Daughter of The Darkness

Chapter 37

Elfreda had gone upstream to look out for more oncoming orcs with Kasper. She needed some time to think about what had happened in Mirkwood and Kasper was her only friend that would not ask unnecessary questions while she was thinking.

Looking out across the slowing water, Elfreda's mind began to drift. Her brain became flooded with different thoughts and emotions one which she had not felt in many years. There were thoughts of anger and sadness when she recalled the moment that she realised that her friend, Legolas, was alive and that Thranduil had lied to her all those hundreds of years ago. But there were also feelings of happiness and gratitude, when the dwarves had asked whether she was alright made her realise that no one had as that in many years either. Elfreda was confused on what to feel.

Sat by the river emptying the water from his boots, Ori and the rest of the company did not notice the tall shadowed man above him. Everyone looked around at the tall man who was now pointing his armed bow at Ori. Dwalin jumped in front of the young dwarf armed with a long stick and attempted to attack the archer. But he stopped Dwalin from attacking by placing an arrow in between his hands in the centre of the stick. From behind, Kili reached for a stone but that too was knocked out of his hands by an arrow. "Do it again and you're dead," stated the man. Balin looked at the man, his grey eyes narrowing as he strained to see the boat that was a couple of hundred metres away.

"Excuse me but... um, you're from Lake town I presume, that barge over there, is it available for hire by any chance?" Balin asked.

The sound of an arrow had caused Elfreda to stir from her daydreams. There was little chance that a band of orcs could slip past her even in her dream like state. So Elfreda and Kasper gently strolled down the river bank back towards her other more louder friends to see what all the commotion was about.

"What makes you think I will help you?" asked the man, as he loaded the rather beaten barrels onto this large boat. Balin then began to list many things that needed an upgrade. "No doubt you have some hungry mouths to feed. How many bairns?" asked Balin.

"A boy and two girls." replied the man with a small, soft smile. Balin knew that he could be winning a chance aboard the ship continued
"your wife, I imagine, she's a beauty?" With that, the mans smile faded and his eyes darkened
"Aye, she was." Balin immediately regretted and apologised. However, Dwalin was getting fed up with waiting and was grumbling.

"What's your hurry?" the man asked. Dwalin did not have the manners of his brother and often said before he thought "what's it to you?" The man hopped off of his boat and looked at them and said, " I would like to know who you are and what you are doing in these lands,"

With the stealth of a cat hunting its prey, Elfreda had sneaked behind the man as he integrated the company. She slipped a dagger from one of the straps on her legs and fiddled with it in her fingers. Elfreda pounced, wrapping the blade around the mans throat, making him and the company jump.

"And I would like to know who you are and what you are doing with my dwarves," she hissed keeping her voice low pressing the blade close to his neck but not enough to tear the skin. Elfreda gave a quick smile to the company over the mans shoulder. He was quite tall, certainly taller than her, so she was stood ever so slightly on her toes; if he chose to fight back, his height was no advantage, Elfreda had fought bigger- and won.

"I know your voice," recalled the man "I was only just 18 when I last heard it." Elfreda took the dagger away from the mans neck and stepped away. She walked around in front of him, slipping the dagger back into its casing, folded her arms and looked at his face. A smile slowly reappeared on the mans face as he exclaimed "Elfreda, it is you!" Suddenly Elfreda's face beamed to, now remembering who the man was.

"Haha, Bard!" she laughed, walking up and hugging him " why, don't you look like your father!"

The company looked on with both surprize and confusion, how did she know this man named Bard? The pair talked for a while. Balin grew impatient.
"We are simple merchants from the Blue Mountains traveling to see our kin in the Iron Hills"
Bard stopped talking to Elfreda and looked back at the dwarf.
"Simple merchants you say? That you maybe but you are being accompanied by the greatest warrior this earth has seen," referenced Bard putting his hand on her shoulder. Elfreda shrugged.

Thorin decided to change the subject "we need food, supplies, weapons. Can you help us?"

Bard glanced over to Thorin and studied him for a moment. Then he returned back to the barrels which he had loaded on the barge. "I don't know what business you had with the elves, but I don't think it ended well," Bard said rubbing his hand across on barrels chipped edge. "No one enters Lake Town but by lead of the Master, all his wealth comes from trade with Mirkwood. He would see you irons rather than the wrath of King Thranduil." Elfreda knew it was risky to enter illegally into Lake Town, if they were caught, the master could hand them straight back to the elf king- then they would never be free. However, she also knew that the sooner they go to the mountain, the better; Durin's Day was fast approaching as were the orcs that they had left behind.

"I'll wager that there are ways to enter that town unseen," she bartered, Elfreda had walked to the company of dwarves and stood with them, her arms on her hips. A sly grin appeared from Bard has he replied " Aye, but for that, you would need a smuggler,"

Balin who had been listening to all of the conversation, perked up and interrupted with "for which we would pay- double." Bard's eyes glistened as the mention of money was made. He made a long gesture with his arm and pointed towards his boat. All of the company were glad to take the offer, even if they did not trust the bow man from Lake Town. They clambered on to the barge.

"Come on, buddy, its just a boat," fussed Elfreda at Kasper. The horse whinnied and huffed, his hooves stamping on the soft earth. Elfreda slid a hand through her hair. Bard stood on the boat and called to her "I can't take your horse on too," he admitted. Elfreda groaned.

Nori stood at the edge of the boat and called out "but he's wild, come with us Elfreda and let him go," Elfreda glanced over at thirteen dwarves, one hobbit and one man all looking back at her with the same expression that agreed with Nori and wanted her to come aboard. Then she looked to Kapser, who also had the same fond expression in his big black eyes. He nudged her with his muzzle and whinnied to her softly. Elfreda threw her hands around his neck pressing her face into the horse's.

"Be safe, I will wait for you." she whispered in his ear. Then she released him and walked to his side where Elfreda untacked Kasper and slung the equipment over her arm. Once everything was off, Kasper turned and galloped off back up the stream. Elfreda watched her friend disappear before she too walk onto the barge.

The dwarves were sat at the front of the boat, in front of the barrels. Bard was stood at the wheel of the boats, gently steering it this way and that.

Elfreda gazed out across the water, watching the sun set. It was silent for a long while beside the occasional chatter from the dwarves. But the quiet was broken. "Are you alright?" asked a faint voice from behind her. The question was asked again, so she blinked and turned around.

"You said I looked like my father, but you have not changed," remarked Bard. Elfreda snorted through her nose and tapped her fingers on the edge of the boat. She turned to look at him "In appearance yes, I have not changed, but in mind I have indeed changed, more than you know"