I know I don't usually do note but I really wanted to this time :3
Anyways, I decided to put the dragon scene from the book in the story because I really like it and I couldn't resist. So here it is!
The company stood in front of the door for a while after the sun had gone down.
"Alright master Baggins." Thorin said breaking the silence. "Time to earn you reward."
"Wha-What?" Bilbo stuttered. "If you think that it is my job to go into the dark passage first then you are wrong." He said a bit cross. "I have already gotten you out of two messes, this is going to far. So I think that I already deserve a part from my reward already! But 'third time pays for all' as my father used to say. I will go in but not alone."
No one said a word. They shifted uncomfortably on their feet and did not look up.
"I'll go." Ella finally said and took a step closer to the Hobbit.
"Ella no!" Fili protested and grabbed her arm. "You can't go in there. He'll recognize your scent. It's too dangerous."
"You said so yourself, Fili." She said. "You told me in Mirkwood that I wasn't a dwarf-"
"I was angry. I didn't mean any of it!"
"But you were right." Ella continued. "I'm not a dwarf, I'm an earthling. The only thing I have in common with a dwarf is my height."
"She's right." The dwarves agreed.
"Yeah." Kili said. "I mean, look at her. Her waist is too small, Her ears are too tiny-"
"Thank you, Kili." Ella said raising her hand to silence him.
"As are her hands, she isn't strong enough-"
"Kili…"
"She doesn't even have a beard and-"
"KILI!" Ella shouted. "You made your point!"
"Right, sorry."
Ella looked up into Fili's worried eyes. "He won't recognize me. I ain't like you, love."
Fili took a deep breath. "Promise me that you will be careful."
"I will." Ella gave him a quick kiss. "I promise. Besides I can't just let Bilbo go after a dragon alone!"
"I will go too." Balin said. "But only halfway so that if anything goes wrong, someone will be in your reach."
"A-A-alright then." Bilbo stuttered as he actually realized that someone was coming with him. "L-Lets go then."
XxX
"Balin," Bilbo whispered after they had been walking in the dark for a while. "Go back to the others we can take it from here."
"Are you sure?" Balin asked.
"Yes." He answered. "Ella, take my hand. I'm going to put on the ring so don't let go of me, understood?"
"Feels good giving orders, don't it?" Ella teased and grabbed his hand.
"It's not bad." Bilbo chuckled and slipped on his ring.
"Good luck." Balin said and headed back.
"Keep an eye out for George please?" Ella said before they started walking and Balin gave her a nod.
XxX
"Holy shit it's hot in this tunnel." Ella said as they moved further. "Should have through about my wardrobe before I decided to come with."
Bilbo put his invisible hand on her mouth shutting her up. Ella looked forward and saw a glow coming from ahead. They kept walking and they could hear someone snoring. Ella's heartbeat started to speed up.
Why did I choose to go?
They stopped when they reached the end of the tunnel. Ella carefully leaned forward and froze. Right under her nose, lay the dragon Smaug. When she felt that Bilbo let go of her hand, she had to hold back a scream.
"Bilbo! Bilbo!" Ella whispered as loud as she dared. "Where the hell are you?"
When she felt a hand on her shoulder she relaxed and knew what Bilbo was going to do.
Ella sat looking at the dragon as she bit her bottom lip for a while.
This can go so wrong. This is GONNA go terribly wrong! The dragon could wake at any moment! Bilbo what the hell are you doing?! Sweet Jesus, we are never going to here out of this alive.
Before Ella could think anything else she felt herself being dragged away.
"Bilbo, thank God!" she whispered as they ran back up the tunnel.
XxX
Ella stumbled over her own two feet and rolled though the door. For a moment she just lay there out of breath, enjoying the cold wind of the evening. She could help but smile as she saw two big hairy feet standing next to her. Everyone cheered as they saw what Bilbo had brought them, a golden cup, which made them forget about Ella lying on the ground. The cup was being passed around among the dwarves and for a moment it looked as if the day couldn't get any better.
The cheers and laughter disappeared as soon as it had come. The mountain started to shake as if it was an old volcano that was about to erupt. Ella jumped to her feet when she heard a loud roar.
"Smaug." She gasped. "He woke up!"
"Quick! Quick!" Bilbo shouted. "The door! The tunnel! It's no good here or we will be fried alive!"
Everybody ran to the door except Bifor who was shouting in Khuzdul and pointing down the mountain.
"We forgot Bofur and Bombur!" Ori said panicking. "The dragon will eat them if we don't get them up!"
"There is nothing we can do for them now." Someone said.
"Nonsense!" Thorin growled. "Balin, Bilbo! In the tunnel! Ella, George, Fili, Kili you too! I will not let the dragon have us all! The rest of you help with the ropes, HURRY!"
Everybody did as instructed but Ella pulled Ori into the tunnel as well. The roars and cries of Smaug became louder and Ella placed a hand on her heart when Bofur reached up. George ran out of the tunnel to help the others with pulling Bombur up before Ella could grab him.
"George, get back here!" Ella shouted and was about to run after him when two pair of arm held her back.
"LET ME GO!" She shouted to Fili and Kili. "George! Get your ass back inside right now!"
George reached out his small arms to help Bombur up together with Dwalin and Bifor. They also pulled some of their bags with tools and food before everybody ran to the tunnel, as the sound of the dragon grew louder. George stumbled and Thorin ran back and scooped the little boy in his arms.
"Close the door!" Thorin ordered as he ran.
Nori and Bofur pulled the door and Thorin jumped in before it closed.
"Were you born brain-dead?!" Ella shouted as Thorin handed George back to her. She held George by his arms and shook him. "There is a dragon outside breathing fire against the mountain side! You could have been grilled like a steak on Pappy's seventieth birthday if Thorin hadn't grabbed you! Are you stupid?!"
"I'm sorry Ella." He cried and tears rolled down his cheek. "I just wanted to help."
Ella fell against the side of the tunnel and held George as tight as she could.
"Don't you ever do that again." She mumbled into his hair as she rocked him back and forth while a tear rolled down her own face. "You're the only thing I got left of home."
You could hear the ponies scream on the other side of the door as the dwarves listened carefully.
"Nothing can escape Smaug when he sees it." Thorin said. "We will have to stay here."
They moved further down the tunnel where it was warmer, though they still shivered as they tried to fall asleep through the loud sounds of the dragon still-hunting them.
XxX
"Why did you have to do that?!" Ella woke from the angry whispering voices.
"It was a stupid thing to do!"
"You should have left the cup."
Ella rubbed the sleep from her eyes and saw the dwarves arguing with Bilbo in the darkness. Only some light came from crevice on the sides of the backdoor.
"What else do you suppose a burglar is to do?!" Bilbo whispered angry. "I am not here to kill a dragon, that is warriors work. I'm here to steal treasures!"
"What the hell are you idiots arguing about?" Ella hissed as she pushed herself up. "There is still a small boy sleeping and I'm trying to keep that way, at least for a while!"
"They are saying that I shouldn't have taken the cup!" Bilbo whispered in disbelieve. "Did you expect me to trot back with the whole hoard of Thror on my back?!" his attention went back to the dwarves. "If there is any grumbling, then I might have a say! You should have brought five hundred burglars not just one!"
The dwarves started arguing with the hobbit again.
"It would take him a hundred years to bring it all up, if he was five times as big and Smaug as tame as a rabbit!" Ella defended Bilbo. "So just say you're sorry and shut the fuck up!"
Everybody apologized, even Thorin to Ella's surprise.
"Good job." Ella said mockingly. "Now what do we do, Baggins?"
"I don't know at the moment- if you mean removing the treasure." Bilbo said. "We need to get rid of Smaug first. For now we should just stay where we are."
Everybody calmed down again and grabbed the bags for some food.
"Maybe we should check on Smaug." Ella said as she sat next to Bilbo. "Maybe he fell back asleep."
"You want to go back there?! How?"
"Just like before." She said. "You can use your ring again. It's not like we have anything else to do. We might as well check on how our beloved dragon is doing. Maybe even do some research, see if he has a weak spot or something."
"No." Bilbo said. "He might still be awake. Do you know-"
"So you think sitting here is gonna do us any good?" Ella asked with a brow raised. "The dragon isn't just going to leave."
The dwarves had been listening and agreed with Ella. Even sleepy George, who had just awoke and had no idea what they were talking about.
XxX
They had managed to persuade the hobbit to go and Bilbo and Ella where heading to Smaug's layer once more. Ella held her breath as Bilbo slipped on his ring and left. She moved closer and carefully watched the sleeping dragon.
"Well, thief!" Ella's heart jumped out of her chest when she noticed that the dragon wasn't really sleeping. Smaug's voice was deep and rumbled as he spoke. "I smell you and I feel your air. I hear your breath. Come along help yourself. There is plenty of gold to spare."
"No thank you, Smaug the Tremendous." Bilbo said as strong as he could. Ella scowled at hid stupidity for answering. "I do not come for presents. I only wish to have a look at you and see if you were truly as great as the tales say. I did not believe them."
Crap. Ella though. Quit talking Bilbo!
"Do you now?" Smaug asked flattered though he didn't believe Bilbo's words.
"Truly songs and tales fall utterly short of reality, O Smaug the Chiefest and Greatest of Calamities." He Bilbo replied. Ella rolled her eyes at Bilbo's words.
"You have nice manners for a thief and liar." Smaug said and Ella froze.
How could we have been so stupid that he actually would believe the words?
"You seem familiar with my name," The dragon continued. "Though I do not remember smelling you before, neither your companion."
Shit! Not good, not good!
"Who are you and where do you come from, may I ask?"
"You may indeed!" Bilbo said maybe a little to happy. "I come from under the hills and under the hills and over the hills my path led. And through the air, I am he who goes unseen."
"So I can well believe but that is hardly your usual name."
"I am a clue-finder." Bilbo continued. "The web-cutter, the stinging fly. I was chosen for the lucky number."
"Lovely titles!" The dragon sneered. "But lucky numbers don't always come off."
"I am he that buries his friends alive and drowns them and draws them alive again from the water. I came from the end of a bag, but no bag went over me."
"These don't sound so creditable." Scoffed Smaug.
"I am the friend of bears and the guest of eagles." Bilbo continues. "I am Ringwinner and Luckwearer; and I am a Barrel-rider."
Shut up, Biblo! Ella thought. If I can guess your riddles then the dragon can too!
"That's better!" Said Smaug. "But don't let your imagination run away with you!"
The dragon chuckled when he thought he understood enough.
"I thought so last night." Smaug continued. "Lake-men, some nasty scheme of those miserable tub-trading Lake-men, or I'm a lizard. I haven't been down that way for an age and an age; but I will soon alter that!"
Oh shit! Ella thought. Bilbo, get the hell away from that dragon!
"Very well, o Baller-rider. Maybe Barrel was your pony's name; and maybe not. Though it was fat enough."
What?! How the hell-
"You may walk unseen but you did not walk all the way. Let me tell you I ate six ponies last night and I shall catch and eat all the others before long. In return for the excellent meal I will give you, and your companion, one piece of advice for your good: don't have more to do with dwarves than you can help."
Ella had to bite her lip to not curse in the air.
"Dwarves?!" Bilbo said as if he had never heard of them.
"Don't talk to me!" The dragon snapped. "I know the smell or dwarf! Don't tell me that I can' eat a dwarf-ridden pony and not know it! You'll come to bad end if you go with such friends, Thief Barrel-Rider and companion. I don't mind if you go back and tell them so from me."
Ella carefully watched the dragon. She could see a puzzled look in his eyes. He couldn't place their smells and it was the only thing that kept Ella from screaming.
"I suppose you got a fair price for that cup from last night?" he continued. "Come now, did you not? Nothing at all! Well, that is just like them. And I suppose they are skulking outside, you job is to do all the dangerous work and get what you can, when I am not looking, for them? You will get a fair share? Don't you believe it! If you get out alive you will be lucky."
"Liar." Ella whispered and Smaug's eye scattered across the wall looking for her. Crap!
"You don't know everything, O Smaug the Mighty." Bilbo quickly said as he saw the dragon looking for Ella. "Not only gold brought us hither."
Smaug attention went back to the still invisible hobbit. "
"Ha! Ha! You admit the 'us'." The dragon laughed. "Why not say 'us fourteen' and be done with it, Mr. Lucky Number? I am glad that you had other business in these parts besides my gold. I that case you may, perhaps, not altogether waste your time."
Ha! Ella laughed in her head. Fourteen, we are sixteen you dumb creature learn to count. Guess he doesn't know about George then.
Smaug continued. "I don't know if it has occurred to you that, even if you could steal the gold in bit by bit - a matter of a hundred years of so – you could not get very far? Not much use of the mountainside? Not much use in the forest? Bless me! Had you never thought of the catch? A fourteenth share, I suppose, or something like it, those were the terms, eh? But what about delivery? What about the cartage? What about gaurds and trolls?" Smaug laughed loud and wicked.
Now that Ella though about it the dragon was right. How were they going to get the gold back to Bag End. The dwarves would find a way and if they didn't then Ella sure as hell would.
"I tell you." Bilbo said. "That gold was only an afterthought with us. We came over hill and under hill, by wave and wind, for REVENGE. Surely, O Smaug the unassessable wealthy, you must realize that you success has made you some bitter enemies?"
This time the dragon laughed so hard that it made Ella stumble to the ground and pieces of stone fell on top of her.
"Revenge!" The dragon snorted. "Revenge! The King under the Mountain is dead and where are his kin that dare seek revenge? Girion, Lord of Dale is dead, and I have eaten his people like a wolf among sheep, and where are his sons' sons that dare to approach me? I kill where I wish and none dare resist. I laid low the warriors of old and their like is not in the world today. Then I was but young and tender. Now I am old and strong, strong, strong, Thief in the Shadows." Smaug gloated. "My armor is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claw spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane and my breath death!"
No need to be such a drama queen, Smaug. Ella snorted. Crazy-ass dragon!
"I have always understood," Bilbo squeaked. "That dragons were softer underneath, especially in the region of the, em… Chest; but doubtless one so fortified has though of that."
"Your information is antiquated." Smaug snapped again. "I am armored above and below with iron scales and hard gems. No blade can pierce me!"
"I might have guessed it." Bilbo said. "Truly there can nowhere be found the equal of Lord Smaug the Impenetrable. What magnificence to posses a waist coat of fine diamonds!"
"Yes it is rare and wonderful indeed." The dragon said pleased. "Look." He rolled over. "What do you say to that?!"
"Dazzling marvelous!" Bilbo shouted. "Perfect! Flawless! Staggering!"
Bilbo what the hell are you trying to- What is that?! There is a hole in his 'armor'. Way to go Bilbo! But now that we have done our research and found his weak spot I REALLY WANT TO GET BACK!
Apparently Bilbo thought the same and decided that he had talked enough with the dragon.
"Well, I really must not detain Your magnificence any longer." He said. "Or keep you from your much needed rest. Ponies take some catching, I believe, after a long start. And so do burglars." Bilbo added quickly and Ella felt him sprinting up. He grabbed her arm and dragged her away.
"Bilbo you son of a bitch!" Ella shouted as she heard Smaug calling out to them with an angry roar.
XxX
Ella and Bilbo stumbled out of the tunnel and back into the open air. Ella landed on top of Bilbo and pulled him up by his collar.
"What the hell were you doing?!" She growled and shook him a little. "You had to insult the thing! Barrel-rider?! He is not stupid! He's gonna go after Lake Town! After all they have done for us you send a fucking dragon as a thank you gift?! If I can guess you stupid riddles then so can it! And Luckwearer?! Let me tell you one thing, Bilbo Baggins, I will try to make this as clear as possible. You have now OFFICIALLY run out of luck! Smaug is going to kill hundred of innocent people and then he is coming after us and this time he will not be so fund of you riddle talk!"
Bilbo wanted to talk but Ella was choking him.
"Ella." Thorin said as Bilbo's face started to turn blue. "ELLA! Let the hobbit go!"
Ella did as Thorin asked, she let go of Bilbo and jumped off of him.
"What happened?" The dwarves asked and Bilbo readied himself as Ella shook off her outburst.
I would like to thank everybody for the (almost) 50.000 views and 160 reviews. I would never have thought that I would reach any of those numbers and I am very happy and thankful to everyone who had been following the story from the start :3 So an extra long chapter as a thank you gift to y'all ;3 Couldn't have made it this far without my readers ;3
Truly love you all!
XxX Kneeling Angel
