"I'd wager that the sun is on the rise. It must be almost dawn", Bofur's voice echoed through the cells. In his cage, Namir made a low deep sound. It was almost like a low keening meow. He rested his head on his arms and stared out through the bars despondently. He hadn't moved since Legolas had left, remaining in his corner as the night dragged on.

"We're never going to reach the mountain, are we", Ori's voice was depressing. Suddenly, Namir heard footsteps. Footsteps muffled by large but light feet. He stood up, sniffing the air and let out a chirping noise as he grabbed the bars and peered out. If he tilted his head at a certain angle, he could just about make out Thorin's cell further down. There was a small figure standing outside. 

"Not stuck in here you're not", Bilbo's voice echoed through the hall. There was a jangle of keys rattling and Namir made a hopeful grumble in his throat. The dwarves all called out in surprise at seeing the hobbit. His name echoing down as they passed it along. "Shhh! There are guards nearby!" Bilbo called and they instantly clambered down. The first cell unlocked was Thorin's. Then Balin's, the older dwarf chuckling happily as he stepped out. 

"Close the doors", Thorin called was more dwarves stepped out of their cells. "By us more time". They hurried up the stairs to the doors to the dungeons and set about trying to block them as Bilbo continued to unlock the cells. When he reached Namir's the long limbed skin-changer threw his arms around the hobbit while purring happily. He rubbed his cheeks against Bilbo's head with a wide grin. 

"Namir get off please. I need to unlock the others", Bilbo squirmed, obviously surprised by the hug. Namir let him go and began bouncing on his toes. Excitement and happiness at being free giving him too much excess energy which he tried to contain as he stretched out his limbs. Around him, the dwarves were all whispering eagerly as they gathered around their king. "This way", Bilbo called in a hushed voice. He waved at them and began going down the stairs. Namir made another excited chirping noise and pushed his hands onto Fili's shoulders to leap over the dwarf's head. Fili yelped in surprise but laughed as he watched Namir do the exact same thing to Dwalin and Bofur in his haste to follow Bilbo. 

"We need to go and get out weapons", Dwalin hissed. "Our supplies". The company, other than Bilbo, were all in their under clothes. Coats, weapons, packs gone and somewhere out of reach. 

"There's no time", Bilbo shot back. "Just follow me". Dwalin shot a look at Thorin but their leader nodded. The hobbit was right, they couldn't go back for their gear. Namir missed his longsword, his human body felt weird without it, but his eagerness to leave this forest city and breathe in open air outweighed his need for a weapon. The Hobbit continued to lead them down steep flights of stairs into the roots of this great tree city where what smelled like a wine cellar was hidden. Namir could hear the snoring of drunk sleep elves as they approached and his feet became silent. 

"This way", Bilbo waved. They crept passed a table strewn with mugs where four elves in the green guard uniform were snoring loudly. The air stunk of the alcoholic fruit smell of wine and Namir winkled his nose, never having been fond of the drink. (He was more of a cider fan himself). He snuck through shelves of stacked barrels after the dwarves. 

"I can't believe it, were in the cellars", Bofur whispered. "You're supposed to be leading us out not in". 

"I know what I'm doing", Bilbo sighed but the dwarf shushed him loudly. The hobbit rolled his eyes the gestured with his arm to a stack of empty barrels. Namir sniffed them curiously, picking up a distant scent of rung water. There was a river underneath them. He grinned and pulled off his waistcoat, stuffing it in one of the barrels. "Everyone, climb into the barrels quickly", Bilbo ordered. Namir pulled off his trousers and tucked them in with his waistcoat. He looked up over the dwarves, waiting for the next instruction. 

"Are you mad?" Dwalin pushed through the group to reach the hobbit. "They'll find us". Up above, Namir heard the distant echo of elvish being shouted. 

"I sounds like they have realised our escape", He muttered. Then he shifted, bones cracking and skin reforming until the panther sat next the barrels. Big brown eyes watching as his tail flicked. 

"They won't. I promise you. Please, please, please trust me". The hobbit turned beseeching eyes on Thorin as the dwarves all began muttering. 

"Do as he says", Thorin hissed. Immediately the company began stuffing themselves into barrels.  Bilbo walking up and down to give a quick headcount. Fili had stuffed himself into the barrel holding Namir's clothes. The blonde dwarf pulled a face at the cat and Namir twitched his ears at him in return.

"What do we do now?" All the dwarves poked their heads out to look at Bilbo expectantly. 

"Hold your breath", Bilbo replied. Then the hobbit pulled down and leaver and the trap door under the barrels tilted. The dwarves all crying out in surprise as they rolled over the drop and down into the river below. The trap door shutting behind them. 

Bilbo grinned in triumph then stood on the trapdoor and froze. The elf guards were waking up. Namir huffed and padded over to the hobbit. He took the edge of the hobbit's coat in his mouth and pulled. "Namir! What are you doing? Don't you dare rip my coat", Bilbo hissed frantically as he was dragged along the varnished wood. Namir made a rumbling noise that was almost like a chuckle before they reached the end of the trap door and their combined weight tilted the wooden platform. The two of them fell, Bilbo giving a yelp, out into darkness and hitting the water with a splash. 

Namir paddled expertly to the surface. He bit into Bilbo's collar and dragged the drowning hobbit with him to where the barrels were bobbing in wait. Bilbo clung to Nori's barrel looking more like a drowned cat than Namir did. The panther treading water with visible enjoyment. "Well done master Baggins", Thorin grinned at them from the front of the line. Then the dwarf began pushing his barrel along, the other following. It didn't take long for the current to grab ahold of them. 

"Hold on!" Thorin called back as the cave broke off into sunlight and they all careened into the rapids.  Namir felt himself plunge under the water. Resurfacing with a shake of his head. He swum over to the shore as the barrels containing the dwarves bobbed past. Bilbo clinging desperately as they were spun and bounced off of each other. 

Namir used his claws to cling to slippery rocks and heave himself out onto the shore. He shook his fur free of water and startled as a shout rung out. "Close the gate!" He turned and caught Legolas' eyes. The blonde elf watching the black cat in surprise. The beast as even bigger in the daylight. A predator. Namir hissed as a horn rung out over the valley. He turned and raced across the bank after the bobbing barrels. His paws thumping against the earth as he ran. 

Up ahead was a stone wall that marked the boarders of the elf city. Namir picked up his pace as the elf guards on the bridge grabbed a large wooden leaver and pushed it up. Thorin roaring as the river gates shut and the barrels all collided in a pile against the metal. Namir raced after them. He leapt off a rock and threw himself over the river, sailing over the dwarves heads and skidding along the smooth stone of the bridge. The elf guards cried out in surprise at the sigh of a large black cat. Then one toppled over, a black arrow sticking out of his back. Namir growled as Orcs suddenly swarmed the bridge.

unedited