"Smaug!" Her shrill screech pierced the air, echoing through the wide chamber and down the halls. He flicked one eye open, seeing only his gold, and turned back to his slumber. A second shriek brought him thrashing to his feet as it was accompanied by the scrape of finely pointed claws. "I'm hungry! Get out there and find some food!" For only a moment he considered ignoring his mate, but Ascarra was especially dangerous when hungry.

Lumbering towards the entrance of the mountain, he contented himself with a few disgruntled mutterings. "Needy she-demon." Before he could blink he was confronted with several hundred tonnes of angry dragon.

"What did you say?" He hurriedly backed away from the snarling menace, edging around her and striding towards the gate at a much faster pace than before.

"Nothing, I'm off. Watch my treasure until I return." Winging into the air before he could be forced to listen to her reply, he hoped he would find a better meal than last time. He shuddered, remembering her reaction to his offering of the pitiful clawful of half-starved lakemen. He had been lucky that one of them carried a bauble, he had been able to placate her with the hastily offered gift.


The end of the day neared when he winged his way back to the mountain stronghold, several plump wargs snared in his claws. He had eaten half of them, saving the others for his cantankerous mate. It did not matter to her what form their dinner should take, only that it was plentiful. Sure enough, her pleased growl as she fell on his offering reassured him that she had recovered from her earlier foul mood.

Leaving her to her feast, he shambled off to finish his previously interrupted slumber. She shortly joined him, and together they filled the chamber with their smoking, gargantuan forms. They would not have to eat again for some time, so they succumbed to the urge to sleep atop the gleaming piles of gold.


Smaug took a deep breath, looking around to see what had caused him to jerk awake. There was nothing before his eyes, but that smell... He did not recognize it. His senses gained a sudden clarity with the knowledge that a thief had stolen through the mountain whilst he slept, oblivious. He looked around frantically, counting his treasure and looking to find the missing object. For a dragon knows his treasure with an intimacy unrivaled by any other creature. It took him only moments to miss the golden chalice that had once resided in his halls. "Thief!" he screeched, lurching to his feet even as his mate lifted her head grouchily at his outburst.

"Oh go to sleep, it's only a cup. You can get it back later," she snorted derisively.

"No! I will not tolerate this trespass! I am fire! I am death!"

Rolling her eyes dismissively, Ascarra laid her head back down on the piles of gold. "Yes dear." He growled at her lack of support, heading for the entrance of his domain once more only to be halted by her snappish words. "Just where do you think you're going?" He turned to her in outraged disbelief.

"I have a thief to catch." Her eyes narrowed, fiery slits examining him as she silently ordered him back to her side. For the first time in many years he ignored her, pushing aside her growling tirade as he continued on his way. He had barely cleared the entryway when she was upon him.

"Get back inside," she snarled dangerously.

"No! I will not!" Turning from her, he shot into the sky to begin coating the bare rock with his fire, trying to catch the retreating thief unawares. Within moments the enraged female had caught up to him, tearing into his back with razor sharp claws. He flipped around, assailing her with his fire in fury. Grappling, they continued their deadly dance through the skies, neither gaining the upper hand. They had reached the western side of the mountain when Ascarra landed a particularly vicious slash across his neck, followed quickly with a series of targeted attacks on his wings. He felt a dim surprise at his mate's betrayal as he tumbled to the ground at the foot of the mountain.

And so it was that a party of thirteen dwarves and a halfling watched the demise of Smaug from a sheltered alcove on the western slopes of the Lonely Mountain.

End