The air was thick with the greasy smoke of the torch and for once in his life, Bilbo Baggins was happy that he was shorter than Gandalf. The whiskered wizard held the yellow light aloft, illuminating the watery passage before them, his wizened eyes seeking to discern the shapes of the shadows. He took a tiny step forward and was at once distressed at the noise that the dislodged rocks caused.
"What are you trying to do?" Gandalf hissed. "Are you purposely trying to awaken Smaug?"
"N-no, Gandalf. I was just trying to move closer."
"Stay still, Bilbo. Not all of Smaug's treasurers can withstand his temper."
Bilbo crouched close to Gandalf, holding onto his robe and wondering what the wizard's words meant. The party moved closer, deeper into the dark embrace of the dank, dark cave and before long, the smell of the dragon assailed their nostrils; the stench of rotting bodies and fecal filth arose from the bowels of the blackness and Bilbo gnawed his fingers in fear.
"Time to wake the dragon, my friend."
Gandalf closed his eyes and murmured a few words. A seed of light appeared in the air above the sleeping dragon and slowly grew, its warm light reaching its fingers into the gloomy corners and bringing the beast into relief. Red slitted eyes flicked open and the great head arose, curious about the intrusion and suddenly aware of other presences in the cavern. Its roar sent twin spikes of panic and terror through those in the party.
As the light grew, widening and brightening, Bilbo's eyes took in the scene: the awakening dragon, the pile of golden treasure and …
a woman
? "Gandalf!" The wizard was out of hearing range and was swiftly moving down the rock-strewn floor to engage the beast in battle. "Gandalf!" The woman sat up, a bracket and chain around her neck preventing her from fleeing. Her features and body structure branded her as a Hobbit and her wide eyes were filled with a combination of fear and embarrassment.
Gandalf was still too far away but Bilbo felt the overwhelming urge to rescue her. His shoes chattered as he slid down the hardscrabble hill, tripping the last few yards and rolling to Smaug's feet. Heat and stink filled the air and Bilbo recoiled as the beast turned its head toward him.
"No!" The wizard's bellow slightly preceded the blue bolt that struck the dragon, sending it pinwheeling backward with the heavy tinkle of gold coins clinking against each other.
Bilbo took the opportunity to scramble to the woman's side, his eyes inevitably flicking to her exposed breasts. "Are you all right?"