A Mercenaries Love (A Hobbit Fan Fiction)

Chapter 31- Bard the bowman

Adisa's Pov

Dwalin instantly jumps up and prepares to defend Ori with a stick he picks up. He is not quick enough though as the bowman lets loose his arrow and shoots the stick in Dwalins hand.

I scowl in anger at the target of one of my friends and move to stand up but Kili's hand grabs mine and pulls me back down. He then stand up himself with a rock in hand but before he can do anything with it another arrow knocks it from his grasp.

"Do it again and you're dead!" The man warns as he pulls back another arrow and swivels it around to face all of the company, my glare deepens. How dare he threaten my friends.
Ava would never let anything happen to any of her friends and I am not about to let her down now. A reassuring hand from who I guess is Fili calms me down. Now is not the time for risky moves as the bowman has already proved. I don't want to be on the receiving end of one of his very well placed arrows.

"Excuse me but you're from Laketown, if I'm not mistaken. That barge over there it wouldn't be available for hire by any chance?" Balin asks gently as he slowly steps closer to the man.

"What makes you think I would help you?" The man replies as he starts moving barrels onto his boat.

"Those boots have seen better days. As has that coat. No doubt you have some hungry mouths to feed. How many bairns?" Balin asks.

"A boy and two girls" The man replies as he continues rolling the barrels onto his barge. I can feel the dwarves getting impatient beside me and I understand why. We all want as much distance between us and the orcs as possible.

"And your wife, I imagine she is a beauty" Balin continues but the man stops in his tracks and a feeling of dread soon rolls through my stomach. I do not think that was the right thing to say.

"Aye, she was" The man replies solemnly and even though he almost hurt one of my friends I feel a tinge of sadness for him. No one deserves to lose someone they love.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean too. . ." Balin begins apologising but is interrupted by Dwalin who is the most impatient out of all of us.

"Oh come on, come on. Enough of the niceties" Dwalin whispers to Thorin but his voice is still loud enough for the man to hear.

"What's your hurry?" The man questions suspiciously.

"What's it to you?" Dwalin replies gruffly.

"I would like to know who you are and what you are doing in these lands" The man says as he approaches our company.

"We are simple merchants from the Blue Mountains, journeying to see our kin in the Iron Hills" Balin responds.

"Simple merchants you say?" The man replies with an unconvinced look on his face.

"We need food, supplies, weapons. Can you help is?" Thorin says as he steps forward.

"I know where these barrels came from" The man says as he points at the scuff marks that cover all of the barrels from our earlier fight.

"What of it?" Thorin asks bluntly.

"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 would see you in irons before risking the wrath of King Thranduil" The man says.
Realisation dawns on me, if he knows Thranduil then perhaps he knows Ava.