Don't Go Thorin Oakenshield

The Bowman

Scene 7

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Fili and Bofur surrounded Kili. He was hurt and his leg needed binding.

"There's an Orc pack on out tail. We keep moving." Thorin said out of breath.

"To where?" I asked.

Bilbo waddled from being cold. "To the mountain, we're so close."

"A lake lies between us and that mountain," Balin informs us. "We have no way to cross it."

Suddenly, there was a tall strange that had a bow an arrow pointing at Ori. Dwalin stood in front of Ori, protecting him with a piece of driftwood. The arrow that was shot almost went right through. The next arrow was shot at Kili, who stood up and threw a rock.

"Do it again and you're dead." The arrow man roughly said.

I clung to Thorin as Balin slowly walked up to the man with an idea.

"Excuse me," Balin said. "But you're from Lake-town if I'm not mistaken." The man turned his aim to Balin, but Balin kept walking. "That barge over there it wouldn't be available for hire, by any chance?"

The bowman lowered his bow and took the barrels to load on his barge. "What makes you think I would help you?" The man asked.

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

The Bowman was tall and quite handsome. "A boy and two girls." He replied.

Balin looked back. "And your wife, I imagine she's a beauty."

I want kids. I want to be a wife. But the life I chose to live makes it difficult to do so.

The Bowman stopped in his tracks. "Aye. She was." His voice was sad and cold.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to--" Balin was cut off by his brother, Dwalin.

"Oh, come on. Enough of the niceties." Dwain roughly grumbled.

The bowman looked towards Dwalin. "What's your hurry?" He asked.

Dwalin got snappy. "What's it to you?"

"I'd like to know who you are and what you are doing in these lands." The Bowman said, getting off his barge and close to us.

Balin had things under control. "We are simple merchants from the Blue Mountains journeying to see our kin in the Iron Hills."

"Simple merchants, you say?" The Bowman said with a sly smile, knowing that it was a lie.

Thorin left me and stepped forward. "We need food, supplies, weapons. Can you help us?"

The Bowman touched the side of the barrels where the arrows left their marks. "I know where these barrels came from. I don't know what business you had with the Elves... but I don't think it ended well. No one enters Lake-town 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."

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We soon got a deal by offering due to the money to smuggle us into Lake-town.

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I sat down by the Bowman and started to chat with him.

"I'm Hėlla." I sweetly said.

"Bard." He replied. "You don't look very much like a dwarf Hėlla."

I shrugged. "That's because my mother was human and my father was a dwarf."

"That sounds interesting. Is that one your husband?" He asked, nodding towards Thorin.

Thorin stood at the edge of the raft. He looked so handsome standing there with one leg up, he was in the position of a leader.

I smiled. "Yeah. One day he'll be the father of my children."

It wasn't long till Bilbo came over to talk. I then left to go down by the Thorin. Looking out in the fog, I couldn't understand how Bard could see where he was going. Bofur then shouted to watch out. I screamed and ducked as Bard went around stone walls in the water. I was sure he was going to hit it.

Thorin looked back at Bard. "What are you trying to do, drown us?" He roughly inquiries.

"I was born and bred on these waters, Master Dwarf. If I wanted to drown you, I would not do it here." Bard replied back.

Well, that's reassuring.

Thorin leaned on the side on the barge and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close while the others complain. Balin told the boys to turn out their pockets, so I reached in mine and pulled out my coin purse. I then tossed it to Balin. But we were still 10 coins short. Thorin looked down at Gloin. As he complained about unsense, Thorin looked up and into the distance. As did everyone else. In the distance and fog was the Lonely Mountain. It looks beautiful just standing there. Gloin handed in all his money.

Bard came down by us. "The money, quick. Give it to me."

"We will pay you when we get our provisions but not before," Thorin told him. His voice sounded so dark and delicious.

But Bard was so strong-willed. "If you value your freedom, you'll do as I say. There are guards ahead."

Thorin looked at me. I gave him a nob. I trusted Bard. We all got into the barrels, so we wouldn't be spotted.

I sat in the barrel Thorin put me in and looked up at the gloomy looking sky. Suddenly there were fish falling on me and into the barrel. I could hear the other giving out soft groans. It was difficult to move with so much weight on you.

I could hear muffled voices from outside of the barrels. Then suddenly the barrel I was in started to tip. Fish from the top started to plunge back into the water. I dug my nails into the wood, trying not the fall out with the fish. The barrel was set back down and footsteps left. I sighed with relief.

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Hands reached into the barrel and pulled me out. It was Thorin. I gave a smile and hugged him as he lifted me out of the barrel.

We followed Bard in a quiet stealth manner, trying to stay out of sight. We had to go in the water and climb out of a toilet just to stay out of sight. Thorin went up first and bent down to pick me up and out of the cold water.