Thorin looked behind him just in time to see Rosie's small body falling into the water, his heart sank. Is she hurt? What was the bag in her arms? She's too far behind, we can't help her Thorin angrily thought, something rising in his chest. As Rosie fell into the wild water Thorin lost sight of her, he could only hope and pray that she was going to be okay.
Legolas watched as Rosie began floating downstream, her body being thrown this way and that, not having the protection of a wooden barrel to help her. He was watching her go when he heard a noise behind him, looking around in time he saw an arrow be shot out of the air by another and strong, beautiful Tauriel diving in and coming close to killing the orc which had fired the initial arrow.
"Tauriel! Wait! This one we keep alive," Legolas spoke in the elvish tongue, Tauriel gave a fierce look at Legolas and then when she thought he had turned away she looked longingly down the river. An ache spread through Legolas' chest to see her look at someone the way he wished she did him. He too looked down the river to see the small frame of Rosie disappear out of sight. I wish you well, little one he thought.
As for Rosie, she was having a whole other experience. Rosie was an okay swimmer, no better or worse than the next person. But that was when your swimming in a calm pool, maybe a salty sea, not a fanatical river. Rosie felt her body being thrown this way and that, she didn't know which way was up and which way was down. All she could do was splutter for air as she plunged in and out of the water. She gripped tightly to the bag and felt it weigh her down, but she refused to let it go, these weapons were important, these weapons were needed. Multiple times she felt certain parts of her slam against something hard, her body thrummed and ached. The water was icy cold, and it felt like needles attacking her from all over. I'm going to make it she thought to herself a wave of confidence slamming into her, and then the lights went out.
The barrels slowed down once they got to calmer waters, the company soon found a rocky piece of land where they could take refuge. They clambered onto it, beaten, bruised and cold, simply seeking a warm fire and a hearty meal. Cece spluttered out of the barrel and helped the hobbit along before she was taken in a pair of arms. She melted into them and at first thought it was Frankie but she found herself running her hands through a blonde lion's mane.
"It's okay, it's all going to be okay," She whispered into Fili's ear when she felt the tension that was so prominent on his shoulders. This made him visibly relax and he squeezed Cece with his thick arms. She was pulled away by someone else and found herself in yet another bone-crushing hug, this time it was Frankie.
"I was so worried!" Frankie cried as she engulfed her friend.
"You were?" Cece cried back. "How the hell do you think I felt, finding out that my friend was out here all alone?"
"Yeah, yeah whatever, it's fine, I'm okay," Frankie pulled back and smiled softly, ruffling Cece's now wet mop.
"Where's Rosie?" Ori called from where he was stood on a rock looking around, an unreadable look on his face. Cece and Frankie made eye contact for a moment before they ran to the edge of the water, the company hot on their tails.
"Come on Rosie, come on," Frankie muttered her eyes wide and anxious as she watched and waited for something, anything to appear in the calm water. Thorin had pushed himself to the front and was viewing the water with an agonized glare. Then, a lump of something came around the corner, floating its way towards the company.
"ROSIE!" Cece cried, running into the water however Thorin had beat her to it. Thorin being a strong swimmer moved across the water in record time, he gripped onto the floating form and began leading it back with haste. As soon as Thorin could put his feet on the ground, he scooped Rosie up in his arms and laid her out on some of the softer stones.
"Come on, wake up Rosie, wake up," He muttered moving her pale face side to side. Frankie and Cece's hearts fell.
"Move!" Frankie yelled throwing Thorin off her friend and to the side with more force than necessary. Frankie opened Rosie's mouth and began feeling for air.
"I think she's got water in her lungs," She simply stated to Cece whilst ripping her we jacket from her body.
"Know what to do?" Cece asked as she took position.
"Yes." And with that Frankie clipped onto Rosie's nose and breathed twice into the mouth of her friend.
"Her chest is rising," Cece said in a deadly serious tone as she bustled about, her brave face on. "Pulse?"
"Faint," Frankie spluttered as she tried and pushed down her anxiety. She had only done this once before when she was younger, her best friend fell in the lake and she dragged her out, she was only 7, she had no idea what to do. Little Frankie ran inside screaming and soon an ambulance was her to take Jessica away. Jess made it, but with seconds to spare, and Frankie spent three months of her life perfecting her knowledge on what to do in these type of situations.
Pulling herself back to reality she turned to Cece who bore an agonized look on her face before she nodded. Frankie took a deep breath and turned back to Rosie and began to pump onto her chest, her fingers intertwined, singing 'staying alive' under her breath to keep in time. After the 30 pumps, she leaned down and gave 2 breaths into her mouth. Cece sat there shaking, her stony exterior crumbling, pulling the hair out of Rosie's face like a mother would do a child.
"Come on Rosie, come on," Frankie muttered, the whole company surrounded them, tension like a dark cloud above them. Frankie repeated what she had just done. "Come on Rosie, you made a promise, remember? It was years ago, but you made a promise, you're not going back on your promise, I won't let you," Frankie muttered to herself and Rosie.
Cece watched in agonizing pain how Frankie was desperately trying to save their friend's life, she stroked Rosie's hair and let Frankie's words of a 'promise' wash over her, she knew nothing of this promise, but it didn't matter now. Thorin was kneeling by Rosie's feet, his hand gripping his jaw, the other wrapped around his torso. She's not going to die, she's not going to die, she's-
Rosie's whole body jolted as she began coughing and spluttering. Cece rolled her over into the safety position and sighed as their friend coughed up a large amount of water. The company sighed and clapped each other on the back. When she was strong enough, Rosie groggily looked up at all of her friends surrounding her.
"Hey," She said lazily, visibly weak. The company cheered, and the girls laughed and shook their heads.
"I thought for a moment you were about to go back on the promise you made," Frankie muttered, raising an eyebrow a sad smile on her lips.
"No, I don't think I would ever do that," Rosie said softly smiling up at her friend. "Thorin?" She called and Thorin moved so he could sit down next to her head, smiling softly.
"Yes?" He asked.
"The bag, there was a bag," She said as if she was looking for it.
"Yes, it's over there," Thorin nodded to where he had thrown the bag in the spur of the moment, not caring for its contents.
"Well go get it," Rosie said as if it were obvious. Shaking his head slightly Thorin got up and retrieved the brown bag hearing the clink of metal from within. He took it to Rosie and showed to her. "Well open it," She rolled her eyes and sat up. Thorin did as he was told and almost couldn't believe what he was seeing. Weapons, the weapons of the dwarves, their weapons. He began excitedly pulling things out and tossing them to their rightful owners, the company cheering again with glee. When all the arms had been handed out he took out his own elvish sword before smiling fondly at Rosie.
"Thank you, Rosanna," He said softly as he ran a finger over the hilt of his sword.
"Don't mention it," Rosie rolled her eyes, understanding that she would probably never get Thorin to change his mind about her name. The company began going through what they had and what they didn't have when Frankie was pulled aside by Kili.
"What's up?" She smiled at him.
"I'd just like to say thank you, I'm guessing you probably saved my life out there," He said softly, looking at Frankie with pure gratitude.
"No problem, and yes and no," Frankie winked and turned to go before remembering, "Did you meet Tauriel?" She asked, feigning excitement. Kili looked flustered for a moment and Frankie felt her heart fall slightly.
"Yes..." He said as if he didn't have the right words to say anything else. Frankie felt sick.
"And?" She questioned.
"She's nice, but..." Kili trailed off thinking.
"What?" Frankie raised an eyebrow, what could possibly be wrong with Tauriel, she was so strong and courageous, she was full of knowledge and adventure, she was perfect for Kili.
"Nothing," He said shaking his head and smiling, Frankie had the urge to rip the look off his face.
"Okay," She said curtly and nodding. "Oh, and thank you,"
"What for?" He asked.
"When you pulled me down in the barrel, thanks," She smiled, Kili nodded before he turned to go and Frankie noticed him wince as he moved. "Are you okay?" She asked, her fear that she didn't actually save him from the orc arrow kicking in.
"Yeah, yeah, just bumps and bruises," Kili nodded and turned again to walk away. Frankie watched him as he went. He was right, they had just fallen down a stream in wooden barrels, of course, he's not going to feel the best he ever had been. Frankie looked after him again and wondered, then why does it feel like he just lied to me?
The company was taking advantage of this moment to let their bodies have a rest, after the exhausting battle they just took part in, it was obvious that they needed it. Cece had gone around and had asked and asked again if anyone had been hit by any of the orcs spears, she didn't explain that the ends of the orcs weapons had been lathered with poison, it didn't seem necessary.
However, none of the dwarves said that they had been hit, and none of them showed any signs of being hit. I think we're okay. After Cece finished her rounds she made her way over to Frankie who was carving a new arrow out of wood, her tongue poking out between her lips in concentration.
"Hey, hey, hey," Cece said, she sat down next to her friend on the rocks, Rosie was not too far away, glaring at Oin with a frustrated glare as he insisted to look her over.
"Hey," Frankie murmured in response, completely focused on the project in her hands.
"Mind if I question you on some stuff," Cece asked leaning back against the rocks and sighing, happy to be off her feet.
"Go for it," Frankie nodded, still not paying Cece 100% attention.
"I was wondering what your plan was, you know, back there," Cece asked staring intently at her friend before nodding to the water which they had come from.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, what the hell were you thinking," Cece said abruptly, Frankie put down the arrow in her hands and looked over at her friend, she shook her head slightly. "Well?" Cece questioned further. She felt as if her friend did not understand the full danger of what she did, she was out here, alone. She could have been killed by orcs, she could have starved to death, yet she chose to stay out here, she made that decision.
"When I had the opportunity to either go with you lot or to stay I our here, I chose what I thought was best," Frankie began to explain, turning more to her friend, "My initial idea was to use this as an advantage point to A) save Kili from Bolg and B) Possibly kill a few orcs in the process," Frankie said.
"That's not a good enough- "
"I'm not done." Frankie cut her off, "When I pushed Rosie off the branch we both were on, I realized something else, whilst you lot would be in there," Frankie nodded to the direction they had come from, "I could get on with what happens next," Frankie said suggestively. Cece furrowed her eyebrows.
"But that still doesn't make sense- "
"Frankie!" This voice was a foreign one, it came from above the pile of rocks both Frankie and Cece were both sitting on. The company pulled out their weapons ready for an attack as a figure climbed up onto the pile of stone, the light illuminating its silhouette.
"Bard!" Frankie called back, a smile on her face. And the penny dropped in Cece's mind.
"You held yourself to your promise," Bard noted as he climbed down the pile of rocks ignoring the dwarf's raised weapons.
"Wouldn't dare to do anything else," Frankie smiled as she and Bard gave a half-hug sort of action clearly showing that they had met before. Frankie then turned to both of her dumb-founded friends with a grin.
"Cece, Rosie, you know Bard," Frankie winked.
"I don't believe we've quite met before," Rosie said curtly as she eyes Bard up and down. He was dressed just like the movies, a spitting image of Luke Evans, she let her eyes dangle over his outfit and the body that was filling it.
"No, I don't think we have," Cece agreed an impressed note in her voice.
"And who might you be?" Thorin growled from where he stood, sword raised.
"My name is Bard," Bard responded not caring for Thorin's angry tone, "Frankie here met with me the day before yesterday and told me that she had some friends who needed some help,"
"We don't need your help," Thorin said with finality, not lowering his sword.
"Um, yes you do," Cece said, why is he acting like this? Oh yeah...it's Thorin.There was a pause.
"How will you help us?" Thorin asked, still wary.
"Well Frankie asked me to take you into Laketown, that I can do," Bard nodded, "Unseen." He added. This grabbed the dwarf's attention. No one said anything for a moment and then the dwarves grouped together in a huddle and began rapidly discussing what they were going to do whilst Cece, Frankie, Rosie and Bard stood and watched.
"Fine," Thorin spoke up turning around.
"Of course, I will need to be paid," Bard said simply, Thorin's body tensed.
"And you will," He said, head cocked to the side, "If you take us over the lake and into Laketown safely and unseen." Bard paused but nodded.
"Great!" Cece clapped her hands together, "Let's go."