Hello all. First off, I'm really sorry for taking a long time to get Chapter 2 up. I've been really busy with course work. My apologies to all and I hope you like this one. Secondly, a BIG thank you to all those who have reviewed, favourite and followed the story. I am really amazed by the response of it all. I hope I've done this chapter justice.
Have you all watched Hobbit 3? It's amazing! If you haven't, I strongly recommend for you to do so.
Enjoy reading!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything here besides the plot change.
PS: I'm referring John as Bilbo in this chapter, so hopefully not much confusion in that area. Also, I did use lines from The Hobbit book itself because I wanted to stick close to the book.
"Bilbo?"
John stirred. He let out a throaty groan. He had expected to be lying on something soft and comfortable. Instead, he felt like he was lying down on a bed of jagged rocks.
"Bilbo?" He heard the voice say again. John cracked open his eyes. It was dark. The moon had disappeared from the night sky and dawn was approaching.
"Thank goodness. You had us worried there for a minute, little halfling. " Balin said, peering down at him so closely that his beard was tickling the tip of John's nose.
'Bilbo,' John thought. He was dreaming, for sure, but somewhere in his unconscious state, John was sure that he was Bilbo and Bilbo was him.
This was a dwarf he was looking at. He was on a journey with dwarves and he was meant to be their burglar. He had found a mysterious ring and Gandalf was late. They have made their way to The Lonely Mountain and he had found the key hole. Then, he remembered tripping on a rock and falling face first onto the unforgiving rocky path.
Bilbo groaned loudly. Of course he had fallen. How embarrassing! Oh, how he wished he was back home in his little hobbit hole.
"Up now, Master Burglar, you have a stone to fetch and a dragon to sneak past." Said Thorin as he helped Bilbo up onto his feet.
Once Bilbo had straightened out his bearings, he gave the rest of the company a curt nod. Feeling a little unsure of himself, he unconsciously patted his right pocket, feeling for the ring before creeping through the enchanted entrance. Balin followed closely behind him.
They both walked in silence down the carved passageway. All the time, both creatures of folklore thought about two very different things. Balin was feeling nostalgic as he took in every detail of the passage. From the path they were walking on to the small, delicate cracks in the walls brought tears to the corners of his old, crinkled eyes.
Bilbo, on the other hand, couldn't decide if he was afraid, nervous or confident. Whilst walking down the passage, he thought about the glory of finding the Arkenstone and a surge of confidence would run through him. But then he would think about the sleeping dragon, Smaug, and he would be afraid again. All these conflicting emotions left him nervous and slightly jumpy.
Then, out of nowhere, he started thinking of Sherlock and how he would have handled the situation. He wondered if a six feet plus Consulting Detective with an impressive pair of cheekbones would be able to sneak past a full-fledge dragon.
Bilbo had to stifle a laugh. The thought of Sherlock sneaking past anything was just hilarious. He would have just walked straight up to the dragon and waken it up, talked about something that involved a great amount of intellect that would have left the dragon utterly confused or in very deep thought.
Bilbo was so caught up in his own musing that he let out a soft yelp when Balin put a hand on his shoulder.
Bilbo had to shut his eyes. One of his hands had curled into a fist whilst the other rested on his chest right above his heart. He was taking deep, slow breaths to try and get his nerves to calm down. The dwarf chuckled at the sight of the halfling.
"Well Bilbo," Balin started. "We have come to the end of the tunnel. From here, you journey alone." Balin continued as he nodded towards the opening at the end of the passage. "I wish you, young burglar a very good luck."
"Any advice?" Bilbo asked Balin.
"Just try not to wake the dragon." Balin said in a serious tone.
With a nod, Bilbo straightened his back and began walking until he was finally out of the tunnel. He slipped on his ring and continued down the path alone. All the while, he kept thinking of his sweet, warm and safe home back at Bag End.
As noiselessly as possible, Bilbo crept down into the ever growing darkness of the mountain. Fear gripping his bones as he did so. After a while, the young hobbit realised that the air had grown much warmer than before. His brows were covered with sweat and ahead of him there was light, a red light, to be more specific.
Finally Bilbo had reached the bottom most dungeons and the red light was none other than the glow of Smaug. There it lay, in all its glory, the red-golden dragon, fast asleep. A loud thrum came from it and from its nostrils, wisps of hot smoke.
Its wings were folded onto its back and Bilbo stared at the creature in front of him. He continued staring for what seemed like ages. It took some time for him to drink in the sight he was seeing. There, in front of him, lied the sleeping dragon, Smaug, on a bed made fit for a dragon. For all around him lay gems of different colours and sizes, mountains of golden objects and so many other rich things.
A loud snore from the dragon quickly snapped Bilbo out of his reverie. Thinking fast and making sure that the dragon was fast asleep, he picked up a two handle goblet and fled as quickly as his little hobbit legs could carry him out of the dungeon.
He ran and ran until finally he collides into an elderly dwarf. Bilbo had taken off his ring by now. He was hunched over, panting hard as he held the goblet in his hand.
Balin, on the other hand, was taken aback for a moment but the minute he saw Bilbo's face all signs of worry disappeared from his. So overjoyed was he to see the young burglar and the treasure that he held. With little effort, the dwarf picked up the halfling and carried him out of the tunnel and into open air.
Needless to say, the rest of the company were ecstatic to see their little burglar pull through. However, their small victory was short lived. Within moments, the dwarves heard a loud rumbling sound. Then, quite suddenly, a deafening roar erupted from within the mountains. The dragon, Smaug, was awake and it was very aware of its stolen treasure and it was going to make sure that the thief would be caught.
After the ponies had been lost or killed by the wrath of Smaug, the company deliberated on their next course of action. There was a good amount of arguing and blame putting.
Bilbo listened to it all and once he had had enough of the bickering, he gave the rest of the company a proposal.
"I can make you an offer," Bilbo started. "I have my ring. I will go back down there and see what Smaug is up to. Perhaps something might turn up. 'Every worm has its weak spot,' is what my father used to say."
By now the dwarves had come to respect the little hobbit. He was somewhat a leader in their eyes. Seeing as that was the best idea that had been put forth so far, the dwarves readily agreed to his plan and that was how Bilbo had found himself back in the dungeon where the dragon lay, pretending to be asleep. But of course, Bilbo did not know this otherwise the little hobbit wouldn't even think of entering the tunnel.
"Old Smaug is weary." Bilbo thought. He was just about to step out to the floor when he noticed that Smaug had his left eye slightly open. Hurriedly, Bilbo stepped back and blessed the luck of his ring.
The dragon was watching the entrance of the tunnel!
"Thief! I smell you and I feel your air. I hear your breath." The dragon said slowly and surely. Its deep voice resonated within the dungeon and it sent a shiver down Bilbo's spine.
But was it a shiver of fear or recognition? Bilbo couldn't decide. Although the voice of Smaug was intimidating and fearless, Bilbo felt as if he recognized it somehow. He just couldn't place from where or when had he heard this voice before.
"Help yourself again, there is plenty to spare." Continued Smaug, determined to lure the burglar out of his hiding spot.
Bilbo, on the other hand, was not quite unlearned in dragon lore. He wasn't quite keen on giving the dragon the satisfaction of revealing himself.
"No thank you, O Smaug the Tremendous!" Bilbo said finally. "I did not come for presents. I only wished to have a look at you and see if you were truly as great as tales say. I did not believe them." Bilbo was pleased with himself. He had answered rather aptly in his mind.
"Do you now?" said the dragon somewhat flattered.
Again, this struck Bilbo as a little odd.
'That voice,' He pondered to himself. 'Where have I heard this voice before?'
But Bilbo didn't have the luxury of wasting time wondering. Smaug was waiting for an answer.
"Truly songs and tales fall utterly short of the reality, O Smaug the Chiefest and Greatest of Calamities," replied Bilbo.
Bilbo thought his flattery directed towards the dragon was a little over exaggerated but Smaug didn't seem to mind it one bit
'This dragon has an ego that matches the size of its head.' Bilbo thought to himself. Now, wasn't there someone else he knew who had a large ego too?
"You have nice manners for a thief and a liar," The dragon sneered and that was when everything clicked. So frustrated was he with his revelation, that he shut his eyes, tilted his little head up and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Sherlock," He whispered to himself, slightly frustrated. "Can't you even let me dream in peace!"
Smaug was taken aback. It had heard everything the creature had said and it was thoroughly puzzled. What was this Sherlock? Was it a curse? Had he upset the creature with the nice manners? Thief or not, Smaug was actually enjoying Bilbo's company. Bilbo had a way with words and Smaug very much appreciated it.
"Not good?" The dragon asked finally.
"A bit not good." Came Bilbo's immediate response. It took the Halfling less than half a second to realize the significance of this exchange and when he did his jaw fell open.
So, how was it? Ok? Let me know. Also, everytime someone reviewed or favourite or followed the story, it fueled me to write a little more.
Thank you all again,
Oak :)