Props to smart-blonde-the-oxymoron for her story Dragon's Bait for inspiration
xxDragon
she had come one day, to his mountain.
she had walked up it until she found the gaping hole at the top.
the hole he used to leave the mountain.
his mountain.
she had looked down it, at the sheer cliff-like walls
she had seen the stone floor below.
she had grimaced
she had taken the rope off her shoulder
and tied it to a rock.
she had climbed down the opening
into the mountain.
his mountain.
she had sat down on the floor
not entering the rest of the mountain
his mountain
and she waited.
he had come, of course.
he came and found her there,
in her bare feet
in her leggings
in her tunic
he had glared down at her
seen her brown hair
seen her grey eyes
he had demanded why she was there
what she thought would come out of her visit
except for death.
she had looked up at him
she looked sad.
...
"I have come to die."
...
he had looked at her.
had asked why
...
"They say I am a witch."
...
he had asked who 'they' were
he had been intrigued
...
"The people of Lake-Town"
...
he asked why they thought so
...
"They needed someone to blame. If you would kill me now, I would appreciate it."
...
he had almost incinerated her
he had almost stepped on her
he had almost killed her
...
"My name is Symyn"
...
she looked even sadder
...
"A witch's name"
...
and then he had changed her fate
he said that she wasn't a thief
and then he had slithered into the great hall
and she had followed
...
she sat in a corner
watching him
for two days
on the third, he flew out of the chamber.
he came back with a deer
he blew fire on it
told her to eat
she nodded
and a ghost of a smile appeared on her face
...
on the fourth day, she spoke
...
"In marble halls as white as milk,
Lined with a skin as soft as silk,
Within a fountain crystal-clear,
A golden apple doth appear.
No doors there are to this stronghold,
Yet thieves break in and steal the gold."
...
he asked her what she was blathering on about
...
"It is a riddle."
...
she had looked into his eyes
...
"...Smaug…"
...
he told her the answer
he said it was an egg.
she nodded
...
"You burned Dale"
...
he said nothing
...
"You burned Dale and took the mountain"
...
still there was no answer
...
"No legs have I to dance
No lungs have I to breathe
No life have I to live or die
And yet I do all three."
...
he hummed the answer
fire
he asked why the Master sent her to him
...
"To kill me. I suppose I deserve it. Better me than the friends and family that I cannot return to"
...
she was angry
she was furious
...
he asked her simply, hardly tolerating her anger
what she would do to them
to the city
if she had the chance for vengeance
...
"Nothing. I would do...nothing"
...
he told her that her answer was stupid.
she told him the question was stupid
he asked her again, more forcefully
he pushed harder
told her how those were the humans that abandoned her
that sent her to her death because of a tiny idea planted in their
stupid minds
...
"Fine. Fine! You want to know what I would do? What I would honestly do if I had the chance? I would go back to Esgaroth and…"
...
she trailed off
he asked her snidely if she'd ask them to take her back
if she'd become one of them again
...
"No. I'd go back and I'd burn it. I'd burn the city and the people and the Master. I'd burn it all to ash."
...
she lived with him for months.
thieves had come when he was out
had taken gold
had taken her
they took her far away
had burned a house and a family
had stolen their goods
they hadn't believed her when she told them
...
"He knows where every single piece of gold is. Where all his treasure is."
...
but they were afraid
except their leader
when she said
...
"He will find you. He will find you and kill you."
...
and he did
he came
and he killed them
and she had run up and hugged his muzzle
he told her she was free
she didn't have to come back
but she wanted to
and he had left her
...
she bought supplies
and a horse
and travelled Middle-Earth
for three years
...
"did you hear-?"
"Smaug the Magnificent-"
...
she didn't believe it
...
"it is true!"
"Smaug the Golden-!"
...
by the third time
in a third city
she began to believe
...
"the Chiefest and Greatest Calamity is dead!"
...
she was 19 when she reached the lake
she saw nothing but a few burnt planks
and ash
the city was under the lake
a pile of ash
she had led her horse to the banks
it had shied away
she had patted her side and called out
...
"Smaug?"
...
she yelled across the water
she had yelled until her voice became hoarse
she had dropped to her knees
she had cried
she had gotten back on her horse
and ridden up to Dale
she had walked through the streets
she had seen him
the Master
she had stopped
stared
he had turned
had met her eyes
had stared
had yelled witch
...
men had drawn weapons
women pulled wide-eyed children to them
he had demanded why she was still alive
why Smaug hadn't killed her
he hadn't listened
he had called her a demon
said part of the dragon
lived in her
he had ordered with a shaking finger
for her to be burned
...
the men tied her to a stake
piled dry wood around her
set it afire
...
at first she didn't think it took
the hear licked her legs
she had sighed
closed her eyes
he asked her simply, hardly tolerating her anger
what she would do to them
to the city
if she had the chance for vengeance
...
"Nothing. I would do...nothing"
...
he told her that her answer was stupid.
she told him the question was stupid
he asked her again, more forcefully
he pushed harder
told her how those were the humans that abandoned her
that sent her to her death because of a tiny idea planted in their
stupid minds
...
"Fine. Fine! You want to know what I would do? What I would honestly do if I had the chance? I would go back to Esgaroth and…"
...
she trailed off
he asked her snidely if she'd ask them to take her back
if she'd become one of them again
...
"No. I'd go back and I'd burn it. I'd burn the city and the people and the Master. I'd burn it all to ash."
she ignored the first screams
then opened her eyes
looked up
squinted and coughed
saw a huge black shadow
eclipse the sun
wings had flapped like a hurricane
the smoky air trembled with his roar
his chest glowed with his internal fire
she grinned hugely
she had closed her eyes
and laughed
as the town had erupted
with dragon fire
...
...
...
maybe we will, Smaug. Someday we will burn it.
xxDragon