Chapter 4 – Decisions -

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The darkness began to thin as Saphira slowly came back to consciousness. Her head ached and her body felt stiff and sore, but a quick mental check and she could not discern that anything was broken or seriously wrong. With that in mind, she groaned as she tried to bring herself back into the aching world of pain. She had not even opened her eyes yet, but her other senses were overloading her with mixed messages that she couldn't process and had to sort through one at a time. She could feel cold stone beneath her, and it was oddly flat and smooth for her scales; she could hear faint drips of water hitting rock and then the breathing of a creature close by; she could smell dust, moss, mould, stale air and a deep masculine musk.

And then there was her sixth sense, which suddenly came screaming to the forefront of her mind that something wasn't right.

Why had she been unconscious? Her condition had not been so severe as to warrant a failure of her body, and she had been perfectly aware of everything within and around her. Sorting thrugh her memories, she shifted through what happened to her manually. The last thing she remembered was drinking by the ravine, sensing the presence watching her, then encountering the male dragon, their fight –

Suddenly Saphira remembered what her senses had been telling her when she awoke: heavy breathing that was not her own, masculine musk...

Saphira's eyes snapped open and she at once tried to bolt herself upright to stand, suddenly panicking as she realised what must have happened. But before she could familiarise herself with her surroundings, a force like a battering ram crashed into her shoulder and sent her hurtling back down to the ground. Saphira hissed as her mind ached from the sudden shift in gravity, but she tried to get up again –

But then she felt a vice like grip surround her throat just below her head and pushed her down, effectively pinning her.

Saphira looked up to see the bull dragon she had encountered towering above her, a smirk spreading across his lips as he looked down at her lazily. He had one of his hands wrapped around her throat, the edges of his talons digging into her scales slightly to make his point absolutely clear to her. Saphira snarled at him, her outrage tremendous as she struggled against his hold, trying to put even her full weight against him. She managed to move herself a few feet across the floor, but his grip stayed upon her neck and she did not rise even an inch off of the ground. She tried to knock him off but he was standing in front of her head, so no part of her could reach him with enough mass to push him off of her. Her struggles soon ceased as she lay there panting, her teeth bared as she seethed up at the male above her.

"Oh good," he sneered down her – Saphira was still finding it odd to watch his lips move in such a way as to produce speech. "You're awake." He said dryly.

Saphira then managed to see behind the male at get a good look at her surroundings. She was within some sort of stone hall, what smelled like a cavern was actually the inside of a building made of stone. It was huge, the vaulted ceilings stretching far up above her, the stone structure intricately carved and designed for space and grandeur. It was impressive – for what little she knew of architecture anyway. An idea suddenly came to her, so abrupt that it made her growl die in her throat. She had been unconscious, practically helpless and the male – Smaug, she remembered his name – had been ready for the kill. Yet here she was, inside of a building, which she could only presume to be his lair of some description. He had brought her here and had restrained her when she first awoke. Why would he go through all of this trouble if he was not going to kill her? Focusing her gaze back onto him, she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Sensing her change in attitude, Smaug chuckled deeply to himself, his eyes meeting hers.

"Now, I'm going to let you up, and we'll see if you can behave like a good girl. If you can, then we can talk. If not, then you'll go back to the floor," he spoke with mock sweetness, and Saphira bared her teeth as she snorted, but did nothing else. "I have a proposition for you which you might like to hear; seeing as you're mute, you should have no problem listening." He said the last part as more of a grumble, but Saphira heard it, and it reminded her that she had yet to speak a single word to him... which could oddly work out to her advantage...

Smaug's fingers pried off of her slowly, as if to make sure that she wouldn't try anything, but he stepped away from her as she climbed to her feet. Saphira stood to her full height, puffing out her chest, narrowing her eyes and keeping her wings just a little open in a show of distrust and aggression, but not enough for battle. She wanted Smaug to know that she did not like or trust him, but she was listening. And then she turned her attention back to her body, seeing that she had a few cuts and bruises, but nothing major for her to worry about or deal with at the moment. She ruffled her wings in order to try and release the feeling of cramp that she had down one side from where she had been lying on the cold hard floor for so long. But her gaze never left Smaug's, who was looking up and down the length of her body with a seemingly critical eye, like a human weighing an object before he spent money on it. The look made her want to snarl at him, had he no respect?

"Good. Now that I have your attention," Smaug smirked to himself. "I would like to introduce you to your new home: Erebor, the Lonely Mountain, my domain. And should your good behaviour continue, you will stay here for a very long time,"

Mildly surprised that she was inside a mountain, Saphira however did not recognise any of the names that Smaug gave this place, only the confirmation that it was indeed his lair. But what she did recognise, was the fact that he had just said he planned to keep her here, as if she were some stray dog that he was taking in as a pet! Her outrage grew to beyond belief, and she growled at him, the noise deep and savage as she lowered her head and widened her stance, grinding her talons against the smooth stone floor, her eyes begging for blood as she glared at him. Smaug saw her change in demeanour, and narrowed his eyes at her, lowering his own head as he rumbled a reply growl to her, their sounds echoing around the stone chamber until it felt like an entire chorus of dragons were getting ready to declare open war upon one another.

"Careful," Smaug warned with a hiss. "I will not tolerate such insolence, even from my own treasures. You belong to me now, female, I suggest you change your attitude or suffer the consequences."

Saphira felt like something had exploded inside of her, her rage was so absolute it was as if her own fire had detonated and was now burning through her body with such an intensity she thought she would burst! Without a second thought, she threw away all notions of restraint as she pushed her mind outside of her body and raced across the space between her and Smaug as she closed in on his consciousness. He did not even see such an attack coming, for as she reached his mind, only his natural defences were in place; either he did not think her a threat or he did not know such a threat existed. It did not matter in either case, Saphira blasted apart his defences as easily as she would swatting a fly, her whole being, the furious force of her wrath was behind her, giving her extra strength as she forced her way inside Smaug's mind and instantly took root in the centre before he could even realise what was happening. But when he did, the real Smaug gasped, baring his teeth as he whipped his head about in short panic, eyes wide as he felt Saphira inside of him, wrestling his very thoughts into submission as she tried to take over his mind, stinging him and striking him from the inside in every vicious, painful ways she knew.

"Wh-what are you DOING?!" He screeched as every muscle in his body went rigid, he forced his eyes shut as he tried to fight her from within. Saphira narrowed her eyes, the only sign that what Smaug was doing inside his own head was affecting her. She had to admit, he was now putting up a good fight, but it was clear that she had much more experience and was now deeply rooted inside of his core. "This is not POSSIBLE!"

'And why is that?' she asked in a deadly sweet voice, curling her lip at him as she watched Smaug's eyes bulge in his head as he stared at her, clearly hearing her voice inside his own mind.

"You... you speak!" he snarled.

'Did you honestly think I was so stupid that I could not even utter a single word?' she growled at the insult, twisting herself inside Smaug's mind and causing him to hiss in pain.

"How are you doing this?!" Smaug bared his teeth at her, eyes blazing inside his skull as his fury grew within him as he tried to beat away her mental attacks. "Tell me!"

'Answer MY questions first Brute!' Saphira snapped.

Smaug roared, the sound so loud and echoing all around them, pounding Saphira's sensitive hearing and she had to wince slightly. Suddenly, she felt something rise from within Smaug, and felt herself being physically pushed from his mind like a tidal wave washing her away. She clawed and tried to hang on to her place, but was banished, her place being lost. Instantly recomposing herself, she once again tried to hack her way into his mind, but found that the deepest part of himself was sealed off, and she could find no way around it. She could get inside the more outer parts of his mind, but the seat of his being was blocked. She snarled at him in the physical realm, frustrated that he had evicted her so.

"How. Did. You. DO THAT?!" Smaug growled out each word, his voice rising in pitch and volume until he was screeching by the end. Saphira seethed at him, smoke curling from her nostrils as she regarded him distastefully.

'If it is not obvious already, I communicate through the use of my mind.' Seeing as she was allowed into the outskirts of Smaug's mind, she could still communicate with him, and his look of surprise did not cease to amuse her. 'It is as I have always been. And as you have experienced...' she trailed off for a second in order to show Smaug her teeth in a sadistic grin. 'It grants me quite a few telepathic abilities as well,'

It earned her a savage growl from Smaug as he took a menacing step towards her, but Saphira did not allow him to get close, and stepped with him, the two slowly beginning to circle each other like wolves.

'Now answer my questions, Savage,' she snapped at him. 'Why did you bring me here?'

"If it was not obvious already," he muttered, mockingly mimicking her word for word. "I have brought you here to be my mate,"

Saphira froze in place as the words sank in, utter shock filling her as she tried to get past the block in her thoughts from what such a thing could mean. She had once thought herself alone, she knew herself to be the last living female of her species; the only males she had ever encountered in her brief existence so far, had been males that she could not have. Shruikan had been mad, and he and Thorn had opposed her on the side of Galbatorix during the war, and Saphira thought that she and Thorn had exchanged too many blows and wounds during battle to ever be more then associates. That one's anger ran deep, and she wondered if he would ever see her with anything less than resentment. The only other dragon, Glaedr, had been her teacher when she and Eragon had lived amongst the elves, and Saphira had thought it the perfect opportunity to rebuild their race together; but he had refused her, keeping himself to the role of her master alone. Saphira had resigned herself to forever being alone, if she had been honest, she had not truly expected to find dragons anywhere, it had been a foolish hope. But to have a mate, to have hatchlings of her own... it had been her greatest dream, everything she had ever wished for. But for it to happen like this? No! Saphira was the greatest living dragon in Alagaesia, and she would not allow ANYONE to take her will from her!

'No.' she growled.

"No?" Smaug blinked in surprise.

'I reject your offer,' she spat out the words at him, hate burning in her eyes.

"You really have no choice in the matter," Smaug curtly answered her, his cold gaze meeting hers.

'How DARE you?!' she raged. 'You cannot decide this for me!' and then Saphira realised that where she had stopped, she was closest to the entrance, and without a second thought, she turned around and bound away towards the exit. Smaug roared after her, and she didn't even make three bounds of her galloping stride when she suddenly felt something crash into her back, knocking the wind from her lungs as she was pushed to the floor.

Saphira roared as she rolled onto her back, Smaug above her, baring his teeth as he lunged for her throat. Saphira managed to get one hand up, and whipped her talons through the air, causing Smaug to stop short of his strike lest he wanted to lose an eye. With her other hand, Saphira pushed at his chest, her back legs kicking and clawing at his stomach, her fangs biting at the air around his face as she tried to strike him, to push, to free herself from this situation. But then, she felt one of her hind legs catch upon the scales of his stomach, and she then used the leverage to push him off, even only slightly to the side as she tried to right herself.

But Smaug managed to grab one of her forelegs with his hand, and swung her around, throwing her back as he took up his place in front of the doorway that led to the entrance of the mountain, pushing himself to his full height as he glared down at her.

Saphira managed to roll herself onto her stomach, claws scraping on the stone and leaving long furrows where her momentum kept her travelling backwards. She snarled as she launched herself at Smaug once more, but before she could get close, he launched his coiled neck forward like a serpent, snapping at her legs and forcing her to stop. She tried to go around him one way but he snapped at her again. She tried to go around him and then to feint this way and that in an attempt to get him to move even a step, but he refused to budge even an inch. With a roar, she tried once more to go around and vault over him, but suddenly, Smaug whipped himself around and struck her with his tail. She cried out as the force hit her painfully, and Saphira was suddenly aware of how tired she was, both from where she was half starved and her injuries, and now she had been exhausting herself against Smaug. But refusing to give up, the notion of never seeing Eragon again in the forefront of her mind, she pushed herself back towards Smaug, launching herself at him again and again desperately.

Eventually though, Smaug grew tired of the 'game', and suddenly reared onto his hind legs, spreading his wings on either side of him to block up the passage and Saphira saw his chest begin to glow, a light coming from in between each scale as if he contained the sun within him. The light travelled up from his chest, up his throat and his nostrils and eyes began to glow as he inhaled a deep breath, and suddenly unleashed a torrent of flames that bathed the chamber in a red light as he poured forth the fire into the space between them. Saphira stopped herself short of the flames, for though she did not fear them, she knew when she had been defeated. Her legs were shaking from exertion, she didn't know how long she and Smaug had been at this, but it felt like an eternity.

Smaug saw when she had lost, but for once he did not gloat, instead she felt his eyes constantly upon her, judging her, gauging her, and she met his gaze fearlessly. Even as the flames died and burned themselves out between them, neither of them moved, their eyes constantly locked together.

"There is no escape. This has been pointless on your part," he commented in that deep voice, for once his emotions not distinctly present, making him harder to read.

'I do not fear you.' She growled defiantly.

"And you need not, if you do as I say,"

'I am not your pet!'

"No, but you are MINE now," he growled at her dangerously.

Saphira snarled.

"I will keep you here, you shall not leave." He told her, his voice deep and seeming to send a shiver through Saphira as if he were speaking the Ancient Language itself. "But I will provide for you and care for you, as any mate of worth would. You should be honoured to be my chosen mate, my accomplishments have made me very desirable for females. I am strong, the greatest dragon of the age, all fear me, and none resist me. You will do well with me."

'But why keep me if I refuse you?!' she demanded.

"Let it not be said that I give up easily; if I want something, I do everything in my power to have it, and once I do, I NEVER release it." he said with almost an amused smirk as he cast his eye about the chamber they were standing in, as if he knew something that she didn't. "But do not be fooled into thinking that I will be very forgiving, blue-one." He growled as he took a menacing step towards her. "I have been lenient with this behaviour so far due to your ignorance of the situation. But now that you are fully informed, I will not tolerate this anymore. Should you continue with this any further, I will not hesitate to KILL you for such grievances. Let that be your only warning."

Saphira wanted to argue, to refuse, to say that she was not going to simply lie down and take this like a mongrel dog! She could not believe that she wasn't even trying to fight him now, her spirit refused to be caged in this way; she was a dragon, she should be free to do as she pleased! But then again, Saphira knew when something was not good for her health, and at the moment, she was weak, exhausted, hungry and ready to drop. And here was a male who was ready to either help her recover or he would kill her. And although she knew she would put up a good fight and probably give him a few more scars, in her current state, she couldn't best him. But she wouldn't stand for this forever. No. All she needed to do was be patient, like when on the hunt and waiting for the prey to get into the perfect position, she would bide her time, save her strength, strike when she was strongest and make her escape.

So, with a slow exhale, she abandoned her hostile posture, stopped the growl in her throat, closed her mouth, and looked away from Smaug in order to show that she had given in. In wounded her pride to do so, but she swallowed it back for the sake of survival at this moment in time. Smaug sensed her withdrawal, and seemed to approve of her decision as he grumbled contentedly at her.

"Very good," he murmured, and began to walk past her, the edge of his wing brushing along her side, and Saphira had to snap every muscle in her body as taught as a bow string in order to not snap at him. "And by the way," Smaug's voice said, and Saphira turned her head in order to view him coldly out of the corner of her eye. "You are now know my name, but I do not seem to be familiar with yours..."

'I am Saphira.' She said coldly, but still with some pride as she held her head a little higher, her neck arched regally. 'Also known as Bjartskular amongst the elves, Flametongue by the Urgals, and Brightscales by men,'

Smaug's brows rose a little, the only show of his surprise, and Saphira felt her pride inflate a little.

"Well, Saphira," Smaug said, and Saphria tried to ignore the way she like how her name sounded when spoken with his deep voice, it made her sound formidable yet beautiful, intriguing yet exotic. But she stubbornly pushed such thoughts away. "Come with me, you should now get yourself acquainted with your new home,"

Saphira tried to supress a growl as her lip curled at Smaug's back, but she stiffly began to follow him, knowing that trying to run whilst his back was turned was pointless and would only result in injury or possibly even death. So she quietly followed him as he led her through the long and dark tunnels deep into the depths of Erebor.

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Author's Note: Hello everyone! Sorry for the shorter chapter, but I felt that this was at a good place to leave this one! :) And thank you for all the wonderful comments, I'm so happy that you guys are enjoying this story so far!

And please review! Please tell me what you thought of: Saphira waking up in the Mountain? Smaug's proposition? Saphira's mental attack? Their first actual conversation? Their little scuffle? And Saphira's final decision... if you can really call it that?

See you guys in the next chapter! Until next time!