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Ch 6 Talking to Others

Thorin sat with his back to the stone, staring out the bars of his cell, upwards where his company waited in their own cells. Days have been lost on their quest and he wasn't sure how many had passed since entering Mirkwood. From his 'talk' with Thranduil, Durin's Day hadn't passed yet. His mood darkened further at that train of thought. What was Lapis doing here with that piece of Elf filth? She didn't appear to be a prisoner, walking around freely, and naked as he had always known her to years ago. That was surprising, given some thought, Elves tended to be more private with their affairs, of all different natures. That had to mean something, like she was here freely. Although, the scarred face of Thranduil hovered in his mind, perhaps the Elf didn't know Lapis was a dragon.

He thumped his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. Beorn had no words for them, or more specifically him, after the family had flown away. He did keep the promise of lending them help to get to Mirkwood, but that was it. Only two, possibly three knowing the wizard, knew of Lapis and what he had lost when Smaug attacked. Balin had come to him later that day, after he cursed Lapis, and tried to speak to him while they rode the borrowed ponies but he had been to angry still. But during their time lost in the forest, Thorin had become delusional as well from the lack of proper food and water, seeing Lapis and his life before Smaug had changed everything. He saw visions of her and their children running around naked, toddlers playing in the bath hall, learning to fly, so much that Thorin thought it had all been real at one point. And now, after seeing her again so comfortable among the same people who turned his people away and refused to help, it made the wounds fresh again.

Perhaps he had been to hasty in condemning her, perhaps they had been captured as well. But the strength of a dragon was greater than an Elf and there were four of them, surely they could've escaped by now. As Thorin sat lost in thought, he didn't notice someone approaching his cell and staring down at him until he sighed and opened his eyes, jumping at the figure crowding the doorway. Wearing only a pair of pants with wet hair, his son was staring down at him blankly. Thorin slowly stood and looked out the best he could at the other walkways, trying to see if there was anyone else accompanying him.

"Why are you here?"

Thorin blinked at the question. "Trying to take back our home from Smaug and were captured trying to make our way through the forest."

Silence stretched between them as gold eyes bore into blue. None of his company could see his cell since he was a few levels below them, kept separate for whatever reason. It did make him nervous though, the thought that Thranduil let a half dragon roam his halls without a chaperone and Thorin broke the stare off to try and spy someone again. "What do you want from me?"

"I wondered if you wanted to know about us, curious if you were really as callous as you portray yourself."

Thorin stepped back and folded his arms, "What if my answer were no?"

"Then you will no longer occupy my time, thought, or otherwise. My sisters and I are merely curious ourselves, we have no other need of you."

The truth stung and Thorin hardened himself. His children were grown now, although he didn't know how old, they no longer needed a parent to help them. "What is your name?"

"Keahi."

Fire and flame, appropriate for his coloring, perhaps he was a fire breather also. "And your sisters?"

"Meio has blue hair and Tarin has black."

Thorin's body jolted at the name. Tarin. Lapis used the name he had picked out for their child. His heart clenched and Thorin looked away, shame coming over him. "I truly thought you had all died when Smaug attacked, I mourned for so long and pushed so many others away to be the person my people needed me to be."

"And yet, you tell our mother she was never your One."

"She said it first."

Keahi hummed, "This is true and we have never seen her in such a state, even after a nightmare." That made Thorin look back at him sharply but was cut off before he could say anything. "She will never come down here, my sisters might, but should you ever get out of this cell, you most likely will never see her again. The damage is done, the pain she had and still carries is greater than you can ever fix."

With one last glance, Keahi walked away and it was then Thorin saw the red head She-Elf waiting for him up the walkway. He may have only had Lapis for a short time, but Thorin saw the same gestures in how Keahi greeted the Elf that he had used with her. The blue eyes blinked in surprise as a tan hand settled at the small of her back, tracing up and then Thorin lost sight of them. His son had a One and it was an Elf. Thorin fell back and landed on his butt, staring out passed the bars.

"Did you find out what you needed?" Tauriel asked, a shiver traced her spine, following the path Keahi's hand had just taken up and down before winding his hand in her hair.

"A bit, I'm sure you heard us." Keahi gave the Elf a smirk and she looked away. Her hair was tangled in his fingers and she had yet to say anything. He had been overjoyed to see her again and could tell the feeling was mutual, even if he could tell there was something bothering you.

"Did you need to go anywhere else, or am I returning you to your family?" Tauriel kept her eyes forward as they maneuvered the steps.

"I would go anywhere with you that you wanted."

The simple, honest words made her blush. "That would hinder my duties considering you cannot leave."

"You could sneak me out, I won't tell anyone."

A voice spoke up from their right as they passed a cell. "And here I thought Elves had no feelings."

Keahi looked down and saw a brown-haired dwarf staring up at him in anger, brown eyes flickering to Tauriel. A growl rose in his throat, "I'm no Elf." Tauriel moved between them and blocked his view of the dwarf Keahi wanted to shred. He knew that look without ever seeing it on another, the other male wanted his One. "Are you defending him?"

She gave him a look that told him otherwise. "You can't get in and he cannot leave, now keep walking."

Keahi stepped forward and crowded her space, but she didn't move. "What do I get if I listen?"

"A continued happy existence."

He laughed and tugged on the red hair that was darker than his own. "Mine is already so much better with you in it." Let the dwarf have his delusion, Keahi didn't have a doubt she was his and remain so. Bumping his forehead against hers, he walked away, letting another guard take him back to the room.

Tauriel took a deep breath and turned around, her eyes catching on the dark brown ones watching her every move. Shaking her head, Tauriel took another walkway away from both, she needed time to think.

Keahi returned and Meio immediately attacked him, knocking him to the ground and immediately began to defend himself. This was a normal event for them, one would hide and attack the other, acting as a training session and playtime; even if they didn't shift. Tarin was laying in front of the fire with Lapis braiding her hair watching them. Even the Elves outside playing guard moved to watch the two. They continued until Meio won, wrapping her long legs around his arms and sitting on his back, hands wrapped around his neck. Keahi yielded and they joined the other two on the rug, enjoying the warm heat rolling over them. None spoke of where he had been or done, and if they knew, it didn't matter. For the moment, they were content even if they were technically captives.

That night, Lapis woke again to a disturbance in their room. After going over the event the previous morning, she had come to realize they had met the hobbit before. Bilbo Baggins. He had been with Thorin and the others at Beorn and had introduced himself before she had tried to attack the dwarf. He looked vastly different from what she remembered, weeks ago if she remembered correctly. Lapis crawled out of bed and over where the food tray was, moving it to the other side of the room where he wouldn't be seen.

"You are hungry, please eat. I can get more." She spoke the words softly, barely a whisper, and heard the shuffle of feet from where the group of chairs were pushed up against one wall.

He appeared so suddenly near her that Lapis almost jumped. Yes, she could smell him, but only Meio could see him when invisible, and what a state he was in too. Skinny, covered in dirt and scratches, cheeks hollow from no food, he was in terrible condition and he motherly instincts flared. Lapis pushed the tray closer with a foot and backed up a few steps. She could see the fear in his eyes, but the hunger was too great and he fell upon the food in earnest. Her eyes went to the open doorway, wondering how he slipped by the elves with their superior hearing. Walking to the opening, Lapis lean out and looked around. There was no one there. Her brows furrowed as she took a step out of the room, peering about for anyone. How long had this been going on? Did they not have a guard during the night anymore? Needless to say, it was a blessing in disguise. She returned to where the hobbit was eating and saw her three children with their eyes open and watching him as well.

"Meio, get some water heated so he can bathe. They may not have seen him, but eventually they will smell him. Keahi, help her." Lapis said the orders gently so not to scare Bilbo, ignoring the curious and distrusting stares they threw at him.

In a few minutes, the tub behind the screen was set up and Lapis was looking at the hobbit expectantly. He had stopped eating, nothing left on the tray, and remained sitting on the floor with his eyes on them. Signing, she stepped to the side and shooed her children away. "Come along Bilbo, you obviously need to get clean. No one will hurt you here, at least not one of us."

With a glare pointed at them, the three siblings settled back down on the bed, their attention still on the intruder their mother was trying to coddle. Eventually, he gave in to Lapis and disappeared behind the screen. Water splashed and she snatched the dirty clothes from the floor before he could stand.

"What are you doing?"

His voice was high pitched and scandalous, making them smile in amusement as Lapis took the clothes over to the water bucket and began washing everything the best she could. When no one answered, Bilbo leaned back in the tub and scrubbed himself of all the filth covering his skin. the room remained mostly quiet, only the sounds of water and the occasional grunt or groan was heard. Lapis wrung out the clothes and hung them out to dry, then went to find an extra shirt provided for them that none wore. The plan to hassle Thranduil by being themselves didn't work well since they never really saw him and the others who watched over them had become used to it. At the noises Bilbo made, Lapis turned to see his curly head looking around the screen. Without a word, she handed him the shirt.

"Come on, you can sleep with us."

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