An: not going to be a long fic and VERY AU.
Thrain remembers an old trinket his grandsire gave him and told him only to use in times of great peril
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'A dragon... a dragon was laying siege to Erebor. We have to flea, have to get the people out.' That was all Thrain King Under the Mountain could think. AS he was running he heard a clink. A tiny noise really but it brought to his mind a time long ago when he was young. His grandsire had given him the small horn and told him never, ever blow it unless there was the greatest of danger. Thrain could think of no greater danger in the world than Smaug. So he took out the small horn. Little larger than his hand, made of the finest mithril, and he blew 3 blasts with it. To his surprise the sound of the tiny thing was great. It bounced and echoed through the halls.
Nothing. There was silence. Even the dragon had stilled at the sound. Then from the depths, deep in the treasury came a fierce growl. Then a deafening roar. The dwarves froze, looking form the gates to the depths unsure of what kind of devilry this was.
It wasn't long before a huge thing could be heard coming up from below. It was preceded by terrified and shrieking dwarves. The thing turned out to be a bright blue dragon nearly twice the size of Smaug. And it was boiling with wroth. When it came to the main chamber by the doors it stopped and sniffed. Then the scales on it's back clinked together has it hissed and shook in anger. The great beast slammed a massive paw on the release lever and the door sank into the ground as they were designed to do.
The blue dragon from the mountain faced the red come to conquer it. They fought long and fierce in the open area between Dale and Erebor. But there was no real contest. The blue was larger, faster, heavily armored with dwarf treasure. Smaug held out for a long while and put up a good fight but in the end was slain.
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Thrain was struck dumb. He was told to only us the horn in dire need it would summon their greatest ally, but a dragon? There was really no other explanation. So the king his son and daughter approached the beast that was now eying the men. The men of Dale were weary to attack since this thing came from Erebor but were also frightened of the dragon.
When they approached the dragon turned it's massive head on it's long neck to look at them. Instead of focusing on Thrain it looked at Thorin.
"You are not Thorin." The dragon spoke with a rumble but was definitely female.
"I am. Thorin the second son of Thrain." He replied
"Huum." She rumbled. "My name is Erebor. Who called me?"
"I did. My grandsire told me this horn would call our greatest ally. Can you tell me how you came to be in the mountain and bare it's name?" he asked politely.
The dragon chuckled. "I do not bare anyone's name. Thorin named the mountain after me. I will tell you my tale is you wish. But first calm the humans they act like spooked deer."
Once Thrain had calmed the men and called the leader of Dale to hear this tale the dragon began.
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"It was long ago when I hatched. High in the Grey Mountains." She gestured to the north. "I came south looking for a home and safety from my kin and dragon hunters that would come to the mountains to sly us for little reason. I found a nice cave that glittered in my firelight. So I settled and dug the cave deep enough to suit me. Here I stayed for 3 centuries till Thorin came." She paused and looked at the young Thorin.
"At first I was simply going to eat them. I waited till they were deep in my cave and cornered them. But Thorin beached me...
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Back along time ago
Thorin was terrified. He and his company were in a small cavern looking at a pile of gems when a dragon filled the only exit. He didn't know what to do but had to try something. "Please oh mighty dragon let us live." He begged
The beast looked at him. "why should I you come to steal my treasure?"
"No my lady." HE said. He had heard that you should never lie to a dragon but he would stretch the truth a bit if need be. "We did come looking for treasure but also for a place to call home. We meant to cause you no harm."
She laughed. "You and your band can cause me no harm. You have still not told me why I should let you live?"
Thorin looked around trying to come up with something. Then a thought hit him it was crazy but the only one he had. "treasure." He said. "Dragons love treasure right?"
"Yes. But I smell little gold on you. Not enough to let you go so you can come back with armies and kill me."
"No No my lady. You and I should form an alliance." He suggested.
"Why?" She asked curious her fire burning low. "What would I get out of allying with dwarves?"
"We dwarves as I said came looking for treasure, but not to steal it. We came to mine it. But this mountain is far in the north close to goblin and dragon countries."
"What are you getting at. Be plain dwarf." She growled not liking being told things she already knew.
"Alright. IF we were allies. Us dwarves could mine, shape and use the treasures in this mountain, the ones buried deep. We would place all out treasure in a vast vault. There it would be yours to guard for as long as you live."
She looked at him long and hard, thinking over the proposal. She even lay down so she was less intimidating. The deal had merit. She would have more treasure, it her nose was right enough to satisfy a whole hoard of dragons. "What would you get out of this deal?" She asked less hostile
"Your protection. IF someone or something ever tried to take the mountain from us, "he gestured to both him and her. "You would help us defend it. In return we can use some of the treasure to buy what we need to live. And you will not eat any dwarf that doesn't directly try and harm you."
She pinned the dwarf with her gaze. After a long stare down she spoke. "You will swear on the blood of your kin that any dwarf under your rule in this mountain will never plot to kill me. If they try I will end your line and the line of all those that defy me. Are we clear?"
"Yes my lady." He bowed nervous. "And you must swear on your life that you will not betray us and kill the dwarves after we mine the mountain for you."
"Agreed." She said and moved so they could stay or go.
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Present
"That is how we came to be tender allies. But over the years we grew to be friends." Erebor spoke tot he enthralled dwarves and men. Many had joined them to listen to the dragons tale. "It was not till Thorin's death that I began sleeping more than being awake. And several centuries since I last felt the need to do more than hunt on occasion."
"How can you hunt without the dwarves and men knowing?" Dis daughter of the king asked.
Erebor chucked. "You get to the heart of the matter child. Just like Faria, Thorin's youngest. There is a secret way out that only opens when a special leaver is pressed. It is at the far side of the mountain and under the treasure. I leave that way and I fly south east to the Sea of Rhun or north west to the Bay to fish, by cover of darkness. Not even elvish sentries can see me when I fly swift and high over the wood."
Dis looked up at the dragon in wonder. "Can I try?"
The dragon laughed. "I would not mind. But it would have to be a low flight. There is little air for you mortals to breath at my top heights."
"there is less air in the sky?" Balin asked interested.
"Yes. The closer one gets to he heavens the less air there is. Dragons say it is because the dead are up there and they need no air." She looked up to the sky. The dwarves nodded that made sense.
"Erebor." Thror spoke. "Could you help us take Moria?"
"No." Was her short reply.
"Why?" Thorin asked. "You are suppose to be out ally. Why will you not aide us?"
The dragon growled. "Don't mistake my friendly face boy. I will not have your insolence." she rumbled her chest giving a brighter glow in anger. "I agreed to not eat dwarves here in MY mountain and protect MY mountain. Moria is not MINE. It is claimed by far more dangerous things than orc. I have no wish to wage war on the beasts of the deep."
"You know what Durin's Bane is?" Thrain asked shocked
"Yes. The beast you call Durin's Bane is rightly named Galbator. He is very old and very fierce. The last known Belrog. He survived the siege of Gondolin long ago and has lived under the mountain since. But it is said there are things ever fiercer and older than he at the bottom of the great chasm." She said. "I am old and strong but there are powers there at the bottom of the world even I with a whole horde of dragons would not face. I would not enter that mountain with it's open mouth to the darkness. Not even for 10 times my weight in Karzak, Mithril as the elves call it." She shivered and the dwarves could see fear of the unnamed evils in her bright intelligent eyes. They would think long and hard about retaking Moria. A place feared by a dragon must be a great peril.
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Erebor spent a few decades off and on with the dwarves before she went back to her long sleep. Content with her life as it was. The dwarves felt even safer in their home with a friendly dragon living under their feet. None would dare appose them. Smaug's skill became a trophy for ages to come and so long as Erebor lived and guarded the mountain Sauron was unable to get a hold very far into the forest. Therundial told Thrain of the spiders and the Dwarf king sent a large company to help eradicate the menace before it could grow strong enough to threaten his domain.
Thrain knew the Greenwood was all that was standing between his people and Dol Guldur. So with elves and dwarves fighting together they took on and defeated the creature in the tower and tore the place down to it's foundations.
Peace reigned again. It would be another 4 centuries before Golum would finally pass of old age. And another 10 before a young elfling traveling the High Pass from Rivendell to the Greenwood would discover the ring. It would be shown to King Legolas and promptly taken for destruction.
All while the ever growing, ever aging, immortal Erebor slept on still, and forever more Queen Under the Mountain.
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An: another random one shot. I thought that if Erebor was that rich or a mountain then a dragon had to have claimed it by the time Thorin the first found it.
Let me know what you think.