In The End-The Hobbit

Chapter 22 : Friends and Enemies

I help carry what little supplies the people of Lake Town have, occasionally stopping to help old people and young children up steep hills and stones. Bard has decided that we head for the mountain, thinking would be the best course of action now that a dragon wasn't inside. I've wanted to tell Bard that it's pointless because Thorin is stubborn and now that he has his gold back, it's unknown what Thorin will be like now. I decided against it however, Bard being just as stubborn.

Everyone walks into the ruins of Dale, some people with tears in their eyes from memories and others looking to the ground with sadness. For some people, they have lost two of their homes to Smaug. With that in mind, Dale seems eerier to me than when I first walked in. Thinking about what had happened last night happening here makes this place seem dark and haunted. I can almost hear the echo of the days of old in this place. Cheerful chatter and children laughter...

"Come on, keep moving!" Bard yells out helping an old lady up some stairs.

"Sire! Up here!" Alfred yells from a lookout tower. I follow behind Bard eager to see what Alfred can see in the distance "Look, sire, the braziers are lit" Alfred says pointing over to the Mountain. I give a small smile when I see the lighting in the distance. The company is alive.

"So, the company of Thorin Oakenshield survived," Bard says surprised.

"Survived? You mean there's a bunch of dwarves in there with all that gold?" Alfred snaps looking at the mountain in disgust.

"You shouldn't worry, Alfred. There's gold enough in that mountain for all" Bard says walking back down to the people of Lake Town with me following not too far behind "Make camp here tonight. Find what shelter you can. Get some fires going. Alfred, you take the night watch!" Bard orders.

I don't know what makes Bard think that Thorin will welcome them with open arms, but I hope he's only clinging to this because it's the only thing he can do with the people looking up to him. I know for a fact that Thorin won't reason, he never has. The irony with that is he claims no one was there for his people when Smaug took his homeland, yet when others come begging Thorin wouldn't bat an eye out.

"Ivy?"

"Huh? Sorry, what?" I ask, shaking my head as I realise Bard was talking to me this whole time and I didn't even notice.

"I would like to thank you," Bard says, coming to a stop and leaning against a stone "you helped my daughter get away. Tilda and Sigrid didn't leave out any of the things you did to protect them. I'm forever in debt to you."

"No, Bard. Any decent person would have helped. It was the right thing to do," I say "besides, I owed you a debt myself, remember?" Bard shakes his head "when I begged for you to help Kili. I said I'd do anything."

"Yes, but lending a hand is nothing compared to putting your life in danger to help my daughters'" Bard says shaking his head "I'll always owe you for that."

"Uh, don't be so dramatic, Bard" I smirk, rolling my eyes. Bard chuckles. We fall silent fall a moment.

"That was brave of you though," Bard starts "offering anything you could give for the sake of a friend...who knows what some men would ask for..."

I nod, understanding his words, agreeing that I did make a brave move to save Kili, but I'd do it hundred times again if I could save the life of a friend "Despite times, call for desperate measures."

"Indeed," Bard says "you're beginning to be quite surprising the more I get to know you. So...different."

"Yep, that's me."

***

For the first day in a while, I feel refreshed, despite having only had a few hours' sleep. Every little bit helps. The pale morning light shines across the land, not quite so bright yet, as I follow behind Bard as he checks on everyone "These children are starving! We need food!" A man named Percy yells over to Bard "We won't last three days! Bard, we don't have enough" He says hopelessly.