The Last One

Chapter 22

Picture is her body shape.

60 years earlier...

Ruive ran through the city of Dale. Weaving in and around fleeing townsfolk and fallen debris. She looked to the sky, the familiar roar of an old enemy on the wind. She ran towards the tower where she would be able to clearly see the dragon and this time, kill it. Smaug had come, only this time he came for the riches of Erebor not for revenge. Much of the city was ablaze and many had already perished in the flames. Just as Ruive reached the stairs that led to the tower where Girion was taking his stand against the dragon, two small voices stopped her.

"Help! Help us please!" 

Ruive looked to a nearby house that was half swallowed by fire, in the window she could see the shapes of two young dwarves. Ruive threw her bow and black arrow on her back and kicked open the door of the house and launching up the rickety stairs. She kicked down another door and ran into the room, shielding her eyes from the fire.

"Where are you?!" She called desperately scanning the room for the two.

"Over here!" 

She could hear the coughing and spluttering in the furthest corner of the room. She jumped over the fire and pushed her way through to the two children just missing a collapsing beam. There in the corner huddled two young dwarves. The taller one had blonde hair and blue eyes, and had his arms wrapped protectively around the smaller dwarf whose brown eyes where hidden by his black hair. 

"It's alright, I'm going to get you out." 

Ruive gently took the smaller brown haired boy and picked him up in her arms, almost instantly his little arms snaked around her neck and his legs curled around her waist. She then grabbed the blonde ones hand pulling him along towards the door only to be stopped by the roof caving in. Desperately she searched for another way out, she headed towards the window and helped the blonde dwarf climb out the window on to the wooden roof outside. She then climbed out after him holding the black haired one tightly to her. She walked to the edge of the roof and looked down, the drop was small and easy for her, she turned to the blonde dwarf.

"What's your name little one?"

"Fili, and that's my little brother, Kili." His voice was quiet but did not break despite how frightened he looked.

"Fili, I need you to listen to me, I am going to jump down with Kili. Then I am going to need you to jump by yourself and I will catch you I promise. Can you do that for me?" 

Ruive placed a hand on his small shoulder giving a reassuring smile.

"Yes." 

Ruive patted his shoulder. 

"Good lad. Wait here until I tell you to jump, alright?" 

Fili nodded. Ruive turned and jumped off the roof landing softly on the stone ground below. She then put Kili on the ground who then hid behind her legs staring up at his brother with fear in his eyes. 

"Fili! Jump, I promise I will catch you!"

Fili stepped closer to the edge, squeezing his eyes shut he jumped from the roof and into Ruive strong waiting arms. Ruive then swung Fili around on her back and told him to hold on. She picked Kili back up and he buried his face in her neck. She noted that Smaug had already entered the mountain, though angry that she missed her chance to kill Smaug, she had to get the two children to safety, their lives were more important than her revenge. 

She ran out of Dale heading towards the swarms of survivors. 

"Fili, tell me if you see your family alright, lad?" 

She heard Fili hum in response as he wildly looked around the crowd. 

Ruive looked towards the top of the hills near by to see Thranduil and the elves of Mirkwood in their armor. Ruive smiled hoping that they would help the dwarves fight the dragon, but her hope sank when Thranduil and the elves turned away from the helpless dwarves.

Fili's voice brought her out of her thoughts. 

"Mama! Mama!" 

Ruive looked to where he pointed, running in their direction was a black haired female dwarf calling the names of her sons. Kili had peeked his head out and his face lit up when he saw his mother. Ruive placed the two on the ground smiling as the scurried towards her, she then disappeared into the crowd searching for a particular person. 

Dis embraced her sons tightly crying as she kissed their heads. 

"Are you both alright?"

"Yes, Mama we're alright."Fili answered.

"Oh thank Mahal!" Dis cried. "How on Middle-Earth did you two survive?"

"A lady saved us." Fili beamed.

For the first time, Kili spoke. 

"Yes Mama, she's over there." 

Kili pointed to where the woman had been only to find her gone. He knew she was real, but where did she go? Kili didn't pay attention to his mother's next words, he was to busy trying to spot the lady, the one thing he noticed about her were her strange eyes. He remembered one was green and the other blue, he had never seen anything like it. He hope that he would see her again so he could thank her properly for saving him and his brother.

Ruive pushed through the crowds, helping those who were injured until their families came rushing over. But she could not find the one person she needed to see. She was about to give up hope when she saw him standing tired and worn in the distance. Ruive silently thank Mahal and the Valor that he was alive. She jogged through the crowds and made her way to his side.

"Girion. You're alive." She placed a firm hand on the Lord of Dale's shoulder.

"Hadron, thank goodness. I thought you had perished." Girion returned the gesture. 

"I am so sorry, this should never have happened." Ruive sighed as she surveyed the desolation around her.

"This was not your fault, Hadron. You did what you could and you warned them this would happen." Girion looked her in the eyes with sincerity. 

"I still cannot help but feel like I should have done more to stop this." 

Ruive looked down. Before Girion could speak, she continued. 

"Girion, I must ask you to do something for me."

"Anything."

Ruive reached behind her and drew her last black arrow, the last one in existence. 

"I need you to look after this for me, I will return one day and set things right. But until then, I need you to keep this safe for me." 

She handed the arrow to Girion.

"I promise. My family will protect it until you return, Hadron." Girion placed a hand on his heart and bowed his head.

Ruive placed her hand on his shoulder and nodded before turning and leaving the desolation of Smaug behind her.