The Sisters [A Hobbit Fanfiction]

Chapter 44

As Silvia looked out, following Nienna’s finger, she too froze in horror.

“What is it?” demanded Runa from the bed, anxiety clear in her voice. Silvia tore herself from the window, dashing to grab her bow and arrows propped by the door.

“It’s Smaug.”

“Smaug? As in, the dragon Smaug who’s supposed to be relaxing on a pile of gold in Thorin’s underground castle? That Smaug?”

“Yes,” said Silvia humorlessly. “And you’re officially off bedrest.”

Runa sprang up, pushing down the pain and stumbling to grab her weapons as well.

“Silvia, go get Bard’s children, I’m going to go find Bard. Meet us outside,” commanded Nienna as she slung her quiver on. Silvia nodded, running further into the house.

“Runa, grab what you need and then make your way to the town hall. Wake people up, set off the bell, anything.” Runa nodded, saluting,

“Yes.”

After pulling on her boots, she dashed out of the house. Nienna followed her and began looking for Bard.

Just as the dragon’s roar broke the night’s peace, she found Bard sitting outside on the dock. He jumped to his feet at the noise and whirled to find Nienna right behind him.

“Bard.”

“What’s going on?” he asked dangerously. “What was that?”

“Smaug is coming.”

And then fire began to rain from the sky.

Bard and Nienna dove for cover as a scaled belly streaked over the houses, streaming fire. In the distance, they heard the bell tower begin to ring.

“Silvia has the three children, we’re to meet them at the front.” Bard nodded, but just then the house across the way lost a chunk of it’s roof. It hit the lake with a splash and the wave that followed tore through the docking, the debris ripping it apart.

Their path to the rendezvous was gone.

“Quickly!” Bard made to jump or possibly swim for it, but another pass by Smaug interrupted him, igniting a wall of fire on the other end of docking. From beyond the flames and smoke, a familiar head appeared.

“Silvia!” screamed Nienna. Silvia zeroed in on them both and her eyes widened, but she nodded swiftly in understanding and disappeared.

Nienna tugged insistently on Bard’s arm.

“We have to move!”

“But…”

“Silvia will take your kids to safety. She can protect them.” Bard reluctantly turned away and focused on the problem at hand as Neinna led the way across docks and around flaming houses.

Suddenly Bard heard Nienna mutter a string of elvish curses under her breath.

“What’s wrong?”

“Legolas, that’s what’s wrong!” Nienna snapped. “That’s what’s always wrong! I just realized that we’re being attacked by a dragon and no one knows where he is!”

“Well I’m glad you were concerned,” came a smooth voice from behind. “I suppose that’s a start.”

Nienna and Bard whirled to see Legolas approaching them. Nienna flushed bright red.

“I noticed we have a problem,” Legolas commented lightly, allowing Nienna’s embarassment to be overlooked… for now.

“Yes we do,” responded Bard grimly. Legolas nodded,

“So what’s the plan?”

“Well right now we’re going to meet up with Runa…” Nienna said, trailing off.

“And then?” prompted Legolas.

“And if we’re lucky, which we usually are, something will have occurred to one of us by then.” Nienna turned and marched off, leaving the two men to follow or stay at their will.

“Is she always like this?” Legolas asked in amusement. Bard shrugged, but lead the way after her into the smoke.

*    *    *

Smaug was dead. Nienna could hardly believe their luck. Once again, improvisation had saved them all.

Well… improvisation and Bard. He should some of the credit… the Master of the town had vanished, hopefully for good. Rumor had it he’d gone down with a boat load of gold trying to escape. Either way, Nienna doubted the likelihood of his reappearance.

Regrettably, Alfrid had not disappeared and though Nienna had offered very politely to make that happen Bard had shot that idea down spouting some righteous nonsense about not turning on each other like a pack of wolves.

Bard was now beginning to look worried as he scanned the crowd for his children. Neither the youngsters or Silvia had been seen since Smaug first pass and even Nienna was beginning to fidget.

Just then, a cry echoed across the lake. Heads whipped to stare at the thing approaching from the smoke that still lingered.

It was a boat.

And waving frantically at them appeared to be Bain and his sisters. Bard made a strangled noise before dashing toward the shore and splashing through the shallows to meet them. The reunion that followed was heartwarming to be sure.

Bard picked the girls up, swinging them around and hugging them and then pulled a stubborn Bain into a bear hug.

Silvia meanwhile, dragged the boat on shore, both Nienna and Legolas moving to help her. As Bard and his children came back to dry land, he approached Silvia solemnly.

“Thank you,” he said, looking her in the eyes. She smiled wearily at him, dark circles beginning to show around her eyes.

“You are welcome.”

“Oh just kiss her already,” a grumpy voice interrupted. They turned to see Runa limping toward them and wincing slightly.

“I beg your pardon?” asked Bard, half amused, half worried.

“And I might need new bandaging,” the halfling added. Silvia nodded and she and Runa trooped off to find some hot water and cloths.

Bard, nodding at Nienna and Legolas, left with his children to find them some food.

Neinna suddenly found herself alone. With Legolas.

Maybe he wouldn’t remember, or maybe he would, but he’d be too much of a gentleman to mention it--

“So you care.”

Or maybe he’d just come out and say that. Nienna quickly masked her mortification with an innocently oblivious look.

“Whatever do you mean?”

Legolas smiled slightly,

“You know exactly what I mean,” he said, brooking no denial. She sighed, shoulders slumping and muttering,

“Leave me alone.”

“So you do care.”

“Shut up.”

A pause.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”