Chapter Thirty-Six

"How is this possible? How are you here, looking like...well, like that?" Mirilas questioned, having given up trying to get out of the dragon's grip.

"This is my other form. It seemed easier to retrieve you in this form, when you are fortified against my other form," Smaug replied, turning his face from her father to the elleth he held close.

"What exactly are we supposed to do now?"Ascar asked. His sword, as well as his brother's, were still drawn. This situation could not continue as it was. The princess had to be freed from this beast, but none of them knew how, and until they knew, it seemed they would need to keep the dragon under careful watch. Who knew what else he could do.

"You will be under constant guard, Dragon. You cannot escape, and you will not take her," the Elf King said fiercely.

"Fair enough," Smaug answered with assessing eyes. "Though, I will not release her from this chain."

Thranduil gritted his teeth in anger. His daughter noticed and jumped in, "Well, I need to sleep. You can finish arguing in the morning."

Sufficiently chastised, the Elf King sheathed his sword and stalked out of the tent in search of Gandalf. With any luck, he would know how to release Mirilas from the dragon's chain, and he could kill the beast.

Helluin sighed and sheathed his sword, though his twin did not seem to want to follow suit. Helluin caught his brother's eye and made a gesture with his head. Ascar nodded and sheathed his sword rather reluctantly.

"We will remain," Helluin announced, taking up a position on one edge of the tent.

"And protect," Ascar said much less calmly, moving to the opposite end of the tent.

Feren nodded in acceptance and said, "I shall get a cot."

"You have a choice before you, Little One," Smaug began as soon as Feren had left. "Be my obedient companion through the ages, using your power as I see fit, or I will take your power and leave you a husk."

Mirilas looked down, trying desperately to keep herself from crying. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath before asking, "Is that your condition for releasing me from this chain?"

The dragon chuckled. "This chain...This chain slowly give me your power, so little you hardly notice." His amber eyes nearly glowed at the thought.

"Do you know what I did only days ago?" Mirilas asked suddenly.

Smaug had felt her power discharge some days ago but had yet to ask her about what had happened. Smaug inclined his head to her and raised an eyebrow.

Mirilas locked eyes with the humanoid dragon and said coldly, "I helped the bearers of the Elven Rings defeat Sauron's shade."

Smaug's lips spread into a sly smile as he said knowingly, "So it was you."

"You knew that he had been defeated? How?"

"The same way that I found you: I felt it."

"But you did not know it was me," Mirilas finished.

"No. I did not," Smaug assented.

"And?"

"And what?" the dragon asked.

"Are you angry? Sauron was banished. You are a dragon...Do you not care?" Mirilas asked.

"Not particularly," Smaug answered lightly.

"How? Why?" Mirilas asked in confusion.

"I may be a dragon, but I was quite content with my hoard. I do not wish to risk my life so that someone else may rule."

"Then you want to rule Middle Earth yourself?" Mirilas pressed.

Smaug chuckled and said, "Not all."

"Then how much?"

"That would be telling, my little jewel," Smaug said, leaning toward her again.

"Do not call me that," Mirilas said, sliding away from him and off his lap.

"What, my little jewel?" Smaug asked with a smug smile, closing the distance between them again. This time, he placed a hand on her far hip in a possessive grip, preventing her from fleeing.

Helluin, who was nearer to the pair, cleared his throat, drawing the dragon's attention to his hand on the hilt of his sword. Smaug growled at the elf and tightened his grip on Mirilas's hip, burying his face in her neck.

Mirilas whimpered and tried to force Smaug away with her magic. It worked in that he flew away from her to land at Helluin's feet. However, the chain connecting them yanked her with him. She tumbled into Helluin, taking him to the ground. All three of them ended up in a tangled heap as Ascar ran to them, ready to act if the dragon decided to take advantage of the situation.

"Tell me, Dragon. If you lose your arm, will Mirilas be free?" Ascar asked in a falsely cool voice.

Smaug hissed but said nothing as he disentangled the chain from his legs. Helluin groaned as he pushed the King's robe from his face and let Mirilas climb off of him.

"Are you injured?" Mirilas asked as she pulled her father's robe to her and wrapped herself in it again.

"What happened here?" a voice asked rom the other side of the tent. Feren had just entered with a folded up cot under his arm.

"The dragon was touching her!" Ascar exclaimed.

"I do not believe he will make that mistake again soon," Helluin said as he picked himself up from the ground and held a hand out to assist Mirilas. She accepted and rose, leaving her left arm down at her side so that she did not have to pull on the chain.

"Is he correct, Dragon?" Feren asked evenly as he set the cot on the ground.

Smaug huffed before saying, "Yes...for now." He picked himself up, uncaring for the dirt that covered his old though quite fine clothing. She assumed that he had found the clothes somewhere in the vast riches of Erebor.

Feren nodded and quickly set the cot up before moving to claim the chair to watch over his lady for the night. Helluin and Ascar resumed their stations on opposite sides of the tent, and Mirilas returned to her cot and laid down, hoping to fall asleep quickly despite all that had happened.

Smaug followed her willingly and settled on the offered cot beside hers. He, too, was tired, and there was little he could do this night.