The Shapeshifter (A Hobbit Fanfiction)

Chapter 25

*Skyrena's Pov-

"Skyrena, he won't hold still!"  I glanced back at Killi, who was screaming in pain.  I shook my head and looked up at Bard.

"I don't know what's wrong with him...  I've never seen anything like this!"  He licked his lips nervously as Bofur looked towards me.

"Did you try Kingsfoil?"  I shook my head.

"I didn't find any..."  Bard frowned.

"Kingfoil?  The weed?"  I nodded.  "We feed it to the pigs!"  Bofur nodded and took off.  As soon as he was gone, we felt a rumble in the ground.  I swallowed hard.

"They woke the dragon..."  Tilda, the youngest, teared up.

"Are we all going to die, Da?"  Bard looked around at us.  I shook my head at him, trying to reassure him, but he reached up, yanking something free.  He held up a black arrow.

"Not if I kill it first..."  He nodded to Bain.  "Come with me."  I started towards him as he spoke to me.  "Stay here and protect my girls.  They will help you take care of your friend, but, please, don't let anything happen to them."  I nodded and watched him take off, with Bain on his heels.  Sigrid turned towards me.

"What can I do to help?"  I smiled at her.

"Boil some water...  We're gonna need it."  She nodded and set to work.  I walked over to Killi and Filli.  Killi's skin felt as hot as fire, which made me nervous.  I closed my eyes, fighting the tears.

"I don't know if I can save him, Filli.  I never learned how to heal from poisons..."  He patted my shoulder and smiled at me as I glanced up at him.  "We may lose him, Filli."  He pulled me into a hug.

"It's going to be okay, Skyrena..."  His voice cracked, but he held his composure in order to keep me from losing mine.  "We'll figure this out...  I believe in you."

I heard a creak in the boards above our heads as we waited for Bofur.  I frowned and looked around.  Sigrid frowned and walked out onto the balcony.

"Father?  Is that you?"  Then, the stench reached me, and I smelled...

"Orcs!"  Right as the word left my mouth, one landed right in front of Sigrid.  She screamed as she retreated into the house.  Bain, who'd returned with news that Bard had been arrested, leaped up and grabbed Tilda, pulling her away from an attacking Orc.  Bolg, Arzog's lackey, entered the room.

"Take the female and kill the rest!"  I jumped up and grabbed a frying pan from the ceiling.  Smashing one in the face, I unsheathed the claws of my free hand and slashed at its throat.  I nodded towards the table.

"Sigrid!  Take your sister and take cover!"  They stumbled under the table, screaming.  I dropped the pan and shifted into a wolf, roaring at the Orcs.  Then, I lunged forward.

As I fought, I heard an arrow whiz by my head and lodge itself into the face of an Orc.  I turned and saw Tauriel standing by the door.  Legolas dropped in from roof and started attacking the remaining Orcs.  Hearing the girls screaming, I noticed an Orc was going after them.  I lunged forward and snapped the Orc's neck.  The rest began retreating.  I turned and looked at Tauriel.

"What are you guys doing here?"  She smiled at me.

"We came looking for you.  We were going to warn you about the Orcs, but it would appear we arrived too late for that..."  Legolas rolled his eyes.

"Either way, we did help you out."  He smiled at me.  "Just like old times, Skyrena?"  He started towards the door.  "Let's go, both of you."  I shook my head.

"I can't...  I promised to look after my companions."  I helped Sigrid to her feet.  "Every one of them..."  Killi screamed in pain again as Bofur came in.  "Tauriel, we need your help.  Killi...  He's been poisoned, but I can't identify the poison."  She glanced at Killi with the same tender look Thorin had when he looked at me, and I realized what her conversation with Killi was about back in Mirkwood.  Finally, she responded.

"I will save him."  She set to work immediately.  First, she took some of the boiling water and made a paste out of the Kingsfoil.  Chanting in elvish, she applied it to Killi's leg.  I held Killi still as she worked.  Soon, everything grew quiet as Killi fell asleep.  Tauriel sighed with relief.

"He will live."  I hung my head and walked out to the balcony.  She followed me.  "Is everything alright, Skyrena?"  I shrugged.

"I don't know...  It feels like Killi almost died because of me."  I glanced back at him.  "I should have opened the gate..."  Tauriel shook her head.

"Then, it would have been you in there."  I sighed and looked towards the mountain.

"You guys came all the way out here for more than just the Orcs, didn't you?"  She huffed and looked at me.

"Legolas wanted to make sure you were okay.  He hated himself for what happened, and he wanted to make ammends.  He still loves you..."  I swallowed hard.

"But, I do not love him in return..."  She hummed softly.

"Is it the dark haired dwarf you love?"  I turned to face her.

"How'd you know about Thorin?"  She smirked.

"Legolas told me about his little conversation with the dwarf."  She puffed out her chest, deepening her voice to mimick Legolas.  "Stupid dwarf will get her killed.  What does he have that I don't?"  We both laughed at this, and, I had to admit, I felt a lot better.  While yes, the dwarves were good company, I don't remember sharing a laugh with them like that.  Maybe it was just a girl thing?  I sighed.

"So, you sticking around, or you going after Legolas?"  She looked over at Killi, who'd woken.

"I don't know yet..."  She went in to tend to him.  I breathed in the calm night air, enjoying the quiet.  After a little bit, I heard an enraged roar.  I went inside to warn the others.

"It's Smaug...  He's coming."  I looked to Tauriel.  "Help get them out of here..."  With that, I took off into the night.