She stood in her cell, pressed against the wooden bars which could not be broken, listening to only the faintest sound of yelling. No idea did she have of what Thorin and the others were facing, whether they could escape it. They were now not only running from the elves they were also running from Azog.
If it would have done anything she would have tried to break free from the prison, but not even her strength was a match for the elven magic that kept her restrained. She would not leave unless someone unlocked her door, and the only person who would set her free had just told her he would not.
She melted into the shadows when she heard the footsteps an hour later, they were the light footfalls of an elf, and she knew that blame would fall on her immediately.
"Did you have something to do with this?" Legolas questioned her the moment he was before her cell. He could feel her in the dark, though he could hardly see her.
"How could I, I have no means of escape," she answered mockingly.
He knew she didn't, but it was the only thing he or his father could think of. There was no way for any of them to have escaped, and yet the dwarves had. And then he realized that the dwarves had left her behind. "You know they left you," he said realizing it was true by how calm she was to learn they had escaped.
She laughed softly, a sound that was anything but happy. "What would a dwarf have to do with a dragon?" she asked bitterly, not willing to tell the elf prince of Thorin's visit before he had departed.
"Not even one they called friend?" he asked, almost feeling sorry for her.
"I lied to him for months," she said stepping closer, allowing him to see her. "I am no friend."
He stared hard at her, seeing the unhappy non caring on her face and yet feeling entirely different emotions coming from her. "If you are no friend then why do you worry for them?"
His question surprised her, angered her. "What difference does it make to you?" she snarled, her pupils elongating enough for him to see.
"You won't hurt me," he said knowing she wouldn't, not if what she had admitted last they spoken had been true. It did not stop the spark of fear that ignited in him the longer she stared at him with her now serpentine eyes.
"I lied to Thorin," she growled dangerously, "what right do you have to question me?" She was not truly angry with the elf prince, though he had irritated her. In truth she was angry with Thorin, with Gandalf; but she was most angry with herself. But it was easier to be angrier with the elf, and so she exacted all her fury on him.
"You mercilessly slaughtered a number of my kin," Legolas said indignantly. "Every right do I have." He felt the small tendrils of regret, of sadness, snaking from her at the mention of her heinous act. But all the understanding and compassion in the world could not have kept him from warily stepping away from her cell, seeing she was more dragon than woman in her rage – he did not have the faith in her to allow him steadiness at the sight of her eyes. "You won't hurt me," he said again, much quieter and much less confidently; but still he did not think she would.
For the life of her she could not remember why his words were true, all she wanted was to hurt him. She smelt the fear on him, though it was but a little. And even though he was afraid, as slight as it was, he stayed in front of her prison allowing her the chance to kill him. Even when she changed skin he stood staring at her massive black head.
They stood staring at one another; his blue eyes trained on her yellow ones. She growled slightly, a warning, and yet he kept his ground. He saw the tension leave her eyes, saw the slight shifting of her scales that meant she would become a woman again, and he let himself relax.
"What are you doing?" Tauriel demanded when she saw her prince standing in front of the caged dragon.
Legolas saw the change in the woman's eyes, once nonthreatening now glowing with danger. He launched himself at Tauriel, knocking them a few feet back, the moment the dragon unleashed a burst of flame. Their skin was raw from the heat, that's how close they had come to being engulfed in the fire.
"Do you see now?" Tauriel told him, standing and looking at the dragon who was now sitting with her back to them. "She meant to kill you."
Legolas stared at his closest friend, an elleth he would call his sister. "She meant to kill you," he informed her just as crossly. "No harm did she mean me."
"You cannot be foolish enough to think that," Tauriel said appalled. "She is a dragon, a beast. No more than an animal and you believe she means you no harm."
Legolas stepped closer to her, she had convinced him to come to the dwarves' aid from the orcs – something he now saw had been right – but in this she was wrong. "She was left behind by those who had called her friend," he hissed. "As much of an animal she may be she is still human. Do not forget that."
Tauriel watched as Legolas stalked away, wondering how he could possible offer the dragon defense. She looked to the dragon to see the woman sitting with her back to the wall, her dress barely staying on her shoulders from how much of the back had torn. "He believes there is good in you," Tauriel told the woman, who turned her golden eyes on the red haired elf. "Prove him wrong and I will kill you."