𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐍𝐒: 𝑺𝑴𝑨𝑼𝑮 | FINISHED

~ch.22: We finally meet, Smaug

❤︎
Tatsuo

I, Balin, and Bilbo walk into a tunnel leading to the mountain's interior. "You want us to find a jewel?" bilbo says, and the white-haired dwarf nods. "A large white jewel, yes," he says, and I sigh. "That's it? Only, I imagine there's quite a few down there." I say, and Balin turns his head to me, saying, "There is only one Arkenstone. You'll know it when you see it." I nod, and bilbo voices our understanding. "Alright." Balin begins to walk back down the tunnel but then pauses. In truth, lad, laddie, I do not know what you will find down there. You needn't go if you two don't want to; there's no dishonor in turning back." I and bilbo glance at each other, having the same look of determination. "No, Balin, we promised we would do this, and we think we must try." Balin looks at Bilbo, then at me, and begins to chuckle appreciatively.

"It never ceases to amaze me," he says, and I frown. "What's that?" I say, and he smiles at me. "The courage of Hobbits and the kindness of woman. Go now with as much luck as you can muster." I and bilbo nod at the dwarf, and we o proceed down the tunnel while Balin turns back. "Oh, and you two... if there is, in fact, a live dragon down there, don't rouse it." Balin says. Bilbo looks worried and me, but I don't turn to him and nod at Balin. We walk a few more steps before bilbo turns as if to ask a question, but Balin is already disappearing around a corner. We look at each other, then tiptoes toward Smaug's lair.

♡
A/n

Bilbo and Tatsuo quietly walk through a large doorway and finds themselves in a massive hall. Bilbo then whispers out loud. "Hello?" Tatsuo bit back a snort at the hobbit's politeness. Then the hobbit knocks quietly on the wall beside him, but the sound is intensified loudly as it echoes, and he jumps and presses himself against the wall in shock. Seeing no reaction to the noise, the two walks out into the hall on an elevated walkway. "You're not at home. Not at home. Good. Good, good, good." bilbo mutters to himself, and Tatsuo chuckles. At the top of the staircase, Tatsuo and the hobbit suddenly stops walking, and their mouth hangs open in shock. They see mountains of gold, jewels, weapons, cups, and treasure piled dozens of feet high throughout the immensely massive hall. Tatsuo and Bilbo climb down the stairs and carefully begin to walk atop the glory. Bilbo tries to be quiet, but the coins and jewels beneath his feet make a lot of noise. Tatsuo, on the other hand, is as silent as a mouse. They both poke around, looking for the Arkenstone. Bilbo then finds a large white jewel and examines it.

"What's that?" he mutters. Tatsuo is on another part of the mound and doesn't look up as the hobbit shakes the jewel and continues examining it; deciding that it's not the Arkenstone, he carelessly throws it aside, then jumps when it clatters and makes a lot of noise. Her shifter cobalt eyes whip him, and she gives him a shocked look. Bilbo smiles sleepily at her and hunches the jewel. Tatsuo smiles at him back and continues to look around. "Arkenstone, Arkenstone...a large, white jewel. Very helpful." she hears bilbo mutter, and she shakes her head. They're both surrounded by so much treasure that it would be impossible for them to find one particular jewel. Later they both limbs up a mountain of gold. Bilbo picks up a golden cup, and this action starts a small avalanche of coins. Tatsuo looks up from her spot, as does he, and they see the coins falling away to reveal Smaug's eye, which is shut. Bilbo jumps behind a stone pillar in fright. Tatsuo follows but a long way from the frightened hobbit. She feels her dragon calling gout her, claws clawing at her heart.  All is silent, and it seems like Smaug is still asleep. Suddenly, Smaug snorts, and the treasure around his nose falls away, revealing it. Tatsuo hears Bilbo panting, and slowly he tries to make his way down the pile of gold but stops short when he realizes that Smaug's body is buried in a large circle around where he is standing. The gold all along Smaug's body begins to ripple as he awakens.

The hobbit takes a few steps towards his friend, pauses, and kneels as Smaug begins to raise his head, his eyes still closed. As Smaug opens his eye, Bilbo runs and dives behind a pile of gold. As Smaug's eye looks around, Bilbo reaches into his pocket and pulls out the Ring. A growl emits from Tatsuo, who glares at the golden object in the hobbit's hand. Bilbo ignores her growls of warning and looks at it for several seconds, then looks up as Smaug begins to raise his head. He puts the Ring on and becomes invisible. Smaug raises his head and sniffs the air. "Well, thief, I smell you. I hear your breath. I feel your air. Where are you?" As Smaug says this, he moves his head back and forth around where Bilbo is invisibly standing, and Bilbo has to duck to avoid being knocked over. The dragon then sniffs again, his nostrils flaring. Tatsuo knows that it is her he's smelling. she quickly sighs as quietly as she can and stills her shaking body. The male dragon is silent and continues to talk to bilbo, telling himself that he imagines the smell of a female.