Chapter 24

All rights go to Peter Jackson and Tolkien respectively, I own my OCs.

"This is madness," Sigrid muttered under her breath as her new survival group hurriedly packed around her. Her younger sister Tilda was currently trying to find her stuffed bear and her brother Bain was trying to make himself useful to the dwarves. Sigrid watched as the dwarves busied themselves. The dwarf called Bofur had found his way back to the house, and was now helping the older dwarf Oin gather medicines for the escape. The blonde dwarf, Fili, was helping the elf maiden Tauriel carry a box of food stuffs out to their boat. Sigrid couldn't help but let her eyes wander to the dark haired dwarf Kili that had been wounded. He sat uncomfortably on the table with his healed leg stretched out, and the strange girl poking at the scar that now lay puckered and pink on thigh. She had come into the house seemingly as a threat, and now she was treated like one of the dwarves, even getting a warm embrace from Bofur when he came back.

The girl was a bit peculiar to look at, Sigrid thought. She had bright blonde hair that was very pretty with her blue eyes, but she looked so frail in her ill-suited clothes. She was wearing black pants with tall boots and a black chest plate as protection over her shirt, and she had a rather impressive looking sword strapped to her side but clearly no skill to use it. Not that Sigrid could claim to have any skill in that department either. And then there was the whole healing powers shooting from her hands issue. Sigrid felt reluctant to trust this girl who seemed to barge in knowing everything and yet nothing all at once.

"Sigrid, would you carry these to the boat?" Fili smiled to her kindly, breaking her thoughts. She grabbed a pile of blankets from him and started down the stairs.

"Does it hurt at all?" Nina frowned, giving Kili's leg one last poke for good measure.

"You seem disappointed that it doesn't." He smirked.

"It's not that I want it to hurt, I just feel like it should with how bad it was. I guess I'm more powerful than we thought," She sighed, shrugging off the matter.

"Than you thought," He corrected quietly. "I knew you were capable of immense power back in Rivendell."

"Rivendell seems like ages ago now," She sighed wistfully. Those times in Rivendell had been life-changing of course, but at least they had been safe there. Safe was a feeling that felt all too distant from them now.

"It does." Kili looked up and couldn't look away from her eyes. She stared straight ahead lost in her own thoughts for a moment, and he marveled at how much more intense they were now that she could see.

"What was that?!" Bain screeched as something akin to thunder sounded. They all rushed to the kitchen window, seeing a bright orange glow coming from the mountain and a winged creature springing from it.

"They didn't kill it!" Bofur exclaimed in horror. Before anyone could say anything, a bone-chilling and booming voice filled the skies.

"I AM FIRE, I AM DEATH!" Smaug bellowed, bursting forth from the dark clouds and hurling his fiery breath onto the water below as he approached the town.

"We're out of time, we have to go now!" Nina shouted over the growing uproar outside. The others wasted no time in running down the stairs into Bard's boat. They had blankets and a few food items and Oin's medical herbs, just in case.

"Come on, come on! FASTER!" A shrill voice ordered from ahead of them. Nina looked up to see a much larger boat filled with gold and treasures being pushed along by multiple guards. Sitting in the boat was a disgusting looking man.

"The master of Laketown," Bain informed her before she could ask who it was. She nodded.

"He sounds like a fun guy."

"Look out!" Bain shouted as a wave of fire rushed onto the buildings next to them, causing their boat to fly forward and crash into the Master's.

"My gold!" He cried, completely ignoring the state of his people as they fled for their lives.

"Help me, please!" A pitiful voice cried. Nina and Tauriel both looked toward the source of the cry as the dwarves navigated the boat away from the Master's. It was an elderly woman with tears streaming down her face as she collapsed to her knees in despair.

"Nina it is not wise." Tauriel warned her, already knowing what Nina was thinking. "We must go, this boat will not turn back."

"I can't just leave her." Nina pleaded with Tauriel. They stared at each other for a moment, the woman getting farther and farther away. Tauriel gave the slightest nod.

"Then may the Valar be with you, Nina."

"Right back at ya." Nina jumped from the boat into the water and started swimming for the dock. Her ribs ached from the shock of the freezing water, and she felt like she could hardly move.

"NINA!" Kili screamed as he saw her leave the boat.

"We cannot wait for her, she has made her choice." Tauriel reasoned. Kili shook his head and shrugged off his brother's restraining arm.

"And I am making mine." He dived into the frigid waters and made his way for the dock. He could hear his brother's frantic screaming behind him but he couldn't bring himself to turn around. He had lost the girl once, and he would not lose her again.

"We have to go get them!" Fili argued. Tauriel shook her head and began rowing the boat with Bofur.

"Then we'll all die." She countered.

"Lad, we've got children on the boat that need to be taken out of this burning town." Oin reasoned. Fili sighed worriedly, looking at the three young ones sitting wide-eyed and fearful in the boat. He thought about how Thorin always told him that he would be King under the Mountain someday, and that he would have to make hard choices. This seemed to be one of those instances. He knew that it wouldn't be fair to risk the children's lives for his brother, and that Kili could handle himself.

"Da!" Bain exclaimed suddenly, causing everyone to follow his gaze.

"DA!" Tilda echoed the cry when she saw Bard. They all saw him standing shakily on the bell tower, shooting his hunting arrows at the dragon. They noticed with a sinking feeling that the arrows bounced off of Smaug's hide harmlessly.

"He hit it that time!" Fili shouted.

"No…" Tauriel whispered.

"He did! He hit his mark, I saw!"

"His arrows cannot pierce its hide; I fear nothing will." Tauriel shot him down with a defeated sigh. The others felt hopeless as they rowed on, but Bain suddenly remembered the Black arrow. When his father had ran off with the arrow to kill the dragon, Bain had gone with him. The Master's guards had begun chasing Bard, and in turn the bargeman had instructed Bain to hide the arrow. Bain had hid it under the Master's statue…which was now right behind them.

"The arrow!" Bain whispered to himself, jumping across three empty boats to reach the arrow. Bard needed him.

"Bain!" Sigrid and Tilda exclaimed, gripping the edge of the boat as they floated away.

"Why does everyone keep jumping off the boat?!" Bofur cried.

"What's wrong?" Nina gasped as she caught up to the crying old woman. The woman jumped at Nina's presence.

"My granddaughter, she's trapped in the house! She'll be burned to bits, please help her!" The woman cried. Nina nodded, looking in the direction the woman was pointing. There was only one house burning on that street, and Nina darted for it.

The house was creaking suspiciously as it burned, and Nina hesitated at its entrance before rushing in. She saw no sign of life in the building, which only increased her worry. She had never saved anyone before, and she still had no idea what had possessed her to do this now. She pulled her shirt up over her mouth and coughed violently, squinting through the smoke.

"Is anyone here?!" She croaked through the noise of the dragon overhead.

"Please help!" The sound of a little girl was just barely audible over the commotion. Nina looked around for the source when she saw the girl up above her waving her arms violently. It appeared to be a second floor to the house, connected to the ground by a wooden ladder. She coughed once more and started to climb up the ladder. The girl was crying, and Nina found herself going faster toward the girl that was surrounded by flames and smoke.

"Grab my hand!" Nina instructed once she reached the top. The girl willingly listened. Nina took a look at her. She couldn't have been over seven years old, and yet she was experiencing this much awfulness already. "It's going to be alright," She unconvincingly reassured her. She rushed for the ladder again, but Smaug beat her to it. The dragon zoomed past the house directly overhead and landed right next to them, crushing the ladder and wall of the house. Nina looked up in horror to see that the girl and she were sitting on a now small wooden platform high above the ground with an angry dragon sitting to their left.

"Who are you that would stand against me?!" Smaug roared at someone on the other side of the town. Being right next to him, Nina could feel his hot breath blowing down on them and his voice was deafening and painful. The girl began to whimper in fear before Nina quickly hushed her.

"Don't make a sound." She whispered shakily. She strained her eyes to see what Smaug was looking at, and she saw two men on a bell tower—or rather a man and a boy she recognized to be Bain. The man's bow was broken.

"Now that is a pity. What will you do now, Bowman? You are forsaken." Smaug taunted. Nina swallowed nervously. Bowman. It was Bard.

"Nina!" She looked below them to see Kili cautiously making his way to her and the girl.

"How the heck did you get here?" She whispered. His eyes flicked back and forth between Nina and Smaug constantly as he came closer.

"I couldn't very well let you die here." He replied. She rolled her eyes as he reached the bottom of her platform and reached up his hand.

"Take her first." Nina grunted as she struggled to lower the girl gently to Kili's arms. He took her and set her on the ground gently, flashing her a good-natured smile to set her at ease before looking back at Nina.

"Come on!" He whispered as Smaug began to walk toward Bard.

"No help will come." Smaug growled moving forward. His massive claw came forward and began to come back down, crashing onto Nina's ledge and knocking her down. She crashed into what was left of the wooden dock below and felt a blinding pain in her side.

"Well that's gonna bruise," She groaned as Kili ran to her with the girl in his arms.

"Are you alright?" He crouched next to her. Nina nodded with a grimace and reached her hand out for help getting up. He took it and pulled her up, watching Smaug with wide eyes. "We must get out of Laketown. He'll burn it to the ground."

"But Bard has the Black Arrow now." Nina reasoned as she watched Bard load it using his broken bow and oddly enough his son. She didn't remember that part in the book.

"And let us hope his aim proves true, but I do not wish to hang around if he fails." Kili said pointedly. Before Nina could reply, Bard spoke, his voice ringing clear for all.

"Arrow, Black Arrow! I have saved you to the last, you have never failed me and always I have recovered you. I had you from my father and he from of old. If ever you came from the forges of the true king under the Mountain, go now and speed well!" He commanded, releasing the arrow. Everyone watching held their breath in anticipation as the arrow flew, almost as if it were in slow motion. All went silent as the Black Arrow found its mark, piercing straight into Smaug's heart and putting an end to his reign of terror. Nina smiled. Bard the Bowman had slayed the dragon just as he was fated to.

"We have to go now!" Kili bellowed as Smaug flew high into the air, screeching in agony. Kili grabbed Nina's hand and set the little girl on his hip and began running. They ran quickly as Smaug's body began falling toward them, and gaining speed.

"He'll crush them all!" She gasped in terror. They sprinted down the long wooden bridge that connected Laketown to the forest beyond. They reached its end and leaped off, landing in the sand right as Smaug crashed on top of Laketown. A massive tidal wave burst forth from every direction, presumably overturning all boats in the vicinity. Nina thought of the dwarves and the children in their boat, and hoped they had gotten out in time.

"Where is my grandmother?" The girl finally peeped after a moment had passed where the three had sat in the sand.

"I'm sure she made it out, we'll find her." Nina reassured her, alarmed at how effortlessly the lie had come out. She doubted the old woman had the strength to flee the town in time, and it didn't look like anyone was offering to take passengers in their boats. She looked up to see Kili frowning at her for the lie. "What's your name?" She avoided his look.

"Clara." The little girl answered shakily. Her voice was so small, she was so scared.

"That's a very pretty name," Nina smiled, putting Clara more at ease.

"What's yours?"

"I'm Nina," She answered the girl, trying not to let Clara dwell on the dragon carcass on the lake.

"I like your name," Clara giggled. Nina laughed.

"I don't, I always thought it was weird sounding, but my father used to…" Nina faltered at the mention of her family. Clara looked up with a confused frown. "My father used to tell me that it was a good name, because where I come from it means 'strong' and he would always tell me that you don't need sight to be strong."

"But you have sight…" Clara looked up at Nina.

"Yes, yes I do." She nodded, surprised when tears began building up in her eyes. "You should get some sleep, Clara. You'll need all your strength when we find the others tomorrow." Clara nodded with a well-timed yawn and wriggled herself in the crook of Nina's arm and quickly dozed off. Nina and Kili stared quietly at the lake which was, as prophesied, shining and burning. She felt his hand slip into hers' and he gave it a comforting squeeze. Nina rested her head on his shoulder.

She hadn't forgotten that Fili was on that boat and she could only imagine how worried Kili was. She was worried too. She squeezed her eyes shut, causing a tear to roll down her cheek and fall onto her hand as it held Kili's. He noticed and took his free hand and reached it up to her face, gently wiping her cheek. She smiled a little. For a moment, Nina let herself imagine that Kili would live. She let herself think of all that he and Fili would do and accomplish, what Erebor would be like, how they would look as proper princes. For a moment, she let herself imagine being able to fall in love with him.

It was dark in Dol Guldur, the sky being almost black. It matched the dreary hopelessness within the hearts of all who lived there. Gandalf though, did not feel at all as though he belonged in such a place. He was standing in a metal cage that hung precariously from a ruined balcony. He had been with Radagast the Brown when he offered to search Dol Guldur for signs of Sauron. After the dwarves had entered Mirkwood, Galadriel had commissioned Gandalf to find Nina and save her from darker powers. His first stop had been here in Dol Guldur, but orcs had overpowered him and imprisoned him.

"Sad, isn't it? To see a powerful all-wise wizard overcome by mindless brutes." The voice of an evil man sounded. He had bright green eyes and brown hair dusted with blonde. "So uncivilized, aren't they?"

"Why do you keep me here?" Gandalf croaked weakly.

"My master wishes it," The man simply shrugged. "Perhaps you know something that we need to know. Perhaps you know what Galadriel is planning concerning Nina Bailyn."

"You have taken the girl?" Gandalf's eyes widened. Had he found her? The man laughed.

"I did, but we ran into some…complications. She will be back at my side soon." He answered vaguely. "What I need to know is what Galadriel is planning. Does she intend to train Nina Bailyn as a protector or not?"

"I will not give you any answers to your questions. The dark forces of this world must be put to an end, not fed." Gandalf resisted. The man sighed.

"How noble of you," He grinned maliciously. "Perhaps after some time here you may feel differently." With that he walked away, leaving Gandalf to languish in his cage.

"You are not alone, Mithrandir," The soothing voice of Galadriel suddenly came to him. "If you should need help, I will come."

The morning after Smaug's death arrived with a bright sun that shined cheerfully, as if the night's occurrences hadn't even happened. Kili was the first to wake, looking around with groggy eyes to examine their surroundings. He registered that he was laying in the sand with Nina's head resting on his arm as it wrapped around her shoulder. She in turn had little Clara wrapped around her and she kept her arms around the girl. Both were asleep, but his movement had caused Nina to stir.

"Is it time to get up already?" She groaned, rubbing her eyes. Kili chuckled at her.

"I am afraid so." He whispered so as not to wake Clara. Nina sat up, carefully adjusting Clara so that she could sleep on the ground.

"We just slept right here in the open?" She frowned. Kili sighed.

"I suppose we were too exhausted to even think about further danger, but I should have found us somewhere safer." He mumbled.

"It's alright, I guess I just had the whole sleep undercover thing drilled in my head from travelling with Thorin." She laughed quietly.

"Do you think they're…still alive, in the Mountain?" He asked almost inaudibly. Nina looked at the mountain looming over them.

"I don't know," She couldn't lie to him about that. "But right now we have to find the others here." Kili nodded. They woke Clara, and the three started down the bank to hopefully find more refugees.

"What do you expect to find?" Nina asked Kili quietly to keep it from Clara. He looked straight ahead.

"Mahal willing we'll find someone."

"Well I can fulfill that wish for you." An all too familiar voice grinned. Erich and two rather large orcs emerged from the trees and stood before them. Kili instinctively pushed Nina and Clara behind him and drew his sword. "How sweet, sadril, he's trying to protect you. Perhaps you could inform your dwarf friend of how useless he is against me."

"Do not call me that." Nina growled as she attempted to pass Kili. He threw his arm out to stop her.

"He's dangerous, stay back," Kili ordered. Nina rose her eyebrows at him.

"You think I don't know that?" She moved past Kili. "Fortunately I'm dangerous too." Erich laughed.

"You can hardly harness your powers to heal, much less to harm others. That's why you need me, sadril. I can help you control these magnificent powers you have been given, just come back with me." He stretched out his hand to her. "These dwarves only want to hold you back, you know they're really afraid of you."

"That's not true!" Kili shouted in protest, keeping Clara hidden behind him. Nina couldn't help but think back to Rivendell. Even though she couldn't see them then, she had known that they were wary of her. She shook her head. What was she thinking? She would've been wary too, and now the dwarves were family. Not Erich.

"You're just trying to get in my head," She glared at him. Erich sighed.

"Fine, we'll do things the hard way." With a small gesture of his hand, Erich caused the orcs to charge forward at them. Kili ran forward and met them, killing both will little struggle. Clara screamed and ran behind Nina, and Erich only smirked, undeterred by the death of his orcs. "If you come now, your friends will be spared. If not I will make sure they all suffer, and you will be there to watch me destroy them. I am being generous enough to give you this second chance, there will not be another."

"I'm not going with you." Nina shook her head, subconsciously putting her arm around Clara protectively.

"I'll slaughter everyone you hold dear." Erich warned.

"I'll stop you."

"Suit yourself," Erich grinned. Before another word could be said, he said a few words in Black Speech and was whisked away in a black cloud, no doubt from his master's power. Kili rushed back to her and Clara.

"Where did he go?" He set his hands on her shoulders and stared at her expectantly.

"Back to Dol Guldur would be my first guess, that's his evil hideout." She growled, wishing she didn't know so much about the twisted man. "But we need to find the others and get to the mountain quickly before he does anything else."

"Who was that wicked man?" Clara whispered shakily. Nina hugged her.

"Just a delusional idiot, you won't have to see him ever again."

"Come on, we must keep looking for everyone." Kili ushered them along.

Not far from the three travelers was many refugees climbing exhaustedly from the water and trying to find loved ones. Dead bodies floated around, and their loved ones cried over them. Wounded were being tended to if they could be, and many were screaming desperately for their lost families.

"DA!" Sigrid and Tilda screamed, staying close to the others. Their boat had made it to shore just before Smaug's body hit Laketown. Fili, Bofur and Oin were ringing out supplies and looking around anxiously for any sign of Kili and Nina. Tauriel stayed with the girls and kept them near.

"We'll never find anyone in this crowd," Fili huffed. As if Mahal had been listening, just then Kili and Nina came into view. "KILI!" Fili sprinted for them. The two brothers embraced tightly and the others ran to meet them.

"I'm so glad you're alright!" Bofur exclaimed embracing them both.

"Did you succeed in your goal?" Tauriel rose her eyebrows at Nina. Nina smiled, nudging Clara forward.

"I can't find her grandmother," She mumbled to her. Tauriel nodded.

"I will keep her with me." Nina nodded her thanks.

"There's no time to lose, we must go to Erebor." Oin reminded them. Kili nodded, glancing back at Clara.

"You'll be in good hands with these people, they will help you find your family." He knelt down to her. She smiled.

"Thank you master dwarf." She hugged him briefly. He smiled and gave her a wink before catching up with the others. Bofur prepared a boat and the others jumped in. Kili and Fili began rowing. Nina couldn't take her eyes off the mountain as it got closer.

"There it is lads, our home."

Author's Note

SOOO sorry for the late updates but I am back now. So now the plot thickens...also I loved the speech Bard made in the book with the Black Arrow so I had to include it :)

as always, I love to hear your feedback so leave a review! Until next time!