Morning arrived and they were greeted with the surprisingly soft face of Ahnir, who led them to the entrance hall, where they were met by a small contingent of elves who were tasked with escorting them to the man in charge of collecting the barrels from the Mirkwood realm. This time, he would be carrying a much more precious cargo, and Thorin had been almost grudgingly handed the small pouch of coins as extra payment.

Caleb only recognised two elves in the contingent who met them, not including Ahnir who had apparently decided the task was important enough for him to tag along. Tauriel looked bright and eager to face the day, which was a complete contrast to Annalial, who was still yawning, leaning against the redhead, her hair in a worse mess than usual.

"Didn't sleep much last night, Annalial?" One of the elves teased, cackling when she flipped him off casually, only to grin sheepishly when Ahnir raised an eyebrow at both her appearance and response.

"The wine was good." She got out, managing to straighten up and card her fingers through her hair in an attempt to neaten it. Tauriel sighed, moving to braid it to keep it out of the smaller elf's eyes. "A walk will do me good. It should wake me up more."

"Hopefully." Ahnir muttered, rolling his eyes. "Try and straighten yourself up more before Legolas makes an appearance, please. I'm not having you two bickering the entire time we're out."

"You think Annalial and Legolas won't bicker if she looks less like she got drunk last night?" Tauriel sounded highly amused, tying off the braid quickly and to Caleb's surprise pressing a fleeting kiss to Annalial's temple. Even if he and Kili had The Talk last night, Caleb was still pleasantly relieved to find that the red head wouldn't be an issue at all this time around.

"I didn't get drunk." Annalial protested, which was ignored by the rest of the group, or at most earned a few disbelieving snorts. "I didn't."

"Of course." Ahnir said, not unkindly but also not agreeing with Annalial, just placating her. He then turned to Thorin, holding out a few sheets of paper. "We will be meeting with the bargeman further down. I will entrust these documents to you - they will allow you safe passage into Esgaroth, as the...Master will not wish to displease King Thranduil and risk trade."

"Don't like him much, do you?" Dwalin raised an eyebrow as Thorin took the papers, and Ahnir let out a noise of discontent.

"He's our diplomat." Annalial offered, ignoring Ahnir's withering look in her direction. "He wants to break the Master's nose. Apparently he's terrible to negotiate with."

"Yes, thank you for that completely unnecessary information, Henig."

"I'm not a child." Annalial retorted and Ahnir merely rolled his eyes, before nodding slightly when a familiar head of blonde hair joined them. Legolas glanced over at Annalial, raising a single eyebrow.

"How hungover are you?" He asked, his voice surprisingly teasing rather than reprimanding, and Annalial scowled at him.

"Children." Ahnir muttered, before barking out a few commands in Sindarin, which had the contingent immediately straightening and looking at him, Legolas standing by his side. "My Prince?"

"We are to escort the Company of Thorin Oakenshield along the river until we reach the bargeman, who will then take them the rest of the way to Esgaroth." Legolas was commanding when he spoke, obviously used to leading at least small missions in this time period, Caleb thought, but every now and then his eyes would flicker to Ahnir, as though checking he was making the right call. "Our job is to make sure that they stick to the designated path until then. As well as the general dangers in the forest, there have been reports of orcs sighted near the river. We are to engage if we sight them, I don't want anyone to play the hero - end them quick and neat, we can't afford any casualties. Any questions?"

"I think we all understand." Tauriel spoke. "Standard patrol, usual protocol when escorting travellers, permission to engage when necessary."

"Exactly." Legolas dipped his head in thanks to Tauriel for simplifying his orders. "If that's all, then we shall move out. Annalial, Tauriel, rear guard, Ahnir and I shall head the front. Everyone else, keep to the sides, protect the company, and all should go to plan barring anything unexpected. Move out!"

XoooX

Things, of course, went wrong.

Caleb had been expecting that as soon as they had left the palace, the words 'barring anything unexpected' making Caleb certain that Legolas had just jinxed their escort but didn't have the lack of self preservation to mention it.

"Hey." Kili's voice startled Caleb, but the dwarf kept it down to a hiss. Caleb noted the fact that Kili linked their pinkies together, swinging their arms a little as they walked, and it made his heart do something stupid and gooey in his chest. "Got anything from Vaire?"

"No. She's being quiet." Was Caleb's response. It was disconcerting, but she hadn't spoken a lot before, so it wasn't as worrying as it may have been if she had spoken out frequently. There had been no need for silver threads, he supposed, as what had happened in Mirkwood had been changed from what had happened the first time around. The spider had been dealt with and had no casualties or injuries that could be prevented, no need to shape the story any differently to the betterment of those within it. Smooth sailing, he supposed.

And then came the arrow from across the river, narrowly blocked by one of the elven contingent hoisting up their shield with a yell of alarm.

This was obviously their absolutely abysmal luck kicking in.

Annalial was quick as lightning, drawing back her bow and firing an arrow in retaliation, and that was when an orc pack burst through the underbrush, charging their group with a bone shaking cry.

It took less than a second for the group to brace themself, startled into action by a yell from Ahnir, and then they were fighting.

Caleb didn't feel like battle was the right word for what commenced, but skirmish felt too small a description when the orcs that attacked them were going for the kill. Their elven guard held nothing back, Annalial having switched back to her dual blades, once again doing her dance like fighting moves. They paired well with Tauriel's own style, obviously something the two had worked on together. It was like nothing could touch them as they danced around each other, parrying blows and trading them back and forth with opponents.

It was obvious that Ahnir was the one who had taught them how to fight with dual blades, though his were not knives like Annalial. He had two needle point daggers, wicked sharp and designed to puncture through armour and leaving opponents to bleed out - cleaner and more elegant than most other weapons used, which was why it surprised Caleb when Ahnir turned to the company, a streak of blood across one cheek.

"Move on ahead! We'll hold them off!" He yelled, and growled when Thorin didn't do as he was told immediately, kicking an orc off of his blade.

"They'll outnumber you!"

"We've been fighting nests of spiders that keep coming back!" Legolas reminded, ducking the blow one orc sent his way, retaliating with a stab to the gut. He looked up, eyes narrowed. "You need to reach the mountain? Then go and meet with the bargeman or Valar help me -"

"Not the time!" Caleb flicked a throwing knife - down another one - into the eye of an orc that had tried to sneak up on Legolas and put an early end to the prince. "We need to move, and these guys have it handled! Let's go!" Thorin hesitated for a heartbeat, before growling and splitting from the group, making haste along the river and the company following. Caleb knew the orcs were following them, but judging from the lack of yelling in their general direction, and Annalial's taunts ringing in his ears, the orcs were suitably distracted by the elves. Good. That would buy them time, at the very least.

They kept a steady, yet fast pace along the river bank, only stopping when the sound of fighting faded into obscurity. Caleb didn't have to pause to catch his breath anymore, which was a sign that he had been running for far too long, and part of him couldn't wait until they reached a point where they could stop moving.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kili wince, and briefly wondered what that was about. Then, he noticed the arrow, and his stomach jerked with a sickening horror.

It wasn't in his thigh this time, fortunately, but in the meat of his shoulder, and Caleb made a jerky motion over towards him, beaten only by Oin and a very worried Fili. The rest of the group had noticed that one of their number had been hurt, but were making sure they were well out of the way of the healer of their company.

"Can I -" Cat was cut off by Thorin.

"Head further up the river. Take Nori with you and secure passage across the lake." He said, and for once Cat didn't argue with him. She merely tilted her head in acknowledgement and set off ahead of them, Nori keeping pace with her easily. Now that the issue regarding the boatman was dealt with, Thorin made his way closer to his nephew, and managed to not flinch at the cry Kili let out when Oin pulled the arrow out of his shoulder. Caleb thought it was an amazing feat, personally, as it made him wince in sympathy and he felt the urge to pull Kili away from the healer and shield him from any more harm that could be inflicted upon him. At least the arrow was out, he thought, and that was when the threads appeared again.

Bit late there, he thought to Vaire, eying the threads offered to him.

It was a gold thread, the goddess in his head murmured, and there in the midst of silver threads was a single one of gold. He tried to tug it experimentally, but it wouldn't budge. A fixed event, he rationalised, the arrow always hit its mark in one way or another, he supposed. The forest was dark. I could not reach you there.

Caleb sent a mental apology to Vaire before reaching out and tugging on a silver thread - one where poison did not spread from the arrow, where it did not lead to Kili nearly entering Mandos' halls. If he had his say, none of the sons of Durin would see Mandos, but one event at a time.

"I saw it that time." Fili's comment startled him, and the golden haired prince shot Caleb a curious look when Caleb turned to look at him. "You plucking at something. Didn't see the string, but I'm guessing -"

"Yeah." Caleb confirmed. "Minor injury thing. Couldn't stop the arrow - that was golden, which was new - but I can control how bad the injury gets. Or, well, I could." Caleb shrugged a shoulder. "I think it's only with key events, that action or inaction can change the entire outcome of…something. It's confusing enough on its own, never mind trying to explain what I theorise is happening."

"Wish you could have stopped the arrow." Kili said, a thread of pain in his voice, but it was jovial enough that it made Caleb relax in a way he hadn't been able to before. "Hurts like a bitch, but I guess it could have been worse."

"Definitely. And no, I won't elaborate." Caleb stated, rolling his eyes fondly when Kili cut off his curious question. "I'd rather not dwell on what could have been - we have the future to deal with, and that's big enough."

"And our future lies further up the river." Balin agreed, gesturing with his head in the direction that Cat and Nori had gone off in, and the rest of the company made haste to meet them.

Cat was talking to the bargeman when they finally reached them, Nori absently counting out some gold which Caleb wouldn't have trusted him to do, but nevertheless this was the position he was currently in.

Bard had never played too prominent a role in the books - yes, he had killed Smaug, a great feat, but other than that he wasn't too big a deal. This time around he definitely was, though, looking more like the modern adaptation of the soon to be dragon slayer, and his eyes were softer around the edges as he and Cat spoke. A father, Caleb remembered, and probably recognised that Cat, though out and about adventuring, was still very young to be doing so (though his sister would protest at that - and loudly).

"Is this them?" Bard's comment cut through their conversation, and Cat turned, counting the Company with her eyes.

"Yes, this is them." She agreed. "It's a lot, I know, but Thranduil -"

" - Said I would take you, and I will." Bard finished for her. "You have the papers, and the coin to…ah, persuade, the Master to heed them."

"Another who doesn't like him all that much." Dwalin leaned over to mutter to Nori, who masked a snicker as a cough. True enough, Bard's lip had curled slightly in distaste at the name, but smoothed it over with an ease that spoke of prior experience in hiding the fact that he was not a fan. Caleb felt his lips twitch up slightly, watching as Cat took the gold from Nori, tipped it back into the pouch it had been held in, and pressed it into Bard's hands.

"I'm giving this to you now, because to be perfectly honest I don't trust anyone else holding onto it…well, except maybe my brother." She paused at the cries of outrage from the company, before correcting herself. "Oh. And Bilbo, I suppose."

"No dwarves, hm?" Fili raised a brow.

"Would I trust you with my life? Yeah. With gold? I saw Gloin tucking his gold pouch into his fucking boot, so no." Gloin had the decency to shift a little guiltily at that comment, just confirming Cat's words. Caleb, however, was stuck on Cat's offhand comment about not trusting dwarves with gold. That…that hit too close to future events, and Caleb was sure that the treasure in the mountain wouldn't be the only thing that was gold.

The lake burning, blood on snow, a dwarf threatening to throw one beloved to him off a mountain.

Caleb knew the thread regarding the gold madness would not be the comforting silver, but the stomach churning gold.

XoooX

As soon as they entered Laketown, Caleb wanted to stab a man.

Usually, he was all for non confrontation, Cat the one who instantly went for violence, but this man…for this man, Caleb would make an exception.

For one, the way he looked over those who were not human made Caleb's skin crawl in a way he recognised from how certain people would look at him back home. So. Racist of a sort. Great.

He also had it out for Bard, judging from the sneer in his direction. All of that made Caleb dislike him, but he was used to ignoring that sort of person.

It was when his eyes found Cat and lingered on her, scanning her up and down in a manner that was so obviously creepy and made her shy away, almost attempting to hide behind Dwalin. That was what made Caleb's blood boil and take the lead in the interaction, biting his tongue in a desperate attempt to control himself and not attack Alfrid while they had been in Laketown for maybe ten seconds.

"I feel like I've been violated." Cat managed to say when they were out of earshot of Alfrid, and Dwalin reached up a hand to squeeze her shoulder in silent comfort. "If someone pushes that man into the lake for me, I will love them."

"I wouldn't. Alfrid is the Master's right hand man, to speak plainly." Bard didn't sound too impressed with Alfrid's obvious leering, but hadn't commented. "I'm already under watch, otherwise I would have had…words."

"Less than civil words, I take it?" Bofur's lips twitched up in a smirk when Bard just hummed noncommittally in answer, though the man's lips definitely twitched, too.

"We're going to have to speak to this 'Master', aren't we?" Cat said, sounding none too enthused about the idea. "I'd say let me do the talking, but…" She gave a full body shudder.

"Yes, I'd rather you not do something that puts you in his…sight." Thorin said, looking at Cat when she mimed gagging.

"Please never imply that again." She said, trying to sound unaffected, though the slightly wild look about her eyes told Caleb that, yes, she was very affected by the mere thought of being even close to the Master, especially if he was anything like Alfrid. Of course, she and Caleb knew he was worse than Alfrid, mostly because the Master had more power, and that was dangerous.

Fortunately, it didn't take much more than gold and the promise of more gold to convince the Master to let them stay. It also, apparently, gave him reason to host a feast of some form.

In Caleb's honest opinion, it made him feel rather sick, the opulence, the food, because he had seen Laketown and most of the people there were starving. Here they were, dining with the vilest man Caleb ever had the displeasure of meeting, while others were trying their best to live with what little they had.

After they ate, after they drank, Caleb dragged Cat into a room and fixed her with a determined look.

"I'm staying behind." He said, and continued when Cat opened her mouth, eyes blazing with a resolute no. "I can help with the Smaug incident better here than I can in the mountain. You know this, I know this."

"You'll have to explain this to the company, you know." She retorted. "You know very well they won't be happy about this."

Caleb did know that, knew very well that they would argue with him. Would try to convince him to come with them - they had started this journey together, and they had expected to enter the mountain together, too. He couldn't very well say that he knew Smaug would know they came from Laketown, that he would take vengeance upon the village people who had committed no crime other than allowing them to stay.

"I'll make something up. Tell them Vaire told me to stay behind, that there is something that needs to be finished here. Anything. I just…if I can save more people, then…then I don't know."

"...Alright." Cat said, voice quiet, and she reached out to squeeze Caleb's bicep in comfort. "Just…don't die, ok? You can't…you're my brother." In an entirely impulsive move, Caleb leaned forward to bump his forehead against Cat's, desperately trying to not think too much about how her voice caught in her throat.

"I know." He said, partially to tease but also as a comfort. "I'll be fine. I have a god on my side, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah." She pulled back and Caleb pretended not to see her scrubbing her eyes. "Yeah, you're right."

"Of course I am." Caleb retorted, earning a laugh and a light punch to his arm. Cat was smiling again, though, so it was sort of worth it. "I'm usually right about pretty much everything."

"Modest, too." Cat stated. "So one for the mountain, one for Laketown, and both for the…the aftermath."

Caleb closed his eyes, trying not to see the visions that had followed him since the start. Ravenhill, Bolg, the eagles arriving too late, blood on the snow. Instead, he thought of blue eyes and blonde hair and lips against his. Thought of a golden crown, a retaken throne, a happier end.

"Yeah." He agreed. "Both of us for the end."

XoOoX

Ha. Haha. Hahaha.

Gods, I'm so bad at updating things because I get distracted by something, hyperfixate on said thing, look back at documents and write one sentence, then repeat the cycle over and over.

Not proud of this last chapter particularly, but it's done, and this is probably how it's going to stay.

I might include more elves next, but also - dragon. Smaug. And a split up for the dynamic duo so let's see how this plays out.

Thanks for reading! - Jazz xx