Shadow of Erebor

Chapter 1

Kili's POV

"I'm fine. It's nothing." I told Fili, my older brother. We had just finished our barrel ride out of the Elvenking's kingdom and had outrun the orcs chasing us. They had stabbed me with one of their blades in the leg.

"On your feet." Uncle Thorin told me sternly. "Kili's wounded. His leg needs binding." Fili argued protectively. "There's an Orc pack on our tail. We keep moving." Uncle Thorin told him. There was a rustle in the trees as they argued. I turned towards the noise, and spotted a silver eye, bigger than my head.

"Thorin," I gasped as a black dragon with silver scales that shone like stars in the night sky eased out of the trees. It moved slowly, like a cat cornering it's prey. The others stood up, soaked, tired, but determined to protect each other. As I attempted to stand it turned it's head to me.

Out flicked it's tongue and tasted the air as I had seen snakes do when they hunted. It moved it's head over to me.

"You shall not have my brother!" Fili yelled as he launched himself into the dragon's nose. It looked surprised and shook him off. Then it grabbed my cloak and took to the air. I heard Uncle Thorin cursing the dragon for a moment, then we were out of earshot. I tried to hit the dragon as it carried me to the lonely mountain. I would not die without a fight.

It snorted in amusement, and landed, with me still dangling from it's mouth. As it entered the mountain I continued to struggle to get away, but it only held tighter. We finally entered Thoror's hall, filled with gold, jewelry, gemstones, silver, everything imaginable. In the middle lay another dragon, reading a book while making notes.

It turned it's head to me as the noise of my struggles reached it. The other dragon set me down gently on the pile of treasure. The second dragon regarded me a moment before saying. "It seems you found a dwarf in need of care, eh Harma?"

"I would not trust another healer with him Harwë." The first dragon, (Harma? It's a girl?) Harwë snorted and then leaned down towards me. "He was struck with a poison blade," Harwë told Harma as he inspected my wound. "What creature did this?"

"Why do you care?!" I snapped angrily, his snout shot back. Harma jumped over me in a protective stance. "We will not harm you in any way." she said gently. "I must know, if I am to heal him sister." Harwë said softly.

"Orcs," I said in pain as I gripped the wound. The male, Harwë growled and waddled (if it is not disrespectful to say a dragon waddled) over to a series of chests. "Kingsfoil, garlic, poppy seeds." He muttered to himself as he rooted through them.

"You shall not touch me until you tell me just what everything does." I told him as he returned, he gave an amused snort. "Kingsfoil to cure the poison," Harwë stated as he placed it in the wound. "Garlic to prevent infection, and poppy seeds to help you rest."

"You think I will rest well where your kind slew my kin?" I demanded angrily, another snort from Harwë. "No, I think you will not. Which is why we have poppy seeds. Sleep well, Harma shall check our borders for orcs that your kin will be safe." Slowly my eyes began to shut after I had been fed the poppy seeds.

Harwë's POV

I looked at my sibling, and growled lowly. "We must not let anyone be killed by the orcs." She nodded and snarled, albeit quietly. "They thought father a monster? They have not seen me defending what is my hoard. And as it so happens, his kin are part of it."

"Protect them well," I grunted as I eased myself next to my new charge. "Or neither of us shall have a hoard worth boasting about." She nodded and slipped into our passageway. I curled up around the dwarf, I would have to know if anything happened as he rested. "Yes sister," I said before sleeping as well. "We shall have to protect them all."