Note: Italics is thoughts, unless specified otherwise i.e flashbacks or visions. / is timeskip
"It is time my old Padawan,"
THIRD POV
Bells toll loudly over Laketown, echoing in the ears of all as a constant reminder of the oncoming beast. The people of Lake-town clamour as they rush to evacuate their homes, grabbing anything of value to them.
Alexa stood outside, Tauriel beside her as she overlooked the town. The two remained silent as a chilling roar sounds in the distance. It wouldn't be long now.
A sudden rush of wind blew through the two women's hair as a shadow flew above them. Exchanging a look with Tauriel, Alexa strode back into Bard's home; the ginger Elf not far behind.
Shortly after entering the house, Alexa went straight towards Bard's youngest child; Tilda. "We have no time. We must leave," Tauriel said, as she picked up a blanket and headed towards Tilda and Alexa.
"Get him up," Bofur said, grabbing a coat.
"Come on, let's go," Fili said as he went to lift his brother.
"I'm fine. I can walk," Kili told him, shrugging off his brother's hands.
"Fast as you can," Tauriel muttered, as she passed the blanket to Alexa who wrapped it snugly around Tilda's shoulders.
"We're not leaving. Not without our father," Bain said, as he came to a stop beside the Elf.
"If you stay here, your sisters will die. Is that what your father would want?" Tauriel replied, turning to face the boy after she had finished speaking.
That seemed to do it for him. Nodding at the Elf's words, Bain grabbed some extra blankets for him and his sisters. During this, Alexa had been looking after Tilda, making sure she had everything she needed.
"Are we going to die Alexa?" Tilda asked, the sound of her small voice causing Alexa to look down at the girl.
Sighing, Alexa got on one knee and smiled softly at the girl. "No, Tilda we're not,"
"But the dragon?" she continued; her brown eyes full of terror.
"Don't you worry about such things Tilda. I'll keep you safe and protect you from him," Alexa assured, swallowing the lump in her throat as she recalled what had happened to the last girl she had promised to protect. No, not again. Never again.
"Yeah, you saw what she did to those Orcs Tilda. We'll be fine," Sigrid said, hugging her sister to her side.
Nodding at Sigrid, Alexa stood and smiled reassuringly down at Tilda one last time before leading the pair down the stairs and to the boat.
"Give me your hand," Fili spoke, helping the oldest girl in the boat before reaching his hand out to Tilda.
"Come on, we gotta go," Bofur said as he helped Alexa inside the boat, placing her down on one of the seats.
"Quickly now. Hurry!" Tauriel stated, now standing at the front of the boat.
"Kili, come on!" Fili called out to his brother. Kili leapt into the boat, the last one of their small group to arrive.
Alexa sat at the rear end of the boat near Kili, while Fili and Bofur guided the boat through the lake with the oars. Pushing away from the dock, the two Dwarves led them through the narrow canals of the town.
The wind whipped around their heads as a roar reverberated through their bones. Smaug wings glided effortlessly over the rooftops as he flew roughly sixty feet above them. Screams rang throughout the town as Smaug flew aloft; though the dragon had yet to do any real damage.
Alexa observed as Smaug soared up above the town, his silhouette revealed as he flew in front of the moon. Before he swiftly descended, a bright orange building in his belly.
With one breath, Smaug unleashed his fire upon the town; incinerating people in the direct line instantly. The lake shined as the inferno spread; consuming the wooden structures.
Smaug's eyes narrow in hatred, and another fierce roar leaves him; causing a great ball of fire to spew from his mouth. Several crashes and screams sound behind Alexa on the boat instantly after. But she doesn't dare look back, not wanting to see the carnage Smaug had brought.
As the inferno continues, Alexa glanced around the burning town. She watched as a man on fire ran around the docks screaming. Before diving into the cold water below. Alexa bit the inside of her cheek at the sight, as much as she wanted to, she could not help them.
"Look out!" Bofur shouted abruptly,
Before Alexa could look at the Dwarf, she jerks forward. Their boat having made contact with the Master's one; which was full of treasure. The force of the impact causes screams to erupt from Sigrid and Tilda. At the collision, their much smaller boat tips to the side, threatening to submerge into the cold depths below.
The glittering of gold caught Alexa's eye as she helped Fili steady the boat. Glimpsing towards the light, she took in the massive treasure horde; and the Master and Alfrid standing at the rear of the boat. Of course, they would save the gold over their people, she sighed.
"Move it, move it! Come on! Faster!" the Master commanded, not caring for anyone else but himself – and the gold.
"My gold! My gold!" the Master continued, as the treasure on the boat fell into the icy water below.
- Scene: Erebor -
The remaining company except for Thorin all overlooked the burning town. The toll of bells ringing in their ears.
"Poor souls," Balin sighed,
The older Dwarves who had lived through Smaug's fire when they had resided in Erebor were all trapped in the past, as they took in the sight of the burning town. The rest of the Dwarves and Bilbo just watched on, sorrowful.
Nori glanced down to his brother Ori, who since Smaug's first attack had taken to looking blankly ahead and placed a hand on his shoulder.
Gloin looked away from the red blaze, incoherent words leaving his lips as he prayed to Durin that his brother and the rest of their company would survive Smaug's wrath. Bifur looked down to his cousin Bombur, who was wide-eyed and worried about his brother and the remainder of the company.
Bilbo turned to glance back at Thorin. Not seeing the Dwarf, his eyes squinted slightly as he frowned. Walking towards the steps, the dark form of Thorin came into his view. The frown on Bilbo's face deepened as he stared at the Dwarf, the very Dwarf whose eyes were transfixed on Erebor.
Thorin did not seem to mind the destruction Smaug had caused on Lake-town. His gaze was set upon the halls of Erebor. The dragon-sickness enveloped his heart, causing his Durin blue eyes to darken.
- Scene: Laketown -
The heat from the flames burned nearby as the small boat full of Dwarves, Men, and Elf navigated their way through Smaug's carnage. The firedrake had not held back, unleashing his fire upon anything and everything in his path. The town was alight. Black smoke rose high above the structures as the fire continued; the flames spewing from Smaug's mouth never-ending.
Screams erupted around them, and a loud splash sounded nearby; as debris from a burning building finally gave in to the flames and descended into the lake. The small group found themselves under another alight structure, waiting for Tauriel, who was manning the front of the boat, to give the all-clear for Bofur and Fili to continue paddling.
As soon as Tauriel had dropped her hand to her side, Fili and Bofur resumed guiding the boat through the burning town once more.
Soon the toll of the bell was no longer able to be heard. Hearing the familiar twang of an arrow, Alexa searched for the origin. A gasp left her lips as she watched Bard shoot arrow after arrow at Smaug.
"Da," Bain breathed, also seeing his father. The simple word caused Sigrid and Tilda to gasp, as they also turned their gaze to the watchtower.
"Da!" Tilda called after her father,
"He hit it! He hit the dragon! He did!" Kili said, glancing from Bard to Tauriel several times.
"No," Tauriel whispered, her face contorted into one of fear and shock.
"He hit his mark! I saw," Kili asserted the Elf,
"His arrows cannot pierce it's hide. I fear nothing will," Tauriel told him, shutting down the Dwarf's hope that Bard would kill the Dragon.
At her words, Alexa averted her gaze to her hands. She did not know if Bard had already used the black arrow or if it had been confiscated from him; as Bain had told them about his father being arrested. Either way, she was nervous for the man, who cared deeply about his kids.
Bain watched with no hope now as his father shot arrows at the Dragons hide. He glanced across the burning town towards the statue of the pig-headed Master. Casting his eyes down to the boat drifting beside it, he swallowed the lump that was growing in his throat. Standing, he grabbed the overhanging grappling hook with both hands, the chain rattling as he did so.
"What are you doing?" Bofur called, attempting to grab the young man's legs as he swung off the boat.
"Bain, no!" Alexa said as Bain dangled over the water.
She was about to use the force to pull him back to the boat when her eyes caught a blue figure. Standing amid the flames, Qui-Gon shook his head at the woman as he knew that the boy needed to get away for things to fall in place the way they are meant to. Seeing Qui-Gon shake his head, Alexa grew silent, her hand reaching across to grab Tilda's.
"Come back! Bain!" Fili shouted after Bain,
"Bain!" Sigrid called after her brother; her tone desperate.
"Bain! Get back here!" Bofur said as Bain landed on the wooden floorboards of the dock.
"Bain!" Fili called once more, though it was no use as he had already run away from them and across the dock to the statue.
"Leave him. We cannot go back," Tauriel said, her eyes watching as Bain's figure grew farther and farther away.
At Tauriel's words, Fili and Bofur reluctantly continued to paddle towards safety. "Bain!" Tilda called, her voice cracking as tears ran down her small cheeks.
Just as they were exiting the burning town, a malicious voice roared from above; causing a shiver to run down Alexa's spine. The familiar words in her vision sounded once more in her ears, as the dragon known as Smaug faced Bard and his son Bain.
"Who are you that would stand against me?"
- Scene: Erebor -
A deafening roar escaped Smaug as he crashed through the burning town; the black arrow had hit its mark. Screams of pain left the dragon as he flew above Lake-town, his wings flapping harshly. The bright orange colour in his throat dissipated as his mouth opened in a silent scream. Smaug's rage-filled eyes grew dull as he fell towards the town below; dead.
The loud crash of Smaug falling onto the Master's boat and into the water sounded in the company's ears; the noise signifying the death of Smaug.
"What was that? What happened?" Ori asked, leaping to his feet to look upon the town.
"It fell. I saw it," Bilbo replied, stalking closer towards the edge.
At his words, the Dwarves all got to their feet gasps of shock and disbelief leaving them. They all gaped in silence as they stared at the quiet town, now rid of the beast known as Smaug.
"It's dead. Smaug is dead," Bilbo muttered in shock as he glanced back towards the remaining company.
"By my beard, I think he's right. Look there! The Ravens of Erebor are returning to the Mountain," Gloin asserted, not quite believing his eyes.
"Aye. Word will spread. Before long every soul in Middle-earth will know the dragon is dead!" Balin shouted; his words causing hearty laughter to leave the Dwarves.
However, as the Dwarves celebrated the dragon's demise; Thorin left the lookout post. His eyes clouded as he walked down the steps and towards the entrance to Erebor.
- Scene: Shores of Laketown -
Alexa remained with her Dwarf friends, reluctantly leaving Tauriel to take Tilda and Sigrid around to find their brother and father.
Bofur, Fili, Oin, and Kili all packed the boat and got ready to leave once more. Whilst they were doing this, Alexa had helped a few struggling people out of the water and to land. Shrugging off their thanks, she went to help out the next person in need.
Alexa's eyes ghosted over the dead bodies that had washed up on the shore. The cries and screams of families and infants washed over her ears.
"My baby! Where's my baby?!" one woman calls amongst the rest, her words piercing Alexa's heart.
Searching through the life forms, dead and alive, Alexa scoured the shore for the woman's child. Centring on a small cry, Alexa followed her senses towards the sound. The wailing gradually grew louder the closer she got. Her eyes ran over a discarded ball of old sheets, the cry sounding within. Racing towards the lump, Alexa picked up the blankets and pulled it down to reveal the infant's tear-stricken face.
Humming the old Jedi song her Master had taught her, and she had sung to young Ben, she slowly but surely got the young babe to calm down. Quickly walking through the crowd of survivors, Alexa made her way towards the woman screaming for her baby.
Reuniting the crying woman with her baby, Alexa smiled down at the woman now cradling the child; tears in her eyes. Mutters of thank you and thank goodness left the woman's lips as she held her baby.
"Alexa, come on. We are leaving soon," Fili called from several meters away.
Looking down once more at the crying woman, she smiled softly before hastily leaving to join Fili and the others. On the way there, she noticed Tauriel staring after Kili. The latter, unaware of the Elf's eyes on him. Knowing that this was the right time, Alexa walked towards Tauriel; stopping just before her.
A sigh left Alexa as she took in how Tauriel's eyes lingered on Kili. Well, it's now or never. she thought, her eyes misty as she mentally prepared herself to speak of him.
"I was," Alexa began, the words getting stuck in her throat.
After taking several deep breaths, she continued. "I was once in love with a man I couldn't have. I knew what I felt for him was forbidden and so, squashed any feelings I had about him down and focused on the job," she told the Elf, who had since looked down curiously at the woman.
"As cheesy as it sounds, love found a way; and it turned out that he returned my feelings. Despite the job, and everything in between those times with him, as few as they were. Were some of the happiest moments of my life," Alexa said a fond smile on her face as she thought back on her old life.
"It has been almost six years since he died... To this day it is still one of my deepest regrets: avoiding my feelings for him for so long. Had I not, we may have had more time together. Don't make the same mistake I did," she finished, a sigh leaving her as a single tear ran down her cheek; memories of Obi-Wan filling her mind.
The Elf's eyes were sympathetic as she listened to Alexa speak of her lost love. She watched as the woman wiped a stray tear from her cheek, her eyes glassy. Wanting to see her smile, Tauriel sighed and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Do you wish to tell me anything else, Alexa? Cook of the Dwarves," she asked a teasing tone in her voice, causing Alexa to snap out of her memories.
Alexa smirked at her words, and her eyes flickered over to the Dwarves; her gaze lingering on the brothers. "Actually, yes. Now that you mention it," Alexa replied, a halfhearted chuckle leaving her, prompting Tauriel's lips to twitch up into a small smile.
Alexa's green-grey eyes once full of mirth turned dark and sad as she turned to face the Elf, all humour having left her. "Listen, I don't have much time. I need your help Tauriel,"
Noticing the sudden change in the woman's tone and stance, Tauriel turned her gaze from Kili to Alexa. "With what?" she asked hesitantly.
"Saving Middle-earth," Alexa whispered; her words startling Tauriel and caused her eyes to widen in shock.
"Before you say anything, there are some things you must know," Alexa began, gaining a nod from the startled Elf.
"I am not from around these parts. From where and what I am, I have no time to explain. I am a seer of sorts, and I have seen the battle that comes; Azog the Defiler leads a campaign against Dwarf, Man, and Elf starting with Were Worms. They will come out the ground outside Erebor with battalions of Orcs and everything foul shortly following," Alexa told her,
"I have-I have seen the Line of Durin fall," she finished, her voice a mere whisper as her thoughts flashed back to her vision.
"I-I don't believe you. I can't," Tauriel whispered, unable to believe the words from the woman in front of her. Her gaze ran over Kili, who was helping pack the boat full of supplies.
"He cares about you," Alexa commented, seeing how the ginger Elf's gaze lingered on Kili.
"And before you start denying anything, I know you care about him too. It doesn't take a smart person to realise that you two are in love," she told the Elf, causing Tauriel to snap her gaze back to her.
"But if you do not help me, he will die. Along with his brother and Thorin Oakenshield," Alexa finished, silently pleading that Tauriel would believe her. She was counting on it.
Alexa watched as Tauriel took all the information in, she was shocked that's for sure. The Elf was wary of Alexa and was torn between believing her 'seer' story or not; as she had previously claimed to be a cook for Thorin Oakenshield's company. But Tauriel knew better now, as she had seen Alexa's green sword. The very same sword that she had used to slice through the Orc's torso like a gentle breeze on a summer's day. Besides, what could Alexa gain from telling her this anyway? And with that thought, Tauriel knew what to do.
Tauriel spared one last look at the raven-haired Dwarf before looking back to Alexa. "Okay, what can I do?" she asked,
Alexa sighed in relief at her words before turning serious once more. "You must be there for Kili on Ravenhill in five days' time. It is there that he dies by the hands of Bolg," she told the Elf
/
Knowing that Kili wanted to talk to Tauriel, Alexa nodded once more at the Elf. "Remember what we talked about," she whispered, knowing that Kili was now in hearing range.
Turning around, Alexa walked towards Kili and the boat. Stopping in front of Kili, she smiled knowingly at him and squeezed his shoulder softly before carrying on towards the boat.
"What was that about?" Fili asked once Alexa had joined them.
"Nothing Fili. I was just thanking her for helping us escape," Alexa told the blonde Dwarf, who nodded thoughtfully at her words; not giving it a second thought.
"Kili, come on. We're leaving!" Fili called out to his brother, as they had finished packing the boat.
Alexa placed her hands on the side of the boat, helping her friends push the boat back into the water. Of course, she knew that she could just use the force to push the boat back into the water, but she wanted to give Kili more time to talk to Tauriel.
"One more!" Bofur said, causing Alexa, Fili, and Oin to push the boat one final time; their extra shove successfully getting the boat out into the water.
As Alexa climbed into the boat, she grabbed one of the five paddles and took her spot at the back. "Wait couldn't ya of jus' force pushed us out?" Bofur piped up suddenly, his words causing Alexa to push down any form of laughter.
"Eh," Alexa sighed, shrugging her shoulders as she looked out along the Lake. "Too late now,"
