Returning Home: A Hobbit Fanfiction

Chapter 37 - Foreshadowing

~~ Celia ~~

She didn't see it coming.

That's the only thought she can manage in the midst of the blinding terror as the wind rushes past her face. She thought she'd planned it through, thought she'd planned for everything, and even when she'd jumped the gun - she thought she had it under control. Or at least, that she knew what was coming.

She winces as a fresh burst of heat warms her skin. This was not under control, not even remotely. Somewhere far behind her, Kíli is screaming her name, arms reaching out to her in a desperate attempt to reach her that she knows will fail. Below her, though she knows she can't really see them, she fancies she can make out the horrified face of her sister, her mouth forming her name, although she cannot hear it past the roaring in her ears. She can't see him, but she knows Fíli is there, somewhere close to her sister. She knows he'll look out for her when she can't. 

She never thought it would be like this. 

Dying. 

Falling to your death as your world goes up in flames around you.

It's not something you really think about when you're young, and you have the world before you. Or if you do, you think of it as something far off, not to be concerned about until you're much, much older. 

And granted, circumstances are a little bit different for her. She's thought about it a bit more than she used to - how could she not? Maybe what would happen if she got in the way of Smaug's fiery blast on accident. Or if things didn't work out quite right and she sacrificed herself in battle, interposing herself between one of her friends and a blade.

But despite all of that, she still couldn't quite grasp the concept of it happening so soon - happening now, as she plummets towards the ground so far beneath her. She still has a chance of survival, she tries telling herself. People have survived falls from heights similar to this. Sometimes.

But she's too far up. 

And something tells her that if she reaches the end of this fall, she won't be getting back up. And she's screaming, and she can hear someone screaming her name, and she knows that Kíli is still reaching for her, and she's still falling - 

And then she's not. 

Falling, that is. She's still screaming as claws wrap around her waist, hoisting her up in the air as they dig into her ribs so tight she can barely draw a breath, cutting her scream off sharply. She can hear Smaug's laughter rumbling above her as he releases another stream of fire into the air. He makes a show of pretending to drop her before circling above and dropping her once more, relishing in her terror as she falls, in the pain in the voices screaming her name. And this time, he won't stop her. 

She should have seen this coming.

It's her last thought before she hits and her world goes dark around her.

xXx

Celia stood silently by the docks as she waited with the rest of the Company, thoughts still focused on the horrific dream she'd had earlier. Was it a premonition? A warning? Or just a bad dream now that they were finally coming close to reaching the goal and facing Smaug?

She tried to shake her dark thoughts off. Everyone was fine. Elena was there, with her sling holding her arm close to her chest, and a little bit paler than normal, but she looked otherwise fine. A few of the dwarves seemed a bit hungover, there was no sign of Bofur, and Óin looked incredibly put out; but everyone was fine, and the morning seemed to be going great.