Aerlinniel POV

"Do it again, and you're dead." I hear a man say from behind me. I was still trying to settle down from that wild ride I just went on. It was especially scary because I couldn't see what was going on.

"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 asks the man.

His heartbeat starts getting further away and I hear the Dwarves move towards him so I get up and follow them.

"What makes you think I will help you?" The man asks.

"Those boots have seen better days." Balin says, "As has that coat. No doubt you have some hungry mouths to feed. How many bairns?"

"A boy and two girls." The man answers him.

"And your wife, I'd imagine she's a beauty."

"Aye. She was."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" Balin starts to say but is interrupted by Dwalin.

"Oh, come on, come on, enough with the niceties."

"What's your hurry?" The man questions.

"What's it to you?" Dwalin asks.

"I would like to know who you are and what you are doing in these lands."

Balin tells him, "We are simple merchants from the Blue Mountains journeying to see our kin in the Iron Hills."

"Simple merchants, you say? What about the Elves? What are Elves doing traveling with Dwarves."

"They are kindhearted Elves that helped us when no one else did. They are now helping us get to the Iron Hills." Balin explains.

"We'll need food, supplies, weapons. Can you help us?" Thorin asks.

"I know where these barrels came from."

"What of it?"

"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."

"Offer him more." Thorin whispers.

"I'll wager there are ways to enter that town unseen."

"Aye. But for that, you will need a smuggler."

"For which we will pay double."

~~~

Mallory, Imryll and I couldn't fit with the Dwarves and Bilbo, so we got a raft and are floating behind them. They have gotten pretty far ahead of us though. Bard, which is the man's name, told us the way. It will take us a while longer to get there than them.

My thoughts turn to Legolas. I know he was there when we were going down the river. I wonder if he saw me. I miss him, I wish I could have seen him before we left.

I must've looked sad because Mallory asks me, "Are you alright?"

I give a sigh, "Yeah, I'm just missing someone."

"Who's that?"

"Well, really I'm missing a few people. My sister Elarinya, my friend Faelwen, and...Legolas." I tell her.

"Legolas? As in Prince Legolas? King Thranduil's ion? (son)" She questions.

I give a smile, "Ná, (Yes) that Legolas."

"Do you love him?" She asks me. I nod my head and then she asks, "Does he love you?"

The smile that I had fades. "To be honest, I don't think so. When we first met, he shot me with an arrow." I give a small laugh at the memory. "He didn't mean to of course. I'm actually glad he did. Because if not, I never would have met you and Imryll and Bilbo and all the Dwarves."

After a while of talking with Mallory and Imryll, I can no longer feel the sun on my skin. It must be dark out.

"We have entered Laketown." Imryll says.

"Remember what Bard said, we have to be very careful and quiet." I remind them.

There are many heartbeats all around. They must be people who live in Laketown.

"Look out!" Imryll shouts.

Before I can do anything, I'm hit on the back of the head.

Bilbo POV

Bard rows between the rock formations.

"What are you trying to do, drown us?" Thorin asks.

"I was born and bred on these waters, Master Dwarf. If I wanted to drown you, I would not do it here."

"Oh I have enough of this lippy lakeman. I say we throw him over the side and be done with him." Dwalin says, which makes me upset.

"Ohh, Bard, his name's Bard." I answer him, slightly angry.

"How do you know?" Bofur questions.

"Uh, I asked him." I say plainly.

I don't care what he calls himself, I don't like him." Dwalin says to Thorin.

"We do not have to like him, we simply have to pay him. Come on now, lads, turn out your pockets." Balin says.

The dwarves begin pulling out their money.

Dwalin whispers to Thorin, "How do we know he won't betray us?"

"We don't."

After Balin counts the money he says, "There's, um, just a problem: we're ten coins short."

"Gloin. Come on. Give us what you have." Thorin says to him.

To which Gloin answers, "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-"

The Dwarves have slowly stood up and are looking at something in the distance. As the fog thins, I see the Lonely Mountain.

"Bless my beard. Take it. Take all of it." Gloin says, giving his money to Balin.

I cough and gesture my head toward Bard, who is approaching the dwarves on our end of the barge.

"The money, quick, give it to me." Bard says quickly.

"We'll pay you when we get our provisions, but not before." Thorin tells him.

"If you value your freedom, you'll do as I say. There are guards ahead." Bard explains.

Bard stopped at a dock just outside the city. He hid us in the barrels. He then hops off and speaks to a man.

"Shh, what's he doing?" Dwalin whispers.

"He's talking to someone." I whisper back to him. I can see Bard through a small hole in the barrel. I see Bard point back at the barrels while talking to the man. "And he's...pointing right at us! Now they're shaking hands."

"What?" Thorin questions angrily.

"That villain! He's selling us out." Dwalin says.

I listen anxiously. Suddenly, dead fish are being poured on top of me.

"Oh god!" Dwalin exclaims.

"Quiet! We're approaching the toll gate." Bard warns us.

"Halt! Goods inspection. Papers, please. Oh, it's you, Bard." Someone says to Bard.

"Morning, Percy." Bard says to the man.

"Anything to declare?"

"Nothing, but that I am cold and tired, and ready for home."

"You and me both."

"Here we are. All in order."

"Not so fast." Another man says. "Consignment of empty barrels from the Woodland-Realm. Only, they're not empty, are they, Bard?" I hear papers being tossed. "If I recall correctly, you're licensed as a bargeman, not a fisherman."

"That's none of your business." Bard tells him.

"Wrong. It's the Master's business, which makes it my business."

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

"These fish are illegal." The man, Alfrid, says. Then orders, "Empty the barrels over the side."

My eyes go wide. Oh no.

"You heard him. Into the canal. Come on, get a move on." I hear some of the fish being put into the water.

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

"That's not my problem."

"And when the people hear the Master is dumping fish back in the lake, when the rioting starts, will it be your problem then?"

"Stop." The soldiers stopped. Bard is a really smart man. "Ever the people's champion, eh, Bard? Protector of the common folk? You might have their favor now, bargeman, but it won't last."

"Raise the gate!"

"The Master has his eye on you; you'd do well to remember. We know where you live." Alfrid says to Bard as we head off.

"It's a small town, Alfrid. Everyone knows where everyone lives."

~~~

After Bard docks, I hear one of the barrels fall over. Then another one and another one. I stand up, feeling disgusted from being covered in fish. I see Bard reach for Dwalin's barrel, but Dwalin pokes his head up through the fish.

"Get your hands off me." He says angrily to him.

"Follow me." Bard says to us.

"Da! Our house, it's being watched." Someone, who I am guessing is Bard's son, says.

Bard and Thorin come up with a plan.

~~~

When we hear a knock three times, we know its safe to come out. We have to go in through the toilet. Which is just great. First I get fish dumped on me, now I have to sneak in through a toilet.

Dwalin goes through first. I hear him say, "If you speak of this to anyone, I'll rip your arms off. Get off."

I'm next. I climb out and follow Dwalin.

"Da...why are there dwarves climbing out of our toilet?" A young girl asks.

"Will they bring us luck?" A younger girl asks.

"It may not be the best fit, but it'll keep you warm." Bard says.

The youngest, Tilda, passes out blankets, and she gives one to me.

"Thank you very much." I thank her.

"A Dwarvish Wind-Lance." Thorin says in shock.

I take another sip of a hot drink from a mug that they gave me, then look out at the wind-lance too.

I then look at Thorin and tell him, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Balin answers me, "He has. The last time we saw such a weapon, a city was on fire. It was the day the dragon came. The day that Smaug destroyed Dale. Girion, the Lord of the city, rallied his bowman to fire upon the beast. But a dragon's hide is tough, tougher than the strongest armor. Only a black arrow, fired from a wind-lance, could have pierced the dragon's hide, and few of those arrows were ever made. His store was running low when Girion made his last stand."

"Had the aim of Men been true that day, much would have been different." Thorin finishes.

"You speak as if you were there." Bard says.

"All dwarves know the tale." Thorin tells him.

"Then you would know that Girion hit the dragon. He loosened a scale under the left wing. One more shot and he would have killed the beast." Bain says.

"Ha ha ha! That's a fairy story, lad. Nothing more." Dwalin says to him.

Thorin goes over to Bard, "You took our money. Where are the weapons?"

To which Bard says, "Wait here."

When Bard goes, Thorin starts to whisper to the Dwarves, "Tomorrow begins the last days of autumn."

"Durin's Day falls morn after next. We must reach the mountain before then." Balin whispers back.

"And if we do not? If we fail to find the hidden door before that time?" Kili questions.

Fili replies, "Then this quest has been for nothing."

Bard returns and lays the package on the table. The dwarves stand around it. He loosens the wrappings and reveals a few of hand-made weapons. I watch as the Dwarves look at them in shock, then pick up the weapons and look at them in disgust.

"What is this?" Thorin asks holding up a weapon.

"Pike-hook. Made from an old harpoon." Bard tells him.

"And this?" Kili asks.

"A crowbill, we call it, fashioned from a smithy's hammer. It's heavy in hand, I grant, but in defense of your life, these will serve you better than none."

"We paid you for weapons. Iron-forged swords and axes!" Gloin says angrily.

"It's a joke!" Bofur says, slightly upset.

Bofur throws his weapon back on the table, and the other Dwarves do the same.

Bard says to them, "You won't find better outside the city armory. All iron-forged weapons are held there under lock and key."

"Thorin. Why not take what's been offered and go? I've made do with less; so have you. I say we leave now." Balin says to him.

"You're not going anywhere." Bard tells us.

"What did you say!?" Dwalin says, still angry.

"There's spies watching this house and probably every dock and wharf in the town. You must wait till nightfall." Bard explains.

Bard POV

I stand out on my porch. I'm trying to figure out where I heard the name 'Thorin' before.

"Thorin..." I whisper out loud.

With a sudden shock of understanding, I whirl around and look at the Lonely Mountain in the distance. The door opens, and Bain sticks his head out.

"Da?"

"Don't let them leave." I tell him and take off.

I run through Laketown. And I run into a shop, the storekeeper greets me.

"Hello, Bard. What're you after?"

I begin looking through a pile of tapestries.

"There was a tapestry, an old one; where's it gone?" I ask, talking quickly.

"What tapestry you talking about?"

"This one." I say as I pick it up.

I unroll it on a table. It has the names of the members of the Line of Durin sewn into it.

"There were dwarves, I tell you. Appeared out of nowhere. Full beards, fierce eyes; I've never seen the like." I hear a woman say.

"What are dwarves doing in these parts?"

"It's the prophecy."

"Prophecy?"

"The prophecy of Durin's folk."

I look at tapestry and find the last entry, 'Thorin'. I look up, thinking deeply.

"The prophecy...prophecy." I say to myself.

"The old tales will come true." I hear someone say.

"Vast halls of treasure!" A woman exclaims.

"Can it really be true? Has the lord of silver fountains returned?" Another woman questions.

This phrase jolts my memory, and I begin to recite the prophecy to himself,

"The lord of silver fountains,

The king of carven stone,

The king beneath the mountain shall come into his own,

And the bells shall ring in gladness at the mountain king's return,

But all shall fail in sadness and the lake will shine and burn."

~~~~~~

Another chapter for you guys! :D This was a very interesting one, I hope you guys like it. What do you guys think is going to happen to Aerlinniel? Also, there is a tie between two of the ship names for Aerlinniel and Legolas, so one still needs to be chosen. Its either:

Aerlas

Or

Leginniel

Love you my elves from the realm of llamas,

~Ellethwen <3