I only own my character. Anything you recognize is not mine. Just saying.
I am awoken to Bofur speaking loudly. I stretch and wait for Bilbo calmly.
"We're never going to reach the mountain, are we?" Ori asks, losing hope. Seriously, does nobody listen to me?
"Not stuck in here, you're not!" Bilbo appears. The dwarves begin to cheer but Bilbo shushes them.
He unlocks everyone's cell, starting with Thorin. I am next and Thorin immediately grabs my arm in a possesive way. Our eyes meet.
"I have not forgotten about last night." He says in a low tone. Oh shit is he actually angry? We all are led deep into the palace. The wine cellar. At the sight of the cellars the dwarves get mad.
"I know what I'm doing!" Bilbo huffs.
"Shhh!" Bofur tries.
"This way." Bilbo leads on to the room with the barrels. I climb in one before Bilbo even says to.
"Everyone, climb into the barrels, quickly! Like Luna!" He motions to the barrels but the dwarves don't believe this.
"Are you mad?! They'll find us!" Dwalin exclaims.
"Get in the damn barrels!" I counter rudely. The dwarves look from Bilbo to me then to Thorin. With a nod of his head all the dwarves pile in.
"Stubborn dwarves." I mutter as I go back into mine fully. Thorin goes into the head barrel, the one next to mine. Talk about keeping watch, jeez.
"Hold your breath." Bilbo says and the lever is pulled. We all start to fall. This is not fun! I keep in my scream as we fall. I do scream and inhale water when we hit it though. I splutter and cough up the water and breathe air. Better.
We wait for Bilbo, because I told them so. When he finally falls we cheer.
"Well done, Master Baggins." Thorin says before we all start to paddle into the current.
"Come on, let's go." Thorin says. Onward indeed.
The current gets stronger. We no longer have to paddle. This should be interesting. I hum and close my eyes to try to distract myself of this part.
"Hold on!" Thorin yells and the rapids begin. Our barrels plunge through quickly and rather rough. We go and go until the rapids even out. I peak out and see the gate. The doors are shutting. Orcs. I look to where they are going to come from. We all pile up at the closed gates but my eyes are focusing on where the orcs are going to come from. Before they show I shout.
"Orcs!" The elves are immediately on guard. Perhaps this will help us. With the elves on alert not as many jump at us in the water. But Kili still has to open the gate and get shot. I hope I haven't changed anything and Tauriel helps him later. I pray and duck lower into my barrel.
I don't know how much time has passed but the gate opens. I know without having to check because I feel us moving again. More riding the river. So not happy right now.
I hear and feel the barrel shake a bit from having arrows hit it. Oh shit! I don't even peak my head out. Not risking it. I can stay down and live… hopefully. I miss all the action but I have already seen it before. Good enough for me.
I peak later when we have outrun the orcs and the river has calmed.
"Anything behind us?" Thorin calls.
"Not that I can see." Balin answers.
"I think we've outrun the orcs." Bofur says feeling opptimistic.
"Not for long; we've lost the current." Thorin says being smart.
"Make for the shore! Come on, let's go!" Thorin commands and everyone paddles to it.
"Come on!" Dwalin says as he calls to the others but helps me from the water.
"Thanks." I say as I go to sit and gather myself. What a not so fun part of the journey.
"On your feet." Thorin commands. I don't stand. I know we have a bit before we move.
"Kili's wounded. His leg needs binding." Fili wants to help his brother. Good.
"There's an orc pack on our tail; we keep moving." Thorin is so stubborn I just want to shake him.
"To where?" Balin asks wisely.
"To the mountain. We're so close." Bilbo says not knowing.
"A lake lies between us and that mountain. We have no way to cross it." Balin argues.
"So the we go around." Bilbo says. The orcs will run us down, as sure as daylight. We have no weapons to defend ourselves." Dwalin tells Bilbo.
"Bind his leg, quickly. You have two minutes." Thorin says. I move away from the group and begin to hum to myself as I ring out my clothes. All I have is my dress and pants I put on underneath. The dress really hold water. I have to ring it out in parts to get it all.
"Do it again, and you're dead." Bard is here. I get up and turn around. He didn't even see me. I come up behind him.
"He means no harm." I say. It must startle him because he turns and aims the arrow at me.
"Leave her alone!" Thorin yells. The arrow goes to him now.
"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 tries. Bard lowers his bow.
He ignores Balin and goes back to his barge.
"What makes you think I will help you?" He asks as we all approach him.
"Those boots have seen better days." Balin goes into his whole spiel. I ignore him as I look around where we are. I know the orcs don't show up but they don't.
Balin manages to get Bard to take us to Laketown, finally. We all hop on the barge and Bard takes us over the lake.
I look out over the lake in silence. It has a weird kind of beauty to it. A bit cold but I like it. The fog makes it hard to see where we are going but I trust Bard.
"You are cold." Thorin says as he comes up beside me. I look to him then back out to the lake.
"I am fine." I lie. He wraps an arm around me and pulls me into him. The heat his body puts out is too good to refuse. I lean in to him and rest my head on his shoulder.
"Watch out!" Bofur freaks. I don't flinch like everyone else.
"What are you trying to do, drown us?" Thorin releases me and takes a step towards the man.
"I was born and bred on these waters, Master Dwarf. If I wanted to drown you, I would not do it here." Bard says sassily. I smile at him. I like Bard. He was always a favorite.
"Oh I have enough of this lippy lakeman. I say we throw him over the side and be done with him." I glare at Dwalin.
"Stupid dwarf." I say, not caring if they can hear me. I don't see the glare Dwalin gives me and the smirk Bard has on his face.
"Ohh, Bard. His name's Bard." Bilbo huffs at the lack of manners from the dwarves.
"How do you know?" Bofur asks.
"Uh, I asked him." Bilbo says like it is the most simple answer ever.
"I don't care what he cals himself, I don't like him." Dwalin says to Thorin.
"We do not have to like him, we simply have to pay him. Come on now, lads, turn out your pockets." Balin says. The dwarves gather. I go beside Bard.
"I apologize for their lack of manners or basic sense of decency." Bard looks at me.
"It is not your fault. So why do you travel with them?" He asks me seriously.
"Long story." I say, avoiding the conversation that could start. He accepts this and continues on.