A Tale of Time

Chapter 2: Returning to Erebor

Chapter 2: Returning to Erebor

Gailien watches as it soars through the air, landing directly in its mark. The effect is immediate and Smaug's cry of pain can be heard all the way to Dale. The dragon changes his target but his wing smashes into the wooden structure under their feet.

"Gailien!" Bard exclaims as they begin to stumble. Gailien reaches out for him and his own arm extends to hers, but their fingers barely touch as the structure underneath them gives way. Her feet leave the floor as it tilts vertical, sending both of them into the middle of the collapse. Wood snaps and crushes around them, billows of smoke and dust flying into the air.

Her body is jostled around, knocking into now unidentifiable pieces of the tower. Her forehead smacks against one piece, but it slices across her skin more than puncture it. She can't see Bard in the mess.

Finally, they reach the ground and the pair land on top of the remnants of what used to be the Wind-lance tower. Fortunately, they were on the highest floor or they would have been crushed underneath it, but they do not escape without injury.

Bard rolls off the wooden plank he landed on, his back aching. He grunts as he lands on his feet, already feeling his ankle cursing at him. But his pain is forgotten as in the sky, Smaug's body starts to fall. He did it. He aimed true. Smaug is dead.

A feminine cry of pain breaks his moment of victory. Bard climbs back onto the pile of rubble, following the sound of Gailien's groans and whimpers. He climbs high, shoving away boards and sheets to make his way to his companion. He lifts the large trap door and he sees her curled on, her hands over her stomach.

"Hey," he calls, kneeling down. "We did it, Smaug's dead." Gailien's face screws shut but she manages a pleased nod. Her forehead is covered in blood, a long but shallow cut tracking down past her right eye. Bard frowns, pulling at her arm slightly. She holds it tight in place, protecting something. Bard' frown deepens, realising that she is hurt. His eyes catch sight of something wet. Just to the left of her, there is a snapped wooden beam, its ends jagged, and covered in blood. He looks back down to Gailien's stomach and sees the growing dark patch on her already wet shirt, seeping out past her arms.

Cursing, he takes off his large coat, then his inner one. He rips the fabric lengthways, creating a long strip. Clearing away some of the extra rubble, he opens a space to work. "Come on," he urges, wrapping a hand behind her shoulders and guides her into a sitting position. "You're not going to die," he tries to comfort.

"I know that," she spits. "Doesn't make it hurt any less."

Gailien had landed on the wooden spike and it punctured her stomach, just above her right hip. Her arms are covered in blood from trying to hold it in. There is no easy way to explain how it hurts, only other than describing it as something sharp cutting into you.

She holds herself steady by gripping Bard's shoulders as he wraps the make-shift bandage around her torso. Her nails dig into his shoulder as he pulls the material tight, inflicting another bout of agonising pain. There isn't a part of her that doesn't hurt at this moment, but her stomach is the worst.

"Nice job," she eventually says, realising that they have indeed, managed to kill Smaug the Terrible. "I honestly can't believe that worked." She looks past Bard to the mountain. She still has no way to know if they are alive. If Bofur and Bard's children made it to safety. If she is all alone, or her family are still waiting for her return. If Thorin is alive. In her heart, she knows though. She knows that it would be cracking and turning to dust if there was even an inkling of doubt that they are not waiting for her.

"I thought you said you could see the future," Bard huffs, finishing tying her wound off. Gailien grunts, shifting onto her knees.

"I can," she answers through gritted teeth. "But the future isn't certain, and I didn't exactly see how this whole thing would end."