The Three Women Of Durin

Laketown

The company carried the barrels they had spare through to where Bard had docked his boat.

"Alright boys, listen up!" Frankie called clapping her hands together, "The plan is that we will go on this boat into Laketown, when we get to a certain point we will pay Bard before we climb inside the empty barrels and Bard will fill them up with dead fish-"

"If you think for one second that I-" Dwalin started but was cut off by Kili.

"Let's hear them out," Kili said to Dwalin before turning back to where Frankie, Rosie and Cece stood.

"Thank you, Kili. As I was saying, Bard will fill up the barrels with fish which means we will be able to go into Laketown unseen. From there we will have to sneak into Bard's home since it is being watched," Frankie explained, she got mixed reactions from the group but they all agreed to follow along with the plan.

"Okay let's go," Rosie smiled and began ushering members of the company onto the boat, Cece was going to follow when she felt a strong hand softly tug her own, she turned and came face to face with Fili.

"What is it?" She asked, her heart racing faster than usual.

"Just...don't forget what you promised me," He said never breaking eye contact, Cece was confused for a moment and then remembered what he was talking about.

"When we get to Laketown, there will be time to talk there," She nodded, "I haven't forgotten," She said low before turning and heading to the boat. Cece didn't know how she felt about telling Fili the whole story, everything that was supposed to happen in the past and future. She knew she was going to tell him even if she strongly disagreed with it, Fili deserved to know and she had made a promise. But what about Rosie and Frankie? How will they feel? Cece sighed and watched as they pulled away from the land, moving softly over the calm waters.

The journey was no problem, the company sat shivering with the little clothing they had and waited for the time to come where they would have to clamber into the barrels. It was unusually quiet, it appeared that no one had anything to say. When the time came the company paid Bard, even Nori and they climbed into the barrels, there was luckily enough for everyone.

"I'm seriously not looking forward to this," Frankie muttered from inside her barrel, Bard was currently discussing with a local fisherman leaving the company alone.

"Yeah, not really something on my bucket list," Rosie grunted from her own barrel.

"Can you two be quiet?" Came the rumbling voice of Thorin.

"We can, but currently we are choosing not to," Frankie sassily replied, you could almost hear Thorin roll his eyes. "Besides," Frankie continued, "It won't be that bad-" Just then a large pile of pungent, dead fish was poured on top of the company. There was silence for a few moments.

"You were saying?" came the muffled voice of Rosie followed by a chuckle from a few barrels down. The compressing weight of the fish and smell was hard to stay silent in, but if you so much as made a squeak your barrel would get a rough kick from Bard. Anyways, it wasn't too long before they felt the boat come to a stop and the muffled voice of Bard and a stranger. It was hard to hear what exact words were being said but soon friendly words turned harsh as a new voice was introduced.

There were a few more exchanged words before footsteps on the boat could be heard and Dwalin and Nori found their barrels being tipped on their side and the layer of fish above their heads slithering away. Then, the tilting stopped and they were pushed back upright once more and soon the boat was back on its course of moving forward. It worked Cece thought as their boat once again came to a stop.