The man's words fly over my head as I collapse to the floor again, my body giving out on me. My eyes drift shut and darkness beckons.
"Hey! Stay with us!" Someone shakes my shoulders, the movement rough and jolting.
My eyes half-open to glare at the man.
"Are you going to Laketown?" I ask, my words slightly slurred.
There's a brief hesitation before the man answers, "Aye."
"Yay," I mutter, before blacking out.
When I open my eyes I'm in a small bed in a small room, the flicker of the candle on the bedside table the only light. There's a collection of wooden beams and metal poles sagging in the corner, and the bedspread is faded and patched.
A half-formed thought of how old everything looks floats through my brain before I fall asleep again.
The next time I wake up I'm in the same room, with a woman sitting next to me, focused on the knitting in her lap. She hums quietly under her breath, words in an unknown language slipping out. Her hands look dry, the cracks stark against her almost black skin.
When I try to clear my throat, her eyes fly up and she beams, knitting forgotten on her lap.
"Oh, you're finally awake! It's been so long! I'll go get some water for you," she says with a thick accent.
She leaps out of her chair and disappears behind a cloth-covered doorway. From the other side comes the soft clatter of dishes and words spoken in another language, presumably between the woman and a man. There's a sound of footsteps, and the women enters with the water, followed by a grumpy-looking young man holding a bowl and a bread roll.
The woman props me up and lets me sip the water, which smells and tastes like the lake. When my throat is not so dry, l lean back and the woman sets the cup on the table. Then she returns to her seat, while the man leans against the wall, having set the soup next to the cup.
"Are you feeling well enough to answer some questions?" the woman asks.
"A few," I reply.
She leans forward in anticipation. "I think both of us," she gestures between herself and the man, "would like to know why you were going through the marshes."
"I was travelling through Mirkwood with my companions, and we got lost. The elves separated us and locked us away. I was able to escape by following the river out."
The woman frowns.
"We've never heard of anyone being imprisoned by the elves."
"Maybe that's because no one has escaped before," I reply.
The man speaks, and the woman interprets. "Where are your companions now?"
"They're still imprisoned."
Silence meets this statement as the woman looks at me in sympathy, and the man's lips twist.
"Why don't you try some soup?" the woman eventually asks, handing me the bowl, the bread, and a wooden spoon.
It's like my first meal with the company, in Bag End. Only the soup at Bag End didn't contain bony fish, and the rolls weren't made of cardboard.
I try to smile at the woman. "It's quite good. Thank you."
The woman laughs, and even the man smiles a little.
"There's no need for such flattery." She gestures with her head toward the man. "My brother regularly reminds me of how my cooking could always use improvement."
So they're siblings. Now that I look closer I can see faint traces of resemblance in the shape of their faces.
Someone knocks on the outside door, and the man calls out for them to enter.
There's a set of footsteps in the outer room, and then a new person enters the room. They're tall and broad-shouldered, with a wide stance and thin frame. They smile at me from the doorway.
"It is good to see you awake. It's been a few days."
If I had more energy I would raise an eyebrow. "Do we know each other?"
Their smile grows wider, tugging to one side. "I fished you from the water myself. And your weapon and pack."
"Oh. I don't remember you."
They laugh, rubbing the back of their head. "I don't expect you would."
The woman shifts in her chair, and my attention drifts back to her. I find her staring at me with hard eyes, tracking our exchange. She's making a decision about something, and it has to do with the person in the doorway.
"Yes. My brother and Mphatso found you and brought you to Laketown on their barge. And they brought you here at great personal risk."
I look between the two, wondering what the woman is hinting at. But then a huge yawn interrupts my thoughts, and everyone chuckles.
"You should sleep. We will continue this discussion later."
As soon as everyone leaves, my eyes drift shut, and I dream of white-water rafting, only orcs on either side of the river try to make it a game of whack-a-mole and hit me with tree branches as I go by.
When I wake up the woman is back again, peeling potatoes. She looks up and sees me watching, and she smiles.
"You only slept for ten hours this time. That is good. You're getting better. Would you like some water?"
I nod, and sigh when she leaves the room.
I wish I would get better faster. I've got things to do, like finding Bard and telling him about the impending destruction of his town. And the dragon.
When the woman returns, I ask if she knows who Bard is, or where to find him.
"You wish to find Bard? He does not usually like new people, because he doesn't know whether or not to trust them."
"I need to find him. It's very important information."
The woman squints and shrugs. "Whatever it is, it can wait until you're clean and we find out more about you. Can you stand?"
I can, although the woman has to help me balance. She leads me out into the main room, where a large tub full of water sits in front of a fireplace. The water is lukewarm when I stick my finger in, and the woman apologizes, saying she filled it as soon as her brother left.
I assure her it's fine, but she slips in a couple heated stones as I take off a borrowed shirt and leggings. The water feels good, and scrubbing with soap feels even better. I rinse out my hair, and comb a small amount of oil through with my fingers.
"It needs a trim," the woman says as she examines the ends.
"Cut off as much as you need to," I say.
The woman takes her time, cutting off split hairs and combing out tangles. When I run my fingers through it again it feels smoother and shorter.
When the men arrive back at the house I'm wearing a very colorful dress and eating a bowl of soup.
The men take a seat opposite me with their own bowls of soup, and the woman sits down beside me with hers. There's a distinct heaviness in the air, and I get the feeling I'm not about to like what comes next.
"Are you feeling better?" the woman's brother asks.
"Aye," I respond, even though every bone in my body is tired and I slump as I eat.
"Do you feel well enough to answer more questions?" the man continues.
"Aye."
The man looks to his sister, who asks, "Can you start by telling us your name?"
I forgot that they didn't know my name, even though they've been caring for me for days.
I chew on a particularly tough piece of fish as I observe my companions, trying to decide which name to give them. They wait patiently, chewing their own food, occasionally looking back at me.
Finally I say, "My name is Aspen."
The woman smiles. "That took longer than I expected." She looks at her brother, trying to get him to join in her joke, but he ignores her.
I frown a little. "I had to decide whether to give you my real name or not. There have been times where I've had to protect myself by using a fake name."
The others glance at each other with various surprised looks, before the woman, with a hint of guilt in her voice, asks, "And why do you need protection? Who do you need protection from?"
I sigh. "It has to do with my escape from Mirkwood," I tell her. "The king and I are not on good terms." I stare down at my lap when I finish, trying to block out memories and smells.
The room is deadly silent, and the water sloshing around under the house sounds louder than ever.
"I am sorry to have bothered you," the woman murmurs, squeezing my hand with her free one. "I meant no harm."
I give her a weak smile. "I know. But I'd prefer not to talk about it now."
The woman nods, and changes the subject. "Do you have family here?"
"No. I've been traveling with my company, which is the closest I have to family. But…" I trail off and gesture towards the door with my hand, and the woman nods.
"You did mention needing to talk to Bard. Perhaps we can find him and then see about finding a family for you to stay with."
I begin to ask why I can't just stay here, but the woman's brother interrupts.
"Why do you need to talk to Bard?" he asks, an edge to his voice.
I study him before I say, "I can only tell Bard. It's sensitive information."
The man scowls and glares at me, a sound of frustration rising from his throat. He then begins a heated discussion with his sister, tossing words back and forth in their language.
I look at Mphatso, who by now has finished the soup and has taken out a bundle of sticks and a pouch of feathers, and is fletching arrows. Mphatso looks up and grins at me, and I flush and look down at my bowl.
I just want to find Bard and leave. Why does it seem like that's too much to ask?
There's a pounding on the door, and an abrupt silence fills the room.
Mphatso hurries to put away the arrows, while the man glances at me and then goes to answer the door. With a final glance back at the rest of us he pulls it open, revealing a pair of armed guards in red cloaks and a man with a rather unfortunate unibrow.
The man with the unibrow struts in, sneering at the sight of the shabby room. He glances at the chairs and baskets by the fireplace, and at the worn table and benches. His gaze falls on us and his expression sours.
"Kalonga and Chikondi, always collecting the outcasts and misfits. Following in your parents' footsteps, I presume?" His voice sounds slimy, and he almost reminds me of the great goblin crawling around under the Misty Mountains.
"What do you want Alfrid?" the woman asks. Her voice is tightly controlled, and her hands twitch at her sides.
"I'm here to collect the newcomer," he looks at me as he says it. "All visitors and new arrivals are required to register with the magistrate's office. You should've registered your first day here."
"I was sick," I say. "I couldn't even move."
Alfrid shrugs his shoulders. "Not my problem, now, is it?"
His gaze falls on Mphatso, and he sneers again. "Haven't you got anything better to do? Like begging on the streets perhaps? Or sleeping with the rats?"
Mphatso ignores Alfrid, but the woman balls her fists. "Don't you say that to them! They deserve respect as much as I do!"
I creep up beside Mphatso to offer support as Alfrid says, "Well, we all know that respect doesn't count for very much, does it Chikondi? You and Kalonga, always stirring up trouble, begging for donations for that little orphanage of yours. You're scraping the bottom of the barrel, you are, and soon you'll be in the poor house.
"Let's go," Alfrid gestures to the guards, who flank me on either side and escort me to the door, Kalonga hurrying behind. I go without a fight, partially because I have no energy, and partially because I'm not dumb enough to tangle with guards while unarmed.
Alfrid holds out his arm at the door, blocking our way out. "By the way Kalonga, the mayor still wants his taxes from last month, and the month before that."
Kalonga scowls at Alfrid. "You and I both know I paid the master my fair share, and all you're trying to do is wring out every last drop of coin I make."
"It's a crime to not pay your taxes."
"It's a crime to starve your people."
Alfrid huffs and sweeps down the stairs to the walkway below. The guards and I follow behind, and Kalonga brings up the rear, presumably part of this venture whether he wants to be or not.
We make our way through the town, the few people we come across looking away to avoid attention. I squint in the late afternoon sun, the smell of lake water and weeds filling my nose. We cross a bridge, and I shiver. I can still feel its chill on my body.
The further we walk, the nicer the buildings and clothing seem. Finally, we come out in a square with a large hall on our right. Behind this building I catch a glimpse of a vast open space, filled with boats and barges. Then we head left and the boats drop out of sight. We approach a squat, two-story building across from the hall, which must be the magistrate's office. Alfrid, to my relief, leaves us and goes towards the hall.
Inside, the group is led up the stairs and down the hall to a room with a burning fire and plush rugs. In the center of the room there's a large desk with two hard chairs in front of it.
A man looks up from the desk, a pleasant, empty smile on his face. "So you must be the truant. How nice of you to finally visit. Guards, please keep Kalonga outside." He flicks his wrist to dismiss the others, turning back to me.
"Please have a seat," he urges, and I sink down into one of the chairs, trying not to show any signs of distress.
This magistrate seems nice, but nice doesn't mean safe.
"As I'm sure Alfrid already mentioned, you'll need to register your stay with us, and any weapons you may have. Helps make sure everyone's safe and protected," the magistrate grins at me.
I decide to smile back. "Of course."
"I'll need your basic info—name, age, residence, occupation, weapons, and assets. After that I will determine if further questions are needed."
"My name is Aspen, from the Enedwaith."
"You're a long ways from home," the magistrate muses, fishing for more information.
"Aye. My family back home is as good as dead, so I came here to build a new life."
"Why would you want to build here? There's not much to this town."
I eye the magistrate, wondering why he's probing so deeply. "There's more than where I came from. And my family had some old ties here. People we knew."
"Who are these people?"
"I don't remember off the top of my head. I have their names somewhere among my things. My goal was to get to Laketown alive before seeking them out, which was more difficult than I thought it would be."
The magistrate looks alarmed. "You had trouble along the way?"
I laugh. "Yes, quite a bit. But I'm here now, and I'm much better."
The magistrate chuckles. "Excellent. We're glad you're safe. Age and occupation?"
"No real occupation—I guess I do house chores and errands to fill my time. As for my age…what's the date?"
The magistrate looks surprised. "By the old Dale calendar, it's the 27th of August."
I think for a moment. "I suppose I'm twenty-one years of age then. I lost track of the dates on the road."
"Let me double check on that for you." The magistrate pulls open a drawer in his desk and lifts up a circular, wooden piece. He makes an adjustment to one circle, and suddenly the others are moving too. I'm fascinated despite myself.
"Made in Gondor by some of the finest horologists in Middle Earth. Cost a fortune, but luckily, the master saw the wisdom in keeping track of time across the land. Helps with the shipments, you know?" He jots something down in his book, and says, "Not much variation across the calendars—most places say August 27. Only the Elven and Dwarven calendars are different."
"Thank you."
"Of course. And now weapons and assets."
"I've got my partisan. And no money."
He makes another note. "None at all? Are you sure?"
I force a laugh. "If I had money I would know about it," I say, with a slight edge to let him know I don't appreciate his prodding.
"Of course, of course. And you are staying with Chikondi and Kalonga. Are they friends of yours?"
"Aye."
"I thought you said your folks' ties here were old, and not much used."
"Ah. I got a little lost when I was first coming to Laketown, and Kalonga helped me out. I got sick immediately after, so I stayed with them for a few days while recovering. I would call them friends after all of that."
"Will you be searching for your family's ties now that you've recovered?"
"Aye, of course. I would like to see them," I finish with a smile, thoroughly tired of all the questioning. My energy is fading quickly, and I want nothing more than to sleep for the next three days.
The magistrate nods. "Excellent. We would be happy to help you look for them if needed. Chikondi and Kalonga are nice, but have had some recent issues making payments on their house and barge."
I make a small noise of interest, watching as the magistrate makes a final note and signs the document with a flourish. He leans back in his chair and scrutinizes me.
"Well, that's all I need from you for today. I hope you find your family soon. We don't like when people have no place here in Laketown. And should you need anything, come to me and I'll take care of it."
"Thank you sir. I will."
He smiles. "That's what I like to hear. Always good for the townsfolk to look out for each other."
He stands and holds his hand out. I reach out to shake, but he flips it up and presses his lips to my knuckles, holding the position for a beat too long. I smile and remove my hand as soon as I can.
Kalonga waits for me outside in the hall, looking up when I enter. I swear there's a hint of relief in his eyes. I rub my hand on my skirt as we leave the building. It's nearly night now, and torches are lit at interals. I follow Kalonga silently throughout the streets back to his house, working up the courage to ask him a question.
Kalonga abruptly pulls me into the shadow of a building, away from the torches and passerby. My heart thumps in my chest, as Kalonga checks the area one last time and turns back to me.
"What did you say about me and Chiko?"
I frown. "I didn't say anything. And he didn't ask, either."
Now Kalonga frowns. "He didn't say anything about us at all?"
"The only thing he said was that y'all were having trouble making payments on your house and barge. That's all."
Kalonga nods, looking relieved. "A bunch of lies, but we can manage that. I am glad that was all that was said. And that you didn't volunteer any information on your own." He eyes me, like he's not sure whether to trust me or not.
I squirm under his gaze, glaring silently. "I know how to lie. And I know how to keep my mouth shut."
Kalonga turns away from me, back towards the main thoroughfare.
"What information do you have for Bard?"
"I can't tell you."
"So you've said. I was hoping that away from everyone else you would be a little more willing to talk."
I cross my arms. "I'm not."
Kalonga looks at me, and I squirm again. He steps closer, crowding up into my space. The wall presses up against my back.
"I think there's more to your story than you're telling. You say you escaped from the elves, but you carry an Elvish weapon and wore their clothes. You won't tell anyone anything. When we get back home, you're going to tell me every detail and leave nothing out. If I think you're lying, I'll put you out on the street. Or send you back to the magistrate. Do I make myself clear?"
"Perfectly."
"Good. Now come," he says as he steps away, gesturing with his hand.
I let out a shaky breath and hug my sides, following after Kalonga.
