Chapter Fifty

Later that day, a cold, harsh wind began to blow in from the North, and with it came three dragons. The flew in fast and low, landing on the plain that lay in front of the Mountain. It became clear when they landed that they had been the cause of this late autumn wind. After touching down, one of them let out a tremendous roar that shook the very stones of Dale, threatening to bring down the entire ruin around the people of Lake Town. In response, Smaug jumped up to glide down from the outskirts of Dale where he had been biding his time to land in front of the three dragons. He was easily as large as the largest of them, which gave Mirilas some hope as she watched from the nearest entrance to Dale.

"Smaug!" the leader called in greeting. They seemed friendly enough, for now... "Where is the Dragon Jewel? We have sensed its presence and come to claim it on behalf of the Dragons of the North!" They were being kinder than usual, Smaug noted. They would not have given any of the puny ones a chance to hand his elf over peacefully. His presence here had likely saved them all, though he doubted many of them would ever understand or acknowledge as much.

"You must be mistaken, Arntauk. The Dragon Jewel is not here," Smaug said guardedly. Perhaps, he could fool them into leaving? They had trusted him before. Could they not do so again?

Arntauk, the leader, growled at Smaug and snapped his jaws. Apparently, there would be no fooling Arntauk. He was old as Smaug, though less cunning. While he likely sensed his elf's presence, he would only threaten and attack to gain her. Diplomacy had been an unknown term since he had taken control from the previous leader of the Dragons of the North Gathzul. If Gathzul was here, Smaug would have no need of the deception. He could have explained the situation and returned to his little elf that waited for him back by the ruins. "We saw the light of its transformation! We know it is here!" Arntauk growled. And so, the threatening began.

Smaug refused to lower his head in deference to the anger of this dragon, regardless of the fact that he used to be Smaug's leader. Or rather, because Arntauk had once been his leader, Smaug felt the need to display his independence from the leader. "I have found the Dragon Jewel, Arntauk. She is here, and I have claimed her!" he proclaimed, making sure that both Varkrir, Arntauk's lieutenant, and Shiznak, the other dragon, could easily hear.

"You have no right to claim it, Smaug!" Arntauk hissed out in warning. Smaug hesitated for only a second at this. Did Arntauk not know their laws? Or, did he seek to change them?

"I have every right! Our laws dictate that a dragon's claim made on treasure must be honoured by the rest of our kind! She is my treasure! I will not part with her!" Smaug spit back, reminding Arntauk that despite being the leader, Arntauk was beholden to the laws set down in the Ancient Times, the same as any of them.

"You will-" Arntauk began to object, but he was interrupted by one of his fellows, his lieutenant Varkrir.

"He is right, Arntauk," the dragon to his left called.

Arntauk whipped his head around to growl at his subordinate in rage.

"Do you intend to flout our laws, Arntauk?" Varkrir snarled fiercely. He had long known that Arntauk had no respect for their laws, but until now there had been little trouble, though thanks only to him and Shiznak for smoothing out the disputes behind Arntauk's back.

Arntauk growled and lunged at his subordinate in anger. Apparently, he would be more trouble than Varkrir had anticipated.

Before Arntauk could reach his lieutenant, Smaug lashed out wish his talons, catching a talon in the raised spikes lining Arntauk's back and holding him back from Varkrir. Arntauk's subordinate took this opening, lunging forward to bite down on Arntauk's neck harshly until he drew blood. Smaug did not let go until Arntauk stopped moving for good, his head very nearly severed.

Smaug waited for the other dragon to spit out Arntauk's neck. After he did, Arntauk's subordinate said with the blood of his leader still dripping from his glistening teeth and the scales under his jaw, "Hail, Smaug, Claimer of the Dragon Jewel!"

"Hail, Varkrir, Leader of the Dragons of the North," Smaug returned, watching the new leader carefully and suspiciously for any sign of foul play. While he was willing to place more faith in Varkrir as leader than Arntauk, he would not risk lowering his guard and losing his elf.

Varkrir briefly lowered his head to Smaug before turning to the other dragon. "Come, Shiznak. We must tell the others."

Shiznak took flight with Varkrir, leaving Smaug behind with Arntauk's corpse and the many two-leggers watching from the perceived safety of Dale. Smaug stared down at the corpse for a few seconds with no remorse. Arntauk had died trying to take his elf from him. This would be the fate of any who tried the same, dragon or no.

Smaug turned back to Dale and jumped to take flight. He aimed for the outskirts of Dale once again, coming in for a landing beside his waiting elf before transforming back to his other form to enjoy his arms around her.

Mirilas came running as soon as Smaug had landed, embracing him tightly. "Are you hurt? What happened?" she gushed, pleasantly surprising Smaug with how forthright she was in her concern.

Smaug nuzzled his nose into her hair as he said, "I am unharmed. Not to worry, my little one."

"Where did they go?" she asked anxiously, breaking away to peer into his face as if searching for some sort of answer to an unasked question.

"Back to my kin beyond the Withered Heath," Smaug supplied, refusing to removing his arms from around her.

"Will they come back?" she asked in fear. He enjoyed the feeling of her petite body as she pressed against him as if for protection.

Smaug clung to her tighter as he said, "No. They will not."

Happiness exploded inside Mirilas. She quickly broke away from the dragon to kiss him soundly, not knowing why she did it. Smaug immediately took advantage of the situation to deepen the kiss and wrap his arms around his elf. He growled into her mouth. Now, she was his.

Mirilas snapped back to reality and backed away from the dragon, staring at him in confusion. What had she just done? And with him? Mirilas ran far from the dragon, searching for her father.

Smaug watched her go. He would give her time. She would understand soon enough.