Kali did not know how long they'd been gently sailing along, but it was dark out. Light from the full moon was trying desperately to break through the thick fog that had settled over the lake. Since she'd sat down the pain in her leg had worsened and a bone-chilling cold had settled in. It didn't help that her jacket had been lost with her weapons, just as the other's outer-layers had been.

 Bofur yelped out when a rock formations appeared from the fog, "Watch out!" Bard (as Kali and Bilbo had learned his name was) gently steered away from it. Kali watched it move past, slowly, and realized it was not a rock but a crumbled pillar. We're in the ruins of something.

 Thorin hopped down from the front of the barge and glared at Bard, "What are you trying to do, drown us?"

 "I was born and bred on these waters, Master Dwarf," Bard kept his eyes on the waters ahead, "If I wanted to drown you, I would not do it here."

 Kali sniggered quietly to herself and Bard gave her a quick and small lopsided smirk. She closed her eyes and sighed, drifting to sleep when Dwalin groaned, "Oh I have enough of this lippy lakeman. I say we throw him over the side and be done with him."

 "If you throw him overboard you will have to deal with me as a result Dwalin," Kali answered lowly, without opening her eyes, "I may have a lame leg but that does not incapacitate my archery skills."

 "You've no bow, or arrows," Dwalin grinned maliciously. 

 "Bard has a bow," she told him, sighing yet again, "and more than enough arrows to be rid of the likes of you."

 Bofur held out his arm to stop Dwalin from advancing. Thorin glared at Kali, "What did you call the man?"

 Bilbo groaned, "Ohh, Bard. His name's Bard."

 "How do you know?" Bofur took a moment from speaking with Dwalin to look at the two nearest to the driver.

 Kali's reaction was dripping with sarcasm, "Uhh, we asked him."

 Dwalin stepped away from Bofur and whispered at Thorin, "I don't care what he calls himself, I don't like him."

 Kali drowned out the dwarves and looked up at Bard, "Is it not a bother that they think so ill of you, even after you've agreed to help their grumbly arses?"

 Bard chuckled and leaned, going around yet another large ruin, "Only bothersome a little bit, Mistress Dwarf. Nothing to worry about, though."

 "You're taking time to help them," Kali closed her eyes again, hoping that it would ease the internal cold, "They could show some appreciation..."

 Bard gave a sidelong look at her and Bilbo shook his head, "She speaks from experience."

"Experience?"

 "Miss Silverarm has taken an arrow for Thorin's nephew," Bilbo explained, looking at the water, "And almost died several other times protecting those dwarves and they've never shown any appreciation that I've seen. Only Fili and Kili, really."

 "Silverarm?" Bard questioned, "That is the dwarrowdam's name?" Bilbo nodded, becoming a little worried at Bard's tense voice, "I knew a Silverarm once... Her name?"

"Kali's name?"

 He nodded a little, "I heard she wandered these parts long ago," Bard stepped away from the steering lever, "I believed the family name to be dead," the last part came out in a whisper to himself as he neared the others. Bilbo coughed and all eyes were on Bard, "The money, quick, give it to me."

 Thorin scowled, "We'll pay you when we get our provisions, not before."

 "If you value your freedom, you'll do as I say," Bard whispered, "There are guards ahead."

"What should we do?" Kali struggled to her feet and leaned against the railing, "Bard?"

"Into the barrels," he demanded, and added when none of the dwarves moved, "Do it, now!"

"Are you crazy?" Dwalin snapped, "They'll find us in them!"

"They'll find us even quicker if we're out in the open!" Kali couldn't find a way to get into her barrel, but all the same she was prepared to hide in one.

The dwarves began moving, very slowly, at Kali's snappy words and soon most of them were hidden (some getting help from Bard or other dwarves). Bilbo was watching Kali struggle, "Are you sure you wouldn't just want to hide in plain sight? Perhaps Bard could lie and say he found you wounded from an orc attack."

"I am not wounded, Bilbo," Kali failed yet again at hiding, "I am just as able as the others. Now... this will hurt my pride greatly but could you help me get into this damn barrel?"

Bilbo looked over her, worried. Perhaps it was just the moonlight but he noticed Kali's complexion was pale, too pale, really. There were shadows around her eyes and sweat on her forehead, though before she'd just been shivering, "Of course I'll help you."

He stooped and hooked his fingers together, allowing Kali to step in his hands. Bilbo gave her a hoist and she dropped into the barrel, groaning when her weight fell on her bad leg, "Kali?" Bilbo called, "Are you alright?"

"Perfectly fine, Bilbo. Now get hidden."

Bilbo looked around and noticed he and Bard were the only two visible beings, and the guard post was nearing quickly, "Erm... Bard?" Without a word Bard stepped over and lifted Bilbo up as easily as if he'd been a bag of flour, dropping him into the last barrel,"Thank you," Bilbo muttered from his hiding spot.

*

The barge has been stopped. Kali could only sit and listen to the others, "Shh," Dwalin hissed, "What's he doing?"

 "He's talking to someone," Bilbo replied, "And he's... pointing right at us!" there were some hisses and curses from the dwarves and Bilbo added on, "Now they're shaking hands."

 Thorin's barrel jolted a bit, "What?"

 "That villain!" Dwalin growled, "He's selling us out!"

 "He would do no such thing!" Kali had to use all her energy to keep her voice even and low, "Bard is a good man." from what I've seen, anyway.

 There was a long, quiet pause in the air when there were heavy footsteps on the barge, and suddenly dead fish was poured into each of the barrels. Kali shuddered and had to refrain from squealing in disgust. She hated fish. From the sounds of it, her barrel wasn't the only one being filled, either.

 The footsteps left and the barge moved forward a little. Dwalin groaned, "Oh god."

 Bard kicked the barrel to his right, "Quiet! We're approaching the toll gate." he rolled his eyes and had to kick the barrel to his left as well, "No snickering, Miss Silverarm."

 "Halt!" the guard demanded, and the barge stopped moving, "Goods inspection. Papers please... Oh, it's you, Bard!"

"Morning, Percy," Bard smiled.

 "Anything to declare?" Percy asked, holding his hand out for the papers from Bard. 

 Bard shook his head a little, "Nothing, but that I am cold and tired and ready for home." he held a small stack of papers out for Percy to take.

 "You and me both," Percy stepped back into his office to look over Bard's papers. Bard was left to himself, looking around warily. Percy stamped something onto the papers and stepped back out, "Here we are. all in order."

 Bard reached out for the papers but they were snatched from Percy by another. He was a short, greasy man in all black. A singular, bushy eyebrow graced his sleazy little face, "Not so fast," he pulled the papers close to his face, "'Consignment of empty barrels from the Woodland Realm.'. Only, they're not empty, are they Bard?"

 The papers were thrown, fluttering away in the wind and the dwarves held their breath when several sets of footsteps thumped on the deck, "If I recall correctly, you're licensed as a bargeman, not a fisherman."

 "That's none of your business," those in the barrels closest to him noticed Bard's voice was very uneasy and it gave the aire that the plan was going to go downhill very fast.

 "Wrong," the man pulled a fish from the top of a barrel, "It's the Master's business, which makes it my business."

 "Oh come on, Alfrid, have a heart." Bard groaned, throwing up his hands a little, "People need to eat!"

If they eat fish twenty-four-seven I feel bad for the poor souls, Kali shuddered at the thought as Alfrid's horribly-accented voice rang out, "These fish are illegal." he threw his fish into the water, "Empty the barrels over the side."

 A new voice rang out, belonging to the captain of the guards that were lingering behind Alfrid, "You heard him. Into the canal. Come on, get a move on!"

  Kali inhaled sharply and braced her hands and feet against her barrel when it began tipping. She began internally panicking. They're going to find us! Angry men are either going to get killed by angry dwarves or angry dwarves are going to get killed by angry men, either way we're doomed and I'll die as an insult to dwarves everywhere. I'm half elf, I'm going to die thinking I'm a... disgrace... Why do I think that? I am not a disgrace. I've never thought that before... 

 The plop, plop, plop of dead fish in water mixed with a heated argument pulled her from her epiphany for at least a brief moment, "Folk in this town are struggling, Times are hard, food is scarce."

 "That's not my problem," Alfrid argued calmly.

 "And when the people hear the Master is dumping fish back in the lake, when the rioting starts, will it be your problem then?" Bard asked angrily. 

 Alfrid's voice growled out one word after an eternity of silence, "Stop!" Kali refrained from cheering when her barrel stopped leaning. It was set back on it's base, "Ever the people's champion, eh, Bard? Protector of the common folk? You might have their favor now, bargeman, but it won't last."

 Percy broke his silence, "Raise the gate!"

 The creaking and groaning of the metal gears and wood gate was music to Kali's ears. We're on the move, she smiled a little, The sooner we dock the sooner I can get away from this damn fish. Alfrid's angry voice echoed through the still air, "The Master has his eye on you; you'd do well to remember. We know where you live!"

 Bard replied to this threat in a cool tone as he poled his barge through the gates, "It's a small town, Alfrid; everyone knows where everyone lives."