Elven Princess Under the Mountain

Chapter 10

Hey people! Chapter 10, I'm surprised you guys are still reading this...........

Any way! Hope you like it! And in case you didn't read the author's notes of the last two chapters I will repeat. TIMELINE IS DIFFERENT! Deal with.

Now. On with the show!

The town was in absolute chaos. Villagers were running around everywhere. To bulky men had grabbed Bard mere seconds after he uttered the fateful words and dragged him off shouting into the din that he was under arrest. It was probably after that moment when all hell broke loose. The people, realising that their main leader had just been arrested started to fall apart. Then the fire came and the Dragon did it's first sweep over Laketown. She and Legolas were now helping all the villagers they could into boats and small floatable vessels, or reuniting little children with their mothers who had lost them in the confusion. Whenever their eyes met an understanding passed between the two. They would be lucky if half of these people made it out alive.

"Where is the town Prison?" She yelled over the din of screaming villagers. Legolas gave her a glare of annoyance then followed by a look that clearly said; Why would I know?

A elderly man tripped and almost fell into the water had \jackie not grabbed the back of the man's dirty and worn shirt. Pulling him back up she set him down without any effort before turning to the next human in need; a child, almost a woman but not quite had been pushed onto the hard ground by a passing person rushing to escape the burning town.

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Bard ran up against the barred northern window of his small cell overlooking the water and once more ended up with a throbbing shoulder no closer to escape.The lonely mountain sat tauntingly in the distance through the very window he had just ran up against. The men had dragged him away from the elves as soon as he had told them just what was happening outside. They had thrown him into this cell before joining the townspeople below in frantic attempts of escape. He had felt no particular pity when one of their number was pushed into the freezing cold frothing water below. Calling out for help had been useless. No one was in the prison, if they were they were the prisoners themselves. He wondered ruefully what would have happened if the Townmaster had just listened to him. He had told them that dwarves would awaken the dragon but as usual the overgrow bat had been more focused on his own wealth and greed then the wellbeing of the people he was sworn to protect by the oath his family had taken before the legions of Gondor all those hundreds of years ago.

"Help!" He cried out once more. It was more of a natural instinct now rather than believing anyone would actually come.

His cell was descended like a bridge over the main river through Laketown. There were two windows in it, both barred, the only difference was that one faced north to the lonely mountain. The other faced south, toward the far off fens and beyond that Mirkwood. Inside the cell was the bare minimum of things possible. There was a small bed with only two sheets; one over the bed mattress and the other for warmth when one slept, both equally horrible, dirty and hole filled. A chair and a desk sat in the corner but one of the chair legs was missing and the table had groves all over it's hard surface. A torch from beyond the barred door was casting a flickering light into his small room making it seem to come alive with shadows on the walls and firey figures.

A ugly laugh echoed up through the northern window from the river below about twenty yards away the Townmaster and his faithful dog of a man Alfred were cruising slowly southward through Laketown toward the beaches of Mirkwood. On their small boat were all the riches of laketown. Jewels and precious stones, silver coins, fancy cups of diamond and plates of pearl with fine silvery metal utensils glittered among the heaps of gold coins, plates bowls, cups and jewelry. Piles of the treasures were so high it went over their very heads, entire mounds were toppling over into the water because there was no space for them. It made him sick. The townmaster was more concerned with saving his own beastly hide then to help the very people of his town that he was bound to protect by the oath that his family had sworn to protect in front of the captains of Gondor all those years ago. Something he was fairly sure that the elves, two beings not of this kind who could leave whenever they wanted were doing at this very moment.