Loyalty, Honor, and a Willing Heart

Chapter 26 - White Collar Work

Next day Ellen managed to rearrange some places in the boats, and Thorin didn’t’ even disagree, as he was in no mood to row beside Bard again. So, Bard and Lily changed places with Kili and Ellen and boats one and three changed positions as Bard should be in the front one to guide them through the streams. Thorin didn’t become aware of his mistake until they were fairly away from the margin and Ellen took out some paper sheets and a pencil she borrowed from Ori.

“Gentledwarves, I wish you are comfortable at your seats and that we all have a nice morning. Our goal at this meeting is to check what information we have that may help us to accomplish our target, and to consider alternatives. Any doubts?”

Thorin eyed her angry, the black cloud above his head beaming out lightnings, Kili holding his chuckles less his uncle’s anger would turn to him too.

“What do you think you’re doing? Who asked you to at all?”

“I’m doing my job, sir, out of professional duty, as I swore to put me and my knowledge at your service, and out of sense of self preservation. I’m not going into a dragon’s lair without a plan, nor leading my nieces there with no clue of what may happen; even if I swore to follow thee into the underworld if it has to be, it is not my desire to visit the Waiting Halls in Valinor right now, so, if all doubts are made clear, let us plan.”

The king was spluttering now, rowing faster as to burn his anger out.

“Who do you think you are to command a plan to be formulated?”

The elf lowered her voice and uplifted her eyebrows.

“I am the only one with a mastering degree in strategics within an one world range. This is more than even your most experienced adviser can say, isn’t it so, Little Brother?” She turned to Balin, who smiled proudly back, and to whom Thorin turned his attention with a betrayed look.

“You know, laddie, that me and Dwalin have spent many an hour in this journey talking to our Little Sister here about warfare, and I can’t quite remember someone that I could reckon as having so a deep knowledge not only of war history but also the strategies behind them.” Thorin snorted and Kili pulled hard to keep his pace in the rowing. “Why don’t you give her a chance to show what she is able to? It would do no harm.”

“I don’t believe her otherworldly knowledge will work in Middle-Earth, moreover against a dragon. She cannot claim any experience against real dragons.”

Ellen remembered a bloody Human Resources Director she had at a former employ and thought Thorin’s statement was not completely true, but let it be. It was Kili who gave the final excuse to make Thorin reason.

“Uncle, remember Ellen had no experience against real warriors when she beat Dwalin...”

Thorin swallowed hard his pride, paddling the row a little slower, much to Kili’s relief.

“I warn you that no word of what has been said here until now has to be spread amongst the others.” The three of them agreed, eager for what words would come next. “Even a bad plan is better than no plan at all, I deem. What information do you need to do your work, elf?”

***

Like the day before, they didn’t land the boats until short before nightfall, with barely time enough to gather wood and set camp for the night. It would be their last hot meal while in the wild, as next night they would already be in the area known as The Desolation of Smaug, a large patch around the Lonely Mountain where once were verdant forests, green pastures and abundantcrops.  While the dwarves were busy mining and making astoundingly fine workmanship in smiths, jewelry, armory, and all kind of high quality artifacts, the men of Dale busied themselves not only in fabric, clothes, household and toys making, but also in supplying  Erebor with food of all kinds. Vineyards grew the finest beverages, Esgaroth produced the most savory salmon and trout, and the pork fed with the remainder of their cheese making resulted in the most famous ham from all north realms.