The company is imprisoned in Thranduil's dungeons, as well as Bilbo, pretending he didn't lose the ring and get separated from the others, using it to follow them, but was taken and put in a cell with Thorin.

"What're you lookin at scum?!" Thorin hissed as the woman outside his cell. She scoffed and glared at him before continuing on her way. Thorin suddenly stopped her when he saw past her messy black hair, she wasn't an Elf.

"Wait!"

The woman turned on her heels, arms at her sides and her palms facing him in question, a glare pinned on him, she made no move closer.

"What?" She asked, highly unimpressed with his brash behaviour. Thorin's eyes caught on the glinting iron around her wrists, carved with ancient, intricate, Elvish, ruins, her fingers tipped with black. The thick iron cuffs were at least a hands width up her forearm, and he wondered what their purpose was.

"Are you a prisoner too?" He asked gruffly as he eyed the woman side on. He didn't trust her and her mere presence stirred something in him that told him to be on guard around her, that she was deadlier than she appeared. The woman glanced down at the cuffs and held her arms out to inspect them as if they were fine jewellery.

"These. No. They're a fashion statement. I was going for 'help, I've been imprisoned and now I'm on death row'." She said as she stepped back towards his cell. She dropped her arms again, and set him with a glare.

"Of course I'm a prisoner you imbecile!" She hissed at him like he was stupid. The other Dwarves were all listening and watching from their respective cells.

"If you are a prisoner, then why are you not in a cell?" Kili asked from a few cells down, as he leant against the bars with his shoulder, eyeing the exotic beauty with guarded curiosity.

"The guards got sick of looking for me for days, finding me in weird hiding spots, and then dragging me back to my cell, only for me to escape twenty minutes later." She explained with a sinister grin that made them shudder.

"Now I have unwilling wandering privileges."

"What's to stop you from leaving?" Thorin asked as he rested his forearms on the bars, his hands hanging through them, alluding a calm and unphased exterior. The Raven haired woman clanged the two cuffs together,

"These. I can't leave the castle grounds, I can get as far as the gate, but can not cross over the threshold." She explained as she seemed to breifly sadden, dropping her arms to her sides again.

"If you've escaped your cell so many times, can you get us out of ours?" Balin asked from across the cavern, on the other wall of cells.

"I could. But, I don't do favours for free." The woman squinted her eyes at Thorin, she knew he was the leader of their company without it having to be said. Behind Thorin, Bilbo who had been silently watching the stranger converse with the Dwarves, stepped forward.

"What's your price?" He asked as he stepped into the light of the halls, the bars casting shadows on his face. The woman, having known he was there, was unsurprised by his presence.

"I free you. You free me." She stated simply, as a wicked smile spread across her face, revealing pointed canines. Bilbo shuddered at the sight of the fang like teeth. Thorin shielded Bilbo from sight, as he drew the creatures attention back to him.

"How do we remove the cuffs? If it were as simple as breaking them, you'd 've done it by now."

"Right you are. It is not that simple. They're unbreakable, and can only be unlocked by a special key the King keeps around his neck. If I free you, you can get me that key, by taking off his head. Win, win" She suggested with a sinister grin, as she leaned in towards the bars of Thorin and Bilbo's Cell. Thorin quickly stepped back, pushing Bilbo by accident, and nearly tipping him over.

"And have the whole of Mirkwood after us?" Thorin challenged, though if you'd listened closely you'd have heard the streak of fear under his tone at the mere proximity of the female creature.

"Why don't you just do it yourself?"

"I can't touch the key you fool! If I could have escaped on my own, I would have been gone a thousand years ago!" She scorned him as she slammed her hands against his cell door in frustration at his stupidity. Once again Thorin jumped back, this time deliberately shielding the Hobbit behind him. The woman huffed, in an almost animalistic manner as she paced in front of his cell, like an angered predator, mad its prey had escaped to a place it could not follow.

"What if we could get it without, killing the King?" Bilbo questioned, as he peaked out from behind the protective Dwarf. Piercing eyes bore through him as they assessed him momentarily.

"Deal."

"How do you suppose we get the key from Thranduil without killing him. You think he's just going to give it to you if you ask?" Thorin hissed at Bilbo in warning. He didn't like the sound of this at all. There had to be another way to escape.

"Trust me. I can get. After all, I am a burglar aren't I, it's what I'm here for." Bilbo replied with a reassuring smile. Thorin thought about it for a moment, before deciding there indeed wasn't any other way of getting out.

"Alright creature." Thorin started.

"My name is Agoria." The woman hissed impatiently, as she glared at the stubborn Dwarf.

"Agoria. You have a deal. You set us free, Bilbo gets the key, and he frees you." Thorin explained with a roll of his eyes as he crossed his arms in faux confidence, the hairs rising on the back of his neck as he stepped towards the cell bars.

"No." She hissed out, "I set the little one free, he retrieves the key, sets me free, and we free the rest of you." She stated. It was not a negotiation or an offer, it was final, it was her way, or she'd leave them to rot, and Thorin knew she would have no qualms doing so. He sighed and stepped up to the door, to look her in the eyes, but quickly dropped it when her stare made him want to dry heave in irrational fear.

"Deal." A cold shiver ran down his spine, and Thorin suddenly felt like that was the worst decision he'd ever made in his entire life. Like he had just unleashed Demons upon the innocent world. And perhaps he had.

Agoria stepped forward, and wrenched on the door by its lock. It ripped from the frame and the Dwarves, and Hobbit, jumped slightly. She held the door open, and Thorin stepped aside to reveal Bilbo. Bilbo gulped at the open door, suddenly very unsure of his decision. Something was telling him, staying in the cell for the rest of his life, would be much better than setting free the she devil.

He walked forward, and practically slid against the wall, to be as far away from Agoria as he could, as she held the door open for him. As Bilbo exited, she slammed the cell shut, the broken and mangled lock jamming together with the force of the action. Bilbo physically jumped.

Agoria gestured him forward with a sinister grin, and Bilbo turned to walk the direction she pointed as she followed after him, up the stairs, and out of the sight of his friend.

Bilbo shook in fear, as every bone in his body screamed at him not to turn his back on the creature, not to be so close. He was grateful she didn't try to touch him, and kept her distance a bit.

"You can use it now." Bilbo turned to the woman in confusion, his brows furrowing.

"I can see it, I can feel its weight in your pocket." She stared at Bilbo's breast pocket where the golden ring lay. Bilbo instinctively reached a hand to cover the pocket almost defensively. Agoria chuckled darkly.

"Be careful little one. It already weaves itself into your mind, festering darkening notions." Agoria warned with a sly grin. Bilbo looked down at his pocket, and pulled out the plain, gold band, laying it in his palm.

"You will come to crave it, and you shall come to regret it." She said sinisterly, her face growing serious. Bilbo gulped, and briefly considered closing his eyes, and tossing it into the cavern that separated the two sides of the dungeon they'd just left.

He clenched the ring in his fist, and opened his eyes with determination. Without another word he slipped the ring on, and Agoria was grinning again.

"He is in the throne room at the top of the stairs, as always. Be quick, and be quiet." She said, as she looked him in the eyes. Bilbo jumped back from her as dark rippling waves had begun to seep from her every pore, her eyes pure black with white irises, and shadows of large wings ebbed into nothingness. The ring seemed to allow him to see the shadows of her true form, and he feared it. Quickly scurrying off in the direction Agoria had pointed, Bilbo tried to steady his breathing, and be as quiet as he could.

He huffed out of breath, as he finished running up the stairs. He leant against his knees to catch his breath before looking up. The Kings throne, seated on the dias, was empty, and the Elven King was sitting at a table eating fresh fruits, and vegetables of all kinds and colours, his goblet was filled with wine, and two jugs sat on the table full of the sweet red liquid.

Bilbo steady his breathing and his pounding heart, and moved across the throne room towards the table. He watched the King with every step, holding his breath in fear. If the King caught him, surely he wouldn't just be thrown back into a cell. His fate would be worse than that.

The rough Iron key caught his eye right away. Why it hadn't done so when he'd first seen him, he didn't know. It was so out of place on the delicate King in his finery, jewels, and silver. It hung on a silver chain that matched his attire better, but the key itself stood out. It was big, thick, and covered in ruins like the creatures cuffs, and Bilbo feared that if he could remove it, the King would feel the lack of weight.

Regardless the Hobbit pressed on. He stood by Thranduil's side as the King downed the last of his goblets wine, and filled it up again. Bilbo gulped, Thranduil seemed to falter in his movements and tilted his head, like he could sense the halfling's presence. The King continued his delicate eating, and drinking, and Bilbo relaxed slightly. He moved behind the King, following the chain.

There.

He spotted the latch that opened and closed the chain about the Kings neck. Bilbo glanced at the Elf again, and kept his peripheral on his face, as he reached sweaty hands out towards the latch at the back of the King's neck. Thranduil moved, and Bilbo pulled back slightly with a pounding heart, as the King tilted his head to drink more wine.

Bilbo relaxed again, and reached for the latch a second time. His fingers trembled as he reach one hand towards the latch, the other hand moving a little closer to the key itself, as he shuffled on silent feet to Thranduil's side for a better angle. He pushed agaisnt the clasp as his fingers brushed the cool metal of the iron key. He pulled back a little when Thranduil reached for something, but continued quickly.

He finally unlatched the clasp, and quickly caught the key before it could drop onto the table.

Bilbo froze, one arm on either side of the King, holding his breath as he waited, but Thranduil didn't notice. Still holding his breath, he careful withdrew from the Elvish King, clutching the key in both hands.

He stepped a few steps back, and when the King still did nothing, he turned and ran on silent feet, back to the dungeons where Agoria and the others waited.

"I got it." Bilbo huffed out as he stopped in front of the dark creature, leaning on his knees to catch his breath. Thorin's brows furrowed but he didn't ask how he'd managed to get the key without being caught. Agoria kicked off the bars she was leaning agaisnt, with a large grin, her fang like teeth on full display.

"Well there she is." She said as Bilbo straightened, his breath a little more under control, as he held his open palm out for her to see the very large Iron key. The others leaned agaisnt their cells to get a better look at the key in question. Bilbo offered it to her, jerking his open hand towards the creature. She hissed as she pulled back sharply, baring her teeth at him.

"I can't touch it you fool!"

Bilbo quickly yanked his hand back towards his chest, and took a scared step backwards, almost off the edge of the walkway. Agoria reached a hand out, and claw like nails caught his vest in a fist, before he could tip off the edge, yanking him back on steady feet. His heart thundered, and he was breathless again.

"Well? Hurry up! Before the guards begin their rounds again." Agoria reprimanded as she let him go, and held both her hands out, wrists up. Bilbo glanced at Thorin as he watched them, pressed against the bars. They met eyes, and the Hobbit took a deep breath before raising shaking hands to the Large Iron cuffs. He inserted the key into the lock of the first cuff, and turned it. With a clunk thunk, it turned, and the cuff cracked open slightly.

Between the sliver Bilbo spotted the raw, red skin beneath, and heard the hiss and crackle of her flesh as it seemed to burn. Agoria hissed in pain, and clenched her eyes shut. With a glance at the poor creatures pained face, Bilbo pulled open the cuff, and gently removed it from the woman's arm, careful not to touch anymore of her pale skin with it.

Relief washed over the woman's sharp features, and she relaxed a little. Her eyes slid open and leveled with Bilbo's. With an almost gentle look, she offered her second wrist, closer to him. Bilbo quickly bent down, and placed the first cuff on the ground, making quick work of the second.

As the second cuff cracked open, a phantom chill swept over the palace, and the area seemed to visibly darken, the shadows elongating and creeping to smother the lights. Bilbo shuddered as he removed the cuff completely. Agoria's previously closed eyes slowly opened, and Bilbo was met with the eyes he'd seen earlier when he'd used the ring, the whites black, and the irises white. Agoria grinned, a wickedly sinister and inhumane, look before turning to face the cells, with a sweep of shadows around her dress. The cell doors containing the Dwarves, all popped open.

"The stairs." She stated in a dark velvet tone, as she pointed a long finger at the staircase leading down, deeper into the Kingdom.

"Down?" Fili questioned as he moved to his brothers side. Agoria nodded, before brushing past the group towards the stairs, without looking back, the shadows seeming to follow her, leaving the room with her.

Despite their distrust in the dark creature, she had set them free, holding to her word, so Thorin lead the way, following her down the stairs at a distance. They quickly entered the Wine Cellar. The Guards quickly stood at the sight of Agoria and the group, but were knocked unconscious, or dead, with the wave of the woman's hand.

"Get in the barrels." She said without explanation. The Dwarves and Hobbit, looked at her like she was crazy, before looking back at the barrels with uncertainty. Just then noise was heard above, and the Kingdom became aware of the escaped Dwarves.

"Do it, or be caught, no skin off my nose." Agoria said with a delicate shrug. The Company quickly climbed into the barrels, finding they were one short, Bilbo climbed in with Thorin when the leader yanked on him in exasperation.

"I will give you two pieces of advice. One. Dragons are fire proof on the outside, but not the inside. Wait till he draws a breath to breath fire, he will create a toxic and highly flammable gas in the back of his throat, set it on fire before he can exhale." Agoria warned, as she looked between them all with a raised brow and slightly lifted grin. Thorin nodded, but they became worried when the sound of soldiers grew closer. Bilbo and Thorin looked at the woman with pleading eyes.

"Two. Hold your breath." She gave another wicked grin, as she swept her hand out, and a large nearby lever pulled down, a trap door sliding open, and the barrels dropping down into the water below, as Agoria disappeared in a puff of shadows.

A/N: So don't know if I'm gonna do a part 2 to this one, but maybe later.