Hey guys, a little later than I planned in getting this chapter up. Hope you can all forgive me for that. I hope you all continue to like this story x
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Crysta;-Wolf-Guardian-967 – I'm glad you did, hope you continue to xx
Chapter 22
The river has finally calmed down, and the dwarves paddle along in their barrels with their hands.
Thorin looks behind them "Anything behind us?"
"Not that I can see." Balin aswers.
Bofur pops up from his barrel, spitting water out. "I think we've outrun the orcs."
"Not for long; we've lost the current." Thorin points out.
"Bombur is half drowned." Dwalin calls out.
"Make for the shore! Come on, let's go!"
The dwarves and Bilbo paddle to the riverbank; they climb out onto a slab of rock jutting out a bit into the river, helping each other out of the barrels.
When Kili is on the rocks, he falls to his knees, groaning in pain from the arrow wound in his thigh; he presses a bit of cloth to it to try to stop the bleeding, hissing through his teeth, stopping as he notices Bofur looks at him in concern.
"I'm fine, it's nothing."
"On your feet." Thorin orders as he walks past.
Fili turns to his uncle. "Kili's wounded. His leg needs binding."
"There's an orc pack on our tail; we keep moving."
Balin looks to him. "To where?"
"To the mountain; we're so close." Bilbo suggests.
"A lake lies between us and that mountain. We have no way to cross it."
"So then we go around."
Dwalin shakes his head "The orcs will run us down, as sure as daylight. We have no weapons to defend ourselves."
After a moments pause, in where Thorin looks in Kili's direction, he can see the wound on his leg from where he's standing and the paling of his face sends worry straight through him. Although he is worried and would love nothing more than to take time out to heal him properly, he knows they haven't got time, and with the orcs chasing after them, it won't take them long until they catch up to them.
He looks to Fili. "Bind his leg, quickly. You have two minutes."
Fili nods as he, Bofur and Oin get to work on his leg, Thorin looks back to way he came, hoping that Caladwen would be coming up on them soon. He last saw her standing next to her brother before he drifted around the corner and losing sight of her. She promised him she would meet them at either Lake Town or at the mountain. He believes that she will come to them, he just hopes she does so soon.
While they're taking a few moments rest, a man, sneaks up over the pile of rocks and aims an arrow at Ori. As the dwarves realize a man is there, they jump up, and Dwalin, holding a branch, leaps in front of Ori. He raises the branch and begins to charge the man, but the man shoots his arrow and it embeds itself right in the middle of the branch, between Dwalin's hands. Kili raises a rock to throw, but the man shoots the rock out of his hand too.
"Do it again, and you're dead." The man says, aiming an arrow at them all again.
Balin, who is standing near the edge of the group, sees a barge floating in the river behind the man. He talks to him, approaching the man slowly with his hands held in the air.
"Excuse me, but, uh, you're from Laketown, if I'm not mistaken?" he stops moving as an arrow is pointed straight at him. "That barge over there, it wouldn't be available for hire, by any chance?"
The man lowers his bow as he looks to the dwarf curiously. After a tense moment, he puts the arrow back in its quiver and goes to his barge, climbing aboard it as the dwarves approach him.
"What makes you think I will help you?"
"Those boots have seen better days."
With Balin being the more approachable of the bunch, the company leave it to him to deal with negotiations.
The man begins loading the dwarves' empty barrels into his barge.
"As has that coat. No doubt you have some hungry mouths to feed. How many bairns?"
"A boy and two girls."
"And your wife, I'd imagine she's a beauty." Balin adds with a smile.
The man stops, his shoulders tense. "Aye. She was."
Balin's smile fades at this. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
He is interrupted by Dwalin whispering loudly to Thorin. "Oh, come on, come on, enough with the niceties."
The man looks to the bald dwarf. "What's your hurry?"
"What's it to you?"
"I would like to know who you are and what you are doing in these lands." the man says as he leans on a barrel while looking at Balin. He may not like this bunch, but this dwarf seems to be the more reasonable of them all.
Balin takes over again. "We are simple merchants from the Blue Mountains journeying to see our kin in the Iron Hills."
The man smiles disbelievingly as he begins rolling the barrel he was leaning on to the barge. "Simple merchants, you say?"
Thorin steps forward this time. "We'll need food, supplies, weapons. Can you help us?"
The man looks at the barrels and examines the various dents and nicks they received during the fight with the orcs.
"I know where these barrels came from."
"What of it?" Thorin growls.
"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."
Bard boards his barge and tosses a rope to Balin. Thorin mouths to Balin.
"Offer him more."
"I'll wager there are ways to enter that town unseen."
"Aye. But for that, you will need a smuggler."
"For which we will pay double."
The man looks at him suspiciously before looking over the other dwarves, wondering what they could possibly be doing to be so desperate to seek such help from him. He really does doubt that they are 'simple merchants' there's got to be more to it than just that. But at the thought of more money for him and his children, only a fool would pass up that. And so, he agreed, allowing them to climb on.
Back in Mirkwood, Legolas, Tauriel and I have arrived in the Kingdom with our prisoner and have taken him up to the throne where father is sitting. He seems surprised to see that I have returned, but says nothing as he walks down the stairs to talk with the orc. I stand across from Legolas as he stands with his knife pressed to the orc's neck, his other hand holding the orcs hair tightly. Tauriel is to my right, standing in front of the throne as father paces around us.
"Such is the nature of evil. Out there in the vast ignorance of the world it festers and spreads, a shadow that grows in the dark. A sleepless malice as black as the oncoming wall of night. So it ever was; so will it always be. In time, all foul things come forth."
"You were tracking a company of thirteen dwarves. Why?" Legolas asks.
"Not thirteen; not any more. The young one, the black-haired archer, we stuck him with a Morgul shaft." the orc sneers, turning his gaze on me, causing me to freeze.
Morgul poison is lethal, having known it's effects before, Lord Elrond had managed to cure me of it before it could take full effect. He could die from it if it is not healed soon, and with the dwarves not knowing about it. . .
"The poison's is in his blood. He'll be choking on it soon."
Panic filled my whole being as I thought of Kili. I could not let him die, I will not. I do not show any emotion of I look to the orc.
"Answer the question, orc."
The orc gives a raspy laugh as he sneers at me. "Ah, I remember you, slave, our master was furious when you escaped our grasp."
I choose not to react to his statement, although I can see Legolas' grip on the orc tighten as he looks to me, wondering why the orc was talking about. Father eyes also turn to me, a of concern in them before it vanishes.
"She give you an order, filth." Tauriel says to the orc, already knowing about my capture.
The orc's head snaps to her as he hisses. "Sha hakhtiz khunai-go, Golgi!"
Legolas pushes the orc a bit as Tauriel whips out her knife.
"I would not antagonize her." Legolas states, a slight smirk on his face.
"You like killing things, orc? You like death? Then let me give it to you!"
Tauriel rushes forward with her knife, but father stops her.
"Farn! Tauriel, ego! Gwao hi."
The orc snarls at her, but Tauriel manages to regain her composure and leaves. Looking to father, he catches my gaze and nods back towards the stairs, also giving me my dismissal, which I gladly take as I follow Tauriel, not wanting to be near that orc a second longer.
"I do not care about one dead dwarf."
Puasing on my way down, I stand behind a pillar to listen in to the rest of the conversation.
"Answer the question. You have nothing to fear. Tell us what you know and I will set you free."
"You had orders to kill them - Why? What is Thorin Oakenshield to you?" Legolas asks.
"The dwarf runt will never be king."
"King? There is no king under the mountain nor will there ever be. None would dare enter Erebor, whilst the dragon lives."
"You know nothing! Your world will burn!"
"What are you talking about? Speak!"
"Our time has come again. My master serves the One."
I have to hold back a gasp at that. The One? Does he mean Sauron? He cannot be back. . . can he? I had always believed that he could come back, but now? Why now?
Do you understand now, Elfling? Death is upon you. The flames of war are upon you-"
The orc laughs before I then hear the swish of a blade and then the sickening sound of flesh being slashed, blood dripping and a gurgle before a the thud of a body dropping to the floor.
"Why did you do that?" Legolas asks father in disbelieve. "You promised to set him free."
"And I did. I freed his wretched head from his miserable shoulders."
"There was more the orc could tell us."
"There was nothing more he could tell me."
Hearing father coming closer to me and his sword sheathing, I move along the pillar to hide myself more. I am thankful the guards did not give me up.
"What did he mean by the 'flames of war'?"
"It means they intend to unleash a weapon so great it will destroy all before it. I want the watch doubled at all our borders. All roads, all rivers. Nothing moves but I hear of it. No one enters this kingdom, and no one leaves it."
I wait and watch as father, Legolas and the guards leave, my thoughts going wild. This is even worse than anyone could have expected. Now Gandalf and Beorn's conversation made sense. "The Necromancer is not what he seems" is what Beorn says. Can the Necromancer in fact be Sauron? For too long, I had sensed something was wrong, even when I was imprisoned thirty years before, there was an. . .excitement in the air. I had always thought it was because of them having "fresh meat" as I often heard them describe me. But. . .could this also be the reason? Has Azog been planning this all along?
I shake my head as I push myself off the pillar and make my way to the exit. I cannot think about that right now. My priority now is Thorin and Kili. I need to get to Kili before it is too late. I just hope Legolas has not ordered the gates to be closed yet.
Making my way towards the entrance, I am relieved to find the gates open. I also see Tauriel up ahead, armed with her weapons. Calling out to her, she stops and turns to me, waiting for me to catch up.
"You are leaving to go after them?" I ask as I stop with her.
Although I already know the answer, I want her to confirm it, to which she does as she nods. I also nod.
"I will go with you."
She looks to me in surprise. "Are you sure? What of your father?"
I shake my head as I walk on, she follows. "He has no sway over me in this matter. Kili is my nephew, or soon to be nephew, I will not leave him to die."
She says nothing as she follows me out of the Kingdom and into the forest, ignoring the guards as they call out for us.
Legolas, in obeying his father's commnads, approaches the elves guarding the entrance to the Woodland Realm.
"Close the gate! Keep it sealed by order of the King."
He turns to walk away, confident his command will be followed.
"What about Tauriel? And the princess?"
Legolas stops short at this, fear going through his being as he thought of his friend and sister being in trouble.
"What about them?" he asks.
"They went into the forest armed with their bows and blades. They have not returned."
As Legolas walks toward the gate, the guard points out toward the forest in the direction the two went. Legolas looks anxious. He knows where they are going. They are going after the dwarves. He has a suspicion on why Tauriel would, but he knows Caladwen. She would follow those dwarves to the end of their days. He has no idea why. He was afraid to tell his father, his King, about this. He will be furious with both of them.
The man from before paddles the dwarves and Bilbo across the lake in his barge. It is very foggy, and the barge pushes aside ice floes. Suddenly, large stone formations appear out of the fog.
"Watch out!" Bofur exclaims.
The warning is not needed as the barge is expertly steered between the rock formations, which turn out to be ancient ruins.
Thorin glares at the man. "What are you trying to do, drown us?"
"I was born and bred on these waters, Master Dwarf. If I wanted to drown you, I would not do it here."
Dwalin grumbles to himself. "Oh I have enough of this lippy lakeman. I say we throw him over the side and be done with him."
Bilbo rolls his eyes and tuts at his attitude towards the man who is helping them. "Ohh, Bard, his name's Bard."
Bofur turns to him in confusion. "How do you know?"
"Uh, I asked him."
Dwalin glancea at Thorin "I don't care what he calls himself, I don't like him."
Balin, from where he is sitting at a box speaks up. "We do not have to like him, we simply have to pay him. Come on now, lads, turn out your pockets."
The dwarves begin pulling out their money and valuables. Dwalin whispers to Thorin.
"How do we know he won't betray us?"
"We don't."
Balin counts the money.
"There's, um, just a wee problem: we're ten coins short."
Thorin folds his arm and looks to the red haired dwarf beside Oin. "Gloin. Come on. Give us what you have."
"Don't look to me. I have been bled dry by this venture! And what have I seen for my investment? Naught but misery and grief and-"
Gloin stops talking when he realizes that all the others have slowly stood up and are looking at something in the distance.
As the fog thins, they see the Lonely Mountain. Thorin can't help but not turn from it. He's almost home at last. Oh, how he wished Caladwen could be here right now to see this.
"Bless my beard. Take it. Take all of it." Gloin says as he hands a pouch of coins to Balin.
Bilbo coughs and gestures his head toward Bard, who is approaching the dwarves on their end of the barge.
"The money, quick, give it to me."
Thorin turns to him. "We'll pay you when we get our provisions, but not before."
"If you value your freedom, you'll do as I say. There are guards ahead."
Looking ahead, the dwarves see the rooftops of Laketown in the distance. Seeing his clear reasoning, the dwarves and Bilbo get into the barrels and crouch down so they can't be seen.
A few moments later, Bard's barge stops at a dock just outside the city. Bard hops off and speaks to a man.
"Shh, what's he doing?" Dwalin asks.
Bilbo peers through a hole in his barrel.
"He's talking to someone."
Bilbo sees Bard point back at his barrels while talking to the man.
"And he's. . .pointing right at us!"
Thorin begins to looks anxious. Bard shakes the man's hands.
"Now they're shaking hands."
"What?" Thorin snarls.
Dwalin growls "That villain! He's selling us out."
All the dwarves in their individual barrels listen anxiously as a grinding sound can be heard and suddenly, dead fish are poured into the barrels. The dwarves splutter in surprise.
Bard poles his barge toward the gate of the city; on deck are the 14 barrels all full of fish, with a dwarf or hobbit inside as well.
Bard kicks the barrel closest to him as they all start grumbling loudly.
"Quiet! We're approaching the toll gate."
As he approaches, Percy walks out of the little hut with a lantern.
"Halt! Goods inspection. Papers, please. Oh, it's you, Bard."
Bard brings his barge up to the gatekeeper's office, and the gatekeeper steps out to see him.
"Morning, Percy."
"Anything to declare?"
"Nothing, but that I am cold and tired, and ready for home."
Bard hands the gatekeeper some papers.
"You and me both."
As Percy takes the papers and goes into his office to stamp them, Bard looks around warily.
"Here we are. All in order."
He holds out Bard's papers, and he is about to take them as a man, Alfrid, suddenly steps out of the shadows and grabs the papers.
"Not so fast."
Bard inwardly groans. Great, what a time for him to show up.
Alfrid reads Bard's papers, then looks at his load.
"Consignment of empty barrels from the Woodland Realm. Only, they're not empty, are they, Bard?"
Alfrid tosses Bard's papers to the wind and approaches him, with some of Laketown's soldiers behind him.
"If I recall correctly, you're licensed as a bargeman, not a fisherman."
As Alfrid says this, he picks up one of the fish from a barrel and holds it up to Bard. He doesn't see Bombur's eye looking up from the gap where the fish had been.
"That's none of your business." Bard says to him.
"Wrong. It's the Master's business, which makes it my business."
"Oh come on, Alfrid, have a heart. People need to eat!"
"These fish are illegal."
Alfrid throws the fish he was holding into the water, then commands the soldiers.
"Empty the barrels over the side."
The soldiers, lead by their captain, Braga, move to comply.
"You heard him. Into the canal. Come on, get a move on."
The soldiers begin tipping the barrels over and letting the fish fall into the canal.
Bard, desperate for the dwarves to not be found tries to get Alfrid to stop them.
"Folk in this town are struggling. Times are hard. Food is scarce."
"That's not my problem."
"And when the people hear the Master is dumping fish back in the lake, when the rioting starts, will it be your problem then?"
Bard and Alfrid stare at each other intensely for a few seconds, then finally Alfrid raises his hand to the soldiers.
"Stop."
The soldiers stop tipping the barrels over and return to the buildings.
"Ever the people's champion, eh, Bard? Protector of the common folk? You might have their favor now, bargeman, but it won't last.
Alfrid walks away. Making his way back to the pole to steer, Bard lets out a silent breath of relief.
"Raise the gate!" Percy calls out.
A large portcullis blocking the channel is raised, and Bard begins to pole his barge through. As he passes, Alfrid turns around and shouts to him.
"The Master has his eye on you; you'd do well to remember. We know where you live."
"It's a small town, Alfrid; everyone knows where everyone lives."
Bard poles his barge down the main channel. The first part was over, the next; to get the dwarves to his house.
There we have it, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.
Translations;
Sha hakhtiz khunai-go, Golgi! - I do not answer to dogs, She-Elf!
Farn! Tauriel, ego! Gwao hi - Enough! Tauriel, leave! Go now