"Mistress Dwarf?" Bain ran forward to the body, confusion written over his beaten features, "Miss Silverarm! Da!" he looked back over his shoulder, "Da it's that dwarf!"

 Bard picked up his pace a considerable amount before coming at a stop next to his son. Together they flipped over the girl and indeed it was the dwarf in question, "Where are the others? They were with Sigrid and Tilda, were they not?"

 Bain shook his head, "The dwarves were with us at home and then an elf maiden showed as well. She was taking us to safety when I took the Black Arrow to you, Da. Miss Silverarm was in the boat with the others."

 "Help me with her," Bain helped Bard situate the limp dwarrowdam in such a way that she was crossways in his arms. Bard was sadly reminded of the way he'd carry his wife like this, "Come, Bain. We will make for the mainland."

 Bard led the way down the long dock, and the walk was silent as the two wondered where the others were. Where the rest of their family was. It was clear to Bain his father thought the worst and he offered small words of comfort, "They're alright, Da. I just know it."

 "If they are alright, then why is the dwarrowdam alone and unconscious?" Bard asked, stepping off the dock, "Come, Bain, we'll have to wade the rest of the way."

 It wouldn't have made a difference anyway, as the rest of the dock was bashed in by something, "When she wakes, ask her. Perhaps they'd been separated."

 "Dwarves stay together no matter what," Bard shook his head as he went through the throng of shaken people. Gently, he set Kali on the ground and propped her against a tree, "Bain-"

 "I am not leaving you, Da," Bain interrupted, following his father into the group of people. Most were giving the two looks that insinuated they were dead. 

 Bard moved in on a fight that was starting and grabbed a raised arm, leaning close into the man, "I wouldn't go turning on your own, Alfrid. Not now."

 Bard spun Alfrid around and Alfrid suddenly went flying as he tripped over Bain's outstretched foot. Suddenly Sigrid and Tilda burst from the crowd, "DA!"

 Bard knelt down and spread his arms, "Come here!"

 Suddenly Percy stepped from the crown, "It was Bard! He killed the dragon! I saw it with my own eyes. He brought the beast down. He shot him dead, with a Black Arrow."

 Bard stood up, his arms still around the children he thought to be dead. Above the people's' cheering and many thanks to Bard, Alfrid appeared and grabbed Bard's arm, raising it high, "ALL HAIL - TO THE DRAGONSLAYER! ALL HAIL - KING BARD!" Bard yanked his hand away, but Alfrid still had his raised high, "I have said it many times - This is a man of noble stock. a born leader!"

 "Do not call me that," Bard snapped, "I'm not the Master of this town." Bard looked around, searching the crowd for the face of the Master, "WHERE IS HE? WHERE'S THE MASTER?!"

 A woman piped up, "Halfway down the Anduin, with all our coin, I don't doubt. You would know!" she pointed at a frightened Alfrid, "You helped him empty the treasury!"

 Alfrid shook his head, "No - I tried to stop him!" the people became angry, shouting rude remarks at the man, "I pleaded. I pleaded. I said, 'Master - NO!'" Alfrid grew more terrified, putting Bard between himself and some of the crowd, "Think of the children!" saying this Alfrid grabbed Tilda and held her in front of him. In return, Tilda stomped angrily on his toes. Alfrid yelped and released her.

 "You lying, sleazy little rat!" the crowd parted as a newcomer pushed her way towards the center of the commotion, "You were trying to escape the the Master and all his gold! You hadn't tried to stop him!" Someone requested Alfrid's head, prompting Kali to shout out, "To the tree with him!"

 Her throat was raw and scratchy, lungs still filled with smoke and her voice was hoarse but somehow still, everyone had heard her shout. Several able-bodied men seized up Alfrid, preparing to hang him by his neck, when Bard cut in, "Enough! Let him go! Let him go!" Alfrid was dropped harshly on the grass. Bard looked around, "Look around you? Have you not had your fill of death?"

 Alfrid popped up and nodded, "Aye!"

 Both Kali and Bard shoved him back to the ground. Bard sighed, "Winter is upon us; we must look to our own, to the sick and the helpless. Those who can stand, tend to the wounded. And those who have strength left - follow me. We must salvage what we can."

 The same woman that Alfrid had been assaulting before piped up, "What then? What do we do then?"

 Bard looked off towards the Mountain, "We find shelter..."

*

"Take only what you need," Bard called out to everyone who was packing things up, "We have a long march ahead."

 Legolas, seemingly appeared from nowhere, stepped up next to Bard, "Where will you go?"

 Bard looked across the lake, "Where is only one place."

 Kali, who was laying spread-eagle on her back beneath a tree, scoffed at the idea and winced, "The Mountain? You think Thorin will welcome you with open arms?" she forced herself to stand and shoved passed Legolas with a grunt. He was at least a head and a half taller than her, "Thorin will not let anyone near that Mountain unless they're completely dwarf. He will shun you, every last one of you. That dwarf looks upon everyone with scorn and hatred."

 "And you say this from experience?" Legolas looked down at her and Kali was reminded of how much she wanted an arrow embedded between his eyes, "You know this for a fact?"

 "Shove it, elf," she snapped, "I'm not answering to the likes of you."

 Legolas rolled his blue eyes and looked at Bard, "News of the death of Smaug will have spread through the lands."

 Bard nodded sadly, "Aye."

 "Others will now look to the Mountain - for it's wealth, or it's position," Legolas continued gravely.

 "What is it you know?" Kali narrowed her eyes at Legolas.

 "Nothing for certain," he looked down at her once again, "It's what I fear may come."

 A shudder rippled up Kali's short spine. She didn't like his tone. Watching Legolas walk away, Kali looked at Bard, "Will you still try to enter the Mountain?"

 "Aye," Bard picked up a pack that was at his feet, only to have it snatched from him by Kali, "Are you sure you want to do that?"

 "I am very able to carry what I must to help," Kali growled, slightly offended. There was a pause as she adjusted the straps and soon she muttered under her breath, "Thank you."

 Bard frowned, "A thank you? For what?"

 "For not leaving me on that wretched walkway of Esgaroth," she clarified quickly, as if she feared someone would overhear her, "I'd passed out..."

 "Why had you been alone?" Bard asked as they began walking, leading the people towards the Mountain, "Surely the others...?"

 "We were leaving, all three of your kids in the boat, safe," Kali refused to make eye contact, "Bain jumped out for some reason and refused to come back," now she looked up, her teary-eyed gaze meeting Bard's, "I tried to follow him, keep him from harm because the elf wouldn't wait for him, but he got away from me because I'd followed too late. I couldn't find him and then Smaug-" Kali dropped her gaze to the suddenly very interesting ground, "I froze up."

 "Thank you," Bard rested an unoccupied hand on her shoulder, "And I mean it. Thank you."

 "Thank me? For what?" Kali wiped the back of her hand across her eyes, "I hadn't done anything. Still haven't done anything but bring ruin upon your family and your home."

 "That was at the fault of Thorin, not you," Bard patted her shoulder, "I thank you, and those other four dwarves, for attempting to protect my children. Had it not been for you and your kin, they all three may be dead," the two lapsed into silence once again.

 "Why did you take me?" Kali asked after a while.

 "Hmm?" Bard hummed.

 "Why hadn't you left me on the dock?" Kali questioned him, "I am not your responsibility and yet you grabbed me anyway."

 "I thought you were dead," Bard confessed, "It would have been improper to leave you, and so I was planning to bury you. However, you woke so I couldn't."

 "You were planning on burying me without checking to see if I still lived?!" Kali stepped away from the man, "That's very rude..."

A/N: Pausing updates again for the time being. Sorry :/