Invisible and rejuvenated I continued my search. It wasn't until nearly evening that I began to hear the Elves excitedly talking about some sort of Festival happening tonight. Curious I followed the Elf Warden with the cell keys down to the cellar. I heard him talking about having to send the empty wine back to a place called Esgaroth. The Elves in the cellar laughed and commented on the Kings fine taste in wine and that the Warden should join him. He looked about to refuse but the other Elves talked him into it. He set the keys on a peg on the wall as he joined them for a drink. Having not seen a reason to explore this place before I nearly kicked myself when I realized a river ran beneath my feet and that's how the Elves sent the barrels away!
I waited in the cellar, counting 13 empty barrels and devising my plane until the Warden was piss drunk and carefully snatched the keys and headed for the dungeons. I raced to Thorin first and grinned at him as I appeared, "Come on. Quietly! I found a way out!" His smile did terrible things to my heart but I ignored that for the task at hand. I lead him up to the others and quickly got everyone out of their cells. In a hushed tone, I instructed the others to leave their armor and heavy outer garments behind. If the Dwarves were to make any attempt at stealth, they would need to dispense with things that would jingle or clank or rustle too much as they walked. Dwalin wasn't at all pleased with the idea of leaving his armor behind, and scowled fiercely at Thorin for a long moment before obeying the order. Kili, though, looked almost giddy with the excitement and thrilled of the escape. He kept nudging Fili and grinning, as if to make up for all the days he and his brother had been kept apart, and more than once the others caught him desperately stifling laughter. The Company proceeded on tiptoe over the various causeways of the underground prison, trying to be quiet but often failing miserably and receiving reproving looks and frequent shushings from Thorin and myself, since we were at the head of the group.
I led them ever downward along deserted pathways and corridors, quickly and surely as if I'd lived in this place my whole life. At last, the Company came, breathing heavily and trying not to be loud about it, to the lower cellars, where barrels were stored and filled and sent down a sloping trapdoor into the river below for transport to the lands beyond. At the moment, though, the trapdoor was closed, and no one who wasn't familiar with the process would have noticed anything suspicious about the ordinary-looking wooden floor on the far side of the room. I lead them into the cellar where the Elves were passed out. When I told them to get in the barrels and got opposition I nearly strangled them until Thorin ordered them to do what I said. I gave him a thankful look before going to the lever. Once they were all in barrels Thorin seemed to realize we were one barrel short. He looked at me and then I grinned and said, "See you outside." and pulled.
The barrels fell into the river and the Dwarves voiced their surprise. As the last barrel fell I heard others coming and lunged after it, diving into the freezing water. Gasping at the cold I swam as hard as I could to try and keep my head afloat and get to one of the barrels. It happened to be Ori's and since he was the skinniest Dwarf I heaved myself up and into it. Shaking the water from my eyes I heard an ear splitting horn ring through the air and I looked ahead, getting a feeling of foreboding.
Up ahead was a water gate with Elven guards and I cursed, not having foreseen this. The Elves closed the gate and I thought that was the least of our worries. Until a group of Orcs ambushed the Elven guards and slaughtered them! Not caring that the Mirkwood Elves had imprisoned my friends I jumped onto the barrel rim and lunged to shore, cutting and slicing Orcs as I went, keeping in mind to get to the lever that would open the gates. Kili must have had the same idea but had jumped onto the opposite bank to get to it. I was more surrounded by Orcs then Kili, so thought he'd be alright to get to it. More Elves ran up and started attacking the Orcs and I almost thought we were home free. Until I heard Fili cry out for his brother, spun and saw a black shaft in Kili's leg as he crumbled.
My heart in my throat I tried to reach him and saw Legolas and Tauriel lead the Elven guard into the fray. I cut down another foe and raced for Kili as the Orcs turned their attentions to the Elves. Kili pulled himself up and grabbed the lever as I did and together we thrust it down. I grabbed him and moved him towards the water, afraid of his injury but not seeing another choice I shoved him at his empty barrel. I winced when I heard his cry as the shaft broke when he landed in the barrel. I glanced back once before jumping off the bridge next and landing back in Ori's barrel.
We went through the gate and fell into the rapids and I gasped at the cold water and saw across the way that there were more Orcs. Cursing our luck I shouted warning and from there it was madness. The Elves followed the Orcs, slaying them as they went but there were so many left. The Dwarves cut down Orc's that they could reach, grabbing the fallen enemies weapons and using them as best they could, while somehow being protected from arrows by the barrels. I cut down any Orc I could and happened to glance as Tauriel tangled with an extra large one and saw the hidden dagger. Without thinking I reached for my throwing knife and didn't need to aim as I buried it into the Orc's skull. She looked at me in shock before my attention was pulled elsewhere as I defended Ori and the others the best I could. And watched as the Elves moved like stealthy ninjas of the wood, cutting down an Orc in their path.
I couldn't believe it when Legolas leaped on top of Dwalin and Dori's heads and used them as steps and a ride to shoot Orcs down the river! He even spun like a ballerina on top of Dwalin's thick skull but I thought that might have been out of spite. Then he used some of the others heads as steps to reach the other end of the river. I didn't miss seeing Thorin throw the ax in his hand to kill an Orc about to stab Legolas in the back, but wisely kept my mouth shut.
Then I saw Legolas pause and the other Elves went no further then him. The Orcs kept following us but then we hit rough fast rapids and left them behind as well. I helped Ori keep the barrel right side up as we continued until we lost the current and the water became peaceful. Thorin ordered us to shore and I helped Ori paddle to the shore and then helped to it, the ride not agreeing with him. Then I turned my stiff, sore body to help some of the others. Then I saw to Kili. Thorin was trying to get us to move and told us we had two minutes. The others talked about what we must do, we had to somehow get to the other side of the lake without being caught by the Orcs.
Sensing something I straightened and was surprised to see a man watching us, with a strung bow in his hands but aimed at the ground. Dwalin saw him too and jumped in front of Ori with a stout stick. The man reacted, shooting an arrow at the stick and shattered it. Then deflected the rock about to be thrown by Kili. Almost as fast as the Elves, he strung another arrow and warned, "Do it again and your dead."
I wasn't sure what to do and was grateful when Balin took charge, asking if he was from Lake Town. And then asked innocently, "That barge over there, it wouldn't be fore hire by any chance?"
Slowly the man lowered his bow and I settled down on the rock by Kili as Balin and the man talked. I was cold, tired and fuzzy headed from lack of sleep, the cold and hunger. I knew Balin would somehow convince this man to help us. The man loaded the barrels onto his barge and Balin chatted with him, asking how many kids he had and such, finding out his wife had passed. Dwalin growled, impatient, "Oh come on, enough with the niceties."
The man looked at him, "What's your hurry?"
Dwalin growled, "What's it to you?" only to get a rock to the head from my throw. He glared at me and I glared back as Balin smoothed it over by saying we were merchants from the Blue Mountains, going to the Iron Hills to see family. The man looked at me with a raised eyebrow and I grinned at him, "I'm along for the journey, got family near the Iron Mountains." He seemed to buy that, tho not Balins innocent face. Thorin stepped forward and said, "We need food, supplies, weapons. Can you help us?" It got a bit touchy when he mentioned the Master of Lake Town would see us in irons before offended the Elven King of Mirkwood. I eyed Kili, worried until a head shattering sneeze exploded from me. Sniffling I rubbedmy nose, trying to stop blushing. I ignored everyone staring at me as I strode forward, "Master Bargeman, what we need is a smuggler. We will pay double. What say you?"
He seemed surprised, as did the Dwarves. I was done with the dancing of words and showed it, feeling grumpy and wanting to lie down. I raised an eyebrow, "We will pay you half up front and half when we get there." His mustache twitched as if he wanted to smile, "Done."
I glanced at the Dwarves, only Balin looked amused. I haggled with the man who called himself Bard and came up with a fair price before retrieving the money from the Dwarves. Gloin grumbled the most but gave over some coins. Then Bard ushered us on board and I went over and swung Kili's other arm over my shoulders, Fili had his other side and we helped him aboard. Then we were off. I sat next to the brothers, trying to get warm again. We moved onto the lake and I could heard chunks of ice hitting the barge. It got colder and I began to shiver uncontrollably. Thorin came over and sat next to me. I felt the heat coming off him like a furnace and couldn't help moving closer. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders as another sneeze exploded from me. Shaking my head I mumbled, "I'm al-lright-t." my teeth were beginning to chatter.
Thorin stiffened as Bard set down his bow and came towards us, holding out and even more worn coat then he was wearing, "Here, this should help." I thanked him, teeth clacking and Thorin gave a nod of thanks before wrapping me in it like a burrito. This helped a lot. Balin came up then, getting the other half of the bargain and Gloin looked even more grumpy. Bard thanked him and said, "You might want to get below, we're getting close to Lake Town."
Before I could protest Thorin picked me up in his arms and said to Dwalin, "Help Fili get Kili below." and then carried me below deck, through a trap door Bard held open. Thorin sat in a corner of the cramped space with me on his lap. I pressed myself closer to his warmth, debating a nap and wondering if it was worth getting up off his lap. Thorin murmured, "You'll be alright Ariana. We'll get you to a warm fire soon."
I grinned up at him, "I'm fine Thorin, cold and tired, but fine." He didn't seem convinced and I rolled my eyes as I heard the others join us and gratefully took a handkerchief from Balin, who smiled kindly at me and I hoped everything would go alright. I wasn't sure if my frozen toes would last much longer. And Kili wasn't looking much better, finally passing out next to his brother from the pain.
0o0
Finally we stopped and the others looked around warily. There was some amount of discussion up on deck, Bard's voice and an unfamiliar, strongly accented male voice. The Dwarves listened, barely daring to breathe, for a few tense minutes. Then heavy footsteps approached above them, accompanied by very distinct words. "Sorry, Bard, but I hafta check the hold. Master's orders. No exceptions."
The Dwarves in the hold were still as statues, eyes fixed on the boards above, straining their ears. Bard laughed, but it was a harsh, humorless sound. "Come now, Deno. What could I have down there? You know as well as I do the only cargo I ever haul in the hold is fish, and it's the wrong season for that. I've already lost today's shipment, don't let's delay any more. I want to be home by my own hearth before tonight's ice sets in."
I shuddered, dust falling from the boards above as the men walked on the deck tickled my nose. My eyes watering as I all but smothered myself with the handkerchief, trying not to sneeze.
"I know, I know," said Deno, sounding apologetic. "Don't worry. It won't take but a moment. There've been some... incidents these past few weeks what have put the Master on edge. They're watching me, he said. Might come down on me own family, ya know, if I let anything slide." The door creaked open, and yellow lantern-light started to creep into the dim crawl-space below. A shadow stretched across the wall as Bard leaned down and clasped Deno's hand, pressing a goodly sum of money into his palm, wrapped in a bit of canvas to stop the coins making noise. "They've sick and injured," the bargeman murmured, barely loud enough for those closest to the trap door to hear. "I've promised them aid... without it, they may die."
Deno hesitated, leaning down to peer into the crawlspace. The Dwarves saw his blunt-featured face staring at them, illumined harshly in the light of his lamp, "Dwarves?!" The whisper was awash with astonishment. "But I... Dwarves, Bard? Here?" It sounded almost as though he considered them something sprung from legend, more fairy-story than fact.
Thorin set me down next to Fili, stood up slowly, moving into the shifting golden arc of the lantern. "We have returned," he said simply.
Deno looked even more baffled. "But you're... but the... oh my." He sighed, turning back to Bard. "The Master'd kill me if he knew I'd allowed a group of Dwarves smuggled into Laketown. But I... well, what am I to do?"
"What's going on there?" said an oily voice, from the deck. "What have you found, Deno?"
"Oh. Alfrid." Deno sounded terribly conflicted. He glanced back at the expectant, pleading faces of the Dwarves. A weighty beat of silence. "Uh, it's nothin'," he said at last, turning away. "Empty. Just thought I saw a... er... a rat."
"A rat?" Alfrid's greasy skepticism made Fili shiver as he wrapped an arm around Kili's shoulders protectivly, his eyes fixed on the opening above them. "You'll have to take care of that, Bard," sneered Alfrid. "There's a fine for bringing pests into the city. Some'ow, I don't think rats are the only pests on board." There was a threatening note to his voice now, and we heard him stamp his foot, dust raining down and the Dwarves held their breath.
I bit my fist frantically but as the dust reached my nose, I lost the fight, letting loose a minor explosion of sneezing. I suppressed it violently, face scrunched and weeping, the very damp handkerchief clamped over my nose and mouth, so the noise I made was like a loud, strangled squeak. Like a strangled chicken. There was silence on deck for a long moment. Blushed, horrified as the Dwarves looked at me in shock.
"What was that?" asked Alfrid, his voice low and malicious. Deno seemed a bit at a loss. He hemmed and hawed for a moment, searching for words, then produced a very fake sounding cough. "That was... that was me, Alfrid. Sorry. It's the blasted cold. Comin' down with somethin', I shouldn't wonder."
Alfrid scoffed. "Whadda you take me for? A simpleton like the common folk? A fool like you, Deno? I wanna know what you're protectin'. Guards, search the 'old."
Thorin turned back to the others with a look of dismay. "We'll never get anywhere trying to fight them," he said quickly, as the clanking of armor and weapons approached the entrance to the crawlspace. "I'll get us out of this when we've had a chance to explain ourselves." Dwalin glowered unhappily but saw that Thorin was right. Fighting would be no use. The first guard dropped through the trap door, and let out a cry of alarm.
"Dwarves, sir!" he called. "A whole gaggle of 'em." I wanted to snort, a gaggle of Dwarves! We weren't geese!
"Dwarves?" Alfrid sounded incredulous and, for once, completely surprised. "Bring 'em up!"
As the Company was herded up on deck, tight groups forming around Kili, and myself, the guards watched us. Some suspiciously. Alfrid had a nasty smile on his sallow face, and was poking Bard in the chest with one long finger."You're in 'ot water now, aren't you? The great bowman, smugglin' dwarves into Laketown. Wait 'til the Master 'ears about this."
Bard ignored Alfrid, but looked at Balin with a sorrowful shrug. They were all in for it now. "Sorry, friends." I felt bad for him and wanted to punch Alfrid in the face. I was about to sneak over when Dwalin took hold of my shoulder. I looked at him and saw the half smile before sighing and went along with the Dwarves as we were marched off the barge. We were herded across a series of decks and ramshackle bridges in the shadows of tall, slapdash houses, all separated by a broad, filthy channel. I was not happy about this town, feeling very unnerved that I couldn't sense the earth beneath my feet. I shook it off quickly when I noticed we were quite the spectacle. The townsfolk stared in wonder as the group passed, the children leaning out of windows to get a better look, or pointing, tugging insistently at their mothers' aprons or their fathers' sleeves. And I wondered what kind of mess we had gotten into now.
0o0
Thorin held his head high, a very embarrassed looking Ariana bundled up next to him. As much as he disliked being a spectacle, he'd carry himself like the royalty he was. Alfrid was bringing up the rear, smirking at Bard and barking at the guards now and then to "'urry it up." When they reached a surprisingly grand courtyard before a large, well-maintained structure with heavy double doors, they drew to a halt. Alfrid slipped inside, and a moment later, returned with a slouching, orange-haired man in fine, pompous clothes. The Master. "Well, what's all this?" he cried in a plummy voice, looking rather bewildered.
Dwalin stepped forward, sweeping a guard's spear aside contemptuously to reach the front of the group. "We are the Dwarves of Erebor," he said in a great voice, his expression hard. "We are led by Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King Under the Mountain." There was an unmistakable note of pride in the warrior's rough voice.
Fili, stooped under the unconscious weight of his injured brother, glanced at his uncle and felt the same pride and admiration that the others did. Thorin was every inch a king. Ariana stood in the back, coming up to take Kili's other arm and helping Fili to hold him up. She was still shivering, Fili could feel it as it vibrated through Kili and into his arm. Fili felt a stab of worry for the poor girl. Had her time in the river really done so much harm? The Master looked startled, overwhelmed, as though it had never occurred to him that those silly legends about the Mountain King returning might actually be true.
"Really?" he said, glancing from Dwalin to Thorin and then to Alfrid beside him. "Caught sneaking in on a barge, you said? Hmmm. This doesn't portend well." A few curious townsfolk had begun to drift in behind the Dwarves now, hoping to see something interesting.
"Thorin, is it?" The Master nodded to himself. "Then why, Thorin, must a king sneak about like a... spy? Hmm?"
"We are not spies," said Thorin wearily. "We met with ill fortune at the hands of Thranduil and were told your town wouldn't take kindly to those fallen afoul of the Elvenking. Empty-handed and low as we seem, we are in earnest. We seek to reclaim Erebor, and with your aid, I believe it can be done."
The Master looked very concerned at the mention of Thranduil. He'd grown wealthy trading with the Woodland Realm, and wasn't about to jeopardize his primary source of income. "Why should I? What would I stand to gain?"
Dwalin let out a harsh bark of laughter. "Is the memory of Men so short?" he asked scathingly. "If we reclaim Erebor, we shall have a dragon's hoard at our disposal. Wealth will flow through this land again. This was once a land of craftsmen and artisans, proud of their trades and rightly so. Have the men of Esgaroth forgotten?"
The townspeople murmured among themselves, and soon all eyes were on the Master. He shifted uncomfortably and glanced at Alfrid. Running a beefy hand over his thin, shockingly orange hair, the man frowned, trying to look thoughtful rather than uncertain. Thorin stood proud, talking of how the Men of the Lake used to be. He'd assessed fairly well now what sort of man the Master was, so getting him to see things his way wouldn't be too difficult. "All will share in the wealth of the Mountain," he said so the enthused crowd could hear. "For your service to us, you will be handsomely rewarded. Your city-which I see even now falls into ruin-will be rebuilt to rival Dale of old. You stand to gain much, Master of the Lake Men." The crowd looked pleased until Bard returned and warned the group not to go into the mountain, fearing what would happen if the dragon awoke and who would pay the price.
