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Alenia leaned over the edge of the boat, the spray of the water hitting her outstretched hand. The bargeman, whose name she had learned was Bard, stood a few feet away, steering the boat through the icy waters of the lake.
"Watch out!" Bofur yelled, as a large stone foundation appeared out of the fog that hung in the air.
Bard, however, didn't miss a beat, and swiftly steered around the rock formation causing to Alenia to laugh softly at the look on the dwarves' face as they passed very close to the stone.
"What are you trying to do, drown us?" Thorin snarled at the bargeman.
"I was born and bred on these waters, Master Dwarf. If I wanted to drown you, I would not do it here." Bard said, as Alenia wandered over to the rest of the group, and joined Kili, who was sitting on the railing.
"Oh I have enough of this lippy lakeman. I say we throw him over the side and be done with him." Dwalin said quietly, glaring over at Bard.
"Ohh, Bard, his name's Bard." Bilbo snapped at the frustrated dwarf.
"How do you know?" Bofur retorted.
"Uh, we asked him." Alenia said, smirking slightly. "Just because you dwarves have the manners of fruit flies, doesn't mean Bilbo and I need to be dragged down with you."
"I don't care what he calls himself, I don't like him." Dwalin grumbled, while Kili slapped Alenia's arm at the fruit fly comment.
"We do not have to like him, we simply have to pay him. Come on now, lads, turn out your pockets." Balin said.
The members of the company threw down coins.
"You gonna add anything princess?" Kili muttered in Alenia's ear.
"Don't look at me." Alenia snorted, shaking her head with a wry smile. "The elves stole all my money. Not that I had much to begin with anyway."
"How do we know he won't betray us?" Dwalin whispered to Thorin, within earshot of Alenia.
"We don't." Thorin muttered in response.
Alenia, leaning into the prince and his warrior, said, "He wouldn't. Look at him." She discreetly gestured to the man poling them through the water. "He's just a father trying to make the world a better place for his kids."
"And you think that includes getting Erebor back?" Thorin asked.
"I think that includes booting Smaug out on his scaly behind. Preferably that of his carcass." Alenia said. "I doubt living in the shadow of a dragon's home does much for the property prices around here."
