Chapter 10: A Warm Welcome
After a while the river rounded a steep shoulder of land that came down upon their left.
Then Dawn saw it straight ahead and smiled.
"That is the Lonely Mountain," Legolas said having spotted what Dawn was staring at. "Can I ask you something?" Dawn nodded. "Back in my father's caverns. The dwarves called you Ms. Summers."
"My birth name is Dawn Summers. I am actually half-elf. My mother is human," Dawn said.
Legolas nodded as he looked toward Dawn. "Then she is …"
"A very long and difficult story," Dawn said. "You see I was not actually born on this world. I wasn't actually even born. I was created with magic to hide this thing called the Key. The monks that created me used my sister/mother's blood and somehow reached into this world and took a sample of my father's blood. That is how I am a daughter of Elrond. And the reason I refer to my mother as sister/mother is because I was given the memories of being her sister. So she is a little bit of each."
"So your mother still lives," Legolas said. He was not the wisest of the elves but he had heard of elves who had traveled to other dimensions. Some similar to Middle Earth and some radically different. He decided it was within the realm of possibility that Dawn was telling the truth.
"Yes," Dawn said.
After a while the river took a more southerly course and the Mountain receded again, and at last, late in the day the shores grew rocky, the river gathered all its wandering waters together into a deep and rapid flood, and they swept along at great speed.
Not far from the mouth of the Forest River was a town built on the surface of the lake, protected from the swirl of the entering river by a promontory of rock which formed a calm bay.
As soon as the raft of barrels came in sight of the town boats rowed out from the piles and gathered the barrels up on the dock. They were surprised when they saw Legolas and Dawn.
"Who are you?" one of the men asked.
"I am Legolas, son of Thranduil," Legolas said. "Leave the barrels for now. I want to make sure they arrived in one piece."
The workers quickly left and under the cover of night Legolas and Dawn opened the barrels letting the dwarves out.
"Well! Here we are!" said Thorin. "And I suppose we ought to thank our stars and Legolas, son of Thranduil, and Ms. Summers. I am sure they had a right to expect it, though I wish they could have arranged a more comfortable journey. No doubt we shall feel properly grateful, when we are fed and recovered. In the meanwhile what next?"
"I suggest Lake-town," said Legolas. "What else is there?"
Nothing else could, of course, be suggested; so leaving the others Thorin, Fili, Kili, Legolas and Dawn went along the shore to the great bridge. There were guards at the head of it as they walked up.
"Who are you and what do you want?" the guards shouted leaping to their feet and groping for weapons.
"I am Legolas," Legolas said. "You know of my father, Thranduil of the woodland elves."
"I am Ariel," Dawn said, "Daughter of Elrond of Rivendell."
"Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King under the Mountain!" said Thorin. "I have come back. I wish to see the Master of your town!"
The captain of the guard came forward. "And who are these?" he asked, pointing to Fili and Kili.
"The sons of my father's daughter," answered Thorin, "Fili and Kili of the race of Durin."
"If you come in peace lay down your arms!" said the captain.
Legolas lay down his bow.
Dawn's sword was hidden beneath her clothes. Buffy had taught her that to not have a stake handy was to be food for a vampire. The same thinking applied here so it like the ring she had found remained hidden.
"We have none," said Thorin. "We have no need of weapons, who return at last to our own as spoken of old. Nor could we fight against so many. Take us to your master!"
"He is at feast," said the captain.
"I believe he would make an exception for the son of Thranduil, the daughter of Elrond and the King under the Mountain," said Legolas.
"Follow me then," said the captain, and with six men about them he led them over the bridge through the gates and into the market-place of the town. From one great hall shone many lights and there came the sound of many voices. They passed its doors and stood blinking in the light looking at long tables filled with folk.
"I am Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King under the Mountain! I return!" cried Thorin in a loud voice from the door, before the captain could say anything.
"I am Legolas, son of Thranduil of the woodland elves," Legolas said.
"And I am Ariel, daughter of Elrond of Rivendell," Dawn said.
All leaped to their feet. The Master of the town sprang from his great chair. But none rose in greater surprise than the several who were sitting at the lower end of the hall. They had come to tell the Master of the town about the dwarves that had escaped. Pressing forward before the Master's table they cried:
"These dwarves are prisoners of our king that escaped, wandering vagabond dwarves that could not give any good account of themselves, sneaking through the woods and molesting our people!"
The elves did not mention of course either Dawn or Legolas in their claim. They would not risk the wrath of Thranduil in implicating his son in the escape. Nor would they risk the wrath of Elrond of Rivendell in implicating Dawn.
"Is this true?" asked the Master.
"My father wrongfully waylaid these fine people," Legolas said. "Besides this town is not within my father's realm. We speak to the Master of the town of the Men of the Lake, not to my father's people."
Then the Master hesitated and looked from one to the other, finally he nodded. Soon afterwards the other dwarves were brought into the town amid scenes of astonishing enthusiasm. They were all doctored and fed and housed and pampered in the most delightful and satisfactory fashion. A large house was given up to Thorin and his company; boats and rowers were put at their service; and crowds sat outside and sang songs all day, or cheered if any dwarf showed so much as his nose.
Within a week they were quite recovered, fitted out in fine cloth of their proper colors, with beards combed and trimmed, and proud steps. Thorin looked and walked as if his kingdom was already regained and Smaug chopped up into little pieces.
At the end of a fortnight Thorin began to think of departure. While the enthusiasm still lasted in the town was the time to get help. It would not do to let everything cool down with delay. So he spoke with the Master, his councilors and Legolas and said that soon he and his company must go on towards the Mountain.
Despite Dawn's objections Legolas said he intended to stay at her side as her protection. In that fortnight he had grown to love Dawn quite a bit, and Dawn had come to love him. He told Dawn of his life, their customs, and why she was referred to as Lady Ariel. Elrond was an Elven Lord, he said, despite the fact that he did not flaunt his title or position like Legolas' own father did. And as Elrond's daughter she received the same recognition as her father. And Dawn told him of her life in Sunnydale, especially of Buffy.
"Certainly, O Thorin, Thrain's son, Thror's son!" the Master said. "You must claim your own. The hour is at hand, spoken of old. What help we can offer shall be yours, and we trust to your gratitude when your kingdom is regained."
So one day three large boats left Lake-town, laden with rowers, dwarves, Dawn and Legolas, and many provisions. Horses and ponies had been sent round by circuitous paths to meet them at their appointed landing-place.