Chapter 4

It was night and Bard returned back, his breath short from running all the way from the tapestry merchant's shop. Bain met his father at the door trying to explain what had happened.

"Da I tried to stop them-"

"-How long have they been gone??" Bard interrupted his son, clutching his arms in urgency.

"For quite a while now…why?" Leanna said. She had let the dwarves go upon their insistence on leaving but on seeing Bard's reaction to their departure she wondered whether she had made a mistake.

"I need to find them quickly!" Bard shouted rushing back out. Hopefully he would be able to catch up to them before they snuck out of Lake Town.

He saw people rushing over towards the center of town and their excited squeals and muttering mixed with the word dwarves stopped him in his tracks. He swiveled on the heels of his boots and ran towards the center, towards the masters abode.

Leanna had moved about the house, watching around for any sign of trouble, too much had happened in one day, too much that she did not like.

Tilda had opted to lay in Sigrid's lap quietly whilst her older sister patted her hair gently in a bid to comfort the girl, Bain however, paced about the room when he stopped and looked at the girls.

"Of course! It's the prophecy! Those dwarves are going to the mountain!" Bain said his eyes wide with realization.

"Don't be absurd Bain! Those dwarves can't go there, no one can, not when there's a fire breathing dragon in that mountain". Sigrid spoke with a tone of admonishment in her voice. Bain was always up and about with his theories and mischief but now was not the time to be spouting nonsense.

"But it's true! A few days from now would be the last night of autumn! That's when the prophecy said they'd come" Bain said, adamant about his convictions.

"Whatever this prophecy is, it doesn't change the fact that they're about to go wake up a dragon" said Leanna while she looked out the window and into dark of the night in the direction of the lonely mountain. She had been staring at it for a while now, her heart fighting of the clutches of terror that was encroaching on it.

Trauma from war was a matter that was difficult to endure and facing a dragon had been the highest horror she had had to bear, she prepared her mind, now was no time to crumble beneath that weight. Turning back to the children, she laid bare the reality to them.

"If that happens, if they go near that mountain, you would have to leave this place and go far away from here" Leanna said as she looked into the eyes of the children, their fear reflected in her own.

It had been a while that Bard was gone, Leanna had taken charge and ensured the children were as comfortable as she could make them, in truth it helped somewhat to distract her from the swirling thoughts in her mind.

The door opened and Bard returned slamming the door as he shut it closed, Leanna looked to Sigrid who had a look of concern on her face. She turned to her father and asked gently, obviously his anger something to do with the dwarves.

"Da? What's matter? What's made you upset?" Sigrid came up to stand next to him, Bain and Tilda not far behind. Bard sat down and Sigrid pour him a cup of ale to warm him up.

"Never again will I have anything to do with dwarves" Bard said after he took a gulp from his cup. Leanna smiled wryly, understanding his anger.

"They're going up to the mountain, aren't they?" responded Leanna. And Bard nodded

"Not only that…the master of this town has agreed to give them a fine send forth, one mention of gold and he gave his blessing like fool!" Bard snapped. He was tired and wanted to sleep away his anger.

The master was indeed a fool. They all were, no matter what the dwarves promised, it did not change the fact that there was a dragon and it had touched the gold lying in those halls, filling it up with its evil. No good could come out of this quest, that much he knew.

"I'm turning in for the night, Bain make sure the windows and doors are shut" Bard said as he went inside to sleep.

"Yes Da" Bain answered and went about to do as instructed. The others prepared bed as well, Leanna wondered what the following days would bring and sighed. The dwarves may be foolish, but she wished them no ill will and with that last thought, she let what little sleep she had, take her.

Leanna had woken early, jolting up from bed she looked around and breathed out, it was another nightmare. She blinked, breathing harshly while she wiped the sweat off her brow.

She looked out the window to see the dawn creeping up signaling start of the day. Moving around the children who had found places to sleep on near her, she went down to the back of the house to wash up.

From afar she could hear them, the sounds of trumpets blowing in discord most likely to send those dwarves off to their doom. Leanna finished with her deed, returned back into the house and met with the sight of Bard and his children rousing from sleep to get on with the day ahead.

"Good morning everyone" Leanna greeted, and the others responded in kind.

"The dwarves are leaving Da" Tilda said as she took a piece of bread from the cupboard to eat with the leftover stew Bard made from a few days ago.

"Yes, and good riddance too, I'm sick of dwarves" said Bard. A knock sounded on the door and Bard looked up and then to everyone in the house. He wondered who would come to his home so early the morning. He opened the door, looking down and to his utter dismay he saw the dwarves had returned. Truly, he was indeed sick of dwarves.

"No, I'm done with dwarves, go away" he said with finality, shaking his head as he spoke. He closed the door, intending to send them away but Bifur yanked it back open begging the bargeman to listen to their plight and help them.

"No no no! please! No one will help us, Killi's sick…he's very sick" Bifur said, looking to Bard with hope in his eyes. Bard looked down at the dwarves, they had been the biggest cause of trouble to him in the past few days. He looked back at his children and to Leanna who nodded her head, urging him to let them in. He turned back and opened the door.

"Alright, but as soon as he's healed, you're leaving" he said to the dwarves, watching them rushing inside.

"Thank you!" Bifur and Filli said together. Sigrid and Bain moved the furniture out of the way while Leanna gathered thick wooly and furry covering to place on the bed by the corner. The dwarves laid a shivering Killi on the bed and Leanna touched his head, the dwarf was burning with a fever. Biful who tended to the wounded on their journey set to work on treating Killi's wound.

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The door grazed open as Thorin pushed with all his strength. They had found the hidden key hole to secret door under the mountain and in time as well.

"Erebor" Thorin whispered. He stopped as Balin clamped on his shoulder.

"Thorin" Balin said, but shook his head, shutting his eyes as he tried to stop the flow of tears that ran down his cheeks. Thorin clasped his arm, he understood it, for the many years they dwelled in the blue mountain trying to survive, they never believed they see this place again, their home. Thorin entered first, running is fingers along the walls of the pathway.

"I know these halls, these halls of stone" said Thorin, his voice thick with emotion and he rested his forehead on the rocky surface of the walls. "You remember it Balin, chambers filled with golden light" he continued, walking to the end of the hall and finally turning back to look at Balin and the others who still stood at the doorway. Balin entered and rest followed from behind.

"I remember" Balin said, nodding his head while he looked around him. Gloin looked up at the carvings above the entrance and read it out loud.

"Here in lies the seventh kingdom of Durin's folk, may the heart of the mountain unite all dwarves in defense of this home" Gloin said and Balin spoke to Bilbo who had entered during the reading.

"The throne of the King" said Balin. Bilbo looked at the carving, noticing a circle that shone like the sun above the throne.

"And what's that above it?" Bilbo asked still looking at the carvings. Balin turned to Bilbo with a grim look on his face.

"The Arkenstone…" Balin said looking into Bilbo's eyes. Bilbo nodded upon hearing the name.

"The Arkenstone….and what's that?" Bilbo asked, curious as ever, also noting that all eyes had turned on him at this point. He waited for Balin to answer but it was Thorin who spoke instead.

"That…Master Burglar is why you are here" said Thorin. Bilbo froze, understanding that it was time to play to his part in this venture.

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Killi groaned in pain as Biful and Bifur fussed over the infected wound, pouring different potions and mixtures on it to make the pain stop as Filli held his hand to try and comfort him.

"Can you not do something?" Filli asked, worry etched on his face as he looked for a way to comfort his brother. Biful answered as he poured another brew on his leg.

"Ah need herbs, somethin ta bring down his fever!" said Biful. Leanna stood up as Bard barged in through the door. He began setting down the jars on the table. Leanna breathed a sigh of relief, for some reason she was jumpy this evening, unable to calm her unease, part of which came from the worry for the dwarf writhing in pain. His fever had gotten worse and she who had no knowledge of herbs in this world could nothing but give way for the others to tend to him.

"I've got nightshade, fever fell" Bard said, calling out the items on the table.

"They're no use ta me, do ya have any kingsfoil?" Biful asked as Killi screamed again. Leanna covered Tilda's ear to comfort the scared girl who was watching the ugly scene before her.

"No it's a weed, we feed it to the pigs" Bard answered, turning to the dwarves.

"Pigs? Weed…right" said Bifur with determination set on his face. He nodded his head and ran out the door.

The hour grew late, the dwarves still wrestling for a way to save their kin, Bard had begun mixing herbs and ointments together, anything to help kill the infection spreading through the dwarf' leg and into his body. The house shook suddenly, and everyone stilled at the feel of it, it was from the direction of the mountain, Bard was sure of it. Leanna looked through the window, watching the mountain in the darkness of the night, there was nothing except the tremor they felt a moment ago. The children who had been helping looked to their father, the unsettling fear spreading across the room.

"Da?" Sigrid turned to her father, wondering what they would do.

"It's coming from the mountain" Bain said. Bard looked at them not knowing what he should say at a time like this. Filli left his brother and rushed to Bard in urgency.

"You should leave us! Take your children and get out of here" said Filli.

"And go where? There is nowhere to go" answered Bard.

"We can't stay here either, it's not safe" Leanna said looking away from the window to Bard. It was ridiculous to think staying here would be an option while dwarves faced down a dragon but from a few leagues of this town.

"Are we going to die Da?" Tilda asked with a tinge of despair in her voice. On seeing the fear in her eyes, Bard shook his head.

"No, darling" answered Bard.

"The dragon…it's going to kill us" said Tilda. Bard despaired over his youngest words shook his head, when his wife died, he promised her that he would live and take care of their children and he would keep his oath. He looked up to the wooden beams on the ceiling and grabbed the metal that was strapped to it. It was a black arrow.

"Not if I kill it first" said Bard with resolve in his voice.

"That's…a black arrow" Bain said, looking at his father in disbelief. Leanna looked at the weapon Bard was holding, by the looks of it, it was an ominous looking thing that was beautifully crafted.

"No one leaves the house, Leanna please make sure the children are looked after" said Bard as he headed to the door. Leanna who nodded her consent, frowned.

"Where are you going at this hour of the night" asked Leanna, wondering what he planned to do with that arrow in his hand.

"To the tower where the wind lance is, when the dragon comes, I'll be ready and waiting for it" Bard said. Leanna stood up at his words.

"Do not be foolish! You cannot hope to kill a dragon with one arrow Bard" Leanna said, trying to make sense of his action. Bard shook his head.

"I have to try, when that time comes, I want you to take the children and leave Lake Town, get to somewhere safe!" Bard said, looking at Leanna.

"But Da!" Sigrid protested.

"No! I lost your mother already! I won't lose you too" said Bard before looking to Bain.

"Bain come with me" said Bard. Bain nodded, puffing his chest out slightly in a bout to seem brave. And with that, the two left the house and into the town.

Killi's cries had not lessened but rather, they grew even louder as his tremors became a full on thrashing as he sought to ease the unbearable pain he felt. Leanna had moved to help them in any way she could when she saw a shadow pass by the window, they stilled as they heard creaking on the roof top of the house. Sigrid walked out the door to inspect the noise. She held the railings on the balcony and looked out into the night.

"Da? Is that you Da?" Sigrid called and received no answer in return. She turned to go back into the house when an orc jumped down behind her. Turning around, she screamed as she moved back and tried to shut the door.

Leanna and the dwarves quickly alerted to the danger, moved to action. She drew Tilda and Bain who had returned much earlier behind and came face to face with the ugliest and vilest creature she had ever set her eyes on. The orc growled at her and raised its weapon against her, Leanna's hand moved before she realized it and ice slashed through the orc, cutting it in half.

More orcs jumped down, breaking through the ceiling to attack them and Leanna drew her blade of ice from thin air to fight, striking an orc down as it tried to get to children from under the table, she moved to attack another.

The dwarves had gotten their weapons out, fighting within the little space of the cramped house. There was a commotion outside as an orc at the doorway had a blade embedded in its head, fell dead to the floor. Leanna looked to see a woman and a man come in, slashing and striking down the orcs that remained.

"You killed them all" Bain said as he rose from under the table, his body trembling from the rush of fear and adrenaline. Leanna still held her blade as she checked on the children. Her eyes flitted to the woman and man, noting the strangeness of their appearance and the shape of their ears.

Tauriel had tracked the orcs to Lake Town and was glad beyond measure to have made it in time. She looked at Killi who despite being on the ground and shaking stared back at her, blinking away the haze of his fever from his sight as he saw the elleth he had fallen in love with, stare back at him without a word.

"Tauriel there are others, come" Legolas said leaving the house. The orcs were escaping and they needed to deal with them quickly before they went back for reinforcements.

Tauriel having heard the order was torn. She hadn't just tracked the orcs for the sake of ridding their lands of evils, in her heart she had been eager to see him again, she didn't know why she was drawn to this dwarf but she did not want to see him die either. The very thought of it made her heart tighten. But her prince had given an order which she had no choice to heed to.

"We're losing him!" Biful said in desperation and dismay, the look in his eyes pleading with Tauriel to help him. She looked up and her grey eyes clashed with startling blue, she noted the woman before her who still possessed a defensive stance, Tauriel had no time to speak and moved outside.

Bifur who had ran up the stairs of the house holding Kingsfoil in his hand, stopped at the sight of the elleth before him. Tauriel who immediately looked at Bifur, gasped and took the plant from his hands.

"Athelas" She whispered, scrunching up the plant in her hand.

"What are you doing?" Bifur asked, worried that she snatched the plant from his grasp.

"I'm going to save him" said Tauriel looking to Bifur.

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The dwarves quickly hoisted Killi back on the table. The fever had grown worse as the infection began to consume him. Tilda held the bowl as Tauriel mashed athelas into the water with Sigrid standing beside them.

Leanna went outside to make certain none of those creatures were lurking around the area, with Bain's help. She dragged the bodies of the foul creatures, the bile rising in her throat as the smell of rotten flesh emanating from the dead bodies stung her nose. They stacked bodies on a boat and returned back inside in time to see the elleth pressing the salve of athelas leaves unto the wound.

"Hold him down" Tauriel said as she began reciting a strange language. Killi's thrashing become even more violent and Leanna seeing the trouble they went through holding him down, cast her hand forth and ice formed over Killi's body, binding him down to the table.

All around the room turned to look at her in astonishment, more so Tauriel who had not ceased her recitation, looked at the woman before her with shock and wonder. Never before had she heard of a human with the ability to use magic before. Turning away from her gaze, Tauriel looked down at Killi who had finally calmed down. All in the room left out a breath of relief, the fever had broken and the worst had passed.

Tauriel set to binding Killi's leg, her eyes drifting occasionally to the woman in the room who had taken to clearing out the room.

Leanna sighed, she knew the woman or rather the elleth as Bifur had called her, was watching her, as well as the dwarves who had moved to the corner. Filli had stood and let the elleth bind his brother's leg while Biful had stayed next to him watching Tauriel as well.

"I heard tales of wonders of elvish medicine…that my lad, is a privilege ta witness" said Bifur to Filli.

"What were those things?" Leanna asked, her voice filling the silence. Tauriel looked up from binding Killi's Leg to the woman who had spoken.

"Orcs, creatures of darkness and evil, spawned by the Dark Lord Sauron" Tauriel responded, moving to clean up after she had finished binding Killi's wound.

Leanna who had finally settled the children down, watched as the elleth bound the dwarf's leg. She noted the fleeting glances she gave to the dwarf who had unabashedly been staring at her.

"Tauriel" Killi whispered groggily. Hearing her name, Tauriel turned to him.

"Lie still" Tauriel whispered, smiling gently at the dwarf. But Killi continued to gaze at her as she continued cleaning up her hands.

"You cannot be her, she is far away" Killi said wistfully. Tauriel stilled upon hearing his words and Killi continued.

" She is far, far away from me, she walks in star light in another world, it was just a dream" said Killi as he looked at her. Tauriel greatly flustered by his words, remained silent, startled by his veiled declarations.

"Do you think she could've ever loved me?" whispered Killi, stretching his fingers to gently clasp her own. Tauriel opened her mouth to speak and suddenly the whole house shook.

All turned to the window as a golden cloud of dust cold be seen at the bottom of the mountain, and with a bloodcurdling screech. Leanna turned to everyone in the room.

"We leave now!" Leanna said taking Tilda and ushering the older siblings to pack what little they could.

"But what about Da?!" Sigrid yelled out.

"There's no time to wait! The dragon is coming" Leanna said. She turned to Killi who seemed to have recovered from his fever." You dwarf, can you walk?" she asked. Killi nodded in affirmation and with the support of his kin began to move.

"Good" Leanna led the children and the others to the back of the house, where the boat was tied. She guided Tilda gently into it and watched as the others boarded it. Leanna turned to the elf in their company, addressing her directly for the second time that night.

"Please protect them, let no harm come to them"

"No! Leanna!" The children protested but Leanna looked Tauriel square in her eyes, ignoring their cries.

"I will do the best I can" Tauriel responded, feeling compelled by her resquest.

"Give your word, swear it" Leanna said fiercely, she would not let them to harm that much she had promised Bard.

"Upon my life, I shall see them safe" Tauriel responded. It was strange, the words flowed out of her mouth with ease, wondering whether the woman had cast a spell on her.

"What about you milady?" Filli asked frowning at the scene before him, the woman intended to stay behind, but for what reason.

"I'll distract the dragon long enough for you to get to safety" She said looking at their astonished faces.

"You realize that you may not make it out alive if you do this…" Tauriel said. Leanna smiled at the words she said, they both knew she would die if she faced Smaug head on.

"I was given a new start, a new chance at a good life and I will fight for it, even if it is held in the clutches of a dragon" Leanna said before casting her hand forward and a gust of icy wind pushed the boat away from the house. The cries of the children faded gradually as they moved further away from her.