Bilbo found himself drifting, wondering through the darkness. He couldn't remeber how he got there or begin to guess where he was, so he walked. Or at least he assumed he walked the complete lack of feeling and sound kept him unsure if he was indeed moving at all but he pushed on, hoping to find his had no meaning, he could have been wandering for minutes, hours, days, or years and he would have been none the wiser. He never grew hungry or thirsty , sleep was unnecessary adding to his confusion.
Was he dead? How had he gotten here? He tried to focus on simple questions and answers to try and clear so the fog clouding his mind.
My name is...my name is Bilbo Baggins, he told himself.
I am a - a - a ...hob...hobbit.
I live in the shire at Bag On...Bag Bend? He questioned searching for the answer in himself.
A flash of a memory hit him like a rock to the head, there before him he saw his father sitting in his favorite armchair before the fire.
Bag End! he shouted, or thought he shouted.
My name is Bilbo Baggins, I am a hobbit who lives in the Shire at Bag End.
More memories flashed, a women sitting at the end of his bed singing a lullaby.
My mother is Belladonna, she is my heart. My father is Bungo, he is my light.
Another flash; a man thin and sick, two hands clasping a frail one as tears splashed on them from above.
My father is Bungo Baggins, he is my light and now he is dead leaving me in the dark.
Grief stronger than anything he'd ever imagined slammed into him with the force of crumbling mountain. If he wee standing it surely knocked him to his knees, if he could scream his throat would surely haver been raw and horse, but Bilbo knew none of these things all he knew was black, all he knew was dark.
Belladonna sat next to her son slowly running her fingers through his golden curls. She prayed silently to every things she could think to help her son make it through what was to come. Part of her mind whispered that even if he woke there was still much more that lay ahead of him, quickly pushing that thought aside she focused on the now and what she could do to help. Placing a gentle kiss to his forehead she stood and walked towards the dragon.
Every nerve in her body was shouting at her to run, fear causing her legs to shake as she moved the dragon noticed it paid her no mind busy with what Belladonna could only assume we're preperations. After a few more minutes of shuffling and silence the dragon turned its massive head towards her.
"It is time strong one, follow me." It ordered.
"I must warn you this ritual is not for the faint of heart, it is ancient and full of magic long forgotten by this world. I need to know that you will be strong enough to complete it no matter what I ask you to do."
Anger heated her viens and fire sprang into her heart. "I will do whatever it takes to save my boy do not doubt my resolve when it comes to him." she spat harsher than she intended
Oh what would Bungo say if he could see her now.
Instead of the anger Belladonna expected from her temper the dragon only nodded it's head in what could have been interpreted as appreciation.
"Hold on to that feeling you will need it before this is done. Know that I too will do everything possible to make this work, it is not only your son's life at risk here." It answered and Belladonna saw the same look shinning out of the dragons eyes she knew to be mirrored in her own, the love of a mother fighting for her child.
"What do I need to do?" she asked.
"Go stand sit by your son. The first part falls so let on my shoulders, but be ready to act when I say."
Following the dragons orders Belladonna Took her post by her sons side and watched as the large beast made its way to another large body on the other side of the large cavern. She had completely missed the second beings presence so wrapped up in her concern for her son. The second dragon was significantly smaller than the first and looked to be in the same sort of slumber as Bilbo. The mother dragon wrapped her tail around the smaller dragon in the same way Belladonna would wrap her arms around Bilbo in a hug. A low series of hisses and rumbles came from the larger dragons jaw steam ghosting over the smaller ones scales. Nuzzling her massive snout against a smaller one's the mother dragon slowly made her way to where Bilbo lay on the massive bed of furs.
"Sit directly behind him and lift him so his back is firmly against your front."
Belladonna shift positions and with more grace than she expected with shaking hands brought Bilbo into a sitting positions be for her, gently letting him rest against her for supoort.
"Now tilt his head back and open his mouth as wide as you can manage."
Again the dragons orders where followed with out question. Belladonna pressing a kiss to her son's temple before placing his head back against her shoulder.
In one swift motion the dragon reared up on its hind legs and slashed one giant deadly sharp claw against the inside of its paw. There was a metallic whine as the talon connected with scales; once, then twice in rapid suscession. Belladonna fought the urge to scream as the claw came down even more violently a third time. On the fourth time a thin line of deep red bubbled over the scales. With a roar that shook the entire cavern the dragon sliced it paw a fifth time completely cutting through the scales and skin below allowing blood to run freely from the fresh wound.
Belladonna 's head started to spin as the dragon took two small steps forwards leaving a tail of blood on the floor below it. The smell of the blood would forever be engraved engraved her mind, it was sweet and tangy and smelled like steal and fire, yet earthy similar to dying embers in a hearth at the end of a long night.
She couldn't have stifled the surprised scream that ripped from her throat when the dragon held its injured wrist above her son dousing both of them in the hot red life blood flowing from the wound. The warm sticky liquid quickly sliding down her neck and back. Blood began to fill Bilbo ' s mouth and run down the side of his face, panic raced through Belladonna ' s veins like ice causing her to lean back twisting her body so it was directly under the the bloody stream blocking Bilbo as much as possible.
"No!" Roared the dragon clearly enraged it's voice causing some of the smaller rocks to fall from the cavern ceiling to smash against the stony floor. "Lift him up and help him swallowed the blood it is the only way to save them!" she screamed again.
The fear and desperation scared Belladonna. Never would she have thought such a powerful creature could show such fear. Pushing Bilbo back under the stream of hot blood, angling his head so his open mouth would quickly fill up once again. The sight of her son's mouth over flowing with thick burgundy blood, was enough to cause her stomach to hit her throat. She firmly grasped his neck with one hand while the other moved up and down slowly working the blood down the inside of his throat. Belladonna bit down hard on the side of her mouth the taste of her own blood making it even harder to fight the urge to empty everything from inside her stomach.
She worked tirelessly making sure to work as much blood down Bilbos throat as fast as possible so he wouldnt drown in the coppery liquid, as she tears ran down her face lost in the gore that covered her. The unending flow of blood began to slow as Bilbo's skin began to heat at an alarming rate. The dragon stepped back and blew a small link of flames across her paw where she had cut herself.
"Lay him down flat on his back and step away."
Belladonna stood using her legs as leverage to maneuver her son as easily to the fur lined ground as possible. As she stepped away her whole body began to shake and she crumpled to the ground in a heap. She barely noticed the dragon lay it's tail against her side to steady her.
Without another glance towards Belladonna the dragon began to hiss and rumble, click and snap above hers sons limp blood soaked body and the air around became dense. When the dragon switched to Sindarin the feel of magic increased jumbleing Belladonna ' s thoughts. Black dots danced in her vision and her last thought was a prayer for her son before her world faded to black.
Bilbo felt as if he were floating, not lightly as if in the air but smoothly as I'd he lay on his back in the water. Warmth surrounded him and he reached for the source only to come up empty. The warmth grew and grew filling him until he thought he could almost feel his body. Suddenly, a flash of heat hit him as a voice floated towards him. Snaps and rumbles in the far off distance reminding him of the sound of an incoming summer storm, the kind with thunder that rumbled and crashed alerting everyone below long before the first drop of rain fell.
Something shifted in his consciousness urging, pulling, dragging him towards the storm. He floated closer now and as the storm singers voice grew in volume calling, urging him faster he felt himself stir. Phantom limbs whose existence he questioned moments before became sure and strong.
He was wading in a liquid with with a consistency like as syrup that pooled around his waist. He remained blind to his surrounding but he felt the warm splashes against his chest and arms as with each hasty step he took. Power rippled in the air around him causing every hair on his arm and neck to stand at attention as the voice changed. No longer the language of the sky, instead something peaceful and calm, something he could understand as easily as his native tongue.
"Come to me my dear child. Come fast and swift. Let my voice lift your spirit high and race you on the wind of my wings" The voice called in the language of the fair folk.
"With my voice I give you strength."
Bilbo ' s muscles burned as energy filled his body spurring him faster.
"With my voice I give you a part of myself. Let it protect you now and always."
All of the fear and worry he had felt moment before vanished being replaced with a sense of safety and protection.
"With my voice I evoke the change, calling out to all that you are and all that you could be. Come to me my dear child, Come meet your destiny!" the voice shouted clear and strong.
A bright light burst before his eyes and Bilbo knew no more.
Belladonna woke with gasp and he sons name loud in her mind.
"Rest easy strong one he is safe. Still sleeping but past the hardest part, he will be waking soon," the dragon soothed, "they both will." she murdered the second part quietly.
"Go clean yourself in the pool then clean your son, we will have enough to explain without why he is covered in my blood."
Belladonna answered with a quick nod before setting to her task. It took longer than she'd like to admit for her to stumble across the cavern to the pool across the edge, her muscles stiff and cramped, legs weak wobbling with every step. Not concerned with modesty she quickly stripped her soiled clothing leaving them in a bloody heap on the edge of the pool before lowering herself into the water with a groan. Steam wafted around her shoulder as her body instantly relaxed in the hot water. Without missing a beat she completely submerged herself roughly pulling her fingers through her matted surfaced in a circle of pink tinged water only to dive back down under the surface.
Half an hour later she deemed herself clean enough and pulled herself up with renewed strength. Thankful to the fact that the dragon placed the packs near the pool while she bathed. Digging out a fresh set of clothes she dressed before turning her attention to the fourth pack of the group . From it she grabbed the two biggest pots she packed along with extra strips of fabric. Filling up the pots she carried them over to where Bilbo lay and began to long task of wiping him clean.
Four hours later found Belladonna with a sore back Bilbo blood free and in a fresh set of clothes. The dragon had help hold his weight while she undressed then re-dressed her son, then changed out the soiled furs for fresh ones to her relief.
Belladonna sat pressing her knee against Bilbo 's side running her fingers across his cheeks humming quietly.
"What is that?" the dragon asked curiously, Belladonna wondered if she should ask the creature her name but decided against it. Bilbo deserved to learn everything first.
"It's a lullaby I used to sing to him when he was a small child. It calmed him when he woke with nightmares or was stuck in bed with a cold." she explained.
"Now may not be the best time for this but dragons are not know for holding their tongue, are you aware that you are fading strong one?"
Belladonna closed her eyes, tears stinging behind her lids at the question, she took a moment to gather herself before answering, "I am aware, I have been since the death of my husband."
She took a deep breath, "Can you tell? Do you know how long I have?" she asked her throat tight.
She felt the the dragons gaze assessing her from her place next to her own child.
"Two months at minimum a year at most, I am sorry." She replied and Belladonna could hear real remorse in the dragons low voice.
"I will try to hold on as long as I can for him." she whispered more for herself than the dragon but she got an answer anyway.
"I assumed other wise, hum your lullaby it may draw him home."
Neither said anything more both content to soak up the warmth of their children while they waited for them to wake.
The sound of his mother singing to him was the first thing Bilbo became aware of. Her low voice drifting from one note to the next with such love it brought a tear to his eye. Slowly he opened his lids to find himself completely confused by his surroundings. His groan as he turned his head alerted his mother to his return to the living.
"Bilbo!" she gasped as she launched herself against him crushing him to her.
He coughed as all of the air left his lungs in a whoosh.
"Oh Bilbo I'm so glad you're awake I've been worried sick!" she mumbled into his hair.
Bilbo patted her head and pushed her back gently trying to get a better look at his surroundings. It seemed as if the were in a cave of some sort but that didn't make any sense. There were no mountains near the shire and he had no recollection of coming to this place in the first place. His eyes traveled across the far wall noticing a large opening which he could only assume to be the exit. When Bilbo ' s eyes first glimpsed a large shape out of the corner of his eye he froze. It couldn't be. Yet, it was, there just on the other side of the large stone room laid not one but two dragons.
The first was enormouse. It's scales were a deep shappire blue that gleamed and shone as the light hit them in different ways. The scales on its long angled jaw were small, covering the harsh angles of its snout. It's eyes were large each orb as large as the front door of Bag End. It's irises perfectly matching the color of its scales. The scales slightly increased in size as the mergered into two long snooth arched horns coming out of the back of it's head. Triangle shaped spikes adorned it's slender neck equally spaced apart. The spikes appeared to be a bone like protrusion that was more than a few shades darker than the rest of its body. It's back was smooth disappearing behind a massive wing. It's tail was just as long as it's back tampering of to a point with a trio of spikes attached attached at the end. It's chest scales were the largest in size and a lighter blue that reminded Bilbo of a flower that grew under the shade of the trees near his house. It's talons were the dark blue of its spikes and we're twice as long as Bilbo was tall.
The second dragon was smaller in size, still gigantic expecially to a hobbit but was noticeably smaller than the shappire one laying slightly in front of it. Where the first ones scales were a dark blue this one's were lighter, the color of the bluest sky. Instead of two horns it had multiple protrusions shooting of the back of its head and skull I'm varrying sizes. Taller thicker spikes were spaced down its thick neck, the color of the first dragons scales. It's back appeared to be smooth as well while it's wings where made of sharp hard angles while the first dragons were flowing and dare he say soft. It's chest was adorned with large plates reaching across its entire width instead of large scales. Each plate jutting forward away from the body like a suite of armor. It's talons were a shining silver, it's tail thick and smooth lacking the spikes at the tip. He momentarily wondered at the dragons eye color but it appeared to be sleeping so it's eyes were hidden from veiw.
Bilbo knew he should be afraid. It was foolish not to be, two unarmed hobbits sitting in the same cavern as not only one but two deadly dragons but as Bilbo looked at the two creatures he felt only an odd since of peace and safety that had him questioning his sanity.
Lack of fear however didn't stop him from jumping in surprise when the largest dragon addressed him.
"Hello young one, we have been waiting a long time to meet you." her voice ghosted over him like a favorite memory frozen in time. He knew that voice. That was the voice of the thundering storm, the voice that called to him in his sleep. His recognition must have shown on his face because the dragon hummed in what he hoped was pleasure.
"Good you remeber my voice, this is much more than I had hoped for. I am Kayerith, one of the last great dragons left in all of middle earth. This," she gestured down to the sleeping dragon beside her, "is my son Kalinth."
Although those in the Shire may not of believed Bilbo to be a proper hobbit Bilbo knew it was only polite to return an introduction once one was given.
"I am Bilbo Baggins and this is my mother Belladonna Baggins, it is a pleasure to meet you Kayerith." he nodded and bowed as best he could while sitting down.
Steam hissed out of the side of Kayerith's mouth and Bilbo's lips turned up at the corner at her small laugh all while he wondering how on earth he knew that the dragon was laughing.
"You are quite the polite young thing."
Bilbo pushed aside the blush at the dragons praise, "I seem to be confused would you be so kind as to explain what we are doing here in your fine cavern?" he asked curiously, still looking for the fear he should be feeling when one was conversing with a dragon.
"That my dear one is a long tale but if your feeling up to it I will begin."
Bilbo nodded eager to hear an explanation to his many questions.
With a slight nod in return the dragon started her tale.
"Long ago, long before the last dark age, dragons freely roamed the skies of this land. We were strong in numbers and not forced to hide as we are now. We were not feared or seen as crazed murderous beasts, we lived in peace with the other races of the land all content to share the earth and everything in it. Over time some dragons developed bonds with a member of a different race. In the beginning the bond was one as you would have with a friend today but the world is always changing and so we change with it." Bilbo found himself settling down into the furs relaxed by the water like flow of Kayerith's voice.
"The start of the change began with a dragon named Tarrelyn and a man named Bastien she had formed a bond with. One day while out hunting Bastien was ambushed by men of another tribe. They wounded him making sure that he would feel excruciating pains, before leaving him alone in the forest to die. Tarrelyn heard Bastien 's cries for help as she flew towards him home angered by the sight that she found.
Moved by grief and rage she lashed out at anything and everything around her trees splintered, boulders smashed, and fire streamed from her mouth. In her blind rage she managed to injure herself on her paw only noticing the blood dripping from her leg when it pooled beneath her. She wrapped herself around Bastien hoping her warmth would help ease his passing. She pressed her paw to his face in an old gesture of friendship when some of her blood spilled into his mouth.
She laid there for days waiting for the horrible moment when his heart beat would cease, she wondered how he clung to life for so long and considered giving him the quick death to end his misery but couldn't bring herself to harm him. Some days later, the exact amount has been lost in time, Bastien stirred. Not only have he recovered, he had changed. He'd grown taller, stronger, faster, each of his senses and instincts becoming sharper and more defined.
Such was her joy at this miracle Tarrelyn had him climb a top her back and raced him into the clouds, making Bastien the very first to ride astride a dragon. The tale spread and other dragons fearing for their weaker friends life willing cut open their skin giving our life blood in hope that it would protect then when they were not there to do so themselves. The exchange of life blood created a bond stronger than anyone could have foretold binding dragon and friend together until the end of their days.
As those bonded grew to have young of their own they found that some of the hatchlings were born searching for the one with whom they would bond. Dreams would reveal bits and pieces of the puzzle before they would fall into a deep slumber only to awaken once their bond mate was found."
Bilbo had always one for asking questions, at a young age he figured out that if one didn't ask a question they would never find the answer. So as the His question tumbled from his mouth interrupting Kayerith he blamed it all on habbit.
"What happened to those whose bond mates couldn't be found?"
Kayerith's eyes sparkled with what Bilbo hoped to be amusement before answering, "If a dragon falls into the bond slumber and the other half of the bond is never found the dragon would waste away and eventually die." Bilbo winced even though deep down he had expected that answer.
"Change came again this time in the form of a darkness that wanted to claim the land as its own. Dragons are fiercely protective of what is theirs and when something tries to take what is ours we fight back. This land and it's people were ours to protect so the dragons went to war. Those who were lucky enough to have found their rider went to war as a team. They would fight together on the ground or in the air they triumphed over the enemy. Not that there weren't losses many of dragons and riders fell to the darkness before it was pushed back. Though the day had been won none forgot the terrible war they had fought and dragons and their riders roamed the land to ensure peace was being upheld eliminating evil where it tried to gain a hold. They would come to be called by the name lhach ned baudh, or Flame of Judgement.
An age passed with Dragon and Rider soaring high in the sky, seen as a sign of hope and protection for all below, but all good things eventually come to an end as change once again swept over the world.
There was a rider whose name I do not know. He became bound to his dragon and unlike the others was not content with what he had. He wished for power and might, his goal to rule the world as its only king. He twisted his dragon tainted it's mind so that it too relished the idea of power and death. Together the two brought about the Great Dragon War. Lines were drawn, dragon's and riders chose sides, some drawn in by the alluring lust for power followed the nameless. The black army swept across the land slaughtering all who opposed them, but there were some who held on the their goodness and they fought back with everything they had.
The war raged on for hundreds of years, each side becoming smaller and smaller in numbers until there were barely any bound or unbound dragons left in the world. The other races of the world tired of the carnage banned together under one banner to destroy all those who were left. They killed both dark and light lhach ned baudh determined to wipe them all out existence. Eventually, the black army was defeated and the nameless was slain but peace was not found. The remaining lhach ned baudh we're forced into hiding hunted where ever they fled.
Thousands of years passed and our numbers continued to drop, now there are less the ten great dragons spread across the land and not one is bound to a rider. My son is the youngest and the first dragon to fall into the bond slumber in three thousand years, and you my dear Bilbo are the rider he has been waiting on."
Kayerith fixed him with a knowing looked and Bilbo ' s head spun. Him a dragon rider? I think not!
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" he rambled quickly shaking his hands back and forth for extra emphasis. " I am truly sorry for wasting you time but I think to have in fact found the wrong hobbit."
Scrambling to his feet he bowed deep and low ignoring the way his head spun from suddenly being vertical," Good-bye and good luck!" he finished as he stomped towards the exit.
Half way across the stone room he realized his mother was not behind him, spinning quickly he found her still sitting next to the pile of furs he had just vacated.
"You never told him?" the dragon questioned tilting it's large head to the side in a very cat like manner.
Bilbo ' s heart dropped into the pit of his stomach as his eyes met his mother's, he knew in that moment his entire world was about to be turned upside down.
An hour later Bilbo found himself sitting in the pitch black tunnel with his back against the stone wall with his head bouncing off of it lightly wondering how his life had ended up here. No, he knew exactly how he ended up here. He had just heard His mother recite how his entire existence was based on the fact that he would be sitting here, right now. The only reason he was even conceived was because an elf lord from Rivendell sent her back home to make a hobbit baby. Just wonderful.
He felt a slight shake of the ground and took a deep breath steadying himself for his second conversation with a dragon today. Might as well get used to it, apparently it will be my life from this point on. Stewing in his anger he had to force the snarl on his tongue not to pass his lips as the large head of a dragon slid into the tunnel casting off a blue glow onto the stones.
"How are you young one?"
Oh just fantastic realky, moments ago I found out my entire life was a lie but hey who cares right, he thought.
"Fine thank you." he spoke instead.
"I am sorry for the way you found out but please do not dispare. This is not a bad thing being lhach ned baudh is a gift and great honor. One no other being on earth can claim right now but you. You are special Bilbo Baggins and destined for great things."
"Nobody asked me if I wanted to be destined for great things! No one cared to mention that my whole life I've been groomed to fill a role I wasn't even aware existed. No one asked me a damn thing about any of this so I think I am due a moment of peace if you please madame dragon!" he snapped in a huff turning his bask towards the cave entrance.
A warm mist of steam wafted against the back of his neck as the dragon chuckled behind him sending his temper to an new record high.
"You are a fiery little thing aren't you?" she laughed agiain, "I guessed you have to be since your now the brother of a dragon, a meek soul would never do."
Now that caught his attention, "Did you say brother?"
"Aye, my blood now flows in your veins, Bilbo Baggins of the Shire. You are as much my son as the one lying inside this cave which would make you his brother."
"By Yavanna" He breathed.
"I agree with your right to sulk for a few moments but before I leave you in peace I would just like to impart an old dragon wisdom. A mother only acts in protection of its young." at Bilbo ' s very impolite snort she pressed on, "would it have truly been better looking over your shoulder your entire life just to have a little insight or would you rather had the innocence and freedom your mother granted you with her silence?"
With those last words Kayerith slipped her head back inside leaving Bilbo in his promised peace. Though now his thoughts were swirling louder than before she'd come at all, which was probably her plan all along, he grumbled.
Would it have truly been better to know in advance? He wasn't sure but he planned on spending the rest of the night trying to puzzle out the answer to that question.
It didn't take long for guilt to creep over Bilbo, what was he doing? He had been blessed with a blissful and love filled childhood. He wouldn't have traded a single moment for all of the knowledge in the world. His mother had just been trying to spare him heartache and worry, just as she had done his entire life. With a regretful sigh he rose to his feet and wasted no time in rushing into the cave to wrap his mother in a bone crushing hug.
"I understand and I'm sorry." he whispered into her hair.
"No, I should have-" she started only to be cut off by her Bilbo.
"No, you did the right thing letting me grow up with out know this was hanging over my head. I love you thank you for always watching out for me." he assured her with as much convection as he could flood into his voice.
Mother in sons sat like that for a very long time content to hold on to each other lending silent support. If they noticed a large set of eyes watching them with an air of pride and affection they showed no sign, but all three parties found themselves filled with a glimmer of hope for the up coming days.