Three years later, Thessa stood guard with Valenia at the southern gate. As per usual, they watched the water above and lightly chatted through the day. Valenia had just told Thessa a joke about pufferfish, Thessa tossing her head back in a laugh, when Valenia gripped her arm roughly, eyes widening.
"Thessa!" Valenia pointed at the surface water about 300 yards away. There was the outline of five little boats paddling toward them. Thessa reached for the giant conch shell strapped to her waist and blew. The loud, reverberating sound traveled through the water, drawing the attention of their forces. The archers joined their leader at the southern gate, watching the boats slowly drift closer. Thessa gave orders to three of the units to follow her and the others to guard the kingdom. Thessa and Valenia and the three units moved forward toward a rocky outcropping to meet the intruders before they got too close to the castle.
"Wait for my signal" Thessa whispered as they perched behind the rock formations, spying the five boats filled with men and fishing equipment. They could not allow them to harm the fish, nor could they ask them to leave. Death was the only option. So, when the boats came into direct line with her forces, she gave the hand signal and drew her bow. They fired at the men, striking down half of their number. The men suddenly produced shields and harpoons, now ready for further attacks.
"Fire!" Thessa called again. However, the arrows did not penetrate their shields. They would have to fight closer. "Daggers out! Fight closer but stay far enough away as to not get hit. Unit three will be the first to strike, units one and two will stay slightly behind and fire arrows at any men that drop their shields. Go!" They moved out and swam full speed toward the boats. Thessa readied an arrow and propelled herself out of the water and over the heads of the men. She struck one from behind that couldn't get his shield turned quick enough. As she was about to reenter the water, she caught sight of a familiar face. A portly man with a bedraggled face, wicked sneer, and ugly cut down his cheek. That man, Thessa gasped. He was the one who kidnapped her in her dream.
Thessa steeled herself, and reentered the water. Not this time, she growled to herself. "Valenia! Stay back behind the units!" she called to her friend. She snarled as she strung another arrow onto her bow, drawing the string back and dodging an incoming harpoon. She lifted her torso above the water, spying a gap in the shields between her kidnapper and the men next to him. She gave a snarl and let the arrow fly, striking the ugly man in his right hip. He gave a strangled cry and fell into the water where her soldiers fell upon him.
They quickly dispatched the rest of the men as more shields began to drop. Once they had finished them off, they began tipping their boats until they filled with water and sank to the ocean floor. The bodies would be fed to the sharks so as not to leave any evidence of the attack. As gruesome as it was, it was the most practical option. Thessa counted the mermaids and was pleased to note that no one was injured from the attack. Thessa redistributed orders to the units and returned to the throne room to inform her mother of what happened.
When Thessa entered the room, her mother had a knowing look on her face, as if she expected the news. "My queen, there was an attack," Thessa began.
"I am aware," her mother stated. She looked at Thessa with a small smile. "Have you learned anything, my daughter?" Thessa looked up at her, confused.
"Learned what exactly, mother?" she asked. Meveria rose from her throne and came to float in front of her daughter.
"I brought you back here, my dear," Meveria rested a hand on her daughter's cheek. "The trident has the power to do many things, and I used it to reach out to you, wherever you are. I used this dream to show you what you are missing and to remind you why you should return home to us." Thessa's mouth just fell open at her mother's admission. Would the surprises with her ever cease?
"I can't mother!" she cried, wrapping her mother in a strong hug.
"And why ever not, daughter?" Meveria asked, running her hands through her daughter's soft hair. "What keeps you from returning home to your people?" Thessa thought about the question. She didn't recall why she hadn't returned by now. She had been freed from her kidnapper, but why hadn't she returned home? She tried to search her memories for the reason why, but all she remembered was that it was impossible for her to return.
"I... I don't know," Thessa whispered into her mother's shoulder. "When I wake, I promise, I will return to to you, to our people." He mother pulled back to look at her, a smile on her face.
"I know you will, Thessalia. Take care of yourself when you wake, and remember that I love and miss you," the queen said, a slight quiver in her voice. Thessa smiled tearily at her mother.
"I love you too, mother," she whispered as the scene around her began to disappear. Like a drop of ink in water, the castle, her mother, the walls, all started to fade until everything was black. She felt cold all of a sudden and she struggled to breathe. She opened her eyes forcefully and gasped a sharp breath, sitting up from a soft bed.
She looked around her to find that she was in a small room and laying on an equally small bed. Her eyes were still focusing, but she heard crashes and screaming coming from the front room. Thessa rose up on unsteady legs, wearing a dress for some reason, and hobbled to the kitchen. Orcs were everywhere, attacking Óin and Fili while Kili lay in a small bed off to the side, quite defenseless. Two girls were huddled under a table as a young boy tried to fight off another orc with whatever he could find. She watched an orc flip over the table and screech at the two young girls. Thessa immediately looked for some sort of weapon to fight with when a red-haired elf burst through the door, stabbing orcs left and right with her daggers. A blond elf then dropped in from a hole in the roof, most likely made by an intruding orc, and began dispatching orcs as well.
"Legolas!" Thessa called, finally remembering his name. That dream she had fallen into had made her memories of reality slightly fuzzy. His head snapped up to her and he tossed her one of his daggers. She caught it easily and ran to protect the two girls and the boy. She stabbed an oncoming orc through its eye and another across the backs of its knees. As it fell to the ground she finished it off by stomping on his throat, crushing his airway and suffocating him. She backed the girls and boy into a corner behind her and slashed at any orc that dared come close. The other dwarves as well as Legolas and Tauriel finished off the rest off the orcs.
"You killed them all," the boy said softly, looking up at Legolas. The elf was walking swiftly to the door, however, not looking at anyone as he spoke.
"There are others. Tauriel, come!" he called behind him. Tauriel stayed though, glancing down at Óin who was tending to Kili's wound.
"We're losing him," Óin pleaded with the elleth. Tauriel looked back and forth between Legolas and Kili. Legolas didn't wait for the captain as he sprinted out the doorway after the orcs. Tauriel was about to follow him when Kili cried out, clutching his leg. Thessa rushed over to him, kneeling down beside him and cradling his head. They heard boots coming from outside and Tauriel recognized Bofur, who was holding some sort of plant.
"Athelas..." she murmured, as if trying to remember something. "Athelas," she whispered now with realization. Bofur looked at her hesitantly.
"What are you doing?" he asked the elleth.
"I'm going to save him," she whispered to the dwarf, striding back over to the upturned table, righting it so that she could begin work. Thessa was slightly irritated that she wasn't asked to help heal Kili, she obviously could have, but Tauriel was right there with a cure, and the water for Thessa's healing power to work was further away. Thessa shuffled a little to make room for Tauriel as she prepared a poultice from the herb that Bofur returned with. They had shifted Kili over to the kitchen table for treatment, seeing as the little bed has no room for Tauriel to work.
"Hold him down," the elf demanded, approaching the struggling dwarf. Kili was groaning as Óin, Bofur, Fili and Thessa held down his limbs. Bard's daughters even came over to help. Tauriel rubbed the poultice into Kili's wound, chanting in Elvish as she did, and he immediately erupted in pained shouts. Agonizing screams ripped from his throat and he tried to thrash around, but they held him fast. Thessa cringed visibly each time Kili roared in pain, and she could tell that Fili didn't like it very much either.
Tauriel kept her hands on Kili's wound, still chanting as he began to quiet and relax. The angry redness of the wound began to abate and Kili finally relaxed fully onto the kitchen table. Thessa gripped Kili's right hand, bringing it to her lips for a soft kiss as she brushed some of the sweat-soaked fringes of hair from his eyes. Óin, the healer of the company, was amazed and privileged to have seen Elvish healing magic at work and sat there in a stunned state beside Thessa. Fili stood between Óin and Sigrid, each glancing at the other every now and again. Fili gave the girl a grateful nod and a charismatic smile for her help and she blushed in return, ducking her head with a small grin. Kili looked dazed as he stared up at Tauriel as she was turned away, cleaning up supplies.
"Tauriel," Kili whispered to her back. She turned upon hearing his strained voice, smiling softly at the dwarf.
"Lie still," she whispered.
"You cannot be her," Kili sighed. "She is far away. She is far, far away from me. She walks in starlight in another world..." Tauriel glanced down at the healing dwarf, not sure how to feel about his loving words. "It was just a dream," he murmured, looking up at the red-haired elleth. He raised a slightly shaking hand to gently brush her fingers, taking her hand in his ever so softly. "Do you think she could have loved me?" Tauriel found it difficult to breathe in that moment, staring down at the handsome, brown-haired dwarf. She laughed internally as she remembered the hatred and disdain she used to hold for both dwarves and mermaids. Oh how things change, she smiled.
Thessa quirked an eyebrow in Fili's direction and he gave her a knowing smile, glancing down at his brother. They were both aware that there was something happening between the elf and his brother, that was plain to see. This time, Thessa arched an eyebrow at him again, but shifted her gaze over to Sigrid, then back to Fili, a smirk on her lips. Fili, however, turned his head with as slight blush, as if he had not noticed the question in her eyes. Thessa smiled at the sandy-haired dwarf. She knew he harbored some sort of feelings for the girl, who was more accurately a young woman, now that she thought about it.
The tension in the air slowly ebbed away. No orcs were breaking through the roof or door, Kili was on the mend, and Thessa was awake again. Óin rested a hand on her shoulder, smiling down at the woman.
"With all the commotion I forgot to mention it earlier, but we're glad you're awake, lass," the old dwarf gave her a big smile, his bushy beard pulling up at the corners. Thessa grinned back at him, enveloping the healer in a tight hug.
"Thank you Óin," she said with a light chuckle. "How long was I asleep?" Óin glanced to the ceiling as if trying to calculate the time in his head.
"Oh I'd say round about eighteen hours, nearly a full day, lass," he confirmed, nodding at his estimation. "Thorin couldn't wake you this morning and they dared not risk bringing you with them to the mountain. He truly regretted leaving you lass, I could see that it hurt him to do so." Thessa nodded. She had assumed that the company had continued their journey to the mountain to meet Gandalf. Óin was the healer, and Fili was Kili's brother, which explains why they had stayed in Laketown.
"Wait, why is Bofur still here? No offense Bofur," she said with a sheepish smile at the dwarf.
"None taken, lassie," Bofur smiled and laughed, his funny hat swaying with the movement. "It would seem I had too much ale the night of our little feast!" he gave a hearty laugh, causing the others to chuckle as well. "When you and Thorin left, we had ourselves a wee burping competition, which I won, mind you," Fili frowned at that, obviously miffed, "and then we started ourselves another wager-"
"That's quite enough detail, lad!" Óin intercepted. Thessa glanced around at the old dwarf, seeing his cheeks dust a light pink. Óin didn't think the nice lady should be concerned with the crude wagers of the company.
"Where's Da?" Tilda asked Fili timidly. That got their attention right away. Where had the bowman gone?
"I'm not sure, lass," Fili answered, patting the girl's shoulder comfortingly. Thessa hadn't seen Bard since the night before they were scheduled to leave.
"When did he leave?" Thessa asked the group. Fili scratched his chin, pondering her question. He opened his mouth to answer when a great roar came from far away. Then a ringing sound began to chime from the bell tower. Tauriel rushed to the door, sticking her head out to see what was happening.
"We have no time, we must leave," she said, quickly returning and gathering up her things. Fili helped his brother to his feet as they were preparing to leave, knowing what was coming.
"We're not leaving, not without our father," Bain said to the elf. Tauriel turned to him as she helped Tilda into a coat.
"If you stay here, your sisters will die. Is that what your father would want?" she asked with a spark in her eye. Thessa had hear Tauriel speak in anger, but that was a little harsh, she thought. They all threw on cloaks and grabbed a few supplies as they left the small house, heading for the docks. People everywhere were shoving each other and yelling, scrambling to the boats that listed in the water.
They heard another roar from the dragon and its large form suddenly dipped below the clouds, zooming over the roof tops. It let out a great breath of fire, setting whole rows of houses alight. They tried to paddle the boat they were in faster when it knocked into another boat. They looked over to see the master and his snake, Alfrid, on their own boat, weighted down with the entirely of the town's wealth. Some of the gold tumbled into the water upon collision as the guards roughly shoved the boat past them.
They were slightly shocked, but not at all surprised that the master would only care for his gold and not his people. Said people were still rushing out of burning buildings towards the boats, some jumping right into the icy water, as Smaug circled above the town. Each time he dipped down over the small town, a rolling jet of fire burst from his mouth, scorching the homes and timbers around him.
Thessa watched helplessly as the people dove into the water and the boats, but something in the water caught her eye. Under one of the docks she spotted three heads, eyes just above the water's surface, staring at her. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized who they were. They hadn't forgotten the promise she had made them, to kill the master. They sunk slowly beneath the surface, not a ripple belying their presence. Thessa was jolted out of her train of thought as Bain jumped out of the boat and onto a nearby dock, rocking the boat with his shifting weight.
"He hit it! He hit his mark, I saw!" Kili shouted, pointing to the bell tower in the middle of the burning town. Thessa saw a lone figuring, perched in the tower with a taught bow, firing arrows at the incoming beast. It was Bard! Bain had jumped out of the boat in order to fetch the black arrow he had stashed earlier that day. That sole arrow might be their only hope, Thessa thought sadly. She could hear the screams of Bain's sisters for him to come back, and she was about to soothe their worry when she felt wet hands grip her around her waist. Before she could register what was happening, she was hauled out of the boat and into the icy water. She hadn't the time or intention to shift her legs into a tail at the moment, but if she didn't want to drown she would need to. She felt er legs melding together and the scales erupt from her skin, her tail finally forming.
"A bargain was struck!" a voice hissed in her ear. Thessa shivered at the shrill sound. The fire had slightly warmed the water, but not by much, and the dress she wore was dragging on her, making it difficult to swim. She felt jagged metal against her back and throat as she was surrounded by the lake mermaids, if you could even call them that anymore. They were more monsters than mermaids now, Thessa thought.
"I know, but I couldn't kill the master outright! There was no time or opportunity!" Thessa defended. She felt the metal of whatever weapon was at her back slowly cut into her skin, causing her to hiss. Just then, a portly figure dropped into the water about twenty yards away. They looked over to see the man of the hour thrashing about as he tried to re-board his boat.
"There he is!" Thessa shouted. "He's all yours, no need for me anymore!" she said hopefully. The creatures of the lake split up, two to go after the master and one stayed by Thessa, rusty harpoon at her back.
"Not ssso fast, algae-eater," the voice screeched. "You failed usss, and so we will leave you with a reminder of your empty promissses," she hissed. Pain erupted in Thessa's abdomen and she glanced down to see the head of the harpoon sticking out of her torso just above her hip. She screamed in pain as the rusty weapon was yanked back out and the creature swam to rejoin the other two. Blood slowly began to permeate the water around her, making it hard to see. Thessa could heal herself, but it was so cold now and she was losing energy fast.
Each time she tried to move her tail agonizing pain halted her movements. The dress that she wore was heavy and weighing her down. She was sinking further into the depths and she faintly heard a loud splash not far from her. A powerful wave washed over her, letting her know that something very large had dropped into the water. She couldn't see through the bloody water, but she assumed that Bard had brought down the dragon. She smiled to herself as she sank. He had save the people of Laketown, and she was happy to have known him and his children. She knew she wouldn't be leaving this lake, her wound was too severe for her to heal now. She couldn't fight against the drag from the dress and she was beginning to feel numb all over. The light from the fire above dwindled as she drifted further down into the lake. She thought of Thorin, his roguish smile and sturdy build, one last time before closing her eyes. Everything went black and cold as she prepared to depart this world.