Life is Precious

AN: And now we're introduced to Smaug's new 'partner'. I'm sure this can only end well...

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Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings.

Chapter Two:

Earyth startled awake with a gasp, her skin covered in a cold sweat. The same dream—or nightmare, she supposed—had been plaguing her for the past week, and it seemed to become more vivid and commonplace as time went on. The theme always remained the same even if the location seemed to change by night.

Sometimes it was set in a large city, other times it was a solitary mountain. A few times it had been a small town upon a lake, what she could only assume was Laketown far to the north based on stories she'd heard from travelers over the years. Based on those same stories, she could assume the other locations were Dale and the Lonely Mountain. All were places she'd never been, yet she could see them clearly in her dreams. As if that weren't strange enough, while the place changed, one thing remained the same.

Fire.

They were always on fire, consumed by a massive blaze that was both relentless and unceasing. At first, she simply saw the burning cities. A few days later, it felt as if she were actually there. The heat and roar of the flames, the smoke making it harder to breathe, the sound of buildings crumbling everywhere. Yesterday, she heard the screams for the first time. Horrible, blood-curdling screams of fear and agony from those being burnt alive. Thankfully, there had been no other people in that dream. It was just her, surrounded by the dying screams of countless ghosts.

Last night, she heard something else. Something more than just the screams. It was a sound unlike anything she'd ever experienced, a roar beyond that of the flames. Whatever made it was big...and angry.

Every time, the dream ended the same way: eyes like fire filled with malice staring down at her from a black void, an ominous glow from a gaping maw filled with razor-sharp teeth, and then she was burning, flames turning her to ash within moments. It was then that she always woke.

Earyth had no proper education, coming from a poor family. She couldn't read or write, and she had never traveled more than a few miles from Edoras. Despite that, she was quite clever, was able to learn quickly and pick up on things others might miss and draw conclusions from what she did know. And what she knew in this instance were the stories her dad used to tell her as a bedtime story, one he himself had learned from visitors from other places.

She dreamed of the dragon, Smaug. For what reason, she did not know. Perhaps the recent news of Laketown's destruction and the dragon's death had spurred her overactive imagination to conjure these scenarios in her dreams. She had a healthy respect and fear of fire, having seen homes burn down and the grisly wounds of those who survive the flames. Perhaps that fear was manifesting in her dreams after hearing of Laketown's fate?

But the news, while tragic, was a week old now. People had moved on, and other stories and rumors had begun to circulate. For instance, the Riders of Rohan had been sent west to hunt down orcs that were purportedly raiding near the Misty Mountains. Orc raids weren't particularly common, but they weren't uncommon, either. Other townsfolk were concerned about the less-than-average harvest this year and how that would affect life through the coming winter.

There were many more concerns that lie closer to home, so why were these dreams getting worse?

"Earyth! Are you still sleeping?" That was her mother, and she didn't sound too pleased that she was taking so long.

"Coming!" With a grimace at her clammy skin, she donned her normal clothes, a simple tan dress common among the poorer residents and plain shoes, she left her small room, smiling apologetically at her mother. "Sorry, ma. I was just...distracted."

"Yes, you've been distracted a lot lately," she pointed out with a small huff before her gaze turned a bit more mischievous. "Oh...does it have to do with a boy?"

"No," was her flat reply. She was nineteen right now and as of yet unmarried. If it was up to her, it'd stay that way for a good, long while. Her parents, however patient and generous they were at letting her stay with them, would rather seen her married sooner than later.

"No?" That was a disappointed 'no' if she'd ever heard one. "Well, whatever it is can wait, then. Fetch us a pail of water, will you? Today's laundry day." Her mom held up the bucket with a pointed look, and she took it with a slightly forced smile. "Off you get."

She grabbed it and a piece of bread to much on before heading out without a word, the door shutting behind her with a solid thump. Many of their neighbors greeted her kindly, a gesture which she returned as she headed to the closest well.

Hers was a poor family, but she wasn't ashamed by that. Being poor meant they didn't or couldn't have some things that might make life more comfortable, but there were the occasional perks. The poor tended to be the first to say a kind word or lend a helping hand in a dire situation. Her family, especially, was known for that. Many of their neighbors were also good folks. Like the old widow next door who occasionally shared her delicious turnip soup with her neighbors. Or the blacksmith who was always smiling and willing to take time to help others.

So yes, being poor wasn't that bad. As her father was keen to remind her, they had a home, food, clothes, and friends. They didn't need much more than that. And it could certainly be worse, a sentiment she wholly agreed with.

Speaking of her father, Holdred, he was a soldier. He was often away for one reason or another. Right now, he was off dealing with that orc raid they'd recently heard news of. She worried for him, of course, but he always came back in the end. It was a promise he made a long time ago, and so far, he'd kept it. She saw no reason to doubt him now.

Her mother, Cynewyn, was the epitome of the house matron. Work got done before anything else, and no distractions were allowed until then. After, and only after, was one allowed to relax. She stayed at home, taking care of the day to day such as cooking and cleaning. She did the shopping and managed the money. No one bought anything without her permission.

Waiting at the well was the longest part, as always. Everyone needed their daily water, so there was always a line in the morning. She'd just so happened to come by at the busiest time of day, an hour after dawn. While forced to wait her turn, the nearby mountains caught her gaze as they had so often this week.

Whenever she was outside, she almost couldn't stop staring at them. It was strange, as she had never had an interest in them before. They had always been a constant part of the southern horizon that she had paid no mind to until this week. Now, however, she felt a strange draw to them that she'd never experienced before when she'd never been interested in leaving the city before. This strange pull and her dreams couldn't be related, could they? They had started at around the same time, but she could see no immediate correlation between the two.

Well...not unless the dragon had somehow risen from the dead, was now living in the mountains, and she could somehow sense his presence. Yeah, it was sheer lunacy, but she did have a pretty overactive imagination. It was more likely that seeing the Lonely Mountain in her dreams made her look at them in a different light—gave her a new appreciation of them, perhaps.

Yes, that was probably it.

The strange obsession with the mountains would go away with time, she was sure, just like her dreams of fire. A lot of shocking news had reached them recently, but once her normal routine made her forget the troubles of those half a world away, everything would be fine once more.

Still, her gaze often drifted to the mountains as she returned home with a full pail of water. "Mornin'!" The greeting broke her out of her thoughts, her gaze turning to the speaker.

Her younger brother, Fulcred, was up on the roof patching the latest leaky spots with some fresh thatch. He was seventeen, and just as unmarried as her. He was, however, apprentice to their blacksmith neighbor and had his eyes set on a certain girl, whose parents had already agreed to the marriage once his apprenticeship was over. After that, he'd be moving out and starting his own family.

"You're up there early," she commented, setting the pail down for a moment. Most of the time, he waited to do his chores at the end of the day after he'd returned home from the smithy.

"Dernigar gave me the day off, so I figured I'd get this done early and be done for the day." Right when she was going to say 'good for you' and head inside, he continued. "Figured I'd head to the mountains today. I know a nice, little valley. Kind of hard to get to, but there's a lake there that's perfect for swimming on a day like today. Might be my last chance of the year, what with winter around the corner."

Her mind froze at the word 'mountain', and she was back to staring at their snow-capped peaks and wispy clouds with that same strange pull again. Fulcred was just getting back to work when she blurted out, "Take me with you."

Now, he froze, and looked at her oddly. He was probably thinking along the same lines she'd been earlier, how she'd expressed no interest in leaving the city before. "You want to come with me to the mountains?" The clear skepticism in his voice would normally be funny, but a strange desperation overcame her, then. This could be her one chance to go, and once she saw what was there, this whole thing could be put behind her.

"Yes," she confirmed resolutely. Today was laundry day, so she didn't have anything else to do today. She could be ready to go before noon.

He studied her curiously for a moment more before shrugging. "Alright. It takes about two hours to walk there, so you best hurry." She grinned and nodded at him appreciatively, just about to head inside before he spoke again. "Oh, and you might want to wear something a bit more...appropriate."

She paused before nodding. Then, she went back inside, and immediately set to work with vim and vigor, much to her mother's surprise. "You normally only work so hard if you've got other plans," her mother observed as Earyth scrubbed the laundry in the wooden tub. "You sure it's not a boy?"

Earyth paused just long enough to sigh. "No, mother, it's not a boy. Fulcred is going to the mountains later, and I want to go with him."

"Well...that's news to me. I assume he was going to tell me later. But why on Earth would you want to go out there? That's not how a proper lady spends her time." She had to suppress a groan at the 'proper lady' talk. She may not be very adventurous, but that didn't mean she wanted to be like her mother. Not yet, at least. Eventually, she'd get married and have kids, but she just wanted a bit more time to be herself before then.

"I don't know...I guess I'd just like a change of scenery." She had been a bit stir-lately, so that seemed as good a reason for the strange pull as anything. "It won't be a normal occurrence, I swear. I...just want to see what's out there."

"Well, I'm sure you'll just be disappointed. It's naught but dirt, wild animals, and bloodthirsty orcs. Why do you think the city has a wall? There's nothing outside but trouble and death." Earyth just sighed at her mother's paranoia.

"Father and Fulcred go out there all the time and come back fine." After a few seconds of silence, she looked up to see her mother pinning her with a serious expression. "Because they're men, right?" That was her mother's argument for pretty much anything. Men did whatever they wanted while the women stayed at home. She simply rolled her eyes at her mother's satisfied nod. "Just for today? Please? I'll never ask again, I swear." That small flame of hope slowly died when it became apparent that her mother would say not. Before she could verbally confirm that decision, the door opened to reveal none other than, "Father!"

He was still in his leather armor when he came in with an excited smile, her brother right behind him. "Oh, Holdred, dear, you're hurt!" In her excitement, she hadn't even noticed the bandage around his upper arm.

He just shook his head with an affectionate smile. "It's barely more'n a scratch," he assured them as he brought his family in for a hug. Earyth smiled when he kissed the top of her head. "One of the orcs got a lucky shot in, that's all."

"So there were orcs, then?" Fulcred asked.

"Aye, there were. They were driven off, but half our number stayed behind to make sure there's no more an' that another raid don't happen anytime soon." The fact he seemed unconcerned with the matter made the others feel a bit better about the whole ordeal, too.

"Well..." mother began. "I'm glad you're back safe and sound. And just in time, too. Maybe you'll have better luck talking some sense into her than I have." Earyth just rolled her eyes at that. She didn't need anyone to 'talk sense' into her!

"Why? What's she done this time?" Despite his joking tone, he sent her a curious look.

"She wants to go to the mountains with Fulcred," mother said before she even had a chance to speak for herself.

"The mountains?" He looked to his son for clarification, sending an odd glance to his daughter in the process—the same one her brother gave her when she told him, come to think of it.

Seeing this, her brother explained. "The roof's almost done and I don't have to go to the smithy today, so I thought I'd go out to the lake."

"The one in the valley?" Fulcred nodded. "Water might be a bit cold by now, but...well, I haven't been there in a while, either. Sounds like fun! If Earyth wants to come, I see no problem with it."

Mother seemed genuinely surprised. "You can't be serious, Holdred! She's a—"

"A girl? Aye. But even a girl has the right to see the world every now and then." Mother didn't seem convinced, so he kissed her and smiled in assurance. "She'll be fine with us, Cynewyn. We'll be back before dark." He paused then grinned. "And there's no orcs this close to Edoras."

Mother seemed to be trying to think of anything that would convince them otherwise. "She has no clothes for traipsing about in the wild."

"She can wear some of mine," Fulcred responded, making Earyth grin. It seemed they outnumbered mother.

Sure enough, the house matron sighed. "Oh...very well! You take care of them, Holdred!"

"Upon my honor," he swore.

While Earyth changed into the clothes Fulcred set out for her, he finished the roof while mother set about finishing up the laundry and father grabbed a bite to eat and a spare set of clothes. Thirty minutes later, the three were walking through the midday crowd towards the stables, mother left behind to worry despite father's assurances.

As father resaddled his horse, strapping on their bag of supplies and two swords that both his children glanced at curiously. "Just in case," he said. "You remember how to ride, Earyth?"

"Would you let me forget?" He grinned once more and shook his head. Some of the other soldiers stopped to ask what father was doing and wished him safe travels upon getting an answer. Once he was done, he stepped back and nodded to his daughter, who then climbed on the horse on her second try. She wasn't the best rider in Rohan, but she could at least stay on the horse, which was more than she could say about her brother. It's probably why he was training to become a blacksmith instead of a soldier like their father.

Once mounted, her father took the reins in his uninjured arm and led the horse out of the stables with Fulcred following behind. It was a slow journey, but it gave Earyth the chance to take in the vast, open plains. It had been years since she'd left the city, and she had to wonder how a place so beautiful could be as bad as mother said.

The skies were clear with nary a cloud in sight. The air carried just a hint of a chill to it, and the wind blew across the landscape, rustling the grass as if they were waves on a golden sea. But nothing compared to the majesty of the massive mountains looming ahead that grew even larger with every minute. As the distance shrunk, her excitement and anxiety grew. The pull grew more insistent as if realizing she was finally listening to it.

They traveled up a sizable slope as they reached the base of the mountains and then began following a narrow, relatively flat path that led deeper into the range. It was about ten minutes later when the horse began snorting and trying to pull away, her father having to exert more force on the reins. "W-What's wrong?" she asked, holding on tight to prevent herself from being thrown off.

"Something's spooking her," her father replied, unsheathing one of the swords and looking around. "Might be a bear or something." As they continued on, however, the horse's struggles became even more frantic. "Get off, Earyth!" As soon as she did, her father lost his grip on the reins, and the horse bolted back the way they came. He watched it go with a huff of frustration. "There go our supplies."

"Should we keep going?" her brother asked, deferring to the experienced soldier of their party.

"If it's a bear, it shouldn't bother us if we don't bother it, even if she has cubs around. Just be careful, alright?" With that, they continued on. And while the prospect of seeing a bear frightened her, she was secretly relieved they were still going. Whatever was pulling her here was close.

They were coming close to an opening on the left. Their father was in the lead with the two of them lingering a few feet back. On their approach, they saw the northern side of the valley was nothing but burnt trees, the landscape appearing completely ruined. Their father stopped as they came into the valley itself, and it was obvious why.

Not only had the trees been burned down, but the area around the lake also seemed torn up pretty badly. The lake itself seemed rather empty, too. Fulcred had talked about swimming, yet it appeared barely more than a big puddle right now. "What in the world happened here!?" Fulcred wondered, his jaw hanging open in utter shock.

Earyth, too, was dumbstruck by the devastation. Their father, however, seemed to grip his sword tighter. "I don't know..." After looking around for a few seconds, he took a few steps backwards. "I think we should leave. Something's not right."

"Leave?" All three started at the unknown voice. It seemed to come from all around, the sound bouncing off of the mountains. "Oh, I don't think so...not while you have something of mine." Whoever the voice belonged to seemed to be enjoying their fear and uncertainty as they looked for the source.

"We have no coin!" their father shouted, his eyes looking for any sign of movement. "If that's what you're after, you'll be sorely disappointed!"

"Hmm...a pity...it would've been a nice bonus." A sinister chuckle. "But that is not what I meant. One of you three is not like the others...but which one? The soldier, perhaps? You reek of fear—fear for your children."

"I do not fear you! Now stop hiding in the shadows, snake! Show yourself!" Holdred's grip on his weapon grew tighter, his free hand shielding his son and daughter as they hid behind.

Another chuckle, this one full of dark amusement. "Be careful what you wish for, Rohirrim." A noise akin to a rockslide sounded behind them. All three turned to see the source of the noise, and all three went pale at what stood before them. A massive, red dragon, eyes like fire dancing with malicious enjoyment at their terror. The pass was barely big enough to fit the beast, its wings holding onto the sides as it looked down upon them. "Do you fear me now, human? Do you realize, now, the futility of your position?" As the great dragon took slow steps towards them, its head lowering to be at their level, Holdred pushed his children behind him, holding his sword out as the three retreated further into the valley. "Does your resolve waver? I see how your sword shakes."

True enough, their father was afraid. That fear, though, was quite reasonable in this situation. It is not every day one comes face to face with a dragon, after all. Fulcred, too, was afraid, the wet spot on his trousers evidence enough of that.

"It seems the boy has wet himself," the great dragon smirked. Then, its gaze landed upon her, suddenly intrigued. "The males shake like a leaf in a strong wind, yet the girl seems not afraid."

Why that was, Earyth couldn't understand. Here was this great beast that could kill them all in any number of ways, yet she was completely unafraid. The dragon's original appearance had taken her by surprise, the mere sight enough to trigger some instinctual fear. But even as the dragon taunted her father and brother, she could not tear her gaze away from the dragon's eyes. She'd seen those same eyes every night for the past week in her dreams.

But it couldn't be! It was just a dream! Had...had her overactive imagination been close to the truth? Was this really the dragon from all the stories? Had she really been able to detect his presence in the mountains? Even now, the pull seemed to be directed right at the great beast.

"Typical..." it—or he, she supposed—groused. His mood had suddenly shifted from sinister enjoyment to frustration, or perhaps annoyance. "This girl is the one I was drawn to? Weak, defenseless...my life rests in her hands?"

All three of them recoiled in shock at the dragon's words. Her father and brother stared at her in shock, but Earyth could only open and close her mouth, equally confused. Perhaps the dragon was ill? Fulcred tended to get a bit loopy whenever he was sick. Still, he seemed interested in her, so maybe he would answer her questions. "What does that mean, oh great dragon?" She'd heard somewhere that it was best to use ample amounts of flattery when talking to a dragon.

"Don't play dumb, girl. I know you feel the same irresistible pull as I. Even now you are drawn to me like a bee to a flower. You need me. And I, unfortunately, need you." He felt a similar pull? She'd never told anyone about the strange feeling she'd had over the past week.

"What does that mean!?" her father demanded before turning his gaze to her. "Earyth?" The doubt and fear in his voice when he said her name stole her breath away, as if he was afraid of his own daughter.

"I-I d'don't know what he's talking about, I swear!" she pleaded, hoping they would believe her.

Her father shook his doubt away, his resolve strengthening. "Your dragon-spell will not work on me, wyrm!"

The dragon's gaze narrowed dangerously, and all of them realized a line had been crossed. Dragons were known to be extremely prideful creatures, and they did not appreciate being insulted. "How very unwise...the last mortal who called me that stole my mountain and attempted to kill me. I have been quite merciful in allowing you to live as of now, but I do not suffer insults lightly!" The dragon's chest lit up with his inner fire, and Holdred dropped his sword, knowing the futility of trying to dodge dragonfire. "Perhaps it's time I corrected that mistake!"

Smaug's—for there could be no more mistaking his identity after what he said about the mountain—maw opened to reveal the back of his throat lit with that same ominous glow. This was far too similar to what happened in her dreams to be mere coincidence. The fiery eyes, the glowing chest, the gaping maw, and the brilliant wash of dragonfire.

As her father and brother accepted their fate, a strange sort of defiance hit her. Taking her father's original position, she stepped in front of them and held up her arms to shield them from harm. "You will not hurt them!" she shouted at the dragon.

Within Smaug's eyes, she saw a flash of amusement, though it was quickly replaced by fear and uncertainty. He closed his mouth, his chest dimming, and stared down at her with a nigh unreadable expression. It seemed to be a mix of fear, confusion, uncertainty, anger, indignation, frustration, and so many others all at the same time. Eventually, after several minutes of silence, the dragon stepped back and reluctantly bowed his head, averting his gaze. "As you command..." he hissed, anger seeming to win out.

"E-Earyth just told a dragon what to do..." Fulcred breathed, utterly dumbfounded by this unexpected turn of events. "And it listened to her..."

"I saw, son..." Holdred replied, his voice hard to read. Earyth risked a glance back and winced at her father's disbelieving expression, his doubt and fear of her returning now in full force.

She had no idea what was going on, but so far the dragon had spoken true. She did feel a strange pull to him, but she had no idea what that meant. And why would a dragon of all things listen to her? "What do you want from me, Smaug?" she asked, lowering her arms now that he was calmer again.

Intrigue and pride once again entered his expression. "Ah...so you do know my name."

"I know the stories, same as everyone else. They say you were killed by a man of Laketown." He growled at the reminder, but she did not flinch away. Even here, mere feet away from his razor-sharp teeth, she felt no fear. There was another feeling, deep within her, that said he posed no threat to her.

"Yes, well...stories of my death have been greatly exaggerated. I yet live as you can plainly see, though...there were many strings attached. I would have indeed died if not for the timely intervention of a certain grey wizard. I traded my freedom for a chance to live." Grey wizard? She'd heard stories of a grey wizard, but she couldn't recall his name right now.

"Traded your freedom how? And what does that have to do with me?" The dragon's answer was both immediate and full of barely restrained fury.

"Everything!" he roared, his tail lashing in agitation. "I am bound to you! You! A mere slip of a girl! Yet somehow the fates granted you control over the greatest being in all Middle-Earth! All Arda!"

"Wait...control?" Fulcred suddenly piped up, suddenly a lot braver. "She controls you?" He pointed to his sister for emphasis. Smaug merely narrowed his gaze at him dangerously, a fierce snarl showing off his teeth. "Tell him to do something, then!"

"What!?" both Smaug and Earyth demanded simultaneously. The dragon in utter fury and indignation, and Earyth in shock and unease. Forcing him to do something against his will seemed wrong...even considering that he was a dragon.

"It's the only way to see if he's telling the truth!" was his defense. "No dragon would ever willingly obey people like us, right?"

"Yeah...so isn't it wrong to make him?" Fulcred just gave her the 'look', the one he usually gave her when she was being needlessly stubborn over the smallest things. With a small sigh, she turned to regard the dragon again, wondering what she could have him do that wasn't too humiliating.

"I will remember this, boy," Smaug snarled, his gaze promising that he would incinerate the foolish youth if only he could. When the dragon didn't immediately torch Fulcred, both him and their father began growing bolder, more confident.

Even if she agreed with Fulcred, she wasn't going to force Smaug to do something too humiliating. "I guess...will you raise your right wing, please?" A few seconds passed, yet the dragon's wing remained firmly planted on the ground. Smaug just blinked, unimpressed.

"What was that!?" Fulcred scoffed. "I said tell him to do something, not ask politely!"

"Why does that matter?" she asked, thinking he was making something out of nothing. She asked Smaug to raise his wing, but he didn't. That meant she couldn't control him, right?

"It matters," her father stated. "Make it an order, like you did when you told him not to hurt us." He was watching the conversation with great conflict. As a soldier, such a gift would be of great benefit to the Kingdom, yet as a father, he knew it would place his daughter in danger. While some would be glad for the forced aid of a dragon, many others wouldn't. They would harm her if they could.

But she trusted her father to make the right choice, no matter what it may be. "Alright...Smaug, raise your right wing."

The dragon glared at her for a moment before raising his wing. Fulcred grinned in victory, and her father gasped in awe. "Oh, I am not going to enjoy this..." Smaug muttered with a frown, glaring at his own wing as if it had offended him. A few more seconds passed, the three wondering why he hadn't put his wing down yet. "May I lower it now, or shall I continue to stand here like this for your amusement?"

"O-Oh, yes, of course! Sorry..." With her permission, Smaug put his wing down with a long sigh. Apparently, she needed to be a bit more specific with any commands.

It was then that their father sheathed his sword and placed a hand on each of his children's shoulders, pinning each of them with a serious look. "We should be getting back now. No one is to breathe a word of this to anyone. Understood?" They both nodded. Earyth was ready to go back home, having had enough excitement for one day.

Smaug, however, did not appear too happy with the suggestion. "Even after everything you've learned, you still plan to leave me here!?" he roared, smoke billowing from his nostrils. "I should burn down your city for your impudence!"

It was only after he'd said it did he seem to realize he probably shouldn't have. This whole situation was going to take some getting used to...for both of them. "Smaug..." Earyth began confidently. "Stay within the mountains and await my return."

The dragon watched them leave, nostrils flaring in outrage. Before they were out of earshot, Earyth heard Smaug bitterly mutter one last thing. "I should have let the Darkness take me." For some reason, she felt really sad to hear that.

AN: They certainly got brave once they realized Smaug couldn't do anything to them. What choice will Holdred make, though? And will Fulcred be able to mask his excitement well enough? Will Earyth be able to hide the truth from everyone else?

Of course, someone's bound to notice a dragon living nearby. The only question is when. And what will happen when they do?

Remember to check me out on Fiverr if you're interested.

Until Next Time

AdmiralCole22