Of The Sun (The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings/LOTR)

Pt. 1 - Chapter 22 - The Dragon

"Come on brother." Fili urged as he began to pull Kili to his feet.

"I'm fine, I can walk." He shrugged him off with a hint of a temper. He wasn't angry at Fili, he didn't like being weak. Nor did he like people seeing him so. On top of that he was mad at himself he couldn't do more when the orcs were around.

Fili let him go, knowing there was little point in trying to help as it would only make it worse. He instead took a step back, and snatched up the opal he had placed on the table and shoved it back into his pocket for safe keeping.

"Get your things quickly." Anariel said to Sigrid and Bain as Tauriel moved to young Tilda.

"We're not leaving, not without our father." The boy shot back.

"If you stay here your sisters will die." Tauriel answered. "Is that what your father would want?"

"Where is there a boat?" Ana asked Sigrid.

"Down stairs. This way." The girl ushered, remaining less stubborn then her brother.

"Quickly now. Hurry." Tauriel waved the others forward, chiefly the children as they all clambered into the boat. Bofur and Fili grabbed an oar each and pushed them off as they began to steer them down the water ways of Lake Town.

"Oh my." Anariel whispered. "Dragon." She stated the moment before the dragon came swooping over head, gliding over the tops of the buildings. Wind whipped in its wake with a loud whirling gush. If it had needed to beat its wings the strength would have been enough to knock a person down. Heat spread in its wake, like being in its very presence was enough to warm the air.

Then Smaug lifted himself high in the air, craning up and around before falling down as a burning ember lit inside his chest. His first flight overhead had been for show. His next would be different. With one great breath he began to burn a searing line of fire from one end of Lake Town to the other.

The heat of it was enough to cause a kind of sun burn from a distance and all in the boat turned away as the fire began to destroy along the water's edge.

The water kept them safe for now but the dragon kept coming. People screamed as the flame licked them up. What ice remained in the water from winter was melting quickly.

"Look out!" Ana yelled as another boat came sailing through the water and bunted into them. The small dingy they rowed rocked violently as the master went by in his large vessel, the boat brimming in what gold he and his servant could save. They kept moving, around another corner and out of sight.

"We need to find cover." Ana said, seeing the dragon turning in the air to come back. "The movement is attracting him."

Fili and Bofur turned the boat under the cover of a building. Each of the houses in Lake Town were raised above the water's level with only really bridges connecting them all. Sure enough Smaug found his attention drawn elsewhere across the town.

"Go. Go." Tauriel said as she poked her head out to have a look. They continued on. They could see the edge of the town, a gap ahead that would bring them out into the open lake. But as they passed by a few more buildings a space between them gave view of the bell tower. Bain saw movement high above, a shape he knew all too well.

"Da." He whispered as Ana's gaze snapped to him and the girls followed his line of sight.

"Da!" Gilda screamed before Bard loosened an arrow.

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

"No." Tauriel breathed.

"He did. He hit his mark. I saw." Kili insisted.