The Dragoness War

Prologue

The cream-and-gold dragon flew and hovered above her head, and the green-and-bronze one prostrated itself at her feet. The black-and-scarlet beast was draped across her shoulders, its long sinuous neck coiled under her chin. Her hands were covered in the scales of two of her most powerful creatures, each one a foot long and three or four inches wide. In her left hand she gripped an enchanted arrowhead, which glowed with a steady blue light.

Her hair floated about her like a cloud as her wings beat the air at a constant speed; her eyes had narrowed to slits as she stared out towards the horizon. As she stood there, she seemed to grow larger than she ever had before. A breeze blew by that sent her long brown hair dancing around her head in a frenzy, and a small flock of birds scattered in every direction at the sight of the gigantic dragoness.

"Oh, oh, you look so majestic! What are we going to do today, Lady?"

"I know, I know! I don't want us to do anything too dangerous. How about some training? No flying yet." She laughed, the wind making her voice sound even deeper. "What about you, Kili?"

"Yes, yes!" said Kili, jumping from his spot on her shoulder and landing lightly next to her. "But... why should I go flying?" he asked. He looked up at his sister through big blue eyes, and then back down again. She gave him a little push, and he almost fell backwards. "Ow! Hey, what'cha doing?"

"It's a simple thing," said Lady Galadriel. "Go stand in front of me now."

Kili did as instructed, though he continued pouting the whole time. Then his sister grabbed him around the waist and pulled him close. Kili yelped as they went tumbling to the ground together. He tried to sit up, but Galadriel held him down.

"Don't try to move! Just let me explain this!" She began gently stroking Kili's face. "Remember what happened when you first learned to walk?" Kili nodded. "You didn't understand very well until Thorin told you to stand still!"

He nodded again, but said nothing.

Galadriel continued, "Well, it's true that the muscles in your legs can take much more work than your arms could handle. And if your legs get tired so easily, how will you be able to run or jump if you're not walking?"

"So... I have to practice being still to build muscle strength..." He smiled.

His sister chuckled. "Precisely! Now, you'll start by standing on both feet! Try to feel them beneath your toes."

She helped him to his feet, keeping his right foot behind his left leg, and he took a tentative step forward. She put a hand on his back and pushed down, making him stumble forwards slightly. His legs wobbled, but she helped him regain his balance.

"Again! Keep your left leg straight, and keep your weight evenly distributed over it!" she encouraged.

They repeated this for several hours until Kili had managed to make himself stand perfectly still, leaning back on only his heels as if he were a tree trunk. Galadriel released him, and he collapsed on his knees once again. He sighed with relief, stretching his limbs with exaggerated movements as his stomach protested the lack of food.

"Thank goodness. My poor body must be so stiff after all that effort. I think my back is ready to crack open, and my hips ache from being bent backward for so many hours. Ohh, I'm exhausted!" Kili said dramatically, wiping away a tear.

Galadriel chuckled and ruffled his hair playfully. "Then we'd best get you home." She picked up her spear, which Kili had dropped earlier, and tossed it to him. He caught it easily, and grinned up at her. They began heading back in the direction of the mountain pass, pausing occasionally to give their wings room to flap against their backs.