~*~*~ A/N: Wow. I thought I was the only insane one who thought Gimli deserved some action. Okay, well, here's the last chapter.. it was originally going to be just one chapter, but it seemed way too long to fit it all in one. This chapter isn't all that long. Okay. I'm done talking now. I have the beginnings of a migraine because I had Mountain Dew. Caffeine is bad. But makes the writing so much easier. lol. I'm really glad you guys like the story! ^.^ Please continue to review, it gives me warm fuzzies. :-) Anyway, without further ado, here's the conclusion of 'Trust, Respect, and Love'. ~*~*~*~
Blisreil glanced down, as Gandalf drew light from the orb atop his staff. Gimli bit his lower lip, attention still on the corpses of Dwarves about them. She watched him for a moment, then placed a comforting hand upon his shoulder. He glanced up at her then, eyes glistening slightly with the threat of tears. She turned her eyes away after a moment, and they began to follow Gandalf into the mine.
The trek was long, and by the time they stopped for a rest, Blisreil was weary. Her armor, she found, seemed to be growing heavier, even though she knew this could not be true. She sat down upon a fallen peice of rock, sighing.
Gimli stood beside her, leaning on his axe. He glanced at her with concern. "What troubles you, Blisreil?"
She glanced toward him, shrugging slightly. "This chain and plate grows burdensome. I am merely tired."
He nodded for a moment. "Why not remove your armor while we rest?" She lowered her eyes in thought for a moment, then shook her head.
"I would not like much to be under attack without my armor."
Gimli half-smiled after a moment. "I would protect you."
Blisreil glanced down for a moment, blinking. One would think she would hate the notion of being protected, but in fact it was just the opposite; having to fight all her life, she grew weary of it. To be protected would be quite nice.
"I hope I have not offended you," Gimli added, his voice wavering slightly with uncertainty. "I did not mean to."
"Nae." She glanced up, the corners of her lips easing upward slightly, in the faintest ghost of a smile. Gimli noticed this, and it made him almost grin, or even want to laugh, it filled him with much joy to see even the smallest smile from Blisreil.
After their rest was over, they set out onto the path once more. They passed into a gigantic hall, with beams and columns surrounding them.
"This is the Dwarf city," Gimli said to Blisreil, finding her hand and enclosing it in his own.
"It is a wonder," she replied in a whisper, and Gimli smiled, and was about to say more, when a room caught his eye. He turned, running off toward it.
"Gimli!" shouted Gandalf, but the dwarf did not respond, merely running. Blisreil followed him closely, then the rest of the Fellowship. She reached the doorway just as he was standing in front of a large stone coffin.
Gimli dropped to his knees, sobbing audibly. Blisreil glanced up toward Gandalf.
"Who is it?"
"Here lies Balin, son of Fundin. Lord of Moria," he read from the stone engravings. Gimli let out a small cry, resting his head against the coffin. Blisreil sank to her knees as well before it, showing her respect as she bowed her head. Gimli turned to her, twin trails of tears down his cheeks. She held his gaze, and, without a word, he stood, and neared her.
She said nothing, but took him into her arms, hugging him softly to her. He held her, tears still falling down his cheeks and into his beard. The others in the Fellowship looked away, as the two drew apart from one another.
Gimli glanced down, but Blisreil kept her eyes upon him.
"I am sorry," she said quietly, in a whisper. "I am sorry for your people's loss."
He gulped, nodding, and looked up at her. "I thank you." Their eyes locked, as they began to lean forward, closing the distance between their lips.
While Gimli and Blisreil had been hugging and talking, Gandalf had been reading from a nearby book. It was then that Peregrin, one of the Hobbits, knocked a skeleton, chain, and bucket, into the well.
Blisreil jumped, just as her lips were about to touch Gimli's, at the loud clanks, bangs, and booms that exploded from below them. She widened her eyes, glancing back. Gimli looked as well, although his attention was more on Blisreil than on the antics of the youngest Hobbit.
It was then, that they heard a sound that was not caused by the Hobbit. Instead, by something else.
Blisreil stood, wrapping her fingers around the handle of her Mace. She shared a look with Gimli, as Boromir, Aragorn, and Legolas barred the doors shut.
"Orcs!"
"And they have a cave troll!"
"Oh, let them come!" shouted Gimli, jumping onto the stone coffin. "There's one dwarf left in Moria who still draws a blade!"
Blisreil gulped slightly, relaxing her shoulders as she prepared for the orcs, who were hacking at the door with their axes. The door flew open, as orcs charged through. With a cry, Blisreil leapt forward, Mace swinging through the air, knocking several orcs before they had the chance to fight back. She ducked an orc's attack, slipping to one side and smashing it's skull with her Mace. She gave a glance backward at Gimli, who was still atop the stone coffin, fighting off orcs below. She heard the clash of a sword to her right, and turned, raising her Mace to fight off an orc. It swung it's sword again, and she grunted, as it hit the handle of her mace. She fought against the strength of the orc, but was no match for it. She fell to her knees, crying out.
The orc fell, peirced by an arrow of Legolas. After a moment, Blisreil stood, wiping her forehead. She let out a sigh of relief. She heard a cry from behind her, as she felt a body fly into her, knocking her out of the path of the Cave Troll, who was just storming into the room.
She glanced up, shaking the cobwebs out of her head. She realized what had happened; she had not seen the Cave Troll, and Gimli had dove from the stone coffin, almost tackling her, driving her out of the way. Out of danger. Saved her.
She grunted groggily, her head still spinning. He looked down at her, worry in his eyes. She moved her eyes up to his, looking deep into them, searching for something.
Ah, there it was. The part of Gimli that had drawn her in; his strong will, his defiance, his almost boarishness. The part of him that she loved dearest; even though she loved all of him, that was by far her favorite of his features.
He leaned down, brushing his lips against hers softly, in the softest, sweetest kiss that Blisreil could ever have imagined. He parted from her, looking deep down into her eyes.
"I told you I would protect you."
~*~*~* A/N: That is really sweet. lol. Sweet Gimli. Okay, by the way, that's the end of the story. :-P I hope you guys enjoyed! ~**~*~
Blisreil glanced down, as Gandalf drew light from the orb atop his staff. Gimli bit his lower lip, attention still on the corpses of Dwarves about them. She watched him for a moment, then placed a comforting hand upon his shoulder. He glanced up at her then, eyes glistening slightly with the threat of tears. She turned her eyes away after a moment, and they began to follow Gandalf into the mine.
The trek was long, and by the time they stopped for a rest, Blisreil was weary. Her armor, she found, seemed to be growing heavier, even though she knew this could not be true. She sat down upon a fallen peice of rock, sighing.
Gimli stood beside her, leaning on his axe. He glanced at her with concern. "What troubles you, Blisreil?"
She glanced toward him, shrugging slightly. "This chain and plate grows burdensome. I am merely tired."
He nodded for a moment. "Why not remove your armor while we rest?" She lowered her eyes in thought for a moment, then shook her head.
"I would not like much to be under attack without my armor."
Gimli half-smiled after a moment. "I would protect you."
Blisreil glanced down for a moment, blinking. One would think she would hate the notion of being protected, but in fact it was just the opposite; having to fight all her life, she grew weary of it. To be protected would be quite nice.
"I hope I have not offended you," Gimli added, his voice wavering slightly with uncertainty. "I did not mean to."
"Nae." She glanced up, the corners of her lips easing upward slightly, in the faintest ghost of a smile. Gimli noticed this, and it made him almost grin, or even want to laugh, it filled him with much joy to see even the smallest smile from Blisreil.
After their rest was over, they set out onto the path once more. They passed into a gigantic hall, with beams and columns surrounding them.
"This is the Dwarf city," Gimli said to Blisreil, finding her hand and enclosing it in his own.
"It is a wonder," she replied in a whisper, and Gimli smiled, and was about to say more, when a room caught his eye. He turned, running off toward it.
"Gimli!" shouted Gandalf, but the dwarf did not respond, merely running. Blisreil followed him closely, then the rest of the Fellowship. She reached the doorway just as he was standing in front of a large stone coffin.
Gimli dropped to his knees, sobbing audibly. Blisreil glanced up toward Gandalf.
"Who is it?"
"Here lies Balin, son of Fundin. Lord of Moria," he read from the stone engravings. Gimli let out a small cry, resting his head against the coffin. Blisreil sank to her knees as well before it, showing her respect as she bowed her head. Gimli turned to her, twin trails of tears down his cheeks. She held his gaze, and, without a word, he stood, and neared her.
She said nothing, but took him into her arms, hugging him softly to her. He held her, tears still falling down his cheeks and into his beard. The others in the Fellowship looked away, as the two drew apart from one another.
Gimli glanced down, but Blisreil kept her eyes upon him.
"I am sorry," she said quietly, in a whisper. "I am sorry for your people's loss."
He gulped, nodding, and looked up at her. "I thank you." Their eyes locked, as they began to lean forward, closing the distance between their lips.
While Gimli and Blisreil had been hugging and talking, Gandalf had been reading from a nearby book. It was then that Peregrin, one of the Hobbits, knocked a skeleton, chain, and bucket, into the well.
Blisreil jumped, just as her lips were about to touch Gimli's, at the loud clanks, bangs, and booms that exploded from below them. She widened her eyes, glancing back. Gimli looked as well, although his attention was more on Blisreil than on the antics of the youngest Hobbit.
It was then, that they heard a sound that was not caused by the Hobbit. Instead, by something else.
Blisreil stood, wrapping her fingers around the handle of her Mace. She shared a look with Gimli, as Boromir, Aragorn, and Legolas barred the doors shut.
"Orcs!"
"And they have a cave troll!"
"Oh, let them come!" shouted Gimli, jumping onto the stone coffin. "There's one dwarf left in Moria who still draws a blade!"
Blisreil gulped slightly, relaxing her shoulders as she prepared for the orcs, who were hacking at the door with their axes. The door flew open, as orcs charged through. With a cry, Blisreil leapt forward, Mace swinging through the air, knocking several orcs before they had the chance to fight back. She ducked an orc's attack, slipping to one side and smashing it's skull with her Mace. She gave a glance backward at Gimli, who was still atop the stone coffin, fighting off orcs below. She heard the clash of a sword to her right, and turned, raising her Mace to fight off an orc. It swung it's sword again, and she grunted, as it hit the handle of her mace. She fought against the strength of the orc, but was no match for it. She fell to her knees, crying out.
The orc fell, peirced by an arrow of Legolas. After a moment, Blisreil stood, wiping her forehead. She let out a sigh of relief. She heard a cry from behind her, as she felt a body fly into her, knocking her out of the path of the Cave Troll, who was just storming into the room.
She glanced up, shaking the cobwebs out of her head. She realized what had happened; she had not seen the Cave Troll, and Gimli had dove from the stone coffin, almost tackling her, driving her out of the way. Out of danger. Saved her.
She grunted groggily, her head still spinning. He looked down at her, worry in his eyes. She moved her eyes up to his, looking deep into them, searching for something.
Ah, there it was. The part of Gimli that had drawn her in; his strong will, his defiance, his almost boarishness. The part of him that she loved dearest; even though she loved all of him, that was by far her favorite of his features.
He leaned down, brushing his lips against hers softly, in the softest, sweetest kiss that Blisreil could ever have imagined. He parted from her, looking deep down into her eyes.
"I told you I would protect you."
~*~*~* A/N: That is really sweet. lol. Sweet Gimli. Okay, by the way, that's the end of the story. :-P I hope you guys enjoyed! ~**~*~