Kaia: I'm very sorry to hear that. In this one I'm trying to make it so she could fit into the world Tolkien created, and in a Dark and Terrible Beauty she completely didn't.

All of the dwarves were surprised to see her when their blindfolds were removed, Thorin especially; he knew her enough to know she would not have come after them, she would have left them behind to die in the woods. But there she was, her hands bound behind her back. Even when Thranduil bid their hands untied for there was no escape, she was still restrained.

She stood listening to Thranduil question the dwarves, waiting. Silently waiting.

"Where does your journey end?" Thranduil asked. "You seek that which would bestow upon you the right to rule. A quest to reclaim a homeland, and slay a dragon."

She could feel the anger rolling in waves from Thorin, feel the Elvenking's prideful arrogance at having Thorin before him.

"Tell me, Thorin son of Thrain son of Thror, if your purpose is to slay a dragon why have you been traveling with one?" Thranduil asked leaving the dwarves in a shocked stupor. "Will she be the one to slay your dragon?"

Thorin turned his eyes to her, seeing her standing in front of him with her hands still tied. It explained so much; why she was the only one still bound, why she had known Beorn, Gandalf being the only to know her, the orcs and wargs confused fear of her, the painted wings on her back.

Hatred, as black as an abyss, rolled off of Thorin; she knew the moment he discovered what she was that this would happen; it had not bothered her much before, but now it almost hurt her.

"Tell me dragon," Thranduil said looking down at her, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth, "what was your true purpose for joining them?"

His mirth lessened the longer she stood staring darkly at him without answering. And so he continued.

"Perhaps you wished to destroy the dwarves and take the treasure for your own?" Her eyes glittered with malice, a fire raging in her veins. "That still leaves the dragon in reign under the mountain." He could see his words were effecting her, her skin changing slightly – looking almost scaled.

Legolas was at her side instantly, prepared to reach for his bow and fell her. He heard the growl in the back of her throat, and yet his father still did not stop.

"Would you slay him?" Thranduil asked. "Or would you make him your mate? The greed of a dragon, the thing that always destroys them." He smiled at her, seeing her pupils had elongated in her rage. "No matter how human you may appear, you are no more than a beast within."

Legolas grabbed her the moment she moved, it took three strong elleths to keep her held back as she lunged toward Thranduil, who did no more than sit atop his throne smirking.

Thorin stared at her, the sound that erupted from her far from human; it was a scream, one he'd heard when Smaug had come for the mountain. And then he knew everything the elf king had said was true – she was a dragon.

Legolas and the others pulled her thrashing body along, deep into the caves where they threw her into the biggest prison they had. And still it was not large enough to contain her large black body.

Even where Thorin and the others stood they heard her roar when she shifted into a dragon, feeling the ground quiver slightly from her body colliding with the door.

Elven magic kept her from breaking through, no matter how hard she threw herself at the door and walls. The elves lept aside when she spewed fire at the door, and even then it did nothing.

Legolas stared at her long teeth as she tried to bite her way out, her frenzied attempts doing little more than tiring her. He stared at her a long while after the others left, hardly able to move.

She stilled completely when her shining yellow eyes found him. And they were both left staring at each other, her large gold eyes boring into his astonished blue ones.

…

She ran as fast as she was able, the many clustered trees slowing her as she tore through them. She saw a flash of movement and she let loose a stream of flames, chuckling darkly at hearing the screams. Her ears perked at the sound of a snapping twig.

In a hurried panic he did not track his footsteps as he moved forward. He ran through the trees, throwing his body against branches, his feet rustling leaves. He raced forward when he heard it behind him, hearing the sound of trees breaking as she burst through. A piece of bark caught on his leg and he fell face forward into the dirt. He rolled over, his entire body quivering, to see the large black head of the dragon staring down at him, its golden eyes fixed on his face. He closed his eyes tight when the dragon opened its mouth, letting lose a cry of his own when it less loose an ear shattering roar; flattening him to the ground.

He awaited death, for dragons were beasts who knew no mercy – who knew no compassion. But it did not come. He timidly opened his eyes and saw the sky above him where they dragon had broken through. She had let him live.