The Eyes of Emerald

Chapter 21

A while had passed since the company had left. Dawn began to worry even more. She found herself pacing the home. There then was a knock on the door. Dawn turned in hopes that it was the company, but it was not. Instead, it was Percy, the man who did the goods inspection. And he did not look as pleasant as he was before.

"Bard, there's a gathering at the Great Hall. The guards caught dwarves stealing weapons!" Dawn gasped. They were caught. And who knows what state they were in at this very moment. Bard approached Percy.

"I'll be right over there." He then turned over to Dawn with a disapproving look. "I think I might have a thought on why they're here. Children, take the girl with you. Make sure the Master doesn't see her." Bain nodded and took Dawn by the arm as he followed his Sigrid who was doing the same thing to Tilda.

"Your company is quite talented at getting into trouble, aren't they?" Sigrid said.

"It isn't their fault, though!" Dawn called, feeling very defensive for her friends.

"Well, they should learn next time to be unsuspecting...without help from another." Dawn was going to argue at this point, but she knew that here wasn't a point. Sigrid brought up an excellent point and clearly won the fight before the battle could begin.

The group finally arrived at the Great Hall, where it seemed all of the Laketown citizens was present as if this was the smallest bit of excitement in their pitiful lives of coldness and starvation. Out from the large doors came a very fat balding man with long strands of whitening red hair. Next to him was Alfrid, whom Dawn encountered earlier that day. And right on cue, more than a dozen soldiers came with the company in front of them, pushing them into the semi-circle. Dawn gasped in horror as she had a view of Fili. Although Sigrid tried to dissuade her from doing so, she was able to get out of the crowd to get to Fili and Bilbo. She hugged them both tightly in her arms.

"Fili, Bilbo, thank Durin you're alright!" But before they could even speak any more, Alfrid grabbed her by the arm tightly and brought her to the Master. Clearly he didn't forget her.

"I knew you were suspicious! And here you are showing your fancy to a thief! It's the girl Bard paid for, sire." The Master bent down to Daws height, where she could get a strong sent og alcohol an unknown unpleasant odors. He grabbed her chin, and inspected her eyes. but rather than look at them in amazement like so many others have, he shoved her down the stairs and she landed on the snow covered ground, and hten was quickly helped up by Filias the Master began to cry out in bloody murder.

"A WITCH!!!" he screamed as he hid cowardly behind Alfrid. Fili then hid her behind him, and then Bilbo surprisingly did the same.

"What is the meaning of this?!" the master angrily hissed, hastily poking his head out. He obviously didn't appreciate being disturbed at such a late hour.

"We caught them stealing weapons, sire" a guard answered

"Ah, enemies of the state, heh?"

"It's just a bunch of mercenaries if ever there was, sire. And with a sorceress disguised as a wench!"Alfred piped in, standing besides the master.

"Watch your tongue" suddenly came Dwalin's low growl, "you do not know to whom you speak. This is the Balorat Su, the most powerful enchantress in this world. This is no common criminal, this is Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror"

Thorin put a hand on Dwalin's shoulder and stepped forward.

"We are the dwarves of Erebor. We have come to reclaim our homeland" he declared then looked around him at the crowd. "I remember this town in the great days of old, fleets of boats laid at harbour, filled with silks and fine gems. It was no forsaken town on a lake! This was the centre of all trade in the North!"