Bloodstained (Thorin x OC)

More to Carry

"I got it!" Bilbo jumped on the rope and grabbed it, but then started getting dragged away, down the riverbank. Agarwaen ran over and grabbed him with one hand, and the rope with the other. Multiple hands then seized the rope, and pulled the boat back toward where they were supposed to cross the river.

"Well that could've been bad." Dwalin sighed in relief.

"We have no oars, though. How will we get across?"

"What if we were to throw another rope and catch it on the trees across the river?" Fili suggested.

"Then we could pull each other across a few at a time, and then the next group can pull the boat back with this rope." Agarwaen agreed. "Do we have any more rope?"

"Right here." Nori said, tying another hook to the second rope. She then tossed it up and across to the trees, successfully catching it on a branch somewhere up there.

"Alright. Bilbo, Fili, Balin, and Agarwaen will be the first to cross with me." Thorin said, waiting for the four of them to get in the boat before jumping in after them. The elf looked nervously over the edge of the boat at the black water, praying that the boat was stable. Her, Thorin, and Fili pulled the boat across by use of the second rope, flinching everytime a branch snapped above them, or a twig fell from near where the rope was caught. Should the hook slip, they would all be washed away by the river. When the bottom of the rowboat scraped the bank of the other side, she breathed a sigh of relief and hopped out after Bilbo and Fili. She then helped Balin step out far enough from the water, and Thorin jumped out behind the white haired dwarf.

"Pull it back!" Fili yelled across the river after securing the second rope to one of the rowlocks. Kili, Oin, Gloin, and Dori were the next ones to cross, and before long, nearly all the company was across and safe. All that was left was Bombur and Dwalin, who came last, and had just landed when the sound of hooves galloped toward them. Everyone turned in time to see a deer come flying out of the brush, and leap across the river. An arrow whizzed through the air after it, and it tumbled down on the other riverbank. Kili grinned, excited that he managed to shoot some food that wasn't a disgusting squirrel. Everyone was torn from their thoughts of venison when Bilbo's scared voice tore through the air.

"Bombur fell in!" He cried. Sure enough, the dwarf was knocked off balance as he was getting out of the boat by the deer, and was splashing in the water, drowning. Agarwaen ripped the rope from the trees, and threw it in, hoping that he would be able to grab on. When he did, everyone worked together again to pull him to shore. By that time, he was fast asleep, and there would be no waking him.

"What do we do?" Bofur asked, worried for his brother. "Will he be alright?"

"He's only sleeping. But I don't know for how long." Agarwaen said, earning a sigh from Thorin.

"How long do you estimate? A night? A day? We can't afford to lose any more time."

"More than that. He could be asleep for a week for all I know. This is why I wanted to take the forest road!"

"And what of the marshes at the end of it?"

"It would have been safer than an enchanted river! What if more of us fell in? What if dragging Bombur behind us the whole time means we don't get to the mountain on time?"

"Then we split up, and half of us will head for the mountain while the others stay with Bombur."

"We're not leaving anyone behind. Not in this Iluvitar forsaken forest, not after we're out, not ever."

"Then what do you propose we do?" Thorin asked, frustrated that she was right. She stood up and looked around.

"I might have an idea. But I need some large and sturdy sticks." Dwalin was about to cut some down, when an elven horn sounded in the distance, and more deer ran across the path.