Save Us

A Bargain on the Shore

The wizard was not the only one in a difficult situation. The dwarves had managed to lose the orcs, but the flow of the river had also been lost.

"Anything behind us?", calls out Thorin, looking back at his Company.

"Not that I can see", answered Balin.

"I think we've out run the Orcs!", Bofur looked behind them and nodded.

"Not for long - we've lost the current!", their leader looked at the water as if it had betrayed them.

"And Bombur's half drowned", noted Dwalin, who had been scouting the line, his arms serving as paddles, much like the rest of them.

"Make for the shore!" ordered Thorin, pratically reaching it.

Exhausted and drenched, the dwarves and Bilbo struggled to reach the shore inside the barrels. They paddled with their hands or steered them with broken branches, but not Kili. Kili was already sitting on the shoreline, blood seeping through the fingers that covered the arrow wound, done by the orcs. Bofur offered him a rag, and stared, worried.

"I'm fine - it's nothing", his voice was raspier than usual, and when Kili looked down, it seemed like he was a child that had just been called out for something he had done.

"On your feet!", Bofur and Fili, that had been looking at Kili regarded Thorin.

"Kili's wounded, his leg needs binding", said Fili, looking directly at his uncle.

"There's an Orc pack on our tail, we keep moving", Thorin would not risk them, not even for his nephew.

"To where?", Bilbo walked towards them.

"To the Mountain - we're so close", answered the hobbit.

"A lake lies between us and that Mountain and we've no way to cross it", answered Balin, shaking his head.

"So... then we go round", Dwalin wanted to snort, how oblivious of the hobbit.

"The Orcs will run us down sure as daylight", said the gruff warrior, "We've no weapons to defend ourselves", Thorin looked at his kin, and came to a conclusion.

"Bind his leg - quickly", Fili nodded towards his uncle and quickly tended to his brother, "You have two minutes", he looked at Balin, worried.

Ori began emptying his boots by the shore, and shook them to get as much water as possible out of them. Frezzing, the dwarf slowly looked up, and found a tall, dark haired man standing in the clearing, bow in hand, already ready to shoot an arrow.

Dwalin slowly reached for a large tree trunk and raised it above his shoulder, ready to throw, but the man sent the arrow flying, and it turned into two. Kili made to grab a rock, instinctively, but another arrow flew, and sent the rock scudding along the ground. Dwalin looked at the man, and saw another arrow already ready.

"Do it again, and you're dead", threatened the bowman. No one moved.

"You are from Lake-town, unless I am mistaken?", Balin stepped forward, and the arrow pointed at him, "Excuse me - that barge yonder, it wouldn't be for available for hire by any chance?", suprised, the man lowers his bow. Thorin approached Balin, and together, they began the negotiation.

While Dwalin stood on the lookout for orcs, all the other dwarves and Bilbo huddled together. They watched the man roll the empty barrels onto the rocky shoreline, before being loaded on to the barge.

"What makes you think I would help you?", asked the tall one, after standing straight.

"Those boots have seen better days, as has your coat. And I'll wager you have some hungry mouths to feed", when his expression became somber, Balin knew he had him, "How many bairns?", asked the white haired dwarf, smiling with kindness.