Ya'aburnee

Bard

"What makes you think I would help you?" The man asked as he loaded the barrels onto his barge. 

"Those boots have seen better days," Balin reasoned. "As has that coat. Uh, no doubt you have some hungry mouths to feed." He chuckled. "How many bairns?"

The man faltered in his movements for a moment. "A boy and two girls." He continued on working.

"And your wife, I imagine she's a beauty," Balin said with a smile.

"Aye," The man said, looking out down the river towards the lake. "She was."

Balin's face fell. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"Oh, come on, come on." Dwalin said from where he stood up on the rock above where Thorin and Olivia stood, the woman still shivering, "enough of the niceties."

"What's your hurry?" The man asked.

"What's it to you?" Dwalin shot back, and if Olivia had had the energy, she would've rolled her eyes.

"I would like to know who you are," The man replied, "and what you are doing in these lands."

"We are simple merchants from the blue mountains, journeying to see our kin in the iron hills." The man did not look convinced, looking over the group of warriors. He would not even begin to point out the obviously peculiar presence of a human woman among their company.

"Simple merchants, you say?" He said, rolling one of the last few barrels onto the barge. 

Thorin stepped forward. "We need food, supplies, weapons. Can you help us?"

The bargeman looked at him for a moment, before inspecting the barrels that were nicked and battered. "I know where these barrels came from."

"What of it?" Thorin asked.

"I don't know what business you had with the elves, but I don't think it ended well." He stepped forwards. "No one enters Laketown but by leave of the master. All his wealth comes from trade with the woodland realm. He would see you in irons before risking the wrath of King Thranduil." He threw the rope that moored the boat to Balin.

"Offer him more," Thorin whispered under his breath to Balin.

"I'll wager there are ways to enter that town unseen," Balin started.

"Aye," The man replied, continuing to walk to the front of the boat. "But for that, you would need a smuggler."

Balin rushed to the front of the boat as well, still on land. "For which we would pay double."

***

That had seemed to do it, although the bargeman insisted that they not question his plan, and they were to do as instructed quickly, and without question. They had no choice, so they agreed, piling onto the barge.

As the dwarves huddled around, getting together the gold, the man spoke to Olivia. "You look cold." She turned, shrugging slightly.

"Cold water..." She answered simply.

"And what is a woman doing, traveling amongst dwarven merchants?" He asked.

"I wanted to see the world," She answered, truthfully enough, "I decided it was safer to travel with others, and they were the first group I met."

He raised his eyebrows. "I see. What is your name?"

"Olivia," She replied. Months ago, she went by 'Liv' but now, the dwarves mostly referred to her by her full name, and without her realizing it, she responded to 'Olivia' more readily than 'Liv' now. "Olivia Lund. What is your name?"