Golden Eyes

Chapter 22: Something Familiar About Those Eyes

Like Bilbo has experienced before the power his ring possesses makes his vision blurry but he can still very clearly see the dragon in front of him and the giant white fangs it hides inside its mouth. He shudders as the dragon turns and heads straight towards him. Can it see him? Did he put the ring on? He looks down and is relieved when he sees the golden metal on his finger. He is teared from his thoughts by a sudden force he has never experienced before. Not a pushing and painful force. There is some kind of unnatural eerie to it. He looks up trying to comprehend what it is and is shocked. The giant dragon crawls towards him, "Well... Thief! I smell you. I hear your breath. I feel your airrr" Bilbo has to duck as the dragon passes over him. He wants to run but finds that he cannot. He stands up again as the dragon turns and looks at the exact spot where he stands, "Where are you? Where are you?!" He finally summons his courage and sprints towards a column. He hears the dragon growl and barely avoids its claws as it follows him. Guided by the clattering coins he leaves in his footsteps. Finally he reaches the column but the dragon also stops. It is almost like he can feel my presence. How am I supposed to get past him oh what am I to do? He thinks to himself. The dragon speaks again in an alluring tone, "Come now, don't be shy. Step into the light!" Bilbo presses his body towards the column and tries to hold his breath as the dragon draws closer then disappears behind the column. "There isss something about you..." Bilbo peeks from his hiding place as he tries to get a glimpse of where the dragon is. He jumps as it appears right behind him. He can feels the heat from its breath as it continues to talk, "Something you carry. Something made of gold but far... more... prrreciouusss!" He feels dizzy, his head hurts as the voice echoes through his mind and before he knows off it he takes off the ring as if it was burning hot. He looks straight into the enormous eye. For a brief moment the golden orb reminded him of someone but he quickly forgets it as the dragon talks again shaking his bones with the power it produces.

Smaug holds back a laugh. Off course he would try to use that damned ring but all though it might hide him from her sight she could still feel his presence. Now she has him exactly where she wants him. She grins "There you are! Thief in the Shadows!" He shivers and almost crumbles as he fumbles with his words, "I I did not come to steal from you, oh Smaug, the inaccessibly wealthy. I only come to gaze upon your magnificence to see if you truly where as great as the old tales say. I I I did n -not believe them!" Smaug laughs to herself he believes she wants flattery and sweet words to stimulate her ego? How selfish does he think she is? He might have heard such tales from the dwarves that would be so typical. All the bad aspects of self-confidence is nothing but suitable for a hideous dragon. One of many reason to hate them. Well, she might as well give the little guy a show. She growls due to her annoyance then turns around cracking a column on her way. She poses in front of the hobbit, "And do you now!" She bellows. She watches in amusement as the hobbit trembles and steps forward. A little brave after all considering his size and odds. "Truly, the tales and the songs fall utterly short of your enormity oh Smaug, the Stupendous " She likes this one but is quite tired of all that flattery which is only meant as a survival tool or so he thinks. "Do you think flattery will keep you alive?" She asks him. It looks like he realises she has seen through him and shakes his head, "No". Perhaps foolish but not stupid she will give him that. "No indeed. You seem familiar with my name but I don't remember smelling your kind before who are you and where do you come from may I ask?" She wonders what answers he will give her now. Will he lie again? She leans closer. Making him even more uncomfortable. "I come from Underhill" he manages. She follows his gaze as he looks away. He has found it. Good. She urges him to go on, that cannot be the whole thing. "And under hills and over hills my path has let and through the air I am he who walks unseen" He can still talk even scared to death, and what titles he gives himself! Among many, Barrelrider is her favourite. "Barrels!" She sneers and ignores he fishlike globbing as he tries to keep his balance and catch his breath. Close proximity with a dragon mouth was not something he had expected she reckons. Now is time for the real teasing and testing she smirks. "And What about your little dwarf friends? Where are they hiding?" He denies any attachment. He actually thinks her a fool! "No you are utterly mistaken" he whimpers. She growls "Oh I think not Barrelrider! They sent you in here to do their dirty work while they skulk about outside" She catches him as he tries to reach for the Arkenstone. He stops when he sees she is looking. The dwarves were truly selfish cowards. They sent him in here alone, knowing he might die a terrible death. What would they do if she decided to kill the hobbit? Probably just find a new one. They think so low of those they believe lesser than themselves. Bilbo tries to flatter her again. Not realising it won't work, "You have nice manners for a thief and a LIAR!" She growls, "I know the smell and taste of dwarf no one better! It is the gold, they are drawn to it like flies to dead flesh!" She slams down her front claws just in front of him as he reaches for the stone sending it flying over a staircase and him following it. She can feel her blood boil. She remembers the other reason they have come. To kill her. She roars "Do you think I did not know this day would come? When a pack of filthy dwarves would come crawling back to the mountain!" She knocks down a column, sending a shockwave through the hall and the walls. It is so strong it can be felt outside the mountain and across the lake. Not that she cares. "The king under the mountain is dead I took his throne. I ate his people like a wolf among sheep" Bilbo has managed to free himself from the cascading gold and tries to hold his balance as he runs down a long staircase. She stalks him. Barely avoiding crushing him under her front feet. She is completely in control of where she steps although it might not seem like it to Bilbo. He falls the rest of the way down the stairs as he in attempts to get to the Arkenstone which is jumping down the golden mountain. "I kill where I wish! When I wish!" She flips her tails and lets it fall down just behind Bilbo as he slides down the slope. "My armour is iron!" She glides down to the bottom just in time to see Bilbo hide under a pedestal. She lands on top of it. Her eyes flare golden, "No blade can pierce me!"

Bilbo peeks out from under his hiding place. He wonders why the dragon has not killed him yet. It has had plenty of chances. He looks up and sees the golden fiery eyes. He has only ever seen eyes like that once. But where? Then it hits him. Fray! When she got angry or irritated her eyes would light up just like the dragon's. Is there a connection somehow? He mind wanders back to the last night he saw Fray. Just after she disappeared that red and golden figure appeared on the sky. Like a large shining bird. But it was not a bird. It was a dragon heading towards the mountain. But there is only one dragon here. He suddenly realised something he was not sure he wanted to realise. Fray and the dragon, Smaug, was connected. Not just connected... They were the SAME! Bilbo was perplexed. The dragon everyone thought as a violent male beast was also Fray. The woman who had saved him and others on several occasions and had shown signs of compassion. He could not understand and realised the only way to get more answer was to talk and that seemed a little hard at the moment as the now SHE-drake above him seemed rather agitated.