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Chapter 34
The townspeople frantically paddle their loaded boats through the canals. Tauriel and I watch the sky ominously; with our elf-hearing, we can hear Smaug approaching and roaring. Suddenly, a huge shadow swoops overhead. Smaug has arrived.
We enter Bard's house and prepare the dwarves and the children to leave.
"We have no time. We need to leave, now!" I order as I walk over to the girls.
"Get him up." Bofur says as Fili helps Kili up.
"Come on, brother."
"Come on, come on! Let's go."
Kili pulls away from Fili. "I'm fine - I can walk."
"As fast as you can." Tauriel says.
Bain goes to Tauriel. "We're not leaving. Not without our father."
"If you stay here, your sisters will die. Is that what your father would want?"
As Tauriel looks to him, Bain just sighs as he shakes his head. After helping the girls, I walk over and place my hands on his shoulders, causing him to look at me.
"Bain, don't worry about your father, he'll be safe and he'll come find you. I promise, but for now, we need to get the three of you out."
He looks to me for a moment before nodding. Smiling, I pat his shoulder and gently nudge him towards the stairs leading down to where a boat is waiting. Fili and Bofur get on.
Fili turns to Sigrid and Tilda. "Give me your hand."
He helps them onto the boat
"Come on, we gotta go!" Bofur exclaims.
"Quickly now! Hurry!" Tauriel calls as she gets on the boat and stands at the front.
I turn back to the house. "Kili! Come on!"
"Coming!" I hear him answer.
He runs down and is the last to get in the boat. Tauriel sits at the front, me behind her, the children next to me with Oin and Kili while Fili and Bofur stand at the back, rowing the boat.
We set off down the canal, just as Smaug swoops low overhead, and the townspeople scream.
Hovering over the girls, I watch as Smaug soars high above and away from the town, then turns and dives steeply toward the town, building up fire in his chest. As he gets over the town, he unleashes his flames, and he breathes his fire in a line all the way across the town. People scream, fall and die in the inferno.
As Oin and I lean over the children to protect them as much as we can, I catch Kili's worried eyes and take his hand, squeezing it in comfort. He gives me a small smile and squeezes my hand back, just as Smaug's fire flares up just behind us, over another section of the town; a man, on fire, falls out of his house and into the water. People are trampling each other in their efforts to escape the dragon and the fire.
"Look out!" Kili suddenly exclaims.
I look up just as a large boat collides with ours, almost toppling ours over. I hold the girls as they scream, Sigrid holding tight to my arm as Tauriel holds her arm out to keep us steady. Looking at the boat, I have to glare as I see it full to sinking of gold, gems and trinkets, so full some of it is falling off the sides. There's roughly five guards and two men; one of them is a portly and well dressed man, certainly more so than the citizens as I take him to be the master, the man next to him being shorter and skinnier, wearing black robes and a black hat covering his black greasy hair.
That just goes to show what kind of ruler the Master really is; to care more about his precious gold than to help his own people, the people who helped him to gain his leadership, to leave them to die while he escapes with his treasure.
The boat soon sails past and we're able to keep going.
Back at the Lonely Mountain, Thorin and Company watch the town burning in the lake.
"Poor souls." Balin says quietly as he turns back.
The company sit in sadness and worry. The Ri brothers sitting together, with Nori putting a hand on his younger brother's shoulder as he hears him take a shaky breath. Gloin looks to the town, worrying for his older brother who stayed behind to tend to the wounded prince. Bifur and Bombur look to each other as they think on Bofur who had missed the boat the previous morning and is hopefully with the rest of their company. All three thinking of their families they left behind.
Dwalin stands, not tearing his gaze as his thoughts go onto Fili and Kili, the lads who he helped to bring up, who he trained when they were dwarflings just starting out. He just prays to Mahal that they will return safely, maybe with Caladwen in tow, who he hopes will keep them safe.
"Do you think Caladwen is with them?" Bilbo asks Balin as he steps up to him.
The old dwarf smiles as he puts a hand on the hobbits shoulder. "I'm sure she is laddie. And I know she's watching out for them. We'll see them again. . .I hope."
The last two words were said quietly as he turns away, but he could still hear him. Turning fully from the carnage of the town, he notices Thorin standing a little below them, his back to them as he keeps his eyes on the mountain. After seeing his reaction when he first came into the treasure hall after them, he is starting to worry about him. Could Smaug be right in him being changed? Elrond certainly thought so in Rivendell, talking about a sickness that his father and grandfather both suffered from. He truly hoped that wasn't the case. . . but he had his doubts.
As we sail underneath a house, Tauriel stops the boat until the dragon flies past, nodding to Fili and Bofur to continue on. As we're traveling on, Bain suddenly shouts for his Da.
Looking up, we see Bard stood on the bell tower, firing arrows at the dragon.
"DA!" Tilda screams out.
As we watch, Bard shoots yet another arrow, harmlessly hitting the dragon.
"He hit it! He hit the dragon!" Kili exclaims.
"No. . ." Tauriel mutters.
"He did! He hit his mark, I saw!"
I shake my head. "No. Only a black arrow could pierce the dragon's hide, normal arrows are not strong enough."
Tauriel nods. "She is right, his arrows cannot pierce his hide. I fear nothing will."
As our boat passes under a hanging hook, Bain suddenly leaps up and grabs it, swinging clear of the boat.
"Bain! Stop!"
"What are you doing?!"
"Come back! Bain, come back!"
Fili, Bofur and I shout out to him as he swings to the dock and runs off.
"Leave him! We cannot go back!" Tauriel orders.
"Bain!" Tilda cries out.
I wrap my arms around both girls and pull them to me, holding them close. I say a silent prayer, praying to the Valar and Mahal that they keep Bard and Bain safe, for the girls sake.
As we sail along, almost clearing the town, I turn back to watch as Smaug lands on the top of some houses and turns towards Bard, just after he destroyed the top of the tower he is on.
"Who are you that would stand against me?!" I hear Smaug saying.
I am able to see Bard hold up his bow, now broken in half from when Smaug collided into the tower, in his hands, my eyes go wide as I see a Black Arrow.
"A Black Arrow. . ." I breathe out.
"What?" Fili asks.
"Bard has a black arrow."
"Aye, lass, he revealed it earlier. He and the lad must have stashed it somewhere just in case." Oin explains.
I look back as Smaug continues to speak.
"Now that is a pity. What will you do now, Bowman? You are forsaken. No help will come." Smaug growls, his next words sending fear straight through me. "Is that your child? You cannot save him from the fire. He will BURN!"
Hearing the girls whimper, I tighten my hold on them
As Smaug continues to approach, from where I am, I can just see as Bard fixes the two broken halves of his bow into the walls of the bell tower, with the bowstring taut between them. He fixes the Black Arrow to the bowstring, and lays the front end of the Black Arrow on the shoulder of Bain, who is standing in between the fixed pieces of the bow and facing Bard.
"Tell me, wretch - How now shall you challenge me?! You have nothing left, but your DEATH!"
My heart leaps into my throat as I watch Smaug getting closer and closer, howling as his steps become quicker, crushing the houses beneath his feet.
Suddenly, I watch as Bard releases the Black Arrow and it flies off at high speed from Bain's shoulder. It hurtles through the air and sinks all the way to the feathers, almost 6-7 feet, into Smaug's chest through the spot without a scale.
"He did it!" I suddenly exclaim, causing the others to jump a little.
We all turn, Fili and Bofur stopping in their steering, and we all watch as Smaug careens into the tower. I see Bard and Bain fall with the tower into the water as Smaug rolls and slides through the town, destroying everything in his path.
"DA! BAIN!" Sigrid and Tilda scream out in fear.
I hold them in comfort and reassurance as Smaug struggles to fly into the sky. With massive effort, he manages to flap a few hundred feet up, screaming and wheezing in pain, then gasps for breath. His eyes lose their light, and he falls back down upon the city, dead, with the end of the arrow sticking out of his heart. As he falls towards the town and the lake, my mind suddenly turns to the possibility of us capsizing because of the force of the water about to head towards us.
"Fili! Bofur! Quick! Get us moving!"
They don't need me to tell them twice as they turn back and begin to continue with their steering. I watch as Smaug falls and crashes into the town and the water.
"Hold on!" I shout out as I see the water heading towards us.
We all get down and hold onto the boat as the water pushes us on, making us collide with the boardwalks a few times. Oin and I keep the girls steady as they cry out. Soon enough, thanks to the push, we clear the town and are thankfully still upright. Looking back, I see the dragon laid out in the middle of the town, dead, smoke and steam coming up off him. It's finally over. . .Smaug is dead.
The sound of Smaug hitting the ground echoes throughout the land, all the way to the dwarves on the mountain. They jump up in surprise.
"What was that? What happened?" Ori asks as they all stand.
"It fell. I saw it." Bilbo says as he walks forward, staring at the town.
They all peer out at the town in the early morning light, the town still ablaze but there's no sign of the dragon.
"It's dead. Smaug is dead!"
Still staring at the Lonely Mountain and not at the town, Thorin's body almost deflates in relief, his face holding a shell shocked expression, as if he can't quite believe it.
Gloin steps up, looking towards the sky as a cawing sound starts. "By my beard! I think he's right! Look there! The ravens of Erebor are returning to the mountain!"
Several birds can be seen cawing and approaching the Lonely Mountain.
Balin nods, a grin on his face. "Aye - Word will spread. Before long every soul in Middle-earth will know - The dragon is dead!"
As the dwarves laugh in glee, Thorin hurries down from the lookout point and approaches the gates of Erebor.
The next morning, we're finally away from Laketown. Tauriel is with Sigrid and Tilda as they look for Bard and Bain, while the others and I are getting everything ready for us to leave.
Oin, Bofur, Fili and I push a boat out into the water as Kili approaches Tauriel. I look up at them every now and then. We're stood enough away to give them some privacy, but I can still hear what they're saying.
"Tauriel." Kili begins, but is interrupted by Fili.
"Kili, come on! We're leaving."
I lightly slap his arm, causing him to look at me in confusion.
"Give them a moment."
"They are your people - You must go." I hear Tauriel say to him.
Tauriel looks at Kili both sadly and guardedly, then walks past him. Kili looks distraught for a second, then whirls around to face her again.
"Come with me. I know how I feel; I'm not afraid. You make me feel alive."
Tauriel turns her head away. "I can't."
Kili reaches out and takes her arm. "Tauriel, amralime."
I look up to Kili at this, I knew that he had some sort of infatuation towards her, but I didn't realise it was as strong as this.
"I don't know what that means."
I can't see his smile but I can hear it in his voice. "I think you do."
Tauriel smiles and begins to lean toward Kili, but then suddenly straightens up and makes her face blank. I know why, Legolas is stood right behind her. She addresses Legolas, whom she sensed approaching behind her.
"Hîr nín, Legolas."
I see Kili's shoulder tense and know he's looking at Legolas with hostility over Tauriel's shoulder.
"Maewado i Naug. Boe i nadh egeno." Legolas says to Tauriel.
As Kili and Tauriel look at each other a moment longer, I see Legolas turn his gaze to me. Placing my hand on Fili's shoulder before walking over to him. Taking Legolas' hands within my own, I make eye contact with him and implore him to understand me.
"I'm sorry Legolas, I love you with all my heart, but I have to go with them. I cannot just stay behind while Thorin is up there. Please, try to understand."
He sighs as he looks down at our hands. "I just got you back and now you have to leave again."
I reach up and place a hand on his cheek, causing him to look to me again. "I'm not abandoning you, Legolas, I never have. I just have to follow my heart, like I did before. You still have me."
He nods after a moment and we hold each other close.
Hearing footsteps behind us, I turn slightly to see Fili standing there, a sad but understanding expression on his face as he looks to us.
"Caladwen, we have to go."
I nod as I look back to Legolas and kiss his cheek.
"Gi melin, muindor." I say to him.
He smiles at me. "Ah im le, muinthel." he then turns to Fili with a stern expression. "I'm trusting you to watch out for her."
Fili straightens and nods, placing a fist over his heart as he gives him a determined look. "She will be safe with me, I swear it."
Legolas nods as he allows me to leave. Fili and I rush back to where the boat is fully in the water. With everyone else on board, the two of us push it out before climbing in. Looking back, I see both Legolas and Tauriel watching us leave. I raise my hand to them both in farewell before turning to the mountain, watching as it gets closer and closer, pulling us closer to our friends, hoping and praying that they are still alive and well in there.
Well, there we have it, Caladwen and the dwarves are on their way to the mountain. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and will stay tuned for the next one, which I'm not sure when will be updated, as I said before, this chapter and 33 were alredy prewritten and the next one isn't.I hope you will continue to be patient xx
Translations;
Amralime – My love
Gi melin, muindor. - I love you, brother (familiar)
Ah im le, muinthel – And I you, sister (not sure if this the exact translation, but it's as close as I can get)