Part 3 of More to The Story. It's about a family that are the key-holders and Gatekeepers between our world/Wizarding World and Middle Earth. Adventure, friendships, and love. Part 3 picks up at the beginning of The Battle of the Five Armies, with equal parts of books and movies with the crossovers. OC's and real characters.
The Company and Gatekeepers are divided. Some of the company remain in Laketown with the younger members of the Gatekeeper family. The parents and grandparents are still missing. The danger of the dragon, orcs, and greed were on everyone's minds. What would become of them? Erébor? The Wizard and Muggle world? Nothing was certain.
I do not own anything from the Hobbit or Harry Potter; only the OC's and their story. All Harry Potter/Hobbit references and characters belong to J.K. Rowling, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Peter Jackson.
Chapter 1
The night was not peaceful. Most of the citizens of Laketown were just beginning to find their beds. Some were still wide awake, drinking their kegs of ale until they were empty, talking about all the things they plan to buy when the company of dwarves settle their debt to them for allowing them to leave Laketown. They did not care if they were fair in their endeavours, as long as they got paid. Others were simply trying to put their lives back together.
The absent bargman's house was in awful condition. Furniture was over turned, food was ruined, kitchen utensils, blankets, and pillows were scattered all over the floor. Holes in the roof, broken windows, and the door barely hung on the hinges. Oin, Bain, and Sigrid worked together putting things back in order. Bofur found a couple candles to light, brightening the room. The younger children sniffled in the corner while Nicole calmed them, even Tilda sought her motherly comfort.
Jordan had insisted on sitting away from everyone once she had been healed. Fili stuck by her side, quietly rubbing circles with his thumb on the back of her hand. Admittedly, she was feeling much better. She only pretended to be weak so she would not have to answer their questions about the Black Speech markings on her back. It would only be a matter of time and she had to be prepared to make her move. If her family or the company discovered her mission, they would try to stop her. The best she could do was keep their attention elsewhere.
Karah was by Kili's side, holding his hand, and stroking his hair with her other. Finally, he was sleeping soundly trying to get his energy back. She could not stop thinking about ways she could have prevented this. She should have told him all those weeks ago he would be in danger. She should have warned him to not take any chances and put himself in harm's way. She should have…
"Stop that!" a firm voice brought her out of her misery.
Nicole stood behind her, holding the hands of her children. She knew exactly what Karah was thinking and would not let her wallow in self-pity. They did not have the time for that. "I know you had a vision about this, but this is not your fault. Whether you would have warned him or not, it still would have happened."
Karah knew her sister was right. If only it would make her feel better. Picking up a cloth, she dabbed the little bit of sweat from his forehead and neck.
Nicole could not keep her small smile to herself. "Are you going to tell him that you love him again when he is more coherent?"
"Yes," Karah was nearly in tears for a whole different reason now.
"Good. That might be sooner rather than later." Nicole's voice dropped to a serious tone. "I need you to watch over René and Gage."
The children began loudly protesting. "No! Mama, take us with you!"
Nicole ignored them for a moment. "The dragon is coming and I want to go back to our grandparents' house. I'm going to put protective charms around it and gather some supplies. Can you watch over the children while I'm gone? Maybe we can even put protective charms on the town. When I return."
"Of course. I'll keep them safe. If something happens, send a patronus."
Kili was slowly waking by the sounds of the children crying and people speaking right next to him. His breathing was even and much stronger. His coloring was finally back to normal. "Fili?" He called out not fully conscious. "Fili?"
A familiar feminine voice asked, "René, can you fetch Fili?"
Kili did not want to open his eyes. He knew he was not home or the forests they had been traveling through, and he did not recognise the soft bed he was laying in. Where was he? He tried to keep calm while he recalled the last thing he remembered: Mirkwood dungeons, the arrow, the bargman, Laketown, the armory, feast, the company left by boat, his brother. Fili! "Fili!" Panic was growing in his voice.
"I'm here!" Fili was at his side. "How do you feel?"
"I think I'm okay. What happened?" Kili asked, rubbing his face with his free hand. The other was being held tenderly. "Where is everyone?"
Fili kept his voice calm as he explained, "the company went on to Erébor. You were not strong enough to travel."
"I remember. When can we join them?"
"I fear we will be leaving before you are fully recovered. The dragon was awakened."
Kili groaned. "What about Karah? And Jordan?"
"Open your eyes, little brother." Fili encouraged.
The younger dwarf did as he was told, wincing from the light of the fire and candles. "Karah!" He leaned up to wrap his free arm around her and pulled her close, resting her head on his chest. He did not realize it was her hand that he had been holding. "You're here! When did you come?"
Karah's voice was muffled by his shirt. "IcantbreathKili!" He let up some, she lifted her head and smiled at him. "We got here not long after the company left without you. We were attacked by orcs on the way. Jordan was hurt bad by the same poison you were. The orcs must have followed us because they attacked us here. Tauriel and Legolas help fight them off, and Tauriel healed you both."
Nicole was so happy to see him doing better, but time was ticking. "Karah?"
Karah sat up straight and nodded to her sister. "Go. I'll take care of them. Here, take my bag to put more things into if you need to."
The children hugged their mother. Gage had to be pulled off of her, and Karah held him securely on her lap.
"Gage, did you properly meet my very special friend, Mr. Kili?" The little boy shook his head, shying away.
"It's nice to meet you, Gage. Is Karah your aunty?" Kili smiled over. "Is that your sister?" Gage only nodded. So Kili spoke directly to her. "What's your name?"
"René. Don't you remember? Aren't you feeling better?" The little girl asked quietly.
"I'm feeling loads better." Kili smiled to reassure her.
Fili was anxiously waiting to see what they should do next. As Thorin's heir, he felt responsible for everyone in the house, including Bard's children since they were related to his One, and even Tauriel. He could not just leave them here while Bard was still missing and Nicole left. He decided that they all would just have to come along to Erébor with them. Thorin would not be upset that Nicole and her children were with him, or Jordan or Karah. And since the other children were related to them, the promise of welcome in the mountain would have to extend to them, especially given their circumstances. But how would they all get them there? "I'm going to check on Jordan."
Kili tried to look for her, "where is Jordan?"
René pointed behind her, "she's sitting on a stool by the fire."
Karah added, "we were going to lay her down next to you. But she refused because her back was all scratched up by a club with poisoned nails. She did not want to disturb you and chose to sit up. I guess that didn't happen since you woke up anyway."
"It's fine. I'd rather be talking with you. I do feel much better." Kili promised as he gently squeezed her hand.
"Kili, I want you to know how sorry I am. I had a vision back in Rivendale about this. I was afraid you would not believe me and I thought I could protect you from it, but it still happened anyway. I'm so sorry!"
"Karah, it's not your fault."
"Yes it is! I should have…"
"Shh…" Kili ceased her rambling. "Had I not gotten hurt, I would have left for the mountain and I may never had seen you again. Or it would have been incredibly difficult to find you later."
"I would have gone to the mountain at some point."
"Well, if you happen to have any more visions, you can always tell me. I will help in any way I can."
The precious moment was broken by the sounds of people screaming and shouting. Footsteps were heavy from running. The monstrous terror was on its way.
If it was even possible to elegantly rush, Tauriel succeeded. With the commotion outside and seeing the she-elf worried was enough to get everyone up and moving. "We must leave. The dragon is heading this way!"
Fili already had Jordan up and standing. Her bag and her warm cloak on her shoulders. Jordan took René's hand, ready to go. Bofur and Fili helped Kili to his feet. Karah had Gage on her hip to carry him.
Bain crossed his arms over his chest. "Our father is out there somewhere and we aren't leaving without him."
Tauriel was not swayed by the boy's argument. She assisted Tilda in fastening her warmest coat. "If you stay, you and your sisters will die. I doubt your father would want that. Get your coat, and anything you wish to bring. We leave immediately."
Bain was prepared to argue until Sigrid stopped him. He knew that she did not want to leave their father behind. Seeing how worried she was and how she tried to gather their essentials, Bain chose to listen to Tauriel.
Jordan and Karah looked at each other, silently nodding, making a plan. Karah set her nephew on the ground and asked Kili to hold onto Gage's hand. Jordan handed René to Fili. Karah asked everyone to stop moving and step back while Jordan set her bottomless bag down in the middle of the room. Together, they waved their wands and summoned all the belongings to fly into the bag. It only took a couple minutes for the house to be completely empty. When they were ready, Fili handed René to Jordan once again, grabbed the bag, and Jordan's other hand.
Oin and Bofur made their way to the boat below the house, making space for the passengers. Everyone carefully stepped onto the rocking boat with their assistance. The rest of Laketown scrambled to evacuate. People called out to their loved ones to hurry. Others shouted and pointed to the sky.
"There he is!" a man shouted in the distance.
"Behind the clouds!" a woman added.
True enough, Smaug's terrifying figure flew in and out of the foggy clouds. His body was dark, the glow of his inner flame only an ember. It was like he was surveying the area. Searching for the best place to begin his destruction. As he made his choice, the ember in his chest was fed with heat and light spread to his whole body.
Everyone in the boat watched the dragon fly around and disappear behind the taller buildings. They tried to pole and paddle their way through the channels to get as far away from the explosion of fire. They could not see where the dragon was, but they could feel the rise in temperature in the air.
Smaug flew back into view, momentarily distracting everyone. They waited to see if the dragon would rain fire down on them, only to crash into another boat that was swiftly trying to flee. It was the Master, Alfrid, and some of the guards, all standing on a massive pile of gold, jewels, and other valuables of precious metals. Instead of helping the citizens he represented, the Master ordered the guards to push everyone else away from them, kill them if they had to, in order to save himself and the town's wealth.
"Hurry! Paddle faster! Save my gold!" the master yelled, stamping his foot like a child.
Tauriel could not hold back the look of disgust and disbelief at the greed of the Master. When the guard closets to them used his pole to push away their small boat, she used her strongest blade, and slashed the flimsy wood in half. Her victory did not last long as the large boat sailed on without a backwards glance. Not wanting to flow them, she guided them through smaller empty passageways. She had no way of knowing if they were going in the right direction, until Bain pointed the best route.
The town was crumbling in the flam to ash. It was tricky, but they were stealthy and careful. They could still hear screaming, explosions, and the fury of the dragon's flame. How they managed to keep away from it, they had no idea. Before long, they were in the center of town, near the main hall and the ugly statue of the master. There was not much left. Flames crackled around them. Smoke and steam clouded their vision. Most people had fled the area, and the ones that remained had already left this life.
Karah, Jordan, and Sigrid tried their best to shield the children's eyes from the gruesome sight. The adults would learn to deal with the trauma, but if they could preserve the innocence of the little ones, they would. Fili, Kili, Oin, and Bofur did they best they could to keep the boat moving forward with the directions from Tauriel and Bain. It would not be long until they were out of the town's coverage and into the open water heading for the shore.
Bain's inner battle continued to wage war on him. He did not know what to do! He looked at Sigrid, who was holding strong all the while unsure herself. His sisters needed him, but he could help his father stop this madness. He happened to see movement behind her, of a man running on rooftops of the burning village. "Da!"
Everyone looked to the direction that he was pointing. Bard was free, carrying a bow and quiver of arrows. He was heading for the bell tower, which was the only remaining tall building. He climbed to the top, notched an arrow in the string, pulled back, and released.
Kili's keen eyes and sound ears picked up the 'ping' sound the arrow made when it made contact with the strong dragon's scales. "Bard hit his mark! I saw it!"
"No mere hunting arrow is strong enough to pierce the hide of a dragon." Tauriel responded with fear in her voice.
Bain was so happy to see his father alive. He wanted to go to him, help him kill the dragon. He continued to call out to him for him to wait. Only he was not heard over the sounds of the hurricane winds of the dragon's wings. Looking around, he calculated how to get off the boat, when his eyes fell onto the statue, and the boat that was still tied to the dock at its feet.
Hope came alive inside him! The boat he rode in continued to flow away from the direction he needed. Overhead was a hook that is used to load large cargo onto bigger vessels. He grabbed it and swung his body to the dock. He could hear his sisters, cousins, and the dwarves calling him to come back. He would not be swayed. As fast as he could, he ran to the boat and uncovered the item he sought, the Black Arrow.
Jordan watched in horror as her young cousin disappeared from view. Tilda and Sigrid were becoming hysterical. René and Gage were inconsolable. Hearing Tauriel tell the dwarves to keep paddling made Jordan's heart stop. It was too dangerous for all of them to stay behind. The children had to come first. That included Bain. She could not leave him behind. Fili still carried her bag, so she pulled it around to his front, opened it, and summoned her broom.
Fili had an idea what Jordan was about to do, but he asked anyway, "what are you doing?"
She knew he was not going to like her answer, I'm going after him. Please help watch over the rest of my family. She cupped his face in her hands, touched her forehead to his, and kissed his chapped lips. When she ended it, his eyes pleaded her not to go, so she kissed him again for good measure.
Karah did not notice what was going on next to her until Gage tried to crawl out her arms. "Where are you going?" She asked her cousin.
I'll meet you on shore. Take care! Jordan signed. She mounted the broom, then kicked off the side and flew into the air.
"No! Jordan! Come back!" Karah shouted as she disappeared into the fog and clouds.
"Aunt Dan!" Gage's little voice echoed.
Tauriel was sad to watch the witch leave, and it was hard to continue to move forward. She trusted Jordan's choice. Tauriel had a duty to help protect those who could not protect themselves. She held firm to her choice to keep moving away from the burning town.
Fili was outraged! He wanted to go to his One, but there was no way to find her now. 'Why did Jordan continue to put herself in danger like this? Why does she always leave him?' he thought to himself. He would do what she asked, since they eventually would be all one family. That was the only thing that was keeping him from outwardly acting upon his anger and leaving the boat to go after her. He vowed that when he had the chance, he was going to either chain her leg to his, or lock her in their shared chamber. That way he always knew where she was and safe, or at his side with his protection. Somehow, he did not think she would react very well to this idea.
Kili did the best he could to calm his brother. He knew that Fili was hurt and angry. He would be too if he was in his brother's place. It made him feel helpless seeing Karah in such a state of panic. He did what he could to try to keep her and the children calm. The other dwarves understood his message to keep going, urging Tauriel to keep them on the right direction. If they made it out alive, he knew someone, or someones, were in for a long tongue lashing.