Author's Note: Hi everyone! So, 170+ Reviews, 220+ Followers, and 150 Favourites?! *nearly faints*

Holy Moly, you have NO IDEA how happy you guys have made me, seriously, I'm bouncing with joy at the moment, this is far more then I ever hoped this story would achieve! And I owe everything to you readers, that's why this nice, extra long chapter is for you! This is my Christmas gift to you guys. I hope you like it ;) This was my most favourite Chapter to write so far.

Just a quick special thanks to Fuchsia Grasshopper for helping me with a dilemma in this chapter, and to ilovedracoDH for my morale. Thank you, you guys :)

Chapter 11 – Temptation

"What is it you ought to keep after you have given it to someone else? – A Promise"

Smaug felt his mind settle as he attached his consciousness to Kathryn's, allowing himself to adjust as he was transported from his own mind into hers and merging into her subconscious. Leaving behind the confines of his own mind he washed away the darkness as her mental realm began to take form around him.

And then he began to fall.

Smaug was briefly startled as he fell from the heavens, the furious winds thrashing his body as he flailed, the air trying to snap at his huge wings that briefly gave him purchase but his tumbling body quickly pushed him closer to the ground. It took him but a moment to see the endless clouds spread out beneath him, with more clouds above him, giving him a direct whereabouts of his altitude, the clouds were blazed with amber light at the sun that appeared to be setting. There was no landmarks about him, no mountains or fortresses breaking the cloud line, meaning that even if he were to break through the clouds he would still have hundreds of thousands of feet left before he collided with the earth.

As easily as breathing, his body responding to the commands as his blood sang with the thrill of flight. Smaug flipped his bulk through the air, spinning slightly until he was pointing down towards the earth and tucking in his wings, his spine completely straight like an arrow, the wind – although roaring furiously around him – merely passed over his aerodynamic body, as he cut through the air like a serrated blade through flesh. Snapping his wings open and tilting his tail, he levelled off and merely glided lazily along the air currents that lifted him.

Smaug allowed himself to descend as he went towards the clouds in order to search for Kathryn. He had not started a dream this high since he had first appeared in her mind. Perhaps there was a high rise close by that she was on, that might explain why he was –

Suddenly, Smaug heard a familiar scream of terror, his head snapping towards the sound and his eyes locking onto a tiny figure that fell through the clouds, rapidly descending towards the ground.

Smaug felt something in him go cold, and with a roar he flapped his wings and was shooting faster than a comet towards the falling human. The "boom" of his wings was like a thunderclap as he was propelled through the air, expertly angling himself as he came in towards Kathryn from an angle like a hawk descending upon a pigeon.

Kathryn screamed as she was hurtling through the air, her absolute terror reaching his ears and urging him to propel himself faster. She saw him and began to reach for him, even as she tumbled head over heels through the air. Smaug narrowed his eyes and tucked his wings closer to his body, making him more streamline as he dove towards the helpless human. He began to grow increasingly frustrated and concerned that he never seemed to be gaining any ground, it was as if the faster he flew the faster she dropped.

"Smaug!" he heard her scream as she suddenly fell beneath the bank of clouds.

Smaug gave another thunderclap of his wings to push himself faster, and quickly passed through the misty clouds, shaking off whatever damp lay within, trying to clear his vision of the mist as he cleared the clouds and entered another section of the heavens that looked exactly like the one he had just left.

And Kathryn was nowhere in sight.

"Kathryn!" the dragon roared as he made to swoop down to where he knew she must have gone, hoping that the ground was not beneath this section of clouds. Although this was just a dream, Smaug knew of the belief that if one were to die in a dream, the shock was so powerful that it could induce real harm and possibly even death in the physical realm. Many thought it to be superstitious nonsense, and Smaug was inclined to agree – he just wasn't going to test that theory on this occasion though.

Suddenly, he heard a thunderous roar, and barely had enough time to duck out of the way as a dragon came shooting past him, beating its wings furiously in an attempt to gain altitude. Smaug roared his challenge in outrage, and was about to attack –

When the dragon levelled off and turned in the air, and he saw… violet-purple eyes.

Smaug literally froze in place, his eyes widening as he followed the dragon's movements, taking in every single aspect of it.

It was distinctly female, as he could tell from her narrower body and less decorative horns. She was smaller than him, much smaller, but still what humans would call a formidable size. She had a narrow snout and a long serpentine neck, her wings were unblemished with no tears or breaks, but she seemed to be using them too much, continuously flapping them like an awkward duckling as if to guarantee her altitude. But her scales… her scales were like molten gold, they gleamed in the light of the sun, seeming to shine as if she were a drop of sunlight, her underbelly was pale cream, but at the base of her skull, just behind her horns and almost out of sight, Smaug saw a dash of ruby red scales. The same colour as Katrhyn's hair, and he only had to look into her snake-like violet-purple eyes to know that it was her.

But he couldn't stop staring; how had she done this?

"Kathryn," he said aloud, making the dragoness jump slightly, making her lose the rhythm of her wing-beats momentarily. She looked at him with those large draconic eyes, her expression one of fear but also… elation. "What did you do?"

"I…" she seemed lost for words for a moment. "I'm not sure… I was falling and then… you said once that I was the one to change the reality here, and I saw you change your form in my dreams easily with your will. When it looked like you wouldn't catch me… I willed myself to fly." She breathed.

"I would have caught you," he growled and with a flap of his wings soared past her, slightly knocking her with the air flow from his passing. She teetered on falling, but quickly regained her wings and flapped them furiously to keep herself aloft. She looked at him with hurt in her eyes but when she saw that he hovered in the air waiting for her, she gave a toothy grin and jerked her body after him. Soon he was leading her through the endless sky making her flight slightly easier by providing her the lift from his air-streams from under his wings.

"'I would have caught you'? Is that what you're angry about?" she asked, a slight twinkle of mischief in her eyes.

"Straighten your wings and glide!" he snapped, eyes blazing a warning for her to keep quiet and do as she was told. "You'll tire yourself out if you continuously flap them like a pelican!"

Kathryn did as she was bid, locking her wings straight out as she glided, though this wasn't any easier to maintain.

"Relax the joints: just hold your wings don't lock them!"

Kathryn relaxed her grip on her wings, just holding them out and allowing the wind to do the work for her as the air filled beneath her leathery wings and lifted her. She merely glided along the air currents and was able to go in a straight line for a little while before her weight started her descent; but then, following Smaug's example, it only took one push of her enormous wingspan and she was pushed back up into the air.

Smaug watched as he saw the joy enter her eyes, slowly spreading across her body as the nerves and apprehension began to dissipate as she grew used to the motion of flying, and utter happiness took its place. Her jaw hung open slightly as she flashed her teeth, doing a draconic impression of a human grin. Smaug shook his head, but her delight was infectious and he couldn't help his lips from twitching into a smirk. He banked left, but saw out of the corner of his eye that Kathryn was flapping her wings continuously again, looking panicked as she was suddenly left stranded in the air.

"How do I turn?!" she asked frantically.

"In the glide position, lean your body and turn your tail," he called back to her.

She did as she was told, pushing with her wings to give her one last reassuring purchase of height before levelling out into a glide. She threw her tail to the right, whilst leaning her body to the left, though she over calculated and almost did a loop-the-loop before she panicked and started to flail around helplessly and began to tumble. Smaug growled in frustration as he swooped after her and put her back into position before giving her the benefit of his stream-line air from under his wings once again.

"Not that much!" he snapped irritably.

"It looks so easy when you do it!" she groaned.

"I have been doing this for centuries," he shot back. "And we dragons have the song of the wind in our blood – flying is what we are!"

"Oh, I forgot – dragons are vastly superior…" Kathryn muttered sarcastically.

"We are. Especially when compared to mortals," he growled.

"But I'm not human anymore," she gave another grin as she raised a scaly eye-ridge at him.

"You still have the limited mentality of one," he muttered but smirked again as he flew onwards with her close on his left flank.

They continued onward, Smaug instructing as he went whenever she would ask something.

As the time passed, Kathryn seemed to grow much more confident in her new body, testing her new strength and agility in flight. She would venture outside of his airstream and soar along the air currents, laughing in her mirth as she shot through a cloud, leaving behind a wispy trail like an arrow pointing in her direction. But no matter what he told her, she could never distinguish between an updraft or downdraft, and would often brace for the wrong one, sending her tumbling in either direction until she gained control of herself. That would be the time when she would hurry back to Smaug, sticking close to his flank and the relative ease of flying behind him; that is, until she plucked up the courage to go off on her own again.

Smaug sighed in frustration. Truly, she was like a juvenile, constantly wandering away before scurrying back to his side, her eyes constantly wide with wonder at everything around her. He had had more self-control on his first flight then this.

Suddenly he heard a gasp, and turned his head slightly to see Kathryn flap her wings in order to push away from his shadow, gaining her own space. He watched, intrigued as he saw her close her eyes as if in deep concentration, breathing deeply and her eyes shifting behind her lids as if she were searching for the source of a muscle pain. And then, he saw her belly began to glow, a bright shine of light leaking out from between the pale-cream scales of her chest. The light flowed up her slim throat towards her skull, and he heard her take a huge breath, filling her lungs to beyond capacity and coiling her neck like a snake. With a roar, her head shot forward, extending her neck into line with her chest, exhaling as she bellowed a torrent of fire from her maw. The heat of it scolded the air around them, and Smaug was almost mystified as he watched the fire create a halo of light around her head. The brightness of the flames set her golden scales ablaze with a shining light as if they were made of melted gold.

With a snap of her jaws, Kathryn extinguished the flames, the light in her throat ceasing, and she turned to look at him with wide and bright eyes. He merely blinked at her as he stared back, for once, not sure how to feel.

Then, with a roar, Kathryn shot forward with a thunderclap of her wings, racing away through the air at an impressive speed. Smaug smirked, the kind of pride only a teacher could feel as he watched a succeeding student.

But then, he noticed Kathryn bank towards him, and he had to move aside before she could barrel into him. But he still felt a rush of wind run right beneath his underbelly as she made sure her back came dangerously close to clipping him. He hissed, and made sure to give her a scolding flick from his whip like tail. Yet she almost paid it no head, as she turned in the air and came swooping back to him, flying just above him, and gave a loud roar as she passed over his head and then quickly shot out of reach before he could snap at her.

Smaug knew what that roar was: a challenge. He knew he should just ignore her like the infant she was, not knowing what she was doing or who she was meddling with; but another part of him insisted that he would just indulge her in order to show her who she was dealing with. It would be worth it just to see her crestfallen face at having been beaten.

So with a thunderous roar as his answer, Smaug drove his wings down once, and tore after her.

As he came shooting towards her, Kathryn knew that the race was on. He saw it in her eyes as they widened in fear, but not of him, more like a child: giddy with excitement but fearful that he would catch her and the game would end. He quickly gave chase, snapping at her tail with his teeth but she dodged him, barely managing to keep out of his reach.

Smaug gave another thunderclap of his wings to give him some more speed, but still she remained aggravatingly elusive. Since she had the body of a female, she would be naturally faster than he, as males were stronger than females but they were always quicker and much more agile. Yet her inexperience showed as she continuously flapped her wings in a panic, and it made her suffer the chase as a result, the wind constantly catching at her wing membranes and pulling her back towards him where she could have been further ahead if she kept them either in a glide or half out.

But she wasn't stupid, and quickly caught on to her disadvantage, levelling out as she glided to give her shoulders – which surely must have been aching a little by now – some respite. But this was what Smaug needed, he gave another push of his wings to send him towards her –

Suddenly Kathryn reared her body and snapped out her wings, bringing herself to such an abrupt halt, Smaug had to swerve around her and flap his own wings furiously to gain purchase in the air so that he wouldn't have a fatal collision with her. By the time he had regained his composure, he was already much further ahead of her, and when he looked back he saw her quickly turn around and head in the opposite direction. Already she had a good head-start, and she let him know she knew it by giving him a taunting roar.

Smaug would have been furious, but oddly he just grinned as his eyes sparkled with dark delight as he beat his wings to race after her again, the last of the sun setting behind him.

Once again, experience was in his favour as Smaug quickly gained on her, closing the gap between them within seconds. Hearing his approach with her heightened senses – whereas otherwise her human hearing would never have picked up a sound – Kathryn turned to see him almost upon her. Quickly tipping her body weight, she tucked in her wings and pointed herself straight as an arrow as she fell into a nose-dive.

Smaug was almost laughing with delight at the challenge this was turning out to be – it would make his victory all the sweeter. As he had always said, he liked it when his prey fought back, knowing that there was nothing that could best him. He too then quickly shot downwards into a dive of his own.

The wind howled in his face as it rippled past him, his body slicing through the air as he went after his prey. Once again Kathryn had the advantage of the distance between them, but Smaug had the advantage of weight. His bigger mass easily dwarfed her and now lending him the speed to drop like a stone, making him all the faster as he sped towards her. He narrowed his eyes as he locked onto a spot at the conjoin of her long serpentine neck and shoulders, a spot where her tougher scales were slightly softer, though not enough to be a threat. Smaug waited until he was just behind her, easily within reach of the end of her tail, before he roared out to her in a booming voice in order to be heard above the ferocious wind around them.

"Do you think to outrun me? Or outwit me?" He taunted her as he gave a dark chuckle. "You cannot do either!"

"I don't have to," she looked over her shoulder at him and gave him a smirk of her own as she suddenly slapped the end of her tail into his face, causing a sting on his snout that made him hiss. She then quickly levelled off and vanished into a large mass of clouds.

Smaug roared, his blood racing in his veins from anything but the exertion of his body. His entire being was honed in for the hunt, for this chase that had suddenly shifted in its dynamics, and he didn't know if it was entirely safe any longer as he felt his self-control begin to wane. But either way, he now had no choice, as his body demanded that he follow her. So with a roar, he broke at an almost right angle, almost tearing his body in half at the amount of strength he had to use to pull it off. He hoped that she had seen that and was impressed at his might for being able to do such a move.

Once within the clouds, visibility soon became limited to what was directly in front of him. Smaug knew that his prey thought she had an advantage in here, so Smaug held out his wings, and hovered in place as the air filled the leathery membranes. He only had a moment or two before his weight would pull him down, but that was all he needed. Closing his eyes, he allowed his excellent hearing to take effect, listening for the slightest disturbance in the space around him.

He heard it, the softest flap of wings. And quicker than the eye could follow, he pushed back into the air, heading straight upwards, quickly emerging from the clouds and seeing his quarry not one hundred metres in front of him, climbing upwards into the sky. She noticed him rise from the cloud bank and quickly began to flap furiously in an attempt to go faster.

Smaug was having none of it. He could feel it in his bones, his blood was singing as his heart pounded in his skull, a calling deep within his body that had awoken from its dark slumber; this was the moment, the chase was about to end! His inevitable victory had come!

Driving his wings down one last time, he managed to get his head level with her shoulders. Hooking the claws of his back legs on her tucked knees, he secured the talons of his hands onto her ribs as he pulled himself up until he was at her eye level, holding his wings out so that they wouldn't collide with hers. In the blink of an eye, he wrapped his tail around hers, pulling her closer as his claws gripped her shoulders so that she was submissive against him. Using his back legs, he directed her hips and body so that she was facing him directly: chest to chest, face to face. Smaug twisted his head so that his throat brushed hers, as he directed his maw towards the back of her neck, his eyes locked on that soft spot. His eyes blazed with triumph as Kathryn instinctively angled her neck to give him better access so that he could drive his teeth into her shoulder and neck, and –

Smaug's eyes widened as shock and absolute disbelief filled his entire being. It was the moment he needed, his instincts were screaming at him so loudly he was almost lost to them, if he hadn't hesitated he might never have been able to listen to his rational thoughts.

He suddenly realised what he was doing, how this looked; since he had caught her everything had only taken a fraction of a second, but a moment longer and he would have sunk his teeth into her flesh and then they would have begun the fall into the dive and… and…

Clamping his jaws shut with a loud "SNAP", Smaug suddenly pushed away from the female before him. Gently enough so that she wouldn't be hurt, but forceful enough to give him some much needed space from her presence at that moment.

He shook himself like a wet dog, trying to erase what had just happened from his memory, trying to drown out all of the voices as his instincts, every muscle, every nerve in his body screamed and roared at him in fury to finish what he had started.

Smaug snarled at himself. He had to regain control, if he didn't, he may do something he would regret. As his blood began to calm, and his more… carnal urges began to subside, he found himself be filled with something equally as compelling. Rage.

He was absolutely furious. Furious at Kathryn for taking on the form of his own species that she was clearly undeserving of. Furious at himself for giving in to such antics when he should have known better. And Furious at his body for responding to the first thing that resembled one of his own, probably due to his long period of celibacy. After all, it had been over two centuries since he had last seen a fellow dragon, and over a century and a half of that was within Erebor. He snorted; frustration, that was all it was. Nothing more!

"Smaug?" He heard a gentle voice just out of his line of sight.

"What?" He snapped with an angry snort, smoke curling from his nostrils. When he heard silence he turned his glare onto those familiar purple eyes in the unfamiliar golden scaled body that had been the cause of his fury a few mere moments ago. If she was hurt by his sudden anger she did not show it, she merely hung back at a respectful distance from him, and gave a soft, almost comforting purr as she smiled at him warmly.

"Thank you for this," she murmured.

Smaug said nothing, his rage leaving him and he didn't know what to do with himself as a result. So he merely nodded to her. Kathryn smiled again, and turned to look at the moon that had now fully risen in this dream, its pale light casting a silver shine onto the clouds around them, the stars like the diamonds of Smaug's horde, twinkling in the black sky. He watched Kathryn look at them with a sudden longing look in her eyes that it left him intrigued.

She seemed… almost oblivious to his internal struggle. Surely she must have felt at least a little shaken by what might have happened…

Unless she didn't know; unless she didn't realise…

As his mind stewed over what had just happened between them, Smaug sighed through his nostrils as he braced himself for whatever was to come.

Kathryn awoke, her eyes snapping open as she looked around the chamber. Smaug lay, eerily still, though his deep snores confirmed that he was still asleep.

Taking in a huge breath, Kathryn tried to calm her frantically beating heart. The dream still lingered in her memory and even the memory of her body's muscles, her back slightly aching as if she had been flying for most of the night.

She had flown. She still couldn't believe it, making her grin from ear to ear with delight. She had actually flown: the freedom, the joy in her blood, the lift of her heart, like a song all to itself, a magic that she welcomed! It had made her so happy, she wondered if Smaug felt the same way, or did he just see it as something ordinary, like she thought of walking? But the pride in his voice when he had been teaching her was evident that he enjoyed it as well. If so, then she had to wonder how he could stand being tied to the ground, being stuck in this cavern with no air under his wings, denying himself the option to just jump and go wherever he pleased, and… no sky above him.

Kathryn wasn't even a natural flyer, but that one glimpse into a world of flight… suddenly having two feet felt like she was suffocating! She needed air; how long had it been since she had last seen the sky?

Before she could think of what she was doing, Kathryn shot to her feet and quickly but quietly made her way across the treasure towards the stairs and the doors leading to the fortress. Her footsteps echoed down the halls as she quickly raced to the front gates, and was out of breath as she reached the doors, broken and abandoned in the debris. She hung back in the shadows, encase there were any predators or hunters or any kind of intruder lurking just outside. But when she neither heard nor saw any, she deemed it safe, and stepped out.

The spring air was warmer but not so much, and she quickly felt her arms prickle with the absence of the warmth generated from the dragon's lair. But she ignored it, the longing in the pit of her stomach refused to be quietened as she stepped out into the open, though still within range of the gates, and looked up at the stars.

There they were, just as in the dream, sparkling and shining like millions of diamonds sowed into the black velvet that was the sky. She watched them, as if for the first time, a sense of awe encompassing her as she watched them twinkle like candles, or the eyes of gods both known and unknown that smiled down upon the mortal world sleeping below.

Kathryn smiled as she closed her eyes, basking in the starlight, breathing in the fresh air around her and letting it fill her lungs. And with her eyes closed she could imagine herself back in the dream, watching the sky with new eyes, feeling the world in a new body… feeling the power in her muscles, the freedom of her wings, and the release in her soul. It had been heavenly to say the least. Her fear at her new form in the dream had been quite a shock, which had quickly given way to curiosity and then to joy as she had played around in her new body, testing it. And then Smaug had taught her how to fly, and then… they had played. She was still mystified at the change in him: not seven months ago he despised her and was in every aspect a tyrant. Back then, never would she have ever thought he could become so… playful? Indeed, when their little chase had ended, the way he had caught her… she had laughed as she knew he had been trying to make her feel smaller, more like the weaker prey and he the all superior hunter. He would have bitten her to prove the point she knew, but had restrained himself; perhaps he thought her too delicate, even in dreams and in another form. But Kathryn smiled, she was in no state of mind to pay attention to his dominance games or mind tricks, she had just taken the moment for all the fun it had been.

Staring up at the stars, Kathryn sighed as she took in the beauty of the night.

She wasn't even aware he was there until he breathed upon her, causing her to squeal in surprise and spun around to face him, finding the end of his snout was only inches from her, his massive nostrils flaring as he took in her scent. His fiery eyes were so bright in the darkness they positively glowed.

He said nothing, but raised an eye-ridge at her suspiciously.

"I wasn't running!" she said quickly, realising what he must be thinking. "I was just –"

He cut her off with a snort, covering her with his warm yet stinking breath. Without a word, he simply lay his gigantic bulk upon the cold ground, leaning against one of the statues on either side of the entrance. With one hand he plucked her from the ground, and she clung to his fingers as she sat still and allowed him to put her on the ground beside his huge chest in the crook of his arm. Looking up at him cautiously, Kathryn was hesitant as she sat down with her back against his chest; being with him in dreams and simply being comfortable in each other's company was one thing, but for him to be so forward with her like this…

Seeing she was comfortable, Smaug lay his head down, so that she had his chest at her back, the base of his neck on her right side and his foreleg on her left and front. The cold was quickly banished from her, and Kathryn relaxed against that iron-like scales, enjoying the warmth, the feel of his strong heartbeat beneath her.

They say there in silence, both of them watching the stars that twinkled above them.

Dawn was not far off when Smaug finally moved, unwrapping himself from around the human woman who had just begun to doze. With his sudden movement she was instantly awoken, and sleepily followed him as he walked back into the mountain.

Kathryn merely allowed her feet to carry her back into the treasure chamber, her movements sluggish to the point where it felt as if the gold that sunk beneath her weight slightly was like quicksand. She heard a soft "clink" as something heavy hit her foot. Kathryn would have paid it no heed if she didn't hear a soft twinkle in the air like a thousand whispers…

Looking down, Kathryn saw a gem beside her foot, one that seemed to shine brighter than any other she had ever seen. Curious, Kathryn stooped down to pick it up, and held this large stone that fit in order to fill her hand almost perfectly.

It was beautiful… Kathryn was left mesmerised as she gazed upon the large gem that seemed to shine of its own inner light, cut and shaped so that it was perfectly round and smooth as silk to the touch. As Kathryn moved it into a shaft of light that filtered into the cavern from the outside world, her mouth hung open slightly in awe as the gem took all light that fell upon it and changed it into ten thousand sparks of white radiance shot with glints of the rainbow.

Kathryn didn't need to ask what this was, the tales and songs of such a priceless jewel were spread far and wide, and they were all put to shame by seeing this in person! It was the Arkenstone… The King's Jewel… The Heart of the Mountain… She knew exactly how many races coveted this particular stone, and she couldn't blame them as she stared at it now.

Smiling to herself, Kathryn closed her eyes as she allowed the light of the Arkenstone to shine upon her face, revelling in the fantasy that played out in her mind. Her walking into the greatest halls of Gondor, the Arkenstone in a necklace of gold and silver draped around her neck; those pompous Lords would be falling and tripping over themselves in an effort to win her affections. She would have suitors on every side, treasures laid at her feet, they would worship the ground she walked on, no longer would she be a "witch" or a "freak"…

She would be like a Queen…

Kathryn breathed in deeply, her eyes shining with the thought… to be welcomed by society, to be a part of the normal world… all because of one extraordinary jewel. Clutching it tightly to her chest as if it were her own babe, Kathryn suddenly wanted to be far away… perhaps she could sneak away when Smaug next went hunting. Yes! She could hide the Arkenstone in her sleeping place until then, close by her side, she could then escape and by the time Smaug returned –

Suddenly, a thunderous roar filled the cavern, so loud Kathryn thought her ears would burst! She was suddenly pulled from her thoughts to see Smaug staring at her, eyes fixed upon the jewel she pressed against her skin possessively. His eyes were wide with outrage and… something else she couldn't identify…

Before she could make out what he was thinking, Smaug gave another roar as he dove towards her. Kathryn screamed, her piercing shriek cutting through the air like a blade, and she scrambled back, trying to get out of the massive creature's way, dropping the Arkenstone as she tried to save herself from the monster that had suddenly turned on her –

But then Smaug's attention was diverted from her, his slit pupils followed the Arkenstone as it tumbled down the horde. With a snarl he turned away from Kathryn and bounded after the precious gem. Kathryn watched in equal parts confusion, horror and disbelief as Smaug's huge body slithered over the heaps of gold and treasure, until he found the spot where the Arkenstone had settled.

With his huge hands, using his meat-hook claws like spades, he dug a huge hole into the mountain of gold, digging deep and quickly as the gold continuously shuffled and slid to try and undo his work. With a flick of his tail, Smaug sent the Arkenstone into the pit of the new hole and then quickly covered it back up with the tons of gold. Suddenly, he then dived into the gold, dipping his body into the treasure and then resurfacing like a Sea-Serpent, his back and wings still submerged whilst his long neck, head and tail stuck out. Opening his wings, Smaug then spun around, stirring the contents of his horde as he did a huge death-roll, snarling and growling ferociously as he did so.

When he was finished, he climbed out of the gold once again, his sides heaving with barely controlled emotion and from the sudden exertion. But he then fixed his gaze upon the human woman, and Kathryn saw… anxiety in his eyes.

"What are you doing?!" Kathryn demanded in a furious tone.

"You found the Arkenstone," Smaug growled, his eyes narrowing at her as if she were a threat as he slowly began to circle her, teeth bared and claws at the ready.

"Yes… but… why Smaug?!" She continued on as if she were oblivious to his obviously threatening pose. "Are you that greedy and selfish that I'm not even allowed to touch one –?!"

"Snap out of this!" he snarled, eyes blazing as he stared at her with equal parts fury and concern.

When her mood didn't change straight away, Smaug roared as he suddenly snatched her into his talons and gave her a hard squeeze as he brought her dangerously close to his face, his lips quivering to reveal his teeth.

And suddenly Kathryn felt rational thought return to her mind. She blinked as if she were awakening from a dream, her breathing becoming heavy as she looked at Smaug as if she didn't exactly understand what he was doing or how they came to be in the current situation. Seeing the change in her, Smaug gave an audible sigh of relief before gently putting her back down to the ground.

"Oh Valar…" she groaned, holding a hand to her head as she felt a headache begin to pound into her skull. "I don't know what came over me…"

"You found the Arkenstone and human greed got the better of you," he spat icily.

"Smaug… I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. But why did you –?"

"I will not have it corrupt your heart and poison your mind!" he hissed, before fixing her with his glaring golden eyes. "Promise me that you will never again seek it out. Swear to me that you will never try to find the Arkenstone!"

Kathryn looked at the place where the Jewel in question had fallen. Smaug had hidden it from her well; even if she went digging in the place where he had buried it he had stirred the treasure so well that she would never find it. It would take her perhaps a hundred years to go through the treasure piece by piece until she found it.

"Give me your word!" Smaug hissed savagely again, pulling Katrhyn from her thoughts so that she looked up into those fiery eyes that were bright with apprehension.

"I promise," she murmured softly.

Kathryn lay sleeping one late spring afternoon, Smaug was out earlier then usual for his hunt as he wished to catch something truly big enough to gorge himself on before he would find her something to eat. He had told her that he wouldn't be back until late in the evening, and so Kathryn decided to sleep so that she would be wide awake for when Smaug returned. Lately they had been in deep discussions after dinner, and would talk for hours until Kathryn was too tired to continue, and then would sing before they would fall asleep and dream together.

So now she wanted to catch some sleep, something in her wanting to be able to extend this limited time that she had with such a fascinating creature; one that she doubted even a select few in Middle-Earth had ever had the privilege to experience.

And so she slept, and dreamed:

Kathryn stood by a balcony overlooking a great mountain range, the lights of a hundred houses in the city below her glinting like the reflection of the stars above. She gave a contented sigh, breathing in the air of freedom as she did so… and leaned her back against the sculpted chest behind her. Muscular arms came and encircled her, and Kathryn felt warm breath in her hair, the presence seeming to surround her as it held her tightly in its embrace. She felt the hands slide over her arms and then down to clasp around by her stomach, fingertips grazing her naval and Kathryn's breath hitched in her throat as she felt her body tingle from something she had never felt before. It terrified her of its sudden intensity, like a wildfire racing through her body, but it also excited her. She decided to play along with whatever was happening… a guilty pleasure couldn't hurt, could it? She leaned her head back, closing her eyes as she felt burning hot lips against the side of her neck, and felt surprisingly sharp teeth graze across her throat, growling at the offering she held for him. Kathryn grinned, the excitement growing in her as she began to get comfortable with this dream… she could not feel another presence in her mind so thought it safe to simply indulge herself. She turned to face her dream-man, her hand reaching up his chest to stroke his strong jaw –

And beheld the face of the Human-Smaug

Kathryn hissed a breath as her heart launched itself into her throat, and she physically jumped out of her partner's arms until she pressed herself against the edge of the balcony in an attempt to be as far away from him as possible.

What had she done? Was this another trick? Or was it some cursed sick dream she was playing out? She searched her mind but could not find another presence; Smaug was not in her head, she was alone. So if this wasn't him… who was it?

"What's wrong?" the Human-Smaug asked her, his fiery eyes alight with hunger as he stared at her. Kathryn paled, and quickly turned her back on him, facing out onto the city below as she braced her arms against the balcony.

Dear Valar! What was this?! This was just a dream, it wasn't Smaug here, just a shell with his image. For some reason she didn't know if that was better… or worse that her mind had come up with the image. She leaned over the balcony, trying to regain her breathing as she attempted to calm her racing heart. But suddenly, she felt the presence right behind her once again, and she froze as she waited to see what the dream would do. She felt the Human-Smaug curl his arms around her, pulling her back against his chest and clasping her hands in his with a gentle but firm grip. Kathryn felt her skin become alive at his touch, and despite her terror and confusion at what was happening, she felt the tingling feeling in her body again, as she was very much aware of how she was pressed up against his body. His mouth hovered by her ear, his breath tickling her hair, his voice seeming to be almost in her mind.

"Tell me what's wrong," he whispered in a hoarse growl. He tried to turn her to face him, but she rooted her feet in place, refusing to look at him. "Do not be afraid of me,"

"I'm not," she choked out.

"I know," he murmured and released one of her hands as he brushed back her hair, and she suddenly felt his face against the skin of her neck, his nose buried in her hair. And she heard him inhale her as he smelled her scent. His chest practically vibrated with a rumbling growl. "I can smell your desire," he growled at her, snapping his teeth by her ear. But he let the sentence hang. He was making it perfectly clear that he wanted this (whatever this was, she reminded herself), but should she want to then everything would stop.

But Kathryn felt a part of her ache as she realised that she didn't want it to stop.

Her body loosened slightly, though she was still a little nervous, her mind going completely blank with shock as the dream unfolded. She heard him chuckle, something deep and dark in his chest that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

"Come now, don't be shy…" his voice teased her, called to her, beckoned her as he slid his arms back into place as he surrounded her once again. "Step into the light…"

And as he turned her to face him again, she gave away completely, allowing herself to succumb to her dream and into her body. He spun her around and pressed her against him, bringing her into the light of the bedroom behind him, wrapping his arms around her as he drew her in, and crushed his lips onto hers.

Kathryn felt light headed as she felt all of her breath was taken from her in that one kiss, his lips demanding her, begging her… wanting her… And Kathryn moaned as she felt something give way inside her, allowing a torrent of emotion to hit her like a tidal wave. It was so much so quickly that she was unable to comprehend most of it!

She wanted this. She knew it in her bones, in the way that her skin felt like it was burning from his touch, the way that she felt herself become a pool, completely void of rational thought and only subject to the needs of her body. She pulled him closer to her, pressing herself against him as she felt his hands bury themselves in her hair, balling his fists around her red locks. Kathryn moaned, her mouth opening slightly, and he took it as a full invitation, pushing his tongue deeper into her mouth so that she could taste the bitter-sweetness of him!

Breaking off the kiss in order to catch her breath, Kathryn looked back into Smaug's gaze with dreamy eyes, a small smile curving her lips as she –

Her eyes snapped wide open as the Dragon Smaug stood loomed over her, his eyes blazing with maddening fury… with a roar that made Kathryn's ears hurt and threaten to burst from the intensity, the dragon snatched her into his claws and held her before him, and she looked into his eyes that screamed of anger, longing, madness and paranoia.

"I will not part with a single coin!" he hissed at her furiously. "Least of all you!"

Kathryn screamed as she saw the dragon's maw open impossibly wide, a dreadful scream erupting from him, so loud Kathryn actually cried out in pain as she covered her ears from the terrible sound.

And then she felt her world shift, as she was suddenly thrown into a dark, empty space, with the Human-Smaug standing before her, screaming in utter agony as he was crippled over in pain clutching at his chest in one hand, blood dripping through his fingers from a gaping hole in his left breast. The other hand was reaching for her, his eyes pleading with pain and sorrow. She almost hesitated as she thought of what he had just done, but unable to see him brought so low, Kathryn ran for him, desperate to see if she could –

Kathryn screamed as she suddenly fell, and felt herself plunge into deep water; the inky blackness seemed to surround her and press down upon her as it pushed her into the depths. She struggled and kicked but she only seemed to sink further, her lungs burning for air, wanting to scream as she felt panic set in as her heart began to falter.

Darkness began to close into the edges of her vision, and the world slowly became silent and void as she d –

Kathryn sat bolt upright in her bed, her body damp with sweat as she shook, gasping for the air that her lungs burned for. She coughed, her hands grasping out on either side of her until she felt the reassuring presence of the solid world around her. It took her several long minuets in order to restore order to her panicked body, calming her heart as her blood still raced in her veins, slowing her breathing, and easing her death grip on her bedding.

She slowly relaxed, rubbing her face in an attempt to awaken her body that still felt heavy and lethargic. Breathing deeply through her nose, Kathryn tried to bring in cool air to her head, her thoughts still spinning as what happened in the dream still resonated in her mind.

Had she really dreamt that she had kissed Smaug? And did she… did she want more? Her stomach did a little flip as she realised what she had done. How could she be so ridiculous?! She was suddenly thankful that Smaug was still out; if he knew what had happened in her head… if he had seen… she shuddered at the thought, unable to even think what he would do.

Kathryn wanted to shake her head, and just pretend that she was ill: something must be wrong with her mind! But despite this, she couldn't stop herself from remembering being in those arms, those lips on hers, and wanting that. She felt her body quiver with excitement just from remembering, making her blush furiously. And then she had to ask herself: did she really want that?

She shook her head, something inside her sinking as she told herself that even if she did, it wouldn't matter. These feelings (if that was what they were) were unrequited. Smaug was disgusted by humans; he thought them inferior to him, weaker, dumb, filthy, putrid and foul. In fact, he thought that of all mortal races. He would have been totally furious and been utterly repulsed if he had known what she had dreamt. No, she thought, if Smaug could ever feel anything like that (other than for his treasure and himself) then it would be one from his own species.

But then Kathryn had to pause, for her mind wouldn't cease its rapid thoughts. She remembered when she had dreamt of herself as a Dragon, the way Smaug had treated her, the playfulness, the chase… she suddenly felt a shiver run down her spine as the thought came to her head that perhaps there had been more to that chase then she had first realised. When he had caught her… the look in his eyes… the way their bodies… Kathryn felt herself blush all the way down her neck as she thought of what it must have been. Had Smaug truly…

She cut that thought off quickly. It couldn't have been, she reminded herself stiffly. Even if it had, Smaug clearly didn't want it because he broke off and seemed rather angry – she had thought at the time because he was disappointed with her skill, but now she couldn't help but wonder if it was through something else.

Could this possibly be… Kathryn was utterly dumbstruck as she tried to puzzle through what had happened. How had everything come to this?

Suddenly, she heard Smaug return as he stomped his way back into the Lonely Mountain, and as he entered the chamber, his immediately found Kathryn. His golden eyes locked onto her, and Kathryn felt a now familiar twist on her innards as she met those fiery eyes. She tried to beat down the voices that kept whispering to her, reminding her of those same eyes in her dream.

Smaug made his way over to her, and offered her a sheep. His eyes watched her almost cautiously, scrutinising, noting the redness in her cheeks and neck, his nostrils flaring as he suddenly caught a scent. Kathryn prayed that he did not figure out what had happened, or came to the wrong conclusion, or worse asked her what happened. She would lie to him, but her churning thoughts would not make her a good liar – not to mention he always knew when she was lying.

But he merely watched her, saying nothing, to which Kathryn was grateful to every Valar she could name. She tried to focus her mind on cutting the wool from the sheep – hoping to make a new cushion or perhaps a fleece or jumper with it – before quickly cutting off her meat for dinner.

And so their evening continued as normally as it would any other night. Even if Kathryn was desperately trying to stop her scandalous thoughts as they raced around in her mind. It didn't help that she could tell that Smaug was casting sidelong glances at her, which she tried her best to ignore and pretend that she didn't notice.

Her entire being was a great mass of confusion, and the one thing that she was sure of at the centre of it all, was that Smaug made her feel something. She didn't exactly know what or how, but she knew it was something. She felt more alive in his presence, she was more carefree, she was more herself. With him she had been able to find out who she actually was, and not just a runaway girl or a cursed seer. With him, she knew her place in the world, she had a home, a refuge, even a companion she would venture to say.

So whatever this was, she decided to keep it a secret for now, at least until she could fully understand what this was.

Thankfully, when she and Smaug finally went to sleep, she had no dreams.

A/N: Please don't hurt me! I seriously didn't mean to give you guys TWO teases in one chapter, but the first was completely unexpected - Smaug went completely off track from my original plan, so that was HIS doing! And the second was for plot and Character development. Plus, some people have been asking so I thought I would indulge... slightly, teeheehee ;)

Please Review! Tell me what you thought, what you liked, do you want more of some things from the chapter or others? And I'm curious: How do you think Smaug and Kathryn work so far? Since they've met, they've come a long way, and I honestly want your opinion on if they work well together and how, and also I want to know where you think they'll go. If people really want to see something from this, then please: SAY!

Okay guys, this will be the last chapter I'll squeeze out before Christmas - That doesn't mean this is the last chapter, still have PLENTY more to come, just that I probably will only get brief writing time between now and Christmas and then New Year. But don't worry, I won't be able to keep off of this for long so expect something VERY SOON in the beginning of January. (knowing me that will mean like straight after New Year's Day, LOL)

So I hope you guys have a very Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year's Celebrations! :)

All my love to you wonderful, lovely, readers!

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