Disclaimer - I don't own anything other than my OCs.
Okay so here's the next chapter and i hope you enjoy.
Dunking her face into the basin of cool water she let her nose be soothed by the refreshing liquid. But really it was just an excuse to let her cheeks cool down from the hot blush that had spread through her cheeks after the young prince had kissed her on the nose. Her brains had flooded with too many thoughts and had caused her to be incapable of giving him a witty reply.
She lifted her face from the basin and inhaled a short but deep breath as the water dripped down her neck and onto her shawl. She looked in the mirror hoping the blush would have dissipated a little but her nose still looked just as red as her cheeks. She groaned before deciding that she was just going to have to walk it of, knowing full well that the chances of it actually working were pretty slim. Merys stormed out of her room looking for the other dwarfs and when she asked one of the elves he gave her a funny look before pointing in the direction of the sparring range.
She really hoped Kili wasn't there and that he too was still cooling off somewhere and wouldn't come out of hiding for another while, but fate is cruel and their eyes locked the moment she reached the range. The heat reignited in her again and rose to the surface, but she ignore it and jogged to stand next to the white haired dwarf.
"Master Balin. Kili mentioned you wanted to speak to me?" she spoke in a soft voice trying her best to seem normal.
"Yes miss Merys I do." he said merrily "It has come to my attention that even though you've joined our company, you haven't signed the contract yet."
"A contract master Balin?" she said while her eyebrows furrowed.
"Just a formality really. So if you could join me to somewhere more peaceful so we can go over it."
We walked to one of the smaller courtyards where a solid, marble table stood in the center. And after going over the contract with Balin Merys nodded. She now understood the need for the contract, but one of the clauses didn't sit right with her. She didn't want any of the gold the contract promised if they managed to slay the dragon. The gold wasn't hers to keep and she didn't know for the life of her what she was going to do with it after this quest was over given she never carried much coin.
"Master Balin I don't want any of the gold that lays in the mountain. It is not for me to keep and I wouldn't know what to do with it anyway." she concluded.
"Well lass we'll have to reach it first so why don't we talk about that then." he said with a twinkle in his eyes as she signed. He was just about to walk to range again when she stopped him.
"Master Balin?" he nodded at her to continue so she did, "Why do you think Thorin let me join the company?"
"Well I doubt he wanted you to in the beginning but I suppose Gandalf convinced him otherwise. I'm certain though that he appreciates you being there when you save his dear nephew. Though he might not show it much." he said the last part with a smile as he stalked of leaving Merys with more food for thought.
The rest of the day followed with her avoiding Kili though this time joining everyone for dinner. She didn't sit next to him though as she usually did this time opting to sit with Bofur. She joined him when he sung the songs she knew, mostly the ones she heard in the taverns and inns. She sang one on her one though since nobody knew the song and apparently appreciated the sound of her voice. It wasn't something that would catch the ears of the gods, but it was earnest, pure and it seemed to sooth the soul.
The air seemed stifling the next day, the sun beamed down heavily on Merys. The wind was scarce and when it did blow it was warm and only left her feeling more aggravated then before. And the worst of all was that the elves were completely unaffected. She carried no ill intent for them, but she had to admit to having an ugly thought directed at the tall beings once or twice.
As she wandered the grounds near the courtyard she came across a stream that went down a slight slope which led to a pond with near completely translucent water that made it possible for her to see to the pebble covered bottom. A brilliant idea if she said so herself crossed her mind and she speeded back to the courtyard and asked one of the guards if there was a rope she could borrow. The elf looked at her for a moment his serious façade breaking for a moment before he ordered another to help her. At least that was what she thought for the conversation between them was in Sindarin, but the other returned not much later with the promised rope.
She dragged the heavy, threaded cable up one of the large sturdy trees before tying it to a particularly thick branch and slid down the rope. Once back on the ground she tested its strength by giving it a sharp tug with her abnormal strength before stripping of her clothing until she was in her shorter breaches and her top which was basically two shawls wrapped around her upper torso. Taking ahold of the rope she took several steps back before running in the opposite direction and leaping into the cool water, going down completely before coming back up and shaking the water out of her hair. The water was refreshing as it washed off the sweat that had already dried on her skin. She let out a loud whoop before turning on to her back to float aimlessly.
Unbeknownst to her the younger dwarfs excluding Ori had sneaked up on her and had grabbed ahold of the rope. She only heard a soft swooshing sound before she got doused by the huge wave that was caused by cannonball Kili followed by a similar one caused by Fili. She sputtered out the pond water and turned to glare at the brothers, but she couldn't hold back the fit of laughter at their appearances. The water had caused their haired to become entangled in their faces. Fili especially as the braids of his moustache were completely tied to the rest of his hair and it appeared that he had a hard time getting them separated.
"Laugh all you want for I can't promise that I won't get you back some time." he muttered as he waded back to the edge of the water where he got out.
"Ah come on Fili don't be such a grouch. You've only just gotten in." Merys said with a smirk. At which Fili only grunted and proceeded to try and disentangle all the knots that seemed to only get worse the more he tried. He angrily strutted of grabbing the rest of his clothing as he was only in his breaches. Merys and Kili laughed at the older brother's moping posture as he passed the tree line that hid the pond from view.
While Merys was still holding her stomach in glee Kili had sneaked up on her and was just a feet away from her when he pulled her under. Merys in turn held onto Kili and dragged him under with her. When they both resurfaced she splashed with water before she swatted his bare arm.
"Want to wager me on something?" she said her eyes glinting with mischief.
"Maybe." he said with a grin plastered on his face "What do you want to bet on?"
"I bet that I can lift you with one arm for 5 gold pieces." she didn't have that kind of money really but she had no intention to lose this bet. Kili laughed "And what do you get if you can?"
"A favor." she simply said.
"Give it you best shot." he said said clearly forgotten that they were in the water as she swam to the bottom put her feet on the floor and grabbed ahold of his legs with her left arm before lifting him up out of the water.
"That's not fair!" he sputtered as she came back up.
She shook her head, "A wager is a wager can't go back on your word. So now you owe me a favor."
Kili shook his head in return before he grabbed ahold of her bare waist trying not to think too much about the soft skin that covered her muscular abdomen and slung her over his shoulder as he waded to the edge of the pond.
"Kili stop! What are you doing?" she yelped while laughing. Her hands lay on the rippling muscles on his back and she scratched him trying in vain to get off.
"Payback! And no scratching." he laughed. The deep rumble inside his chest caused Goosebumps to form on her skin.
Kili grabbed the rope and took several steps back. She shrieked as Kili slung them both off the rope and into the water. The splash that was created by the weight of the both of them splattered onto nearby trees and shrubbery. They both laughed as their foreheads touched when they resurfaced. They stayed like that for a while before opening their eyes. The smiles still on their face as they stared in each others eyes. They both moved toward each other. Merys' lips parted slightly as her lips touched his. It was awfully soft as neither dared to do anything else. Her eyes were closed and as Kili lowered her to press her to his body she opened them again to look in his chocolate brown eyes and she let out a soft sigh. Suddenly the fact that she had just kissed the young dwarf dawned on her. She didn't regret it, not in the least, but her heart was beating at an incredible pace. Almost seeming to leap out of her chest all together.
The spell broke as they heard a branch snap. Merys and Kili turned their heads at the noise and the young woman leaped out of Kili's grasp and moved with incredible speed as she made her way to land. Hurriedly she picked up her tunic and other shawls and ran with all her might past a baffled Bofur. She heard him yell something after her but she was already to far away to make out the words.
She skidded past corners as she raced over the smooth marble floors with still wet feet on her way to her chambers. When she finally reached them she snaked through the door and slammed it shut behind her back. Slowly she slid down the heavy wooden door, her face buried in her shawl as she desperately tried to straighten out her thoughts. She had no idea what had come over her. It was as if they were being pulled together like magnets. Thought the kiss had been not much more than a peck, Merys could still feel her face heat up when thinking back on how his lips had felt. Soft, smooth and warm. She shook her head trying to rid herself of these thoughts like the droplets of water that flew from her hair and onto the pristine walls. She stripped herself of the wet clothing and lay them on the back of her chair and swiveled the bed sheets around herself until she looked like a cocoon and dropped herself on the many pillows. Even though it was only a little before dinner she decided it was probably best to go to sleep so she closed her eyes and despite her heart hammering against her chest, fell asleep.
The night passed by and in the morning of the next day Kili stopped her on her way to breakfast to talk. They sat in an uncomfortable silence. Merys wasn't yet ready to speak about what had happened and Kili was still gathering words. He had tried to speak several times but he always stopped himself before even broaching the subject. After several minutes of him furrowing his brows and pursing his lips he finally finished his sentence.
"I believe that I fancy you." the bluntness of his statement left Merys in shock. She couldn't utter the words she had practiced all morning. Of what had happened was a mistake and that it was her fault. She never expected for him to say this, so she just sat there next to him her mouth moving like that of a fish out of water.
"And even though we haven't known each other for very long I was hoping you felt the same way about me." he continued. He seemed so sure of his words, but Merys wasn't certain she felt the same he did. She had this weird tingling feeling in her stomach when he'd laugh, she absolutely adored his laugh but it was a feeling that was foreign to her. Never before had she felt the way she did and unsure of whether this was really love she hesitated a moment before she said, "I appreciate your feelings Kili for I know I don't deserve them," Kili was about to interrupt but she stopped him before continuing, "but I cannot give you an answer right now, I need to think but I promise you I will give you one when I find the answer." she said the last part while putting her hand on top of his. He nodded, though he did seem a little sad at her answer. He stood as he offered her a hand. They joined the others for breakfast and Bofur shot them a knowing grin from the other side of the table. Merys shook her head as she chuckled, but meanwhile her thoughts were disorganized even after all the time she had spent the night before on righting them.
The girl spent the rest of the day with Bilbo, they talked of the hobbit's home back in the Shire while they wandered the grounds. Merys promised she'd visit him when this journey was over and the hobbit happily agreed to her offer. The hobbit liked Merys, less rowdy than most of the rest of the company but still up for a laugh that when with Bilbo never was at someone else's expense. She was sweet and she smiled a lot. Her curly hair and her love for food reminded him of home, but they separated a little before dinner sa she said she had some things to consider. 'What' he did not know but he knew better than to bother her about it as she seemed to be too lost in thought to tell him anyway.
After dinner the dwarfs decided the fountain in the courtyard would be an excellent place to take a bath. Merys not wanting in to be part of that type of thing after what happened the day before she decided she'd ask Lindir if she could tend to one of the horses before returning to her chambers. Lindir was happy to oblige for he liked the young woman much better than the rest of the company (for obvious reasons) and on their way to the stables they engaged in some small talk before saying goodbyes after he assigned one of the horses to her. It was a smaller mare with a lovely sandy coat and dark manes. A very gentle horse Merys decided as she brushed it's coat until it was soft and shiny before braiding her manes in an intricate pattern. She had to stand on a wooden crate to be able to reach the animal's neck though. A woman with dark hair like herself had taught her to weave hair like that once.
She had been born only days before and was lost and hungry. Without any family to teach her how to survive. She'd been doomed. The woman was an adversary as she had called herself. Teaching the girl how to hunt, forest and many more and when they were siting around the fire at night she taught her how to braid her hair. Beginning with simpler braids, advancing to the ones more complicated soon after and teaching her their meanings.
The one she was making now was for courage. Not really for the pretty mare, but more for herself. They were probably going to leave again in a few days and the thought of it frightened her. Scared of losing herself like that again. Of feeling the rage take over. Of tainting her hands with blood. But also of speaking her feelings to Kili.
"We are cooking some more dinner and I.. We were wondering if you wanted to come join us?" shocked out of her thoughts Merys turned to find Kili standing at the edge of the stable.
"Oh, it's just you Kili." she murmured turning back to the mare.
"You wound me my lady!" He said grabbing at his heart in mock hurt. Merys turned to him a wry smile on her face at the attempt he made to cheer her up. His face turned serious at that and he stared at her face when he said, "I get scared too sometimes you know," I looked at him with a baffled expression at his knowing of what was bugging her. Kili looked away before continuing. "for example when I see that my brother is in danger. Scared that I'll lose him." He turned to her again, "You know, you probably should have put that braid in you own hair not in the hair of this lovely lady." he said with a smile on his lips.
"I would, but whenever I use my own hair I make mistakes." she replied looking down at her boots her mouth pulled to a tight line. Somehow Kili had gotten closer and when she felt his hand underneath her chin she took in a sharp breath, her cheeks heating up slightly. Her heart beating just a little bit faster.
"I could braid it for you ." he whispered, "I mean it won't be as good as yours obviously, but I can try." his hand had lowered and was hanging by his side again, but he was still close. Merys knew of course what it meant to braid someone's hair to dwarfs, but those were special braids. They had been spending more time together in the few days they had stayed in Rivendell and she had to admit that her heart sometimes skipped a beat when he'd give her one of his wicked grins. But to do something like this might take things too far. Even more so as she hadn't given him an answer yet. Besides there was no way Thorin would agree to any sort of courtship between the two. But the mischievous part of her wanted to let Kili braid her hair.
"How about you watch me when I braid my hair and tell when I make a mistake?" she finally said which seemed to disappoint him. She reached for his hand and intertwined her fingers with his. This seemed to lift his spirits as he nodded albeit with a bit of a dour expression. "Alright."
"Can you part it for me Kili?" she said handing him a comb she produced from one of the many shawls she continued to wear. He raked his fingers through her hair a few times before using the comb and parting the strands slightly of to the side of her head. Her hands moved swiftly as her hands moved to create the intricate pattern she'd made on Billiel the mare before. Kili moved his hands from time to time to fix any of the mistakes she made and not long after the braid ran tightly along her scalp on the right side of her head revealing her pointed ear and the rings that adorned them. Whilst the left side was still loose and the wild curls bounced as she turned to face him.
"There. All done." she said tying of the end with a strip of leather before smiling up at Kili.
"Come on let's go." he said as he laced his fingers with hers. The sky in the mean time had turned shade of red and orange hues and was quickly turning darker and darker. When they finally arrived at the quarters of the dwarfs the sky was coloured a dark blue.
Just as they entered they heard a loud crash as Bombur slammed to the ground shrieking. The table he was sitting on had given away to his weight and that of sausage Bofur had thrown at him. Everyone hollered with laughter and she could see Bofur roll over with glee. Everyone was sitting in their long johns but it wasn't anything new to Merys as they'd been wearing the same on the day they'd encountered the trolls. They'd been turning on the spit roast at the what she now mockingly called the troll dinner party even though it had been anything but fun.
"Bofur pass me one of those sausages!" She said as they all had finished laughing.
"Sure thing, lass!" his face still red due to lack of air of the moments before. They'd done this near every night as they hardly ate anything at dinner and merely accompanied Merys as she ate. They mostly just drank ale and smoked their pipes as she stuffed herself with the leafy greens.
She was leaning on Kili as she ate the juicy, but slightly charred meat, when the door burst open. In walked Thorin his face set into a frown as he told them to start packing and that we'd be leaving before dawn. Merys turned to Kili her face set in a frown as she reached for his hand squeezed it and let go to gather her belongings in the room next to them. She raced to grab all of the trinkets she had gathered in the valley. Herbs, minerals and roots that were safely wrapped up in a shawl. Merys took off the sleeveless cloak like shawl she always wore. Before tightly binding them to her torso together with her hunting knife. It was really the easiest way to carry any luggage as it didn't require her to wear a pack. The waterskin she bound to her back before donning her cloak again. The clothing she'd received from the elves seemed to look at her from the small bench at the foot of her bed. They were taunting her. When she wore them she felt as if she was special and she could forget all the painful things. It was extra weight she could do without, but in a moment of weakness she tightly bound it over her hunting knife hoping she wouldn't be needing it if they got attacked.
So I received my very first review and I was really excited so thank you CamillaLangdon for taking the time to write one.
And if you think my fic is worth it please follow/favourite and review.
