Pure of Heart & Sharp of Tongue

Ugh! Men!

Eventually the current died out and we had to use our hands to paddle to the shore, I staggered out of my barrel and made my way onto the rocks. Kili fell to his knees with a cry of pain and carefully pressed a cloth to the wound in his leg, he grimaced clenching his teeth as he tried to hold back a cry of pain, he noticed Bofur watching him with a worried expression.

"I'm fine" he said "It's nothing"

"Kili Durin!" I snapped stalking over to him "That wound is not nothing! If you would stop trying to be a tough guy for just a moment" I trailed off muttering under my breath "Durin's beard, men are annoying"

"On your feet" Thorin said.

"Kili's wounded, his leg needs binding" Fili informed him.

"There's an orc pack on our tail, we keep moving"

"No" I said causing Thorin to whip around and stalk towards me, he stood so close I could feel his breath on my face "No" I repeated "We need to tend to Kili, or do you want to tell your sister that you let her son die of blood loss when you could have saved him?"

I could see the others staring at us with wide eyes as I stood toe to toe with Thorin, holding his gaze as he glared at me. After what seemed like an eternity he spun on his heel breaking eye contact.

"you have two minutes" he barked stalking away. I looked around to see everyone still staring at me.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Oin, Kili needs your help" that snapped them out of it and they all went back to their tasks.

"That was a gutsy thing you did lass, I've never seen anyone stand up to Thorin like that" Dwalin said as he stepped up beside me.

"Well someone had to, he is too high and mighty for his own good or the good of anyone els-" I cut off as I saw a tall dark haired man appear behind Ori his bow raised and pointing at the back of Ori's head, Dwalin jumped forward putting himself between Ori and the stranger a large stick in his hands, he tried to attack but the man put an arrow in the stick right between Dwalin's hands before whirling and shooting the rock that Kili held, nocking another arrow before I could even recover my breath.

"Do it again" the bowman said sweeping his weapon across the company "and you're dead"

"Excuse me, but you're from Lake-town, if I'm not mistaken" Balin stepped forward hands outward in a placating gesture "That barge over there, it wouldn't be available for hire, by any chance?"

"What makes you think I would help you?" The bowman asked as he began to load the barrels onto his barge.

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

"A boy and two girls"

"And your wife, I imagine she's a beauty." The man paused for a moment his eyes filled with pain

"Aye, she was" 

Balin's smile disappeared and he hastened to apologize "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Oh come on, come on." Dwalin growled with frustration "Enough of the niceties"

I smacked him in the arm, hard. And stalked away to sit with Kili giving Dwalin one last glance looking at him with as much disappointment as I could muster.

"What's your hurry?" the man asked drawing everyone's attention back to the matter at hand. 

I busied myself with tidying Kili's bandage, as they continued to discuss transportation, trying to pretend that I couldn't feel Dwalin's eyes on me. 

Soon we were all loaded on the barge and the man was slowly moving us through the dark water avoiding obstructions with ease as if he had been doing this his whole life, which, he probably had. I had been sitting next to the man who I now knew was named Bard and talking about his children since the ride began unaware of the jealous glare that Dwalin was casting our way. I excused myself to go sit with my friends.

"Oh, I've had enough of this lippy lakeman" Dwalin complained "I say we throw him over the side and be done with it"

"Bard!" I snapped "His name is Bard"

"Of course you would know" Dwalin said angrily "you two looked cozy enough" 

I gaped at him, spun on my heel and stalked to the other side of the barge sitting with my back to him not saying a word. I only turned back around when Bard came toward us demanding the money.

"We will pay you when we get our provisions but not before" Thorin said

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