A/N: this has some major violence and references to forceful intentions.

(Holding out for a hero- Bonnie Tyler)

It was the dinner hour and the Dragons Beard Inn, where you worked as a serving girl, was packed full...all because of some massive storm that rolled in at sunset over Dale. You hear patrons drunkenly holler out at you for more ale and as you walk over, feeling hands pinching, stroking, and swatting your backside in passing the many drunken men, on your way to thier table. Your thoughts run away..back to when all of this began.

It had been two years since the battle with the frightful orcs and the demise of Smaug. Dale was growing and flourishing greatly under the mindful care of King Bard, who was at this time, sitting over by the fire drinking some of the Inns fine brew of ale. It was becoming well known that Dragons Beard ale was the best ale around..second only to Erebor ale made by the dwarven brewmasters up yonder in the mountain.

Finally you made it over to the table, after many dodges and weaves, to set down the mugs before the men..Marduk and his two cronies..rich mischief makers. You hear the tavern door open and turning around you shout out "Ill be with yeh in a moment." There in the door stood a lone dwarf in the entrance way...as the door began to close, lightening flashed, illuminating him perfectly. He looked like a sodden mess from all the rain, but you could still see his features...the dark, dark brown hair that was pulled into two braids...one on either side of his head. The mustache, that even though was drooping from being so wet, looked lush and lovely as it framed full lips that turned up in the sweetest smile you had ever seen when he saw you coming over his way. As you got closer you realized you both were roughly the same hieght...him being 4'10" to your 4'11".

"Canna I help yah sir?" you stammered out as he gave you another sweet smile...his hazel eyes meeting yours.

"Im here teh meet a friend of mine lass. Have yeh seen..." he was cut off as he heard Bard shout out...waving him over to where he sat.

"Ahh...never mind...There he is." he turned back towards you with a smile that lit his face up...he had a strong accent that sounded lovely and enticing to your ears. "Lass. Can we have a round of yur finest ale and anything else yeh got teh eat?" you couldnt help the smile that came to your face as he held his hand over his heart, dramatically,..slightly bowing to you with a twinkle in his eyes and a goofy smile upon his lips.Shaking your head yes, you went to the kitchens, grabbing a large platter of breads, friuts and cheeses..and then on your way you grabbed a couple of tankards of ales. You slowly and expertly made your way over to the Kings table where the dwarf was sitting at..setting the drinks and food down you see them smile at you. You returned it before quickly hustling off to tend to the other patrons here. As you worked your eyes kept straying over to the kings table where him and the dwarf were conversing at..you made sure they were still good by glancing over..occasionally you saw the dwarf eyes looking back at you, which for some reason made you blush slightly.

~what was his name again~ you thought to yourself.~oh yeah..Bofur.~

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Bofur had come to this Inn to talk to Bard...Thorin being the one who had sent him here since mostly out of the company he was on the best speaking terms with the Dale King. Now here Bofur was sipping on his ale, listening to Bard talk about how Dale was coming along..all while watching the girl working. His mind and eyes kept wandering over to where she was busteling about..filling ales, evading drunken touches, cleaning tables, more dodging of hands. As he watched her, he felt concern and worry worming its way inside of him over this slip of a girl. He didnt know what to make of it..why was she having to deal with these mens unwanted touches...where was the bouncer of this place to protect theses girls...so he kept sipping his ale. He noticed she was small..like a dwarf..but was to skinny and had no facial hair to speak of...Bofur was intrigued...greatly.

As he watched her, he saw a small group of young men, who were boisteriously calling out for more ale. She went over to them with fresh mugs when suddenly one of them grabbed her...pulling her onto his lap as he laughed drunkenly. She pushed at him, trying to get off but he held tight to her..enjoying her squirms of attempting to retreat. Bofur made to get up, but Bard beat him to it..striding over to the men..cold steel in his voice as he spoke to the trouble makers.

"Is there a problem here gentlemen?" they were so drunk they didnt care who was disturbing thier merriment and told him to.."Mind your own business old man and get lost." the mans friends chuckeled at the boldness of thier friend as he just held onto the distraught girl. "Old Man." Bards voice was laced with a steely bite to it. They heard and focused on who stood before them. Bofur had eased himself up out of his chair..holding onto his mattock he had with him..readying to use it if necessary. Just as quickly he could hear stammering coming from the men as they apologized and let the girl go. "I suggest..BOYS...you go home and rest. I think it best if you avoid drinking this fine establishments ales from now on. It seems to be to strong for your young sensibilities." they paled a bit then stood up leaving out the door..into the raging storm...all except for one, who had assaulted the girl. He paused briefly to look at her..glaring at her back before leaving also. There was a relieved sigh that came across the room from the people as Bard spoke calmly to the young woman.

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You didn't know what happened..one moment you were serving ale, then the next moment that oaf Marduk was holding you in his lap as you tried to get away and next moment you were being rescued by King Bard. Soon as the group left Bard turned to you to ask if you were fine..~ of course sire. Thank yeh for helpin meh.~ Bard smiled at you then went back to his table to finish his ale..talking to Bofur who's eyes gave you a look of ~ you alright?~ you just gave him a reassuring smile as he sat back down. Once it seemed everything had calmed down , you casually made your way over to them..setting down renewed ales in front of them with a ~ its on the house~ . Before you could walkaway the dwarf spoke to you in his rich burred voice.

"What are yeh?" He blurted out without thinking, then blushed as he realized how it sounded as you raised your eyebrow at him. "I'm sorry lass..that sounded not right. I was just curious. Yeh seem too small teh be a human and yeh don't look like a dwarf." You sighed...this wasn't something new to you...everyone asked this question.

"I'm justa simple serving girl, sir" it was the same answer you gave everyone...but this time you thought about giving him the truth. His lips compressed briefly...realizing he may have been rude, but before he could stammer out an apology you answered him." I'm only half dwarf sir...meh da was a human, but meh mum was a dwarf." Seeing him looking at you with interest, you went on explaining. "She died when I was young. Da raised meh the best he could. He died a few years back." Bofur gave you an apologetic look for invading your privacy and went back to staring at his ale. You gave them a smile and went back to serving the customers the rest of the evening.

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It was almost midnight and Bofur knew he had to get back home to Erebor, which was probaly an two hour trek because of this storm. He saw it was still storming bad outside and for a brief moment he thought about trying to get a room for the night. He even looked around for the girl to see about getting one but she was no where to be seen so he decided ~ no, gotta get home. Bifur was needing help on some project he had , in the morning.~ So Bofur steeled himself as he stepped out into the stormy night. His boots made a squishing sound in the mud as he began to walk in the downpour..feeling some of the cold rain trickling down his back, sending chills down his spine as he hunkered deeper into his cloak.

Bofur was making his way past the inns side alley, when he heard a scream coming down the way. He warily eased down the darkened alley, following it down till he came to a corner where he could hear screaming ,that was mostly being drowned out by the storm.. amazed he heard it at all ,was coming from. Cautiously he peeked around the corner and as lightening flashed he saw the men, who had been expelled from the inn earlier, harming the serving girl from inside. The leader of the trio was smacking her hard across the face, while his two cohorts held her arms securely in a bruising grip, as they all laughed at her cries of pain and fear. Bofur felt rage engulf him at the sight and he gripped his mattock tightly in his hand...grinding his teeth in anger, a silent snarl left his mouth as he silently made his way towards them...keeping to the shadows.

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You found yourself gasping at the pain in your body from all the blows you had recieved from Marduks fists as his two cronies held you in thier immovable grip. You felt each blow to your face shooting fire down into the other injuries you had sustained since the start of all this.

Earlier you had taken a bucket of trash out to the back bin to empty, when without warning you felt hands grabbing you roughly...pulling you around the corner to the back of the inn where shadows laid, to the one place no one could see or go to as these men took out thier anger towards you..to brutilize you till they were done. Another blow and this time you felt blood flowing down your face from the cut you had just recieved from Marduks ring, gouging your cheek with the blow...his nasaly voice was grating on your ears.

"Youre to blame for all this, whore. If you had just shut your mouth and enjoyed my attentions, then we would not have gotten thrown out. You would be in the warmth of the inn and not out here." he laughed...it was a evil sound that brought chills to you. "Now ...my little whore...you are going to suffer greatly and die like the piece of trash you really are." his smile turned your stomach as he sneered at you. You could feel the icy chill of death coming your way as you realized he meant to kill you. You struggled, but to no avail as his friends held onto you tighter...chuckeling at your plight.

"Stop your struggeling wench or we will make this worse for you." he grabbed your chin as he hissed in your face...the smell of soured ale very strong on his breath. You couldnt believe there was anything worse than death..but you found out soon how it could be. Marduk punched you in the stomach, knocking all the air out of your body. As you coughed and gasped for air, blood trickeled out of your mouth..you felt his large hands pawing at your blouse, tearing it away from your unresisting body to reveal your breasts to the chilling rain. You gasped in horror as tears poured down your face...his smile turned vulgar at the sight of you bared there, held up by your bound arms.

The icy chill of death was drawing closer..its icy chill burning your very blood within your viens. You realized as it drew closer it had a strange feeling to it..it felt like its chill wasnt directed at you, but...them. You lifted your head to peer in the darkness...readying a scream out for help, but was stopped by another blow to the face..this time leaving you dazed, unable to do anything or stop what was about to happen.

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Bofur stealthily drew closer..using the darkness to conceal his approaching form..praying to Mahal to keep the lightening at bay just a little bit longer. He saw them hitting the girl repeatedly..over and over..illiciting painful cries and whimpers out of her. He almost lost control of the burning rage inside of himself...revealing his presence to soon, when suddenly the chief instigator punched her and then tore her clothes off. Bofur knew what he had in mind for the dazed girl before him..a deep hatred burned inside.

"Lets have some fun first boys." he felt himself getting hotter..expecting any moment the rain to turn to steam upon his skin.

"Marduk..what are you thinking? We cant do this." one of the men objected to his intentions.

"Yeah. We will get into trouble if we do." the other guy voiced his objection also...but cringed as the main guy snarled at them.

"Oh shut up you two. No ones getting in trouble. My father will protect us. Besides this tart has it coming to her. Shes been asking for it all night...the way she kept flipping her skirts as she walked...baring these nicely rounded tits at us..." he reached out roughly grabbing her breasts...leaving bruises upon them." ..as she brought us our drinks. Besides she's probaly spread her legs to many a man..after all she's nothing but a whore, ain't that right girly?" his eyes began filling with a sick lust as he kept fondeling her.

Bofur couldnt take the sickening sight before him and he growled deep as he leapt out of the shadows..swingging his mattock at the vile men. At that moment Mahal released the lightening to strike in the sky..to reflect upon the steel of the weapon, making it glow as if it was on fire...a white fire. One of the men holding the girl staggered back in fear...dropping the girl to the ground and in the process knocking over a lantern that was sheltered from the rain by the overhang of the inns roof.

The lantern spilt its oil onto the ground to form a fiery puddle..even though it was raining it still blazed heartily..feeding upon the pooling fuel. Bofur swiftly dipped his weapon into the burning oil, coating the head in the fluid..setting the mattock ablaze. The men became horrified as they saw the dwarfs terrifing eyes..his fiery weapon casting flames into them, making the eyes appear as if they too were on fire. His rage fueling his strength, he one handedly swung his mattock at the shrieking men before him..the ringleader held his ground..his companions cowering in fright.

Marduk snarled in disgust as the other two fled away,,abandoning him to deal with this interloper that had interupted his fun. He turned to dwarf..disdain upon his face and a sneer forming on his lips as he spoke.

"Go away little man..if you know whats best for you, youll turn around and leave...forgetting everything you saw." Marduks hand slowly crept for the knife hidden along his back, as the dwarf growled out menacingly at him.

"No boy. If yeh know whats best fur yeh , yeh will leave..forever."Bofurs tone was cold with his anger as he stared at this vile waster of good air. He couldnt help glancing over quickly seeing the girl struggeling to sit up..her eyes looking glazed over as she tried to peer at him and her attacker. Marduk saw Bofurs glance over to her and his lips raised in a twisted smile of hate.

"So its the girl you want. Well the wench belongs to me..she need to be taught a lesson and...." his hand closed upon the knife..unsheathing it..muscles coiling like a spring..readying for the throw. "Ill be the one to teach her!" he threw the knife straight at Bofurs head only to have it deflected by the head of the mattock...his blood went cold at the miss and seeing the deadly smile on Bofurs face.

"Now its meh turn." without any further delay Bofur let all his pent up rage out...swinging the blazing weapon with all his might...striking the center of Marduks chest and sending him flying into the wall behind him...dead before he hit the ground.

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You heard a growl somewhere in the darkness as you hung there in thie mens grip..awaiting what Marduk had planned for you..knowing there was no more fight left within you- pain sapped all energy from you. The sound turned into screams and you felt your body falling to hit the ground..glancing up - vision wavering so much you believed you were imaging things. You wanted to believe that the lovely dwarf from earlier was fighting your attackers...saving you. ~ the blow to my head must be worse..im imagining things.~ He looked beautiful yet very frightening at the same time to you as he roared out into the night his fury...a fiery light dancing off his rain soaked skin, giving him the appearance of a hellish angel..glowing red as he fought. You could feel your limbs quaking as you gazed upon him, then suddenly you saw Marduk throw something at the dwarf who easily deflected the projectile, then he returned the gesture as his mighty roar echoed out. His ablazed weapon making contact with that vile Marduk..thus ending his brutality upon the innocents of this town.

You could feel your strength leaving you as he walked over to you..his voice sounding as if it was rolling down a long tunnel.

"Lass..lass? Are yeh hurt." His eyes conveying his concern as he tried to get a response from you. You knew you couldn't hold on..you were about to pass out and with the last bit of your strength you looked into his stunning hazel eyes and whispered softly.

"My hero...Bofur." the darkness claimed you. You not knowing then that your dwarven white knight had covered you in his cloak...picking you up from the ground and carried you out of that dark alley to safety.