Oh dang, this is gonna get good. Muahaha!

The morning after my healing session was filled with excitement. Everyone was relieved to be out of the forest and to have our goal in sight. I woke with a magic hangover, little sparks of light going off behind my eyes. At least I was feeling better but Tauriel had told me to take it easy. Everyone had finished packing in record time and was ready to go. All they needed was the lowdown on the situation. I hoped I would be able to get everything right. We all gathered together for a little meeting.

"Alright everyone, this part might get a little tricky," I said to the dwarves, trying not to show my nervousness about what was to come, "We need to locate a bowman named Bard." I was interrupted.

"Why do we have to find some Bard man?" asked Dori in exasperation. I looked at him seriously.

"Well, we need to find him and tell him everything that's going on because he will be slaying our Dragon." Everyone nearly lost their minds.

"You mean we don't have to slay the dragon?" asked Goin,

"That's a relief!" Kili smiled to Fili. The rest of the group chattered their approval at the situation.

"Hold on! Hold on!" I said, "We still have to enter the mountain and avoid getting melted by Smaug. It's not going to be a walk in the park." I finished. Though thrown off by the phrase they understood and sighed. I could tell they were wishing they could just reclaim their home and be done with it. It seemed things just wouldn't go easily for them.

"I still don't understand why you wanted us to get here so early. We won't be able to open the door until Durin's Day." Huffed Ori. Everyone else chattered their agreement.

"Well," I said, "First, we have to evacuate Lake Town. Also, were I not here you would have sent word to your people after the mountain was reclaimed… I am going to have you send word once we've reached Lake Town. We're going to have to fib a little to get them here on time. You'll have to send word that we have reclaimed the mountain and you're going to have to rally them to war to defend their homeland. If we can get word to the elves as well…" I looked to Legolas and he nodded through pressed lips.

"I can try to rally the wood elves but I cannot guarantee my father will heed the call." Legolas admitted. I smiled knowingly.

"He will come, you just make sure to tell him the doors to Erabor opened Durin's Day the dragon is slain and," I paused, "Will you be able to call Elrond for help?" I wondered. Legolas cocked his head, thinking.

"I can ask him to rally all those who would aid us. Just how vicious will this battle be?" he asked, worried I was calling so many to aid. I shuddered just thinking about it.

"It will be one of the largest battles to ever happen on Middle Earth. And it will not be without loss." I paused, thinking painfully of the many deaths I was trying to prevent. "I am trying to give us the best chance in this war." I finished tiredly. Fili leaned forward in worry.

"Is this war a victory to our people?" He asked.

"In a way it is." Before anyone could relax at the thought, "But you will still have to fight for your lives." My eyes lingered on Thorin's and his knowledge made his face hard. He would do all he could to keep his nephews from their fate. I hoped he paid himself the same kindness. I whipped around to face Legolas, "And you," I pointed," definitely need to keep yourself alive because you have a very important role to play to keep the light in Middle Earth after this fight." Legolas stared into my eyes unblinkingly. He sighed when he noticed the flinch in my eyebrows. I was seriously worried for him. I almost hoped to convince him to send word to his father and keep himself in the woodland realm for this battle. I knew I couldn't even ask this of him though.

I moved my gaze back to the rest of the group, "Alright, back to Bard, please treat him kindly. He's got a ton of responsibility on his shoulders. He's killing that bloody dragon for you and risking the lives on himself and his family, keep that in mind. He is probably not going to be too psyched about the idea, alright? But when the time comes, and he realizes there is no other way, he will pull through," Everyone nodded in understanding. "Ok! Let's head to Laketown!"

Our names were asked for as we stepped up to the gates of Laketown. Thorin stepped forward announcing himself as King under the Mountain to which the guardsmen floundered around in a frenzy of trying to raise the gate and fetch the Master all at once. Thorin grinned at the reception. We were welcomed in and brought to the main square where we met the all too unattractive Master of Laketown. Thorin conversed with him and the Master offered us a place to rest and recover. The elves quietly followed us along as we went through the town to our place of stay. I glanced around nervously; knowing a pack of orcs was still on our tail. At least Kili hadn't been injured; we could give ourselves points for that victory. We'd also managed to make allies of our once enemy elves. More points for us. I just hoped all of these one ups would add to a greater victory in the end.

Our escort brought us inside a long, shabby building that was most likely used as a hotel. He left us inside telling us the whole building was for our use. The lobby area was filled with a solid wood table and plenty of wooden chairs. We all sighed at the sight and made our way over to the table, filling most of the chairs. We all smiled as we lay back, finally relaxing after our crazy journey. Even the elves sat luxuriously on some of the nicer armchairs. I'd not had a decent nights sleep since the morning I'd appeared here and I was ready to sleep in a bed no matter how shabby it might be. I was too exhausted to get out of my chair now though so I set my head on my arms and rested them on the table. I should have just gone and found myself a room because as soon as my head hit the table I was out cold.

I wasn't too heavy a sleeper so I noticed when someone lifted me out of the seat and walked me down the hall to an empty room. As I was set on the bed soft, sweet smelling hair brushed across my face. Tauriel maybe? Legolas? I didn't think on it too long before I was off to sleep again.

I woke with a start. The sun was bright through the window and the house was quiet. I jumped off the bed, not worrying that I was still wearing my very old, dirty clothes and bolted down the hall to the foyer.

A single figure was lazily sharpening blades in the corner, "Where is everyone?" I asked the distracted dwarf. Fili looked up smiling.

"They've gone out to talk with the Master and to locate the Bardsman." He said, I sighed in relief. I didn't know why I was so nervous at their being gone.

"Why are you still here?" I wondered, thinking he would much rather be exploring with his brother.

"Well, I'm watching after you, and I'm supposed to start training you as well," He said with a grin. Now I knew why he was here, and there had probably been a brawl over who got the hilarious job of training the human chick. I laughed.

"You guys can't be serious?"

Fili stood up and made his way over to me, "Well, you have no way to defend yourself and you said yourself that this battle would be severe." He pointed. My hesitancy grew.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! It's not like I'm going out there and fighting with everyone. I would just die! Even if you trained me for years I'd still just die!" I scrambled. Fili rolled his eyes.

"You're not going to be in the battle with us! You just need to know how to protect yourself in case anything goes wrong." He reasoned. I stood frozen with my arms out still trying to protest the thought, but I knew he was right. I would be in serious trouble if anything went wrong. I remembered back to when the orc had been circling Grandpa and I when we left Rivendell, how helpless I had felt. Dang.

"Ahhh… Ahrg... Alright. This is not going to be good."

Thank you all who have kept up after all this time! You rock!