Chapter Text
You had found a spell in an ancient book that had had a peculiar outcome. You had been sent to another world, luckily with Pherea. There was a slight problem. No one seemed to like dragons here, and every group of people that you had tried to approach had chased you away with arrows and spears. So you flew around the world, resting and hunting whenever you could.
One night, a wizard had stumbled upon the two of you as you were resting and he had tried to scare Pherea away from you who had been amused by his show and yawned widely, showing that he was not succeeding. You decided to tell him that Pherea was no threat and that she was a good friend of yours who would never harm someone who didn't harm her. After a while of convincing, he had agreed to dine with you and was actually quite interested to hear the stories you two had of your world, after getting over the initial shock that Pherea could talk with people with her mind. You separated the next morning, and he promised that he would spread the word that the two of you were not a threat.
Now, you were flying towards a lone mountain peak as Pherea wanted to check it out.
"Do you think we will ever fit in with the people here?" You asked her, and she answered you with her voice that could only be described as bright. Your father had said that he had never heard that a dragon's voice could be so bright and harmonious.
"I don't know, little one. But for now, we have each other and that is enough." You placed a hand on her shoulder as you circled around the mountain.
"I'll swoop down closer and take a look and then we can go. Perhaps the elven kingdom Gandalf mentioned." She suggested and you made a short noise of agreement before horns started sounding and a heavy metal net enveloped the two of you. It came as a complete surprise to you, and you fell off the saddle after trying to cut the net off with your sword. The last thing you heard before the World went dark was Phenea screaming your name.
A group of dwarves found you and took you inside the mountain, taking you to the healers immediately. The king was called due to your unusual clothing and weird appearance and the wonderful craftsmanship of your sword. The dwarves had a tight policy not to touch other's weapons without permission, so they just settled with examining it with amazed eyes. The metal was nothing like they had seen before, shiny and light grey with a few orange streaks running across it. But to the king, Thorin, you were the real mystery. He had never laid eyes on a woman more beautiful, and the strange clothing you wore intrigued him even more.
He ordered the maids to fetch him the moment you woke up and he decided to go see the dragon they were kept chained up in the basement. It gave him great pleasure to have it chained up there, a little revenge for the destruction Smaug had made. At first, it had fought back with ferocity, but as time passed, it seemed to get more and more apathetic and it almost appeared like it was grieving. But Thorin didn't believe that the creature was capable of grief, he believed that it was a ruse to make them let it go. This time, the dragon lifted its head as Thorin came in and watched him move around with its unsettling orange eyes. It seemed like it was calculating something. Thorin stared at it with a sneer, happy that no one had gotten hurt as it was captured. Then, a voice rang deep inside his brain. A bright, feminine voice but somehow threatening and ancient.
"You have found my rider." Thorin jumped up and frantically looked around but there was no one there. He opened and closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, trying to make sense of what had just happened and trying to get rid of the unusual feeling inside his brain.
"I am going crazy." He thought, and the voice spoke again.
"You are not going crazy. Use your brain, dwarf." The voice sounded impatient now and Thorin looked around to see the dragon staring at him.
"You?" He spoke out loud, hoping that he was wrong.
"Took you long enough. Is my rider alright?" Thorin couldn't believe he was having a conversation with the dragon. Its mouth was chained tightly shut. Thorin decided to leave the room, convincing himself that it was a dream or that too many sleepless nights were getting to him. But before he could exit the dungeons completely, the voice sounded again, sounding amused.
"You can tell yourself all the stories you want, but the truth is that you are having a conversation with a dragon." Thorin shook his head and hurried away, telling himself that he needed to take the rest of the day off and have good night's sleep.
Pherea was growing desperate. The dwarf that she had managed to talk to never came down again, and the worry for Y/N grew every passing minute. Luckily, a new change revealed itself as another dwarf stepped into the dungeons. Balin had wondered what had shaken Thorin so badly that he had decided to turn in early for the night, but it was in the dungeons. He wandered around for a moment before stopping in front of the cell that held the dragon that was tightly chained up. He didn't like Thorin's decision to keep it chained up, but he understood why Thorin did it. He had never had a chance to take a closer look at it, but as he let his eyes glide on the bright scales, taking in the extraordinary color.
"The hue is nothing I have seen before, it is quite stunning." He thought to himself, and he felt something touch his mind, and a voice spoke. Bright but ancient and feminine.
"I must thank you for your kind words." Balin glanced around to see if someone was playing a prank on him.
"No one is trying to trick you." That left only the option that...
"You can speak, dragon?" He asked, uncertain if he would get an answer, but it rang through his mind, clear.
"Did you honestly think that my abilities are just breathing fire and looking magnificent? Of course, I can speak, I'm not an ordinary lizard." Balin was amazed. The animal was able to speak, and the words showed that it was a very intelligent being, most likely just as intelligent as him.
"Do you have a name?" He asked, uncertain if the animal would answer. Dragons were known for their unusual relationship with names.
"Of course I have a name." The dragon answered, and Balin waited. As the dragon didn't continue, he glanced up and saw it standing, studying him with its bright orange eyes.
"Would you share it with me?" Balin asked, and the dragon answered again.
"Yes." The dragon answered, and yet again Balin waited, but in vain, the dragon didn't give its name. He started to feel annoyed, when he heard the voice in his head again, sounding amused.
"You never asked me to reveal my name, you just asked if I had one of would I mind sharing it." Balin felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth, the animal had a sense of humor.
"What is your name, then?" He asked, and the dragon answered instantly.
"Pherea, daughter of Shruikan." The dragon bowed its head slightly, as much as the chains allowed it to move.
"I am Balin, son of Fundin." He introduced himself, bowing deeply, and the dragon huffed.
"I don't think your king would appreciate you bowing to a dragon." It pointed out and answered Balin's unasked question.
"I can hear people's thoughts. And your king visited me earlier, bursting with pride that he had captured me. Truth to be told, I could have burned all of them but I was worried that Y/N would get hurt, so I didn't." There was a bitter undertone to the dragon's words, and Balin could sense a slight worry in there too.
"Y/N?" He asked, and an image, not his own, appeared into his brain. A young woman with silky H/C hair. The woman was lying unconscious in the healer's room at this moment.
"My rider. You have seen her, haven't you? I can sense it." The dragon sounded hopeful, and Balin straightened his back.
"Yes, she is in the healer's room right now, we found her outside yesterday." A wave of relief washed over him, and first, he could not see why but then he realized that it was the dragon.
"She means a lot to you." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.
"Yes. We have been together ever since I decided to hatch. She is the only friend I have." The emotion behind the words was strong, and Balin felt bad for keeping them apart. But then, a suspicion crept its way into his heart. He was talking to a dragon, the species that were known for their cunning nature.
"Why should I believe you?" He asked, and the dragon didn't answer, it just tilted its body so he could see the scabbard that was tied next to one of its wings.
"Take the scabbard and place it onto her weapon. If it fits, I'm telling the truth. If it doesn't, I'm lying." The dragon spoke simply and didn't wait for an answer as it pressed its body to the ground.
"I give you my word that I will not harm you or anyone. I just want my friend back." Balin could hear the emotion behind the words and decided that no one could fake it that convincingly and reached the scabbard off.
Long story short, it fits perfectly and Balin was unsure what to do. It was clear that the woman was the rider Pherea had been talking about but was unsure what to do next. Luckily, some higher force decided to intervene, and the woman woke up that morning. She had opened her eyes a second before and the first word she spoke was barely audible.
"Pherea." Balin stepped forward, and introduced himself, and told her to stay down as she had been seriously injured. He alerted Thorin and ran down to the dungeons to inform the dragon, but it was clear that it already knew. Its eyes were shining and it carried itself high. As Balin was conversing with the dragon about how it could heal you in an instant if you were together, Thorin made his way to the healers quickly as he wanted to talk to the most beautiful being now that she was awake.
The first thing he noticed was your eyes. They bore right into his and he could just stare. You sat still, seeming lost in your own mind (you were talking with Pherea) but as Thorin cleared his throat, you snapped out of your haze and turned to look at him, losing the ability to speak for a moment. He was the single most handsome man you had ever laid your eyes on, and you had lived with elves! As he approached, you nodded your head and spoke to him in the ancient tongue, trying to show that you didn't mean any harm.
"Fricai onr eka eddyr." (I am your friend). As he didn't seem to understand, you spoke in the common tongue.
"I am not a threat." He seemed to understand this and he stepped forward, sitting down onto a chair as he spoke.
"I know you are not. May I ask your name?" His voice gave you the chills, it was like velvet, smooth and cool.
"Y/N. Y/N, the daughter of Eragon Kingslayer and Arya Dragonslayer." Thorin squinted for a moment, never having heard of those names before.
"Those are quite powerful names your parents carry. My name is Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King under the mountain. How are you feeling?" Your mind sunk. He was the king, he most likely already had a wife. You pushed your emotions to the side and answered his question.
"I feel like a dragon ran over me, but otherwise I'm fine." You winced as you mentioned dragons, you longed to be with your friend. Thorin noticed that and was quick to assure you.
"Do not worry, the beast is chained up in our dungeons. It can't go anywhere." You felt a wave of burning anger in your chest. They had your friend chained up in the basement!
You tried to get up but to no avail, the pain shot through your entire body and you sunk back down with a wail.
"You can not move yet, you were seriously injured and you have not healed completely yet," Thorin spoke to you, but you weren't listening to him anymore. You spoke to Pherea.
"Are you alright? I heard you are chained up?" Her answer was instant.
"I'm fine. I'm chained up, it's irritating but I'm not in pain. I feel a lot better now that I can talk to you. Don't let anyone know that you are my rider, they might want to harm you if they know. And you should keep your magic hidden as well. We don't know how they will react." It was hard to keep a straight face as you spoke to your friend, as you were about to burst with happiness. Thorin mistook it as tiredness and left the room, instructing you to sleep. He promised you that he would be back, and you felt pleased that he did. Pherea teased you about it for a good while before she let it go.
- - - -
It took you three days to get out of bed. It would have taken longer but you used a little bit of magic to quicken the process every time you had enough strength to do so. You were standing next to your bed and waited for Thorin as he had promised to show you the city as soon as you could get out of bed. Now you could, so you were really looking forward to it. You had changed your clothes from the worn-out ones to the ones the servants had brought you. It was clear that the clothes were made for another body type, but after slight modifications by a seamstress, they fit perfectly.
Pacing nervously, you kept your ears sharp for any signs of Thorin approaching your room, but so far, nothing. You were getting nervous. What if he had forgotten? Or what if he had decided that he no longer wanted to spend time with you? You were slowly becoming frantic until Pherea spoke.
"You are acting like a skittish horse, pull yourself together. And because of what? A man?" You could almost hear Pherea snorting in the dungeons. The closer you and Thorin became, the more Pherea begged you to come down, and then you could fly out together.
"I'm just nervous. I don't want to mess everything up. Because if I do, we are never getting out of here." You stated and stopped pacing. Pherea was silent for a moment.
"You do realize that when you fall in love I feel it too? That event affects me just as much as it affects you."
"I-"
"Don't bother denying it." She interrupted your refusal with a sharp tone and you sighed.
"I know that it affects both of us. Father told me about it. But I would never let my feelings get in the way of getting you free." You sighed. Pherea was silent yet again, but you could feel her presence in your head as always and it made you feel better.
As you were conversing with Pherea you missed the arrival of Thorin. You noticed that he was outside the door when he knocked and you nearly fell out of bed. You felt Pherea get amused but you decided not to confront her about this. You hurried out of bed and straightened your dress before opening the door with a small smile, seeing Thorin stand there, handsome as ever. His face was absolutely dumbfounded as he saw you standing up and you let out a laugh.
"I told you I heal fast. Now, I believe I was promised a tour." You smirked and Thorin shook off his shock.
"Ah, yes. If you would come with me, I'll show you around." He extended a hand, and you were about to take it when you remembered something and pulled your hand back.
"Just a moment." You grabbed your sword off your desk and walked up to him and noticed him staring. You smirked. Silbena (sight in the ancient language) was admired wherever you went.
"Do you like it?" I asked him, and he nodded numbly. He had never seen a sword like it, and the strange symbols that covered the scabbard made it even more interesting. You smiled warmly and pulled it out of the sheath, letting it shine lowly in the light. Thorin admired the beautiful craftsmanship of it. The only thing that bothered him was the width of the blade. It seemed too thin to handle any kind of blow, but he chose not to ask about it. He didn't want to anger you now that he was actually getting to spend some time with you.
"Shall we then?" He extended an arm to you and you linked yours with him, letting him lead you away.
Walking up around the vast mountain, you had already seen the kitchens and the mines, and now Thorin was leading you to the training rooms.
"Just stay close to me." He spoke to you, causing you to stop.
"Did he just ask you to stay close to him?" Pherea sounded stunned. She had been eavesdropping on the conversation the full time.
"Yes, he did. I'm going to show him that I don't need a man to protect me." I practically growled and pushed ahead of Thorin to see what was going on inside the hall. Thorin was left standing dumbfounded, not understanding what he did wrong.
After a moment, he did. You had disarmed just Dwalin. With three, delicate and seemingly effortless blows you had knocked his axes off his hands and then swiped his feet from under him. Everyone was staring at you with amazement, but you just sheathed your sword and walked to Thorin.
"Oh, I forgot that you asked me to stay close to you." You remarked sharply and Thorin stared at you for a moment before he lowered his head lightly.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made such an assumption." You shook your head and smiled at him.
"It's alright. Shall we continue our tour, then?" You suggested, and the two of you walked away, leaving everyone stunned and Dwalin laying on the ground.
"What is down there?" You pointed at a flight of stairs that led down from where the two of you were standing. You knew that it was the dungeons that held Pherea but you couldn't let Thorin know that.
"The dungeons. It's not a pleasant place to visit." He stated and started to move forward, but you stayed still, trying to think about how you could convince him to take you there. You had to see Pherea. Talking to her was great, but without seeing her it wasn't the same.
"Do you want to go see what is down there?" Thorin asked, and you nodded a little too fast but he didn't seem to notice.
"Let's go then." He took your hand and led you down the stairs.
Walking along the long, cold halls, you shivered. It was so quiet down here. Thorin's smooth voice cut through the deafening silence.
"Be careful, the next chamber houses the dragon." You felt your heart stop and you prepared yourself for the sight to come. But nothing could have prepared you for it. Pherea was chained up with multiple chains, some of them so tight that they were cutting into her skin.
"I'm alright, little one. Don't let your emotions show." She spoke to you, and you forced a steady expression look on your face but it wasn't easy. It pained you so much to see her like this and you swore to yourself that you would get her out of here. Tonight.
"What if the chains break?" You asked, and Thorin shook his head, smiling. He was smiling! A wave of anger washed over you but you fought to keep calm.
"They won't. Give me your sword." You handed it to him and he struck the chain with all his might, and it didn't break.
"Well, there goes the first plan, breaking the chains." You spoke to Pherea.
"You'll have to get the key." You turned to Thorin and took your sword back from him, smiling. You had to know where the key was.
"Who has the key to the chains?" You asked, trying to sound casual, but Thorin's brow furrowed.
"Why do you ask?" He sounded slightly suspicious but not hostile.
"I was just thinking that if someone that was against you on the throne got a hold of a key they would be able to open the locks and release her into the city and cause vast damage." You spoke, hoping that he took the bait. He laughed heartily.
"No one will be able to get a hold of a key. Only me and Balin have ones." A sense of victory filled you but you kept a straight face.
"G-good. I haven't had very good experiences with dragons and I don't want them to happen again." You made up some sob story about your mother's parents being killed by dragons to get rid of every last string of suspicion he had. He pulled you into a hug and squeezed you tightly.
"Don't worry. As long as you are in this mountain, no dragon will get close to you." He promised.
"We'll see about that." You added said to Pherea when Thorin offered you a hand to lead you to dinner.
Dinner was over and you and Pherea were having a conversation.
"He took the bait. Swallowed it good and whole!" You rejoiced, and Pherea agreed.
"I didn't think anyone could be that stupid." She spoke, and you felt a small stab to your heart. Leaving Thorin hurt you greatly, but you were not going to let Pherea rot in the dungeons any longer.
As the halls emptied, you sneaked into Balin's bedroom, only to see he was still awake. You had to use magic to make him fall asleep, as you had learned this was the time there were least guards down. Pherea had kept a close eye on them.
"I'm sorry about this." You whispered to him, and he turned to you,
"Y/N, what-?" You didn't give him time to finish or yourself time to hesitate.
"Slytha. (sleep)" He collapsed to the ground and you grabbed the key and hurried down. Pherea had told you about Balin's and her plan, but tha would have taken too long.
Thorin couldn't shake off the feeling that something wasn't right, so he decided to see Balin. When he reached the room, he knocked but no answer came, and Thorin thought it was odd. Balin wasn't the one to turn into bed early, so he decided to peek in. His friend of many years was lying still on the floor, and Thorin's blood ran cold and he rushed to him. He relaxed slightly when he saw him breathing, but he was still frantic.
"Balin. Balin, wake up!" Shaking him harshly, Thorin tried to get his friend to respond. After a while, Balin opened his eyes.
"Who did this to you?" Thorin demanded, and Balin was silent for a few minutes before responding. He knew that it would tear Thorin apart if he knew but he had to answer to the question his king had asked.
"Y/N." He stated simply, and Thorin went pale.
"W-what?" He stammered, and Balin sat up.
"Yes, Y/N. She spoke in some language and I felt so tired so I just fell asleep." Balin told Thorin who helped him up and saw his belt. The key was gone. Thorin closed his eyes at the realization. You had used him. Used him to get to the key and now his people had to pay the price.
"Sound the alarm, Balin." He commanded, and took off, running, gathering a few guards on his way to the dungeons.
You had just one chain left when the horns sounded and you hastily pushed the key in and turned it, causing the lock to open and the chain to slide off Pherea's face.
"Thank you. But we need to go." She hurried you, but you were still very weak after making the seven guards down there to sleep. Your ears were buzzing and you didn't hear Thorin or his men arrive until it was too late. Thorin grabbed you, pressing a dagger on your neck after realizing that you meant something for the beast and you were the only leverage they had. Pherea growled loudly but didn't do anything.
"No sudden moves, beast, or she is dead," Thorin warned with a dark voice and Pherea let out a sound that was half anger, half desperation.
"You stand absolutely still while my men chain you up again and she will live." You looked at Pherea, who looked at you in desperation and pressed her head down in surrender, causing Thorin to grin next to your face. You weren't going to let Pherea get chained up for a second time. knew what you had to do.
"Pherea." You spoke, and she lifted her head slightly, causing Thorin to press the knife onto your throat tighter.
"One wrong move and she's dead, beast," Thorin warned, but neither of you was truly paying attention to him as you stared at each other and you made your decision.