Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit.

So ... I'm back! Had a big adventure of my own in Europe and I have returned victorious, with having survived a 5 course Tuscan meal, the beaches of the French Riviera, Amsterdam in general and Richard Armitage 2 feet away from me without his shirt on. (front row seats at the Crucible, I just about died when that happened.) So I have emerged from the trip inspired and will have a few chapters ready to post in the next few days.

Enjoy my friends.

(serious, R.A abs sweeeeeeet baby jesus)

Throughout her childhood, Marie hadn't paid much mind to the tales of dragons. To the gentle hobbits such creatures were all but myth, a frightening image to give a story's hero a worthy adversary. Now, as she headed towards her own tale's fearful beast, Marie tired to think back on any piece of information those tales told about them.

Old Took told many tales but her uncle Hildigrim Took had a particular fondness for dragon stories, more so for the ludicrous idea of dragons. He talked about how a dragon could flatten trees with one beat of its wings and how their chest would glow when they breathed fire, how a mighty roar could deafen one's ears, see into its prey soul, there was even a joke about never giving your name to a dragon for should it learn it you would be its slave for an eternity.

However trivial these facts were, they help Marie a great deal to keep her fear from making her turn around.

Balin accompanied her through the trickier part of the tunnel until she could find her own way down to main hall. Despite being away from it all for so long, he walked with such confidence it didn't seem like it.

The others remained above, waiting for Marie to complete her task.

"So let me see if I've got this." Marie said, "My job now is to go and find a single jewel."

"Aye. A large white jewel."

"I might need a little more than that. Kili and Fili told me about this treasure and I can imagine there are a lot of white jewels down there."

"There is only one Arkenstone my dear and believe me when I say this, you will know when you see it."

"And this jewel is what? A symbol or something?" Marie asked.

"In a manner. When the Arkenstone was found here in the mountain, all seven clans swore an oath of allegiance to whoever possessed it, in this case the king. If Thorin is to bring the clans together he will need the Arkenstone to prove his claim."

"So … it is precious to him."

"Oh aye, very precious."

Marie felt something prick at her heart. Jealousy? "Right then."

Balin suddenly stopped and sighed. "Balin? What's wrong?" Marie touched his arm.

"In truth lass. I … do not know what you will find down there." Balin said shaking his head. Marie knew he was referring to both the treasure and the dragon. "You needn't go if you don't want to. There's no shame in turning 'round now, not after all that you have done for us."

"No Balin." Marie held up a hand to silence him. "I agreed to become your burglar and I gave my word I would help." She put her hand down when noticed her fingers trembling. "Not point telling you I'm not afraid, but I must at least try to do my best."

Laughter filled the dark tunnel as Balin shook his head at her. "It never ceases to amaze me." He said.

"What?"

"The courage of hobbits."

Marie smiled at looked down at her feet. "It's taken a lot for me to find mine again." She said. "But still, it's very humbling none the less."

"I can see why he is so taken with you."

The hobbit's head snapped up. "He?" The look in Balin's eyes told her enough and her ears quickly turned red. "I … we …. that's not …"

But Balin just shook his head "No need to explain yourself. Now go, with as much luck as you can muster." And with clap her shoulder, Marie knew there was no other option than keep going forward.

The two parted ways, Balin back the way they had came and Marie down the steps and to the right as she had been instructed. 'At the end of the path, take the last corner.' She tried to pick up her pace, but her feet felt heavy. She breathed in deeply through her nose to keep calm as she turned the last corner.

The doorway into the lower hall stood before her, the rows of staircases and carved pillars Thorin had spoken of could be seen. Marie could feel her heart in her throat. It was now or never. She stepped through the archway and into the hall. Above her to could see the city stretched up high into the mountain, a maze of stairways and passages. But the sight below took the hobbit's breath away.

The great treasure of Erebor.

A sea of gold that filled the vast hall as far as the eye could see. A mountain within a mountain. The sheer size of the horde was too large for Marie to believe and she rubbed her eyes to be sure. Such wealth could not have been the dwarves alone, if there was any truth to dragon stories, the treasures if Dale and other kingdoms must lie within the horde. No sign of a dragon though. Marie must have stared at the gold for a good few minutes before making her way down into it. She kicked at large coins that were scattered about the stairs, trying to not make a racket as she stepped onto the mountain of treasure.

'So much for being light on my feet.'

She thought, her feet slipping and clicking coins together. She started her search at a nearby mass of jewels and chests, sorting through it in the vein hope one of them would be the Arkenstone. She found plenty of beautiful necklaces and large chunks of crystals, even daggers with stunning gems inlaid along the blades, but none of them what she wanted. "I'll know it when I see it ... brilliant." Marie muttered.

This was going to be a long task.

During her long climb up the pile, Marie took note of the other items the dragon had collected. There were an assortment of shields and armour pieces, instruments made from shimmering silver and fine tapestries that were stuck under the numerous pieces of gold. For a beast, the dragon had impeccable taste. Marie huffed and carried on. She had forgone the use of being quiet since there was still no sign of the dragon. Either the beast resided in a different part of the mountain or he had died. It must have taken an hour of sifting through the treasure before she neared the top of the pile. There was still a good fifty feet between the peek and the ceiling of the hall and Marie dreaded just how much more gold she would see from the top. A piece of white caught her eye and she automatically went to pick it up, causing a steam of coins to start sliding. What she grabbed was a small goblet with a diamond base.

'Fancy' Marie thought, then noticed the coins still cascading down at her feet. She looked up saw a large pile shift, revealing a closed eye of a dragon. Marie choked on her sharp intake of air.

The dragon was in front of her, buried beneath the wealth of Erebor.

His deep red scales reflected against the gold with an eerie beauty that distracted Marie. 'Not good, not good, not good.' She quickly backed herself behind a pillar, jumping as a loud puff sent coins flying. Now his snout poked out of the treasure. Marie prayed that he wasn't going to wake up. The sound of her pulse racing was so loud she was sure the dragon could hear it. She stilled every muscle in her body and waited. Another sound came from her left and she glanced over out of the corner of her eye. Spikes ... and a tail.

The dragon was curled at the top of the heap.

It shift all the way round to in front of Marie , moving the gold about to form new piles. Marie must have step on the dragon's tail on her way up without realising it. 'Just how big is this thing?!' Marie's mind panicked wildly before she regained herself. 'Time to be going I think.' But as she tip toed her way back down the treasure, the dragon's head moved after her from under the pile. The wave of coins pushed the hobbit over. The taste of copper filled her mouth as she bit her tongue suppressing a whimper. 'Okay Marie, just ... remember to breathe. In and out, in and out.' She looked around to check. The muscles around the eye twitched and very slowly the lid opened. Marie ducked and pressed herself a pile, hoping beyond hope it couldn't see her. 'But it can't with the ring.' The moment of clarity she needed. The sound of the coins falling was enough incentive to pull out her ring. Once it was around her middle finger, the magic brought back some of her courage. She stood slowly and watched the dragon pull himself up from the gold.

Smaug the Terrible had awoken.

He was a monstrous size, crowned with horns and covered with ancient scars. The hue of his scales shone as bright as the gold under the magic of the ring, but his eyes remained sharp and vigilant, scanning across the horde with the edges of his mouth pulled back, baring rows of white teeth. Marie believed herself safe and in control of herself once more now that she was invisible, that is until the dragon spoke.

"Well, thief." The depth and power of Smaug's voice made it feel as if Marie had been struck in the chest. Smaug bent his head low and skimmed it along the gold. Marie sunk her knees as the dragon passed over her, heat radiating off his body. "I smell you. I hear your breath. I feel your air" It was an ancient sound with all the gravity of a beast but also the smooth clarity of a man. His neck curved around and his massive head came back towards Marie, "Where are you?" He came so close his breath fanned across the hobbit's face, "Where are you?"

Out of desperation, Marie made a run for it, hurling herself downhill, Smaug snarled and followed after the sound, sliding over the gold as if it was water. Marie tripped and tumbled over her head twice, scrapping her forehead on the treasure. She quickly got o her feet and dodged the incoming dragon by hiding behind another pillar. She clutched the stone tightly and kept her back to it, holding her breath as Smaug's claw closed around the pillar, right above her head. He stopped himself and rose up, coins falling off him.

"Come now. Don't be shy." He said coyly, but quickly snapped, "Step into the light!"

When Marie said nothing, he turned back the way he came. His movements reminded Marie of a serpent, elegant and quick.

"There is something about you."

Marie spun around in time to see the dragon come around the other side of the pillar, his eye glowing brighter with ever step the hobbit took away from him. "Something you carry. Something made of gold, but far ... more ... precious."

Precious ... precious ... my ... precious

That single word made the magic cloaking her thick with pain until it was like a iron shaft in the back of her mind. It grew stronger and stronger until an eye veiled in fire flashed before her eyes. She shut them tight and yanked the ring off her finger.

'Oh oh'

Marie had made a terrible mistake.

She opened her eyes, only to come face to face with the glowing dragon eye, much clearer and more dangerously alluring.

"Ah, there you are, Thief in the Shadows,"

She had no cloak of magic now, her sword would be absolutely useless , all she was her talent for words to defend herself. "I ... I ... I didn't come to steal from you ... oh Smaug the ... unnecessarily wealthy." She hadn't been eaten or burnt to a crisp yet, that was a good start, "I merely wished to gaze upon you with my own eyes to see if the all the stories were true. I admit I did not truly believe them."

Smaug drew back sharply, swiping his tail through the gold. He placed his talons before himself and rose up proudly, wings folded along his arms and his golden chest dotted with thousands of gems and coins. "And do you now!?" The dragon bellowed.

"Truly ... all the tales I have heard fall utterly short of your enormity ... oh Smaug the Stupendous." Marie said, genuinely awed by the sight.

"Do you think flattery will keep you alive?"
Marie finally remembered to blink. "Would it matter to you if I gave either answer? Seeing as how neither would save me."

"No indeed," He lowered himself back down closely to the treasure, "But tell me, thief, if you were to give me an answer what would it be?"

"I know without a doubt it would be no. Your great anger knows no bounds and I would be a fool to believe that I would ... be worthy of you mercy."

Smaug chuckled lightly, "Such a courteous little thing you are. Are you always so full of pretty words?"

"I was taught to be always give praise to those who have earned it, and from all the tales spoken of oh Smaug the Magnificent, you are worthy of more than praise." Marie couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth, but luckily the dragon did.

"You seem familiar with my name but I don't remember smelling your kind before." Smaug slowly crept about the hobbit, making it a point to show that he was ready to strike. "Who are you, and where do you come from may I ask?"

'Well at least he has manners.'

But what could Marie say. The old stories made her wary of revealing her name, but if the dragon should be angered by her lies she was doomed. Fanning nervousness, she dropped her gaze to think of an answer. Her eyes fell upon a jewel half hidden by the gold, drawing all her focus and thoughts to it. It appeared too be the size of her fist, maybe bigger, and had a white gleam to it. But within it's centre, all manner of colours swirled about in a hailstorm of light.

'You'll know when you see it.'

The Arkenstone.