Chapter Thirteen
While, Thorin slept in the cell, Bernadette remained awake. She could hear a conversation going on between Tauriel and Kili. Bernadette smiled. She always knew that Kili had some attraction to elf maids, as she had observed him, during their stay in Rivendell, when he gazed at the Elf harpist. Bernadette thought their conversation is beautiful, and it moved her. Bernadette leaned against Thorin, resting her head upon Thorin's shoulders, and she drifted off into deep sleep. The next morning, Thorin and Bernadette woke up to the sound of a very familiar voice.
"Thorin, Bernadette! Are you awake?" asked the voice. Bernadette looked up, and there stood her brother, Bilbo in front of their cell. "BILBO!" cried out Bernadette approaching quickly to the cell door, Thorin followed her, and he smiled at the hobbit. "I'm getting you out of here. I have a plan!" whispered Bilbo. "You have a plan?" said Thorin. Thorin and Bernadette stepped out of their cell. Already most of the others are already out of their cells. "Follow me down into the wine cellar!" said Bilbo, and they followed Bilbo down into the wine cellar, and they see many barrels in front of them.
"Is this your plan? But aren't we going to drown?" said Dwalin. "Dwalin, barrels float. We're not going to drown, trust my brother on this, please." insisted Bernadette. "Bernadette, you and Thorin share a barrel. Inside quickly!" said Bilbo. "In the barrels! All of you! NOW!" demanded Thorin. And the company obeyed their leader's order, and they climbed into the barrels. Bilbo walked over to where he sees a lever, pulling the lever, it released the barrels that Thorin, Bernadette and the dwarves are in, sending them into the river. "Bilbo! Are you coming?" Bernadette called out.
"I'm coming!" Bilbo called back. But the time he was about to leap, the door closed. "Oh shoot." grumbled the hobbit, and he stood there. Then, he pulled the lever again, when the door opened, he jumped into the water, and he swam over to Thorin's barrel holding on to it. "Bilbo, why didn't you get a barrel?" asked Bernadette. "I had no time." said Bilbo. "Just keep holding on, okay?" said Bernadette. Bilbo nodded. Unfortunately, as they floated among the current, they saw a gate ahead of them, and the gate closed. "Damn it! We've been caught!" snarled Thorin, turning around, and seeing the Elf Guards closing the gate.
But it wasn't the Elf Guards, he had saw. Azog and Bolg approached.
Followed by an army of orcs. "Great, not only we're being hounded by Elves, but the orcs as well." grumbled Thorin. "Oh no." moaned Bernadette. Kili jumped out of his barrel, he climbed on the land. His goal was to reach the lever so he could open the gate up, and free the company. "What is he doing?" asked Bilbo. But by the time he nearly reached the lever, two arrows coming from a couple orcs, struck Kili in his leg, and Kili fell over. "KILI!" yelled Thorin and Fili together.
After that happened, Tauriel came, alongside with Legolas, killing off the orcs, meanwhile Kili made his way to the lever opening the gate. Suddenly an orc stood behind Legolas. "Behind you!" called out Thorin. Bernadette looked at Thorin in surprise. He was saving the life of the Elf Prince? "Thorin! You know who that is don't you?" said Bernadette. "He's not a bad lad, he's nothing like his father." Thorin said quickly. Bernadette chuckled. "True." said Bernadette. Kili pulled the lever, opening the gate, and he jumped back into his barrel, shrieking in pain.
"Kili!" called out Fili, noticing that his younger brother in pain. "Is he alright?" called out Bernadette.
Fili didn't reply, and he kept looking at him, knowing his younger brother is injured. Hours later, the company made it to land. As they climbed out of the barrels, Thorin noticed Kili climbing out, and he quickly sat down, holding on to his leg. "Kili!" said Thorin. "Kili, you're hurt!" cried out Bernadette. "I'm fine. Its just a scratch." mumbled the dwarf. "No, you're not fine buster! You are hurt!" snapped Bernadette, glaring at Kili with great concern. She didn't know who was worse at being stubborn, Kili or Thorin. She knew all dwarves are stubborn, but this had gone too far.
"Somebody's here!" said Oin. The company quickly turned, and they saw a man, dressed in a light brown coat, dark medium length curly hair, and mustache, and he aimed his bow at them. Balin recognized who the man is, Bard the Bowman. Balin began talking introducing himself and the company as merchants, keeping their identity low key. Bernadette thought that was a really good idea, of keeping their identity hidden. Especially that they're being hounded by orcs and elves. "We will pay you to take us to Lake Town, where we will be staying." said Balin. Bard nodded, and agreed to take the dwarves in the boat.
Bard looked at the hobbits with curiosity.
"Two Halflings? Among dwarves?" said Bard. "Yes, we are helping our friends, the dwarves." said Bernadette, smiling and that's all she had said. Thorin nodded at Bernadette smiling, as she kept her and the others profile low key. Thorin looked ahead, smiling. "We're getting closer to your home." said Bernadette, smiling at the dwarf. "Yes." grinned Thorin, taking Bernadette's hand, squeezing it. "And we're going to help you get it back, Thorin. Bilbo and I kept our word on that." said Bernadette. "I know." said Thorin, placing his arm around Bernadette, as she leaned back against him.
Once they arrived in town, Bard instructed all of them to hide in barrels of fish, so the tradesman wouldn't suspect anything. "I'm going to smell like fish for a week." grumbled Bernadette. "I need a good bath after this." said Bilbo. After Bard spoken to the man, they shortly arrived at Bard's home, as he guided them inside. "You Bernadette, my daughters will guide you to a room where you can bathe. The dwarves, follow me and hide in here." said Bard leading them to a bathroom. "We're going to hide in a toilet?" snarled Dwalin. "Do you have a choice?" shot back Bard. Thorin sighed. "Lets do as the man says." said Thorin. Even Bilbo grumbled of this too, complaining about his dignity.
Fili and Kili agreed with Bilbo on that "Why is Bernadette getting the better treatment?" said Gloin. "Don't ask me." said Oin. Suddenly, the door opened, it was Bard's youngest daughter, Tilda, and her older sister Sigrid. "Father! There are dwarves in our toilet!" called out the little girl. "Would that bring us luck?" asked Sigrid. Dwalin snarled as he climbed out of the toilet, hoping they are done hiding for now. Thorin and his companions gathered around the dining room table, discussing weapons, when Dwalin called out to Thorin. Dwalin realized the mistake he made, revealing who Thorin is.
"Thorin? As in Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King Under the Mountain?" asked Bard. Thorin nodded, then turned and glared at Dwalin. Dwalin gave Thorin an apologetic look and shrug. Afterwards, they discussed their plans of killing the dragon when they reach the mountain. Bernadette shortly returned, just finished her bath, and now wearing a clean dress she borrowed from Bard's daughters. She noticed Kili's condition is getting much worse. "Kili, are you okay?" asked Bernadette. "Yes. I just need to sit down." said Kili, softly. "You just sit down." said Bernadette gently.
Suddenly, four of the Master's guards entered the room, taking the dwarves into custody. "THORIN!" cried out Bernadette. And the guards took them to have their confrontation with the Master. "You stay." said Bard, and he left, following the guards. "No! I won't stay!" yelled Bernadette, following them, because they also have Bilbo, and no one messes with her brother. Bernadette arrived in the town square, where the dwarves are standing with the guards. The Master, and his assistant, Alfrid, stepped out, looking at the dwarves. "Who are you? What are you doing in my town? I've been told you've been stealing." said Master. "Stealing?! Let me inform you, that we don't steal! Do you have any idea who you are speaking to? You're speaking to Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King Under the Mountain!" announced Dwalin hotly.
"We are the dwarves of Erebor, we come to reclaim our homeland!" spoke up Thorin. The towns people looked at each other, smiling brightly, cheering in delight, hearing the return of a future king. But their cheering ended. "You will destroy us all, if you waken the dragon! You have no right to enter that mountain!" snapped Bard. "I have every right!" Thorin shot back, and he went into a speech, promising the people will get their share of the treasure, paying them back from the damages that happened to them years ago, and in Dale. Bard stood in disbelief, not buying any of Thorin's words.
"What is your beef against Thorin anyway?" spoken up Bernadette to Bard. Bard turned to the hobbit woman. "You have no idea whom Thorin is related to? Have you any concern that he, like his grandfather, and father, will succumb into the gold sickness? The Master, here already fallen under the greed." explained Bard. "That is why I'm here, Master Bard." smiled Bernadette. "Oh?" said Bard. "I'm going to save him. I will do whatever I can to save him. Thorin is a good dwarf, and I would walk through fire for him, or even face a dragon myself." said Bernadette. Bard smiled and chuckled. The thought of a hobbit and dwarf in love was quite amusing, and he also thought the hobbit will indeed make a good queen for Thorin.
The Master smiled. "Tonight, we shall celebrate the King's arrival. We will have a feast in his honor. Come, I will show you to the Great Hall, where we will be having the celebrations!" smiled the Master. Fili looked at Thorin. "The rest of you can celebrate, I'm taking Kili back to Bard's. His condition is getting worse." said Fili, as everyone looked at Kili. "Is he alright?" asked Bard. Thorin explained to Bard of Kili's injury. "He's poisoned. Yes, he needs to back to my home." said Bard. "Have Oin with you, and look for some kings foil." said Thorin. Fili nodded.
After the feasting, Thorin and the rest of the company returned to Bard's home where they had been staying. Bofur, whom already drunk, passed out on the floor. Fili had remained by Kili's side for a long time. Thorin looked at them. Thorin did not know what to do, and it saddened him to see his youngest nephew in this condition. And it left him of making a very difficult decision: Leaving him behind in Lake Town, to heal, which means he would have to leave a few others behind too, to look after Kili.
Thorin remained silent the entire night, hardly speaking to anyone except for Bernadette, Balin and Dwalin, and Bilbo. "He doesn't look so good." said Bilbo sadly. The next morning, Thorin decided to depart, to make their way to the Mountain.