Chapter 12 – Through The Grey Mountains –

"The Road goes ever on and on, Down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, And I must follow, if I can," J.R.R Tolkien – The Fellowship of the Ring

Within the next day, all was ready for their departure. Kathryn said her farewells to Galadriel and thanked her for her hospitality. It was a pity that she had to also bid farewell to fine clothing; but crossing the mountains would be no feat suitable for a silk-gown. Instead, the elves helped her to hurriedly sow together appropriate travelling attire, including hard leather boots and also a furred cloak. The twins were made a sling that would tie them to Kathryn's body whilst also keeping them warm. Smaug didn't seem too bothered whenever they were exposed to frigid temperatures, but she was never sure about her children.

Supplies packed and all of them ready, Smaug flew from Lothlorien directly north. Along the edges of the Misty Mountains, avoiding the boundaries of the Mirkwood and Dol Guldur in case they were spotted by enemies. Over three days, they travelled further north, until they reached the border between the Misty Mountains and the Grey Mountains that branched off to the east. It was here they were forced to retire early for the night since the mountains were besieged by seasonal bad weather as it was still early in the year. With the snow and wind so unforgiving, and no shelter of a suitable cave close by, they were forced to take shelter beneath Smaug's own wings. He attempted to provide whatever warmth he could through his fever-hot scales, to which Kathryn was grateful.

Yet on this quiet evening, it was plenty of opportunity for the twins to explore. They had not left the safety of the treehouse much in their short lives, and their curiosity over came them in this new and open world. Kathryn was more than a little shocked to find them walking around their little 'camp' with ease. They manipulated their bodies with practised ease, as they used their claws to dig in the snow and overturn rocks, or even climb over Smaug's huge tail. It was through this exploration that the personalities of both the babes began to show themselves.

Vervenia was a daring individual. She would be the first of the two to explore anything new, such as the safety beyond the curve of her father's great body to the rugged landscape beyond. Fear did not seem to register in her mind, as the little amber dragoness boldly did as she pleased and stepped into the dark of the night. And keeping to how she had been as a newborn, she was also a prima-donna in the making who wanted things exactly as she liked it, for when Kathryn went to fetch her back, she squawked indignantly. Yet Vervenia was not without her brains, for she seemed to already possess her father's cunning. When she found a small hole in the ground, presumably belonging to a mouse, she did not waste time and called over her brother with a shriek. She let him be the one to stick his nose in the hole, and be greatly surprised when a rat jumped out at him to defend its home from the scaled invader. Yet, Vervenia was there waiting in the shadows to pounce on it the moment it was exposed. She did not kill the smaller animal, for Kathryn doubted she knew how or even had the fortitude to do such a thing. Instead, she toyed with it.

Kolstros, on the other hand, was far more reserved than his sister. He was always at her tail, following where she led, never feeling the need to take the lead or make a rash move. Who only chose to strike when he felt he had the need to. Yes, the rat had made him jump, but he did not fight back. Kathryn noticed that whenever he and Vervenia tussled in their play, Vervenia would always win most of the fighting as Kolstros hardly ever put up much of a proper defence. He only made the blow when he knew he could win. Yet that was not to say he was coward, for Kathryn had noticed a fierce loyalty in him to his twin. Whenever Vervenia even made a squeak to tell of her unhappiness, his head would shoot up, his eyes searching for her, to make sure she was alright.

Their mother watched them in silence, a private heartache making itself apparent in her chest. How could it be, she wondered, that it was only two weeks ago that these little ones were new to the world in her arms. And yet now they behaved more like toddlers. Was this brought about because of their change? Her insecurity made her voice the fear: "Smaug, do you think Vervenia and Kolstros are growing a little too fast?"

Smaug gave her a look as if she were going mad, before comprehension to her meaning dawned on him. "Do not fret, Kathryn. Their growth is perfectly normal. Dragons mature slowly, over thirty years or more before reaching physical adulthood. However, by necessity of living in the wild, infancy does not last long at all. In a world where threats can come at any time from any quarter, it does not do well to remain helpless for long."

Perhaps that news should calm her, and it did make sense from a cold worldview. Yet somehow, in her pregnancy, Kathryn had imagined languishing in bliss as she watched her child slowly grow over time. First to sit up, then crawl, then encourage their first steps and coax their first words. Yet now, it seemed that everything was flying by too fast and leaving her no room to catch up.

Her mate seemed oblivious to her inner turmoil. He laid his head on the ground and closed his eyes as if in sleep. Vervenia didn't give him much peace before she leapt onto his huge brow and hung herself above his closed eye. Smaug snapped open his lid, and Vervenia screeched in shock to behold the golden glow. She nearly fell from her perch, she was so startled. The noise devolved into an odd hiccupping-squeak, and it took Kathryn a moment to realise it was laughter. Kolstros, upon hearing his sister's initial distress, immediately began to scale up the bottom of this father's snout. He stepped over the threshold of Smaug's nostrils, when Smaug let loose a huge puff of air. It hit straight under Kolstros' underbelly, the steam strong enough to catch his wings and lift him a foot into the air. He landed back on his father's snout like a cat, back arched and claws splayed. Vervenia laughed again, and after a moment to get over his initial shock, Kolstros laughed with her.

Kathryn leant back against Smaug's side and watched her children play with the father, laughing all the while. Smaug pretended to be aloof throughout, which only made Kathryn smile wider, and her children laugh harder.

Kathryn dreamt of that endless white abyss she knew preceded her conversations with Aragorn. He approached her with a smile, and the handshake of friendship. She could not describe how, except that he appeared to be looking… better than he had before. His eyes were not as haunted, there was no pale or unhealthy complexion to his skin. There was still that heavy set in his shoulders, as if he were carrying a great weight, but Kathryn ignored it in favour of the positive. When she inquired about this change, he smiled.

"A friend I had thought dead is alive and well," he said. "Gandalf has returned to us, now as Gandalf the White! We met with him in the forests of the Ents, and you cannot imagine how our sorrow was lifted to see him."

Kathryn smiled. A slight guilt hit her stomach that she had not thought to tell him before now, yet stilled her tongue on explaining herself. Aragorn was happy now and that was all that mattered. "How fares your travels with Legolas and Gimli?"

"We ride with Gandalf towards Edoras, and the halls of King Theoden in the realm of Rohan. Gandalf believes it is time to summon an army that must oppose Sauron and keep his forces occupied. That way he will not think to look for the One Ring too much."

"Can that be done?" she asked, worry now making her previously good mood evaporate.

"It is all that we have," he shrugged, and suddenly looked off into the distance, as if he could see something she could not. "Gandalf believes that Sauron grows afraid of the Heir of Númenor… He thinks ensuring my destruction will be at the forefront of the Dark Lord's mind."

Kathryn studied the apprehensive look on his face. "And you do not believe this?"

"I feel it is a lie." Before she could correct him, he waved her off. "I know the blood of kings runs in my veins. But by putting me in this role, even if just to fool Sauron, Gandalf makes a promise he cannot keep! How am I to be a king to Rohan? To Gondor? To any man?"

"By being who you are." Was her short answer. "Aragorn, the people of men, elves, dwarves – we all stand divided. Sauron does not afford himself this weakness. His armies are united under only his rule, his will pushes them on, and they attack with a sense of unity that we cannot match. In times of war, our people need a leader to step up and give them that unity."

For the first time, she thought she saw frustration, even a hint of anger in Aragorn's face. "You say all these things, Kathryn, but sometimes I doubt the legitimacy of these wisdoms! How can you say any of this? Have you seen it in a vision?"

"I do not need to. I have seen harsh kings, I have seen forceful and cruel kings. But not once have I seen a king to offer kindness and compassion, who leads others through loyalty and friendship. That is what YOU are. I BELIEVE you can do this," boldly, she reached out to touch the dangling silver necklace that he always wore, a glittering piece of perfect light amidst his dirtied and sweat-stained clothes. "And I know she does as well."

Aragorn jerked back as if her touch electrocuted him. Reflexively, he reached up to touch the necklace as if to hide it from sight. "You know about that…"

She smiled. "I had my suspicions. When I saw the two of you at Rivendell, they way you looked at each other spoke volumes. But you just confirmed it."

The would-be-King slumped a little in defeat, but there was a blissful smile on his face. "Sometimes, I wish I could forget all of this, return to her, and never leave her side. But then I wonder how I would be worthy of her if I did."

"Love does not need you to be worthy," Kathryn said, hand upon his shoulder. "It just requires your heart."

"To anyone else, that would seem like a lot."

"It is what it is. We cannot choose whom we love."

When Kathryn awoke, a huge golden eye was peering down at her. She had to clamp down on her own tongue to stop herself crying out. Wiggling to sit up without disturbing her sleeping twins curled up beside her, Kathryn tried to look Smaug in the eye. However, what she found there was not very appealing. The dragon watched her with such an intense focus, as if his stare alone would allow him to dig inside her brain for something unknown to her. A shiver ran down her spine, and she had to control her heartbeat for a moment, though she had no idea why. Outside the natural tent that Smaug's wing provided, the wind howled in an effort to shatter the heavy silence that pressed on both of them.

Kathryn had to wet her lips before any words would form. "Smaug? What is it?"

He did not answer immediately, just regarded her with something close to suspicion. "Did you dream, Kathryn?"

"W-what?"

"In your sleep. Did you dream?"

Kathryn pretended to be cold so as to cover up where she was twitching all over. "I– No. No, I do not think I did. All I can remember is just… nothingness."

She had absolutely no idea why she had just lied to him. She had not felt the need to omit the truth from him, let alone lie, for years. Why had she done so now? Did she fear his anger should he learn of her and Aragorn? There was nothing for her to be ashamed of! After all, she had no romantic or lustful feelings towards the man, and his heart was already devoted to another. Yet Kathryn couldn't deny the way her heart was beginning to pick up speed in fear. Smaug had always been adept at picking out lies from truth, though over the past sixty years, she'd managed to learn his tricks for doing so. She could only hope he didn't catch her out now.

Smaug's eyes narrowed on her in suspicion, and Kathryn felt the urge to spill everything out to him under his scrutinizing gaze. "How odd…" he muttered in a clipped tone. "I had hoped to dream with you tonight. I attempted to reach your mind, yet I found you… completely closed off to me."

Closed off? What could that mean? In other circumstances when Smaug and Kathryn did dream together, and Aragorn and she had had their conversations, it had not interrupted her dreaming, it had merely taken place in some other corner of her mind. So why had it now closed her off from Smaug?

"Perhaps I am more tired than I realised," she said quietly. "Maybe my mind slept too heavily for you to penetrate."

That had not happened in years. Over the decades dreaming together, Smaug had become a master of pulling their minds into one when they slept. Not even the blackness of dreamless rest could keep him away.

She knew he didn't buy the excuse, even as he turned his head away to look out onto the coming down, his eye still fixed on her. "Perhaps…"

Kathryn had a sinking feeling that this night would haunt her in the days to come.

The next day, the family attempted to head east into the Grey Mountains. From here, Kathryn could just see the smudge on the horizon that was the Lonely Mountain. She knew Smaug could see it also. He'd been stiff and his eye constantly wandered towards it hen he thought she wasn't looking. Kathryn would have attempted to talk to him about it, but since he'd almost caught her lying this morning, he'd practically been giving her the silent treatment.

Smaug attempted to cut off their view of the isolated mountain that lingered in their minds and souls. He tried to get them through a mountain pass that would hopefully lead further north. Kathryn had to hold onto her cloak and her the sling that held her children tighter as the wind picked up, biting cold. As they came into the thick grouping of the mountain range, it was like they'd entered a different world. They all knew that once they passed over the next ridge, they would be outside of the lands of Middle Earth, and be completely in the unknown of the frozen north, and then beyond that, the Withered Heath, the last realm of the dragons. Kathryn was anxious enough, and she had never seen the place. But for Smaug, his feelings were written in every line and crease on his face, in the grim set of his jaw and the stiffness of his lips how he truly felt to return to the land of his birth.

Snow and sleet began to rain down from the sky, obscuring any visibility Kathryn had left. The wind grew louder, as if a storm were getting ready to bombard them with –

Eyes widening, Smaug hissed and pulled himself up short with such abruptness that Kathryn and the twins were almost unseated from his claws. Kolstros yelped indignantly as Vervenia squashed him as they knocked into each other. Kathryn quickly righted them, holding them to her body. She attempted to look past the talons that encircled them to try and catch a look at her husband.

"Smaug?" she called out. She didn't know if he heard her or if her words were snatched away by the wind.

He gave no indication of having heard her. Spine stiff from neck to tail-tip, he looked all about, nostrils flaring. Eyes wide with pupils as thin as blade-edges, he twisted his neck to try and see. Kathryn caught onto his mood and began to search the landscape herself. Though she could see nothing, a growing paranoia, of eyes burning into her back, crept in.

Tucking in his wings, Smaug suddenly dove down towards the earth. Kathryn held onto her children and tried to hush them before they could cry out. On the side of the closest mountain, Smaug alighted. A narrow path carved into rock perhaps from ancient peoples or animal trails, hidden from sight by an overhang. It was just big enough for him to hook his back talons on. Wings still pumping to keep most of his weight aloft, the wind swirled the surrounding snow into a flurry. Carefully yet hurriedly, Smaug deposited Kathryn and the twins onto the path. Her legs wobbled for a moment, but the moment she caught her balance she set the twins down and spun to face Smaug again.

"What is it? What's wrong?" she asked urgently.

He was already looking all around, as if the enemy he sought were hiding just out of sight. "Dragon."

He said nothing else. Instead, he pushed off of the mountain, gliding through the slopes and peaks, his long neck twisting as he sought out his foe. Kathryn watched him until the snow and cloud over obscured his red hide and robbed him from her sight. What her eyes could no longer see, Kathryn instead chose to try and catch by ear. Intently did she listen, hoping to catch the slightest wingbeat or the huff of breath or the hiss of brewing fire. The intense game of cat-and-mouse went unseen but avidly listened to.

However, whilst Kathryn was so focused on Smaug and this mystery dragon, she did not notice what her children were up to. Oblivious as only children an be, innocent to the ways of the world that the perplexing behaviours of adults completely went over their heads, the two dragonlings had not a care in the world. Vervenia grew bored of standing around whilst her mother stared off into space. So, she turned and tried to follow the path she'd found herself on. Her talons sank in snow, her wings brushed against mountain stone. Behind her, Kolstros looked between her and their mother, before cautiously deciding to follow.

A little further ahead, the sunset dragoness thought she spotted movement. Her predatory eyes narrowed in on the moving thing, her movements slowed, commanded by some ancient instinct. Her darker brother attempted to see over her shoulder. It was a crow, a rather large one, sat on a rock in the open breeze, pecking at the remains of a rabbit. The overhang ended above it and exposed the rest of the path in to the elements.

Vervenia sank her belly low to the ground, her shoulders tensing and rolling. The thrill of a hunt – her first hunt – made her blood sing with excitement. She was so happy, so caught up in the moment of stalking her prey, that she didn't listen to any of her other senses. But her brother did. Kolstros anxiously shifted from foot to foot, head twisting all around, wings quivering and tail lashing. He could not see nor hear where the intrusion was, but something deep inside of him said that if they stepped out of the shadows, the enemy would be upon them.

Whimpering, he tried to nip at Vervenia's tail, squeaking to try and encourage her to come back. She batted him back, annoyed that his needle teeth had pinched her. Kolstros looked at his beloved sister, and then back the way they'd come up the path to where their mother was still stood. What should he do? He couldn't leave Vervenia, but her foolishness was going to get them in trouble.

She crept closer…

Mother still hadn't noticed they were gone…

She tensed…

Kolstros' senses screamed at him that something was close upon them…

Vervenia sprang –

Kolstros shouted his first word: "MAMMA!"

Kathryn heard the shout, and for a moment was confused. Then the penny dropped in her mind, and she bolted up the path way after where her children had gone. She nearly fell off the mountainside as she skidded around the corner to find her children. Vervenia was out beyond the safety of the overhang's shadow, her talons closed on the skeleton of a rabbit, an angry crow cawing at her from above. Kolstros had his sister's tail in his teeth as he tried to pull her back towards their hiding spot.

Diving for her children, Kathryn attempted to push them or pick them up, anything to get them to safety. But it was too late. As she knelt by her twins, a shadow fell over them. Kathryn twisted and threw her arms out as if to shield her children from view, as a huge grey dragon loomed over them.