A Ruby's Shine (Thorin Oakenshield X OC)

83. Tricking A Dragon

Only the slight whistle of the wind could be heard for a long while as I stood there, waiting.

Then, like an earthquake, I heard the loud rumble from the mountain. I stared at it, my eyes narrowing. Smaug is awake. I can only hope Bilbo is alright, I warned the hobbit to be careful but there is only so much one can do when searching for a single jewel in a giant pile of gold with a sleeping dragon. I just hope Bilbo survives this, or I will feel regret for the rest of my life, whether it be a few short hours or many more years to come.

I watched the mountain intensely, my eyes narrowing as I heard more and more rumbles like earthquakes beneath the mountain. I watched as the fog around the mountain began to glow like fire. I gritted my teeth in worry for the Company inside. I have no doubt Thorin ran in after Bilbo when the first earthquake happened. I glanced out over the far end of the lake by Mirkwood, able to see from pretty high up here, and was overly relieved to see the people of Laketown were smart enough not to light torches, or they are already safely within the caves.

I looked back at the mountain, taking deep calming breaths, fighting down the panic now, I cannot have it later. And I was panicking, I was terrified. Who wouldn't be, knowing they would face down a dragon alone? There is no help that can save me from a giant fire breathing dragon, all I can hope for is my trick will work enough to keep me alive and not burned to a crisp. I have no idea how large the dragon truly is, only the depictions in the books of Rivendell do I have to go off of, two clawed feet, giant wings with claws attached like arms, scaly hide thicker than any armor known to Middle-Earth, glowing snake like eyes and massive jaws full of teeth, long whip like tail.

Just imagining facing such a creature alone... I may be up for most challenges, but if there was any other way, I would have avoided this one. A fact I hide, one I hate to admit to even myself... But I fear death, don't we all? I fear dying, I fear never discovering who my people are, who I am, and leaving people who care for me behind. Before, it wasn't as scary, but now... Now I have so much to loose.

But yet, would the old me have offered to do this? Would I have decided to stand upon a tower alone and threaten a dragon? No, no the old me would have looked at the situation before deciding to go and tell an army, like Mirkwood, of the coming problem. Maybe being among these dwarves all these months has made me come up with such an insane plan, I do not know, but I know that I will not let Smaug get past this town, even if I burn with it.

I kept taking deep breaths, thinking of all the lives I would safe with my choice here and now, listening to the mountain. I could heard the roars of growls of something massive now, I do think the dwarves are fighting the dragon in some way, I hope that I might one day be able to ask them. I hope I live after this, but if I die... I guess I could not ask for a better warriors death.

I heard the bells of the only other tower in town begin to ring and grinned, glad that Bard set that bag of sand on the rope to begin the bell ringing without anyone there. We need to make Smaug think people are inside the town, though no one is. Smaug is a lizard, lizard's depend more on what they can smell and hear than what they can see. This town is covered in the scent of humans, and the sound of bell will make Smaug think the town is evacuating when, in fact, the town is already evacuated.

I closed my eyes, listening closely. I could hear Smaug now. The deep intakes of air, the rumbling, roaring exhales of massive lungs. The roars of rage, of anger. I opened my eyes and stared at the distant mountain. I could see a small light where I imagine the entrance to Erebor is, making me bite my lip in worry for the dwarves, before I saw a flickering of something... gold? I watched, my heart racing, as the gold object twisted up into the sky and vanished.