Hey there, my lovely readers! I found time again to get back to this story and I hope you are still interested in it. This chapter will be entirely set in Laketown. :)

If you have any questions or want to tell me what you think, feel free to write a review (much appreciated) or a PM (I looove receiving PM).

And now, enjoy the chapter. :)

"Wh-what was that?" Sheera asked and looked over at Bard. One look into his eyes and she already knew the answer before he even spoke.

"It's coming from the mountain,"he said.

Lili's heart skipped a beat and a knot formed in her throat. If that sound came from the mountain it could only mean the dragon had been awoken. And if the dragon was awake, everyone inside or neart the mountain would be in danger. Or even dead already. She shook her head lightly and turned her attention back to their current situation as she saw Fili leaving Kili's side to approach Bard and his family.

"You should leave us. Take your children; get out of here."

He looked and sounded so regal in this very moment that Lili thought if Thorin could see him now he'd be so proud of his eldest nephew. She knew Fili would be a great king one day. Just like Thorin would be before him. Yes, she did not give up on him yet. He was alive. She knew it. She could feel it. He was her soul-mate. She surely would feel it if his soul would vanish his body. And secretely, she wished she hadn't lost the Dragonhelmet of her ancestor. It would be of great help for Thorin and the company by now.

"Don't worry too much, dear,"Oin said as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "They will be fine."

She smiled weakly and nodded. "Aye, I guess you're right."

"Are we going to die, Da?" Tilda suddenly said quietly as she pressed hersefl against her father. He looked down at her with a soft smile and stroked over her head.

"No, darling."

Lili could see the sorrow on his face as he looked at her for a second.

He cast a glance at all three of his children, then to the dwarves and finally he looked at Lili again and much to her surprise, the sorrow on his face had vanished and been replaced by determination. As if something had suddenly come to his mind. He looked at the ceiling and reached up, pulling a black arrow from the wall. Curiously, Lili stepped closer and remembered something Balin had told them a few days ago. She gasped and looked from the arrow to Bard and said,

"Is this...one of Girion's arrows? From Dale?"

He nodded. "The last one, actually."

That didn't relieve them very much though. If the dragon would really come to attack Laketown and Bard had the intention of using the arrow on him...that would mean he had only one shot. One single shot that would define the destiny of all of them. He either hit the dragon fatally or they'd die all in dragonfire.

Then, Tilda spoke once more, "The dragon, it's going to kill us."

Bard looked at all of them and replied, "Not if I kill it first."

"And how do you intent to do that? The guards will be on your heels as soon as you leave your house. They watch this house, remember?" Lili asked concerned. Yes, she trusted Bard. She trusted his abilities. Still, this wouldn't be an easy task at all.

"Don't worry. Everything will be fine,"he then turned to his son, "You come with me. I need your help."

Bain nodded eagerly and stepped to the door. Before Bard followed him, he turned to Lili once more. "Take care of my daughters. Just in case..."

She placed her hand on his arm and nodded. "I will protect them with my life if I must."

They held gaze for a moment and then Bard stepped away and left his house together with Bain. Tilda and Sigrid stepped closer to Lili who immediately placed her arms around them both.

"Your father is a very brave man,"she said. "You will be with him again, I promise."

Bofur couldn't say for how long he had been looking for the kingsfoil until he had finally found some. Relieved, he hurried back to Bard's house as fast a he could when all of a sudden he stopped and turned to look around. The street behind him was desolated. So was the rest of the city as it seemed. He looked up at the rooftops, having a strange feeling inside of him. The feeling of being watched. But still he couldn't hear nor see anything except for a sudden commotion somewhere. Guards were yelling something, apparently chasing someone. Quickly, Bofur hid in the shadow between two houses as he heard them coming towards him.

He spotted Bain running past him, holding something long and dark in his hands. From his position, Bofur suspected it to be a spear or maybe an arrow. He stepped out of his hiding place and overheard the guards and Bard. Shocked he realized Bard was about to be arrested.

"Oh no..."he breathed and decided it would be best to finally return to Bard's house. Not just because Kili needed the medicine as fast as possible, but also to inform his friends about the current situation. He turned and ran along the wooden planks, his heavy boots thumping on the ground. But he didn't care who might hear him. And that was his biggest mistake.

"I...I need some fresh air,"Sigrid said after pacing nervously up and down in the livingroom.

"But stay close,"Lili said and watched her step outside onto the small balcony outside the front door. She had been outside for just a few seconds as she heard a noise nearby. Leaning over the balcony she called, "Da? Is that you,Da?"

As there came no answer she sighed and was about to turn back inside when out of nowhere, an Orc dropped from the roof and landed in front of her. With a high pitched scream she tried to close the door, but the Orc stopped her with his sword and pushed the door open.

Lili, Sheera, Bain - who had made it back home safely-, and the rest of them jumped up in shock upon hearing her scream. Sigrid hurried to her brother, both sisters pressed against him. Oin stepped protectively in front of the children while Sheera tried to protect the defenseless Kili on the table. With a loud bang the back door of the house slammed open and another orc entered. Oin grabbed some plates and threw it at him, but in that moment a third Orc fell through the roof. Billy jumped and bit one of them into the ears, while Fili struggled to defend himself against the other one. Lili hurried over and stepped between Sigrid and Tilda while Oin defended Bain. Pots and plates flew through the air and the situation became more and more dangerous.

"Get down!" Sigrid grabbed her sister and they girls hid under a bench but it didn't take long til one of the Orcs pulled the bench up and tossed it across the room. The girls screamed and Lili hurried over and jumped onto the Orc's back.

"Stay away from them, filth!" she growled and the Orc stumbled through the room trying to get rid of her. Together they crashed through the back door and landed on the ground near the wooden post where Finian, Lili's father, was still tied to. He rocked back and forth trying to break free from the rope around his wrists or to break the post, but to no avail.

"Kill her!" he yelled at the Orc that had managed to roll around and pin her to the ground. "Do it!" Finian called again.

The Orc laughed a deep, evil laugh as he brought his face close to hers. He had her wrists pinned to the ground and grinned at her. "Killing you won't be as much fun as torturing you a bit before that, don't you think?"

Lili panted heavily, fear filled her heart and she tried to sit up but was pressed down again with such force that she saw stars for a second as her head connected with the ground. She saw the face of the Orc lean down again, she could feel it's hot, foul breath on the skin of her face and with a disgusted whimper she squeezed her eyes shut as the ugly creature licked over her cheek.

"Tastes...delicious..."he chuckled evily again and suddenly pressed his knee between her legs. "I'm sure you'd make a good slave, too."

Not only did she feel violated by the Orc's words and touches. What made her even more disgusted was that all this happened right in front of the man that had raped her mother all those centuries ago. Her biological father was watching her own abusion. Not only was she certain he enjoyed the sight of that, but he also encouraged the Orc to kill her.

She felt hot tears rolling down her cheeks and once more the Orc licked her cheeks, tasting the salty taste of her tears. She turned her head to the side and opened her eyes. She saw Finian grinning at her a triumphant grin. The Orc followed her gaze and seemed to just now take notice of the dwarf tied up to the post.

"Who are you?" the Orc growled.

"Finian. No friend of those,"he nodded towards the door and then at her. "You'd really do me a favor if you kill her and the rest of that lot."

The orc eyed him for a moment and looked back at her. "You reek like him. Who is he?"

Lili remained silent, her face turned blank. Suddenly, he slapped her and asked more aggressive, "Who is he?"

"My father!"she cried out. "He is my father,"she said as her voice broke and the stream of tears didn't stop anymore.

The Orc chuckled and slowly let go of her. He took two daggers and rammed them into the ground, pinning her sleeves so she couldn't move her hands and had to stay on the ground. Panic rose in her again and she looked up. The sound of fighting inside the house was like far away. She watched the Orc approach Finian and secretely she prayed he'd kill him. As he unsheathed his dagger her hopes rose, but was crushed as the Orc stepped behind him and cut the ropes around his hands and finally the one around his feet.

"Wouldn't it be tragic...the own father plunging a knife into his daughter's guts?"the orc said with evil amusement in his voice. After being tied up for several days, Finian struggled a little to get back to his feet. Once he stood, he nodded at the orc and then looked down at her. "Maybe...daddy wants to have some more fun with her before he puts an end to her life,"the disgusting creature breathed into Finian's ear.

Lili's eyes grew wide as she saw the dangerous spark in her father's emerald eyes. They turned darker. From sadistic lust. Bloodlust. Lust to torture, rape and murder his own child. She struggled to get free, but the daggers were too deep in the ground and she only cut herself in the attempt to get free.

"Help!"she cried out but no one seemed to hear her over the commotion inside.

Finian stepped closer and knelt down over her. "Why don't you start being nice to your father?"

"You evil pig!"she hissed and spat in his face which only resulted in a hard backhand slap connecting to her cheek.

"You really need to shut up,"he growled and shifted closer towards her head, all the while unbuckling his belt.

Did he really think it was a good idea what he had on mind? Even though she knew he would kill her right away for biting him into his member if he dared to put it into her mouth, she would take the risk. Out of pure hate and satisfaction. Just as he was sticking his hand into his pants, an arrow flew past them. It killed the Orc right away. Finian shifted off of her and crawled backwards until his back hit the wall. Lili looked around, trying to make out who was out there when suddenly Legolas appeared. Surprised, she stared at him as he pulled the daggers out of the ground to free her. Quickly she got up from the floor. Immediately, the elf prince nocked an arrow again and pointed it at Finian.

"Aren't you the dwarf from our dungeons?"he growled at him.

Finian just glared at him. Legolas looked over his shoulder at Lili. "What shall happen to him?"

Her face, bloody from the slaps she received that night, turned blank again. All emotions left her eyes as she looked from Legolas to her father. She stepped closer towards him and kicked him right between his legs. Howling in pain, he fell forward. As he sat up staight again after a moment, she turned towards the elf again. They held gaze for a moment and finally she nodded at him.

"Kill him."

And without another look at him she stepped towards the door. She paused just for one second as the sound of the arrow hitting her father's chest reached her ear. And without looking back she entered the house.

Phew...intense, wasn't it?

Let me know what you think! :)