Golden Eyes

Chapter 35: A Day That I Will Remember

Smaug was so caught up in her own thoughts; she almost did not notice Bilbo sleeping by a small fireplace just outside the tent. He had been wrapped up in a thick blanket and the last embers from the fire were still warm. She huffed but did not stop. The hobbit had stayed true to his word of waiting until she came out again. To what purpose she had wondered. Did he really wish to be in her presence? She could not help but wondering whether or not, this was some sort of sham. That the dwarves were using the hobbit to make her lower her guard so they could make their move and attack. She shook her head. No. They might be stubborn and rash but a mistake like that would most likely not happen twice. They had capability of learning. She gazed at the scene that surrounded her. Everywhere small tents had been raised to care for the injured, fireplaces still shone in the early morning light, and small pecks of snow whirled aimlessly and lazily in the chilled air. Everywhere people were getting busy with today's tasks. Some were fetching water, some were preparing breakfast from what they could manage to find. A silent sobbing from one of the tents told of a story that had now come to an end. Despite this, people seemed to come together as they handed each other blankets or shared their food. Smaug sighed. Despite all the pain and misery, humankind still had a way of surviving. However, that would be before the greed would begin to fester in their hearts once again. It always did. She left the city and headed for the giant solitary peak. She did not enter through its doors however. She circled around it and came to the north side. She flapped her wings and rose in dragon form towards the top. From her peak, she could see everything transpiring in the city below. She could see the glistening armour of the last elves leaving. Thranduíl had not even said his goodbyes as he so abruptly had withdrawn his men from the battle, but Smaug knew they would meet again someday. She had been proven wrong in so many ways. Bilbo, Gandalf and somewhat Bard had shown her there is more to the smaller creatures than meets the eye. Some of her suspicions had been prove right though. Regarding the dwarves and the humans. I did not matter what she had just done on the battlefield. Many were still ready to run her through at the first chance and many more even brushed her appearance off as a mere hallucination. However, she did not care much for these fool hearty people. She had known from the moment she had decided to enter the fight she would not be mentioned in the stories and songs that were to come. To the humans and the dwarves she had died on the lake in an inferno of her own flames. How Thorin was going to see her now was a difficult question and she was not sure herself. She looked at the sunrise. One thing was for sure however. She could not stay here. These lands were too crowded. Perhaps it was also for the best. Let her death be the story to be told from now on. People were just too narrow-minded too comprehend anything else. Another and even more pressing matter was the malice that still lay in hiding. Whatever had or would happen the darkness was still rising, waiting to crush life, as they knew it. She had not begun to care for the peoples of Middle Earth. She had come to realise though, that no matter how much she despised most of the creatures of Middle Earth, they were much better and preferable than what lurked in the shadows. Even more so, than she had first thought. She still sat there when the sun reached midday. It cast a shining glow upon the city and low hills and made the small gatherings of snow shine with a light-golden glow. In the midst of all this desolation and death there could still be found a little beauty. The silence was cut short by a horn. Its sepulchral tone sounded across land and was soon joined by others. Smaug sighed. Now it was time to honour the departed.

The grand hall was lit with flickering candles and dark tapestries hung from the walls on all sides. In the middle of the hall were three alters. The departed lay there with gifts and their comrades walked to their side to say their final goodbyes. Bifur was first, Bombur was last and Fili lay in the middle. They were all dressed in fine robes and had been given their weapons in hand. Smaug had found a small alcove from where she could see and hear everything. Gandalf was the first speak. His words of loyalty, companionship and bravery rung through the hall. Not even one of those who attended dared to interrupt or make any form of disturbance. Smaug considered his words. Even though she still did not care much for the dwarves his words still reached something within her. A habit of his. Then Thorin's voice was heard. She did not hear all of it but something caught her ear, "We trusted each other. Even those had not deserved it" When she looked at him, she could see he was looking in her direction. His words did not touch her. There he sat with a crown on his head claiming to have learned from his mistakes yet still blaming her for all this death. Just like earlier, his words did not touch her. She did believe it was saddening, that they had lost someone they held dear but they had to face forward. They were still to blind to see it though. When the ceremony was over she went outside and sat on one of the large stones that occupied the landscape. She watched as Dain and his men departed. It was clear they would not return in the same numbers they had left. She heard someone approach from behind and she smirked, "I thought you had many things to see to, Lord of Dale". She did not look at him but could hear him sigh, "I never cared much for titles. As long my family was fed and sheltered I would be glad". She huffed, "You sure are fierce when protecting your offspring", "Is that a compliment?" he asked. "Do not flatter yourself Bowman, you still did not learn from your family's mistake" she said, making him frown, " What do you mean?" She smiled and turned to him, "The arrow, Bowman, you fired it despite the multiple failures of your ancestor." "But I shot you down from the sky" he argued and she laughed, "the fall was by my design, however, in my blind rage I forgot the was more shallow than I remembered. I woke up with a slight headache and this lay beside me" She stood up and showed him the broken arrowhead she had kept. The point was crippled and had a small tan of sod. Bard took it and held it up to get a better look at it. "So it is true?" he whispered, "What?" she asked and he drew his attention to her, "No weapon can pierce your skin" She shook her head, "Not of this world, no" She turned and walked down the path but Bard followed her, "Wait, I have more questions to ask" he called. She did not stop and ignored him. However the man was persistent, "Stop! Why are you playing this game? One moment you are burning down our home and the next you are next you are teaching my son how to wield a sword. I s it some malicious plan? Because I will not believe it is a coincidence" This made her stop. He was actually asking her why all these things happened and not just presuming why? She would not answer these questions though. "You should not start to question why a dragon spared his but more what drove a dragon so close to a place it would be wanted dead and likewise what could manage to assemble this whole army of orcs, trolls and goblins alike and attack the mountain. You have eyes but you do not see. There are far worse things in this than a dragon. Rest assured that you will suffer no more worries from my behalf after this day, Bowman" She walked away, "Where will you go?" he called after her," The end" she called over her shoulder. She had only walked a few meters before she was stopped by a small figure on the path. "What did you mean by that?" Bilbo asked her. She kneeled and smiled at him, "Time to say goodbye", "Why?" he questioned, "I do not belong here" she plainly said. Bilbo thought of it for a moment, "But you could" he finally said. This hobbit, so naïve she thought, "No I could not" she said to him while glancing at the dwarves that had gathered behind him. "Step away Bilbo" Thorin said in a warning tone and Bilbo looked from one dwarf to the other, "No, why?" Thorin gritted his teeth, "She's a mindless beast, she is not safe to be around" he said making Smaug smile, "that should come from a king who was about to throw a small hobbit from the ramparts" Thorin hand clutched his sword, "Why you.." "STOP!" Bilbo cried out, "Just stop this nonsense! No one and I mean really NO ONE is ever going to benefit from your quarrel. We have defeated the orcs, Azog is dead and the mountain is safe. Most importantly: We did it together! Why can we not lay our quarrels aside?" Thorin growled; "but she is the reason Fili is dead" Bilbo sighed, "Azog killed Fili and he would had killed you, Kili, Dwalin and me had she not intervened." Balin stepped forward and Smaug raised an eyebrow. She had not expected this to happen. "I don't quite believe it myself but Bilbo might actually be right. Despite what we always assumed from a dragon, she has surprised at least me. We may never be able to forgive or fully trust each other but, dare I say, we might be able stop this poisonous quarrelling" To say Smaug was shocked, hearing those words from a dwarf, and Balin none the less, would be an understatement. She considered his words. Perhaps what he said could have some truth. "Do my ears deceive me dwarf? Do you wish for an armistice? No more attempts on each other's lives?" Balin gave a slight smile, "Aye, an armistice would do." Bilbo smiled, "Does this mean you will stay?" She put a hand on Bilbo's small shoulder, "No, Barrelrider, it does not. I came searching for a place where I could find solitude. I doubt that will be possible now. "She could almost see how the hobbit's heart sank. Thorin stepped up beside him and looked at her warily, "All you did on our journey. Was it lies?" She thought for a second, "Many things were, many things were not. Some I am not entirely sure myself" Bilbo looked at her, "Will you come back? Where will you go?" She smiled, "I will not come back to this place and where I go, that is only for me to know." Bilbo nodded, " I will miss you" "and I you little Barrelrider but even though I have lived for so many days, more than I can count, this will truly be a day that I will remember" Bilbo smiled, "So will I" She rose to her feet and walked away from the company. She looked at the sun and felt how its warmth connected with her own. Soon she no longer felt the ground under her feet but only the crisp air that surrounded her.

Bilbo stood on the same spot looking at the sky even after the dragon had disappeared into the horizon. Balin came up to him and put a hand on his shoulder, "If anyone had told me our journey would take a course like this I would have questioned his sanity and I must admit... I am questioning my own still." Bilbo nodded, "So am I Balin. All this death and for what?" Balin squeezed his shoulder, "Many things lad. Yes, we lost some along the way; warriors, innocents... friends. However, we also achieved something" Bilbo looked at him, "What Balin? What did we achieve? Do not get me wrong Erebor and Esgaroth has a chance to flourish and you have your home again. But... what did we win that outweighs the things we've lost?" The elder dwarf sighed and thought for a moment, "We won this battle. Not the battle with the dark army but the battle within our hearts." Bilbo nodded, "We saw beyond our prejudice" Balin laugh, "No lad, You saw beyond prejudice and found something far more powerful". "What?" Bilbo questioned, "Hope" Balin said, "and then we all found it and I dare say even those we had thought of as the worst enemy of all might just have found it." Bilbo looked at the sky, "Do you think she'll come back?" he asked making the dwarf shake his head, "I don't hope she will because that would mean she has found place she can live the way she wants to live" Bilbo smiled, "Then I hope that too." They heard someone approach from behind. "Well, young hobbit are you quite ready yet? It has been quite a long day has it not?" Gandalf asked. Bilbo nodded. "Yes I am Gandalf. A long day indeed" He smiled at Balin and the rest of the company that had come along with Gandalf. "but a day that I will remember with fondness in my heart." He looked at each member, "If any of you ever come by Bag End, please, do not bother to knock at the door." Bilbo bit his lip trying keep his voice from breaking but smiled at each and every one of them as they were trying to do the same, "I bid you all a very fond farewell... and thank you" The road home was easy. Bilbo and Gandalf said their goodbyes and the border of the Shire. As Bilbo stepped into the all too familiar soft hills and green grass he felt a pang of longing to see the mountains and valleys and wild forests. He smiled. It was good to be home. At least for now.