Calm The Fire

35

"I shall not undervalue you again," the Master said while looking over to Bard. "Why? People of Lake-town why do I receive all of your blame? Need I remind you it is their comrades who sent the dragon down here?" The Master said while pointing a wavering finger in the direction of the dwarves and the elf.

"They didn't send it!" Bofur exclaimed in disbelief, beside him Óin nodded heavily agreeing with his words.

The Master rolled his eyes and shook his head slowly. "Regardless, who woke the dragon from his slumber? Who promised us riches for the willing help we gave? Who led us to believe that the old songs would come true?"

"Now see here," Náriel piped up, sure, she wasn't a dwarf, but seeing as how Bofur, Óin, Fíli and Kíli looked closed to grouping up and attacking the ignorant man, she thought she better speak. At least this would create some sort of distraction. "It is not their fault that you of the race of men were so easily led. You knew, deep down, all of you, what the risk of this was. You heard it from Bard, and you ignored him, but you knew that there was a chance of Smaug attacking. Greed is something which I despise in any creature, and I find that I despise it most in the race of men. You seem so bent on greed, money, riches and gold but it will not bring back those who you have lost. The old songs...with great loss, could come true." She leaped down off of the barrel and looked up at Bard.

He gauged her and then those who so wished to leave. Dale was ruins, even getting across the lake would be a hard task, part of it still simmered and burned. Frowning lightly, he looked down at the ground before looking back up. "Those who need help, shall receive it. Those who are hurt, go to a healer. We cannot move out and leave this in our wake. We must help those close to us." He paused and looked down at the elf and dwarves near his side they all exchanged a look and nodded slowly. "We shall move on when we are all ready." He said while gently urging his children to move. The crowd parted ways and let him return to his home.

It was sometime later that Bard reappeared, searching for the woman in question, he reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, Náriel looked up. "Lord Bard," she smirked, he frowned at her words but let them slide. "What's wrong?"

"I have to ask something of you."

"Oh, this sounds serious. What is it?" She put down the buckets she was carrying. Bard ordered for aid, so everyone sprung into action. The fires were quickly doused, and those who were homeless were given shelter by neighbours or friends.

"We do not have enough here to last us until we need to leave." Bard said seriously, which was true. Provisions were near enough close to zero. Livestock had perished, whatever food there was had been incinerated and lost.

"Right."

"I need you to seek aid." Bard said slowly while the two moved out of the way of a group of people who were carrying broken pieces of wood. Some pieces were able to be reused to put the wharfs back together. But for the most part they were rendered useless and used as firewood again.

Náriel tensed and looked up at him sternly. "You wish to seek aid from the Elvenking." It wasn't a question, it was a statement, one which got a firm nod from Bard. "You wish me to go get aid for you." Yet another nod, Náriel nodded slowly and smiled. "What aid do you wish me to bring?" Though she left Mirkwood on bad terms, exceedingly bad terms, Lake-town's needs were much bigger than that. These people and their suffering was much bigger than her hesitance to return home, least of all to return back seeking aid for people who were not her own.

"You're leaving us?" It wasn't that long after the conversation that Náriel had broken the news to her friends. Tauriel was to return back with her too, so in some ways it was good for her, though it seemed to upset Kíli. He was fond of the auburn haired elf, Tauriel leaving left him silent and rather irritated.