A/N: Thank you all for the lovely reviews you've been leaving me! I'm glad you're finding the story enjoyable so far and hope you continue to do so, because the scenery is changing and the 'adventure' part of this story is beginning! Also, if anyone has any questions for me, you can send a PM my way OR if you're feeling shy and want to do it anonymously, you can send me an anonymous ask over at my Tumblr page [where you can also find my art for this story and other things as well]! My username is the same for both here and Tumblr, so hope to see people here and there!

Chapter Thirteen

Ori quietly groaned, curled up in the center of the raft. His stomach was swaying back and forth with the movement of the raft, leaving him feeling very much like he was ready to throw up. Resting his head on Baylee's lap, he was doing his best to take small drinks from a flask of warm tea that Richard had made for him that morning that was supposed to help ease his stomach. It was working, albeit slowly.

"How're ya feelin', lad?" Baylee asked. She had her back resting against the mast of the raft as she comfortingly stroked his hair.

"A little better," he groaned.

"You're lookin' less green."

He scrunched his nose up. "I don't like green…"

She quietly chuckled. "I know you don't." Looking around, she could see that most everyone on the raft was sitting idly, enjoying the voyage downriver. In just two days, the scenery had turned from the light green, new growth of Dale to the deep green, semi-forested growth of the outskirts of Lake Town's lands. Farms could be spotted in the distance, their neat fields resembling lakes of green.

"This tea is helping a bit, though," he told her. "I think I'll be able to sit up soon."

Nodding, Baylee tilted her head back, enjoying the warmth of the sun on her skin. "Take your time, lad. There's no real need for ya t' sit up anyway."

"Until it's our turn to take over the rudder." He opened his eyes, wincing against the bright sunlight. Rolling onto his side, he opened the flask of medicinal tea and took a small gulp. The tea warmed his stomach and he felt a bit more strength return to his body while his stomach eased a bit more. "I don't really know how you manage to steer these things with just a little paddle."

A playful grin came to her lips. "That's because I grew up on a lake with streams an' rivers feedin' it –not inside a mountain." She reached into her pack and pulled out a biscuit, nibbling at it. "So that could explain why you're also feelin' sick an' the rest of us aren't."

His brow rose slightly. "You felt a bit queasy the first day…"

"That I did. But I got acclimated pretty fast because I grew up on the water."

Ori tilted his head slightly and gave her an odd look. "You've a rather broad vocabulary for an inn maid."

She lightly shrugged. "I guess it's because I overhear so many things while in the Tankard," she explained. "I try t' make sure I ask papa or Galiene what they mean, though, so I don't use them incorrectly –unlike Will." A quietly laugh left her mouth. "He once made a fool out o' himself when we were younger because he didn't check with someone about the meanin' o' a word."

"What word?"

Giggling as she remembered the scene, Baylee lightly shook her head. "Conceive. He confused it for 'convince'…I don't blame him –we were only eleven."

"How did he use it?" Ori chuckled.

"Told our mom t' give him one good reason that 'would conceive him to eat his vegetables'."

At that, Ori cracked up. "Oh dear…What did your mum do?"

"Stared at him before she fell over laughin'," she grinned. "Papa ended up spittin' his ale all over me."

Ori continued to laugh, more color returning to his cheeks. "What a waste of good ale!"

Baylee cracked up as well. "Aye, it was –all over my face an' clothes…but Will didn't hear the end o' it for a week after that lil' mess up."

"Well, such things happen when someone misuses a word in a funny way. I learned that while growin' up. I did a lot of readin' and Dori didn't always know the meaning of a word, so…sometimes it had to be Balin correcting me."

She nodded in understanding. "I know how tha' goes," she smiled. "An' I see you're feelin' much better now –you're sittin' up."

He blinked, having not noticed that he had done such. His cheeks flushed a bit pink in embarrassment, but he smiled. "I guess so. They do say laughter's the best medicine, after all." He shifted in his spot and brushed a braid from his face. "It's been lovely weather, hasn't it? I'm surprised it hasn't tried to rain on us." He took a final drink from the flask.

"Me too, actually." She looked up at the sky. "Wait until you see Lake Town…it's much prettier since it's been rebuilt…An' the current Master o' the city was smart an' used stone in the rebuildin' so it's not all flammable wood."

"That's always a good thing. I remember it a bit from my first time there with the Company, but it's only fragments."

Her nose scrunched up slightly. "Ah, yes…With the old Master, things weren't exactly the best. He was a bit greedy, always raising taxes an' dressin' himself in imported clothes." She shook her head. "The new one is much better."

"That's good…Is Lake Town much greener in spring than it is in late fall?"

She nodded vigorously. "Aye, it is!" she chirped. "Well, not so much green as it is colorful. Like Dale, it's got flowers everywhere, so there are bursts o' purple an' blue an' red an' yellow…" A fond smile came to her lips. "When I was a lass, Will an' I had a nurse who'd watch us while mum an' papa were at the inn. She had the most gorgeous sunflowers growin' in her window boxers –they got so big, they were taller 'n papa!"

He tilted his head curiously. "Sunflowers?"

She cocked her head to the other side. "Have you never seen a sunflower?" She popped another bit of her biscuit into her mouth. Someone called out a warning to her and she quickly closed her eyes; she had fast learned that being the only female in a group of twenty men meant that she constantly had to avert her vision when they needed to empty their bladders.

He shook his head. "No. I…haven't gotten much chance to leave the mountains until now."

"Ahh. Well, sunflowers are these big, yellow flowers –they can get bigger than my head even! They're some o' my favorites, though the part where bees like t' get nectar an' where their seeds form sort o'…gives me the willies on the bigger flowers." She shrugged lightly. "But I find 'em really pretty nonetheless."

"Why does the seed part scare you?"

"It just looks…odd t' me. Not a good odd." She shrugged and finished her biscuit. "It makes good seeds, though. I like t' roast them with some honey or put them in ca—" A curse left her mouth as she toppled over; the raft had suddenly lurched to the side.

Richard, who had been napping nearby, frowned and sat up. "What's going on?" he called. Baylee was surprised to hear her uncle use so loud a voice; he had always been so soft-spoken.

"Sorry!" the navigator called. "With the river bein' so swollen, I can't really see any hidden rocks!"

"Then those at the front, keep your eyes out!" one of the soldiers ordered. "We can't have the rafts gettin' wre-" He cursed as the raft started to lurch back and forth and was tossed about. "Rapids!"

Ori looked at Baylee, seeing a frown on her face. "What? What's going on?" he asked worriedly.

She swallowed hard. "It means we're going t' have t' hold on tight an' hope you don't throw up."

"I don't like the sound of that…"

Staying on her knees and gripping one of the ropes that held the raft together, she gently pushed Ori towards the mast. "Hold onto tha'," she instructed as they were tossed about. "An' don't let go until I tell you."

He nodded, swallowing hard; he did not like the fact that everyone was scrambling to hold onto the ropes of the raft or the fact that the water was sloshing up onto the raft. "How bad is this situation?"

"Don't know; this river doesn't normally have rapids –but things change when the winter's been so wet." She winced as a large man toppled against her. He tried to apologize, but he was sent flying to the other side.

Ori clung onto the mast for dear life, his eyes clenched shut. He could hear yells as men were tossed about; they were trying to warn the men in the raft behind them. His stomach was not enjoying the violent tossing of the rapids; he was certain that he would have thrown up if his stomach had anything in it. Someone slammed into his leg and, by the masculine grunt, he guessed it to be Richard.

Just as soon as they had started, the rapids started to die down –but not before tossing one of the men into the water. Ori cracked open his eye just in time to watch a blue of yellow dive into the water. Both his eyes shot open as he tried to lunge after Baylee to stop her, but he ended up falling atop Richard, who had also been trying to stop her.

Baylee shivered as the icy water enveloped her. Despite all urges to gasp, she forced her mouth to stay shut as she swam after the fallen man, who was some ways ahead of her, having been carried off by the current. This same current was propelling her towards him though it seemed that he was caught on something. Even though she couldn't see his face, she knew he was panicking; he was flailing as he tried to free himself, but it was futile.

Her lungs burning, she moved to the surface and took in a deep breath before diving once more. With strong strokes of her arms, she brought herself to the bottom of the river, where the man was stuck. Grabbing onto his arm, she used him as an anchor to keep herself from floating away. Almost instantly, she could see how he was stuck: His trousers were caught on the branch of a sunken tree. She reached down and tugged roughly on the trousers, feeling them rip.

She started to panic a bit when she noticed that the man had gone limp. Before they could float too far off, she wrapped her arm around his torso and kicked off from the bottom. As her head broke the surface, she gasped, gulping in a breath of air before the man's body dragged her back under before letting her surface again like a bad buoy.

"Baylee! Over here!"

Looking over her shoulder, she could see the rafts some ways ahead of them. She started to swim towards them with some difficulty; not only was the man heavy, but she was getting cold from the water. To her relief, though, the current brought her to the rafts soon enough. Passing the man up to a soldier, she clung onto the side of the raft like a wet rat, her teeth chattering.

"H-He's n-not b-breathin'," she told them.

One of the healers rushed forward, taking charge of the man. Teeth chattering and body shaking violently, Baylee watched, wide-eyed, as the healer pushed down on the man's chest three times before pausing and breathing into the man's mouth. This technique was common amongst the healers of Lake Town; it worked to expel water from the lungs as well as put fresh air into them. Most of the time, the victims were able to be brought back if they were saved quickly –but there were always those who were not able to be saved.

After what seemed like forever, the man started to hack and cough. The healer rolled him onto the side as water started forcing its way out of his mouth and Baylee managed a shaky sigh of relief. It was then that someone grabbed the back of her tunic and yanked her out of the water. Looking up, she saw her uncle frowning.

"Are you crazy?" he scolded, peeling her tunic from her torso and tossing it on the floor of the raft. With his niece left in just an under shirt, he wrapped multiple cloaks around her before forcing his flask into her hand. "Drink this; it's tea with a bit of whiskey in it. Ori, could ya wring her tunic out?"

Baylee fumbled to get the flask open, but managed after a few seconds. She was more than a little scared to find that the tips of her fingers had started to turn blue. The tea burned her mouth and throat as it went down, but when it filled her stomach, she welcomed its warmth.

"You could have died, Baylee," Richard told her, his tone firm, but gentle. "You should have let a bigger man go after him."

"I w-w-wasn't th-thinkin'," she mumbled, huddled under the cloaks. She clenched her eyes shut as he started to use his own cloak to towel her hair off. "I j-just had t-t' save him."

He sighed and nodded in understanding. "It was still risky of you. What if ya hadn't been able t' bring him up?"

"I d-don't w-want t-t' th-think ab-bout it." She took another gulp from his flask, able to taste the bit of whiskey in it. "I w-was s-scared enough t-t' th-think I hadn't g-gotten him in t-time."

Richard sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Let's…not tell your father and brother about this, alright? If they knew this happened, I highly doubt Warren would ever allow you out of his sight." He gave her a weary smile.

She half-heartedly returned it as Ori came to sit beside her. He looked at her worriedly as he clutched her wrung-out tunic. "Are you going to be alright?" he asked her.

"She'll be fine once she warms up a bit," Richard reassured him. "And keeps drinking her tea." He gave Baylee a sharp look and she quickly took another drink of the tea.

They reached Lake Town before noon the next day, which was many hours ahead of what they planned. The group arrived to the sight of the city in full bloom. Ori was surprised to see so many flower bushes lining the walls of the city, their tendril-like vines reaching down into the water. The city's foundations, from what he could see, were made of a mixture of worked stone and wood. The buildings, too, seemed to be mixtures of wood and stone with roofs of red clay tiles like the ones in Dale.

As their rafts were brought to dock, Ori found himself gawking at the city. When he had visited Lake Town five years prior, the city had been made entirely out of wood and looked rather dreary thanks to it being late autumn. But now…now it rivaled Dale for beauty. He stumbled forward as the men started to leave the raft. Baylee caught him before he could fall, chuckling quietly.

"Careful there," she told him. She looked exhausted from the previous day's adventure, but she still wore a smile. "An' careful when ya get off –your legs may be a big wobbly at first."

He nodded in understanding and helped her off of the raft. Taking caution, he hopped from raft to dock, finding that his legs were only slightly jelly-like. Baylee watched him with an amused smile before leading him off towards Richard.

"Now it's off t' my cousin's inn," she told Ori. "It's not as nice as the Tankard, but I am a bit biased when it comes t' inns."

"Understandable," he chuckled. "What's this one's name?"

"It's called the High Tide," Richard answered. "It's about twice the size of the Tankard, but with Lake Town being as big as it is, the space is needed."

Ori cocked his head. "I thought Lake Town got smaller when people moved to Dale?"

"For a few years," Baylee explained, "but then folk from Dorwinion heard 'bout the rebuilding o' the two cities an' a lot of them moved up here so they could help." As they walked up the docks and entered the city proper, she let out a small, reminiscent sigh. "All the streets are different, though…When I was younger, I could practically walk around blindfolded."

Richard raised his brow. "Except you'd bump into people or get trampled by carts."

"A small price t' pay…" She looked around the town. "I wonder if Lovisa's here or off huntin'?"

"We'll see when we get to the inn."

"Who, exactly, is this Lovisa you keep mentioning?" Ori inquired. "I've heard ya mention her a few times but I only know that she was once your nurse."

Baylee chuckled. "She's a half-dwarf," she told him. "An' she's a huntress. Supplies my cousins with venison and rabbit, mostly…she sometimes brings back a deer or elk for a person if they pay her well enough."

"Half-dwarf?" He stared at her incredulously. "There's really a half-dwarf around here?"

She rubbed the back of her neck. "I take it they're not that rare even in areas heavily populated by dwarves…?"

He nodded. "It's uncommon because well…most dwarves don't really consider humans 'worthy' o' being with a dwarf, let alone bearing children with them."

Richard nodded in agreement. "It's because humans aren't hardy enough for the tastes of most dwarves, but it's not unheard of –like how there are half elves in the world."

"Ahh," she murmured in understanding. "Oh –two things ya need t' know about Lovisa should we meet her. One is tha' she's mute an' uses a sort o' finger-signing language-"

"That she taught to you an' Will." Ori grinned as he saw that he had managed to confuse the woman. "He told us. Turns out the language is Iglishmêk, which almost all dwarves know."

"Oh! I've been wonderin' how he an' Bifur have been able t' have conversations lately. I mean offense t' Bifur o' course, but…we just don't understand Khuzdul."

He chuckled. "Which is entirely fine. So, what's the other thing I need t' know about this Lovisa?"

"She's…affectionate. Basically, if you're a friend t' me or Will, she considers you a friend too."

Richard laughed. "To put it simply: If she sees you with Baylee, you'll end up getting hugged by her."

"Well, that doesn't sound so bad," he chuckled. "Hugs are always a good thing, aren't they?"

"So long as you're taller than her," Baylee giggled.

He raised his brow curiously. "What do you mean?"

"You'll find out if we see her."

Richard led Baylee through bustling streets filled with humans and, to their surprise, elves. They knew well enough that the elves liked to visit the town, but the amount of elves they were seeing was far more than normal. Ori shook his head; if they talked to any elves, he would be polite, but he could recognize some of them from his time being locked up in Thranduil's halls. Shaking his head, he moved closer to Baylee as a large wagon rolled by, doing his best to not get caught under it.

Soon, they came into the center of the city where there was even more people. Ori and Baylee were just barely able to see the tops of colorful tents lining the sides of the square. Baylee stood on tiptoe in an attempt to see past the backs and shoulders that blocked her vision. Richard chuckled at her, shaking his head.

"Will should have come. He could have carried you on his shoulders," he teased.

She pouted. "I can get by just fine!" she indignantly told him. "Anyway, it's not like we didn't live here five years ago…"

Ori quietly laughed at her pouting. "But even you admitted that it's changed quite a bit," he replied. "And it's obvious you're quite in awe as well…standing on your tiptoes and craning your neck…"

Her cheeks turned pink and she grinned. "Oh shush," she told him, giving him a light shove.

"There's the Tide," Richard told them, catching their attention.

Ori gawked at the large building. Just as they had told them, the inn was twice as big as the Full Tankard, being about five stories instead of three. It was painted a crisp, stark white with the frames of the windows and the doors being painted in a bright red. The ground floor windows also had bright red window boxes filled with flowers that were spilling over their containers and dangling towards the ground. As they came closer, he could see that the inn yard was also quite large and filled with carts and people hurrying about.

As they entered the building, his nose was greeted by the smells of ale, stew, baking bread, and tobacco smoke. The common room was brightly lit thanks to the open windows and he could see that the chairs all had cushions on them. He would have observed more if a woman hadn't called out and rushed out from behind the bar, her arms flung wide open as she rushed at Richard and Baylee.

"Father! Baylee!" she grinned, pulling them both into a tight hug. "This is such a surprise! When did ya get in?"

"Just ten minutes ago," Richard smiled, hugging his daughter tightly. "We wanted to surprise you lot."

The woman grinned, practically lifting Baylee off of her feet when she hugged her. Ori saw that she bore more resemblance to her father than to Demelza, though her hair was a deep, coppery red. He wondered if Richard's hair had once been that color. "Surprise us ya two did!" she chuckled. Setting Baylee back on the ground, she smiled tenderly. "Baylee, you're lookin' more an' more like your mother every time I see you." From the corner of her eye, she saw Ori standing beside them and tilted her head. "And who's this lad?" she asked with a smile.

"Ori, at your service," he chirped, giving a quick bow.

"An' Eira Harrison at yours," she chuckled, giving him a small curtsey. She glanced at Baylee. "A friend o' yours, lass?"

She nodded, smiling. "Aye, that he is," she replied, "I'm goin' to show him around the town while he's here, show him what Dale will be like in a few years."

Ori turned a little pink as he shifted. "Dale's already quite a bit like Lake Town from what I've seen."

Eira let out a small laugh. "Well, a friend o' Baylee's is a friend t' us," she told the dwarf.

Richard looked around at the common room, finding it moderately full. "I see you've still got a fair amount of business," he told her. "I'm glad."

Eira nodded, her hands resting on her hips now. "Aye, though a new inn recently opened up just a few blocks down from here. At first, they stole some o' our patrons, but we won 'em back." She grinned cheekily. "Now –I know you three must be hungry an' the wee tykes will be upset if I don't bring ya back t' see them. Come along!" She ushered the three of them forward, past the common room and its guests and to the very back of the inn where she led them through a door into the private quarters.

At first, things were quiet. Baylee, Richard, and Ori set their packs down against the wall by the door where they wouldn't be in the way while Eira walked into a different room. Soon, though, there was a small stampede and the cries of three children racing for 'Gwampa' and 'Baywee'. Richard and Baylee grinned, kneeling down to scoop up the children. Behind them came Eira and another woman, her hair long and black and an infant held in her arms.

"Well, I'm sad that they aren't at all pleased t' see us," Baylee giggled. She was kept pinned to the ground by the two boys, who appeared to be the same age. "Tollak! Isak! C'mon, lads, let me stand, aye?"

The eldest of the children, a girl named Grethe, giggled from her grandfather's arms. "Once they getcha pinned down, they're not goin' t' let you up," she told her cousin.

Baylee cocked her brow before hoisting both boys over her shoulders and managing to stand up. They cried out in surprise and squirmed, but laughed nonetheless. "It's a good thing that they're lighter than a sack o' flour then," she grinned.

Within half an hour, Baylee had introduced Ori to everyone and they were sitting around a large, round table that Eira and two of the inn maids had piled tall with food. Ori had come to learn that the children were Grethe, Isak, Tollak, and Annina –Annina being the youngest as just six months- and that the mother of Tollak and Annina was named Elle. She was married to Richard's son, Mats, who was currently on patrol around the city, as he was a member of the city guard.

The food, he found, was just as good as Galiene's. He happily munched away on some mushrooms stewed in wine while Baylee sat beside him, Annina on her lap. The infant was constantly getting distracted from her cousin's playing by the dwarf, her wide, brown eyes watching as he did his best to use his manners around the group of humans. Spotting her staring at him, he blinked before covering his face with his hands. She made a confused noise only to let out a small giggle as he pulled his hands away, saying 'Boo!' as he did so.

Baylee grinned. "I think you've got her entranced," she teased as Ori continued to play peek-a-boo with her.

"Babies are easy to amuse," he smiled. He covered his face again, but this time when he pulled his hands away, he had crossed his eyes and stuck his tongue. Annina leaned forward on Baylee's lap, her hands reaching for his tongue –or beard. Either worked for the infant. "Ah, I don't think you really want these," he chuckled, holding up his index fingers for her to play with instead.

While Annina busied herself with figuring out what Ori's knitted gloves were, Baylee ate some of her lunch. "I'm surprised her grandpa isn't the one holdin' her," she chuckled, glancing at Richard.

He glanced up from his lunch, his brow slightly raised. "I assure you that I will be holding her quite a bit after lunch," he chuckled. "Anyway, she's quite enamored by Ori at the moment. Let her get her fill of him before she's forced to spend the rest of the day with me."

Eira snorted at his words. "Oh, you make it sound like it's such a chore to be around you, father," she mused. "I'm sure she'll enjoy every minute of it." Popping a bit of toasted bread into her mouth, she took a drink of some apple juice. "So how was your trip down here? Not too eventful, I hope." Her brow rose as she saw the three guests exchange identical looks.

"From the lack of instant replies," Elle chuckled, "I think it was more eventful than what they had wanted."

Baylee leaned back and shifted Annina on her knee. "Not too eventful. We ran into some rough spots on the river yesterday, but that's about it."

"And Baylee decided to go for an early swim," Richard dryly added, making his niece's cheeks darken in embarrassment.

"That doesn't sound good," Grethe commented. She reached across the table, trying to steal a sweet roll before her plate had been cleared of her proper lunch. Seeing this, Eira leaned forward and scooted the plate out of her daughter's reach. "But mama!"

Eira cocked her brow. "You eat your lunch, young lady." Ignoring the pout from her, Eira shook her head. "What happened that made you go swimmin', eh?"

"We hit some rapids," Richard explained. "We couldn't have known that the river had gained some, but they weren't too horrible. Though, one man got knocked off of the raft…"

Elle and Eira nodded slowly, both going 'Ahhh'. "And lil' Baylee dove in to rescue him," Elle chuckled, seeing her father-in-law nod. She reached over and ruffled Baylee's hair. "I'm glad to hear you're still a good swimmer. I wouldn't think ya got much chance t' go swimming in Dale."

"I don't, really," Baylee told her, "but swimming's something I never really forgot how t' do." She smiled sheepishly before having her hair suddenly yanked on by Annina. "Ow, ow…child, my hair is not something for you to chew on…" She winced, gently trying to pry her hair from Annina's grip only to earn protesting grunts from the infant –then again the grunts could also be her filling her diaper. It was hard to tell.

"She's always busy making sure us dwarves have our tankards filled to the brim or that Bifur and Bofur are gettin' a proper lunch," Ori added, moving to help Baylee in the fight to free her hair.

Rising to her feet, Elle walked over and managed to get Annina to relinquish her grip. She also relieved Baylee of her burden so that she could eat properly. "Baylee's a worrywart like that," she smiled. The look dimmed slightly as she caught whiff of a stink. "Pardon us. This little lady needs her butt changed."

As the sun was starting to dip under the western horizon, Baylee and Ori found themselves standing atop the inn, where there was a large, open area with railings that overlooked the town. Both held claw mugs in their hands, Ori's filled with beer and Baylee's with tea. She rested her elbow on the railing, her eyes darting about she took in the sights of her former home. Ori, however, had his back against the rail as he slowly sipped his alcohol. He glanced up at Baylee, chuckling as he watched her cover a yawn.

"You've a pleasant family," he told her when the silence between them had grown long enough. "Your little cousins are…amusing, to say the least." He was referring to a short-lived wrestling match that he had gotten in with the two lads. Of course, he had pretended to be much weaker than them for their sake.

"They can be a bit o' a handful," she chuckled. "I hope Tollak didn't hurt anythin' o' yours when he landed on your pack."

He shook his head. "I'm sure he didn't do any damage. I made sure to not pack anything fragile."

She tilted her head. "What about your pencils?"

"I've got them in a case, so there's no worry about them. If anything, it was my drawing book that I was worried about, but tha' was yesterday." He gave her a reassure smile. "I can tell you're still tired from that incident."

A quiet laugh left her mouth. "Aye, I'm tired, but I'll be fine." She took a drink from her tea. "Some more o' this stuff, a nice dinner, an' I'll be tucking in early. That should do well t' make up for any rest I've missed." Squinting, she peered down through the bright, orange-red light at the street, her eyes fixing on someone walking towards the inn, a pony being led behind them. It was hard to see them, but from what she could make out, the pony had a burden of large saddlebags. Shrugging, she turned around, resting her back on the rail as well.

"You better," he lightly scolded. "I can't have you falling asleep when you show me around the city." She just barely caught sight of the playful grin he wore before he drank more beer.

"Have I become your guide then?" she laughed. She slid down and sat cross-legged on the floor. He nodded. "Well, I told ya earlier that I don't know it nearly as well as I used to." Her hand rose, covering her mouth as she yawned a second time.

Ori shook his head. "If I had any authority over you, I'd make you go t' bed right now," he told her.

"So I'm the guide an' you're the nanny?" she giggled. "Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

He grinned. "If ever you go to Erebor, I'm sure it will be. And Dwalin will be the bodyguard, of course, and Nori…Well, maybe he can pull us along in a cart."

She giggled again. "That should be Dwalin's job, lad. He's stronger than Nori."

"Ah, but he's not as strong as Dori, believe it or not."

Her brows furrowed slightly. "Really? But he's so…cuddly lookin'."

Ori cracked up. "You think he looks cuddly?"

"Well, it helps he has the appearance o' a mother hen!" Ori only laughed harder. "An' in his defense, all o' you but Dwalin look cuddly. Dwalin…well…" She shrugged. "You're braver 'n me for snuggling him."

His cheeks flared red and he glanced away. "Once you get his knuckledusters off, he's not so mean looking…"

She grinned. "Still, I would rather not snuggle him if given the choice. Anyway," she shrugged, taking a sip of her tea, "he's yours."

He opened his mouth, ready to throw a witty retort at her, but the door to the upper deck opened and Baylee let out a small squeal. Left slightly startled, he watched as she jumped to her feet and raced forward before realizing that whoever had come to join them was doing the same. Shielding his eyes against the dying sunlight, he was able to see that the newcomer was a woman barely three inches taller than Baylee, but she was much curvier. Judging by the well-kept facial hair along her jaw, Ori guessed her to be Lovisa.

Turning slightly, he was able to better shade his eyes and his jaw almost fell slack. When he had heard that she was a half dwarf, he had been expecting a human woman with a beard –not a very attractive sight, even for dwarves. Lovisa, however, was quite beautiful. She looked to be no older than her late thirties and her face heart-shaped, which the snowy-white hairs of her sideburns and slight beard helped to accentuate. In contrast to her light hair, her skin was a deep golden color from the years she had spent out in the wide fields and forests surrounding Lake Town. Her clothing was simple and dyed to match the forest colors of green, brown, and grey, though he was able to see hints of blood-red under her various layers.

Never before had he wanted to draw someone so badly.

'She looks as if she were part elf, not part human,' he thought, managing to keep himself composed. 'I know I'm into lads, but if ever I had to have a wife, I hope that she looked like this woman…' He wondered how she had gotten so lucky to get the best traits of both races –most half dwarves were not so lucky.

"It's been so long, Lovisa! Ya weren't here when I last visited," Baylee chirped, still hugging onto the woman. "Are ya goin' t' be goin' out again anytime soon?"

The woman wore a grin as she shook her head; Ori felt himself blush slightly. Her face was made for smiling. Holding up her hands, she made quick work of signing out her answer. 'No. Here for while. Surprised me! Not know you come. Eira tell to come up here!' She gave Baylee an extra squeeze before pulling back and looking her over. 'Got taller?'

Baylee snorted. "I wish. I'm just as short as ever."

'Then need new boots,' Lovisa joked. 'Add inches to height.'

She giggled. "I'm not some fancy lady o' Bard's court," she told her. "I'm fine with what I've got."

Lovisa grinned broadly before noticing the dwarf standing some feet behind Baylee. Tilting her head, she lifted a snowy brow and chuckled. 'Who he?' Ori noticed that she made a sign he didn't recognize.

"Ah! Sorry, Ori, I nearly forgot about you!" She smiled apologetically at him as she brought the half-dwarf over. "Lovisa, this is my friend, Ori. Ori, Lovisa."

"Hello, miss," Ori smiled, giving her a small wave.

Again, Lovisa used some signs with Baylee that Ori wasn't familiar with. He cocked his head to the side, glancing at the human who giggled and nodded. "Er…I hate to interrupt, but what she did sign?"

"Do you not use those signs?" Baylee inquired, blinking. Ori shook his head. "Ah, well, she just told me that she thinks you look entirely too adorable."

He felt his cheeks darken as he let out a shy laugh. "W-well, thank you…" he murmured, his hands starting to fiddle with themselves. A quiet squeak left his mouth as Lovisa suddenly stepped forward and gave him a hug just as big as the one she had given Baylee –and it was then that he realized what she had meant when she joked that Lovisa's hugs were good things if one were taller than her.

'At least she's soft,' he told himself with a small chuckle as he hugged the woman in return. Baylee had failed to mention that, despite getting an eyeful, Lovisa was quite good at giving hugs. It almost reminded him of the way his mother or grandmother would embrace when he was a child and had a nightmare. The only real difference is that Lovisa's arms felt stronger than the matriarchs of his family and she smelled heavily of the forest. 'And she smells like cedar trees…Then again, Baylee said she was a huntress.'

Lovisa pulled back and patted Ori on the shoulder before signing to the two of them. 'Come! Dinner ready. Both are too skinny. Need eat more!'

"Uh-oh, here we go…" Baylee chuckled as she rolled her eyes. Lovisa started to half push, half lead them towards the door. "She'll make sure we eat more food than we can handle."

He perked. "That is perfectly alright with me."

'Good!' Lovisa signed. 'Need more meat on bones. Too skinny for dwarf!' She gave a rather maternal look to Baylee. 'You always too skinny.'

She pouted. "Oh, come off it. None of my bones are stickin' out, are they? An' I eat plenty –ask Ori!"

"She does," he quickly agreed.

Dismissively waving her hand, Lovisa closed the door as they started down the stairs. 'Comes off when run around inn. Will be lazy few days. Gain pound or two.'

Again, Baylee rolled her eyes, but quietly laughed. "Now you're startin' t' sound like Galiene…"

'Better than old cook. Old cook skimp on your meals!'

"But you always snuck me more food," she chuckled.

'Eaten by William…He here?'

She shook her head. "No, he's got an actual job now. Works in a toyshop!"

Lovisa happily clapped. 'Good! He need work. Skilled lad…go far.'

Ori smiled. "He's bein' taught how to make toys by our friends, Bofur and Bifur."

A thoughtful look came to hear face and she paused on the steps, tapping her chin. 'Those names sound somewhat familiar,' she thought. 'Oh well. Maybe they stayed here once.' Shrugging, she continued after Baylee and Ori. 'Can't say I ever thought about Will crafting toys, though. It should be a good opportunity for him, though. He's already so good at carving and carpentry things…' A warm smile came to her lips at the thought and a bit of pride swelled up inside of her; she had helped to raise him after all.

"Dragon! The dragon has come!"

"Get the women and children to the boats! Men, ready your bows!"

Baylee winced as she was forced forward in the crowd of women as they hurried towards the fleet of boats tied to the docks. More than once she got an elbow to the face or her feet trampled on. She cursed her smallness and prayed to any god who would listen that those who were smaller than her were not suffering the same painful fate.

Where was her mother? Or Demelza? Or Eira and Grethe? She knew where Warren and Will were; they were off trying to fight the fires. She tried to look around for them, but couldn't see anything past shoulders and necks.

A mighty roar filled the air and she cringed, her hands rising to cover her ears. She dared to look over her shoulder at the dragon only for her eyes to be filled with the sight of fire raining down onto the town. The dry roofs instantly caught on fire and smoke started to rise into the air. The dragon himself was elegantly circling the town, the light of the burning city glinting off of the millions of jewels lining his body.

He was beautifully terrifying.

Smaug opened his mouth and let out another roar before he swooped down towards the crowd of people fleeing the village. He laughed at their terror, the sound resembling thunder. Baylee shrank back and bit the inside of her cheek before being forced forward with a renewed vigor. Shrieks erupted around her as Smaug flew by, his claws tearing through a building and showering them with splinters of wood and broken boards. With another laugh, he backed up and used his wings to fan the flames.

Thick, black smoke billowed down the street. It stung Baylee's eyes and made her cough. Pulling her shirt up, she used it to cover her mouth, though she knew well enough that it gave her little protection. It didn't help that the crowd, growing ever more panicky, shoved her closer to the people in front of her. She squirmed, doing her best to not panic as they neared the docks, but her heart was racing in her chest and she was starting to breathe quicker.

Smaug flew over them again, sending another shower of broken wood down on the people. Something hit Baylee's head and her vision went black while screams filled her ears.

Baylee bolted upright, gasping for air. Everything around her was black, but as she calmed down, she realized it was only because it was dark. Flopping back against her pillows, she grinned and rubbed her face.

"Not here," she mumbled to herself. "Lórien have mercy, please not here!" Despite it only having been a dream, she felt a stinging sensation on the top of her head and she could smell burning wood and cloth.

Slipping out of bed, she made her way to the window and threw it open. She gulped in the night air, clearing her nose of the scent and her mind of any fear that remained. 'Why did I have to have that dream?' she thought, closing her eyes. 'I didn't have any the last time I came here. So why now?' Rubbing her head where the stinging continued, she quietly sighed. 'I'm an adult; I shouldn't be scared by nightmares –even if they actually happened.'

Unbraiding her hair, she ran her fingers through the locks, separating them out before combing through them. The moon was only a sliver in the sky and gave off very little light through the clouds that were scattered throughout the sky. The stars, however, shone brightly and a small smile graced her lips. As a bit of wind shifted the clouds, she was able to spot a few constellations. There was Talawé, the dancer, and Noak the hunter. In the distance, she spied Wimund and Baelúna, the slumbering twins after whom she and Will had been named after.

'Hope he's not fretting over me,' she thought. 'I know he probably woke up, knowing I had a nightmare. He always knows somehow.' A yawn snuck up on her and she leaned against the window frame. For a moment, she closed her eyes and let the quiet sound of the lake's waves fill her senses. It was this sound that once lulled her to sleep at night –long before any nightmares frightened her into consciousness.

When she opened her eyes, she found that she had slid down onto her knees, her head still resting against the wall. The sky was still dark with some hours before dawn. Sleepily, she scolded herself while managing to get back onto her feet. She climbed into bed without bothering to close the window and snuggled into her pillow, having totally forgotten that she had had a nightmare.