I hear the roar of a dragon and instantly say to Tauriel, "We need to get everyone out of here!" She nods and I gently hand Tilda to her sister as I walk over and help the dwarves with Kili who shrugs us off as he cries out, "I can do it myself!"
"We're not leaving without our Dad." Bain says to Tauriel and I watch as she slowly turns to him and says, "If you don't your sisters will die, is that what your dad would want?"
"There's a boat downstairs." Sigrid calls and I nod as I say, "Go!" When we reach the boat Tauriel calls out, "Quickly now!" The two of us stand in the front of the boat while Bofur and Fili steer. Smaug dives down above use and I quickly push the children down out of harms way before standing up and following Tauriel's gaze to the dragon. It had been many a year since I last seen a dragon and Smaug was by far the mightiest of them all.
As he dives over and over again he spits fire down upon the town lighting it up. I gulp down a breath of air but it's not air, its smoke and ash from the burning wood. Suddenly we are rammed by the Master's barge almost knocking Fili and Oin out of the boat. I look up to see the Master freaking out over losing his gold and scowl. I feel Tilda grab my hand and I tighten my grip on hers reassuringly. "Da?" I hear Bain say then turn right as Tilda screams out, "Da!" I follow their line of sight to see him in a tower firing arrows at the dragon.
"He hit it! He hit the dragon!" Kili yells but I just shake my head as Tauriel says, "No,"
"He did! He hit his mark I saw!" Kili yells out again but I clench my eyes closed as Tauriel says, "His arrows cannot pierce its hide. I fear nothing will." I open my eyes right as Bain jumps from the boat and runs along the dock away from the boat. The dwarves and Bard's children call after him but he just keeps running, "Leave him! We cannot go back." Tauriel says and I take a deep breath before I turn to her and say, "Get them to safety!" She looks at me for a moment confused but nods. I jump from the boat and start running off after him. I hear Fili call out my name from behind me but I ignore him.
When I reach Bain he is pulling out the black arrow from before and I nod as I say, "I'll help you get to your father." The two of us run through the now burning city as we try to reach Bard. We reach the bell tower and I give him a lift as he holds tight to the black arrow. As we climb I hear the sound of the dragon nearing us and I place myself over Bain to protect him. The tower we are on shakes for a moment before settling and I look around before I pull Bain up to the top of the tower where we find Bard laying on the tower floor his quiver empty.
"Da!" Bain calls out as he sees his father.
"Bain, Why didn't you leave? You were supposed to leave!" Bard cries at Bain before he turns to me and yells, "Why did you get him out?"
"I came to help you!" Bain cries and I keep a watch full eye out for our dragon as they talk.
"No! Nothing can stop it now!" Bard exclaims as he follows my gaze toward Smaug.
"This might!" Bain says as he produces the black arrow.
I smile as Bard grabs the arrow and says to Bain, "Bain, you go back. You get out of here now!"
"Bard!" I cry as I see the dragon flying directly at us. I shield Bain right as Smaug's massive claws grips tight to the top of the tower crushing it. I feel my body be knocked over the edge of the tower along with Bain's but I quickly grab the tower with one hand and Bain with my other. As I am stretched in two I let out a cry of pain. "Da!" Bain cries out causing Bard to grab my arm and pull the both of us up beside him. Bain lies on the floor of the tower completely frozen and I pull myself to my feet as Bard takes the arrow and looks out at Smaug who has landed nearby on some burning houses.
"Who are you that would stand against me?!" The dragon cries out as it turns toward us. I watch as Bard grabs his bow only to realize that it had been broken in half. "Now that is a pitty. What will you do now, Bowman? You are forsaken. No help will come." Bard looks around for anything to use as a bow. I move over to Bain who is now sitting up when I hear Smaug say, "Ah! Is that your child?" I grab Bain and put him behind me as Smaug continues, "You cannot save him from the fire. He will burn!"
I grab Bard's bow and handing it to him say, "Place that end there and I will place this one there!" He nods and after we place our ends he grabs the string and restrings his bow. Bard turns to Bain and has him stand in between the beams acting as the other part of the bow. Placing the arrow on Bain's shoulder Bard pulls the string back and says to his son, "Stay still son, stay still."
"Take deep breaths Bain," I say as I try to calm him down.
"Tell me wretch, how now shall you challenge me. You have nothing left." Smaug says and I turn to see a smile cross Bard's lips as he notices Smaug's missing scale. "But your death!" Smaug roars out as he starts to race the tower. Bain turns toward Smaug but instantly turns back to his father when Bard says, "Bain, look at me. You look at me." I gulp down a breath of air as I watch Smaug crawl closer. "A little to your left." Bard tells Bain and I start wide eyed at Smaug. "That's it." Bard says before he pulls the string all the way back and releases it sending it flying toward Smaug.
The arrow hits its mark making Smaug cry out in pain. Bard grabs his son right as Smaug crashes into our tower sending us flying into the water. At the last minute I grab hold of Bard's outstretched hand and quickly wrap myself around Bain to protect him. I instantly feel the cold waters engulf us knocking the wind from my lungs. Bard and I quickly swim back to the surface Bain in our grasp, breaching the surface I look around to see the horror and desolation Smaug had done. People were screaming as they thrash around in the freezing waters.
Looking around I find a piece of dry wood floating nearby. "Bard!" I call out as I motion to the wood. He nods before he starts swimming over to it. I start to follow when I hear a muffled scream from nearby. I follow the voice to see a little girl fighting to swim while someone else tries to use her to keep themselves above water. I quickly swim over to the little girl and instantly dive under water pulling her from her assailant. I quickly turn and swim back to where Bard and Bain were.
"Climb up!" I tell her as she coughs up water and refills her lungs with air.
"Where's my mommy?" She cries out through falling tears and I smile reassuringly as I say, "We'll find her, you must come with us for now okay?" She nods and clings to Bain as Bard and I push the driftwood toward shore. My heart cries for her as I turn back to see the people swimming frantically toward the shore. "Don't look back my dear," I say when I turn forward to see her staring wide eyed at what used to be her home; the fire reflecting in her innocent eyes.
I look up at Bain who turns her head to his chest to save her from the mental pain. By the time we reach the shore dawn has peaked in the distance. The people of Laketown run around with cries of pain as they try to locate their loved ones. Leaving the water I pull the girl into my arms and say, "Little one what is your name?" By now I can see that she is relatively young, maybe seven or eight years old; her golden hair frozen to her face from the cold wind.
"Frieda," She says as she clings to her arms.
I smile softly as I say, "Mae Govannen Frieda, I am called Randír; I will help you find your mother, okay?" She nods and I walk up onto the beach after Bard.
We walk through the chaos and commotion until someone yelling catches Bards eye. As we near it I see Alfrid in an argument with a middle aged woman. All the sudden I see him raise his hand to her and before he can bring it forward Bard grabs his wrist. Alfrid slowly turns and upon seeing Bard his eyes widen. Bard slowly leans forward and whispers into his ear, "I wouldn't go turning on your own kind Alfrid." He twirls him around as he releases his wrist and I smile as Bain kicks his foot out causing Alfrid to trip and fall onto his back.
"Da!" I hear Tilda scream and I turn toward her voice right as her and Sigrid come running toward him. I smile as they reunite with their father. I feel Frieda tense against me and I gently pat her back. I am about to say something when I hear a woman say, "Frieda?" I turn toward the voice right as Frieda does and my heart jumps in my chest as Frieda recognizing her mother cries out for her, "Mommy!" I gently place her down and smile as she runs into her mother's arms, tears streaming down her face.
Frieda's mother looks over her shoulder and mouths a thank you toward me to which I simply nod your welcome back to her. "It was Bard he killed the dragon! I saw it with me own eyes! He brought the beast down, shot him dead with a black arrow!" I hear a man yell out and turn to see everyone now staring at Bard who simply holds his children in his arms. The people cheer out around him and I watch as Alfrid grabs Bards arm and lifting it into the air yells, "All hail to the Dragon-slayer!" Everyone pauses their excitement gone.
"All Hail King Bard!" Alfrid cries out and I watch as Bard angrily jerks his hand from Alfrid's grasp. "I have said it many times; this man is of noble stock! A born leader!"
"Do not call me that!" Bard says angrily before he turns to the people and says, "I'm not the master of this town. Where is he? Where is the Master?" I pull away from the crowd as I try to look for the dwarves. I pass by many people lying on the ground dead and my heart falls. I keep walking until I see Tauriel and the blonde Elf from before standing next to the water's edge. "Tauriel, where are they?" I ask when I reach her but she just simply looks back toward the lake.