Hey! I might not be on for the longest time because I've got exams coming up, but I'll try to update when I can!
Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!
It was then that Ella let out the largest sneeze she'd ever made before.
"Shit," she muttered, "that was such bad timing – "
The figure whirled around to fix his arrow on her, but lowered it, as if confused, when he realised that he was about to attack a teenaged girl huddled and shivering in waterlogged clothes.
Fili had already clambered over to her, putting an arm around her, when she waved a hand.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," she muttered. "Go, go back to Kili, I think he needs you a lot more right now. It's just a sneeze, that's all – "
"You're freezing!" Fili said, noticing how she was trembling, shivering, under his arm.
"And you're probably going to get shot with an arrow soon," said Ella. "Really, I'm fine."
"Clearly not," said the figure, lowering his bow, and stepping forward. He regarded the two of them for a moment.
"Excuse me," Balin said, stepping forward, "but, uh, you're from Laketown, if I'm not mistaken? That barge over there – " He turned his head slightly " – it wouldn't be available for hire, by any chance?"
"It might be," the man said, roughly, turning to look at Ella and Fili once more. His gaze rested on Ella, before he averted his eyes hurriedly; and it was then that Ella realised that her clothes were sticking to her.
Her face flamed red.
"Here," said the man, shrugging off his large, worn coat, and tossing it to her. "That'll cover you up and keep you warm."
Ella hadn't even reached out an arm when Fili caught it, wrapping it around her.
"Thank you," she said, sliding her arms into the sleeves. It was far too big for her, but it was warm and comfortable, and she hugged it around herself tightly. She thought it was a good thing, that the man had offered her a coat even when ready to kill them. Surely that meant that he wasn't really planning to kill them – it was just a warning that he could.
"Go back to Kili," she said to Fili, softly, who frowned at her slightly. "I'm serious. I'm just cold. Go."
Fili looked at her a moment, before dropping a kiss on her forehead and moving back towards his brother, his eyes still fixed on the man.
"What makes you think I will help you?"
Ella was grateful for Bilbo, who helped to steady her as she stumbled towards the barge with the rest of the company.
"Those boots have seen better days," she heard Balin say, in response to the man's question. "As has that coat. No doubt you have some hungry mouths to feed."
Food.
Oh, food sounded so good right then.
She thought wistfully of McDonald's, KFC and Burger King and all those fast food outlets she loved so much. She'd never been a particularly healthy person when it came to food.
Somehow, she had a feeling that even Laketown wouldn't have a McDonald's somewhere around.
"How many bairns?"
The man hesitated. "A boy and two girls."
"And your wife," Balin continued, "I'd imagine she's a beauty."
Ella looked up, teeth still chattering, as the man stopped loading the barrels onto his barge, saw his face twist into an expression of pain.
"Aye," he said, "she was."
She was.
Ella shut her eyes, tightly, for a moment.
"I'm sorry," Balin said, apologetic, slightly upset, "I didn't mean to – "
"Oh, come on, come on," Dwalin growled, gruffly, as he always did, and Ella's eyes flew open to shoot him a glare, which he completely ignored. "Enough with the niceties."
The man's gaze turned to him. "What's your hurry?"
"What's it to you?"
Ella let out another massive sneeze, and shivered even more, wrapping the man's cloak tightly around herself.
"I would like to know who you are and what you are doing in these lands."
"We are simple merchants," Balin said, "journeying to see our kin in the Iron Hills."
Ella nearly led out a derisive snort.
The sceptical look on the bargeman's face only made it all too clear what he thought of Balin's statement. "Simple merchants, you say?"
"We'll need food, supplies, weapons." Thorin stepped forward, already impatient. "Can you help us?"
The bargeman looked over at the barrels on his barge, his hand running along the nicks and dents along the side. "I know where these barrels came from."
Thorin's face became even more guarded. "What of it?"
"I don't know what business you had with the elves, but I don't think it ended well. No one enters Laketown but by leave of the Master. All his wealth comes from trade with the Woodland Realm. He will see you in irons before risking the wrath of King Thranduil."
The man stepped onto his barge, and tossed a rope to Balin. His eyes fell on Ella, still shivering in his coat. "Keep it. You look like you need it more than I do."
"I couldn't – "
"Keep it," the man said, firmly.
"I'll wager there are ways to enter that town unseen," Balin called out hurriedly, after a quick look from Thorin.
"Aye," said the man. "But for that, you will need a smuggler."
"For which we will pay double."
"What are your children like?"
Bard looked over at the girl with the strange contraption in front of her eyes, still huddled in his coat. She was seated on the floor of the barge, peering out over the edge every so often, but right then her eyes were fixed on him, large, inquisitive.
"Tilda is the youngest," he said, "eight years old. She makes us all smile, makes all of us happy – innocent and free of the knowledge of the pain in this world. That is – free of the knowledge of most pain."
Ella said nothing. It was clear that his wife's death was still painful for him.
"Next is Bain," he said. "Sixteen, seventeen. He is a good lad. Good and brave. Will always do what's right, and he's always watching out for his sisters.
"Sigrid is eighteen," he continued, "and she's a wonderful girl. She looks after the house, and looks after us all."
"You love them very much."
"They are my family."
Ella smiled.
"It's nice, you know, being with them," she said, tilting her head towards the rest of the company, "but I miss humans every once in a while."
Bard chuckled. "They seem a determined lot."
"Oh, they are."
"How does a human girl end up travelling with such a company?"
The smiled faded from Ella's face. "I – "
"Watch out!"
Bard expertly manoeuvred the barge as Ella raised her head to look over the side, and her eyes widened to see the large ancient ruins, as if rising from the lake, shrouded in the fog.
"What are you trying to do, drown us?" Thorin's voice called out, demanding, as Fili dropped down next to Ella, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, a glare on his face as he glanced up at the bargeman.
"I was born and bred on these waters, Master Dwarf," Bard called back. "If I wanted to drown you, I would not do it here."
His gaze fell back onto Ella, noting Fili now next to her, his arm around her shoulders.
"A dwarf and a human," he said. "You learn something new every day."
Ella flushed, but Fili tilted his head upwards slightly, scowling.
"Oh, stop glaring," she said to Fili.
"I have every right to glare."
"He's helping us!"
"And also taking all our money."
"Because you need to get to – to get to where you need to go."
"That's not the point."
"You dwarfs are a suspicious lot, aren't you?"
"To be fair, it's not as if everyone we've come across on our journey wants to help us."
"They were trying to kill you! Bard isn't."
"That's beside the point. I can glare at people if I want to."
"You are an idiot."
"But you love me anyway."
Ella stiffened.
It was the first time the word love had actually been mentioned between them.
She'd always thought of it as a strong word. Something not to be used lightly. It had, she believed, a much deeper meaning, and she'd never been one to throw it around so casually.
Was this – did she really love Fili? After all, did she even know what it was? She loved Emma, and Jerelee, of course she did – they were like family to her – but what she had with Fili – it was different, after all. How could she love him when she wasn't even sure what love was?
She turned her head slightly to face him, to see his mouth twitch into a smile as he looked at her, with his stupid, annoying moustache, and she felt the warmth of his arm around her, pulling her close.
She leaned her head against his shoulder, and she thought that maybe she might not know exactly what love was, but she had a pretty good idea of what it was to her.
"You stupid dwarf," she said. "I hate it when you're right."
The Lonely Mountain.
Ella stared, eyes wide, as it emerged from the grey fog, Fili's arm still around her.
They were close – so close.
And then an image in her mind; a town built on a lake, a roar of anger, of death, of fire burning bright in the night sky.
She shivered, pulled Bard's coat around her even more tightly.
"The money, quick. Give it to me."
"We'll pay you when we get our provisions, but not before." Thorin's voice was dark, menacing.
"If you value your freedom," Bard said, his voice becoming hard, "you'll do as I say. There are guards ahead."
Ella decided that she hated fish.
Especially these fish.
They weren't just dead. They were cold, and wet, and slimy, and simply downright disgusting.
She supposed she was being slightly unfair to them. They weren't that bad. Not really.
But she didn't think she'd like to eat them ever again, not after being encased in a barrel full to the brim with them.
It was even worse because Bard had had to take back his coat, or else raise suspicions about travelling out onto the lake without it. It was cold, after all, and in this weather no one travelled anywhere without a coat.
"Quiet," she heard Bard hiss. "We're approaching the toll gate."
"Halt!" a voice called. "Goods inspection. Papers, please. Oh, it's you, Bard."
From the tone of voice, Ella could tell that the gatekeeper seemed to be on friendly terms with the bargeman – respected him, liked him. A friend. That was good.
"Morning, Percy."
"Anything to declare?"
"Nothing, but that I am cold and tired, and ready for home."
"You and me both," said the gatekeeper. A long pause, and then: "Here we are. All in order."
"Not so fast," a voice rang out. A shuffle of papers: "Consignment of empty barrels from the Woodland Realm. Only, they're not empty, are they, Bard?"
Ella figured there must be a tense silence reverberating in the air.
"If I recall correctly, you're licensed as a bargeman, not a fisherman."
Ella could feel her heart pounding erratically.
"That's none of your business." Bard's voice, cool, guarded.
"Wrong. It's the Master's business, which makes it my business."
"Oh, come on, Alfrid, have a heart. People need to eat!"
Alfrid – an image in her mind: a man, pale, greasy-haired, greedy.
"These fish are illegal." A loud splash. "Empty the barrels over the side."
"You heard him," a voice called. "Into the canal. Come on, get a move on."
Ella lost all track of the conversation as she felt her barrel being tipped over, the fish sliding out into the water. She had to bite her lip to keep herself from making any sound – Bard was going to do something to get them out of this, he had to do something –
And then she felt the barrel tilting back, to stand upright.
"Ever the people's champion, eh, Bard?" Alfrid was saying. "Protector of the common folk? You might have their favour now, bargeman, but it won't last."
The gatekeeper's voice: "Raise the gate!"
"The Master has his eye on you; you'd do well to remember!" Alfrid's voice rang out, as the barge moved on. "We know where you live."
"It's a small town, Alfrid," Bard called back. "Everyone knows where everyone lives."
It was Fili who helped Ella out of the barrel, slimy and greasy, and still shivering.
"I hate fish, Fee," she muttered, standing upright shakily.
Fili only chuckled lightly.
"You didn't see them," Bard was saying to the dock keeper. "They were never here. The fish you can have for nothing."
Ella raised her head and caught sight of the shocked look on the dock keeper's face.
"I'm fine," she mumbled, swatting Fili's hand away when he tried to help her up. "Really. Go look after Kili. He's looking pale."
"He's stubborn."
"Well, then go make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."
Fili glanced over at her, and she pressed her lips to his cheek. "I'm fine. Really."
He managed a smile, moved over to stand behind his younger brother.
"Follow me," Bard said, in a low voice, gesturing for the company to follow him, Ella hurrying in front of Bilbo and Bofur.
"Da!" It was a boy's voice, running and coming to a halt next to Bard. He looked to be maybe Ella's age – and she figured that this had to be his son; Bain, wasn't it?
His gaze fell over the company, and stopped short at Ella, for a moment, who flushed slightly – was everyone in this world good-looking in one way or another? – before moving on.
"Our house," he was telling Bard, "it's being watched."
"If you speak of this to anyone," Ella could hear Dwalin's voice clearly somewhere above her, "I'll rip your arms off."
The toilet. It had to be the damn toilet.
Ella had never before longed for a good, long shower so badly.
"Get off," she heard Dwalin growl, and then Bilbo was clambering out above her, and she was hauling herself up, Kili supporting her from below.
"Here," a voice said, and Bain was slowly lifting her up, supporting her out.
"Thanks," she managed to say, shivering, her teeth chattering, wrapping her arms around herself as she turned back to face the toilet, waiting for Fili.
Bain looked at her as if concerned, and shrugged off his coat and draped it around her shoulders.
She lifted her shoulders in protest. "I couldn't – "
"Take it," he said. "You look like you need it a lot more than I do."
Ella managed a smile, teeth still chattering. People in this world, she decided, were a whole lot nicer than those at home. Or maybe it was just that all the guys she'd known back in her world were insensitive, ungentlemanly jerks. "Thank you."
Kili, who had already clambered out of the hole, and was standing next to them, cleared his throat as Fili hauled himself up, scrambling to his feet, only to notice Ella standing next to Bain, the boy's coat about her shoulders.
He scowled fiercely.
"Come on," he said, to Ella, taking hold of her hand and leading her up the stairs behind Kili.
Bain blinked after them in confusion, before stepping back to let Nori through.