Star-Crossed

Chapter 14

Five months later…

Balin had taken his post, Beuren right beside him. The day was quite uneventful, nothing but a bit of a warm wind. It was only when that wind turned into that of a hurricane did they think anything of it. Beuren was looking up, at the top of the mountain, looking for anything.

Thorin rushed up the stairs, looking for any sign of danger. Beuren had told them that she saw nothing. The pines on the mountain however begged to differ. They creaked and cracked in the hot dry wind. Several were up rooted. Beuren knew exactly what it was now. She shared a look with Thorin and nodded.

“Balin sound the alarm. Call out the guard, do it now!”

“What is it?” Balin asked confused.

“Dragon.” Thorin said, worriedly. He ran to the edge of the balcony like structure and leaned over. “DRAGON!” everyone froze, then a great roar sounded. They all were sent running in different directions, scattering like insects. Beuren watched in horror as the scarlet dragon attacked her home, sweeping Dale away like it was merely paper. Thorin pulled her back, ordering her to take refuge in the mountain.

“I’m not leaving you.” She protested.

“Beuren, please…” Thorin begged.

“I’m not leaving you!” She screamed. A single tear rolled down her cheek. “I’m not leaving you.” She repeated, softly. With a nod Thorin started down the stairs, Beuren’s hand clutched tightly in his.

The gates were shut. The guard and every available man stood, waiting, weapons drawn. Thorin held his sword before him, ready to fight to the death. Beuren stood by his side, her sword grasped tightly in quivering hands. The doors before them bowed inward, flames seeping between the cracks. Thorin looked to his left, Frerin stood. They nodded at one another. Thorin and Beuren made eye contact then the door before them splintered. She was blown back, far away from him. He had been tossed aside, Frerin only feet away.

As she lay there, buried amongst the rubble, she couldn’t help but notice that a single scale was missing. Through the ringing in her ears she thought, One day, one day you will fall. The rock above her shifted and she was pulled to her feet, Dwalin threw her over his shoulder and carried her out. She looked and saw Thorin chasing after someone, Thror. Too confused to scream or do anything, she simply reached out, hoping that she could catch him, but clearly it was in vain. Frerin had Dis under his arm, she sobbed uncontrollably at the sight of her mother’s body, crushed under the heavy stone. Soon after, Thorin emerged his father’s arm over his shoulder as he limped beside him. Beuren struggled down and ran to his side.

The Greenwood Elves stood on the overlooking cliff, her kin were here to help. She waved them, her screams begging them to come, for their help. The great king Thranduil looked at her, Thorin was pleading for their help. Thranduil turned his army around, retreating back into the woods. Thorin and Beuren watched in horror. All of this had to be a lie, a dream. Any moment now the pair of them would wake up, hurrying to find the other to tell about the wild happenings of the dream. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t wake, her nightmare had become her reality.

Robbed of their homeland, the dwarves of Erebor wandered in the wilderness, a once mighty people brought low. The young dwarf prince took work where he could find it, laboring in the villages of men, but always he remembered the mountain smoke beneath the moon, the trees like torches blazing bright, for he had seen dragon fire in the sky, and his city turned to ash. He never forgave, and he never forgot.