Beastly || Legolas

eighteen

Hands caught his arms and he was pulled roughly up, the movement waking him sharply and he hissed. The arms did not let go and he heard distant screaming as he was tugged onto his feet and out the door before he could get his bearings.  For a second, the blazing light and the sharp dark swam dizzyingly in his vision. Namir blinked and the world fell into focus. Laketown was in chaos. Fire blazed over the wooden houses, splitting a line through the city as above the dark shadow of the dragon flew. People fled along the paths. Some were screaming, others had thrown themselves into the water. Boats were being rowed towards the gates. All heavy with possessions and people. The fire crackled and filled his nose with it's sharp smoke and people screamed. 

Legolas and Tauriel were both clasping one of his arms. Their other hands on the handle of their weapons as they pulled Namir through the door and down towards Bard's small boat below. Tilda and Singrid followed on their heels, the dwarves bringing up the rear. Namir shook the hair from his face and forced his feet under him. His body was still hazy from the poison but he felt better than he'd felt an hour ago. Whatever healing magic Legolas had used, had worked. He forced his still slightly shaky legs to work and pulled his arms from the elves' grips. Legolas shot him a concerned look but Namir didn't notice, eyes turned up to the sky. His brown eyes were still slightly red rimmed from the fever but his gaze was sharp as he watched the shadow of the dragon circle above. The light of the fire flinging off red scales. 

"I have never seen a dragon before", He muttered in a tone that was half fascinated, half analytical. He pulled a face at the smell of reptile. "They do not smell very good". 

"Complain about the smell after we get in the boat", Fili ordered as he gave Namir a shove from behind. Legolas caught him as he stumbled, hands grabbing his elbows. Namir blinked at him, cat eyes flickering in the fire light. Warm honeyed brown against sharp blue. Legolas half pushed, half lifted him into the boat and Namir fell into a sitting position amidst the ropes. He let out a soft yowl at the impact but it went unnoticed as Fili and Kili grabbed the oars. Sigrid and Tilda shuffled over to his side and Namir reached his hands out to the girls. Tilda let out a whimper and she and her sister shuffled closer. The younger girl pressing herself protectively between him and her sister. Bain crouched just ahead of them, eyes darting around as the boat began to drift towards the gates. 

A sudden strong wind made them all shiver and Namir pushed his hair back to watched the shape of the dragon swoop low over them and up in a circle through the sky. "Get down!" He screamed as another blast of fire lit up in a line through the town, narrowly missing the boat. Tilda shrieked and buried her face in Sigrid's skirts. Behind them, more people screamed.

"Get out of the way!" Their boat hit a bigger barge. Tauriel, who was standing up at the prow, stumbled as the bigger barge almost run them over, it's weight almost overturning their smaller boat and upending them all into the freezing waters. The guards rowing made to indication of stopping the mayor of the city screamed about the gold falling from the sides. Namir hissed at them as they rowed passed, eye narrowed with disgust and hate. Once the boat was passed, they continued on. 

"Da!"Bain's voice made him turn as Sigrid and Tilda shrieked. Up high, on the bell tower above, was a man silhouetted by the fire. The bell was ringing in echos as Bard drew another arrow and fired at the dragon as it passed. The arrow bounced off the scales harmlessly. 

"He hit it!" Kili called. "He hit the dragon!" 

"No", Tauriel breathed. 

"He did! He hit his mark!" 

"His arrows cannot pierce it's hide. I fear nothing will". 

Namir noticed how Bain was suddenly looking around. The boy looked up at a hook that was hanging over their heads, eyes suddenly alight. With cat reflexes, Namir reached out and caught the boy, pulling him back into the boat as he went to jump for the hook. "No!" He yelled, squirming in his grip. "I need to go and help Da!" 

"You're going to get yourself killed!" Namir shot back. 

"But there's an arrow!" Bain heaved through his panic. "In that boat. An iron arrow that can slay the dragon. I need to get it to Da!" He pointed at a abounded rowboat under the wooden statue of the governor. Namir looked up. The boat was getting further away as they moved down the river. 

"I'll get it", He muttered softly. Bain froze, eyes wide. "I'll take it to him. You keep your sister's safe. Call it payment for helping me". He looked down and met the boy's gaze. "Your da needs you all to be safe. Keep them safe". Bain nodded fearfully, staring into unblinking cat slit eyes. 

"Just help da". 

Namir grinned at him and suddenly threw himself from the boat. It was an impressive jump, far greater than what a human should do. There were cries as he landed neatly on the wooden walkway. The dwarves calling out to him in alarm. "Namir! What are you doing? Come back". 

Namir turned and met Legolas' wide blue eyes. The elf was gazing at him with shock and worry. For a second he moved as if to leap after him but Tauriel reached over the children's heads and caught the prince's arm. "We cannot turn back". She was right, the current was tugging them out of town and they had promised to get Bard's children to safety. 

"I will see you on the shore!" Namir called as he began running for the boat Bain had pointed out. Fili and Kili all called after him one last time but he ignored them. 

"He will be fine", Bifer grumbled with a wave of his hand. 

Legolas turned his pointed gaze on the older dwarf as their boat sailed onwards and Namir disappeared from sight behind them. "How can you be so sure? He is still recovering from the wound in his stomach". 

"Cats have nine lives", Bifer replied like he was stating a fact. "The poison would not have killed him and I doubt he is going to let a dragon do so either. Cats never let anyone tell them what to do, much less fate". 

Legolas glanced back in the direction Namir had gone and tried to let those words reassure him. But still, anxiety curled in his gut and the air stunk of smoke. 

It wasn't hard to find the arrow that Bain had meant amidst the ropes and tarps. It was a long metal pole with a forged end splitting off and narrowing into a tip. Namir picked it up. It certainly looked like a giant arrow. He grinned and hastily glanced up as the dragon circled again. Wings blowing gusts of air down to fan the flames below. He set the arrow on the ground and hastily pulled off his clothes. The change was quick and when all four paws were even, he bent and picked up the long metal arrow in his mouth. It took a second to get the balance right on either side but once it was secure, he began running. Four paws moving steadier and with a lot more balance than human feet. As he ran, the bandages around his stomach fluttered loosely in the wind, one end uncoiling and they were caught up by the wind. His healing wound stinging slightly as it met open air. The skin already scabbed over and healing quickly now that the poison was out. 

He leapt up half destroyed buildings, across rooftops and over flaming debris. Claws leaving gouges as he kept his balance. When he made it to the bell tower, he raced up the stairs. Legs carrying him as he leapt and climbed his way up to the floor above. When he reached the top, it was to see a locked hatch. Namir let out a grumbling sound under his breath and clawed his way up the beams instead. When Bard looked around to reach for his last arrow, it was to see a huge black cat climbing over the side. He let out a shocked shout as Namir sat down on the small platform and dropped the arrow at his feet. 

The man blinked, looking between the iron arrow and the huge black panther. "Namir?" The name was a hesitant question, barely heard over the ringing of the bell. The cat nodded. "Are my children safe? Are they out?" Namir nodded again and Bard let out a breath of relief. 

There was a crack as bones started shifting and within seconds, Namir was crouched on the wood. The wind blowing his wild hair and soot staining his naked skin. He grinned sharp teeth at Bard and picked up the iron arrow. Arm extending it towards him as a few drops of blood trickled from the raw wound in his stomach. "Your son told me you might need this". 

Unedited