Despite what she said, the townsfolk were still uncertain. They murmured amongst themselves until the Master spoke.

"Now, now, we must not, anyone us, be too quick to lay blame." He said, then pointed to Bard. "Let us not forget that it was Girion, Lord of Dale, your ancestor, who failed to kill the beast!"

As the townsfolk began to remember, Bard knew that no one would listen. He looked up at Halien, hoping for a sign that perhaps she would understand despite her oath to the company.

"Bard, why did you not tell us?" she asked him. 'Why didn't you tell me?'

"I did not want to remember the failings of my ancestor. That is why I tried so hard to tell the truth of what happened, that if he had not died that day and managed to shoot one final arrow, Smaug the Terrible would have been slain and Erebor would not have been taken." Bard explained, his eyes searching hers.

"Bard…"

"That is a fairy story!" Dwalin said. "Girion failed to slay the beast and Dale and Erebor all paid for it."

Halien looked at Dwalin. "Hush, my friend. It is not a fairy story and at least Girion tried. He did what he could to fight off the dragon and it is not his fault that he failed. Girion and his bowmen were either razed with the fires that consumed Dale or they were knocked off the battlements by the dragon's tail. Girion had fallen when I found him in the streets. He had been hit by the tail of Smaug and his whole body lay bloody and broken. There was nothing I could do for him and he died, fearing that he would be remembered as the king who failed to bring down the beast, and not the king who tried to save his people and allies but fell to the beast whose might was stronger than his own."

She looked around at the townsfolk. "You should not be so quick to judge a man's failings when you yourselves were so fearful and afraid that you ran for your lives before thinking of standing and fighting. The women and children I can understand, but all you men! You should have stood with Girion and his bowmen and done what you could have to help them and fight for your home, and the safety of your families, and to prove to Middle Earth that you were the bravest amongst men. Instead, you cowered and ran, leaving your lord and king to fall in your place! Bard is not a bad man, nor was Girion. Whatever Girion had failed to do is not upon Bard and you should not force him to relive the failings of his ancestor. He knows the true story because I was the one who brought it to Girion's family and asked that they pass it down." She looked at Bard for a moment. "I am glad to see that the true story of how Dale's king defended his beloved city until his death still runs strong in Bard's family."

The Master and the townsfolk looked between her and Bard, unsure of what to do. Alfrid, however, knew exactly what to do.

"It's true, my lord. We all know the story. Arrow after arrow he shot." Alfrid said. "Each one missing its mark."

Bard ignored the man's words and walked up to Thorin. "You have no right. No right to enter that mountain."

Halien put a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. "Bard, please don't."

Thorin glared up at him. "I have the only right."

Halien and all the others watched as he began to ascend the stairs. "I speak to the Master of the Men of the Lake. Will you help us reach the mountain? Will you share in the great wealth of our people?"

The Master thought a moment, looking around at his people.

"What say you?" Thorin asked.

"I say, unto you, welcome! Welcome and welcome thrice, King Under the Mountain!"

The townsfolk cheered and Thorin smiled at his company. He offered a hand to Halien and she took it. He pulled her in close and kissed her.

"We're going home." He said when he pulled away, hugging her.

"Aye, little king. Home." Halien smiled, then turned back to the crowd. She smiled as they cheered for her husband, wishing him and the company well. Her smile faded, though, when she watched Bard slip away from the crowd, his shoulders sunken.

Halien felt an uneasiness in her stomach, not sure what it was from. She watched as the Master invited the company to join him for dinner to celebrate their welcome and wish them well on their journey to the mountain. She followed the company and Thorin into the estate and the festivities began.


The night was still young, midnight not far away. Halien was beginning to feel nauseous as things got more festive and drunken. She excused herself and went outside. Thorin didn't notice while he was talking to the Master about the kinds of wealth and gems and silks that could be made once more in the Halls of Erebor.

Halien decided to walk around the town for a bit, trying to clear her head. She wandered through the docks, walking along the plank walkways that wove through the buildings. As she walked, she sang softly to herself in the elvish language.

Sitting outside, Bard looked up at the sky, seeing the moon peeking through the misty cloud cover. He sighed, wishing that someone had listened to him. He stood to go back inside, but he heard someone singing in the silence. Everyone was at the estate, joining the festivities, so he did not think that anyone would be outside. He walked around, trying to find the source of the song. He turned a corner and saw Halien walking alone down the street.

"Halien?" he asked, coming up to her.

She turned and smiled. "Hello, Bard."

"What are you doing out? You should be with your husband and the others, celebrating." Bard said, a disappointed and angry tone in his voice.

"Bard…" Halien said, feeling the near venom in his voice. "Please, understand. Thorin needs to do this, for his people."

"But you do not!" Bard said, coming up to her and grabbing her hands in his. "It is too dangerous a task!"

Halien looked up at him. She was a young elf, not as tall as some her age back in the Woodland Realm, but Bard was taller than her by the same amount that she was taller than Thorin by. "Bard, I love Thorin and I would do anything for him. If he asked me to go with him, then I would, but he has asked me to stay here and remain safe."

Bard searched her face. "You have no idea what a relief it is to hear that."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Bard pulled her into his arms, holding her tight. "If you had gone with them, I would never have forgiven myself if you or the babe were hurt. You are with child and you should not risk your life and the life of your son to go on a quest that may end in failure and death. I wouldn't have let you go, Halien, I would have tried to stop you. It would've gone against all that I believe in to let you go into such peril."

Halien, much to her own surprise, hugged him back and smiled. He smelled like sandalwood and spices, much different than how Thorin smelled of musky leather and pipe smoke. She loved the scent of her husband, but the scent of Bard was surprisingly different and just as comforting.

Bard held onto her for a moment until Halien pushed her hands onto his chest.

"Bard, I can use my magik to help my kin of dwarves to defeat the dragon." Halien said. "But I am staying here and I will protect myself and my child, I promise. Thorin wishes me to protect Laketown if they fail and the dragon comes for us." Halien smiled. It had only been a single day since they had met and it already seemed as if they had known each other for a lifetime. She reached up and kissed his cheek, then hugged him. "If the dragon wakes and Thorin cannot stop him within the mountain, I swear to you, Bard the Bowman, descendant of Girion, Lord of Dale, that I will help you fight the dragon. One way or another, that beast will fall and we will rebuild Dale, reclaim Erebor and renew the Northern trade, and all will be back to how it once was."

Halien touched his cheek and smiled. Bard put a hand to hers and looked at her. "Halien…"

Halien stood on her toes and kissed his forehead. "I will not go with them, Bard. I promised Thorin I would stay for the sake of our child and I will promise you that I will stay here with you and your people." She said, then turned to walk back to the estate. Before she rounded the corner, she looked back at him. "Bard, if Thorin and the others cannot defeat Smaug in the mountain, he will come after Laketown. I swear to you that we will fight to protect Laketown together. If the battle with the beast seems to be a lost cause, you will need to use the Black Arrow to bring down the beast. I treated the Black Arrow that day Dale fell, when Girion gave it to me, with water magik so when you pierce the dragon's hide, the water magik infused with the metal of the arrow will help extinguish the fire in his heart. You will not fail, Bard, I am sure of it. Everything will be alright."

Bard watched as she disappeared around the corner and he stood there, dumbfounded. Every bit of the elf maiden made his heart race, and his head ached. She was beautiful, powerful, strong, and brave, and he somehow knew that nothing he said would alter her choice and stop her from taking the path she knew she must take. Somehow he knew that her words were not empty, that she would make certain that all promises she and Thorin had made would be kept.