- Wow, wow! Ouch!
The water streams is so strong that I'm impressed that the barrels hasn't broke and also that we haven't sunk down for all the water that are inside the barrels.
"How far is this going to last? I don't want to be in this river when and if the barrel breaks."
Just then, my barrel smashes into the riverbank and I grunt in pain again as my rib's smacks in a very uncomfortable way.
"If this stream doesn't calm down soon, either the barrel breaks or my ribs will."
I close my eyes and hope that this bumpy ride will be over before the water wins the battle against the barrel and I will drown.
I can't crawl myself to a ball inside the barrel, if I would do that, then I don't know how hard I will knock my head when the barrel smashes into the riverbank again.
But luckily for us, or my head, the strong streams calms down and when I open my eyes again, I sigh in relief and I look up to the sky and smile.
"Thank you, whoever heard my call for help. You helped us survive this monster stream."
- Anything behind us?
Thorin screams.
I look behind and when I look around, I can feel the fear grow in me as my eyes search everywhere for Orcs or elves.
But when I can't see anything more than trees and very tall cliffs that surrounds us, I sigh in relief and I look back at Thorin and screams.
- Not that I can see!
- I think we've outrun the Orcs!
Bofur shouts from his barrel.
I look at him and pinch myself in my arm.
Bofur's hat is drenched with water so it is covering his eyes so he can't see anything, and I guess his barrel are almost filled with water for it is tilting to the side.
- Not for long; we've lost the current. Make for the shore! Come on, let's go!
Thorin screams as he points at the shore that is on my right side.
I start to paddle with my hands to get as close to the shore as I can before I climb out of the barrel. Before I let the barrel follow the streams, I grab my backpack and make a sad face.
The backpack is completely drenched with water as well and the little hope I had that my drawings is somewhat looking like they did before float away with the water.
"Oh no."
Looking around, I see that no one is looking my way. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I make a quick gesture with my hand and the backpack dries itself somewhat, but I know that the drawings inside it are fully dry.
- On your feet!
Thorin says as he walks over to me and lay his hand on my shoulder.
I look up at him and smile as I nod my head and stand up. Thorin smiles back before turning around and walks over to the others.
- Kili's wounded. His leg needs binding.
Fili shouts.
I throw my backpack over my shoulder and walks over to where he, Bofur and Kili are.
There I kneel down beside Fili and he gives me a sad smile. I return the smile and look at Kili's leg.
"The wound is far worse than I thought."
"Well, considering that he has been in the water that can have all sort of infecting bacteria in it I shouldn't be so surprised."
-There's an Orc pack on our tail. We keep moving.
Thorin says as he gives Kili a quick glance.
- To where?
Balin asks.
- To the mountain. We're so close.
Bilbo says while he squeeze the sleeve of his jacket in an attempt to get out some of the water.
- A lake is between us and that mountain, Bilbo. We have no way to cross it.
I say as I look at him with sad eyes.
- So, then we go around.
- The Orcs will run us down, as sure as daylight. We have no weapons to defend ourselves.
Fili gives me a quick glance, but I shake my head.
~ But you have your knife.
~ I can't protect all of you by myself, Fili.
~ Bilbo has his sword.
~ No, Fili. We can't protect you all.
Fili sighs in anger but doesn't say anything more. I look away so he can't see the tears that forms in my eyes.
"He don't know the fear that I would have if I had to protect them all by myself. Even if I had Bilbo by my side. I couldn't even protect Kili even when I knew what would happen."
- Bind his leg, quickly. You have two minutes.
Thorin says.
Fili and Bofur starts to help Kili to bind his leg, and I walk over to Ori and sit down with a sigh.
Without having to say a word, Ori understands that I'm sad and he places his hand on my back and start to form small circles in an attempt to calm me down a little.
I look at him with sad eyes and the tears that I didn't wanted Fili to see falls down my cheeks.
Ori wipes away some of them before he gives me a smile. I return the smile, if only a weak one.
Still with the smile on his face, Ori takes of his shoe and empty it from all the water he has in it.
"That can't have been nice to have."
Then the feeling of that we are being watched hits me. At the same time, the unmistakable sound of a bow that's get stretched reach my ears.
"It's coming from behind us!"
Just as I jump up to protect Ori, Dwalin jumps in front of us with a branch in his hand.
But before anyone can react, Dwalin's branch gets an arrow impeded between his hands. Kili jumps up with some struggles with a rock in his hand, but the attacker is quick with his bow and shots the rock out of Kili's hand.
"He is not an Elf. But how can he be so good with bow and arrow?"
"Well, not everyone need to be an Elf to be good with bow and arrow."
"He must have met a Mind-Changer before. His mind are not entirely open, but it is still closed enough so I can't read it easily."
- Do it again, and you're dead.
The mysterious man says as he points his bow towards Dwalin.
I quickly walk over to Dwalin and place my hand on his arm and lower it. He looks at me with furious eyes but forces himself to calm down when he sees the determination in mine.
~ You saw how quick he was with the bow. Do you really want to risk your life when he warned you? I don't think that's a good idea, right?
Dwalin mumbles in Khuzdul and I roll my eyes.
"He really knows the worst words there is."
I give him an angry stare before I walk away from him and back to Ori to help him up. Ori gives me a quick nod and then look at the mysterious man.
- Excuse me, but, uh, you're from Laketown, if I'm not mistaken? That barge over there, it wouldn't be available for hire, by any chance?
Balin has walked up to this barge man with raised hands. The bargeman lowers his bow and look at him with questioned eyes.
"What do you have in mind Balin?"
I look at Balin and the mysterious man and then back at Balin.
The more I wonder about what Balin have in mind, the more I start to understand him.
"Laketown is the closes to the mountain and their weapons are one of the greatest weaponries that the world of Men have ever done. And they can help us to get as big distance from the Orcs than we have right now."
The stranger looks at us without saying a word. He then looks at his barge and then back at us.
- Why would you want to hire my barge?
- We can't get to the Iron Hills by ourselves. We don't have any boat and we can't walk on the water. If we could walk on the water, then we wouldn't be standing here.
I say as I walk up to Balin.
He gives me a quick glance with relief, and I nod towards him.
The man looks at me and I can see the recognition in his eyes.
"Oh, great. Here comes the question on why the Mind-Changer is with some Dwarves."
But that question never comes.
Instead, he opens his mind to me as he walks over to his barge and start to load the barrels onto the barge.
"That was nothing I saw coming. He opened up his mind to me without even saying a word."
We walk after him and he gives us a questioned glance.
- What makes you think that I will help you?
He asks.
I gently push Balin towards the man and Balin takes a deep breath before he stars to talk.
"This will be interesting. Bard over here will be a hard one to convince to help us to reach that mountain. But we really needs to get to Laketown so we can get some food and some weapons."
- Oh, come on, come on, enough with the niceties.
Dwalin mumbles loudly beside Thorin and Bard gives him an amusement glance.
- What's your hurry?
- What's it to you?
~ Dwalin! Do you want to reach Erebor or not?
~ Of course, I want to Ratcha.
~ Then cut it with your snapping comebacks! We won't reach Erebor in time if you don't learn how to keep your mouth shut when it has to. And if you want to lecture me on my behavior, then learn how to control yours first. I can control mine but if I have to lose my temper because of that you can't stop being mean and cruel then so beat it.
Dwalin look at me but doesn't say anything.
- I don't know what business you had with the Elves, but I don't think it ended well. No one enters Laketown but by leave of the Master. All his wealth comes from trade with the Woodland Realm. He will see you in irons before risking the wrath of King Thranduil.
Bard says as he tosses the rope to Balin.
Balin looks at Thorin for help and Thorin mouths that he should offer more.
- I'll wager there are ways to enter that town unseen.
- Aye. But for that, you will need a smuggler.
- For which we will pay double.
Bard looks at Balin with suspicious eyes.
He then looks at the rest of us and when he meets my eyes, I nod towards him and he looks back at Balin.
- Alright.
The relief that everyone gets overwhelms me and I take a moment before I walk onto the barge with the others and Bard push the barge out into the river.
I walk to the front of the barge where Thorin stands and places one hand on his back. He looks at me with questioned eyes and I smile at him before saying.
- We will reach the mountain, Thorin. We're so close now that nothing can stop us. Don't worry, soon you will be the rightfully King under the Mountain.
Thorin smiles and lays one arm over my shoulders.
- And you will be the Princess under the Mountain.
- I think I'll just want to be a Mind-Changer. I'm not of the royalty material as Fili and Kili. And I don't think your kin would like to have me as their Princess.
- We will teach you. My kin may not like it at the beginning, but they will come around it. And you can explore Middle-Earth how much you want.
- Thank you, uncle.
Thorin squeezes my shoulder and smile at me. I smile back towards him and look out into the misty water.
"We are so close now. I can feel it."
"But why do I have this nagging feeling that not everything is as it should be?"
