LOTR Chapter 4
Gollum sprang from the golden dragon's back as soon as Smaug had landed. "Must check for Precious," the little creature hissed and scurried off. "I feels Precious this way," he called over his shoulder at the dragon in way of clarification. Then to himself under his breath, "We're coming, Precioussss! Soon we will be together again. Rescue Precious!"

He wove through the motley company of orcs, trolls, dwarves, and even a few elves. With a snicker Gollum wondered if Smaug would eat all the dwarvies up right now. He nearly tripped over a warg in his haste as he drew yet closer to what he could feel was like Precious. It called almost like Precious, but only almost which made him a annoying mix of grumpy and uneasy. He hated hated hated not knowing what to expect when it came to his Precious. At last he felt he was as close as he was going to get to the source. Stopping short, Gollum looked up at the badly scarred old elf. "Where is it," he demanded. "Give us Precious...Please," he added in a wheedling tone at the last minute. Perhaps it would make the elf feel more kindly to poor old Smeagal and he would hand over Precious all the faster. "We just wants to look," he coaxed.

"Doesn't everybody," the elf added distractedly, considering if he should apply the spear rune discovered by Glorfindel himself, to endow his ring with durability.

The strange voice though, on the verge of being familiar drew his attention, forcing Amalthiel to look down at the bizarre creature in front of him. He has lived a long life, long enough to realize how versatile the races at Arda could be, but never saw the likes of this one.

"Incidentally, what manner of creature are you," the elf smith wondered conversationally. "Sauron's wars created strange fellowships. There are orcs here, the dark elves, some trolls, goblins. Whatever you are, you will feel right at home I think. But I do believe you are no dragon.

I heard something about a dragon joining us, is it true? In the long ago, giant spiders and Balrog were all the rage, but now it is difficult to find one. A dragon somehow seems even less likely, don't you think," Amalthiel muttered, going back to his work on the Runic inscriptions, somewhat flattered that an adult new comer was just as eager to see his work as the countless children.

"There is a legend of the fire drake nesting somewhere nearby at the camp, but I never saw it, and the goblin officers consider to be a tale made up by some of these children," Amalthiel explained, pointing at his ever present observers.

"A pity if all the dragons died out as the rumors say. Whatever their origins, they certainly contributed, with their very presence, to some impressive magical workings, like this one, of mine. I am trying to craft a less ring, you see. I intend to call it Vilya, as that was part of the folklore my nation valued so much in the past..." the elf reminisced, his long years of isolation making him interested in connecting to random strangers.

Lesser ring, but could it still be Precious? Precious returned to him? Dare Gollum hope? The energy coming from the thing called. Not as strongly and perhaps it lacked something, but Gollum's mind did not want to admit this, so great was his need. Ignoring most of the elf's comments he focused on the one that may serve him.

"It's my dragon. He's a big golden dragon, best in the world...in all the worlds, now gives us Precious!" Impatient to the point of being near rabid, Gollum lunged for the elf's hands with a sound half snarl, half shriek as he reached for the ring. "Lets us see!"

"Your Dragon? That is...remarkable," Amalthiel slowly admitted. He was not trying to be disrespectful but saw his share of dignitaries walking the Middle Earth and did not expect a small twisted creature to own a dragon.

Frowning with concentration, he was finally able to recall the name of one of the Istari, small in stature, who was said to understand animals. He had to wonder if this small thing was the one he heard about, Radagast.

But before he could ask, the creature reached for the ring and his gaze turned speculative. All niceties aside, this was a great moment.

"You can see, but be careful, this ring has not been fully formed. The spell of invisibility cast upon it is incomplete. Do you have experience with Rings of Power then? If you are not seen as worthy of wearing it, you could be stuck between our world and that of spirit, similar to the Nazgul, only without their powers. But if you are as eager to try it as I was to make it, well here you go," Amalthiel encouraged with an almost hungry smile.

He never could convince himself to offer the ring to any of the children, even the stubborn goblin girl Dirha who was completely unaware of any manners.

He could never find volunteers even among the dumbest of Orcs who shied away from the very idea. And now, now his moment may have finally come.

A creature he didn't know, that nobody would miss, wanted to try it out. He had to wonder if that was how Celbrimbor the Skillful felt after completing the ring Nenya.

Shocked that he did not have to fight for his Precious, that the elf was just going to wisely hand it over after all, Gollum nodded quickly. "Yes, yes, very well. Whatever elf says," he assured, words practically tumbling over one another.

When the ring was in his hands, he stood still for a moment, eyes squeezed shut and face scrunched as he allowed the energy to pore over him. Then his head snapped up and he was off like a streak.

For his part, Smaug remained still, watching and waiting as it seemed Gollum had already taken it upon himself to be the welcoming committee of their arrival. He was welcoming himself quite nicely.

He was mildly surprised when the small hunched form of Gollum came streaking back in his direction, eyes glittering madly and something shiny clutched in his claws.

"Mine," he shrieked seemingly to the dragon, the sky perhaps, and most definitely the world at large. "We found Precious!"

Though if Gollum were completely honest, he would've added the word, almost.