In all her life, Brianna couldn't have thought that any body of water other then the sea could be so huge. The rest of the group was amazed at the lakes size too. When they first saw it at the end of the river they thought they'd hit the ocean. The girls were all sitting down except for Traude, Daniela and Brianna who were standing whilst Bard was steering the boat from the back. The barrels were at the center of the boat with the girls box of supplies comfortably tucked behind them. It was noticeably calmer then the river and there were few clouds in the sky at all. The gentle breeze created ripples in the water as the boat went down the lake.
Brianna then decided out of boredom to dip her hands in the water. It was then she got quite a shock.
"It's warm." she said aloud.
"What now?" Beate asked.
"The water's warm." Brianna replied "Warm as a summer's day."
"No way." Bridget piped up "Lemmie see." She then dipped her hand in the water and sure enough it was warm. "Well, I'll be. How is that possible?"
"Underground vents I'd imagine." Bard explained "Legend says the Lonely Mountain used to be a mighty volcano. When it burned itself out, the dwarves came and the people of Dale soon after."
"Aye that it was." Barbara added "And out from the cooled lava came precious gems."
"As much as I'd love to listen to more" Ottilie said "That is Laketown right?"
Everyone looked ahead of the boat to where Ottilie was pointing. They soon caught sight of a town in the distance that seemed to be floating on the lake itself.
"Yes it is." Bard replied.
"How does one build a town on a lake, Dorothea?" Nadja asked her sister.
"I don't really know." Dorothea replied.
Nadja then turned her attention back to Bard with a mischievous look on her face. Dorothea caught on.
"For the sake of my soul, sister, please no." she said in a deadpan manner.
"Too late I'm already going for it." Nadja said completely ignoring her sister.
She walked up to the rear of the boat near the sail where Bard was and sat down, propping herself against the supply box.
"So, you've been sailing these waters for a long time." she said smiling "Bet you must gain a lot of strength from it."
"I'd think that was obvious." Bard said slightly confused "Why? Don't any of the male dwarves in your mountains do the same?"
Nadja blinked and searched with her eyes nervously, realizing she may be making a fool of herself.
"W-Well...obviously smartass." she blurted out "What do you think we do? Just carve gems all damn day?"
"You don't look like a woman who works." Bard responded "This must be your first time away from home."
Nadja scoffed "You know, I'd have you know-"
"Do shut up." Daniela said "Get your sorry self over here."
Nadja reluctantly agreed and walked over to the others guiltily. Traude, Daniela and Brianna sat back down along with the others and they were all now sitting in a circle with Barbara counting the coins they had to pay Bard.
"I don't trust this lakeman." Daniela growled "I say we throw him over the side and be done with it."
"His names Bard, you know." Brianna pointed out.
"How did you know?" Bertha asked.
"Uh, I asked him." Brianna replied "Duh."
"I don't give a damn what his name is." Daniela angrily said.
"Regardless of how we feel about the man, we have to pay him." Barbara piped up "Now, come on, girls. Turn out your pockets, don't leave anything off the table."
The girls all did as commanded as they opened their bags and brought out their pocket-sized money bags. As Daniela and Traude did so, they looked at one another with the same suspicious expression.
"How do we know he won't betray us?" Daniela whispered.
"We don't." Traude replied "Just be careful."
"Okay!" Barbara exclaimed "That's everyone…except Gerlinde."
Everyone looked at Gerlinde, who was leaning against the boat and who did some eye searching when everyone looked at her.
"What?" she asked.
"Come on now, Gerlinde." Traude said with her arms folded "Give us what you have. We know you have your bag."
"Oh no, not this time! I have been bled dry by this adventure!" Gerlinde protested "And what have me and my sister seen on this whole escapade?! Nothing but pain and misery and grief-"
"And the Lonely Mountain." Beate said in awe as she stood up and turned away.
"Exactly!" barked just as what Beate said clicked in her brain "And I...wait what?"
Everyone quickly turned to where Beate was staring and they all stood up and gasped in awe. From the right side of the boat they could see it. The Lonely Mountain. It stood tall and proud, towering above the hills around it, mostly due to the area around the lake being flat prairie. They were so close. So close to being home again.
"By Durin's beard." Gerlinde said softly.
Without hesitation, she rushed to her bag, zipped it open and pulled out her bag and handed it to Barbara.
"Take all of it!" she said "Before I change my mind!"
Barbara tried to fight back a smirk as she put Gerlinde's money with everyone else's. Bard then walked up to them from the back of the boat.
"Hand me the money." he said "Hurry!"
"We will not pay you until we get there." Traude said.
"Ma'am, if you value your lives, you will pay now and not a moment sooner." Bard replied sternly "There are guards ahead. You need to get into the barrels."
The girls looked just ahead of them and sure enough saw a nearby dock with a white gazebo at the end of it that had a green roof. Traude sighed and looked to the girls.
"Go on, get in." she said.
"Absolutely not!" Bridget barked "I'm not getting back into one of those wet and damp barrels!"
Everyone then gave Bridget extremely cross looks. Even Bertha, her own sister, looked angry at her.
"U-Unless you all look at me like that." Bridget stammered as she climbed into her barrel.
Everyone quickly clambered into the barrels whilst being sure not to tip them over and ducked down to stay out of sight. Brianna looked the hole in the side of her barrel as the boat reached the dock and Bard disembarked and walked up to some people near the entrance of the gazebo. He then started talking with a large dark skinned man holding a dog in his left hand.
"What's going on?" Traude whispered.
"He's talking to someone." Brianna replied.
"Who is it?" Dorothea asked.
"I have no idea. All I know is that he's talking to him." Brianna said back "Oh crap! He's pointing right at us!"
"What?!" Traude hissed.
"Wait…something's up." Brianna continued "Now their shaking hands!"
"Did he just sell us out?!" Ophelia whispered.
"Ah man." Nadja moaned quietly "I thought we could have had something!"
Dorothea rolled her eyes in irritation, unaware of what was about to happen.
"Alright, boys!" called out the dark skinned man "Dump 'em!"
"Dump them?" Brianna whispered to herself.
And then suddenly countless amounts of fish where suddenly dumped into all the barrels and soon all the girls were practically buried in wet, smelly fish that filled the barrels to the brim. Bard, in the meantime, handed the money over to the dark skinned man.
"Thanks, Fred." he said as he got back to his boat.
"No problem." Fred said "What about that box there?"
Bard glanced to the supply box. "Just leave it. I'm not even sure why I even have that."
"Alright then." Fred said deadpanly "Have a nice day."
"You too." Bard said as he cast off.
He barely got several feet away from the dock (though thankfully out of hearing range) then the girls started moaning from inside their barrels. Bard promptly kicked Nadja's barrel and the girls shut up like clams.
"Stay quiet!" Bard ordered "We're approaching the gate. And stay still."