Chapter 1: Relinquish Hope
The bells were ringing in the distance. The sounds of the streets below and the frightened cries echoed all around them. But there was no time to listen or run outside and help. They had to move and NOW.
Fili had been the one to call everyone together. The look of terror on Dru's face was enough and he'd hurriedly made the children move around the house.
Dru quickly walked to the table and gave Kili a shake.
"Ki, you need to wake up," she even began to pull him before he fully roused, "we need to go now."
He didn't argue in his weakened state but looked around confused. His eyes settled on Tauriel and for a moment, it was as if he was staring at a ghost. Almost like he hadn't believed she was truly here with them before.
"Ki, the dragon," Dru helped him off the table and pushed him farther along, "Focus. Please, we need to hurry."
He shrugged her off and weakly sat down at the chair on the table, still trying to regain his composure.
The children began to panic, grabbing cloaks and items and Sigrid even attempted to grab a grab before Tauriel shook her head and stopped her.
"We must leave, now!"
Dru got Tilda around her back and began to steer her towards her sister and the door.
"Grab only your necessities and yourselves!" She didn't want to rip the doll away from Tilda, but at least she just had a coat on and not a bag of clothes. There was really no time.
"Come on, brother. Let's go."
"I'm fine. I can walk." She turned in time to see Kili shrug off Fili's arm as if he was trying to be a hero. Trying to make himself look big.
"Don't be a stubborn dunderhead and just accept the bloody help!"
Sigrid came over and wrapped another layer on Tilda and Dru began to hurriedly think of anything she needed. She began to check herself over. She had her pouch and her weapons would only weigh her down, as would the armour. She also knew her gloves were...somewhere, but didn't have the heart to go look for them.
Tauriel walked over and made sure everyone had everything.
"Fast as you can." She put comforting hands on Tilda's shoulders just as Bain came over, his face white and etched with worry.
"We're not leaving. Not without our father."
"He'd want you to go, Bain. You MUST," Dru turned to him and reached to touch his arm but he instinctively drew back, his eyes threatening to burst with the tears he was fighting back.
"No!"
Tauriel turned to him and whilst her voice was low and calm, she was taking none of his nonsense. It almost reminded Dru of her mother.
"If you stay here, your sisters will die. Is that what your father would want?"
Bain didn't have an answer for her. He tried to maintain his defiance before his eyes dropped and his head lowered. Dru then was able to touch his arm without him pulling away.
"Come on, lad. Grab what's important and let's go."
She pulled away from him, giving him a moment to regain his composure and moved to the window. The sounds from below where almost muffled by the sounds from above. Loud, swooping sounds, like thousands of Raven's diving in and out of the town.
Closer now. Much closer than before, weaving in and out of sight behind smoke and clouds. He was being slow on purpose. He was tormenting them and bringing terror into their hearts. He knew it and he enjoyed it.
She turned on her heel and made her way to Kili, her arm automatically going around his waist and locking tight before he had a chance to shrug her off.
He glared down at her when she began to move him and she could feel his feet purposefully dragging.
"For," she hissed into his ear so the others couldn't hear them arguing, "Mother will have my head if she knows I didn't look after you."
"Look after yourself, Toad, mother will kill me if you lose so much as a curl!" He tried to fight her off again, but she kept a death grip around him.
"And you be careful, she'll whip my backside into next week if you've so much as got a bruise."
As Tauriel led the way down the stairs and to the boat, she ensured everyone was accounted for and the children were all in.
Kili and Dru were the last to arrive and since she wouldn't have been able to keep him steady in the boat anyway, she carefully released him and made sure he got in first. She quickly looked around and could see other people trying to get their loved ones into boats, some grabbing what animals or precious valuables they had.
As she stepped in, a sudden rush of wind almost knocked her off of her feet. A shadow fell over them quickly and bathed everyone in a sickly dark shadow.
She looked up and saw the shape of the beast soar away. Her breath was momentarily stolen from her at the sheer size and majesty of him. She would have been more impressed had it not been for the terror in her heart.
"Dru," Fili managed to catch her attention and helped her sit down, her arms automatically going around Tilda and Sigrid when she squeezed between them, "let's go."
Bofur and Fili carefully pushed off from the house and began to move along the water, pushing as hard and as fast off the bottom of the lake as they could.
The dragon flew by again and she saw his belly begin to glow. He rounded through the air in the distance and swooped back down. Ready for the attack.
"Hold onto me...Hold onto me and shut your eyes." She gave the girls shoulders a sharp squeeze and didn't look at them, but she could feel them begin to shake and Tilda's sobs reached deep within her. She wanted to shut her eyes to and pretend this wasn't happening, but she couldn't even blink.
She watched in frozen horror as Smaug finally released his fiery breath upon Lake-town. She turned when his path did not meet where they were heading, but he was close.
The fire had spread behind them. People were screaming. She felt the bile rise in her throat when someone threw themselves into the water, desperate to put out the fire that had engulfed them.
He came again. And this time he was much closer. The fire was still behind them, but only a few feet away. Everybody in the boat cowered and screamed. Dru was finally able to turn away leant herself against Tilda, trying to quell both their shaking.
"Hush now," she whispered into her ear, "just don't look. Keep your eyes shut tight, Tilda."
They moved along farther down and Dru tried not to look at the desperation and suffering around her. People had begun to swim, believing the water to be the safest place. But Dru knew that once the flies warmed it enough, it would become unbearable.
Another wave of fire, this time on the other side of them. Dru could feel the heat prickling at her skin and bit down hard on her bottom lip to stop a whimper escaping. She wanted nothing more than to turn to Fili or reach out for Kili, but her hands would not let go of these girls. She'd made a promise.
"Look out!" Bofur yelled so suddenly that when she turned to look at him, her neck made a quick snapping sound that rang in her ears. Suddenly, the boat was violently jostled from the side and she gripped onto Tilda as the girl fell sideways, threatening to fall into the waters below. Luckily, Oin was behind them and helped steady all of them.
Dru turned back and righted herself on the seat, looking for the cause of the collision.
The Master's boat was laden with himself, Alfrid, guards and a lot of gold. So much gold that when the boat had first struck the side, most of it spilt out and over, falling into the waters below.
"My gold, MY GOLD!" He screamed out in horror, his already red face turning crimson with anger.
Dru really wanted to leap up onto his boat and punch him into the waters to join with the gold he was more fond of than human life.
The larger boat began to push and turn there one, threatening to turn it completely over.
"You...Bastards!" Dru managed to scream above the fray, glad that Oin was still there to help support Tilda and Sigrid.
Finally, the Master's boat went by them. She turned around and looked at Fili and Bofur.
"Are you all right?!" She called back and sighed with relief when Fili managed to stand himself back up, give her a shaky nod and continue to push along the bottom.
Smaug continued to fly over, breathing fire and covering any parts that he may have missed. The water was the only safe haven and even that was dangerous, as the Master had just demonstrated.
People ran frantically around them, trying desperately to find a safe passage around them. Their boat was full and Dru could only watch helplessly as they ran back and forth, finding loved ones. Jumping into the water to swim. Or sitting down by the flames and weeping openly as they accepted their fate.
Something seemed to have caught the Dragon's attention. It turned suddenly and darted toward it, another round if it's breath engulfing the town.
They went under a bridge that had yet to be set alight and for a moment, Dru allowed herself to breathe. In the dark, it was comforting not being able to see anything. And then, they left the safe haven and came back into the destruction.
"Da?" Bain's voice was so small she almost didn't hear him, but that one word made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.
She looked at Bain, who was practically leaning out of the boat.
She followed his eyes and saw-
"Bard! It's Bard!" She called out and nodded her head in his direction, alerting everyone else of where he was. At the top of the bell tower, he stood alone. A bow in his hand and his arrows aimed straight at the dragon.
The girls cried out to him, but he did not hear.
"He's trying to kill it himself...with just...those arrows." Dru watched him let another one fly loose as the dragon came nearer and nearer to Bard.
It didn't even seem to notice him, let alone the arrows in which he was firing.
"He hit it! He hit the dragon! He did!" Kili had gotten his energy back and was shouting almost joyously, but Dru just shook her head as Tauriel watched in horror.
"No," the elf said, her eyes momentarily flicking to Kili's.
"He did, he hit his mark! I saw!"
"Ki," Dru was almost lost for words. She didn't know if he was being optimistic or just trying to keep everyone's spirits and hopes alive.
"His arrows cannot pierce its hide," the elf maidens voice was so distraught that even Dru felt hope slip away, "I fear nothing will."
A shiver went down Dru's spine and she remembered something important. Something that could prove Tauriel wrong. She turned back to Bain, her voice urgent as she looked at him.
"Bain, the black arrow your father had, where is it?! Did he hide it somewhere?!"
Bain knew exactly what she was going to ask. He'd already remembered it too. He turned and she followed his gaze as the boat passed along where the Master's statue stood.
Her brow furrowed.
"Bain?" She looked back at him, wondering if he'd hidden the arrow with the master somehow. But he was just staring at it with determined resolution.
"No," He looked back at her briefly with a defiant chin, "but I did."
He looked around and above them, before standing up in the boat so suddenly, that Dru wondered if he was about to jump into the water. Instead, he grabbed hold a low metal hook that was suspended over the waters and lifted his legs in the air.
"BAIN, WAIT!" Dru stood up when she realised what Bain was about to do. She dove forward and barely grasped the edges of his coat before he swung himself out and away. She would have fallen over, had Fili and Bofur not made a grab for him also and caught her just in time.
"Where is he going?!" Bofur looked aghast and tried to stop the boat, but it was already pushing farther and farther away from Bain, who just ran along the dock as soon as his feet touched down.
"He's going after the arrow. He HID the arrow! Oh, Bain...you clever boy." She felt like her heart was breaking as she watched him run amongst the fire as if he were a warrior. He was just a boy after all and whilst she hadn't had a moment to get to know him better like his sisters, she could definitely admit to being impressed by his courage.
When Dru remembered the girls, she turned back and saw Tilda and Sigrid clinging onto one another, both sobbing their hearts out. Dru immediately fell back down to them and pulled them into her arms.
"He'll die! He'll die!" Tilda was sobbing so hard that Dru began to shake with her. But she didn't let go.
"He's going to help your father," she reached up and began to stroke down the little girl's frazzled hair, "If there's a way to get that dragon out of the sky, Bain and your father will do it."
If they had been able to stop the boat, they would have. But with the girls on board, Dru knew that they had to get them to safety. She had a feeling everyone else would have stayed to help, just as she would have done. But there was no going back.
"Who are you that would stand against me?!"
Dru actually gasped and jumped in shock at the voice. She had not heard the creature speak, but over the roaring fires around her and the people screaming he was as clear and as close as if he was right next to her. She'd been afraid before, but this. She couldn't move. She could only listen.
She knew the dragon was looking there. She knew, he was facing him down his opponent now and she only hoped that Bain had reached his father in time.
"Now, that IS a pity."
Her blood froze. What? What was a pity?! What had happened?!
"Da...Bain!" Tilda hadn't stopped sobbing and clung fiercely to Dru as if she were drowning. She could hear everything just as clearly and Dru could not shake herself free of the terror that was gripping at her with every word the beast said.
"It's all right...It's all right," she felt her voice shake though no tears would come.
"What will you do now, Bowman? You are forsaken. No help will come."
His frame was so large, that it could be seen over the rooftops. As he leaned and began a slow crawl forward, his hands pressed down into rooftops and they collapsed under his weight. His tail flicking backwards and forwards and destroying more houses. More structures. More lives. With just, the swiftest flick.
"Is that your child?"
Tilda and Sigrid's sobs descended into whimpers and even though Smaug's voice was resonating all around them, she desperately tried to cover their ears and stop the sound filtering in.
"Shut your eyes, girls," she pulled back far enough to look at them, "please, shut your eyes. Don't look."
She didn't want to see them suffer and didn't know if it would help, but she also didn't want them to see the dragon move closer towards the bell tower.
"You cannot save him from the fire. He will burn."
Dru looked up towards the sky. The clouds and the fire and the smoke were blocking out the sky, but she knew, she could still see the moon and the stars breaking through. She knew they were there.
She felt tears finally spill down her dirtied face.
"Please," she begged to whoever was listening, "Please. Help."
She shut her eyes as the sky disappeared once again and tried to keep Bain and Bard in her mind's eye as she clutched the two girls nearer to her.
"Tell me, wretch. How shall you challenge me? You have nothing left but your death!"
The roar that Smaug let out, caused Dru to open her eyes and gasp. She turned her head once again.
He was now picking up his pace, moving using the burning rooftops below him. Towards the Belltower.
Towards Bain and Bard.
She craned her head around, still trying to keep Sigrid and Tilda from looking and watched in horror as the dragon's body flew to the side and destroyed the bell tower. Whilst she couldn't see it, she did see the splinters and chunks of wood fly out around it. She could not see the top, nor could she see anyone fall. But she couldn't keep her eyes off of the dragon for long.
His body careened and rolled through the houses. She thought it was just his malice intent and insatiable hunger, but then...it wasn't right.
"He hit him. He hit the dragon. LOOK!" She called out to the others, "HE'S BEEN HIT!"
She released the girl's heads and everyone turned to see what she could mean. They saw for themselves the truth.
As they watched his body rise, just above the flames and destruction he had wrought, he gave a noise they had yet to hear: a groan of pain. His body, twisted and contorted as he went, his wings desperately flapping for life. Trying to fight.
He climbed, higher and higher, wanting to escape his pain.
He stopped in the air, his shadowy figure lit now by the light of the moon through the billows of smoke. She could see his mouth, hanging open on a scream that did not seem to escape. Trying to shriek a curse to the sky.
And then he fell.
His wings and his body did not move anymore. He did not brace himself for the impact. He fell, down back into the fire and destruction he had caused. Back into the burning debris and waters of Lake-town.
The ripples and waves came undulating under their boat.
For a moment, nobody talked.
"He got him...HE GOT HIM!" Druili looked between Sigrid and Tilda, "That was your Da...your Da KILLED the dragon."
Tilda and Sigrid did not look any more pleased by this news.
"But where is he? Where is Bain?!" Tilda sobbed again and sought comfort in Dru's arms and whilst Sigrid was looking at her, it was as if she was gazing right through her, into that place in her mind.
"I did not see them fall," Druili wanted to reassure them but hoped that honesty would also help, "the tower fell, but I did not see them fall out. They could have landed in the waters, it was the right angle."
"Dru-" Fili caught her attention and she knew that look. He wanted her to stop. He wanted her to stop giving the girls hope.
"I did NOT see them fall." She shook her will and defiance not against him but against the possibility of their deaths.
As they finally made it out of the burning around them, they come out of Lake-town and the sun had begun to rise.
The people around them were crying, just as Sigrid and Tilda were. She could be no more comfort to them and Oin took her place as she reached out for Kili.
"Ki," she whispered and he turned to her, his eyes tired and his features worn. But he looked relieved.
They reached out and pulled one another into a tight embrace.
How many times would they come so close to death on their journey? How many times would they survive, barely?
Dru did not stop her tears from falling, but she was exhausted. Hungry, exhausted and yet she knew this wasn't the end. They still had their family and friends to find. Inside the Mountain. If they were even alive.
She shut away those thoughts and pulled away, briefly giving Kili a kiss on his cheek. He, in turn, held up his sleeve and wiped away her tears and snot, getting a small smile from his sister.
'You all right?' He mouthed.
She debated this for a second and gave him both a shake of the head but a small smile. He understood. Parting from him, she turned to Oin and gave his hand a brief squeeze.
"Thank you," she whispered to him and as he held onto Sigrid's shoulder with his other arm, merely gave her a small nod.
She caught Tauriel watching her curiously and, for what she thought was maybe the first time, gave her a genuine smile. The Elf merely nodded, though Dru swore she saw a twitch in the corner of her mouth.
Finally, she looked at Bofur and Fili.
"My brave boys," she said as she struggled to her feet and latched onto them awkwardly, her legs almost failing her, "I'm so proud of both of you."
She let go quickly because they were still rowing but managed to sneak in a peck on their cheeks. Bofur looked over the moon and began to row almost happily, though, with the destruction still around them, he managed to rein in his emotions.
Fili, however, stared at her for so long, she almost forgot where they were.
"Fi?"
He looked like he wanted to say something more to her. He leaned forward slightly and she waited.
"There," Tauriel called over her shoulder, "we are near the shore."
Fili blinked a couple of times as if awoken from sleep and smiled at her.
"I'm proud of you, Toad. You would have made a great big sister."
Dru knew he wanted to say something else, but when he turned his gaze away and began to row with earnest, she knew the conversation was over. She'd probably find out what he wanted to say later, without the interruptions.
She turned her attention back to the chaos around her. There were already people on the shore, screaming and calling out. There were not only boats still in the water with them, but people who had grabbed hold of any item that could float them to shore. Those that swam, were trying to drag their cold and tired bodies to land. Some were even dragging the dead with them, unable to leave them in the water.
Dru had to look away when a woman began to scream for her children. She looked back at Tilda and Sigrid. The girls seemed to have run out of tears and were leaning against one another and Oin for support.
Dru sat back down and held out her hand for Tilda. The little girl looked down and Dru thought she might refuse, her expression tired and full of sadness. But she slowly raised her own hand and took Dru's.
She was unable to offer any more words of comfort. She just sat in silence and held onto her, not knowing which one of them was shaking more.
Dru stood on the shore and took it all in. Every one of the people that had escaped alive. Everyone that was searching amongst the dead for their loved ones. And those that sat in silence, contemplating what they had lost.
She didn't know what to do, but she needed to help. She just didn't know how or where.
Tilda and Sigrid had gone on a little ahead, desperately calling and searching for Bain and Bard. Tauriel had asked Dru if she wanted to take them and Dru agreed. She'd meet up with them soon, but she was still trying to stop her brain from whirling with everything. She was exhausted. Hungry. And devastated at the loss of so much.
She heard the sound of the boat moving behind her and turned to find Oin, Fili and Bofur pushing it back off. Kili moved past by towards Tauriel.
"I don't know if we can go back and save anyone else," Dru called out and Fili turned to her, his head shaking in disagreement at her statement.
"We'll join the others at the Mountain." He stated so matter of factly that she blanched.
"But...Fili, we can't. We have to help."
"We have to go," he stopped pushing the boat to step towards her, "there's nothing we can do here."
Dru felt sick all over again, though this time it was caused by him. She flinched away when he reached his hand out to her.
"We can't just leave these people without our help. I promised to protect Tilda and Sigrid-"
"And what of the others?!" Fili barked at her and whilst she tried to flinch away again, he managed to grab her arm and pull her towards him, letting him know how serious he was, "What if they're hurt and they need our help?! They said they'd wait for us there."
For once, Dru didn't have a retort. She stared at him, her lips tight and her jaw clenched. He was right and she desperately wanted to see Thorin and everyone, but it still didn't sit well with her. Fili's grasp around her softened and he took another step towards her, looking down at her with a much calmer but firm gaze.
"Tilda and Sigrid are in no danger now. Please," his hands slipped down and grabbed her own tightly between them, "please just...stay with your family."
She looked at their joined hands and knew what she had to do.
"All right. All right," She nodded, though couldn't bring herself to smile, "just...let me go say goodbye."
Fili nodded and released her hands from his.
She quickly moved by people, trying her hardest not to reach out and ask if there was anything she could do. These weren't her people. She had to keep telling herself that, but it still didn't make it any easier. She finally got to Tilda, still clasping her worn doll in her hands.
"Tilda," she reached out and gently took the girls forearms in her own, "Tilda, make sure you stay with your sister. I have to go-"
"You're leaving?!" Tilda's face broke her heart. She really didn't want to leave her, but she had to.
"I do, Tilda," she caught Sigrid's eye as the elder came over, having heard her loud exclamation, "I wish I could stay with you, BELIEVE ME, I would if I could, but I have to go with my family."
Tilda began to cry again. She shook Dru's hands off of her but instead of turning away, threw her arms around Dru's shoulders instead, sobbing against her. Dru immediately tightened her hold around the girls back.
Sigrid placed one hand on Tilda's shoulders and looked just as upset as her sister at the news. Dru looked at Sigrid, beseechingly.
"I have to know if my Uncle and my friends are all right. If they-" she was unable to finish the sentence, but the fear of the unknown must have shown on her face, for Sigrid nodded at her and carefully began to remove her sister from Dru. Between them, they transferred Tilda into Sigrid's arms.
"We understand," Sigrid gave her a sad smile, "Go. Go to them."
Druili reluctantly let go of Tilda's hand. In such a short time, she'd gone from seeing this little girl as a nuisance to someone whom she cared for deeply. She'd not been lying when she said she would protect them, even at the cost of her own life.
"I'll see you again. I promise. I'll come back." She began to take steps backwards but found she couldn't bear to look at Tilda's heartbroken face anymore. They both could very well have lost their family and now, their friends were leaving them also.
Dru turned away and put her hand up against her burning face, willing the tears back down. She couldn't cry anymore, she was just too tired.
She made her way back to the boat and began to push as well.
"Kili! Come on, we're leaving!" Fili called to their brother just as they got the boat off the shore and into the water. Oin and Bofur held it tight whilst they waited and both Fili and she shared a look when they could still see Kili talking to Tauriel. He moved toward them, but Dru stopped him with her hand on his shoulder.
"Fili, give them a moment, please-"
He turned back to her and shook his head.
"There's no time."
But when they both looked back over, Tauriel and Kili had already been interrupted. Legolas was standing behind his comrade and it seemed, she was ready to leave herself. But when Kili turned away from her, he caught Dru's eye. She raised her eyebrows at him, trying to get a 'say something you dunderhead' message across. But she then saw him reach into his pocket and pull out something, before whirling back around and quickly running to Tauriel.
Fili and Dru both watched as he took Tauriel's hand in his own before pressing a small, black object into her palm and closing her fingers with his other. He brought their hands up between them and Dru thought for one moment, he'd be brave enough to place a kiss against her knuckles.
"Come on," Dru's hand pulled Fili away, "just...get in the bloody boat, he's coming."
Even if it was only for a few seconds, Dru felt they needed to keep some things private from one another. Even if it was a simple look or gesture. Bofur and Oin had already clambered in and with one great heave, Bofur helped Dru in one side, whilst Oin assisted Fili the other side.
Bofur ensured Dru got her water legs before letting go of her hands, smiling down at her.
"Are you all right?" Dru was touched by his concern and reached up to smooth down his moustache.
"Considering we just survived being roasted alive, not drowning OR freezing to death, yes. I think I'm all right, you?"
He laughed and passed her one of the oars.
"Your turn, there are no small children to look after in this boat," he cast a playful glance to Kili as he quickly waded into the water by the side of the boat, "well, not unless you count him."
Knowing he would fight her off if she tried to carry him in, she merely put out an offered hand. He took it without hesitation and carefully hopped up beside her into the boat.
"Thanks," he whispered to her as Bofur passed him another Oar and together, they began to paddle through the water, "I just had some unfinished...business."
Dru just rolled her eyes and looked at him over her shoulder.
"I saw that...if that really was a magic rock, mother will bloody kill you for giving it to an elf."
Kili had to smile.
"Have a heart, sis."
"Not until you wipe that bloody grin off of your face...just because you found your one."
Kili ignored that last bit, choosing instead to stop rowing with the others and take one last look back at the shore. Back at-
"And stop staring at her you git, girls, HATE that!" Dru actually managed a real laugh. Even Bofur chuckled with her, but the merriment was not contagious. Nor did it carry on. The Silence descended and as they moved farther away from the sounds of the people on the shoreline, the churning in Dru's stomach worsened.
They made their way back across the lake, towards the mountain now, hoping beyond hope that their family and friends were ok.