Presenting the extremely late chapter 4!

Simona's eyes cracked open, revealing the morning sun shining into her room. She stretched, squinting her eyes.

After getting dressed and tying her hair up, Simona rushed down the stairs to meet Gilia. She found her dwarven friend sitting at a table, drinking mead and enjoying the tall tales of foreign traders.

"Tis true!" a man with a bow resting in his lap. "Smaug the Stupendous was drowned by a magic wielder! Her hair was dark as night, her eyes were too bright to be human!"

"What are you talking about?" Simona sat next to Gilia, intrigued by the story teller. "The girl's eyes were purple! Brightest you could have ever seen!" The man lifted his hands in exaggeration.

"What kind of magic did she use?" Simona leaned forward.

"Oh, the darkest kind. Of which even the Elves wouldn't dare speak of. The kind in which you'd give your soul to a demon for eternal power!" He answered.

Simona raised an eye brow quizzically.
"Rumor 'round Lake Town says she had the power to turn into whatever beast she pleased. And she pleased to be a great white dragon."

Gilia grumbled something, shaking her head. "Cristobel, how would you even know these things?"

"I was there when it happened 'course! Another dragon followed Smaug from the mountains and attacked him. It came out of the water, then got shot by a dwarven archer! Guess the sorceress didn't have scales like a normal dragon would." Cristobel insisted.

"But instead of a dragon, a young woman fell onto the docks. A bowman with the name of Bard tried to save her, but it was too late. The witch was dead." He finished with disgust at the thought of someone trying to save a Dragon sorceress.

"Perhaps she wasn't a witch..." Simona inquired cautiously. "And perhaps I have twelve eyes and nine ears!" Cristobel snapped.

Gilia watched the fur trader march out of the Inn, grumbling to himself. Simona really must've hit him in the fork of his legs.

"Do you anything about this Dragon sorceress?" Simona turned to Gilia.

Gilia thought for a moment, thinking back to her old home, now desolate, Erebor. "I believe I heard some gossip of Smaug coming out of the mountain... But this is the first I've heard of something as silly as a Dragon Sorceress." She scoffed.

Simona nodded, finishing her breakfast silently.

As Simona's gaze scanned the newly added to fair grounds, she caught sight of a sword from Ciaran's forge. It was unique, unlike anything she'd seen before. Far more beautiful than the sword she had been admiring when she first entered his shop. This sword was in a display case, resting on a stage next to two large chairs.

Curious, Simona walked up to the stage. "Excuse me, miss, but that is only for the winner of the duel match." a young boy said from behind her, carrying a large pile of scrolls and books.

Simona turned, surprised. "Oh... sorry. Do you need any help?" She asked. The boy's eyes shifted nervously from her to his burden. "I-I suppose." He mumbled hesitantly, allowing her to grab hold of half of the books and whatnot.

The boy led Simona to a small cottage next to Ciaran's forge and opened the door.

"You can just set those on this desk." He instructed.

Simona marveled at the collection of maps, scrolls, tapestries and documents. "Sorry, but I didn't catch your name." She sighed.

"Well, that's because I didn't give it!" The boy replied, sliding along the bookcases on a ladder which almost touched the ceiling. "Do not look so frazzled, I was joking. My name is Daran." Daran leapt off the ladder, holding his hand out and shaking Simona's.

"Simona." Simona smiled.

"So you're the one my brother has been spending his day with." Daran said thoughtfully. "Your brother?" Simona wondered, thinking back to the unpleasant experience with Adrian.

"Yes, Ciaran. He is an excellent blacksmith, but sometimes the swords are brighter and sharper than him." Daran chuckled, closing the cottage dor once they were outside.

A/n

Well that dragged on. :P

I wrote this whilst listening to Lotr & The Hobbit soundtracks, so yeah.

Just so I don't fall asleep when I'm typing. FOr some reason, the sound of clicking keys makes me ti-

*snooooooore*

Simona- "Looks like she's a little slow today! Teehee!"

*SloTurtle throws pillow at Simona while asleep.*