Hope and Memory[Thorin Oakenshield Love Story]

[Chapter Thirty Two]

The barge now had barrels full of fish, completely hiding the dwarves from being seen. Each barrel began murmuring their disgust at the stench they breathed in. The woman continued to hold her breath, only inhaling when she needed to. One particular dwarf bellowed the loudest, forcing Bard to slam the heel of his boat against the barrel. " Quiet! We're approaching the toll gate." Bard hissed, hinting at them to be quiet, if they wished to get into town unseen.

" Halt!" A man shouted. " Good inspection! Papers, please!" The barge came to a slow stop just before the gate, and an older man came out carrying a lantern with him. " Oh it's you, Bard."

" Morning Percy." Bard said, greeting the man.

" Anything to declare?" Percy asked

" Nothing, but that I am cold and tired and ready for home." Bard stated, handing his paper to Percy.

" You and me both." Percy agreed, heading into his office to stamp the bargeman's paper. " There we are. All in order." Percy cheered, when suddenly someone from behind him snatched the paper from Percy.

" Not...so fast." Another man spoke. "Consignment of empty barrels from the Woodland Realm." The man read the paper out loud. " Only...they're not empty are they, Bard?" The rude man stated, tossing the paper behind him and stepping onto his barge. " If I recall correctly, you're licensed as a bargeman. Not a fisherman." He snarled.

" That's none of your business." Bard stated.

" Wrong. It's the master's business, which makes it my business." The other man pressed.

" Oh, come on, Alfrid, have a heart. People need to eat." Bard snapped

" These fish are illegal. " Alfrid stated, walking back onto the docks and throwing the fish he had in his hand from earlier, into the water. " Empty the barrels over the side." He ordered.

" You heard him. In the canal. Come on. Get a move on." A guard ordered his men. The dwarves heard the stomping of boots coming onto the barge and started moving the barrels towards the edge. Freya, heard deep voices around their barrel and she let out a sudden shriek when their barrel began to shift from the men trying to tip it over. Thorin braced himself against the wood of the barrel with his weight to keep them from tipping the both of them right over, while Bard tried to reason with them.

" Folk in this town are struggling. Times are hard. Food is scarce."

" That's not my problem." Alfrid replied coldly.

" And when the people hear the master is dumping fish back in the lake..When the rioting starts..Will it be your problem then?" Bard growled, making the greedy man rethink about his order.

" Stop." The guards let out a grunt as they let go of the barrels and got off the barge. Freya let out a sigh, thankful that Bard was able to convince this horrible man to not dump their barrels. " Ever the people's champion, eh, Bard? Protector of the common folk. You might have their favor now, bargeman, but it wont last. " Alfrid snarled at him.

" Raise the gate!" Percy shouted.

" The master has his eye on you. You'd do well to remember: we know where you live." Alfrid threatened, as the barge floated passed him, through the gates.

" It's a small town, Alfrid. Everyone knows where everyone lives." Bard uttered back. The barge continued through Lake-town. The dwarves felt the barge come to a stop. Bard through some rope to a dock keeper to tie his barge and Bard began to kick over some of the barrels, until a few of them began to pop their heads through the fish.

" Get your hands off me." Dwalin growled, and the bargeman backed off. Freya managed to push her way through the fish, gasping for fresh air, with Thorin popping his head out of the fish as well. The dwarf prince lifted himself out of the barrel and pulled the woman out of the barrel. A man was staring at all the dwarves that Bard had smuggled on his barge.

" You didn't see them. They were never here." Bard pressed, placing two coins in the mans hand. The fish you can have for nothing." The bargeman added. The dwarves and the two cousins had climbed onto the dock and waited for Bard to continue to lead the way. " Follow me."

The dwarves began to follow the man down the docks. The two cousins looked around, haven't seen this world before. "What is this place?" Bilbo asked curiously.

"This, Master Baggins, is the world of Men." Thorin stated, taking lead in front of the others behind Bard.

"Keep your heads down, and follow me." Bard pressed, urging the dwarves and cousins to move quickly without drawing too much attention. A few of the towns people had seen them, but continued on with their work.

"Halt!" A guard shouted, causing the dwarves to turn in the direction of the armed man, with more guards showing up.

"Come on move."Thorin ordered, and the bargeman looked at them in surprise, as the dwarves and the two hobbits took off through the market, to avoid being captured.

"In the name of the Master of Lake-town, I say halt! Stop them!" The guard shouted once again, waving his men over to try and stop them from the other side. Thorin abruptly stopped when he saw the two guards in front of him.

"Get back!" Thorin yelled, causing the dwarves to run into each other. Freya jumped out of the way, pulling her cousin to the side and behind some crates. The dwarves search frantically for anything the can use as a weapon to knockout the guards. The woman grabbed some rope and tossed the other end to Fili and they tripped one of guards and he landed in a pile of baskets. Soon the dwarves had knocked out all the guards and drugged them behind crates and hid when they heard another authoritative gruff voice. The people of Lake-town, went back to what they were doing, before the dwarves had come and the man found their behavior odd.

"What's going on here?" The man asked. Stay where you are. Nobody leaves." Freya saw Bard leave from his hiding spot and began talking with the man. The dwarves remained hidden, holding their various weapons encase the bargeman failed to keep his word, but the guards didn't stick around for long. Whatever Bard said to them, caused them to leave. The prince and the others saw the coast was clear and one by one followed Bard. They continued through the market, making sure they weren't being followed, as the bargeman led the dwarves to his home.

​​​​​ "Da!" A young boy says running towards them. "Our house it's being watched." Bard stood there trying to think of how he was going to get these dwarves and the two hobbits into his home unseen.