Inflamed (Harry Potter & The Hobbit/LOTR Crossover) (LegolasxOC)

21- Smuggled

Sorry for the delay! School has been obnoxiously busy. :/ Two chapters will be posted today to make it up! :)

The bargeman had us all board his boat, taking up rowing position at the back. We had agreed to give him his money when we got to Laketown, giving us the ride to sort out all of our money. It was very foggy out, giving the icy waters an ominous feel. That's when the huge stone structures starting poppng out of the fog. "Watch out!" Bofur yelped. The man manuevered the barge with expertise, avoiding the rock ruins.

"What are you trying to do, drown us?" Thorin growled. The bargeman did not seem affected by the Dwarves rumblings, replying coolly, "I was born and bred on these waters, Master Dwarf. If I wanted to drown you, I would not do it here." Dwalin scoffed and said to us in a low voice, "Oh I have enough of this lippy lakeman. I say we throw him over the side and be done with him."

I scowled, replying hotly in a whisper, "I veto that request! He has three children, Dwalin! You really want three innocent children to be orphans?!" The Dawrf glowered at me. "I don't trust him." My expression turned stoic as I retorted, "Well, I do. He seems like a good man. And if you don't trust him, well then...trust me."

Bilbo did not seem to like Dwalin's suggestion either, saying, "Uh, Bard, his name's Bard." Bofur turned to the Hobbit. "How do you know?" Bilbo looked down at the wooden floor, mumbling, "Uh, I asked him." Dwalin still didn't seem to agree. "I don't care what he calls himself, I don't like him." Balin, sat in front of a box, was counting up the money we needed to pay Bard. I chuckled to myself. Bard the Bargeman. That's a bit of a mouthful. "We do not have to like him or trust him, we simply have to pay him. Come on now, lads, turn out your pockets."

I watched the Dwarves empty out their pockets, giving as much as they could. My ears picked up whispering, and I listened in, realizing that it was Dwalin and Thorin. "How do we know he won't betray us?" Dwalin hissed. Thorin replied in a hushed tone, "We don't. Hopefully Miss Paige is right about the bargeman." I stiffened slightly, my arm muscles clenching in their crossed position.

Balin counted up the money in front of him. "There's, um, just a problem: we're ten coins short." Somehow, Thorin went straight to Glóin, demanding, "Glóin. Come on. Give us what you have." The Dwarf huffed and shot back, "Don't look to me. I have been bled dry by this venture! What about Paige? She hasn't donated a thing! And what have I seen for my investment? Naught but misery and grief and–"

"Hey! I haven't donated anything because I have nothing to give!" I snapped, annoyed that Glóin had thrown me under the bus. We all stopped arguing though, seeing the Lonely Mountain appear when the fog cleared. It was so close. And the weight of the quest was finally becoming a reality. We were going to slay a Dragon and take back Erebor. "Bless my beard. Take it. Take all of it." Glóin exclaimed, giving a pouch of money to Balin he'd kept.

Bilbo cleared his throat and I turned to see Bard coming towards us, his face a bit panicked. "The money, quick, give it to me." he said uneasily. Thorin tensed. "We'll pay you when we get our provisions, but not before." Bard shot him an exasperated look. "If you value your freedom, you'll do as I say. There are guards ahead."

We all turned around to see Laketown drawing near, guards standing at the gate to the city. So in the end we gave him the money and got back into our barrels, hiding. There was a hole in my new barrel and I was able to see out of the barge, see Bard. He jumped off the boat and onto the dock. I scanned the dock to see that we were still outside the city. Bard was talking to a man.

"Shh, what's he doing?" Dwalin whispered. Bilbo, as it turned out, could see out of his barrel, too. "He's talking to someone." he reported. "And he's...pointing right at us!" Bard pointed at the boat and I narrowed my eyes, trying to read his lips. I panicked when I saw them shaking hands. "Now they're shaking hands." I said meekly.

I could hear the panic in Thorin's voice when he barked, "What?" "That villain! He's selling us out." Dwalin grumbled. I shushed them, muttering, "Shut up you lot and let us watch! Again with the trust issues." Bilbo and I watched as Bard made his way back to the barge, the other man carrying something in his hands. There were more of them behind him.

My heart was racing so fast. I thought that I'd give us away. After a minute, hearing approaching footsteps, fish came raining down on me. I covered my mouth and nose with my hand, trying not to vomit. OH. MY. FUCKING. GOSH. I'M COVERED IN FISH. They were dead, too. And smelly. We left the dock and started off again, making our way to Laketown. As bad as it seemed, it was a very smart plan. If anyone had looked inside the barrels, we'd have been caught.

Someone said something, their voice muffled by the fish. Bard, from the sound of it, kicked the barrel, hissing, "Quiet! We're approaching the toll gate." My heart raced as we came to a stop, the gatekeeper yelling, "Halt! Goods inspection. Papers, please. Oh, it's you, Bard."

"Morning, Percy." Bard said to the gatekeeper in a friendly, but tired tone. "Anything to declare?" Percy asked. "Nothing, but that I am cold and tired, and ready for home." I heard some papers being shuffled and Percy replied, "You and me both." There were footsteps and the sound of a stamp. Percy returned followed by more paper shuffling. "Here we are. All in order."

"Not so fast." Another voice said. I sighed inaudibly. Oh great, who is this idiot? "Consignment of empty barrels from the Woodland Realm. Only, they're not empty, are they, Bard? If I recall correctly, you're licensed as a bargeman, not a fisherman."

The man sounded younger and had a sneer in his voice. He must have been richer or had a better job than Bard. And yet he sounded bitter. Maybe his personality pisses people off and he has no friends. I don't know about the rest of Laketown, whose probably known him since his birth, but I'm already tired and annoyed with this twat. "That's none of your business." Bard snipped.

"Wrong. It's the Master's business, which makes it my business." The other man jeered. Bard seemed fed up with this guy, too. "Oh come on, Alfrid, have a heart. People need to eat!" Alfrid retorted, "These fish are illegal."

There was a plop! and I assumed that he'd thrown a fish into the water. "Empty the barrels over the side." Alfrid ordered. Panic surfaced in me again as I heard footsteps on board the barge. "You heard him. Into the canal. Come on, get a move on." One Man ordered. My panic worsened when my barrel was tipped and fish started to pour out of it.

Bard started to try and change Alfrid's mind. "Folk in this town are struggling. Times are hard. Food is scarce." Alfrid, the little prat, replied, "That's not my problem." More fish fell out of my barrel. I sunk down as far as I could, pressing my body to the bottom. "And when the people hear the Master is dumping fish back in the lake, when the rioting starts, will it be your problem then?"

Oh shit! Bard - 1 Alfrid - 0. There was silence for a moment before Alfrid called, "Stop." My barrel was right-sided and I relaxed. Just in time, too. Had anymore fish flopped out I would've been discovered. "Ever the people's champion, eh, Bard? Protector of the common folk? You might have their favor now, bargeman, but it won't last." Alfrid jeered.

Alfrid stomped away loudly. "Raise the gate!" Percy called to the guards at the gate. We started moving again, going under the gate. As we sailed, Alfrid yelled to Bard, "The Master has his eye on you; you'd do well to remember. We know where you live."

Bard did not seem affected by the threat. He retorted, "It's a small town, Alfrid; everyone knows where everyone lives." I clutched my mouth, muffling a snort. Bard - 2 Alfrid - 0.