Dragon Fire and Ruin

Chapter 1

Authors note: occurs sometime after erebor. Not anytime near the last war of the ring. Just kind of inbetween.

The birds sang out in their early morning serenade. They spoke of a stranger in her wood. They spoke of a wizard in her mountains. She tilted her head this way and that listening. She listened to mother earth and what she told her of her strange visitor.

Her kind were once elves. Now she was something different. She was a new creature. Thanks to the dragon magic in her viens.  It also made her more out of control. Given that she had a tendency to go into a rage upon occasion. Smiling in the memory of the fear she saw on the faces of those that had crossed her.

'You promised to work on that' Frostvirne's voice rumbled in her head.

She looked toward the forboding peaks behind her at where he was most likely hunting. He liked plucking the mountain goats from the peaks. She gave him a mental shrug and concentrated oncemore on the forest below her. She saw the tip of a grey hat and the wooden staff. She knew this wizard from long ago. She leaped from branch to branch positioning herself perfectly to suprise her unwelcome visitor.

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Gandalf walked on toward the high peaks of the north mountains. He sought the company of an old friend. Soon in the years to come he felt that Mirkwood would need to renew their alliance with the dragon shifters. He shook his head slightly thinking of the loss of such a great people. Only one was left, he felt that she would be imperative to the coming war. The war that would end all wars, the finale war of the ring.

Then there was the issue of a taciturn elven king. And the old friend that was against all dealings with the outside world. How to get these two together? How to make an alliance from dust and blood? How to give hope to two people that had been subject to fire and ruin? He didn't know really, but he did know that he had to try.

He paused walking and noted the stillness of the forest. The complete lack of movement. The birds still sang and the breeze still blew. There was however a certain calm before the storm. A new entity dwelled here. You could just barely feel it.

"Are you going to stand all day staring with your bow drawn at me or are you going to say hello? Its rude to kill a friend before you even speak with them." he called out.

A soft thud behind him made him turn around to find a warrior behind him. A being from a people that no longer existed. His friend. Rhea. Her hair was long reaching her lower back. It was as dark as onxy or charcoal. Intricate braids kept it out of her face and held trinkets from her journeys. Her eyes were molten gold and crystalline blue. Cold with flecks and starbursts of blue in the center. Much like a flame held blue in it.

 Her face was noble and harsh from her scowl much like an upset queen. Her eyes held a look of wisdom beyond her years, a wisdom hard earned. She had lived a long and troubled life.

'Skin white as snow, lips as red as blood, hair as black as ebony. A beauty to rival any being in middle earth. Even the great elves could not claim a beauty such as hers.' he thought.

"What do you seek here. . . old friend" she said lowly.

"I seek to give advice and to spend some hours of conversation with a great queen" he said bowing his head in respect.

"What queen am I?" she chuckled darkly. "I am a queen of mountains and sky. I have no people anymore. I am not a queen." she walked off toward the north.

"If you seek to give advice to me of renewing alliances once more with the elves of Mirkwood you are wasting your time. The conversation though is more than welcome." she said

"Well I must try to advice you as I see is good for you. Living here in isolation is bad for you and Frost—" a dagger was at his throat.

"Do not speak to me of what is good and right! And do not dare speak his name. You have no right to do so." she released him and stepped back. " Not anymore. You no longer have the right or honor to say my dragons name. Leave before I kill you myself. You trifling with things better left alone got my people decimated and will only anger me if you do so anymore. Leave."

The sun was blocked by a looming figure as it swooped down and Rhea jumped upon its back. The silver color of scales shone in the sun like frost diamonds. The roar was heard for miles.

"It seems I must start with the elf first. He would be more moved to action."