"Hold your breath" Bilbo said pulling the lever causing us all to fall down.
Soon Bilbo was in the water with us.
"Well done, Master Baggins." Daddy said and we tried to move out of the cave with the river.
I clung into Fili hard not wanting to fall into the water I was scared even though I wasn't entirely in the water. It still caused me fear.
The gates were shut and Orcs attacked. Elves fought against them. Kili left his barrel and ran to the lever to get the gate to open but was shot on the leg by one of the Orcs.
"Kili" Me and Fili shouted. He was saved by the female elf guard.
Legolas appeared too.
Kili pulled the lever, the others went down me and Fili waited for him holding his barrel. He jumped in but groaned in pain.
We surfed the water for hours until we lost the current and the Orcs. Legolas left at the edge of their land.
We made it for the shore that was when Kili collapsed.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"I'm fine. It's nothing" he hissed.
"On your feet" daddy ordered.
"Kili's wounded. His legs need binding" Fili said.
"There's an Orc pack on our tail. Keep moving." Daddy ordered again.
"To where?" I asked.
"To the mountain. We're so close." Bilbo said.
"A lake lies between us and that mountain. We have no way to cross it." Uncle Balin said.
"So we will go around" Bilbo said.
"The Orcs will run us down, as sure as daylight. We've no wepons to defend ourselves." Uncle Dwalin said.
"Bind his leg, quickly. You have two minutes." Daddy ordered. Suddenly a figure appeared behind us. A bowman he shot at Uncle Dwalin and the rock in Kili's hand.
"Do it again and you're dead" The man said.
"Excuse me, but you're from lake town, if I'm not mistaken. That barge over there it wouldn't be available for hire, by any chance?" Uncle Balin asked, and the man lowered his bow.
"What makes you think I would help you?" The man asked as he loaded the barrels into his barge.
"I don't really, but please. Help us" I asked him nicely.
"No doubt you have some hungry mouths to feed. How many bearings ?" Uncle Balin asked.
"A boy and two girls." The man said.
"And your wife, I imagine she's a beauty." Uncle Balin said.
"Aye. She was." The man said their was sadness in his voice.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." Uncle Balin said.
"Sir, won't you please help us." I begged standing next to him. He looked at me in shock. It seems he just noticed me.
"What's your hurry?" He asked after regaining his exposure.
"It doesn't matter, does it?" I asked.
"I would like to know who you are and what you doing in these lands." He said.
"We are simple merchants from the blue mountains journeying ti see our kin in the Iron Hills." Uncle Balin said.
"And the human girl?" He asked looking at me.
"I am one of them. They are my family they raised me" I said with a smile and he nodded. Uncle Balin then tried to convince the man into helping us. Finally, he agreed.
During the trip the dwarves gathered to give him the money. I walked over to him.
"What do you want?" He asked.
"Wanted to Thank you" I shrugged.
"You are welcome. You will pay me for that" he said.
"Smart aren't you. By the way, I am Luth. And you are?" I asked.
"Bard. My name is Bard." He said with a smile.
"Nice meeting you, Bard" I said with a smile.
"Escuse me" he said and walked over to the dwarves, "The money, quick. Give it to me." He said.
"We will pay you when we get our provisions but not before" Daddy said.
"If you value your freedom, you'll do as I say. There are guards ahead." Bard explained. We got into the barrels waiting for Bard to get on with his plan to get us into the town. A while later fishes dropped on our heads. Eww, the smell.
"Quite. We're approaching the tollgate." Bard whispered.
"Halt. Goods inspection. Papers, please! Oh, it's you Bard." A man greated.
"Morning, Percy." Bard greated back.
"Anything to declare" the man Percy asked.
"Nothing, but that I am cold and tired and ready for home." Bard said back walking over to the man.
"You and me both" the man answered back, "there we are. All in order" the man said.
"Not so fast. 'Consignement of empty barrels from the Woodland Realm' only they're not empty, are they, Bard? If I remember correctly you're licensed as a bargeman. Not a fisherman." A new voice said. If I weren't being smuggled in I would have bunched him.
"That's none of your business." Bard said. Way to go Bard!
"Wrong. It's the Master's business, which makes it my business." The man said.
"Oh, come on, Alfrid, have a heart. People need to eat." Bard argued.
"These fish are illegal. Empty the barrels ove the side." Alfrid said.
"You heard him. In the canal." Another man ordered.
"Folk in this town are struggling. Times are hard. Food is scarce. "Bard said. I felt my barrel being tipped to the side. Oh, please Bard do something. I don't want to drown.
A while later the barrel righted. I heard Alfrid talking to Bard but I wasn't processing I was scared.
"Raise the gate" the first man, Percy I think shouted.
"The Master has his eyes in you. You'd do well to remember: we know where you live" Alfrid said.
"It's a small town Alfrid. Everyone knows where everyone lives." Bard shot back. A few minutes of moving we stopped. Bard kicked my barrel and I breathed in relief. He pushed another one, but the rest came out of their own.
"You didn't see them. They were never here. The fish you can have for nothing." Bard told the man that was standing near the barge.
"Follow me." Bard said moving. We followed after him until some boy appeared.
أنت تقرأ
Thorin's Little Wolf
عشوائيLuth is a skin changer who ran from her captives when she was young. That was how she meet Thorin Oakenshield and he became her father figure.
