Chapter 16: From Esgaroth To Erebor, part 2

Kili's condition worsened through the night, keeping Linshara, Fili and Oin from resting. The Jedi tried to meditate on the problem, but no guidance from the Force came. Bard and his children provided every kind of herb and remedy they knew of and had, but nothing made a difference. Thorin was getting restless. Linshara couldn't blame him to be honest, Durin's day was coming soon and they were nowhere near on their way or equipped and still had the dragon to face.

Fili was in agony, watching the brother he was supposed to protect fade slowly from an unknown poison that was claiming him. Linshara wished dearly for Gandalf's guidance at this point, to help her young friend and her lover. One image kept replaying in her head and she wondered what it was telling her.

She saw long blue-white robes, a long head cowl covering the very colourful and intricately designed head of a Voss mystic. She sat crosslegged near Kili's bed, who steadily looked worse, chalk pale, his eyes covered with a grey sheen. In her mind she was going over everything she could remember learning about the Voss in her years as a Jedi, as a scholar.

In tune with the Force but never attributing themselves to either side of it, but rather walking both sides of it in seemingly flawless harmony. That wasn't it though. What was it? She needed to heal Kili quickly, but how? What little she knew of healing was already performed to no avail.

Suddenly, it came to her. The image of the Voss Shrine of Healing, Voss healers leaning over a body, something flowing from them into the body on the bed.

~Life essence….~

Suddenly she opened her eyes and jumped. "Could that be it?" She murmured to herself as Fili and Oin came over.

"Could what be it, kazal?" Fili looked at her curiously.

She slowly unwrapped her legs from underneath herself and stepped over to Kili who was now barely breathing.

"There is one thing I haven't tried. Bear in mind I'm not a healer and this is a highly dangerous procedure that may not work. There is a technique...sharing one's life essence to heal another." She put her palm against Kili's forehead. It was cold and clammy.

"One of you will have to share." Linshara looked over at the assembled dwarves.

She knew who'd offer up first, there was no doubt.

"Take mine." Fili said, his face serious, concerned.

Linshara looked over at Thorin who'd joined them. "What will it do to Fili?"

"He will be temporarily weakened but should recover quickly." She said, sending Fili a gentle smile.

Thorin nodded, "very well, proceed. Oin will stay with you, the rest of us will go procure us weapons and armour."

"The only place that houses such is the Armoury which is under lock and key." Bard interrupted.

Thorin and Dwalin shared a look.

"We will go at nightfall." Thorin said at which he was drawn into another argument with Bard.

Linshara shook her head in annoyance. "Balin, close the drapes please. Oin, get some water, rest of you, give us room."

Everyone readily did so, leaving Oin, Fili and Linshara with Kili. They could hear Bard arguing with Thorin and Dwalin in the background, Balin trying to calm them down.

Linhara took a deep breath and beckoned Fili over to her side. She palmed his cheek quickly and kissed him hard. "Whatever happens, don't move until it's over."

"How will I know?" He asked, quickly embracing her.

She shrugged a little, "we'll know...I hope. Are you ready?"

He shook his head, "no. But let's do it anyway. Do you not have to...how did your call it, me...dee.." he frowned a little, "prepare?"

"We don't have time, Fili." She sighed.

He nodded, "Mahal give us strength."

Linshara settled between the prone Kili and the kneeling Fili, placing a hand over Kili's wounded leg, and one over Fili's heart. Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes and tried to focus. She'd have to serve as a conduit for the transferral, that much she knew. She prayed that the Force showed her the way, else she may end up killing Fili in the process, effectively ridding Thorin of any heirs.

Deep inside herself she reached and felt a surge of energy flow through her, on one side the shadow poked at her mind, pokes slowly turning to hits and jabs, she knew now what was taking Kili. The shadow, morgul power. On the other side, she felt golden light comforting her, surging on to meet the darkness, filled with light, with love. She drew on the light, not daring to pull as hard as she could for fear of killing Fili, and pushed against the darkness.

Her head fell back, her eyes opened, but she saw nothing, as if blinded by the battle she was channeling. She could feel Fili's hand grip tightly at hers, to keep it from slipping. She grit her teeth, a groan escaping her as they pushed at the black infection as hard as they could. It fought against them, thrashed, rammed, anything to keep its vile grip on the young dwarf. Linshara expanded much of her own healing energy in the transfer to assist.

This lead to her eventually losing consciousness and falling to the ground.

She didn't know how long she'd been out of it. It was incessant shaking and quiet calling that finally brought her to her senses.

"Miss...miss, miss please wake up!" A child pleaded.

Linshara couldn't see anything, just white light. ~A child...children...Bard's children!~ Her mind slowly revved into action. "Ungh…"

"Miss, PLEASE wake up!"

Slowly, Linshara blinked, the fuzz clearing out of her eyes. She found herself staring into the wide, scared blue eyes of Tilda.

"Tilda…" Linshara groaned, "what is it? What's happened?"

"Oh thank the gods. Miss we were very worried." Tilda sat on the bed. "They couldn't wait for you, you were out cold too long so they left."

Linshara sat up slowly, rubbing her aching head, feeling as if she was drained. "Wait...wait." She placed a hand on Tilda's shoulder. "What happened to Kili? The wounded one?"

"He woke up a little after your passed out." Sigrid rushed into the room, barricading the door. "They decided to raid the armoury during the night and were caught. They were brought before the Master and Da' said the Master gave them weapons, armour and a boat. They sailed out this morning."

Linshara noticed the barricading, "how long's it been since I passed out? Why are your barricading the door?"

"It's been almost a day, Miss." Tilda said, getting off of her bed.

Linshara followed suit and gingerly stood up. ~Means they could almost be at the mountain. The dragon is awake...it will be a bloodbath.~ She thought to herself. "Where's your father?"

"They say he's been arrested." Sigrid said worriedly.

"Arrested, why?"

"The Master's never liked him." Sigrid looked over at her.

~It's a the dwarves to the mountain to the dragon's reach, trap Bard so he can't help his town.~ Linshara thought as she paced unconsciously.

Bain showed up at that moment from below. "Da's in jail!"

All three children looked to Linshara with fear and worry. The Jedi felt torn. She wanted to race after the dwarves. But at the same time, she couldn't abandon these kids until they were safe, or at least with their father. To boot, Gandalf was nowhere within the range of her senses.

~Damn it!~

Suddenly, she felt a great darkness erupt and head towards them. The ground and the water shook, there was a loud roar in the air. The very air itself grew hotter. The dragon was coming. The dwarves set the dragon loose. They were too far away to sense. She looked at the three frightened faces, her decision made.

"Bain, get you sisters down to the boat and start out of town, right now. I'll go find your father. Where's the jail?" She placed her hand on the young boy's shoulder. "You must be brave for your sisters," she whispered.

Bain gulped, nodding. He explained how to get to the jail quickly, and ushered his sisters over. Linshara quickly fastened her scabbard and sword, removed the barricades with ease. Turning to glance at Bain one last time, "I'll find you. Go!"

That said she rushed out of the house, down the wooden gangway. A mighty roar stopped her in her tracks however. There it was, enormous, golden and deadly. Smaug the Terrible as the dwarves called him. He was as terrible as he was fascinating. She felt a sharp stab in her mind and body suddenly, darkness almost overwhelming. Quickly she steeled herself, realizing she needed to get to Bard still.

After a few hurried turns, people fleeing their homes and on boats, she stopped short of a statue. She saw an empty boat with something covered in it. She removed the cloth, revealing a long black arrow inside. As she touched it she had a brief vision of a man atop of a burning city, with a four edged catapult of sorts firing at the dragon.

The arrow had been in Bard's house before, she'd seen it hanging there. She took the arrow with her and dashed over to the jail.

As she climbed the stairs to the bridge-like jail, she heard a, "halt!"

Linshara looked up and sighed. She didn't have time for a peaceful solution. So she pushed out with her arm, making the guard and two others behind him slam into each other and through the wooden wall. Linshara stepped into the guard house, the one remaining guard pointing his spear at her. She sighed and grabbed at him through the force and slammed him into the wall knocking him out. She heard Bard's surprised cursing as she stepped over.

"What was that?" He stared at her in shock briefly.

She shook her head, and waved her hand over the bars, the doors falling aside. "I'll explain later. The dragon's about to descend on the town. The people are evacuating."

He grabbed her upper arm, "my children?"

"I've charged Bain with keeping the girls safe and to get them out of town. I'll catch up to them soon as we leave here. Needed to free you first." She explained and handed him the black arrow.

He took the arrow from her, a mix of surprise and gratitude as he looked down at her.

"Thank you, Lady Linshara. You are a wonder in its own right. I hope to see you again in more peaceful circumstances." He spoke earnestly.

Linshara smiled, "and I you, Master Bard. But right now, I wish you good aim, you have to fulfill a promise made by your ancestor. Go. I will go find the others."

That said, they both descended down the stairs quickly, Bard running off towards the Armoury while Linshara reached out mentally, trying to locate the little bardlings.

She had to dodge and jump the occasional wall of flame that reared up, what from the dragon what from burning wood. Linshara saw the boat with the children ahead of her, it having slammed into a larger, grandiose boat. She ran over to them quickly.

The boat had slowed enough for her to get on it without too much rustling. She briefly embraced the two scared girls then refocused on the big boat. The man with stringy orange hair and frilly outfit and the smaller blacker version of him were surrounded by darkness. She couldn't see their eyes though. Linshara pushed the boat away through the force as subtly as she could, to allow both to pass.

The Jedi moved closer to Bain and helped him row. "I freed your father, he's gone after the dragon." She told the young man.

He was doubtful, moving to speak but Linshara interrupted. "He will slay the beast. We have to focus on you three and the townsfolk, he would want that."

Slowly Bain nodded and continued rowing.

Linshara had no idea in actuality whether Bard would or not but it seemed like a noble thing to get the young man to strive for. Over the dragon soared and roared, burning and destroying as he went. She kept her senses on Bard as much as she could, he was climbing the tower.

As her boat and most of the others managed to flee the burning town Linshara touched her hand to the water and focused. Suddenly the boats seemed as if pushed by a wave closer to the shore. It was then the dragon roared and wailed painfully and spun in the air then plummeted towards a fiery grave, destroying the tower Bard was balancing on in the process, toppling it over into the burning below.

"Da!"

"Nooooo!" Tilda and Sigrid's screams joined the wailing of others.

A/N: Dun dun duuuun!