Title: Lost In the Woods
Summary: "There's no one else I'd rather be lost with than you, Ori."
Disclaimer: I do not own The Hobbit.
A/N: NO FLAMES! Not accepted.
2nd A/N: I give a lot of love to Bilbo and the Royals so I figure let's step aside for a moment and see just how well I can write Ori.
She almost missed it amidst the rumble of thunder. A whimper. That was her first clue. A soft terrified whimper. Karla, Daughter of Frerin, spun around looking for the source of the sound. She saw it. She was only slightly older than the other dwarf but she was smarter, stronger and maybe just a little braver. She ran over to him, sitting down beside him. As she did a hand reached out from beneath his knees and she grasped it tightly. She held it tightly as another loud rumble of thunder passed overheard. Her and young Ori, had been playing in the woods. Well, Karla had been playing, Ori had been drawing. Sketching her. Her long golden curls and her endless mud brown eyes. He often wondered what it might be like to hold her hand. Dori had told him that girls had really soft hands. That they had no callouses because they didn't work in the mines like daddy did. Karla's hands were beyond soft. They were warm too. Her eyes always sparkled and her smile lit up her whole face. Ori loved it when she smiled. He'd told Dori and he'd claimed that Ori had a case of puppy love, or a crush. But Ori was sure it was different.
Karla had been dancing around in a clearing when Ori noted the light dying and he told her it was probably time to go home. Except Karla suddenly noticed that she didn't know the way home. They were lost. Going off the track to find shelter they were officially lost. But both were now huddled together in the hollow of an old tree, keeping close to each other to stay warm. She pushed herself closer to Ori and wrapped an arm around his shoulders to keep in close too. He shivered and whimpered again.
"Ori. It's ok. We're together. It'll be fine." She whispers in his ear feeling his cool skin on hers He looks up at her in the darkness.
"Really?" He asked, Karla nodded.
"Really. My Uncle and cousins will come looking for us. Your brothers and father will be out looking for us. Trust me." She said letting his head rest on her shoulder.
"Dori always said that I shouldn't be out in the woods, that I can get lost." He murmured and she smiled down at him.
"But yet you followed me." She pointed out.
"It's fun to sketch you." He told her with only a hint of blush lighting his cheeks, he was thankful she couldn't see it in the dark.
Karla laughed softly, "Do you remember when we first met, Ori? In the market place?" He looked up at her and shook his head, "you came to ask me a question…"
"Princess?" Karla turned at the shy voice, Kíli and Fíli stood near her and flanked her on either side, she rolled her eyes at their protectiveness, but the small dwarf in front of her seemed terrified. He had short reddish hair and beautifully huge blue-green eyes. He looked as though he were shaking. Two other dwarves stood with him. They also bowed their heads to her with a respective 'Highness'.
"What can I do for you, young master?" She asked.
"My name is Ori, Princess. My brothers, Dori and Nori." Karla smiled at them again, "I mean to ask you a question." He stumbled slightly on his words, he was nervous poor thing.
"A question, Master Ori?" He nodded, "What kind of question?" She saw Kíli begin to open his mouth but she put her hand up to stop him.
"I mean to ask you…for something that most young Dwarves would ask of you." He said hoping she'd get the idea, Karla frowned.
"Bless him, Karla. He wants a kiss!" Fíli chuckled making Ori blush scarlet. Karla smiled and leant forward pressing a kiss to Ori's cheek. The child now terribly embarrassed ran back to where his mother's stall was. She smiled at Dori and Nori.
"Tell him, I don't give those to just anyone." She said, they nodded. A kiss from the Princess was very rare and they knew that she didn't give them freely.
"I never give kisses to just anyone. You were special." Karla said. They were huddled so close to each other now that they almost seemed like one person. "I'm sorry I got us lost, Ori." Karla said as she felt him relax against her.
"Well…I can't think of anyone else I'd rather be lost with." He said; he earned himself another soft kiss on the cheek as they both listened to the thunder and rain while lightning occasionally lit up the sky. Both eventually fell asleep, Ori on Karla's shoulder and Karla curled around the younger dwarf.
Several Years Later
Karla sat in the same clearing she had danced in several winters beforehand and she was waiting for Ori to appear. She sat in Kíli's old breeches and an old tunic of Fíli's – her hair pulled into braids that her brothers had done that morning, she had even tucked a flower behind her ear. The flower had been given to her as she walked through the market that day. She was always given flowers at the moment it was a dark red peony tucked behind her ear that gave contrast to her golden curls. Her hair also had tiny white buds of orange blossom twirled into the braids, the same hair style she'd had the first day she met Ori in the market place when he'd asked for a kiss. She hoped he remembered.
The Orange blossom that Fíli and Kíli had threaded in her braids that morning was supposed to mean fertility. She sighed at the thought, many young female dwarves had orange blossom or some other white flower threaded into their braids in their wedding day, but Princesses had to have them in their braids nearly every day after coming of age. However, when she had been younger her mother had insisted that she have them in her hair often if not every day, just to get used to it.
She waited for Ori so he could show her his new slingshot. When most Dwarves were given swords or axes on their coming of age – Fíli got twin blades and Kíli got his first bow – Ori was handed (as a joke Dori assured Karla) a slingshot. His aim was almost as good as Kíli's and he was deadly with the rocks he could throw.
Soon enough she heard footsteps and she stood up and brushed off her trousers only to find herself face-to-face with some of the young dwarves from Ered Luin whom had always ogled, pursued and often watched her just because they could. It frightened the young Princess so as they approached her now, she suddenly she wished she'd taken up Fíli's offer to sit with her while she waited.
"What do we have here lads?" one said, he was stocky with red hair and short beard. She knew him. His name escaped her but she was sure that Uncle Thorin would have a chat to his father.
"All alone out here, it can be dangerous Princess. You might get kidnapped, or hurt." Another laughed as they began to circle her.
"I appreciate your concern, but I can handle myself just fine thank-you." She said keeping her back straight and her voice steady. Suddenly out of nowhere a rock shot past her and hit the boys behind her. With a startled cry he went to ground blood pouring out of his nose.
"Karla!" A voice shouted but the voice didn't belong to the person who bore the slingshot another rock already aimed at the other boys in the clearing. Fíli shot through the circle of boys and stood firmly beside his cousin as she buried her face in his chest. He looked around at them.
"If I see any of you near my cousin again you'll be castrated before you can say 'Erebor'." He threatened and the young dwarves turned tail and ran the injured boy included.
"I think you broke his nose, Ori. Good shot." Fíli said the dwarf smiled. It had been a good shot and he hoped Karla saw it that way too.
"Considering it missed me by inches it was a very good shot." Ori blushed at her compliment.
"Lucky Fíli's here or we might have got lost on our way home." Ori said, "We tend to stay out a bit longer than normal."
"There's no one else I'd rather be lost with than you, Ori." Karla said and grinned at him. He smiled in return. She always made him feel like his opinions mattered and that what he thought mattered. Fíli didn't miss the blushed that lit Ori's cheeks, his cousin had always had a way with words – and somehow he knew this was a smart match.
"I will not!" Ori paused outside the door of the home of Thorin Oakenshield, his nephews and niece. It had been Karla's voice he heard.
"I am your King, you will follow orders!" Thorin thundered.
"I will not marry him!" Karla snapped.
"Why not? He is a fine warrior." Thorin asked.
"I do not love him, Uncle!" Karla cried.
"Love," this was scoffed, "is inconsequential in marriage!" Thorin argued.
Karla sounded like she was trying not to cry, "I will marry for love! Not for propriety or subservience! I will marry the man I love as my heart already belongs to another." Thorin wasn't going to win this argument. Not if Karla was so fired up. Ori only just had time to jump back as the door was thrown open and Karla stormed out past him, but not before she grabbed his wrist and dragged him away from the house. Her hair wasn't braided today, but he knew it was because it was early. They had planned to spend the whole day together. Starting now.
They made their way into the forest and Karla dropped to the forest floor only now letting her tears fall. Ori knelt down behind her and slowly and softly began to braid her hair as he braided her breathing settled and soon she had stopped crying. Braiding hair had always soothed him and for Dwarves the person having their hair braided was also soothed and calmed if they were angry or upset Ori gently tied the braids off at the ends and then moved to kneel in front of her. Karla looked at Ori with red rimmed eyes and tracks of tears still on her cheeks.
"He wants you to marry a warrior?" Ori said, Karla nodded.
"A fine man, he is kind, but he is not who I love." Karla said.
"You wish to marry the one your heart belongs to." He said, she nodded again.
"The one my heart yearns for. The one I chose a long time ago. The one whom I trust with my life." Karla said, Ori's heart sank. He couldn't possibly hope could he? Karla deserved a Dwarf who carried a sword, or an axe that could protect her as well as her cousins or Uncle could. She didn't deserve a simple and shy dwarf who would rather write in his journal or sketch pictures than fight.
"He sounds like a lucky dwarf to have you trust him so." Ori said. Karla cocked an eyebrow at him.
"He is precious to me. He's always listened when I needed him to; he's been a good friend. But I think he will make a wonderfully thoughtful lover too." Karla said; she watched Ori's face to see if he had worked out who it was yet. He still looked crestfallen.
"He is very lucky to be in possession of such a treasure as your heart." Ori said, still he was oblivious.
"You great idiot!" Karla said tackling Ori to the ground "I'm talking about you!" She said as she leant down to press a kiss to his mouth. Ori was stunned.
"Me? But I am no great warrior."
"No. Maybe not. But you are the dwarf that holds the treasure you spoke so fondly of a moment ago." Karla said gifting him with another kiss. Karla leant back and let the other to sit up.
"You trust me with your life?" Ori asked, Karla nodded, "your heart yearns for me?" She nodded.
"I chose you a long time ago, Ori. You are precious to me. You have always listened to me, whether I was upset, angry or delighted. You've been a wonderfully thoughtful friend and you'll make a wonderful lover, I think." Karla said; Ori was still slightly shocked. His best friend, the only friend who had never teased him about his sketching and writing was telling him the words he'd wished to hear from her for years now.
"You know we dwarves only love once." Ori said softly.
Karla smiled, "Yes, I'm aware. I chose my one and only years ago. I told you that. Perhaps it happened when we got lost in the woods together. Or maybe it was when we first met in the market place and you asked me for a kiss. I do not know when but it was only when you and Fíli saved me from the other boys that I knew, I could tell that my heart was and would forever be yours. No one else but you." She took his hand in hers and squeezed it in reassurance.
"We…we should head back, we might get lost again." Ori always worried it was barely midday.
"Ori…listen to me." Karla lifted her palm to his cheek turning his head gently to look at her, "if we get lost it doesn't matter."
"It doesn't?" He asked frowning.
"No. Because, there is no one else I'd rather be lost with then you, Ori." She told him, she welcomed the following kiss and embrace.
"What will you tell your Uncle?" Ori asked.
"That the dwarf I intend to court and someday marry is from a fine family. That he is my one and only. That my life would be incomplete without him in it. I will convince him, Ori. Don't you worry about that," She told him as she nestled against his chest. He may not be as muscled as her Uncle or as broad as Fíli or Kíli but Ori was perfect to Karla.
Karla watched as Fíli began to braid her hair white orange blossom was placed between his teeth as he worked, before withdrawing it and adding it to the braid. On the opposite side of her head Kíli worked the same identical braid and Orange blossom was in her hair also. The door behind her opened and her Uncle stood there, he watched as her cousin's finished off the braids and stood, they worked for 2 hours braiding her hair for today. Today was a big day.
"We'll send in mother in shall we?" Kíli asked standing up.
"Not just yet, Kíli." Thorin said as his nephews walked out, they nodded and closed the door behind them.
"Uncle? Is something wrong?" She asked, Thorin gave her a rare smile and shook his head.
"You look beautiful." He said softly, a compliment not often gifted to Dwarf women, as dwarf women were often mistaken for dwarf men. Karla was probably the only female who bore no semblance of Dwarf males. That was her mother's side. Her father had been Prince Frerin – Thorin's younger brother. Her mother she had never known but – there were rumours.
"Thank-you Uncle." Karla said. Thorin held out his hand, in it sat a dark red Peony.
"I know you like Peonies. I figured maybe today you could wear it tucked behind you ear or tuck it into one of your braids." Thorin said. Karla laughed.
"Not just yet. Let Dis help me change then maybe you can tuck it behind my ear, Uncle." Karla said, Thorin smiled. Dis came in holding a long white dress in her arms. Thorin took his leave and closed the door behind him. Twenty minutes later, Karla emerged. All three men of Durin turned to look at her and jaws hit the floor. None of them had words for the girl that stood before them. Thorin was the first to regain his voice and movement as he stepped forward and tucked the dark peony behind her right ear.
"Beautiful." He whispered. She smiled, today she was going to be bonded to the Dwarf that she trusted 100% with her life.
The ceremony went off without a hitch. It was beautiful even with Dori nearly sobbing nearby the newlyweds. Ori had been dressed in new clothes. Silks in fact. And Karla had a distinct feeling that she had seen those silks on Kíli before now. As they stood hand-in-hand Kíli came up beside her and untucked the peony.
"Kíli! Put that back!" She said almost whacking her cousin.
"Right ear for available, left ear for unavailable." He said tucking the Peony in the opposite side to which Thorin had. Karla sighed and smiled.
"Fair enough. Thank-you cousin." She said.
"Maybe it's about time you and Ori 'got lost in the woods' cousin." He said before darting off.
"Lost in the woods?" Nori raised an eyebrow.
"Our little joke." Karla said.
"Do you want to?" Ori asked his voice not as shaky as it normally was.
"Get lost in the woods? You know there's no one else I'd rather be lost with than you, Ori." Karla said welcoming the following kiss.
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