Loyalty, Honor, and a Willing Heart

Chapter 24 - In Lake Town

“Company!” Thorin’s call brought everyone to pay attention to him right away. Everyone had greeted everyone already, made sure their dearest ones were doing fine albeit wet and cold, and now was time to business. “We are close to Lake-Town now and night is falling. Is everyone able to walk somewhat to get to the city of Men? If not, the ones who are will go ahead and bring back help. No one of us will stay in the wild tonight.”

Lily thought it was quite a change. For the little she knew of him, in similar situations he would have simply communicated that they would go to the town and that would be all of his speech. Weird things must have happened to him while in the dungeons of the elven-king. Although some soreness and aching, all of them believed they could make it to the town. Having their king solicitous about their condition only made them eager to show how they were worthy of his concern. And so they headed towards the town bridge, greeting the barrel-gatherers who were going to the bend of the river from where they were coming with a nod or a wave of hand, like they were just sauntering for a pick-nick, leaving the men with no hint of what was going on.

Night was closing in when they got to the bridge; a pair of torches came out of the watch house and a dark haired man asked them their business, from above the palisade.

“I am Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thráin, son of Thror, King Under the Mountain, and I have come back to reclaim Erebor. I want to see the Master of Lake-Town.”

With a suspicious glance at the band of half drowned rats bearing heavy weaponry, although what could be so was sheathed, the man spoke quietly to the other torch bearer and that one seemingly ran away. The Company waited patiently, while Ellen remarked to her nieces that it reminded her of when Sir Shackleton came back to the town where he and his crew departed in the Endurance, a three-mastered ship, close to a year and half before, to try to cross south pole.

“What happened to them?” Asked the always good story hearer Ori.

“It is a long story, to be told at another occasion, but in short their journey was to be almost like crossing Helcaraxë on foot after getting close enough by ship, but the ship got caught in the ice before it should, and the twenty-eight men had to make their way back to where they came from in biter cold and low on supplies. No one expected to see them back six seasons later, all of them alive. The last track was made by their leader plus two of the crew, and the master of the town was in shock when he came to his door and said “I am Shackleton”, like our leader just told the gate watcher who he is.”

“This is an astounding story, Lady Ellen. I will love to hear it in more detail when possible.”

“And I will love to tell it to you, at least as much as I remember it.”

“It is amazing to think that this was accomplished by humans.”

Dori made his best to mend his brother’s blunder.

“Shh, Ori, we are about to enter a human town, please pretend you are well-mannered!”

Iris was close by and didn’t take it so lightly; she was angry almost like if he’d called her a puppy.

“Don’t forget, you brat, there are three human-born in this Company, and...”

But then the second watcher was back and her menace had to be postponed.

“The Master says Durin’s folk are welcome to Lake-Town, if coming in purpose of peace.”

The man eyed them warily, only then noticing there were not only dwarves in the band. Thorin perceived his suspicious glance at the Company and answered accordingly.