"Can you really do what you say?" Bard
"Yes I can, but it would still be advisable to evacuate as many people from the town as possible, because I cannot guarantee that no fires will be started before I do." Charlotte
Bard puts the Black Arrow away, and says.
"I'll take care of it. Bain I want you to begin spreading the word that the town needs to be evacuated as quickly as possible. I'll stay here, and help look after Kílí." Bard
Bain nods, and leaves the house to do as he was bidden.
Legolas and Tauriel come, and kill all the Orcs that have attacked the house. Legolas orders Tauriel to pursue the Orcs with him, but Tauriel is conflicted because Kílí is dying on the floor in front of her. Charlotte sees this, and says.
"Stay here, and help Kílí. I will watch Legolas' back." Charlotte
"Legolas is my brother as well as my best friend please look out for him as I am needed here, and cannot be there to do it myself." Tauriel
"Do not worry I would never let anything happen to he who will be my prince after marrying my soul-mate." Charlotte
"But Charlotte; What about the Plan?" Fílí
"Don't worry Fílí the Plan will go on as discussed. Cleaning up some Orc filth shouldn't tire me over much." Charlotte
Fílí nods, and returns to looking after his brother. Charlotte walks out the door following Legolas as he bounces from boat to dock in pursuit of the Orcs.
Back at Bards house Kili is recovering really well so when Faron tells him that there is a Fire Moon shinning down on them Kili takes Tauriel to the Lake shore to enjoy it with him. The couple lays down in the sand and gravel enjoying the view when Kili looks at Tauriel, and says.
"Tauriel?" Kili
"Yes Kili." Tauriel
"You are more beautiful than the Fire Moon shining down on us." Kili
Tauriel blushes at the compliment, and before Tauriel has a chance to respond Kili kisses Tauriel on the mouth. Tauriel and Kili bind themselves together, because neither one of them wants to lose the other. When the couple returns to Bards house Tauriel checks Kili's leg, and when she has finished Faron indicates that she would like to talk to her so Tauriel walks over, and Faron says.
"Tauriel why do I hear music coming from you when nothing is coming out of your mouth?" Faron
Tauriel's eyes go wide, and when she can hear it too. Tauriel sighs, and says.
"That is the Song of New Life, and the fact that it can be heard means that I am pregnant." Tauriel
"What happened?" Faron
"Kili and I bound ourselves together under the Fire Moon." Tauriel
Faron smacks herself on the forehead in incredulity. When Fili sees this he comes over to them, and says.
"Faron what's wrong?" Fili
"Kili has been reckless again, and now we have to deal with the consequences." Faron
"What did he do?" Fili
"Kili and Tauriel bound themselves together when they went out to see the Fire Moon." Faron
"They have bound themselves together as in..." Fili
"Yes Fili that is exactly what I mean, and to top it all off Tauriel is pregnant with Kili's child." Faron
"Oh Kili. Well there's only one thing for it Kili and Tauriel have to get married. Not only will it make Kili happy, but it will also preserve the family honor." Fili
"I agree with you, but we don't have much time." Faron
"What do you mean?" Fili
"Remember that nightmare I had in the dungeons of Mirkwood?" Faron
"Yes." Fili
"It was more than a dream. It was a warning of the death of my family." Faron
"How is this possible?" Fili
"You have the gift of Foresight don't you?" Tauriel
"Yes I do, but I never get enough details to prevent it just the knowledge that it will happen." Faron
Fili takes a moment to think about what he just heard, and then says.
"Don't worry Faron we'll think of some way for them to be together for as long as they can." Fili
"I hope so Fili." Faron
Fili smiles, puts a comforting hand on Faron's shoulder, and walks away with his mind reeling.
Legolas catches up to the Orcs, and begins killing them. Charlotte opens her canteens, and brings out her bow from one of the canteens. She shoots down the orcs that are not killed by Legolas as they run through the town, and then Legolas stands before Bolg son of Azog. Legolas is knocked down during their fight, and this angers Charlotte, but Charlotte is careful to not let it cloud her judgment. Charlotte returns her bow to her canteen, and uses a massive ice block to knock Bolg away from Legolas. Bolg gets back up, and sees a floating block of ice in front of him. Bolg looks up, and sees Charlotte standing on the rooftop directly behind Legolas. Legolas too looks up, and sees Charlotte standing there, and instantly begins to worry until he sees the angry but determined look on her face. He has seen this look on his youngest sisters face many times, and knows that Charlotte will be fine watching his back. Charlotte proceeds to start battering Bolg with the ice to little effect. While the two of them are battling this monster Orc Bolg manages to get his arms around Legolas, and begins to squeeze Charlotte reforms the ice block into a battering ram, and knocks him away with great force. When Bolg gets up Legolas attacks again, and is knocked into another group of Orcs. He disposes of them, and staggers after Bolg when he notices that his nose is bleeding. Legolas is just about to follow after him when Charlotte says.
"Forgive me Legolas, but I cannot leave this town to follow you." Charlotte
"Why not?" Legolas
"Because I have work here I need to do." Charlotte
"What work?" Legolas
"A Dragon is coming, a Dragon that is going to need dealing with." Charlotte
"You can't think to fight a Dragon alone!" Legolas
"I'll be fine. Now you must go before the Orc filth gets away." Charlotte
Operating on a providential feeling Charlotte throws the glacial short-sword she made embedding it in the dock beside Legolas, and says.
"Use this to save your sister when the time is right." Charlotte
Legolas growls in frustration, takes the weapon, and chases after Bolg with even more determination than before.
Charlotte has made it back to Bards house, and is standing on the balcony waiting for the Dragon to arrive. Charlotte looks down at the water beneath the balcony hoping she has the strength to do all that she intends to do. Charlotte watches as the Dragon circles above intending to wait until the last moment to give as many people as possible a chance to escape, but when Smaug sets the town on fire Charlotte knows that she is out of time she must act now. When Smaug is flying low over the town Charlotte uses her power to lift all of the water in the lake, and trap Smaug inside of it then pulls the water ball toward herself. As soon as Smaug is within arms reach Charlotte very carefully begins using the new healing technique causing his entire body to turn black, and the lake water is glowing blue with Charlotte's power. Charlotte begins drawing the evil from Smaug, and into the lake water. It takes many hours of strenuous work, but Charlotte has removed every last spec of evil from Smaug. With the evil contained in the lake water Charlotte releases Smaug who flies away feeling remarkably clean. Charlotte closes the now empty water ball, and begins the process of destroying the evil that she has removed from Smaug. Destroying the evil is the most difficult part of the process, and after four hours Charlotte has only managed to destroy half of the extracted evil. It takes an additional four hours before Charlotte manages to destroy every last spec of the evil, and as soon as she has finished Charlotte very carefully returns the water to the lake.
With her job finished Charlotte is standing on the railing of the balcony of Bards house utterly exhausted, and before she has a chance to climb down Charlotte passes out from her exhaustion falling into the lake below. Rikki surfaces next to Charlotte as she is floating there, and grabs onto her before diving into the lake. Rikki swims Charlotte to the other side of the lake facing the lone mountain off in the distance, and when she gets to shore Rikki pulls Charlotte onto the shore. After they are both on the shore Rikki steam dries them, and makes Charlotte as comfortable as possible while she is sleeping. After the heat from the steam drying has gone away Charlotte is so cold, and there is nothing around for Rikki to build a fire with. In her desperation to help Charlotte Rikki says in a loud voice.
"Help somebody please help!" Rikki
Smaug hears her cries, and lands next the people on the lake shore facing what was his mountain, but isn't anymore, and says.
"What is it? How can I help you?" Smaug
"My friend fell into the ice cold lake water, and despite me steam drying the water away she is cold to the touch, and she won't wake up." Rikki
"I'll warm her up while you go see if you can help the people of Lake Town." Smaug
Rikki nods, and looks at him wondering what his reaction is going to be when he sees her in the lake, because he will given that he likely has very keen eyes. Rikki decides that it is worth the risk so the Dragon will help her friend. While she was thinking this Rikki has made it to the part of the shore where water and land meet. Rikki wades as far into the lake as ten seconds will allow, and transforms falling flat on her face in the process. Smaug watches the whole thing utterly fascinated by what he just saw.
As Rikki is helping to put out fires, and guide boats to shore she finds out that the Master of the Town is one of the people who died in the fire. It takes all night to get all of the survivors to shore, and in the morning people are scrambling about on the shore organizing what could be saved as well as helping the wounded. Tauriel is on the shore with Bard's children when Kílí comes up to her, and says.
"Tauriel." Kílí
"Kílí come on. We're leaving." Fílí
"They are your people you must go." Tauriel
"Come with me. I know how I feel I'm not afraid you make me feel alive." Kílí
Tauriel is about to refuse when she remembers watching Charlotte purify a Dragon, and thinks that if such an impossible event happened before her eyes then maybe they can be together after all, and says.
"Alright I'll come with you." Tauriel
Kílí smiles, and takes Tauriel's hand guiding her over to the boat to the astonishment of the other Dwarves. They all get in the boat, and are crossing the lake when Legolas arrives on the Lake shore.
When the Dwarves and Faron who were left in Lake Town reach the far shore they see Charlotte lying on Smaug's tail being held against his chest; They walk up to her saying.
"Charlotte wake up." Fílí
Charlotte stirs waking up by the time they reach her, and says.
"Fílí? What's going on? Where am I?" Charlotte
"You are on the far shore of Long Lake being warmed by the Dragon you successfully purified." Fílí
Charlotte looks around herself, and she sees Smaug laying next to her keeping her warm, and says.
"I'm glad it worked. Smaug before I go with my friends can you help me fix one more thing?" Charlotte
"Anything for my redeemer." Smaug
Charlotte stands before him, and says.
"Can you draw a precise drawing of your missing scale right down to the size?" Charlotte
"I can." Smaug
"Please do so." Charlotte
Smaug nods, and very carefully draws the picture of his scale in the sand. As soon as he is finished Charlotte takes an appropriately sized ball of water and forms it to match the picture perfectly, and then uses the gesture for her weather powers, but curls her fingers up slightly causing the water to become energized. Charlotte raises her hand until it is level with the scale, and once the desired affect is achieved she changes gestures turning the scale into jelly. Charlotte then hardens the scale until it is as hard as mithril, cancels the affect in that hand, and says.
"Smaug I have made you a replacement scale, and I made sure to energize it so that it is fire proof. So that when you need to burn Orcs, Trolls, or any other such filth you can do so without the scale melting." Charlotte
"Thank you Charlotte, but is it as hard as my other scales?" Smaug
"Harder. This scale is as hard as mithril no blade can pierce it. Can I put it in place, and then continue on with my journey?" Charlotte
"Certainly." Smaug
Charlotte fits the scale in the whole, and releases her hold on it. The scale a fixes itself to the skin, and with the only weakness in the Dragon's hide mended the Dwarves and Elves leave Smaug to nap on the lake shore.
When they get to Erebor everybody runs in, and begins to call out for their friends and family. Bilbo meets them in a corridor, and says.
"Wait! Wait!" Bilbo
"It's Bilbo. He's alive." Bofur
"Stop! Stop! Stop! You need to leave. We all need to leave." Bilbo
"We only just got here." Bofur
"I've tried talking to him, but he won't listen." Bilbo
"What do you mean laddie?" Bofur
"Thorin! Thorin he's been down there for days. He doesn't sleep, he barely eats, he's not been himself not at all. It's this place I think a sickness lies on it." Bilbo
While Bofur and Bilbo continue to talk Charlotte notices Fílí, Kílí, and Faron about to run off so she steps in front of them, and says.
"Where do you three think you are going?" Charlotte
"To find out what's wrong with Thorin." Fílí
"I already know what's wrong with Thorin, and you three along with everybody else needs to stay here." Charlotte
"Really what's wrong with him then?" Kílí
Charlotte says in a voice loud enough that everyone in the room can hear what she is saying.
"Thorin has fallen to the Dragon Sickness, and I'm going to catch him, but everybody must stay here until I do." Charlotte
Fílí, Kílí, and Faron nod in acceptance of what Charlotte says. Bilbo walks up to Charlotte, and says.
"You can do that Miss Charlotte?" Bilbo
"Yes I can." Charlotte
"Alright how can I help?" Bilbo
Charlotte unhooks her empty canteen, holds it out to Bilbo, and says.
"Fill this with the cleanest water you can find, and bring it back to me as quickly as possible." Charlotte
"I'll be right back." Bilbo
Bilbo takes the canteen, and runs off to do as Charlotte instructed him.
While Bilbo is gone Tauriel walks up to Charlotte, and says.
"Charlotte are you sure you have the strength to do this so soon after purifying the Dragon?" Tauriel
"I'll be fine. Curing one sick Dwarf will not be anywhere near as hard as purging Smaug of several