For the Sake of Kings (Thorin x OC x Aragorn romance)

17. We Meet Again

The dwarves were all sitting in a hall, not far from where we'd entered the mountain. Thorin was pacing, and Balin was watching him with an unreadable expression.

"He'll find it..." the old dwarf said to his king, who didn't answer; just kept pacing.

Having enough of the cloud of anticipation hanging over the group, I walked away, emerging from the hallways to overlook the horde of treasure that Bilbo was combing over. I only noticed him because he was the only thing moving or making sound in the chamber.

It looks like far more than it used to.. I thought as I looked over the pile. Going to the base of the stairs leading to the gold, I sat and lifted a coin, holding it up in the light of a brazier. My hand paused in turning the coin, and I looked at the flames beside me.

I stood slowly and scanned the room again, finding more flames spread in other settings. Just as I began wondering about how they were all lit, a trickling sound of metal on metal started. My head snapped towards the sound, finding a giant snout poking out of the gold.

No no no..

I opened my mouth to warn Bilbo, but thought better of it. At the very least, he'd seemed to notice too, standing still as a statue as he stared at the scales.
Turning, I quietly climbed the stairs again and moved to stand on a bridge looking over the scene.
The dragon lifted his head, making Bilbo scurry. Then a chase ensued, not unlike a cat with a mouse. I flattened myself onto my stomach, watching the scene, panicking.

I wasn't an archer, I had no bow, and I couldn't run down there swinging my sword. I was useless to the poor hobbit against this beast.
Gold jumped around like splashes of water under Smaug's feet.

"Hey!" I yelled out as steam started rising from Smaug's mouth. Bilbo ran further from him as he turned to me, lifting up on his hind legs to look at me.

"Oh my.. well don't you look familiar?" He said, his voice like honey. "The one that got away."
A chuckle rumbled in his chest. "The barrel rider didn't mention that he was with an elf."

In the corner of my eye, I saw Bilbo making for the stairs. I moved further across the bridge I was on, walking in the opposite direction of Bilbo. Smaug shifted to follow me, gold crunching under his feet.

"Where are you going? Should we not catch up on the last century?" He teased as he lifted himself up behind me, towering over me.
My blood ran cold as I craned my neck back to look at him.

"I suppose that would be the polite thing to do..?" I surprised myself with how steady I kept my voice.

"Where did you go after you escaped me? Did you ever find your little prince?" He nudged me with his nose, almost sending me sprawling. I took several steps back. He took one to stay at pace with me.

I took a deep breath and urged my feet to keep going, backing away from the dragon, who followed along. "He's waiting for the barrel rider in the halls somewhere isn't he? Waiting for you?"
His voice rumbled in my head, making me wince. It created a fight or flight response and I spun around, sprinting away from him.

"Answer me elf! Where is Oakenshield?" He roared as he chased after me. My feet carried me  up stairs and across more bridges as my thoughts went fuzzy. The only thing my mind kept repeating to me was "Runrunrunrunrun!"
I felt a fool, running like a coward. But what was I to do against him? I would burn again, this time my entire body; if he didn't decide to just swallow me whole.

A jet of fire blew over my head. He was playing with me now. My eyes burned as I tried to bite back tears, not wanting clouded vision to be my undoing.

"Run run, little elf! There is nowhere you can go that I will not find you. I destroyed your old hiding hole. There is nowhere else you can go that my fire will not reach you!"