The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings one shots and Imagines Book II

Mark of the dragon - Part 8 - Bard x Company x Reader

"DRAGON!" (Y/n) shouted out, as she suddenly woke and took a deep breath. All of them around her, man, dwarf and hobbit, falling back as she sat up and stared at them. The woman quickly jumping to her feet as if she had not just been convulsing on the floor and looking to the sky; her eyes searching for the beast.

"(Y/n)............" Bard said softly, as he got to his feet, and made his way over to her. Carefully placing his hand on her shoulder; jumping back as she turned to look at him.

"The dragon.......where......where is it..........?" She countered, gripping at the lapels of his coat, shaking him slightly, before looking back to the sky. Her head dropping into her hands, as she slipped back down to sit on the deck. The bargeman finding himself looking to the pale haired dwarf for help; for anything..........Balin slowly taking a step forward.

When they had set out from Bag End, Balin had never really known how they were going to find the human child that would supposedly help them with their quest; and in part, a little of him doubted that a child of men could survive with the blood of the dragon, coursing through their veins. Yet given the mark on this young woman's arm, it would appear that he was wrong. That the connection between the dragon, the child and the line of Durin, was far stronger than anyone could ever have thought. But the biggest question was whether this (Y/n) knew what and who she really was, herself; and would she be willing to help them.

"Lass........." Balin said as softly as possible. A reassuring smile coming to his lips, as she slowly looked up at him.

"What........what did ya see...........?" He continued, before looking to Thorin who gingerly moved to her other side. The pale haired dwarf, gesturing for him to kneel by her side. The dwarves ignoring the bargeman's unhappy grumbles, as they too, all moved a little closer.

"I......I don't........I can't............." (Y/n) shaking her head; doing her best to recall the vision yet being frustrated. Her eyes looking to him, as the old dwarf took her hand, and placed it in that of the large dwarf by her side. A gasp leaving her lips, as everything came back to her, as soon as her skin touched his.

"I was..........I was in Dale. It.........it was on fire. Everything.......everything was on fire. It was so hot that my skin was burning, blistering; and the air.....the air was thick with black smoke, I could hardly breath. I saw the Mountain, and could hear the cries and screams of women, the shouts of men; but I couldn't see those that the voices belonged to. But......but there was someone there......a woman. She was laying in the rubble, looking up at the sky. I ran to her; tried to move her, but no matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried, she wouldn't move. She wouldn't listen; she just lay there. She was pregnant, I am sure of it. She moved her hand to her stomach to protect her unborn child; something inside me telling me that I had to keep trying, that I had to save her. I struggled back to my feet, about to try and move her again; but then.......then there had come a noise so loud that I could do nothing but cover my ears and fall back to the floor. I didn't want to look, to see where the sound had come from; yet I knew I had to. I forced myself to look up and I saw........I saw.......the dragon flying over my head. Fire was spilling from its mouth, before a pained roar, caused me to cover my ears, once more. And then.....and then........" (Y/n) looking up at all the dwarves, and the little hobbit, who seemed to be hanging on her every word.

"Everything.......everything around me became red. My body, my hair, the poor woman that was laid next to me, covered in a red sticky liquid, that smelt of iron." (Y/n)'s voice lowering before she spoke again.

"It was the blood of the dragon.........." Her words seeming to cause a commotion between the passengers. Hushed comments about the beast being injured; that Girion had not entirely missed the beast, that fateful day. That there might actually be a way to defeat the cursed creature.

"Why........why did I see that? Why did I see the dragon.......? What is going on...........?" (Y/n) finally continued, her voice now much louder; more demanding. The muffled conversations stopping, as she looked to the dwarf that was still holding her hand. Thorin himself, looking to Balin.

"The mark on your arm.........." (Y/n) turning to look at the pale haired dwarf.

"Do ya know what it is.........?"

"It.....its just a birthmark. Elina, my well, my mother and I always joked that it looked like a little dragon. That was why she took to calling me that, her 'little dragon child'. But it is just a birthmark.........nothing important." She explained. Her confused scowl becoming a soft smile, as Bard pushed his way through the dwarves, and sat by her side, pulling her to him.

"I want you to tell us, what is going on, right now; or I will turn this barge around and take you right back to where I found you." Bard warned, as he glared at the smaller men in front of him. It obvious to all, that it was no idle threat. That the best outcome, if it wasn't explained, would be him taking them back, given their previous concerns about drowning them. Balin taking (Y/n)'s hand from Thorin's and patting it, gently.

"Perhaps you and I should speak, lass..........."

"If you have something to say, Bard has a right to know, too. This is his boat, and he is the captain. That..........." (Y/n) retorted, as she looked to the man that held her heart, without even knowing it.

"And he is my friend.........." She continued. Balin nodding his head. The Company moving away, finding their place back at the front of the barge, as Balin began to weave his tale of the King of Carven Stone and the child of men, with dragon's blood in their veins.