I woke feeling a warmth tingling in me.

The next I knew was sunlight stinging at my eyes, making me hiss. "Skipre!" called a familiar set of voices, and I opened my eyes again, directing them away from the sun. "what...?" I groaned, seeing many faces staring at me. "you fainted, dear Skipre," Gandalf said. I turn my royal blue eyes to the wizard and smile. "Gandalf," I rumble, and he smiles, stretching out his hand. I put my snout into his closing my eyes as the familiar aura of a claiming wizard washed over me. "you took all that beating for the dwarves," said a younger, conservative voice, and I opened my eyes. Gandalf removed his hand. I saw Bilbo smiling at me, making me do the same.

"I would take anything for my friends. That's how I am. That's how my family is" I glanced over to Thorin, who looked guilty. Our eyes met, and I gave him a warm smile "no need to feel guilty, Oakenshield. You thought and felt what would be right in your situation. I know my half-kind has not been... the best creatures in middle earth, and I cannot do anything to cleanse their reputation but trust me when I say this: I'm nothing like Smaug."

The mountain king sighed and shook his head "no, you're right. Smaug would never have taken a beating like that just for us. I'm sorry I doubted you, Skipre," the dwarves around us cheered. I then turned my head to Bilbo, feeling dark energy pulsating from somewhere with him. I growled, narrowing my eyes. thorin also looks to our hobbit and says, "I want to know; why did you come back?" Bilbo looks at me, who is tilting my head. I knew he had slunk away when the goblins caught us, but when we arrived at the disfigured throne room, all thoughts of him had vanished from my mind.

That is not like you, said my mind worriedly, Forgetting your very own friends. What is happing to you, Skipre?

I dont answer. How can I when it's a voice in my head? My mother hasn't taught me how to answer my thoughts yet. And I believe she won't unless I return alive. Alive... home, the idea strikes me, and I gasp lightly, feeling my hearthstone clench in guilt, pain, and fear. Will I be able to return home? To my family? I have no answer.

Only time will be my answer.

Looming above the company and Skipre, a troop of orcs rides to the cliff's edge. At the head of the pack rides Bolg of the North. Half blind, muscular and tall, Bolg looks to be a force to be reckoned with. He turns to the Orcs behind him, pointing forward. "Run them down! Tear them to pieces!"

At his call, his troop races down the cliffside mounted on jet-black wargs.

'

Well, I didnt expect to be facing Bolg; that was a fact.

But none I was and now standing in front of an unconscious thorin and a brave hobbit baring my teeth at the Orc who sat on a white grime warg who didnt growl in my presence. While his master might not fear me, the warg did. "what are you doing with dwarves dragon?" hissed Bolg, his eyes holding distance for the kin of durin. I growled, coming back with my hate-filled reply.

"Because I can, Orc. I am doing what I deem right. You have no right to question me, you piece of flight!" before he knew it, Bolg was thrown down from his war,g his armor bending in towards his chest and leaving him roaring in pain. I stopped as his back hit the forest floor, my talon pressing his muscular body down, growling in his face, "I give you one chance... run... and leave us alone" seeing the fear in his eye as I stepped off him, turning my back and curling around Thorin.

Bolg didnt do anything for a long while, and he couldn't have done anything either. Because then some giant eagles came. Many grabbed orcs and the wargs throwing them to their doom, while others held the company. Including Bilbo and Thorin.

One eagle came to me, chirping in the tongue of eagles that I surprisingly understood, "do you want to fly with us, the great dragon of another world?" I smiled and nodded, spreading my wings and jumping off the cliff, waiting for my friends to be taken by the egals. But, instead, my eyes met with Bolg's, and I narrowed them before turning my back and flying after the great eagles.

While we flew, I occasionally spared glances at the still mountain king. Somehow I knew he was alive, but the bring of darkness was closing around him. in a few hours, he would be beyond our aid. I sighed, looking at the passing landscape in front of me. It was glorious. We flew over mountain tops bubbling rivers until we came to a rock looking like a head of a bear. "that is Carnrock, the master of these lands, calls it that." said the eagle flying beside me. I nod, not saying a word.

We soon land on a silver rock. I immediately go over to check at thoroin. I already find Gandalf standing over him, muttering a healing spell. Soon the king under the mountain opens his eyes, gasping a bit. I feel myself relax and sit down on my haunches, Bilbo coming up to my side.

We wait while Thorin stands with the help of his kin, but when I hear him ask, "where is Bilbo? Skipre?" I grow tense at his tone. Gandalf motions to us, and Thorin strides toward us, limping a bit. When he speaks, his voice is directed at bilbo  "You! What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed! Did I not say that you would be a burden? You would not survive in the wild and had no place amongst us?" I grow warily, making the mountain king look at me. "watch your tongue, king; you should be better than to anger a great dragon," I hissed but stopped as Bilbo touched my cheek.

"let him finish Skipre," Bilbo said before sighing and turning to his friend. thorin continued

"I've never been so wrong in all my life!" he exclaimed, grabbing Bilbo and embracing him deeply. The other dwarves cheer loudly and slap each other on the back. Gandalf smiles. Bilbo, looking quite surprised, hugs Thorin back. I smile and lower my head again just as they part.

"I am sorry I doubted you." Bilbo shakes his head, looking at me, and rubs my scales, making me purr softly. "No, I would have doubted me too. I'm not a hero or a warrior...not even a burglar." I snort and growl, making Bilbo jump a bit "it's true..." he trails off, meeting my azure eyes "n,o it is not. You are a burglar, a warrior... well,l you yet ahv to me, but you are brave Bilbo. That is all that counts—a brave and willing heart. We could ask no more than that" I glance at Thorin, who nods with a smile.

I then see movement and turn to see the Eagles fly away, screeching. one of them hangs behind, hovering in place. I meet his eyes and dip my head. He does the same before passing away and joining his brethren. I suddenly notice the dwarves looking at something. I follow their gaze seeing the outline of a single, solitary mountain. gandlaf then speaks up, proud in his tone and with a smile.

"Erebor—The Lonely Mountain. The last of the great dwarf kingdoms of Middle-earth."

I smile and wrap my tail around my talons.

"Our home," Thorin says beside me, and I brush my wing against his shoulder, still looking at the mountain. While I still have to be told the quest, I've begun to understand it.

My friends will retake their mountain from whatever has taken it. And I will help them.

Little did I know that it would be from one of my own.

~ ▬▬ι═══════   ﺤ ~