Chp 3
The Boatman
Coolness was felt and Ruby opened her eyes to look into a set she didn't recognize. She quickly moved backwards only to fall off balance only to be caught by the arm to get steady.
"Easy, your safe. Took a hard hit to your head. I'm Bard" he said and Ruby sat back down. "I found alongside the river on the rocks"
"Ruby, thank you for not letting me drown" Ruby said as she touched a light bandage on her head.
"You're welcome" Bard said "You alone?"
"No, I was separated" Ruby replied as Bard handed her a small bag and she took a sip of water "I don't remember how"
"The good knock to the head can do that" Bard said.
"Would be a terrible time to say I didn't know how to swim" She laughed.
"Aye" Bard said and smiled back but it faded when he heard a noise behind them "Stay here"
"Wait" Ruby said as she followed him and caught up enough to see him shoot an arrow at the rock that Kili was holding "Stop!" she moved forward and grabbed on to Bard's bow causing him to lower it and look at him "They are my friends, please"
"Ruby" Thorin said in relief as he saw her standing next to Bard.
"Please Bard they won't do it again" Ruby begged and he kept his guard up.
"Excuse but um your from lake town, if I'm not mistaken" Balin said as he walked towards Bard who raised his bow again higher than Ruby could get to from where she was standing. "That barge over there, its wouldn't bet there for hire for any chance."
Bard had left them and started to load the barrels in to the barge and Ruby was standing Thorin since they followed Bard to his barge.
"What makes you think I would help you" Bard said.
"Those boots have seen better days" Balin said as Bard loaded the last 3 barrel "As has that coat, no doubt you have hungry mouths to feed. How many barons?"
"A boy and two girls" Bard said as he loaded another barrel.
"And you wife I imagine is a beauty" Balin said as Bard paused and he had a smile on.
"Aye she was" Bard replied and the smile from Balin's face dropped.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to.." Balin said
"Oh come on enough with the niceties" Dwalin said and turned around
"What's ya hurry" Bard said.
"What's it to you" Dwalin replied.
"I would like to know who you are" Bard said "What you are doing in these lands?"
"We are simple merchants from the Blue Mountains, journeying to see our kin in the Iron Hills" Balin said.
"Simple merchants you say" Bard said with a smile.
"We need food supply weapons" Thorin said as he took a step forward "Can you help us"
"I know where these barrels came from" Bard said as he touched one of the many marks on the barrels.
"What of it" Thorin said.
"I don't know what business you had with the elves, but I don't think it ended well" Bard said "No one enters but by leave of the Master, all his wealth comes from trade with the woodland realm" he then took off a rope "He will see you irons before risking the wrath of King Thranduil."
Everyone was looking at each other and Thorin made a jester to Balin who spoke up again.
"I wager there are ways to enter that town unseen" Balin said.
"Aye but for that you need would need a smuggler" Bard said.
"For which we are willing to pay double" Balin said.
"No" Bard said as he looked at Balin.
Ruby quickly ran up to the boat where Bard and Balin were and gently touched Bard's arm.
"Please Bard" Ruby said "We aren't bad people, please"
Bard looked at Ruby for a moment and saw a small stain of red underneath her bandage and let out a sigh "Double you say?"
"Aye" Balin said.
"Get in" Bard said and Ruby smiled and hoped over the barge side and hugged him which caught him off guard.
"Thank you Bard" Ruby said as the rest of them got on.
Bard soon took them on the lake and it got foggier and foggier as they traveled in more. Ruby was sitting on the side of the boat in front of Thorin who was standing behind her. Everyone was quiet on the barge as the fog started to clear and giant stones were in the water.
"Watch out!" Bofur yelled as Bard maneuver the boat around them.
"What are you trying to do drown us" Thorin said and turned to Bard.
"I was born and bred on these waters Master Dwarf, if I wanted to drown you I would not do it here" Bard said and Ruby smacked Thorin slightly.
"Oh I had enough of this lad, I say we throw him over the side and be done with it" Dwalin said as he leand on a barrel and Ruby got up and punched Dwalin in the arm and he glared at Ruby.
"Bard, his name is Bard" Bilbo said
"How do you know" Dwalin said.
"Uhh I asked him" Bilbo said.
"I don't care what he calls himself I don't like him" Dwalin said.
"We do not have to like him we just simply have to pay him" Balin said.
"All of you are the most rude bunch of ungrateful loads of Orc shit" Ruby said and went back towards the back of the barge and sat in front of Bard. "I'm sorry if you heard any of that"
"I heard nothing" Bard said and looked down at Ruby for a moment "You're not like them are you"
"No" Ruby said.
"Can you really not swim?" Bard asked.
"No I can't" Ruby sighed "I really can't, I never learned, the thought of such deep water frightens me"
"You would do well to learn" Bard said.
"If it doesn't kill me" Ruby said and notices a serious look on Bard's face "What is it"
"Stay here" Bard said and walked over to the dwarfs "The money quick give it to me"
"We will pay you when we get out of here" Thorin said "Not before"
"If you value your freedom you will do as I say" Bard said.
"Give him the money" Ruby said.
"There are guards ahead" Bard said as they all turned around and looked at Lake Town. "Into the barrels"
Everyone was in the barrels as Bard walked off the barge and Ruby was in a barrel with Bilbo since they were one barrel short.
"I am rather uncomfortable in here" Ruby whispered to Bilbo as they were in the barrel.
"I am not fond of it either" Bilbo whispered back "Could be worse could have been in with Bombur"
"Point taken" Ruby whispered
"What's he doing" Dwalin whispered.
"He's talking to someone" Bilbo said "And he's pointing right at us, now they are shaking hands"
"What" Thorin whispered.
"He's selling us out" Dwalin then whispered.
"Give the man a chance he wouldn't do that" Ruby said. "Ow Bilbo that's an important part you just elbowed"
"Sorry" Bilbo whispered as they all waited to see what happened.
Soon enough they were being pelted in the head by fish. Ruby almost walked to laugh out loud but a fish almost went in her mouth and she put her hands over so she wouldn't hurl. Ruby and fish had never gotten along. Ruby moved some out of the way so she would se and saw a few bad fish and closed her eyes so she couldn't see it.
"Bilbo I'm going to be sick" Ruby whispered and started to dry heave a little.
"No no no not in here" Bilbo said and he wrapped an arm around Ruby and moved fish out of the way and pulled her to him so she was against his jacket. "Try not to smell it"
"So I get to smell your sweat even better" Ruby groaned out as she felt Bilbo rub her back a little to calm her down.
Everyone else was moaning and groaning and Ruby heard Bard kick one barrel that was next to hers.
"Quiet" Bard said "Were approaching the tall gate"
"Halt! Good inspection" a voice said. "Papers please, oh it's your Bard"
"Morning Percy" Bard said as he steered the barge in.
"Anything to declare?" Percy said.
"Nothing" Bard replied "Other than I am cold and tired and ready for home"
"You and me both" Percy said "There we are everything in order"
"Not so fast, consignment of empty barrels from the Woodland realm, only there not empty are they Bard" a voice that made Ruby skin crawl said. "If I recall correctly your licensed as a barge man not a fisher man" he then pulled a fish off of the barrel they were in and Bilbo froze as he saw the man.
"That's none of your business" Bard said.
"No it's the Master's Business which makes it my business" he said.
"Oh come on Alfred have a heart, people need to eat" Bard said.
"These fish are illegal" Alfred said and threw the fish he was holding towards the side. "Empty the barrels over the side.
"You heard him in the canal" a guard said. "Come on move it"
"People in this town are struggling" Bard said "Times are hard, food is scare"
"It's not my problem" Alfred said as they started to grab the barrels and pour them over the side.
"And when the people hear the Master is dumping fish back in the lake, when the rioting starts" Bard said "Will it be your problem then?"
"Stop" Alfred said and the men did "Ever the people champions aye Bard? Protector of the common folk. It won't last"
"Raise the gate" Percy said.
"The Master has his eye on you" Alfred said "You do well to remember we know where you live"
"It's a small town Alfred, Everyone knows where everyone lives" Bard said as he steered the barge through the gate.
Soon the barge stopped and Ruby heard a barrel fall over and Nori fell out and then Dori. Bard walked over to Dwalin's barrel and he popped his head out.
"Get your hands off of me" he then popped out of the barrel.
"Uhh a little help here" Bilbo said and Bard moved the fish "She not feeling too well, the smell of fish"
Bard then lifted Ruby out of the barrel and Ruby didn't miss the slight frown on Thorin's face.
"Thank you Bard" Ruby said as they rest of them got out of the barrels.
"You didn't see them, they were never here" Bard said as he handed a coin to a man who was looking at them "Fish you can have for nothing" he then walked in front of them "Follow me"
Soon they were following Bard and a voice stopped them.
"Da!" a boy said "Our house it's being watched"
"That way, Ruby you come with me, I know you can't swim" Bard said "Bain get her a hat and your under coat" he then gave Ruby a basket "Keep it in front of your face, stay in between us and don't stop"
Soon they were off walking, Ruby was able to pass off as a small child and soon they were off walking towards Bard's house. After a short bit they started to walk up stairs and Bain opened the door and let Ruby in side first then followed her in as Bard stopped at the door and whistled.
"You can tell the Master I'm don't for today" Bard said to the fisherman below them and then shut the door.
"Da where have you been" a younger girl said and hugged him.
"Father there you are I was worried" the other one said and then hugged him and he smiled and then went to the window.
"Quick get them in" Bard said and Bain took off down stairs.
"Whos that?" the younger said.
"Tilda, Sigrid, this is Ruby" Bard said as Ruby removed the hat and took off the undercoat that Bain had given her.
"Hello, it's nice to meet you" Ruby said with a soft smile.
"Dad why are there dwarfs coming out of our toilet" Sigrid said.
"Will they bring us luck" Tilda said and Ruby let out a small chuckle.
"Probably be shitty luck" Ruby said and then covered her mouth "Oh I am so sorry" Bard let out a smile and held in a small laugh.