"Do it again...and your dead." The man said.
"Your from lake town I presume." Balin said stepping forward. The man lifted his bow to him and Balin put his hands up in defense. "That barge over there..." Balin said, glancing over at the boat docked on the shore "Wouldn't be available for hire...by any chance?" He asked cautiously.
"What makes you think I would help you?" The man asked as he began to load the barrels onto the boat. "Those boots have seen better days. As has that coat. I'm sure you have some hungry mouths to feed. How many bairns?" Balin asked. "A boy and two girls." The man replied. "And your wife I imagine she's a beauty." Balin said with a small smile.
"Aye....she was." The man said in a sad tone. "Oh i'm sorry I- I didn't mean to-" Balin started before he was cut off. "Oh come on, come on enough of the niceties." Dwalin said impatiently. "What's your hurry?" The man asked. "What's it to you?" Dwalin shot back. " I would like to know who you are and what you are doing in these lands." He said.
"We are simple merchants from the blue mountains, traveling to see our kin, in the iron hills." Balin said with a small smile as he did his best to convince him to help us. "What of the girl? She is no dwarf." He said, pointing to me.
"I am a skin changer. I have business to attend to in the Iron Hills." I said. The man nodded, then continued speaking "What makes you think I would help you?" Thorin then took a step forward towards him. "We need food, weapons, supplies..can you help us?" Thorin asked.
"I know where these barrels came from." The man said. "What of it?" Thorin asked. I don't know what business you had with the elves, but i'm guessing it didn't end well. All our wealth comes from trade with the Woodland realm. The master wood see you in irons before risking the wrath of King Thranduil." The man stated as he ran his fingers over the chipped edges of the barrels.
"Offer him more." Thorin whispered to Balin. "I'll wager there are ways to enter that town unseen." Balin said. "Aye...but for that...you would need a smuggler." The man said. "For which we would pay, double." Balin said. This seemed to get the man interested and in a matter of minutes we were on the boat and on our way to Laketown.
"Watch out!" I shouted angrily as the boat nearly collided with a large rock. "What are you trying to do drown us?" Thorin asked as he glared at the man. "I was born and bred on these waters master dwarf. If I wanted to drown you I would not do it here." The man replied. I sighed and walked to the edge of the boat. As I looked across the cold water. "I've had enough of this lippy lake man. I saw we thrown him over the side and be done with him." Dwalin said gruffly.
"Oh Bard! His name's Bard!" Bilbo said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "And how do you know?" Bofur asked curiously. "Uh I asked him." Bilbo said. "I don't care what he calls himself I don't like him."I said. "I agree with the lass." Dwalin said gruffly. "You don't have to like him. You simply have to pay him. Come on lads. Turn out your pockets." Balin said. I reached into my boot and grabbed the few coins I had and placed them on the table as Dwalin spoke up again.
"How do we know he won't betray us?" He asked. "We don't." I stated simply as I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the edge of the boat. "There's just a wee problem..." Balin said as he coated the coins. "We're ten short." I said as I counted the money. Balin nodded and glaced over to Gloin who was sitting with his arms crossed, looking away from everyone else.
"Come on Gloin....Give us what you have." I said with a small glare. "Don't look to me! I have been bled dry by this venture! And what have I seen but misery and grief...." He trailed off as all the dwarfs stood and looked of in the distance. Thorin grabbed by shoulder and turned me so I could see the Lonely Mountain emerging from the fog that covered the lake. "Bless my beard. Take it! Take all of it!" Gloin said as he took out a pouch with coins in it and handed it to Balin.
Bilbo cleared his throat, informing us of that, Bard as he was known, was coming towards is. "The money quick, give it to me." He stated. "We will give you the money when we have our provisions but not before." I growled at him. "If you value your freedom you'll do what I say. There are guards ahead. Now quickly into the barrels." He stated as he took the money.
As Everyone climbed in a barrel I noticed one slight problem. I didn't have a barrel. "You can come with me if you want." Bilbo said as he popped his head out of his barrel. I was about to reply but Thorin beat me too it. "She will come with me." He stated. I nodded, not wanting to argue, and climbed into the barrel with Thorin.
Once I was in the barrel we were in a rather awkward position which left me sitting on Thorin's lap with my legs wrapped aroun his middle. He awkwardly cleared his throat causing me to blush a deep crimson red. He chuckled as I buried my face in his neck, breathing in the scent of pine and something that was purely Thorin. "Be quiet." Bard said as the boat halted to a stop and Bard stepped of the boat.
"What's he doing?" Thorin asked. "He talking to someone. Now he's pointing right as us. Now there shaking hands!" He said. "What?!" I said growled. "The villain. He's selling us out." Dwalin said. "Wait....oh god!" I said as I buried my face in Thorin's neck. "What?" He asked. I shook my head as I heard a leaver being pulled and suddenly loads of fish were dumped over us. All the dwarfs groaned. "I swear when this is over I'm gonna rip this man's head off." I said with a low growl.
Thorin patted my back comfortingly, as best he could with the fish surrounding us. "Quiet! We're approaching the toll gate." Bard said as he kicked Thorin and I's barrel making me growl while trying not to breath in the horrid smell. I may be a lion but fish is the one this I can't stand.
"Halt! Goods inspection! Papers please. Oh it's your Bard." A voice said as the boat halted. "Morning Percy." Bard said. " Any news to declare?" Percy, as the man was known, asked. "That I am cold and tired and ready for home." Bard said as I heard his footsteps walked past us and a rustle of papers was heard. "You and me both." Percy replied.
"There was are. All in order." Percy said as another rustle of papers was heard. "Not so fast." A voice said. "Consignment of empty barrels from the woodland realm." The voice said. "Only they aren't empty. Are they Bard?" The man asked. "If I recall correctly your licensed as a bargeman. Not...a fisherman." The man said. "That's none of your business." Bard said. "Wrong. It's the masters business which makes it my business." The man said. "Oh come on Alfrid have a heart! People need to eat!" Bard exclaimed. These fish are illegal. Empty the barrels over the side." Alfrid said.
As he did several pairs of footsteps where heard and I felt our barrel tip slightly. "Folk in this town are struggling. Times are hard. Food is scarce." Bard said, trying to reason with this Alfrid person. "That's not my problem." Alfrid said. "And when the people here the master is dumping fish in the lake.....when the rioting starts. Will it be your problem then?" Bard asked. ""Stop." Alfrid said. As he said that we were tipped back over and set back down on the deck of the boat.
"Ever the people's champion ah Bard. Protecter of the common folk. THey may have your favor now bargeman but you do good to remember, we know where you live." Alfrid said. "It's a small town Alfrid.....everyone knows where everyone lives." Bard said as the boat began to move along. After a few moments the barge stopped and I could hear the barrels being tipped over.
As I heard footsteps coming towards us I shot my head out of the barrel. "Don't you dare even think about it or I not hesitate to bite off a hand." I growled before climbing out of the barrel. He nodded slowly before looking over at a confused man and slipping him a coin. "You never saw them. They were never here....the fish you can have for nothing." Bard said before leading us the back way through the twisting paths and docks of the town.
"Da...our house, it's being watched!" A boy said as he ran up to Bard. He sighed before turning to us. "Your not going to like this." He said with a sigh.
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Stupid human, stupid lake, stupid water, stupid fish, stupid wood, stupid dock.
That is everything that is going through my head as we swam under the docks of lake town, and up into Bard's home, through the toilet! I waited in the front of the group of grumbling and angered dwarves. As I heard knocks from above us I climbed out. "Don't touch me!" I growled as I slapped the boy's hand away and stood up and stalked up the stairs.
"Da why are there dwarves climbing out of our toilet?" An older girl asked. "Will they bring us luck?" The younger one asked. "I'm not a dwarf young one." I said with with a small smile. "Oh I'm sorry miss. I'm Tilda!" She said sticking out her hand. Even if I didn't feel like being nice I shook her hand and gladly accepted the blanket she offered me. As everyone talked amongst themselves I zoned out and sat by the fire.
"You took out money. Now where are the weapons?" I heard Thorin ask from behind me. "Wait here." Bard said after a moment. He walked down the stairs and I walked over to Thorin. He glanced over at me with a small smile. Wait what? Thorin? Smile? What has gotten into him?? I thought as I sent a small smile back before turning to Bard who dumped a large sling of....weapons?
"What is this?" Thorin said picking up a hook like thing. "Pike hook." Bard said. "And this?" Kili asked, as he picked up a large hammer like thing. "Crowbell we call it. Fashioned from a smithies hammer. It's heavy in hand I grant, but in defense of your life these will serve you better than none." Bard said.
"We paid you for weapons! Iron forged swords and axes!" Gloin exclaimed. "It's a joke!" Bofur shouted as we all began to throw down the so called weapons. "You won't find better outside the city armory. All iron forged weapons are held there under lock and key." Bard said with a groan. "Thorin! Why not take us an offer and go! I've made do with less, so have you!" Balin exclaimed.
"I say we leave now." I said. "You aren't going anywhere." Bard said. "What did you say?" I growled at him. "There are spies watching this house and probably every dock and wharf in the town. You must wait until night fall." Bard said as he walked out the door, shutting it behind him.
"Alright after nightfall we will sneak out to the armory after we get the weapons we make straight for the mountain. Got it?" Thoirn asked. Everyone nodded them went back to there own business. Bard's son stuck his head out the door and said something. Bard said something back then I saw him run off through the window.
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"Alright It's night. Let's get going." I said as I glanced out the window to see the sun going down. "Your not going anywhere. Da said you were not to leave." Bain, as I had come to know his name, said as he stood in front of the door. "Oh really?" I said with a slight smirk. I shifted to a teen lion and got up in his face, growling at him. He backed off slowly and raised his hands.
I shifted to a girl and smirked. "Thought so. Come on let's go." I said as we all filed out the door and kept to the shadows as we snuck towards the armory. I shifted to a baby lion and trotted out in front of the group. I sniffed and looked around a bit before heading back and shifting to a girl. "All clear. Go Go!" I whisper shouted at everyone.
Soon enough I we had formed a dwarf stair case. "Alix you next." Thorin said as Kili climbed through the window. I climbed up the dwarf stairs and not the window. Once everyone was in we began taking the sword and axes off the walls. "You alright?" I asked as I handed Kili a few weapons. I noticed he seemed to be pale and almost always in pain, even if he tried to hide it. "I'll manage." He said with a grunt.
I nodded to him and went to grab another sword when I heard a loud bang, followed by loud angry shouting. I shifted to a teen lion and growled as a sword as pointed at all of us. The tied a rope around my neck and one around each of my legs. "What is the meaning of this?!" A large, fat, ugly looking man with a horrible comb over said. " Caught em stealing weapons sire." One of the guards said.
"Ah enemies of the state eh?" The master of the town said. "A desperate bunch of mercenaries if every there was sire." The man, who I remembered from the when we entered the town, said with a sly grin. "Hold your tongue! You do not know to whom you speak! This is Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror." Dwalin shouted. I looked over as everyone was speaking and gazed at the mountain.
A large shout from the crowd doused me to lose focus and I turned back to the master who was letting the company go. "What about the lion?" One of the guards asked. I snorted and shifted to a girl, with the ropes still around my neck and legs. "Little help?" I asked, motioning the ropes to the very confused and startled guards. They snapped out of there daze and quickly untied the ropes.
As we walked off to the celebration the town was planning last minute for Thorin I tried my best to ignore the looks I was getting from Alfrid and some of the other men. "I'm going to rest up for a bit." I whispered to Thorin. He merely nodded and turned to speak with Balin as they headed to get some ale.
As I headed back to the room I grabbed the key out to open the door to the room I was staying in when hand slapped over my mouth and dragged me into a darker area behind the room I was in. 'Ugh...get off me!" I said as Alfrid pinned me against a wall. "I don't think so." He growled as I felt his hand slid up my thigh and his other hand pinning my arms above me. "You would know there are several dwarves who would beat you to a-" I started but was cut off as ALfrid was harshly pulled off of me and punched in the face, sending him into the cold water.
"Are you alright?" I heard Thorin's gruff voice say as he grabbed by hand, helping me up from where I had previously fallen. "Y- Yeah." I said as I watched Alfrid come up and gasp from breath only for Thorin to push him back under by hitting his head with his foot. "Come on. Let's get going." Thorin said as he put an arm around my shoulders and led me out of the alleyway.
"Thorin? W- What are you doing?" I asked as he led me past the room I was to stay in. "That creep knows where your staying. You can stay with me." He said as he opened the door that I assumed was to the room he was staying in. "I- I can't do that. Where will y- you sleep?" I asked as he closed the door behind us.
"I can stay on the floor. But there's something more important than that now. Something I need to ask you." Thorin said slowly. I nodded, signaling for him to continue. "Well....y- you see I....I uh......well I was won- wondering if ....if um....Oh Mahal." Thorin stuttered as he ran a fingers through his hair in frustration. "Oh i'll just come out and say it. Alix over the journey I have began to feel something towards you I I believe that you are my one. The one Mahal meant for me to be with and I was wondering if you would allow me to....to court you." Thorin said quickly. I opened my mouth from shock at what Thoirn had just said.
"I should never have asked. I'm sorry. I knew you wouldn't fell the sam-" Thorin was cut off as I tackled him to the floor and crashed my lips onto his. He wrapped his arms around my waist and deepened the kiss. We pulled back only when we both desperately need air. "I was so blind to see it. I love you Thorin. I always have. And yes I would love for you to court me." I said we I rested me forehead against his.
He chuckled and stood up, carrying me bridal style to the bed. He laid me down then got in on the other side of the bed, pulling me close to him. "I love you." I said with a big smile plastered on my face and I snuggled closer to him. "I love you to my jewel." Thorin said as he kissed my forehead. As I rested my head on his chest I fell asleep listening to the beat of my ones heartbeat.............and the occasional snoring that came from him.
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I'm back!!!!! I got all my projects done YAY :3
More good news (well its kinda good news) this week is testing week! Not finals but standardize testing so I should have extra time to write WHOO HOOO
hope you liked the chapter and remember to vote comment blah blah blah stuff like that.
See ya later guys :3
-Mojokitty