Disclaimer: I claim or own nothing. It all belongs to J.R.R Tolkien.
Strong currents and rushing waves dragged thirteen barrels and an unlucky hobbit down a powerful stream of cold water.
In each of the barrels there was a dwarf, soaked by water and angered by the forceful waves. They had no control over the water, or the direction of the barrels, and so they were dragged unwillingly down the stream. A little hobbit bobbed up and down in the water, hoping to be saved from the crushing waves and sharp rocks.
Every time that Bilbo was almost able to scream out for help, he was forced beneath the waves again and swallowed so much water that, when he finally surfaced for air again, he didn't have the strength or will to speak. Luckily, for Bilbo, he did not need to call out to be noticed. The company was well aware, and very worried, about Bilbo being pulled down the stream because he did not seem to be able to swim at all, not that one could swim in these waters, and was clearly struggling.
They were also worried for their own safety, and the safety of all the other members of the company. Frequent cries and angry groans escaped the lips of the members of the company, for this was not a situation they had wished to find themselves in.
Bilbo ducked beneath the water, and was harshly thrown right. He curved around the barrel, and was lost beneath the water. Dwalin, who usually enjoyed the adrenaline and rush that came from thrilling adventures such as these, was more frustrated than anything else. He cursed loudly in Khuzdul, and reached out to pull the burglar from the water. Dwalin did this with no success, and watched as all that was visible of the hobbit, the top of his head, was dragged further on.
The currents threw Bilbo left, and he suddenly became stuck between the two rows of barrels. Balin sighed wearily after also missing Bilbo, and shouted out for someone ahead to grab him and pull him from the dangerous water. But not all heard Balin's calls, for the water was loud and the rush distracting.
Bombur, who floated in the barrel in-front of Balin, couldn't even try to reach out for Bilbo because he was so completely stuck in the barrel that he couldn't stretch his arms far enough to reach the little hobbit. The waves threw Bilbo left again, and he swooped past Bombur's barrel and around Bifur's, who was too slow to act. Bofur's chance to help came, but he couldn't even see Bilbo. His hair and hat had become so soggy, and wet, with water that it clung to his face and blurred his vision.
Still, despite his inability to see clearly, Bofur tried to catch Bilbo after he'd heard the cries of the company behind him. Bofur stretched out a hand blindly, but Bilbo passed him by just as quickly as he had passed the others by. The calls and cries of the company grew louder, as the barrels were tossed around and became filled with more water. Bilbo surfaced for air just as he curved around Bofur's barrel, and was thrown in front of Fíli.
Fíli, feeling queasy from the waves and filled with worry over Kíli, didn't see Bilbo pass by his barrel until it was far too late. He caught sight of Bilbo reaching out for his barrel, but missing it and being pulled forward. He was being pulled towards Kíli, and maybe Kíli could catch him.
"Kíli!" Fíli called out, and fought the sick feeling that rose in his throat. "Get Bilbo!"
To any that bothered to pay Kíli a brief moment of attention, in this haze of water and fast movements, he seemed to be having far too much fun, far more fun than anyone else. But upon hearing his brother's cries, Kíli became serious and looked down at the poor, distressed Bilbo. With one hand, Kíli reached into the water and grabbed a hold of the small hobbit.
Cries of relief came from behind them, probably belonging to Balin and Ori, but it all faded away when the barrels were hit by a harsh wave of water. The water bumped them, but Kíli thought all was fine. He triumphantly pulled Bilbo up from the water only to now realise something was missing.
Bilbo was missing.
Kíli's eyes widened with fear as he looked down at the little green vest in his hand, for it was all that he had of the hobbit. Kíli looked up and saw Bilbo being dragged down the stream. He passed Kíli's barrel, and Thorin's, and was forced to the right.
Thorin's barrel was thrown forward, and he took this as his chance to do what all of the other members of the company had failed to do. Thorin stretched out and nearly fell from his barrel as he did, it filled with water and left him feeling worse, but he still grabbed Bilbo. Thorin took Bilbo by the scruff of his shirt, hauled him up from the deep water and forced him into his barrel where he would be safe.
Bilbo's face slammed against Thorin's chest as he was forced into the barrel. Water filled the barrel so high that it almost reached Bilbo's throat. He had swallowed so much water that his breathing had become incredibly heavy and loud. Bilbo panted as he struggled for air, still unable to believe that he had finally been rescued. He peered up at Thorin, through the strands of hair that clung to his face, and found that he had a very determined expression on his face.
The barrels were thrown forward again, and to keep Bilbo inside Thorin settled a hand around him and kept him against his chest. If they were to lose their burglar again, Thorin doubted they would get him back.
Up ahead, the stream seemed to be coming to a curve. Thorin twisted around, and called out to the other members of the company. He shouted out instructions; they were to try and curve their barrels to the left, for there was land here and they could get out. The water finally seemed to be on their side, and it didn't take much strength or effort to change the course of the barrels once it had all settled down. They paddled forward with their hands, with Thorin leading the way.
For the rest of the ride, Bilbo was determined to focus on his breathing and try to steady himself. However, all attempts at steadying himself disappeared when the barrel that he shared with Thorin fell. Their barrel was the first to hit the ground, and they toppled down with it. More water filled the barrel, as Thorin fell on top of Bilbo. He made no attempt to move or lift himself up from Bilbo, who was squashed beneath him, and instead took a moment to catch his own breath.
It was only after hearing the sound of Bilbo's voice beneath him did Thorin return to reality. The sound of groans, loud thuds and angry voices begun to fill the air around them. Thorin, whose clothes were drenched and hair was a matted mess, angrily muttered something beneath his breath as he and Bilbo both struggled awkwardly to get out of the barrel at the same time. They tried, and failed, at this for another moment before realising that it would be impossible.
"Hold still." Thorin snapped, and then pushed himself off of Bilbo. "Now, get out."
There was a sudden seriousness to Thorin's voice, that caused Bilbo to scramble out of the barrel. He crawled out quickly and was followed by Thorin, who collapsed on the ground next to him, but Thorin didn't remain there for long. He stood from the ground and turned to see the rest of his company. Fighting with the waves and each other.
When Thorin looked upon his nephews, as they made their way out of the barrels, he noticed that Fíli looked worn and Kíli was fighting a smile. He still seemed as though he had greatly enjoyed the ride, and it had been some sort of fun adventure. Dori was trudging up from the shore, with a flat expression on his face, while Nori dragged Ori out of his barrel and helped him upright. They all panted and breathed heavily, having swallowed a large amount of water.
Dwalin dragged up a struggling Bofur, tore back his hat to clear his eyes and then grunted angrily at him. He then helped Bifur, and pulled a jammed Bombur from his barrel. Once Bombur was free, Dwalin stomped off in a huff. Balin didn't seem as angry or frustrated as his brother, but he was not half as amused as Kíli seemed to be. He was somewhere in between. It had certainly been an adventure, and they had all seemed to come out of it uninjured, so surely there could be no harm in laughing about it later.
Ori quickly collapsed on the ground beside a wet, shaking Bilbo. This seemed to be a popular thing to do, and soon Óin and Glóin had taken seats beside the hobbit.
Thorin coughed and cleared his throat before he spoke.
"Is anyone injured?"
There were quiet murmurs and responses.
"It seems like we are all fine." Balin responded.
Kíli still seemed to be fighting a smile, especially now that he had taken in the appearances of the other members of the company. They all looked similar; wet clothing, and dripping, matted hair. Fíli, on the other-hand, didn't seem to share his brother's sense of humour and stared at the ground beneath his feet, needing something steady to stare at.
"I don't know how that's possible..." Bofur sighed.
"I thought Bilbo would be dead for sure, or at least sustain some sort of injury." Dori commented. "If the water didn't kill him, I was certain the barrels would. Or, at the very least, shatter a few bones."
"I'm-I'm...Bones.." Bilbo wheezed, and then he just gave up.
He still needed some time to catch his breath, and saw no point in arguing with angry, wet dwarves.
"Curse those barrels." Dwalin said. "What a foolish idea."
"It was far from foolish." Kíli said, and nearly smiled again.
He turned to Fíli for reassurance, because it had been their idea after they had found the barrels, but he received none. Fíli just shook his head, and stared down at the ground.
"Leave it, Kee." Fíli breathed out heavily.
"We almost lost our burglar." Dwalin said, and took a step forward. "And have you looked at the state of the company?"
"Oh, Mister Dwalin, it was not so bad! Besides, it's not like you have any hair to get wet like the rest of us do!" Kíli answered, and his voice fell a little quieter. "And, we would have died had Fíli and I not found the barrels-"
"It was not intended to be fun, Kíli." Thorin said. "Perhaps, your time would have been better spent with an attempt to pull Master Baggins from the water he almost died in."
Kíli faltered after almost hearing Dwalin mutter something about him being the only one in the company, apart from the burglar, to not have a beard, before he looked back to his uncle and spoke.
"I tried to, but he moved too quickly. Hobbits. Fast little things."
Bilbo stood slowly from the ground, now determined to stand up for himself. He also wanted to assure Thorin that he should not be angered with Kíli, or any other members of the company, for failing to pull him from the water.
"It's my own fault." Bilbo said, and then he stumbled forward on his unsteady legs.
Bilbo fell against Thorin's shoulder, and instead of pulling away he spent a moment just resting there. He was in need of something strong, something sturdy and still, to lean against and he decided he would just hold on to Thorin for a minute longer.
"Oh, Bilbo..." Bofur sighed, a clear relief on his face. "You scared us all."
With that, Bofur laid down against the ground and released a deep breath of air.
"Have you been injured, laddie?" Balin asked, and the concern was clear on his face.
"No, I'm...I'm alright. I just need.."
"What do you need, laddie?" Balin stood from the ground.
"Something. Still." Bilbo briefly closed his eyes, still feeling incredibly shaky from the water.
Balin frowned deeply, because Bilbo was not making any sense at all. Thorin seemed to notice his uneasy state, and tried to help.
"Glóin and Óin, collect wood for a fire." Thorin instructed.
To the surprise of few members of the company that were paying enough attention, Thorin did not brush Bilbo away from his shoulder but instead allowed him to rest there until he was able to move forward on his own. If the journey in the barrels had been difficult on the dwarves, what Bilbo went through would have been far worse.
Then, Thorin turned to his nephews and spoke again.
"Kíli, Fíli, go forward and find a resting place. We must see what belongings we have left."
Eager to get away for a moment, and discus the thrill of the ride with his brother, Kíli took a step closer to the edge of the forest. He stopped suddenly, after noticing that Fíli didn't move at all. Fíli didn't even acknowledge Thorin, and instead he continued to stare at the ground with a vacant look in his eyes.
"Fíli." Thorin frowned. "Did you not hear me?"
Again, Fíli didn't answer. It was clear that he could still hear, and he was not injured, when he looked up at Thorin.
"Is something wrong with his ears?" Dori asked, again fearing the worst.
"What's the matter, Fíli?" Kíli asked quickly, and grabbed his brother's shoulder.
Feeling the sickness rising in his throat, Fíli pushed away Kíli's hand and turned away suddenly. His eyes darted around their unfamiliar surroundings quickly, and then he broke out into a run towards the edge of the forest. Kíli, overcome with worry and curiosity, chased after his brother even though it was clear Fíli did not want to be followed.
"Fíli, what's the matter with you?"
Thorin shouted after his nephew and took a step forward which, ultimately, caused Bilbo to fall down. He slumped down against the ground next to Ori, who looked just as worn as Bilbo felt, and felt the world around him spinning. Bilbo had not been ready to stand on his own, and the removal of the strong force keeping him up had left him needing somewhere new to rest.
Bilbo shifted his focus on to his breathing again and tried to feel better, but soon a sick feeling filled his own stomach and he did not think he would be far behind Fíli. Although, Bilbo doubted that he could walk, let alone run, that far right now.
Dwalin cursed at the madness, and dropped his head as Kíli ran after Fíli, who clutched at his mouth and was suddenly much paler than he had been seconds earlier. Seconds later, Bilbo had rolled over on to the ground and vomited loudly. Ori, who laid by his side, gagged and looked away. He plugged his nose, to keep the smell out, and gagged again.
In the distance, Fíli could be heard vomiting and Kíli could be heard shouting.
"Ohh! What is that?" Kíli shouted, and then became suspiciously silent.
For a few moments Thorin remained completely still. Wet and covered with water. His long locks messed over his face, and hanging by his sides. He just stared at the sight before his eyes, and wondered how something so simple as a stream could do this to the company. Thorin now looked like he carried the weight of thirteen more mountains upon his shoulders.
"Really? You're eating, now?" Bofur laughed, after seeing Bombur eating a soggy piece of unrecognisable food.
"It was stressful." Bombur answered between bites.
"We must save what supplies we have left." Thorin said, and he sounded weary.
Bombur stopped eating, but received a look from Thorin which silently told him that he could finish that piece of food, and to not eat any more. So, Bombur kept eating what little food he had left, while Fíli could be heard vomiting and Bofur's light chuckle rang through the air. Ori gagged a little more, and Bilbo dry retched until the sick feeling passed. Glóin and Óin left to collect wood, with Óin emptying the water from his trumpet and putting it inside his ear again.
"I think I can hear the river." Óin said a little too loudly.
This just made Bofur, much to Dwalin's disapproval, laugh even harder and soon the joyful dwarf seemed to be much more cheerful than he had been moments earlier. Balin, ignoring the scowl his brother sent Bofur's way, held his hand out to Bilbo to help him stand. It had been decided that they would move forward in search of a safe resting place.
"Up we get, laddie." he said, and allowed Bilbo to lean on him.
"Tha..Thank you." Bilbo stammered, and wiped at his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt. "Thanks."
"Feel any better?"
"That's not likely." Dori answered quickly. "With the amount of water a little thing like that swallowed, he's bound to get sick. I am certain we'll have to find a new burglar now."
"Oh, come on! He's not even dead yet!" Bofur exclaimed, and stood slowly from the ground.
"Yet?" Ori panicked. "Yet? Bilbo is-"
"Fine." Thorin said, and his voice caused all to fall silent again. "He has survived encounters with mountain trolls, goblins and orcs. I doubt a little water will be the cause of his death, Ori. Fire and rest will help Master Baggins to recover, it will help us all.
Fíli and Kíli returned to the edge of the stream, walking slowly down from the border of the forest. Kíli, whose mood seemed to have decreased significantly since he had last stood before the company, kept his head down while and almost guilty looking Fíli trudged by his side. The colour seemed to have returned to Fíli's cheeks, and he looked much better, while Kíli looked worse and now wore a fresh red mark on his right cheek.
"We found a place to rest." Fíli said, when Kíli failed to speak.
"Good." Thorin nodded.
He watched his nephews for a moment longer, before he turned to the company and gave out instructions. They were to gather what they had left, what was not ruined, and move forward. Glóin and Óin returned, with piles of dry wood in their hands. Groans and muttered words filled the air as the company got on their feet, and begun to follow the unusually silent Fíli and Kíli. The two, who normally walked side by side, seemed to have a distance between them.
It was clear, to Thorin who observed them, that Kíli was keeping the distance. He kept his head down, and had an overall slumped appearance. He was sulking. Thorin recognised it clearly, for he had been witness to many of these moods of Kíli's in the past.
Dwalin stayed at the back of the group, as he seemed to be one of the steadiest members of the company. Bilbo, still pale and shivering, staid by Bofur's side, not that he had much of a choice as Bofur's protective side had come through and he would not let his friend go from his sight so easily again.
The members of the company learnt something new that night: hobbits and dwarves were not so different. All it took was a little fire, good company, and some food to eat for their moods to lighten and their spirits to become better.
Kíli and Fíli did well, on locating a place to set up a camp. It was a secure, safe place. Shaped in a circle. Surrounded by various rocks, and large trees, they were hidden and well protected, if they were to need protection. Glóin and Óin set up the fire, while Bombur begun to prepare the food. Each of the dwarves removed the thick, damp clothing from around their bodies and placed them down near the fire to dry. At first, they shivered because all that they were in were there undergarments. But, after the fire had been lit and had grown, they had felt better and the chill had disappeared.
They all sat crossed legged around the fire. Kíli and Fíli took their seats next to Thorin, who could see that there was still a little tension between them. Bofur fought for his seat next to Bilbo, who looked better within minutes. Dwalin eased down onto the ground beside Thorin and next to Balin.
Thorin's coat received the least water, for he had been the most skilled dwarf at maneuvering his barrel, and so he stood from the ground and walked to Bilbo, who sat comfortably in between Balin and Bofur.
"Master Baggins." Thorin said.
The light chatter that had filled the air vanished, and all watched as Bilbo dragged his eyes up to Thorin. He stared up at the King Under the Mountain with great trepidation, believing he might be scolded for falling from his barrel. But Thorin had no intention to scold Bilbo, instead he held out his coat to the burglar, who seemed to be the most effected from the chilling waves.
"To warm you." Thorin said simply.
Mixtures of emotion darted over Bilbo's face, before he smiled thankfully and allowed Thorin to lower the coat around him. The dwarves that sat around the fire now stared at Thorin with even more admiration, if possible, and then to Bilbo with great happiness.
"Oh, my. Thank you, Thorin." Bilbo smiled. "Thank you, and I'm sorry-"
"There is no need for an apology, Master Baggins." Thorin said, and then smiled.
Bilbo wore the same smile, as he nodded quickly. "Thank you."
Thorin appeared even more majestic as the glowing fire illuminated his face. He gave a nod of his head, before returning to his seat beside his nephews and Dwalin. The chatter around the fire resumed. Food was enjoyed. Conversation continued and became merrier. Even Dwalin's mood seemed to lightened, and he no longer scowled or cursed, but instead joined in with the conversation.
After they had spent a few moments huddled together, in a deep conversation with their heads practically pressed against each others, Kíli and Fíli eventually broke away and returned their attention to the conversations around them. The brothers looked much better now. Fíli looked well, and Kíli did not sulk anymore. Instead they smiled, and soon enough Kíli was back to his usual self. Laughing at Bofur's jokes, and making his own.
It had been an unpleasant, unexpected experience to say the least but they had all come out of it fine, much to Thorin's surprise. Now, it seemed, all were in much better moods as they talked and sung. Laughter was shared, about how dangerous it had been and how ridiculous the story would sound once retold. Thorin even laughed, and it was a welcome sound to all.
And it was here in the forest where twelve dwarves and a hobbit, recovering from a rocky and cold ride, got along. It was here, crowded around a fire, sitting shoulder to shoulder on the ground, that there were no barriers between them. It was here that they felt like a real company.
A/N: So, this is just my interpretation of the barrel scenes that we've seen fragments of in trailers..The company was in some sort of trouble when Fílii and Kíli found the barrels, and thought it would be good to go down the river in them. Clearly, not all agreed with them. The idea came to me, and wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it. I felt like writing something lighter, something that showed the bond of the company, and this was the result.
I hope you like it. I really enjoyed writing it, and hope my portrayals of the members of the company are accurate.
Enjoy!
P.s. Not long until the next movie comes out! :D Although, in Australia we have to wait until the 26th...Still, not so long away!
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