Kili and Tauriel stopped for a breather as Realn rejoined them with a joyous, "The battle goes well!"
"If you call death and a river of blood well," Tauriel said, looking down from the steep stair with shadows in her eyes.
"Wars are not won without a price," Kili said. He hurled himself around the last corner but Ravenhill stood empty, red battle flags alone and few small bones the only sign of life departed.
"Coward," Kili said. He stood in silence.
"Thranduil! Muindor nin!"
Thranduil glanced up in bewilderment as the voice came through the thick air. He knew the voice yet thought its owner to be safe in Mirkwood. His younger brother struggled out of the bodies packed around him, face splattered with alien blood. Thranduil grabbed Galion's shoulders and demanded, "What are you here for?"
"Cinwe feared the worst," Galion answered, contributing a neat jet of flame to clear the orcs ahead.
"You must return to her, Galion."
The quiet elf held up a hand. His blue eyes lost their sparkle. "Cinwe feared Sauron's showing may have stirred life back into Gundabad. I investigated. And found legions of orcs gathering. As I speak, Bolg marches on the Mountain with forces enough to refortify Azog's army twice over."
The hollow notes echoing from Thranduil's horn choked and died, even as his scattered people swarmed to reform their ranks behind him. For a moment, he was silent, aware of Dain bellowing and the dwarves sweeping to repulse the last few orcs from their line and form a wall again.
So many dead behind him. So many more to follow. He looked to Dale, where Legolas fought, and to Ravenhill, where a glimpse of Realn's hair glinted in the sun. Brenen ran beside him, spear running with blood. But, despite the renewed charge demolishing Azog's forces, Thorin and Smaug still reeled in the sky and the Defiler lurked somewhere.
"Bolg advances from the north," Galion said, turning to spiral a shield of fire into the reforming orc lines.
Thranduil's heart froze amidst his flames. Realn. Realn, Tauriel, and Kili were up there. They would be surrounded and slain in minutes. His son—his son!
"Realn," Brenen breathed. "We must warn him; I will go."
"No!" Thranduil cried. "It is too dangerous. Raileen can travel faster."
"Will you stand firm here?" Raileen inquired.
"Yes, and Dale is safe for now with Legolas and Bard. Go! You must warn him."
Raileen nodded, and left his hover at Thranduil's head, flying through air thick with arrows. Thranduil's eyes followed until he could no longer see even his red hair.
Kili's footsteps sounded hollow as his feet clattered on the stone. He squinted to see, only his hold on his sword secure. A low chuckle echoed and Azog emerged, dragging a heavy block of chain behind him on a long chain.
The shriek of bats sliced the air and darkened the sky as thousands of fluttering wings wheeled overhead, diving down upon the battlefield with their white fangs glistening in what little light was left of the sun.
Kili's eyes widened at the march of Gundabad orcs below and narrowed as they snapped back to Azog. Realn patted him on the shoulder and whispered, "We have your back. Slay the white-faced pig!"
Kili nodded and hurled himself upon the orc, their grappling forms plunging into the thick mist. Kili could hear Realn and Tauriel behind him, even though he fought to see, relying more on his ears then his eyes as he and the Pale Orc matched blades.
Bard clutched the merlons as he stared down from the high wall of Dale. Streaming out from behind Ravenhill, the dark waves came marching, cutting down into the fleeting lines of dwarves and elves.
"Ada," Legolas whispered from beside him. The elf bit his lip as he tore his eyes away and retreated to block the new orcs penetrating the crumbling city.
Bard pushed down his despair and followed.
Kili ducked the block of stone as Azog spun the chain, his flexing muscles sending the stone spinning, spinning. His footing slipped on the ice and he knew the waterfall was not far behind, frozen peaks and rushes of water stopped in time beneath sheets of solid water.
The lanky bodies of goblin mercenaries and orcs swarmed him, tumbling off the stone buildings on either side of the river. Kili gritted his teeth, aware Azog had no qualms about cutting him down in unfair combat. And, though he knew Realn and Tauriel would keep the goblins clear from him, he worried the fire might melt the ice at the price of his life.
The ice cracked and Kili's heart leapt as he jumped at the orc, spurred on by the laughs of the surrounding goblins. Azog clenched his fist, teasing the solid sheet up into spikes. Almost liquid, the frozen water wrapped around his ankles even as the solid sheet split and black water spilled onto the slippery surface.
Kili flailed his arms, lurching to keep his balance and launch attacks of his own. Calling upon every lesson he had ever received in the art of battle, he stood his ground even as it broke beneath him.
Thorin's mind boiled with thoughts of vengeance as he and Smaug fought. The Arkenstone, shining like a black star in the dragon's breast gave birth to visions of its place above his throne; its home. Showers of sparks and licking blue flames exploded around beast and dwarf, raining flurries of dying embers onto the doomed below.
Thorin looked at the Gundabad orcs advancing, casting them aside as he focused on Smaug and Smaug alone. The dragon twisted and wheeled in front of him, powerful wingbeats whipping the air and making it difficult to keep his balance. Yet Thorin fought on, pressing forward with the force of the lightning beneath his boots, side-stepping claws, tail, and teeth.
Thorin aimed his own bolts around Smaug's chest, looking to shatter bones and free the Arkenstone from its boney prison. He chipped a few ribs, but the King's Jewel sat lodged, leering at him, threaded with blackness.
Waves of blue fire washed past him as he cut his way through them, the heat blasting his face. A claw nipped his arm, drawing blood, and the trickle of it over his skin added to his anger.
Smaug lashed out with his tail and Thorin ducked, thrusting forward with a lightning strike. The dragon roared as the bolt struck home, snapping a bone before it passed through the hollow of his belly. Thorin's smile faded as his second bolt missed and Smaug disappeared behind the wall of blue fire Smaug spat out in one breath.
Again his face blistered as Thorin swept the fire away. He found he could bend it; something in the nature of the blue flame seemed to come from lightning. With a growl, he cast the last flame to the ground and flew at Smaug's head. Orcrist did little to damage the bone but the lightning Thorin directed at Smaug's spine bounced and splintered the disks.
Smaug howled as his back buckled, his spine snapping and collapsing into the emptiness beneath it. He flapped, the desperate beats cracking more of the few bones holding his tail to his legs and his legs to his middle. He spiraled downward, in a haze of blue sparks and Thorin dove after him as the orcs scattered from the place where the dragon's shadow loomed closer.
Orcs and goblins lay dead around him and no more rushed across the broken ice toward him. Kili knew without looking back the charge of Gundabad had washed across the battlefield. His blade met Azog's again and the hand bearing the chain and stone swept toward him.
The projection of the stone swept up water as it went, the geysers freezing, further splitting the ice. And, even as he retreated, the cracks lanced closer to his feet.
Kili growled and launched himself forward, ducking the stone block, and sweeping his sword across the pale orc's wrist. Azog's hand went flying, still clutching the chain attached to the stone block and followed by a spray of black blood.
Kili grinned as Azog howled, his exhausting replaced by a growing exaltation. He had a shot at victory! And, as Azog howled, the ice shifted, flinging orc and dwarf back. Vibrations hummed through the ice, sending out spidery lines. A moment later Kili heard the sound of water slicing through the frozen fall of the falls, followed by another, and another, and another . . .
"Run!" Tauriel exclaimed. "Get off the ice!"
Beneath him, the river began to flow, and the ice grated, moving closer toward the edge of the falls. Kili rocked, struggling to keep his balance as Azog's remaining hand whipped the frigid depths into a frenzy. Already the Pale Orc was retreating toward the bank, the water freezing beneath his feet.
Kili reached the orc moments before he stepped onto land, dripping water and already freezing. Behind him, water rushed over the breaking ice at the top of the falls and the first long cascade began long before springtime. The ice on which he and Azog stood swept into the current yet he could still hear Tauriel screaming.
Azog slashed at him with his blade, and Kili winced as the tip cut his side. He let himself slide closer to the orc, sliding, sliding, until he jumped to grab Azog's neck, swinging around until he could plant his knees in the orc's back, and brought him face-first to the ice. Struggling as the Pale Orc writhed, his side alive with pain and the heat he knew meant blood, he rammed his sword through Azog's back and pieced him through the heart to the ice.
A choke marked his last breath, the angry currents of water dying, and Kili staggered away from Azog, his legs stiff and no amount of panic brought on by the edge of the fall doing anything to make them move faster.
He could not hear Realn's jets over the roar of the waterfall, but the elf's hand grabbed his and swung him from the ice onto land. Kili landed with a groan, Realn gasping, all but spent.
Kili staggered, clutching his injured side as Tauriel reached him and offered her support. The trio took a moment to gain their breath and looked at each other, as if daring the other to walk to the edge of the cliff and look down upon the battlefield.
Realn was the first to take a step and stopped as Tauriel gasped. Her quiver was empty and Bolg's burned face appeared above them, on a ledge. Realn attempted a flame but it sputtered and died above his fingers, causing Bolg to grin and jump down to land only yards from them.
"This is the end," Tauriel realized.
Kili clutched her hand, straightening his back against the pain. "I will gladly face death with you at my side."
Tauriel looked back but there was nowhere to go for the foaming blue water of the river curled at her heels and only Bolg to greet ahead. Kili touched her cheek.
"If this is the end, I cannot die without saying I kissed you."
I am saddened, and you why: Dragonfire is drawing to a close! A few more chapters and this tale will end. Suggestions on what to write next are gladly welcomed.
Next Chapter: "[Smaug] fought to gain his feet but failed, releasing his rage in a flood of blue fire."
