An Amazing Journey

Chapter 4: Esgaroth

We were on land again. Most of our barrels had arrows and little holes in them. I emptied my boots and untied my hair so it could dry. It was soaking wet. I pulled my cloak tightly around me so I wouldn't get colder, it was already September. Luckily, the water had washed away most of the spider webs.

Kíli was still hurt, but I couldn't do anything about that. Thorin had seen that, and walked towards me.
"Did you not know that would happen? I thought you knew everything!"
"It is a tale, Thorin," I answered. "I know all the important things, not all the details."
"But you knew we didn't had to eat squirrels! Is that not a detail?"
"Not all the details. Some of them I do know and some of them I don't. Don't blame me for not being told everything."
Thorin was silent for a moment.
"So you did not know this?"
I hesitated.
"No," I lied. "I didn't." I felt a bit bad for lying to my friends, but I couldn't tell them I knew almost exactly everything.

Suddenly I felt as if we were being watched. I had almost forgot what was going to happen. I took out my bow and arrow and turned around swiftly. I stood face to face with Bard. I lowered my bow and laughed.
"Ah nice, I am not the only human anymore," I said with a half sarcastical smile.
"Excuse me, but you are from Lake-Town, if I am not mistaken," Balin said, and Bard turned to him.
"That barge over there, it wouldn't be available for hire, by any chance?" asked the Dwarf.

"What makes you think I would help a bunch of Dwarves and a human?" Bard said, while making his boat ready.
"And a Hobbit," I said.
Bard stopped and looked at me. "What does a girl have to do among Dwarves anyway?"
"Does it matter?" I rolled my eyes. I didn't want to tell the story again. It wasn't needed.
"Just wondering."

Balin and Bard had their little conversation until Dwalin stopped them.
"Come on, come on, enough of the niceties."
"What's your hurry?" Bard asked.
"What's it to you?" was the answer.
"I would like to know who you are. And what you are doing in these lands."
Balin kept it short. "We are simple merchants from the Blue Mountains, journeying to see our kin in the Iron Hills."
Bard looked at me. "And what brings you here?"
"I came across their path and decided to help them, it is not an easy journey."

"We need food, supplies, weapons. Can you help us?" Thorin asked.
Bard didn't answer. He looked at the barrels he put on the boat. "I know where these barrels came from. I don't know what business you had with the Elves, but I don't think it ended well."
"Long story," I said. "Doesn't matter."

After making a deal, we were on the boat, close to Lake-Town, or Esgaroth.
Dwalin was growing suspicious.
"I don't like him," he said grumpily.
"We don't have to like him, we simply have to pay him," Balin said. I giggled. The humor of Dwarves. I liked it.
"Come on now lads, turn out your pockets."
"Sorry, I don't have any money. When I entered here I didn't have anything else than what you saw me with," I said, kind of feeling sorry. I guess I couldn't help them with everything.
"Entered?" Bard apparently heard me.
"Yeah, long story," I answered with a sigh. "I'll tell you later."

They Dwarves asked Glóin to give what he had, and when he started to say he didn't have any money, the Dwarves stood up.
"Don't make it too obvious," I whispered, and I stayed down. Bard had discovered what they were looking at though, but he didn't say anything.
We also saw Esgaroth, it looked really cute with all those houses on the water. It would be a shame if all of that got destroyed...

We had to go through the check-in, to go into the town.
I walked with Bard while the Dwarves and Hobbit were hiding in the empty barrels. I just kind of stood by, because I could definitely not fit whole in a barrel. Bard talked to a person, who later helped pouring fish into the 'empty' barrels.
Bard and I stepped into the boat again and we went on until we came to another entrance. It was really getting cold and there was already pieces of ice on the water. A Dwarf made a noise in the barrel, beneath stinking fish.
"Quiet," said Bard, half whispering. "We're approaching the tollgate."