Curse of the East (Fili/The Hobbit Fanfiction)

Chapter 22 - Welcome To Laketown

I found myself racing back to where the bargeman stood, though watching the expressions cross his face it became clear to me quite quickly that he was more than capable of getting us around such obstacles. I stood awkwardly beside him for a moment, watching as Kili whispered something quietly to Tauriel; I saw something I couldn't quite understand flash in her eyes. That is until I saw him reach out slowly and take her hand; she held tightly to his for a moment before pulling away, and moving to stand by herself and look out over the water.

"You need not fear for your friends," The man said quietly, and I was surprised to find his eyes fixed on me, "I mean you no harm." He admitted, smiling kindly down at me. I stared at him for a long moment, unsure of how exactly how I was to respond.

"I held a blade to your throat and yet you say such things to me, I do not understand." I muttered, more to myself than to him; but he answered me nevertheless.

"You could have easily killed me back there, you could have cut my throat without ever having said a word to me, but you did not. You showed me mercy, and for that I will be forever indebted to you Miss..." He trailed off, looking to me to answer the question he had not asked.

"Saria," I said quietly, "Saria Baggins." He smiled.

"Bard." Was all he said. I nodded,

"And your children?" I asked, "What are their names?" He looked over at me, surprise and confusion evident on his face.

"What makes you think I have children?" He asked, his voice fearful.

"You dropped your bow as soon as I told you to," I answered quietly, "You were clearly desperate to stay alive meaning you have something worth living for. I just assumed it was children." I finished, my cheeks burning, I had been so certain of myself and now it seemed I was a fool.

"I have three children," He admitted, and my eyes snapped up, meeting his; my surprise likely evident on my face. "A boy and two girls," He smiled fondly to himself, "Bain, Sigrid and Tilda." I smiled,

"And your wife?" I asked, my voice light. His smile faded as he looked away. "I'm so sorry," I whispered as I began to understand. "That's why," I whispered again, though more to myself this time. "You're all they have left." He nodded, saying nothing more and I decided it best to take my leave. I walked slowly back toward the rest of the company, sharing a brief smile with Tauriel as I passed her. I sat down beside Ori, drawing his attention to me and away from the conversation Balin and Gloin were having about something I just couldn't understand. "Can I have the bow?" I asked quietly, and he nodded quickly; reaching over and pulling it from between the two crates that sat beside us. "Thank you," I said, hugging him lightly before walking back to where Bard stood; staring solemnly out at the water. His gaze returned to me as I held the bow out to him.

"What are you doing?" He asked, taking it from my hands. I shrugged.

"If you were going to kill us I simply assumed you would have done it already. We are at your mercy on these waters after all." He smiled.

"I suppose that is true Saria," He said quietly, looking away again and saying nothing more. I returned again to the company, standing closer to Fili than strictly necessary; and trying my best to ignore the icy wind that was biting hard right through my damp clothes.

Another large stone pillar rose up out of the water, and I was beginning to wonder what had once stood here. They were far to intricate and uniform to have been accidental; yet they were broken and worn down so their origin was impossible to tell.

"What are you trying to do, drown us?" Thorin snapped, his blue eyes fiery as he glared at our captain.

"I was born and bred on these waters Master Dwarf," He replied calmly, though I didn't miss the spark of amusement in his eyes. "If I wanted to drown you, I wouldn't do it here." I had to cover my mouth with my hand to hide a smile; biting my tongue to keep my laughter silent.