Bard of Laketown

Part Forty-Seven

PART FORTY-SEVEN

AREYA'S POV

Once we get away from the town, the air becomes a little clearer, and the children breathe easier. Fili and Kili keep looking at me with worried glances, and I try to ignore it.

"Are you alright?" Fili asks for about the millionth time. I turn to look at him and groan. "I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be?"

"Seeing as your one true love is facing down the deadliest creature in all of Middle-earth..." Kili walks on my other side. I frown at them.

"I'm not a damsel in distress. Neither is Bard. I have seen him shoot, and I know that he'll make it out alive!"

I realize I'm shouting, and lower my voice, not wanting the children, who are mere feet ahead, to notice. "Areya!" A voice comes to me on the cold wind, along with tiny shards of ice. "Go on without me," I tell the dwarves, and they nod slightly.

I turn around and begin walking back to the burning town. "Where are you?" I call. The voice sounds familiar, but it can't be Bard. Why would he come for me, after what I supposedly did to his wife?

It begins to snow, coming down in billowing gusts, hiding everything from sight. I continue in what I hope is the right direction. "Areya!" I hear again. I'm glad I wasn't too far from the town, or I wouldn't have a very good chance of surviving.

I wrap my cloak tighter around my shoulders. A small, vague light, like one from a lantern, shines out a few feet away. I run toward it, my feet slipping on patches of snow, the ice stinging my face.

I bump into a tall figure, who holds up the lantern. It's warm light illuminates Bard's face. He smiles when he sees me, and I wrap my arms around his neck. "You're alive."

"Barely. I was terrified back there, Areya."

I squeeze tighter. Tears are dripping down my face. Bard puts his hands on my shoulders. "Why are you crying?"

"I thought you hated me, and then- and then when I saw you and that dragon, I was so scared, Bard. It pained me to think that you might die not believing that I told you the truth."

"I believe you now." He wipes the tears off my cheeks and kisses me on the lips. I kiss him back, but all too soon he pulls away. "We have to go. Five armies are at Erebor as we speak."

"I know. I overheard someone mention it. That was where the Elven-king was going." I had forgotten all about the battle. Were Legolas and Tauriel there now? The thought of them lying dead wakes my mind up. I run back towards the mountain, Bard close behind me.

***

A few hours later, we reach the foot of the mountain. It is impossible not to hear the clash of blades from near the peak. Stone stairs are carved into the side, and we run up them as fast as we can. My leg muscles are burning by the time we finally reach the top, only to look on the bloodiest battle I have seen since the orcs took over Moria.

I search frantically over the thousands of creatures. Where are my friends? I pull out my bow and hunting knives. Bard and I step into the bloodbath. Before long, I spot Legolas and Tauriel, fighting back to back, unleashing arrow after arrow into the necks of orcs and goblins.

An Orc steps up behind me, but I slice my blade across his throat before he can do any damage. He drops, lifeless, to the ground, blood pooling across his neck.

I keep my eyes on Legolas and Tauriel, moving closer toward them. Bard follows close behind me. He is still untrusting of Legolas. I don't suppose I can change that.

I step up beside Legolas, and he whirls around, his eyes filled with blue fire, his knife inches away from my chest. He drops his hand immediately, then smiles at me. "I wasn't expecting you to show up."

He notices Bard behind me. "Or him, for that matter."

"He killed Smaug," I say. "With the last Black Arrow."

Legolas bows his head, his eyes respectful. "In that case, it is an honour to fight alongside you, my friend."

"Likewise." Tauriel hands Bard her other bow, no doubt noticing the poor make of his own. "Where is your father?" I ask Legolas.

His eyes scan the crowds, and then he points. "There."

One hundred feet away; there he is. It is the first time I have seen the king in his battle armour. He fights with a long, silver sword, slashing away at everyone who comes to attack him.

Almost as if he knew I was here, he looks up, his eyes focused on me. I don't move. An Orc comes up behind him and raises a wicked-looking mace, and then the king turns and thrusts his sword into the beast's heart.

"He fights well," I remark. Legolas nods.

"How do you think I became so good at it?" He chuckles at his own joke, and I roll my eyes. But I can't keep from laughing along with him. It is good to be back with these two.

I fight without thinking about it. It becomes a routine very quickly- sink my knives into one Orc, shoot an arrow at another.

The next creature I kill.... Is a dwarf. Thorin Oakenshield is coming towards me. I try to stop myself, but it is too late. My blade has already pierced his stomach.

But it isn't Thorin. Another dwarf, a younger one, has jumped in front of my knife. His brown eyes widen in shock. "Areya? What- what are you doing?" He begins to fall, and I catch him.

"Forgive me." My eyes pool with tears. "If I had known it was you, oh, if I had only known..."

His eyes are beginning to dim, the bright light going out of them.

Tauriel pushes me out of the way. "You must live!" She kisses his damp forehead over and over again. A weak smile crosses his face. "Tauriel... Remember me." He reaches up with shaking fingers and traces the curves of her face.

A thin trickle of blood appears at the corner of his mouth. I cannot stop crying. What have I done? What have I done? He coughs quietly. A spatter of blood appears on the front of Tauriel's skirts. She looks down at it.

"I won't. I'll remember you, Kili. Always." Tears drop from her face onto his. I cover my face in my hands, hot tears stinging my eyes.

His hand drops limply to his side, and he does not breathe again. Tauriel stays kneeling beside him, her forehead pressed against his cold, dead face.

I feel strong arms around my shoulders, and then a calming voice in my ear. "Areya. I need you to be strong. You will die if you don't stand back up, and keep fighting. Do you hear me? I won't lose you."

I press my fists against my eyes and stand up. I can't look at his body again, I can't. I killed him. Kili is dead, all because of me.

A/N: I'm so sorry!! I kind of just- wrote this and then stared at the screen and tried not to cry. It was painful to write this. And it doesn't become any better (sorry). And some other news, there will only be about 2-3 chapters left! I'm going to miss writing about all these characters, but I've got Sherlock and Molly's lives to invade next!! -Natasha xxx