"What are you doing here?" she asked stepping closer to him, not wanting to risk the elves capturing her again; though she knew Beorn must have told them something in order for them to release her without their king's leave.

"The goblins have come from the mountains and mean to kill Thorin Oakenshield and his Company," he said quickly pulling on her arm.

That was all she needed to follow after him at a brisk run. As skin changers they were fast on their feet, though not fast enough.

"It would be best should you not change skins until they know you fight for them," Beorn warned before he himself changed his skin. She clung to his back, holding his fur tight in her fists, as they raced toward the Lonely Mountain. It was the first she'd heard Thorin had returned to his home which meant Smaug must have been slain. She did not know what she felt, if she were sad or just uncaring; but her thoughts were more aimed at the obvious battle they would meet.

It was not much longer than an hour before they reached the battle, the sounds of the clanging of metal and the shrieks of goblins and orcs meeting their ears several leagues back. Beorn was a terrible sight to see, for those whom he attacked. Goblins ran from his gaping jaws, shrieking in terror as the large bear killed them without mercy. He had never been one for goblins.

Erytheia herself had never cared much for the hideous creatures, and so it effected her little to drive her sword through them. She paid little mind to her surroundings, if it was a goblin or orc or warg she killed it. She saw a flash of red and heard a small scream and she turned to see the elf Tauriel on the ground with a crude spear in her side.

It was hardly a thought, at least not a conscious one. A wave of absolute terror spread through them all at the sound of the dragon's roar, and even more fear drowned them when they saw her massive black shape.

Tauriel could hardly believe the dragon was there, she should have been in her cell, let alone standing over her snarling at the goblin who had speared her. Legolas was at her side immediately, standing with an arrow notched and ready.

It became quickly obvious that the dragon would not harm them when she killed only the goblins, wargs and orcs. She speared them with her claws, her teeth. She abhorred the taste of their blood but she swallowed it gleefully at the sound of their screams. She and Beorn had turned the tides of the battle, and their foe was quick to turn tail and leave. The elves and men killed as many as they could the enemy fled, and they were all faced with the carnage of the battle.

It did not seem a victory, not with so much death and sadness. Thranduil, who bore no love for the dragon woman, had truly been grateful to have her fight for them; and so he gave no order for her to be captured, he let her have her freedom for in his eyes she had earned it.

Legolas stood from Tauriel's side, there was no need for him there any longer. "Erytheia," he said softly, taking her arm and pulling her away.

"I am sorry," she told him.

"You tried to save her," Legolas said seeing she was upset that Tauriel had died. "It is more love than she gave you, and I know she was thankful."

Erytheia looked up at Legolas, seeing the pain in his eyes at loosing his closest friend, and she looked down ashamed. She had caused him more pain than anything else, and still he did not hate her.

"Erytheia."

They both turned at the familiar voice to see Gandalf coming closer. "Thorin is requesting your presence," he said when he reached them.

Legolas released her, seeing she was shocked the dwarf wished to see her, and watched her walk with Gandalf toward the tent the king under the Mountain was laying in.

She should not have been surprised he had been wounded, though she had never imagined the extent to which he was hurt. "I killed him," was the first thing Thorin said when he saw her.

Her smile was more a grimace, having no joy to give him. "It seems even now Azog is killing you."

He gave a small laugh, knowing he was dying. "I should not have left you."

"I should not have lied," was her response.

Thorin held his hand out for her and she took it gently as she sat beside him. "Let us speak of kinder things," he said quietly, his energy waning. He took a breath, which sounded so ragged she feared he would stop breathing then. "You are beautiful," he told her with a small bloody smile. "I had hoped to see you."

"Hoped in secret," she said making his smile grow.

He looked at her, seeing her sad yellow eyes and pretty face. "Forgive me."

She shook her head. "There is nothing to forgive." She sat holding his hand, feeling it grow colder the longer she held it, hearing his breathing become more labored. There were so many things he wished to say to her, that made no difference now.

She left when Gandalf returned with Bilbo, taking a deep breath of air that was not tainted with the smell of Thorin's blood. She knew the moment he died, she felt it in her heart. She hurt.

"Lady dragon," Thranduil said in his soft voice, wishing to ask for her pardon.

There was no pardon, no forgiveness. She looked at him with her tear-filled golden eyes, hatred burning her from the inside out. A scream erupted from her when her skin changed, one that drove fear through their hearts like a stake. And then she was gone, her black shape growing smaller the further her wings took her. Stories would be told for the ages, of the dragon woman who had come to aid those in the battle of the five armies. The woman who had thrown herself at the mourning sky, leaving them with a heartbroken scream; leaving with all her dark and terrible beauty.

So this is pretty much it for the prequel. The reason she is so upset is because she not only lost Thorin, she also lost Smaug (and even though they hadn't left on good terms she did care about him). And she blames herself for both Tauriel and Thorin's deaths.
If anyone is interested in me doing parts of her time with Smaug, I would be happy to do it. She also spent a lot of time travelling with Aragorn, so I could cover that here too if anyone would like to read it. As always, let me know if you want to read it and I'll do it. Thank you all so much for reading this and reviewing. I hope to see you when I start to rewrite A Dark and Terrible Beauty, which will be found under Lord of the Rings.