A/N: Thank you, UKReader, for the prompt!
+ the two following chapters will include dearreader's ideas since the prompts "galloped ahead," but the ideas are ace! :)
Thorin goes to the stream to collect some water, while Wren is burying something at the foot of a tree on the opposite bank.
The time Thorin got really jealous of Bard when Wren liked the way Bard handled his boat (or bow).
They climbed out of the barrels, coughing and soaked, and Thorin thought that perhaps the thief had been wiser than all of them. Surely, there was a better way to escape the Elven Kingdom. He quickly looked at his companions, making certain they all were present, and noticed Kili's ashen paleness. The boy's leg needed binding.
He felt endlessly miserable, in wet, cold clothes, he had always hated water. Dwarves were not made for swimming. He heard Balin and Bilbo discussing the lake lying between them and the mountain. He remembered it from his young years, the endless glossy surface, barges moving on it. He liked going to Dale and watching them, but at the moment it was nothing but an obstacle.
They were catching their breath, pouring water out of their boots, squeezing it out of their clothes, and he quickly recounted what they had. No weapons, no provision. He at least had his blade, but there was an Orc pack at their tail, what good could one sword do? He looked around, in a futile attempt to find some answer to what he was to do now, with his quest and with his people, hiding from himself a small hope. He surely wasn't hoping that the red head would pop up now, as it did so many times before, that would be absurd. And again what good would it do?
Then the Man showed up, with his bow and his barge, and Thorin quickly sent Balin to negotiate. The old Dwarf was the most tactful and cunning of them all. He started softly, with the discussion of children and wife, and Thorin internally smirked. He himself would barge in, no pun intended, with the request to take them across and would surely spoil the deal. Thorin stood aside and saw Dwalin's temper rising. Thorin frowned to him showing his discontent, and the tattooed warrior turned his back to the talking men. And only because Thorin was keeping his eye on him to make sure he wouldn't snap, he saw her on the other bank.
She was dressed in a new, clearly Elven attire, perhaps intended for a child considering her height, tight trousers and a long coat, in gentle green, no cloak, but her sack was back. The little spade in her hands was also of Elven craft, shaped like a leaf, with a carved handle, and he assumed the same was the origin of whatever she had in the bag at her feet. She had dug up a hole and lowered the bag in, quickly filling the hole with ground again. An orange curl fell on her face, and she blew it away.
She probably felt his eyes on her and lifted her face. A wide smiled bloomed, and she waved to him in a funny childish gesture, her little fingers splayed in a fan. He shook his head in amusement and beckoned her to approach. She shook her head and mimicked running away with her hand.
He needed to let her know that a pack of Orcs was nearby, but the river was too wide to shout, and again, Balin seemed to be achieving some success in his negotiations. Thorin screw his eyes and noticed that the bargeman seemed more favourable towards their offer now.
And then an idea came. If she knew aglab, the spoken Khuzdul, there might have been a chance she knew Iglishmek as well. He gestured the signs for "Orc" and "danger" to her. She was wiping her hands to a cloth and froze staring at him. And then she signed back "here," and there was a certain questioning in the tilt of her head. He beckoned her again, she stuffed the spade in her sack, got up, and he received two more gestures. "Soon" and "wait." He felt shortly irritated, she was ordering him around.
The bargeman finally agreed to the payment, and the Dwarves headed for his boat.
"We have to wait," grumbled Thorin, "We have another passenger to join us."
"That was not in the agreement," the Man exclaimed, "There are too many of you already, it'll be troublesome to foist fourteen people into the city, and you want to add another one!"
"I hardly require any foistering," the thief's sarcastic voice was suddenly heard from behind the rocks near them, and Thorin once again wondered whether she possessed some sort of magic. Surely, no one could move so quickly and silently. She stepped from around the boulders, and the Dwarves cheered. She bestowed them with a theatrical bow, gave Fili a wide smile, then her eyes shortly paused on Kili's face, and then she finally turned to the bargeman.
"Am I to transport a thief into my city now?" The Man grumbled, and Thorin's hand lay on the hilt of his sword. She might have been one, but no one was allowed to show the littlest disrespect to her.
"Only if the thief is bearing gifts, Bard the Bargeman," she answered in a quiet menacing voice and narrowed her eyes at the Man.
And then both of them suddenly burst into laughter, and he opened his arms in a wide embrace. She ran up to him and slightly jumping hung on his neck.
"Wren of Enedwaith, in the name of all Valar!" The one called Bard twirled her, and Thorin heard her silver laughter, "Do not tell me you are travelling with these 'simple merchants'!" The bargeman's voice sarcastically dropped around the last words, and he put her on the ground. She smacked his shoulder and grinned impishly.
"You know me, Bard, I walk by myself, I just sometimes require… escort," she gave him an attentive look over, and her sunny smile wavered. "I see the affairs haven't improved since I saw you last. How are Bain, Sigrid and Tilda?"
"They are well," the man's voice softened, and Thorin assumed they talked of his children, "Miss their favourite auntie." She smiled and started rummaging through her sack.
"Wait, give me a moment," she pulled out a bottle of something and pushed it into his hands, "Your favourite cordial, all the way from Bree, and I got Tilda that doll she was talking about." Bard shook his head.
"You are spoiling them." He gazed at her face with warmth, and that was when Thorin learnt what the true jealousy felt like. It wasn't her flirting with Fili or her supposed lodging with the skinchanger, but the warmth and domesticity between her and the bargeman that made his insides churn. There was no lust between them, but she was obviously accepted and perhaps even loved in the house of the Man, while she quite obviously felt the same way, and that what afflicted Thorin most. In the last few weeks he grew to think of her as his, in a way he couldn't quite name even to himself, and now he saw she never was and probably never would be.
"So, do you vouch for these Dwarves, Wren?" The bargeman looked at her, and she nodded. "Well, that settles it. Only they will have to get into the city the usual way." She giggled, and Thorin felt that was not a good omen.
They boarded the small boat, and their journey began. The air was cold and humid, and pieces of dirty looking ice were floating in the water of the lake. Thorin sat by the board and looked in the foggy air. It was quiet, except for the creaking of the tiller, and a murmured conversation between the Dwarves.
She walked between them, patted a few shoulders, exchanged looks and smiles with them and the hobbit, and came up to him. Dwalin, who stood beside him, gave her a small bow. Even before, Thron wondered at the approbation the warrior seemed to show towards her, always polite and respectful, making sure she was safe and warm during them crossing the Mountains. Dwalin was never fond of Men, thieves, or women, for that matter, to think of it he was hardly fond of anyone or anything, and yet there he was, treating her like a royalty. She bowed to him in return.
"Master Dwalin, I was happy to see your unscathed, though I have to say I can hardly imagine anything to harm you," her tone was playful, and Thorin saw the miracle of all miracles, a smile on Dwalin's face.
"I'm glad you are with us, lady Wren." She patted his massive forearm, and he left to the other end of the boat giving them privacy.
She smiled to Bilbo who was standing not too far away and sat down near Thorin. Her shoulder bumped into his, and she asked softly, "How are you faring, sweetpea?"
He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Have you been successful in Mirkwood?" He sounded irritated but didn't feel this way. He hardly knew himself what he felt.
She put her head on his shoulder and purred, "Quite so. And you? Did you enjoy your barrel ride, my King?" Her tone was teasing, and he snorted.
"Vixen." She giggled, and suddenly she snaked her small hand into his and intertwined their fingers. They sat in silence for a while, her little digits caressing his palm.
"You can trust Bard, he is one of the few decent people in Laketown." Thorin scoffed. "And he is an exceptional bargeman, you are safe in his boat." Excellent, Thorin thought, now she was admiring the man's skills as well.
"How do you know him?" He tried to hide his jealousy, but probably failed. She rubbed her cheek to his shoulder and moved even closer. He felt the warmth of her body through their clothes. He looked at her askew. The hair was clean and braided intricately, the mesmerizing copper gold colour, she smelled fresh and sweet, of lilacs and forest she wandered, and he suddenly felt embarrassed for his dirty clothes and stench that probably was coming off of him. His looks and cleanness had never concerned him before. He clenched his jaws, she had too much effect at him. He should have pushed her away, instead he pressed his face into the soft curls and sighed. She still hadn't answered his question. "Wren?"
"Shush, sweetpea. I am enjoying the last minutes with you," she sounded sincere, and he slightly moved away from her and looked at her. She then quickly smiled, and he felt uncomfortable from the impish sparkle in her eyes. "Soon you will be too disgusting to hug." He cocked a brow questioningly, when the bargeman slowed down his boat.
"The Tall Gate is ahead of us, I will need that money now, Master Dwarf." Thorin opened his mouth to tell him he'd pay upon getting into town and receiving the promised provisions, but he felt her small hand lightly squeeze his forearm. She kept her eyes down, no one would knew she interfered, but he listened to her and pushed the money into the bargeman's hand.
Bard moved away, and he looked at her. She had a small smile on her lips, and then she got up, her fingers sliding out of his, and he refused to acknowledge how much he missed her touch right away. She picked up her sack from the bottom of the boat, and Thorin heard Bilbo's distressed voice, "Are you leaving us, my lady?"
"I have some matters to attend in the town, and I'll be honest with you, Master Baggins, I do not approve of the manner people have to enter this city if they want to stay unnoticed." She smirked and turned to Thorin. He had gotten up with her and was now standing his arms folded on his chest, frowning and pretending not to care about her departing.
She stepped closer to him, her sack already on her back, and cupping his face with her hand she looked into his eyes. "Do me a favour, sweetpea." Her tone was tender and serious, and he nodded solemnly. "Have someone look at Kili's leg, he doesn't look well. His wound worries me." That wasn't what he expected, but he nodded again. She leaned in and brushed her lips to his tenderly. "I'll return later."
She stepped to the board of the boat and pulled a grey cloak from her sack. Wrapped in it she was easy to miss in the fog and disgusting sleet falling from the clouded skies.
"Bard, I'll be back soon. Tell the kids I'll be at your place by dinner." The Man nodded and maneuvered the barge close to the remnant of a column sticking out of the freezing water. She made a few steps back, and then after two wide spring steps she leaped ahead. Thorin rushed to the board, he could hardly believe it was possible to jump that far, but there she was, on the top of the column. She turned around, blew him a kiss, tucked her bright curls under the cloak and disappeared as if in clear air. He heard Bard chuckle behind him.
"Well, Master Dwarves, it is time for you to get back into your barrels."
A/N: My darlings, I seem to have developed a carpal tunnel with all my dissertation writing (and no, of course it's not from fanfiction :P) so my updates might be slightly irregular these days, but I'll be back soon :)