The Gathering Storm. The Hobbit fanfic. A Thorin Oakenshield love story.

Chapter 68: Fishing Tools For Weapons.

Bard led the the Dwarves, Taryn, and Bilbo through the alleyways of Laketown, to get to his home quicker. After the trouble in the Market Place they were on high alert. So they had to stay in the shadows. Dwalin and Thorin were in the front, with Thorin holding Taryn's hand tightly as they followed along right behind Bard. They were walking behind some shops when suddenly a kid came running straight towards them. He looked to be somewhere in his teenage years, with brown curly hair, and a long brown coat with fur lining.

"Da!" He called out. "Our house, it's being watched."

Bard frowned and exhaled deeply as he looked around. He seemed as if he was trying to figure something out. Thorin pulled Taryn to himself by wrapping one arm protectively around her waist. He frowned as he gave her a look. Taryn simply huffed out in frustration and shrugged her shoulders.

She frowned as she looked from her husband to Bard. "What do we do?"

Bard sighed as he looked back at all of them. "Well Taryn you will be fine," he said to her. "They already think that you are my sister," he explained. "So you can just walk to my house with me and my son."

Taryn nodded her head as she stepped forward and pulled herself out of Thorin's grasp. "What about the others?" She asked Bard curiously.

Bard frowned as he looked at each of the thirteen dwarves and the one hobbit. "That is a problem," he huffed out in frustration. "They obviously can not walk through the streets with us to my home." He paused as he thought about how the Dwarves and Bilbo could safely get to his house. "There is a sewer line from my home's toilet that leads into the lake. You need to jump into the water, follow the path by swimming, and come up to my toilet. Once there wait for three sharp knocks and we will lead you into the house," he explained with a smirk on his face.

"You want us to swim?" Thorin grumbled. Thorin did not like this idea one bit. He did not want to be separated from his wife even if it was for a small amount of time. And he did not want to swim in the cold water and through a gunk filled sewer line.

Ori gagged. "Why would we do that?" The poor little young Dwarf asked, disgusted.

"Yes you have to swim," Bard responded. "So I do hope you all know how to swim." 'After all they did all have short arms and legs,' Bard thought to himself with a chuckle.

The Dwarves and Bilbo began to grumble to theirselves. It was obvious that they did not like this idea. And did not want to do it.

"I don't want to leave you alone with him azyûngal," Thorin said as he huffed out in frustration.

Taryn sighed as she took his hands into her own and looked into his sapphire blue eyes. "I will be fine and you have to Thorin," she begged him. "It is the only way that you won't get caught," she explained to not just him but all of them. "Please meleth nîn."

Thorin sighed as he took his hand and rubbed it over her cheek. "Fine," he grumbled.

Bard showed them where in the lake they had to swim to, to find the sewer line. Thorin embraced Taryn one last time and gave her a light kiss, and then the Dwarves and Bilbo took off, Thorin leading them all. Taryn inhaled and sighed deeply as she watched her husband run off down the alleyway to the lake.

Bard then turned towards Taryn. "Make sure your hood is still covering your ears and that your cloak is concealing your weapons and we will be fine," he said with a small smile.

Taryn nodded her head as she pulled her hood up farther on her head and tightened her cloak to conceal her weapons.

"Da who is this?" His son asked him curiously.