Chapter 5

A gust of wind blew through her and almost swept Leanna of the roof, she steadied herself on the roof to make certain she would not fall off. Once she regained her balance, she turned towards the center of town.

The fire came with a blast, burning and destroying everything it hit. Smaug was furious, the dwarves had dared to oppose him? The chiefest and greatest calamity of this age, he would teach them the true meaning revenge and he would start with these sniveling Lake Town rats. He doused houses in fire, relishing the screams of terror that came from the unsuspecting people.

Leanna ran, jumping on the rooftops of houses that remained intact as she rained ice on the fires within her reach. Breathing harshly, Leanna ignored the fatigue that slowly began to set in. She was using too much magic. She ran towards the dragon, barely missing the fire it shot in her direction as she formed large ice shards from the cold air. Her hand waved through the air as she sent them crashing upon the dragon's scales. Smaug turned to her, blazing fire in her path.

Without a second to waste, she ran, shooting ice shards and quenching the fire around her as she fought. The extreme use of magic was taking its toll on her, in a bid to get away, she staggered, almost missing her step and falling off the roof. She turned to face the dragon, her pale and golden strands dancing around her face fiercely against heat of the blaze surrounding the city.

"Who dares to challenge me?" Smaug's cold and dark voice echoed through the burning town. Leanna felt her feet grow weak at the vicious sound. The dragon…was speaking. She shook herself of the fear that was trying to grip her entire body and breathed in deeply, she had barely grazed it scales and she was already at her limit.

The dwarves rowed as Tauriel and the others watched the sight before them, the children crying out as they watched their Leanna face such a terrible foe. Tauriel was mesmerized at the sight.

"How? How could one of the edain who bears no power of any ring, use magic?" She whispered to herself. Leanna was fighting with all her might to give them a chance to escape. Tauriel also noted her movements were slowing. The woman was growing weary of the battle before her.

Leanna moved her hand to once more form shards. As she lifted her hand, an arrow whizzed past her and hit the dragon, bouncing off its scales. She swirled round, looking for the source of the arrow. Another arrow was shot towards the dragon that had finally perched down in the midst of the town, now a burning inferno.

Leanna looked at the bell tower which was swinging soundlessly and swallowed, stunned that Bard who should've been at the wind lance, was so far away from it and only equipped with normal arrows. He wasn't supposed to be here!

The boat passed quickly as the dragon perched. At the sight of their father who was standing at the bell, they called out to him, hoping their voices would reach him but Bard was too occupied with Smaug to hear anything beyond the dragon's angry roar. He shot his arrow again, every moment more hopeless than the last.

"He hit the dragon!"Killi shouted.

"No" Tauriel answered, shaking her head

"He did! He hit its mark, I saw!" Killi exclaimed with hope.

"His arrows cannot pierce its hide, I fear nothing will" said Tauriel, resolute in the hopelessness of her words. Bain upon hearing her, stood up jumping from the boat and ran towards the center of town where he had hidden the black arrow his father tasked him to keep safe.

The arrows were bouncing off like water of a rock. She had to find a way to weaken the dragon so Bard could take it down for her power was running out. Leanna moved to form more ice shards when the dragon spoke again.

"Who are you that would stand against me…?" Smaug said, his deep and chilling words slivering out of his jaws. Bard who had intended to fire his last arrow raised his bow, only to find it the wood snapped in half with only string still intact.

"Now that is a pity, what will you do now Bowman? You are forsaken! No help will come" said Smaug as he crawled towards Bard, the pleasure of reaping such great fear from the man on the broken tower, growing within him.

Leanna summoned more shards of ice, as large and sharper as she had the strength to muster while waiting for the right moment to strike. She looked to Bard who had a broken bow and wondered at the other person close to him…Bain! Leanna stilled herself at the sight. Bain was in the very place she wanted him far away from.

"Oh that idiot" she said under her breath, she had to get him out of there and if she ever saw that elf again, there would be hell to pay. Smaug moved closer, crushing the houses beneath him and speaking leisurely as his words assured no escape and certain death.

"Ah, is that your child? You cannot save him from the fire…he will burn!" said the dragon and Leanna glared icily at the vile beast, her anger raged and the shards grew even sharper.

Bard wedged each end of the broken wood of his bow into the broken beams of the bell tower and drew the black arrow Bain had brought against his son's shoulder.

"Stay still son, stay still" Bard said to Bain who shook, unable to control his fear.

"Tell me wretch! How now shall you challenge me? You have nothing left, but your death!" said Smaug who charged at them.

"Bain look at me…look at me" Bard said deeply, urging his son to look back at him and away from the dragon charging towards them. Leanna who had seen Bard's action, ran over fiery rooftops to get closer to them.

"A little to your left" said Bard. His aim was pinned to the black hole he had seen in the dragon's armored chest. Bain summoned courage and moved his trembling body as his father instructed. With no time left, Leanna shot her shards to eyes of the dragon with the intent to distract Smaug as Bard let loose his arrow.

The arrow whizzed throw the air, spiraling as it hit its mark right into Smaug's heart. Smaug roared in pain, brushing past the tower as Bard held unto Bain. Smaug flew up into the air, clawing desperately at the air around him to still the pain in his heart until the light in his amber eyes died out.

The dragon still as a dead branch, dropped from the sky and unto the inferno that was Lake Town. Smaug was dead.

Leanna wheezed deeply, the last of her strength leaving her as she stumbled on the roof. They had done it, this time…she had won. Leanna felt herself fall with her consciousness sinking into darkness, faintly hear Bard and Bain screaming her name.

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Three days had passed, Bard who had once again reunited with his family along with the remaining survivors from the now destroyed Lake Town, rallied the people to journey up into the only place they could find shelter in…the desolated city of Dale. They reached Dale on the second day, camping in the ruins as they tried to pool whatever resources they could get and tended to the wounded as well as the women and children.

"Sire!"

With the dragon dead and winter already upon them, the exiled people of Lake Town were forced to start their lives all over again. Bard looked beyond the rocky plain and to the mountain that was Erebor, Alfred scurrying behind him with the intention to curry favor with the dragon slayer and the new Lord by the look of things.

"Sire! The braziers are lit!" Alfred said, dismayed at the scene before him, wondering who was in there with all that unguarded treasure. Bard carried a slightly relieved expression, if the dwarves had survived the dragon's rampage then they could help them with what they needed.

"So, the company of Thorin Oakenshield survived" said Bard with a smirk.

"Survived? You mean thers' a bunch of dwarves in ther' with all that gold?" Alfred said even unhappier than before.

"I shouldn't worry Alfred, there's more than enough gold in that mountain for all" Bard said before turning to look down at the people below him.

"Make camp here tonight, find what shelter you can and get some fires going" Bard said to them. He turned back to Alfred who was still staring at the mountain and spoke to him.

"Alfred, take the night watch" said Bard. Alfred's face fell at the instruction but could not refuse, he quickly went down to find his station. Bard watched him go whilst his mind went elsewhere. Leanna had not woken up since she fell three nights ago and he was deeply worried, he didn't know what to do about her situation at all since she barely had injuries and yet she had not moved an inch while she lay unconscious.

Bard looked at the mountain gates once more before down to find Leanna and his children, hopefully she would return back to the world of the living now that they had camped.

When news of Smaug's death reached his hearing, Thranduil widened his eyes in disbelief. A mere human had taken down the beast is what the people of Lake Town were saying but there was another story added to the report given by one of his scouts, a strange woman had aided in the fight against the fire drake and proved instrumental in bringing the beast down.

With Smaug dead, Erebor was left unguarded and vulnerable to all who desired the wealth within it regardless of the insignificant number of dwarves that were now residing in it. Thranduil summoned a meeting with his war council, he would march his forces to Erebor with haste as another report had been sent to him by his son. Azog was already on the move with an army of orcs at his back.

The council meeting had ended with Thranduil leaving Galion in charge of the kingdom's affairs while he was away at battle. The scout whom he had sent to retrieve his son returned while the servants prepared his armor for him and from the news given to him by the scout, it seems his son was bent on defying his orders.

"He does not wish to return unless Tauriel is pardoned, Aran nin" the scout said, weary of his King's reaction. Thranduil who was greatly displeased by this occurrence remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"So be it, and the warriors?" Thranduil responded coolly not revealing the hurt that throbbed in his heart at the thought that his son would choose to disobey his command for a stupid and naive elleth.

"They already march to Dale, Your Majesty. The carts which you ordered have been stocked with food, water and medicine." The guard said as he finished his report. Thranduil nodded his head and silently gave his dismissal. They would leave immediately.

Thranduil had set his mind on retrieving his family's heirloom even at the cost of Thorin's life if need be. With the rift further increased between himself and his son, he was in no mood to be patient with dwarves.

The ElvenKing walked briskly to the gates of the palace to find Galion and his escorts waiting for him. Tallahir bowed his head until his antlers touched the earth and Thranduil gracefully mounted his great elk as they set off. Galion watched his king ride to battle and prayed for his and his son's safe return. He retreated back into the palace to carry out the duties his King had left him to take care of.

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The noise grew louder as she squinted her eyes away from the light. Leanna groaned as she slowly opened her eyes to look around her. Two figures sat sleeping by her and she gently roused them.

"Sigrid, Tilda?" said as she gently shook the older girl awake, waking up Tilda in turn.

"Leanna! You're awake!" Sigrid said with relief as she moved closer while Tilda flew into her arms, sobbing out the worry from her small body.

"Where are we and how long have I been asleep?" Leanna asked after managing to calm Tilda down, enough to get her thoughts in order as she looked around the foreign and ruined environment.

"We're in Dale, you've been unconscious for three days! We tried everything to make you wake up but you slept like you were dead" Sigrid said as she handed Leanna a cup of water and some bread.

"Where is your father?" Leanna said looking around as she ate, noting the bread was still fresh. "Where is Bain, is he alright? Is he well?" she asked looking at the girls with a worried expression remembering the battle with the dragon.

"Da is speaking with The Elf King and an old man with a pointy hat. they came into the city this morning with food and supplies! Da saved some for you so you'd have something to eat when you woke up." Sigrid said and Tilda nodded in affirmation.

Leanna nodded, understanding the situation as Sigrid and Tilda filled her in on the rest of the details she had missed while she had been unconscious.

Leanna remained in the broken room which barely had a roof over it and flicked her wrist. A round glass of ice formed suspended in the air as she looked at her complexion in the makeshift mirror. Her energy had been restored since her body was forced to recuperate after she had exhausted her magic against that beast. She smoothed out her long pale locks with her fingers, the color almost matching the white of the snow that was gently falling on the ground.

Once she was finished styling her hair in a single braid, she turned to the girls who had been waiting for her and smiled at them. Tilda frowned as she looked at Leanna and spoke her thoughts out.

"Leanna, how come your hair looks funny… like yellow snow" Tilda asked, not knowing how best to describe her observation. They had watched over her while she was unconscious and noticed the slight changes on her.

"My hair tends to change during winter, it's the magic within that causes this" Leanna responded softly to the girls as they looked over her, making sure she was alright.

Leanna wore her overcoat and boots then stood to leave the room which didn't really have a door to begin with. With the girls behind her, she went around the wrecked city to find regiments of an elegant army of what she guessed were elves, stationed around the city walls and pathways.

Bard, as she was told, was still in a meeting this Elven King and another stranger. She looked over at some of the elves present standing watch as the fishermen of Lake Town practiced basic sword skills in a small clearing. Leanna frowned at the sight in front of her, this scene indicated they were preparing for war…but against whom?