Chapter 6
The Witch King of Angmar slowly nodded his understanding. If he hasn't been aware of how great a dragon's senses could be, he would have suspected an intervention on the behalf of the Udun.
"You could not have arrived at a more auspicious moment, dear Smaug. My Olok Hai Orcs stumbled upon some surprising relics from a well known location to the East. They didn't know of course what they were, but my goblin mage Barokh, recognized them at once.
As it turns out, they are from the incredibly ancient fortress of Angband. The one that belonged to the Dark Lord himself. It was presumed to be destroyed at the hands of the mightiest elves, only as was often the case, they overestimated their powers once again," a familiar bitter note crept into the Witch King's voice.
He may have been among the mightiest of the king of men, but the elves rose above themselves, and in their pride challenged the unified might of Numenor itself. The wretches paid the price, and would pay more, he tried to reassure himself so that he would not be distracted from what mattered the most.
"The elves, naturally, failed. The fortress survived and it seems to hold a few surprises. Some of them evidently interested the great Dark Flame himself, the Udun, who brought me back from the unliving, to launch an attack on the fortress.
The reason I am being so candid is that the fortress might be of interest to you as well. I am not just talking of gold which its inhabitants seem to be generously utilizing in magic workings. I am also talking about...your brethren, dear Smaug.
You might be the largest and the mightiest, but are not in fact the last. My goblins and brethren have confirmed chained dragons inside of Angband. I am guessing by Udun's interest that some Balrog might be enslaved as well, but their traces have not been found directly. Do you feel inclined to join me on this mission and share the spoils? I have no interest in gold myself...but to be fair, I suppose I should offer a warning.
Even the children of Shelob mostly avoid Angband because they are, well, afraid of what lies within. Incidentally, one of the lesser spiders even approached a troll captain of mine, asking for an alliance of all things... So, have I picqued your curiosity of the future delights of massive devastation?" The Witch King jokingly inquired.
Smaug's head had snapped up at mention of more dragons. It wasn't that he was particularly lonely, but uniting with other dragons could make things difficult for any dwarves after making trouble. Dwarves that were already dead and didn't know it, the golden dragon thought stormily.
"What does The Udun gain from this," he asked instead of agreeing to assist, which of course he would. Being owed by other dragons was quite tantalizing indeed for its own reasons.
Gollum for his part did not care. He was busy silently investigating what he hoped to be his Precious. Standing intentionally in the great dragon's shadow, hoping to avoid notice as such, he turned the ring around and around in long slender fingers, peering at it intently and whispering to it under his breath.