They ran through the wood. They could hear the howling beasts behind them. The orcs and their vargs. Darkness fell quickly and soon the sun was completely gone. The wolves got closer. Smaug was short to say: frustrated. She could easily outmatch this small bunch of filthy orcs. She could however, not risk exposal. Not yet. She ran up front but then she heard a high gasp. A varg had jumped in front of the hobbit and was now looking like it was about to swallow him whole. She found herself debating whether to intervene or not. She did not hesitate long though and ran towards the now cornered hobbit. However, it was to her annoyance in vain as the varg attacked, Bilbo was surprisingly quick and drew his sword. The beast ran head first into it and the hobbit tried to comprehend what had just happened it drew it last breath. Her effort was needed elsewhere. The vargs had reached them by now and the fight had begun. While the dwarves, strong as they might be, had to fight the creatures together, Smaug did well on her own. The vargs whined when she cut through their skin and ended their lives. Everywhere the snapping jaws and singing blades could be heard as they fought while running. Then the events turned even sourer. Their escape route ended on a cliff with nowhere to go but back in to the waiting jaws of the orc pack. Gandalf thought quickly "Up into the trees!" and everyone began to climb. Bilbo was still trying to free his sword from the dead varg's forehead and therefore all of a sudden found himself utterly alone on the ground. Smaug thought quickly, reached down to grab the hobbit's arm, and pulled him on a branch. Now the forest floor was alive with orcs and vargs as the wolf-like creatures tried to jump and snap the dwarves from the trees. Anwyn fired her arrows at the growling beasts. Killing a few but more were coming. There seemed to be no way out. Then Smaug noticed Gandalf. He was using his staff to reach a small moth. He whispered something to the little insect and then it flew away. Smaug did not hear what he said but she had a feeling what it might be. The vargs became more and more aggressive as they could not reach their prey. They bit the branches and jumped higher and higher. Oh how Smaug wished she could use her true form. Then a cracking noise brought her out of her thoughts. The force of the jumping vargs had made the trees weak and now they were crashing into each other. The dwarves jumped from one tree to the other until they all sat on the last standing tree that was now mere moments from falling down into the deep below. The company hang free from the cliff as they clang to the slim wooden branches. The pale orc laughed. Smaug narrowed her eyes. Her anger was evident but nobody noticed the auburn glimmer, which passed swiftly in her fiery eyes. Her focus was then set on Gandalf who tossed her a pinecone. She held it in her hand and raised an eyebrow at Gandalf. By using the magic in his staff, he set his own cone on fire and threw it at the vargs on the ground. Smaug caught the idea and by using her own flame, she set fire to her own pinecone. Anwyn placed the cones on her arrows so when she hit a varg it did not only suffer from the sharp arrowhead but it also had to deal with the burning pinecone. Soon a rain of burning pinecones were raining down on the vargs. Setting them on fire and on the run. Azog and his soldiers were furious. The dwarves laughed and cheered but these cheers suddenly turned to scream and yells as the roots of the tree began to give in and then it fell. They were now hanging in the empty air and struggling to hold on to the tree. Thorin looked at the pale orc. Satisfaction evident on the scum's face. Rage filled his mind. He rose to his feet and walked down the trunk towards the orc. Smaug had her hands full, keeping the other dwarves alive, to take care of Thorin and keep him from doing such a stupid act. She saw him grab a piece of tree. Using it as a shield. Smaug guessed, this was how he faced the pale orc the last time they clashed swords. Smaug shook her head. She could see, even from a far distance, that this face off was in the orc's favour. Thorin was blinded by rage and not thinking straight. Azog just sat on his pet. Waiting. Anticipating. Enjoying Thorin's attack. The shield did Thorin little as the orc urged his varg forwards and knocked Thorin to the ground. Smaug watched as the two fought. He has brought this upon himself, she thought. Azog attacked again. He swung his club and hit Thorin. Knocking him to the ground again. "Noooo!" Balin screamed beside her. He could see just like her that Thorin's chances of survival were slim. She drew her sword. Something had to be done. Then she saw Dwalin. He was struggling to get to Thorin's aid but the branch he used for support snapped. She caught his wrist but was now unable to fight of the enemy as Azog let his pet bite down on Thorin. The animal tossed Thorin and he landed hard on the cliff's edge. Azog ordered a soldier to bring him Thorin's head. No matter how infuriating these dwarves were, Smaug did not want the orcs to have the satisfaction of killing them. If they were to die it would be her decision. She was about to rise when a small figure passed her. Bilbo tackled the soldier to the ground and fought the scum with an eager Smaug had never seen in the little guy before. Bilbo killed the orc but then faced the leader. Smaug saw how he frantically swung his sword from side to side in the air as he tried to look like a fierce warrior. She shook her head. This was not a fight he could win. With her sword in hand, she ran towards the orc soldiers. Ending their lives swiftly. The pale orc was furious. Not knowing whom he was dealing with, he sent more soldiers her way. She, to the attackers' dread smirked. This far more enjoyable than killing goblins. All of a sudden, the whole dwarf company engaged in the fight. They yelled as they attacked the surprised orcs and vargs. Between the combatants a little creature suddenly found himself in deep trouble. He was standing between a pale orc and his prey. Smaug was on her way when she heard the sound wind moving through feathers. A sound not even the wizard heard before they were right there. The eagles. The gigantic birds sweeped down grabbing the vargs and releasing them mid-air to fall to their death. One by one, they started picking up the dwarves either on their back or carefully in their claws. As one eagle swept down and picked up the unconscious Thorin, Azog roared in rage. Smaug was still standing on the cliff as the tree finally could no longer withstand the pressure and broke fully. Gandalf was still on the tree as it fell and she ran towards him. But stopped at the cliff edge as an eagle caught him on its back. She watched how the flock slowly flew away. She had never had specific quarrels with the eagles. She had no desire to hunt them and they left her alone. She was fully capable of taking down their entire nest so whether it was respect or fear she did not know. She looked down. Seemed this was the moment that could answer her question. She turned around and faced the Defiler and the few soldiers he had left. "What are you ? Answer before I kill you she-dog!" Azog sneered in black speech. By answering in the same tongue she surprised him "I do not answer to filth like you Defiler! By the time I reveal my name you will be but slime on the rocks!" "KILL HER!" he bellowed. Smaug smiled, took another look down behind her, leaned back and then... She let herself fall. If the eagles had wanted her dead, they sure did not show it. She felt the soft feathers on her back, sat up and turned around. She was now facing the same way as the eagle. She then did something she had only done with few living creatures. She reached out to the eagle's mind and talked to it through thought. "I believe we can establish that after this incident no harm will come to your flock from my behalf? I have no quarrel with your kin" The eagle looked at her, "It has never happened that an alliance between eagle and drake has been established" She looked down, "I do not ask of alliance.. You have shown to be trustworthy, whether it be by Gandalf's bidding or not" The eagle smiled, "You are clever. Gandalf did ask this of me but that was before I knew the identity of my rider you Drake of the North!" She narrowed her eyes "Again I wish no war with your kin but if you in any manner try to interfere with my plans or should try to attack me I will not hesitate to incinerate your nest. You stay out of my way and I will stay out of yours. This is my bargain". "We eagles do not wish war either but will not hesitate to fight the coming darkness". "I know of what you speak eagle yet I ow my allegiance to no one" She leaned forward "can I trust you will not mend in what events that are to follow?" The eagle screeched, "We do not mend the affairs of the creatures bound by earth yet when the grey wizard calls we will answer". Smaug starred ahead and spotted Gandalf. "Mithrandír knows how to pick allies. Very well. So be it" She smirked and the eagle screeched once again. Behind them she could hear a roar of anger. The flew them to the Carrock. As they landed Gandalf swiftly ran to Thorin's side. Bilbo and the rest of the company was not far behind. Gandalf muttered a spell but it had little effect. Smaug landed as the last. Gandalf looked up and saw her. He extended his hand towards her and the others followed his eyes was first then aware of who he bid forward. "Please I could need some in this matter" He said to her. The dwarves looked back and forth between the two. "Thorin won't like this one bit, neither do I for that matter" Dwalin whispered to Balin. "Let us just see what she can do. Apparently Gandalf believes she the better choice". She sat next to Gandalf and asked in her mind "What do need me to do?" "I need you to save Thorin" She cast him a suspicious gaze, "Mithrandír! Why do you ask this of me, Why should I save him and not you?" He sighed "He is beyond my reach. Stronger magic is needed here. Dragons are famous for their capability of destruction. But They also hold the ability to cure the dying. That is if they wish" She looked down thoughtfully. "Tell me Smaug. Do you really wish for Thorin to die now? This early? If not for his own, then for my sake. I let him to this and my heart tells me there is still need of him in the times yet to come" He looked her straight in the eyes. "I will heal him Mithrandír but by using this power within me I let my shields down. My mind will be vulnerable. Something I fear as the only thing in this wide world might take advantage of this and if it does we will all have to prepare for the consequences" Gandalf nodded not sure of what to say "Then we will deal with it". She shook her head what was she doing? She laid her hands on Thorin's breast. She found the faintest pulse. She began uttering words. Ancient words. Words too old for Gandalf to recognize. Suddenly Thorin bolted up and stood before them. Breathing. He looked at Gandalf and was about to thank him when the wizard gestured to the red haired woman beside him. "You?" She stood up "Indeed me". "But... How? How could you and not Gandalf?" "These are questions for another time" She turned her back and walked to the edge of the Carrock. She closed her eyes. For just a moment she could feel and drumming noise in the back of her mind but when she tried to listen, it was gone. A bird passing by made her turn and see the whole company standing together. She walked up to them. "We'll take it as sign. A good omen" She heard Thorin say. She looked to where all eyes were fixated and felt something akin to excitement within her chest. Far into the distance rose a single solitary peak. The Lonely Mountain. Nobody noticed her smirk. "I really do believe the worst is behind us" She heard the Halfling say. I would not be so sure of that little hobbit, she thought, soon everything shall be revealed as the sky will come crashing down. She felt a sting in the back of her head and grimaced but luckily, nobody noticed as a thought not of her own roared in her mind; ...and the lake shall shine and burn! The pain subsided.
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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...
