Smaug's Only Living Treasure

Chapter 6: A Child's Play

        I wake up before Smaug does to utter silence, but his breathing. He lets out quiet snores and I am quite sure that he has still in deep sleep. I fly around in the cool air and glide around the stone supports. My body is still slow from my rest, so I spread my wings to skillfully use the air and lift myself up into the air.

"Emthe?"

I hear Smaug's worried voice. I glide back to him and land on the top of his snout.

"Why is it that your fire isn't hot?"

He questions. I give him a soft smirk.

"Phoniexs aren't fighters. More of a peace maker. They can change their flames to hurt or to heal."

The dragons smiles his given answer and gently lies his head down onto the gold.

"You know," I speak out, "you don't have to call me 'Emthe'.

Smaug closes his eyelids and grumbles out: "I got used to it. Now sleep, it's too early."

I slide off of Smaug's snout and move towards the side of his face. I lay a hand on his scales and glide my hand on it while walking by his neck, feeling the bumps of his hide. The dragon purrs in his sleep, and I laugh at it. Smaug the Horrible, Smaug the Tremendous, Smaug the Kitten.

        My feet stops its tracks when I come across a missing scale. I tilt my head close to it and hear loud heartbeats. My eyes widen and I stay motionless.

"So the tales were true."

I whisper out and I place my hand onto the spot.

"Emthe, stop."

I flinch as I look to my side to see Smaug staring at me with glowing eyes. Eyes filled with anger.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"

I look at him with worry and concern. I sure that his face softened, but he put on his stern face once again.

"Speak of this to anyone, and I will end you life with the dwarves."

He says, and slides on the gold to an another corrider in the dark. I see only a faint glow of red from his stomach, and I quickly follow him.

"Please tell me what I did. I'm..... I'm sorry!"

I yell out to him as I approach the dragon. He makes himself smaller by tightening his body around himself and curling his tail. He's now a giant, scaley wall.

"Smaug? Please talk. Why are you like this suddenly?"

The ball he formed himself into swiftly unknots itself and reveals Smaug, spreading out his wings onto the stone floor and lowering himself to my eye level.

"What did you mean by 'the tales'? The tales of how you can KILL me now with those BLACK ARROWS?"

I jump at his sudden change and run away to the nearest pole. I stick myself it and try to calm myself down. I think of what I have unleashed in that monster and try to think of ways to calm him down.

"EMTHE!"

        I hear a famaliar voice in the distance, not Smaug's, but Bilbo's. He waves his hand and gestures me to come over to him. I turn quickly and fly as fast as I can to him, and crash into him as we both stumble into a corridor. Smaug is bellowing for me to come back, but all I can focus on is to get Bilbo out of here before Smaug harms him.

"Bilbo, we need to get you out of here!"

I hiss at him. But before I can say anything else, Bilbo embraces me in a warm hug. I blink a few times at the sudden comfort, and the next thing I know, I am crying in his soft shoulders and hugging him tightly back.

"Bilbo, I was so scared."

I whisper into his ear. He nods and tightens his arms around me.

"You were very brave, the bravest I know."

I smile faintly at his words and loosen my grip on his clothes and release myself from Bilbo. Bilbo pats my head gently and I giggle and press his hand onto my head. Biblo laughs with me, but our little chuckles are ended when Thorin and the other dwarves run into the corridor. Balin notices me first and runs into my outstreched arms.

"The girl is alive!"

He claims, and the others dwarves cheer or sigh in relief, except for Thorin. He steps out in front of me and reaches out his hand.

"I don't have the Arkenstone right now."

I answer, and his face darkens dramatically. But he does nothing but spit out,

"Worthless."

My eyes widen in shock and anger. Fili and Kili step in front of me and prevent me from lashing out at Thorin, who has now turned the corner of the corrider. I breathing is heavy and my hands shake slightly.

"Thedra?"

I look over to Bilbo, who's face is stained in worry. My feelings relax once I see his innocent face and I smile to the brothers and they let me go.

"I'm only going to say I'm alright because you worry too much."

I sigh out.