Chp. 47 To the master of the Lake
"…Also, you could proceed first as Gandalf was captured by the enemy's master. Worry not, the other Guardians of Middle-Earth will save him but the wizard was too late to save the Dwarf King Thrain from the grip of the enemy…" Balin stopped as he read this part as his eyes widened along with the others.
"Father? What does the letter say about my father?!" Thorin urged Balin to read.
"His late Majesty Thrain, had passed in the hands of the enemy… who has returned, along with him the last of the seven dwarven rings are now gone. He who was the enemy of all of life in middle earth has been regaining his strength in Dol Guldur, his army is now on its way to the lonely mountain. So make haste with your search for the door, find it before the last light is gone… The Iron Lord of Ettenmoors. P.S. bring this letter with you Thorin." Balin read the last part but Thorin was kneeling with tears along with the other dwarves who fought with the former king.
"W-what enemy of all life in middle-earth? Who was the letter talking about?" Bilbo asked as he noticed these words. The older dwarves looked at each other as they felt fear for a moment.
"There is only one enemy of all Master Baggins and he is not very fond of us at all." Balin said worriedly as he gave the letter to Thorin.
"I see, Azog and the orc packs, Moria as well. He was behind all of these…" Thorin was in grief hearing his father still alive but was in the hands of the enemy all along. "…how much my father must have suffered…"
"…a hundred and seventy years, a hundred and seventy years of suffering and we did not even try to find my father…" Thorin's hands trembled as he said this, while Balin clenched his fist then Dwalin punched the boulder nearby in anger.
"I swear, once we reclaim Erebor I will call upon the Seven Dwarf armies and destroy everything this evil has brought upon this very lands! This grudge shall be written in blood and they will pay ten-folds the price they took from us!!" Thorin said in anger as his obsession of the Arkenstone has diminished.
"Thorin…" Dwalin came to their grieving prince and placed his hands on his shoulder. "…Let us go and reclaim our homeland, as well as pray Gandalf is safe once the other Guardians of Middle Earth come to his rescue…"
"Gandalf, will he really be alright?" Bilbo asked worriedly while the other dwarves looked at Thorin.
"The Wizard is stronger than you think Master Baggins, he might not have expected my father to be still alive too. They were close friends both of them, if he was not able to save my father then the enemy has regained much of his strength." Thorin said as he stood up and composed himself.
"Let us go, once we reclaim Erebor then we can call upon the wrath of the Durin's folk and show him…show Sauron how long Dwarves will hold grudges at heart!" Thorin then led his company to find the hidden entrance.
In actuality, Gandalf is still trying to lift the spell of cloaking within the ruins of Dol Guldur. Paul had seen the reaction of the dwarves and maybe he should at least be kind enough to save the crazed Thrain. Maybe with his powers he could erase the influence of Sauron inside the mind of the broken king.
Looking up he saw how Kili is getting worse by the minute and that the pack of orcs were now close to the Lake town. Paul felt that maybe it was time to show himself to the family of four.
Standing up and taking the large bag with him he flew up slowly and made a water bubble to par the waters since the townsfolk of Laketown also shits in the water.
But Paul paused a bit seeing the Master of Lake Town scheme to arrest Bard without any evidence at all. Paul shook his head as he continued floating up and arrived in front of Bard's home while giving Tauriel and Legolas a boost with two horses arriving to become their steeds.
The two elves were shocked at the eagerness of the horses and looked at the saddles with a sigil on the side. Legolas looked at Tauriel and they didn't hesitate to ride the horses then head to Esgaroth.
Paul now stood in front of the Bard's door and knocked while wearing his usual heavy armor as well as large sword in his back that made the other people watching Bard's home scared as they did not know where this man came from.
"Who is it?" a little girl opened the door but was stunned as she saw the tall man in heavy armor standing in their doorway.
"Is your father around dear?" Paul smiled like a gentle grandfather as he looked at the youngest of Bard's children.
"Da? There is a tall scary man here in the door!" the youngest said while turning around and running towards Bard who has appeared looking alert towards Paul.
"What business do you have here?! Were you sent by the master?" Bard guardedly placed his children behind him as he looked at the tall man.
"Iron Lord?" Bofur's voice sounded making the other dwarves look in the door where Paul was already entering. Taking the bag with him he placed it in the table and took out the wooden box where the sword he made is stored.
"It seems that our young dwarf here is in need of elvish medicine by the state of things. Don't worry young one, the Elven beauty is on her way to save you." Paul chuckled as he thought of the face of Thranduil making him match Kili and Tauriel together.
"Iron Lord, I thought you were still busy?" Fili said as he looked at Paul taking out swords and axes in the bag while throwing a set of knives to Fili making him raise his brows.
"I was, but it seems I am needed. I rode ahead on my steed and arrived here just now. My forces are on their way but what is important is for all of you to arm yourselves as an Orc pack led by Bolg is hunting you and they are already near Lake Town." Paul said as he handed Oin, Bofur and Fili weapons.
"You Girions descendant, you must warn everybody that the awakening of the dragon is inevitable. I can handle the dragon but many will die if they stay here." Paul then went to the spice rack and pulled the black arrow hidden there.
"A black arrow!" Bain the son of Bard said looking incredulously to his father.
"We had a black arrow all along?" Bain looked at Bard whose eyes were drawn to the wooden box as if something calls for him. He walked ahead and reached out to the box as the voice urged him closer.
"Da?" the older girl saw her father's strange behavior as she hugged her younger sister that was looking at Paul in awe. Paul on the other hand was looking at Bard who was now opening the box and was going to flip open the leather that covered the sword.
"That is Dragon's bane, made from the very arrows your father shot to Smaug and the fires that burned the souls of Dale. I made it for you Bard, I even used the scale your ancestor loosened as the scabbard for the sword. This Black arrow is your payment to me." Paul said as Bard paused as he looked at Paul then to the sword.
Taking a deep breath he lifted the leather and was greeted with a black long sword with fiery red veins on it's body as well as the handle where a red gem was placed glowing like dragon flames. Bard reached out his hand but was suddenly pricked making him flinch a little seeing his blood drop on the sword.
But what happened next made him and the dwarves watching nearby awe as the sword took the drop of blood and started to change into a normal steel long sword. But the red ruby is still on the pommel.
"W-what just happened?" Bard asked confusedly.
"What happened is, the sword now can only be used by you or those of your bloodline. Your blood is the oath it had taken to protect and shall be with you family for generations to come. Here put these on, I found this on you ancestor's quarters and they seem to be your size." Paul then took out the armor set similar to what the lord of Dale sued to wear.
"You said I must urge the people to leave, where will I bring them then? There is nowhere to go from here." Bard asked as he realized Paul was someone of great status since the dwarves seem respectful of him.
"To Dale, of course. I already cleaned up the place in the inside. But first you must bring you family outside Lake Town and hide before the firestorm subsides." Paul then took out simple foot soldier armor for Bain and giving him a short sword as well.
"You know how to hold a sword kid?" Paul asked the teen.
"Da taught me." Bain looked at his father who was testing the sword while Bofur wanted to look closer to the magical sword.
"Then always remember, to stick them with the pointy end." Paul said as he also gave cloaks to the young girls.
"Arghh!" Kili groaned in pain making the others look at the wounded dwarf realizing he is still not well.
"Well just in time." Paul looked to the door as Tauriel suddenly went in looking around. "Bofur, go look for a weed called Kingsfoil. Three houses west from here they are feeding some to the pigs, it'll help Kili greatly."
"Weed, Pigs, west, medicine, got it!" Bofur said after taking a short sword with him to go get this weed while Legolas and Tauriel went inside the house. They were surprisingly able to go in unhindered since they were elves of the woodland realm.
The master would not offend those that give him trade and money so the guards let them ride inside while the horse led the elves here. As they went in they were surprised at the presence of another person tall and heavily armored.
"Prince Legolas, son of Thranduil. It seems you cannot leave your friend behind after all since you came here with her." Paul did not mind Tauriel ignoring him as she went to Kili's side.
"To whom do I owe the pleasure of meeting?" the elven prince was alert around Paul.
"I am the Iron Lord of Ettenmoors, Troll catcher, Adventurer, Horse Master, Dragon Tamer and Skin changer. You've probably met some of my friends when they brought you here, you can have those two but please take care of them for me." Paul smiled as Legolas was stunned that the man in front of him was the one that sent the two strong horses their way.
"It seems you are as what you legend says about you Iron Lord, tales of you feats fighting a troll barehanded has reached our ears." Legolas said while Bard turned towards Paul and asked.
"Skin-changer?" Bard had heard of this term before.
"Ah, how silly of me. Prince Legolas meet Bard, descendant of Girion Lord of Dale. Bard meet Legolas Greenleaf, prince of the Woodland realms, son of King Thranduil." Paul then looked over to the horizon and said.
"It seems Thorin has found the entrance…" making Fili and Oin look over.
"I found it!!" Bofur came running in with Kingsfoil making Tauriel take it from his arms surprising him as she went back to start healing Kili.
"Here, I made this too but this has no magical features in it." Paul then gave Bard a recurve Bow made with excellent materials. There was also a quiver of arrows making Bard and Legolas want to inspect the make of the arrow tips.
"Why have you come here Iron Lord?" Bard asked as he was curious.
"Well, like my title said. I am a dragon tamer." Paul walked outside and look at the guards going towards Bard's home. Paul then looked down and saw his dragon was resurfacing as the water parted showing a large head.
"AHH!!!! DRAGON!!!" people around screamed and panicked as soon as Paul's ride appeared while the guards stopped in their tracks as they stood still in fear.
"Fili, gear yourself. We'll have a good talk with the Master of this town, Lord Bard, prince Legolas would you like to go on a ride with me on my steed?" Paul said as he stepped forward as the dragon leveled his head to catch him.
"Y-you rode this? A dragon?" Bain was slack jawed as he asked this while the two girls were stunned silent.
"Y-y-y-you want me to come with you? On that?" Fili looked nervous as he looked at the dragon.
"Don't worry, he doesn't bite…much." Paul said as Bard and Legolas stood on top of the dragon's back. Fili looked back as also took a pair of short swords with him.
"Now let's go to the Master of the Lake."