The Hobbit: Lessrien Ancalimë

Chapter Eight

Lessrien

I'm snuggled happily into Fili's lap as Bard takes across the lake towards Laketown. We're so close to Erebor. So close to adad and Fili, and Kili claiming their birthright as King and Princes of Erebor.

"Lessrien, are you feeling alright?" Fili asks me, pulling back my hood slightly.

"Yes, I don't think I'm sick anymore. I'm just tired is all." I answer and he chuckles.

"Go over to Kili, I need to stretch." I do just that and Kili happily wraps his arms around me and pulls me into his lap. I'm worried about him, there's almost no color in his face. He tries to reassure me that he's fine but I don't believe him, not for a second.

"Kili." I look up at him and he smiles at me, with nothing but...love and admiration in his beautiful brown eyes.

"Yes Starling?" Oh by the Valar! Why does my heart race when he looks at me like that? Now I don't want to question him about his wound, I don't want him to stop smiling like that.

"Could you tell me the story about the night you and Fili found me, again?" I ask him and his smile softens.

"Of course." His arms tighten around me and I close my eyes, ready to fall asleep listening to the story. "We had gone out to trade with a human couple who frequently passed through the Blue Mountains. This time was a unique trade because this time they were bringing silks that were incredibly hard to get. Fili and I wanted to surprise our mother with them." The silks he talks about Dis ended up making beautiful dresses for me out of them, I barely wore them but Dis still has them, promising me that one day my own daughter will be able to wear them.

"Watch out!" Bofur calls out, startling me. I look up and see Kili toss an unseen glare at him. Beside the boat though I see what appears to be old ruins. I hear Esgaroth was once a magnificent town, always bustling with people as it was the centre of all trade in the North.

"What are you trying to do, drown us?" Adad asks as Kili and I get up.

"I was born and bred on these waters, Master Dwarf. If I wanted to drown you, I would not do it here." Bard answers and I snicker. That earns me a scolding glare from adad.

"Oh I've had enough of this lippy lakeman. I say we throw him over the side and be done with him."

"Oh, Bard, his name's Bard." Bilbo replies, sounding slightly angry. I understand why, Bard is risking a lot by smuggling us into Laketown.

"How do you know?" Bofur asks.

"We asked him." I speak up. My words are followed by a yawn. "I'm going over to adad." I whisper to Kili and he nods.

Adad pulls me into his arms the second I'm close to him. "I don't care what he calls himself, I don't like him." Dwalin mutters, loudly, to adad.

"I hardly think liking him is our main priority right now, Dwalin." I snap, grumpy because I'm tired and I wanted to fall asleep listening to the story in Kili's lap.

"Aye, the lass is correct, we don't have to like him, we simply have to pay him. Come on now lads, turn out your pockets." I pull my money out of my pocket and hand it to Balin.

"How do we know he won't betray us?" Dwalin whispers to adad.

"We don't." Adad answers and I roll my eyes.

"Give it a rest adad, if he wanted to betray us, he would have actually drowned us, as you accused him of trying to do just a few minutes ago." I whisper as I turn my head and study Bard. "Besides, a traitor wouldn't have agreed to smuggle us in, risking his life and the safety of his children." I add.