The day after the battle with the spiders Bilbo and the Dwarves made one last despairing effort to find away out before they died of hunger and thirst. Hannah, whose condition had worsened overnight, could not be roused by any measure, and they were beginning to fear for her life. They got up and staggered on while carrying her in the direction which eight out of the thirteen of them guessed to be the one in which the path lay; but they never found out if they were right. Such day as there ever was in the forest was fading once more into the blackness of night, and Hannah still showed no sign of waking, when suddenly out sprang the light of many torches all round them, like hundreds of red stars. Out leaped Wood-elves with their bows and spears and called the Dwarves to halt.

"Do not think I will not kill you, Dwarf," said the elf-prince they had seen at the feast with his bow aimed at Dwalin. "It would be my pleasure." He then gave an order for all the Dwarves to be searched.

"B'ey! Give it back! That's private!" protested Glóin when the elf-prince removed two small portraits he was carrying from his person.

"Who is this?" asked the prince curiously. "Your brother?"

"That is my wife!" huffed Glóin indignantly.

"And what is this horrid creature? A goblin-mutant?"

"That's my wee lad, Gimli!"

Despite Glóin's complaints against these thoughtless insults to his family, there was no thought of a fight. Even if the Dwarves had not been in such a state that they were actually glad to be captured, their small knives, the only weapons they had, would have been of no use against the arrows of the Elves that could hit a bird's eye in the dark. So they simply stopped dead and sat down and waited—all except Hannah, who was still unconscious and was ordered to be carried by one of the Elves, and Bilbo, who popped on his ring and slipped quickly to one side. That is why, when the Elves bound the Dwarves in a long line, one behind the other, and counted them, they never found or counted the hobbit.

Nor did they hear or feel him trotting along well behind their torch-light as they led off their prisoners into the forest. Each Dwarf was blindfolded, but that did not make much difference, for even Bilbo with the full use of his eyes could not see where they were going, and neither he nor the others knew where they had started from anyway. Bilbo had all he could do to keep up with the torches, for the Elves were making the Dwarves go as fast as ever they could, sick and weary as they were. The king had ordered them to make haste. Suddenly the torches stopped, and the hobbit had just time to catch them up before they began to cross the bridge. This was the bridge that led across the river to the king's doors. The water flowed dark and swift and strong beneath; and at the far end were gates before the mouth of a huge cave that ran into the side of a steep slope covered with trees. There the great beeches came right down to the bank, till their feet were in the stream.

Across this bridge the Elves thrust their prisoners, but Bilbo hesitated in the rear. He did not at all like the look of the cavern-mouth and he only made up his mind not to desert his friends just in time to scuttle over at the heels of the last Elves, before the great gates of the king closed behind them with a clang.

Inside the passages were lit with red torch-light, and the elf-guards sang as they marched along the twisting, crossing, and echoing paths. These were not like those of the goblin-cities: they were smaller, less deep underground and filled with cleaner air. In a great hall with pillars hewn out of living stone sat the Elvenking on a throne carven wood. On his head was a crown of berries and red leaves, for the autumn was come again. In the spring he wore a crown of woodland flowers. In his hand he held a carven staff of oak.

The prisoners were brought before him; and though he looked grimly at them, he quickly had Hannah taken away to receive proper care upon seeing the terrible state the child was in, and told his men to unbind the Dwarves, for they were ragged and weary. "Besides they need no ropes in here," said he. "There is no escape from my magic doors for those who are once brought inside."

Long and searchingly he questioned the Dwarves about their doings, and where they were going to, and where they were coming from; but he got little more news out of them than out of Thorin. They were surly and angry and did not even pretend to be polite.

"What have we done, O king?" said Balin. "Is it a crime to be lost in the forest, to be hungry and thirsty, to be trapped by spiders? Are the spiders your tame beasts or your pets, if killing them makes you so angry?"

Such a question of course made the king angrier than ever, and he answered: "It is a crime to wander in my realm without leave. Do you forget that you were in my kingdom, using the road my people made? Did you not three times pursue and trouble my people in the forest and rouse the spiders with your riot and clamor? After all the disturbance you have made I have a right to know what brings you here, and if you will not tell me now, I will keep you all in prison until you have learned sense and manners!"

Then he ordered the Dwarves each to be put in a separate cell and to be given food and drink, but not to be allowed to pass the doors of their little prisons, until at least one of them was willing to tell him all he wanted to know. But he did not tell them that Thorin was also a prisoner with him. It was Hannah and Bilbo who found that out.

When she finally rejoined the waking world, to say that Hannah was surprised by the change in her surroundings would be an understatement. The first thing she noticed was that she appeared to be in a well-lit room that was part of some sort of cave or underground dwelling, because the walls were made of stone, still rough and retaining its natural shape in some places while smooth and intricately carved in others. For a brief moment she wondered if she might be in some Dwarvish dwelling, but the architectural motifs seemed to have more of an Elvish aesthetic to them. The next thing she took notice of was that her broken leg had been properly set and bound—all of her wounds, even the most minor, had been treated with expert skill—and she was no longer in pain. She was just about to try calling out for someone, to ask where she was and what was going on, when the door opened. In walked the Elvenking himself. Though she had caught a glimpse of him the night of the feast in the forest, the dim torch-light had not done him justice. But now he stood before her in his full glory.

Hannah stared in awe: never before had she seen such a beautiful creature, even amongst the most lovely of the ethereal and graceful Elves of Rivendell. But behind the gracious smile he favored her with, there seemed a lonely and strict aloofness that reminded her of a white rose frosted with wintry ice.

"I see you have finally awakened. Good. I had heard your fever was gone," said the king drawing close to her bedside. His keen and ancient eyes regarded her with an intense stare. He did not know why a child of Man was traveling with a troop of Dwarves, but Thranduil thought he could perhaps obtain the answers that her companions had refused to give from her. "You seem to be healing nicely."

"Yes, thank you," Hannah answered a bit nervously but with full respect, quickly shutting her gaping mouth. "Um, that is if you wouldn't mind, could you please tell me where I am?"

"I shall answer your questions, if you will answer mine," said the king calmly, crossing his legs as he took a seat.

"That sounds fair enough," said Hannah after taking a brief moment to think it over. "What would you like to know?"

"Perhaps we should start with your name?" the king suggested.

"Hannah Hayes, your majesty," she answered politely with a bow of her head. "And you?"

"I am King Thranduil, ruler of this woodland realm; and I would like to know why you and your Dwarvish companions were wandering through my kingdom without leave."

"I must beg your pardon if we have offended you, but we meant no harm by it. It was never our intention to trespass. We were looking for a safe passage east: we heard the mountains to the north are infested with Goblins, and felt the passage south would bring us too close to the territory of the Necromancer. We thought it safer to try using a path that was less traveled, and had hoped that by using an elven-path the virtue of the Elves might offer us some form of protection. Are the others all right?"

"You need not be concerned, they are being kept safe. But three times you attempted to pursue and trouble my people in the forest. Why?"

"I am embarrassed to admit it, but we were desperate. We had underestimated the forest, and by that time we had been out of food for sometime. We meant no harm and only wished to ask for a bit of food and something to drink, but were so starving and thirsty that we completely forgot our manners," Hannah explained sheepishly. Her empty stomach chose that moment to growl as if wishing to emphasize her point.

Thranduil called out to someone outside the room in Elvish to have some refreshments brought for the starving child. Hannah heard what sounded like the clinking of armor as they moved to fulfill the Elvenking's order.

"May I ask where my friends are?" she asked wondering if she was being guarded.

"The Dwarves are here," answered the king upon seeing the look of great concern on her young face, though his own expression seemed guarded; "all twelve of them."

"Twelve?" said Hannah with a furrowed brow, wondering what had become of Bilbo but not sure whether or not it was a good idea to alert the king to his presence. She was beginning to get the feeling that the situation they were in was more serious than she had suspected. "You didn't happen to find a thirteenth, did you?" she asked carefully. "We've all been terribly worried something dreadful may have happened to him."

"I shall be happy to give you an answer if you can tell me this: why is a young girl like you traveling with a group of Dwarves, and why were you headed east in the first place?"

"I am traveling with them because I want to, and we are going east, because that is where their home lies," she replied a bit hesitantly, hoping she wasn't giving too much away. She knew it would probably be unwise to reveal the full details of their quest to a complete stranger, but she felt it would be dangerous to lie the Elvenking seated in front of her. Thranduil stared at the girl for a moment. His eyes widened imperceptibly in surprise as something clicked, and all that had transpired suddenly made much more sense to him. He stood up to leave.

"In answer to your question: yes, we did find a thirteenth Dwarf," the king informed her. He was not so cruel as to taunt a child with such dear information and then leave her in distress. "He is also here."

"Where are they? Can I see them? Your majesty!" Hannah called after him as he suddenly swept from the room without so much as a backward glance. The king had what he needed.

Changed by age and the burden of many cares, the Elvenking had not recognized the young Dwarf he once knew in his current sorry and wretched state. But looking at him again more closely Thranduil was now certain. Thorin Oakenshield had returned, and the Elvenking was sure he knew the reason.

"Well, why have you dragged me before you again?" asked the defiant Dwarf. "Is the hundred years already up?"

"At first I suspected you having a more prosaic motive, attempted burglary or something of that ilk. However, I now imagine that a more noble quest could be at hand," said the Elvenking circling Thorin while the Dwarf stood once again before the throne. "A quest to reclaim a homeland, and slay a Dragon." Thorin did his best to keep his expression guarded, but the Elf saw through this. "You have found a way in," said Thranduil, taking a step back in astonishment upon finding his fantastic suspicion to be true. "You seek that which would restore your right to rule—the king's Jewel—the Arkenstone." The Elvenking smiled sensing that a great opportunity had presented itself. "It is precious to you beyond measure. I understand that. There are gems in the Mountain that I, too, desire. White gems of pure starlight." The gems he had once entrusted to Thráin's finest craftsmen. "I offer you my help."

"I am listening," said Thorin with a dry chuckle. So this was the reason he had been brought out from his cell: Thranduil thought that he could use him.

"I will let you go," said the Elvenking in all seriousness; "if you but return what is mine."

"A favor for a favor?"

"You have my word, one king to another."

Thorin's expression hardened. "I would not trust Thranduil—the great king—to honor his word should the end of all days be upon us! You, who lack all honor!" shouted the Dwarf scornfully. "I have seen how you treat your friends. We came to you once, starving, homeless, seeking your help. But you turned your back! You turned away from the suffering of my people, and the inferno that destroyed us." He was gratified to see that the Elf was visibly shocked by his words, but his anger could not be so easily soothed. "May you die in dragon-fire!" he cursed the Elf in his own tongue.

"Do not talk to me of dragon-fire! I know its wrath and ruin," said Thranduil angrily, closing in on the Dwarf swiftly. For a moment the Elvenking dropped the illusion he usually wore to hide how hideously disfigured and severely scarred that at least half of his face truly was. "I have faced the great serpents of the North!" And then the horrifying visage was gone; the illusion of physical perfection slid firmly back into place as the Elvenking drew back and returned to his throne. "I warned your grandfather of what his greed would summon. But he would not listen. You are just like him." With a wave of his hand, Thorin was once again seized by his guards to be taken back to his cell. "Stay here if you will, and rot. A hundred years is a mere blink in the life of an Elf. I am patient. I can wait."

Unbeknownst to the two kings there had been an unexpected witness to this event. Bilbo had seen everything. He had been wandering about trying to discover the whereabouts of Hannah and the other Dwarves, when he spotted Thorin being dragged towards the throne-room. I'm sure you can imagine his surprise and relief to see that Thorin was alive and no worse for wear since the last they had seen of him, so Bilbo could not resist following in search of an opportunity when he might be able to speak with the Dwarf and let him know of what had happened since they were separated. The hobbit was just about to follow Thorin back to his prison when the Elvenking spoke.

"I know you are there. Why do you linger in the shadows?"

"I was coming to report to you," said the elf-prince, stepping forward into the light. Bilbo, who had frozen with fright thinking he had been discovered, exhaled a silent sigh of relief upon realizing his luck had not yet deserted him. "We have finished destroying what was left of that nest."

"It should have been taken care of two moons past," said the Elvenking.

"We cleared the forest as ordered, but more spiders keep coming up from the South. I believe they are spawning in Dol Guldur," said the prince. "If we could kill them at their source—"

"That fortress lies beyond our borders. Keep our lands free of those foul creatures, that is your task," said the Elvenking sternly. He had let his son join the guard because he had been growing increasingly restless as of late, but rumors about the Necromancer had reached Thranduil's ears, and he would not allow the elfling to venture into such treacherous territory.

"And when we drive them off, what then? Will they not spread to other lands?" the prince persisted.

"Other lands are not our concern."

While father and son were still engrossed in their little debate, Bilbo decided it was time to sneak away. Hopefully he would still be able to catch up with Thorin before they finished whisking him off to heaven-knows-where.

"The fortunes of the world will rise and fall," the Elvenking continued to lecture his son, "but here in this kingdom, we will endure..." Thranduil paused for a moment when he thought he saw a flicker of shadow out the corner of his eye, but when he looked there was nothing.

"What about the girl?" asked the prince suddenly.

"What about her?"

"What do you intend to do with her?"

"For now I intend to leave her as she is. After all, she is only a child and seems harmless enough. But keep a watch on her. She might be foolish enough to try to free her companions."

Poor Mr. Baggins—it was a weary long time that he lived in that place all alone, and always in hiding, hardly daring to sleep, even tucked away in the darkest and remotest corners he could find. For something to do he took to wandering about the Elvenking's palace. Magic shut the gates, but he could sometimes get out, if he was quick. Companies of the Wood-elves, often with the prince in the lead and sometimes with the king at their head, would from time to time ride out to hunt, or to other business in the woods and in the lands to the East. Then if Bilbo was very nimble, he could slip out just behind them; though it was a dangerous thing to do. More than once he was nearly caught in the doors, as they clashed together when the last Elf passed; yet he did not dare to march among them because of his shadow (altogether thin and wobbly as it was in torch-light), or for fear of being bumped into and discovered. And when he did go out, which was not very often, he did no good. He did not wish to desert the Dwarves and Hannah, and indeed he did not know where in the world to go without them. He could not keep up with the hunting Elves all the time they were out, so he never discovered the ways out of the wood, and was left to wander miserably in the forest, terrified of losing himself, until a chance came of returning. He was hungry too outside, for he was no hunter; but inside the caves he could pick up a living of some sort by stealing food from store or table when no one was at hand.

I am like a burglar that can't get away, but must go on miserably burgling the same house day after day, he thought. This is the dreariest and dullest part of all this wretched, tiresome, uncomfortable adventure! I wish I was back in my hobbit-hole by my own warm fireside with the lamp shining! He often wished, too, that he could get a message for help sent to the wizard, but that of course was quite impossible; and he soon realized that if anything was to be done, it would have to be done by Mr. Baggins, alone and unaided.