Laurel

It wasn't too dark, but the eerie silence was enough to pull the hairs on my arms up straight. Neither of us knew which way we were going.

"What is this plan you have," Bilbo whispered softly to me.

Hand firmly gripped on the black arrow, I came to a halt. "Do you still have that ring?"

My cousin of sorts turned to me, looking bewildered that I asked such a question. "Erm, yes I do. Why," he furrowed his brows.

"While you look for the stone, I will wear the ring and look for the dragon."

"I hardly think he will be difficult to find," he huffed looking annoyed. "I was going to wear it while I looked for the stone. What if he wakes up and sees me?"

The farther I looked ahead of us I saw more gold that littered the ground. We must be close to where the vault was. "I can't very well walk around the dragon looking for the right spot to stab while he is awake and watching me, can I? Bain said that Smaug's scale is loosened from all those years ago. If I can find it and drive this straight into the beast, I think it might just kill him," I offered.

He scoffed at me in return and started to trek in the direction we were originally going, as if he thought I was crazy.

Damn straight I was.

"Do you have a better idea," I called after him, jogging to catch up. "I don't know what they plan to do with that stone after you find it. Does it have other magical powers that make it so it can kill the dragon?"

"I don't know myself," he muttered clearly at wits end.

"Well I would have thought they would have said something by now if it did," I returned.

Silence took us again as we continued to walk down stairs and carefully maneuver over the gold that covered the stone below us. In these moments I couldn't help but breathe deeply through my nose and think back to the look on Kili's face as I walked away. Did I say goodbye? The thought of facing a giant beast that could kill me in moments startled me. Oddly I wasn't as scared as I should be. My heart hurt at the thought that I would never get to get married or have children if this were to end badly.

So much as happened since I came to Middle Earth. For once I felt as if I were actually home. Sleep came to me easily. There was a sense of belonging amongst the dwarves. Fili was like the cousin or sibling I never had, and with Thorin I felt like I had an uncle of sorts. That father figure I never got to experience through my life, even if things did get off to a bad start. Bilbo and I were coming together slowly, but he reminded me a lot of myself in a way. The homebody I tried to be, one that enjoyed food and a warm chair.

And Kili. Oh, I experienced things with him I never even came close to having with anyone else. It was so much more than what happened in my dreams. I felt his love through his words and through his actions. The night at Beorn's pond came to me full force. Every touch, kiss and moan was enough to have me clench my thighs. I would be severely disappointed to not make it through this and never got to have that life I envisioned with Kili.

We reached the end of the passageway. The sight we saw was enough to have me dropping my jaw in awe. Gold, jewels, silver, anything sparkling I could think of was in piles for the length of several football fields. There was no dragon for my eyes to see. Instead there were pillars and intricate carvings every which way.

"Oh my," Bilbo gasped out as he took a few steps forward. Gold coins started to move with is weight, some even slipping down toward the pit before us.

I gulped as I followed him down into the pit. "Did they say what it looked like," I asked.

"Balin said that I would know when I saw it."

"Are you serious? We will be down here forever!"

"Evidently it is large and white."

Until I could spot the dragon, I started to help Bilbo on his search for the large white stone. After fifteen minutes of looking through everything, my eyes started to hurt from straining them through all the shiny gold. Was Smaug awake and roaming the stone depths of the mountain? Even if he was a dragon, I can't believe I haven't seen him yet. What if he already got up and left? That thought immediately had me feeling stupid. From what Balin told me about dragons they were addicted to gold. They liked to collect it and live in it. With as much gold as I was seeing I doubted he actually left.

A loud clang echoed through the hallow spaces around us. A silver helmet that was perched on a particularly large pile seemed to have tumbled over causing a small avalanche of gold to fall and skitter around us. Though it didn't end there. Off to our left the coins and jewels on the ground seemed to weave like water on the ocean, like Jaws lurking beneath.

Blood red sleek metal started to leak in and out of the gold. Pearly spikes weaving along with it.

That's when I saw it, looking just as menacing as I saw in films, if not more. Poking through under all the metal was a dragon, red and sleeping. More spikes lined each side of his neck, while even more littered the top of his head. The scales looked shiny and…moist—not dry and cracked like some lizards I have seen. Smaug was enchanting.

Bilbo whimpered softly to my right, trembling softly. I could only gasp and look in awe at the massive, terrifyingly beautiful creature, I was determined to kill.

"Bilbo," my voice quivered, "the ring."

Without question it was passed into my hands. It was pinched tightly between my fingers, but not slide onto one, as I approached the sleeping beast. "Look for the stone," I whispered just loudly enough for him to hear.

Coins crunched and clanged as I stepped on each of them. My steps were small and precise as I ensured that I didn't wake the dragon. He huffed in his sleep, causing me to freeze and take a deep breath. The cold chilling nature of the ring encased my entire body as it slipped over my flesh. Just like before the world around me lost deep color and was misty like a dream. Even in this odd invisible state I still made noise when I wasn't careful with my step. Most of the dragon was still covered in gold coins, only his tail and head were uncovered. I couldn't find the loosened scale like this.

When I looked off, I could see Bilbo tip toeing through the floor, picking up odds and ends to look underneath. An odd glow came from his left.

One that seemed to be emitting from a large white stone.

"Bilbo," I hissed, "to your left!"

Startled he looked up and around, as if to find me, then shook his head and continued in the direction I mentioned. Once his eyes landed on what I saw his fingers plucked into the pile quick in efforts to grasp what I assumed to be the Arkenstone.

It slid from his grasp, along with the whole pile and quite a few loud bangs and clangs of metal as it all fell down.

A few moments of silence.

Then behind me an even louder shimmer of coins rained down. Slowly I turned to come face to face with a large black slit encased by amber, lined with small angled horns on the brow.

Smaug was awake.

If I held my breath, I would be lucky not to be eaten or smoked alive. Maybe he was like a T-rex, if you stayed still then they couldn't actually see you. Damn, why did I listen to science fiction movies as a resource?

"Well thief, I smell you… I hear your breath… I feel your air… Where are you," a deep raspy voice called out from the mouth of the dragon.

He could speak? More and more I was awed by the beauty and magnificence of this dragon.

At first, I really assumed that Smaug was just a simple powerful creature. One like a shark that was out for food, or a grizzly bear looking for shelter. Shiny objects like gold and silver allured them like some tropical birds. They were just animals doing what was instinctual, trying to live and survive. Also, like these sorts of animals he was considered a nuisance. One that took a home that was already occupied, killing and destroying in his wake.

Instead he was an intelligent and malevolent being.

That's when Bilbo popped out of nowhere, slightly shaking as his eyes raked everywhere looking for me. "I did not come to steal from you Smaug the wealthy. I simply wanted to…see your magnificence for what it truly was. To see if the great old tales were true in their words. I did not believe it myself," he quivered.

That's when the dragon really started to move. I had to dodge here and there not to be stepped on or covered in gold as he stood to his true height, shaking and stretching his wings out wide and true. Smaug filled the large cavernous area we were in. Shadowing everything around us.

"And what do you think now," he roared looking majestic.

They started to bicker back and forth between each other. I wasted no time in jumping around dancing through the metal to find the weak spot of my opponent that I knew to be lingering somewhere. The boy said it was under the wing, but to which side? I couldn't remember.

"I have not smelt of you before, but I smell others. Man. Elf. Dwarf. They cannot hide long, I will find them," Smaug sighed looking around above me. "One of you holds something more precious than gold."

Bilbo stuttered while teetering about. I spared him a glance to see him not with his eyes on the dragon, but on the ground below him. Did he have his sights on the stone? Why did Smaug think there were others here? I was part human and elf, he must have smelt Kili on me still.

Finally, I found my mark.

Just under his left wing was a scarred and puckered chunk of flesh standing out in the crowd of scales. My hand fists the black arrow tighter. To stab? Throw like a spear? Which would be the most beneficial way to do this?

That's when he moved causing me to lose my place. I ran with the stampeding stomps of the beast as he traveled to the length of the cavern. Bilbo was squeaking and hiding.

"The King Under the Mountain is dead; it was I who took his throne! I ate his dwarves like a wolf amongst sheep. I kill where I wish and my armor is that of iron. No blade can pierce my flesh for I am that of legend," he roared still moving.

An arch hung up high, one that was sided with steps. Maybe I could climb to the top and wait for him to cross the path and make my decision to throw or stab.

I set to work to just that. After more effort I was at the top peering down at Bilbo running from hiding spot to hiding spot. The dragon still followed him snapping his teeth and still telling Bilbo of his lies and theft.

"My teeth are swords, claws are spears, and my wings are the hurricane that puts fear in those all through Middle Earth. A great evil is coming for you all, and I am it's weapon of destruction," Smaug seemed to be singing. Slowly I watched in horror as I saw the dragon's chest ignite. Fire was starting down deep and building up through Smaug's long neck. "I am fire. I am death!"

"No!"

Immediately the red lizard with wings froze and turned his head in the direction of my exclamation. There wasn't any way I was going to stand here and watch him light Bilbo up like a marshmallow.

I slipped the ring off and into the inside pocket of my jacket. Bilbo would be wanting it back later surely. Now I stood tall and visible to the giant head of the beast that looked at me straight on. I just need him to stand at his full height again, and I could possibly strike him in just the right spot.

"You smell like dwarf small child," Smaug huffed, "but surely, you are not."

Slowly I had the black arrow positioned behind me so that he would not see it right away. I needed to pull this off just right.

"Dwarves have sent in two smaller ones to take their Arkenstone. For what means to an end? What use will it do except for the destruction of Thorin Oakenshield," he purred.

My heart was beating erratically out of my chest. This was not the most fearsome moment in my life. Instead this was the second most. The most I experienced just days ago down in Laketown as I watched Kili quiver and take gasping breathes on a bed. "I come from the land of tomorrow," I whispered knowing he could hear me very well. "My name is Laurel Took Mister Smaug, and I have come to ensure that you don't leave this mountain alive."

Thunderous laugher echoed all around us. Smaug finding amusement at my exclamation.

"What can a small child do to defeat the all-powerful Smaug?"

"By myself," I hissed, "nothing, but with the aid of my friends, you will meet your desolation!" I looked up above me and screamed, "Now everyone!"

No one was there. It was all hog wash. I was just telling fibs so that he would hopefully do what I wanted him to.

When the shimmering sleek read scales moved like ripples up and up as Smaug rose to see what was coming, I took two steps back and then used all my power and energy to throw myself over the arch and towards him, black arrow raised high above my head. The timing could not have been any more perfect.

Pure bliss and accomplishment filled me as I soared closer and closer to the bare flesh of the dragon, about to lunge my arrow right into his heart. Thank you Girion for creating this perfect opportunity for me.

The arrow pierced the soft flesh easily enough, sliding through my hands so that I was holding onto the bare end of the arrow as most of it was encased in the dragon's body. A moment passed before the most inhumane cruel-some screech filled the halls and the mountain. All of Middle Earth could hear that dying breath.

Hopefully dying anyway.

His wings flapped miserably as he started to fall, and I could hear each of his gasping breaths. Violet blood started to leak from the wound onto my hands, causing my grip to become loose as I fell from a story height into the hard metal below me. The air escaped me as I laid and watched as Smaug staggered through the hall. Each of his gasping breaths sounded more and more weak as his went on, shaking the mountain and blowing out stone pillars and he finally fell to the ground three hundred or so yards from me.

Finally, he laid and moved no more.