A Long Way From Home[Thorin Oakenshield] RE-EDITING! 2/60 DONE

~Chapter Thirty Two~

Bard had been gone for quite sometime now, and the dwarves growing suspicious wondering what he was up to. "What's he doing?" Dwalin hissed.

"He's talking to someone."Bilbo said as he peered through the hole in his barrel that looked directly at the docks. "He's pointing right at us." Bilbo informed, and they beginning to think this man was bad news. The hobbit looked through the hole again. "Now they're shaking hands."

"What?!" Thorin growled, thinking this was a set up.

"The villain. He's selling us out." Dwalin hissed, never liking this bowman, since they first encountered him. Honor could hear the sounds of rattling chains getting closer and they all looked up, as heavy approaching boots were just outside their barrels, when all of a sudden they were getting frozen fish dumped on them to the very top of the barrel and the company all groaned in protest at the stench of fish. Honor could feel the barge was once again moving and some of the dwarves insisted on making their groans of complains louder, causing the bowman to kick the barrel in front of him to silence them.

"Quiet." Bard hissed. "We're approaching the toll gate." Honoria was wondering how much longer they had to suffer. The smell of the fish was making it hard to breathe.

"Halt! Goods inspection! Papers, please." The man called out, as he wandered down the steps to the dock. "Oh, it's you, Bard."

"Morning, Percy." Bard replied as his barge came to a smooth stop.

"Anything to declare?" Percy asked.

"Nothing, but that I am cold and tired...and ready for home." Bard stated, as he handed the piece of parchment to the other man to stamp.

"You and me both." He admitted. " There we are. All in order." Percy said as he was about to hand the bowman back the parchment when it was snatched out of his hand from behind him.

"Not....so fast." Another man sneered. " 'Consignment of empty barrels from the Woodland Realm.' only...they're not empty...are they, Bard? If I recall correctly, you're licenses as a bargeman...not a fisherman. " The man stated.

"That's none of your business." Bard hissed back, clearly knowing this other man.

"Wrong." The man smirked. " It's the master's business, which makes it my business." He declared to the bowman.

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

"These fish are illegal." Alfrid informed as he tossed the fish he held in his grubby hand back into the lake. " Empty the barrels over the side." He ordered the guards.

"You heard him." The captain of the guard pressed. " In the canal. Come on. Get a move on."

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

" That's not my problem." Alfrid answered.

"And when the people hear the master is dumping fish back in the lake. When the rioting starts...will it be your problem then?" The bowman hissed, and Alfrid thought this over for a second. Honoria fell against the side of her barrel; into her cousin. Realizing that one of the captain's guards were trying to tip their barrel over.

"Stop." Alfrid ordered. "Ever the people's champion, eh, Bard? Protector of the common folk. You might have their favor now, bargeman, but it wont last." Alfrid warned.

"Raise the gate!" Percy demanded.

"The master has his eye on you. You'd do well to remember: we know where you live." The awful man threatened.

" It's a small town, Alfrid." Bard stated as he started moving his barge. " Everyone knows where everyone lives." Honoria let out a sigh, somewhat relieved to be moving again. Whoever that was, was a terrible man. They continued to move along the water for a little while longer and the barge soon came to a stop again and the elf wondered what was happening now.

Bard knocked over the closest barrel to him with his foot and Nori came tumbling out of it. He pushed the next one over and then the next, when he came to the next one. Dwalin poked his head out of it. " Get your hands off me." He sneered at the bowman. Bard backed away as the others began to push their way out of fish to gasp for fresh air.

Honoria was thankful to be out of that stench as she climbed out of the barrel and Thorin helped her onto the dock. Bard so they were slowly attracting others. " You didn't see them. They were never here." Bard whispered to the man as he slipped him two coins. " The fish you can have for nothing." He added. "Stay close." Bard whispered as he led the way.

The elf and hobbit looked around, nervously. They had never seen this world before and they looked around curiously, as Thorin stayed close beside the two cousins. The bowman peered around the corner, to make sure it was safe and they started making their way through the marketplace.

"What is this place?" Bilbo asked curiously.

" This, master Baggins, is the world of men." Thorin answered glumly as he took lead behind Bard. The towns folk were starring at them as they passed through.

"Keep your heads down and keep moving." The bowman ordered. "Quickly now." He urged, not wanting to attract attention.

"Halt!" A guard shouted.

"Come on. Move." Thorin hissed at the others as he pulled the half-breed by her hand, running through the market.

"In the name of the master of Lake-town, I said halt!" The guard shouted again. "Halt! Stop them!" He demanded as more of the guards showed up, causing the dwarves to change their plans of escaping.

"Get back!" Thorin yelled as the dwarves one by one knocked into each other. Honor and Bilbo got out of the way, hiding while the dwarves began to disarm the guards with anything they could grab in sight. The guards were now lying on the ground out cold and the dwarves hid when they heard the captain of the guard showed up, questioning the towns people what was going on, but Bard had interfered and soon the guards were gone and the company followed behind the bowman the rest of the way through the market place, when a young came running towards them.

"Da! Our house, it's being watched." The boy stated, in worry. The dwarves stopped, wondering what they were to do now? They couldn't risk being caught. Durin's day was only a day away. If they were caught this quest would have been all for nothing. Bard stood there and thought for a long time. He promised to get these dwarves to safety and an idea came to mind.

"What do we do now?" Dwalin hissed, as he looked at his brother and Thorin. Wondering if they should double back.

"I have an idea." Bard interrupted.

"What's that?" Dwaling growled at the man.

"Your not going to like it." the bowman admitted. Thorin waited to hear the man's clever idea he had, that would get them inside his home unseen and Bard got one thing right. They were all not impressed with his idea, but what other choice did they have?

The company was standing on a dock that was near the bowman's home. He insisted that the only way they were getting in his home unseen would be to enter the water and use his plumbing system. The let out their grumbles before entering the freezing lake. Honoria was not particularly thrilled about this, but then their situation could be worse as it was getting closer to just her, Thorin and Dwalin left and she began pacing. Thorin insisted she go next, he wanted to be sure they were not being followed. Honor began to mumble to herself, making no sense as Thorin tried to convince her, to just go when Dwalin had heard enough and shoved the elf into the water and she let out a sudden shriek as she entered the water.

"You didn't have to do that." Thorin hissed at Dwalin.

"Someone had too. We'd still be standing here if I didn't, listening to her mumble nonsense." Dwalin grumbled and Thorin rolled his eyes and the two of them were in the water and eventually made it into the bowman's home and went upstairs where they were all offered dry clothing to put on.

This is my first story. Hearts and Comments are very much appreciated. I really want to know what you all think of it so far! Happy Reading

~Phaedra Oakenshield~