Thanks again for your lovely reviews and follows! It is much appreciated. Mostly Smaug this chapter...

I also noticed that in my time line I had been putting 60 years when I meant 160...so I fixed it...

Thanks again!

160 years ago

The destruction of Dale was too great. It would take much more to build than the surviving people had left in them to do so. It was decided by the Lord of the City to abandon Dale and try to rebuild anew someplace else, perhaps close to Lake Town.

"We cannot go with them to Lake Town." Legolas said to Tauriel as she packed up her belongings.

"We must go Legolas. Their need is still so great."

"And they will find help and shelter from their kin at Lake Town. My father gave us a week and no longer. We must leave today."

"Then you must give my apologies to the King because I will not be returning to Mirkwood, not today." She said stubbornly.

"Stubborn female!" Legolas snapped. "You only wish to go because of that dwarf you are so infatuated with."

"No Legolas, I go because it is the right thing to do. Our King was very generous in the supplies and food that he sent, but it is far from enough. We have an obligation to help these people. Are we not all part of the same world?"

Legolas sighed. "Father will be angry that you have disobeyed him. He will send me or perhaps others in the guard to collect you. Tauriel, I don't want to have to come back for you and use force to bring you home." He shook his head. "I should make you come now. He will be angry with me that I did not."

"Unless you are prepared to toss me over your shoulder and bind me to my horse, then I will be staying with the mortals." She said.

"I am tempted to do just that, you are so stubborn!" He snapped before a small smile crept over his features. "You are my best friend and Captain of my father's guard. I trust you to make the right decisions and follow what is in your heart. If you wish to stay with the mortals and dwarves, then I will not try to persuade you otherwise."

Tauriel smiled warmly and through her arms around him, hugging him tightly. He embraced her back and held her tightly for a moment before releasing her. "Just do not be angry with me when I return and toss you over my shoulder, bind you to your horse and bring you home where you belong."

They both laughed and embraced each other once again. "Watch yourself Tauriel." Legolas said as he grasped the reins of his horse.

"I will. Be safe Legolas." She said smiling.

Legolas climbed onto his horse and nodded to the rest of the elven riders. They each one began to ride away at a slow trot, waiting for Legolas to join them. He looked back at Tauriel once more and smiled before turning and riding away. He rode at a gallop and the rest of the elves followed after him.

"You risk the anger of your King to stay here." The deep baritone voice of Thorin spoke from behind her. "Why?"

Tauriel turned and regarded him. "Because it is the right thing to do." She stepped closer to him. "Why do you stay? Why do you and your kin not go for the Blue mountains as you have said you would?"

He shrugged. "We will go in our own good time. But you are right, staying to help is indeed the right thing to do and we will do it."

Smaug was hungry and annoyed. It had been a month since he had destroyed the city of Dale and taken the Lonely Mountain. He had gorged himself that day on dwarf and man flesh. He was certain that he had taken in enough nourishment to last him a very long sleep. He lay in a massive curled ball covered by the gold and jewels that he had stolen from the dwarven King when he had taken his kingdom. Perhaps he had not feasted as much as he had first thought. He couldn't really remember what all he had eaten. He hadn't paid that much attention in his path of destruction. One eaten dwarf was the same as a dead dwarf, just as an eaten man was the same as a dead man. It made no difference to Smaug.

The great dragon stretched his long reptilian body, curling his taloned toes. A deep sigh rumbled free from him and he stood slowly. The gold and treasure poured over his body as a flowing river. He stood to his impressive full height and yawned. "Blast…" He mumbled.

Taking a step forward, the great beast stumbled a bit from his deep slumber. As he got his bearings, he shook his head trying to awaken himself more. "This is most inconvenient stomach. I was resting so well. Could this not wait a little longer?"

A deep rumble was heard from the beast's lower region and his sighed. "Very well." He said taking another step up onto the stone platform. "But what to eat? Perhaps some antelope flesh? A few dozen jack rabbits?"

He stepped completely upon the stone landing and began to make his way through the city made of stone. "Where would I find a dozen jack rabbits? No, it won't do." He climbed up several stone archways. "Perhaps some horse flesh, though I don't really care for horse flesh…not enough fat…too much muscle."

He climbed onto a massive stone walk way, one that would take him to the ruined stone doorway that led into the great hall of the King. "I must go unseen. I do not want my rest desiturbed by sqwauking, sniveling, cowardly men."

Smaug reached the outside, open his massive wings and leapt into the air. He flew high above the mountain behind cloud cover and flew over the abandoned city of Dale. He laughed loudly. "Yessss….you were wise to run away like the sniveling cowards that you are! But where did you go? To Lake town perhaps to lick your wounds or did you run farther away than that?"

He swooped down just underneath the clouds and flew towards Lake Town, his curiosity getting the better of him. The clouds began to swell around him and the sky began to darken as a storm was rolling in. It's almost as if the fates were with him, offering him concealment as he flew towards the unsuspecting town.

He was there within moments and took his place within the cover of near by stones and rock. The rain was coming down hard, but it did not affect his vision. A dragons sense of sight was unparalleled even greater than the senses of the elves, as well as a dragon's sense of hearing and smell. He watched as a large group of weary travelers trudged slowly towards the bridges of Lake Town. He could not have been more pleased with the devastation and despair and he saw within their faces. He recognized at once the small group of dwarves that travelled with the men, women, and children. His keen eyes searched for Thorin, the dwarf prince within the crowd, but his eyes caught sight of something else.

The dragon's eyes widened and he leaned forward from where he was perched. His sharp intake of breath was followed with a sigh. "Exquisite…oh lovely…glorious…stunning…" He mumbled softly as his tongue clicked against his fanged teeth.

"She is like starlight…" Smaug said softly, his eyes never blinking afraid that she would disappear from his sight. "She is the most beautiful of all treasures…" His wings spread as he prepared for flight. "And I must have her…" He growled. "No matter the cost…I must have her for my collection of treasures. She will be the crowned jewel."

The rumbling in his stomach forgotten, he rose higher and higher into the air until he was once again covered by the dark clouds of the storm. He flew over the unsuspecting group, keeping his keen eyes on the elf within the travelers. "What's this?" He hissed in annoyance. "Why does she keep the company of dwarves? Why does she walk with Thorin?"

Smaug watched for the next several hours the movement of the she elf as she went about the town of men, seeing to the needs of others. He stayed high above the clouds looking down upon her. He watched her as she tended to the children of exhausted, sick, and down trodden parents. He watched her as she kept the company of dwarves and of Thorin in particular. He watched her as as the sun set and gave rise to the silvery light of the moon. He watched her until sleep overtook her and she lay down and closed her eyes.

He watched her until the moon began to set in preparation for the light of the oncoming day. As the sun rose in the sky, Smaug rose high in the sky and flew back towards his mountain. His cunning mind was already spinning its wheels on how he could possess her. Though he was a great and powerful beast, with the strength and power to level cities and decimate the earth, he did not want a war with the Elves.

No, he must think if some other way to take her without involving her kin. But what could he do? His great size would foretell of his coming from miles away without the cover of clouds or darkened skies. He decided that he must sleep on it, for it was when he dreamed that his mind concocted his most ingenius of plans.

And dream he did. He dreamed of fire and darkness. He dreamed of a shadow that would cover middle earth. He dreamed of a small golden ring and of the great eye of fire. And then out of the smoke and darkness, he heard a voice whispering to him, calling him, beckoning him to listen.

Smaug moved slowly as one often does in dreams through the thick smoke and blackness that surrounded him. He walked until he saw a light, the whispers becoming stronger and stronger as he moved forward.

The light before him became a great flash of fire and from the fire came the shape of a shadow. The whispering beckoned him even closer and Smaug moved closer. The whisper called to him again.

"Smaug…Smaug the terrible, Smaug the maker of all calamities…I know what your dark heart seeks and covets. I know what is in your mind's eye…I can give her to you for all eternity, she will be yours until the end of time, if you will but serve me…"

Smaug stepped forward. "Who are you?"

Laughter came from the whispering shadow. "You know who I am Smaug the bringer of despair…do you dare speak my name?"

Smaug reared back. "You have many names…

"Oh yes, but there is one name in particular that brings cold fear into the hearts of men…what say you Smaug, the bringer of death…will you serve me? Will you join my cause in exchange for your most prized possession in all the world?"

"What would I have to do if I serve you?"

Only that which you already do…bring fire, bring smoke and ash, bring death and despair…

"And you will give her to me?" Smaug asked stepping towards the light again.

Pledge your allegiance to me Smaug the merciless and all you need do is to extend your hand and take her…

"Very well…"Smaug said. "I pledge my allegiance to you. When you call on me, I will answer. I will do all that you ask without question if you can make her mine."

I will give you the knowledge and power that you will need to make her yours Smaug…but remember your promise to me…to obey me always…

Smaug bowed his head. "So be it."

Before him, floating eye level appeared a ring, silver in band and the stone was made of ruby. The stone was so red; it looked as if it had been forged from fire.

Take the ring Smaug…it is yours…my gift to you…

The dragon reached out his taloned hand and took the ring. When he touched it, the ring immediately began to glow and hum.

You have only to speak these ancient words of darkness and soon, she will be yours…

Smaug listened as the whispering shadow began to speak in a very old tongue, one that had not been spoken on middle Earth since the first age. He began to speak the words with the shadow when all of a sudden, his body was gripped with such horrendous pain that he thought he might die from the agony of it. The dragon fell forward onto the ground and howled in pain, his body convulsing and heaving. The shadow began to fade away from him and soon he was left in darkness. He gave one last cry of agony before his eyes snapped open and he bolted upright with as much grace as a creature his size could manage.

He blinked rapidly and searched the treasure room, his eyes peering into every darkened corner for the shadow of fire. When he was certain that he was alone and that he had been dreaming, he contemplated the meaning of the dream. And just as in his dream, even though he was now awake, he could hear the whisper calling out to him from afar.

"So I must travel to Dol guldur…so be it."

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