An Unexpected Romance

Part Three- Chapter Twenty Seven

Part Three: The Battle of Five Armies

Chapter Twenty Seven

*Fili's POV*

Kili was coherent again, though he didn't seem to remember much of anything from the past few hours. Not even that he'd looked to Tauriel, thinking she was Ariel, and called her his love. I'd heard everything but tried not to think about it. It wasn't my business.

However, when chaos fell, I knew that we were having the same two thoughts. Thorin. Ariel.

The dragon was awake. We'd seen it rise from the Mountain, and only one scenario came to mind. They were all dead. Kili's face was ashen once again, his hands shaking as he quickly changed the binding on his leg.

"We have no time." Tauriel said, collecting Tilda and Sigrid. "We must leave."

I turned to Kili and took him by the shoulders. "Come on. Let's go."

He threw me off and I tried to mask my hurt. "I'm fine." He snapped. "I can walk."

"We're not leaving." I heard Bain say. "Not without our father."

Tauriel's response was simple. "If you stay here, your sisters will die. Is that would your father would want?"

He looked to me for help, but I could only shrug. They would all die if we stayed.

Quickly, we made our way downstairs. I got into the boat first, helping Tilda and Sigrid. Tauriel got in the back, then Bain, Oin, Bofur, and finally Kili came limping along.

Oin and I paddled while Tauriel steered. Bofur sat with the kids, trying to keep them calm by telling them jokes or stories. It was almost working under the dragon flew just over our heads.

We watched in horror as Smaug blew a stream of fire across the entirety of the town. He then swooped back, preparing for another strike.

It hit close to us, far too close. Dori and I paddled faster that I would have thought possible. These children would not die. Not on my watch.

"Look out!" Bofur yelled.

In a split second, we collided with a boat much larger than our own. It almost sent us toppling over into the water.

"No!" I cried, shoving the boat hard. There was little effect, but we straightened up.

"Keep going!" I yelled to Dori. We paddled harder and harder, desperate to survive, like so many wouldn't.

We were quiet, only the occasional sob from Tilda echoing among us, until Bain cried out. "Da!"

What? I followed his gaze and saw a lone figure standing high in the bell tower. Bard was making his last stand.

"Da!" Tilda screamed as Bard let an arrow fly from his bow.

The arrow hit the beast but had no effect. It simply bounced off of Smaug's armor, like most everything would.

"He hit it!" Kili cried. "He hit the dragon!"

"No," Tauriel said breathily.

"He did!" I agreed. "I saw it."

"His arrows cannot pierce its hide." She said gravely. "I fear nothing will."

Before any of us could react, Bain had reached up and grabbed onto a hook. He lifted himself out of the boat as we floated forward without him. Kili snatched at his leg but almost sent himself over the edge of the boat.

"What are you doing?!" Bofur cried.

I made a wild grab, missing his coat by almost nothing. "Come back! Bain!"