Flames

3.1

Cold blew across Azalea's scarring face. The scent of smoke followed the bitter wind.

"It's burning, isn't it?" she asked grimly. "Laketown."

Someone next to her sighed.

"Yes," Bilbo replied.

Azalea sighed, her breath shuddering as it was exhaled. She bowed her head. 

"This is our fault," she muttered. "They trusted us, and we sent a dragon on them."

"I want to say there's no way this could be our fault, but..." Kili trailed off.

"It's entirely our doing," Fili finished. Azalea couldn't stand it anymore. She turned and stormed back inside. She reached out for a wall and leaned against it, wrapping her arms around her stomach. She felt sick. How could this happen to those good people? To Bard and his family, who had let them stay in their home?

And how can Thorin stand by and do nothing?

He hadn't left the vault since the dragon had left the mountain. It had been hours since then. The day had turned over.

Footsteps echoed in front of her. Someone stopped.

"Azalea? Why don't you try to get some rest?" Balin's voice suggested. "You need it more than we do."

"Do you honestly think I'll be able to sleep know Laketown is burning just a few miles away?" Azalea asked.

"It wouldn't hurt to try," Balin replied. "In fact, I think  we're all going to."

Azalea nodded, knowing Balin only had her best interest at heart.

Kili led her to an empty room. Azalea began memorizing how the path felt.

"This is your room. It's dwarf-sized, though," he said.

"Thank you," Azalea said. She heard Kili leave. She turned to the door and pushed it open. 

The ceiling was higher than she thought. The room was larger than she expected. She reached out for a bed.

Her eyelids dropped with tiredness, but her mind raced too fast for her to sleep. She ended up staring at nothing for hours on end, the thought of Laketown in flames fresh on her mind.

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"Keep looking! No one rests until we find it!"

Thorin's condescending stare burned across the group. Azalea looked along with them, even though she couldn't be much help. Several people kept asking her if she was okay. She insisted she was fine, even if she was starting to feel lightheaded.

"Thorin, we're not going to find it! It's not here!" Dwalin exclaimed.

Blood rushed to Azalea's head, and she collapsed.