Elena is a skin changer and turns into a black panther. She believed she was the last of her kind. Until Gandalf the Grey roped into a quest to help Thorin reclaim Erebor. Along the way she meet another skin changer, who also believed he was the las...
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Elena's POV
We land in the river below and Bilbo soon joins us. We head down the river in the barrels. Until the gate is shut by the elves. But then Orcs appear and start to fight the Mirkwood elves. Kili climbs out of the barrel to go open the gate.
I duck in my barrel and strip. I turn into a panther and leap on the bank. Killing any orc in my path and then watch Kili's back as we reach the lever. I leave him unprotected for a second to kill an advancing orc and he gets shot in the leg by an arrow. He managed to pull the lever thought.
I pick him up by the collar of his shirt and lowered him into his barrel. Then jump into mine as we head down the river. I duck into my barrel out of sight and shift back. Then dress while we went through the rapids. Not easy I nearly fell out twice.
Luckily the others were to focused on dealing with the orcs to notice my strangle. When I pop my head out I find Legolas hoping from one dwarf head to the next to cross the river. He made it look easy. While the elves distracted the orcs we slipped away down the river.
(Later)
The river has calmed down, and we paddle with our hands. "Anything behind us?" Thorin asks and I look with my advance cat sight.
"No" I answer.
"Make for the shore! Come on, let's go!" he orders and we paddle to the bank. We get out of our barrels. I squeeze my hair and run my fingers through it, trying to de-tangle it. "We must keep moving" he states and I roll my eyes.
"To where?" Balin asks him.
"The mountain, we're so close" Bilbo answers.
"A lake lies between us and that mountain" I tell him.
"We have no way to cross it" Balin adds.
"So then we go around" Bilbo suggests.
"The orcs will run us down, as sure as daylight. We have no weapons to defend ourselves" Dwalin states.
"Speak for yourself" I say unsheathing my nails. I examine them and sheath them.
"Bind his leg, quickly. You have two minutes" Thorin tells Fili. I hear a bow string tighten and look up. I tackle Ori before he could be shot. The others become alerted to the danger as the man strings another arrow and steps into view. Dwalin grabs a rock standing in front of Ori and I.
Balin, who is standing near the edge of the group, sees a barge floating in the river behind man. He approaches the man slowly hands in the air. "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?" Balin asks and I look at the barge.
The man lowers his bow and I relax my tense muscles. He climbs aboard his barge as we approach. "What makes you think I will help you?" he asks Balin.
"Those boots have seen better days, as has that coat" Balin states. I take a deep breath and smell children.
"No doubt you have some hungry mouths to feed. How many kids?" I ask him.
"A boy and two girls" the man answers.
"And your wife, I'd imagine she's a beauty" Balin says.
"Aye, she was" the man states.
"I am sorry for your lose" I tell him honestly.
"We are simple merchants from the Blue Mountains journeying to see our kin in the Iron Hills" Balin tells him.
"I'm a travel guide" I add.
"We'll need food, supplies, weapons. Can you help us?" Thorin asks him. The man looks at the barrels and examines the various dents and nicks they received during the fight with the orcs.
"I know where these barrels came from" he states.
"What of it?" I ask 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 explains.
"Offer him more" Thorin tells Balin and I.
"I'd bet there are ways to enter that town unseen" I say smirking.
"Aye. But for that, you will need a smuggler" he tells me.
"For that, we'd pay double" Balin tells him. He agrees to take us into town unseen. We all boarded the barge and we wet off.
A/N
Picture above of Bard and on the external link of his barge. Picture in chapter with feline Elena with the company.
Elena: so I haven't properly introduce myself, my name is Elena and this is Bilbo
Bard: pleasure, my name is Bard. You don't look like a dwarf (looking at Bilbo)
Bilbo: (chuckles) I'm not, I am a hobbit from the Shire
Bard: Isn't that on the other side of the Misty Mountains?
Elena: It is, I was originally his guide as he wanted to travel Middle Earth. We meet the dwarves and became friends. They agreed to show us the Iron Hills after they've meet their kin
Bilbo: Then she'll guide me back home
Bard: I hope to hear your story when we reach town
Bilbo: We have quiet a tale to tell, I'm gonna go back to the others (heads back over to the dwarves)
Bard: You aren't human are you?
Elena: What makes you say that?
Bard: the author mentioned something about a big black cat
Author: did not
Elena: (glares at author) I'll tell you some other time, right now the others are calling me (leaves the pair)
