A Tale of Time

Chapter 16: Rivers to Barges

Chapter 16: Rivers to Barges

Another splash of water threatens her grip of Dwalin's barrel as they fall down another short waterfall. The Orcs are right on their tails. Legolas and Tauriel only manage to hold off so many as the Dwarves are faced with the rest. Though they do not dare and enter the harshly currented river, those armed with a bow do everything they can to try and kill them.

Arrows begin to thud into the sides of the barrels and Gailien barely has a spare moment to watch out for them as she is continuously dunked into the water. Her eyes sting from the constant water pushing against them, her legs floating freely underneath her at the mercy of the current.

Thorin slashes the metal weapon as an Orc attempts to jump onto this barrel. Somehow, Dwalin and Gailien's barrel does not become the victim of the Orc's poor shots. Another Orc tries to jump down onto Balin as the river narrows but Thorin throws his weapon, both killing the Orc and trapping him to a fallen branch. The Orc's weapon drops into Thorin's hands who proceeds to toss it back to Dwalin, then Nori, then Fili who swings it at the feet of another Orc.

The continue with the strong current, falling down a few more short drops. One Orc leaps onto their barrel, on the opposite side to Gailien and she is thrusted around with the new weight which tilts the barrel, her legs even coming out of the water. Dwalin – the only of the two with the ability to do anything – gives the creature a good whack and it falls off with an animalistic cry, its battle-axe left with Dwalin as a reward.

A line of Orcs stands on a fallen tree branch that spans the width of the narrow river. Thorin reaches up, slashing his weapon against the middle of the branch, weakening but not cutting it. Dwalin and Gailien pass through next and Dwalin swings at it with his newly acquired axe and it falls under his efforts, sending the Orcs scrambling into the water.

Dwalin calls out to Bombur, throwing the Dwarf his axe as more Orcs try to land on their barrels. With the axe embedded, Bombur manages to pike himself over a log and back onto solid ground, smashing into another band of Orcs as he does so. Dwalin and Gailien pass Bilbo who clings to a tipped barrel for dear life.

Bombur manages to acquire two weapons, his hands poking through the broken sides of his barrel and fights off a small army of Orcs before jumping into another unoccupied barrel. Legolas, who Gailien hadn't even realised had come out this far suddenly appears, his feet planting on Dwalin and another Dwarf's head. He balances on them, shooting in every direction at their common foe.

He does things in his typical Elvish style, balancing, leaping from the ground and sliding down on an Orc before using the Dwarves as stepping-stones to reach the other side. Gailien watches as he fights with one Orc, another sneaking up behind him. Her mouth opens to scream a warning but Thorin flings his weapon, killing the hidden enemy. She reminds herself to thank him later.

With one last small waterfall, the Orcs seem to have disappeared but soon enough, Gailien's eyes can see them on the banks, still chasing after them. The rapids continue for a while, and they let the current take them but soon it calms down until the surface is flat, only disturbed by them. Gailien kicks as Dwalin uses his hands as a paddle to keep them moving.

"You still alive lass?" Dwalin asks. As an answer, Gailien glares up at him, spitting out the water that has accumulated in her mouth.

"Anything behind us?" Thorin questions.

"Not that I can see," Balin answers. Not trusting his aging sight, Gailien looks around for herself but there is also nothing she can see.

"I think we've outrun the Orcs," Bofur announces, nearly tipping his barrel over.