#*tilda voice* ''you know other women? well not for long. beam attack''

[artekai]

[anari3l]

In His Eyes Pt. 2

Words: 1851

Characters: Bard x Daughter!Reader, Smaug x Reader

Request: “In his eyes part 2?” from an anon. Thanks for the reminder about this story! 

Summary: Smaug attacks Lake Town. Sadness for the Reader. Bard tries to be a single dad to girls. 

Notes: Freakin’ finally!

Keeping your adventures from your father wasn’t as hard as you had thought it would be. For months now, whenever you got the chance to head out of town to go foraging, you snuck back into Erebor and visited with the Dragon. To your great surprise, Tilda loved your ‘made-up’ stories of your adventures, and your father Bard never suspected anything.

At least, you thought he didn’t.

As the months wore on, he became increasingly curious about your whereabouts. You thought it was just him being ‘dad’ and never paid much attention to it, telling him you were trying to work more often to pay the dues you owed the Master.

It wasn’t until the dwarves arrived at your home that you began to be suspicious yourself. The company wanted to go into the mountain. A mountain they thought was still closed. A mountain that hid a dragon they thought still slept undisturbed.

You gulped as you listened to the dwarves speaking amongst themselves as you cleaned the dishes from supper. They wanted to kill the dragon.

The dragon you had come to admire.

A beast, you laughed quietly to yourself one night after tucking Tilda in. Just like one of those stories.

Over the year or so it had been since you had found your way into the halls of Erebor, you had visited at least once a month, wandering the halls, looking at artifacts, or sitting on a high outcropping of stone in the treasure room, telling stories to the dragon as he lay over his gold.

In return, he never threatened you, or accused you of stealing - except that first time - and would regale you with stories himself. You found those the most interesting, as you had no idea whether or not they were true or not.

To say the least, you had come to care for the dragon. Treating him more like a lost pup that needed a safe and warm home, you wanted nothing more than to protect the creature.

As the dwarves wandered around Lake Town for the next few days, you became increasingly worried over the well being of Smaug.

Catching you sulking one afternoon, Bard steps up, acting as if he was helping dry the dishes from supper. His eyes trailed to you, though, and you almost laughed as he cleared his throat in that way dads do when they have to talk to their grown daughters about … stuff.

You smiled, sidestepping to retrieve the rest of the dishes. “Yes, da?” you smirked, stepping back up to his side.

“Is - is everything alright?” he asked a bit hesitantly.

You smiled up at him. “Of course,” you answered, forcing yourself to seem so, “Just fine. Why do you ask?”

“You -- Tilda and Sigrid -- well, Tilda and I, noticed you’ve been … not yourself lately.”

You had to chuckle at his stuttering. You had heard stories from your mother when she was alive that Bard was not the most eloquent when it came to speaking about something so nerve wracking. “Da, everything’s fine! It’s just … with the dwarves here … I’m worried.”

“Oh,” Bard sighed, and you swore you saw his shoulders relax. “It’s not … not a boy or young man that --”

“Da, no!” you laughed, turning to face him. “In a way, perhaps, but no! My friends are fine, I just worry … about all of us.”

Bard nodded. “Just -- if you need to talk, I’m here. And if any boy gives you trouble -- I’ll be here.”

“I know, da,” you smiled, wrapping him in a hug. “Goodnight!”

Almost sprinting to your small room you shared with Sigrid and Tilda, you had to keep yourself calm. Tilda was already fast asleep, but Sigrid was up, sewing some skirts by the light of a candle.

“Something wrong?” Sigrid asked, looking up as you walked around the bed where Tilda slept.

“Just ... “ you started with a sigh, “Boy trouble, I guess.”

“Oh,” Sigrid smiled, “Is it that Jak again, or?”

“No, I haven’t seen him since Bain pushed him into the lake,” you laughed. “It’s a new one … I met him on one of my travels … It’s really nothing, I just worry about his safety.”

“Oh,” Sigrid repeated, bowing her head to return to her sewing.

“I’m going to get some rest,” you said after a few moments. “Goodnight,” you added as you pulled the quilt up to your ears, eyes trained on the dirty window on the wall in front of you, which granted a view of the Lonely Mountain.

***

You found yourself unable to return to the Mountain that week as you had planned, because, of course, the Master had put his foot down. On top of the dwarves’ coming out with their plan in front of the entire town, your father had opened his mouth and started to fight, landing in a rather damp cell.

You crossed your arms, watching as the dwarves loaded themselves onto the boats, the younger of them staying behind to care for his brother. Biting your nail, your gaze trailed to the mountain.

In less than a day’s time, the company of Thorin Oakenshield would be at its gates, trying to find a way in.

“I’m just saying,” you started, anger rising as the elf worked on the younger dwarf laying on your dining room table. Sigrid sighed as you started once more, pouring more water into a pan. “It’s a helpless thing, really,” you started. “It shouldn’t have to die!”

The dwarves, you came to realize, were rather daft, especially the young one fauning over the auburn haired elf maiden. You were sure they could figure out what you were talking about, and Sigrid had learned what you had been hiding for over a year.

“But, it’s dangerous, how are you … How did you even make it out?” she asked on a harsh whisper, helping tear more bandages as you handed her more linens.

“I told the truth,” you answered, glancing over your shoulder as Kili let out a cry of pain. “I wasn’t there to hurt him or steal from him, I just needed to get out of the rain.”

Sigrid nodded, dropping her gaze as you continued your work. “But, you’re sure …”

“He’s just trying to survive, he shouldn’t have to die. Maybe if I leave now … I can get to them, warn them!” you tried, voice dropping to a hushed whisper as Tauriel and the dwarves spoke.

***

A day later, as you were trying to pack a bag to take to the mountain, it happened. A booming sound erupted over the lake, drawing your gaze to the window. The mountain seemed to stand as it always had, dark and empty, but from your vantage point, you could just make out lit braziers at the gates, and was that something rising into the air?

You breath hitched as the townspeople up and down the walks started screaming as that something became more defined as it flew closer to Lake Town. The dragon had been awoken, and it was hell bent on razing the floating town.

Life seemed to move in a blur over the next few hours as half of the town was engulfed in flames within minutes. Loading your siblings onto the small boat with the dwarves and the elf, you were almost in the clear when the bridge overhead collapsed, blocking your path to escape.

Eyes searching through the smoke and fog, they landed on Smaug as he circled high above, a roar the only indication before more flames spit forth, engulfing another section of town.

You remember meekly Bain dashing from the boat to run to your father, which he had seen apparently You remember screaming ‘No!’ as the dragon landed on the rooftops, lips curled and ready to spit another bout of fire.

“Da!” Sigrid called, eyes trained on the steeple of the Master’s house as it tilted precariously from the loose and broken beams of its foundation.

“No, Da, no!” you screamed, following her gaze. Your father was notching arrow after arrow, firing without hitting anything. And then you saw it. Saw Bain climb up and help your father to his feet. Watched as Tauriel got the boat moving once more and the black arrow was notched and aimed over Bain’s shoulder.

***

Morning came, and you found yourself sitting with Tilda and Sigrid, huddled together to keep warm. Tears fell from everyone as the smoldering pile of timber that was once Lake Town was consumed by the lake waters.

Smaug was dead. Shot down by your own father to reclaim some family legacy.

Your heart dropped as your gaze lifted to the Mountain. The stories, the long days you had spent walking the halls, collecting herbs from the fields between the Dale ruins and the gates into the mountain, were all gone. The dragon, that was killed because a group of dwarves craved their home more than anything, was gone. Your life of adventure seemed to be done with as well.

You heard your father’s voice before you saw him. And before you could react properly, Tilda and Sigrid were running towards him. You followed, allowing the three younger ones to greet your father. You kept the blanket around your shoulders as you stepped up, brushing tears away from your face. “You’re alive!” you smiled weakly, letting Bard hug you.

It had been years since your father had comforted you, since Tilda was born and your mother had died, you had grown up so fast, Bard’s fatherly embraces didn’t occur much, as all of the attention was on the others, trying to keep them well.

He was crying, you realized, because you were all safe. “You alright? None of you are hurt?” he asked as Tilda and Sigrid were pulled into the embrace once more.

“We’re all fine, Da,” You murmured, pulling Bain into your arms against his short lived protests. Lying would be best, as you couldn’t very well tell the Dragonslayer that he had killed one of your few friends in the entirety of Middle Earth.

You nodded as he released you, watching as he stepped to Alfrid. Glancing over your shoulder at the lake, you sighed, only snapping out of your thoughts when Sigrid wrapped an arm around you. “I’m sorry.”

You took a deep breath, looking up at the men and women looking to your father to tell them what to do now that the Master was dead. “Yeah …” you nodded.

It was a few more hours before your father found you and pulled you to the side, inquiring as to your feelings. For all he knew, a young man had been killed during the dragon attack that had caught your attention.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“A … friend,” you answered, shrugging towards the lake as you shook your head. “It’s … it’s nothing really. I just lost a close friend.” Raising your gaze to look up at him, he offered a sincere smile. “Thank you, Da. For everything,” you nodded, wrapping your arms around him.