips grew into a grin as he felt a tug upon one of his mustached plaits. Fili gently took the offending finger between his teeth playfully and gazed at Amli's cheeky grin somewhat hidden in his chest.

Relief washed over him taking in the color painting her cheeks, wide grin and bright eyes.

That was how his beautiful khahinh ought to look, grinning and beaming. If he could spend his whole life waking up beside her, Fili would be a happy dwarf.

Finally reaching the bottom of the never ending staircase, the company was disheartened gazing upon the substantial wine cellar of the Elves.

Once on solid ground, Fili placed a stronger Amli to her feet. It was reassuring watching her take steps down further into the cellar.

"I don't believe it we're in the cellars!" Kili muttered stating the obvious and voicing the agitation of all the dwarves felt in that moment.

"You're supposed to be leading us out not further in." Bofur added gruffly.

"I know what I'm doing." Bilbo countered exasperatedly.

A light flush crept up Fili's cheeks as Amli's dainty hand reached back and take his in her own as they neared the barrels in the center of the cellar.

As the two exchanged glances, it was clear that the couple was of one mind. After the day they had, it would take more than Mahal's fury to keep them apart.

"Everyone climb into the barrels quickly." Bilbo ordered as the company exchanged worrisome glances between themselves and the hobbit.

Despite his own concerns, Fili followed diligently at Amli's gentle tug to the nearest barrels.

"Are you mad? They'll find us." Dwalin interjected.

"No, they won't." Bilbo began eagerly as he gazed about at the luckily still-sleeping guards

"I promise you. Please you must trust me."

Fili however gazed intently at the barrels before him. If getting far from Mirkwood meant climbing into a used wine barrel, so be it.

A chortle escaped him watching Amli attempt a running leap into the second row of barrels. For such output, she only managed to get halfway in leaving her delightful rump and legs dangling out of the side.

Not able to help himself, Fili pushed her firm rear in tucking her securely into the barrel while squeezing ever so slightly.

Quickly righting herself in the large barrel, Amli's green eyes sparkled cheekily at him.

"Feel free to squeeze all you want once we have escaped, my prince." She whispered playfully emphasizing on the prince title as the flush painted his cheeks once again.

"Now please get in the barrel khahún." Fili nodded leaning forward to steal a quick kiss before slipping into the barrel beneath her.

The company's collective attention was fixated upon Bilbo as he walked from barrel to barrel before disappearing what felt like completely out of sight.

"What do we do now?" Bofur questioned causing all dwarves to pop their heads out of their confinements in intrigue.

Though soft spoken, the company heard the order to "Hold your breath" as Bilbo pulled at a lever causing their barrels to roll backwards.

Tucking back inside, Fili could not help the yelling that escaped his lips at the free fall.

Holding ones breath at a time like this was definitely out of the question.

Three things that Amli could effectively do without for a great while would have to be water, and wine.

The combination of falling into the abyss and bumping around in the barrel once filled with tart wine was a slow torture. Every rogue sloshing of the current, slamming against the inside of one's barrel in addition to other barrels was somehow punctuated by that scent.

Amli eventually found herself cocooned amongst Balin, Bofur and Kili's barrels as they rode for a short time on top of the current and not amidst it. That at least lessened some of the brutal beating the water dished out.

Her gaze fell to the rapidly moving scenery around them as she tried to make sense of just where this raging river was taking them. Slate gray rocks surrounded them on both sides as the dulled browns and greens of sick foliage peeked up into view.

Their seemingly inconspicuous escape came to a grinding halt as a horn blared clearly out over the rustling water. Before them, two large trees stood natural guard to the last gates they had to pass for freedom. Not only did the trees stand guard, but so did their elven host who were rushing up stairs to a lever of sorts.

A feeling of dread bloomed in Amli's chest as their picturesque escape was blocked by the bridge nosily closing before them.

The whooshing of steel against sheath and the hoarse language of the Orcs' caused the dread to triple.

Of course; they hardly could ever catch a break so why not start now?

Ducking out of the way of a falling Orc, Amli pushed herself up just enough to throw a punch to the ugly creature as it came up for air. She was quick to pull back as Kili had scampered across her barrel to ensure him safe passage.

A growl escaped her lips at the feel of her body being spun around forcefully in the barrel facing another bugger. She could feel the mangy claws pierce and pull at her flesh and it made her skin crawl. Head butting it loosened its grip and Bilbo offered just the relief she needed with a dagger to its chest.

Fili's pained cry for his brother caught her attention as she turned and followed his gaze. Her stomach could not help but turn at the sight of an arrow jutting out unnaturally from his kneecap.

Without a second thought, Amli quickly pushed herself up and out of the barrel eager to get to Kili. She certainly wasn't going to leave him up there to fend off orcs and she was the closest.

Crouching down, Amli was relieved to find that despite the dumbfounded look upon his face as Tauriel's arrows whizzed past their heads; he was okay.

"Come on love pup, get up." Amli groaned attempting to bring Kili at least to his feet before the onslaught of Orcs returned. A gasp escaped her lips as she felt a tug upon her arm sending her spinning backwards to face precisely one of those mangy beasts again.

Ducking down to avoid the swing of the orc's blade, Amli swiftly grabbed one of its daggers upon his thighs and stabbed it in the belly.

Spinning back around, Amli was in relieved to find that Kili had actual left his stupor making work of the lever. As the company disappeared from view, Amli rushed back to Kili shifting to the side.

"Good job nadad, go." She murmured as Kili shuffled to the edge and jumped off luckily into his barrel.

Amli following shortly after did not have as much luck seeing as how she was immersed in cold water. With a warm hand grabbing at her coat, Amli spluttered at the cold water and reached to the nearest barrel which was Dwalin's.

"Hold on!" He cried much as he had many moons ago during their time in Goblin Town. Amli wrapped her fingers tightly around the rope bound about the barrel and buckled down for the onslaught of water that rushed around them all as they descended the hill.

Truthfully there weren't many words to properly express being immersed in such powerful currents and then propelled upwards by the weight of the barrel being submerged.

Moments of strange calming peace could be found in the rushing water; those in turn would be broken by moments of the barrel and Amli's body colliding against one another.

She was cognoscente of Orcs following them and attacking at them but at the moment it was more pertinent to not get completely swept away in the river nor drown.