Everlong

65

Liruliniel tried to be as disjointed as possible, it was not an easy thing to do; not with the panicked screams happening around her, the oncoming wings beating the air making low thrums and a wind flicker throughout the town. She jumped and hopped from rooftop to rooftop again, more panicked screams echoed below her, and all she could do was inhale slowly and hope they managed to get to a boat and escape. It seemed it was what most were doing, she could hear the oars in the water, frantic splashing to accompany the equally frantic calls of the people around.

Shaking her head, she skidded along a roof and took a breath, she looked up at the dark sky. It was fully night now, the thick grey clouds were blocking the moon for the moment, but even without the full light Liruliniel could see it. She could see him, an ominous large shape, larger than what she could imagine and all she saw was a shadowy outline. Smaug dwarfed the town around her, easily so. Liruliniel breathed steadily, she had seen him in visions but much like when reality comes knocking, it was too much. Smaug was just yet another horror she had seen and would encounter in her life, add him to the list as it were.

Shaking her head again, she came out of her thoughts and looked towards the jail. Much like most of the buildings present, it was a poky thing. Dingy with a sagging roof and barred windows, naturally to keep whomever in without a chance of escape. Another beat of leathery wings caught her attention, and she couldn't help but side eye where the dragon was. Liruliniel was determined to try and keep Smaug in sight as much as she could. But the dragon wasn't stupid, far from it. He was staying just out of reach, out of proper sight. Much like any great predator, he was scoping out the situation, the town and those panicking within. He was probably circling several times from different heights, not only to frighten, but to proper gauge what and where he could attack first.

And he would attack. Liruliniel had seen fire in many a dream, and she had even felt it. She knew she was here when the fire ripped through the buildings, rendering everything to ash. She knew she would be here, she had foreseen it and she had the option, yes, to escape and to not look back. But Bard, dear, stern and serious Bard, how could she abandon him to this fate? How could she face his children knowing she had not helped?

Liruliniel was not custom to abandoning those which as yet weren't lost. And Bard wasn't lost, he was just locked away. She could get him, they could get out, from there? She hadn't a clue. He evidently had a plan, kill the dragon, yes, fine she could get behind that completely, but logically; what was the percentage of success here? Bard had one black arrow, which Liruliniel did not even know where it was. Bain seemed adamant to keep the secret of its hiding place. But without it, how could anyone succeed?

That still didn't solve the fact that one arrow was probably not going to be enough. Liruliniel inhaled slowly, the air was cold, crisp but heavy with anticipation, everyone was waiting for the inevitable. Scampering and stopping, she balanced her way across a beam connecting to the prison roof. Her earlier thoughts still lingered though, Girion had copious arrows and still failed. Could Bard honestly succeed with one arrow? He'd have to be extremely sure, even she knew of the tales of Smaug having a missing scale. But a dragons scale, not matter the animal, it was still a very small target.

Managing to climb down the side of the building, she was thankful there was a small ledge running the perimeter of the building or else, she'd be lost here. "Bard! Bard!" Liruliniel's voice made him jump, he stopped yanking at the bars which made up the door. He turned so quickly it had his hair whipping him in the face, yet he charged over to her.

"Lark, but why? How?" Bard had even cottoned onto her simple nickname suggestion for his daughter. His hands wrapped around the bars of the window and pulled, Liruliniel shook her head. She had already tried to dislodge them, they were going nowhere. "My children-?"