Moon

Chapter 3: Lots of Anger and Another Confession

*Edited*

"Moon! Get down! We are leaving!" Gandalf called up. She nimbly climbed down from the roof and landed on the dirt path in a puff of dust.

"Without Bilbo?"

"The hobbit will not come," growled Thorin. She mentally snapped his neck.

"His name. Is Bilbo. And I think he will come! I'll bet you 20! Give me that!" she growled, quite literally, and snatched the contract from Balin.

"You're on," snapped Thorin. Moon flicked him off and marched back inside, contract in hand. She set it on the small round table in the foyer dutifully stepping back outside.

The ponies gave her nervous looks and stomped their feet anxiety at the smell of a dragon.

Moon heaved a sigh and flicked her long blonde hair over her shoulder in irritation. "I'm walking," she growled.

"Get her a pony."

"If one of you so much as brings that pony within five feet of me I will cut off your arm," the company was sure to step back several paces before she continued. " Throin Oakenshield, you may believe you are king under the mountain, but you don't have mountain yet, and all I see you as is a very self-centered dwarf that just decided to have a trip on my list of people I despise."

Smoke curled out of her nostrils and she felt her chest heat up, but she rolled her neck and ran up to trot next to Gandalf.

"I didn't know you had a list," chuckled Gandalf.

"Oh yes, let me see... Saromon the White, Thorin Oakenshield, goblins, orcs, The Master of Laketown and his little rat of an assisstant, Beorn hates me, must be the dragon... um.... oh oh oh! The two blue wizards, they always forget their names. I think that's about it."

"I would imagine you have a favorite list?"

"Of course, you know me too well. You, Radagast, Prince Legolas adores me, elves in general, Bilbo, and -" but she cut herself off, hearing the distant sound of pattering hobbit feet. "He's coming, make your bet now."

"Ah, Bofur, 20 he'll come?" said Gandalf.

"No, I believe in the lad."

"Ori, 20 he'll come?"

"Deal, Mister Gandalf."

"WAIT! Wait! I signed it," the hobbit yelled, getting quieter the closer he came.

Balin took the contract, looked it over through magnifying glasses, and said,"Everything seems to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield."

Moon gave a snort of disgust. "Alright, dimwit, pay up."

"I hope you weren't speaking to me," growled Thorin.

"No, I was talking to the other son of a-" but Gandalf waved his staff and her words were cut short.

She grabbed her throat and shot a deadly glare at the old Wizard. She began shaking her finger, mouthing words, and making extravagant motions with her arms.

"I will give you back your voice just as soon as you calm down," chuckled Gandalf.

She regained her composure and he waved his staff. She mumbled under her breath to see her voice was working. Suddenly, she leapt gracefully through the air, grabbed Gandalf's staff, and starting hitting Thorin with it, making the dwarves burst into laughter.

"Give me my money."

"Fine you nutty bird." and he threw a bag to her. She threw the staff up to Gandalf and marched angrily ahead of the group.

Gandalf noticed the blue tint coming to her skin, and shook his head at Thorin as he opened his mouth.

"Her bloodline is full of... danger, Thorin. Anger her and a ferocious beast will be released. As I am sure you noticed, her eyes are strange, and she can roar loud enough to shake a house, and the ponies are increasingly nervous around her. She is doing her best, but your conceitedness and harsh comments anger the beast within," Gandalf warned.

"What is she, Gandalf?"

"That is not mine to tell," he said. "She is normally a very peppy girl, but I would advise your company not to follow her if she disappears in the night."

Thorin gave him a look.

"Get him a pony," growled Thorin.

"No, no, no, no, that- that won't be necessary, thank you, but I-I-I'm sure I keep up on foot. I-I-I've done my fair share of walking holidays, you know," Bilbo rambled. "I even got as far as Frogmorton once-EURGH!" Kili and Fili had grabbed one arm each and lifted Bilbo onto a pony.

"Come on, Nori, pay up! Go on!" said Oin. Nori threw him a sack of gold.

"What's that about?" Bilbo asked Gandalf.

"Oh they took wagers on whether you would show up or not," said Gandalf in an off-hand tone.

"What did you think?" Bilbo inquires.

He caught a sack of tinkling coins. "My dear fellow, I never doubted you for a second!"

Bilbo suddenly sneezed, and mumbled,"Ohh. All this horse hair, I'm having a reaction."

"It isn't the hair, it is the dander, or microscopic scales of dead skin (similar to, but much smaller than the dandruff on the human scalp) which pets are constantly shedding that is the cause. They are so tiny that you seldom, if ever, know that they are circulating in the air or laying on the furniture and carpets," said Moon. A dead and awkward silence followed her words and Bilbo began patting his pockets.

"No, no, wait, wait! Stop! We have to turn around!" The company slowed and turned to look at the flustered hobbit.

"What on earth is the matter?" asks Gandalf dejectedly.

"I've forgotten my handkerchief."

Moon giggled in amusement from the front of the group.

Bofur ripped a piece of his shirt off and handed it to Bilbo.

"Here, use this!" said Bofur. Bilbo gave it a look of disgust.

"Move on!" Thorin called, and the company trotted back into motion.

That night, they stopped and set up camp.

Moon was blowing smoke rings from her mouth when Bofur sat beside her.

"How do ya do that, lass?" he asked.

"I already told you, Master Bofur. I'm a dragon," she grinned showing pointed canines.

"You want me ta believe that?"

"I don't want you to do anything. It's a matter of what you want to believe."

"How old are you?"

"Ssseventy eight," she hissed.

"You were only 18 when Smaug attacked!"

"Yes," she said slowly.

"You're the one they say was taken by Smaug himself!"

"Am I?" she said dreamily, staring across the field and basking in the moonlight.

"Ya are!"

"Great deducing, Master Bofur."

"So- Smaug just attacked you? I'm so confused."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"If I won't believe you then what does it matter?"

Her blue dragon eyes glowed in amusement.

"Alright, then," she began, explaining her life to the baffled dwarf.

"Ya really are a dragon," he breathed.

"A cursed dragon, Master Bofur."

"How?"

"Not even I know the answer to that."