Tygr POV
"Do it again and your dead." The man said said his arrow pulled back. Suddenly I made direct eye contact with the man and he seemed to forget what he was doing for a moment and lowered his bow. I walked slightly closer and Balin joined my side. "Excuse me, but, uh, you're from Laketown, if I'm not mistaken? That barge over there, it wouldn't be available for hire, by any chance?" Balin asked. "What makes you think I will help you?" The man snapped. "Well...I'm sure those boots have as better days." I said. "As has that coat. No doubt you have some hungry mouths to feed. How many pups?" I asked. "Two girls and one boy." He said. I grinned, "and I bet you have a beautiful wife!" I said. "Aye. She was." He said, I instantly felt horrible. "Oh...I'm so sor-" I started but was cut off by Dwalin. "Oh come on! Enough with the niceties!" He said. "What's you hurry?" The man asked. "What's it to you?" Dwalin snapped. "I would like to know who you are and what you are doing in these lands." He said. "We are simple merchants from the Blue Mountains journeying to see our kin in the Iron Hills." Balin said. "She doesn't look like a dwarf." The man said looking at me. "I am a Skin-changer, I'm traveling with them." I said. The man nodded, understanding. "We'll need food, supplies, weapons. Can you help us?" Thorin asked. The man stayed quiet and looked around, his vision settled on the barrels. "I know where these Barrels came from." The man said. "What of it?" Thorin asked. "I don't know what business you had with the elves, but I don't think it ended well. No one enters Laketown but by leave of the Master. All his wealth comes from trade with the Woodland Realm. He will see you in irons before risking the wrath of King Thranduil." The man said before getting onto his barge and tossed a rope to Balin. "Offer him more." Thorin whispered to Balin. "I'll wager there are ways to enter that town unseen." Balin said. "Aye. But for that, you will need a smuggler." He said. "For which we will pay double." Balin said. I sniffed the air. "Thorin the orcs...their close enough for me to faintly smell which means their a few miles behind. We need to go." I whispered. Thorin nodded as the man finally allowed us on his barge.
We all sat and watched as the man navigated through the ice. "Watch out!" Bofur yelled as the man almost ran into a small glacier. "What are you trying to do, drown us?" I heard Thorin snap behind me. "I was born and bred on these waters, Master Dwarf. If I wanted to drown you, I would not do it here." I looked at Kili who was beside me, on my other side was Fili. "How are you feeling Kili?" I asked gently touching his leg. "I feel fine." Kili said though I could tell he was in pain. "Are you sure?" I asked. "Y-yes." He said. I felt bad for him, it was obvious he was in a lot of pain. I stood and went and sat by Bofur and Bilbo, along with Balin, Dwalin and Thorin. "Oh I have enough of this lippy lakeman. I say we throw him over the side and be done with him." Dwalin snapped. I rolled my eyes and didn't bother replying. "Oh, Bard...his name is Bard." Bilbo said. "How do you know?" Bofur asked. "Well...I asked him." Bilbo said. I laughed slightly, "you know I've heard that is an excellent way to figure out people's names." I said with a smile. Bilbo laughed along with Bofur, and I managed to get a small grin out of Thorin but a glare from Dwalin. Dwalin leaned and spoke to Thorin, "I don't care what he calls himself, I don't like him." He said. I sighed. "You don't have to like him." I said. "Yes, we simply have to pay him. Now turn out your pockets." Balin said. I pulled a small pouch of money and tossed it to Balin. "How do we know he won't betray us?" Dwalin asked Thorin. My ear twitched to hear his reply. "We don't." Was all he said. "We have a problem, we're ten coins short." Balin said. I checked to see if I had any more, I was broke. "Sorry...I got nothing." I said. Thorin looked at Gloin. "Come on Gloin, give us what you have." Thorin said. "Don't look to me. I have been bled dry by this venture! And what have I seen for my investment? Naught but misery and grief and-" he stopped speaking when the dwarves as started to stand. "Uh...what's going on?" I asked Bilbo. Suddenly Thorin gently pulled me up by my arm. I stood slightly in front of his and squinted my eyes. Through the fog I saw the Lonely Mountain. "Oh, okay I see it." I said. I felt Thorin's hand slide down to rest on my waist. "We're so close." I said looking up at him. He grinned and nodded. "Bless my beard. Take it. Take all of it." Gloin said tossing his money at Balin. I giggled at the dwarf. "The money, quick, give it to me." Bard said suddenly. "We'll pay you when we get our provisions, but not before." Thorin said. I nodded in agreement. "If you value your freedom, you'll do as I say. There are guards ahead." He said. I flattened my ears feeling slightly defensive over his bit about valuing our freedom. I looked at the man with threatening eyes before Bofur tapped my shoulder and pointed to where we saw Laketown in the distance.
Soon Bard had us all get into the barrels though I ended up having to share. "Who's Tygr going with?" Balin asked. "She can come with me!" Fili said smiling. "No me!" Bofur spoke up. "She can come with me, if she wants to." Ori said. "She will come with me." Thorin said with an authoritative tone. I nodded and formed into a baby wolf before jumping into the barrel with Thorin.
I squirmed around trying to not sit awkwardly on Thorin. "Can you see out that little hole?" He asked. He was sat in an awkward way so he had no way of reaching it. I tried my best to reach it but was to small. 'Sorry Thorin...if I squish you it's not intentional.' I thought before using my teeth to tug at the neck of his shirt. He moved up to sit up straight with his back against the barrel. "What are you-" he whispered but was cut off when I formed into a girl successfully straddling his lap. I leaned up and looked out the hole. Little to my knowledge I had leaned in a way that pressed my chest to his face. "What's he doing?" I heard Dwalin ask from his barrel. "He's talking to someone." Bilbo said. I sat my back against the other side of the barrel. I looked at Thorin who's face was slightly flushed. "What?" I asked. He looked at me then shook his head slightly. I was confused but ignored it. It was possibly the fact that was straddling him, my chest was at his eye level and we where pressed close together. "Oh...he's pointing at us." Bilbo said. This gained Thorin's attention. "What?!" He asked. I looked out the hole to see for myself. "Now their shaking hands." I said. "What?!" Thorin said again. "That villain! He's selling us out!" Dwalin growled. I then smelt fish coming closer and closer. "Oh no..." I muttered. "What?" Thorin asked. I didn't even respond, only wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my face into his chest so that I couldn't smell it anymore. Suddenly tons of fish where poured on us and Thorin buried his face against my shoulder. We felt the barge start to move again. "Oh god." Thorin mumbled. Suddenly I felt Bard kick our barrel. "Quiet! We're approaching the toll gate." He snapped. I couldn't help but feel a low growl brew in the bottom of my throat. I felt Thorin pet my back. "Calm down, it's alright." He whispered. I sighed and stayed quiet. "Halt! Goods inspection. Papers, please. Oh, it's you, Bard." We heard someone say. "Morning Percy." Bard said. "Anything to declare?" He asked. "Nothing, but that I am cold and tired, and ready for home." Bard said. "You and me both." Percy said. "Here we are, all in order." Percy said. "Not so fast." We heard someone else say. "Consignment of empty barrels from the Woodland Realm. Only, they're not empty, are they, Bard?" He said. I immediately knew this mystery man was an irritating little rat. "If I recall correctly, you're licensed as a bargeman, not a fisherman." The man said. "That's none of your business." Bard said. "Wrong. It's the Master's business, which makes it my business." The man said. "Oh come on, Alfrid, have a heart. People need to eat!" Bard said. "These fish are illegal." The man said. "Dump the barrels over the side." The man said. Suddenly I heard fish starting to be dropped into the water. "Folk in this town are struggling. Times are hard. Food is scarce." Bard argued. "That's not my problem." The man said. "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 asked. I heard silence then the man spoke again, "stop." He said. "Ever the people's champion, eh, Bard? Protector of the common folk? You might have their favor now, bargeman, but it won't last." The man said again. I heard Bard step back into the barge. "Raise the gate!" I heard Percy say. The boat began to move again before the man spoke. "The Master has his eye on you; you'd do well to remember. We know where you live." He said. "It's a small town, Alfrid; everyone knows where everyone lives." Bard said. 'So Alfrid's his name....gross.' I thought to myself. I felt the barge move and the sound of townspeople around us. We had made it into Laketown.