'Bard! Where are you?' Halien called.
Bard, who had been captured by the guards, was trying to get out of the jail cell any way that he could. He looked up when he heard Halien calling to him. 'Halien! You're alright! Are the children with you?'
'Yes, Bard, the children are here next to me. They are frightened but safe. Where are you?'
'Braga and his men captured me.' Bard thought to her. 'I'm trying to get out. I see the Master's boat, so I will try to find a rope or something and hook it onto the boat. I will get out of here and find you!'
'Bard, just get out of there. You need to fire the Black Arrow at the dragon and bring him down!'
'I gave the Black Arrow to Bane before they captured me.' Bard thought to her. 'He knows where it is at.'
"Bane, where did you put the Black Arrow?" Halien asked, looking at him.
"I hid it in a boat near the statue of the Master," Bane explained.
Suddenly, the Master's boat crashed into them, nearly knocking them over as they passed them with the gold from the treasury. Halien looked up and saw where Bard was- up ahead- and watched as he threw down a makeshift rope. It caught around the Master's neck and chest and he was slammed back into the back of the boat as it continued forward. The boat pulled the bars from the window and Bard smirked.
Halien threw up a shield of water magik as the dragon flew above them, then spread out the shield and tried to extinguish some of the fires. She looked up and saw that Bard had climbed up to where the bell was and was firing his arrows at the dragon each time it passed by.
Bane suddenly jumped out of the boat and ran to where the Black Arrow was hidden. Tilda and Sigrid called him back, but he ran off in the direction of Bard.
"We cannot turn back now," Tauriel said.
'Bane, you run to your father and you do not look back.' Halien called to him. 'You run hard and you get that Black Arrow to him. This is our only hope against the dragon now.'
Bane had never heard Halien speak to him with her mind before, but he was not swayed. 'I will, Halien. I promise.'
Halien smiled and looked at the girls. "Bane will be fine. He is taking the Black Arrow to your father. The dragon will be dead soon enough."
Sigrid and Tilda nodded and they continued to work their way through the canals until they reached the edge of the town. They paddled faster and faster, getting further and further from Laketown, but closer and closer to the shores. They arrived at the shore and quickly got out of the boat. They found a spot of grass and moss and helped Halien down to it. More and more people were reaching the shores and some of the women who had joined them quickly ran over to help Halien and the others. They set up a makeshift tent, that way she had some privacy to deliver the baby, and they followed Tauriel's instructions as she began to help Halien. They got her a blanket so that she had something warm to cover her and she cried out in pain as the contractions quickened and came more frequently.
Back in Laketown, Bane had reached his father and delivered the Black Arrow to him. Bard protected Bane when the dragon tried to knock them off the bell tower, but only took out the bell. Bane had nearly fallen to his death, but Bard pulled him up and lodged the broken bow into the tower supports. He set the Black Arrow on Bane's shoulder and aimed at the dragon. Pulling back on the bowstring, with the Black Arrow notched, Bard waited until he saw an opening. He smiled in relief when he saw the spot that many said was not there, the place where Girion's last arrow found its mark and loosened a scale under the left wing. Bard smirked at the dragon and waited until Smaug got closer to them as he climbed over the burning buildings, then fired the last of the Black Arrows into the heart of the dragon.
Bard watched as Smaug tried to take flight, clawing at the air as he tried to get away, but he saw steam coming from the dragon's heart and he smiled in relief. Halien's water magik was extinguishing the dragon's fire and the Black Arrow had pierced his heart. Bard grabbed Bane, though, when he saw the dragon falling back down from the sky and he landed on the city, crushing the middle of Laketown.
Back on the shore, Halien, her nephews, Oin, Bofur, Tauriel, and Bard's daughters watched as the dragon fell from the sky, crushing the city. Many cheered as the dragon fell, but then cried for fear that any who were still in Laketown may have perished under the dragon's weight.
Halien tried to call out to him, but she didn't have enough strength to call to him and give birth to her son. She cried out in pain as Tauriel told her to push. She pushed and pushed, crying out in pain as it felt like her body was going to tear apart. Oin held her hand and Fili sat behind her, holding her head in his lap while Kili held her other hand. They tried to keep her calm, but she was in a lot of pain and shut everyone out. Fili gently wiped the sweat from her brow with a cool wet towel and stroked her hair.
"One more push, Halien!" Tauriel told her.
Halien gave one more push and nearly passed out from the pain. She closed her eyes for a moment but opened them when she heard crying. Tauriel handed her a bundle and Halien took her son into her arms and smiled, tears of joy spilling from her eyes. "My boy…"
Fili, Kili, and Oin leaned in a bit to look at the lad and smiled.
"He's beautiful…" Fili said, looking over Halien's shoulder.
"He's so little…" Kili noted.
"He looks healthy enough for being four months early," Oin said. "Perhaps it is your healing magik, Halien, which has made the wee lad still strong enough after being born so early."
Halien smiled.
"What are you going to name him?" Kili asked.
Halien thought a moment, then remembered she had once met a great dwarf, the younger brother to her husband. "Frerin."
Kili looked at his brother. "After Uncle Frerin? Our mother and Thorin's brother?"
Halien nodded. "I met Frerin once before he perished in battle. He was a great man and he looked up to Thorin. It's been a long time since then, but I thought it is fitting for a young prince."
The brothers smiled. "It's perfect," Kili said, then looked up at Tauriel.
The elf smiled softly at him and stood.
"Tauriel, wait," Halien said, looking up at her. "Thank you. For everything. You did not have to come after us. You did not have to help us. But, thank you."
Tauriel smiled. "I am sorry, Halien, for what has happened. I should not have let your father exile you when you came back home. I should have convinced him to let you stay, but I did not think to disobey your father. It has only been recently that I have begun to doubt your father's judgment and I could not just stand by and let the darkness overcome the lands. I want to help stop it. I am just as much a part of this world as you or anyone else is."
Halien smiled. "I know, Mellon. All is forgiven. Thank you for everything you have ever taught me, ever done for me."
Tauriel bowed to her, even though she was no longer considered a princess of the Woodland Realm. She was still a wonderful person and had done so much with her life to make the world a better place. She excused herself to go and find some supplies for them so that they could take them to the mountain when they return to the dwarf king's side.
Halien sat there for a while, regaining her strength and holding her son. Fili and Kili went to go and help some of the others coming to the shore from Laketown while Oin and Bofur sat with her to keep her company and keep an eye on her and the baby. Sigrid and Tilda sat with her and watched as the baby opened his eyes and looked around.
After some time, Halien had fed Frerin and he slept soundly in her arms. Bard had made it to the shore and was looking for her and his daughters.
"Halien! Sigrid! Tilda!" he called.
The girls heard their father calling and ran to meet him. Bofur held Frerin as Halien stood and she watched as the girls led their father to her. She smiled when she saw him and hugged him as he wrapped his arms tightly around her.
'Thank the ancestors you're alive!' Bard thought to her.
'It's good to see you come back to us in one piece.' Halien replied.
They stood there for a moment, embracing each other, but then Bard pulled away when he heard the whimpering of an infant. He looked over as Bofur brought Frerin over to Halien.
"The wee lad wants his mother." He said as Halien took her son from him.
"You had the babe?" Bard asked. "You should not have been due for another few months at least!"
Halien nodded as she made certain that her son was completely covered, save his face. "He decided to come early. I went into labor right as we left your house to get into the boat. Really poor timing on his part, but he felt as if he was ready."
Bard looked at the babe and smiled. It had been years since he had seen an infant. Halien looked at him as Frerin reached out to him. Bard let the lad take his finger and they watched as he fell asleep again. Halien smiled and kissed her son's forehead. Bard looked at her and he saw how weary she was, but she was still beautiful and looked healthy as the babe.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm fine. It was a shock that Frerin wished to come early. He was not due for another four months. Oin and Tauriel both say that he is healthy, though, and that's what matters." Halien replied, then looked at the bowman. "Tauriel went to find us enough supplies to reach the mountain. We need to rejoin Thorin and the others. We will be leaving soon."
Bard looked at her. "Must you go now? You should rest a bit more."
Halien put a hand on his cheek and smiled. "I need to be with my husband. He needs to meet his son. I will be fine, I promise. I will take it easy once I reach the mountain."
Bard was about to say something, to protest, but one of his fellow Lakemen called him over. He looked from them to Halien and back, then sighed. "Just be careful?"
Halien nodded and hugged him. "I will. Bard, if there is nowhere else for you to seek shelter, head to Dale. Make sure the wounded are cared for as best as possible before you make the trek to the city. Just, be warned, it may not be what you expect to see and many will remember that day. Just be careful." She told him, then kissed his cheek. "Now go, Bard the Dragonslayer, your people need you."
Bard nodded and went to help out. Tauriel returned shortly, with just enough supplies to get them up to the mountain. She helped them ready a boat and spoke with Kili as he asked her to come and join them. Legolas appeared behind them and asked Tauriel to take leave of the dwarf.
Halien watched as Kili handed Tauriel the token his mother, Dis, had given him before the quest. He went to finish readying the boat and Halien walked past her brother to join them, but Legolas grabbed her arm and stopped her.
