I wrote a good portion of this while sucking down a root beer float and having my cat stare intensely at me.

Chapter 14 The Bargeman

"I think I'm going to be sick." Helena moaned from her barrel.

Fili looked over at his One with his hand holding onto the side of her container. He didn't blame her for saying that, between the smell of the apples from the casks and the motion of the river, he was feeling a little queasy himself. The river had finally calmed down, and the company was now paddling along in their barrels with their hands. Fili looked around at everyone else in the bobbing barrels, counting off to make sure everyone was there. He saw Gavin coming up to them, kicking his way along with a barrel in front of him.

"Anything behind us?" Thorin called back from his spot at the head of the group.

Balin twisted around the best he could to look about. "Not that I can see."

"I think we've outrun the orcs." Bofur said loudly, sounding optimistic.

Thorin looked around as well, "Not for long; we've lost the current. Make for the shore! Come on, let's go!"

They all begin to paddle to the riverbank towards a slab of rock jutting out a bit into the river. Fili rolled out of his barrel as soon as his and Helena's hit solid ground and she scrambled out of her as quickly as possible. Both of them worshipping the stone that they were laying on silently. Her hand found his and their fingers curled around each other's. A shadow fell across their heads, causing both of them to open their eyes and look up. Gavin was standing there as drenched they were looking at Helena expectantly.

"Are the bags still intact?"

She huffed and sat up, letting go of Fili's hand in the process. Rolling herself back to the barrel that was still shored, Helena pulled out her bow and arrows and the two bags he had tossed in with her before their waterpark ride. She threw the bags up at him and flopped back down by Fili, her head landing on his chest. It didn't last longer than a few seconds as the three of them heard a hiss near them and saw Kili struggling further up the rocks holding his leg in pain.

Gavin grabbed Helena to stand her up as Fili shot to his feet and ran over to his brother. His hands hovered over the wound as Bofur sat near them looking at Kili in concern.

"I'm fine, it's nothing." Kili tried to assure his brother.

Helena came up to the brunette's other side and knelt to inspect the wound herself. "Gavin?" The tattooed man crouched down next to her and peered at the injury as well. "What do you think?"

"I think he needs to get the arrowhead out."

All of them looked over to Thorin when they heard his order of "On your feet."

Fili was the one to speak up for them. "Kili's wounded. His leg needs binding."

"There's an orc pack on our tail; we keep moving." They all heard the bark in his voice.

"To where?" Balin inquired, gesturing around them.

Bilbo stepped forward, "To the mountain; we're so close."

"A lake lies between us and that mountain. We have no way to cross it."

"So then we go around."

Dwalin scoffed at the hobbit. "The orcs will run us down, as sure as daylight. We have no weapons to defend ourselves. Mostly." He added spotting Helena with her weapons.

A frustrated outbreath left Thorin. "Bind his leg, quickly. You have two minutes."

Oin joined the group around Kili and they made way for the healer to bind his leg. The others took the opportunity to sit down and catch their breath, wring their clothes out and empty their boots of water. Unbeknownst to them, a man was sneaking up over the pile of rocks and aimed an arrow at Ori who was by the riverbank alone. As everyone began to realize the man standing over them armed, they jumped up and Dwalin moved in front of Ori holding a thick branch. He raised the branch, beginning to charge the man and arrow embedded itself right in the middle of the branch, between Dwalin's hands. Kili got to his feet and raised a rock to throw, but it was shot out of his grasp.

With another arrow pointed at the group, the man spoke to them. "Do it again, and you're dead."

"I could say the same to you."

Helena was crouched to the man's left with her own arrow pointed at him, apart from the group of dwarves. She had only left a few minutes ago with Gavin to change into the mostly dry clothes that had been in one of the two bags, feeling only slightly bad about not having any extras for her dwarves. What she hadn't expected upon returning was them being held at the point of a weapon by a man whose face was darkened by the sun at his back. Helena could feel the eyes of the company looking between her and the man. His arm drew back slightly causing her to do the same, ready to let loosen her arrow the moment he did.

Thorin looked at the girl pointing a bow half the size of the one pointed at them and moved his stare to a movement behind the man. Almost as quick as an Elf, he saw Gavin dart forward and point the two knives he held against the skin of the man's neck and side. "I dare you to try."

The bow was lowered slightly and Balin, who is standing near the edge of the group, looks around him and saw a barge floating in the river. He approached the man slowly with his hands held in the air. "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 gave a slight wave of his hand at Gavin who raised his pierced brow and lowered his knives, taking a step back.

Bard lowered his bow completely and looked at the dwarf curiously. Helena lowered hers as well, but kept her hand ready. "What of it?"

Fili walked over to Helena with one eye on the Laketown man. She had changed into another dress that clung to her wet skin. "I don't suppose you have any spare clothes for me?"

She grinned up at him, "I don't think you will fit into one of my dresses, my kidhuzur upndar."

He took another step, crowding her personal space. "Parts of me could."

Helena snorted and leaned against him, resting her cheek against his chest as she watched Balin talk to the bowman. She squinted when the man turned on his heel and walked back to his barge. Letting out a whistled melody, Helena waiting still leaning into Fili until she heard an answering twill and saw Daemyn diving out of the sky to land on her shoulder. He sang to her and pulled at her hair with his beak.

"Where were you hiding him this time?"

"I told him to leave Mirkwood last night and to catch up to us if we escaped completely." Helena said looking up at Fili with her chin now resting on his damp clothes. "Come on, I think we are following him." She grabbed his hand and led him to where Gavin was waiting for them with Kili who was leaning against him. They followed the others to see the man climbing aboard his barge.

After he set his bow and arrow to the side, he grabbed one of the barrels. "What makes you think I will help you?"

Balin stepped forward, being the best negotiator of them. "Those boots have seen better days." He watched as the empty barrels were loaded onto the barge. "As has that coat. No doubt you have some hungry mouths to feed. How many bairns?"

Pausing to load another barrel, the man looked at Balin. "A boy and two girls."

"And your wife, I'd imagine she's a beauty."

He stopped completely this time, sadness apparent in his eyes. "Aye. She was."

Balin's pleasant smile faded. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

He was interrupted by Dwalin whispering loudly to Thorin. "Oh, come on, come on, enough with the niceties."

"What's your hurry?" The bowman asked looking the fierce dwarf over.

"What's it to ya?"

"I would like to know who you are and what you are doing in these lands."

Balin answered before his brother could open his mouth again. "We are simple merchants from the Blue Mountains journeying to see our kin in the Iron Hills."

"Simple merchants, you say?"

Thorin stepped up next to Balin. "We'll need food, supplies, weapons. Can you help us?"

He turned away, looking at the barrels and examining the various dents and nicks they received during the fight with the orcs. His hands ran over the splintered wood as he gave a reply. "I know where these barrels came from."

"What of it?"

"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." Saying that, he boarded his barge and tossed a rope to Balin.

Thorin nudged and mouthed to Balin "Offer him more."

The white haired dwarf took another step forward. "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."

The suspicious look he was thrown spoke volumes as the man's dark eyes looked over the group. His eyes rested on the petite young woman next to the blonde dwarf and the man who had held him at knife point. She was watching a robin perched on her raised hand, listening to it sing. He looked back to the dwarf who was playing diplomat. With a curt nod, he moved from the barge entrance and the company hurried aboard.

Helena settled herself a few feet from where the man took up position to steer the barge, Fili on one side with Gavin and Kili on the other. She saw Bilbo walk over to him and speak lowly, offering a smile before walking away to the other side where the rest of the dwarves were. A tug on her dress had her looking to her right where Kili had a fist attached to her skirt.

"I haven't heard o-one of your s-stories in a while." He gritted out through the pain in his leg.

Ignoring the amused look Gavin was giving her, Helena turned slightly to face Kili better and leaned her back into Fili's side. Daemyn was once again perched on her shoulder trying to find more warmth under her hair. She didn't say anything while trying to pick a story from the ones she remembered. "Have you ever heard of the Golden Goose?" At the negative shake of his dark head, Helena started her story. "There was once a man who had three sons, the youngest of whom was called the Simpleton. He was laughed at and despised and neglected on all occasions…"

Helena wove the story of the third son who was generous to a little gray man whereas his brothers weren't and was rewarded with a golden goose. Kili's eyes remained focused on her as her arms told the story with her words of the people who became stuck to the young man carrying the goose and how he made the stern princess laugh. She could feel Fili chuckle when she spoke of the three trials Simpleton had to prove in order to win the princess as his bride.

"And the wedding was celebrated, and after the King's death, the Simpleton inherited the Kingdom, and lived very happily ever after with his wife." Helena finished her story, unaware that the bargeman was listening to her also as he paddled them across the lake. Looking around, she noticed it was very foggy and the barge was pushing aside ice floating on the water.

"Do all of the fairytales from where you are from always end happily?"

Before Helena had a chance to answer, Bofur was shouting from his spot on the other end of the barge.

"Watch out!"

A large stone structure emerged from the fog and the man expertly poled the barge between the rock formations, which they noticed to be ancient ruins.

"What are you trying to do, drown us?" Thorin accused.

"I was born and bred on these waters, Master Dwarf. If I wanted to drown you, I would not do it here."

"Oh I have enough of this lippy lakeman. I say we throw him over the side and be done with him." Dwalin growled to Thorin.

Bilbo answered looking just a bit angry. "Ohh, Bard, his name's Bard."

Bofur looked over at him curiously. "How do you know?"

"Uh, I asked him."

Helena held back her laughter at the obviousness in the statement and heard Dwalin say to Thorin "I don't care what he calls himself, I don't like him."

Balin stepped into the conversation. "We do not have to like him, we simply have to pay him. Come on now, lads, turn out your pockets."

The dwarves began pulling out their money and valuables. Dwalin whispers to Thorin, "How do we know he won't betray us?"

"We don't."

Balin, who was counting the money, looks up at Thorin. "There's, um, just a problem: we're ten coins short."

Thorin shrugged his shoulders and moved his gaze to another dwarf. "Gloin. Come on. Give us what you have."

Gloin looked offended at the words said to him. "Don't look to me. I have been bled dry by this venture! And what have I seen for my investment? Naught but misery and grief and-"

Gloin stops talking when he realizes that all the others have slowly stood up and are looking at something in the distance. "Bless my beard. Take it. Take all of it."

Helena and Gavin looked in the distance at the mountain peak the dwarves were staring at in longing as Gloin handed Balin a sack of coins he had secretly withheld before. Bilbo coughed to get the dwarves attention and gestures his head toward Bard, who was approaching their end of the barge.

Bard held out his hand, "The money, quick, give it to me."

Thorin looked at him stonily, "We'll pay you when we get our provisions, but not before."

"If you value your freedom, you'll do as I say. There are guards ahead."

They saw his eyes look passed and above them and they turned see the rooftops of Laketown in the distance. The dark structures sent a shiver down Helena's spine and looking up she saw Gavin's forehead furrowed in thought. Turning her eyes to Bard, she saw him getting the other dwarves and Bilbo back into the barrels. He walked back over to where they were and looked down between Kili and Fili.

"The two of you need to get in the barrels, quickly."

"What about me?" Helena asked.

Bard switched his dark gaze to her, then to Gavin and back to her. "While I am not sure if you are a dwarf or not, you don't look like one and he won't fit in a barrel." He added gesturing to Gavin. "There will be less questions that I found a brother and sister escaping in a river from orcs than I would with just one man. Although you will need to cover up your head." His eyes lingered on the stone in her forehead.

"I'm wondering if this thing is more trouble than it's worth." Helena grumbled to herself. Holding onto Fili's hand, she focused on him and what he was feeling. Tugging at his hand, she brought his attention from the man to herself. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Fili cocked his head at her. He looked down at their joined hands, flicking his blue eyes to the stone and then to her eyes. Helena nodded and smiled at him. "Will you check for me?" He asked his One, not sure if her apprehension towards touching others had improved in the time they were imprisoned.

Helena bit her lip and looked over at Bard who shifted nervously on his feet at the docks coming into view. "Gavin, help Kili into a barrel please. Fili will join in a moment." She waited until Gavin walked away before releasing Fili's hand and holding her own out to Bard. "May I have your hand?" She was given a suspicious look at the nervousness in her voice before he presented his calloused hand to her. Helena grabbed the larger hand with both of hers and concentrated on the man. Slowly, she began to feel his emotions trickle through her hands. He was cold, and tired. Weary and nervous of what he about to do, worry for his children if the dwarves were found. Her eyes almost bore into his hand as she searched for any ill will towards them. Helena let go after a minute and stepped away, "You are a good man Bard. Even though you aren't fond of dwarves, you are willing to help us for the aid we needed." Helena grabbed Fili's hand again and dragged him over to an empty barrels.

Fili gripped her hand tightly as she led him away. He was nervous about this whole situation, him hiding and her out in the open. Even if Gavin was with her, it went against everything he was taught. He jumped into the barrel and turned around to face his One. "Please be careful ê abnâmul ugrur abbad."

"I will. Stop worrying so much." She smoothed down the front of his shirt and smiled. "My protective kidhuzur upndar." Helena saw and felt his hands grab her head, thumbs at her cheeks and fingers under her ears against her neck. Fili lowered his head as she raised hers to meet his mouth midway, his chapped lips moved against hers and Helena wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him closer. When Fili slipped his tongue into her mouth she jolted at the sensation and moaned, tugging at his long hair. A cough at their side broke them apart and Helena glared up at Gavin who was smirking at her. Fili dropped his hands to her waist as her arms unwound from his neck.

"Come on now, he needs to be hidden."

"Go away." Helena kept her glare on him as he walked away to where Bard had taken up his position steering again. Turning back to Fili, her heart skipped a beat at the dark color of his eyes staring at her. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her stone and Helena's hands flew to the top of the barrel as his emotions rushed her and made her legs weak. "That's not fair" she breathed out.

Fili chuckled and gave her a brief kiss on the lips before dropping down into the barrel. The fierce glare she was giving him was dulled slightly by the color change in her eyes and drooping eyelids. She disappeared from his sight and he felt the vibrations of her light footsteps through the wood of the barge and his hiding spot.

Helena plopped herself onto Gavin's thigh where he motioned her to and sat still as he wound a length of cloth around the crown of her head, covering the Valar stone completely. Once he was done, she pulled her long hair over her shoulder and quickly braided it, replacing the silver clasp at the bottom. Helena caught Bard's eyes repeatedly going to her figure and frowning. "Do you have a question?"

"Are you a dwarf?" No evasion there.

"Yes and no, not born but blessed as one."

"How old are you then?"

Helena smiled at him, "I am 24 in the race of man and 78 in dwarf years."

Bard didn't try and hide his surprise or the inspection he gave over her face and body. "For the sake of this situation, I would suggest a different age. You don't look bigger than a child."

"She acts like one too," Gavin quickly wrapped his arms around her knowing she would elbow him.

After struggling to free her arms for a minute, Helena gave up and sat still. Gavin loosened his arms and she leaned into his chest, watching as Daemyn flew above them circling the barge.

kidhuzur upndar- golden lion

ê abnâmul ugrur abbad- my beautiful echo