"I Will Never Ever.... Stop Loving You"

Twenty-One

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CONVINCING BARD

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"Anything behind us", Thorin questioned, our breaths were heavy, our clothes piss wet through, our hearts pumping faster than our average heartbeats.

"Now that I can see", Balin replied, Kili stumbled onto the shore as Fili and I rushed over helping him up off the ground, pulling him to a sturdy rock, he feel onto it hard twisting himself too make it more comfortable.

"I think we've outrun the Orcs", bofur stated, but I knew they'd be coming back soon on out tales.

"Not for long, we've lost the current", Thorin stated as I looked down at Kili's wound, his leg shaking from the pain, the blood continuously flowing out of his leg.

"We almost half drowned", Dwalin stated the obvious angrily as I nodded my head in agreement wrapping some of the cloth, I've ripped from my clothing.

I tied Kili's bandage, making him wince a lot.

Something doesn't seem to add up here, if his wound was shot by an arrow it would not have hurt this much even if it was infected.

"Come on lets go", Thorin gestured for us to come along as I stood to my feet along with Fili. I looked back down to Kili, helping him up from the ground before he fell forward from the pain in slightly , i lay him back against a boulder, keeping his foot elevated.

"I'm fine", Kili stated noticing some of the Dwarves that had been watching him. "it's nothing", Kili finished as I looked up to him, seeing all the pain he was hiding, it was much worse than it should've been, way worse.

"On your feet", Thorin ordered, to the rest of the dwarves, as he looked into the distant water we still had yet to cross without being noticed.

"Kili's wounded, his leg needs support", Fili stated as I grabbed more of my clothing and wrapping it around his thigh, securing it tightly with a knot.

"There is an Orc pack on our tail", Thorin grumbled. "We need to keep moving", Thorin said firmly as I grunted in frustration standing up to my feet in anger.

"For goodness sake, Thorin", I sighed pointing down to Kili in frustration. "Your own nephew has a serious injury. Just a minute won't hurt you", I said angrily bending back down to continue on helping his wound.

"You have two minutes", Thorin stated as I nodded my head holding back my tongue from saying anything else, "No less. We're moving"

"To where?", Balin questioned as my uncle looked up to the Mountain which was perfectly in view.

"To the Mountain, were so close", Bilbo stated I didn't really pay too much attention to anything they were saying as I finished off tying Kili's wound. I walked over to the water to wash my blood covered hands before i heard something. Something unusual, I knew something was behind me. I slowly looked up and saw a man with a bow an arow pointing it towards ori and i. I tried to throw a stone at the man, but he let go of his arrows, sending the rock in my hand flying into the air.

"Do it again and you are dead.", he firmly stated, still holding the bow in the air.

"Excuse me, but um-", Balin began "you're from Lake Town , if I'm not mistaken? That barge over there, it wouldn't be available for hire by any chance?", Balin questioned the man as he glanced over his bow, lowering his weapon slowly with curiosity.

"What makes you think I would help you". The man questioned grabbing the barrels from the shore and placing them into his boat.

"Those boots have seen better days, as has that coat", Balin stated trying to bribe the man to help us out as the man continued placing the elven barrels into his boat. "No doubt you have some hungry mouths to feed. How many bairns"

"a boy and two girls", the man stated glancing over to some of us that laid against the shore.

"And your wife, I imagine, she's a beauty", Balin grumbled with a smile as I watched the man slow down his movements.

"aye", he smiled. "She was" the man finished as my heart sake instantly as I stepped up closer to the man as Balin looked down to his hands.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"I bet your girls would love to have a trustworthy young women out for them as a mother figure, would they not?", I questioned, the man looked up to me examining me as I stared directly into his eyes with sympathy. "I lost both of my parents at a young age, very young age actually, and I would've done anything to have a mothers love again" I paused as the man looked to the rest of the Dwarves then back to me for a moment. He sighed, almost swearing as he noticed I was surrounded by men.

"I don't know what business you had with the elves, but I don't think it ended that well", he sighed. "no one enters Lake-Town but by lead of the master. All his wealth comes from trade with the Woodland realm. He would see you in irons before risking the wrath of king Thranduil"

"I'm a close...friend of king thranduil", I stated quickly. "My father and mother fought alongside him like a siblings years ago. King Thranduil treats me like one of his own. It's just, my friends here didn't have the greatest history with King Thranduil", I sighed hoping he will be willing to take our offer. "I'll wager there are ways to enter that town unseen" I stated looking to the Dwarves who were behind me.

"Aye". He nodded his head placing the last barrel in the bucket. "But for that you would need a smuggler"

"For which we would pay double", Balin said almost instantly as the man looked to him in uttermost interest then to me again.

"I'll cook, clean" I paused for a moment. "Love your kids, and certainly I would treat them as if they were my own, protect them with my life." I looked to the man standing in front of me. "and I guarantee that this is not an offer to refuse" The man thought for a moment taking one last glance my way before nodding in agreement.