Our Song Lives On

Sides

Bilbo and the dwarves had reached the end of the river, having been chased by raging waves and Orcs.

"Make for the shore!" Thorin commanded as he lead. "Come on, let's go!"

They all heaved and crawled out of their barrels and onto the riverbank, weighed down by water, but only one of them fell.

Kili groaned in pain as he pressed a cloth on his bleeding thigh. Bofur looked more concerned than Kili was.

"I'm fine. It's nothing." He attempted to sound stronger.

By then, his brother was next to him, examining his wound. His uncle seemed less concerned.

"There's an Orc pack behind us. We keep moving."

"To where?" Balin hopelessly asked.

"To the mountain," Bilbo hopefully reminded them, "we're so close!"

"A lake lies between us and that mountain. We have no way to cross it."

"So then we go around."

"The Orcs will run us down, sure as daylight." Dwalin argued, "We've no weapons to defend ourselves."

Thorin listened to all the arguments.

"Bind his leg, quickly. You have two minutes."

While Balin and Oin bound Kili's leg, others sat about waiting for Thorin's next command. Ori sat by the river, tipping over his boot to drain out water. Suddenly, he caught the eerie feeling that someone was watching him, and his worry soon spread to the others.

The company jumped, seeing the bowman standing atop the hill. Dwalin leapt in front of Ori, holding a branch as a weapon, but the bowman expertly shot it right between Dwalin's hands. He shot down Kili's weapon too and pointed the next arrow at the dwarf's head.

"Do it again, and you're dead."

Among the chaos, Balin had spotted a barge floating in the river behind the man.

"Excuse me, but you're from Lake-town, if I'm not mistaken. That barge over there, it wouldn't be available for hire, by any chance?"

As the old dwarf bargained, the man eyed him curiously.

"What makes you think I'll help you?"

Eventually, Balin had convinced the lake man to smuggle them into Lake town, offering him money.

The bargemen, Bard as Bilbo learned, rowed them through the foggy lake, having more confidence in his boating than the dwarves did. Balin asked the company to give up their coins to pay Bard. Fili ignorantly tossed his pouch over, distracted by his own personal turmoil.

"I have been bled dry by this venture!"

As Gloin complained about his misfortunes, the others caught sight of their goal through the fog. Gloin joined the others as they all rose in the majesty of the Lonely Mountain.

"The money, quick, give it to me!" Bard hastily interrupted their moment.

"We'll pay you when we get our provisions, but not before." Thorin grumbled.

"If you value your freedom, you'll do as I say."

The company did as Bard told. They went into the barrels again, this time with the company of dead fish. They were almost exposed by someone named Alfrid, but the conniving bargemen got them past the gates, and up his toilets.

As the dwarves sat about the house wrapped in blankets, Thorin looked out the window, catching side of the past. Fili too was thinking of old times, but his memories are much more recent. Oh how foolish he'd been, falling for someone he just met. And for worse, she'd turned out to be an elf!