Chapter 27 – A Little Shock
"I've thought it through," Beorn said bluntly, true to his nature. "I can move to the Lonely Mountain—but I have only one reason for doing so."
"To kill Azog."
"I will not become your servant. If you ask me to do anything else, and I find it unreasonable, I will refuse."
"No problem," Smaug replied without hesitation.
That was precisely why Smaug wanted Beorn at the Lonely Mountain in the first place—to prepare for the wars to come… and, of course, to complete the mission.
As for anything else?
There was nothing else he needed Beorn to do.
"Do you need any help with the move?" Smaug asked. "I can send people to assist you."
Beorn instinctively shook his head—then paused, thought of something, and nodded instead.
"I'll need to pass through Mirkwood. The Wood-elves aren't easy to deal with."
"Hah. That reputation is well deserved," Smaug laughed. "I'll speak with Thranduil. I'll make sure you pass through safely."
Beorn nodded. "Good."
"Then it's settled," Smaug said, knowing Beorn disliked unnecessary talk. "I'll be waiting at the Lonely Mountain."
With that, Smaug spread his wings and took off.
---
[Mission Completed.]
[Upgraded Bronze Blind Box has been delivered to storage.]
Smaug didn't check it yet.
He shook his body, reverted to his true form, and flew straight toward Mirkwood.
---
Mirkwood
Having enjoyed a stretch of peace free from Smaug's harassment, several Elven guards were chatting idly when they suddenly spotted him high in the sky.
Their expressions darkened in perfect unison.
"There he is again."
"Sound the alarm?"
"What else can we do? Better safe than sorry."
And so, the warning horn—signaling a hostile presence—rang out once more.
Before long, Thranduil received word that Smaug had returned.
His teeth clenched instinctively. He desperately wanted to curse that dragon aloud—but had no choice except to endure it, rising to his feet and striding toward their usual meeting place.
Soon enough—
At the highest point of the kingdom.
The old place.
Smaug was descending.
Suddenly, an idea struck him.
A little shock wouldn't hurt.
Midair, Smaug transformed—
Into a great eagle.
On Thranduil's handsome face, the clear irritation he'd been wearing froze solid.
Before his very eyes, the massive dragon vanished… and became an eagle.
In that instant, all displeasure was wiped away—
Replaced entirely by shock.
In truth, Thranduil—who had long secluded himself in his woodland realm, paying little heed to the affairs of the outside world—was utterly stunned.
Only one thought echoed in his mind:
How is this possible?
And Thranduil was far from alone.
Every elf who had witnessed the scene firsthand shared the same disbelief.
Smaug descended. With his size drastically reduced in eagle form, he settled on the railing only a short distance from Thranduil.
"Old neighbor," Smaug said with a hint of amusement, "it's been a while. Have you been well?"
Thranduil snapped back to his senses. Forgetting courtesy, pride, or sarcasm, he blurted out the only question that mattered:
"What kind of sorcery is this?"
Under normal circumstances, Thranduil would have replied with a barbed, "I could be better."
But now, banter and temper meant nothing.
Thranduil had lived for thousands of years. He was no fool. He had already realized the terrifying implication—
If Smaug could truly change form at will, then neither he nor this kingdom was safe.
In fact, if Smaug wished to burn this place down—as he once burned Lake-town—he could do so with ease.
The thought was chilling.
For the first time in countless years, Thranduil felt fear.
---
Seeing Thranduil's reaction, hearing his question, Smaug was deeply satisfied. His smile widened.
"Shapeshifting?" he said lightly. "Just a minor trick. I happened to pick it up."
"…," Thranduil fell silent. He could hear the boast beneath Smaug's words, but had no choice except to endure it. He pressed on with the real question.
"Oh? And this 'minor trick'—does it allow you to become anything?"
Smaug nodded.
Boom.
Thranduil's mind exploded.
In an instant, two thoughts surfaced.
The first:
He's close. He's smaller. Draw my sword now—strike—cut off the eagle's head and kill Smaug!
The second:
Abandon this place. Leave. Find a new home, far away.
Neither choice was good.
The first was a gamble with annihilation as the penalty. If Smaug survived—even barely—and escaped, this kingdom would surely cease to exist. That wasn't pessimism; it was simple logic.
With shapeshifting, Smaug could infiltrate the forest as a small creature, transform back into his true form, unleash dragonfire, then change again and relocate—over and over.
Who could stop that?
The second choice was no better.
Thranduil had lived here for thousands of years. If he had any choice at all, he did not want to abandon his home.
Thus, he fell silent.
His thoughts tangled into chaos. He had no idea what to say.
Smaug did not rush him.
Instead, he watched quietly, patiently, savoring the pleasure of having genuinely frightened the Elven King.
He could easily guess what was going through Thranduil's mind.
After a short while—once he felt it was enough—Smaug finally spoke again. This time, the smile was gone.
"Old neighbor," he said calmly, "I'm actually here to ask you for a favor."
"Of course," he added, "I'll pay in gold."
Thranduil raised an eyebrow. After a brief hesitation, he clenched his teeth.
"What kind of favor?"
"You know the skin-changer Beorn," Smaug replied. "I've just reached an agreement with him. He'll soon be relocating to the Lonely Mountain."
"As you know, the shortest route passes through Mirkwood—your domain."
"I'd like you to send a few of your people to guide him from the forest's entrance, and prepare boats so he can reach the Lonely Mountain smoothly."
"…?" Thranduil's brow furrowed deeply.
Shock piled upon shock.
Beorn was a formidable force—one who had always kept his distance from everyone, never aligning himself with any power.
And now he had agreed to work with Smaug… and even move to the Lonely Mountain?
Thranduil's expression grew heavier.
"First you establish a kingdom," he said slowly. "Now Beorn. What exactly are you trying to do?"
"I stayed in Rivendell for quite some time," Smaug replied evenly. "I just returned from there."
"Elrond and the Lady of Light were both present. I answered this same question for them."
"…?" Thranduil was nearing his limit.
Smaug continued calmly, clearly enjoying himself.
"Not long ago, the Dark Lord Sauron approached me. He wanted my cooperation."
"I refused."
"He will return soon."
"You can imagine the pressure my kingdom at the Lonely Mountain will face when that happens."
"Beorn is a powerful warrior. With him there, he'll be of great help when war comes."
"…?!"
Enough.
Enough already!
No more.
If Thranduil heard one more revelation, he might truly choke on the shock.