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(Question at the end of chapter!)

Recap -
Theia, Fili, Kili, Bofur, Oin & Bard in Lake Town (Esgaroth)

The Master bid them farewell as they paddled away. I stood and looked onward until they were out of sight.
Fili's head turned as he heard Bofur calling out for them to "Wait, wait for me!"
I gasped as a very sharp pain hit my side. Where my wound lay. Tears sprung to my eyes.
Kili and Oin acted immediately, helping me stand.
"Bard. Goto Bard's house." I groaned out.
Bofur ran ahead while Fili and Kili helped me walk.
We arrived shortly after.
He didn't see me however.
"No. I'm done with Dwarves. Go away."
"How about Elementals?" I asked, looking up.
His eyes widened.
"Where's Amara?"
"Gone with the company, she's needed." Fili spoke hurriedly.
"Bring her in." Bard ordered.
~*~*~*~

*Apostrophe marks in italics ' are thoughts
Example: 'Please hurry!'

* Italics without apostrophes put emphasis on certain word(s)
Example: screams were heard.

* Asterisk symbol * in bold is a translation for any of Tolkien's languages.
Example: "Adad." *Father/Dad.*

~*~*~*~*~
"We fall.
We break.
We fail.

But then,

WE RISE.
WE HEAL.
WE OVERCOME."
~*~*~*~*~
(Rewind To Theia POV - Lake Town)

My health rapidly declined. Tears were soon pouring down my face from pain.

"Here, lay her on the bed." Bard instructed.

A pillow was placed under my head.

"Thank you." I gasped out.

He nodded. "We'll do what we can. Just ask."

"Can your powers not do something?" Bofur asked.

"If they could...I would have by now."

"Oin?" Bofur questioned.

"I need herbs. Something to bring down her fever." He instructed.

"I have nightshade, feverfew..." Bard listed.

"They're no use to me. Do you have any kingsfoil?" Oin asked.

"No, it's a weed. We feed it to the pigs." Bard replied, confused.

"Pigs? Weed. Right." Bofur spoke.

He turned to my writhing body, and pointed "Don't move."

"Like..I can."

Fili was holding my arm down, Kili had a cloth to my head, Oin was holding my leg hoping to keep me still.

My side burned. It felt as if my insides were on fire.

Suddenly the house shook, at that moment I knew Smaug awoke and the company was in trouble.

"Da?" Sigrid asked.
"It's coming from the mountain." Bain stated.
"You should leave us. " Fili advised, walking away towards Bard I assumed.

"Take your children and get out of here." Fili spoke.

"And go where?" Bard asked.
"There is nowhere to go."

"Are we going to die, da?" Tilda asked.
"No, darling."
"The dragon, it's going to kill us." She stated.
"Not if I kill it first." Bard reassured his children.

He pulled a Black Arrow down from the rafters. I could barely see it from my blurry vision, but I did.

One of the girls went outside. Which one I wasn't sure. There was two voices in the house besides those and the company. A female and male.

I faintly heard her calling out for her "da." Through my moans and screams of pain.

A scream from outside was heard.

Footsteps neared, she was knocked over from what I could hear.

Fili ran away from my side and tackled an all too familiar growling creature - orcs had found us.

They were bursting through the roof, windows, doors...

Plates were being thrown as defensive objects.

"Hide." I gasped, telling the children.

"Stay down!" One spoke, taking my advice.

I force myself to become more aware. I used what elemental power I had left and pushed an approaching Orc upon the wall using wind.

New voices were heard. Familiar voices. 'About time.'

Tauriel came in through the door, Legolas through the now open roof.

She killed a few by the time he had entered. The look on his face, priceless. It was as if he was thinking 'what on earth happened here?'

They killed them with ease.

An Orc ripped my body from the bed I was on by my foot onto the floor.

I landed on my injured side with a yell.

Taking a dagger I stabbed an Orc.

"Get down!" Fili forced me to the ground.

I landed harshly, again with a yell.

I had nearly lost my head.

"Thank you." I gasped.

Legolas turned his head in my direction, alarmed.

They had begun to flee. Both were torn on what to do.

"You killed them all." Bain spoke.

"There are others." Legolas spoke.

"Tauriel. Hunt them down." He ordered.

"Yes, my lord Legolas."

Tauriel left to hunt them down. Legolas followed her outside.

"We are losing her!" Oin yelled before they left.

'We are losing her.' Kept repeating in his mind. His bonded could die. Would die.

"Go, Tauriel."

Tauriel glanced back at Kili. She had no choice, the Prince gave her an order.

Bofur entered the house, Tauriel now gone.

Legolas POV

I took the plant quickly.

"Athelas." I spoke, looking at the weed.

"What are you doing?" Bofur asked the ellon. *male elf.*

"I'm going to save Theia, master Dwarf."

"I need a bowl, or a pot. Something to mix the Athelas with water." Legolas instructed.

"Here, we use this for cooking." Tilda spoke.

"Thank you. This will work fine."

"Tilda. My name's Tilda."

"Bring her to the table." I ordered, worried.

Theia's condition was worsening by the minute. She was in the last stages.

"Hold her down. Mind the wound."

The Dwarves, and girls held a writhing Theia down.

Looking at her side, I knew that if I didn't hurry, she would indeed die.

The Dwarves looked at me with hope in their eyes.

"Don't let our cousin die." Fili pleaded.

"I'll do my best, master Dwarf. She is my bonded."

I held the Athelas between my hands and began chanting.

"Menno o nin na hon
i eliad annen annin,
hon leitho o ngurth.

Menno o nin na hon
i eliad annen annin,
hon leitho o ngurth."

* May the blessing that was given to me
be sent from me to her,
may she be released from death*

I put the Athelas in her wound, and her writhing got worse. She began screaming as well. It broke my heart.
They had to hold Theia down with all the strength they could muster.

Her writhing stopped, and she laid still, looking up at the ceiling. I looked at her concerned. Had it worked?

"Help me sit Theia up, her side needs binding." I ordered.

"Be gentle."

The Dwarves helped me while I bound her wound.

It would take a few hours for her strength to come back.

Laying her back down gently, Oin and Fili walked off for a break.

"I've heard tell of the wonders of Elvish medicine. That was a privilege to witness." Oin spoke.

"Aye, we got lucky." Fili replied.

"Lie still, Theia. Everything will be alright." I spoke softly.

Once more, the ground shook.

The dragon, Smaug was coming.

"I am Fire... I Am... Death."

~*~*~*~
Are we done with The Desolation of Smaug?
.... Probably not.
The book will decide!
And so will you!
Thorin &/or Amara's POV next, or Theia's?