Chapter 9

He could still hear Thorin calling him, like a terrible nightmare, however, it wasn't. As much as Bilbo wanted to convince himself that they were still in the palace of Thranduil, his eyes that confirmed the truth when they opened slowly. He was dazzled by gold sparkles that spread around him like a bright sea, he was completely surrounded by gold and jewels. Bilbo was completely surprised, he never seen such a huge treasure, he had not even read (in one of his books adventures) about someone who has seen something similar. And after the initial shock, his eyes began to seek more details of the structure of the place, it was clear that he was in the main room of a castle (in which there the throne was), but it was all covered by gold. The gates and part of the stone columns were damaged and some completely destroyed.

That was the majestic Erebor. But now it was only a shadow of what it had been at the time the race of dwarves had prospered in the days when Thorin lived there with his family and he considered it a home.

And, as it was expected, just remembering the prince makes Bilbo feel a pain in his chest. He was not sure what had happened to him or his friends, though he knew they did not have many opportunities. The only remaining hope was that Gandalf could found them on time.

"You are awake"

It was the powerful voice of Smaug the first thing that came to Bilbo's ears, and then the whole place trembled with his footsteps. His massive head approached little hobbit's body. In his big yellow eyes there was no sign of joy, it seemed that something had bothered him enough. Bilbo tried to get back, causing various coins falling around him, it seemed like he was sitting on a big pile of gold and jewels.

Smaug's tail not allowed him to stray too far, because it got tangled around his body and pulled him closer.

"I need an answer, little hobbit" said the enormous dragon.

Bilbo looked up and looked at Smaug's eyes, he knew it was more important not to make him angry, so he nodded, though he had no idea what was going to ask.

"The smell of your skin is mixed with another" Smaug said, who seemed to be about to launch a flash of fire, apparently that was driving him crazy "it is on you, in your whole body. As if someone had possessed you. Why?"

Bilbo, despite being completely terrified, blushed. He looked away and did not dare to answer anything, because he knew the tone of his voice or his eyes would betray him. Or maybe even the beating of his heart.

"You gave yourself to someone?" Smaug's voice had intensified.

Bilbo knew he would have to say something soon.

"It was one of those damn dwarves, wasn't it?

The Hobbit closed his eyes and thought of Thorin, his heart beat as memories flooded him. If he died that day, the only thing that made him glad was to remember the best moments with his prince.

"Yes."

Smaug's tail dropped him and terrible dragon back; a roar emerged from his throat and flooded the whole place with his uncontrollable rage.

Bilbo covered his face with his hands and wished with his heart that Thorin and his friends were okay. He did not care anything, not even accomplish what he had promised to Gandalf, if he couldn't see Thorin again. He closed his eyes and let the tears fall from them until their cheeks getting wet. He wanted to be silent, but he could not stop the sobs escaping from his lips.

But he still hoped there was a chance for Middle Earth, Gandalf had evidently made a mistake in choosing him, but there would be someone who could end it all or at least he wanted to think it.

Suddenly the feeling of fingers touching his arm did get him back to reality. And he realized that all was quiet except for his heavy breathing and the remnants of his crying. Also, that touch of skin was soft and warm, not the rough and tough skin of a dragon.

But he was still scared, so he tried to keep his distance, without removing his hands from his face, he was too cowardly to do so.

A pair of hands took him by his wrists and forced him to keep them away from his face, but his eyes refused to open, he was still shaking.

"No, Bilbo, don't be afraid of me. I cannot stand it. Forgive me, I'm not mad at you, I could never be."

At last the hobbit opened his eyes and found, as expected, with the humanized face of Smaug. He had changed again.

Smaug kissed his cheeks, his lips wiping hobbit's tears. Bilbo could not help blushing.

"Forgive me" he constantly repeated as his lips gently brushed against his skin. "I didn't want to scare you, but I must admit to imagine the arms of someone else around you hurt me so much that I thought I would go crazy."

Bilbo blinked in surprise. He never thought anything could hurt a dragon, but there it was, he said he hurt him. Those words made Bilbo look like it was everything his fault.

Smaug hugged him and pulled him closer.

"I should have taken you with me since I found you in the Shire... But that does not matter, now I have you here and I won't let you go, Bilbo."

The hobbit shuddered and tried to get away from Smaug, but his arms refused to release him.

"Also, I know a way to erase the scent of your skin and replace it with mine" Smaug said, smiling. He began to kiss Bilbo's neck and his hands slid under his clothes, slowly stroking the skin of his abdomen and chest.

"Smaug, wait ..."

"My essence will combine with yours," he continued, ignoring the hobbit attempts to stop him, "and you will be mine."

Bilbo had fallen flat on the gold coins and Smaug was now on him, completely naked. His fingers were quite adept at unzipping the jacket and hobbit's vest. Smaug began kissing his neck and then slowly down his chest until he found one of his nipples and closed his mouth over it. He began to suck it hard.

Bilbo let out a moan of pleasure and he immediately felt guilty about it.

"Please, Smaug, stop... Stop!"

Finally, he seemed to hear and lifted his head from his chest to meet his eyes.

"Why?"

"Because I'm not ready ... not now" Bilbo lied, of course he could not say that he only refused by the memory of Thorin.

"But I desire you, Bilbo, I desire you too much," said Smaug, bringing his face close to the hobbit's "I need you. In fact I did it from the first moment I saw you, so my body was transformed to join yours, only I didn't know. Please don't let this consume me... Let me be with you..."

Smaug kissed him passionately on the lips, his tongue explored Bilbo's mouth slowly. His hands began to move over his skin and slid them down to his pants.

However, the hobbit grabbed his wrist and stopped him. He took his head back to finish the kiss.

Smaug growled, but seemed more frustrated than angry.

"Is it for him, isn't it?" he asked.

Bilbo looked away, but did not dare say a word.

Smaug came closer and put his arms around him, Bilbo blushed violently feeling Smaug's hard cock rub against his crotch. However, Smaug didn't do another attempt to convince him.

"Soon you will forget him" Smaug said, stroking his hair "and you'll be happy here, with me. And when that happens ..."

Smaug interrupted himself when approached to the hobbit to lick his neck. Bilbo flushed even more and tried to say something, but his lips were silenced by Smaug's.

"... you'll give yourself to me, voluntarily."

Bilbo doubted he could be happy there, but he would not contradict him. Smaug smiled and settled his head on his chest, as if he needed to hear the beating of his heart. The Hobbit did not know how to react to that gesture. Suddenly it occurred to him that probably Smaug had spent several centuries completely alone.

He felt bad for him. And without thinking, he put fingers on his thick, wavy and black hair; he began to stroke it tenderly. He was so tired and it wasn't long when he fallen asleep.

Fili and Kili were completely desperate, it was the third time Azog beat his uncleand though he had not let a single sound of pain, and the look on his face told them how much he was suffering. And they had to see everything, helplessly.

The orcs had formed a circle around the dwarf and the pale orc but they had left a space for the whole Company could see while Azog tortured their prince.

Thorin was kneeling before the pale orc, his hands tied behind his back, unable to get up without any weapons nearby that could serve to defend himself. However, even when all seemed worse for them, Fili and Kili could see in his uncle's blue eyes a gleam of determination; he seemed decided to find a way out of there. And they knew that he kept strong for Bilbo. What Thorin wanted most was out of there and find him.

However, if they had little hope, what you might expect a little hobbit who was in the clutches of a dragon? Thorin's nephews, even though it hurt them a lot, could not imagine that Bilbo could survive long being with Smaug.

So Kili heard a sound behind him, however, could not be rotated as it was completely tied to the trunk of a tree. He felt something cold and sharp near his hands, so he began to move, believing that one of the orcs had left the circle and thought kill them early.

"If you keep moving I will not free you" growled Dwalin's unmistakable voice.

"How did you ...?"

"There is no time to explain," said the dwarf. He spoke to the brothers. "I'm going to release you, but you must promise me that you won't run like crazy fools to try to rescue your uncle because you going to get us killed."

Kili frowned, suddenly looked furious.

"And do you pretend that we stay here, doing nothing, while Thorin is tortured?" the youngest of the brothers asked.

Dwalin rolled his eyes.

"Of course we will fight, but until we see the sign."

"What sign?" Fili asked.

"You soon will see it."

Thorin had never felt as desperate as at that moment, in his mind could only see Bilbo's face, with tears in his eyes, stretching out his arms to him. He had failed, he could not help him. And now he was with Smaug ...

Thorin suppressed a groan of pain. The funny thing was that it was not physical pain that caused his cries but the idea of not being able to see Bilbo. Azog blows had become hurtless, it seemed his body, though it was damaged, it could not react as it should, since his mind was too focused on finding ways to take back Bilbo.

That would be enough to break him: lose his hobbit. That would work better than all the torture that Azog had planned for him.

Then, when the pale orc, realizing that his attempts to hurt Thorin did not cause the desired effect, took his deck and when he leaned over to give him a blow in the ribs, a white flash of light illuminated the whole place.

Thorin and all the orcs that formed a circle around him ended up on the floor. But two hands helped the prince to get up and he opened his eyes again. Thorin tried to break free, but he realized that his nephews were holding him. Quickly, Fili broke the ropes that bound him.

So Thorin saw a tall figure approaching them and instinctively stepped in front of his nephews.

"Gandalf!" he exclaimed when he saw him clearly.

The wizard handed him a sword that Thorin had ever seen and it definitely was not made for his people.

"It's Orcrist, use it well."

Thorin usually would have wondered where the sword had been forged before taking it in his hands, but there was no time for this, besides it was elegant and handles fit perfectly in his hand, like it was made for him.

The orcs were quick to stand up and, realizing that his prisoners were released, the fierce fighting began. Thorin was moving among them as if the fight had turned into a deadly dance; his movements were accurate and even seemed to have regained some of the power he had lost while he was being tortured.

Legolas moved rapidly from side to side, it had the advantage of being a wood elf and have the keenest eyes of all; the darkness was not intimidated and even made his aim more accurate.

Then, while Thorin was fighting two orcs a swipe at his back had thrown him into the air. Azog had claimed his attention and when the orcs wanted to pounce on the dwarf, the pale orc stopped them with an order.

Thorin stood up and faced the orc, however, Azog managed to hit his face with the deck and made him fell to the ground again. Although the prince could not understand, Thorin knew that words were Azog addressed to him were with triumph and derision, as the orc smiled, as if only waiting the right time to end his life. Azog raised his deck with both hands, but failed to hit Thorin as the dwarf had rolled away just in time. Then he rose and, in a quick moment, he made a deep wound in the Azog's left leg, the pale orc screamed in pain and ended up kneeling on the floor. He reached the deck to Thorin again, but the prince jumped up and thrust his sword into the center of the orc's head, the sword pierced his skull and exited cleanly chin. Thorin pulled it out and Azog body fell lifeless at his feet.

There were still standing several orcs, however, seeing their leader fall, fled into the dark forest, the dwarves were so exhausted that they did not bother to follow them.

Fili and Kili, who were aware of how much Thorin had been tortured, approached him, concerned. Their prince could not keep his eyes open, however, made an attempt to move; he could not stay there, not while Bilbo was in danger. But the fatigue was too much for him, because he quickly lost consciousness.

When he opened his eyes, he saw a bonfire; Fili and Kili were at his side and a little further, Gandalf and Legolas.

He sat up quickly, causing his head ache. He grimaced.

"You need to rest, Uncle" said Kili.

"No, no! We have to go for Bilbo!"

"And we will, but first you must recover," said Gandalf, taking his pipe and smoke circling in the air.

Thorin glared at him, he could not believe it took so lightly.

"Smaug took him!" he yelled "We cannot stay here while he is in danger, Smaug going to... he will hurt him."

Thorin realized he could not mention anything related to death, not while he was talking about Bilbo.

"Smaug will not kill our hobbit," said Gandalf, " he would hurt himself instead of him."

Kili rolled his eyes.

"How can you say that, Gandalf? We're talking about Smaug, the dragon that destroyed Erebor, our ancestors, our home ... Ouch!"

Fili had beaten his brother in the ribs, and when Kili turned to see him, annoying, his older brother nodded to his uncle. Talk of the destruction Smaug had caused would not help to calm Thorin.

"I am sorry," said Kili, when he realized what he had done.

"No, you're right," Thorin said, trying to stand up, but wincing in pain when he tried it. "So we must hurry ..."

Fili urged him to stay laid, but he knew his uncle was too stubborn.

Gandalf stood up and approached him.

"We have to plan well what we will do first," he said. "Also, if I tell you that Smaug will not hurt Bilbo it's because it's true."

Thorin watched in disbelief.

"Why a dragon would be interested in a hobbit?"

"Because Smaug is not just a dragon, is also a skin-changer."

All of the Company, who had pretended not to hear the conversation had turned fully to the wizard after hearing those words.

"He can also take on the appearance of a man if he wants it," said Gandalf.

"But none of us had heard that Smaug was something like that" said Balin, amazed.

"Because he kept it hidden," said Legolas, "as you can guess his human appearance makes him..."

"... vulnerable" Thorin said. "But I still don't understand why he would not hurt Bilbo."

"Smaug is attracted to our hobbit" said Legolas, "I think he wants to make Bilbo his consort."