Chapter 24
Smaug's Defeat

Fili kissed my forehead and pulled away as Tauriel quickly stepped outside. I ran and grabbed my weapons as Fili woke Kili up. Bofur and Oin looked worried. I strap my weapons on as Tauriel came in quickly.

"We have no time. We must leave!" Tauriel said.

"Get him up." Bofur said.

"Come on, brother." Fili said, as him and Bofur got Kili up.

"Come on, come on! Let's go." Bofur said. I hurry over to help.

"I'm fine. I can walk." Kili said.

"As fast as you can." Tauriel said.

"We're not leaving. Not without our father." Bain said as Tauriel helped the girls get ready.

"If you stay here, your sisters will die. Is that what your father would want?" Tauriel said. Bain thought for a minute, but nodded in agreement.

"We'll find your father as soon as we get you to safety." I said. We hurry out of the house and get into a boat.

"Give me your hand." Fili said, helping Sigrid and Tilda in.

"Come on, we gotta go!" Bofur said. Fili reached for me and I got in the boat with his help.

"Quickly now! Hurry!" Tauriel said. I sat down beside Fili.

"Kili, come on!" Fili said. Oin and Bofur got the boat moving. I saw a shadow fly over us and gasp at the sight of Smaug. He was huge. Fili pulled me close to his side and I gripped his shirt tightly out of fear. Smaug suddenly dives steeply towards the town and fire bursts from his mouth. The screams of fear and pain came from the town.

"So much death." I whisper.

"We'll get out of this, love. I promise." Fili said, holding me close.

"Look out!" Bain yelled. Our boat collides with our boat and I grab Tilda before she could fall out of the boat. Bofur, Oin, and Fili push our boats apart and I saw treasure fall out of the Master's boat.

"Move it! Move it! Come on, faster!" The Master shouted as he moved away.

"Care more for his own safety then his peoples. He is greedy." I said. The dwarves nod in agreement.

Bilbo's POV. Laketown was in flames.

"Poor souls." Balin said. I feared for Bell's safety. I knew Fili would get her out of there safely but I feared for all of them. I saw all the dwarves looking sad. Gloin, Bombur, and Bifur were in a state of worry for their kin. Thorin was no where to be seen. I looked and found him starting back at the halls of Erebor, not paying attention to the burning of Laketown. I started to worry, because of remembering hearing Elrond and Gandalf talking about the gold sickness that consumed his family.

Bell's POV. We continued to move the boat. Tilda was clinging to me out of fear and Fili had his hand on the middle of my back.

"Da!" Bain yelled. I looked and saw Bard standing on top of the tower shooting arrows at Smaug. Kili and I see a arrow hit Smaug.

"He hit it! He hit the dragon!" Kili said.

"No." Tauriel said.

"He's right! He hit his mark, I saw!" I said.

"His arrows cannot pierce its hide, I fear nothing will." Tauriel said. I saw Bain have the look and suddenly he was grabbing a hook and going over to the dock that was next to us.

"What are you doing?!" Bofur yelled.

"Come back! Bain, come back!" Fili yelled. I watched him and had a feeling he knew where the black arrow was. I pried Tilda off me and kissed Fili on the check.

"I'm sorry, love." I said, quickly standing up.

"Bell?! NO!" Fili yelled, but before he could stop me, I dived into the water. I had taught myself how to swim and was a strong swimmer. The cold water took the breath out of my chest. I surfaced near the dock and pull myself up onto the dock. I heard the dwarves yelling for me to come back, but I didn't listen. I ran in the direction that Bain ran. I found him searching through a boat.

"Bell. What are you doing here? You should be with the others." Bain said.

"I come to help you. Did you find it?" I ask.

"Yes. We need to get it to Da." Bain said, holding up the black arrow in his hand.

"Come." I said, grabbing him and we were running. We avoided any fire sent from Smaug. We reached the tower and quickly run up the stairs. Bard was kneeling on the floor as we poked our heads up. I saw his quiver was now empty of arrows.

"Dad!" Bain said. Bard turned and saw both of us.

"Bain?! Bell?! What are you doing?! Why didn't you leave?! You were supposed to leave!" Bard said.

"We came to help you. Your daughters are safe with my friends." I said.

"No! Nothing can stop him now!" Bard said.

"This might." Bain said, holding up the Black Arrow. His father looks at it and strokes Bain's face.

"Bain. You go back. Bell will take care of you. You get out of here now!" Bard said. I look past Bard and my eyes widen as I see Smaug approaching the tower with a look of determination on his face.

"LOOK OUT!" I scream. Smaug smashes into the top of the bell tower. I land on my back and groan in pain. Bard was laying near me.

"Bell. You alright?" Bard asked as I rolled onto my stomach.

"I'm fine. Where's Bain?" I asked.

"Bain!" Bard yelled as I see Bain hanging from one of the remains of the tower. He was holding on by one hand while the other held the black arrow. Bard and I reach down and help pull him up. Bain was laying on the ground and I knelt next to him to make sure he was fine as Bard took the arrow from Bain. He was in complete shock as Bard turned to face Smaug. I turned and watched my family and friends enemy land closeby in the town, crushing buildings underneath him. I bit my lip in worry. Smaug looks at him.

"Who are you that would stand against me?!" Smaug said. Bard grabs his bow and I gasp seeing it broken in half. I grab mine and see it was in one piece. I sigh in relief. "Now that is a pity. What will you do now, Bowman? You are forsaken. No help will come." Bard looks around frantically, but there was nothing to help him.

"Bard. Here. Use mine." I said, handing him my bow.

"I can't." Bard said.

"You can. I'm betrothed to the next heir to the line of Durin. I'm future Princess and future queen of Erebor. Its what I can do to save your people along with my friends and family." I said. Bard smiled and took the bow. He turned to face Smaug, holding my bow. I stood up with Bain. Smaug spots us and I stare with anger in my eyes.

"Is that your children? You cannot save them from the fire. They will BURN!" Smaug yelled. I knew he had mistaken me for a child and possibly a child of Bard's. Bard got the black arrow ready and aimed as Smaug approaches. I saw a hint of a smile.

"What is it?" I ask.

"The black arrow from sixty years ago hit it's mark. There's a scale missing on Smaug. I know where my mark is." I said. Smaug approaches fast.

"Bard. NOW!" I yell. Bard fires the arrow and it hits its mark. Smaug screams in pain and still approaching us.

"We need to jump. Now." Bard said, grabbing Bain and me and we jump heading straight for the water. I go under.

Fili's POV. We watch as Smaug collide with the bell tower where Bard, Bain, and Bell were.

"NO!" I yell.

"I'm sure they jumped." Kili said.

"Let's hope." I said as Smaug flew up in the air.

"I am fire. I am..." Smaug never finished as he died in the air and I watch him fall, landing in the water.

"He's gone. Smaug is dead." I said.

"Erebor is now reclaimed. We have our home back." Oin said. I sigh in relief. Erebor won't be a home to me if Bell was not there with me. We head towards the other shore and I hoped to find Bell when we get there.

AN: No yelling at me that I went off from the movie, because technically, Bard used a bow in the book, so I followed the book in that scene. Wanted to do something different. I don't know when I'll update again. We might got approved on an apartment and we need to get internet. I'll update as soon as I can. Till next time