AN: Heyo! I swore I wouldn't post anything but I really could use some feedback on this fic so yeah... Read, enjoy, and REVIEW! Even if it's just something like "This story rocks my socks!" it'll encourage me to keep writing. Heh, anyway, the other OC's will be introduced in a bit :3c
I looked out at the village ahead. It seemed to be harmless enough, though somewhat familiar. I was told it was a village partially of dwarves along with mortal man which was rather risky for me to be near but I needed supplies. Keeping my head down, I made my way into village, tying Belle my mare to a tree outside the village before making my way in. I adjusted my hood to hide my ears and eyes. I needed to find a good blacksmith to have my sword sharpened and then hope to find an herbalist to sell my medicines to. Perhaps an inn to take refuge in until I was ready to take my leave would be nice. If not there was always that small cave I found earlier.
I approached a dark haired male.
"Excuse me," I tapped his shoulder, making him turn to me, "Where might I find a smith to sharpen my sword? Oh, and perhaps a healer to sell my wares?"
He looked at me oddly.
"What is it, Dove? Never seen a witch?" I smiled.
He smiled widely at me.
"Nope! Especially not a dwarf witch," he said, "Come, follow me."
I nodded and followed him through the village, feeling relieved he saw me as a dwarf and not as what I truly was. We stopped outside what I figured was the blacksmith's.
"I'll only be a minute if you don't mind waiting."
"Not at all. Oh, I'm Kili by the way. At your service."
"You may call me Fritillary."
"It's lovely to meet you, Lady Fritillary."
I smiled at him politely and went into the blacksmith's.
"Excuse me?" I spoke as I approached the black smith while still keeping a safe distance.
"What is it?" he grunted, looking up at me.
"I need my blade sharpened. I can pay of course."
He eyed me briefly before holding out his hand for me to give him my sword.
"Thank you," I said as I took my sword, including the sheath, and gave it to him.
"It will be done by tomorrow. You may pay then. If you can't, I keep the sword."
"Fair enough," I nodded and left, finding Kili talking to a blond dwarf.
"Ah, Fritillary! This is my brother, Fili," Kili introduced.
"Hello, lovely to meet you," I said politely.
"Same to you. Kili tells me you're a witch. I assume a traveling one?"
"Yes. I need to see your village healer. Hopefully they will buy my wares so I may pay for my sword."
"We will take you to her," Fili said, and we made our way through the village.
We soon came to a house and they led me in. An elder woman sat near a fireplace, smiling kindly when she saw us enter.
"Ma'am, we have a witch here that would like to sell her wares to you," Kili told her.
"Oh? What do you have to sell, Deary?"
I approached her, keeping myself hidden under my hood. Opening my satchel, I pulled out a few vials.
"This helps to purge the body of hemlock poisoning while this potion is good for sore throats. I have more, but I'm not sure how much use you would have with a cure for a binding curse, but I suppose you never know."
The elder woman took the vials to inspect them. She smiled.
"Fili, would you grab the chest over there?" she pointed to a chest on a table.
Fili did as he was asked, handing the woman the box. She took out a sack and handed it to me.
"For the potions, including the binding cure."
I looked in the sack and nodded.
"Sounds fair. Thank you, Ma'am, for your business."
Fili and Kili walked out with me as I put the sack into my satchel.
"If you don't mind, I need to find an inn now."
"Our village doesn't have an inn," Fili said.
"You can always stay with us!" Kili grinned.
"You'll have to ask Mother about that first, and Thorin if he arrives like planned."
I cringed. They were familiar with Thorin? If he saw me, I was sure to be executed.
"What's wrong?" Kili asked, seeing me cringe.
"I doubt Thorin would want to see me. I will stay in the forest tonight. I found a cave earlier and it would be fine for me."
"Thorin may be hard on the outside, but he would never turn away another dwarf…" Fili said.
I slipped into an alley, ushering for them to follow.
"If you rat me out, I will have to curse you," I threatened in a hushed tone.
They looked at each other and then at me, nodding.
I lowered my hood, revealing my pale, pure blue eyes and my elven ears.
They looked at me in confused shock.
"My mother was an elf, my father a dwarf. Thorin isn't exactly fond of my existence," I sighed.
"Oh…Well, we'll just make sure he doesn't find out," Kili smiled, stepping close to me and raising my hood back over my ears.
I blushed lightly, not used to having anyone so close to me.
"Thank you," I said softly, smiling a true smile for the first time in a long time.
We walked to the outer edge of the village, near the river that ran along its edge. There was a bridge that led towards an almost fortress-like building.
"You live there?"
"Our family does, yes. Well, for now we do. Soon, though, we will reclaim our true home," Kili said with such enthusiasm and power.
I frowned.
"What? Do you mean Erebor? That's near suicide going there…" I said, pausing for a moment, "I want to help."
"You may have to convince Thorin of that, but that would mean revealing yourself," Fili said, leading the way into their home.
"Ah! Boys! Welcome home. Oh, and who's this?" a lovely dwarf woman entered the main room from what seemed to be the kitchen.
I gasped and ran toward the woman, my hood flying off.
"Dis!" I cried out, hugging her.
She looked at me in shock before hugging me back.
"Fritillary! What are you doing here?" Dis asked, holding me at arm's length to look at me.
"I was traveling when I came across this village. Fili and Kili where helping me find my way around…WAIT! These are THOSE Fili and Kili?" I gasped, turning to the two brothers.
They were in pure bafflement. Dis happily chuckled at them and then ushered for us to follow her into the kitchen. We sat at a table near the hearth.
"Do you boys remember the tales of Haas?" Dis began, getting Fili and Kili each a mug of ale and myself a glass of wine.
"Somewhat. Wasn't he a friend of Dad's and Thorin's? He died when we were still young when a mine collapsed, right?"
"Yes. Well, since you remember the tales of him, allow me to explain how Fritillary plays into this.
Long ago, when Dwarves and Elves where at peace, there was a beautiful elven women named Nadia. She considered herself a diplomat, assisting in the fair trade of her people and ours. There was also a great warrior named Haas, who took fancy in the elven lady. They fell in love and were married. They lived happily together in the dwarven kingdom of Erebor, Nadia taking joy in being a simple housewife while Haas chose to become a royal guard to give his wife the luxuries he wanted her to have. They soon decided to have a child, though unsure if their bloods would mix, they still tried. They were lucky enough to live after the attack on Smaug, but due to the elves refusal to assist during the attack, Thorin disproved of their love, referring to Nadia as 'One Of Them' and his own friend Haas as a 'Traitor'. There was little he could do though as we all went our own ways. Many years passed, Fili was only 10 and Kili 5 when Nadia came to us, plump with child, telling of Haas' death in the mines. She gave birth to Fritillary and stayed with us for five years before leaving to speak to her people, leaving Fritillary with us until she returned. She never came back…Fritillary left when she was only 13, having chosen to train in magic and with hopes of finding her mother.
You were all raised together at a young age. It's understandable that you didn't recognize her of course, she has grown into a beautiful young woman."
"I think I remember! When Thorin visited, didn't we have to hide you in a secret room in the cellar?" Fili questioned.
I nodded, taking a sip of my wine.
"Fritillary, remember that adorable crush you had on Kili?" Dis smiled, causing me to choke on my wine.
"That was ages ago. I am more mature now, and in no need of a crush," I retorted, eyeing Kili briefly, who was blushing and staring at me.
I looked away, feeling my own face turn red from embarrassment. Sure, Kili was my childhood crush, but honestly I got over it. I did not need silly crushes that would end in heartbreak.
"At any rate, Dis, if it is not of any trouble to you, I need a place to take refuge until I can acquire enough supplies to continue on my way."
"Where do you travel," Dis asked, a look of slight concern.
"Nowhere, really. I just go where I feel is right," I said, glancing out the window as the sun began to set.
"Oh! Do you have a stable where I may keep my mare?" I asked.
"Yes, of course. Fili, please join Fritillary in retrieving her pony?"
Fili nodded and joined me in going through the village, back to the tree where I tied Belle. She greeted me with a bow, in which I bowed back before untying her and mounting the fair beast.
"Strange mare you have. Far too small to be a horse but too slim to be a pony," Fili commented as we made our way through the village, back towards the river.
"That's because she's neither," I said slyly.
"What do you mean?"
"I cannot show you now, but when we arrive at your home I can show you."
Fili nodded but eyed me oddly. We came to the river and crossed over it, going to the back where the stable was and putting Belle within a stall.
"So, tell me, what is she?"
"Why, she's a unicorn," I smiled, waving my hand over her horn, making it visible to non-magic beings only briefly.
Fili gasped and took a step backwards.
"How did you tame a creature of such legend?"
"I didn't. She's my friend," I smiled, petting Belle fondly.
Fili stared at us in shock, making me laugh lightly.
"Come, the sun is setting," I said, going back into the house.