An Unexpected Journey

Chapter Fifty-Two: Being Caught

"Are you sure about this?" Bilbo whispered watching as the dwarves broke into the armoury, he felt bad about what they were doing but the weapons that Bard had given them were useless. 

Thalia frowned, she didn't agree with this at all and she wished that there was another way around this; she crossed her arms watching as Kíli disappeared through the window. 

"I have a bad feeling about this," Thalia muttered looking around, she rubbed her temple wishing that she could see something; her head hadn't really recovered from the Mirkwood forest. 

Bilbo stared at the blonde, he knew that she was psychic and he wondered what she could see; he hoped that Thalia hadn't seen anything too bad, he worried that they would be caught. 

"You see something?" Bilbo whispered stepping closed to Thalia, his brown eyes looking up at her curiously; he knew that if anything were to happen then they needed to be prepared. 

Thalia shook her head annoyed, she wasn't going to force herself either; she leant back against the wall hoping that the dwarves inside would hurry up. 

A sudden crash from inside of the armoury made Thalia and Bilbo jump, they stared towards the building before warning bells started chiming and guards started to move towards them. 

Thalia closed her eyes, they didn't need this right now and she wished that she had some way of seeing what was about to happen; this couldn't end well and they had already broken out of one set of dungeons. 

Bilbo squeaked in surprised as Thalia suddenly grabbed him and yanked him out of the way as guards stormed towards them; he stared wide-eyed wondering what was going to happen. 

Thorin cursed sharply looking around, he didn't know what had happened inside of the building but he knew that it had given them away; he looked around trying to find some way of getting away but it was too late. 

The guards wasted no time in rounding up the company, they were easy on their captives and pushed, pulled and dragged them through the streets of Laketown with crowds gathering to watch. 

Thalia muttered curses under her breath, she had no idea why this was happening to them but she knew that this wasn't going to make things easier; they were slowly led towards the Master of Laketown's house. 

"What is going on here?" Alfrid demanded stepping out of the house, he squinted at the gathering and frowned wondering what all the fuss was about. 

Thalia shrugged off the guard that was holding her and glared at him, she didn't like the fact that his hands had wandered a little while they had been dragged through the streets. 

Thorin glared up the steps at the man weasel of a man that stood before him, he doubted that this was the person that ran Laketown. 

"We caught these trespassers raiding our armoury," the captain of the guard shouted so that everyone could hear, he smirked looking up the steps hoping that his master would be pleased. 

Everyone watched as a large chummy, bald man stepped out of the house; his beady eyes looking across the company who had been dragged before his door at this hour of the morning. 

Thalia felt a chill run through her there was something about the man that she didn't like and she didn't want to have anything to do with him. 

"Thieves stealing from my town," the Master said sounding anything but angry about the situation; it reminded Thalia of actors back home and she doubted that he was actually worried about Laketown at all.

Bilbo hung close to the blonde, his eyes looking around wondering what was going to happen to them.

"What are we to do with you?" the Master mused looking over the company, his eyes paused on Thalia and a small smile quirked on his lips; she was a lot prettier than the woman around Laketown. 

Thalia shifted a little, she didn't have to be a mind reader to know that the Master was having disgusting thoughts about her; she watched him cautiously wondering what was going to happen. 

Dwalin stepped forward ignoring the calls from the crowd for them to be executed, he couldn't believe that this was their welcome; he glared at the Master who raised an eyebrow at him. 

"Do you not know who you are speaking to... this is Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thrór, King under the Mountain," Dwalin said pointing back to Thorin, he watched as his king and leader stepped out from the company and nodded at him. 

Thorin looked up at the Master, he doubted how trustworthy the man was but they needed whatever the town would be able to give them if they were to make it to Erebor. 

Thalia hung back, she wasn't going to give the game away and she had no idea what to expect from the Master; she felt the hairs stand on the back of her neck as Thorin spoke. 

"I ask for your help in reclaiming our home land... we do not ask for much, only food and shelter and any weapons that you can spare us," Thorin said looking at the Master, he hadn't missed the look that the man had given Thalia but now wasn't the time to start a fight. 

Dwalin moved back into the company and stood close to Thalia, he didn't want any trouble and he was sure it would send a message that the blonde wasn't to be messed with. 

"In return when we reclaim our home, we will share our wealth with the people of Laketown so again we can be prosperous," Thorin bargained doubting that a man like the Master would turn this down, he was clearly greedy and he was playing on that right now. 

"Dragonfire and ruin! That is what he will bring upon us! He cannot see beyond his own desire," Bard shouted storming through the crowd, his eyes locked on the dwarf that he knew would bring doom upon them all. 

Thalia turned to look at Bard as he passed her, she swallowed at the look in his eyes and she doubted that he was going to be any help to them again. 

"If you awaken that beast you will destroy us all," Bard said shaking his head, he needed people to listen to him and he had a feeling that the creature would only turn on them if things went wrong. 

Alfrid whispered in the Master's ear, his lips quirking into a smirk knowing that they could spin this against the troublemaker; they had been trying to do away with Bard for years. 

"Let us not forget that it was your ancestor Girion, that failed to kill the beast," the Master announced moving down the stairs, Thorin's head whipped around to stare at Bard while the man looked away ashamed at being reminded about what had happened in the past. 

Thalia stared at Bard, she felt for him since it wasn't his fault that Girion had missed the dragon; they weren't easy creatures to get rid of and she knew that from experience. 

"You have no right to enter that mountain," Bard snapped trying again to stop the mess from happening, he didn't want to see the town that he loved destroyed. 

Thorin glared at Bard, he didn't understand why the man was so against them going to Erebor; it seemed like the entire world was against their quest. 

"I have the only right!" Thorin thundered, he wasn't going to allow to dissuade him from what he was doing, he had worked hard to get this far and they were all so close now. 

The Master grinned rubbing his greedy hands together, he had a feeling that finally he had a way to get under the skin of the man that caused him nothing but trouble. 

"Welcome to Laketown, Thorin King under the Mountain and his company," The Master announced making his people cheer.