Chapter XIX

Eruanna Úlumiel went to check on her dragons. Sûlion was the first to acknowledge her. The black beast lifted his head and she rubbed his snout. Ceveniel was also up and about, her leg having healed considerably in such a short time. It wasn't fully healed however and that concerned Eruanna. But Ceveniel was strong and Eruanna knew better than to doubt her dragons.

Faroniel, the golden dragon, landed, dropping down a buffalo she'd hunted down in front of her siblings. The five dragons gathered around it greedily, devouring the animal until it was nothing but a bunch of bones.

"Eruanna!"

The Dragon Princess turned to see Bard coming her way. "We will go to the Mountain soon", he said. She nodded.

"It must be hard", he said. "Having to choose between the Company and your people. I can tell you didn't want it to come to this."

"My dilemma isn't as hard as yours. In the past day, you've had to step up and become the leader of your people. You will always choose them, no matter what. So will I. I will always choose my people. I will always choose the elves I grew up with over the dwarves I've only known for a few months. The greatest honor of a leader is to serve their people."

Was it hard to choose? Yes, it was. But in the end, there was no point in helping a mad King.

Bard looked at the dragons. "Your grandfather told me about the day you discovered your dragons. You practically raised them the way a mother would raise her children."

"No. I raised them the way an elder sister would raise her younger siblings. Because that's what they are to me. Not minions or creatures to do my bidding. They're my siblings and I will not give up on them. I'll gladly discipline them if I must, but I'll never abandon them."

Bard stared at her with a certain degree of admiration. She was young by elven standards, barely past her majority but even she had a certain wisdom that the mortal couldn't fully comprehend yet he could appreciate it all the same. Yet, war was looming over them and Bard had to ask "Are they ready for war?" At that, the dragons let out approving roars and the Dragoness smiled.

"Yes", Eruanna said. "They've never been more ready."

"Then we shall see you there", Bard said, bowing his head and leaving. "Yes, you shall", Eruanna called back.

Thranduil and Bard's armies marched on the mountain. Ceveniel, Helegiel, Naurion, Faroniel and Sûlion had enlarged themselves to a massive form, their heads alone being the size of a standing horse. Eruanna rode on Ceveniel's back and watched as her grandfather on an elk and Bard on a horse, rode up to the gate. The elves cleared the way for their liege and his human ally.

Thorin aimed an arrow at the Woodland King and shot it. The arrow bounced off of the elk's hooves. "I will put the next one in between your eyes", Thorin shouted. The dwarves cheered and Eruanna glared at them.

The elven army immediately drew their bows and nocked arrows, ready to fire at the dwarves. Upon hearing Eruanna's grandfather being threatened, Helegiel landed on the side of the mountain, making it tremble. She roared loudly at the dwarves who shouted and cowered in fear. Faroniel landed on the other side, scaring them even more as her bright eyes fixed themselves on Thorin.

Eruanna clutched Ceveniel's turquoise scales looking down at the scene before her. Her grandfather, the Elvenking Thranduil, and the man, Bard, descendant of Girion, Lord of Dale, stood with their armies laying siege to the Mountain. Ceveniel flapped her wings, keeping them afloat, high in the sky. The tension was palpable, one could cut it with a knife.

The grand dwarven Kingdom of Erebor stood before her, mocking her, mocking her family. The tall statues of two mighty dwarf warriors holding giant axes, glared at her as if threatening her. But Eruanna wasn't afraid. She was the Dragoness, a woman who commanded five dragons of the Valar. A group of petty dwarves would never make her bow.

Years ago, her grandfather had come to retrieve her grandmother's gems. It was a memo for the late wife he held so dear. Yet the dwarves withheld it from him and dishonored him.

Back then, there were no elemental dragons to defend him so Thranduil had come back home with torn pride. Forced to pay tribute to a Dwarf King who actually held no respect for the elves and foolishly thought the Arkenstone was a sign from the Valar that he was destined to rule. No one ruled because of some divine sign. They ruled because they could.

"He is not his grandfather", Gandalf had said to her once. Eruanna wanted to laugh. Thorin was no better than Thror. Here she was, looking at the mad Dwarf King who, like his grandfather, wanted for nothing more than the Arkenstone, who refused to share any of his wealth to help the people of Laketown, whose lives had been utterly ruined by Smaug. Thror earned his fate, Eruanna thought and she felt horrible for thinking so, but her anger overpowered her guilt.

Thorin and Thror were cut from the same cloth.

Thranduil gave his army the signal to withdraw their weapons. They obeyed and stood back in formation. The dwarves faced the elves and men, fear vanishing from their forms and voices. "We've come to tell you, payment of your debt has been offered and accepted", Thranduil said.

"What payment? I gave you nothing. You have nothing", Thorin responded. Eruanna saw the madness in his blue eyes.

Bard took out the Arkenstone and held it up for Thorin to see. "We have this", he said.

"They have the Arkenstone, thieves! How can you buy the heirloom of our house!?! That stone belongs to the King!", Kili shouted. "And the King may have it, with our goodwill", Bard said, putting the Arkenstone away. "But first he must honor his word."

"They are taking us for fools. This is a ruse, a filthy lie. The Arkenstone is in this mountain! It is a trick!!", Thorin raged. "It-It's no trick", Bilbo said, coming onto the scene. "The stone is real, I gave it to them."

Eruanna looked down, worried. "You...", Thorin said. "I took it as my 14th share", Bilbo said. "You would steal from me", Thorin said. "Steal from you? No, no I may be a burglar but I like to think I'm an honest one. I'm willing to let it stand against my claim", Bilbo said.

"Against your claim... your claim. You have no claim over me, miserable rat!!", Thorin roared. "I was going to give it to you, many times I wanted to but, you are changed Thorin, the dwarf I met in Bag End would never have gone against his word or doubted the loyalty of his kin!!", Bilbo shouted.

"Do not speak to me, of loyalty", Thorin said darkly, going towards Bilbo.

"It's true", Eruanna said. Thorin stopped and looked up at her. His eyes widened at the large dragons and sanity flashed before his eyes.

"You have become untrustworthy and dishonorable. You want to kill innocent people over gold!?! Over some stone!?! That stone does not make you a good king!!", she roared at Thorin.

"Untrustworthy? Dishonorable? You are just as much of a traitor as Bilbo!! Everyone here befriended you, yet we see you next to the same elf who brought misery to our people!! And he will pay for it with all of his blood!!! His blood is not innocent", Thorin shouted at the top of his lungs. Ceveniel roared angrily.

"You knew the Elvenking's blood flowed through my body and you accepted it. Yet here you are accusing me of being a traitor. Shows how well you express gratitude", Eruanna shot back.

Thorin glared at Bilbo. "Throw him from the rampart!", he demanded, glaring at Bilbo.

The dwarves all looked reluctant. Eruanna gasped in fear. She prepared to catch Bilbo and save him. "Do you not hear me!?!", Thorin snarled, grabbing Fili. However, he was shoved away.

"I shall do it myself!", Thorin roared, grabbing Bilbo. "CURSE YOU", he shouted. All the dwarves protested as Thorin thrust Bilbo onto the wall. "Curse the wizard that forced you and the elf scum on this company!"

"If you don't like my burglar then please don't damage him, return him to me!", Gandalf cried out, coming onto the scene. Thorin let go of Bilbo and looked at Gandalf. "You're not making a splendid figure as King Under the Mountain are you, Thorin, son of Thrain?", Gandalf asked.

She was angry with the wizard. He had dragged her into this mess. She had so stupidly been convinced by him that this would be good for her. Why was she even needed? Bard took down Smaug, not her, as Gandalf intended for her to do. She was furious with him and herself. Had she known what would happen, she would have turned him down.

"Never again will I have dealings with wizards or Shire rats", Thorin shouted. Bilbo quickly escaped down the gate. He looked up at Eruanna, who sat atop Ceveniel like the Queen she was meant to be.

"Are we resolved? The return of the Arkenstone for what was promised!?! Will you have peace or war?", Bard asked.

Eruanna saw a raven fly back and look at Thorin. "I will have war", he declared.

The Dragoness turned and saw a huge army of dwarves coming towards them. "Ironfoot", Gandalf muttered with Bilbo next to him. Eruanna's grandfather shouted in elvish and his army marched towards the dwarves. The leader, Thorin's cousin, Dain Ironfoot came forth.

"If the King wants war, then I shall have blood!", she shouted. Her dragons roared in anger. "Good morning! How are we all?", Dain asked. Eruanna rolled her eyes.

"I have a wee proposition if you wouldn't mind giving me a few moments of your time. Would ya, consider? Just sodding off!!!", he shouted. "All of you! Right now!."

"Stand fast", Bard shouted as everyone began to panic. "Come now, Lord Dain", Gandalf said.

"Gandalf the Grey", Dain said, acid in his voice. "Tell this rubble to leave, or I'll water the ground with their blood!!!." "There is no need for war between dwarves, men and elves, an army of orcs are headed our way, stand your army down", Gandalf said.

"I will not stand down before any elf", Dain snapped. "Not least this faithless woodland sprite they call King! Or this little she-elf who is trying to scare me by riding a dragon", he pointed his huge hammer at Eruanna's grandfather.

"Careful Lord Dain, my dragons shall have you on your knees", Eruanna said. "Your King wishes ill upon my people. If he chooses to stand between me and my kin, I'll split his pretty head open!!", Dain shouted. "And I'll do the same to you, you little traitor!! See if he's still smirking then!!" The five dragons roared in rage.

"He's clearly mad like his cousin. Wanting to kill me and my granddaughter when his cousin is at fault for all this!", King Thranduil said. "You hear that lads? We're on! Let's give these bastards a good hammering!!", Dain shouted to his army.

The dragons let out thunderous roars. Eruanna clutched Ceveniel's scales. It was time to remind them that whilst the Valar ruled all, it was the elemental dragons who truly held dominion over the skies and everything below it.