so got around to a second chapter
just easing into it trying to decide who she is now as I'm going so it might be a bit choppy
Time passed, and Smaug watched the girl grow, teaching her all he knew from languages to breathing the hottest of fire, even how to fly short distances. But fifty years had passed since he created her, and though Sunal did not age much passed her mid 20's, her body went through its own changes violent some of them were as she got accustomed to changing her appearance back and forth to varying degrees. She could appear to be fully human if she wanted to, well as human as she could, one would see something off about her; her skin was far to perfect and her eyes always had a red or gold glint to the hazel color they took when she was in that form. Every year that passed her strength grew and she itched to leave the cave, though Smaug told her that was her human side, and usually she was in agreement it was her human side that prevented her from being as large as a dragon as Smaug even though he assured her she would grow. But he softened to the idea that if she did travel that she could bring him more treasures. Most of her time was either spent in her normal form or as a dragon Smaug preferred her large golden form every time she was in it she could see pride in his eyes.
But Smaug grew tired, he had done a great many things and taught her all he felt she would need before he fell into hibernation, for he could no longer stave off his exhaustion. He sent her off to the north from where he had come from, he wanted her to see the world and bring him more treasures, and he knew the more she learned the more powerful she would become. She flew through the sky understanding the burned lands and listening to the whispers in the wind. She would often sit at campfires and listen to the tales of men, she traded with them now and again, and at night stealing a sheep or two to eat. When any attacked her it was their own death they reaped for if they attacked her with vigor she would slash them apart burn their bodies and devour their flesh feeling nothing for the foolish men. But she took up the sword to defend against those who attacked her out of necessity, but mostly because she found it fun to play with them as her strength was vastly superior to theirs. for one thing, she learned walking among men was that they were weak and vulnerable to natures toll, and for some reason, she would herself feel sour if she saw the hungry and very sick, but she never dwelled much on feelings.
Looking for the rare and the beautiful she became a merchant of sorts traveling all over the realms of men cloaked and ever moving she did not like staying very long in the cities of men where she often sold some of the lesser treasures she came across. She found caves of gold and treasures of old hidden in trees and under rivers, and she would always bring the most beautiful back to her father, Smaug, who slept in a deep and solemn slumber.
After she had her fill of men she decided to venture and make deals with the dwarves. They were an interesting and more enjoyable folk than man, their greed was evident on their faces, it was something impossible to hide, especially from a dragon's eyes. But nevertheless, they were a funny bunch, she would often drink with them into a pit and feast with them till dawn. They were also talented crafters and she had herself made a sword with black stones laid throughout the center that would burn when lit. It was not a beautiful work, but dwarven work was solid and made well. She often heard songs of her father and the misty mountain, and though she was never moved they were beautiful songs. There were many who knew people her fathered had killed and it seemed to wound them greatly to think about it, but she never felt particularly bad for them. What did they expect amazing that much gold in one place, in a way they were looking for something to happen. But she acted sympathetically and clapped at their songs and poems of the great halls and vast treasure. She did enjoy some of them for the mountain was her home as well and it was nice to think of it.
Still, she never stayed long in one place, she never cared to make any lasting friendships or memories, she was always moving, she felt the need to move, it all felt new and beautiful. She was always wary that men grew old and died and dwarves with their longer lives would notice something askew with her, so she kept traveling. She enjoyed being on the road or at night flying in the sky, above the clouds where no one would see her. One day Sunal was traveling home along a small road in an empty valley the mountains rose up on either side of her covered in old trees and a large stream ran through the middle of the valley. She sat by it looking into the beautiful clean waters and decided to take a short rest on a large rock by the water, she had been walking for days and rested her feet in the water feeling the silkiness of it as it passed through her toes and closed her eyes just soaking in the sun and listening to nature move around her reminiscing over the fact that it had almost been two decades since she had left the caves.
The day was beginning to give way to evening then she could smell the blood a good while before she saw traces of it in the water, she had been listening to the screams as well, it was an unmistakable sound, orcs. Most likely killing humans. Something she did not care to deal with at that moment as she was still trying to enjoy her breath of relaxation. But the screaming kept going and as the sun was beckoned down and the sky it up with shades of purple and pink Sunal grew annoyed at the noise. She picked herself up and began to move away, if they were not going to leave then she was. But something in her stopped her, she had not met many orcs, and she did not care to met more, as they were rude. She also had a fear of them sensing the fire within her belly, they were also from the north, creatures birthed from the fiery lands of Mordor. But if they were dead they would have no one to tell; and who would they anyway way with saron dead and the ring lost there was no one to call upon her or her father to war. She did not know even if she would fight for Sauron, it was something her father did not care about, he just enjoyed killing dwarves and humans and elves and well everything it was a trait she wishes she had more of in her. Before she realized where her feet had been carrying her she was looking at the small group of orcs and a bloody scene before her.
There were great horses torn to bits in front of her the meat losing its heat and being dirtied more by the flys than the orcs, for they were more interested in the ones they had captured. There were two attached to a dead horse its carcase bleeding over them, then two more dead and lifeless next to them she couldn't tell if they were men or women they were so beaten in she couldn't discern much about them other than they seemed a little odd but it was hard to get a good look as their faces were hung down and they were covered in dirt and blood, and then there was another who the orcs were all leaning over and playing with in the most vulgar of ways cutting into him at od angles and laughing, but she was sure to the man it was the worst torture for his screams were loud and sharp and she could see blood dripping from various slashes and piercings on his body and the orcs were laughing at his screams as they cut into him again.
"You are being loud," Sunal said in the guttural orcish language, leaning against a nearby tree she pulled out a small knife and began messing with her nails scraping out the dirt and some caked in blood. There were four orcs in total along with a few dead ones lying on the ground, and she saw one more come from behind where he was crouching behind the dead horse resting from a day of butchering woken by a strange voice speaking orkish.
"A woman!" an orc yelled and laughs a snarling laugh, "How do you speak orc?"
"So that I can tell them to be quiet when they are being too loud and ruining my mood." Sulna said looking up at the smaller of the orcs, if, no when they attacked she would save him for last, it was always a mistake to save the big ones for last, why fight them when you have less energy fight them when you are strong and hungry for blood.
A bigger orc with bones skewered through his face laughed, "Bitch thinks just because she can speak a bit of orc that she can order us around." he pulled out a short sword from his back, "I think it means that we have another toy to play with."
"I was just asking you to be a bit more quiet with you playing, you do not want to fight me orc, you will regret it." but before she even finished her sentence the biggest orc pulled his sword and jumped at her. She took a step forward and threw the knife effortlessly into the orcs left eye it went all the way to the hilt the orc then proceded to fall to the ground. Pulling her sword from her side she walked forward crouching low dodging the swing from the second orc, she spun around and sliced his leg off before standing up and blocking a blow from the third. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the smaller orc come at her and she heard a screaming shout, "Behind you!" she grabbed a knife from her belt she pushed back the orc she had blocked and swiftly turned and shoved the knife into the smallest ones neck its blood showering onto her. Tearing the knife out she again spun to the last orc standing, then she was pulled to the ground by the orc whos leg she had just liberated. She could feel her eyes flash and anger boil inside of her. She kicked the orc on the ground in the head multiple times while blocking the other orc who was now attempting to kill her while she was down. She blew a quick small flame to her sword and it lit up like a dry branch startling the orc enough to back a few paces giving her a chance to get up and solve the blade into the back of the head of the orc whos leg she had previously cut off. She then looked toward the last orc who was now flailing and coming towards her fast, Sunal could see he his movements easily he was swinging wildly and as he came for her she sidestepped him and smoothly sunk the blade into his gullet the fire of the blade extinguishing as it went further and further into the being. She pulled the blade out and it was covered in the black blood of the being.
She looked sourly at the blade, frustrated that she would have to clean it a few times in the river and let it dry before she could put it back in its hilt again, otherwise it would rust and dull on her. For now she wiped it on the grass. She looked up to the people who she had just saved and walked over to the ones tied up cutting the rope connecting them to their dead horse. She was not sure what to say gruffly she said, "Too bad they killed your horses they seem like they were fine animals," she said marveling at the beautiful white coats they had. One of the women began to slowly sob into her hands as the other got up. She was surprised to see that the woman was taller than even she, wearing strange clothes and that another surprise, the woman who stood up was a man or at least a very feminine man. He looked shaken either way. He extended his hand to her and she took it gingerly, "thank you." the man said, "We do not have much to thank you with, I am sorry, but we are so grateful that you have saved our lives. What may I call you?"
"Sunal." she said taking her hand away. It was then that she noticed their ears, eyes wider, "You are elves?" she said slightly in awe, she had wandered middle earth for fifty years but this was her first time seeing elves. Smaug had warned her that they were magical creatures, astute in their old age and prideful in their relation to the Valar.
"Yes, we were on our way to our home in Mirkwood, we were on a long trip to visit family when the orcs attacked, we were told this was a safe road…" He looked over to his fallen friends and to the one who was badly injured. The one who had been whimpering now was sitting next to him putting ointment on his wounds and softly speaking to him in elvish. Sunal called out, "You might want to move a bit upstream to where the water has less blood and clean his wounds fist, you do not want to waste your medicine." the woman looked up at me confused and turned to the man i was standing with who spoke some words to her in elvish. Sunal could place a few words elvish was not one of the tongues Smaug knew well, and she had never met elves so she had lost some of the little Smaug knew. The woman nodded and put the medicine away into a bag and gently brushed his hair tears escaping and rolling down her face, her face a bit cleaner Sunal could see how beautiful the elith was.
"She does not speak the common tongue, but she also gives you her thanks, that is her brother and if he survives this he will owe you his life as well." the elf said moving over to the man
Sunal followed "May I ask for your name? I do not know what is proper etiquette among elves." but the elf was distracted by his friend's plea to aid her in getting her brother to the river, she helped them move the elf to the water's edge where she cut off his shirt and ran water over his wounds. There were many cuts but most were shallow, the orcs from the looks of the other two bodies drew out their fun, he was lucky in a way.
After the elves wounds were cleaned and bandaged he began breathing normally but stayed unconscious again for the best, "My name is Fainion, of Mirkwood." he took in a breath "there will be much sadness when we return It is strange to see orcs in this area, but this forest is told to be the home of many creatures most unsavory." he looked back at the pile of orcs, "I have never seen a blade to that, lit with fire."
"Ah, yes it was a dwarven gift from the iron hills. It was conceived from a bet and much drinking," she said putting the blade in the water and washing off what she could. "I have passed through the Mirkwood many a time in my travels from Dol Guldur to lake town. Though I have never been to the elven city under its branches."
"Well that is not very surprising, after the last great war the forest became sour and dark we moved beneath even the trees, though we still communicate with them often." Fainion said looking back at the bodies of his late friends he continued, "We are still a full day's journey from the city. You are most welcome to join us." She heard the woman whisper something aggressively in elvish that she could not understand to Fainion, he responded tierdly back it sounded as though they were debating something but they were speaking so quickly she could not understand it.
Ignoring it she answered, "No, I need to rest for a while at home, but if possible I would like to stay in your hall to learn of your kind; I have traveled and heard myths about the creatures who taught the trees to talk, I would wish to stay among you for a time and see what is beyond the veil of your people." she knew that it was a risk but if she felt any elf was getting curious as to who she was she would leave, it was as simple as that. But she needed to go back to the mountain, she needed to rest. Every few years without her realizing it she would drift towards the direction of the mountain to put gifts next to her father and dive in the gold and sleep in the most peaceful of rests that only the mountain and its gold could provide.
Fainion went quiet for a bit and stared at the water, she studied his features and could understand how the woman of Gondor thought so highly of their looks though soft they had wonderful bone structure arching brows that hovered against sparkling eyes and high cheekbones, if he was to wash his face she was sure that she would see perfect skin. "I do not know if you could even find Eryn Galen, it is guarded and the woods themselves are often dangerous to strangers walking among them. We are a closed off people our King, Thranduil, sees it best that way, you would have to appeal to him if you wished to stay long."
"Ah i see," Sunal said standing, "Well then, do you need help with your dead, we can cover them in stone or bury them, but I have no tools for that."
"Thank you but a party of our own will be here soon, they were supposed to meet us a while back I am sure they are searching for us now." Fanion said elegantly getting up, "and again we are ever grateful." he put his hand to his chest and made a small bow towards her, a kind gesture of thanks. She nodded and grabbed her two knives went on her way back down the path she came off towards the Misty Mountains. No more needed to be exchanged an interesting encounter nonetheless she was glad she had killed the orcs instead of reasoning with them, she got to see something interesting from it. After her rest she would find the city of elves they seemed an interesting bunch and they lived so long that they would likely not see her lack of change through the passage as secluded they were from the world.
A day or so later she made her way to the end of the Mirkwood and looked down to Laketownetown barely lit in the night, the smelly town had a few flickering lights but the night was fully nestled in. Dropping her clothed she shifted and broke her body shifting to her winged form, picked up her treasures again with her large claw she flew silently through the night to the mountain where she normally did. She dove into the gold lettinging its coolness surround her and lull her to sleep.
