A/N: Thank you so much for all the new follows and favourites! I really appreciate it and I'm glad you guys are enjoying this fic! Here we are then at least, the end of Desolation of Smaug and will be moving into the BotFA. I'm not entirely sure how many chapters that'll be.
I'm going back to work tomorrow after winter-break and I'm not sure how frequent my updates will be. I'll try to post twice weekly, once weekly at the very least.
Either way, this is going to follow the plot of the movie/book a bit more. Another rather long one as well :)
Enjoy!
Chapter Twenty-Two: Of Choices Made...
Maggie was surprised to find Thorin climbing into bed with her that night. She woke up, groggy and somewhat nauseated, but happy to have his company. Especially after the day's events. When she'd crawled into bed, a few hours earlier, her head was still spinning a million miles per hour, filled with thoughts. After the initial shock had worn off, it was surprisingly easy to accept this new reality: she was pregnant and was going to be a mother. Naturally, Maggie was still absolutely terrified and not just because of the pregnancy itself but because at some point, she would have to tell Thorin. As Oin had promised, he'd given her a warm drink, containing some kind of herbs which had lulled Maggie off into a heavy sleep only mere minutes later. Had Thorin not climbed into bed, she would probably still be fast asleep.
"I thought you wanted to sleep in separate beds?" she teased. "Has Bombur's snoring finally driven you mad?"
"It is not Bombur's snoring that drives me mad." Thorin replied "You should hear Master Baggins."
It was true as well, for being such a small person, Bilbo's snores were rather remarkable. If they weren't also bloody annoying, Thorin might even be impressed with someone who had to ability to out-snore Bombur. Truthfully, it was Thorin's thoughts that had kept him twisting and turning on the mattress. Finally, he decided to put all courtin etiquette aside, for the sake of seeing Maggie. She hadn't mentioned anything about the baby to him and he wondered what was going through her mind. Was she scared of his reaction? Did she think he didn't want to be a father? A part of Thorin felt guilt churning in his gut, knowing how he'd reacted when his temper got the better of him. Not just the temper, but the sickness. He wanted nothing more than to assure Maggie that she and their unborn child were safe with him. That he would protect them, no matter what it cost him.
"I'll give Riley a heads up on that one. Oh fuck, not again." Maggie just about managed to reach over the side of the bed in time, before she vomited into the bucket. Heaving out your insides when there really wasn't much to come out, was one of the worst feelings in the world and Maggie was not looking forward to several more months of it.
Thorin sat up next to her, keeping a steady hand on her waist and gently pulling her hair aside. A minute or so later, Maggie stopped retching and let out an exhausted sigh. She drank from the jug of water on the small bedside table and when she turned to Thorin, she looked frustrated and tired. Even so, despite the smell of vomit coming from the bucket beneath the bed, she was all the more beautiful to him. Children were precious to all dwarrows, but Thorin had never known such instant love for a creature yet to be born.
"Marry me." he said, the words slipped out of his mouth quicker than he'd anticipated, but there was no hint of regret inside him.
"You're proposing to me while I'm wiping vomit off my mouth?" Maggie chuckled "That's very romantic, Mr King Under the Mountain."
Thorin rested his large hands rested on Maggie's belly and gazed up at her.
"You know?" Maggie realised.
Thorin nodded and leaned his ear gently against Maggie's stomach, as if he was trying to hear signs of life. Maggie knew dwarves had keen sense of hearing and sight, so maybe he actually could? They remained like that for a while, Thorin listening and Maggie gently stroking his hair.
After a few minutes, Thorin placed a gentle kiss her Maggie's belly and she watched him as he knelt down in front of her, on one knee. He reached for Maggie's hand and then moved her hand to her stomach, with his on top of hers.
"Marry me?" he whispered, this time with more certainty and Maggie knew it was no joke. Maggie didn't where he'd kept it, but in the palm of Thorin's hand lay a small, silver ring. It was clearly handcrafted and incredibly elegant. The ring was engraved with vine and filigree. For once in her life, Margaret Spencer was completely at a loss for words. When the shock eventually wore off, Maggie only nodded silently and as Thorin slid the ring onto her finger, which fit perfectly, he pressed his lips against hers and the whole world fell away around them.
Next day showed a significant change in the Company's mood, especially when Maggie and Thorin revealed the pregnancy. Maggie wasn't sure what she'd expected but she felt overwhelmed by the dwarves immediate acceptance of this new revelation. The dwarves instantly began suggesting baby names and Maggie only rolled her eyes. Fili and Kili kept asking if they could finally start calling her "Aunty". Even Bilbo was excited and when he pulled away from their hug, the hobbit grabbed her hand and his eyes widened.
"Maggie.." Bilbo said, his gaze fell on the ring on her finger "Is that what I think it is?"
Maggie nodded and realised how big the smile was on her face, she noticed Bofur leaning over the tablet to see what Bilbo had spotted.
"Now wait here a minute!" Bofur said. He stopped eating his food (to everyone's surprise) and faced the others, shaking his head. "No this simply won't do! You have to ask her again."
"What?" Maggie raised an eyebrow, not really following what Bofur meant.
"I agree." Gloin added as a hearty laugh escaped his lips "I'm disappointed Thorin, you left us out of watching her blush? That's no fair. So, I say, take the ring off her and do it again."
"Aye." Dwalin nodded and Maggie shook her head and when she turned to Bard for a reaction, the Bargeman merely raised his hands, as if he was defending himself.
Soon the other dwarves and Bilbo agreed. Maggie turned to Thorin and to her surprise, he was the one blushing as Maggie gave back the ring. For once in his life Thorin Oakenshield was nervous. Normally, he didn't like all this fuss and but seeing Maggie's cheeks turn a deeper shade of pink than he'd seen in a while made his stomach flutter in a way that was unusual to him. With everyone's eyes on the two of them, Thorin once more bent down on his knee and as he gently cupped Maggie's hands and locked her eyes with his, the dwarf king's heart raced fast. But there was no doubt in Thorin's mind that he would do it a thousand times over.
"Margaret Spencer." he said. "Will you make me the luckiest dwarf in all of Arda, by becoming my wife and share with me this lifetime and all the others?"
"Yes," Maggie said, tears streaming down her face. Being able to say the words out loud instead of merely nodding made it all feel more real now somehow. "I want nothing more.
The dwarves cheered loudly as they kissed. When Maggie turned to Bilbo, she saw the hobbit wiping tears off his cheeks with a handkerchief.
"Bilbo Baggins, are you crying?" she teased
"I just wish," Bilbo sniffed "I wish your brother was here to share this. I miss him."
Maggie sighed and knew exactly how Bilbo felt. "I miss him too, Bilbo, but we'll see him soo. He'll meet us at the Overlook with Gandalf, just like they promised."
Eventually, the excitement died down and the Company began to make arrangements for the next step of the journey. Durin's Day was barely twenty-four hours away and there was lots to do.
Sometime during the morning, Bard had disappeared and wasn't seen for the rest of the day. A vague memory stirred at the back of Maggie's mind and she recalled her loud voices the night before. She thought one might have belonged to Bard and the other to Thorin but she wasn't certain. As much as Maggie wanted to help out with the preparations, the dwarves refused to let her. She voiced her protests to Thorin but was under strict order from Oin to not put any physical strain on herself. Reluctantly, Maggie admitted defeat and instead took to making herself useful by helping Tilda and Sigrid.
A few hours later as dusk was falling, Thorin along with Bilbo and a few of the other dwarves, left the house and mumbled something about supplies. At first, Maggie thought nothing of it because supply runs weren't unusual. However, when yet another hour passed and there was still no sign of Thorin, Maggie started to worry.
"Do you hear that?" Bain asked as he stopped washing up.
Maggie stood still and tried to focus until she heard what Bain mentioned. The voice were quiet at first but soon became louder and angrier. Maggie leaned out the window and saw a large crowd of people marching through the streets of Lake-Town. There were guards at the front of the crowd and Maggie wasn't surprised when she saw the dwarves, marching behind them as if they had been arrested.
"Stay here!" Maggie told Bain
Before the children could say anything, Maggie hurried out the door and ran down the street to catch up with the crowd. Eventually, they came to a stop in front of a set of steps that lead up to a giant wooden door. Maggie pushed her way through the masses and found herself next to Bilbo who put his finger over his mouth, as if to hushed her. In the next few seconds, the doors burst open and an enormous man stepped over its threshold. Maggie knew who it was immediately.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" The Master bellowed at the top of his voice. Surprisingly startled, Maggie stepped back a few paces and almost right into Bilbo. The Master of Lake-Town was a huge and incredibly intimidating man. Maggie had always thought him a bit silly from the books and movies, but the reality was a lot more frightening than she'd been prepared for. Maggie also recognised the next person who stepped out from behind the Master. He was much smaller with messy black hair and a slimey grin on his face.
"This...is what's been causing trouble lately." Alfrid explained. "These dwarves were caught stealing."
"They were not stealing anything!" Maggie turned to Fili and Kili "Were you?"
The princes said nothing, staring down at their feet and Maggie shook her head, mumbling "bloody dwarves" under her breath.
"This is that girl I told you about before." Alfrid his and Maggie felt her hatred for him grow every second. It took all her self-control to not go up and kick him in the nuts.
"Ah, enemies of the state, eh?" The Master chuckled, but it was in no way friendly.
Just as the Master frightened Maggie, Alfrid gave her chills. Something about the unsavoury look in his eyes and his sly voice made her believe that he was all the commotion and the large crowd in the town square carrying their lights and torches, Maggie felt like an extra in a monster movie. Almost as though they were about to kill Frankenstein's monster, except in this case she and the rest of the Company were considered to be the monsters.
"A desperate bunch of mercenaries if ever there was, Sire." Alfrid said and nodded
"Hold your tongue!" Dwalin hissed and stepped forward and as he did he caught Maggie's eyes gaze "You do not know to whom you speak."
"So I've been told. A false heir to the throne of Gondor. Traitors who speak such lies are usually hung."
"Not just the heir to Gondor. This is no common criminal. This is Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror. "
Excited whispers spread like wildfire amongst the crowd and Maggie was surprised that Thorin had been able to conceal his identity for so long, that nobody (except Bard) had been able to figure out who he was. The whispers eventually quieted down and Thorin took a step forward with all eyes on him.
"We are the dwarves of Erebor." he said. "We have come to reclaim our homeland." Thorin turned to face the crowd and his voice grew louder. "I remember this town in the great days of old. Fleets of boats lay at harbour, filled with silks and fine gems, this was no forsaken town on a lake. This was the centre of all trade in the North."
There was a different kind of power and authority in Thorin's voice, of the likes which Maggie had never heard. The crowd seemed to like him, much to the Master's dismay, and they waited for him to continue speaking.
"I would see those days return!" Thorin said, his now sharp and resolute. "I would relight the great forges of the dwarves and sent wealth and riches flowing once more from the Hall of Erebor!"
An outburst of cheers and cries of excitement came from the crowd. Thorin's promises seemed to have touched something inside them that been long since locked away. Maggie knew she should be excited just like they were, yet she wasn't. Then, from within the middle of the crowd Maggie spotted Bard, who looked directly at her. To her surprise, he carried a less than happy expression, filled with concern.
"Death! That is what you will bring upon us!" Bard shoulted "Dragon fire and ruin!"
Maggie was in shock. Where had this sudden change in Bard come from? She knew of course, from the books that he hadn't always been partial to the dwarves but for the past week and a bit, they had all become close. She had come to see Bard as a friend, almost like a brother. Why was he suddenly so scared of Erebor and the dragon? A part of Maggie wondered if perhaps it had anything to do with her pregnancy.
"If you awaken that beast, it will destroy us all." Bard cautioned
Bard walked up to Thorin, who turned to him. Maggie was sure now that the voices she'd heard the night before belonged to those two.
"I thought I had in you an ally." Thorin said, his voice deadly calm.
"My allegiance lies with her." Bard replied and pointed towards Maggie."If you enter that mountain and wake Smaug, there will only be death. How can you do that to the mother of your unborn child?"
Thorin deliberated for a while, occasionally shifting his weight until turned his attention to the crowd again. "You can listen to this naysayer, but I promise you this; if we succeed all will share in the wealth of the mountain! You will have enough gold to rebuild Esgaroth ten times over."
Thorin's voices roared and the crowd cheered with him. He was a clever politician and a brilliant rhetoric, he knew exactly what to say to get the crowd going. Maggie watched the excitement grow and as it did, so did her unease. Although, she couldn't quite pinpoint the source of her discomfort. Maybe, she was just being paranoid and there was no real reason to worry. She trusted Thorin and knew he was only doing what he believed right.
"Why should we take you for your word eh?" Alfrid asked. "We know nothing about you! Who here can vouch for your character."
"I can! I'll vouch for him!" Bilbo's voice quivered a bit but when spoke to the crowd, all his nerves seemed to disappear. "Now I have travelled far with these dwarves and this lady, through great danger. And if Thorin Oakenshield gives his word, then he will keep it."
The crowd murmured among themselves as if they were members of a jury, deciding the fate of a prisoner in a trial.
"All of you - listen to me, you must listen!" Bard shouted "Have you forgotten what happened to Dale? Have you forgotten those who died in the firestorm? And for what purpose? The blind ambition of a mountain king? So riven by greed he cannot see beyond desire. Be it for gold...or other things."
As he said those last two words, he looked directly at Maggie and she felt her stomach churn again. Riley, she thought, where are you? I need you here.
"We must not any of us, be too quick to lay blame." the Master said, "Let us not forget that it was Girion, Lord of Dale, your ancestor, who failed to kill the beast. Now, from what I have heard, if this girl is indeed an heir to the throne of Gondor, she is just as guilty for the destruction of that beloved city. You said it yourself, Bargeman. You owe your allegiance to her and her family alone and so did Girion. He cared more for a sacred oath to a dying bloodline than the City he'd sworn to protect."
Maggie hated him with every fibre of her being. The throne of Gondor was a topic her and Riley would have discuss at another moment, but she hated that Master was using it as an excuse. Maggie was pretty sure he didn't even care about Gondor or its fate, as long as he had enough money to keep the drinks flowing and the people unassuming about his actual intents.
"It's true Sire. We all know the story." Alfred agreed. "Arrow after arrow he shot, each one missing it's mark. We all know Girion cared not for the fate of Dale.. No doubt this ...whore..has enchanted the dwarf king as well."
Maggie's emotions got the better of her and she punched Alfrid right in his nose. He let out a cry and fell to the ground, the crowd gasped. Maggie felt guards grab her shoulder but Thorin quickly stepped in front of her. To Maggie's surprise, the Master gestured for the guards to let go of her and he listened carefully to Thorin. .
"I speak to the Master of the Men of the Lake!" he shouted "Will you see the prophecy fulfilled? Will you share in the great wealth of our people? What say you?"
Silence fell upon the gathering as everyone waited for the Master to make up his mind. Suddenly, that cheesy phrase about being able to cut the tension with a knife made perfect sense. Finally, the Master spoke.
"I say unto you..welcome!"
"Oh.." Maggie sighed. "Wonderful."
Thorin's speech and promises had worked. After the Master realised they were no threat to Lake-Town, there were celebrations. Some of the dwarves, including Bofur, Bifur and Bombur gladly joined in the partying and stayed up drinking and feasting. Maggie was too exhausted and overwhelmed to join in. Thorin had asked if she was alright or if she needed company, but she told him everything was fine and kissed him goodnight. He didn't believe her of course and saw the concern on her face, which meant their plan had been put into motion.
"Do you think it worked?" Bard asked
Some hours later, after the noise of the celebrations had died down, Thorin, Bilbo, Bard, Fili and Kili stood by the docks. Despite it being his plan, Bilbo was nervous and he didn't like going behind Maggie's back. Everyone else felt uneasy about it too but their act seemed to have worked much better than originally planned.
"Aye, I believe so Master Bard ." Thorin replied. "You played your part well."
"Do you think it is enough for her to stay?" Bard asked
"I think," Kili said "If Uncle keeps up the act, plays on his mood, she just might."
Kili had seen Maggie's face in the crowd, watching the argument brew between Thorin and Bard. After travelling together for so long, the young dwarf liked to think he knew Maggie well enough to tell what was on her mind. Kili also knew that his uncle's anger scared her and while he also felt bad that they were using that knowledge against her, it had worked.
"What if she still doesn't?" Bilbo asked. "What if she decides to struggle?"
"Then, Master Baggins, we will find a way to make her. Right now, we must get some sleep. We leave at first light tomorrow."
That night, Thorin slept with his arms wrapped around Maggie and his hands resting on her stomach. A sense of sadness washed over him, knowing it was the last time they would see each other for a while and he made a silent promise that it wouldn't make her wait too long. The sound of Maggie's steady breathing relaxed him and eventually it lulled him into a safe and deep slumber.
The next day was easily one of the more surreal ones in Maggie's life. The Company had been in a hurry trying to get everything ready for their departure. For once, Maggie had vomited (so far) that day, for which she was grateful and it gave her a bit more energy than she'd had recently. The Master of Lake-Town had graciously (or selfishly perhaps) supplied them with food, weapons and other things for their journey across the lake to the mountain. Maggie's uncertain feeling stayed with her throughout the morning and struggled to focus. So many of the previous night's events were strange and she couldn't place her finger on why. She also noticed that Kili seemed to be worse again and looked pale. Of course, he wouldn't say anything but now and again when their eyes met, Maggie could tell. The young dwarf was in a lot of pain but he fought it.
"You do know we're one short. Where's Bofur?" Bilbo asked
A couple of hours after sunset, the Company were headed to the harbour. Bilbo was anxious and kept looking around him, searching for their missing dwarf. Bofur had been in particularly good spirits last night, celebrating both Maggie and Thorin's news and the Master's change of heart where the company was concerned. As a result, he'd feasted and drank a fair amount. So much that by the time Maggie called it a night, Bofur was singing and professing his love to a dwarrowdam of his youth. It wasn't surprising that he was still suffering from his antics, but what surprised Maggie was how quickly Thorin had decided to leave even without a member of his own party.
"If they're not here we leave them behind!"Thorin replied as he began stocking the boat with their supplies.
Bilbo didn't hide his unhappiness with this, but Balin put a hand on the halfling's shoulder.
"If we're to find the door before nightfall, we can risk no more delays." He said
Bilbo considered protesting but figured it was useless and Maggie only shook her head at him. Dwarves were stubborn to a fault and once their mind had been made up about something, it was almost literally set in stone. The people of Lake-Town had gathered to watch the Company head to Erebor at the ones not suffering with hangovers, and there was even an orchestra there to see them off. Maggie looked around for signs of Bard or Brenna but couldn't find them in the crowd and her heart suddenly felt heavy. One by one, the dwarves climbed into the boat but when it was Kili's turn, Thorin stopped him.
"Not you." he told his nephew . "We must travel at speed, you will slow us down."
Kili's eyes darkened and Maggie saw the anger brewing but he couldn't hide his pain anymore.
"What are you talking about?" Kili said "I'm coming with you. I'm going to be there when that door opens. When we first look upon the halls of our fathers, Thorin."
Maggie's heart really felt for the dwarf prince and she realised how much love he felt for his people and for their homeland. Until then, she hadn't realised that neither Killi nor his brother had ever physically been to Erebor. They'd been born after Smaug's siege of their City and had only ever grown up hearing stories about it.
"Kili.." Thorin put a hand on his nephews shoulder, his voice was softer now. "Stay here. Rest. Join us when you're healed."
"I'll stay with the lad." Oin climbed out of the boat. "My duty lies with the wounded."
Maggie and Bilbo both stayed silent and watched the scene unfold before them. Fili turned his attention to Thorin.
"Uncle...we grew up on tales of the mountain." he said, "Tales you told us. You cannot take that away from him!"
It was rare that Fili showed anger. Out of the two brothers, Kili was the one with a temper that matched their uncle. Seeing Fili standing up to Thorin like this was unusual and Maggie wasn't the only one surprised. She saw the expression on Thorin's face change from concerned and then to annoyed.
"Fili!" he began but the blonde dwarf cut him off.
"I will carry him if I must!" Fili snapped
Instead of shouting, Thorin merely sighed. "One day you will be king and you will understand. I cannot risk the fate of this quest for the sake of one dwarf. Not even my own kin."
Maggie saw it but she didn't like. This wasn't the Thorin she had seen over the past few days. This was the sickness again. That's why bard had spoken up in the crowd, he'd seen it too.
Fili climbed out of boat but Thorin grabbed his arm tightly.
"Fili, don't be a fool!" he hissed "You belong with the company!"
Fili snatched his arm back from his uncle. "I belong with my brother."
Thorin didn't argue and allowed his nephew to climb out and joined Oin and Kili. Thorin then turned to Maggie and held his hand out to her.
"Maggie, are you coming?"
For a while, Maggie said nothing and just stood there. She was unexpectedly conflicted. On the one hand, this was the moment they'd all been waiting for. Erebor was only across the lake and reclaiming the mountain was her reason for being there. After all, that's why the Valar had dropped her and Riley into Middle-Earth. Still, Maggie hesitated and after last night as well as things morning, she felt uncertain. She rested her hand on her stomach and closed her eyes, as if by some miracle the unborn child inside her could help with the decision. When she opened her eyes again, Maggie knew what she had to do, even though it pained her.
"Maggie!" Thorin's voice was sharper and his command clearer.
"No." Maggie said, her voice only a whisper
"What?"
Thorin turned to Maggie, searching her face for an answer to this sudden change of mind. He saw that she looked nervous.
"I...I have to stay with your nephews." Maggie replied. "Kili is sick because he saved me, if he hadn't pulled me out of the water, the arrow wouldn't have hit him. I have to stay with him."
Maggie realised then that her voice was shaking and Thorin took a couple of steps towards her.
"If you are to be my wife and my queen, then your place is with me." he said.
Maggie shook her head, holding back the tears behind her eyelids. "My place is with my friends who need me and right now, you don't. I'll follow when I can."
Maggie took Thorin's hand and he studied her carefully. Eventually Thorin released Maggie's hand and as he climbed back into the boat, Maggie breathed out, hoping she had made the right decision.
It was Bilbo's turn to climb into the boat and as he did, he turned to Maggie "Maggie.."
"It's alright Bilbo." she assured him. "Please look after him."
Bilbo only nodded. He felt both relief and a hint of guilt. Their plan had worked, perhaps too well. He knew that Kili's wound was no part of it and he wondered to what extent Thorin's words had been an act? Had they gone too far? Either way, their choices were made and their journey set in motion. As Bilbo Baggins watched Maggie and the remaining dwarves on the harbour as they began to row, the hobbit only hoped that Riley would forgive him for breaking his promise of looking after his sister.
"Thorin," Bilbo said when they were out of earshot. "Did we do the right thing?"
"Aye, Master Baggins." said the King. "We did what we had to. Maggie will understand."
At least that's what Thorin told himself, because he knew very well that when Maggie eventually found out what they had done, there would be hell to pay.
Bard was restless. He kept pacing back and forth in their small house his mind filled with thoughts and anticipation. Surely by now, the dwarves must have set off for Erebor, hopefully without Maggie. Despite his stubbornness and temper, Bard had found an unlikely ally. There was still a bit of uncertainty as to how trustworthy the Mountain King was, but at least where Maggie was concerned, his intents were honest. When it came to Maggie, Bard felt responsible for her and not just because of his oath to her kin. There was no telling how Maggie would react to the new change in circumstances. In fact, they hadn't really discussed the matter of her return to Erebor but until her safety was guaranteed, Maggie was to stay with Bard and his family. Brenna had of course offered to help Maggie through the pregnancy.
A knock on the door snapped Bard out of his thoughts and when he went to open it, he was about to speak but was cut off by Bofur. To Bard's surprise, Bofur, Fili, Oin and Maggie stood at his doorstep with Kili between them and he looked more than unwell.
"Kili needs help!" Bofur pleaded "He's sick, really sick."
Bard ushered them inside and immediately cleared the table. Oin and Fili helped the brown-haired dwarf onto the table. Oin ripped the Kili's trousers, which revealed the wound. It was now a deep read colour, covered in crusty skin and it oozed both blood and disgusting, white-ish pus. Maggie immediately began rummaging through Bard's cupboards and drawings for towels.
"What happened?" Bard asked
"It's the wound from the orc arrow." Maggie replied. "I thought it was getting better but it's much, much worse."
"What can we do?"
"I need help holding him down!" Oin called out. "I could use your strength, Master Bard."
Hours passed by and nothing changed. Every now and again, Kili drifted in and out some kind fatigued-induced sleep but it never lasted long. Maggie couldn't stand seeing her friend in so much pain. She didn't doubt Oin's healing powers, but even his talents seemed to have no effect. In hindsight, Maggie realised Thorin had been right to leave Kili behind and she felt guilty for doubting his intent. Still, she'd made her choice to stay with him and remained adamant in that decision. Occasionally, Maggie's thoughts strayed to Thorin and she wondered if they had made it across the lake to Erebor. It was nearly sunset and if they hadn't found the secret door, they were running out of time.
Sigrid noticed it first. It was faint to begin with, but the roof definitely shook, with bits of dust seeping in through the cracks of the ceiling. Kili groaned as Fili held him down and Bofur had gone out to find a particular herb for Oin, a plant called Athelas. As the the roof shook again, Maggie and Bard exchanged worried glances.
"Da?" Sigrid said
Bain walked to the window. "It's coming from the mountain." he noticed.
Maggie joined Bain at the window and looked out. An uneasy shiver ran down her spine, as though somebody had walked over her grave. As the roof kept shaking, Maggie knew the cause. Smaug, she thought. Maggie turned to Bard and knew that he'd also figured it out. Suddenly, Maggie was gripped by an entirely different type of fear. One that was unfamiliar to her and all the more frightening. Of course she'd always known that Smaug guarded the mountain but the reality of facing Smaug for real was something else. To Maggie, just like the rest of Middle-Earth, Smaug had been entirely fictional and so she'd somehow pushed the idea of actually seeing the dragon to the far back of her mind. Now, as that reality became very real, very fast, she felt a steady panic growing inside her. If Smaug came to Lake-Town, she would have been much safer with Thorin and the others inside Erebor.
"You should leave us." Fili said to Bard.. "Take your children and get out of here. You have done enough for us."
"And go where?" Bard asked. "There is nowhere to go."
Tilda stepped forward and looked frightened. "Are we going to die, Da?" she asked him
Maggie felt her heart breaking inside her. She also felt an incredible amount of guilt for everything Bard's family had been put through, on account of her and the Company. If it hadn't been for their presence in Lake-Town, their life would be unchanged.
"No darling." Bard shook his head.
"The dragon." Tilda said "It's going to kill us."
Bard grabbed the black arrow from his ceiling. "Not if I kill it first."
The look of fear in his children's eyes shifted to a look of pride and awe. They had definitely inherited their father's stoicism and bravery. Bard told Bain to follow him and the two left the house. Yet another hour passed without any sign of the two and Sigrid became impatient. Maggie joined her on the balcony and every so often as she oked around her, Maggie thought she could see strange shadows moving around but she brushed it off as tricks of light from the moon as well as her own exhaustion.
"Your dad will be fine." Maggie told Sigrid and put an arm around the young woman. Sigrid breathed out and leaned against Maggie. "Wherever he is, he will come home to you. I promise."
"I wish was with him." Sigrid said. ""Da takes Bain everywhere without any questions. But, I'm a girl and I'm not supposed to stay at home and look after Tilda. It's not fair!"
"Your dad loves you," Maggied turned to Sigrid. "And he knows you're a strong young woman and you are also the oldest, that's why he gives you so much responsible. Because he trusts and know you can do it. Not because he thinks you are less capable."
Maggie understood Sigrid's frustration but she knew Bard thought both his daughters were strong and independent women. It wasn't for lack of belief or respect but being a single father must be hard. Adding onto that, dealing with the loss of a wife and mother to his children.
They went back inside the house and as Sigrid pulled the door to a close, an orc jumped down from the roof and tried to enter the house through the door. Maggie muttered a curse. She hadn't just been seeing random shadows, they had been orc shadows and they were targeting the house. The next few moments were chaos. Sigrid screamed and Maggie stepped in front of her.
Oin threw plates at the orc, which knocked it out but soon after another one fell through the ceiling. Tilda and Sigrid both screamed and Fili charged at the foul creature, pushing it against the wall with all his strength. Maggie had never seen the crown prince filled with so much raget before. A third orc jumped down and charged at Tilda and Bain, but Tilda managed to knock him out, then proceeded to hide under the table with her sister.
Bain fought off the orc, much like his father would have done and Fili was impressed. The children handled themselves surprisingly well but they were soon outnumbered. In the corner of her eye, Maggie saw several more orcs heading in Kili's direction. Despite his injuries, Kili dragged himself up and began to throw anything he could grab at their intruders. Next thing Maggie knew, Tauriel jumped in through the window, with a knife in her hand. One by one, Tauriel killed off the orcs, without hardly any effort.. Maggie watched on in amazement and could see why both Legolas and Kili were smitten with her. Just as Maggie thought about the blonde prince of Mirkwood, he was the next one to jump through the window.
"'Las!" Maggie called out, surprised to see him.
"Looks like our paths cross once more, aier." Legolas said with a smile and joined in the combat.
Together, he and Tauriel effortlessly managed to completely take out the orc pack, one at a time. Either they threw them out the window or stabbed them, leaving them dead on the floor.. Legolas threw Maggie a dagger which she caught and used to stab an orc coming for her. She then threw it to Tauriel who used it to throw it at an orc who is going for Kili. The battle continued like this for a while, almost like a choreographed dance where everyone knew their parts. Soon, there weren't many orcs left, after Kili stabbed one that was aiming for Tauriel. He cried out in pain and both Oin and Fili rushed up to him. The last orc left made a run for it out the window and Maggie watched as Legolas decapitated the creature mid-air by the window. She shook her head, mumbling 'show off' under her breath and Legolas grinned smugly.
"You killed them all.." Bain whispered.
Bain, Tilda and Sigrid carefully looked around.
"There are others." Legolas said. "Tauriel, come."
Tauriel turned around to Legolas but then back to Oin, who pleaded to her. "We are losing him."
Legolas left without a moment's hesitation and Tauriel was about to follow him but then seemed to change her mind in the doorway. As Tauriel remained in the house Maggie ran out and after Legolas as fast as her legs could carry her. When she finally caught up with him, he was on one of the piers at the docks. The elf-prince seemed surprised that Maggie had followed him and dismounted his horse.
"Where is your dwarf and that hobbit?" he asked
Maggie stopped to catch her breath, putting both hands on her knees.
"Thorin and the rest of the company are at Erebor." she explained
"You did not follow your lover?"
Maggie shook her head. "No, I needed to stay here."
Once her breathing slowly down and Maggie felt calmer, she put a hand on her stomach. She worried for a moment that with all the running and the orc battle, the baby would be harmed but somehow, she knew the unborn child was okay. At least for now and so she relaxed.
"Much has changed since last we saw each other, aier." Legolas said and Maggie had almost forgotten how he had a penchant for stating the obvious.
Legolas gestured at her stomach and the ring on her finger, with a raised eyebrow and something of a smirk on his face.
"Yeah." Nodded. "Yeah, you've missed out on a lot."
Maggie still couldn't believe Legolas was meant their conversation back in Mirkwood must have had an impact on him. She was glad to see him and had to resist the urge to hug him because the Legolas that stood before her was still somewhat cautious. It was strange to think that in the near future, he would have a much bigger part to play in the fate of Middle-Earth.
"You're so different." Maggie said after a moment's silence. "Yet so familiar."
"You speak to me as though we are old friends." Legolas replied. "I do not understand it and yet I know in my heart that what you say is true, despite what my father says."
"In some ways you are and old friend." Maggie said. " I grew up with you and I mean that in a non-creepy stalker way."
"You mean those stories that your father read to you?"
Maggie nodded.
"Why do you call me 'Las?" he asked, curiously.
"Oh.." The question was unexpected and Maggie found herself blushing while she looked down at her feet.
"When I was little and my dad taught me how to read, I couldn't pronounce your name. All I could manage was 'Las and it sort of just stuck. I'm sorry, you must think that's dumb."
To Maggie's surprise, Legolas smiled. "I like it."
Maggie opened her mouth to speak but the moment was broken by a new sound that came from a distance. It was a deafening, inhuman roar and as Maggie and Legolas both looked to the sky, they saw the one thing neither of them had the power to fight, yet they knew they also had no choice, even if it would mean the end of Lake-Town and them.
Smaug was awake.
To be continued…..
And that's a wrap on the Desolation of Smaug. This was another giant chapter with a lot happening. I'm still awful at writing battle and action so please forgive me.
What do you guys think about Maggie being pregnant and engaged to Thorin?