Natalie

~~~

"Maybe I should have stayed behind and waited for Thranduil," I mutter while watching the shore fade away.

The dwarves direct the boat across the lake towards the mountain.

"You can meet up with him soon. Right now it's best to see the company," Lacy murmurs. She sounds like she's trying to convince herself as well. I know she wanted to go with Tauriel but we both know she's not a warrior.

"I can't wait to see them again. I understand I missed a lot while under," Alex muses with a surprisingly lack of swears.

"Actually not that much. Sam and Bilbo gained a soulmate his name is Jacob, and there was a party where Allie convinced Thorin to dance with her. That's it," Fili recounts.

"Uncle Thorin danced with Allie willingly?!" Kili exclaims shocked.

"Sam and Bilbo have a third!" Alex gasps.

"Yes and yes. He fell into Sams arms during the river situation. Also It actually didn't take much convincing for him to sweep her away," Fili replies nonchalantly.

"I'm sure Allie is pleased by that. But this new guy Jacob what kind of person is he?"

"A Greenwood elf on the guard. I remember meeting him," I chime in. I did meet him once. Thranduil was having me look into his brothers death. "He's a good elf. Cared a lot about his pet fish."

"He sounds perfect for Sam and Bilbo," Alex chuckles and we all smile. I have a feeling they'll be some of our last smiles for awhile.

~~~

Lacy

~~~

The mood is heavy as we begin our ascent to the mountain. The sailing part of our movement is over. I hope Bard is taking care of the Lakemen. They'll need a leader now.

"Lacy can you please look and see the bonds. I want to make sure everyone is okay over there," Kili asks as we step up onto a short peak.

"Sure," I chirp and blink shifting to bond vision and squint. My elven sight helps me see all of the bonds.

I see Sam and Bilbo's red one glowing brightly and its connection to the third. Kili and Alex's is a little worse for wear but not too bad. The dark link bond between Allie and Grace is stretched thin and fading. Allie or Grace must be in danger.

"Is anyone hurt?" Kili presses and I nod.

"Allie or Grace not sure which. I'm still looking," I reply.

Allie's other bond, the dark blue one, is tinged with green and thin as well. But there's an odd anomaly I suddenly notice she has two more bonds as well. One is white and a gross red, the other is bright purple. All of them have faded slightly and are stretched. "Wait it's definitely Allie who's hurt."

"That's not good," Natalie frets. The other bonds seem to be fine. Still worried about Bofurs rapidly changing black molten one but other than that it all seems normal.

"The others seem fine. Allie should he okay the bonds aren't severed from her," I reassure. But then I freeze and look closer. Thorin and Dwalin's bond is also tinged with green. "Thorin is sick." At my words Kili pales and Smaug gulps deeply.

"The dragon sickness," Natalie whispers to Smaug and he nods. No one else but Alex and I hears them.

A dragon sickness could cause major damage.

~~~

Allie

~~~

Panic sets in after I realize the pain is too much for me to move.

"H-help!" I cry and try to keep a steady breathing pattern. "Help!" The pain is crippling and I desperately bang and hit the ground trying to get someone's attention. Did Smaug kill them before going and burning Laketown?

Pressure weighs on my lungs and my steady breathing becomes frantic.

What if Smaug killed them!? What if all my friends are dead?! What if Thorin is dead!?

At least Grace wasn't in Laketown..was she?

My breathing speeds up even more and my body starts shaking.

"Help!" I yell again. It comes out more like a cough than a word. I hear nothing, no return shouts, or footsteps. Just deafening silence.

Suddenly I hear heavy fast stomps. It's Thorin. It has to be. I can feel it.

"Thorin," I cough and reach my arm out. He takes my hand and kneels by me finally within my sight. Gently he pulls me into his lap avoiding my crushed wings. I smile at him and clutch his hand tightly.

"Let me take your pain," he says.

"No. No I wouldn't give it to you even if it was killing me," I whisper and shake my head.

"Please. Let me take it. You have helped me regain my kingdom. The dragon is dead. Let me take your pain angel," he insists and I can't help but feel special and...loved.

"Just a little," I relent and squeeze his hand. Cautiously I let my pain flow through my hand to his. Thorin groans and winces while I sigh in sweet relief. "Thank you."

"It is not a problem," he murmurs and kisses my forehead. It's almost too sweet and blunt of him to do. Maybe a near death event was all it took for him to man up and show his feelings.

~~~

Natalie

~~~

Together we slowly descend from the ruin of Dale to Erebor.

"Advisor Natalie what is wrong? I can almost feel your nerves," Lacy murmurs to me. I nearly jump seeing as she moved silently behind me. Smaug is wandering a ways away ahead of everyone but looks back when he hears Lacy. I assume he still has most of his heightened dragon senses.

"I have studied politics ever since I ended up in Greenwood so I know what happens next and it isn't pretty."