The Eyes of Emerald

An Elfs Perspective Part 3

"What the hell are you doing?!" I exclaimed when I finally caught up with Bain.

He freed himself from my grip and bent down to pick up a parcel from the abandoned boat he had ran to. My eyes widened when I saw that it was a black arrow, the only thing that would be able to put the dragon down.

"Da won't be able to kill the dragon without this" the boy said and I slowly nodded.

"Come on then, there is no time to lose!" and we raced towards the tower Bard had climbed.

By the time we reached the top, the bowman had ran out of arrows. He widened his eyes when he saw his son and I.

"Bain! What are you doing?!" he exclaimed. "Why didn't you leave?! You were supposed to leave!"

"I came to help you!"

"No! Nothing can stop it now!"

"This might" the boy said, holding out the black arrow to his father.

Bard took it and despite everything, looked prouder than ever of his son.

"Bain...you go back, you get out of here, now" he then turned towards me. "Please, stay with him, make sure he's safe"

I nodded and was about to say something but she suddenly saw the dragon leaping towards their tower.

"Look out!" I shouted and the beast's back paws destroyed the top of the wooden structure when it came flying towards it. When Bard and I say up, he noticed his son was not near. "BAIN!!!" In reply was a cry from his son, while he still held onto the arrow.

I grabbed the young boy and pushed him in his father's arms on top of the little platform then closed my eyes as wood fell on them and I held on to the edge of the platform, my feet balancing in the emptiness under me.

"Hang on!" Bard exclaimed.

We looked at the ruins in flame around us, panting for breaths then Bard cursed under his breath when he saw that his bow was broken in two. My attention was drawn by a whole other thing than the bow though when I saw that the dragon had aimed their tower in purpose. It landed a bit further, destroying the burning houses around him and turned its massive head towards them, sniffing around it as if it was catching a scent that it remembered.

"Who are you to stand against me?" the beast turned its attention on the man.

"Smaug!"

"What are you doing here in this man village, she-elf." Smaug asked, bending down his long neck to take a closer look. "Are you not afraid of me? Have you more courage to face me than your precious King? You're no braver, nor will you ever be!" I shook my head in disbelief. I was going to be a great ruler, and I wouldn't make the same mistakes as my elders. Bard took hold of his bow, only to discover it broken.

"Now that is a pity. What will you do now...Bowman? You are foresaken. No help will come," he said as he crushed a large structure with his hand. With it came a rumble, and a wave of screams. He then began to lick his lips.

"Is that your child?" Smaug questioned as he looked upon Bain. "You cannot save him from the fire. He will burn!" As just as Smaug began to approach closet, Bard did something that seemed both genius and horrific. Using the remains of his surroundings, he made a bow fit for the black arrow. The horrific part was that his sons shoulder was used as a resting place for the arrow.

"There has to be another way! I can do it!" I begged. Bard and Bain shook their heads.

"Tell me, wretch, how now should you challenge me?"