Calm The Fire

27

A great thick milky mist hung over the chilled water of the lake. Pieces of ice floated idly along, though when the form of the barge moved silently through, these pieces of ice got pushed aside. "Watch out!" Bofur exclaimed when the sight of a large stone appeared through the fog; it loomed over them silent and dark.

"What are you trying to do? Drown us?" Thorin shot back at the driver of the vehicle.

"I was born and bred on these waters, Master Dwarf. If I wanted to drown you, I certainly wouldn't do it here."

Dwalin who was leaning against the now empty barrels shook his head and frowned. "I've had enough of this lippy lake man. I say we throw him over the side and be done with him."

"Oh, Bard, his name is Bard." Bilbo said despairingly with a shudder. Much like the water there was an icy feeling which hung in the air, it caused everyone to shiver now and again.

"How do you know?" Dwalin shot at him.

"Uh...I asked him." Bilbo said plainly while looking around and then at the dwarf with a light frown.

"I don't care what he calls himself, I don't like him." Dwalin stated, his words weren't a surprise, he honestly couldn't make it more clear how much he disliked Bard. Thorin moved past Dwalin and looked to Balin who sat counting up all the money they had.

"We don't have to like him, we simply have to pay him." Balin said while putting a small stack of coins down. "Come on, turn out your pockets." Balin said gently. It was an act which none of them wished to do.

"How do we know he won't betray us?" Dwalin asked while looking to Thorin, the two of them still sat side by side.

"We don't," was the only answer which Thorin could give.

"There's a wee problem," Balin's voice caught their attention as they looked down at him. "We're ten coins short."

Thorin let out a sigh, "Glóin, come on. Give us what you have."

"Don't look at me! I have been bled dry by this venture!" Glóin exclaimed while looking up at Thorin. "What have I seen for my investment? Naught but misery and grief and..." He trailed off as he noticed no one was paying him any attention. Something else had distracted them from his complaining. Glóin quickly stood up alongside his friends, turning he too looked in the direction they were all looking. Through the fog the form of the Lonely Mountain could be seen. Though it was still shrouded by fog, it was there, that was really it. And this was the closest they had all been to it in such a long time. "Take it, take it all," Glóin waved his money pouch in Balin's direction.

Bilbo let out an awkward cough, he seemed to be the only one who saw Bard jump down from his post near the steering and walk over to them, his boots thudded on the deck as he walked over. "The money, quick, give it to me." He said, sounding desperate.

"We will pay you when we get our provisions, but not before." Thorin said trying to sound unaffected by Bard's tone.

"If you value your freedom, you'll do as I say. There are guards ahead." His dark eyes looked up to the port which was slowly becoming visible through the thick fog.

"What's he doing?" Dwalin whispered, they had all clambered into a barrel each, again. Bard had left and was walking along the decking of the port.

"He's talking to someone." Bilbo answered, there was a little hole in his barrel which allowed him to look out and over to where Bard was. "He's pointing right at us. Now they're shaking hands."

"What?" Thorin said sharply while looking around.

"He's selling us out." Dwalin said but cut short when there was approaching footsteps. Sitting in silence the company expected the worst, the last thing they expected was for dozens of fish to fall from above and cocoon them into the barrels.