As Sigrid stumbled onto the beach and past the huddles of desolate people, she broke into a run. She needed to find Fili again, before her courage failed her, and before her senses stopped her.
She slowed as she neared his campfire, and tried to arrange her hair into some semblance of normality. She must look a fright, she realised: her hair was unkempt, her clothes were damp, and she probably had ash and mud smeared all over her face like everyone else did.
Forcing herself to press on, and telling herself to be brave, her eyes found his fire – and she could see him sitting, eyes closed, some yards away from where his brother and the elf lay sleeping.
Kili's head lay resting on the elf's chest, while her arm held him secure. Sigrid couldn't help but stop and stare at the sight of them together like that. Despite their obvious differences, there was something so normal in the way they cherished each other. And it cheered her heart – neither of them seemed to care what other people thought.
She was sure that the infamous Thorin would disapprove. Just like her father.
Feeling a prickling excitement, she turned her attentions to their sleeping companion on the far side of the hearth. And certain for the moment that she was unobserved, she held her breath and studied him, while the firelight fluttered on his face.
It wasn't the most handsome face she'd ever seen – he was a dwarf after all – but there was something in his bearing that she'd noticed from the start. A strength, and a kindness, that was visible even through his foreign affectations.
But before she got closer, his blue eyes snapped open – and fixed on hers. She wondered if he'd even been asleep to begin with.
"Hi," she started, "I forgot to give you the cloak back." She winced at how lame her voice sounded, and watched Fili's features break into a small frown.
"You keep it, Sigrid. You're cold."
She shook her head. She'd known he would probably be like this, but she wasn't going to let him win.
She sat down beside him, feeling sudden courage, and unhooked the cloak from around her neck.
Seeing him begin to protest, she reached out – and pressed her finger tightly to his lips.
He quietened at once, and his eyes locked on hers. The self-assuredness he normally wore so easily evaporated at once, and she felt his shock like lightning to her heart.
"What are you – "
"Don't argue, Fili. It's not polite to refuse a lady's request."
And without another word – and holding her breath – she took a handful of her cloak and draped it round his shoulder, raising her brow in silent question.
In response, he leant closer, and let her finish wrapping the cloak around his body, enclosing them both under the warm, woollen fabric.
Feeling her heart beating fast, she removed her finger slowly and deliberately from his lips, feeling him exhale as she released him, and the thrill it sent to her skin.
She smiled into his wide blue eyes.
"That's better, Fili. Now we can both be warm together."
He looked unsure of himself, and she wondered if he was blushing. It was hard to tell in the firelight, but his cheeks looked redder than perhaps they should.
She could feel her own face was burning.
"Sigrid... how did you know?"
But before she could answer, he raised a hand to her face – and slowly stroked a strand of hair away from her eyes.
Sigrid tilted forwards – and so did he – and she knew then and there, that she was going to kiss him. And he knew it too. And without any more hesitation, he took her head with both hands – drawing her mouth towards his, until she felt the tickle of his blond moustache, and their lips finally met.
His mouth was kind and gentle, and she let herself settle into their sensual, silent embrace, with a sweet giddiness in her heart. Under the blanket, she reached her arms around his waist, and felt him break his kiss off as her hands wandered to his hips.
"Sigrid," his voice was soft, and shaken. "Do you feel this too?" He fixed her with those eyes again, and touched his forehead to hers. "What do you want from me?"
"I just wanted to see you again...before you go." She felt shy all of a sudden, and worried what he might think of her. "Before you go away, I wanted to talk to you."
He nodded his head, his eyes bright in the glow of the fire. "You can talk to me anytime." He looked around, checking nobody watched them. "Do you want to stay here, where it's warm?"
She shook her head. "No, there's too many people." She sized him up, feeling the hope rising in her chest. "We could go into the woods?"
She watched him regard the shadowy trees and nod. "Only if you agree you'll take my cloak."
She smiled. "You're on."
The two of them stood, and set off to the woods, hand in hand, their backs to the dying blaze and their eyes downcast on the dark path ahead of them.
Sigrid knew the woods well, and was soon leading the dwarf over the clear tracks through the vegetation. She had in mind a quiet place, where nobody would be bothering them for a while. As a child, she'd played there often, and the silence and solitude had always calmed her thoughts.
But when they drew into the clearing, Fili pulled her hand closer, looking around at the shapes in the ground with a look of apprehension.
He turned to her, face on. "Is this... is this a graveyard, Sigrid?"
She nodded solemnly, her eyes flitting to the various pale stones that lay scattered around the overgrown grass. "Nobody here to listen in, is there?"
He shrugged. "I don't mind – it's not the dead that do you harm."
She turned to face him, and took his other hand in hers.
"I don't want anyone to do you harm."
He stared at her, under the canopy of trees. Now they were away from the fire, her eyes had adjusted well to the darkness – and she could trace the outline of all of his features in the starlight that fell through the branches. Although not well enough to read his expression.
He stepped forward, and took hold of her tightly, resting his head between her breasts and throat. And even through her woollen layers, her skin tingled to have him so near to her – with his hands running over her back, and his hair playing about her neck.
"There's nothing left to harm me, or anyone else in my company, Sigrid. Please stop worrying." She heard his voice crack slightly, and wondered if he believed his own words.
She wanted to believe they were true.
"Will you really come back here?"
"Yes."
"Will you come back here... for me?"
He took her face in his hands again, and she felt the rough skin on his fingers and palms, brushing gently against her cheek.
"I promise."
She frowned.
"But I know who you are. I know what you're supposed to become."
His hands dropped to her shoulders. "Does it matter to you? After everything tonight?"
She shook her head, wanting him to understand. "Of course not." She hesitated, wondering how brave she really felt, and how honest she wanted to be.
"I don't care about what you are, Fili. You're a dwarf, and you're royalty – and I'm neither of those things. But it doesn't matter to me! It's because of who you are... that you matter to me."
She reached down, and ran her fingers lightly through his golden hair, brushing his braids away with the side of her hand so she could see his face staring up at her, his attention all hers.
"I've watched you all night, Fili. You do so much for other people – you've done so much for me, and my family – but it's time you got looked after now. I want you to come back to me, and let me look after you. I want to make you happy."
He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "Oh, Sigrid." He squeezed it and held it to his heart. "Don't say these things to me now – it's hard enough to leave as it is."
She bent lower to him, so she could whisper to him alone. "But you will come back?"
"I will. I promise I will. But – I don't know how long it will take me, Sigrid. Once I go back to my uncle – I won't be free anymore. Do you understand? I have to be someone else, with duties, and responsibilities, and obligations that I can't just walk away from."
She wanted to understand him, but she couldn't. Not really. What kind of 'duties' did he have?
With a sinking heart, she took a deep breath.
"Can you ever be mine? Will your people allow it? Must you marry someone else instead?"
He shook his head quickly. "No. That's not what I meant. But – I know they won't approve. Of us... but I don't care!" He tilted his head to hers, and kissed her with a fierce passion.
"You're all I want, Sigrid. You make me feel free. Like I can be myself."
The two of them stood under the starlight for some time, their kiss growing more urgent, until she could stand it no more. Her neck was getting sore like this, and she needed more than just his kisses.
With an effort, she broke away from him, and led him silently to one of the large, flat headstones that had fallen over. Time had long since erased the traces of writing on the memorial, and it lay there, white and exposed, fringed by long, unruly grasses that overhung like weeping willow trees.
She sat on the cold stone, feeling a chill run through her as she beckoned to Fili to come down beside her. He hesitated as he did so, and she wondered if he thought she was being disrespectful to the grave. To the long since unknown, unknowable person who'd once been laid to rest under the rock.
But as he wrapped his arms around her, and let her pull him down to her, she found that happily wasn't the case. She could feel he was as excited as she was – but still hesitant.
"We shouldn't do this, Sigrid. Not here, like this."
She kissed him hungrily. "Don't you want me?"
He returned her kiss, and she felt his hands running over her body. "You know I do. But – we should wait..."
She shook her head. "Wait for when? We're both here now, we both want this – what's wrong?"
Fili sat up, and she felt him shiver in her arms. "What if something happens, Sigrid, and I'm delayed? I don't want you to get... into trouble. I don't want to dishonour you."
She sat up beside him, feeling frustrated now. "But... you promised to come back. I don't care if you're delayed! If anything happens – let people talk. They don't matter."
She kissed him back fiercely – before he could open his mouth to disagree with her again – and pushed him backwards onto the gravestone, straddling him to pin him down, and picking at his clothes with her fingers.
"It's just you and me that matter, Fili – and the time we have together."
But she needn't have pushed so hard.
She could see he was giving in anyway.
And while they touched each other and lost themselves to love, Sigrid knew that even if the stars themselves were watching – they could only be jealous. For they could never split up what the two of them had joined together here this night – even if they tried for a million years.
And some time later – when both of them were quiet again, and still, they curled up together under their woollen cloak and slept peacefully.
So neither of them could see that high up in the black and cold night sky, the stars were circling above their heads, blinking ceaselessly.