The Dragons' Daughter (Thorin Oakenshield/OFC)

Dance of the Fire-Drakes

The clash of claws and teeth echoed around the cavern, as well as the roar of the two dragons. Thorin ducked his head and ran for cover as the smaller dragon, who he knew to be Clarrei, was slammed into the staircase, before she blew a column of flame into the face of Smaug. The two dragons then proceeded to take part in what looked like a dance, only far deadlier. Clarrei extended her wings and bellowed, launching herself at Smaug and clawing at his face. The older dragon roared in pain before clamping his fearsome jaws around his daughters leg. Thorin winced at the cry of agony from his beloved as he raced into the treasure chamber. That small voice was nagging him again;
"Look at the treasure...it's yours..." But all he cared about at that present time was the fact that the woman he loved was fighting for her life. Thorin drew his sword, and was about to leap into the fray when a set of strong arms wrapped around him, holding him back. He was turned around to see Dwalin's furious face.
"Have you lost your mind?! If you go in there with those two, you are not coming out of there alive, Thorin!"
The prince was stopped before he could reply by the sudden arrival of Bilbo Baggins. Thorin could have sworn he appeared out of thin air as the hobbit sprinted towards them, his face white with fear. Thorin caught the hobbit by the shoulder, looking into his hazel eyes with urgency.
"Did you find the Arkenstone?" He demanded, his heart quickening at the thought of having the great white jewel in his hands after all this time. Bilbo tried to push past him, stuttering:
"Thorin, I think we have bigger things to worry about-"
"The Arkenstone." Repeated Thorin, holding his sword to the burglar's throat. "Did you find it?" Bilbo watched Thorin with a growing sense of dread in his stomach, before grabbing the prince and forcing him to the ground as Clarrei's tail smashed down where Thorin had been seconds ago. Thorin looked up at the dragons, and clarity returned to his mind. It was true they needed to find the Arkenstone, but the more pressing issue was to help their dragon destroy the beast they had set out to rid themselves of. His brain worked furiously, before Dwalin pulled him away from Clarrei's tail slamming where he had been seconds before.

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Clarrei bellowed in pain as Smaug's claws raked across her snout. She retaliated, snapping her jaws around the larger dragon's foreleg, which unlike hers was connected to his wing, and tugging with all her might. Smaug hissed as the membrane tore like parchment, blood dripping from the new injury. As her father screeched, Clarrei took a deep breath and bellowed a cloud of fire into his face. Smaug stumbled back, hitting his head against one of the great stone rafters of the chamber. The screams filled the air, and Clarrei took her moment to strike. She lunged for the small gap in the scales she had noticed earlier, but the scaly tail slamming on her head made her head spin. Clarrei shook her head before screaming in pain as Smaug's jaws sank into her neck. She wrenched herself away, slashing her claws across his chest before turning and sprinting through the treasure chamber. Her heart pounded in her chest, fear now replacing her anger and adrenalin. What was she thinking? This dragon was hundreds of years older than her, and far bigger, not to mention better at fighting. Clarrei tried to breathe steadily, trying to keep thoughts of her imminent demise from her mind, when she spotted Bilbo at the entrance to the chamber, indicating to her to follow. Realising she had no other options, Clarrei did so, the ground shaking from the two dragons thundering through the Mountain. It appeared Bilbo was leading her further down into the mines, and that was when she realised. Of course. The furnaces. She had no idea what Thorin had planned, but it must involve dragon fire. It was only when she finally reached the great fires that Smaug finally snapped his claws down onto her tail. Clarrei flipped herself onto her back, striking her claws against Smaug's belly, drawing rivulets of blood, making him roar in pain. She rose to her full height, spreading her wings to block the fleeing dwarves from Smaug's view and blowing smoke and flame directly into his eyes. He cried in pain, falling back into the piles of gold before struggling back to his clawed feet. Clarrei stood over him, panting, blinking rapidly as blood ran into her eye from the cut above it. Smaug hissed and glared at his daughter.
"I should have killed you myself." He panted, struggling to his feet. "Never mind that, I should never have brought you with me!"
Clarrei blinked in surprise.
"What the devil are you talking about?" She demanded, slamming her claws down, pinning Smaug to the ground. "Tell me!"
The older dragon made a noise that was halfway between a snarl and a laugh.
"I was the one who dragged your useless shell to this cursed Mountain. I was the one to take you from your poor departed mother's cold claws as she was hacked to pieces by hunters." And it was the next words that made hot tears of devastation pour from Clarrei's flaming eyes.
"Because she was protecting you."

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The roar of anguish reached even the very depths of the Mountain the Company had found themselves. Bilbo looked up as dust fell from the ceiling, fear churning his stomach. What was happening to their friend? And more to the immediate point, what was to become of them? Currently, they were in what had once been a kind of storage room. Though it wasn't empty barrels that lay before them, but the rotting skeletal remains of what could only be the dwarves of Erebor.
"That's it then." Dwalin said solemnly. "There's no way out."
Thorin swallowed, blinking to keep the tears of grief back.
"The last of our kin." Balin said, his voice trembling. "They must have come here, hoping beyond hope..."
And as he trailed off, the ragtag group felt as though they could hear the cries of anguish of dwarves long-dead. The silence seemed to spam for centuries, before Balin spoke again.
"We could try to reach the mines." The white-haired dwarf wondered, "Might last a few days."
Thorin paced among the bodies of his fallen people, clenching his fists in anger. The rage bubbled up in his chest, fizzing under his skin. How could they think of hiding now? When they were so close to their goal? The distant sound of dragon roars reminded him what else was at stake here. The love of his life fought to survive against the monster he had sworn he would slay himself. And here he was, cowering in a god-forsaken crypt.
"No." He said, his voice hoarse with grief and rage. "I will not die like this. Cowering, clawing for breath."
He turned to the Company, his eyes wild with the light of battle.
"We make for the forges."
"He'll see us." Dwalin argued. "Sure as death."
"Not if we split up." Was Thorin's answer, the cogs in his mind turning quickly.
"Thorin, we'll never make it." Balin said, sounding horrified Thorin would suggest such a thing. "If we just give Clarrei some more time-"
"More time for what?" Thorin spat, echoing his friend's words of earlier. "To be killed? My love, your future queen, is fighting our battle for us. I will not abandon her when she needs me. Clarrei has done more for us than can ever be repayed." He glared at his Company, each lowering their head in shame as they remembered their dragon.
"Some of us might survive. Lead him to the forges. And kill the dragon. If this is to end in fire," he said, his words sending shivers down their spines. "Then we shall all burn together."

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Clarrei's head was spinning as it was slammed repeatedly into the stone walls. She shook her head, blood falling from her snout. She beat her great wings, slamming them against either side of Smaug's head, which made him back off, shaking his own head. There was a brief moment where the two of them merely looked at each other, before Smaug spoke again.
"You-look like-her." He panted. "That's-another-reason-why you-have to-die."
Clarrei snarled.
"You don't speak of my mother." She bellowed, lunging for the older dragon, but a cry from below distracted her.
"Down here, lizard!"
The insult was directed at Smaug, but it still made Clarrei look down to see Thorin, Balin and Bilbo standing at the edge of the gold pile, waving their arms and yelling. That moment of distraction allowed Smaug to lunge forward and latch his fangs into her throat. Clarrei gasped for air, beginning to thrash her body in an attempt to escape. Smaug tried to twist his head to break her neck, but Clarrei swing her tail into his side, quite possibly breaking a rib, as he released her immediately. The younger dragon landed heavily into the pile of gold, coughing in pain as shudders of agony ran through her. She lay as still as possible, before listening to Smaug's receding footsteps as he chased her dwarves. Tears slid down her face as she realised she had failed them. Her family. Thorin. Those ice-blue eyes ran through her head, and the memories of that deep voice made her heart flutter. A slight touch at her scaly cheek made her open her eyes and look down to see the tiny figure of Bilbo Baggins. He looked up at her with tears in his own eyes.
"I've never seen you like this, my friend." He said. "I've never seen you fight like that, either."
Clarrei chuckled, a deep rumbling noise that echoed throughout the chasm. Summoning what remained of her strength, Clarrei shifted back to her human form, and she had never felt smaller. All evidence of wings and scales had vanished, but she was so tired she couldn't care. Wincing in pain, she accepted the hobbit's extended arm, wrapping her own arm over his shoulder for support.
"I'm afraid I'm not beaten that easily, Bilbo. There's fight in the old lizard yet."
Bilbo chuckled, as the pair of them set off for a small crack in the wall of the chamber. Bilbo later explained, when Clarrei was slightly more conscious, that it was a secret passage to take them to where Thorin's plan would come into action. The forges.

A.N.// And so it begins... Well, the fight scene was extremely fun to do, and can I just say that that line from Thorin always sends chills up my spine! Next chapter Thorin and Clarrei will be reunited, and I promise, there will be another battle between Clarrei and Smaug. Hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you soon, my hobbits! 🐉