Tauriel and Aza looked out over the town as it began to evacuate. People grabbed at their belongings and tried to file into boats. All of this had come about, Aza thought, because they did not wait for Gandalf. He had told them not to enter the mountain until he was there. But the dwarves did not listen and had unleashed Smaug on this poor river town. Aza leaned against her staff; weary, but still strong enough to walk.
A great roar made its way to their ears; the vibrations caused movement in the air.
Guiding Aza into the house, Tauriel said, "We have no time. We must leave."
Bofur and Fili helped the still weak Kili get up.
"I'm fine, I can walk," Kili complained, shaking them off.
"As fast as you can," Tauriel said.
Aza sat down on a chair, her forehead leaning against her staff.
"We're not leaving," Bain said. Aza looked to him. He was the son of Bard, the man who had helped her friends make their way into the city. "Not without our father."
Tauriel continued to help the younger of the two girls get ready. "If you stay here, your sisters will die." She turned to him, "Is that what your father would want?"
Aza stood, albit a tad shakily, and said, "Trust us."
Fili approached her, "Are you well?"
She nodded, "Just a tad tired. I'll be well soon."
"Alright," his hand was on her back, trying to steady her and led her out of the house. They got in a boat that was waiting bellow the house. "Give me your hand. " He took her hand and gently guided her into the boat.
"Quickly now, hurry," Tauriel urged.
Fili called out to his brother, "Kili, come on!"
Men and women cried in terror as the dragon circled the town.
Tauriel and Bofur moved the boat with their oar like sticks.
The two girls, Sigrid and Tilda, cowered in their seats.
"Be calm," Aza said in a gentle voice. Her eyes looked up, "Aren't the stars pretty?"
Tilda looked up, still shaking, nodded.
It was the wrong moment to look up. Smaug flew quickly overhead.
A few moments later, the town was hit by fire.
"Look out!"
The boat was hit by a man's boat. The boat was carrying tons of gold and valuables. Aza felt disgusted.
The girls began to cry. "We'll never make it!"
Aza stood in the boat.
"Aza!" Tauriel and Fili cried.
"We need to lighten the load!" Aza called and jumped onto a dock. "Keep going."
Fili tried to grab at her, but Aza had already left. Her feet carried her through the town. "Please, give me strength," she asked the meager plants around her.
"Now, how to get a dragon's attention?" Aza asked herself as she ran. Each breath sung her lungs and each step made her feet shoot pain through the rest of her body. She heaved herself up onto a ladder and climbed up to the roof.
Centering herself she let out a cry, "Stop!"
The dragon continued on its course.
"Stop!" Aza shouted at Smaug. She slammed her staff onto the roof, once it hit the wood tiles it let out a green light. It wasn't a jaded light, like one would imagine an evil to be, it was the green of growth and life.
Needless to say it caught Smaug's attention. With a wide and slow move, he turned to face her.
His voice seemed to shake her to the core of her being, "And what do we have here?"
"I am Azriela, apprentice to Gandalf the Grey! And I order you to stop!"
Smaug laughed, "Order?"
Aza, unsure what to do next, improvised, "Yes!"
His terrible face got quite close to her, "You cannot order me! I am pure fire! A child of the earth has no authority over fire!" He let his head back and shot fire into the air. It was almost as bright as the sun, the whole town filled with light.
"Stop it!"
"Remember, child of the earth," his awful mouth pointed at her, "earth can burn!" He shot fire at her.
Aza tried to get out of the way, but she was too slow. She let out a scream of pain as the flames seared the right side of her body. Her hair caught on fire. Tears began to form in her eyes.
Taking a deep breath she backed up and made a running jump at the dragon. She climbed him quickly as one would climb a rock wall.
Smaug let out a laugh of malice.
Aza held on for what seemed like an eternity. But as she held on, she felt something. It was burning hot, but it was something. It was almost like the thing she felt when she searched the earth with her mind, but it was far too hot.
It touched her.
Smaug let out another roar. He flew up and began to fly through the air. All the while, Aza focused on that bit of heat.
"Who are you that would stand against me?" Smaug growled. "Now that is a pity. What will you do now, Bowman? You are forsaken. No help will come. Hmm, is that your child? You cannot save him from the fire. He will burn! Tell me wretch, how now shall you challenge me? You have nothing left, but you death!"
With a terrible roar he charged forth.
Aza let out a cry of surprise as the heat she had been focusing on became hotter.
Smaug roared again, this time not in malice filled glee, but in pain. All of a sudden, something burned in Aza. It was as if the flame that filled Smaug had been transferred to her. She let go of the dragon and fell into the water. She looked up and watched as Smaug flew high into the sky and the n fell back to earth in death.
Aza closed her eyes and allowed herself to sink further into the water's arms.