His Amorem

The River Fight

It took everything Keerla had to stop her scream when her barrel tumbled into the icy water, but she bounced back up to the surface in no time. Kili took a deep breath and shivered, then unwrapped his arms from her figure and pulled himself up to look over the top of the barrel.

"Where's Bilbo?" Fili asked over the noise of the rushing water.

He and Thorin grabbed the rocks, stopping the barrels from floating off. A few seconds later, Bilbo tumbled out of an opening in the wood above, but missed his barrel completely and ended up having to cling onto Nori's barrel.

"Well done, Master Baggins," Thorin grinned, amused.

Bilbo looked half drowned but managed to wave his free hand and splutter out, "Go."

Keerla popped her head out of her and Kili's barrel as everyone began paddling with their hands. She held tight to the bow, and rested the quiver against the side only to snatch it up seconds later as several dwarfs screamed, going over a waterfall.

They plunged through the rapids, eventually surfacing and spitting out water. She and Kili took deep breaths, clinging tightly to one another as they bobbed along the raging river with the others. It wasn't long before Keerla's ears perked up at the sound of Legolas's voice, realising he was somewhere behind them.

"Holo in-annon! (Shut the gate!)" he ordered followed by an elven horn, causing the others to panic.

"Take this," she stuffed the bow into Kili's hands, "They're going to close the gates ahead, i need you to cover me while i get out and open them."

"I'll go!" Kili said. Their argument was cut off briefly as they were submerged once again, and after coughing he said, "You're the better bowman."

"I'm also faster, and this was once my home," she reminded him, pushing her hair out of her face, "Do not leave this barrel do you understand?"

He gave a reluctant nod and grasped the bow, holding an arrow in his other hand at the ready. Up ahead, they heard Thorin's agonising yells and Keerla knew he had hit the gates. Their barrel joined the pile as the elven guards drew their swords, but Keerla let out a shriek of surprise when one was pierced from behind by a black arrow.

"Orcs!" she yelled, not only for the dwarfs but for Legolas and his men that were behind them.

Several of the filthy growling creatures swarmed over the guard post, killing the elves while more came from the bushes.

"Gorid! Zib! Goridug!" (Slay them all!)" one similar in height and colour to Azog ordered in the black speech.

The orcs threw themselves off the embankment and the bridge at the dwarfs stuck in the barrels. Keerla grit her teeth knowing they'd be able to hold off for a short while, but not for too long. Placing her hands on either side of the barrel, she swiftly pulled herself up and replaced her hands with her feet.

"Keerla!" Kili exclaimed as she leapt from their barrel, bounced off the head of an Orc clinging to Bomber's and landed dangerously close to the edge of the embankment.

An arrow took out an orc that appeared in front of her, and she turned casting a grateful smile at Kili before she hurried toward the lever that would open the gate. She didn't have time to worry about the others, though from the yells and grunts, she knew they were doing just fine.

She ducked under the blade of an orc, diving between his legs and kicked him down into the river where Dwalin smashed its head against a rock.

"Here lass!"