As the situation outside the gates of Erebor worsened, Marie and the children were safe inside the walls of Dale, oblivious to the approaching danger. To occupy their minds, they and a few other Laketowners had decided to wander through the city and familiarize themselves more with their new home; the only other option would be to think about Bard and the negotiations with the Dwarves, and if they did that they would drive themselves insane with worry.

"Marie?" Tilda suddenly asked. "Can I ask you a question?"

The young woman turned her attention to Bard's daughter, who was staring up at her with wide eyes. "What is it?" Marie replied.

Tilda glanced at the dusty buildings around her, then turned her attention back to Marie. "Are there ghosts here?" she whispered.

Marie hesitated, trying to decide how to answer that. "None that can hurt you," she finally replied. She smiled and ruffled up Tilda's hair. "Don't be scared."

But Tilda's chin just jutted up in defiance. "I'm not," she declared, even though her voice quavered a little at the end. She reached out and took Marie's hand. "Da says that Ma is still with us. Does that mean she's a ghost?"

Oh dear...

Before this week, Marie hadn't really had much experience with children. She didn't know what to say in this situation, not sure how much she was supposed to tell Tilda... so, she decided to go with the truth, or at least a cushioned version of it. "I don't know, Tilda," she replied. "But I think your mother's looking out for you, wherever she is now."

Tilda nodded, as if that answer was acceptable. "Ma would have liked you," she declared. "She'd be happy that you're with Da."

Marie smiled. "I'm glad," she said. But then she realized what Tilda had said, and she gave her a look. "What do you mean, I'm with your Da?"

"Nothing!" Bain exclaimed quickly. Marie turned around to where Sigrid and Bain were walking behind them. "She just means she's glad that you're friends with Da."

Tilda frowned. "No, I wasn't," she stated. "You like Da, don't you, Marie?"

Marie hesitated, taken aback. "Well, I-" she started.

"What's that?" Tilda suddenly interrupted.

Sigrid frowned in concern. "What's what?" she asked. "Tilda, we already told you there aren't any ghosts-"

"No, over there!" Tilda exclaimed, pointing in the direction of Erebor.

The three of them turned and followed her gaze. To their surprise, Tilda hadn't been making things up; there was a black shadow making its way towards the city, emerging from the foothills from the Lonely Mountain. It took Marie a second to realize that it wasn't a shadow; no, it was an army of Orcs.

Marie's eyes widened in horror. For a moment she was a scared girl of sixteen again, and she had just been told that her parents had been killed in an Orc raid. This was the first time that she had ever seen an Orc, and they were more horrible than she had ever imagined. Just the sight of them was enough to petrify her, to freeze her in place.

But then she glanced at the three children standing beside her, and the handful of other Laketowners who had come with them. From the look in their eyes, they were just as terrified as she was. Last week, the sight of them would have made her even more scared; but now it reminded her that she had a responsibility to them, to keep them alive. And that was enough for her to put them first.

"RUN!" Marie shouted. "Back to the town!"

Instantly, they all started running back the way they had came, taking off as fast as they could away from the rapidly approaching Orc army. Tilda was being pulled along by Marie, and Sigrid and Bain were right behind them.

And then a troll rammed into the city wall, head first.

Without even an ounce of resistance, the wall fell, and the Orcs flooded into Dale.

000

When Bard rode into Dale on his white stallion, he was greeted by fleeing Laketowners, all of them trying to get far away from where the city wall had collapsed and the Orcs had spilled into the streets. He could sense the tension in the air, the panic. It pained him to see them like this; it told him that he had failed them, failed to keep them safe.

But it didn't pain him as much as it should have, because his mind was only on one thing: his family.

"My children!" he shouted at the passing crowd. "Marie! Where are they?!"

One of the women passing by reached out and grabbed his arm. "I saw them," she said. "They were down in the old market."

Bard frowned. "The market?!" he exclaimed. "Where are they now?!" He turned to the crowd again, searching anxiously. "Tilda! Marie!"

Suddenly, before the woman could reply, Percy came running up to them. "Bard, Orcs are storming over the causeway!" he told him urgently.

Bard scowled in determination. "Get the bowmen to the eastern parapet," he instructed. "Hold them off as long as you can!"

Percy nodded. "Archers, this way!" he ordered. He and a handful of Lakemen with bows ran off towards the eastern parapet.

When Bard turned around to continue his conversation with the woman, she was gone, already pulled along with the crowd.

"The Orcs have taken Stone Street!" a man shouted as he ran by. "The market's overrun!"

The market... That was where his family was.

Bard turned to the remaining soldiers, his gaze wild in panic. "The rest of you, follow me!" he ordered, his voice managing to still sound authoritative even though he was shaking inside. Without another word, he ran off towards the market, followed by an army of Lakemen.

000

It hadn't taken long for Marie and the children to get separated from the other Laketowners who had been with them, and now they were running through the old streets, trying to avoid the Orcs. "Quickly, through here!" Marie shouted. As she ran, she couldn't help but remember that first night so long ago, when she and Bard had ran through the streets of Laketown, fleeing from Braga and his guards. But now the stakes were higher, and one misstep would kill them.

She pulled Tilda into a nearby building, and Sigrid and Bain followed her. As soon as the four of them were safely inside, Marie and Bain slammed the door shut behind them and bolted it closed with a metal bar.

"Will we be safe in here?" Sigrid whispered.

Marie glanced at the door. "I don't know," she replied. "We'll stay in here until it's clear outside." She looked out the window and frowned. "I just hope your da's okay."

Tilda reached out and took Marie's hand. "It'll be okay, Marie," she stated, without any hesitation whatsoever. "Da will find us. He'll know we're here."

Marie had to admire Tilda's confidence in Bard, but she herself couldn't imagine how Bard would be able to find them if he was fighting by Erebor.

"Where are we?" Bain asked quietly.

Sigrid frowned. "I lost track," she admitted.

Marie grimaced. "We're somewhere in the old marketplace," she answered. She had a bad feeling that nobody knew where they were, but she didn't want to worry the children, so she remained silent.

As if responding to her thoughts, there was a sudden shout from outside, and then the clashing of swords. Marie and the children ran to the window to see that a large group of Lakemen had arrived. They met the Orc army head on, and within a few moments they were deep in battle.

"Yes!" Bain exclaimed.

Marie was instantly scanning the army of Laketowners for Bard, but there were too many people for her to see properly. Her stomach churned in anxiety. Of course, just because she couldn't see him didn't mean that something was wrong, but Marie wouldn't be at ease until she knew for sure that he was still alive.

Suddenly there was a loud crash. The next moment, the door to the building flew open, and an Orc stormed in, brandishing a deadly club and roaring angrily. Once again, Marie was frozen in place, terrified by the sight of the Orc's misshapen body and the evil sneer on his face, but then Tilda let out a high pitched scream. That was enough to clear Marie's mind; her eyes went to the metal bolt bar that had been previously across the door, now laying on the ground only a few feet away from her. She glanced up at the Orc, who was still sneering at them but hadn't moved, and then back to the bar.

She lunged forward.

Before the Orc could even react, her hand closed around the bar, and she swung it at his head as hard as she could. There was something that sounded like a crack, and then the Orc fell to the ground, unconscious.

The four of them stood there in silence for a second, staring in shock at the unconscious Orc in front of them and the metal bar in Marie's hand. But then Marie's eyes hardened. "Let's go!" she shouted. Sigrid grabbed Tilda's hand, and they and Bain hurried out of the building. Marie took one last glance at the Orc that she had knocked out, then turned and ran out after them.

000

Meanwhile, Alfrid was running through the streets at the head of a group of Laketowners, waving a sword in the air as they neared a group of Orcs. "Charge! Onward! TO THE DEATH!" he yelled.

But apparently the strain was too much for him, because he paused for a moment, catching his breath. He remained there for a few seconds as the group ran past him, and then he took a suspicious glance around. When he was certain that nobody was looking, he slipped off into an alleyway.

The Master would have been proud.

000

"Sigrid! Tilda!"

Marie, who had been in the front of the group, whirled around to see that two Orcs had sneaked up behind them, right behind Sigrid and Tilda. The two girls screamed, but before the Orcs could do anything, Bain let out a cry and stabbed the first Orc with a sword. It fell to the ground, dead. But then the second Orc knocked Bain to the ground and swung at the boy with his own sword, but it got caught on the wall overhead. Bain used his chance and stabbed the Orc, killing that one as well.

"... where did you get a sword from?" Marie demanded.

Bain grinned sheepishly. "Da gave it to me," he admitted.

Before anybody could reply, there was a shout from up the street, and they whirled around to see a group of Laketowners fighting uphill from them. Marie's eyes instantly locked onto Bard's form, smack in the middle of the battle.

"DA!" Sigrid shouted.

"Da! We're down here!" Tilda exclaimed.

"Here!" Bain added.

"BARD!" Marie called.

The Bowman turned around at the sound of his name, and his eyes locked on them. His gaze, still ferocious from fighting, softened when he saw them there, and he smiled, his relief shining through his eyes. But then his expression turned alarmed as his gaze fixed on something behind them. "BEHIND YOU!" he shouted.

Marie whirled around to see that a giant troll had entered the lane behind them. As she watched, the troll swung his large mace, and the unfortunate men in its path were thrown aside like rag dolls. It looked up, and his eyes locked on the four of them with a growl. Sigrid and Tilda screamed, and Bain looked horrified. Marie looked down at the metal bar that was still in her hand, but when she looked back up at the troll she knew that it wouldn't do anything. Slowly, she grabbed the children and began to back away.

"BAIN, SIGRID, MARIE- GET DOWN!"

Marie turned around to see Bard hurrying towards a cart that had fallen on its side. He tilted it upright, then scrambled inside and launched it down the lane towards them. The next second, it was hurtling through the street, bouncing over the uneven cobblestones at an unbelievable speed.

Instantly, she pulled the three children down, just as the cart bounced over them. It smashed into the troll, causing it to fly backwards. Bard was also thrown from the cart, and somehow, just as the troll rammed into a building behind him, Bard's sword pierced the troll's chest, right where his heart was.

The dead troll slid to the ground with Bard still on top of it, and the Bowman freed his sword. "Da!" Tilda exclaimed. She scrambled up from the ground and ran up to Bard, followed by Bain and Sigrid. Marie got up a moment later.

Bard pulled the children into a hug just as Marie approached him. She saw him wince as they jarred a sore spot, but he didn't say anything, choosing instead to pull them closer to him. "Are you alright?" he asked them quietly.

"We're fine," Sigrid replied.

"Marie took care of us!" Tilda added.

Bard released the three of them and turned to Marie, who had been standing by their side. It seemed like he was about to say something, but he suddenly stumbled. Marie steadied him before he could fall. "Are you hurt?" she asked urgently.

He shook his head. "Dazed, that's all," he answered. "I'll be alright."

She forced a small smile, trying to keep the mood light. "That was a stupid move with the cart," she said.

Bard laughed. "It was, wasn't it," he agreed dryly. But the smile slid from his face as he glanced up at the fighting. "It seems that Gandalf was right. We should have listened to him."

Marie grimaced. "Well, it's too late to do anything about it now," she said. She looked at the fight, which was slowly making its way towards them. "We should probably go."

He nodded. "You're right," he replied. He took Tilda's hand. "Let's go."

000

The five of them hurried away from the fighting and soon found themselves in an empty street closer to the main part of Dale. When he was sure that it was safe, Bard pulled them to a stop in the middle of the street. "Listen," he said. "I need you to gather the women and children. Take them to the Great Hall and barricade the door." Gently, he took Bain's sword from him. "You understand- you must not come out for any reason!"

Marie gave him a look. "What about you?" she asked.

He hesitated. "I'll be fine," he answered.

Tilda frowned. "We wanna stay with you!" she protested.

"Show your father some respect!"

They all turned around to see that Alfrid had appeared out of nowhere. Bard and Marie gave him an annoyed look, but Alfrid ignored them and started pushing Sigrid and Tilda away. "You leave it to me, sire," Alfrid reassured Bard. He sneered at the girls as the three of them headed away. "You heard him, we make it to the Great Hall!"

Marie looked at Alfrid in disbelief. "We?" she repeated.

Bard nodded. "Women and children only, Alfrid," he agreed. "I need every man fighting. See that you return." He thrust Bain's sword into his hands.

Alfrid accepted the sword, even though he seemed flustered. "I'll get them to safety, sire," he promised. Suddenly, his eyes fixed on something behind Bard and Marie, and the two of them turned to see that a group of Orcs was approaching. "... and my sword is yours to command," he continued nervously, even though he was already inching away. Quickly, he turned and started rounding up the people nearby. "Get up!"

Bard watched him go, then turned to Bain and held his face earnestly. "Look after them!" he instructed.

Bain nodded. "I will," he promised. He turned and headed after Alfrid and his sisters.

And then it was just Bard and Marie left, as well as the group of Orcs down the street. "Be safe," Bard pleaded.

Marie smiled at him. "I should be saying that to you," she said. She pulled him into a hug, which he returned readily. "Be careful."

"I will," Bard murmured. Then, without warning, he was pushing her away, drawing his sword and walking towards the Orcs. "GO!"

Marie hesitated, watching as he took on the Orcs. She knew that she shouldn't leave him out here alone, but what else could she do? She couldn't fight, and besides, he needed her with the women and children, to make sure that they were alright.

"Move it, Marie!" Alfrid shouted from behind her.

She took one last glance at Bard, then turned and ran after Alfrid and the children.

"Shift it, granny!" Alfrid snapped to an old lady who had been hiding in one of the buildings. He yanked her out and shoved her into the street.

Seeing Bain and Marie next to him, Alfrid rudely shoved the sword into Bain's hands, then hurried off. Marie and Bain shared a disgusted look. "If I punch him, do you think Da would get mad at me?" he asked.

Marie grimaced. "I doubt it," she answered.

000

As Bard and his men continued fighting the Orcs, Marie, Alfrid, and the children hurried through the streets, rounding up everyone they found as they made their way towards the Great Hall. "Make for the Great Hall!" Bain shouted as they ran.

Within a few moments the Great Hall was visible, and their group hadn't run into any Orcs- luckily. Marie was in the middle of helping an old lady towards the doors when someone suddenly plowed into her, and she stumbled before she found her balance. Her eyes narrowed when she saw that it had been Alfrid; the former deputy was running as fast as he could towards the Hall, his arms flailing in the air and knocking people to the ground. "Out of my way!" he shouted. "Abandon the cripples!"

Marie groaned.

"Bain!" she called. The young boy turned in her direction. "Can you help those people up?!"

He nodded. "On it!" he replied. He sighed as he walked past her. "I really will punch him, I swear."

Before Marie realized it, she and the old lady she was helping were on the steps of the Great Hall, passing over the mark that Marie had carved there just last night as the Lady. Last night... it seemed so long ago.

She helped the old lady inside the building, then held open the doors for everyone else. It only took a few more moments for the rest of the people to hurry in, and then the courtyard was empty.

Marie grabbed the handles of the large doors, but she hesitated before she closed it. She glanced out at the city sprawled out in front of her, as if she would be able to see Bard from where she was standing.

And then she slammed the doors closed.