This place is dark, nearly everything is coated in ash and the town is still smoking. We cannot even rest here for the remaining hours of day and proceeding Gandalf's warning we must move quickly. Kili-the reason I am suffering right now-sits at the helm.
"The water is cold, that means we're going the wrong way." Kili says to Bofur and then me.
"No my friend, It means we're going right." Bofur says after catching my eye. Something moved under the water, a black beast... Gandalf's warning.
"What was that?" Kili asks jumping up. Bofur notices too and in turn hops to his feet as well.
The creature pushes it's head up through the water. and attacks Bofur''s warm brown boots. Sinking it's teeth into the leather. I pull out my blade but Kili makes it to Bofur before me, so instead I rush forward stabbing the beast's neck.
"Kili lad, cut it loose!" Bofur yelled trying to pull his foot out of the shoe. Kili struggles with Thranduil's blade, trying to cut the monster's head off.
"Kili," I say, he needs directions "Man the oar, I've got this." Kili nods and pulls back, I jump onto the monster's head and sink my blade into it. The black beast collapses into the lake, I pull my sword out and push it into the hilt at my hip.
"Aye, my boot." Bofur says mournfully prodding the boot filled with bite marks.
"We can buy you new ones once we get to the elven wood." I add, ignoring Bofur's complaints "Thranduil is granting us passage to and from the quest."
"Yes," Kili looks up "Will we camp there?"
"Yes, unless we quickly outlive our welcome."
Kili looks at his hands and I run to catch the oar he dropped.
"Careful, this is Thranduil's vessel. We are expected to return it better than when received it" I turn the oar at a forty degree angle and push through the disaster wrought canals of Laketown.