He didn't get in trouble when he got home that night, mostly because he brought armfuls of mushrooms and wild roots to calm his mother's rage. It was many more months (Six to be exact) before he summoned the courage, and built up the curiosity, to speak to the dragon again. Though this time he used the stairs. As it was midwinter he dressed warmly but even so by the time he reached her lair he was soaked to the bone and freezing cold. He brought some bread and dried meats for fruits to eat, for he was tired of being hungry and fighting for his life. He decided it had to be one or the other.
As he descended the last step he noticed a rumbling, but not loud breathing. Looking for Pshirrta he found the dragon asleep on her hoard. In really was more accurate, it was really no wonder he didn't see her his first time here. She was expertly hidden among her treasure, with only her nostrils and the tip of her tail showed. He was freezing cold, shivering so violently his teeth were chattering and he was surprised it didn't wake her up. He climbed up her mound, finding a warm spot to warm up next to her chest, as it seemed the warmest. He was warm in no time, and his clothing too seemed to dry quickly near the searing beast. As he sat there, probably the closest anyone had ever gotten to a dragon and lived to tell about it he examined her scales as he munched on a piece of cheese and bread. Even this close each scale shined brightly, he could even seem himself in them. Suddenly and surprisingly (For he had thought her asleep) she spoke, her voice being even louder and vibrating through him from head to toe due to his proximity to her, "Admiring my perfection, hobbit Mathiew?" she taunted him.
"Yes." he admitted, "You are ... magnificent in your entire enormity." Pshirrta was taken aback by this response, containing only honesty. No lies, or pride or even fear.
"Why do you come here?" she asked him suddenly as she lifted her head and turned it around to her side to look at him, "I threaten you, and berate you but yet you've returned again and again. I expected you to return the first time, curiosity demanded it. But now ... why?"
He shrugged and took another bite of his food then said, "Who else should I talk to, the toads? No one else even sees me until I do something wrong."
"Your own kind don't acknowledge you?" she stated, more than asked, "You are so small, insignificant."
"Yes." he agreed, "But at least I don't have anyone to compete with when I talk to you. Beside where else am I to find such quality of conversation?"
"Flattery will leave you a scorch on the floor."
"Good thing I'm an honest thief then."
"Liar." she hissed, shifting her tail to curl around where he sat. To this he shrugged and finished his snack the pulled out a piece of parchment and a sharpened piece of coal, then he began to draw. "What are you doing?" she demanded, trying to peer at his attempt at her.
"Drawing." he said simply and continued his work, "Do you wish to trade riddles again?" he asked her absentmindedly as he sketched the arch of her neck.
With a mighty shake and a growls like yawn the dragon replied, "No, that requires too much energy." then she laid her head down near to where he sat, her warmth forcing him to remove his winter jacket and then continue his work. He sketched for hours while the dragon slept, her deep chest rumblings occasionally causing her mound of gold to resettle around her to the point where she was almost buried again.
Finally it grew dark, and he knew he had to leave for home so he pack up his things and moved to get up, but Pshirrta moved first. She lifted herself up, dropping some of the coins that had been resting on her onto him, burying him in gold, to the point he didn't think he could get out. But before he could try to make a noise her tail pushed through the coins and wrapped around his waist, pulling him free and depositing him over by the stairs. Then she again laid down to sleep. He climbed up the stairs after pulling his coat tightly around him and tucking his drawing away into his sack. After one last glance at the dragon's 'sleeping' form he walked up the stairs and went home.