The plan was simple.

Actually scratch that. You can't really call a plan that involves killing a literal dragon simple. What I meant to say was that the plan didn't have too many moving parts. We didn't want to over-complicate anything with a plan that was too intricate and complex. It would only lead to failure if one part of the plan didn't work.

The plan involved a lot of fire and flammable material. Which I did find odd considering that we were supposed to be fighting the living embodiment of fire.

All around the mountain side the elves had set up large bonfires. They had doused them in oil. (The type that Ada had scolded that man for nearly dropping). The oil was very quick to ignite and could cause a blazing fire in seconds. A fire that would be used to distract Smaug when he emerged from the mountain. Ada had told me that because Fire drakes were formed from fire they had an affinity towards it. It drew them in. So a roaring fire would draw Smaug in to where we wanted him.

Ada had also spiked the pyres with more Deliosp. That way Smaug wouldn't have the chance to catch our scent on the breeze. The heedy, cloying smell of the herb would hopefully be enough to confuse the dragon.

There were bonfires set up around the front of the mountain. Ada had told everyone that they were to be lit sequentially. One after the other. Like a crumb trail for Smaug to follow. They were all leading to a podium, of sorts, that the elves had quickly constructed. On top of it stood an immense crossbow. One powerful enough to destroy buildings. It would hopefully be enough to destroy a dragon.

So the flames would lead Smaug to Bard. Positioning him so that the final arrow could be struck.

It sounded so easy when you said it like that.

However, reality was never so simple was it. After all, Smaug was a sentient creature not just some animal. We were hoping that he would follow the bonfires, like a cat with a laser pen. But we couldn't really be sure what he would do. We could only hope.

When the sun was beginning to wane, the plan started to swing into motion. All of the evacuated townspeople were moved under the cover of the trees. They were moved deeper into the forest until they were well clear of the tree line. The canopy would be used to shield their presence away from Smaug.

Fires were also snuffed out all through camp. A light smoke rose through the air accompanied by the hissing of water on flame. We had to shroud ourselves in the shadows so that Smaug would not be able to see us in the darkness. If he could see the light from our torches he would be able to find where we all were. That meant that we had to give up our light source and hold tight in the darkness. Not foreboding at all.

Losing our fires came with other problems too. Today was Durin's day. The last day of Autumn. Winter was slowly clawing its cold hands into the surrounding wilderness. Hand numbing winds would bluster through the trees. The mist of everyone's breath hung in the frigid air. The loss of the warm fires was quite a blow to the people of Laketown. Humans weren't as hardy as elves or dwarves. The cold could be detrimental. Some of the poorer people didn't even have adequate clothing for winter. No gloves or hats to cover their extremities. It left them vulnerable.

In a bid to protect these people Mum and Bard had been giving out blankets to everyone. They also told them that they needed to stay close together for warmth. Some of the men tried to scoff at the idea of huddling with someone else. However, Mum straight up told them to stop being children. Would you rather hug someone or be dead? It's your choice.

I looked up at the sky. A deep orange glow was illuminated within it. Mixed with subtle reds and a wash of blue. Like an artist's canvas. It would have been beautiful any other day. Now it only sent a sick feeling of dread.

The darker the sky became, the more panic would flow through me. My stomach twisted painfully with my growing anxiety.

A hand found mine and squeezed. The pressure drew my eyes away from the sky and towards the person next to me. He must have noticed my heart beat picking up. Kili gave me a soft smile but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He was also worried. The fact that his brother was separated from him, about to face the full force of a dragon, wasn't helping his anxiety either.

"We are going to be okay Leah" He said. As if trying to convince himself too.

I took a deep breath and tried to steady myself. "We can do this"

My hand squeezed Kili's hard as I aimed to get a handle on my emotions. Kili didn't seem bothered though. I wasn't hurting him or anything.

My armour was back on. As was Kili's chain mail shirt. Not sure what it would do against a dragon but I felt better with it on. I was willing to take any added protection at this point. It was an extra barrier from the elements.

We were standing on the edge of the tree line. Ada had wanted me to be with all the other evacuees. Safe under the confines of the canopies. Somehow I managed to convince him to let me stay nearer to the edge. I told him that I wanted to be with our people. That I felt safer with them.

It was partly true. After being grabbed by Alfred earlier I didn't want to be anywhere near him. I had a feeling that if he saw me again he would only antagonise me more. But that wasn't the real reason that I refused to stay in the forest. It was just the idea of standing amongst the trees in total darkness sent a wave of panic through me. Swallowed up by shadow, not knowing what was happening, while danger lay close by. Every time I thought about it, memories would spring up unbidden. Running through a dark forest, trying to flee a different danger. My breath would catch in my throat and I would have to quickly try to control my breathing.

I couldn't do it.

I needed to be able to see what was happening. Even if what I saw was horrific or nightmarish. Being able to see it made me feel like I had some semblance of control. Even if I essentially had none.

The snow capped mountain lay before us. Standing stoic and stable. No indication of what danger lay within.

Ada was somewhere nearer to the front of the camp. He was a leader. Guiding everyone in their tasks. The elves assigned with lighting the flames were already in position. Hidden amongst the boulders and ruins around the mountain. They wouldn't be standing right next to the bonfires either. If they were then they would be easy prey once Smaug turned towards them. Instead there would be a line of oil that led to the pyres. Like a line of gunpowder. They would be lit from a distance. It would hopefully give them time to find cover.

Bard had taken his place on the newly constructed podium. I could make out his silhouette in the dying light. He was pacing. Walking around the small plateau at the top of the platform. It could have been a form of preparation. Getting used to his surroundings. Or it may have been a way to work off some of his nerves. If I was up there it would probably be the latter. And I wouldn't be pacing, I would be halfway through a huge panic attack.

Mum had wanted to be close to us when the attack finally took place. However, she had other tasks she had to attend to first. She was in charge of the healers. Should anything befall anyone they needed to be the first responders. If they were quick enough then there hopefully wouldn't be any casualties.

Legolas was with the elven guard. They were all armed with the strongest arrows in their arsenal. If it came to blows they would have to fire upon Smaug. Though I knew that none of them would be strong enough to pierce Smaug's hide. The elves didn't have any spare Black arrows hidden away, unfortunately. If anything they were to be used as a distraction.

So it just left Kili and I on our own together. Everyone else in my family had an important task to do and I was left to stand here. I would have been more useful as a statue really. It left me feeling antsy and restless.

Everything was in place. Now all that was left was to wait. It was its own form of torture.

oOo

When the sun finally disappeared-sending us into darkness-it felt a dreaded sense of finality. This was it. Whatever happens now will decide the fate for a lot of lives. Had we managed to save them or were they still doomed to die.

My breath caught in my throat as the first beams of moonlight streaked across the mountain. The last light of Durin's day. The hidden door would be found at any moment. Bilbo was going to enter first. He was the one most likely to disarm Smaug. As the dragon had never smelled a Hobbit before. If the dwarves all entered at once, Smaug would probably recognise their scent and start attacking. They needed Bilbo to distract Smaug before they could coerce him outside.

Hopefully, Bilbo could find the Arkenstone too. It would make things easier if that jewel was out of Thorin's hands.

Silence hung through the air. It was like everyone was waiting with bated breath. Trying to hear any hint of what was going on in the mountain. I don't know how long I stood there, waiting in the cold and shadow. A slight tremor was shaking through my hands.

The earth beneath our feet trembled. Its power emanating from the mountain itself. A distant sound of stone hitting stone floated through the air. Crashing and grinding. To be able to hear it from this distance was testament to Smaug's strength. What kind of destruction was he wreaking? Was the company okay?

Kili's hand tightened around mine and I heard him make a pained noise.

"They're okay Kili. They'll be okay" I breathed, barely above a whisper.

Even though I didn't really need to whisper. Smaug's hearing wasn't that strong to hear me through a mountain. But at the same time I couldn't will my voice to be any louder. Anything above a whisper was just inviting danger.

"I came back to save them" Said Kili in a pained breath "Now I'm here and I can't help"

My heart went out to him. It felt like it was my fault that he was here with me and not with his family. If he wasn't bound to me he would have been able to stand with his brother. Fighting alongside him.

Then again, if he wasn't bound to me he wouldn't be here at all. Life was complicated.

A violent explosion of rock, dust and fire reverberated through the night. One second there was only smooth rock and the next there was a gaping chasm. Parts of the dwarven gate were launched into the air. Crashing into the ground. The earth shook with the might of it.

A guttural roar sent a tremble of fear right to the marrow of my bones. A fear so intrinsic and instinctual.

For a second my mind refused to comprehend what it was seeing. The sheer size of Smaug was nearly unfathomable. Whenever I had imagined this moment I had thought that I understood just how massive he was. But imagining and seeing were two completely different things.

With his wings spread, he blocked off a decent amount of the mountain from view. He flapped his wings and twisted upwards. Launching himself like an arrow into the air. A golden sheen coated his skin, flying off him as he spun. His belly glowed a menacing red-like the embers of a flame-before a torrent of fire was spewed from his maw.

A part of me felt like I could feel the heat of it from here. But that may have been my mind playing tricks on me.

"I AM FIRE. I AM DEATH"

Even from down here Smaug's voice was thunderous. You could feel it in your bones. It tore through you.

My fear became alive, wild and thrashing against me, as Smaug turned his eye towards us.

The first pyre was ablaze within seconds. A roaring pillar of fire set into the stone. Smaug's eye was immediately drawn towards it. Like a moth to a flame. His body twisted in the air, strangely fluid and serpentine. He turned to face the bonfire. His wings moved with great, turbulent strokes. Keeping him upright and hovering where he wanted them to be. The force of them created immense winds. It sent the fire twisting upwards like a fiery tornado.

Smaug hit back with flames of his own. Casting an ominous glow against the side of the mountain.

A second pyre lit up further down the mountain. The sickly sweet scent of Deliosp was building in the air as the herbs burned. An enraged growl shot from Smaug as he beheld the new bonfire.

"You foolish men" he bellowed "You think you can play games with me"

A line of fire burned between the two pyres. Scorching anything it hit. A panic rose within me when I thought of the elves who were up there. Had they found relative safety? Were they hidden from his flames?

My ears caught the sound of some kind of stirring behind me. Of movement and indecipherable talking. I had a vague sense that someone was arguing. The humans were probably reacting to the sonorous noise that Smaug was creating. Maybe someone was telling someone else to be quiet, I couldn't be sure. Was now really the time, though?

I cast my mind away from the forest and drew my focus towards the bigger problem at hand.

Smaug's anger was building. More fires were lit across the valley floor. Leading Smaug away, making his body contort in order to attack them. He turned towards the new flames and directed his ire towards them. Only a few more and Smaug would be facing Bard.

I let out a juddery breath. It was working.

I could no longer see Bards shadow through the darkness. He must have been lining up the shot. Smaug was so close he just needed to-

The ground rocked beneath my feet. A tremor emanated from somewhere infinitely closer than where smaug was. A cacophony of screams erupted from behind me. Screams of terror and pain and panic. All coming from within the forest.

My stomach was in my throat as I spun towards the trees. I expected to stare into the darkness. My eyes should have had to adjust to see anything through the forest. But they didn't need to. Instead I could now see fierce, angry light coming from within. A choking smoke coelesed around me. Making my eyes water.

Ada had ordered all fires to be put out. There shouldn't have been anything there. Except now, in the distance, there was a towering inferno punching it's way through the air. Burning through the trees. I could just make out the people surrounding it. The flames illuminated their backs as they tried to run away.

What is happening? How could this have happened?

Commands flew through the air to quench the flames. Demanding answers. My feet were frozen to the ground as I looked on. At the blaze now climbing the trunks of the trees. The fire rose up with a whoosh. Clawing out above the canopy.

It was a new beacon. Another bonfire for Smaug to follow.

"Ah. There you are" Smaug's voice rang through the air. Triumphant.

I turned just in time to see Smaug change course. He had been so close. So close to where Bard could have made the fatal shot. Instead his malicious eye had now been turned to us. He rose high into the air. Gathering momentum. Then once he had reached a precipice he barrelled down towards us. Flames leaking from his gaping jaw.

I had just enough sense to dive out of the way. Kili came along with me. We scrambled to the right as Smaug flew past us on our left. He created a line of destruction not 100 metres from where we were. Fire burned across the tops of the trees. The heat I felt this time was not just some figment of my imagination. It was immense and overwhelming. The air thinned as the surrounding fires soaked up the oxygen.

Pandemonium was happening around us. Everyone was running. The commands of an army were mixed in with the screams of the wounded and scared. A hail of arrows shot out at the dragon. Bouncing uselessly from his thick hide.

He flew out away from the camp. A nauseating laugh boomed out of his mouth. He wasn't rushing back either he was flying at a sedate pace. Taking his time. Enjoying the moment. He was toying with us.

My mind was racing at mile a minute. What could we do?

Bard was nowhere near us. He couldn't aim a killing blow from where he was. Something would have to bring Smaug back towards him.

But what?

What could distract Smaug enough to leave the destruction he was bringing? There were no more beacons that would work now that Smaug had found us.

Unless-

I peered down at my shaking hands. Smaug can detect magic. He could sense the power of the ring from Bilbo. He was attracted to it. Perhaps if he could observe enough magic it may be able to distract him. If I could get to Bard then maybe my magic would be a powerful enough beacon.

I couldn't see any other choice.

"Kili I need to get to Bard!" I shouted to him over the roar of the flames.

"What..Why?" The words sounded strangled.

Smaug was beginning to bank. Elegantly curving to make his way back towards us.

"I need to distract Smaug" I let a little light seep into my hands to hammer in my point.

Kili looked at my hands with dawning terror. He shook his head "No no Leah, please. Not you"

Smaug had fully turned around now. His belly started to glow with that sickening orange colour. He was readying his fire.

I cupped Kili's face, drinking in all of his features. Then I crushed my lips to his. It lasted barely a second but I poured as much of my feelings into it as possible.

"It has to be me" I said, a cry in my voice. "I love you"

I didn't give him a chance to reply. Pushing away from him and running in the direction of Bard's platform. I couldn't afford to waste anymore time. My name rang through the air as Kili called out after me.

A horse was tied to a post. It was rearing, trying to get away, but it was stuck fast. My sword was in my hand in an instant and I cut through the tethers. Then in a motion that even surprised me, I flung myself onto its back and urged it to run. The horse was more than happy to comply. Racing away from the flames. It took a little strength to guide the horse where I needed it to go but eventually it did.

Tears leaked from my eyes as I forced the horse to run faster. I'd just left Kili in the eye of the storm. Left him crying my name. Sickness twisted in my gut. A cry threatened to escape. What was I doing?

In my certainty that it had to be me, I had forgotten it wasn't only my life I was risking. If Smaug killed me then I'd be sentencing Kili to death too.

I shook my head. Tears glancing down my cheeks. No, this had to work. It had to be me. I couldn't see how we would make it out of this otherwise.

Guilt still dug its claws in as I thought of the fact that I had abandoned him.

Smaug was back over the camp now. A new line of fire emerged through the centre of it.

The platform rose up above me. With the help of the horse I had made it in a short amount of time. I jumped from the horse and ran over to the ladders. My shaking limbs refused to cooperate at first and I stumbled against the rungs. Through sheer desperation I managed to race to the top of them. My foot only slipped one but I caught it in time.

I climbed out onto the top of the platform. Bard stood on top of it. His skin was deathly pale and he sent a panicked gaze in my direction.

"What happened!?" he exclaimed, tears in his eyes.

"No time" I huffed as I ran towards the front of the platform. I needed to do this now. "You need to close your eyes"

I didn't check to see if he had followed my instructions. Instead I raised my hands well above my head. Magic pooled into them with astonishing speed. I urged it to be brighter, stronger. Like when I was creating the pool of light to get us through Mirkwood. But instead of controlling how far my light spread, I let it go. Engulfing the platform in a swirl of light.

My eyes squeezed shut against the assaulting light. The thunder of two heartbeats pounded through my ears. There was a little shake to my breath but that was more from panic than exertion. Creating light didn't take as much out of me as healing or exploding things did.

"Come on you bastard" I spat through my teeth

The sound of roaring stopped as soon as my light illuminated the sky. I couldn't see through the bright white radiating from my hands.

A sound crashed from somewhere in front of me. The ground shuddered beneath a mighty body. The shock of it made my light stutter. A gasp fell out of me when I finally beheld the sheer force of Smaug. Seeing him from a distance was bad enough. Now with his focus squared solely on me, I felt what true terror was.

My light withered away when I saw his malevolent gaze. He was captivated.

Everything in my body told me that I needed to flee. I needed to get out. Get away. I wasn't even sure I was breathing.

Smaug tilted his head to the side. Assessing me. Trying to see me better

"Well would you look at this" Smaug taunted. His clawed wings grabbed the earth. He edged himself closer. "A little girl out of her time"

What did he mean by 'out of her time'?

I was frozen. Cemented to the ground. I hoped that Bard was aiming his arrow but I honestly couldn't hear anything else. My mind could only see and hear Smaug. Nothing else got in.

"A mere candle against the night. The darkness has already tried to snuff you out once before. They couldn't let your power grow" Smaug was getting closer. The heat from his body was beginning to reach me.

Was he talking about the orcs that killed me?

"They succeeded the first time. Cutting you down like you were nothing." He tilted his head once more. "Yet here you stand"

A strangled cry escaped me that I couldn't squash down. I tried to find my voice. To say anything to get him to stop talking. But no words would come.

"I could leave you to the orcs." he said "Their armies march ever closer. They would relish in your second demise"

He seemed to be pondering it for a moment. Then his mouth split open in a sickening facsimile of a smile. "But I don't think I will"

The smoldering golden light bubbled deep in Smaug's body. A fire roared beneath the surface of Smaug's throat. He reared up, ready to make the final blow. I scrambled back but I wouldn't have time to get away.

The sound of a crossbow rang through the air. An arrow shot out, quicker than the eye could even see. Before Smaug could fully rear up, it found its mark. Burying itself deep into his neck.

An unearthly screech rocked through the air. So loud it could make your ears bleed. Smaug stumbled back. Blood and acid poured out of the wound. It made macabre hissing sounds as it left his body.

With one final, desperate move Smaug launched himself into the sky. Clawing at the air like a drowned animal. His movements were erratic and uncalculated. Gone was the fluid elegance he had before.

He flew directly over top of us. We had to duck down so his huge torso didn't hit us. The heat coming from his body almost burned the air. I felt Bard's hand on my shoulder as he held us to the ground. For one horrifying moment it felt like I was suffocating. Like all the air had been sucked away.

It felt like forever but it was only a matter of seconds. Smaug's body cleared our platform. I thought we were safe.

I lifted my head just in time to see Smaug's tail crashing down onto us. The platform disintegrated under the force of it. As if it was nothing more than a sandcastle. The wood beneath my body splintered on impact. Collapsing under the immense weight.

I barely had the chance to scream as my body was swallowed by the air.

Crashing towards the unrelenting ground far below.

Leah has a real habit of falling to her death doesn't she. You'd think she'd be used to it by now.

I've been really hesitant to write this chapter. For a long time I had no idea which direction it was going to go. I wanted Leah to be involved somehow but I also needed the elves to have their own plan. I came up with this while I was in the shower and decided to just roll with it. Hopefully you think it's at least plausible. If not I understand.

What do you think started the fire in camp?