T'was very un-hobbit-like, what Bilbo Baggins did next, but he slipped on his magic ring as the dwarves cooked breakfast. The mountain had finally ceased rumbling and spewing forth smoke. It had been two days since the fiasco in the dinning hall and Bilbo had insisted that he not venture into the mountain until things had calmed down.
As such, traveling down the hall to peer in on Smaug was nearly as terrifying as the first time. He hoped to catch the dragon in a better mood this go around.
The red glow and heat of the dragon filled the tunnel slowly at first and then with an intensity the like of which Bilbo had never felt.
The suffocating heat wasn't yet enough to drive off the hobbit and he peered out into the vast hoard of gold Smaug laying dissatisfied upon it.
Now there is something to say of a Dragon's sense of smell, and this particular dragon was no exception. He turned is enormous head toward the tunnel and a curious thing happened. The heat borne of anger, irritation, and wickedness that Smaug gave off lessened. The piercing golden gaze of Smaug lingered upon Bilbo though he stood unseen in the doorway.
"Well? Thief?" Smaug said standing, "Have you come with more stories to tell, if not, be gone with you and don't tarry upon my doorstep any longer or those dwarves won't have enough of you to bring home in a matchbox." His tone was teasing, but the danger still lingered.
"Your magnificence is yet unmatched dear Smaug. But I have a story or two yet to tell." Bilbo spoke from the doorway pulling off his magic ring. Smaug gave a satisfied nod shifting on his couch of gold.
"I believe I mentioned the house of Beorn briefly, but I have yet to tell you of the many miraculous things that transpired in our days there." Bilbo said. So it transpired that the well-woven words of the hobbit captivated the dragon once more. And as they did, something quite different moved into Smaug's wicked and wily heart and he saw the world from the perspective of the hobbit, glorious, full of wonder, and majesty. The tale slowly grew to a close, and yet the magic lingered, one that bonded a hobbit and a dragon in a most curious friendship. The vast and scaly reptile stared at the small and timid halfing, an unspoken agreement passed between the two as the dragon rose collecting a golden orb in his hand and setting it before the hobbit. Bilbo nodded but did not yet leave. Smaug paused.
"If it's more money you require…" He trailed off firey eyes scanning the golden hoard, yet the enchantment of the gold no longer held any sway over his wicked heart.
"No, no, not at all… It's just… you've changed…" Bilbo said massive hairy feet dangling over the edge of the platform from which the stairs manifested.
"Changed?" Repeated the dragon's tremendous voice. It vibrated through the hobbit and yet, there was a certain, almost human kindness in it.
"Yes… changed." Bilbo pondered a moment more staring at the dragon, " You've become… something more."
The observation hung softly in the air, humming. It was not an awkward silence, but more of a deep meditative one and if you had been there, a conversation the likes of which you and I have never known took place between the eyes and souls of two of the most unlikely creatures to call each other friend the would had ever seen. Friend ships, though rare between dwarves and hobbits, or hobbits and elves, or even dwarves and elves, had still occurred. Yet this was a dragon and a hobbit, and guard and a thief.
At long last Smaug gave a soft chuckle, the voice soft and the words that came were entirely unexpected.
"Yes, I suppose I have."
The golden orb would have been near impossible to push back up the slope and present to the dwarves. It would have surely crushed the poor hobbit, rolled him out flat if not for Smaug bringing it to a point where the dwarves could then help retrieve it. Human form still magnificent and composed, golden eyes darting around tunnel captivated, nostrils flaring slightly as he sniffed the air trickling in from the outside, which was thick with the stench of dwarf, Smaug carried the golden orb in one arm hushed words of the dwarves above reaching Smaug's sensitive ears. They were discussing different ways through which to kill him and for a moment the dragon flashed beneath the face of the man. Fire. Thieves. Murder!Flashed across the brain of the dragon, who is after all, still a dragon, even if considered changed by the friendship and courage of a hobbit. Bilbo stopped quite suddenly sensing the heat given off by the irate reptile and subsequently causing Smaug to turn wondering what had halted their progress.
"You alright?" The hobbit spoke hesitantly toward the dragon. Smaug took a breath and exhaled a small puff of flame in his effort to articulate.
"You're friends present a problem." He spoke delicately, "I am merely a bit… aggravated of their topic of conversation." Smaug spoke honestly golden eyes roving toward the entrance.
"Oh… and what is that?" Bilbo piped up once more.
"My death." The dragon wasted no time on pretty words but set the golden orb upon the ground, Bilbo scurried to it holding it back, large fuzzy feet pushing against the incline to prevent the orb from rolling back down the hill.
"Call to your fellow conspirators. They should hear and retrieve you and the gold." Smaug spoke glancing toward the entrance. He nodded to the hobbit in a way of parting.
"I fully expect you in my chambers tomorrow." He demanded before he swept off in the grand demeanor of a king leaving the hobbit quite speechless. Half a minute passed by, and the hobbit regained his senses, shouting up the tunnel.
"Well you useless dwarves! Here I am to bring you more gold! Should I be kept waiting, for I cannot push this another step further! Come on now and retrieve your gold before it takes off, crushing your burglar with it."
The dwarves, summoned by the calls of their hobbit, came greedily down and removed the gold without too much trouble. Thorin's eyes gleamed with a new light as he clapped his hand on Bilbo's back.
"You prove yet more useful Master Baggins." Merriment commenced once more, though the food was yet to be feast worthy, and many a tale were told of the time when the dwarves thrived under the mountain. Thorin promised Bilbo a great many things once his throne had been restored. The talk then turned back to the slaying of the dragon, various lore and legends, which weapons would work the best against the worm, the best methods by which one would go about killing a dragon, and what they would do with the carcass once it had been divided up. The dwarves talked excitedly of the magical properties of the beast, Bilbo thought to himself, "Now, if only they knew the extent of that magic." A small smile graced the hobbit's face as he thought to Smaug and his elegant human form before a sudden dread over came him. It had shown on his face because Balin suddenly turned to Bilbo, eyes bright with curiosity.
"It's quite alright Bilbo, we hardly expect you to kill the beast. Though with that magic ring of yours, you may be able to get close enough to do it."
A graphic vision of Sting sticking out of Smaug's chest, golden eyes flashing with betrayal as he fell into ruin visited the hobbit and his stomach turned. Bilbo scampered to the Cliffside retching over the edge, unable to keep his supper. The dwarves all stood in the excitement and looked bewildered upon the hobbit.
Tiny limbs shaking Bilbo pulled himself back over the edge, the vertigo of the cliff not helping after the sick. For a moment Bilbo lay upon the grassy doorstep even though the dwarves pressed him to answer their questions.
"No, no, it's quite alright, I believe all the excitement just upset my stomach. What a terrible waste of supper." Bilbo finally waved the dwarves off who went back to muttering to themselves.
"We should let the hobbit rest." Thorin finally spoke, he bequeathed an extra blanket to the hobbit, "Take care of yourself master Baggins, this journey is far from over."
Smaug hidden in the depths of the mountain paced. It was a curious affliction with which he now found himself. He couldn't comprehend the sorcery of the hobbit to captivate his soul as he had.
"It's just… You've changed… become something more…" the words of the hobbit rang in his ears.
"Something more." The great dragon scoffed, "Sentiment in it's finest." He coughed out a spark of fire in his outrage. Now the dragon had always prided himself as above the affairs of men. This included their petty emotions and sentiments. Yet he found himself afflicted with the same emotions that he had come to disdain.
"I care not for any hobbit, burglar, barrel rider, thief or story teller." Smaug kicked a golden chalice across the floor. It was here he paused. Kicked… with very human legs. He had just discovered himself in the form that he realized comforted the hobbit, no the thief, the most.
"Why should I care for the comfort of a thief? I should have eaten him the second he walked through the door!" Smaug grabbed a golden hand mirror and threw it across the room with incredible strength. Upon which it shattered most satisfyingly.
Yet the beast was not satisfied with this display of rage. Soon more treasures were flying across the room, shattering, or bending, clattering, and cracking in the rage of the great and terrible Smaug.
Soon the last chests, splintered and bursting their contents grew silent and Smaug stood amongst his vast wealth to find in unsatisfying.
Still angry Smaug made his bed among the golden coins and extensive treasures. But he could not sleep. The gold was cold to the touch, and the songs of the elves drifted through his head. The mountains, the forests, the wonders of the world kept him up.
The treasure of his home was unsatisfying. The only recourse would be to gather more. To possess the treasures of the world, the moon, the stars, the very sun would be his. The grassy plains of the earth and the willowed trees, everything would be his. It was a longing the Dragon hadn't known for centuries. The mighty wealth of Erebor had always been enough to quell his greed. And yet now it has returned with a vengeance running rampant so that he might possess all under the sky.
And so Smaug the great dragon, fell asleep dreaming not of gold and earthly riches, but of the world and nature's beauty.
Sorry for the lack of update, this chapter has been mostly completed for a while, I just hit a block on how to finish. Hope you enjoy.