Chapter 2

I spent five seasons with the dragon that lived under the mountain. In my travels, I'd collect any gold that I could find and when I'd get close to his lair I'd usually kill something to bring for him. I wouldn't visit everyday, just to keep it interesting. Sometimes I had gone several without seeing him before I'd return. Smaug enjoyed learning about the outside world, since he had been shut away for so long. He'd hunt, but when a dragon slept, he rarely needed food because his body shut down. Now that he was more active, I brought more for him to eat. Once, he ate all five deer I had gone out to kill for him.

I amused him with the different forms I could take, and he would allow me to run through the staircases and halls that lined the mountain. It allowed me to explore Erebor thoroughly. I had grown very fond of the great dragon, and I noticed he had softened as well. Smaug was so sure, so confident in himself that I never posed any sort of threat, even with my powers. He believed himself to be a god, which was common with dragons. Smaug was over 200 years old, and he'd only grow stronger.

We spoke of each others lives and I found out a little bit more about dragons through him. I sighed as we sat together after hours of talking and moving through the mountain. He rumbled as I lay flat on my back and looked up at the rocks.

"I have to go away for a while," I finally said. "I'm not sure how long it's going to be before I return."

"Oh?" he asked looking down at me, his gaze narrowing slightly.

I couldn't help but laugh, "Don't kill me yet. I have to go visit some friends for some type of gathering. If I don't show up it'll look bad on my part. Maybe I'll find something worth while to bring back to you."

Smaug grumbled slightly as he lowered his head to me. "Fine, you go to this thing and when you are done you come back. No one is allowed to kill you, but me," he rumbled with a growl.

"I'll be sure to remember that," I laughed as I sat up. "Try not to get to excited that I'm gone."

The dragon chuckled slightly and watched as I transformed in to an eagle and flew off after telling him good bye. His secrets were safe with me, I knew he knew that. As I flew, I grumbled slightly to myself. I had been called away to Rivendell by none other than Lord Elrond himself. I knew that it was a bad thing that he had called on me. Especially when he had Lady Galadriel do it for him. I hated getting dreams to be summoned.

As I flew over Rivendell a few days later, I watched Elrond ride in with his guards to surround a group of dwarves. Out of the bunch, I did recognize Gandalf the Gray in the mix. After Lord Elrond greeted them and brought them inside his home, I watched him get them seated for dinner. I flew off to the other side of the city to land and turn human after a while. I waited at the entrance of the place where they had originally been. I was alone for a little while before Elrond appeared at the top of the steps and walked down to me. I smiled at him, and bowed, making an extra motion of it.

"My Lord Elrond," I smiled. "I looked forward to the trouble I am in."

"You would. We have much to discuss as to why you are up to what you are doing," he said slowly as he offered his arm.

I sighed and took it, and walked with him, following to where he had the dwarves for dinner.

"Making friends," I mused. "That's what I was doing."

"Yes, you would call it that," Elrond replied.

I knew that the dwarves would not be happy with all the food they got. Elves were more pure, and green. They ate fruit and very rarely did they bring in meat, while the dwarves were a meat and bread type of people.

"You brought dwarves in the city," I said with amusement as we came down the hall and I heard them all talking.

"Yes, I did," Elrond smiled. "They are in need of some assistance apparently and I find that I cannot refuse them."

"I see."

I stood with Elrond, suddenly dropping my hand from his arm as I stared at the dwarves before me. I caught Gandalf's smile at my shock as I began to recognize them. They were Durin's Folk, led by Thorin Oakenshield himself. I found myself unable to move as I looked over all of them, especially Thorin. When the rumors had sprung up that he was dead, I had not gone back to the Blue Mountains. It had been 30 years since I had last laid eyes on any of them, and I found my heart was suddenly in my throat.

"Well," I managed to say. "I haven't...seen them for a while. I...I thought he was dead..."

I knew every single one of them, starting with Thorin, Balin, Dwalin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, Gloin, and Thorin's nephews Fili and Kili. I had known all of them to an extent when I had been with them in the Blue Mountains. Besides Thorin's nephews, I held a deep affection for Balin and Dwalin as well.

"Go see them, and then meet Gandalf and I in the study. I'm sure you have much catching up to do," Elrond said gently before raising his voice. "I have one more guest for you."

Every dwarf looked over at us, and I noticed it was Balin who smiled first. Thorin's expression became very still when he saw me, so I chose to ignore that. I couldn't bring myself to look him in the eye just yet. I suddenly felt guilty that I had not gone and checked the mountains when I had heard the rumors that he had been dead.

"Well I'll be," Balin smiled, getting to his feet.

"Arina!" Kili cried surging to his feet, his voice filled with joy.

The young prince ran to me, bringing me into a tight hug. "It's really you!?"

"Kili," I smiled returning his hug. "It is."

He was tall for a dwarf, just like his brother, uncle and Dwalin. All four of them were taller than I was. I hugged him tightly as I fought the tears of joy that came to my eyes.

"We all thought you were dead," he said, pulling back to look at me.

"No obviously I'm very much alive," I laughed as his brother rushed over.

Fili hugged me tight as well. "It's great to lay eyes on you again."

"I'm glad to see all of you are so well," I smiled as I walked over to hug Balin as well.

To say he was a favorite of mine, well was an understatement. How could one not like Balin? He was one of the easiest going dwarves I had ever met, and he had the charm which many of his brethren lacked. Dwalin reached up to smack me over the head when I leaned away from Balin.

"Ow!" I hissed.

"That's what you get for not keeping in touch," he huffed slightly as he shifted through the fruit to find something that looked edible to him.

"Nice to see you too, Dwalin," I snapped, making him smile and I couldn't help but hug the warrior as well.

"I didn't give up hope that you were alive," he suddenly whispered in my ear as we hugged.

I pressed my face against his shoulder and gave him a tight squeeze in reply to his words. Balin leaned in to me when I parted from Dwalin, and glanced at Thorin to see that his back was promptly turned from us as he walked away. I leaned down to him as well, knowing he had something to say.

"I reckon he might be a bit sour. He truly thought you had been killed. So go easy on the lad," Balin smiled softly.

"Ok," I nodded. "I guess we are even...I thought he was dead too."

The last time I had seen Thorin was when I had come to say goodbye to them before I disappeared. No one had any idea that I had been saying goodbye for good during that visit. I was assuming during the time I had left, they figured I had been killed. Mentally, I kicked myself again for giving in to such rumors that he had been killed as well.

"Thorin," I said quietly, and walked over to where he was standing and turned to lean my back against the stone railing so that I could see his face as he looked over Rivendell while the others promptly got back to eating.

Thorin took his eyes off what he was looking at to look at me. "I thought you were dead," he said lowly. "And now, here you are just fine."

"I'm sorry," I sighed when he met my gaze. "I didn't do it on purpose, I swear."

Looking down at me, Thorin gave me a half smile that didn't do much to the look on his face. "It is good to see you, Arina," he rumbled quietly.

"And you," I whispered. "What brings you here to Rivendell? I never thought I'd ever see you step foot here."

"We're going to take back the mountain, and we need something read to help us do so," he said simply looking over Rivendell.

I felt the surprise and shock run through my body at the statement. Thorin smiled at my look and looked away again.

"Times are changing," he rumbled. "It's time we take back what is ours and to get our revenge. That mountain will be ours again."

"Times are changing," I agreed. "I hope you are successful in your journey."

"We'll need to be," he rumbled. "Where have you been all this time?"

I smiled at him, but it didn't reach my eyes, "Getting in to trouble. Well, sort of. I've been hidden from the world...and from all those I knew."

"Getting in to trouble was a favorite of yours," Thorin stated quietly.

"My life wouldn't be complete with out trouble. It is partly why I am here," I sighed, dropping my shoulders dramatically.

He smiled slightly at that and looked down at me again. Thorin was the tallest of the dwarves, and of course taller than me. I looked human, and I was only 5'0. Thorin's line always had been taller than the average dwarves, however, but that's as far as it went. He was proud and stubborn, and one of the best warriors I knew. I was surprised he was even speaking to me after our thirty year absence, since he was known to hold grudges. I remembered witnessing that first hand long ago. I laughed a little, and reached up to kiss him on the cheek. The gesture startled him, but he didn't move. I startled myself as well with the gesture.

"I'm sure whatever you plan on doing you will finish it. I wish you well, Thorin. I hope we see each other again before you part from here. But for now, I must go seek council with Elrond. I'm sure I'm in trouble."

"I'm sure we will," he replied, his voice deep.

Walking off from him, I followed the pull from Gandalf that he was sending my way with magic. I hated when that happened to me, it gave me a headache. Coming in to the study, I saw Gandalf sitting at the table while Elrond stood. I sighed and went and sat down at the table when Elrond motioned for me to.

"So, Gandalf is taking dwarves on a quest. I dare not guess what exactly it is," Elrond said slowly. "But I'm sure I'll know tonight."

"Thorin just informed me of that," I said quietly.

"Why don't you tell Gandalf what you've been up to, Arina," the elf said with heavy amusement.

I glared at him as Gandalf leaned forward a little. Sighing, I looked up for a moment and then back to the wizard before me. There would be no use lying about it.

"I've made friends...with Smaug. If you could call it that," I said quietly. "I've been going into the mountain for about five seasons now, but Lord Elrond found it amusing to call me here."

Gandalf looked over at me seriously. "Arina, I'm sending Thorin in to Erebor to take back his home. The dragon needs to be defeated, you know that."

"Well, no one has done anything for over 80 years so I couldn't help it. I've been hiding away from the world for almost that long. What else was I supposed to do?" I said flatly leaning back. "I thought Thorin had abandoned the thought of ever returning to Erebor. Not to mention I heard he had died, I'm sorry."

He couldn't help the small smile that passed over his lips. "Shifters are more troublesome than dwarves sometimes. And you have an extra dosage seeing as to who your friends are."

"Sorry, but it's been extremely fun for me," I replied. "Smaug is entertaining and he is not what one would expect once he gets past the not killing you part."

"Oh is he?" Gandalf asked. I glared at him for a moment, seeing the mocking look on his face.

They weren't exactly taking me seriously. "Well for one, I found out he likes horses more than any other food, and his sense of humor is actually quite vast. He quite enjoyed our time together watching me turn into everything I could think of. I wasn't a threat to him, and he knew it. He's not stupid by any means."

"You've really been in there," he replied.

"Yes, she has. I've been keeping watch. I would know," Elrond said slowly with a sigh.

"Arina, listen to me. You cannot go back there," Gandalf replied slowly. "This isn't going to end well."

"For you or for the dragon?" I asked lowly.

"I know for certain that they will succeed with the mountain, so I say for the dragon," he rumbled quietly.

I flinched quietly and looked at the table for a moment, knowing full well that they had to kill Smaug. The dragon wouldn't part with his gold, and Thorin wouldn't be kept out of his home. Grinding my teeth together, I nodded my head for a moment. My friendship with the dragon wasn't something he valued anyway, even if I did.

"Fine," I said quietly. "Can I go now?"

"I want you to stay here for a little while," Elrond said firmly as he turned back to us.

I felt my temper rise, but I squashed it before I said anything too awful. Getting to my feet, I looked at him firmly. "You can suggest that you want me to stay here. But you do not command me."

"I do not," Elrond agreed. "But I'm asking you to stay, Arina. Please."