Chapter 22 – Questioning

"Never meddle in the affairs of Dragons… It will lead to a bad end…"

It was in the darkness of unconsciousness, that Smaug heard her.

"SMAUG!" came the scream of a woman, voice hoarse and high and loud, making his ear-drums protest slightly, even though he was only hearing it in his mind. It took him a moment to recognise the voice, his mind thick and foggy with exhaustion, his thoughts lethargic and dim.

But then he heard the scream again, feeling a tug upon the bond that was connected to his now tired heart. He knew that voice… music… his treasure… Kathryn. As he remembered, images and memories of her face filtered into his mind, reminding him of her mortal beauty, her love, and her betrayal.

Many emotions flashed through him before his pride could stop them. Warmth, hurt, disbelief. He couldn't make sense of it all, his mind once sharp and quick was for some reason slow and blunt, everything – even thinking – seemed to take too much effort to complete.

But he still heard her screaming, feeling her join him in dreams long enough to tug upon the bond, and anxiety and fear coursing through him as if it were his own. Despite his brief flash of hurt, his concern and curiosity out matched his weariness. He felt along the bond, wondering as to what would make her cry out for him, when she had run from him not too long ago.

He saw flashes of images from her mind filter into his as he opened up the bond between them; perhaps it was from where she was slipping in and out of consciousness. He saw thick trees clustered together in a tight and unorganised formation. Then darkness. The next image was when Kathryn's eyes fluttered open and she managed to catch a glimpse of someone who was carrying her, a thin and tall man who's scent was acidic. Smaug felt an old hatred that he couldn't quite place as the darkness came again when the image faded. Then he saw a clearing ahead, with a strange formation on the landscape: Kathryn's location was surrounded by hills, though one in particular looked like the arch of a horse's neck. Smaug found this particularly interesting, though the image faded to the dark once more.

No images were shown to him, Kathryn slipping further from him as he felt something dark and repulsive like tar begin to work its way around the bond, choking it off. Smaug fought to keep the connection open, but the more he fought, the more the tentacles of darkness squeezed until the bond was closed. It was not severed, but Kathryn was completely cut off from him.

Despite his wounded pride and angry heart at her betrayal, Smaug still felt a lick of panic and anger run deep within him at the thought that she was out there in danger. He knew something was wrong, it suddenly didn't seem right that Kathryn had not come to him after he had demanded such steep bargaining terms, she had once fought to stop him from destroying Lake-Town, it now seemed unlike her to behave like a coward now. Had something happened to her? Or had she run away instead of playing the martyr and someone had taken her then?

All these questions rushed through his slowly accelerating mind, but he had no answers to give –

"Smaug. Awaken."

Smaug's eyes snapped open as he heard the voice echo in both his ears and his mind, a voice that he didn't know yet had heard before, but did not trust. Light blinded his vision for a fraction of a second, but in that moment, his senses filled in what he could not discern from his eyes. He heard strange and unfamiliar voices as well as those he could faintly remember from some previously thought unimportant memory. He felt earth and flattened grass beneath his body, dirt caking the scales of his hands, feet, ankles and his side that he was laying on where his slight shifting body had churned up the loose earth. A heavy weight lay on his neck, as well as across his shoulders and around his wings and pinning them against his sides, he also felt it around his hands and ankles and his tail. It felt like a great serpent was coiled around his body, though a slight shift and he heard the metallic clang of heavy metal. His sense of smell told him that there were several scents around him, most he could recognise by their species though not personally: human, elf, and something rich and deep that told him of magic.

Everything was telling him that he was in an unfamiliar place and that he was surrounded by those not worthy of trust – though Smaug could count on hand the amount of beings in this world he actually "trusted". So, with a blink of his eyes, Smaug cleared his vision of the blinding light, and looked around.

He was instantly met by the faces of those he had just been in battle with: the wizard, the elf-lord. And then he saw the faces of the human Queen further back, as well as her female physician and several dozen guards. It took Smaug a fraction of a second to recognise them, and then a fierce growl ripped through his chest at them, so loud that several of the human soldiers backed away in fright. Smaug quickly saw of his surroundings that he was still on the plains where he had battled the wizard, and that from the sky it was still night though not a few hours off of dawn.

But as Smaug tried to look around him, he suddenly felt his neck jar and halt without his permission. Suddenly finding that he couldn't move, Smaug felt that constrictor grip around his neck and body, and angered as well as feeling a slight pinch of panic, he tried to force himself to move, to stretch out his body from where it had been curled into an almost uncomfortable position. He felt tail bound to the back of his ankles that were forced together along with his hands bringing the four legs together into a clump. His wings were pressed flat against his body, no matter how hard he tried to unfurl them, though when he tried the winding force around his neck tightened. Again Smaug tried to move at least his head to look around but found that he could not. With a roar of frustration and outrage, he fixed his blazing eyes upon the wizard.

"What is the MEANING OF THIS?!" he roared, spittle flying from his jaws, teeth flashing in the firelight of their torches and smoke rising from nostrils dangerously. But even if he wanted to breath fire upon them – which he really, really did – he couldn't expand his chest enough to get in the necessary air to expel it from his body, his forelegs pressed against the sides of his chest and restricting his breath to short and quick pant-like breaths. The Grey Wizard looked upon with a serious and impassive face, seemingly to not be threatened by the intimidating dragon but also not fooled to think the beast completely helpless.

"You left us with no choice, Smaug," said the aged wizard gravely. "You would never speak with us without violence, and your attempts to bring destruction had to be stopped. The Chain of Celebrimbor was our only option,"

Smaug tried to ignore the way his scales shivered at the realisation of what was upon him. The Chain… the only thing in existence that could restrain a dragon, all dragon-kind knew the tale of the one time it was used, the foolish soul who had been captured in its grip had defied it, but the chain had held firm against his strength, thought to be enchanted so as to never break, and when he breathed fire upon it, it did not melt. The Chain had strangled him when the creature had continued to fight. For dragons, the thought of strangulation was a new and rather unsettling thought, as they had once believed that nothing could hold in their strength nor anything could best them so in battle. But when they had heard of the Chain of Celebrimbor… many shudders had gone through them all, the thought of such a death was most unappealing. Quickly straining his head and moving his eye to look down the length of his body, Smaug indeed saw the thick and heavy chain that was wound around him. Every enraged instinct told him to fight against this, he was the strongest, the mightiest in all of Arda! No Chain could hold him! But he restrained himself in order to glare at the Wizard before him.

"You chain me because you are too much of a coward to vanquish me!" he spat.

"Believe me dragon," came the impertinent tone of the human queen as Smaug cast his hated glare upon her. "After all that you have done, we would have gladly put you to the sword," Smaug snapped his teeth at her threateningly, his eyes daring her to try. Lalemwen took a tiny step backwards, closing her mouth from further snapping.

"These chains are for your own protection, Smaug," said the wizard softly. "Yours and ours."

"I do not know whether to be insulted or amused by the fact that you believe there a reason to protect me," he snorted derisively, his voice dripping with scorn and anger. The wizard that the Barrel-Rider had called Gandalf stared hard at him, grey eyes never leaving Smaug's face though not foolish enough to look into his eyes and risk falling to the dragon-spell.

"These chains were adequate enough to restrain you whilst I inspected a rather troublesome ailment you possess," Gandalf murmured as his eyes narrowed in suspicion as he pointed the bottom of his staff towards Smaug's chest.

Smaug did not break eye contact with the wizard's face. He knew perfectly well what the wizard was referring to, his chest still felt tender from the excruciating pain he had felt. It spurned his pride to think that he had been helpless to this stranger's power whilst unconscious, not to mention the fact that he had just been called on a weakness. His eyes narrowed into a seething stare but he did not respond to Gandalf's words.

"You have been touched by dark magic indeed," Gandalf murmured softly, his eyes taking on a pitying look, enough to cause the dragon to growl dangerously. Sensing the beast's growing ire, Gandalf cleared his throat as his gaze hardened. "Such dark magic can only be placed on a person if they are willing; why would you agree to such things?"

"We all do what we must to get what we desire," Smaug hissed out, trying to ignore how his chest felt a little tight with slight pain.

"Do you know of the one who wields such magic? What he would have you do?" Gandalf pressed.

"I am no ignorant fool," the dragon snapped scathingly.

"And you would surrender the power of your kind for his wickedness?" Gandalf's tone took on a defiant and hard edge, rising with anger. The insolence of one speaking to Smaug so, made him try to raise his head above the wizard to look down on him angrily.

"I have no need of him other than to get what I want!"

"Are you his servant then?!" Gandalf exclaimed angrily. "Do you call the Dark Lord Sauron your master?!"

"I am slave to no one!" Smaug roared, his anger so much that his stomach began to glow with the promise of fire, causing some guards to take several steps back, but the fire could not rise any higher than his chest, much to Smaug's disappointment and frustration.

"Smaug," Gandalf said in a grave tone of voice, seemingly no longer angry though he still looked deadly serious. "The power that contaminates you is powerful, and I fear that it will not surrender its hold on you easily. It would make you slave to Sauron's bidding, would reduce you to little more a grotesque shell of what you truly are. I have managed to keep the worst of it at bay, sealing it away, now it lies dormant… but should you give in to it at any time, it will overcome you."

Smaug blinked, the anger leaking out of him for a moment, as he took in this new information. It was almost unsettling to him to know that there was a disease laying inside of him that wanted to tear away what he most valued about himself, to make him a servant as his ancestors had once been, even though his heart told him that he should be servant to no one at all! Smaug knew that temptation was a powerful thing, he had watched with delight as many mortals had been driven mad by the lust of temptation; but to have it suddenly upon him, to have that threat of ever falling to it take him and drive him to be what he most despised… that was rather unnerving.

"Did you attack tonight to appease him?" Gandalf asked.

"No," Smaug snorted softly. "It wanted me to tear this city apart brick by brick. But I came here for my own reasons."

"Kathryn,"

"And despite how insightful this little chat has been, I demand that you release me." Smaug growled out dangerously to Gandalf, fixing his blazing eyes upon him with renewed force.

"Not until you tell us where she is!" came a new voice.

Smaug snapped his gaze away once again as an elf came into view, one that Smaug knew all too well. Faervel. Instantly, Smaug felt the rage inside of him come forth to a boiling point as he tried to lunge for the elf, snapping his jaws and straining against the strangling hold on his neck in an attempt to get to the elf and rip him apart.

"Why don't you tell me where she is?!" he hissed viciously, snapping his head towards Faervel, thrashing his body against his chains in an attempt to break free in his sudden anger. "Thief! You stole her from me!"

"Liar! I know you have her hidden away! I know you've taken her! You stole her from the castle, you must have! Release her!"

"Are you such a simple-minded, forgetful fool?!" Smaug sneered. "I demanded her returned and have since been indisposed!"

"Liar!"

"Calm yourself, Faervel!" Cried Gandalf in a commanding tone, his voice was like thunder that even put the struggling elf into submission. He suddenly looked at the wizard with wide eyes, pausing before he stilled himself and bowed his head.

But something caught Smaug's attention in that short and heated exchange, something he hadn't noticed a moment ago but now made his stomach clench with unease. Kathryn was not with them, they believed her to be stolen by him, but he had not seen her; had she actually run from him? Did she despise him so much that she had actually rather run from him then face his cruelty? That hurt him and infuriated him to a point where he thought his sanity was about to snap under the strain of all the pent up emotions that were inside of him. Why?! Why was it so difficult for him to have just one thing he wanted?! He never thought Kathryn to be the coward who would run, but why else would she leave?

And why wouldn't she say anything to draw him away if that was her plan?

Suddenly, Smaug felt a little uneasy, something not sitting right in his mind about this current theory… Kathryn had always tried to save others before, it was her weak human sentimentality to blame. Something that would get her killed one day, Smaug thought in exasperation. So for her to leave without telling him she was doing so was unlike her, for she would know that he would continue to attack the city if he believed her there, causing many deaths. But then, he would continue to kill the people of Vathvael as punishment for her running away. She would know this, and yet would still do it? No. That couldn't be right.

And then he remembered his dream – no not a dream, a vision! Had it been real? Had he felt along the bond during his unconscious state? Had Kathryn been trying to contact him, to ask him for help? Suddenly feeling a sense of urgency in his bones, Smaug began to struggle and strain against the chains, but nothing he tried would make them budge, and he felt an odd sense of claustrophobia suddenly overwhelm him, his lungs didn't seem to get enough air into them, his legs felt cramped and needed to stretch as if they were burning, he pushed against the chains until he felt the loop around his neck begin to choke him and the bones in his wings threaten to snap. He only stopped when he properly began to choke himself, the enchantments on the chains more powerful than he anticipated. Looking around urgently, he knew that he had to somehow convince these mortals to release him. It made his stomach squirm with disgust to have to stoop so low, but his Kathryn was in possible danger and he needed to get out of his current predicament as quickly as possible.

"You do not know where Kathryn is?"

"Lord Elrond is out searching for her now," Gandalf explained, and Smaug had to hold back his frustrated growl as the wizard turned to speak to a soldier.

"I did not take Kathryn," he said, his voice coming out strangled and loud as he tried to catch their attention. Everyone looked up at him once again, faces guarded, though Smaug looked all of them in the eye, hoping that he could subtly use the dragon-spell to bring them under his thrall. "But there has been one who has helped me these past few months. She awoke me from my slumber after Kathryn saved my life at the destruction of Lake Town. Through dark magic, the witch brought me back and led me here. If you wish for answers, then I suggest you bring her here and question her. Her name is Andraya."

At his words, Smaug was curious to see the elf inhale sharply, eyes going wide before quickly thinking something over in his head, trying to rationalise if what Smaug said was true. He seemed distressed by this sudden news, which brought Smaug great pleasure at seeing him squirm like the worm he was. Gandalf blinked, also digesting this new information, though seemed more guarded as he narrowed his eyes at the dragon suspiciously. Smaug met his gaze unflinchingly, glaring at the man's blatant disregard for his obvious superior. Finally, it was the human Queen who did something.

"Captain!" she snapped to one of her guards, who stood to attention at his Queen's voice. "Please return to the Castle and find me this Andraya woman,"

"I have seen her," boldly said Lalemwen's physician, Quithyra. "She has long dark hair and ice blue eyes. I saw her at the Castle not long before we came out here." The guard nodded stiffly before quickly swinging himself onto his horse and riding away back towards the castle.

Smaug didn't know if Andraya was truly responsible for Kathryn's sudden disappearance, but a hunch told him that she would at least have some knowledge. And if she didn't… well then, Smaug had many other reasons for luring the Witch out here to him. But first, he needed to continue to barter for his freedom, however much he loathed the thought.

"Wizard," Smaug spoke out after what seemed like an age of pondering to himself; his voice hissing softly, reigning in as much of his hostility as he possibly could. "Whichever way you wish to look at it, Kathryn is gone, and I am the only one who can get her. Release me."

"Do you think I will be swayed over by your Dragon-Spell?" Gandalf muttered with a seemingly disapproving frown. Smaug clenched his jaw to hold back his scathing remark and ever present impatient temper.

"I can see in your eyes that something is troubling you, your scent is infected with the signs of your distress. Tell me: what danger is my Kathryn in?" Smaug was not lying, the wizard did seem very distracted and upset about something, something to do with Kathryn, which made Smaug feel rather uneasy. Gandalf paused, looking at Smaug as if weighing whether he should say anything at all, until finally, he spoke.

"A demon and follower of Morgoth is hunting Kathryn… he seeks her for reasons I am unsure of but have an idea of. We did not hear about her absence until after you had been subdued. I had hoped that you were lying to us and had knowledge of her, but if she is not with either of us… she can only be with him." Gandalf told him gravely. Smaug felt his stomach turn to stone with dread, but quickly pushed it aside as he ploughed ahead.

"I can find her. I can face this demon. If he has her, you know I will be able to stand against him – not even your Valar could withstand the might of the dragons!" he couldn't help but put in boastfully.

"And how do I know that you will not destroy us the moment you are freed?" Gandalf asked bluntly. Smaug once again had to reign in his impatience.

"Your puny lives are of no importance to me." he bit out as if it were the most rational thing in the world. "All I want is Kathryn, I will be gone from here to get her as soon as you release me,"

"Yet you would hold Kathryn against her will, she has shown that she doesn't wish to be your prisoner,"

"I will convince her of her true place, by my side." Smaug corrected quickly. "And you know that there is no one better to protect her then I,"

"We were hoping to hide her away and protect her ourselves,"

"We both know that I will not allow that." Smaug spoke smoothly yet coldly, a threat evident in his eyes though not spoken. "I have never given up any one of my treasures before, and I will not start now," Smaug's eye twitched as he felt a small pinch in his chest.

"Careful Smaug," Gandalf said with a glance towards Smaug's heart and twisting black scar. "Your greed will be your undoing,"

"Be that as it may," Smaug said through gritted teeth, pushing past the slight pain and also the shiver that ran up his spine at the thought of what this could mean. He couldn't think on that now, he had to focus. "It will be easier and smoother for all if you let me go. Keep her from me and you will regret it for the rest of your life. But keep me trapped here, and you may arrive too late to save her,"

Gandalf stared up at Smaug, who stared unashamedly back. Both knew that they couldn't trust the other, but both knew that they truly didn't have much of a choice. Smaug knew he had played a good hand, as Gandalf was obviously worried and knew that if they acted too late then Kathryn would be lost to them forever. They had to wait on Andraya to give good information – of which Smaug was unsure if she would have the knowledge that the wizard would need – and this demon could have taken Kathryn anywhere by now. Smaug however, could find her, he hadn't told them of the vision – he knew that if he did he would never be released for they would have all the information they needed. Gandalf stared at him for what seemed like forever, and Smaug met him with an unreadable stare, not appearing outright hostile yet also not letting the Wizard in to read anything off of him. Finally, Gandalf nodded, sighing.

"Are you crazy?!" Faervel suddenly exclaimed, his face flushed with anger as he stepped towards Gandalf. "Do not be a fool! He will kill us all the moment you let him go!"

"Gandalf!" Lalemwen said as she stepped forward, brows upturned with fear and concern. "I cannot condone this, you cannot guarantee me my people will be safe if you let this monster free!"

Seeing that his opportunity was slipping from his grasp, Smaug desperately plunged in without thought as he delivered his ace, hurriedly hoping that it would be enough and knowing that it would shame him forever if it did.

"Release me!" He exclaimed loudly, quickly hurrying on so that they might listen to his words. "Set me free and I swear that I shall go to find Kathryn and not return, and…" he paused as he swallowed past a disgusted lump in his throat. "If you allow me this, then I vow that I shall each of you a favour…" he said as he looked the three – Gandalf, Faervel and Lalemwen – in the eye as he spoke the words, knowing that a dragon's favour was irreversible, and his sense of dignity would not allow him to go back on his word, no matter how much it shamed him to owe anything to filthy mortals.

All three looked at him in shock, all knowing the significance of his words as well.

"Then for my favour," Lalemwen stated, her voice strong as she took a step towards the dragon, her silver hair illuminated in the firelight. "I ask that you leave and never again attack the lands or people of Dorwinion. Ever." She stared hard at him, though she was still afraid, she managed to muster the courage to look at him directly, appearing as brave as she could be. Smaug set his jaw, irked by the fact that he now had to demonstrate the sincerity of his words, whereas he had hoped that the pathetically short memories of mortals would soon forget in a few years.

"It shall be done," he murmured through gritted teeth, but meant every word.

But it seemed as if his plan had worked, for that seemed to be the deciding factor in their decision. Gandalf and Lalemwen ordered his release – even if Faervel was still a little reserved.

It took longer than expected for the chains to be unlocked and then slowly be detached from his body, the dragon was just shrugging off the last of the chains when finally, there came the sound of horses, and everyone turned in time to see the guard from earlier come onto the plain with his horse, and sitting in front of him, wrists bound, was Andraya. She glared at everyone around her with an icy hatred, but as soon as her eyes met on the huge and terrible form of Smaug, her eyes widened and she practically threw herself out of the guardsman's lap as she tried to run with a terrified shriek. Several other guards leapt to her side and caught her arms, dragging her back towards Gandalf and Lalemwen.

"We caught her in her rooms, Your Majesty," the guardsman said. "She seemed to be packing her belongings,"

"Going somewhere, witch?" Smaug sneered with a dark and deadly purr.

"You will not have me!" she screeched, her lips suddenly moving as she silently began to cast an enchantment, Smaug could feel diluted magic humming in the air –

"Your parlour tricks have no power here!" Gandalf thundered as he thrust his staff forward, knocking the woman off her feet with a blast of magic, knocking the breath from her lungs. Smaug couldn't suppress the sick grin of satisfaction at seeing the witch in pain. Andraya stiffly climbed to her knees once she'd regained her breath. She scooted back away from Smaug, who did his best to unsettle her with his piercing stare as he glared at her with unblinking eyes.

"Your name is Andraya?" Gandalf asked.

"Yes," she hissed quietly, and Smaug growled, watching the woman shake.

"Were you the one who awoke Smaug?" Gandalf asked her.

"Yes," this time, a small flicker of pride entered her voice as a smug smirk twitched at her lips.

"We have reason to believe that you have stolen the woman Kathryn from our custody," Gandalf told her as he watched her carefully, eyes assessing everything about her.

"Did that snake tell you this?!" Andraya half shrieked with anger and just a little fear. But Smaug saw the way her eyes darted between him and Gandalf uncertainly, as if she were trying to catch some silent communication between them, making her uneasy. This pointed out to Smaug more than anything of her guilt, and he felt a very beastly rumble echo in his chest as he leaned forward, hot and stinking breath rolling over the woman as he bared his teeth at her, causing her to scoot back further, cringing away from him.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me that I am wrong." He growled at her, teeth bared in a challenging manner.

"Andraya, you will tell us what you have done with Kathryn and all that you know of the one you gave her to," Gandalf said sternly, bringing the focus back onto track, even as Smaug kept his eyes trained on the witch.

"I don't have to tell you anything!" she spat defiantly, causing Smaug's lip to curl in frustration and disgust, a plume of smoke leaking from his nostrils threateningly.

"If you don't I'll –" Gandalf began but was cut off by the woman's bitter, almost mad-sounding laughter.

"You'll what? Kill me? Torture me? No. That is not the way of Gandalf the Grey!" She was grinning now, a lost look in her eyes as if she was losing her grip on reality, as if she no longer saw where she was or who she was speaking to, her laughter grating on Smaug's spine. "Do your worst! Men have taken everything from me! They took my home, my freedom, my dignity, my pride! And then this serpent took my daughter! I have carved my way in this world with power, the only thing that is truly mine!"

"And what also can be taken away from you…" Gandalf murmured darkly, pointing his staff at her and taking an intimidating step towards her. His words seemed to knock Andraya out of her stupor, as she suddenly stopped laughing and looked at the end of his staff as if he were about to kill her with it. "Answer my questions, or I will take from you the only thing you have left."

A shiver raced through the woman's body, and Smaug could sense her genuine fear. So this was what she was most afraid of: to be powerless and helpless against those she perceived as enemies. Smaug had always had an inkling to believe this, but he did enjoy the sight of her squirming as if she were under some great torture. Finally she sighed, the Wizard's threat cutting through her as she bowed her head in defeat.

"My daughter was dead," She murmured quietly, brokenly, her voice almost disjointed as she seemed to unhinge her mind once again, her voice taking on an airy quality as she spoke and looked up at the wizard. "And he offered me a spell that would bring the dead back to life. All I needed to do was bring to him the Seer."

"I trusted you…" Faervel whispered in quiet horror.

"Do you not even realise who and what he was?" Gandalf asked.

"I did, but it didn't matter," she grinned coldly, and then suddenly her gaze turned fierce, like that of a rabid animal as she turned her ice-blue gaze onto Smaug's. "The dragon had betrayed me one too many times, then he took from me them most precious thing in my life – my daughter! So I then took what was most precious to him: an eye for an eye."

Smaug felt his talons dig into the dirt as he clenched his hands in an effort to keep back his mounting anger. Not only had the witch been insulting his very presence, but she had the audacity to hurt what was his in an attempt to seek some ill perceived vengeance? He wanted to rip her apart for what she had done, nothing would have pleased him greater then to hear her scream and watch her blood drain from her body. But he tampered his fury, for the witch knew where she had taken Kathryn, which could help Smaug in his search to find her.

"Where did you take her?" Gandalf asked in an almost hostile manner as leant forward to grab the woman's arm and haul her closer to him. "What has he done with her?"

"I gave her too him outside the city walls at the southernmost point. I then left her to her fate." She murmured, giving Smaug the final information he wanted. Gandalf released her, and as he moved back, the woman's deranged eyes caught on Smaug again and she smiled obliviously. "She will be gone long before you can reach her,"

"Foolish woman!" Gandalf snapped out in disgust and horror. "You do not know what you have done!"

"Oh, but I did." She laughed in that eerily disjointed way.

"So it seems that there is only one loose end left to tie…"

Smaug's words were barely out of his mouth before he had lunged across the space that separated him and Andraya, faster than the eye could follow, too late before anyone could stop him. He snapped his jaws around the witch, delightfully hearing her scream as his teeth punctured through her flesh, though not enough to kill her. He tossed her into the air, sending her sailing across the plain where she landed roughly over thirty feet away, leg bones snapping as she made contact with the ground. Smaug was upon her once again before anyone could make a move to help her, he could hear them shouting and screaming, trying to call him off, but he wouldn't listen. This was some personal business that needed to be remedied, he had waited a long time for this, and it was so pleasurable to finally have it! He placed a hand atop her body, resting the tip of a talon on her stomach, and pressing just hard enough to pierce her skin and cause her to scream as he slowly pushed the talon in further.

"You..." he hissed out with barely contained fury and hatred, his voice trembling from the force of his anger as his chest began to glow. He pressed the talon in further, causing Andraya to scream obscenities and begging incoherently for mercy. The madness was gone from her eyes as she looked up at him, finally was her sight clear as she looked up into the certain fate of death. "You should have left me in that lake!"

And then, Smaug quickly retracted his talon and roughly grabbed the woman in his hand before tossing her into the air. She sailed high above his head, screaming the entire time as she fell. Smaug opened his jaws wide beneath her, and when he felt a feather touch against his tongue, he quickly snapped his jaw shut, encasing the woman in darkness even as she continued to scream and tried to get handhold she could within his mouth. Working his muscles, Smaug quickly sucked her down, swallowing her whole down his gullet that glowing bright for her to be able to see her fate as she quickly descended down his throat. Smaug could still hear her screams from inside of him as she passed down into his great fire and within a few seconds, Andraya was quickly boiled alive inside his stomach.

Author's Note: So I know that a lot of you have been wanting this to happen for some time! :D I told some of you that Andraya would get her dues, and now she has! Yay! *happy dance*

So next two chapters will hopefully be out VERY soon (hopefully within the next few days) as I want to finish this around the first anniversary of Heart of Fire. Wouldn't that be good? I also apologise for any and all typos in this chapter as it is half ten here in the UK at the time I'm posting this, so... yeah, once again I'm exhausted -_-

I'm sorry if I didn't get time to reply to your reviews last time, but please know that I read every one and I appreciate all of your support with all my heart! Seriously, I would be nowhere without you guys, and I just wanted you to know that!

Now please review! And I hope to see you VERY soon for the Penultimate chapter! Until then!