Smaug saw how the Defiler sent in another legion. The orcs were unusually organised and used a device to signal the commands to the troops while the commander was safe on Ravenhill high above them. This legion headed towards Dale. She noticed Bard had seen them and the Bowman wasted no time leading his men to the defence of the city. She saw Gandalf and Bilbo run to join them with what aid they could muster. Gandalf, she was sure, could prove a major role but she was not so sure about the hobbit. True he could muster a lot of courage yet she had little faith in the strength of his arm. She stood at the battlements between Fili and Kili and watched the elves and dwarves fight the goblins and orcs that kept pouring out of the hills. They were outnumbered many times. Her body tensed and her claws came out. They scratched the stone beneath her hands. The dwarves around her looked at the hard rock that now bore deep clawmarks. She paid them no mind and tried to calm her breath before it began to grow warm. Gandalf would take care of the hobbit now; she had other matters to attend to. She turned around and went into the mountain the same path Thorin had taken. Smaug scoffed. Was he completely blind? Had he not heard what she had just said to the elf? He was acting like a coward. Letting others fight his battles while he hid inside his kingdom. It was time he learned a lesson and it seemed she would be the one to teach him.
Bard urged his horse forward as he crossed the bridge entering Dale. He arrived to chaos. Everywhere people was trying to flee. The cries and shouts were overwhelming and he looked around, searching for three specific faces in the panicking crowds. He got off the horse and made his way through the masses, "Has anyone seen my children!" he called out, "I saw them! They were down by the old market!" a woman screamed at him. He forgot about thanking her and only thought about his children. He turned and went in the direction of the lower part of the town. Then some of his men came and he remembered they sought to him for guidance and his leadership. He wished he was not to carry this burden but accepted it none the less and ordered his men to place archers on the walls and hold it as long as they could. He feared that might not be long though as the screams intensified along with the sound of walls breaking. He continued towards the market but was stopped by a man running screaming that the orcs had overrun the market. Bard felt his blood freze, "Tilda! Sigrid!" he called then turned to the rest of his men, "Follow me!" he ordered. They stormed towards the marketplace, attacking the foul creatures. It was a hard task. The orcs were strong and trained to kill unlike his men. Most had never held a weapon. All of a sudden he heard familiar voices. His children were standing on the lower levels just down a set of stairs. Bard felt a moment of relieve but it soon turned to dread. Coming from behind them was a giant troll. His eyes scanned the area as he looked for a way to get down there and help them. He thought quickly and flipped an almost broken chart. As it began to roll downhill he jumped into it screaming to his children to duck. The chart hit the troll with immense force sending both it and Bard flying. Bard grabbed his sword midair and impaled the beast as he landed on top of it. He turned to his children and found that they were unharmed besides from a few scratches. He embraced them and felt a surge of relieve a small hope flow through him. They were safe for now but he had to get them away from the battle and he wished someone would help them. Someone who was experienced fighters because right now, his men were dying faster than they could kill.
Smaug quickly found Thorin. He sat on his throne and stared into the empty space. She crossed the high bridge between them, stood in front of him and crossed her arms, "Some king you are". He looked up, "Not even fighting for his own kin on the battlefield. Lives are being lost at this moment and all you do is sit on a throne you never deserved", he raised his gaze, "What will you have me do?" Standing on the small stair he almost reached her height and looked her in the eyes. "Fight! Do not sit here like a coward" "How dare you?" he hissed, "Such insolence is brave talk coming from a woman who scampered off when times were dire. Could not even speak for herself back in Lake Town." He turned his back to her, "No. in these halls we will endure. We will ride the storm off and keep the gold safe. We can hide it. There are secret halls further down. Life is cheap a treasure such as this is cannot be count in the losses on the battlefield" He stopped pacing. Smaug heard a small sound and turned her head slightly. The rest of the dwarves were watching but she paid them no and instead turned to Thorin again, "you truly are a coward then" she said, "You sit here upon your precious throne yet you are lesser now, than I ever thought you would be." Silence roared between them as they stared at each other. Thorin turned his back to her and lowered his head, "I will not..." he mumbled and clenched his fists. Smaug tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. Suddenly he drew his sword and spun around. He pressed the blade against her neck and pushed her to the edge, "if you know what is good for you, you will keep your words to yourself" Smaug did not flinch a muscle. Then she gave a small smile, "Do not worry, I will" she said lowly and he lowered his blade. He gave her one last look and was about to leave when her voice stopped him, "I do not wish to waste anymore breath on a worthless coward-king anyway" she sneered. She watched him. Smiling as her eyes glowed. Thorin roared as he swung his sword towards her. She just watched him as the world seemed to slow down and in the distance she could hear Balin call out for him to stop. It was in vain though. His sword struck her across the face and she fell down into the depths below. She was in no pain. The sword had not even scratched her. As she fell, she let her arms grow longer and felt as her inner warmth spread through her body.
Thorin stood motionless and glared into the deep for a moment then a hand on his shoulder made him turn around. Balin was there, and the other dwarves were running towards them across the bridge and even from here, Thorin could see some sort of distress in their eyes. He looked back to the dwarf in front of him. Tears were in Balin's eyes and then Thorin realised what he had done. "Fray..." he whispered, "She's gone Thorin" Balin said. The others were with them now and they stood in front of him with faces evident of distress, confusion and concern. He did not want to look at them and tried to understand what had just happened. One minute she was here with him, standing in front of him with that confident stance and disrespectful tongue of hers that he had come to admire so much. His mind had been foggy and all he had heard was the dark voices inside his mind and that stupid voice of hers that told what the others failed to do out of whatever love and respect they still held towards him; the truth. He had drawn his sword, he had stroke her with the blade. He had killed her. "She is gone Thorin" Balin spoke again. Thorin looked at him and was about to speak when he was interrupted, "Not quite yet!" a thundering voice came from below followed by a violent shaking and some of the dwarves yelled, "What's happeneing!?" Kili shouted. From below them an all too familiar growl was heard. Everyone stiffened as it seemed to echo and increase in power as if it was coming closer. Thorin shook his head. It could not be. The ground shook and was sounded like claws scraping stone was coming towards them in a fast pace before it slowed down. A dark shadow fell over them and they looked up in horror. Towering above them was the dragon. The dragon they had thought dead. " Impossible!" Fili shouted and the dwarves huddled together, raising their weapons towards the beast.
Smaug smiled down at them, showing her fangs, "Well, well how the mighty has fallen" she lowered her head towards Thorin who stood with Kili, Fili and Balin by his side. "No... you died" Thorin choked out, his voice wavering. She laughed, "Ha! Did you not listen? No weapon can or ever will pierce my skin. Your tales are lies dwarf. Bound to be proven wrong in the end" "We saw you fall!" Fili shouted. She turned her head towards him, "You also just see Fray fall" she turned back to Thorin, "Did you not?" a smiled on her lips. "Impossible!" Kili blurted out, "Oh, quite the opposite young one, you see... this is a very extraordinary coincidence". She moved her head in a snake-like manner until she was at the back of the group, "When I sensed something was wrong in the wide world I set out on a quest of my own. I did off course not expect it included a pack of insolent, narrow-minded dwarves who would try to kill me" The dwarves were silent "Well, what did you expect?" the leader whispered. "What is that? The king speaks?" she moved back to Thorin. "After you murdered hundred and took away our home" She nodded, "a habit of mine it would seem but tell me, Thorin Oakenshield, after you left Erebor and all that lies here including the darkness that lies within it, did you not build a new home in the Blue Mountains? A place of plenty and warmth?" "But we had lost our treasure, you took it for yourself!" he bellowed. "Oh, this?" she flicked her tail in the direction of the golden hall, "it has never been in any of my covern. So tell me now, dwarf", she snaked her tail around Thorin as she spoke despite protests from the other dwarves, "Is gold all that counts in this world? Not friendship, not family, not loyalty or peace but... gold?" she whispered her words but they rang loud and clearly almost as an echo through the hall and she tightened her curling tail, preventing him from stepping away. He panted and stared at her, eyes wide. "What is your answer?" He shook his head. "Answer me Thorin Oakenshield!" her patience was growing thinner by the moment but then he screamed, "NO!" He fell to his knees and panted heavily. "No it is not and I have been blind to see it". She nodded, "Indeed". Finally, he could see some sense but she was not prepared for what he did next. He rose and turned to his friends and kin "Prepare to fight. Today the dwarves of Erebor will earn their mountain!" It seemed like the sickness had faded. She could see the newfound hope in each and every of the dwarves' eyes as they truly believed their king had come back. Smaug did not feel the need to cheer. His sense might have returned but for how long? She did not want to share this false promise of hope. She loosened her tail and climbed up the pillars towards a passage that let further into the mountain. Just as she was about to disappear she looked back upon the company. They all stared at her but said nothing. She snorted and continued on her way.
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Golden Eyes
Fanfiction(LOTR)/The Hobbit Smaug is a ferocious female firedrake from the north, who has taken residence in the dwarven kingdom of Erebor. But when she senses darker minds lurking towards The Lonely Mountain, she seeks out an old acquaintance, Gandalf the Gr...
