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For three days the storm outside the Lonely Mountain raged. For three days Filianix avoided Smaug.

When he had left her after his harsh rebukes the first night, she had laid on the stone floor in silent misery. She wasn't sure for how long, but his words affected her deeply.

You are a dragon. Act as one of your status should.

Your actions are a disgrace to our kind. Remember who you are and control yourself.

You act like one who has no hold over their own mind…

Was she going crazy? Had she lost control over her mind? She wasn't sure…and how could she tell if she had? All she knew was this terrible pain inside her. Her thoughts were muddled and unclear...and her head had begun to pound.

Eventually she had tried to stand only to see her blood at her feet. She had lifted a claw, touched her useless eye, and pulled back her head to see blood was seeping from it again.

"I swear this has never happened before," she spoke aloud. When no one immediately responded she had looked around, her mouth silently calling Smaug's name as a confused helplessness took over her. She didn't know why she had expected an answer. Perhaps her mind had imagined that Smaug would glance around the corner and curtly remind her that her eye had bled just a short time ago. Or that he would somehow hear her and tell her to not worry about it, she just needed some rest. He wasn't going to answer though. He'd left her again and she didn't know how to recapture his attention.

A wail broke out of her maw as she felt herself internally collapse.

She was scared; frightened of her lack of control and by the unexplainable bleeding. She wanted Smaug there to clean off the blood, to be close to her, to comfort her...but he wasn't. There wasn't anyone. There weren't even any gems to admire and distract herself with. She was as alone as she had been back at Withered Heath. At least there she hadn't been too bothered by being alone. In this mountain she was surrounded by Smaug's scent, constantly reminded that he was around, but he might as well be dead. He wanted nothing to do with her. She doubted he even wanted to mate with her.

Continuing to wail now and then, she remembered how he used to be. She had loved how possessive he was over her. Every threat he made and every snarl curling his mouth when she flirted with another made her feel desired and cared for. She knew he hated how she would slide from his side to go be with another on a whim, but then he'd pursue her and fight to get her back.

Wasn't that how it was supposed to be? Besides, she had been a young female every male had their eye on. She would have been a fool to ignore the attention of every male simply because Smaug didn't like sharing her. If he had wanted her all to himself then he should have done something more permanent than making threats!

But then, after wooing her for at least a century, he had disappeared. He was just gone! For many, many years without so much as a visit. Why? She knew it had to do with his constant stress over who she'd mate with next. He couldn't stand the thought of her being with another male, but he himself wasn't around very much.

With an angered howl she slammed her tail on the stone. She was only doing her duty! Why did he have to punish her for it by leaving for centuries? What had he expected her to do during the times he wasn't around? Keep to herself? Tamely wait for his return? He only showed up once every decade or so. If she hadn't been so coveted by other males maybe she could have waited, but she was a strong, intelligent female and she needed to mate with others who were strong and intelligent so that their young would be capable and worthy of their species.

Perhaps he wasn't so intelligent as she had thought.

No, he was plenty intelligent. She knew he had just been jealous. Jealous and angry with her.

She had felt abandoned by him when he left her though. As if he hadn't really cared at all. She had thought he was different, that he wasn't just using her for prestige or boasting rights...that he put so much effort into pleasing and keeping her because he actually…

She mentally avoided the word love. Such a word of commitment was popular among the lesser beings of Arda but it was hardly ever used in dialogue among dragons. When it was used it was usually directed towards a particular valuable in one's hoard. For her to think he had...no, he had turned out like all the others and had gotten bored of her and left...and she had known his prolonged absence wasn't because he was dead since she heard many stories of his feats while he was gone!

But then again...after the Massacre...he'd found her, watched over her, been there for her...been so tender and caring towards her. For ten years he stood by her side...but she didn't know if he would suddenly disappear on her again. Because of that she could never bring herself to ask that he never leave her.

So, of course, one day he decided to leave again.

Even though he told her this time around before disappearing, it still angered her. She held her sharpened tongue though. Instead she told him something she thought would motivate him to return quickly.

She hinted at the truth about how she felt towards him. He had always been her favorite, ever since the first time he caught her, and that was because she cared for him above all others. If he had ever asked that she become his permanent mate, she would not have hesitated in saying yes. So she told him she thought of his as her one and only mate in the hopes he would change his mind completely and stay with her, or at least initiate a vow with her.

But her words fell on deaf ears. He did not make her any offers to become partners nor did he decide to stay by her side. He merely looked pleased, as though he were glad she had finally fallen for him so fully. Then he had left.

She listened to the news brought to her by other dragons about what he was doing. After two months of that, she knew he wasn't coming back as soon as she had hoped. She became depressed and inactive. Nothing interested her and she did not want to fly. One particular male was very attentive to her and to her needs during this time.

Nouscul.

He brought her news of Smaug, brought her food, and kept her company. While she had never thought him to be particularly desirable as a mate, she was grateful for his presence.

Then one day, a little more than three months after Smaug had left her, many mating flights took place. She had watched from the mouth of her cave, eying the flights with an expert eye and wondering if it was worth the effort to take to the skies herself.

That was when Nouscul had flown past her, challenging her in a way she couldn't ignore.

He claimed to be able to catch her with ease. That he was faster than her. More cunning in the air than her. Even more graceful than her.

While Nouscul was indeed a slender male with a certain amount of poise, she knew he was nothing compared to her.

And she decided to prove it.

She flew until she could tell he was in danger of being unable to keep in the air. Until that point she was almost vicious in how she'd teased him, dodged him, taunted him. She was insulted by Nouscul's boasts, tired of not being the center of attention, and angry that it was not Smaug trying to catch her.

After she let the fool Nouscul catch her and mate with her, she felt only a little better. She had proved her point and made him look like a fool. The other males were reminded why she had been so desired before the Massacre and the remaining females no longer looked so alluring, even though they all had two eyes.

But she was still angry. Smaug had seen none of it.

She laid only two eggs and took care of them as was proper. Nouscul continued to stay nearby even after his time to serve her was completed and for some reason that irritated her. No male besides Smaug ever did that with her and she wanted it to stay that way.

She continued to listen for news of Smaug as the time for her eggs to hatch drew near. Hearing of the destruction he inflicted on the lesser species brought her some small joy and pride. He was truly one of the greatest dragons of this age.

And then he returned without warning.

Her eggs had been showing signs that they were going to hatch for days and when they were finally about to break through their shells...he was back.

She heard the welcoming calls of victory from the other females and knew it was him...and for some reason she was suddenly afraid.

She had done nothing wrong.

She was a female without a permanent mate.

He had not made her any offers or promises to hint he desired otherwise.

He had not asked that she wait for him.

She had done nothing wrong.

But then why the sudden fear?

As she heard his wing beats, smelled his scent, and saw the ash stirred by his arrival, she knew why she feared his return.

She feared his wrath.

She knew him well enough to know he'd be livid to find her with eggs that weren't his. Even though he had no right to be.

However when he came into view...she forgot to be afraid for a moment. He would understand. He would become vexed as usual but he had no reason to be any angrier than he usually was.

And he had returned. She felt that she could finally release the weight she had been carrying and could relax by his side again.

She quickly saw that would not be.

At the sharp intake of breath signalling that he'd seen her wrapped around the eggs, she felt her fear return. His crest rose in hostility and his eyes burned as they took in the two eggs.

"Smaug," she quickly purred, turning her head to look at him with her good eye, "It pleases me that you have returned."

He had ignored her, hissing as he gestured to the eggs with his tail, "What are these?"

"Your eggs," she lied, her unease at the dangerous aura growing around him causing her to speak foolishly.

"My eggs?" his tongue flickered at her and he moved closer, his voice taking on a condescending tone, "My eggs you say?"

"Yes," she snapped.

"I do not believe you," his eyes finally met her's and she struggled to keep up the appearance of confidence, "Your mind has been addled by drinking too much Elvish blood. Now go fetch me a pair of oxen."

"My mind is as capable as ever!" he shouted, "Tell me who sired these eggs!"

"They are yours!"

Of course he had not believed her. Of course he had insisted on staying to watch them hatch no matter how hard she begged otherwise. Of course he was angry when the two black males had broken out and begun crying for attention.

But even she couldn't have predicted his reaction to seeing them.

His eyes had gone dark and his body had arched up as though avoiding something sliding underneath it. Then he had released a loud, piercing scream. Not the usual deep but loud sound that reverberated in a way that could either inspire his fellow dragon or cause hysteria in lesser mortals. It was a high sound of agony that hurt her ears and had caused her to cover the hatchlings with her body to protect them from whatever he might do to them in this state.

He had then abruptly shut his mouth with a snap and clumsily thrown himself backwards and out of the cave...and she didn't see him again.

She heard that he murdered Nouscul and then that he was driven out of Withered Heath because of it.

At her request several males pursued him with pleas on her behalf. Each male returned with wounds and were humiliated in one way or another.

That made it clear that this time he wasn't coming back. Not even for her. She had mourned for him...and for herself...for she wanted to go after him, but she knew he no longer desired her company. How could he? He would blame her for his actions. It would be all her fault. Even though she hadn't done anything wrong!

At that conclusion she lifted herself up and headed towards his hoard, listening to the rain as she went. She would make him see. She would convince him that what he held against her was not her fault. She would show him the truth!

She took a different route that led her right to the edge of his hoard. Glancing around, trying to ignore the sudden lust for the gold that was so close to her claws, she couldn't see him.

Then she heard him.

She knew it was him. She could recognize the odd, choked sounds of him grieving anywhere.

But why was he the one grieving? He had nothing to grieve over. He thought he had control over her and could make her do whatever he wanted now. He had left her in a fury, not saddened. Why…?

She slowly stalked her way around the edge of gold until she caught sight of him. Although a large mound of treasure was in her way, she could see most of his body as it shuddered with each strained wheeze coming from his mouth. His head was leaning against the stone wall, angled upwards with his eyes closed...the pain on his face fully apparent…

For a moment she stared at him. Last she'd seen him like this was after the Massacre...when he was grieving for their fallen kin and her lost eye…he never mourned without reason.

It occurred to her that she needed to rethink her conclusion and she let him be.

She found a place to rest some floors above the hoard and rested for a day. The following day she continued to lay still as her mind buzzed with thoughts.

By then she had come to face several facts she could not deny. She still deeply cared for Smaug and she wanted to be accepted into his company as she once was. However her mating with Nouscul...and Smaug's reaction to that...she could no longer argue to herself that the wyvern had been like all the rest. There was a reason why he had felt differently to her since their first flight. He had cared for her as she had cared for him.

It was so clear to her now. The signs obvious. He was not one to verbalize his opinion on a matter like becoming life-partners without serious consideration first...he usually took at least a decade of deliberation for something as important like finding a larger cave for his hoard.

Perhaps he really had desired to stay with her. She was beginning to think he had. How had she not seen it before? He had given many signs, though none of them were as obvious as saying anything about it.

If that was what he had wanted in the past, it would explain his reaction to Nouscul's eggs. It would also explain why he believed she had betrayed him. In a way she had betrayed him…and if so then she was...wr...wr...wrong.

She hated being the one who was at fault, but she was finding it harder and harder to see things any other way. She had either been blind or stupid not to realize how deeply he felt towards her. Her words to him before he had left must have sounded like a vow to him. She had been so restless though. Restless and frustrated and angry that he wasn't worshiping her and putting her above all else. Even now she hated that he had chosen crushing some annoying Elves over staying by her side.

She needed to talk to him. He still seemed to care about her physical well-being at least. She needed to...admit to her faults and plead that he pardon her. If he chose not to believe her, she would force him to see the truth.

Again she snuck close to his hoard...and again she let him be when she saw him asleep on his gold, his body completely limp in a deep sleep. She recognized his exhaustion and she could entertain herself for another day or so.

By the third day the storm outside the mountain was clearing up but she did not notice. She was miles below Smaug, exploring some of the darker areas of his mountain. Her mind was slowing down and she felt more like herself now. After accepting what happened in the past and deciding on what she needed to do about it, she felt more at peace with her current situation.

No longer did she feel nervous at the thought of sharing this mountain with a male she thought hated her. Now she saw things in a more positive light. She was certain that he still cared for her. All she had to do now was speak to him. Knowing that he'd appreciate her leaving him alone for a while longer though, she had decided to explore his mountain.

After all, if she was going to be his mate she needed to know his territory.

And what a territory it was!

To add to the wealth of his hoard were many many mines. Mines that were rich with jewels and veins of precious metals the dwarves had not yet harvested. As a dragon it was rare to smell gold, silver, or anything else while it was still in the clutches of the earth and she took her time in finding ways to get to each mine so that she could stick her nose in it and breathe the aromas of whatever raw metals or gems were residing there.

Crawling up the slanted walls, her claws digging into the soft stone, she moved around like a lizard who couldn't decide which way to go. Gold was to her left, but jewels to her right! There was so much to smell and she found herself wishing she had some dwarven slaves she could make mine it all for her.

That was actually an interesting idea. Perhaps she should mention it to Smaug.

As the day neared its end and her body told her night had come, she headed back up. She would speak to him and then let him sleep some more. She hoped that her words would bring him some peace. She did not desire him to feel grief any longer than he had to.

For a third time she approached his hoard. She was pleased to find that his body was buried under the gold as he preferred it. That meant he had recovered enough to make himself comfortable. His breathing also revealed that he was not in a deep slumber but in a light sleep. In fact, her scent alone should be waking him. Just in case he tried to ignore her though, she firmly placed a foot over the edge of his hoard and ran her claws through some coins.

The mound that covered his form abruptly shifted and some gold slid away to reveal his nose and mouth. He growled lowly as more gold moved to reveal one open eye and part of his back and wings.

She was silent, thoughtfully playing with the coins and mesmerizing each one she touched. As he continued to stare without demanding anything of her, she moved towards him. His body tightened under the gold, causing some more treasure to shimmer down him.

Coins glistened and tinkled under her feet as she approached him, saying, "Truly your hoard matches your magnificence mighty one. It flatters you just as you flatter it."

His eye narrowed slightly and she continued, "Never have I seen such wealth," her eye roved around and she took a deep breath, "Have any of our kin ever tried to win it from you?"

He remained silent with not so much as a snort to hint at his mood. She kept her countenance formal and sat down a short distance from where he lay, "Do you know which piece I love most in my collection?"

No response.

She met his eye with her's, "It is the first gem you ever gave me."

His eye flickered and he looked away.

"I waited many years for you to keep to your word and bring me a gem of fire," she tilted her head towards him in a respectful manner, "And you brought it to me just as you said you would. I was impatient but you made the wait worthy of my anticipation," she took in a breath, "Now I will wait for you again just as you desire. Willingly and without complaint."

He blinked and looked back at her, his gaze questioning.

"I wronged you in the past," she spoke hastily, wanting to get this over with quickly, "I was foolishly dishonest to you and blind to your heart. Ignorance on my behalf cannot fully excuse me from your wrath," she bowed her head down, "I come before you now not to insist that we mate but to plead that you may allow healing between us."

She kept her head down but she couldn't resist turning it so she could see at the sound of falling coins. He was lifting his head up, gold dribbling off him like drops of water as his eyes stared down at his claws. He seemed torn by her words. His eyes were flashing and flitting back and forth as though watching a rodent trying to escape his grasp. Then his mouth frowned and he growled without making eye contact, "Your words mean nothing to me."

Her head jerked up, "But I-"

"Your insincerity comes in all forms," he hissed, still not meeting her eyes, "How can you expect me to trust what you say now when you may not believe your own words?"

"I am sincere!" she stood up, "I admit to my wrongdoings! I am guilty of harming you in ways I never knew!"

"That is correct," his body shook slightly but his voice remained low, "And I have forgotten nothing."

"You do not believe that I truly admit to my guilt and ask for healing?"

"You only would if you thought it would get you want you wanted," he snapped, closing his eyes as though in pain, "You only say such things to persuade me to fall under your will."

"I am not trying to manipu-"

"Your words are lies!"

"Enough!" she lunged forward, shoving herself right beside him and positioning her nose a scale's width from his, "If you cannot trust my words, find the truth for yourself within me."

His now open eyes glared up at her in anger but she could see the conflicting emotions swarming behind them. She then pressed her nose to his, opening her mouth a little to breathe to him as she closed her eye and opened her mind to his. When he didn't immediately take advantage of her offer, she mentally swallowed and consumed him.

She felt his irritation spike for a brief moment and she was aware of his physical body shifting around...then there was silence. She mentally moved her mind, feeling the barriers that completely surrounded Smaug's consciousness.

They halted her and she admired their strength with amusement. Smaug had never liked 'company'.

Not bothered by this, she rolled his barriers around until they held him like an egg that she clutched in her mental hold. She rubbed herself up against them and cooed to him, "Mighty one, come to me and find the truth."

Silence...and his obvious discomfort at being confined by his own defenses.

"Strong one, come into me and I will hold nothing back from you."

The silence changed. No longer was it the silence of a presence sulking behind a wall. It was a restless silence now. She could feel a growing excitement as his voice rumbled around her, "You risk injury to yourself by permitting my intrusion."

"It is no intrusion," she mentally relaxed her mind and prepared for his scrutiny, "And I know you will be gentle."

"Gentle?" she felt him slip out of her grip to touch her and briefly show her his scepticism, "Why would I be gentle with you?"

She candidly touched him back, "You take care of all that is yours."

His presence shook as his soundless rage and pain surrounded and pressed down on her. His voice hissed, "You are not mine. You never were."

"You cannot know the truth about that until you've seen it for yourself," she felt her body groan under his weight. What was happening in her mind seemed to be blending with reality. Had his body moved over her's?

His eyes appeared before her, narrowed, accusing...searching her for something. She stared boldly into them, "I have nothing to keep from you Smaug," she paused before adding, "I allow you full access to me."

His eyes widened and she sensed his surprise then his eagerness. She knew that giving him full access to her mind would mean he could know anything he wanted of her...but if that was what it took…

His consciousness rose up over her's in a dominant wave of command and she braced herself as he crashed down on her.

Her physically body flinched and writhed as he greedily spread his mind over her's, taking in all that he could and concentrating on the areas involving him. She focused on keeping herself open. All her instincts were begging that she defend herself from his not very gentle invasion, but she had meant what she said. He needed to see that she acknowledged her guilt and truly wanted healing...and not just because she wanted to mate with him.

She was suddenly aware that her physical body was being moved. Confused, she turned her attention to it in order to see what was happening but she found his presence interfering.

"He did not satisfy you."

She tried to see past him, "Who?"

His presence covered her so that she could feel nothing but him, "Nouscul. You think him a fool and found him lacking."

"He was a fool," she shivered as his presence suddenly became pleasing and she thought she felt him touching her neck with his claws, "You were wishing he was me the entire time."

"I was," she sighed, further distracted from the movements of her body. His mental touch had softened and his voice was smooth, "I did not realize my absence was felt so deeply by you."

"It was," she felt herself being drawn into him, "I would feel such anger."

"Yessss, but no more," his voice slipped around her in an embrace, "My beautiful jewel, tell me the truth. Tell me what it is you desire."

"You can see it for yourself," she murmured, drunk on his soothing tones, and he replied, "I want to hear you say it to me. I want the words," his voice hardened slightly, "I want your mouth to speak to me. I want your body to profess to my body. I want your entire being to communicate to mine!"

"I want to be yours..." she felt her physical body suddenly gasp for air and she jolted out of her stupor, "What are you doing to my-ah!"

She felt intense sexual pleasure shoot through both of them and she managed to halfway drag herself out of his mental grip to feel...teeth? She thought she could hear him groaning as his teeth sunk into her neck. She suddenly realized what was happening and instinctively squirmed, "Smaug!"

His mind snatched her back to him, encircling her in a whirl of sexual excitement and longing. She pulled back, confused at his sudden change of heart.

"Filianix…my beloved," his being throbbed, "Join me in this."

"Let me breathe!"

He reluctantly released her enough for her to become aware of her body. She was pinned beneath him, sinking into the gold and the spikes along her back protesting at being laid upon. His body was on her's, their scales rubbing against each other as he groaned again and bit down harder. She gasped out again as pleasure raced through her but this was not what she wanted. No eggs would come of this. What they needed to do was finish this in the sky!

"My Nix," he thrummed to her, his mouth opening so that his teeth lightly scraped on her scales, "Say it to me again."

She took in a breath and complied, "I want to be yours...only yours."

His body shuddered and he hissed, "I have waited too long to hear you say those words."

"Y-yes," she groaned, "Smaug, you must release me."

He pressed down more firmly, his head rubbing up and down her neck, "I do not wish to."

She opened her mouth to say that if they must mate, they should do so in a way that resulted in eggs. However she stopped herself. Perhaps it was because she could sense his joy at being with her like this. Perhaps it was because she had said she would wait until he was ready to fly with her. Perhaps it was both.

"My Nix," he spoke to her ears and mind in a hushed rumble, "Join with me as we used to."

Her mouth relaxing into a smile, she fully opened her mind and body to him, releasing a peal of laughter as his mind eagerly, almost playfully, grabbed onto her, "I am yours."


Awww, and then they lived happily ever after right?!

We'll just have to wait and see...

Thanks for reading! Please review and tell me what you think :D