Unwanted Attractions

Chapter 24

  The dwarves try to paddle and steer with their hands, but to no avail; the river is running too wild. As they travel down the river the orcs attack them and the elves still follow. It takes a long while before they lose them all.

  Later the company comes to a calmer part of the river and they are now paddling along in their barrels with their hands.
  "Anything behind us?" Thorin asked the others 
  "Not that I can see." Blain tells him looking around them
  "I think we've outrun the orcs."
  "Not for long; we've lost the current."
  "Bombur is half drowned."
  "Make for the shore! Come on, let's go!"
  With that the group paddles to the riverbank; they start climbing out onto a slab of rock jutting out a bit into the river.  Fili helps Rosa so she doesn't fall then goes to help the others. when doing so Fili notices that when his brother steps onto the rocks, he falls to his knees in pain from the wound in his thigh. Rosa frowns as she noticed how sick Kili is looking already. Bofur noticed this too and looks at him concerned.
  "I'm fine, it's nothing," Kili tells them when he noticed the two watching him
  Rosa wanting to help him kneels beside him to see what she can do.
  " I said I'm fine Rosa!" Kili snaped a little more harshly than he meant to
  She opens her mouth to comment but closes it as Throin speaks to the group "On your feet."
  "Kili's wounded. His leg needs binding." Fili informs his uncle 
  "There's an orc pack on our tail; we keep moving." 
  "To where?"
  "To the mountain" Bilbo answers "we're so close."
  "A lake lies between us and that mountain. We have no way to cross it."
  "So then we go around," Bilbo says not thinking 
  "The orcs will run us down, as sure as daylight. We have no weapons to defend ourselves."
  "Bind his leg, quickly. You have two minutes." Thorin whispers to Fili
  Fili nods and walks over to where Kili and Rosa are. He kneels down and begins binding his brother's leg. While doing so, some of the dwarves sit down and Ori kneels by the river to empty his boot of water. Out of nowhere,  a stranger behind them raises a bow and aims toward Ori. Dwalin, holding a branch, leaps in front of Ori. He raises the branch and begins to charge at a stranger, but he 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 stranger shoots the rock out of his hand too.
  "Do it again, and you're dead." The stranger said as he draws his bow
  Balin approaches the man "Excuse me, but, uh, you're from Laketown, if I'm not mistaken? That barge over there, it wouldn't be available for hire, by any chance?" He asked
  The man lowers his bow and walks over to the barge and climbs aboard as they approach. "What makes you think I will help you?" The man asks
  "Those boots have seen better days." Balin pointed out
  The man says nothing as he begins loading empty barrels into his barge
  "As has that coat. No doubt you have some hungry mouths to feed. How many bairns?" Balin continued
  "A boy and two girls."
  "And your wife, I'd imagine she's a beauty."
  The man frowns at the comment "Aye. She was."
  Balin's smile fades "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
  He is interrupted by Dwalin "Oh, come on, come on, enough with the niceties."
  "What's your hurry?" The man questioned
  "What's it to you?" Thorin asked
  "I would like to know who you are and what you are doing in these lands."
  "We are simple merchants from the Blue Mountains journeying to see our kin in the Iron Hills."
  "Simple merchants, you say?" He asked
  "We'll need food, supplies, weapons. Can you help us?"
  "I know where these barrels came from." He said looking at the damage on the barrel
  "What of it?" Thorin snapped at him
  "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." he says boarding his barge and tosses a rope to Balin.
  "I'll wager there are ways to enter that town unseen," Balin said
  "Aye. But for that, you will need a smuggler." The man said
  "For which we will pay double." Balin offered
  He looks at the company suspiciously. Then motions for them to come on.