#the elf and dwarf who made the doors

[queerlyloud]

Currently reading Sansûkh because I am not able to move around much right now, and I was just thinking how like, all the interspecies ships HAVE to be collaborative works between Mahal and the other Valar, so basically they got together and made OC's specifically to fall in love and get married, and if that isn't fandom-coded behavior, idk what is.

Tldr: the Valar are a bunch of artist friends who get together and make dolls together so they can kiss and fall in love and get married 💕

[sillylotrpolls]

(Credit and a truly absurd amount of context below the poll in case you don't know who the Old Took is.)

Today's poll looks at a question posed by @sindar-princeling:

Bilbo barely passed Old Took's record lifespan after having a supernaturally-life-extending ring for 60 years. which begs a question. what the hell did Old Took do

In the notes on that post, the most popular theory by far was espoused by @mitsuhachiinthehive, who posited that Gandalf hooked up with a hobbit at some point and [some of] the Tooks are his descendants. This idea was further spread thanks to @the-haiku-bot.

Additional theories which I cribbed for poll options:

The diamond cufflinks were magical in more ways than one @elodieunderglass

He drank an ent-draught courtesy of the missing ent wives @betterofflost

He got hold of a random magic elven ring @morgulscribe

If you would like some a lot of context from canon so you can decide for yourself, more information about the Old Took is beneath the cut.

First off, it's established multiple times in the books what a big deal it was for Bilbo to beat Old Took's record. From The Return of the King:

He opened his eyes and looked up as they came in. 'Hullo, hullo!' he said. 'So you've come back? And tomorrow's my birthday, too. How clever of you! Do you know, I shall be one hundred and twenty-nine? And in one year more, if I am spared, I shall equal the Old Took. I should like to beat him; but we shall see.' [...] Little Elanor was nearly six months old, and 1421 had passed to its autumn, when Frodo called Sam into the study. 'It will be Bilbo's Birthday on Thursday, Sam,' he said. 'And he will pass the Old Took. He will be a hundred and thirty-one!' 'So he will!' said Sam. 'He's a marvel!'

Here's a biography on the old hobbit from Tolkien Gateway:

After the death of his father in 1248, Gerontius became the twenty-sixth Thain of the Shire. He was a friend of Gandalf, who gave him a pair of magic diamond studs and performed firework tricks during Gerontius' midsummer-eve parties. Gerontius Took reached the impressive age of 130, which made him the oldest Hobbit until his grandson Bilbo Baggins celebrated his 131st Birthday. He also held the record of most offspring, until Samwise Gamgee bested him with Tom's birth in S.R. 1442.

And from Tolkien Gateway's page on the Took Family:

Tooks were mainly of Fallohide Hobbit stock, and had quite a reputation for unusual behavior (among other things being more adventurous than the other Hobbits), a quality not valued in the Shire. For this they would be seen as less respectable, but those traits were "tolerated" thanks to their large numbers and wealth. An absurd legend among other families, was that one of the Took ancestors married a fairy. The Wizard Gandalf was a known, if disreputable, associate.

Here we have Gandalf introducing himself to Bilbo in The Hobbit. Note that Belladonna Took is one of the Old Took's 12 (!!) children.

“Yes, yes, my dear sir—and I do know your name, Mr. Bilbo Baggins. And you do know my name, though you don’t remember that I belong to it. I am Gandalf, and Gandalf means me! To think that I should have lived to be good-morninged by Belladonna Took’s son, as if I was selling buttons at the door!” “Gandalf, Gandalf! Good gracious me! Not the wandering wizard that gave Old Took a pair of magic diamond studs that fastened themselves and never came undone till ordered? Not the fellow who used to tell such wonderful tales at parties, about dragons and goblins and giants and the rescue of princesses and the unexpected luck of widows’ sons? Not the man that used to make such particularly excellent fireworks! I remember those! Old Took used to have them on Midsummer’s Eve. Splendid! They used to go up like great lilies and snapdragons and laburnums of fire and hang in the twilight all evening!” You will notice already that Mr. Baggins was not quite so prosy as he liked to believe, also that he was very fond of flowers. “Dear me!” he went on. “Not the Gandalf who was responsible for so many quiet lads and lasses going off into the Blue for mad adventures? Anything from climbing trees to visiting elves—or sailing in ships, sailing to other shores! Bless me, life used to be quite inter—I mean, you used to upset things badly in these parts once upon a time. I beg your pardon, but I had no idea you were still in business.” “Where else should I be?” said the wizard. “All the same I am pleased to find you remember something about me. You seem to remember my fireworks kindly, at any rate, and that is not without hope. Indeed for your old grandfather Took’s sake, and for the sake of poor Belladonna, I will give you what you asked for.”

And for context, Sam was 102 when he sailed West, Merry was at least 103 and almost certainly older when he died, and Pippin at least 95. The uncertainty is because Tolkien describes their last years thus in the Appendices:

1484 In the spring of the year a message came from Rohan to Buckland that King Éomer wished to see Master Holdwine once again. Meriadoc was then old (102) but still hale. He took counsel with his friend the Thain [Pippin], and soon after they handed over their goods and offices to their sons and rode away over the Sam Ford, and they were not seen again in the Shire. It was heard after that Master Meriadoc came to Edoras and was with King Éomer before he died in that autumn. Then he and Thain Peregrin went to Gondor and passed what short years were left to them in that realm, until they died and were laid in Rath Dínen among the great of Gondor. 1541 In this year on March 1st came at last the Passing of King Elessar. It is said that the beds of Meriadoc and Peregrin were set beside the bed of the great king. Then Legolas built a grey ship in Ithilien, and sailed down Anduin and so over Sea; and with him, it is said, went Gimli the Dwarf. And when that ship passed an end was come in the Middle-earth of the Fellowship of the Ring.

[bookworm-with-coffee]

Softly. . .

(Kili x Reader)

(A/N); Hillooo!! Let's switch up the angst today, lovelies with more Kili love!! As always, enjoy!!

Plot; When Kili is dying and can't rely on Tauriel, who then can he count on?

Pairings; Kili x Reader (Romantic)

Warnings; long fic, blood/injury, mature themes, coarse language, violence, unrequited love, angst, eventual fluff

________________________________________

Exhaustion burned like a sting through the muscles in your legs. Having travelled so far in the span of a day, the Company had made it from the stability provided by Beorn's home now to the depths of Mirkwood where the days seemed timeless and dark. Your own footsteps rang like a drum in your ears, the grip that an Elven soldier had on you was unyeilding.

Completely stripped of your outer layers and weaponry, you felt unbelievably helpless as you were marched along the winding bridges to perhaps a worser fate than death. You all didn't know.

"Tolo hí", a cocky Elf unwisely shoved Thorin towards a staircase, the King matching the taller male's glare. You angrily tried to shrug yourself from the grip of the soldier holding you, attempting to stick up for your Company's leader. The Dwarves shared your sentiment, Thorin waving all of you down before the fights could begin. You all weren't exactly in a position to stir trouble, after all. Things had to remain peaceful for good negotiations.

"Don't struggle. I will be back", he assured you all, his ocean gaze burning with surity before he ascended the steps to the throne room. The Elves forced you all onwards, your path leading you further down into the bowels of the city; the dungeons. The leader Legolas, he'd been named; scrutinized you with his harsh gaze, undoubtedly noting how you stood out like a sore thumb amongst the others of this Company. One human female and thirteen male Dwarves certainly made for an interesting travelling circus, in his eyes. Yet, you knew you were missing one more member of your group.

Bofur noticed Bilbo's disappearance first, always seeming to keep track of your whereabouts as much as the missing Hobbit's. You all declined to mention your lost fifteenth member of the Company, trying to avoid making it known that you were seeking him out hopefully. Some part of your heart screamed to you that he was already here, that he hadn't abandoned you all. He would rescue you all soon, you were sure of it.

The Elves finally made their stop, the soldier that held you releasing the hard hold he had on your arm. You were sure you would have bruising later. Your captors began to lead your group in pairs or singles up and down stairs, completely separating you all. Balin turned to you, attempting to offer you assurance with a steady smile and a glance that told you, everything will be fine. You hoped so as you were finally lead away from the older Dwarf with Bofur. Worry flashed in Fili and Kili's eyes as you ascended stairs to your right with your cellmate, the brothers both having some level of protectiveness over you.

The cells were small with no chairs or any form of comfort, only the cold floor to sit on. While trudging forwards, you were suddenly shoved into the small room behind Bofur, crashing into him and hitting the floor. "Oh, shit!", you hissed, rubbing at your head and helping him to his feet.

"Are ye alright, Love?", he asked, wholeheartedly unconcerned with himself. His hand moved your own to check for any blood or wounds that the fall may have given you, finally sighing in relief. "You'll be fine". Patting your shoulder, he moved past you to look through the bars of the now locked door. He gripped the bars, much like the others had started doing. All of the Dwarves, save for Balin, kicked and threw themselves desperately at the bars in their attempt to dent or break them. The metal was completely reinforced, the Dwarves risking harm to themselves more than their cell bars.

"It's no use!", Balin shouted. "This is no Orc prison. These are the dungeons of the Woodland Realm!". Dejected, everyone dropped to the floor, inclusive of yourself. Balin was right. There was no escaping unless Thorin could strike a deal with the Elven King, Thranduil. An agitated roar left Dwalin's throat, punching the bars before throwing himself down as well. You would all have to sit this out and wait.

Turning your head to your right, you gazed down at the other cells. Kili's cell with Fili's above his, Ori and Dori together to his left, Balin to his right. Nori was probably further up from Kili. Dwalin's cell was behind yours, meaning Gloin and Oin were probably in the cell beneath your own. Bifur had been locked with Bombur in the cell by the staircase you'd climbed. They were the first to be locked up.

Gnawing on your lower lip, you found your gaze landing on Kili. He was your closest friend and the one you worried for the most. This quest had been costing on you both, mentally and physically so. But, you'd found comfort in each other.

On the days when it rained, the young Prince was always there to tell a joke that reminded you of sunshine. When you were cold, he would offer you his strong and heated arms. Kili had already saved your life numerous times, always throwing himself in harm's way just to protect you.

In the late hours of the night, you'd offer solace to the homesick Prince who often dreamed of his mother and home in the Blue Mountains. It was in these quiet hours when he was unafraid to open himself to you. Sometimes you'd spar and train with him to give him relief from his restlessness, participate in pranks or tell him stories of your homeland if he was down. Your bedroll was always beside his leaving the Company to speculate on your relationship with Kili.

There was nothing to tell, to your disappointment. Kili had admitted no feelings for you and vice versa. Some part of you feared losing the fierce friendship and bond with him, should he know the truth and not feel the same. Your feelings for the Dwarf were obvious to everyone, even to Fili, who had become like a protective older brother to you. Yet, they were not obvious to the one who held your affections.

Your head turned to find Bofur's gaze already on you, an amused grin splayed on his expression. He sat with his back against the opposite wall, his brows risen suggestively. "What?", you sputtered, feigning innocence.

"Am I supposed t' act like I don't know who yer' starin' at or what?". He laughed softly, folding his arms with a shake of his head. A flush of heat hit your cheeks in embarrassment. "You've got it bad, Love".

"Got what?".

"The love bug", he shrugged. "You're in love–".

"Don't say it any louder!", you hissed, a few giggles escaping the Dwarf.

"I don't know how long it's been since I first noticed it, but I've known for a long time now", he confessed, your head dipping in further abashment. "And there's no shame in it". Bofur nudged your leg with his foot, offering you a kind smile when your eyes lifted again to meet his own.

"Does Thorin know?".

"He'd have t' be deaf, blind and stupid not t', Love", Bofur guffawed.

"Oh dear", you groaned, hiding your face in your hands.

"Fili knows". Your eyes widened in shock, peeking through the splits in your fingers at the dark haired Dwarf. Thinking it best to be honest, he continued, "In fact, I don't think there's a soul amongst us, save for Kili himself, that doesn't know about this. Sorry, Lass".

"And you thought of telling me when??", you gaped.

"When Dwalin would finally be at snapping point at yer lovesick bantering", he laughed. "Which surprisingly, he hasn't reached yet". You groaned again in your shame, too embarrassed to show your face. " 'Ey". He nudged your leg again. "Don't be ashamed. Dwalin is a patient Dwarf, as are we all. We understand". Your calf being the only thing he could grip from where he sat, Bofur began to caress it to try and soothe you. "Jus' be thankful yer' not sharing yer cell with Dwalin right now".

Your hands fell from your face whilst you giggled, the both of you finding humour in his additional statement. "I'm in the next cell, not deaf, Bofur", a grumble followed quietly.

"Aye. Noted. Sorry!", he called back softly, the both of you lapsing again into a short fit of shared laughter. You realized it was his aim all along. With gratitude shining in your gaze, you inclined your head to your cellmate.

"Thanks, Bofur". Tipping his hat, he grinned with immeasurable mirth,

"Yer' always much welcome, Lass".

The wait for Thorin's return began. Or to be rescued by Bilbo, whichever first. Hours, perhaps even days were passing. You didn't know. The dungeons of the Woodland Realm fell silent for some time, your eyes coming to close. Cheerful music and voices softly began to pour down from the upper levels, almost lulling you asleep with its beauty. Your stomach growled painfully, reminding you that you hadn't eaten since Beorn's. Footsteps descending from the throne room caught your immediate attention, however. Your brows rose, peering from the bars of your prison cell as the familiar figure of the redheaded Captain of the Guard, Tauriel made her way past your cell before travelling downward. Patrolling. Kili had occupied himself with something and it was clear that the pointy-eared bitch couldn't keep her nose out of his business.

"The stone in your hand", she whispered sternly. "What is it?". Was nothing sacred?? Could he not have something in his possession??

Your chest puffed out, ready to tell her to leave and mind her business when Kili finally replied, "It is a talisman". This caught your curiosity as well as Tauriel's. "A powerful spell lies upon it. If any but a Dwarf read the runes on this stone, they will be forever cursed! ", he spat, forcing her to gaze at the dark object. Good job, Kili. You relished in her shock, relaxing as she finally seemed to be leaving. "Or not". Your mouth fell open. What was he doing?? She was your enemy! Tauriel backtracked her steps, returning to Kili's cell. "Depending on whether or not you believe in that kind of thing, it's just a token", he shrugged, a soft laugh escaping him. It seemed as if Tauriel was smiling as well. "A rune stone. My mother gave it to me so that I'd remember my promise".

"What promise?".

"That I will come back to her", Kili smiled, your heart burning with envy at the kindness he shared with her. Never in all the nights you'd spent in his company, had the Princeling shared this special rune stone with you, nor its backstory. Not that it was anyone's business, of course. But, you now found yourself wishing that he had shared something this intimate and unique with you. "She worries. She thinks I'm wreckless", he continued with a sigh.

"And are you?", Tauriel failed to fight her smile, clearly enjoying her time with the Prince.

"Nah". When throwing the stone again, however, it slipped from his grip. It skidded out of his cell and under her boot. You'd tensed, worried that it would've fallen into the nearby chasm. Now it was in her possession and she'd confiscate it for sure. Her nimble fingers held it into the dim light, looking over the intricate runes that covered the small stone. Kili had stood, worrying over the stone the way you had. "It's quite the party you're having up there", he mused, trying to draw her attention from the stone.

"It is Mereth en-Gilith", she replied. "The Feast of Starlight. All light is sacred to the Eldar, but Wood Elves love best the light of the stars".

"I always thought it is a cold light, so remote and far away", he confessed. Incredulously, she whispered,

"It is memory! Precious and pure!". Her turquoise eyes fell to the dark stone occupying her palm. "Like that promise". Reaching it forwards, she allowed Kili to take it back. "I have walked there sometimes", she added, gathering his undivided attention. "Above the forest and up into the night. I have seen the world fall away and the white light of forever fill the air".

Looking down at the Prince, he seemed effortlessly taken by her. His hazel orbs were glittering in awe, his lips parted in a state of wonder. And could he be blamed?? Tauriel had pure, creamy skin, unblemished and ageless with the beauty of the Elves. Long, thick tresses and a graceful air about her. She's a far more skilled warrior than yourself, which Kili also seemed to admire.

"I saw a Fire Moon once". Another story he'd failed to share with you, intriguing the Elf in his presence further. His smile grew as he leant against the bars. "It rose over the pass near Dunland. Huge! Red and gold it was as it filled the sky". Tauriel sat by the stairs of Kili's cell, intently listening to his story the way you would have. "We were an escort for some merchants of Ered Luin. They were trading in silverware for furs. We took the green way south, keeping the mountains to our left. And there up ahead, this huge Fire Moon lighting our path. I wish I could show you".

Some part of you knew and berated you for not seeing this coming. Perhaps it was blissful ignorance? Or misplaced complacency in your heart?? Kili always had a predisposition of curiosity towards the Elves, having shamelessly flirted with one of them in Rivendell and admitting, accidentally to his humiliation, that he found one of their males attractive. So, what chance did you stand against them?? None.

Dejectedly, your head hit the rough wall behind you, their shared laughter and conversations bitterly reminding you that you never did stand a chance to begin with. It was clear that your feelings for the Prince weren't returned. Only now was it plain for you to see. Hating the way jealousy's unkind flames wreaked havoc within your mind, tears began to burn in your eyes without forgiveness. With a sigh, your face suddenly crumpled and your shoulders shook, sobs wracking your body. Bofur heard your silent sniffles, being the light sleeper that he was. "Hey!", his voice cooed to you softly, instantly waking from his daze. "What's goin' on??". Your throat felt tight, your heart aching painfully within your chest. Desperately, you wiped at your eyes, the kind Dwarf moving to sit on your left. He needed only to look through the cage bars to realise what ailed you. His gaze softened, surprised at this revelation. However, it didn't stop his warm arms from circling you. Your head fell into the crook of his neck, safe from the negativities of the world. Bofur's large hands worked comforting caresses on your back and shoulders. "There, there now", he hushed you. "There, there. I've got ye".

"It hurts, Bofur", you wept. Part of his heart broke hearing those words, knowing that no joke he could offer you now would make it better. He felt useless.

"I know", he whispered. "I know it hurts". Bofur's heated arms tightened their embrace, some part of him hoping that they would help remove the pain. "He didn't know how ye felt for him. And as far as I'm concerned,—", he wiped at your face. "— he's an idiot for not bein' in love with ye instead of that daft Elf maid". You chuckled bitterly,

"She's hardly daft. She's beautiful".

"Perhaps on the outside", he conceded. "But, if Kili can't see the beauty that's both outside and within yerself, don't waste time pursuing the heart that clearly isn't yours". You knew what he was implying and the thought of disregarding your feelings for the Prince horrified you.

"It's not some simple fixation, Bofur! I love him!", you sighed hopelessly. "It's not easy to let go of someone you–". He nodded in understanding. You felt connected so deeply with Kili, you were sure that the concept of soulmates existed. You'd never felt anything like this before. And now, every part of you felt like that connection was being torn away. It was agony.

"Whatever ye decide, I only hope as yer friend that ye choose your happiness above all else. Even if it's hard". You nodded. "I'm here for ye, Lass. We all are, remember that".

Sleep eventually took you within Bofur's embrace, the kind Dwarf refusing to let you go. Despite no romantic attraction to you, he still valued your happiness and everyone else's. You were exhausted, in desperate need of food and sleep. Even if it was a tad of rest, he'd still help you get it with a bit of comfort.

The wait to be rescued continued for some hours thereafter, Tauriel finally leaving to join the festivities above. Marching footsteps thundered through the halls, startling you awake. Thorin was back, at last. Alive and unscathed to your relief.

"Did he offer you a deal?", Balin's voice called out, all of you eager to listen.

"He did", Thorin replied, his voice growing to a yell that echoed through the very heart of the Woodland Realm. "I told him he can go ishkh khakfe andu null!! Him and all his kin!!". The white haired Dwarf sighed through his nostrils in exasperation, shaking his head.

"Well, that's that, then", he huffed. "That deal was our only hope".

"Not our only hope", the King shot back, his eyes glimmering with the same hopes in all your hearts. He too had faith Bilbo would return.

The Hobbit wasn't too far away, having already infiltrated the kingdom using the Ring that not one of you knew about. It had saved him from the Goblins and he'd use it to save you all too. Bilbo's steps were invisible and silent when he descended into the bowels of Mirkwood. He'd cautiously followed the Elf that bore the prison keys, marking his patrols. The wine cellar was where most of the guards seemed to be. They spoke of the festivities above, the keeper of the keys not willing to forsake his duties. "They're locked up!", the others insisted, snatching the keys to hang them on a hook. "Where can they go?". Bilbo smiled. If only they knew..

"I'll wager the sun is on the rise", Bofur ground out beside you. "Must be nearly dawn".

"We're never going to reach the mountain, are we?", Ori's faint sigh echoed. Your heart sank for the Company. You'd been enlisted to help them, but there was naught left that even you could do for them now. Fili stomped in frustration, throwing himself on the floor.

"Not locked in here, you're not", the familiar voice of Bilbo rang out. You felt as if you'd waited forever to hear those words, relieved to see your friend alive.

"Bilbo!", you gasped, clawing at the bars with a grin.

"Bilbo!!", the others began to shout happily, collectively overjoyed to see the Hobbit as well.

"Shh!! There are guards nearby!!", he hissed, starting with Thorin and Balin's cells, working his way upwards. He worked his way along with Fili, Ori and Dori, Oin and Gloin, Kili, followed by Bifur and Bombur.

Finally, he reached your cage. Once the door swung open, the Hobbit was in your arms, happily embracing you back. "I'm so glad you're alright!", you laughed ecstatically.

"Same with you!", he assured, breaking from you with a grin to continue on his way to let out Dwalin and Nori. Bofur lead you down the steps, Kili seemingly waiting for you by the bottom, relieved to see you again. The sentiment wasn't shared. A flush of resentment had filled your heart, your brows creasing at the Prince.

"Are you alright, (Y/n)?". His question fell on deaf ears. Noting your short-sleeved tunic, he continued, "You're looking cold. Here, I'll–".

"Just leave me alone", your words were a sharp grumble, your eyes unusually apathetic. You moved past the Prince as if he were nothing. Hurt and confusion flashed through Kili's eyes whilst he watched your retreating figure, his hand slowly dropping to his side.

Various members of the Company, noteably Thorin, Balin and Fili; onlooked in shared confusion at your uncharacteristic behaviour. Had something happened??

Dwalin clapped Kili's shoulder in passing, drawing the Princeling back to focus. He quickly followed his gathering kin at the top of a stairwell with varying routes. "Not that way!", Bilbo's call was still a whisper, leading you all onto one of the others that lead downwards instead. "Down here! Follow me!!".

Freedom, you thought. You all followed close behind the Hobbit, confident in his plan of escape. Strangely, he seemed to know where he was going. Or so you thought until you reached what looked to be a wine cellar. The sounds of snores reached your ears as you descended the last steps to your destination. A group of intoxicated Elves were resting their heads on a table, completely ignoring their guard duties. Having followed Bilbo down first, Kili growled, "I don't believe this– we're in the cellars!!". Bofur followed after,

"Yer' supposed t' be leadin' us out, not further in!!".

"I know what I'm doing—", Bilbo tried to respond, Bofur cutting in,

"Shh!!", holding a finger over his mouth. The Dwarves all filed in ahead of you, Dori and Dwalin flanking you protectively out of instinct. From where he stood with his brother, Kili eyed you with a pensive gaze, his strong brows knitted together in concern.

"Everyone! Quickly! Climb into the barrels now!", Bilbo's orders were hushed, his eyes desperate. He had a plan. That much you could tell.

"Are you mad?!", Dwalin hissed. "They'll find us!!".

"No, they won't! They won't! Please, please, you must trust me!". Following his words, you watched then as Bilbo turned to Thorin with a pleading gaze.

"Do as he says", the King whispered. Instantly, everyone began to climb into the barrels, even Thorin himself. Only, there were two problems. One, there weren't enough barrels for you to join the Dwarves. Two, you would surely be too big for a barrel. Thirteen concerned sets of eyes caught onto that situation rather quickly, various whispers of,

"What about (Y/n)?", "She needs somewhere to hide too!!", "Where can she go??", filling the room.

"Calm down!", the burglar begged quietly. "Let me think!!".

"No time!", you insisted. "I'll have to go without". Whispers of protest rang out from the Dwarves, not satisfied with your situation.

"For the love of Mahal, (Y/n)! Don't be a fool!", Fili chided.

"Climb in my barrel?", Kili offered hesitantly, your brief harshness towards him being forgotten in his concern for your safety. Bofur's head snapped towards him with an expression that read, 'Really?? After the damage you've done?'.

"I will not risk your safety", Thorin interluded, your gaze falling to the leader you respected so much. "There's no time. Climb in with Kili". Your previous resentment towards the younger Prince was already gone. And despite your hurting heart, all you truly wanted for Kili now was for him to be happy, even if it was without you.

Climbing up, you slipped quickly into the warm alcove of the Princeling's barrel. It was a tight squeeze, but you managed to fit everything under your shoulders into it. "Are you comfortable?", Kili's voice was a gentle calm, his hot breaths fanning over your face.

"I'm fine", you matched his hushed tone, your body slowly warming in the close proximity you shared. Little did you know, you'd be needing it..

Now satisfied with your situation, the Dwarves all stuck their heads out. "What do we do now?", Bofur asked.

"Hold your breath", was the only response you received from the Hobbit before he pulled a wooden lever.

"Hold our breath??", Bofur sputtered. You all then realised what was coming. The ground tilted up, gravity seeming to change for you and the Dwarves. A set of strong arms held you in the form of a brace as the barrel you were in spindled and became weightless. Everyone cried out, falling for what felt like an eternity.

Water suddenly submerged you all, cold and biting against your skin. Once hitting the surface, you gasped for air as every limb fell into a state of shock. "Breathe", Kili's instructions barely registered, your nose burning and head buzzing. He gazed up at you, attempting to warm your face and arms with his heated hands.

"Where's Bilbo?", Bofur's head bounced from the water. Despite the chattering of your teeth, you smiled amusedly,

"He forgot himself". Thorin followed in your amusement with a smile of his own,

"Give him a moment". A moment was all the Hobbit needed, falling stiffly with a scream into the waters by Nori's barrel. The tri-haired Dwarf hauled Bilbo against his barrel, getting him to hold on for the journey ahead. "Well done, Master Baggins", the King commended proudly. It was much deserved. Still being the humble burglar he was, Bilbo waved the act off as if it was nothing. Thorin began to motion everyone along. "Come on! Let's go!".

The barrel you shared with Kili had become uncomfortable as it tipped forwards, your bodies squishing together. In any other instance, you'd crave this contact. Yet now, it was painful for more than one reason. Both of you used an arm each, dipping them into the numbingly cold water to row your barrels along. Sunlight poured in from the end of the cave's tunnel, the water seeming to give you speed in its new flow. You soon realised why. "Hold on!", you shrieked, the barrel cascading forwards into ferocious rapids. The current carried you all forwards and down the river effortlessly, the coldness having been briefly forgotten in your adrenaline. The Company's escape was brilliantly carried out. All you needed to do was leave Mirkwood to the lands beyond. It seemed so simple until a horn's cry pierced the air. You'd all been caught!

Fear leapt into your throat whilst you all rounded a corner, thrown forwards again to see Elven soldiers closing the gates of the river. "NO!!", Thorin exclaimed, his barrel being the first to reach the now closed door before you all followed after. Freedom seemed more further away now than it had ever been. And it was only going to get worse. Orcs had now made their appearance, slaughtering the Elves that were preventing your escape.

"Watch out!!", Bofur shouted. "There's Orcs!!". Corpses of both Elvenkind and Orc fell into the waters, all of them battling furiously amongst themselves. Kili had forced you to crouch uncomfortably, your legs burning at the tightness of the squeeze. He was aiming to protect you from the flying arrows and falling bodies, bracing you. His hazel eyes travelled to your own, clouded with fear. You'd never seen him so afraid, your hand subconsciously reaching for his.

"Slay them all!!", a foul voice ordered in the words of Black Speech. This was not Azog's voice, but one just as hideous. You decided to release yourself from the brace, standing straight with Kili to fight the Orcs that leapt into the water. Your heart raced, pounding within the confines of your chest. You all needed to get out of here. There had to be a way out. And that's when it came to you. The lever! You climbed out of the barrel, Kili shouting your name in protest whilst you waded in the freezing waters to the stairs of the wall. The sunkissed concrete instantly warmed your numb limbs whilst you clambered up the steps. It was so relieving to feel the warmth beneath your palms, that you dreaded eventually having to go back into the freezing waters below.

You dodged a blade slicing down towards you, rolling to the side and onto your back. Darting your foot upwards at the Orc who had tried to end you, it fell from the wall and to the forests below. Scrambling to your feet, you raced forwards across the wall. "Kili!!", Dwalin shouted, your head snapping in the direction of the call. The Prince had followed you onto the wall, catching the blade that Dwalin had tossed him. He used it to slay the Orc that had tried to pursue you to the lever. You hadn't realised either the creature or Kili's presence, grateful that he'd flanked your back. Fili always kept one eye on his brother, even when they weren't side by side. He threw blades into the Orcs that tried to overpower Kili in his attempts to protect you. Bolg had seen your motives of escape, noting that you had no weapons or the like. He had to stop you now if he ever wished to end Thorin and his kin here. Kili saw the hideous Orc arming his bow, his eyes blowing wide in horror as you fought your way through the carnage, unaware of the threat. His feet hit the ground in a dead sprint, slicing through the Orcs in his path like butter.

"(Y/n)!!", his throat burned with his scream. His heartbeat thundered in his ears deafeningly, finally catching your steps. The arrow flew, hitting flesh. You'd fallen to the floor with a yell, Kili crashing on top of you with a shout of his own. Your back ached from the impact, Kili's palms stinging from grazing the concrete.

"Kili??", you breathed, your brows furrowing in concern and confusion at his actions. Why had he stopped you?? The Prince's expression of shock fell suddenly into a pained grimace, your eyes drifting downwards to see the obscenely large arrow that had impaled his knee. "Kili!", your panicked cry left your throat raw. Bolg grinned in a sense of victory, having hit at least one target. Fili's head snapped upwards at your scream, spotting his brother's ailments with terror,

"Kili!!". The young Prince ground out a yell between his teeth, feeling the stinging sensation of blood dripping from the malicious wound. The sensation was unlike any pain he'd felt before, burning within his blood like a disease. What had he been pierced with?? He suddenly fell back with a scream, your figure quickly entering his vision. Kili's brows creased, his eyes fixed on you whilst he panted erratic breaths. His hand grasped the one you'd offered him with an almost painful grip, his eyes suddenly darting to his right. Tauriel broke through the woods, slashing and firing arrows with a graceful precision. "Kill her!!", Bolg shrieked. "Kill the She-Elf!!".

Kili's lips had parted, entirely enamoured by her presence. Not allowing your resentment to cloud your judgement, your hand broke from the Princeling's grip, hurrying to instead pull the lever down for the Company to escape. "We need to get out of here!", you yelled, Kili nodding in agreement. Without thinking, he slid forwards, his legs dangling above the barrel you'd shared. Both you and Fili saw this as a bad idea.

"Kili!!", Fili exclaimed.

"Wait!! I'll remove it!!—", Kili's cry of agony cut you off as he slid into the barrel, the arrow snapping painfully from his leg.

"Shit!", you cursed, leaping into the freezing waters without a thought, clinging to the barrel that Kili was in. Alike to Bilbo, you'd have to hold on externally. And it would be no easy feat. The rapids bashed at your face constantly, submerging you in its chaotic stream as it went. You were gasping for air whenever you could manage it, the water painfully blurring your vision and disorienting you. The grip you had on Kili's barrel was starting to wane, his hands gripping onto your arms. The water settled eventually from rapids to a speedy and winding current, no longer depriving you of sight and air.

From your view in the river, you'd spied Fili, Dwalin and Thorin using the Orcs' weapons against them, lopping down the branches they stood on and bashing the ones that tried to attack them from the banks of the river's flow. Legolas had joined the fight, using every resource in his surroundings, inclusive of the Dwarves' heads as he leapt from one side of the water to the other. In any other situation, you would've laughed at the expressions of Dwalin and Dori as they both were stepped on first, followed by the others who didn't seem to enjoy it either. The blonde Elf used the sword that had belonged to Thorin. Orcrist. It seemed wrong in the hands of Legolas, but he used it to a valuable advantage against your shared enemies. Thorin had even graciously covered for the Elf whilst he fought, ensuring no untimely demise met him. It was more than he deserved for the way he treated you all, yet you couldn't help that Thranduil would see it as a token of friendship at some eventuality. For now, you all had gotten away. The Elves had given up their pursuit of you to instead drive out the Orcs, a bigger threat. The Orcs still were on the hunt for you all, but it would take some time for them to catch up.

The river slowed, all of you able to clamber from the barrels and onto the rocky shores of the land once more. Your legs shook when you finally stood on them again after your large dose of adrenaline and cold. Stumbling forwards, you couldn't feel your hands, now so cold that they were stinging in the fingertips. The cool air blowing from the mountains nearby had goosebumps rising in every pore of your skin, your teeth chattering with the damp cold that enveloped you. However, your gaze focused on only one person, a trail of red water following behind him as he limped onto dry land to sit on a boulder for support. Concern, fear and anger rippled through every ounce of your blood like a wildfire, helping you forget the cold. You marched towards Kili, his face screwed in pain as he tried to wipe his wound clean. Bofur had stood near him, his eyes lit with the same concern as yours. Kili had spied his gaze first. "I'm fine", he snapped. "It's nothing". You wordlessly knelt by him, attempting to inspect the wound when he noticed you and swatted you away. "Don't". His harsh tone caught you offguard, your brows raising in challenge. "I'll be fine". Despite his confidence in saying it, not even he had full belief that his words were the truth.

"Let me see it", your voice was a terrifying calm, your gaze showing the emotions simmering beneath the surface. Your eyes met the Prince's in a silent battle of wits, his brows creased in an anger to combat your own.

"I said it was nothing—". Your hand pried his away from the wound, feeling the nausea beginning to creep up. The wound was deep, perhaps to the bone, and was bleeding openly. Bruising had already strangely appeared around the cut and it seemed horribly inflamed for a simple arrow wound. Kili spied your eyes brimming with tears, his blood running cold with remorse.

"Kili", you sighed beneath your breath.

"I've had worse. Really—", he tried gently, your head shaking.

"You need a healer. You need proper medical help".

"(Y/n), it's just a little cut!", he downplayed it with a frustrated edge to his voice. "Stop being so overdramatic!".

"You want me to stop being concerned for you?? Then maybe stop endangering yourself for once!!", your words shattered the air, shocking everyone in the Company. Kili's eyes flickered sadly from your own. "Better that the arrow really had hit me instead of you!". Anger flashed in the Princeling's gaze.

"Oh really? And why is that??".

"It would've been better than listening to your bullshit", you huffed, storming away from the stubborn Prince. Kili's head slumped, his face screwed up in a glower. Dismissing the tone you'd taken with his nephew, Thorin had established that you were all to leave promptly after Kili's wound was to be bound, Fili taking it upon himself to tend to his brother's leg.

"She's angry with me", Kili mumbled beneath his breath, his hazel eyes lingering where you sat with Ori. Fili almost laughed, his amusement twitching his smile.

"She is", he agreed, squeezing out the blooded cloth he was using for the wound. Ocean orbs flickered up to his brother's melancholy expression. "It's what caring for a person entails, Kee".

"She's been different to me. Distanced", the younger Prince continued with a sigh. "She does not look at me the same. Mirkwood has changed her".

"Maybe", Dwalin mused, catching onto the conversation. "Or perhaps she saw y' gettin' friendly with that Elf maid?". Kili's brows furrowed in confusion, turning his gaze to the older Dwarf.

"Why would that bother her??". Shrugging, Dwalin responded,

"If y' don't know by now, ye never will, Laddie". Know what? , Kili's mind echoed, his eyes closing from exasperation. He had not the energy to ask. The Prince only hoped that you'd be willing to talk to him again as you once did. Whenever that may be.

"I'm absolutely drenched", Ori groaned in irritation, pouring the water from his boot.

"Think about me. I'm human. Not a short, walking furnace like yourself". The younger Dwarf spared a laugh despite his misery. Sensing a pair of eyes on your back, you turned to find a man standing on the hill above. His bow was drawn, aimed for you and Ori. Instantly, you covered the smaller Dwarf with yourself, Dwalin leaping down from where he stood to protect you. The older Dwarf held a large branch for a makeshift weapon and shield, baring his teeth like an animal defending its young. The Company became highly strung, Kili standing to his feet without a care. The stranger fired an arrow at Dwalin's branch, already anticipating the Princeling's next move and firing an arrow at him as well. The second arrow bounced from the stone Kili had attempted to throw, the Prince's eyes wide in surprise.

"Do it again and you're dead", the man spat, his resolve showing in the threatening tone of his voice. He had armed his bow with a third arrow, everyone's hands raising in a form of surrender. Balin stepped forth.

"You're from Laketown, if I'm not mistaken?". The bow was instantly aimed for the cheerful Dwarf, his feet coming to a halt out of caution. "That barge over there. It wouldn't be for hire by any chance?". The stranger's brows creased, his weapon slowly being withdrawn.

"And what makes you think that I would help you?". The stranger gladly took the barrels you all had used, loading them into the boat with the others he had. Balin was the negotiator, offering every reason for this stranger to give refuge to and accept payment from you all. The man's coat, his three children and wife. To your surprise, the man was a widower. Alike to Balin, you felt the same remorse and shame creeping into your heart at these findings. A single father trying to raise his three children alone in a barren town of ice, water and poverty. You could see why he was cautious of you all.

"Oh, come on. Come on, enough of the niceties", Dwalin finally grunted.

"What's your hurry?", the bargeman shot back.

"What's it to you?".

"I would like to know who you are". His brown hues crossed over you all, lingering on you for a brief moment. "And what you are doing in these lands".

"We are just simple merchants from the Blue Mountains, journeying to see our kin in the Iron Hills". A lie from Balin, but a well told lie. The bargeman had no reason to believe him and he most likely didn't, his eyes crossing over you again.

"And what about you?", he asked, directing his attention to the one who stood out the most. Female and human in a troupe of male Dwarves. It was a very uncommon sight indeed. "What's your story?".

"It's none of your business", Kili snapped.

"I don't believe I was asking you".

"This is my family", you replied, gathering the archer's attention wholeheartedly. The Dwarves felt some part of their hearts warming at the thought of you considering them family. You'd spent many months with them, lived through many hardships and they knew that you'd meant your words. It showed in your eyes. The stranger's brows rose, an amused smile playing on his lips,

"Thirteen Dwarves is quite an unusual family for a human, wouldn't you think?".

"Hardly", you replied, continuing Balin's lie with more truths of your own. "We've been through the worst together. I love them. And I would be prepared to give my all to see our kin again". The bargeman saw the truth of your words in your keen gaze, but his instincts were calling to him.

"Are you certain that you not a Ranger of the wilds, baring the gifts of your true kin??". Your expression remained neutral. How had he known??

"My true kin??".

"Your sharp senses. You heard my coming before that of your family. And you bare the mark of Ithilien on your leather boots. A tree crowned with six stars and a crescent moon". Your silence was answer enough for the bowman, a soft chuckle leaving his lips. He was a harder man to fool than you'd first presumed. His eyes flickered to Balin with a knowing smile. " 'Simple merchants', you say??".

"We need food, supplies, weapons. Can you help us?", Thorin chimed in. With reluctance still prominent in his demeanour, the stranger marked the barrels he'd pulled from the water,

"I know where these barrels came from".

"What of it?".

"I don't know what business you had with the Elves, but I don't think it ended well". The bargeman turned back to you all, readying his ship to depart. "No one enters Laketown, but by leave of the Master. All of his wealth comes from trade with the Woodland Realm. He would see you in irons before risking the wrath of King Thranduil", he huffed, throwing rope at Balin. The Dwarf turned his attention to Thorin who mouthed something in Khuzdul, encouraging him to continue pushing the debate with the stranger. And push he did.

"I'll wager that there are ways to enter that town unseen!".

"Aye", he agreed. "But, for that, you would need a smuggler".

"For which we would pay double", Balin insisted almost pleadingly.

Something suddenly snapped in this stranger, causing him to relent and follow your cause. It wasn't the money he was promised, but the desperation he'd seen all too many times before in those he loved. After accepting thanks from both yourself and Bilbo for his help, the man introduced himself as Bard. He set off with you all post-haste, setting his course for Laketown. The misty haze covering the water was thick, the waters almost black and dead, save for the movement of the vessel you stood in. Bard used a large oar for a rudder placed at the back of the boat, steering the ship through the dark. "Look out!!", Bofur had shouted, spotting jagged cliffs ahead, spotting randomly and towering by many feet in the waters. Bard steered by them with an expert precision.

"What are you trying to do?", Thorin piped up. "Drown us??".

"I was born and bred on these waters, master Dwarf. If I wanted to drown you, I would not do it here".

"Oh, I've had enough of this lippy lakeman", Dwalin grumbled beneath his breath. "Let's say we throw him over the side and be done with it". Bilbo huffed in frustration,

"Bard. His name's Bard".

"How do ye know?", Bofur asked.

"Uh, I asked him??", the Hobbit answered as if it were obvious.

"I don't care what he calls himself, I don't like him", Dwalin shot back.

"We do not have to like him", Balin shrugged. "We simply have to pay him. Turn out your pockets, lads". You'd already given Balin your coin purse, taking to leaning stiffly leaning against the right side of the boat. The conversations faded from your ears, the cold air still nipping at your skin. Your eyes came to a soft close, riddled with exhaustion. A burning warmth enveloped your numb hands, two larger ones coming to rest upon them. You knew those callouses, your gaze falling to your right. Kili's hazel hues were set upon the waters, as your own had been.

"I never got to thank you for saving my hide", you mumbled, offering his larger hands a caress. "Again". Guilt played within your gaze, his eyes meeting yours with a slightly amused smile. "I'm sorry, Kee".

"I am too. I shouldn't have spoken to you the way that I did either. You were just worried. I would have been".

"I'm still worried", you confessed, brushing his fringe from his face, noting his skin with concern. "You're so pale, Kee". The back of your hand pressed to his forehead. "You're burning up". He removed your hand with a great amount of gentleness, rejection needling your heart. You'd spied his leg, dark blood weeping through the fabrics wrapped around it. The Prince drew your gaze with his breathtaking smile,

"I'll be fine, (Y/n). You'll see".

Those same words echoed in your head with Kili splayed across Bard's bed only a day later. You'd seen his eyes become red with inflammation and exhaustion, seen his skin turn a shade of pale white. You'd seen him become weaker with every passing hour, now unable to stand properly. All you had seen, despite his assurances, was his slow suffering. And it was killing you from the inside out.

Every part of him was rippling in agony, his body trying to burn off the poison raging in his blood to no avail. Sweat was trailing down the Princeling's skin, matting his hair. His breaths were erratic in his struggle to breathe. "(Y/n)", his voice cracked, his hazel eyes almost terrifyingly dull, yet clouded with fear. He felt a fool now, having ignored your words of warning on his injury. Because some part of him understood now, alike to yourself, that he was dying. He had been all along. Hot tears stung his eyes, his fingers barely able to reach for your hand. Taking your lower lip into your teeth, you tried to keep from breaking down. You had to remain strong for Kili, but hope was disappearing with every passing second. He squeezed the fingers you'd offered him with what little strength he could muster. "I'm— I'm so sorry". A pained groan left him, trying to restrain the urge he had to move.

"Don't start that", you told him, returning the grip on your hand. "No goodbyes yet, Kili. We can still save you". Bard brought out a box of various herbs on a separate table. All were useless to Oin.

"None of these are any good to me. Do y' have any kingsfoil??".

"Kingsfoil? It's a weed?", Bard replied, brows creasing in confusion. "We feed it to the pigs". Kili's grip suddenly became painful on your hand, feeling as if a hot knife had been plunged through him. A wail escaped his throat that had you wincing, Fili rushing to your side again to offer not only his brother comfort, but you as well. The eldest Princeling had tried to convince you to leave with Thorin, promising you that this was only benign. Now, Fili was grateful that you'd stayed, not allowing your friends to go this alone. He was facing the possibility of losing his younger brother this very evening and here you were, holding the blonde's hand with your spare one to alleviate the stress. Amidst Kili's groans of pain, Bofur rushed to the table, exclaiming something about Kingsfoil.

"Don't move!", he'd told the younger Prince, recieving a pointed glare from him in return. Bard had left the house with his son Bain and a black arrow in tow. It was very possible, given the tremors you'd felt this evening, that Smaug had awakened. However, Bain had returned sooner than expected, claiming that his father had been pursued by guards and the black arrow hidden safely. Hope was fading faster by the second as the tense waiting began. The air was eerily quiet in Laketown, save for the odd cries from the Dwarf in your care. You all waited on Bofur, praying that the intuitive Dwarf would return with the herbs. Sigrid stepped outside, praying for her father's return as well as Bofur's.

"Da?", she called out, hearing movement along the wooden boardwalks of the town. When turning to retreat inside, her blood-curdling scream caught your attention. Sigrid tried to close the door, the Orc that had tried to strike her jamming his sword between it.

"Get away from the door!!", you yelled, Sigrid leaping back only to get thrown on one of the chairs, moving to hide under the table with her younger sister. Fili had charged from your side and into the Orc, battling by hand. More came crashing in through the roof, both Bain and yourself using the furniture at your disposal to fight them off. It became a struggle to fight their growing numbers in your attempt to protect Bard's children as well as Kili.

On any other occasion, you would've despised her presence, yet now you couldn't be more grateful for the extra set of hands Tauriel offered as she stepped into the room with her blades drawn. Her keen emerald eyes scanned the room, immediately beginning her onslaught against the growing number of Orcs in Bard's living room. Legolas leapt in not too soon after, joining your fight against the hellish creatures. You spoke not a word to either of them, taking their help as an advantage. Another wail from Kili broke the room, seeing that an Orc had gripped his injured leg, pulling him along the bed. Tauriel threw a knife into the skull of the Orc, the Princeling falling to the floor with a cry. You'd rushed to his side, Legolas flanking your defence. His skills with Elven daggers surpassed even the skill of Tauriel, weaving through the room like a graceful, yet sharp wind. "Get down!", Fili had yelled, pulling Bard's children behind the fallen table to hide. Kili had grabbed Tauriel's dagger from the dead Orc who had attacked him, using it to try flanking your defence and Tauriel's. Instantaneously, he'd collapsed with a scream, one of the Orcs vaulting from the room in its escape. The battle was forgotten, your makeshift weapons clattering to the floor. You heaved Kili's heavy body into your arms, the Prince now writhing in excruciating pain.

"Kili", you tried to calm him, your voice tremoring with the chilling anxiety rushing through you. Oin and Fili sprinted to your side with urgency, Tauriel's mouth falling open at the wound on Kili's leg. Black blood dripped onto the floor, the Morgul poisons all too familiar to the Elf.

"You killed them all", Bain gasped, almost feeling sick at the sight of his home.

"There are others", Legolas stated, readying his weapons to face of with your shared foes once more. "Tauriel, come". He beckoned his counterpart, hesitation showing in her features.

"We're losing him!", Oin begged, looking to Tauriel for help. She was capable, her people far more skilled than your own in the arts of medicine. Her eyes were wide, darting between you all and the retreating form of the Elven Prince. Her duty to the world, to her Prince Legolas surpassed the needs of your Prince, your best friend. Despite her curiosity of Kili, Tauriel didn't share the feelings for Kili that he had for her. For the Dwarven Prince, it was almost like love at first sight, continuing to be enamoured by her, her graceful and kind spirit, her smile. For Tauriel, it was a silly dream to pursue love with a Dwarf. He was handsome for one of his kind, but her heart lied with her duties, her people and with the man she'd slowly come to love. Legolas. Despite his father's wishes, she was not one to easily give up in the pursuit of love and it was clearly requited by the Prince. You envied her for that reason. Tauriel moved past your group without anymore hesitation.

Every part of you stung with hurt for Kili, knowing that he would feel that same agony you had alongside his current ailments. Unbridled rage filled your heart, watching as she left him helpless, screaming. "So that's it??", you called to Tauriel, allowing Fili to take his brother whilst you stood to confront her. "You'll just let him die??". The redhead turned, confusion etched into her expression.

"And what would you have me do? Orcs are running rampant, more innocents will die if I do not help them". Tears fell freely from your eyes.

"He's dying!!", you roared, gesturing to Kili. "He hasn't time! Save him!! Please!".

"I cannot linger—".

"Bullshit!! He opened his heart to you, Tauriel!! You can't leave him like this!!", you bellowed. You saw in her gaze that perhaps she knew of Kili's attraction to her. Yet, you'd come to understand why she'd taken to ignoring it.

"I can't—", she whispered with a shake of her head, turning again to leave.

"Please, Tauriel", your voice broke, lowering to a whisper only she could hear, "I love him". And that's when Tauriel understood. Guilt swam in her gaze when she looked upon you again. The stabbing pain of unrequited love sat heavy in your eyes.

"I'm sorry", she murmured, the entire apology heartfelt and genuine. You watched, helplessly as the Elf darted from the balcony and to the rooftops beyond, falling to your knees. A frustrated cry left your lips, Sigrid covering her mouth from seeing you this distraught. Bofur stumbled through the door, baring the Kingsfoil weed. He'd spied your tear stricken face with terror, seeing the desperate situation he'd returned to.

"There's no time!!", you shouted, staggering to your feet.

"(Y/n)? What will ye do??", he asked, all the eyes in the room falling to you.

With surity, you replied, "I have to save him".

You ordered Tilda and Sigrid to ready you some cloths and warm to hot water to best extract the essences from the herbs. Oin, Fili, Bofur and Bain took to lifting the now thrashing Prince onto the kitchen table. Being a Ranger from the South, kingsfoil was commonly used for healing practices by your kin, but you were not schooled in medicine. Your skills were honed on navigating the lands, tracking, stealth and basic combat. You felt useless, only faintly remembering hearing a few healing chants. Most were in Elvish, some in the common tongue of men. The words were lost on you, save for one or two chants. You would have to try.

"Are y' sure y' know what yer doin', Lass?", Oin piped up, watching as you peeled the leaves and flowers into the water.

"No", you huffed a bitter chuckle, your eyes falling down to his own. "But what choice do I have?". Fili eyed you from where he held down his brother, his ocean gaze glistening with hope.

"I have faith in you", he murmured.

"As do I", Bofur added, smiling to lessen the pressure. Oin nodded, giving you his seal of approval. He admired your gaul to act swiftly and take initiative. You would make an excellent healer in his opinion.

Taking a deep breath, you gripped Kili's leg, a pained scream leaving his lips. He writhed, kicking away your touch. His eyes had darkened, having no perception but the agony he felt. "Hold him down!! Please!", you begged the lads, all of them contributing. You tore the fabric away from Kili's wound, nausea creeping into your throat as it had the first time. The wound was still bruised and open, weeping black blood as a large swollen mound with dark veins. No time, you reminded yourself, reaching into the water. Scrunching all the leaves you could find into your palms, you silently prayed that the blood of Numenór flowed true within you as you began the healing chants you could remember. "May the blessing that was given to me, be sent from me to him. May he be released from death", you commanded, pushing the kingsfoil into the wound. His back arched, a piercing cry leaving his lips. Your eyes closed applying pressure. "May the blessing that was given to me, be sent from me to him. May he be released from death".

"Tilda!", Sigrid shouted, the two joining in holding down Kili's limbs as he continued to struggle from your touch. Oin and Fili watched in awe as you repeated your words over and over. Your chant was in common tongue, yet it seemed to breathe life into the room itself. You had begun to think and worry that nothing would work, that Kili was too far gone. Tears slipped again from your eyes, your voice remaining sterdy despite the tightness wanting to creep through your throat. Your mind was wholly set on saving him, imagining him as spriteful as the day you'd met him. Love and care poured through every fibre of your being and perhaps the Divines felt it?? You prayed that they'd help encompass all that energy for him if they did. Feeling the tension slipping from Kili's limbs slowly, you heard his cries dying into calmer, but ragged breaths. It was working..

"May the blessing that was given to me, be sent from me to him. May he be released from death", you repeated with more fervour, finally having the courage to open your eyes to meet his own. His hazel hues were no longer pale and dull. They were now full of life. His lips were parted, eyelashes fluttering in some semblance of shock, as if you'd pulled him from water to save him from drowning. And you had saved him. The darkness that clouded his vision, blinding him to all else was broken. It was as if he was watching the sun rising for the first time, seeing that divine light cracking the dark horizons open to see you. There was only you in his line of sight, pulling him like a lifeline. Kili found himself wondering how you'd ever come to be so beautiful. The infatuation he'd held for Tauriel paled in comparison to the affection for you that wormed its way past his broken heart and into his soul. And perhaps it had always been there?? The Prince felt a sense of relief fill him, coming to understand why he'd always felt differently for you. It had been you all along, he was only blinded to it.

Kili's pain faded from him, his body no longer fighting the poison. It had been neutralised, expelled from him. Death couldn't touch him any longer, or so he felt. His body instead burned with a warm, pure light. Every part of him relaxed under your touch, a soft sigh leaving the Prince as his breathing turned to some form of normality. His blood ran red through your fingers, cleansed now. The swelling would slowly decrease over time, as would the inflammation and bruising. You smiled, crying from your relief. The stiffness in your limbs created by the tense situation had dissipated. A breathy laugh, wet from your tears left your throat. You'd done it, you'd saved him. Bofur happily placed a hand on your own, both Tilda and Sigrid alight with joy over this victory. The girls circled the table, taking you into their shared embrace, giving you words of assurance, congratulations and gratitude for helping protect them. Fili grinned, sharing in some semblance of relieved laughter, resting his forehead on his brother's in a familial embrace.

Everyone had relaxed, leaving the room to allow you to continue in your endeavours to finish your work on Kili's wound. You pulled the kingsfoil from the scar, rinsing a cloth with the water the herbs had soaked in. The water was still warm and clean, fragrant with the essences of the weeds. You wiped the fabric over the wound, brushing away dirt, dead flesh and irritants. Once it was clean and dry, you started to bind his leg with cleaner fabrics that Bain had sought for you.

"I have never seen the healing practices of the Dunédain until this evening. That there was a privilege to witness", Oin marveled, turning to the blonde Prince who had also been in some state of awe at what he'd seen.

Softly, your hands worked at the bindings on Kili's leg, placing the material thickly over his wound to ensure it was well protected from weeping blood. "(Y/n)", The Princeling beneath you croaked, his voice hoarse and raw from his screaming. You smiled with a wistfulness, relieved to see him so at peace.

"It's okay, Kee", you breathed. "I'm here. Lie still for me, alright?". His hazel hues held an emotion you couldn't read, fluttering in their attempt to stay awake. A tired smile slowly etched onto his face, twinkling weakly with his usual cheekiness.

"You're so,—", his voice cracked. "—so beautiful".

Your brows knitted together in confusion when you glanced at him from his leg. He was clearly delusional. He had to have been.

"You're a bit dazed, Kee", you smiled, politely dismissing his words. "You need to rest".

"You are", he insisted beneath his breath. "You're so, so beautiful". You felt his warming fingertips brushing over the hand that rested on his thigh, the goosebumps from his touch spindling across your skin. "You were crafted by the sunglow of another world. Your light saved me. It wasn't a dream". Your lips parted, unsure of his kind words and the clarity behind them.

Kili breathed as if it were difficult to talk, his eyelids drooping in exhaustion. His smile still remained, eyeing your hands when you brushed your thumb over the fingers that rested upon your own.

Slowly, his breathing evened out, a light sleep taking the Prince as you continued to work. Once securing his bandages with a light knot, you leant down, brushing your lips over his forehead with a silent prayer that the Company was alive in Erebor. That the ruin that Bard had predicted wouldn't come to pass. Fili shared your sentiment, his eyes worriedly meeting your own before he embraced you in gratitude, thanking you once more for saving his brother. But, your complacency was only temporary.

When you stumbled onto the rocky shores in the cold light of the dawn, you beheld desperation, sadness, loss and terror amidst the ruin that had come to pass. Smaug's onslaught was without mercy or conscience. Bard had been right all along. Now, you were praying that he was alive with his son. You'd grown worried for the bargeman and his son after seeing Smaug plummet from the skies.

Frantically, you searched the shores for the two males. Tilda was in your arms, fresh tears pouring from her eyes. Sigrid clung to your free hand, shouting for her father. The Dwarves were readying the cannoe you'd all travelled in for the trip to Erebor. It felt wrong to leave everyone behind. You wouldn't leave yet, not until the girls had their father back.

Kili was hardly focusing on helping his kin with the small boat, his hazel eyes admiring you from afar. "Kee?", Fili called to him, beckoning him to help.

"Eyeing the lass?", Bofur asked with some suspicion and confusion, a smile twitching on his lips.

"What if I was?", the younger Prince shrugged, missing the hopeful glint in the older Dwarf's eye. "I have to make sure she's alright". Fili turned to Bofur, his brows raised. Both said no more in watching Kili ascend the shores. You had begun to make your return, Bard and Bain now reunited with the girls in the small encampment.

With exhaustion heavy in your steps, you smiled at the brunette Princeling on his unexpected approach. Your mind flashed back to those warm callouses brushing against your skin, goosebumps flushing across your arms at the thought. He'd hardly spoken a word to you since the previous night, making you question if he'd even been coherent when he mumbled those sweet words to you. Perhaps it was your wishful thinking in the end?

"Ready to go?", you'd asked him, beginning to stray past him whilst he'd stopped.

"(Y/n)", he called to you, the softness in his voice halting your steps. Your brows furrowed,

"Kili, we need to go".

"I need to talk to you". His hand reached for your own before you could turn away, gently tugging at your smaller fingers. Even after all this time, you found yourself unable to ignore the intensity of his hazel hues, something unreadable sitting hard within his gaze. "Please", he spoke, barely above a breath.

Instinctively, you turned fully to face him, your thumb brushing over his larger hand. "Of course", you replied, almost unsteady with nervousness. Some part of you felt that he may assure you that he had no feelings for you, that his words to you had been hollow. And you prayed that if he were to reject you, that he'd do so softly.

"I just want to say thank you", he confessed. "For saving my life".

"Kili, you needn't thank me", you insisted, his other hand pressing something smooth and cold into your palm. "What are you—".

"The days are growing darker, (Y/n)", he cut in, clasping your fingers around the object. His second hand warmed your cold, stinging skin. "Last night, I realised how little time we may have left and I have grown so afraid that I won't have the time to say what I must to those who matter". Your brows creased in concern, always content to allow him to express his innermost thoughts. "I'm giving you this token. As a promise".

"Kili—", you tried to desist him to no avail.

"Amrâlimê", he hushed you with a silken voice. It was like the word had caressed your very soul. A smile splayed slowly onto his features whilst his eyes seemed to read yours. "You felt it too, didn't you?".

"Felt what, Kili? I don't know what that word means", you replied with a quiver to your whisper, his grin growing.

"I think you do", he bounced back, a featherlight playfulness present in his glimmering gaze. "It's my promise to you. That I'll always come back to you". You saw the glassing of tears within his gaze. "Even at death's door, I will come back to you".

"Why would you promise such a thing to me, Kili?", you asked, confusion clouding over your expression. "When your heart clearly belongs to another??". To Tauriel...

A soft laugh slipped from the Princeling's lips, an affectionate glow radiating from his tender gaze. "It was infatuation, an idea that I'd tried to pursue with Tauriel", he murmured with a soft shake to his head. "It was foolish to pursue that which was but a shadow to how I feel for you, (Y/n). I know now how I feel— how I've felt all along for you and I'm not afraid. I was just too blind to see our connection for what it was". You felt his fingers squeeze yours, his eyes playing across your more delicate features. "For that, I hope you can forgive me and realise that my words to you last night were not of a daze, but from my heart. You make me feel alive".

Ignoring the tears that stung in your eyes, you finally felt as if your own heart had been freed, your smile like a pure light shining on the Prince. The warmth of Kili's spare hand reached to cradle your face, swiping his thumb over your glistening eyes.

The short gap between you was no more when your head had dipped, the softness of his lips engulfing your own in a deep caress. Kili's hand twined into your curls, pulling you flush into him whilst his other hand remained with your own, as if to solidify his promise to you. Your thumb worked soothing caresses over his rough skin, getting lost in his kiss before you heard whistles from the shore nearby.

Your lips parted from the Prince's, quickly missing the sensation of his hot touch in the biting cold of the morning breeze. Whistling and clapping, Bofur stood upon the cannoe, overjoyed at the scene playing before him. "If you both are done, we do plan on travelling today! ", Fili shouted, a playful grin on his expression.

Both yourself and Kili lapsed into a soft bout of laughter, sharing an affectionate glance before you allowed the Princeling to finally lead you to the boat to travel home.

The End. . .

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Hey readers!!

I hope you all enjoyed this fic!! I have a LOTR fic in the works as we speak, so keep your eyes peeled, folks! As always, any and all feedback is welcome! If you wish to be added to my tagslist, check out my masterlist and let me know what you'd like to be tagged in! ❤❤

As always, thank you all for your support in my works!! ❤❤

* * *

Translations;

Tolo hí = "come on" (Elvish/Sindarin)

Ishkh khakfe andu null = "go pour excrement on your head" (Khuzdul)

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TAGLIST; @fizzyxcustard @lathalea @emrfangirl @deadlymistletoe

[urfavstonr1]

Unsweetened Lemonade

Chapter 3

Series- Delicious In Dungeon

Pairings- Chilchuck Tims/Reader

Word Count- 5594

Content Warnings- SMUT!!!! DIRTY TALK?!!!

Notes- Im so sorry this took so long yall 😭 between work and writers block this took me so long. I hope yall enjoy it ❤️

“Woah are you ok?” A concerned voice said from behind her, reaching a hand to touch her shoulder, “I’m glad to see you’re finally awake.”

Another groan left her as she rubbed her mouth with the back of her hand, “I feel like shit.” (Y/N) coughs out, her heart pumping out of her chest.

“Marcille said this might happen.” Chilchuck’s voice said again, now rubbing soothing circles into her back, “You used up all your mana like an idiot and now you're sick.”

“Don’t. Don’t start right now.” (Y/N) mumbles sitting up and bringing a hand to her head as the room spun.

“Lay back down, you’re gonna make it worse!” Chilchuck ordered, pulling her back down to a lying position, “Let me get you some water and clean up your mess.” He sighs, standing from the floor to fish through her bag to find her water skin.

“Where is everyone?” (Y/N) scans the room, finding it empty aside from herself and Chilchuck.

“I assume Senshi is cooking dinner with Laius, and Marcille and Falin are in the bath.” Chilchuck answers while handing her the waterskin.

(Y/N) shoots up again, pushing the water skin away, “Falin is back!? How? I didn’t know Marcille knew resurrection magic, where are they?” She climbed out of her bed roll despite Chilchuck trying to keep her in place. Stumbling to her feet she took off in a dizzy waddle towards the voices of Marcille and Falin. Opening the door and gasping at the familiar light brown hair.

“(Y/N)? You should be in bed!” Marcille blurts out, staring at her sickly friend.

The words were in one ear and out the other as (Y/N) launched herself into the bath, wrapping her arms around Falin in a tight hug, “Falin! I’m so happy you’re ok!” only now did she notice she was only in her now soaked shirt. “Where are my pants?”

“(Y/N)?” Falin’s soft voice was surprised, returning the hug from her long time friend, “I didn’t know you were down here.”

(Y/N) rubbed her cheek against Falin’s despite Chilchuck yelling at her from outside, telling her to get back into bed before she made her condition worse, “Who cares that I’m down here, all that matters is you’re ok.”

Marcille lets out an agitated sigh, rubbing her temples, “I took your pants off because they were covered in blood” She mutters, “Now get out of the bath! Your clothes are soaked!”

“Ok mom” (Y/N) chuckles, letting go of Falin and getting out of the bath, the water dripping off of her and onto the floor. The heat in the room making her stumble as she stood, “Ah fuck.” she mumbles, bracing herself against the wall.

“You are unbelievable.” Chilchuck reaches a blind hand into the room, trying to grab (Y/N) while not looking at any of the girls.

(Y/N) grabs his hand to steady herself before wobbling out of the room, “You better come find me when you’re done!” She yells over her shoulder. Looking back at chilchuck with a goofy smile, “You are unbelievable. Unbelievably cute.” She lets out a laugh as he shoulders her weight to get her back to her bed roll.

He looks up at her before diverting his eyes to the floor, the now wet shirt she wore was see through and cling to her body, not only was he able to see her bra but every curve and feature of her body. Despite being a half elf she was built more like a dwarf, wide hips, a small waist, big boobs, and thick thighs. She was right, who wouldn’t want to see her mostly naked? Not even mostly- he shook the thoughts from his head as he set her back onto her bedroll.

“She has to have spare clothes in here.” He mutters under his breath while digging through her bag to at least find a shirt for her. Looking at her over his shoulder he found her staring at him with a smile, turning back around to find she had taken off her wet shirt.

“You’re handsome~” She giggles, laying down in her bedroll and admiring him as he searched for her clothes.

“And you’re delirious.” He lets out a laugh as he finds her a shirt. Returning to her side and trying to sit her up to dress her again.

“Delirious shmirious.” she giggles again, placing a hand on his cheek with that lovesick smile of hers, the one that made his heart flutter and his cheeks heat into a blush.

Resisting the urge to lean into her affections he laid her back down, “Get some sleep, I’ll wake you up when food is ready.” he began to stand before a hand grabbed his own.

“Please stay with me… I don’t like being alone.”(Y/N) pleaded, pulling him back down to the floor.

Chilchuck smiled down at her, “Ok.” He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as her eyes fluttered closed as she was fast asleep.

“She’s cute when she sleeps, huh?” a voice asked over his shoulder.

“Yeah.” he responded absentmindedly, snapping his head around to glare at Marcille crouching behind him.

She smiles brightly in return, “I knew it~ Chilchuck and our sweet little (Y/N)~!” she nearly squealed, trying to keep her volume down for the sake of (Y/N)’s sleep and recovery.

“You! You know nothing!” Chilchuck could feel his ears burn as he glared at Marcille.

“I know the way you look at her, and how close you’ve gotten since she joined the party.” Marcille retorts, “Don’t act like we didn’t see you two cuddled up this morning.”

“Shut up” her mumbles, turning his gaze back down to (Y/N) who was lightly snoring.

Marcille stood again, “You know, when we were in school she had a hard time getting close to people, and yet it was so easy for her with you.”

“I can only imagine, her mood swings are killing me.” Chilchuck sighs, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand.

“That happens when you go through what she has.” Marcille smiles down at (Y/N)’s sleeping form, watching her chest rise and fall. “It takes a lot out of a person, and with how secretive she’s been I can only imagine it got worse.”

“It did get worse… but I think,” he pauses, smiling warmly at her, “I think it’s getting better.”

Another gentle shake woke (Y/N), stretching and taking in a deep breath she smelled the dinner that awaited her.

“Goodmorning (Y/N).” Chilchuck jokes, helping her sit up and handing her a plate of food.

“This smells amazing!” (Y/N) takes it with a wide smile, cutting into the meat and taking a bite, it practically melts in her mouth, “This is orgasmic, what is this?” She asks, looking to Senshi as she swallows. Taking another bite from the tasty roast.

“It’s roasted red dragon.” He gives her a smile, watching as her chewing stops for a moment before slowly chewing and swallowing the bite.

Chilchuck lets out a laugh at her expression, “Eat up, you need to get your strength back.”

“You need to get your strength back” (Y/N) mockingly mumbles as she takes another bite.

“Don’t be a brat.” Chilchuck flicks her forehead, making her whine.

“That hurt!” (Y/N) whines, rubbing her forehead with a pout.

“Don’t act like a child and I won't have to treat you like one!” His words are stern as he looks at her pout, rolling his eyes.

Falin giggles as she watches their interaction, “You’re like an old married couple.” She laughs.

Matching looks of shock cross their faces before they look away from each other, each letting out a tsk as their faces burn red.

Dinner was finished quietly, the only noise being whispers between Falin and Marcille about how cute their interactions were. If only they knew two sets of sensitive ears could hear everything.

(Y/N) climbed from her bedroll they had set up and stood with a stretch, much more stable this time. “I’m gonna go take a bath.” She tells the party, walking from the room to find the bath again. Her body ached, hopefully this bath would put her muscles at ease.

Light footsteps followed behind her, causing her to let out a sigh, “Can I help you Chil?” she was met with silence before she heard him clear his throat.

“Even though we’re in a secure spot you still shouldn’t wander on your own.” he explains, catching up to walk next to her.

“Is it safety or are you trying to catch a glimpse of me in the bath?” She muses, looking down to him with a flirty smirk.

“Ugh, no. I want to make sure you don’t drown yourself.” Chilchuck tried to play it off, his ears and cheeks heating up.

“Sure~” She snickers, opening the door to the bath. Stepping inside and beginning to unbutton her shirt. Chilchuck leaned against the wall outside, crossing his arms over his chest with a huff. Peaking around the corner, he just couldn’t help himself but to take a look at her.

Looking again at her curves, noticing the stomach chub she had and the stretch marks that came with it. Stretch marks that scattered her skin light strikes of lightning, across her stomach, down her thighs. He wondered what it would feel like to trail his fingers against the lightened marks on her skin. The scars that littered her body from the fights she’s been injured in. the tattoos that she hid meticulously under her clothes, words written in elvish and runes from magic he couldn’t even begin to understand.

She tied her hair up into a messy bun before slipping into the water, letting out a content sigh as the warm water enveloped her body, soothing her aching muscles.

“Would you like to join me?” She chuckles, “I can feel you staring.” She opened an eye to look at him, (E/C) eyes meeting brown ones before he whipped back around the corner.

“I wasn’t staring!” He yells back, his face red with humiliation. Even if he wanted to join her, which he didn't! He couldn’t, not with the tent growing in his pants. “I was making sure you didn’t pass out again.” he excused his actions, pulling his fingers through his hair, trying to calm himself down.

“I don’t blame you for staring, I am pretty hot~” another laugh, water sloshed and rippled around her as she moved, “I never thought I’d find myself in this kind of situation with a half-foot but I can’t deny what the heart wants.”

Chilchuck swallowed loudly despite the sudden dryness of his mouth, gods were her words so alluring, he felt his cock twitch just listening to her speak. A siren in human flesh.

“Chil~” her voice called out, he couldn’t help but look at her again, finding her chin resting on her palm on the rim of the tub, her boobs pressing against the wall of the tub only served to make her cleavage more prominent. She looked like a goddess tempting him with all that he desired.

“I-I gotta go!” he spits out before taking off down the hall, away from her and further away from the party. He couldn’t stand anyone seeing him like this.

Ducking into one of the doors that littered the maze-like house they were camping out in. one of the many bedrooms that was hidden within the walls. He lets out a sigh, looking down at himself to find the tent hadn’t dissipated. He felt like a horny school boy seeing his crush for the first time, why did she have to do this to him?

He hadn’t touched himself in years, not since he’d married his wife. Reluctantly he began to undo his belt, pulling down his pants just enough to release his cock from its confines. Watching the precum drip from the head. He cursed at himself, jacking off in a dungeon, having feelings for another party member, how ridiculous.

Removing his glove he wrapped a hand around his length, carefully stroking himself as he felt air catch in his throat. She would be his downfall, but what a sweet downfall it would be. Stroking himself to the thought of her, how she would feel. Her skin against his as he ravaged her body. He imagined the heavenly moans that would leave her lips, the feeling of her plush lips against his own as he pounded into her. How tight she would feel when she orgasmed around him. He let a groan pass through his lips as he sped up, the soft tenderness of her skin under his fingers. He bet she looked ethereal underneath him.

Another pump of his hand and he felt his release, cumming onto his own hand as he panted, cursing himself again. The poor half-foot was falling in love and there was nothing he could do about it.

Back in the bath (Y/N) let out a frustrated sigh, leaning back in the water with her hands behind her head. She scared him off and she hated herself for it. Sure she’d slept with other men after her husband but never did she crave one man as much as she craved Chilchuck. Wishing she could sink her teeth in and never let go. Despite her sexual frustration she finished her soak in blissful silence before climbing out of the tub and wrapping herself in a towel. Drying herself off and redressing herself she let her hair out of its bun, she’d have to ask Marcille to braid it when she got back to them.

Making her way to the party, Chilchuck was nowhere to be found amongst them. Her mind wandered to what he could be doing, sending shock waves down her spine and straight to her clit. Shaking her head of the thoughts she smiled at the party as they welcomed her back.

“Are you feeling better?” Marcille asked with a warm smile.

“Much, that bath felt amazing.” (Y/N) confirmed, walking to the bed Marcille and Falin were sitting on.

“Where’s Chilchuck? I thought he went with you?” Laius looked around confused, tilting his head to the side like a confused dog.

“Uhm, he decided to take a bath when I got out.” (Y/N) lied, another shiver down her spine at the thought of the half-foot.

She felt hands brush through her hair behind her, “I forgot how long your hair is, with it up all the time it’s hard to tell.” Marcille laughs, admiring the length.

“Oh! I was meaning to ask if you’d braid it for me? I can’t stand it being in my face.” (Y/N) looks over her shoulder at the blonde elf.

“Of course! It’s been so long since I got to play with your hair!” she smiles brightly, adjusting to sit behind (Y/N) on the bed. Pulling all of her hair behind her to work with.

(Y/N) lets out a content sigh as Marcille begins to braid it, the feeling soothing her nerves. Marcille was the only one to ever do her hair aside from herself. She had forgotten how calming it was.

Marcille smiled at her content noises, pulling her hair taught to make three braid along the left side of her head before braiding them into one big braid in the back, leaving her hands to frame the right side of her face.

As she finished the braid an exhausted Chilchuck finally entered the room.

“Welcome back Chil, how was the bath?” (Y/N) teased with a sly smirk, widening into a smile as he became flustered.

“Good, I feel a lot better.” he cleared his throat, avoiding eye contact with the half elf.

(Y/N) chuckles and turns around to Marcille, “Thank you so much, I love how you did it!” She pulls the braid over her shoulder to observe it.

“I think it’s some of my best work.” Marcille giggles, “I wish I could’ve done your hair for your wedding, I bet you looked amazing.”

(Y/N) snorts out a laugh, “I didn’t even have a dress! We sighed the paperwork and that was it.”

“What!? That’s horrible!” She looks at (Y/N) in shock, “how did that happen?”

“He didn’t want a wedding, I didn’t have a say, so court wedding.” (Y/N) explains, “But he’s gone now so that worked out well.” She dusts her hands off before smiling.

Marcille gasps, “That just means at your next wedding you it has to be perfect.” she gives a determined smile.

“Ha! Who ever said I was getting married again?” (Y/N) laughs, rolling her eyes at her friend’s insinuation.

“You’re still young! I’m sure you’ll find someone again, someone you really love.” Marcille insists, nodding at her with a serious expression.

“We don’t know my life cycle.” (Y/N) warns, trying to ignore that she could die in the next 30 years, “But, there is a guy I'm interested in.” She smiles, listening over her shoulder for a reaction from said half-foot.

Marcille lets out another gasp, “Tell me all about him!”

(Y/N) chuckles as she hears shuffling on one of the beds behind her, “Well, he’s really cute, he’s kinda cold but he’s actually really caring and sweet.” she pushes her bangs behind her ear as she thinks of the half-foot behind her, the kiss they shared, the way he looked at her; especially when he thought she wasn’t looking.

“Awe~ He sounds like a catch, you need to scoop him up before someone else does.” Marcille giggles, bringing her hands up to her face, “Love is so exciting!”

“Just like one of my romance novels!” (Y/N) and Marcille say in unison, (Y/N) sarcastically mocking her friend, and Marcille in a high pitched excitement. The two girls look at each other before laughing.

“It’s been so long since we’ve been able to do this.” (Y/N) lets out a content sigh, “I missed having friends.”

“Hey! I wrote you letters all the time!” Marcille jokingly scolds.

“That’s different! You were so far away!” (Y/N) whines, leaning against her friend dramatically, “I miss having sleep overs and talking about stupid shit! And stealing from my moms wine stash!”

“You stole from your mom’s wine stash! I never drank any of it!” She laughs, hugging (Y/N) tightly.

“Always the responsible friend.” (Y/N) giggles sparing a glance at Chilchuck as he looks away, trying to cover his blushing face. She smiles and looks up to Marcille, “I’m so lucky I found you guys down here.”

Marcille follows her line of sight and lets out a gasp as realization hits, looking down at her friend with a knowing smile, “We’re lucky we found you too.”

(Y/N) let out a yawn, unwrapping herself from Marcille’s grasp, “I think it’s time for bed.” she crawls from the bed with a stretch.

“Where are you going?” Marcille tilts her head to the side confused.

“There’s not enough room in this bed for three people, I’ll just go sleep with Chilchuck.” she shrugs casually, snickering as she hears Chilchuck shuffle behind her.

“What!? No!” he blurts out, his face flustered and blushing bright red.

“So you just want me to sleep on the floor? Or I guess I could sleep with Laius..” (Y/N) looks over her shoulder to the snoozing tall-man behind her.

Chilchuck grumbles before pulling the covers back, “Fine, get over here.” he mumbles, looking away from her as his face reddens.

(Y/N) gives an excited smile and climbs into the bed, snuggling into the blankets with a satisfied sigh. “You really are a sweetheart Chil~” she giggles looking up at him through her lashes.

“Tch, just go to sleep.” he mumbles, laying down and rolling away from her, keeping his back to her as he closes his eyes.

(Y/N)’s face shifts into a pout as she scoots closer, reaching a hand out to touch his shoulder only for him to flinch away, “Chil…”

“Go to sleep (Y/N)” his voice is low with exhaustion. Much to his dismay his body relaxes under her touch as she begins to rub his back gently.

After a moment (Y/N) retracts her hand and begins to climb out of the bed, sitting on the edge as she stares at the doorway. The room was dark and somehow Marcille and Falin had already passed out, thankfully.

“Where are you going?” Chilchuck begins to whisper yells at her, reaching out to pull her back into the bed. His reach just missed her hand as she stood.

“I no longer feel like sleeping…” she mumbles, carefully making her way towards the door to leave.

Chilchuck scrambles to follow after her, “Why do you insist on going out by yourself?”

“Whoever said I was going out alone? I knew you would follow me.” She snickers, walking with her hands behind her back as she wanders away from the camp.

“Where are you going?” He asks with a grumble, watching her form as she walks.

(Y/N) shrugs with a smile as she looks at him over her shoulder, “Just hoping to maybe take up some advice I was given.”

Chilchuck stops in his tracks, staring up at (Y/N) with a dumbfounded and shocked expression, “What's that supposed to mean?”

(Y/N) turns to face him, looking down at him with a smirk, only now did she truly realize their height difference; it made her want to laugh how he only came up to the height of her breasts. “I just want to scoop up the cute guy I’ve been crushing on before someone else does.” She shrugs casually.

He lets out a nervous laugh, “Who said I would reciprocate your feelings?” He crosses his arms over his chest, trying to keep the blush from forming on his face.

(Y/N) rolls her eyes and places her hands on her hips, “Oh yeah, because just the way you look at me totally screams, ‘I have absolutely no feelings for her’.” she looks down at him with a cocked brow, “It may not be romantic but you can’t deny it.” the words that left her lips hurt her heart, the thought of another man wanting her just for her body. It had only been a few weeks and yet her heart sadly now belonged to him.

Chilchuck’s ears burn red as he looks away from her, trying to ignore the way her shirt hung off her chest and hips. If she were to lift her arms he could only imagine what her panties looked like, what color they would be. Fuck… why was he so horny today?

“So what? Even if I did feel anything for you, you know how I feel about inner-party relationships.” He looks at her through his peripherals as he speaks.

“It doesn’t have to be a relationship, more like…” She thinks for a moment, “A mutual agreement for the purpose of releasing pent up frustrations.” and after that we can see where it goes. She can’t help but think to herself, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

“Why?” Chilchuck looks back at her with a stern expression.

“Why?” Her face was covered in confusion as her hands dropped back to her sides.

“Why me?” he lets out a sigh as he brings a hand to run through his brown and grey locks. “Why me and not literally anyone else?”

A somber smile makes its way onto her face, “Because I’ve had so many ‘anyone else’s’. I so badly want a legitimate connection with someone… And I feel like I’ve found that with you Chil..” she lets out a sigh as she leans against the nearest wall, sliding down until she’s on the floor. “Most people- most men don't care, they just want a taste before leaving the next morning.” her eyes drift back up to meet his brown ones, “You care, you try to play it off but I know you do.”

Chilchuck lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, uncrossing his arms, and kneeling down in front of her, “It’s hard not to care when it seems we are too similar to ignore.” biting at the dead skin on his lips as he thinks, hesitantly reaching out his hands to bring her face closer to his, connecting their lips in a passionate kid; hoping this would convey his feelings better than he could speak them.

(Y/N) lets out an amused hum as she leans further into the kiss, shifting onto her knees as their kiss deepens. His hands shirt down to her waist as her arms snake around his neck, letting her fingers play in his hair. Just kissing him set every cell in her body ablaze.

His hands began to tug at the fabric of her shirt, desperately finding his way underneath to touch her skin. It was just as soft as he imagined, feeling her plush body underneath his fingers was heavenly in itself. Gently massaging her hips as (Y/N) opens her mouth in a soft moan, allowing his tongue to dance with hers. He could feel their mixed saliva drip down her chin.

He almost wanted to laugh, they were both grown adults sitting on the floor making out like horny teenagers. He felt (Y/N) retract a hand from around him, pulling away to look down, watching her pop open the buttons of her shirt with a lustful haze in her (E/C) eyes. Finally getting a closer look at her body nearly made him lightheaded, all of his blood going from one head to the other. Bringing a soft hand up to grab her breast, squeezing it and eliciting a moan from (Y/N). The sound like honey to his ears, eyes shifting between her face and her body, looking at all the bruises and cuts that have scarred into her skin. Taking a final glance down to spot her black panties before diving into another kiss, a sloppy, horny, open mouthed kiss.

With a gentle push they were laying back on the floor, the kiss never breaking as Chilchuck hovered over her, taking his place between her legs. She could feel the pool of wetness in her panties as he continued to grope and squeeze her chest, careful thumbs swiping over and toying with her nipples that hardened in the cool air of the dungeon.

Finally pulling away for a breath of air Chilchuck sat back, looking down at (Y/N) as she lay exposed on the floor, her chest heaving with pants as she looked back up at him.

He opened his mouth to speak only to find himself speechless. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her, she was so addicting and hypnotizing to look at; especially like this. Spread so submissively below him. He presses a peck to her lips before trailing his lips down her jaw, leaving sloppy kisses down her neck and down her chest, stopping to suck and nibble on her skin; leaving dark bruises and hickies on his way to her breasts.

Wrapping his lips around her tender bud so carefully, lightly pulling through his teeth as he sucked and tongued her sensitive nipple. Toying with the other between her fingers. Her fingers tangled in his hair, slightly tugging as breathy moans left her parted lips.

Chilchuck lets out a hum at her noises, placing his other hand on her thigh as she attempts to pull them together. (Y/N) lets out a whine, her body craving any kind of friction.

“Look at you~ so desperate.” Chilchuck chuckled, he pulled his mouth off of her nipple with a smirk, looking up at her through the valley of her breasts.

“Chil~” she whimpers, her voice sent shivers down his spine and straight to his cock. He lets out a grunt as it twitched, straining against the fabric of his pants. Quickly moving to free his cock from its confines before placing a hand on (Y/N) clothed and dripping wet pussy.

Pressing a finger against her clit elicits a moan from her, making her squirm under his touch as he begins to rub small circles into a bundle of nerves. A chuckle left his lips as he leaned over her again.

“So needy, and all for me?” Chilchuck smirks down at her, all embarrassment that was once flooding his was now replaced with pure lust and confidence. Pulling his fingers back earned him a whine that was cut short when his fingers were placed on her lips. (Y/N)’s eyes widen as she looks between his eyes and his fingers, only to open her lips and begin sucking on his fingers, covering them in her saliva. His smirk widens as he removes his fingers, using her saliva to lubricate his cock. Moving her panties to the side before pressing his tip to her entrance.

She bites her lip as he looks up at her, subtly nodding her head to urge him to push in, satiating the ache that was building inside of her. His tongue runs over his lips to wet them, taking in a deep breath before carefully thrusting forward, sliding inside easily. The new found feeling of pleasure forcing a moan to bubble up from his throat, letting his head fall back in euphoria as he pulls out and pushes back in again, falling into a steady rhythm of thrusts.

(Y/N) moans as each thrust hits her g-spot, making her arch her back and clench her fists around the fabric of her shirt. Chilchuck’s hand slides a hand from her hips back up to her face, leaning over her to pull her into another kiss. Each thrust earned him a moan that vibrated against his lips. She wraps her arms around his neck, tangling into his auburn locks and gripping his hair tightly.

He felt his hips stutter as he sped up, thrusting harder and fast, rubbing against every nerve inside of her. (Y/N) throws her head back with a moan, opening her neck to be assaulted by Chilchuck who kisses, sucks, and nibbles on her tender skin.

Each roll of his hips meant a moan from both parties, for Chilchuck it had been years since he felt like this, being about to touch her like this was pure bliss.

Sure (Y/N) had had sex since her ‘divorce’ but not like this, never had she imagined sex could be this good. Maybe that was the difference between meaningless sex and being in love with him. Fuck… was she really in love with him?

Before her thoughts could continue to spiral she felt the coil inside her bubble over, her walls squeezing him as she felt an orgasm rip through her body, every muscle tensing as her legs tighten around him.

A groan left his lips as every squeeze edged him closer to his release, a few more thrusts and he knew he was through. His motions stuttered before he bottomed out, pushing his hips flush against hers as he cums inside her.

Heavy panting is the only sound left after moans and the clapping of skin ended. (Y/N)’s legs could help but twitch as she breathed through the fall from the high that was her orgasm, the first one in a long time.

Chilchuck sat for a moment, looking down at her now sweaty body as she panted, her eyes looking down from the ceiling to meet his. Any words he wanted to say were gone as soon as he opened his mouth, instead leaning down to capture her lips in another kiss, reaching his hand to hers and intertwining their fingers.

Pulling away from the kiss as he finally pulls out of himself, pulling his pants back into place. (Y/N) reached between her legs to pull her panties back into place before sitting up, smiling lazily at Chilchuck. Her brain was still fuzzy and her legs still tingly, there was not a thought in her head aside from how handsome he was.

His cheeks flush red as he looks away from her, “what are you looking at me like that for?”

“I lo- I think you’re handsome.” She caught herself before speaking thoughtlessly, reaching a hand out to entangle in his hair once again. “I just can’t get enough of you.”

He scoffs with a smile, looking back at her, “you’re ridiculous.”

“I’m serious!” She laughs, “You’re very attractive. I think the best looking guy I’ve ever been with.”

He rolls his eyes and stands up, holding a hand out to (Y/N) to help her off the floor. She quickly buttons up her shirt and takes his hand, pulling herself off the floor with his help.

“Let’s get back to bed before someone notices we’re gone.” Chilchuck begins pulling her back towards the room everyone was sleeping in.

“Hold on.” She pulls him back, just long enough to lean down and press a kiss to his lips. Pulling back and smiling at him before continuing to walk.

Cuddling was the best thing after sex, even if they were laying on a wooden bed frame (Y/N) didn’t have a care in the world being wrapped up in Chilchuck’s arms. It’s the best she’d slept in a long time. That was until the sound of something clattering to the floor stirred her from her sleep.

Chilchuck’s chest rumbled as he spoke in a groggy voice, “What was that?”

“Where is Falin?” Laius’ voice was frantic as he jumped out of bed, looking around frantically.

(Y/N) untangled her limbs from Chilchuck’s and sat up with a groan, “What’s going on?”

“Falin is missing!” Marcille chokes out, looking around in a panic. Crawling out of her bedroll as Laius runs out of the building and down to the street.

Chilchuck and (Y/N) exchange looks before scrambling to get dressed to follow the tall-man outside. Running outside to find Laius and Falin crouched on the ground behind a white haired elf. (Y/N) flinched as Marcille uses her staff to create a blast next to the elf.

“You… You Get away from them! Do you hear me? I won’t miss again!” she yells, glaring daggers at him. He turns to glare at her, finally showing his face.

(Y/N) felt the air leave her lungs at the sight of him.“Is that-”

“You should know your place, you filth!” he glares at the group, behind him Laius is thrown, stumbling to a stop in front of them.

“Laius!” Chilchuck runs to check on the blonde before him, “What the hell is going on here? Is he an adventurer?”

(Y/N) feels her nerves build and her airway tighten as she watches the scene unfold, the elf pulls a book from his side and the pages begin flipping. Her ears twitched as he began chanting, her breathing seems to cease when she grabs Chilchuck’s arm, “Run!” as she pulled him away the mage shot a spell at them.

Small red dragons dove at them, missing by a hair as she runs. Before she could take another step the ground beneath her was gone, letting them all fall into the abysmal darkness below.

(Y/N) was the last of the party to wake up from the fall, groaning as she sits up and brings a hand to her head to brace herself.

“(Y/N) you’re finally awake!” Chilchuck sat next to her with a sigh of relief. “You hit your head pretty hard in the fall.”

“I feel hungover.” She mumbles, frowning at the taste in her mouth. “Where are we?”

“We’re still on the fourth floor. It’s kinda a long story.” He rubs the back of his neck before looking down at the ground, “We decided we’re heading back up to her surface.”

“What about Falin? What happened?” (Y/N) looked around the room to her party members who all winced at the mention of Falin.

“She’s with the mad mage…” his voice was low and somber as he spoke, not being able to bring himself to look her in the eye.

(Y/N) grips the collar of her shirt, her airway tightening again. Slamming her eyes shut as she tries to keep from hyperventilating. A hand on her cheek is quick to ground her, if only for a second.

“(Y/N)...” Chilchuck’s voice brings her back down to earth, looking up at him while still trying to calm her breathing.

“I can’t… I-” her words were choking in her throat, causing tears to spill down her cheeks.

After much coaxing and soothing, (Y/N) finally calmed down enough to explain. Her first party in the dungeon after much trial and error, made it deep enough into the dungeon to grab the attention of the Mad Mage. She was lucky to get out alive, but she can’t say the same for her party… Despite her fear she returned to the dungeon but never had she wanted to reencounter the Mad Mage, only coming down to assist other parties to make money. She came down by herself to hopefully find some treasure to sell off for money between jobs.

After her confession the party agreed, it was time to return to the surface.

[thechekhov]

Chekhov Reads Dungeon Meshi: CH50

This has huge 'rocks fall, everyone dies' from the DM energy.

Or maybe you stepped through the mushroom DNA-shuffler circle last chapter and now your stomach is trying to digest you from the inside out.

Oh gods. He's a dwarf. They got freaky Friday'd.

............I have no comments for this. I don't know what to say.

You know. I've seen this panel many times. But for some reason I thought this was like, an omake or a side chapter.

Unless this IS a side chapter? Is it all a dream??? This IS chapter 50, right?

....yeah, Chil? You don't seem thrilled.

LMAO. The cover redraw!

And apparently Izutsumi kept her long tail.

Elf!Senshi just having magical wind in his hair the whole time is high key hilarious. Where is the breeze coming from? Maybe he's born with it.

Also, are those giant spools...?

Ahhh, right, Halflings are known for being more sensitive than the other humans.

I'm just happy he finally got his, and got to pet Marcille and Laios on the head. :)

"The ground is so far away! It's scary!" LMAO. That's real.

Laios as a Kobold. Finally, he could achieve maximum fursona.

.....ah, well--..... yeah.

Hey, it's the door!

Arriving to really important places under really silly circumstances - that's two for two. (I'm specifically talking about the frog costumes but there may be others)

...isn't this door like. Super rare? Very difficult to find?

And you're telling me some other randos have already been here and didn't even clean up?

Laios, I love you, but Chillchuck JUST told you there was no remedy that he was aware of aside from just like, forms of torture.

You're not thinking this one through, buddy.

He was hibernating.....

But actually - they DID call for the winged lion's aid, right?

GASP

What if.... Kensuke.... IS the lion!

AH SHIT. If she's a halfling, then that means she's bad with magic, right? They have low tolerance to the feedback magic gives or something? I don't remember the details now but...

Wuh-oh. (I don't think that's how agitation works in any species, but sure. For the drama.)

Why is he the only one who suffered a severe personality change...?

Apex predators need their naps.......

Sacrifices have to be made, Toshiro.

Izutsumi Got. That. Ball. Bell.

......Mechanus?

Where DID you get that from? You had one food poisoning scare, that doesn't mean it's not real!

I wish I could feel this level of peace while cooking.

Ah so.... this is not a place of honor?

It sounds like there's two cultures that got REALLY into the space race, turned a cold war into a hot one, and are now going "well, we can't have nice things because of.... us. because of us. but you all still can't have nice things!"

That might be.... a terrible idea.

[wild-typo-turtle]

Threads - Part 11

Explicit (slow burn, 18+ only) - Rings of Power - Gil-galad x OFC (Elf)

Includes S2E8 of Rings of Power - spoilers ahoy!

Gil-galad had only taken a handful of steps when his gaze passed over yet another collapsed building. From the looks of things, it had once been an open, airy shop that had faced directly into the plaza. The roof had caved in, creating dusty shadows, and even his keen eyes might have missed the slumped figure had he not heard the tiny whimper from the darkness.

Eregion has been destroyed; Sauron is gone. And yet, the sun still shines, as the ruined city holds the last thing that High King Gil-galad had ever expected to find.

Themes: #Idiots in love, #love at first sight, #soulmates, #smut with feelings, #fix-it, #everybody lives

Content Warnings: Explicit content (parts 9 and 11), canon-typical violence; loss of parents; grief/mourning. This chapter also contains very light smut.

Tag List: @morganas-pendragons, @stellar-solar-flare, @the141bandicoot; @inyx-writes44, @melmel-fandom, @hufflepufferine, @shadows-and-flowers, @xcrybaby555x, @bespectacledhuman

Face claim: Keri Russell as Linnea

Part 1 (includes A/N and credits), Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9 (contains smut), Part 10

A/N: Well, I'm sorry everyone - I know I promised the wedding for the next chapter, but the file hit 10k and the flow was terrible, and so the first part is what you're getting now. I still plan to get the actual wedding out this week, likely Friday or Saturday! Thanks for your patience and I hope you enjoy this chapter. -WTT

Part 11

The afternoon sun bathed the weaving room, painting it in shades of soft, hazy pink and gold. The fabrics on the looms shone in the light; Linnea was working a white velvet on the velvet loom, and on the regular loom, she was just beginning a new test fabric in shades of grey. The sunlight turned it brighter, almost purple; she was mixing linen and wool for a soft, easy drape. And if she was successful with the charms she had planned, it would be a pattern she would share with the weavers that helped clothe the army.  

Her eyes anxiously passed over it. Her hands, idle now, twitched to work, to let out the nervous energy that filled her.

But this day was not a day for weaving.

Adabes and the servants had done their work well. All was in readiness; a sideboard had been moved into the room, and was laid with fruit and bread and cheese and various other refreshments. Wine had been set out, as well as water flavored with mint and lemon. The weaving room itself was immaculately clean, all of the tools and supplies neatly put away, all of the scraps of fabric and ends of threads swept up. 

A book sat on the table next to her, but she barely recalled the title. She had brought it to distract herself while she waited, but she might as well not have taken the trouble. There was no distraction possible.

Fortunately, she did not have to wait for long.

A stamp on the landing alerted her to the first of the arrivals, and her ears strained for a hint as to who it might be. She heard heavy boots, grunts - 

A fist thumped on the door, and it swung inward.

“The Princess Disa, of the Dwarven realm of Khazad-dûm.”

Linnea rose, and as she did so, the princess stepped into the weaving room. 

She was dressed in light grey, a silken fabric that flowed around her figure and draped in a way that made Linnea want to examine the weaving much more closely. And there was gold upon her everywhere: a heavy gold pectoral necklace with triangular pendants dangling from it, as well as gold bracelets, gold beads upon her gown, and even gold paint staining her thick dark hair and her fingers.  

Linnea wondered if such a thing had ever happened before. Disa’s husband, Prince Durin, had met and treated with Gil-galad. But had there ever been a meeting of an Elven queen and a Dwarf princess? If there had, it had surely been hundreds of years ago.

Disa stopped after a few steps, and she curtseyed deeply as the door shut behind her. 

“Lady Linnea,” she said. “On behalf of all Khazad-dûm, I thank you for welcoming me into your halls.”

It had been a careful plan that they had made together, herself and Gil-galad, debating various strategies for how they might receive the most important of their guests. They had considered a more formal dinner for this last night before the wedding, but had eventually settled on separate, more casual affairs, Linnea with the women and Gil-galad with the men. Even now, he was likely greeting Prince Durin, as well as the Elven lords that had also arrived in the last two days.

She supposed she should be grateful that there were fewer women for her to manage. Oropher had brought his queen, and his son had come as well, but Thranduil was not yet wed. And the lord of Lórien’s wife had perished some time ago. She had extended the invitation to Commander Galadriel, and to the commander of the Eastern Armies as well, but all told, she would not be working as hard as Gil-galad.

And with that thought, part of her regretted the other decision that they had made concerning that evening.  

She would not go to him that night. They would not take their tea together; they would not discuss their days; there would be no shared pleasure. They would stay and sleep apart, this final night. They would rise separately and prepare for the wedding, and only once they were ready would they see each other again.  

She knew her bed would feel empty without him. It had been easy to grow accustomed to his warmth next to her, the sound of his soft breath as he slept. But it added weight, if any needed to be added, that this was the very last night she would sleep alone. 

And besides that, it was probably a good idea to stay apart, after what had happened the previous night. After how near she had come to be standing there, greeting the Princess Disa, as a married woman. 

It is the second time Ereinion has done this. The first had had her nearly cracking her own spine in half at the feel of his tongue between her legs. And while that first time had been pleasurable beyond belief, it is even better now; with repetition comes perfection, and she lies there moaning and incoherent as he tastes her. Her slender legs are over his broad shoulders and his hand teases, two fingers slowly slipping in and out of her in rhythm with his lips and tongue. 

And once she’s had her pleasure, he slides up her body for a deep kiss. Neither of them is wearing much at all, and he’s on top of her, and her thighs are tight around his hips, and it would be so easy. 

So easy.

He looks into her eyes, and a word from her would shatter his resolve - what is left of it. She looks back at him, and a word from him would shatter hers.

And perhaps that knowing, that unwillingness to speak it but willingness to accept it, is what stops them in the end. What has him rolling off of her, wrapping trembling arms around her trembling self, holding her until the fire ebbs a little and they both have their breath back.  

It is not much longer to wait. 

She drew in a breath, and made her own curtsey to Disa, whose eyes widened at the movement. 

“Princess,” Linnea murmured. “You are most welcome, and I thank you for gracing my hall with your company.”

As they took each other's measure, she found that she liked the look of this Disa. Elrond had returned late last night, with Disa and Durin accompanying him; this was the first sight Linnea had had of the Dwarf princess. She had met more Dwarves than most Elves, due to the merchants that had frequented Eregion, and their ways were not so strange to her. There was a strength about the princess that ran as deep as the mountain she called home; she could be a formidable ally, if the seeds that Linnea was planting eventually bore fruit.

Disa smiled, folding her hands in front of her. “My husband may have made his grand protests, but he understood the honor you showed us with the invitation. If he'd kept saying no, I would have dragged him here by his beard. And he would have thanked me for it in the end.”

Linnea laughed; the words conjured an image of herself doing the same with Gil-galad, only by his hair. She wasn't at all sure she'd win that fight, although it might be rather amusing to attempt it.

“Please,” she urged. “Help yourself to refreshment, if you like. I am sure you must be tired from the journey.”

Disa needed no further encouragement. She made her way to the sideboard, looking appreciatively at the array of food that was laid out. “We did keep a fast pace. No time to spare, to get here in time. And we'll be needing to head home again as soon as the wedding is over.”

Linnea nodded. She could guess the reasoning behind it, the maneuvering for the throne that they had heard whispers of even in Lindon. Gil-galad’s thought to use their wedding as a message, inviting the prince and throwing their support behind the candidate most friendly to Elves, had been a sound one. Part of her disliked that they had to consider such things, but the rest of her knew that that was the life she had chosen. Almost everything would be political now.

“Then I shall do everything I can to ensure you enjoy your time here,” she said, smiling as Disa took a plate and began heaping it full. 

“You've certainly made a good start,” the princess said, popping a piece of cheese in her mouth. “A full stomach goes a long way to ensuring a smooth road.” 

Linnea chuckled again. Now that this first greeting was over, her nervousness was beginning to settle down, and she felt confident enough to join Disa at the sideboard and pour herself a glass of wine. She watched as the princess turned, starting to glance around the room even as she ate, and her heart fluttered with pride at the look on Disa’s face. The Dwarf woman was impressed. 

Her eyes landed on the frame loom, and she let out a satisfied sound. “I knew I'd like you when Elrond said you were a weaver,” she said, beginning to walk to the loom. “Do ye know what it's going to be yet?”

Linnea nodded, walking over to join Disa at the loom. “If all goes well, it will become the pattern for a cloak for Lindon's armies. It is something my mother was very gifted at - laying protective charms on the threads. I learned much from her.”

Disa's brows lifted, and the impressed look was back on her face. “I thought I could feel something from it. There's a sort of vibration, isn't there?”

Linnea knew that other Elves could feel the art to varying degrees, depending on their sensitivity. Most would have at least a feeling of safety and protection. But to actually sense the charms at work? She could do it, especially if it was the art of someone she knew well, like her mother and father. So could other weavers. But a Dwarf? 

She groped for words, stunned almost beyond speech. “How is it you can feel it?” she managed. 

Disa smiled, satisfied to be affirmed. “We Stone Singers use our voices to resonate with the mountain that is our home. Aulë granted us the gift to sing to the rock so that we may take from it properly and know where best to leave it undisturbed. This fabric has a song of its own, for those with the ear to hear it.”

A thousand questions leapt to Linnea's mind. If she had had her way, she would have spent every moment until the wedding the next day interrogating Disa about what exactly a Stone Singer was and what resonating meant. A fancy crossed her thoughts of arranging a visit to Khazad-dûm; the logistics and politics of an Elven queen visiting the Dwarves were second to wanting to witness this stone singing for herself. 

But then Disa hummed.

Linnea felt the fabric come to life at the sound, as brief as it was. The charms she had laid so far were subtle, more experimentation than anything else. But at the sound of Disa’s voice, the intensity increased tenfold; she could feel the faint protections even without touching the fabric. The magic radiated off the cloth, rolling off it in waves. 

Disa’s eyes had gone wide. She could feel it too.

All thoughts of propriety fled from Linnea’s head. She rushed to the loom, laying her hands on the fabric, the better to feel what was happening. 

“Forgive me, my lady,” Disa was stammering. “I did not know - “

“No.” Linnea was running her hands over the cloth, only half-hearing. “No, do that again…please…”

Disa hesitated, but finally did as asked. She hummed again, louder that time, and there was more effort behind it. The hum had dimension, and the fabric responded accordingly; it was like sunlight striking a piece of crystal, scattering rainbows in all different directions. 

She couldn’t help the smile, the grin that came to her lips, as the hum faded. She turned to Disa standing next to her, and the look between them transcended any and all difference between Elf and Dwarf.

There was another strike upon the door.

“Queen Tinnaril, of the Woodland Realm.”

Linnea straightened up, trying to calm her expression. The weaver in her grumbled at the interruption, wanting to ask Disa to hum again, perhaps even sing - and the rest of her laughed at that part, that she could even think of wanting a queen to leave her alone.

But she was a queen now, too. Or would be, by this same time tomorrow.

Tinnaril came through the door, her face betraying nothing of her thoughts - not even when she saw Disa standing by Linnea’s side at the loom. The queen of the Greenwood was of a height with Linnea herself; they were Sindar kin, smaller and shorter than their Noldor brethren. Tinnaril’s hair was icy blonde, the same as both her husband and her son, and her leaf-green eyes were shuttered as they swept about the room.

She was clad plainly. Oropher had desired to live a simpler existence than the rest of the Sindar and the Noldor, and his followers had merged with the Silvan elves of the Greenwood many years ago. Tinnaril’s gown was a sage green fabric, without embroidery or jewels; the cut fit her well, and she wore a filigreed silver circlet, but otherwise there was nothing to suggest that she was royalty.

Linnea had known such, and had dressed carefully for the day so as not to make Tinnaril feel uncomfortable or annoyed. Her gown was one of the simplest she owned now, a dusky lavender with only a small amount of gold detailing around the cuffs and the neck, and she had bade Pendes forgo any jewels in her hair. The only concession she had made to ornament was the thin gold circlet tucked in her curls.

Tinnaril had stopped a few steps from the door, and she carefully folded her hands in front of her. “Forgive me for the interruption,” she said, her voice even and calm. “I was unaware you were occupied, Lady Linnea.”

“No - of course not, you do not interrupt.” Linnea moved away from the loom, extending her hands. “Be welcome, my lady. And thank you for making the journey.”

Slowly, Tinnaril took the offered greeting. Her hands were cool and smooth in Linnea’s; she squeezed for precisely the correct amount of time, and then released.

Oropher and Tinnaril had arrived two days ago, and since then, Tinnaril had kept to herself. Linnea had sent messages of welcome, invitations to meet, but all of them had gone unanswered save this one. She wondered if Tinnaril had only come now out of a feeling of obligation. She had asked Gil-galad to tell her of the queen, that she might know what to expect, but he had had as little to offer as Arondir all those months ago.

I am sorry, melethel. I have met her seldom, and she spoke but few words. She lives apart from court. 

Linnea had known that from Arondir, but had still shaken her head in amazement, wondering how such could be. She could not imagine wanting to live apart from Gil-galad, and he had smiled when she had said so.

Nor I you. May the Valar grant that it is always so between us, my love.

Tinnaril was still standing there just looking at her, and Linnea fumbled for words. “Queen Tinnaril, this is Princess Disa, of Khazad-dûm. She and her husband Prince Durin are great friends of Lord Elrond.”

“I see.” 

Disa made another curtsey - although Linnea noticed that it was much shallower than the one the princess had given to her. “Your Grace.”

Tinnaril raised one thin blonde brow, making no move to return any sort of gesture, and Linnea fought the urge to gulp. There had been conflict between Oropher’s people and the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm; Oropher had moved his rule ever northward to avoid the expansion of the Dwarf realm. Linnea had counted on the goodwill of the wedding keeping things civil - as indeed it had, with helping to mend the rift between Durin and Elrond after Eregion.

Perhaps this had been too much to ask, as she beheld the chill in Tinnaril’s eyes. But on the other hand, she wasn’t leaving. 

“Do you practice a craft, my lady?” she asked, desperately trying to find words to fill the silence. “I believe you are aware I am a weaver. Princess Disa and I were just speaking of her art as well - she is what the Dwarves call a Stone Singer. I was not familiar with such.“

Disa nodded eagerly; clearly she felt the tension in the room as much as Linnea did. For a moment, Linnea appreciated the ludicrousness of the situation; she was more allied with a Dwarf princess than a queen of her own kind. 

“It isn’t spoken of much outside of our own people,” Disa said. “The work of the Stone Singers is sacred. We safeguard the mountain, and in return, it allows us to call it our home.”

Tinnaril’s lip curled slightly. “Your work has borne fruit, it would seem. We hear the ceaseless noise of Khazad-dûm throughout the Woodland Realm.”

Linnea’s throat tightened again, and her heart sank. Gil-galad had been working so hard to forge an alliance with Oropher; the Woodland Elves were proud and distant, those ties were as fragile as the finest-spun silk. This couldn’t be helping matters at all; for all she knew, she was not just breaking those thin threads but setting them aflame.

She had been shocked before. She had spent most of the last months in a state of disbelief. But what Tinnaril did next outstripped it all.

The Woodland queen turned, and Linnea's heart sank even further; she hadn’t thought that that was possible. She could feel Disa’s worried eyes on her as Tinnaril walked back towards the door, and she tried to think of something to say, anything - 

Tinnaril swung the door open, and she leaned out to catch the attention of the guards outside.

“Send to my rooms,” she commanded. “Fetch my harp. The brown leather case, near the hearth.”

Linnea stared. Disa stared.

The door swung closed again, and Tinnaril turned back to face them.

“I have lived with Dwarven noise all my days,” she said firmly. “If I must continue to be subjected to it, I would know whether there is any pleasantry to be had. My craft is my music, Lady Linnea, and if the princess consents to it, we shall make some together.”

Linnea turned slowly to Disa, who looked as stunned as she herself felt. The princess could not manage words; she simply nodded. 

Tinnaril’s lip curled again. But this time, there was warmth to it.

“Very well.”

It was long hours later when Linnea finally sat at her dressing table, letting Pendes comb out her hair. 

They had indeed made music. She herself could sing well enough, although nothing compared to Disa, but had no skill with an instrument. And so she had been content to watch and listen, and weave a little, as the queen and the princess had passed the hours in song. Galadriel had come by, as well as a few others, and they had enjoyed the music and refreshments. But none had remained for very long. 

It had reminded her of her parents’ shop, on those occasions when they had hosted musicians. The fabrics had seemed to weave themselves of their own accord, with the distraction of the melodies. And Taucion had had a fine voice; he had often sung along as they worked. 

The memories still hurt, a little. But they also reminded her - as had the afternoon - that she had the opportunity to make new memories. She could invite singers and musicians to her rooms, to spend the afternoon with the weavers.  

Pendes finished and bowed, and Linnea turned. Lavan was just coming in from her nightly circuit of Linnea's rooms, and she shifted to be able to look at them both.

“Is all ready for the morning?”

Lavan nodded. “Yes, my lady. We will arrive at the normal hour.”

The feast was set to begin at midday; her normal rising time would be ample to prepare. Her dress was hung carefully to air out, and really, there was little enough to do that was not part of her regular routine. 

She smiled at Lavan. “Very well. Then I bid you both goodnight.”

They bowed and left, and Linnea rose from the dressing table, slowly wandering back into the main room. It would be early to retire to bed, but perhaps it was a sound notion? The following day would be long and busy.

And the following night.

Her cheeks heated, as she settled herself by the fire, lacking anything else to do. She cast a glance to the side; she had her own kettle, and could have easily prepared tea for herself, but it was not the same any more. Evening tea was no longer solitary, it was a shared time, and the idea of drinking it alone seemed sad somehow.

There was a small stack of books on the hearthside table, and she glanced over them. She had been reading the works of Pengolodh, last of the Loremasters, in an effort to learn more about the history of the Noldor. But as captivating as the words were, having enough focus to read seemed the height of fancy.

Melethel.

That candle slowly lit in her heart, the one she'd become more used to feeling now. It was always there, banked and softly burning, but it came to life each time Ereinion reached out to her. She had an easier time hearing him than he did her as of yet, but that would come in time.

She smiled at the sound of his voice in her mind, settling back in her chair and closing her eyes. Meleth nín.

Was your afternoon enjoyable?

More than I had dared hope. She summoned a memory of Tinnaril and Disa together, experimenting with what Tinnaril had admitted was one of her own original compositions. It had been just the three of them at that point, Linnea at the loom, and it had gladdened her heart to see the differences between Elf and Dwarf put aside in the name of creating something beautiful. And she felt Ereinion’s happiness as he beheld it. And yours, aran vuin?

This time she felt him sigh; felt a touch of the weariness on him. As well as could be expected. Oropher is proud. He lost no opportunity to jab at Durin. I am grateful Elrond was there to mediate, otherwise I might have exiled them both from Lindon permanently.

Linnea laughed softly, her eyes still closed. I am sorry I was not there with you. 

You had your own work to do, my love. And by your account, you accomplished it admirably. There was a pause. I miss you. I cannot recall why we thought being apart tonight was a good idea, but I regret it now.

Do you think to tempt me to come to you? She chuckled again, letting him feel the warmth his words brought to her. We seem to have found a way around it, even so.

There was an answering chuckle, an answering warmth. I do not. I shall hold to our agreement. But perhaps…

There had been no specific images in her mind up till then, except for the memory of the prior afternoon. But a scent reached her nose, the scent of growing things and wildflowers, and there was a warmth all over her skin - as if she were outside in the sun. 

And finally, she could see it, fading in from the dark behind her eyes.

It was the field she’d taken him to, that afternoon after his training session. They were lying on the same blanket, in the same position; Ereinion’s head was in her lap, and her hand was gently stroking through his hair. 

“I think of this day so often,” he murmured. “How it was unlike anything I had ever experienced before.”

She smiled. The ósanwe had grown so strong; it was as if they were really there. She could hear the chirping of the birds and the buzz of the crickets. Ereinion's hair was like silk beneath her fingers, just as if she were really touching it.

“You had never laid in a field after a picnic before?”

She was teasing him, and he smiled up at her, reaching for her free hand and bringing it to his lips.

“I had never laid in a field with my wife,” he said softly. “I had never set my sword down after training, only to see my wife coming to me with a laden picnic basket. I had never felt so loved, melethel - until the next day, and the one after that, and the one after that. All the days since that very first, you have given me more love than the one before. I can only hope I do the same for you.”

She took their entwined hands and nestled them against his chest, right over his heart. “You need not wonder that for an instant,” she murmured. 

He sighed contentedly, closing his eyes, not speaking. She ran her fingers over the back of his hand, letting him enjoy the peace for a few moments before she spoke again.

“Are you ready for tomorrow?”

His lips curved. “More than I have ever been, for anything,” he said softly, eyes still closed. “I feel that I have prepared for this all my days. Even the night before my coronation, so long ago - I did not feel such. I had never expected to be High King. And it was a hurried affair, with war raging, and my chief concern was to have it done with.”

“I wish I could have been there,” she said, stroking her hand through his hair again.

“I do not.” His brow creased, remembering. “As much as I would have been glad of you, melethel. It was a hard time, and our people lost much. I would not have lost you as well.”

There was a catch in his voice. She had a guess as to its source, especially given the direction that their conversation had gone. His sister Finduilas, taken captive by orcs while he had still been a child during the Wars of Beleriand, and ultimately slain.

She squeezed the hand she held, and pushed out through the ósanwe, lighting her own candle in his heart to give him comfort.

“You never shall,” she whispered. “After tomorrow, we will never be parted, not truly.”

Her words brought the smile back to his lips, and he squeezed her hand back. “And you, melethel? Are you ready?”

In answer, she bent, pressing her lips to his. They might have been in a vision, in a place conjured by the ósanwe that was not real, but the kiss was no less warm nor loving for it. She felt him holding her hand tighter to his heart, returning her kiss, and nuzzling against her nose as she released his mouth.

“Yes,” she said simply. “I am.”

It was all she could say, and all that needed to be said. It drove the last of the long-ago shadows from his eyes, and he reached up, running his thumb over her cheekbone.  

“I am grateful for this time with you, but we should not remain here long,” he murmured. “It is not so taxing when we are so close. But I would not have you tire yourself tonight, not when tomorrow holds so much for us.”

She could feel it - just a slight drag inside her, a faint pull on her fëa. It was worth it, to have had even a few moments, and also worth it to know that this sort of an interlude was even possible. There might be times in the future when they would have to be apart, when this would be the only way they could be together.  

But it felt so good to be with him. This memory was precious to her too, and it was so calming, sitting here with her back against the tree. It soothed the restlessness she’d been feeling; after this, she could rest, and wake refreshed to everything that the next day would bring. 

“Let us stay a little longer,” she said softly, and was rewarded by his smile. “Just a little longer, meleth nín.”

Continue to Part 12

[aerynoakenshield]

[Thorin Oakenshield] - Until The End

♫ - Falling - Harry Styles

Middle Earth was a sight. There were so many different landscapes, so much flora and fauna surrounding you each moment. You discovered things in the wild areas that you otherwise may not have known existed if you kept to your own home, or at the very least never seen with your own eyes. The grounds of this world were made for exploration, but admittedly, in small doses. 

It had been a grueling trip to get to Rivendell, and still you had yet to arrive. Long nights paired with exhausting walks meant that tensions had run high in the company. Petty arguments that were over by sundown sprung between members of the party, even those who otherwise had no business being angry with each other. It was simply exhaustion taking over.

On Thorin's recommendation, which was more of an order, you had all stopped for the night in a cave, well out of the sight and smell of any orc packs that may be lurking above ground. Going against Gandalf's better judgement due to Thorin's inability to listen to the wizard, and anyone else for that matter, a fire had been started and food was on its way.

Taking some time away from the bustle of camp being set up, you sat away from everyone else and closed your eyes, entering a small state of meditation in order to try and relax. Despite your love for adventure and being very used to always being on the move, this journey thus far had even started to get to you. 

"You alright there, hey?" A familiar voice broke you out of your rest, and you turned to see Bofur, stood with a bowl of food in his hand. "Here, get this down ya."

"Thanks, Bofur. I'm alright."

Lies. Bofur knew it. You hadn't been fine for some time. When this journey had started, when you had all met at Bilbo's home, you were excited and spry. You couldn't wait for the adventure that lay outside the door. Now, it was different. Now, you were not even sure if you wanted to continue. 

"Aye, you'll excuse me if I don't believe ya, right?"

You chuckled, a look of defeat on your face. You had become close to Bofur on this trip, him and Balin had become almost father figures to you. They were always trying their best to keep your spirits high as you did for everyone else. Much to your dismay, Bofur could now read you like a open book.

"I will," you sighed, shaking your head and beginning to eat as the dwarf joined you with his own food. "Sometimes I fear you know me better than I know myself."

Bofur bumped arms with you and laughed. "Go on, tell me what's wrong."

You thought for a second, pondering whether or not to lie again or just talk to him. Realising that he was actually there to help you, and lying to him seemed futile, you began to talk. 

"Thorin."

Bofur nodded, not wanting to interrupt whatever flow you may get into, but acknowledging what you had said. He knew how tense things were between you and Thorin. 

"I just don't know why he hates me so much, Bofur. I have been nothing but kind to him and I get his temper and anger in return. I cannot help who I am, but I harbour no ill-will to any of you. I do want to see you all finally have a home."

Your voice had cracked at the end, a sign of high emotion from you. Bofur placed a hand on your knee, he had not been blind to Thorin and his attitude towards you.

 It had been like that from the start, and you knew it was because you were an Elf. As a child, you grew up surrounded by those of your own kind, but as you studied and read texts from other kingdoms, adventure had called to you. Gandalf came to you with the opportunity of helping the dwarves reclaim their homeland, and you were all too quick to join him. What you hadn't expected, was for the head of the company to seemingly want you to disappear. 

Nobody else had ill feelings towards you, and you got along with everyone; even Dwalin, who was grumpy most of the time, but after he had saved your life a few days back, it seemed as though his heart had opened up to you more. It was just Thorin.

Balin took you aside two nights back, after he saw you crying as you rode through the forest. That day, Thorin had shouted at you, telling you that 'an Elf does not belong on a trip to reclaim a home that they helped destroy.' For some reason, that stung you deep down. You were not there that day, nor was it your kin on that battlefield either. You were not to blame, and Balin had told you that. He brought you a drink and sat with you, explaining why Thorin acted the way he did and of his past. 

From that night until present moment, you had been kinder to the dwarf than ever before, and it still hadn't been enough. That's what had led to you sitting here with Bofur now, silent contemplation and comforting words filling the air. 

"Listen here," Bofur began, collecting your bowl from you and taking your hands in his own. "You are an asset to this company, believe me. I've never seen someone fight so well with sword and bow. You and Kili work like a charm with those arrows. You've saved our lives multiple times, you keep us cheery when you can. We appreciate ya, we really do. And deep down, I think Thorin does, too."

"He certainly has a funny way of showing it."

"Aye, he does," Bofur agreed. "He certainly does. But, I think you should just talk to him. As I came down, he was on his watch, so if you're lucky maybe you can take him his food and sort this out?"

You shuddered thinking about it. The last thing you needed tonight was to be barked at for merely existing from him. It had been a long day, but as you looked at Bofur before you, you nodded. 

"Alright, I'll do that."

Giving you a hug, Bofur placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder, giving it a squeeze. Standing, you both made your way back to the party and you met Balin by the fire. 

"Can I take a bowl for Thorin, Balin?" you asked, voice low so only he could hear. The last thing you wanted was for anyone, namely Fili or Kili, to make any jokes or remarks right now. Balin's eyebrows raised, but he smiled kindly, handing you a bowl with the spoon.

"Here you go, thank you for taking it." Balin always had been kind to you. Before you could leave, he leaned in to your ear and whispered.

"And good luck." Balin pulled back with a friendly wink, and you could feel that he was trying to calm your nerves. You shook your head with a smile and left.

You had reached the outskirts of the camp and peered around the trees covering the entrance of the cave your company were in, wondering where the young dwarf was for his watch. Normally, he walked up and down, but this time you found him leaning on a rock, gazing out into the planes before him. 

You took a second to look at him, face aglow in the pale moonlight. He looked like a King. He looked beautiful. This wasn't a new thought for you, you had realised that when he turned up at Bilbo's door. There was something different about him to the others. Maybe it was the way he carried himself, or the way his face was a perfect balanced of harsh and soft. Either way, the view before you was something to behold. 

"I know you're there, you know?" Thorin's deep voice pulled you from your thoughts, and his head turned, bright blue eyes meeting yours as you swiftly pulled your away. You couldn't hold eye contact at the best of times, let alone now. 

"My apologies, Thorin, I did not want to make you jump. I thought you might want some food, you need to eat."

Thorin continued to look at you, and if you were looking back you may have noticed his gaze had softened. Taking some steps aside, he made room for you to lean with him on the rock, inviting you over with a wave of his hand.

"Thank you, if you wish to join me, you can."

You couldn't process that for a second. He wants me to stay?  you thought. 

Taking a seat on the grass, you handed him the food and drew your weapon, resting your bow across the length of his sword. Thorin spoke before he had started to eat, looking at you with care. 

"Have you eaten something?" the dwarf asked, concern hinting in his voice.

"I have, thank you. Bofur brought me something not too long ago. I just wanted to make sure you had eaten, too."

Thorin nodded, and began eating his food. Silence fell around you, but it wasn't uncomfortable for the first time. It was soothing. You were in each others company and not fighting, which was a first. As you both sat, Thorin let his mind wander as his eyes roamed the fields.

In his heart, the dwarf knew he had been unfair to you, that his actions had been irredeemable, and overall he had been less than pleasant with you. Truly, he had no bad feeling toward you. It was quite the contrary. 

When Thorin had entered Bilbo's home, he saw his kin before him, but off to the side something else had caught his eye. The last thing he was expecting was an elf to be present, considering the longstanding history between your races. His eyes met yours, and Thorin couldn't deny the feeling he got. He couldn't deny to himself, he thought you were very pretty. A thought Thorin never assumed he would have towards an elf, having had nothing but disdain for them since the incident with King Thranduil. Still, his heart could not deny no matter how hard his brain may try. 

Through the meeting, his eyes darted to you often, finding himself unable to keep them from you. Somewhere inside, there was a small part of himself angry that he would allow such thoughts, especially because the whole reason they were there was partly down to elvish actions. 

Thorin never wanted to be harsh with you, and he never meant for it to go so far. But, in his mind he was battling those feelings that conflicted each other and it was weighing down upon him. He wanted to feel worthy of his ancestors, and perhaps he thought harboring any form of love or admiration for an elf was the worst thing he could do. 

Bringing himself back to the present, he placed his bowl aside, and took a small glance at you. In the night's low light, your features lit up and you appeared more ethereal than normal. In the day to day, you always had an air of grace about you, and you always seemed to glow with a natural beauty. But the moon enhanced that, and Thorin found it hard to tear his gaze away. 

"Look," the dwarf began, and you hummed but kept yourself still, unmoving. "You know I don't think of you harshly. I know my actions haven't made that clear, but I do mean it."

You sighed. "I don't know what I did to deserve that treatment, Thorin."

Mahal, he loved the way you said his name. Never had it been so soft. But now was not the time for those thoughts, as he replied to you as honest and open as he could.

"You did nothing, I was acting out of grudge. There are elves I have a right to hate, but I know you are not one of them. I let my worst side take charge with you, and I hope you can forgive that. I am sorry for how I have treated. You have shown nothing but kindness, you have saved lives in this company, and I have still treated you horrendously. If you couldn't see past that, I would understand. But, I just wanted to let you know."

Now, your eyes fell upon the dwarf, and he seemed sorrowful. It seemed so genuine, a very rare glimpse into the vulnerable and unguarded side of Thorin Oakenshield. 

"If I could not see past that, I would have been gone long ago."

Thorin's eyes met yours, and you had a kind glint in them. Your smiled, only half way, and glanced at your hands as you fiddled with your knife holster, idly playing with the loose leather pieces. You talked again, low and personal, making sure he knew every word was for him and hoping you could be as transparent as he just was. 

"I want to see you on that throne, you know? I do wish to see you all reclaim your home. I cannot imagine what such a thing must feel like, as I have always had a home. But, you had yours taken away, and I took this task before I had met any of you. I think your company are a wonderful set of people, I have become very fond of all of them."

Thorin smiled too, thinking of his party back in the cave. 

"And," you finished off, slightly hesitantly. "I think they have the best leader they could in you. You are the rightful king under the mountain, and I will not stop at anything until I know you sit where you should."

"You really think that?" Thorin sounded almost unsure. 

"I would not have said it if I meant otherwise."

For a moment, you both sat without talking, simply taking in the ambience around you. For the first time ever, there was no malice in the air when you were in each other's company. As your hands looped and twisted the leather still, a bigger hand took one of yours and rested in your lap. Shocked at the gesture, you looked over to Thorin, whose eyes were firmly ahead. Taking a step of your own, you shuffled into him closer, your legs and bodies touching. You could swear you felt him relax. 

"I must confess something," Thorin's voice broke the air. "I thought you were beautiful when I first saw you."

"Oh?" you replied, seemingly surprised. "Me?"

"Yes, you. I could not take my eyes off you for that entire meeting. You have been in my thoughts ever since we left The Shire. It would seem I cannot get you out of my mind."

Your hand tightened around his, turning to entwine your fingers in with his own. It was then you noticed just how big his hands really were; they were almost twice the size of your own. Your other hand traced the rings he wore, your gentle touch sending a feeling through his whole body that he failed to describe.

"I have thought of you often, too. Even after all the fights, all of the arguments. I have thought about the dwarf that may be hidden under all of that, the kind Thorin that I am convinced is in there."

He let out a hearty chuckle, one that seemed less of humour and more of a tension relief. Finally, he was cleared of this weight on his shoulders. 

"Then perhaps you should find that out for yourself."

Before you had a chance to answer his playful remark, Thorin's hand lifted to hold your face, rubbing his thumb across your cheek. His hand came to rest on your jaw, and as he leaned in he stopped just before your lips, waiting for your permission to carry on. Without hesitation, you closed your eyes and pressed your lips to his. Knowing you were fine with it, Thorin pulled you closer and deepened the kiss, though still remaining soft. 

You both knew your guards being dropped like this was not good, but in the moment, neither of you cared. It was only a minute or so, and the company were safe. Pulling back, Thorin rested his forehead against your own as you regained your breath. Say what you will, he is an excellent kisser. 

"Thorin," you breathed out, not wanting to ruin the tender moment. 

"Are we friends now then?" he asked, a smug tone lacing his words as he smirked at you. 

"I think we are a little more than friends right now."

You had laughed and Thorin followed suit, and as you continued watch with him, his arm came to rest around your shoulders, occasionally playing with a loose strand of your hair. Your head leaned onto his shoulder. 

"What do you think the future holds, Thorin? After you reclaim Erebor, what then?"

You heard him sigh, and his gaze fell upon the sky as he rested his head against the rock. 

"I would think a focus on building back homes, creating a safe place for people to work and live among each other. Once word is sent to the other dwarves, perhaps then we can create the community that once was there. But in truth, I do not know."

Thorin was uncertain, mostly of the future just ahead, never mind the future that far in front. 

"But," he began, now looking down at you as your eyes met. "I do know that I would quite like you by my side through it all."

You said nothing in reply, choosing instead to lean into him and capture his lips in a gentle kiss. Thorin's hand wound itself into your hair as he deepened the kiss. Without thought, you pulled him closer and you both got lost in each other for those few moments. Right here, nothing else mattered, nothing else was real. It was you and him, in each other's embrace and for the first time in so long, at ease. 

You spent the rest of the night with each other on guard, allowing the company some decent rest, and from that day on you had vowed to always be there with Thorin Oakenshield until the very end. 

Thank you for reading! <3

[spearmintsmut]

My Own Mudblood 2

CW: stepbro! Draco, somnophilia, noncon/dubcon, innocence/corruption, Inappropriate use of Legilimency, implied smut

Draco’s words played over and over in your mind as you sat in your new bed. Was he threatening you or was it a challenge? You knew dinner would likely be served soon, but seeing him again before you had gathered your thoughts made you more anxious than you cared to admit. Instead, you lay your head down on the lavish pillow and slowly drifted off.

As dinner approached, Narcissa ordered Draco to fetch you to eat, which he begrudgingly obeyed. Storming up the stairs and pushing the door open without even a knock, he opened his mouth to order you down to eat, but stopped dead in his tracks. There you lay, showering in light from the setting sun streaming through the bay window. Your hair sprawled around your head like a halo and skirt bunched up at the top of your thighs. He wanted to wake you up with a rude remark, or leave you there without dinner but he couldn’t move. For a long moment, knowing no one would see his guard down, he took in your beauty - though he wouldn’t dare admit it to himself. He couldn’t help but to stare, wondering what you were dreaming about. Then his eyes trailed down your chest, softly rising and falling, to your naked thighs, and he felt a familiar throbbing against his tight dress pants. Without thinking, he stepped in, closing the door behind him and softly palming himself through his pants. He battled himself internally, trying to justify him touching himself to a mudblood, but his thoughts quickly fogged with pleasure.

Before he was able to talk himself out of it, he inched closer to you, groaning softly as he continued to palm himself. His eyes squeezed closed and he tried to slow his shaky breath, as to not wake you. He stood up against the edge of your bed and kept palming himself, letting himself het carried away, against his better judgement, but as he let out another quiet groan, you were suddenly pulled out of sleep. You let out a squeal, which came out as more of a tired squeak when you saw the tall boy standing beside your bed. He threw his hand over your mouth to quieten you, and you started to panic.

“Shhh. Don’t..Don’t yell.” he paused, trying to gather himself and pull his shirt over the bulge that had grown in his pants. “It’s dinner,” he continued, still breathing heavily. “Eat or don’t. I don’t care but it’s ready.”

You looked up at him dazed, his last words earlier coming back to you quickly. Remembering the way he warned you about your clothing, you became very aware of your skirt ridden up and pulled it back down to cover some of your thighs.

“I’ll, I’ll eat,” you stammered, wondering how long he had stood there before you woke up, and what,,,what was the noise that woke you? You tried to brush it off, sliding down the oversized bed away from him, and to your feet. He towered over you, and you couldn’t help feeling dwarfed by him. You could tell he was thinking about something as he stared at you, possibly holding something back, but his cool demeanour and stern face never gave anything away.

As you entered the large dining room of the manor, it took you a moment to take it all in. The table was large enough for 20 people, though it would only be the four of you eating. It felt strange, and rather lonely, after eating at a small table in your apartment with just your mother for so long. The house elf, who still had no name, floated large silver plates of food to the table, lit candles floating above it. Though it was all very beautiful, you still felt resentment toward your new “family” for their wealth, and for the values that Draco had made you all too aware of.

Narcissa urged you to sit, and to your disappointment, Draco sat directly across from you. You tapped your foot under the table, avoiding eye contact with him. As the four of you started to eat, Narcissa began trying to get to know you better than your father had told her about, only frustrating you more. You still didn’t trust that she had fully divorced her ideas of blood purity after the war, and entertaining the conversation now living with her made you all the more nervous.

“What do you know about the wizarding world, dear? Didn’t you ever get a letter from hogwarts?” she pressed. You balled your fists under the table, digging your nails into your palms as you thought of a calm answer.

“Well,” you breathed another shaky breath “Father had told me when I was young that I was special, when…things would happen without my meaning to, but my mother never allowed me to go to Hogwarts for her own reasons. I guess she was worried about me. I never really learned how to use my magic.” you finally looked up at her to gauge her reaction. Her mouth was pressed together into an awkward smile and you could tell what she was thinking is not what she would say. You felt a pang in your chest, thinking of the years and memories at Hogwarts you missed out on, and what your life would look like if you had been allowed to go.

“Father gave me some books when he decided to bring me..here,” you continued, “But I haven’t had a chance to read much of them yet.”

“Well dear, you certainly have missed out on quite a lot,” She replied after what felt like an eternity of silence. “Draco,” she started, looking over at him but he cut her off instantly.

“No. No don’t even try an-” he started..

“Son I don’t want to hear it,” She looked back at you, ignoring his look of protest. “I’ll have Draco start to tutor you. Try and get you…up to speed,” she said, without leaving any option to protest. Your Father, choosing this moment to finally acknowledge you, perked up.

“That sounds perfect! Be polite and thank them,” he pushed.

You gritted your teeth. Though you definitely could use the help, being tutored by the one person who seemed to hate you most felt like a trap. “Thank you Narcissa,” you said, half meaning it. She nodded toward her son beside her, and you finally looked up and him. His grey eyes pierced through yours and you felt like he was seeing straight through you.

“Th..Thank you, I guess,” you mumbled shyly. Though he angered you to near violence, you couldn’t help but feel meek, looking at him. He begrudgingly nodded, rolling his eyes, before they landed back on yours, holding for a moment longer than you expected.

“We’ll start tomorrow,” his velvet voice breaking the moment’s silence surprised you. Your mind raced, thinking about being taught, one on one by Draco Malfoy, and what that might involve. You knew he was a death eater in the recent past - and a very prolific one at that, and though it made you nervous, you weren’t scared. You were almost excited. You imagined him using his wand to cast spells you were yet to learn - his large, ring clad hand wrapping around his wand…then your own hand, or your throat. You caught yourself daydreaming and internally scolded yourself. What were you doing?

That’s Draco fucking Malfoy you yelled at yourself mentally. And he’s your goddamn step-brother! You shifted in your seat, both in embarrassment and arousal. You stole a quick glance up at him, and to your shock, for the first time since you had met him, he wasn’t brooding. His mouth was curled up on one side into an amused grin. You dropped your gaze back down to your plate. Could he know? You wondered. That’s ridiculous. How could he know?, you reasoned with yourself. You tried to focus on something; anything but the images your mind had flashed before you but you kept finding yourself back in those thoughts.

You had never slept with anyone, and for lack of better words, you knew you were quite inexperienced in that regard. Innocent even - But the thought of his long fingers in your mouth, or in your increasingly heating core made you squirm in your seat. The conversation your father and Narcissa were having sounded like a muffled blur in the background of your thoughts. You wondered what he would look like under his tailored black shirt - If he would have scars from the war, or if somehow, he had healed them away. Your cheeks burned at the thought, fingers fidgeting with the hem of your pleated skirt. Finally, dinner came to an end and you were able to excuse yourself. You rushed upstairs, still feeling an ache between your legs. You decided to unpack your trunk to distract yourself from the perverted thoughts. You pulled your clothes out one by one, putting them on hangers when you heard a low, raspy chuckle at the door. You swung around to find Draco leaning on the door frame with a smug look on his face.

“What?!” you snapped at him and he shook his head, still laughing

“You mudbloods make things so bloody difficult,” he chuckled before waving his wand casting a silent spell, and each item of clothing flew into the closet on hangers. Your eyes narrowed at him.

“I didn’t need your help, asshole,” you scowled, embarrassed more than you were angry.

“Fucking brat you are,” he stepped closer to you without wiping the smug look off his face. “I know you want my help. You need my help. You made that more than obvious at dinner,” he snickered. Though you didn’t want to believe he somehow read your mind earlier, the blood drained from your face and you stepped back.

“Don’t worry, mudblood - I’ll teach you about that too in our little lessons.” He was now inches from you, leaning down to your height, demeaningly. He smelled of peppermint and some sort of whiskey, and it was almost impossible to remain angry when you could feel his breath on your neck and his heady scent filled you. You did everything you could to fight the unwanted thoughts of your new step-brother from your mind, and though you didn’t want him to leave, you shoved his hard chest away tried to order him out. You pushed and pushed on his hard chest, but he didn’t move an inch. Your cheeks heated up, not wanting to give in to the thoughts creeping back at the touch.

“Poor weak thing. Use your manners and I’ll leave,” he cooed, condescendingly.

You gritted your teeth, not wanting to obey, but knowing it was the only way.

“Fine,” you huffed. “Please Draco, will you get out of my room,” you flashed a sarcastically sweet smile.

“Good girl,” he rumbled and walked out, leaving his intoxicating scent lingering in the room behind him.

[deadlymistletoe]

Forbidden Cells

Pairing: Thranduil x F!Reader

Genre: Hurt/comfort

Description: Years prior Thranduil had been torn away from you after your relationship had been discovered. Under the impression you had left Mirkwood he never expected to find you in one of Mirkwood’s cells when he became king.

Warnings: None? Thranduil’s father being an ass.

Word count: 1482

Thranduil stood in front of the large mirror in his new room, gazing at the reflection of the crown that now sat atop his head.

Whenever he had imagined becoming king it wasn’t like this. It wasn’t because his father was mauled to death in an ambush by giant spiders, orc, wargs and whatever other creatures had a grudge against him. It wasn’t because his mother went mad with grief afterward and passed away before his ceremony could be held. But most of all, it wasn’t without you by his side.

When his father had torn you away from each other, his mother stood idly by, giving him that look, the one that said ‘your father is right, listen to him’, after a moment of carelessness, he’d never felt so betrayed or heartbroken. Or so he thought.

When his father had come to his room later and told him that you had agreed to leave Mirkwood and never return for the good of the elves all those emotions only became stronger.

Thranduil never questioned his father’s words. You’d expressed your doubts about your lowly status as an elleth before, how surely a high ranking elf or even a princess from one of the other elf communities would be better suited to marry him, become queen when he became king, but he brushed it off every time. If you thought it was for the good of him and the rest of Mirkwood to leave, you would.

And so Thranduil learned to shut his emotions off, to be the coldhearted prince everyone, including his parents, expected him to be. He did what he was told, he stayed away from the cells in the lower levels after his parents forbade him from going there, claiming that some of the criminals would like nothing more than to see him dead.

He became a shell of who he used to be.

Thranduil glanced around what used to be his parents room before silently slipping out the door. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep and had no intention of lying there, brooding over memories of the past.

Hearing the sounds of celebration from above - no doubt drunken elves using his new title as a reason to party - Thranduil silently made his way towards the lower levels.

His parents had told him to stay away from them, but that was when he was a prince. He was a king now, someone who people trusted to keep them safe, and he couldn’t do that if he didn’t even know who was in his own cells.

Descending the steps he noticed that there were no guards, as they were most likely joining in on the festivals having already served the prisoners their supper.

Surprisingly, the cells were mostly empty bar a drunk dwarf who must have been caught sneaking into the party and brought to the cell until he was sober enough to find his way home without causing trouble. The only other cell occupied seemed to be the one furthest from the door. With the bars facing into the path all he could make out was low breathing and the shuffle of fabric against dirt as the occupant moved back into a corner hearing him approach.

Thranduil came to a stop in front of the cell, seeing the woman - elf or human? - who was huddled in a corner.

Her hair was long and tangled as shielded her face from his view. The skin he could see was dirty and discoloured by grime. Her dress was torn and…

Thranduil did a double take, the young king freezing in place. Despite the rips and dirt, he’d remember that dress anywhere. Of course he would. He’d had that dress custom made. 

That dress was the reason you weren't currently beside him as queen. After all, if he hadn’t given you the dress and told you to wear it to the moonlight dance being held that night then he would never have fallen in love with you all over again when he saw you in it.

He never would have risked kissing you, calling you meleth in a place where someone could walk around the corner and see you together.

You never would have left. But now… “Y/N?”

You looked up with a startled gasp at the familiar voice speaking your name.

When his parents had pulled him away to his room, the guards grasping your arms in tight grips and taking you to the throne room to await the king, you’d been terrified. Terrified of what your fate would be, terrified of how much trouble Thranduil would be in. Terrified of never being able to kiss him, or hug him, or even speak to him again.

And your fears were proved correct. The king had come back and had you dragged away to the dungeons for life. Or at least until his death, which didn’t seem likely to be anytime soon.

You’d been sure you’d never see your lover again.

But now… “Thranduil?” Your voice was raspy after years of having no one to talk to but now Thranduil stood in front of you, a crown upon his head, separated from you only by bars.

Thranduil struggled with words as he stood stared at you, poorly concealing his shock. Your face was just as dirty as the rest of you apart from dried tear tracks on your cheeks. Your eyes were dimmer than he’d ever seen them and there was no trace of the smile he’d 

come to love.

Suddenly he seemed to snap back into action when you repeated his name in your raspy voice. “Stay there. I’ll be back.”

As Thranduill left the cells, continuing down to the cellar he inwardly chastised himself. ‘Stay there?’ What kind of statement was that to say to his lover he hasn’t seen in years, who was currently locked in a cell that he was going to get the keys to?

Thankfully, the cellar was also empty apart from a few elves who were fetching more wine for the party above.

They didn’t seem to see him as he silently took the keys off their hook, retreating back up the stairs.

You didn’t know what to think when Thranduil disappeared downstairs. You didn’t know what his father had told him about you but surely he hadn’t know you were here if he was that shocked. Or maybe he did and he just hadn’t expected to see you in such a condition?

And then there was the crown that rested on his golden locks. It looked good on him, there was no doubt about that, but what did it mean for you, both as a person and as a couple?

Would you be free? Would you ever be a couple again? Did he still love you? Probably not. After all, he was a king now, and even if you were free to go back to your life you were still a lowly servant.

You couldn’t help but shiver slightly as a chill swept through the cells just as Thranduil returned, a set of keys in his hands.

When Thranduil returned to the cell he caught you shivering, and it made his heart pang. If it wasn’t for him you wouldn’t be here. But now he would get you out and spend as long as it took to earn your forgiveness, and maybe even your love back.

You watched as he fitted a key in the lock, turning it and pulling open the door, and for the first time in years there was nothing to separate you from him.

As Thranduil opened the door and crouched down to your level he couldn’t help but notice that you’d lost weight, and although you were still beautiful to him, you were no longer the healthy, happy elf he’d fallen in love with.

Your breathing was shaky and you could feel your heart speed up as the young king tentatively reached out to rest his hand on your cheek. Your eyes slipped closed for a moment as he ran his thumb across your cheekbone, but opened when you felt him pull away.

He studied you with a sorrowful gaze, his face only inches from yours. “Can you ever forgive me for letting this happen?” He murmured.

You blinked tears away. Why he would think this was his fault you didn’t know, but you couldn’t stand him being so close to you and looking so down.

“There’s nothing to forgive.” You murmured, gently lifting a hand to pull his face to yours and connecting your lips.

For a moment Thranduil froze, before moving his lips with yours and wrapping his arms around you tightly.

You both pulled back, leaning your foreheads together for a moment before he scooped you up in his arms, standing and for the first time in years, taking you out of the cell and to somewhere you could be safe and loved.

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[twitterpated-passion]

Change | Monster Boyfriend

You weren’t a fan of change. It was just something new to get used to, and you didn’t see the point of changing your schedule when it already was fine. But then you were broken up with, and a morning text turned into silence, a midweek date after work turned into eating at the diner alone, and every little thing that reminded you of him was either returned to him, or thrown in a box that was shoved deep into your closet.

You weren’t a fan of change. But you were forced to become one. Because if you didn’t, you’d still be stuck in the past, and you didn’t want to think about him anymore. Even if you two did still live in the same small town that the both of you grew up in.

🌩--🌩--🌩

Your hand came down on the alarm, shutting up the annoying beeping that was the only reason you bought the thing in the first place. Taking a breath, you rubbed your eyes, sat up and stretched, feeling your bones pop and crack as you moved the blanket, turned your legs off the bed, and stood up, albeit begrudgingly.

After a shower and getting dressed, you went into the small kitchen of your townhouse, making yourself a bowl of oatmeal to at least eat something before you went into work. You got used to leaving your phone by your bedside table, preferring not to use it in the morning anymore, since in the beginning you’d wait like a dog does its master for that simple ‘good morning’ text. You shook your head free from the thought before you went down that rabbit hole, eating your somewhat bland breakfast, washing up the dishes and setting them aside to dry.

You slipped a pair of shoes on, and then grabbed your bag, going back to your room to grab your phone. Shoving it into your pocket, you made your way out the door and into your car, even though it was only ten minutes away if you walked. Still, you drove to your place of work, a quaint little pop and pop florist shop, owned by an older couple who used to babysit you when you were a kid.

You walked in, hearing the bell and going into the back to clock in, then going out to flip the sign to show that the shop was open and you found your seat behind the counter. Hearing steps behind you, you glanced back, smiling when you saw Laurie and Samuel. You saw the Dwarf and Elf smile back at you, and you leaned against the counter when you turned the stool to look at them. “You two are down here early, what’s the occasion?”

“Nothing,” Laurie was quick to dismiss, but the glance down to his husband was more than enough to tell you that it wasn’t just nothing.

“You’re still a bad liar, Laurie,” you said. “You two gonna tell me the truth or what?”

Laurie grimaced, but much to his visible relief, Samuel started speaking, voice gruff, like he just woke up, which he probably did, the Dwarf was never an early riser. “We thought you’d do better in tha’ back today, hm?”

“And…why’s that?” You asked, brows knitting together. You never went in the back, ever. It was always something Samuel took over because he liked the gardening aspect, while Laurie was the star seller out of the three of you. “Did I do something?”

They shook their heads quickly and Laurie took back over. “No…just…you know how this town is, people talk.”

“Right, we live in a small town, what’s going on?” The Elf took a breath, biting his lip.

“We know how hard you took the breakup, and we didn’t want you to be upfront if Callum comes in today,” he said after a moment. You tensed, but managed to ask one thing before your mind went blank.

“Why would he even come in here? He’s like the last guy that would come in here…” Trailing off, your heart clenched, but you weren’t going to show what you were thinking, not if it had the chance that you were wrong.

The two, however, noticed, reading the way your hands clenched your knees and how your shoulders got stiff. “...It’s going around that he’s going on a date with a new hire at the garage.”

You tried not to react, you really, truly did, but no matter how soft Laurie’s tone was, you still bit back the urge to tear up, your fists clenching against your legs. It had only been three months since the break up, and while you knew that he was allowed to move on, start dating again, you couldn’t help the way that the thought of him dating someone else made you feel. It was only natural, the two of you were dating for almost five years, starting right after the two of you graduated high school, and he moved on after three months.

You snapped out of your thoughts when you felt their hands on your legs, and you shook your head, forcing yourself to act normally. “I’ll be fine,” you started, a bit weakly, “we’re not together, he can do what he wants.”

Managing a smile, you breathe out a huff, and turn back to the front door of the shop, knowing that if you looked at them and their sympathetic expression, you would’ve broken down.

You could handle it. You were going to have to.

🌩--🌩--🌩

The shop never got many customers during a work day, most of the customers coming right after they get off for a date night, an apology bouquet or just something for their partner. Your foot was tapping against the stool the entire time you were sitting, and you could help but pace around whenever you had to get up. You hated the fact that the thought of him coming in made you this nervous, but you had good reason to when the bell rang, and Laurie failed to greet the heavy steps.

You didn’t look at him for a while, keeping your back facing him as he talked quietly to Laurie, getting a bundle of roses and carnations, pink and red. Your hands trembled, and you turned in the stool to price the bouquet, never meeting his gaze when he placed the flowers down beside the old monitor you and the other two used to check people out.

“Hi,” Callum said after a couple seconds of tense silence, his low voice more familiar than anyone else’s in your life. You looked up at the Minotaur, your eyes meeting his brown gaze, the fur on his face still slightly dirty, and his hands stained from his work at the garage.

“Thirteen-fifty is your total,” you said in response, almost bitter in your lack of wanting to make small talk with him. It pained you to be cold to him, but he didn’t say anything else to you, simply handing you his card and letting you read it in the machine, handing it back to him with a receipt seconds after. You let Laurie give him the ‘have a nice day’ shtick, walking back to ‘help’ out Samuel, even though the work day was over in an hour and a half.

You heard the bell to the door right as you walked back, and your back hit the wall, getting Samuel’s attention right as tears welled in your waterline, your bottom lip trembled and you sniffled, shutting your eyes tightly to stop yourself from crying. But despite your efforts, the tears ran down your cheeks, and soon you had both men trying to comfort you, holding you in both of their arms to offer any form of solace.

They closed the shop early, something you tried to argue with, but you learned quickly that you couldn’t really speak while crying, so it didn’t work other than making you seem like a mess, which you admittedly were. And when the sign was flipped and the door was locked, the blinds sitting over the windows, they all but dragged you up to the apartment above the shop, the home you practically grew up in with the amount of times that they babysat you. It was to keep you from being upset and alone at your own place, you knew that, they sure as hell knew that. You didn’t blame them though.

Laurie made dinner for the three of you and Samuel settled beside you, rough hand holding onto yours as he let you flick through movie after movie until you settled on one you considered one of your favorites.

As the movie played and the three of you were gouging on carbs, you sat off to the side, letting the couple sit beside each other, even though at first they were hesitant to not have you in the middle. You were better tucked into the arm of their small couch though, it let you think and drown out the movie you’ve seen more times than you can count.

Seeing Callum earlier both made your heart race and stabbed it with a knife at the same time. He wasn’t there for you, like he was times before, and if you knew why the breakup happened…if he would’ve given you at least some closure, you would’ve been fine- happy for him even. But it was only three months since it happened, and you still had no idea what happened to cause him to want to break up with you. It was like a switch flipped and suddenly you were single.

You closed your eyes once you were done eating, setting your empty plate aside and dragging a hand down your face to get you out of your thoughts. You were just going to have to accept it. That was the only thing you were able to do at that point.

🌩--🌩--🌩

It was four months since the breakup, and three weeks since Callum came in last. He hadn’t been in since, which didn’t exactly mean much, since he never really did flowers unless it was a birthday or anniversary, and even then he focused more on interests than just flowers. But you hadn’t heard anything else about his date with the new hire in his garage. You had practically bullied Laurie and Samuel into telling you anything, and it came up to nothing, so you chalked it up to nothing being shared, or nothing happening between the two.

You felt weird, being so into your ex’s personal life, but if anything, he invited you into it by going to the shop he knew you worked at to buy flowers for them. No- that just felt petty.

The shop’s bell ringing snapped you out of your thoughts, petty and otherwise, and you looked up, parting your lips to speak, before you snapped your mouth shut when you saw that it was the Minotaur you were just thinking about. You looked down at papers, acting like you haven’t seen him and silently wishing Laurie was still out here instead of in the back with Samuel. It meant you actually had to talk to him.

You glanced up when you heard him say your name, and after breathing out a sigh, you got up from the stool, walking over to the flowers. “Roses and carnations?”

“No, actually. I’m not here for flowers…” There he was. There was the Callum you knew. “The shop closes in an hour, yea?”

You nodded. “Like it normally does.”

He paused for a moment, and nodded, walking up to you and reaching out to brush his fingers against your arm. “Do you wanna go to Izzie’s after you’re off? Our usual table? I need to talk to you.”

It sounded serious, and you didn’t miss the way his soft voice made your heart flip. “...About?”

“...I really just want to tell you then…so…please?” He was begging now. He was actually begging. You closed your eyes for a few seconds and you nodded, looking up at him when you opened your eyes.

“Fine…fine, I’ll go,” you said. Your expression softened when you saw his deep brown eyes light up, the evening glow coming in through the windows making the color look like it had golden flakes mixed with the brown.

“Great- perfect, thank you. It’s my treat, so don’t worry about whatever you get.” Your brow twitched and furrowed, but you nodded again, teeth digging into your bottom lip.

“You don’t have to-”

“Don’t,” he said, lifting a hand. “Just- just let me treat you, ok?”

“Ok,” you breathe out, watching him with a sigh.

The last hour went by slowly, feeling like it was an entire day, and the moment the clock hit seven, you raced out with barely a ‘see ya’ to Laurie and Samuel. With your bag gripped tightly in your hand, you unlocked your car and threw it into your passenger seat, getting into the driver’s seat afterwards. You pulled out onto the road and began driving across town to Izzie’s.

When you pulled in, you managed to pull in beside his van, the nostalgia and familiarity of the late nights in it sending you whirling, but you got out of your car, locked it up and headed straight into the front doors. You were sure you looked desperate, wanting something akin to how you were back when you were with Callum, and you knew you should be trying to move on…trying to get over him, but gods, did you not want to do anything resembling moving on when he asked you to the spot you guys had weekly date nights at.

And when you saw him, your heart started racing, seeing that he was sitting in the booth the two of you used to sit in every wednesday. You forced yourself to slow yourself to a walking pace, making your way over to him before slipping into the booth, sitting across from him as if you didn’t care for any of this.

He smiled when he saw you, and pushed his menu over to you. “Pick what you want. Even if it’s your usual.”

“You know you don’t have to pay for me,” you said after taking a quick glance at the menu. You knew what you were getting, it was all you ever got when you came here. Nothing could go wrong with a vanilla shake and loaded fries in your mind.

“Yea, but I want to,” he responded, waving the thought of him not doing it away. “I invited you out, I’ll pay.”

You let out a breath, but nodded and set the menu down, pushing it away. Your leg bounced, not stopping until a large hand touched your knee and your eyes met his. “Why’re you nervous, Moonlight?”

You could barely process the pet name, tensing under his touch and staring at him with furrowed brows. “...We’re exes…why wouldn’t I be nervous that you wanted to talk?”

Something flashed in his eyes, something that you thought looked akin to hurt the way his lips pursed a little, and he moved back, moving the long hair from his eyes, then on the normal chain he wore on his horns after he got off of work. “Do you want to start talking now or after we get food?” “Now, please…” you said. He nodded and moved his hand from your knee, then held his hand out, palm up. He left his hand there, even after you didn’t take it, keeping the offer there.

“Right…right…” Callum breathed out, his bullnose ring glinting in the light. “I regret breaking up with you…”

You tensed again, your thoughts spinning around you, and it felt like the world around you went silent. He…he regretted it? “...You regret it?”

“Yea,�� he started. “...If…if it’s alright with you…I’d…I’d like to try again…maybe?”

Your lips parted and you gave him a look that just screamed confusion, mixed a hint of disbelief. “You want to…try again? After breaking up with me out of nowhere and going out on a date with someone else?”

He flinched at the questions and gave you an apologetic look, trying to grab your hand. “...Let me explain…-”

You smacked his hand away and stood up, holding your hands up in mock surrender. “Let you explain what? Why you want me back, or why you broke up with me?”

He glanced around and tried to usher you back in the booth. “Moonlight, please sit down,” he said softly.

“Or what?” He took a pause, sighing and standing, grabbing your arm before you could pull it away and guiding the both of you outside and to your cars, lifting his hands when you settled against your passenger’s side door.

“Please, don’t fight with me,” Callum said after a moment. “Let me explain…whether you accept it or not is up to you, but please just hear me out.”

You took awhile to answer, and you didn’t even do it verbally, offering him a single nod and a hand wave. He sighed again. “I know saying that I want to try again after going on a date with someone else is…not the best thing to hear…and I promise it’s not because the date didn’t go well. I genuinely regret breaking up with you and I’m such an idiot for doing it.”

“Then why did you do it?” You asked, not trying to fight, or to respond sounding like an ass, just…wanting to know.

“I didn’t want you to hate me,” he responded.

“What? Why would I hate you?” Callum slowly reached his hand out, waiting for you to grab it and his expression softened when you did.

“We got together out of high school…we were our first actual relationship and…I didn’t want you to start resenting me for holding you back in the future…and I…I knew it wouldn’t happen, but the possibility of me feeling the same made me want to die…I just thought we’d be better if we explored…” He trailed off when he was done, waiting for a response from you, his nerves apparent.

It took you another long, drawn out moment before you finally replied to him. “And you regret doing it now?”

He nodded. “Yea…I was regretting it when I did it…but I thought it’d get better, that if I just held out you’d be happier. And I went on the date…I can’t say I hated it, because they were nice, but I was thinking of you the entire time, how you’d react if I took you there…what you’d wear, which place we’d go to after, what movie we’d inevitably fall asleep to…”

Your heart was pounding again, a slow but loud sound hammering away at your ribs. But he spoke before you could. “I still…- you’re the person I think of when I wake up, and you’re the person I think of when I go to bed and I hate that I ruined us when I still constantly think about how much I love you.”

“Callum…” you said softly, squeezing back when he squeezed your hand. “Why didn’t you talk to me?”

“...I don’t know…I thought you’d think I was ridiculous or something…”

“So you went straight to break up with me?” You pushed up from your car, taking a step towards the Minotaur. “You should’ve talked to me.”

“I know I should’ve. And I regret that I didn’t, but I don’t want what we had to end…will you at least think about giving me a second chance?”

You didn’t have to think when you nodded, grabbing his other hand and squeezing them both. “...I’ll think about it. But you have to earn that, alright?”

He managed a smile, nodding back at you firmly. “I’ll make you weak in the knees faster than you can blink.”

And to tease him, you blinked, grinning when he laughed.

🌩--🌩--🌩

It was exactly four months later, but you were three ‘second chance’ dates in with Callum, finally folding after he consistently made an effort, constantly threatening being late to his shift at the garage to drop off a coffee, tea or pastry at the shop, and to occasionally earn a kiss on the cheek after he kissed yours. Laurie and Samuel were practically sick at seeing the two of you, despite the amount of PDA the couple were giving each other at every possible opportunity.

At that very moment though, you were relaxing on the worn couch in Callum’s home garage, watching him work on his van and all in all, enjoying your day off.

“You’re awfully quiet, Moonlight,” Callum said, wiping his hands off with an old rag. “What’s on your pretty, little mind?”

Your cheeks warmed, but you rolled your eyes. “Just admiring, Sunshine.”

“Yea? You still into something you’ve seen for five years?” He asked, teasing tone blatant.

“Obviously,” you chuckled. “I’ll still like this fifty years from now.”

He hummed and walked over to you, lifting your legs to settle beside you, resting your legs over his. “You really think so?”

“I know so, Callum.”

You didn’t like change, but you could get used to this…instead of sticking to how it was before.

[sorcerous-caress]

Omg that modern au human kink post is so hot you are a genius

Imagine being a human and sitting there knowing your elf friend just obsessed with extreme human kink and their question to you regarding to being started to get more and more fetish-y. You are fighting the urge to just let the elf fuck you silly so bad

— RED anon

More modern au loser high elf with a human fetish.

With the age of the Internet and endless porn sources, the elf would become uttered deranged and obsessed as they watch one video after another. Completely inaccurate and fetishising of humans but the elf doesn't know that.

And god they can't afford letting anyone else find out about this, a whole high elf who holds a very important position in their elf society is secretly a degenerate loser who won't stop frequnting these "ask a human" nsfw forums.

But it gets harder everyday to even interact with humans in life. The elf can't have a 5 minutes conversation with one without their brain imagining them bent over and covered in cum. The elf's imagination getting more and more preverse the longer the human is talking to them.

So they cut the conversation short, rudely even, and immediately leave to find the nearest bathroom to relief themselves in. The human just rolling their eyes because yeah of course they left rudely, just elf nature eh? Completely unware of the true reason.

Yet somehow, fate brings the elf a very close friend online who is always sweet to them and listens to their problems. Of course, they haven't told them about their human obsession yet. They don't want to creep out the only true friend they've made in a long time.

It doesn't even cross their mind the possibility of them being a human, they are so brainwashed by the erotic novels and self insert dating sims that they almost forgot how actual humans act and instead replaced it with a cum-hungry slut fantasy version of a human.

Maybe their friend is a fellow elf? A dwarf? They'd even accept a gnome at this point. Just a friend, a true friend please corellon bless them with this one thing.

The elf doesn't even register what they were thinking when they immediately invited you to their home as a first meeting. But all logic and common sense left their brain the secone they opened the door to be met with the most delicious looking human they have ever seen

All cutely dressed up in their own human fashion and smiling so sweetly, the elf could feel their own arousal building up just from a simple smile how depraved were they??

A human, sitting on their bed. The same bed they fucked themselves silly on at the thought of a warm tight human hole.

They can't stop staring at you, as if you were a mirage and would vanish the second they look away. The urge to touch you, feel you and smell you. Oh that intoxicating human smell, Corellon please save them.

Excusing themselves to go make drinks, they immediately make a turn for the bathroom in their home instead.

It's impossible how wet and sensitive they are while still completely untouched. It barely takes a minute, and they're making a mess and spilling over the edge. They can still smell you, even here they can still smell you, and it's driving them crazy.

It's your fault, after all. For indulging all their borderline inappropriate questions about human culture, answering it without an idea of the effect it had on the elf. You're just a seducing little minx that needs to take responsibility for corrupting them and making them lust after you.

It doesn't make sense. Elves are clearly superior in every ascept. So why is this one so turned on by of how defenceless humans are while they sleep, of how they have no control over their dreams. Of how they'd have to sit through an entire wetdream the whole 8 hours of sleep if their brains deemed it, how they'd wake up all wet and aroused and have to deal with the aftermath of their silly little mind getting so excited during sleep.

Or how they seem to speak so openly without regards for common decency in elf standards. How fast they talk and how honest and direct they admit to very private things. How they annouce openly on soical media that they're trying for a kid, that would get a couple shunned in elf Society.

....maybe they should go a second time, you'll obediently wait in their bedroom while they pleasure themselves to the thought of you, wouldn't you? Yes you would because that's what any good obedient submissive human whore would do.

Aren't you just a very good human? Yes the best for them. They can't stop and suddenly a second time becomes a third and a fourth.

They're completely unaware of you snooping around in their bedroom, finding all their human books and shameful porn. They don't remember to close their 30 open tabs of the most depraved fantasies about humans ever. Rows and rows of different forums of other races sharing their most disgusting human wetdreams, talking about how much they want to make a half-human one day. Sharing their own folder collection of the best human porn they could find.

By the time the elf finally comes back, polite front on and apologising for taking so long making drinks. They find you completely laying on their bed, casually flipping through one of their porn magazines, unimpressed.

You look at them, your fingers toying with the buttons of your blouse. The elf feels their breath stuck in their throat.

Slowly exposing your chest and letting the blouse fall away. "It's really hot in here huh" you say, stretching your arms above your head and putting yourself on full display.

You wonder how much teasing you can get away with before their cords snap.

[genderfluid-strawberry-of-doom]

i reread hammer of thor and i decided to list out some stuff i feel has been overlooked by the fandom

and stuff that hasn't been overlooked (at all) but i HAVE to mention it anyway. because reasons

also it's not THAT long of a post but it's pretty long so i put a cut there

nobody ever mentions the 'thinking cup' like whyyy

alex fierro the cheetah and weasel :)

"the gender thing wasn't what surprised me. what surprised me was the way my impression of alex had slingshot and the emotions that had stirred up"

magnus mentioning that he had been stuck in one gender his whole life and that it didn't bother him except the way it was worded made it seem like he was unsure about it jsfjfisfidgkgd

i don't think it's overlooked but the scene in which magnus is watching alex eat and halfborn goes "there's no shame in being attracted magnus" and he CHOKES

(not overlooked at all but) HEARTH'S POSESSIVENESS OVER BLITZ <333

(DEFINITELY not overlooked but) "buddy" *proceeds to take hearth's hands in his own*, "what is wrong with my elf" 😭😭

inge being fucking abused by alderman?? she was beaten??? and the iron on the door locks is harmful and extremely painful to hulder??? THAT ASSHOLE ALDERMAN

(in context to inge explaining that alderman kept a patch of wilderness in his backyard bc hulder need wilderness to live and so that he can 'hire' more help) "she said hire. i heard catch" BITCH-

the fucking wergild. i have a lot of thoughts about that and all of them involve alderman dying

also hearth's mom doesn't really seem like much of a good person either? she didn't stop alderman from being abusive towards hearth or the house staff AND she literally just cared about her reputation. maybe she wasn't as bad as her husband but she was still pretty bad (parallels there between hearth and alex)

also parallels between hearth trying to stop alderman from taking andvari's ring and trying to "pull his dad out from a hole deeper than andvari's" and magnus trying to save randolph from falling into the hole in the ground that led to helheim-

hearth and samirah's dynamic?? they've already had a fight and patched up AND were stuck together during the utgard lanes chapters. soooo a lot

also hearth and alex's brief interactions lol

"just, you know, a little respect" "for the girl with the sharp wire? no problem" "there was nothing confusing abt the smile she gave me. it warmed up the office by about five degrees" I LOVE THEM A TOTALLY NORMAL AMOUNT

amir fadlan. AMIR FADLAN EVERYBODY <333

samirah being a girlboss. samirah handling all the stress. samirah trying to show her true self to amir. samirah braving everything put in her way with courage. just samirah <3 <3 (everybody in the whole universe should be in awe of her btw)

the scene in which they're sitting on stanley (the eight-legged horse) and magnus is nervous to hold on to alex but she just takes his hands and puts them around her waist <3

for some reason i had assumed alex had cut magnus's hair for the first time in the woods but no. it was blitz? hm

magnus's casual mention about utgard loki being attractive ajsfjfsi

taylor swift being dwarf music and prince being giant music?? (and that giant named tiny being obsessed with elvis)

an alex speech pattern which isn't much of a pattern but it repeated twice in the book: once she said (in response to hearth signing something she didn't understand. this was around the time when she and samirah revealed that alex would be taking samirah's place) "yes alex. thank you alex for being so brave and heroic." and then the other time (in the end when magnus is visiting her in her room and picks up one of her pottery projects) "no you can't touch it magnus. thanks for asking magnus" idk i just think it's cool

the trophy wife thing. sif deserves better tbh

"a girl who was rocking that wedding dress"

alex straightening magnus's tie or smth and magnus's inner monologue going "she still smells like wood smoke. why does she still smell like a campfire?"

samirah's wedding outfit?? (sounds gorgeous tbh. except for the hood which) also i have a related question. is the hood in place of hijab thing disrespectful? /gen

sif and alex dynamic <3

sif's gifts to hearth (pouch of rowan runes) and alex (golden garrote)

alex and most other shapeshifters make random animal noises and shapeshift to random animals when they're nervous

halfborn's "death and glory," mallory's "kill everyone," and tj's "charge" aksfkfiovdm. and the way magnus just becomes so much stronger when he sees his friends-

the scene at the end of the marriage battle thing when alex is all concerned because she thinks magnus doesn't believe that she was just pretending to be under loki's control and sHE'S TRYING TO CONVINCE HIM AND HE SQUEEZES HER HAND JDFJSFKFK THIS SCENE IS NOT TALKED ABOUT ENOUGH

alex canonically calling magnus "sunshiny" and RESPECTING AND ADMIRING HIM AND HIS HEALING POWERS. they make me weak

samirah and magnus's dynamic is not given enough love. they are figuratively SIBLINGS and that level of closeness is not recognized by the fandom enough

(also not really about the book but. the UK cover of 'hammer of thor' depicts samirah with half of her hair falling out of her hijab. which. who tf designed these covers?? like somebody needs to give them a good throttling)

there's probably more that i don't remember but okay here have this for now :)

[tobylix-blog]

Trinkets — Gimli x Reader

Content & Warnings: romance, drabble Word count: 0.8k Summary: Until and after the coronation, as Fellowship stays in Minas Tirith, Gimli tends to spend hours in smithy creating different little things. Blacksmiths whisper and rumor whatever made the dwarf create such… trinkets. And he himself is becoming grumpier with every comment.

Gimli is getting grumpier by the day. You can't help but notice the fact. His expression got somber and gloomy, his shoulders slouched and his jokes became offensive. The more time he is spending in the smithy the worse it is getting. You fail to understand why.

After the war has ended, he decided to stay in Minas Tirith along with the other members of Fellowship. It promised to be the brightest and happiest time they had in a while. And so it was. Gimli was so eager to get back to the traditional craft of his ancestors and forge some things out of pure interest for the process. However, that's where everything began to go wrong. After the initial enthusiasm had faded, he started to get more and more irritated. From the rich flow of his muffled curses you only made out the fact that his exasperation was caused by some sort of failure.

"Other smiths spread rumor that he is working on some weird trinkets. Not weapon, not armor, but something small and indistinct," you tell Legolas, seeking for his help. But the elf only smiles and asks you to stop being so concerned as it 'doesn't suit you'. You're left dumbfounded as he takes his leave.

The situation keeps getting worse with every passing day. You become as troubled as the dwarf. Each time you see his furrowed brow and tense silhouette, you feel another chord getting tight and ready to snap in your chest. Even your work doesn't help to distract you enough. Thoughts and premonitions, one darker than the other, cloud your mind.

You walk out of the door in the same grim mood, greeted by the setting sun. Flat rays cast long shadows and orange hues of the evening fill the streets. Your gaze glides along the paved road until it reaches another sun. You blink a few times before recognizing the familiar red hair and beard practically glowing in the light of the sundown. And even more so glows the face of your dear friend.

"Gimli!" you can't help but exclaim, seeing him lose that frown. "Are you feeling better now?"

The dwarf looks at you almost surprised, confusion clear in his eyes, then he scoffs. "Oh, that you mean. Yes-yes, much better."

He seems to be rather carefree about the whole situation so unlike the way he was for the past days. There's amusement in his expression as if he sees you for the first time, and the view is new and peculiar to him. After a good minute of comfortable silence Gimli finally speaks. "I've been working on one thing for a little while. It proved to be quite... tricky to forge something so small. I'd rather make it bigger, but I didn't want it to be a disturbance to you, if you would be so kind to accept it," he begins to explain, his hands clenching onto something wrapped in a piece of cloth. "It finally turned out the way I wanted, but now I see that it still lacks in every way compared to the most beautiful among mortal beings."

Gimli hesitates for another moment, unlike his usual fiery determination, before slowly pulling off the cloth. Silver glimmers in gentle sunlight and reflects in your wide opened eyes. A fibula. Practical and spectacular. Intricate ornament covering metal like a quote from some long-forgotten legend. Clasps like that one, created of precious metals with great mastery, pass down in families as heirlooms for centuries. And here it lays before your eyes, just within your reach, crafted personally for you by a dwarf who called you no less than 'the most beautiful among mortal'.

The sight and Gimli's words are enough to snap all those strings tightened around your heart. As he looks up to your eyes he witnesses tears spilling down your face. The view alarms him, making his words scatter around like pebbles.

"Do you... Will you accept it?.. this, I mean, gift... If that is fine... if I didn't overstep with that courtship or... ahem," he trails off.

Realization dawns on you like a weightless veil. His wariness in choosing words when approached by you, friendly demeanor and such complete concentration on his work in the forgery all connect like links of the same chain. No dwarf can begin a courtship without a valuable gift. And that warm and welcoming attitude of his was nothing but the result of his growing affection. You noticed it earlier, but never took the customs into consideration.

You lean forward, your hand gently covering his gift and your lips pressing firmly against his forehead. "I accept. Your gift and all of you."

[medra-gonbites]

The Wizard Who Read Everything

Chapter 1

I have read a few fanfictions about Gale reading smut and getting flustered and I absoluetly love it! So many great ones out there and I wanted to contribute to the genre.

Here is my attempt: I hope you enjoy my take.

Pairing: Gale x Named Fem!OC

SFW - Humour, Meet Cute, Meta

Words: 2823

The wizard had struggled to find an apprentice for quite some time. When he finally does, he find himself quite intrigued by his new hire. It is not appropriate but he can't help think about her. The racy literature that she writes as a hobby does not help. Neither does the fact that he reads in secret...

Gale opened his eyes wide as he read on, the content quite different from what he had expected. The piece told the story of a wizard advisor and a king's daughter, of their forbidden love and of their dangerous desires. A sultry piece with romantic overtones, and wicked descriptions. His eyebrow shot up as his eyes descended on the page. The writing was skilled and the story captivating, but it is the smutty premises which dried out his mouth and made him shift onto his seat. The wizard tried to convince himself to stop, to put down the Wazoo and go back to his more serious research. He knew he should spend his time better. Study some scholarly tome, decipher some lost glyphs, update his astronomical charts. Clean up the library even. But he could not tear himself away from the page.

Read the rest on AO3 or under the cut

Gale Dekarios was usually a patient man. 

He was many things in fact. An archmage. A prodigy of the weave. Ex-chosen of Mystra. Quite the handsome devil, he would argue. A collected scholar of an easy going temperament. But today his composure was eroded by weeks of frustrating interviews and disappointing meetings. 

He just needed someone smart and pragmatic. Was that so much to ask? Someone who would be able to help him maintain the tower and aid during experiments from time to time. Someone he could teach his magic to and hopefully impact in a positive way. Someone to soothe the loneliness of his wizardly routine…

He had originally consulted with Rolan, exchanging letters between here and Ramazith’s Tower. Who better than him to advise on how to seek an apprentice. Alas, the fellow mage had no recommendations to give, his own compound being short on staff as well, but he had, however, gracefully provided guidance on how to advertise and recruit applicants.

After having researched the matter of job listing thoroughly, Gale had come up with a clever (he thought) advertisement that he had written himself and which he believed would bring him loads of potential recruits. Tara had distributed it  around all of the relevant spots in Waterdeep. He had made sure to cover the best spots in town for the widest exposure possible with a preference to the location of magical inclination. The Blackstaff Academy information board of course, most of the decent taverns’ quest boards, the entrance hall of the Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors. A couple had even been stacked on the counters of The Bazaar of Chanszobur. 

So far only a handful of applicants had come knocking on his doors, and none of them were nearly adequate enough to be given the job. 

He was now in the midst of the last rounds of the interview and was positively exhausted. On the verge of giving up, even. He was pacing in his study like a lion in a cage, dreading to confront the last candidate of that godforsaken day. Almost tempted to dismiss them without giving it further thought. After all, why would this one be any different than the one he had the displeasure to meet earlier?

First, he had received a young Dwarf who insisted he could cast a fire ball; in an attempt to prove it he had set fire to the wizard’s beloved Calimshan rug. A gift from Gale’s mother, which he loved dearly and, which softness his feet would mourn the loss. 

Then, he had listened to this very pompous High Elf for an hour before realizing the woman was actually looking for him to invest in a multi-layered business opportunity revolving around the sales of magical cosmetics. He hated that he had taken him so long to figure this one out. But not as much as he hated the fact that he had still bought some ridiculously overpriced Lashes of Charming in the end.

Finally, there had been that Tiefling who smelled of anchovies and who tried to aggressively (and without success) flirt their way into the job. Gale's usual decorum was put to a test when the fellow had tried to shove his tongue down his throat, and despite resisting the urge to scorch his face, he had sent them out with the feet of his projection up his nether area.

To think these were merely the ones of that day. He had received many more people over the weeks, all of them terrible profiles: underqualified, rude, dim-witted and sometimes even downright nasty. Frankly this whole endeavor had been a disaster and the mage was starting to believe he might never find someone suitable for his purpose.  

In retrospect, maybe it was his own fault. He wasn’t a writer, although he sometimes dabbled in a bit of poetry, and he was never much of the type to manage people either. He started to think his listing was not good enough or not targeting the right crowd. As he had been many times before, he felt submerged by a wave of self-doubt that pushed him to second-guess himself at the least convenient time.

Gale tried to shake it off. One more interview and he would be able to descend into the self-loathing spiral he knew so well. He would resign himself to work alone as he had done so in the past, hoping his former companions in arms would take the time to visit eventually. He took a deep, long inspiration, bracing himself for the last ordeal of the day, and made his way downstairs. 

The entrance hall had been temporarily fashioned into a sort of waiting room. There, on one of the chairs that formed a row by the door, a human woman was waiting. She was a little younger than him, wearing a plain wizard robe, her eyes lingering around, taking in the decor available to her sight. Her hair was thrown into a messy bun from which rebellious strands escaped to fall back into her brow and neck or stick in the air like some split-ended antennae. The rim of her left sleeves was slightly singed (the mark of an experienced, albeit somewhat clumsy, spellcaster.)

When she saw him she smiled wide and Gale could not help but smile back despite the disillusioned bleakness that lingered within his heart. Her enthusiasm was much more contagious than the performative perkiness of the fish-tainted Tiefling who had gone before her. 

“Hello!”  He greeted her, holding his hand out for her to shake. “Gale Dekario, pleasure to meet you…”

“Hi! I am Marina. Marina Rassos” She replied, giving his palm a firm squeeze.

Gale raised an eyebrow at the ridiculous name. Was he being pranked?

“I know, I know…” She said, nodding in acknowledgement to his reaction, “My parents realized way too late... Rest assured, just like my namesake, I’ll remain tasteful in any circumstances.” She chuckled.

Despite his best effort Gale could not hold the little amused exhale that escaped his nose. A jokester. That was interesting. Although, so had been the pyramid scheme Elf, at first…

“Hopefully you’ll be the last spaghetti I have to throw at the wall.” He gestured for her to follow him to his library on the upper floor, “I have a few questions and tests I screen my applicants with so: If you would please follow me?” 

The library was a place of wholesome chaos. There were books and scrolls on almost every surface, be it the desks, the floor or the seats. Alchemy ingredients scattered loose without jars or labels so that there was no way to tell if they were spoiled, venomous or just plain litter to an unfamiliarized eye. Maps and astronomical gears were abandoned on a little table by the balcony door, heaped on a precarious pile that threatened to tip over with the slightest draft of wind. It looked like a tornado had ravaged the place. 

It was perfect.

“I trust that you are acquainted with the intricacies of the weave? If only partially?”

“Yes sir! I am, in fact, a graduate from Blackstaff Academy.” She proudly declared before adding, "Although this would be my first “magic-related” job.”

The wizard frowned slightly. He was impressed by her education but something in the math of her life did not add up.

“You are a bit older than most graduates aren’t you? But I suppose merely getting into Backstaff is impressive enough. Not an easy school to attend.”

“Precisely why I graduated so late…” She admitted bitterly.

Although Gale tried not to judge, this new piece of information was a little worrisome.  He darted a sad eye towards the burned marks of his rug.

“Please take a seat. I will prepare some tests for you.” He decisively declared, pointing at the nearby couch on which several pieces of paper were strewn .

Marina seized a few books and leaflets off of the bench and proceeded to sit. Among the literature she had picked up, she noticed the latest special tenday edition of the Waterdeep Wazoo. With a proud smile she opened the journal and started flicking through the pages.

Gale returned a few minutes later, carrying a few files, beakers and quills. Upon noticing what she was reading he scoffed.

“Don’t tell me you read this kind of rags!”

Marina defensively pressed the paper against her chest.

“This is a perfectly fine newspaper!”

“Oh I’m sure it used to quite be fine. But the current editorial line is focussed on gossip and unnecessary quips!”

“Well, I take it you read it too? It’s in your library after all.”

“I'll have you know my Tressym, Tara, is the one to indulge in such… literary void.”

“She’ll be happy to know I contribute to feeding the void; one of my stories has been published in this very print!”

“You write for them?” His intonation was incredulous, “I find it most interesting that you have an inclination towards poetry and prose but am altogether saddened by the fact you choose such a horrendous platform to display your talents.”

“Maybe you are right. But in the meantime I am having fun! Isn’t that the point of anything we do?”

This was a rather philosophical way to look at it and a good come back to his overly critical comment. Who was he to question her skills or decisions for that matter, when both were the reasons she had shown up for this job offer. This thought brought him back to the former worry he had entertained. Maybe he could (and should) ask for feedback, given the competences she clearly had and that he did not. 

“As a writer… What did you think of the job listing?” He sheepishly asked.

She frowned slightly, taken aback. Gale wasn’t sure if it was by the question or by his sudden insecurity shining through.

“Honest truth?”

“Yes…”

She took out the leaflet from the side pocket of her robe and reread it quickly before highlighting the problematic parts out loud. 

“ ‘Learn mysteries of magical nature’ No fee mentioned, and very vague description. ‘Should be comfortable around strange creatures, ancient books, and odd smells; Expect the unexpected & long hours’ mention of overtime and unpleasant tasks? Not encouraging. Last but not least: ‘Be the apprentice to a wizard of reasonable acclaim!’, while your humility is commendable, next time maybe specify the name of the wizard the postulant would be assisting. For all I knew I was being screened by Halaster Blackcloak…”

Gale remained speechless, feeling called out and a tad embarrassed. He had worked hard to seem carefree, approachable and relaxed. He May have overdone it…

“Why did you answer it then? If it sounded as ludicrous as to emanate from that dear old Halaster?” He retorted, a bit wounded by the notes he had himself asked for and by the indirect comparison with the insane wizard.

“Call it a gamble.” She shook the paper before her, “I thought this was full of good intentions. Besides, going to an interview does not mean getting the job. Or taking it for that matter.”

Gale pondered some more. He never looked at it that way. He too was being interviewed as much as she was. He had not had to concern himself with that before, given all previous interviews had been fiascos. But this one, he had a good feeling about. She certainly was the first interviewee to have enough wits to entertain a minimum of conversation without falling into a sales pitch, lascivious flirting, or an immolation attempt. Gale hoped he had not made a bad impression, what with his judgemental comments and his naive advertisement. 

After a moment of silence, Marina placed the newspaper on the coffee table and turned eagerly to him, pointing at the documents in his hands.

“Shall we?”

----------------------------------------------------------

After an array of tests including a quiz, a few practical spell casting tricks and a surprise exam, the wizard could sense the irritation growing in his applicant. He turned to her with a wide smile hoping the following news would be enough to tame her discontent. 

“Alright, you have jumped through enough of my magical hoops for now; I think you are suitable for the job!” He thought back to her comment about accepting the job and added, “If you still want it, of course. You might have already caught a glimpse of how… Difficult, I can be to work with.

“Thorough for sure…” Her sigh betrayed a smudge of exhaustion in her otherwise jolly demeanor. However her wide smile returned soon enough as she resumed “But I’d be delighted to. When do I start?”

“If you are free, tomorrow morning. Should we say 9 o’clock?”

“Perfect! I’ll be there at 9:00 sharp.”

She shook his hands fervently and bowed slightly before departing. Gale took a step towards the door in an attempt to walk her back but she shook her head, declining politely. 

“Don’t trouble yourself; I will see myself out.”

Gale watched her leave, contemplatively. She had potential for certain. With the right guidance she could become a great mage. He would hope their collaboration could benefit both of them. Then again, this interview was further than he ever had been with any other applicant, so it remained to be seen in the long run. This was also the first time he would have an apprentice at all, therefore he definitely had some learning to do too.

He quietly returned to his chair and picked up a volume he was currently working on. He opened the large book and started to study the over complicated diagrams drawn on the page. After a few minutes, he took notice of his lack of focus: he had been reading the same bits over and over, his thoughts hopelessly drifting back to his new apprentice. He wondered about her background, her personality, her quirks… Her hobbies. His eyes drifted from the book to the newspaper on the coffee table. Maybe reading what she wrote would help him get to know her a little better. 

But such an ignoble thing to read… 

He scowled himself, annoyed by his own snobbism. Maybe he was over intellectualising things after all. With a sigh, he closed the voluminous book on his lap, picked up the magazine and flipped through its pages seeking Marina's column. He finally found it between a carrot cake recipe and an advertisement for a new firework shop in town. “Quality placement…” He mocked.

Gale opened his eyes wide as he read on, the content quite different from what he had expected. The piece told the story of a wizard advisor and a king's daughter, of their forbidden love and of their dangerous desires. 

A sultry piece with romantic overtones, and wicked descriptions. 

His eyebrow shot up as his eyes descended on the page. The writing was skilled and the story captivating, but it is the smutty premises which dried out his mouth and made him shift onto his seat. 

The wizard tried to convince himself to stop, to put down the Wazoo and go back to his more serious research. He knew he should spend his time better. Study some scholarly tome, decipher some lost glyphs, update his astronomical charts. Clean up the library even. But he could not tear himself away from the page. He was hypnotised by all the enticing words on the paper. It was as if a spell had been cast on him, binding his rear to the chair and his eyes to the ink. 

After a little more than half an hour he had reached the bottom of the last page. His breath was ragged, his eyes hazy, his legs crossed, stretching on their own accord punctually. Reading through the last sentence he let out a frustrated groan.

"A cliffhanger? Really?" He fussed.

He was surprised by the sudden spurt of irritation he was experiencing and how it was directed at the unfinished story. He would have to get the new edition the next week, wait for Tara to finish reading it and pray that there wouldn’t be another trick such as this one. 

He leaned back, pensively, the story replaying in his mind. It was hard to believe such a meek and innocent-looking girl could write something so seductive. So bold. So crude.  

Almost despite himself, a thought crept up in his mind: what would she really be capable of in real life…? 

The question sent a shiver down his spine and he immediately suppressed the pictures his imagination was attempting to feed him. Better shut it down at once. She was his apprentice. He was her teacher. And he had literally just hired her. There was no room for such thought.

Still, Gale found himself excited at the idea of having her coming in daily and he hoped her new job would not get in the way of her creative spirit.

Read the next part in Chapter 2

[luniidae]

  ~Of Gold and Blood~

~ A New Home ~

Chapter II

Note: Hi everyone! It's been an eternity since I posted anything about this fic. Unfortunately, this is not the next chapter, but chapter 2 update !

I'm never entirely satisfied with what I write, but I hope you'll appreciate this new version nonetheless ✨

You can read it on AO3

The next days, Korrilla returned to Neverwinter to keep an eye on the strange girl she had met and who seemed to have, for some obscure reason, caught her master's attention. 

She didn't really understand the point of watching her, but she certainly wasn't going to argue with his orders anyway.

She had no trouble finding her young target's house, given its proximity to the tavern she had visited the other night. She recognized the roof from which her little spy had observed her, but there was no door or other window from this side of the street.

The warlock therefore went around taking a few alleys until a building which looked like any other: nothing very elaborate but not a dump either, it was actually quite pretty. That said, the dwarf had the strange feeling that something was off with this place. She kept a good distance away when a woman came out. The latter was rather well dressed but the way she held herself seemed odd. Despite her neat appearance, her walk was almost awkward, as if her outfit was inconvenient.

Korrilla waited until she was far enough away, then she approached the flowered windows. 

To her great astonishment, she couldn't see anything through it. Indeed, a mountain of dust covered all of the windows from the inside and it was almost impossible for her to see anything. The street wasn't very busy at that hour, but she decided not to linger so she wouldn't bring attention. She kept an eye on the house, monitoring the possible comings and goings of its inhabitants, but apart from the woman she had seen earlier, no one else left the place, and no one returned either. It seemed almost abandoned....

Korrilla felt like she was wasting her time, she was supposed to be gathering information about the supposed "Dracanist", but she had learned nothing new since she was here. However, she couldn't afford to return to the House of Hope empty-handed.

 So with a hint of annoyance, the young woman decided to use a metamorphosis spell to change herself into an animal small enough to pass through a gap. Usually, she would have opened a portal, or teleported herself, but she didn't know what was inside and she had to remain discreet anyway.

          And the dwarf changed into... A mouse. Luckily, she had no trouble finding an entrance, and once inside the house, she was able to see that everything from the outside was clearly nothing but a facade.

The place was dilapidated, unsanitary, it felt like a slum. The walls were decrepit, the floor was littered with all kinds of debris and most of the furniture looked like it was about to collapse under a shroud of dust and dirt. It made her wonder how the hostess had managed to keep her clothes this impeccable. Speaking of the "lady", she saw a portrait of her and a man on one of the walls. Their smile making them look creepier than they already were.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps coming from the stairs and Korrilla quickly hid herself under the table. It was a child, a blond elf, probably 10. His clothes were dirty and he looked thin, but he wasn't the person she was looking for. Maybe it wasn't the good house, after all.

As unfortunate as it seemed, she was so focused on the boy that she didn't notice the mousetrap she was walking on. When she realized the extend of her mistake, it was too late. She managed to avoid being smashed by the mechanism, but her tail got caught nonetheless and she cursed herself for being so stupid. But in the other hand, she hadn't imagine finding a mousetrap in a place so neglected... The sound caught the kid's attention and he approached, kneeling down to take a look under the table.

A mischievous smile appeared on his dusty yet angelic face, and he took the trap with the mouse hanging from it. He looked amused and revulsed at the same time.

" Ugh, disgusting... Haha, I never thought I'd catch one ", he said to himself.

He poked the tiny creature with his fingertips to see her reaction, without knowing he was bothering a warlock in disguise. The latter, clearly annoyed by the situation, was about to take her usual form back and kick his ass to teach him a lesson. 

But when he seemed about to smash her on the ground, he was suddenly pushed to the side, dropping the trap. He then fell on the floor, coughing because of the dust, swearing because of the fall... He stared at the person who dares to push him, a hint of anger in his eyes.

"What's yer problem, goat ?! I'll show ya ! "

The elf was talking to a horned girl, a bit smaller than him. He stood up quickly on his feet and threw himself at her, his face as red as a tomato.

The person who "saved" her was the one she was looking for. The two kids were fighting but the elf was a bit stronger and fierce, obviously hurt in his ego. The sound of their argument caught the attention of three others. Three children, hidden in the stairs, two humans and another elf. They were probably between 3 and 6 years old. 

" WHO D'YOU THINK YOU ARE ! STAY IN YER PLACE ! " he shouted at her while beating her face. She was trying to fight back but at some point, she covered herself with her forearms instead.

Once he was done with her, he left her on the floor, threatening her. 

"Don't ye dare touch me again with yer dirty hands, freak "

The ones hidden in the stairs were chuckling, apparently amused by the situation.

" You served her right! ", said one of them.

The room quickly felt silent as the kids disappeared in the shadows of the house. Korrilla, who was still stuck to the trap, was looking at the girl who was laying down before her. The latter slowly got up, leaning on her elbows. She seemed looking for something, then she stopped when her eyes locked on the mouse. She approached her, a few bruises on her face and a bit of blood dropping from her nose. 

Korrilla could notice once again that her blood looked "magic", because of this strange reddish glow which was emanating from it.

" It's ok ", she whispered to the tiny creature. She removed her tail from the trap delicately and took the mouse in her hands. 

" You can stay with me if you want ", she added in a low voice. 

The warlock didn't expect to have to keep this shape any longer, but she considered her words for a second. It would be easier for her to watch the girl if she stayed with her after all... So she climbed on her forearm, reached her shoulder and hide in her hair, making her giggle.

              And so she spent the rest of the day with her, gripping to her, observing her. She could notice how lonely she was, since she was the only one of her kind and the other children avoided or mocked her because of that. They mocked her horns, her eyes, or called her a demon because they all have noticed how quick she would recover from her injuries. And the dwarf noted it too. 

The bruises she got from her fight with the elf boy had completely disappeared, just like nothing ever happened.

            From time to time, Korrilla thought of the moment she'll come back to the House of Hope. She was looking forward to reach her bedroom, take a bath and have a big drink of wine or anything which could make her forget her time as a tiny defenseless creature. But the time when she could finally reveal herself would come soon. 

When the sun went down and the sounds from the tavern could be heard, the horned creature headed to her bedroom. 

" I'm goin' to show you somethin' funny ", she said with a smile, " There's a place behind, with lots of people. I like watchin' them at night", she looked excited about it, " They drink, they laugh. They even sing and dance strangely sometimes "

But her enthusiasm vanished when she struggled to open the door of her room. She looked through the lock and saw something stuck inside, something she couldn't remove despite her attempts. She heard someone chuckle from the end of the corridor and saw the elf boy... He stood in the crack of his bedroom's door, grinning.

" Good night, goat, greet mum and dad for me ", he said before closing the door. The warlock mouse could feel the little girl's heart racing all of the sudden. She remained silent for a few seconds.

" ... Neve'mind ", she finally said, trying to keep her calm, " I have an idea ".

She went back downstairs, decided to open the main door to reach her bedroom from the outside, since her window was never really locked. She climbed on a chair to reach a pot on a furniture, looking for something inside. But her face quickly changed. 

" The key... ", she paused for a few seconds, "Someone took it... But it's alright... ", she murmured to herself.

The dwarf understood that she couldn't actually go out as she had planned to, and it was apparently a problem. She could feel that something was wrong, her face was calm but her eyes were sad and worried. Since they were alone, Korrilla thought it could be the right moment to take back her usual form, she was tired of being a rodent anyway. 

She jumped from her shoulder to the table nearby. The little girl quickly got off the chair, thinking the mouse fell down, but her eyes widened in an expression close to the fear when she saw the tiny animal turned herself into a humanoid being.

But surprisigly, it wasn't the warlock's transformation that worried her, but her simple presence.

" You.... You're not supposed to be here! ", she whispered, trying not to raise her voice despite her worry.

Korrilla was a bit taken aback with the girl's reaction, but she kept her composure and spoke quietly.

" I mean you no harm, I... "

" You must leave! ", interrupted the child who was losing her nerves. She didn't seem to be afraid of the warlock herself, but rather of what awaited her if it became known that she had let in a stranger. 

" I can help you ", the dwarf insisted, but the horned creature shook her head nervously. 

" You - " , she didn't finish her sentence. Her face froze as she heard footsteps getting closer from the street. She recognized this sound, she knew too well who it belonged to. Korrilla quickly transformed into a mouse again in order to hide and see what would happen next. Lurking in the shadows, she observed the scene, listening closely as the sound of a key in a lock could be heard, and the door opened. 

She recognized the person who entered: it was the woman she saw this morning, but she wasn't alone. A man, the same as the one of the portrait she saw earlier, was following her, his face stern and reddish, but he seemed even more upset when he saw the child in the middle of the living room. 

" What are ye doin' 'ere, freak ", he grumbled. He looked menacing, and so did the woman. 

" Go back to yer damn room, right fuckin' now ", she shouted at her.

The little girl was standing before them, her knees slightly shaking, "playing" with her fingers in a vain attempt to ease her nervousness.

" I... I cant, they blocked th- ", but she couldn't say more. The man slapped her face so hard she fell on the floor and Korrilla thought, for a moment, that the young girl had been knocked out, but she moved weakly.

" Don't answer back ! ", he yelled at her. 

She was holding her painful cheek, turning slowly her head so she could look up at him, a few silent tears rolling along her face.

But the bastard thought it was a defiance stare and got even more mad at her. He grabbed her neck, his fingers pressing her throat as she was now standing on tiptoes, trying to catch her breath and holding his big hand, desperately trying to make him ease his grip. Korrilla was still watching and her heart skipped a beat when she saw this huge guy attacking the fragile being. 

" He's going to kill her... ", she thought, a thousand scenarios racing through her mind. 

She wasn't sure it would be a good idea to take the girl with her to the House of Hope, since Raphael only wanted more information about her but nothing more. But she couldn't just... Leave ? 

In a fraction of a second, memories came back to her mind. The memories of her own past, her previous master... He was just like him, brutal, violent, threatening. Korrilla remembered how she felt when once, he was so angry that she thought he would eventually kill her and her sister. That was the night she met Raphael for the first time... 

The dwarf was suddenly brought back to reality when she heard the man shouted something.

" I dunno why we keep ya anyway, you piece of shit. Always disobeying, sneaking outside.. They said you would bring us a lot of money but you're nothin' but one more mouth to feed "

"They" ? Who "they" ? Korrilla wondered... But she didn't have any more time to think, she needed to act quickly. 

So she suddenly turned into her original form again, ready to strike. The imposent couple jumped, letting out a scream of surprise. Korrilla was standing there, menacing, with a flame in the palm of her hand.

" Get away from her ", she commanded sharply.

" Who the hell are ya ?! ", the man shouted, still holding the child.

" Get rid of her ! " yelled the woman at him.

But the dwarf had no patience for this now. She had spent the entire day as a mouse, in this miserable and dirty place, and clearly, she had enough of this. She threw a small fire ball at the man, precisely on his forearm so the young girl could break free from his grip. He screamed in pain, holding his injured arm as he took a step back.

" You bitch ! "

Korrilla put the horned girl behind her.

" This one is coming with me ", she said while an orange portal opened in their back.

" B-But you can't.. ! "

The woman stared at the couple, her gaze darkened as she put an index on her mouth.

" Sssh.... "

Then she turned on her heels to go through the portal, taking the girl with her. 

         Korrilla had no trouble bringing the young girl to the House of Hope. She's been living in unenviable conditions, and she needed nothing more than the promise of a new life to convince her to follow the dwarf.

When she saw the place for the first time, her eyes shone with admiration, because she couldn't imagine that there could be a more beautiful place in the world. Everything was luxury and excess, and the little girl didn't fail to notice the impressive amount of food which was on a large table. She felt her stomach growl at the mere sight of it. But her attention was quickly diverted when she had to face the master of the House: Raphael.

            The latter was in his library, sitting in a fancy chair, reading a book in front of a huge fireplace where a comforting fire burned. He looked up when he heard Korrilla's footsteps, and a surprised look appeared on his usually serious face. But he kept his composure as she approached with the young girl. 

He closed his book, put it on a pedestal table and stood up from his chair, taking a few steps forward. 

" What - ", he interrupted himself when he saw his warlock covered in dust and raised an eyebrow, " ... No matter "

He took a look at the tiny figure before him, his arms crossed, his chin resting on one of his fists.

" Korrilla, explain yourself... "

" It is a long story ", admitted Korrilla who was too tired to elaborate, " But I had no other choice but to bring her here ", she paused for a second or two, then added quickly, " At least, you can check if she really is what you think "

The devil's eyes slightly widened. That was her ? She looked so fragile, so vulnerable... The Cambion didn't expect her to be in such a bad condition.  

" Are you sure, Korrilla...? ", he asked, not convinced by the child. 

The dwarf nodded and did her best to hide her annoyance. She hadn't spent the entire day as a mouse to be doubted, she thought. 

" There is no mistake. Today was very... Instructive, I would say ", she answered, " Shinning blood, fast recovery... She looks like a miserable Tiefling but I can assure you that she's definitely more than that "

Raphael considered her words and leaned towards her to examine her better. She indeed looked like a Tiefling, but there were slight differences. Her horns were thinner, for example, and as the warlock told him the other day, she had no tail and none of those characteristic sharp traits at some places.

When their eyes met, the child didn't look away, fascinated by this stranger who had something both reassuring and threatening. That was also the first time she saw a devil and she couldn't help but stare at his wings.

" You don't look afraid of me, aren't you ? ", he finally said.

She looked at him again but didn't answer, not afraid but impressed nonetheless.

Raphael had the time to read more about the Dracanist people while he was alone, and he wanted to check something. He gently grabbed one of her horns between his thumb and index, checking its consistency. He could feel a discreet kind of vibration emanating from it, almost like a silent purr. There was some magic in it, he thought.

His face was less severe, but he needed another proof... This vibration thing wasn't common but it wasn't enough for him.

" Make her bleed ", the devil said.

Korrilla looked a bit surprised, she wasn't expecting him to ask such a thing now, even if it seemed logical.

" Just a scratch ", he added nonchalantly, noticing her sudden reluctance, " Needless to make a mess of her "

The woman approached her who was staring at her with an apprehensive look, but she remained perfectly still.

" It's going to be ok ", she whispered, taking her wrist in her hand. 

Raphael raised his eyes to heaven in her back, his arms crossed, he wasn't a very patient man sometimes. 

The warlock held the little girl's hand opened and pulled out a penknife from her pocket. The child watched her puting the blade on her palm without moving or saying anything, as if she was absent.

" Make it quick ", insisted the Cambion.

The dwarf took a breath and in one motion, she cut into the delicate flesh. 

The horned creature groaned in pain, her fingers twitching, but she didn't try to remove her hand. A few drops of blood fell on the floor, but the rest was like floating. Her eyes changed too, they were still red but... Different, like two scarlet lights in the dark, and her pupils were completely gone. It lasted until the bleeding stop.

" My my... ", Raphael said, suddenly delighted by what he was observing, " Now, that is interesting "

He put a knee down to take a closer look, grabbing her tiny hand and brushing his thumb over the fresh wound, making it sparkle and making her slightly tremble. The child frowned but did her best to hide her discomfort. Also, he could see the wound starting to close itself slowly already. 

The Devil looked at her again.

“ What is your name, little mouse? ”

She hesitated for a few seconds, intimidated.

" .... L... Luvia.. ", she replied in her small voice.

" That's quite a name. Well Luvia, welcome to the House of Hope "

             Then he snapped his fingers, and the child's rags changed into a fancy dress, with a dark blue tiny doublet with long red sleeves, decorated with golden details, reminiscent of Raphael's outfit. Her hair was clean, and her face was clear. It was as if she had taken a bath without realizing it.

                         “That’s better.”

To be continued...

Bonus: Chapter 2 first version

[buffyfan145]

So we got multiple "Rings of Power" spoilers today!!! 😀 First we got the latest poster that shows all 7 of the dwarven rings.

Then we got character confirmations for 4 of the new actors and descriptions and pics of their roles. They were all posted by different entertainment sites/magazines including Entertainment Weekly, Collider, Looper, and Polygon.

Calam Lynch is playing Camnir, an elf mapmaker and friend of Elrond's. Selina Lo is Rían, an expert elf archer and warrior that joins Elrond and Galadriel's group on that mission we've seen in the trailer. Amelia Kenworthy is Mirdania, an Eregion elf who is an apprentice to Celebrimbor. Then Kevin Eldon is the dwarf Narvi from the books, who helps Celebrimbor make The Doors of Durin. Also the show has expanded his role and made him one of King Durin III's advisors too.

These are all parts of the lead up to their SDCC panel too where we'll get more info and the full trailer!!! 😀