"Anything behind us?" Thorin yelled to the group as he paddled his barrel to the riverbank. "Not that I can see!" Balin yelled to him. Bofur popped up from his barrel and scanned the area. "I think we've outrun the Orcs!" he optimistically said.

"Not for long; we've lost the current!" Thorin answered. The waterlogged group had narrowly escaped the Woodland Elves and Orcs. "Bofur's half-drowned!" Dwalin called out as many of the dwarves began to paddle to the riverbank.

They slowly made it to the riverbank. Thirteen dwarves and a hobbit all soaked. If it wasn't for the hobbit, they would still be imprisoned in the Woodland Realm of King Thranduil.

The Eagle dropped me off onto the banks of a river leading to Laketown by a barge. I scanned the surrounding area hoping I would see the Company. They should have made it to Laketown by now. Hopefully. I walked away from the barge and began to head north up the river. My gut told me that's where they would be.

I found the indention of footprints. A man. He was headed the same way I was. I followed the footprints, leading me to a riverbank. A riverbank full of dwarves. The man was there too. He stood above on the rocks; his bow aimed at Ori. No one noticed the man ad he aimed to shoot Ori. I jumped into action. Darting towards the man, unsheathing my sword and stepping between him and Ori. I slashed the arrow in half as he shot. Kili grabbed a rock and tried to throw it at the man who shot the rock out of Kili's hand. The man pulled another arrow out of his quiver and aimed at my head. "Do it again… and you're dead."

"I was gonna say the same to you." I mused as I readied myself. Everyone stared up at the man. My gaze never wavered as I stared daggers at him. "Excuse me, but, uh, you're from Laketown, if I'm not mistaken?" Balin piped up, approaching the man slowly with his hands in the air. "That barge over there, it wouldn't be available for hire, by any chance?"

The man began to lower his bow. He turned back and headed for the barge, grabbing the barrels on the riverbank. "What makes you think I will help you?" he asked as he rolled the barrels onto his barge. "Those boots have seen better days. As has that coat. No doubt you have some hungry mouths to feed. How many bairns?" Balin asked. The man glanced up at Balin before turning back to his work. "A boy and two girls."

"And your wife, I'd imagine she's a beauty." Balin chuckled. The man stared at the lake as he finished rolling a barrel onto the barge. "Aye," he said, "she was." I watched Balin's smile fade as I watched the conversation from on top of one of the boulders. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-" Balin began to apologize before getting cut off by his brother. "Oh, come on, come on, enough with the niceties." Dwalin whispered loudly to Thorin, from on top of the boulder we were on.

The man turned to Dwalin, "what's your hurry?"

"What's it to you?" Dwalin questioned, crossing his arms defiantly.

The man stepped off the barge. "I would like to know who you are and what you are doing in these lands." Everyone glanced between each other, trying to come up with an explanation. The man propped himself up on one of the barrels. "We are simple merchants from the Blue Mountains journeying to see our kin in the Iron Hills," Balin formulated as he lied to the man. The man locked eyes with me. "Simple merchants, you say?" he asked, his eyes never leaving their gaze on me.

"We need food, supplies, weapons. Can you help us?" Thorin questioned, stepping up next to Balin. The man ran his hand along the nicks and dents the barrels had. "I know where these barrels came from." He said.

"What of it?" Thorin demanded.

"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." The man explained. I locked eyes with Bilbo, who shook his head at me, indicating something had happened between them and Thranduil that he didn't want to discuss yet. Too bad, because he will be discussing that with me later. The man began to take the rope off his barge that kept him connected to the dock. He threw the rope at Balin.

Balin turned to Thorin who motioned for him to persuade the man more. "I'll wager there are ways to enter that town unseen." Balin spoke up. The man stopped in his tracks as he grabbed his bow and quiver. "Aye. But for that, you will need a smuggler."

"For which we would pay double."

We rode silently on the lake. Winter had come early for Laketown as I watched us pass ice blocks on top of the water. Fog had rolled in, covering us from wandering eyes. Although the fog benefited our concealment, we could not see anything around us. The air around us had grown colder. I rubbed my arms to make some heat form against my arms. I wish I had a blanket now.

"Watch out!" Bofur called out. We turned to see large stone formations appearing out of the fog. The man poled the barge between the stone formations which turned out to be ruins upon further inspection.

"What are you trying to do, drown us?" Thorin hissed at the man who smirked at him. "I was born and bred on these waters, Master Dwarf. If I wanted to drown you, I would not do it here." The man said as I smiled at him, but the smile disappeared when Thorin glared at me. "Oh, I've had enough of this lippy Lakeman. I say we throw him over the side and be done with it," Dwalin mentioned as he turned to Bofur. I rolled my eyes at him as Bilbo shook his head. "Bard, his name's Bard." We looked at Bilbo as he crossed his arms to stay warm. "How do you know?" Bofur asked.

"Uh, I asked him."

"I don't care what he calls himself. I don't like him," Dwalin whined.

"We do not have to like him. We simply have to pay him. Come on now, lads. Turn out your pockets." Everyone did as Balin requested and fumbled through their pockets to find any loose change. I patted my pockets to show Balin that I was beyond broke. I stepped away from the group and walked back towards Bard, positioning myself to watch the water and the area.

He silently steered the barge through the water. "Can I ask you a question?" he spoke up. I turned to face him. "Why have you surrounded yourself with a company of dwarves and a halfling?" He questioned as I gazed at The Company who was currently trying to get more money out of Gloin. "That would take some time to explain." I answered, a smile forming on my face as my eyes focused on Thorin who motioned for Gloin to give more money. "Then start at the beginning. Where are you from?" Bard questioned.

"Oh, no. I don't do backstories. What about you, Lakeman?" I crossed my arms, propping my back against the side of the barge. Bard said nothing as he gazed forward. Something spooked him and he went towards the Company, jumping down from his post. "The money, quick, give it to me."

"We'll pay you when we get our provisions but not before." Thorin said as he and Bard locked eyes.

"If you value your freedom, you'll do as I say. There are guards ahead." We turned to look and saw the city Laketown peering out of the fog, sitting silently on the lake.

Bilbo and I began to push the dwarves into barrels. All thirteen were inside their barrels as we neared closer to the guard shacks. I motioned for Bilbo to get in his, when I realized there was only fourteen barrels. There was no hiding place for me. "Get in a barrel!" Bard whisper yelled at me. I pointed to the barrels. "I can't!" I whisper yelled back. I scanned the barge for any spot where I could hide. "Give me your coat." I whispered to him. Bard's eyes widened with confusion. "It's the only way to fool them." I said. Bard nodded and shrugged off his coat.

Just in time, too.

He went onto the wharf and spoke to one of the guards. I watched the two men talk for a few minutes before shaking hands and Bard began to walk back. Before Bard had made it back onto the barge, a chute connected to the wharf began to fill the barrels up with fish. Glad I'm not in one of those barrels. "You will need to find a better hiding spot." Bard said as we pulled away from the wharf towards the gate of the town. "And what do you suggest?" I asked.

"How long can you hold your breath?" he questioned. My eyes widened with disbelief as I glanced between the water and Bard. He must have been joking. Except his facial expression said otherwise. "The water must be freezing!"

"It probably is, but if you don't, you will die if the guards discover you."

"I'm gonna die no matter what my choice is!"

I noticed we were getting closer to the gate. I groaned in frustration at my dilemma and threw off Bard's coat. I pulled my hair back and waited till the last second to jump into the water.

The water felt like daggers against my skin as I swam underneath the barge. I couldn't last if I stayed in the water much longer. I felt like I needed to breathe. I needed air. I swam up to the surface, underneath the posts of a building and took in deep breaths. Meanwhile, the guards were still talking to Bard. I shivered as I watched the men talk on at the guard post. If they didn't hurry up, I would be dead.

The guards finally allowed Bard to pass by, which sadly meant for me I had to dive back under. I took in a few more deep breaths before plunging back down into the cold dark water. I swam underneath the barge again, but it was increasingly difficult. Every stroke was harder and harder. Every move felt strained. I couldn't last much longer.

The barge eventually stopped, and I swam as fast as I could up to the surface. Bard grabbed my arm and pulled me up onto the tiny dock and threw off this coat to place on my shoulders. I couldn't stop shivering. He grabbed a blanket from out of the barge and wrapped around me. It was hard for me to breathe as I tried to take in breaths. "Can you stand?" he whispered to me as I shook my head no. He went into the barge and began to push the barrels over, letting the dwarves out of their hiding spots.

A man had spotted what was happening beside me. Bard stepped over to him and handed him some money. "You didn't see them. They were never here. The fish you can have for nothing." Bard told him as he walked over to me and lifted me bridal style up off the ground.

"Stay close. Follow me." He told everyone as he led us around a corner and towards safety. Bard led everyone into a marketplace. "Keep your heads down and keep moving. Quickly now." Bard motioned for everyone to move as they gaped at the bustling marketplace. "Halt!" a guard yelled at our group. "Move!" Thorin whispered to everyone and the group dispersed as the guard called out at us. Bard moved us over to where the dwarves were taking out the guards, knocking them all unconscious. He set me down on a box as a few women came and wrapped me up in more blankets. The people of Laketown were shocked that the dwarves had taken the guards out so quickly.

Suddenly more guards showed up. One of them I had seen earlier, he must have been the Captain of the Guards. The townspeople dispersed away from the guards. "What's going on here?" The Captain asked as he scanned the crowd of onlookers. "Stay where you are. Nobody leaves." He demanded as he and the few guards behind him scanned the crowd and the marketplace.

Bard jumped up from his hiding spot and stepped over to the Captain. "Braga!" he exclaimed, diverting the Captain's attention away from a spot where a dwarf was hiding. "What are you up to, Bard?" Braga questioned as he locked eyes with the bargeman. "Me? I'm looking for nothing."

One of the guards near me began to wake up. I watched a lakewoman dropped a pot on top of his head, knocking the guard unconscious again. The pot broke and the guards took notice of the sound, passing by Bard to investigate. The guards saw nothing as the townspeople hide the guards from them using various paraphernalia in the marketplace.

"Hey, Braga," Bard spoke to the Captain of the Guard while stepping in front of me so I couldn't be seen. The Captain turned to him as Bard held up a hideous corset. "You wife would look lovely in this," Bard said to him. Braga stepped forward to Bard. "What do you know of my wife?" Braga questioned.

Bard shrugged, "I know her as well as any man in this town." Braga ripped the corset out of Bard's grasp and led the guards away from the marketplace. "Well…that could…have gone… worse." I stuttered out as I shivered against my freezing clothes. Bard turned and took a few of the blankets off, before picking me up again. "We need to get you into warmer clothes." I nodded at the idea of warm clothes. Just the idea of anything warm sounded amazing right now.

The Company followed behind Bard, ducking in and out to avoid more guards. "Da! Our house, it's being watched!" A boy ran up to Bard. He was at least fourteen and favored after Bard. Bard turned to face the dwarves. "I have a plan…" he began to say.

"I'm not getting back into the water." I whispered as I shivered against him.

A/n: The company is back together! Woot!

Oh, my goodness, I heavily researched all about swimming in freezing water, the effects of hypothermia and that fun stuff. I am going to say that because Aurora is a Dúnedain and has probably been around a ton of Elvish healing growing up, she would survive in freezing conditions better than your average human. So why not. It's my story folks.

What is Thorin going to think of Bard with Aurora? Hmmm… I guess you will just have to wait and see…