The River Under the Mountain

by Diana Kay Warry

One Shot: Elle River is a peculiar woman. She would rather hunt than sew. She would rather read & study than cook. She wears men's clothing, not corsets. Her dream is to leave Lake-town and travel, not marry like her family wants her to. Yet a chance meeting changes her life and she proves how strong she really is-to herself-and to a certain dragon under the Lonely Mountain.

The River Under the Mountain

Ever since Elle was a little girl she could remember being told stories of the dragon under the Lonely Mountain. The tales, like the lake air that filled her town, swirled about her, her entire eighteen years. Perhaps this was because her one claim to fame was that she was born on the day of the great dragon attack.

"You weren't supposed to be born until two weeks later," her father had told her many a night next to the fire. "But the stress of the attack caused your mom to go into labor and—despite the destruction that day, at least our family was spared and we had you." He held her tighter. "No dragon, may it be Smaug or any other, would have gotten past me to get to you."

Smaug. She had tasted the name on her tongue plenty of times, felt the hiss at the back of her teeth as she uttered it. Smaug. It sounded like the last dying hiss of a fire, or the cracking of wood as it burned. Elle slightly felt that the name didn't fit the enormity of this dragon that supposedly destroyed her family's original home. Now they were given a new place of origin: Lake-town.

She had mixed feelings about the name of her birthplace. Yes, it was a town literally built on a lake with intricate floating buildings and bridges, but did the founders HAVE to go with Lake-town? Why not Azure City or Aqua-ville? Lake-town sounded so simple, so dull. Yet, and with a sigh she always thought this, Lake-town was a simple and dull place. In that way, the name was fitting. Elle often thought about names and their meaning, perhaps because her name was so ironic. She was Elle Rivers—Elle Rivers from a place called Lake-town.

"Perhaps it's prophecy," she said, "I'm a River in Lake-town...a body that is simply meant for bigger things than where it is now."

Certainly in her family she played a large role. She was an only child who had to take on the role of a second bread winner to get by. Often she would fish, do odd jobs for neighbors, and sometimes go on land to hunt for fresh meat. She enjoyed those trips that could take anywhere from two days to a week. She liked the solitude, the time to simply be in the great outdoors and think. These were also some of the few times where she could wear her lambskin trousers and tunic without scorn from other people. A woman, even though she had to pull her own weight, was still a woman in Lake-town. Despite having to help rebuild the trading post of a city, they also had to dress and behave like "the fragile sex" they were. Even though she did not know of life before Smaug's attack on Lake-town, she had been told many things had changed since then. She wished the idea of women always wearing dresses and cooking and cleaning and sewing would also have changed.

When she was younger she could get away with wearing men's clothing, for some did not know she was a girl. But as her body developed she grew softer in some places and rounder in others—and the difference between her and a man became marked, to say the least. Also, when she was fourteen, her mother no longer allowed her to crop her hair short.

"Why?" Elle had asked (or more like moaned). "I mean, how am I going to hunt if I have to push hair out of my eyes every three minutes?"

"Start tying it back as it grows," her mother simply said. "River, we've allowed you to do what you liked with your appearance when you were younger, but you're becoming a woman. You need to start caring about how you portray yourself to others."

"With my looks? Is my mind or my own personality worth nothing?"

"No but," she looked down. "You're growing up. It was okay for you to be a tomboy as a child, but years will pass and things will change. You also need to stop wearing the breeches and tunics too. It's time to stop acting like a child and more like a lady." She lightened her tone. "I put some of my old skirts and blouses in your room, from when I was your age."

Elle shrugged. "I'm still wearing my tunic and pants when I hunt."

Her mother sighed. "Fine. As long as you bind your chest."

She glanced down at the slightly swollen bumps on her chest and blushed. "Leave it alone, Mom."

Her mother had been right though. Years had passed, things did change. While she continued to advance in school many of the girls dropped out. Only two women, including Elle, completed their education in town. The rest were men. She began to wear skirts and blouses like her mother said (of course begrudgingly) and spent less time fishing and hunting and more time attempting to learn how to sew. At least her parents never forced her into a corset, she thought somewhat gratefully.

While her time with being outdoors became limited, she was allowed to read after her daily attempts at sewing and cooking were done, and as long as she could read, her mind expanded and her longing for travel grew. When she was sixteen she began doing odd jobs and selling some of the meat from her hunts for money to travel. Elle's dream was to raise some money and strike out on her own. She would travel the realm of the elves, and maybe explore the lands between there and the Shire—where hobbits were reportedly said to live. She had never seen a hobbit, and from descriptions, she thought it must look like the mixture of a short human and a dirty elf.

As she aged and her eighteenth year passed her hunger for books, traveling, and adventure grew. She had a velvet purse halfway filled with money at that point, and she had been secretly collecting and mending tunics and breeches for her travel wear. One night, when the air was warm and the breeze felt cool from the lake, she was brushing out her long red hair and said to herself, "The first thing I will do when I leave—will be to chop my hair off." She chuckled at the thought, and picked up the red wood handled pocket knife her father had given her for their first hunting trip. She pantomimed that freeing action, finding a bit of satisfaction in it. She couldn't wait until those flicks of the wrist would be meaningful.

"Soon," she uttered into the night, nestling into her bed with a candle burning and book in her hands, "soon."

Elle awoke early the next day, the sunrise's light breaking through her window and shining. She listened for a while, wanting to know if her parents were awake. Hearing nothing, she pushed herself out of bed and made her way to her set of drawers. In the last compartment she took out a pair of green breeches with a white tunic. Along with that she brought out a white linen bandage: her chest bindings. After removing her nightgown and rolling the bandage on her torso, she slipped on the tunic and breeches. Next she braided her hair. When that process was done she finally found her wool cap, and after placing it upon her head, she stuffed her braid in.

At last she crept downstairs to the kitchen, and after grabbing some cheese and dried fruit, she placed it into her knapsack and left the house. It was a fine spring morning in Lake-town. She could see on the horizon most of the men were taking advantage of the decent weather and getting a head start fishing. Women were making their way to the market, and even a few children were up and playing on the boardwalks that made up the go between passages of the town. She gazed at the area built of wood and canvas. Everything around her seemed to be a mixture of damp greens, blues, and browns. That was the palette of living on a lake though.

Elle wasn't sure what she would do. Perhaps she would take a boat out to the water and fish along with the men. Maybe she would take the journey to land, do some hunting, and come back at sundown. Her mother did not tell her she would have to sew or clean today after all. She had to make the most of it.

As she walked toward the edge of the boardwalk she felt two hands give her a push, and she toppled over board. Her body soon hit the water, and before going down she let out a cry of shock. She wasn't panicked though, and her body soon moved in motion so she wouldn't drown. To everyone in Lake-town, swimming was second nature. She peered up at the boardwalk and saw the person who pushed her in was her best friend, Amin.

The nineteen-year-old boy looked at her, his amber eyes shining with laughter, and a grin on his pale face. He pushed a few locks of dirty blonde hair out of his eyes, as though he didn't want to be distracted by the humorous sight in front of him.

"You twit," she hissed.

He gave a hearty chuckle and offered a large hand to help her out of the water. On account of his tall stature he didn't need to bend too far over to reach her. "I had to Elle. You looked like a girl in need of adventure on this day."

She took his hand and he helped pull her out. Before he could say anymore she grabbed his shoulders and also pushed him in the water, soaking his entire form breeches and all.

"Okay," he said when he pulled himself back on the dock, "I probably deserved that."

"Probably?"

"You two stop pushing each other in!" A fisherman yelled about seven feet away. "You'll scare our catches!"

"Sorry," Amin called out, "we'll stop."

"You're giving me a lot of trouble for this early in the morning," Elle said, as they began to walk side by side. "Usually I first get yelled at by people around lunchtime."

"If they knew you were a woman they probably wouldn't have yelled at you. You know how the men around here like seeing their women in—wet clothes."

"And you wonder why I dress as a man and bind myself?"

He shrugged. "I'm actually surprised they didn't recognize you. It's no secret that you're the only girl that dresses as a man around here."

"That's the reason why I haven't worn men's clothing in a while," she explained. "I take a long stretch of time without dressing so that way when I can do it I don't get strange looks. Most people have to take a close look to realize it's me..."

"...or they have to be a best friend who knows you well enough."

She smiled at him. "Exactly. So what are you going to do today?"

"I don't know," Amin said. "I might see if Riley Blythe is around. Perhaps she would like to go peruse the market later this afternoon."

"You've taken some interest in Riley."

"Only because I can't get through to you." He winked at her. "Besides, you've told me you're not meant to stay here and, well, I like it here."

"Well you're right about that. The day I settle here is the day Smaug comes back."

Amin stopped walking. "You shouldn't say things like that, Elle."

She turned around. "I'm sorry. It's so easy to tease about something you don't believe is around anymore. I know that it still haunts people here though."

"How can you not believe he's still on the Lonely Mountain? As long as the dwarfs' riches are still there, so is he. As long as the gold is there he will rest."

"I've studied stories of the great dragons, Amin. I know. But the one thing about Smaug, is that he seems to love destroying humans more than he loves gold. He supposedly despises our people, so why doesn't he just finish us off?"

"That's terrible to say Elle!"

"Well, don't you see where I'm coming from? I don't think he's around anymore. I think he would destroy Lake-town and then rest with his gold. I...I just wish we knew for sure. I know our prospects would be better if we were back on land. We could actually raise our own livestock instead of having to hunt for it, or if there's not a hunter in within the family, the family has to buy meat for outrageous prices. Also, think of the vegetables we could have and the homes..."

"At least we have someone like you here, who's a hunter for hire. If you didn't go and hunt for our elderly settlers, I am not sure what they would do. They certainly couldn't afford the meat otherwise."

"It still would be better if we could go back on land," she grumbled.

"Smaug rules that land," Amin stated. "If we don't know for sure, then it's safe to assume that."

"Well," she began, "what if I found out for sure?"

Amin glanced at her. "And how would you do that?"

"Journey to the Lonely Mountain. If I make it as far as the base of it, and maybe even make it inside, I can prove he's not there."

"Elle, you can't! How would you prove that you were there in the first place?"

"I'd take a rock from the mountain, or better yet, a gold coin from the dwarfs' trove. Think about it. It would be a good situation for everyone. We would not only have the land back, but also, all that treasure. We could be greater than we ever were."

"I don't even think you could make it to the mountain on your own."

She glared at Amin. "Oh really now?"

"Yes, really."

"All right—I will journey to the mountain. Just to the base...for now. I will come back with rock from the base, and then next time I go out, I will venture inside and find out if Smaug is still there."

Amin chuckled. "You'll turn back before you're half way there."

"I've studied maps. The journey will take a day to two days' time, tops. I will be back within the week." She paused. "Well, I might want to hunt so the trip isn't just to squash your ego."

"Let's both offer up wagers then, to make it more interesting."

She grinned. "Okay. If I make it back you have to mend my clothes."

"I said we'd offer up our own wager, not one for each other. But fine. If you turn back—you have to kiss me."

She burst out laughing. "All right. I can agree to that since it will never happen." She offered her hand and they shook on it. "I will need to go home and prepare. Since the weather is fine I can probably set off in the next two hours...if I leave you now."

"What will you say to your family?"

"I will tell them I will be gone for a week or so to do some hunting for a few of the settlers here. They will be fine while I'm gone. I just don't know how you'll fair without me to entertain you."

Amin smirked. "I think I will live."

As Elle walked home she hoped she would come home to an empty house. She knew that her father would be out selling his knives in the market or fishing with the men on the lake. Her mother, she wasn't sure about. It was possible she was at the market place or visiting friends. Elle doubted she would be inside on this fine spring day, but who knew with her? Her mother never was one for enjoying such weather.

Elle quietly opened the front door to her home, and listened. The stillness of silence met her, and she grinned. All she would have to do is come in, grab a few things, and leave a note. She wouldn't have to suffer any questions from her mother. Elle made her way to the kitchen and began to add more cheese and fruit to her knapsack, needing some for her journey, but knowing she could live off the land and hunt, thus she wouldn't carry too much. As she finished that task, she grabbed her water cask from the hook on the left hand wall, and noted to fill it from the well before she left Lake-town.

Suddenly someone entered the house, and she turned. There, at the front door, she found her mother.

"Mother," she greeted.

"Elle," her mother responded, "what exactly are you doing?"

Elle sighed. "I was approached today about hunting for a few of the older settlers. The order is a large one. I may be gone for up to a week."

"This is quite short notice."

"I know. Yet it needs to be done." She moved toward the stairs, so she could steal up to her room and pack some clothing. Yet her mother stopped her.

"Elle, wait."

Elle turned, leaning against the banister. "Yes?"

"We—we need to talk." As her mother sat down at the small, square dining table she knew this would be a long talk. Elle sat down on the bottom stair and tried to make herself comfortable.

"Elle," she began, "I think it is time you considered quitting your hunts."

She sat there stunned. "What, Mother?"

"Elle you are eighteen years old! Soon, oh too soon, you will be nineteen. You need to consider where you're going with your life."

"I know what I'm going to do with my life."

"Oh do you? Do you still plan to travel? Is the dream to explore the world? For years your father and I let you indulge in those dreams. We let you get your education. We spent money on books for you, we let you dress as a man during your hunts—but all that has to stop Elle. People like us don't leave Lake-town. We stay here and take care of each other. And, well, this town needs good women. Not many outside can survive the way we live." Her mother paused for a moment. "You can hunt this last time, but then it needs to stop. Kolyat Raine has called upon you. He is interested in taking you into his home."

Elle stood there, eyes wide. She was too stunned, or perhaps horrified, to move. "You're saying Kolyat, the judge's son, wants to...?"

"Yes."

She shook her head. "Absolutely not. I will not follow him to his house."

Her mother stood forcefully. "What?"

"No, I will not court him! I will not marry that dim-witted troll of a man!"

"He's very wealthy. You could live a comfortable life."

"I don't want to live a comfortable life!" Elle pulled herself to her feet. "I want to travel! I want to hunt and make my way in this world! Comfort is boring! By the fates—that boy wouldn't last two hours in a hunt! He barely lasted two years in school!"

"Enough Elle!" Her mother shouted. "Your father is getting older. We need help. If you did this—" Tears gathered in her eyes. "I realize it would be difficult at first for you, but if you did this your father could enjoy his years in this town, finally."

Elle found her own throat tightening, and her vision became blurred. "I can't."

Without another word she ran upstairs and to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. She sunk to the floor, her spine pressing against the door as she slid down. She buried her face in her hands, attempting to quiet her sobs. She loved her parents, especially her father, very deeply. Yet to sentence herself to a life of servitude, to bind herself to a man she could never love, and force to even give up the joy of the hunt...such a life seemed more like a living death.

She stood then, and went back to prepare for her week's "hunt". She grabbed her breeches and tunics, and her velvet purse of coins. She knew she didn't have enough to leave Lake-town for good, but she was desperate. She wasn't sure what she would do.

Elle at last went to her closet and brought out her knife, and her bow and quiver full of arrows. She fastened her knife around her waist, and the bow and arrows to her back. She gathered a few more things she could fit into her bag: a book of poetry, a collection of maps, and her bedroll. With her food, clothing, and weapons packed she moved downstairs. She found her mother was nowhere in sight—and was glad for it. With a heaviness in her chest she had never known, she made her way to the dock, and looked for someone who could row her out to land.

Hours later she had paid her transporter and was on land. Taking a deep breath she watched the boat and it's rower glide away on the lake—and she began to make her way to the Lonely Mountain.

Elle traveled slowly. She was not sure what her future would be—if her future would include another romp in the forest. She looked around at the lush area. She was shocked that eighteen years ago this place was scorched by the fire of Smaug, and was nothing but a desolate waste land. Now trees had sprung up in the area, and so had flowers and grasses. The animals had returned, and she even passed by a few streams. However she could still find traces of the dragon's destruction. There were scorched trees here and there, burnt stumps. The ground, in some places, was still black and hard.

She remembered Amin's wager, and wanted to hold to it. Even in great times of trial she was not one to go back on a bet or let anyone take a jab to her pride. This, she decided, would be the last childish thing she would do. One more challenge to enrich her soul before heading back to Lake-town.

"If I go back," she said uncertainly to herself.

As evening approached she hunted a rabbit for herself, and at a stream, she cleaned the small beast. She thought some stew might be good, but then decided on just cooking it on a spit and eating it as it were. It was a fine meal, along with the fruit and cheese she brought, even if the rabbit was a bit gamey. As she sat on her bedroll with the fire going, she looked up at the darkening sky that was beginning to be spattered with glittering stars. She finished her meal, picking the rest of the rabbit clean and storing the meat in her back for future meals. As a closure to her night she read by firelight poetry of artists old. Maybe, her life with Kolyat could be bearable if she was allowed greater resources for books.

However, a man like him probably would not value the treasure of books, she realized.

She fell asleep, and slept soundly, until the light of dawn awoke her. After eating a bit of the rabbit for breakfast, she rolled up her bedroll, gathered her supplies, and pushed on with her journey. Hours passed, but after a time of glancing at maps and her compass, she was there—at the base of the Lonely Mountain.

She had always seen the mountain range from a distance during her hunts, but the blackened, jagged towers of rock looked more formidable up close. She picked up one of the rocks, the empowering feeling of victory filling her chest. She had made it to the mountain—an eighteen-year-old woman had taken the trek in only a day and a half.

She put the rock in her pocket, and turned to lean back against the mountain's base. She sighed, enjoying the sight around her, and closed her eyes.

Suddenly the side of the mountain crumbled, as though a weathered roof had torn open by the weight of the wind, and she fell through. Elle screamed, her voice echoing through the inside cavern. Her stomach flew to her throat as she at last hit the ground, hard, and tumbled. Her chest became heavy, and it was difficult to breathe due to the wind being knocked out of her. She laid on her side for a while with her eyes tightly closed.

"Please, don't let anything be broken," she said. "Please..."

She moved her arms and legs carefully, and to her relief, she found that she was only sore. That's when she realized that she had fallen on her back and her bedroll and knapsack had broken her fall. She may have a few foodstuffs squashed, but other than that, she was okay. Carefully, Elle sat up, and finally opened her eyes.

She gasped, finding herself in a stone hallway. The path was narrow, and it was extremely dark, her eyes barely being able to make out the smooth stone. One end of the hall showed only shadow, but as she looked down the other end, she saw a hint of light. It was then the gravity of where she was hit her.

She was in the Dwarfs' domain. This place is where, it was rumored, all the riches of the world were held. And supposedly, so was a dragon.

Elle laughed at this thought. A dragon was around here? Really? If a dragon was here would it not have heard her tumble in? Would she not be it's supper by now? She stood. No, no dragon was here. Only the chance for Lake-town to raise once more was.

She walked toward the light, no longer afraid. As she approached the area became brighter and she could make out faint carvings on the walls of some sort. Perhaps they were the Dwarfs' language or pictures, she was unsure. Only a few feet away from the light she could see that the hall lead to a room...that sparkled yellow in a peculiar way. She picked up her pace, and quickly closed the distance between her and the empty hall space. When she came to the entryway of the room, she gasped.

The room was huge, perhaps bigger than Lake-town itself, and within it were mountains of gold, gemstones, and even jewelry and shining weapons. Elle felt overwhelmed looking at the treasure trove. She glanced along the room/cave walls and saw that torches lit with unending fire kept the room bright. She slid her knapsack and bedroll off her body, and keeping her dagger and arrows with her, she began to explore the area.

The slick surface of coin made it difficult to keep traction on the mounds, but her sturdy body and balance helped her stay on her feet. Elle would occasionally pick up a piece of jewelry, thoughts flooding her. Would her mother like a gold ring with a simple ruby set into it? Or perhaps the sapphire and pearl necklace she saw a few feet away? Would her father find use for dagger with a diamond crusted handle? Elle grinned and chuckled to herself. She had found a solution to her predicament. She wouldn't have to get married if she found a treasure trove that could provide for her family, and heck even for all of Lake-town, for the rest of forever.

As she thought this, she heard a few coins collapse behind her. She turned just as they slid lower, leveling the ground with more piles of treasure. She knew that it had been years since anyone disturbed these riches—one human body could change the landscape quickly she guessed.

As she thought this she swore she heard breathing to her right side.

Elle's eyes widened, and she pulled the dagger from it's sheath.

That's when she heard the voice: deep, rich, resonating baritone that was so loud it vibrated through her body.

"Ah—I see a thief has made her way to my cavern."

As soon as she heard that voice, Elle knew. Elle suddenly knew that all the stories she had heard as a kid were true. "If you are bad he'll take you out of your bed one night and eat you," her mother had warned as a way to keep her behaving. "I saw his destruction," her father would sometimes whisper on her birthday, "I saw it—"

Elle turned around slowly, and saw it too. There, peeking out from the gold, was a head twice as long and tall as she was. A head that was covered in scales as red as midnight autumn's blood moon and with eyes that were the same color as the gold around him.

She gulped. "Smaug."

The dragon, to her surprise, gave a toothy grin. "You know of me human."

Elle's fight for her life had begun.

Elle gazed up at the dragon, her hand still tightened around the dagger. "Yes," she said, "I know of you." Her fear turned to anger, knowing she was coming face to face with the...thing that had condemned her family to a life on water, a creature that scared her mother so much she was frightened into labor. "The stories that I heard are true," she said in shock.

"Of course they are, you ignorant woman!" He bellowed. "Did you think they wouldn't be? Do you think your kind would leave this land for nothing?"

"I am one that stays and fights!" She looked him in his sun gold eye. She knew she would probably die in this cavern, but she was going to die fighting—not by running. That's how the heroes in her stories died, after all.

"A woman, a woman who's a fighter?" He chuckled. "You make me laugh you pathetic sack of flesh."

She sneered at him. "The day you invaded this land I came forth from my mother's womb, yearning to defeat you even then. I was born from your flames and destruction."

"Ah, you were born the day I killed your people and took this mountain. What an amusing idea!" He lifted himself out of the mounds of gold, and her mouth dropped open. All she could see were his two front legs, with claws attached, and his large wing span. Still his enormity was—overwhelming.

"I am Elle Rivers," she said, trying to regain her composure. "I am Elle Rivers—and I will..."

Before she could say another word he lifted Elle by her long braid. She screamed, never having felt such pain like that before. She thought her scalp would be torn off, or the skin of her head would detach from her skull.

"It's been a while since I've had human," he said. "You instead of forest beast will be so refreshing."

Elle lifted the dagger in her hand, and with one motion, cut her braid from her head. She fell to the ground below, hitting her head hard on the coins. Still, she got up, and even though she was dizzy, she lifted her bow from her back, placed an arrow against the string, pulled back, and in under ten seconds fired a shot at the dragon. He seemed a bit surprised, still holding her long braid in his grasp, but he tossed it aside when the arrow bounced off his scales.

"My scales cannot be pierced," he said matter-of-factly. "If you wish to play hero or kill me, you are doing a terrible job of it."

Her head began pounding by now, but she moved quickly once more, and running backwards from Smaug, fired another arrow. This time he caught it, and threw it to the side along with her braid.

"You smell of woman," he laughed, "yet you fight like a seasoned male! What a treat!"

Yet he leaned forward, and hit her with the back of his clawed appendage. She flew forward, her body hitting a hill of coins, and she toppled to the ground. Her head bounced off the treasure, and she let out a cry of pain. By now her vision was fading and she was becoming extremely dizzy.

"No," she said trying to get up, "no, NO!"

She collapsed, too nauseated to move. Her eyes were closing as her vision faded—but before her world went dark, she saw something come toward her. Something that looked like a tall, human shaped object.

"A guardian," she murmured, "a guardian has come to take me into the other world."

Without another word her world went black.

Elle dreamt of Lake-town burning. In her mind flames danced in the sky as the buildings became black with ash. Bodies jumped into the lake, looking for refuge from the fire. She watched from a sky high view; an omnipresent look that made her feel helpless as the destruction occurred below. The crackling of the fire grew louder as she watched on, and somewhere a creature roared. Yet everything faded away and soon all Elle knew was darkness.

Still the crackling of the fire remained.

The sound followed her and somehow grew more tangible. When this thought occurred to her she realized that, no she was not dead and could open her eyes. That is how Elle was brought back into the world of consciousness. Slowly her eye lids lifted, and her surroundings came into focus.

Elle saw that she was surrounded by piles of gold coin, but felt only soft cloth above and below her. She deduced that she was still in Smaug's chamber...but where was the dragon himself? She tried to sit up, but a dizzying pounding resounded throughout her head. She stopped the attempt, but did glance down to see that she was laid down on piles of fine silks and cashmere, and that she was covered in cotton blankets.

"Stay down," a deep baritone voice said a few feet away. "You took quite a fall."

She turned her head, carefully to cause as less pain as possible, and saw a man to her right. He sat in front of a fire pit, which had a bright blaze burning in it. This, Elle realized, must have been the crackling she heard.

Her attention turned back to the stranger. He was quite tall, more than a foot over her, and he was completely dressed in black. The breeches he wore were fine, possibly made of velvet, and his tunic was of shining, rich looking cloth. His hair was brushed back, and also extremely dark. The face of the stranger was a bit long, but high cheekbones set off the structure. Those cheekbones, which Elle realized she would've killed for, looked sharp enough to cut glass. He was clearly young, no more than thirty maybe, but he had some sort of ancient air about him.

But his eyes—they were what stuck out most to her. His irises were the color of antiqued gold, and seemingly shined like gold too. Elle thought that perhaps he had seen things, great and terrible things, that made him appear wiser than his years.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"Someone who thinks you are a fool for taking on a dragon," the man answered.

"Where is he?"

"Relax—you're safe for now." He picked up a sliver of meat that was to his right, the side of him that Elle couldn't see. He chewed on it silently for a few minutes, finally saying, "Your rabbit is a bit overcooked, but other than that, you seasoned it quite well."

"What?" Elle said angrily, "Are you eating my food?"

She forced herself to sit up then, that head pounding pain greeting her, and she saw that her knapsack and other supplies were emptied all around him, as though he had rummaged through her things. The dried fruit she saw was still intact, but the cheese had been snacked on, and he was now helping himself to the rabbit.

"Of course I'm eating your food," he said. "And I'm certain that you've regret sitting up now."

The pain was making her nauseous, and she laid down. "Yes...but really. Stop eating my food."

"Oh, don't worry, you won't need it soon."

"What do you mean by that? What's going on?"

The man turned to her and smiled. Her eyes widened. His canines came to a fine point. "You, you foolish woman, are only alive because I allowed it." He slid over to her. "You're only alive because you put up a very entertaining fight. No man has ever fought me for so long and lived—let alone actually manage to hit me in some sort of way. Really, the bit when you cut off your own hair to escape, was quite clever."

She looked at him, her mouth agape. Fear pooled in her stomach, burning inside her like a crater of lava, and she whispered, "No..."

He laughed. "You are either brave, reckless, or both. Nevertheless," he put a hand on her throat. "You were a challenge, and I will fight you again. This time, as a human." He gazed into her eyes, still chuckling. "Did you not know that some dragons are changelings? Oh yes, such a skill can help us infiltrate thieves guilds—take down kingdoms. And now, I am curious. I wonder how my better form can hold up against your average human one. Such a pity you're a woman. I'm sure a man would have been more of a challenge." He lifted her hand off her throat. "But you are the only human, of any gender to survive me this long, so perhaps I am wrong about weaker sexes..."

She pulled her arm back, her hand closed in a fist, and then thrust it forward into his face with all of her might. The unexpected attack made him fall back, and she scrambled away from him. She reached for her knife, that should have been strapped to her, but found only an empty scabbard. She looked up toward Smaug, and saw that he had gotten back up. His lip was split open and bleeding, and he touched his fingertips to the blood. He looked down at it, and gave another twisted grin.

"Looking for your knife?" He asked, turning to pick up her blade which he had set beside him. "Now, now you can't have it back until we fight again. Wouldn't want you to get any ideas in your head, now would we?"

The nausea from her head injury was worse than ever, and she felt as though she would heave soon. He appeared to have read her mind, as he reached down into his breeches pocket, and pulled out a sack full of herbs. He took one out and handed it to her.

"Chew on this," he said. "It will help with your sickness. I don't want you dirtying any of my treasure after all."

"How do I know if its poison or not?" She asked.

"Hm, you really don't, do you?" He knelled down to her level. "Let me put it this way: you get sick all over my treasure, and I will kill you on the spot. So why not take a chance?"

She took the herb from him, and placing it in her mouth, found it to be sharp and fresh tasting. Her stomach felt a bit better, and she managed to lay back down on the blankets.

"I'm going to guess that this won't kill me," she said.

He nodded. "It's mint. I'm guessing you haven't had it." He sat back down where he was, and lifted from the ground her velvet bag of coin. "This will be nice to add to my collection when you die."

"Who says I will die, beast?"

"Well it is extremely doubtful that you will live."

Elle said nothing to him, and curled more into the blankets.

"What's your name, human?" He asked.

"Why do you care to know?" She said.

"I want to know the name of the woman who has been the first to stumble into my abode."

She sighed. "My name is Elle. Elle River."

"Ah," he said, letting out a long breath. "Elle River. And where are you from, Elle River?"

"No place of importance."

"Really? A place that lets a woman wear men's clothing and have so much coin is of no importance?"

She slowly turned to him. "Dragon, do you truly think the people of this place approve of my actions? No. Of course not."

"Well, that explains why you bind your chest."

She felt her cheeks redden, from anger or embarrassment, she wasn't sure.

"You saw me?"

"I examined you, yes. I had to take your weapons from you, remember?"

"You have no right to touch me!" She snarled.

He glared at her. "Watch yourself. I did not touch you. I only moved you here. And all I saw were your bindings—nothing else. If you become too bothersome, I will kill you before our fight." He smiled suddenly. "Besides, you act like I haven't seen such things before."

"No," she said, her head and eyes growing heavy, "how could you...?"

She didn't finish. As soon as her head fell upon her makeshift bed, her world went black.

Elle woke up hours later, Smaug still nearby in his human form. She found him reading her books she had brought with her for the trip, and didn't say anything. The fire was still lit, and she simply stared into it's warm glow, contemplating what would happen in the next few days. She was still in-between being sure that this was all a nightmare, and coming to the terms with the fact she was a dragon's prisoner. Either way, she had to focus on surviving.

"The stories you've heard of virgin sacrifices to dragons are true, Elle."

She looked up at Smaug after he spoke this. "You're a monster."

He laughed, gazing at her. "Of course I am. Now, I thought you fighting me was brave or reckless, but after such a blatant statement, maybe you are a bit stupid too." He nodded toward her books. "However, with these tomes and how they read, I am not quite even sure I believe that. I'm surprised that you have these on you. Can you read them?"

"No, I use them for firewood," she said flatly.

His eyes narrowed at her. "I see. Did you complete your education?"

"Yes. I did."

"Well, a woman who completed her education, reading such tales as these." He picked one up. "A woman who dresses as a man, and perhaps has the mind of one."

"I have my own mind." Elle sat up, grateful that her head pain was lesser this time. "My mind isn't a mind of man or woman—it is simply the mind of Elle River's."

Smaug sat down beside her. "What I said earlier was true. The virgin sacrifices you've read of are fact."

"Are you trying to frighten me, is that it?" She asked. "Do you think that revealing such truth will lead me to beg for mercy? Truthfully beast, why do you tell me such things?"

"I saw your manuscript on dragons in your bag. I thought you'd be curious."

"What do you care what I think?"

He grinned. "You are correct, I don't. It is nice to have someone listen to me for once."

She paused. Yes, he was right in a way. She had read about dragons all her life, and now answers could be sought to her questions. Even in such time of terror she was a knowledge seeker."Why did you take sacrifices?"

"Dragons can be social creatures," Smaug began. "We rarely get along with each other though. Our only connection is for mating purposes and, even then, we are wary that the other mate may try to take our riches. However, those who are shape shifters have other options. We can have a human be a surrogate and they will give birth to full blooded dragons. The only difference from a dragon who is human born or one that is dragon born, is that the human born one will be a shape-shifter and enter this world in human form. The dragon born one will be hatched from an egg the female dragon lays, and will be a dragon. They, however, will not be shape-shifters."

"Your mother was human then," Elle stated.

"Yes, and right after she gave birth to me my father devoured her."

She shivered involuntarily. "Did you ever have children?"

He nodded. "Yes I did."

"Dragon born or human born?"

He smiled. "I've lived long enough to have the fortune of having both. Really there came a point when there wasn't a choice. After a while humans stopped giving their virgins freely. Women, especially those untouched, became valued and coveted as your kind branched out and began settling in other places. Your colonies became smaller—you needed to procreate. People began fighting dragons before giving up their women. Being a shape-shifter came in good use for those times. We were able to go into new settlements unnoticed and kidnap our mates. But alas, people caught on and the women became even more closely guarded. They became unable to have an education and leave the settlement, as a way of protecting them from my kind. After a while humans forgot the true reason why they held back their women, and it simply became tradition." Smaug shrugged. "I guess that is why I am so surprised a female human exists like you."

"And you're going to kill me."

"Oh, you'll die to sate my curiosity. That is a decent reason, Elle River. At least I might remember you."

"But no one else will!"

"I will make sure your people find your bones."

Rage gathered in her, and she stood. "I am not supposed to die for this," she yelled. "I want more with my life! I am supposed to..." She felt herself growing ill once more, and she fell forward. Smaug ran over to catch her, but in the process of lowering her back to her cloth heap, she pushed him away and crashed the three feet down. She hissed in pain, but he took no note of it.

"Well then Elle, what are you supposed to die for?" He asked.

She looked up. "For myself, and others, to have the right to learn and make any honorable living they want to in life."

"Doubtful," he scoffed.

She smiled sadly. "But I can try."

"You still sound like you will come out of this alive."

She looked him in the eye, emerald colored pupils staring into gold ones, and she said, "I am still alive now."

"I can change that so, so quickly."

"Smaug," she said, tasting his name on her tongue, "even you admitted you had never met a woman like me."

He chuckled darkly. "I know, but I've had many of them before you."

"And did you eat them after they bore your children?"

"Oh no—a fate worse than that." He leaned down, and whispered, "I kept them alive as trophies. Living, breathing trophies. Alive and well, yet always in the dark."

"A life without hope."

He glared at her, and growled, "I only gave your kind, what you gave mine!"

Before she could say another word he walked away from her, into the a dark hall. Seconds later there was a deafening roar—and nothing else.

Elle was eating some of the dried fruit, finally daring to kill her hunger despite her dizzying head pain, when Smaug came back to her in his human form. She looked up as she heard his footsteps enter from the hall, and she took note that in both his hands he held two rabbits; two extremely scorched and needed to be skinned rabbits.

Smaug saw her nibbling at the fruit, and simply dropped the rabbits at her side.

"It would be a pity for you to starve before our fight," he said.

She nodded. "I need to skin these. But—at least you managed to cook them thoroughly."

"You do realize when one breathes..."

"Yes I know you breathe fire and in certain situations it helps," she finished, picking up a carcass. "May I have my knife?"

He grinned. "Say please."

"I would rather you eat me before I said any such niceties to you."

"You should be a bit more polite to a dragon who is letting you live."

She glowered at him. "Please, give me my knife back."

"That's a good girl." He tossed it to her, and she caught it. She sighed, feeling her hand against the smooth wood handle, save for the small caved in ridges where her fingers had gripped it for years. She began to skin the poor creature, and Smaug sat down next to her.

"Why do dragons hate humans?" Elle asked.

"Well, that's an abrupt question," he noted.

"You claim that you will kill me, so telling me won't hurt you."

"Clever. I suppose you're right." As she cut a piece of skin from the rabbit she tossed it into the fire. Casually he reached into the flames, grabbed the flesh, and withdrew it without being harmed. He popped the morsel into his mouth like it was no great feat, but Elle sat amazed. He saw her expression and laughed.

"See, that's it Elle River," he said. "You humans are amazed by the simplest things. If you knew how inferior you were to dragons, you'd hate yourselves too. It sickens one to realize that the likes of your kind run this land. It is being lead by foolishness and ignorance, and those are things dragons hate the most."

"I agree with you to a degree," she stated. "Not all humans are like that, but money and strong bloodlines mean more than wisdom and fairness in many places. My home was like that. I would be happier if things were run in a different way."

He let out a sigh. "Elle sometimes I think that you aren't just a foolish woman who happened upon my trove. Sometimes, I actually think you have sense about you." He paused. "But then I remember you thought you could win a fight with a dragon and escape from here, and truly, how lowly your intelligence is disappoints me."

She tossed more rabbit skin into the fire without another word, and finally, began to eat her meal. The other rabbit she would skin later, cook a little closer to the fire, and then wrap in some cloth to save it for a few meals, along with the left overs of this first rabbit. The fruit she would also continue to ration.

Elle wasn't able to eat much, but the fact that she could eat without feeling too horribly sick, made her know she was making progress. She laid back down for a while to rest her head, and after a bit closed her eyes. She wasn't asleep for too long, when she woke up to someone laying down logs loudly on the ground. She cracked open her eyes, and saw that Smaug had supplied more firewood. Also, she noticed that the rabbit and a half was missing. The confusion only lasted for a minute, until she saw two bundles of white cloth wrapped around something near the fire.

"Those needed to be cooked," she said, looking at Smaug.

"I did that," he answered.

Elle didn't reply, only gazed toward the stone ceiling of the underground.

"Elle, were you running away?"

Her brow furrowed in confusion, and she glanced at him. "What?"

"You had enough coin and supplies to last more than a casual hunting trip. It is rare for a hunter to carry so much. So were you running away?"

She smirked. "Maybe I was. Really—I don't know."

"Elle River, who dresses and fights like a man, was running from something. Elle River, who dared to fight a dragon and hit him, was actually running from something. How curious," he mused. "What great turmoil are you running from?"

"Marriage."

"Marriage? Someone would want to marry you?"

She sighed. "Yeah, I know. It is hard to believe."

"I am surprised. You explained that your town was full of people who did not appreciate the woman you are. So someone suddenly woke up and realized the treasure they had?"

"Did you just compliment me?" She said confusedly.

"You are an educated woman who knows something about the land. Shouldn't that be of some sort of value to a human?"

"It should, but that is not why someone is marrying me. The truth is, is that there is little choice of people to marry in the place I live. The only qualifier is that you can have children. That is it. Sadly I may have that qualifier, but that does not mean I desire it."

"How old are you?"

"Why does it matter?"

"I want to know what the acceptable marriage and breeding age is for your group of humans."

"The acceptable age can be as low as seventeen. I am considered prime. I am eighteen. In fact, if I am not wed by my twentieth year, it will be considered quite a scandal."

"You were proposed to then?"

"No, actually. There is word that a powerful male wants me. My family is trying to pawn me off for marriage, more or less." She looked down at herself. "They let me live my life without a corset. I was allowed to wear men's clothing when I hunted. I was approved to have an education. They gave me hope that I could be happy living my own life and making my own choices. It is like a cruel joke—that they are taking that away from me now. But, after all, my father is so ill. I have to for the sake of the wealth I would bring them. And, even though I may not be agreeable with my mother, I do love my father. I will do what I must to keep him well and happy. Even if my own happiness must end, I will suffer for him." She laughed. "When I first saw all this coin, I thought my problems would be solved. I thought I could maybe give my parents some of the money, and have them stable for the rest of their life. I thought that this place would be my saving grace. And then, a bigger, scalier problem revealed itself." She nodded towards Smaug. "How twisted is that? How unfair and tragic is that?"

Smaug leaned back against a pile of gold coins, gazing at her. "I feel no pity for you. But the irony does not escape me. Did you really think that stealing my gold would be so easy?"

"I didn't come here to steal your gold. I came here on a wager I had with my friend." She took a deep breath. "I would—I would do anything to see him again. I didn't know I would come on this quest and possibly never see my family or friends afterward. I only wanted to hunt and take a rock from this mountain."

"How did you come to my abode then?"

"I literally fell upon it. The ground above caved in and I found myself here."

"I would have been more impressed if you had found your way in."

She crossed her arms in front of her. "I don't give a damn about impressing you."

He moved toward her, and reached out to take her chin in his hand. He gripped it tightly, making her stare into his face as he studied her.

"How interesting," he said, after a moment's pause.

"What?"

"You did not flinch when I touched you."

Elle closed a hand over his wrist. She saw that his skin was exceedingly warm, bordering on burning her. She pushed his hand off of her. "I'm not afraid to touch you either."

"No—no you're not." He sat back on his haunches. "Why do you act so brave, Elle? I see that there is no fear in you."

"I ran from something worse than death, Smaug."

"And what was that?"

"A life without freedom."

Elle had guessed she had been in the cavern five days. On the sixth, she woke up without pain. She sat up, and even stood, to eat some of the rabbit. Smaug, in human form as he had been, was at his usual post, next to the fire, when she grabbed the rabbit.

"You're well," he said.

She nodded. "I am." She sat back down and pulled at the meat of the animal. "I suppose you are going to try and kill me soon."

"Perhaps. Eat. After I want to talk to you."

She looked at him quizzically. "A dragon wants to talk to me?"

"Don't feel too honored. You're nothing special. You simply might be of use to me."

She ate quickly, and after putting away what was left over of the rabbit, she turned to him.

"Elle," he began, "I am going to give you a choice between life and death. Your choice of death is fighting me in my form now. Even though I am in this—form, I will kill you. While talking to you and having your company has kept me entertained, you are still human. And sadly, nothing can redeem you for being what you are. However, there is a choice of life."

"What is that choice?" She asked.

He leaned in toward her. "Elle River, I am the last of my kind. The dragon race has been wiped out by your people, save for me. I am the only one who has been able to escape destruction. However, I can't escape reality. I am old. When there were more dragons I was the oldest of my kind. Now there are none and only the fates know of my age. Dragons can virtually live forever, but as we age we lose our ability to fight disease and heal from wounds as rapidly as we used to."

"Why are you telling me all this?"

He took a deep breath. "Because when I die, my race's legacy will be gone. Our knowledge of magic, wealth, and history will vanish. I do not want my people to suffer such loss and I do not want to die without leaving my own legacy. Many years before I came to this mountain, I searched for a woman who was strong, smart, and hearty enough to bear a dragon's child, and who would be able to do so year after year. My hope was to rebuild my kind. However, I found no one. You humans, by keeping your women so close, have weakened them. It is quite unfair, really. I see now that women can be strong, clever creatures. I see that in you. I see you are what I searched for. I want you to bear my children."

She sat there, a heavy sense of dread spreading throughout her body. "Wh—what?"

"This is your chance at life. I will let you live if you do this for me. If you do this—I will let you live and you will never want for anything. We would make an arrangement, of course. You would lie with me, and stay with me for the year of conception, and then you would give birth. I would keep you comfortable. I have magic that will help me with such things. When you stay with me, I would even allow you to walk above on the mountain's grounds. After you give birth and make a full recovery, I would give you the chance to leave."

"Leave?"

"Yes. I will let you travel and walk the Earth for three years. But at the end of the three years, you would have to come back to me, and I'd lie with you again. You'd bear me another child, stay with me during that year, give birth, and after another recovery I'd give you another three years to travel. Do you understand? You'd stay with me for a year and a half, and leave and travel for another three. This cycle would continue until the age of child bearing for you was over."

She moved away from him, shaking her head as she did so. "I cannot."

"Elle, listen to me. I would give you plenty of gold to travel with. You will never want for anything. All you'd have to do is, every three years, stay with me and help me build my race. You will be a queen, Elle. The Mistress of the Dragon Lord. Your name will be praised in song with the rebuilt dragon race. Elle..." He reached to her, and grabbed her arms to pull her to his chest. "There will be things you will experience with me. Things that others will never experience."

She pushed him away from her. "I choose to fight you." She pulled her knife from her side. "I am not some vessel to provide life for you! I am more than that!"

He stood. "Elle, I will give you one more chance. This is it. Have my children. Take what I offer. Or this will not end well."

Elle gripped her knife tighter. "I will not sell myself short. I am more than procreation." She closed her eyes, trying to stop the tears coming. "I am a human who has dreams—and they are not worth less than anyone's just because I am a woman!"

His eyes flashed, and he grabbed his own knife from his scabbard. "Then you will die today, Elle."

He launched forward, and she blocked his blade with her own. The fight had begun. Things moved quickly for Elle. She would slash at him, he would jump back, and dart behind her. He'd raise the knife to her back, but then she would turn and block his attack. She would be on the offensive at points, trying to strike him. But time passed...they weren't able to strike each other. She was equally as quick as him, as clever and sly. They were both panting as steam was lost in both of them.

Suddenly, Smaug tossed his blade away. The reaction stunned her and in her moment of shock, he flew toward her, grabbed her hand with the knife to keep it lowered, and she knew then her life was over. Her recklessness in letting her guard down was going to be the end of her. Elle closed her eyes as his free hand enclosed her neck, and she waited for him to squeeze.

But he didn't.

She felt something as soft as flesh against her lips, and on her face someone breathed, hot like steam. Elle opened her eyes slowly to see his face right in front of hers—

No. She thought. This cannot be happening. No...

His mouth opened, and she felt his tongue at her lips. His hands slid from her neck, down to her waist, and he pulled her close. Chest to chest he held her, and his hands occasionally slide up and down her back, moving of her sides, and even brazenly her hips. She felt her body betraying her as warmth pooled inside her stomach, and even lower. This was her first kiss, her first physical contact with anyone in this way. She wanted to cry.

She pushed him away from her, tears running down her face. She was quivering, and he saw her form—and he looked down at his hands in confusion. He backed away from her, letting out a growl, and he pounded his closed fists into the stone wall in frustration. His breathing became haggard, and he sunk to his knees.

"I didn't want to kill you," he suddenly uttered.

She stepped toward him. "What?"

"I didn't want to kill you." He stood, using the wall as support. "I thought I did. Humans have always been my enemy. They killed my race. But you—I never expected you. I looked for someone like you years ago when all the rest of us were destroyed. I was lonely. A dragon cannot live alone forever. We may not be completely social creatures, but we do need interaction. We need—we need close physicality." He laughed sadly. "Why weren't you born sooner, Elle River? Oh, woman who rises above all men, why weren't you here? Why did you come to me when I had to be bitter and numb to desperate need? If you were here sooner, before I killed, you wouldn't see me as a monster. We might have had our kingdom..." He turned his face away from hers. "Damn you. Damn you and your spirit and cleverness. Damn you and your strength. You were what I wanted. But you came after I killed hundreds. After I became an old, bitter creature." He roared again. "Damn you!"

She stood there in shock. Was he really saying what she thought he was saying? That he...he desired her?

"Smaug," she whispered, "I could never be yours. Years ago or now. I do not want children. I know that is what your true want is. Someone good enough to create a new breed of dragon. Even if you met me years ago, I would still be what I am now. A woman who wants to travel and live a life of adventure. I want—I want no child or husband to hold me back. I am not one for companionship I suppose. And I think that is part of my strong nature. You killing has little to do with my choice. I know what I want and what I don't. That is final."

He forced himself to look at her, and she saw his pupils darken with need. He forced himself to straighten his body, and he swallowed.

"You may go," he said. "Fill your bag and coin purse with some of my treasure, and go. Take enough so that your family will be comfortable, and so that you may have fair travel for the rest of your days. You are free." He looked down. "You are too interesting to kill, Elle River—mate of my dreams. Go and give yourself to the world and adventure."

Hope rose within her. "You're letting me go?"

He nodded. "Before I change my mind—take what I offered and leave."

She said not a word as she began to gather her things. She made up her bedroll, took the rabbits, and collected her items that were strewn across her temporary lodging. She then did as he asked, filling her bag and coin purse with gold coins. At last, when she had all she could carry, she turned to leave.

But she couldn't. Not just yet.

She dropped her bag at the hall where she first began her adventure down below the mountain, and she scurried to find Smaug. He was still in his human form, gazing at the drying fire, emptiness in his eyes.

"Smaug," she said.

He turned to look at her, his eyes lighting up. "Are you choosing to return to me?"

She shook her head. "No—I'm here to give you something more precious than gold."

She used her last reserves of courage from the past week, to move toward him and kiss his lips. She held his face in her hands, and slowly, his arms wrapped around her waist. Her lips parted from him, and they gazed into each others eyes.

"Come with me," she said. "I cannot have your children, but for a while we can travel together. Maybe we could work something out. But—no." She sighed. "That is cruel. I can't ask you to give up your hopes for children. That is—not right. That is like forcing me to have children. Still, I do invite you to travel with me, even if it isn't permanent."

He shook his head. "If I were to go with you, you'd always be a reminder of things lost. That would be painful for me. If only you wanted children, Elle River! Such an arrangement would be perfect."

She smiled sadly. "If only you did not want children." She stood. "Farewell, Smaug."

He closed his eyes, as though to hide the pain they showed. Yet she had glimpsed at it. "Farewell dear Elle."

She made her way back to her belongings, and began her quest back to the mountain's entrance. It wasn't until she came out of the area and the sunlight hit her face, that she felt something wet upon her cheeks. She reached up, tasted it, and realized they were salty tears. She did not know if they were from Smaug or herself. As she walked toward the lake, in hopes of flagging down a boat to take her back home a plan formed in her head.

She would give her parents' some of the coin, so she wouldn't leave them desperate when she left for adventure. She would simply leave it on the kitchen table in a bag, and give no explanation before leaving Lake-town for good.

"Smaug," she whispered.

His name sounded like dragon wings beating wind, and of sadness, and of regret. And also, of hot breath against hot breath as a parting kiss was consumed.