Lacy

~~~

Alex chokes and coughs. I rush to her side and nudge her back down in the bed. Slowly and carefully I unwrap the bandages on her face. A jagged scar poorly stitched closed goes across her eye and face. Her other eye opens and she looks at me.

"Kili?" she whispers.

"He is healed just as you are. The poison is gone but I'm afraid I don't know if your other eye will ever heal," I answer. Alex closes her eye and sighs.

"I've heard tale of the wonders of elvish medicine. That was a privilege to witness," Oin muses to Fili. They both watch as my soulmate wraps Kili's leg. Alex stares at Kili who looks around delirious.

"Alex?" he whispers. Alex sits up opening both her eyes just barely and tries to move closer to him. I help her to sit in a chair beside the table. Alex slumps onto his chest. "You are okay?"

"I can barely see out of my eye and my leg stings like a motherfucker but I live," Alex confirms.

"I feel the pain in your face and on my leg. We share it," Kili says.

"We share more than just pain," Alex adds and grabs Kilis hand. "We are each others everything because of our ultimate bond of sorts. I cannot die without you joining and you cannot live without me living as well."

"Do you think we can ever figure this out?" Kili murmurs and Alex looks into his eyes.

"No not completely but I don't think we could even if we wanted to."

~~~

Sam

~~~

Stuck to the floor helpless I watch as the fire engulfs her. I hear a yell and then the fire parts revealing Allie. She's glowing brightly and her sword seems to have parted the fire.

"Nice try Smaug!" He roars angrily and unleashes more fire this time when it filters out she's gone. Jacob grabs my arm and I jerk to see the company has started to move again. Emily nods at me and we follow after them. Allie can handle herself in this situation. Some power protects her.

Once under cover again we sprint to the Western Guard room.

"Stay close," Thorin instructs and we close ranks. Slowing to a walk we cautiously enter the room. As soon as I step in I see them. The decaying bodies of dwarven people desperate to escape.

"That's it then. There's no way out," Emily huffs. Balin who was at a time amazed and entering Erebor looks saddened and disgusted.

"The last of our kin. They must've come here, hoping beyond hope," Balin murmurs. His words carry loss and I feel it. He was there when the dragon came he saw it. There a beat of silence as we try to comprehend. We are trapped. "We could try to reach the mines. We might last a few days." The thought of wasting away in the dark sickens me.

"No. I will not die like this. Cowering, clawing for breath," Thorin snaps and turns to us. He looks determined and angry. "We make for the forges."

"He'll see us, sure as death," Dwalin points out.

"Not if we split up," Thorin counters.

"And not if Allie distracts him again," I add.

"Thorin, we'll never make it," Balin mutters.

"Some of us might. Lead him to the forges. We kill the dragon. If this is to end in fire, then we will all burn together!" Thorin exclaims and we quietly cheer for him. A spark of hope is relit.

~~~

Emily

~~~

"This way!" Thorin shouts, leading Balin, Bilbo, and I. In a mad sprint we run after him.

"Flee! Flee! Run for your lives! There is nowhere to hide," Smaug chuckles coming upon us.

"Behind you!" Ori screams taking Smaug's attention from us. We all split up to take different paths so we could divert attention from each other to avoid any one of us being killed.

"Come on!" Dori shouts as Smaug nears them. "Run!"

"Hey, you! Here!" Dwalins yells from another direction recapturing Smaug's attention away from Ori, Bombur, and Dori. Bilbo shakes my arm and we run to catch up with Thorin and Balin.

The plan is far fetched but seems to be working. I only hope we all make it to the forges.

~~~

Grace

~~~

The orcs shout amongst each other as they run across roofs and bridges in the town. The leader appears to be the biggest who has many odd and end pieces of metal stuck in him. He is the one who shot Kili, weakening Alex, and getting her stabbed in the face. I have to kill him slowly.

Legolas runs alongside me and together we take down orcs as we go. I concentrate on shooting the ones on the roofs down while he the ones on the ground. These orcs are stupid and weak, barely a challenge. They stand much to close allowing me to slice off two heads in one.

"Grace we near the leader," Legolas tells me. I nod and put my bow away to yank out two daggers. I don't want this to be easy. Turning a corner we see him standing between two houses holding a large mace. Legolas pulls out orcist a sword taken from Thorin and puts away his bow. I let out a battle cry and dash at him sword held high. Out of nowhere two orcs appear from hiding places before him.

Caught by surprise they get one hit in before I kick one away, stab the other, then cut the ones throat. Legolas emerges ahead of me hitting the leader head on.

The leader blocks each hit and Legolas blocks each of his. I join in and slice the leaders arm. In retaliation his smacks Legolas away and grabs my arm.

"Get off!" I hiss and plunge a dagger Ito his shoulder. He stumbles back into Legolas's waiting death grip. The leader backs Legolas into a wall and swings his head back hitting Legolas in the nose. I hold up my sword and prepare to stab him in the chest when another orc grabs me from behind. "Agh!" I jerk and stab my dagger back into my attackers stomach. In that time the leader threw Legolas aside and escaped.

"Shit!" Legolas and I swear angrily. Legolas scowls and wipes blood from his nose.

"Come on then let's get a horse and chase that bastard," I grumble.