Honour For Bastards

Chapter 22 - I See Fire

Laire turned her gaze to the sky, she could here the people of Laketown rushing from their houses and into boats as the shadow of a dragon glided closer against the empty darkness above. She swallowed the fear that welled in her throat and rushed back into the house. "We have to go, now!" 

"Get him up." Urged Bofur.

"Come on, brother." Fili pulled his brother to his feet mindful of his still healing leg.

"Come on, come on! Let's go."

"I'm fine - I can walk." Kili growled and shrugged his brother off.

"Bain, come on!" Laire ushered Tilda and Sigrid into the small boat.

Bain shook his head, "We're not leaving. Not without our father."

Laire gripped Bain by his shoulders and willed him to look into her eyes, "Bain, I promise you we will find yer father, but I have to get ye and yer sister out of here, if we stay any longer we'll die."

Bain was hesitant, but relented and climbed into the boat with his sisters and the Dwarves. Laire polled the boat down the canal as Smaug unleashed his wrath upon the city, the deafening roar of the dragon and the terrified screams of the people of Laketown filled the hot air. Buildings burned sending their embers adrift across the water and timber and rubble into the canal. Laire directed the barge towards the main channel. 

"Watch out!" Bain cried.

Their boat collided with the Master's barge which was littered with his wealth. The parties held on to their boats as Laire struggled to free them as some of the Master's treasure fell into the water. The Ranger freed their boat and polled them between the burning houses her eyes keenly following the dragon's movements. She halted the boat under a building and waited until Smaug passed over before moving out into the open again. Laire watch the skies, and peered through the smokes and flames at the old bell tower where a familiar silhouetted archer fired upon the dragon.

"No," Laire gasped.

"Da!" yelled Bain.

"DA!" Tilda cried as all eyes watched in fear as they watched Bard fire yet another arrow that harmlessly bounced off the Dragon's hide.

"He hit it! He hit the dragon!" shouted Kili.

Laire shook her head, "What are ye doing, ye fool!"

"He did! He hit his mark, I saw!" 

"It doesna matter, those arrows are useless against the Dragon's scales." Laire was torn, she wanted to run and help Bard, but she'd never forgive herself if something happened to his children.

"What are you doing?!" screeched Bofur.

Laire whirled around to see Bain swing off the boat and take off in a sprint down the dock and into the burning town. "Bain, no! Bain!"

"Come back! Bain, come back!" Fili and Laire's pleads fell on deaf ears as the young boy disappeared in the smoke and flame. 

"Bain!" Tilda desperately cried for her brother as Sigrid held her tight. Their gazes looked between their father and Laire whose face was pinched with confliction. But she could not go back for Bain, she had to get the girls and the Dwarves to safety. She could only pray that both Bard and his son would live to see their family again.

"It will be alright, I promise." Laire comforted, for the benefit of the girls' or her own, she wasn't quite sure. 

The people of Laketown, Bard's daughters, the Dwarves, and Laire watched from the open water as Smaug's lifeless body plummeted from the sky and crushed the burning remnants of Laketown, the force sent a wave that rocked their boat lightly as they drifted closer to shore. The first rays of morning were peaking from behind the mountain in the east as the survivors hauled themselves ashore. Children were screaming, mothers were crying, and people all around were desperately calling for their loved ones. Laire held Tilda close to her side and she and Sigrid walked through the crowds searching for their father and brother. The pit in their stomachs grew deeper with every passing moment, the fear that they may never find them prevalent on their minds. 

"Laire! We must get to the mountain." Fili said catching up to her. 

Laire shook her head, "I 'm not leavin' til we find them." Laire would not dare to think of the alternative. "Get a boat ready and go if ye must, but I'll not leave til they find their family." The Ranger turned around and guided the girls further into the crowds as they called for their father. 

Laire's attention turned to a gathering raucous centered around none other than the slimy, greed driven Alfrid. Laire pushed through the angry mob and pulled the girls along behind her, when they finally broke through the sea of bodies, relief flooded her body at the sight of the all too familiar bargemen and his son.

"DA!" Tilda and Sigrid ran to their father's open arms with tears in their eyes.

"Come here!" Bard wrapped his daughters up tight and breathed them in as though this might be the last time they ever see each other.

Laire willed back the tear that pooled in the corner of her eye. Instead she strode up to Bain with and looked at him sternly. "I swear to all the Gods, if ye ever pull something like that again I'll murder ye myself!" 

Bain chuckled heartily as Laire pulled him in for a bone crushing hug. "I can't promise anything, Laire." 

Laire pulled back and looked him over while shaking her head, "Atta boy." 

"Laire." 

The Ranger rounded on the bowman who wore a grateful expression, but she raised her finger and jabbed his chest as she spoke, "And ye, ye mad idiot! What were ye thinking?!" 

Bard's lips twitched in a crocked grin and he shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly, "I don't think I was."

Laire scoffed, "Well that was bloody clear." She huffed then pulled the man into an embrace which he happily returned. 

"Thank you, Laire. For keeping my family safe." 

Laire squeezed him tighter in response and cursed herself as a single tear escaped her grey eyes. She blew a sigh from her lips as they pulled apart, her eyes drifted from the family around her, to the mountain and the Dwarves by the shore preparing to leave. "I have to go, duty calls and all. I will find ye all when this is over." Laire parted the family with a fond embrace before she slipped between the crowds. 

Fili anxiously scanned the horde of people for the familiar mess of red curls. He knew they could no delay much longer, but he did not want to leave her behind. "Fili, we have to go." called Bofur as he helped Kili into the boat.

"Aye, I know." Just as Fili turned to leave, a sharp whistle filled the thick air.

"Oi, yer not leaving me behind are ye? After everything I've done for ye?" Laire stood on the pebbled shore with her hands on her hip and an expectant but humoured expression. 

Fili grinned at the sight of her and swept his hand out to the boat behind him, "Wouldn't dream of it, love." 

Laire chuckled and brushed past the Dwarf, "Aye, ye keep tellin' yerself that, darlin'"