HOME | DD

Description
The battle raged on for what seemed like ages. You tried to mentally block out the sight of dying soldiers as they dropped all around you. The might and sheer number of Mordor's army seemed incapable of being defeated. Even the arrival of Rohan's army barely even made a dent in their ranks.

Now, the surviving members of Gondor's forces were huddled together inside of the last available barricade, while the foes outside came ever closer to breaking through. You sat, with one arm wrapped around Pippin's shoulders, watching Smaug pace back and forth, running his hand through his hair anxiously. It was the most frightened you had seen him since the battle began, and you knew it was because this wasn't in his nature. He wasn't the type to sit, trapped and terrified, hoping to be rescued. He was meant to be the predator, not the prey.

You stood up and slowly made your way over to him. Without a word, you took his hand and rested your head against his arm.

"We should not simply sit here and wait to die," he said loudly enough for everyone to hear. "You all are soldiers, defenders of this city, are you satisfied with waiting to be slaughtered?"

"They're tired, Smaug," you said weakly. "They just want all of this to end."

He turned to you and pushed your face up so he could look into your eyes. "That does not sound like the woman I love. She faced a dragon, all alone, without having to think twice," he gave you a sad smile. "Do not tell me she does not have one more fight left in her."

As you peered back into his eyes, you noticed they were darker than you had ever seen them before. You sighed and gave him a small smile, "I suppose she could muster up one more."

He looked to the others and asked, "Will any of you join us?" You watched as most of them, including Gandalf and Pippin, rose to make one last stand.

In his most commanding tone, Gandalf said, "Open the gate."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Letting go of Smaug's hand, you ran and jumped into Legolas' arms giving him a big kiss on the cheek, then you did to same to Gimli and Aragorn in turn.

"Nice work on the ghost army," you whispered into Aragorn's ear before letting go. You had never thought you'd be so happy to see real ghosts, but they did save all of you in just the nick of time.

"I thought you would have been more useful," Gimli sassed to Smaug.

Chuckling half-heartedly, Smaug replied, "The situation changed a bit."

Looking at him now, you noticed that his expression seemed pained. "What's wrong?" you asked, rushing over to him. But before he could answer, he collapsed onto the ground.

The others told you later that you screamed in that instant, but you could never quite recall it. The next thing you remembered was someone removing Smaug's armor and revealing the wound.

By some slim, unfortunate chance, the blade had pierced him in the unprotected area under his left arm. You had to fight back the nausea when you saw the depth of the injury. They treated him as well as they could, but whether he lived or died was out of their hands.

You sat beside him every hour of the day and night, holding his hand and stroking his hair. The amount of time spent crying was countless. You constantly begged and pleaded with his still, silent body not to leave you because that's all you could do, besides wait.

Description
The battle raged on for what seemed like ages. You tried to mentally block out the sight of dying soldiers as they dropped all around you. The might and sheer number of Mordor's army seemed incapable of being defeated. Even the arrival of Rohan's army barely even made a dent in their ranks.

Now, the surviving members of Gondor's forces were huddled together inside of the last available barricade, while the foes outside came ever closer to breaking through. You sat, with one arm wrapped around Pippin's shoulders, watching Smaug pace back and forth, running his hand through his hair anxiously. It was the most frightened you had seen him since the battle began, and you knew it was because this wasn't in his nature. He wasn't the type to sit, trapped and terrified, hoping to be rescued. He was meant to be the predator, not the prey.

You stood up and slowly made your way over to him. Without a word, you took his hand and rested your head against his arm.

"We should not simply sit here and wait to die," he said loudly enough for everyone to hear. "You all are soldiers, defenders of this city, are you satisfied with waiting to be slaughtered?"

"They're tired, Smaug," you said weakly. "They just want all of this to end."

He turned to you and pushed your face up so he could look into your eyes. "That does not sound like the woman I love. She faced a dragon, all alone, without having to think twice," he gave you a sad smile. "Do not tell me she does not have one more fight left in her."

As you peered back into his eyes, you noticed they were darker than you had ever seen them before. You sighed and gave him a small smile, "I suppose she could muster up one more."

He looked to the others and asked, "Will any of you join us?" You watched as most of them, including Gandalf and Pippin, rose to make one last stand.

In his most commanding tone, Gandalf said, "Open the gate."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Letting go of Smaug's hand, you ran and jumped into Legolas' arms giving him a big kiss on the cheek, then you did to same to Gimli and Aragorn in turn.

"Nice work on the ghost army," you whispered into Aragorn's ear before letting go. You had never thought you'd be so happy to see real ghosts, but they did save all of you in just the nick of time.

"I thought you would have been more useful," Gimli sassed to Smaug.

Chuckling half-heartedly, Smaug replied, "The situation changed a bit."

Looking at him now, you noticed that his expression seemed pained. "What's wrong?" you asked, rushing over to him. But before he could answer, he collapsed onto the ground.

The others told you later that you screamed in that instant, but you could never quite recall it. The next thing you remembered was someone removing Smaug's armor and revealing the wound.

By some slim, unfortunate chance, the blade had pierced him in the unprotected area under his left arm. You had to fight back the nausea when you saw the depth of the injury. They treated him as well as they could, but whether he lived or died was out of their hands.

You sat beside him every hour of the day and night, holding his hand and stroking his hair. The amount of time spent crying was countless. You constantly begged and pleaded with his still, silent body not to leave you because that's all you could do, besides wait.