Illegal love ~ the skinchanger book 1 *under construction*

Part 19

A big rumble came from the mountain. Aspect's ears shot up. She tried to sit up from the chair she was placed in, but quickly gave up. "Fili," she said, waving him over to her. "There is something terribly wrong. Something very evil have escaped from the mountain." She was now whispering.

Suddenly, Legolas burst through the door. "We need to leave, now," he commanded. "We have no time."

Fili helped Aspect up from the chair. "I will be fine," she said, smiling at him. "I can walk."

"We will not leave without our father!," Bain said. Aspect grabbed his shoulders.

"I will only say this once, Bain," she said, looking him strict in the eyes. "If you stay here, you and your sisters will die. That is not what Bard wants, so please come with us." Bain slightly nodded in fear.

"Come on, we need to move," Fili said, passing Aspect.

They one by one marched down to the bridge where Legolas had already cleared a boat for them. Aspect sent Tilda in front of her with a woolen blanket over her shoulders, before getting help from both Legolas and Fili to get up in the boat.

Smaug suddenly passed over their heads. People around them screamed. Aspect grabbed Fili's hand, in both enjoyment and fear. "This is just like the fairy tails," she whispered under her breath.

"Are you okay?," Fili asked, looking at Aspect. She slightly nodded.

"I think so," she answered, and in that moment, Smaug suddenly swung down over Lake-Town and shot a string of fire through the middle of it. Aspect looked around her, and saw all the people panicking. She grabbed Fili's hand tighter.

Smaug burst out a breath of fire right behind them. Tilda screamed. Aspect let Fili's hand go, before she sat down behind Tilda and wrapped her arms around her. "It is okay Tilda, you are safe with us," she said to calm her down, though her ears was twitching with stress. "Let me tell you a story," Aspect started. She looked up to see Bain and Sigrid move closer to her, so she spoke up. "There was once a very brave prince. He was the bravest of them all; though he was not a real prince. When this prince was young, he was adopted by the queen, because she pitied him for being alone. This prince had no family, just a mad uncle who could run, and this uncle was the fastest runner of them all, and the little boy could not keep up. And because the uncle ran all the time, he had no time for the little boy, and therefore the queen ended up adopting him, and to love him very dearly." The whole company in the boat had listened in on Aspect's story, found it very delightful, and a nice thing to help them remove the whole situation of their minds.

But Bain's attention had gone elsewhere. He suddenly cried out; "Da! He hit it! He hit the dragon!". The others moved their heads rapidly, trying to find Bard and Smaug.

"There arrows cannot pierce its hide. I fear nothing will," Legolas answered, looking out over the burned town.

"No, I saw it too!," Kili said delighted.

Suddenly, Bain grabbed a hook and a rope that laid in the boat, and swung off the boat on the nearest of the docks. "Bain come back," Aspect screamed.

"Bain!," Tilda cried out.

"We need to leave him. We cannot go back," Legolas said low.

Aspect grabbed Tilda tighter, hugging her. "It is going to be okay," she whispered. "He is the bravest boy in all of the world." Tilda smiled hopeful up at Aspect.

*

The boat-company was far from shore, when Aspect suddenly covered her ears. "What is this horrid screaming?," she asked, looking around. From the town, screams of pain could be heard in the distance, but this time louder than the people.

Suddenly, Samug shot up in the air above Lake-Town, and caught everyones attention. "The dragon," Fili said. "He is falling."

And Fili was right, because in that exact moment, Smaug fell to the ground. "That means Da killed the dragon!," Sigrid cheered. They all looked happily around at each other. Tilda hugged Aspect.

"Thank you Princess Aspect," she whispered. Legolas glanced down at them with surprise in his look.

"We should get back to the town. Bard should be reunited with his girls," Aspect said, ignoring what Tilda just said, while looking up at Legolas who nodded in agreement. Legolas and Bofur turned the boat around.

"Da!," Tilda and Sigrid cried out, as fast as they put their feet on shore. People around them were suffering, all struggling to get out of the water, or to help people out.

Sigrid looked at Aspect with tears in her eyes. "Thank you so much for all of your help, Princess Aspect," she said, giving her a small, grateful smile. "We can manage to find Da our selves, I know you and the rest have to leave." She gave Aspect a warm hug.

Aspect didn't let Sigrid's hands go. "If you need me, tell the animals. They know where to find me and will deliver your messages, any time," Aspect said, smiling back, letting her hands go.

"Thank you," Sigrid said, before turning to Tilda, leading her into the crowd of people.

Aspect turned around to face Legolas. "Thank you," Aspect said, looking Legolas straight in the eyes. "For everything," she continued. "You saved my life... Now I wish I could have done the same for all of these people." Aspect looked around her.

"Anything for an old friend," Legolas said with a small smile. "You owe me, Princess Aspect," he said in both a mocking, sad and little offended tone.

"I really do not like to be called that," Aspect said serious.

"Why not? Give these people some hope, they need a princess to save them right now. They still believe you are the princess they need," Legolas said, stepping closer to Aspect.

"Then why are not their prince doing his job, then?," Aspect shot back in response. "Why aren't you stepping up, Legolas? Why aren't you being the prince they need? Why aren't your father here to support these poor people?" Aspect raised her voice more and more. Her wolf-ears shot straight up in the air, and she lifted her chest.

"We really thought you finally came back for good, Aspect, and it hurt finding out it was all just a game," Legolas said calm but hurt, looking down at Aspect as she sank together, realizing how stupid she had acted.

"Aspect, we are leaving!," Fili yelled from down by the water. Aspect looked behind her at them, before turning to Legolas again.

"Have fun with your new friends. Do not think of coming back and rescuing your princess-title," Legolas said offended, turning on his heel. Aspect grabbed his hand.

"Legolas, nányë sorrui. Navaer, hannad cin an being hi, mellon, (I am sorry. Goodbye, thank you for being here, friend)," Aspect said in elvish. She turned around to leave, while Legolas stood left back at shore, empty for words. "Off we go," she said to the others, skipping towards the boat, trying to cheer herself up while tears started filling up her eyes.

The dwarves and Aspect climbed aboard the boat, and paddled their way towards the mountain.