Chapter 9
The Mountain
Anira's journey with the dwarves went off without almost any delay or hardship. That first week of her travels with Thorin truly were the worst of all the events. As they traveled further and further south, she could hardly believe how warm the air was. There was no threat of snow or even a cloud in the beautiful, blue sky. She wondered how they could all continue to stand wearing their thick cloaks and armor. The nights were cool, but still warm. There was now dew upon the soft grass when dawn came, not frost. They had stopped in only two small towns, both of which seemed to recognize Thorin and know him by name. She wondered why he travelled so much if his home was beneath the mountain. She would have to remember to ask him. Everything around her was just changing so quickly and she could hardly keep up. Balin was explaining everything he could to her, about their culture and their way of life. He described Erebor to her in great detail. She could almost see the golden halls and the great depth of their halls. He told her of the Arkenstone, the heart of the mountain, and about how its beauty could not be matched by any other object on this world. He also explained why they no longer lived beneath Erebor. Anira listened to his story of horror, fire and death. She could not imagine having suffered such loss and still have the strength to carry on. She looked over at Thorin with sadness in her eyes, but he had not been paying attention. He was deep within his own conversation with Dwalin. He was smiling and laughing. Anira wished she could see him smile more frequently, but she was starting to understand why he did not.
They had been traveling for almost three weeks now and Anira refused to continue to ride upon the horse while the men walked beside her. She walked with a slight limp, but she kept up without a problem. All of her bones had healed well, even her fingers worked. She did not have full function in them, but they worked. Grabbing small objects was a difficult task for her and she could no longer tie or untie knots. Thorin was doing his best to support her and help her regain usage of her fingers. She did not expect that he would have turned into such a good husband so quickly. He loved her, and now she knew it was true. She could see it in his actions every day, and hear it in his voice when he spoke to her.
"Is that the mountain?" Anira asked gently as she raised her hand to point. The mountain was still rather distant and hardly visible through the fog that had surrounded them since morning. She knew that their trek was supposed to take about this long and she desperately hoped that they were almost home. Home. That sounded nice. To be able to sleep in a warm bed each night and have a good kitchen to cook meals in. To have the safety and comfort of walls all around. Even from a distance, the mountain looked as though it touched the heavens themselves.
"That is our home. That is the entrance to The Blue Mountains." Balin said gently as he looked up at her. "We will stop soon for the night, but we should reach the mountains by tomorrow evening."
"Must we wait so long?" Anira protested gently as she looked at the large, looming shadow in the distance.
"You have already waited almost a months time. One day is not going to make a difference now." Balin said with a small chuckle as he smiled up at her. "We will arrive there soon enough. As it is, our people are going to be very surprised to see an elf arriving with us."
"Thorin has said that your people do not look too kindly upon the race of elves." She said tenderly before looking down at the ground. "He made it sound as though they will not like me, but they will not hurt me either."
"They will not hurt you, lass. You are arriving with Thorin. They will probably assume that you are a hostage or a prisoner. When they realize you are his wife… There might be minor hysteria."
"Hysteria? Why would that be?"
"Well, you see, dwarf women propose to those they love." He said before looking over at Thorin. "As the future king, he has been a very caught after lover. He's denied almost half of our women." He said with a small laugh. "We all decided he would just never marry, but, here you are. The woman who was able to change his heart."
"I did not try to… I do not know what I did to change his heart." Anira said quietly.
"Do not dwell on it, Anira." Thorin said sternly as he looked over at her. "My heart belongs to you and that is all that matters now. Our people will respect you for that, if for no other reason."
"Why did you turn down so many women, Thorin?" She asked tenderly as she stepped closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder softly. "Why did you turn down so many and then not even hesitate to marry me?"
"Perhaps it was the magic that surrounds you." He said sternly before he looked up at her. "Or perhaps it was because when I look into your eyes, I no longer see my own pain. The loss of Erebor does not weigh on my mind. Wishing death upon Smaug the Terrible is a distant thought. It is because when I look at you, I can only see the good in the world."
Anira blushed and did not say another word. He always knew just what to say to ease her mind. She leaned down and kissed him tenderly upon the cheek before she looked ahead, towards the mountain. She wondered what it would look like. She had never seen a city carved out of stone. She knew that it would not be as lovely as they described Erebor, but it had to be stunning. There was very little that dwarves could do that did not impress her. Her dream was to be their equal one day, to wield weapons with skill and accuracy, to carve into stone and make lovely objects. If they accepted her into their home, she was determined not to disappoint them. However, they needed to accept her first. That was going to be the hardest part of their entire journey. She had heard Balin and Thorin talking about a Council late at night. Neither of them ever spoke to her of these things, but they spoke about her. She did not know who the Council was, or why they would not accept her, but she feared them. They gave her a feeling of rot within her stomach.
They stopped for the night once the sun set over the horizon. Between the darkness and the fog, there was no chance of continuing onward until the sun rose again. They took shelter within a small cave that had been near by. They huddled inside and started a small fire to cook their meal over. The meal was small, just a few scraps of rabbits meat, potatoes and carrots. Balin was very skillful when cooking during travels. Every meal he had made for them had been absolutely delightful, even if it was simple.
Anira found herself looking out of the cave, towards the mountain in the distance. She wanted so badly to finally be able to settle into a home. She missed sleeping on a soft bed, with piles of furs and blankets. These luxuries seemed only distant memories to her now and it had only been a month. The dwarves must have thought her to be such a silly girl, or at least, they would if she had ever spoken her mind to them. She would not even tell Thorin of her desires. She felt that her words would only be an annoyance to him and she did not want to be a burden.
She wrapped her arms around herself tightly and let out a soft sigh as she looked through the mouth of the cave. She felt Thorin's arms wrap around her gently from behind as he leaned forward and kissed her cheek. He rested his chin upon her shoulder and looked towards the mountain with her.
"Are you nervous?" He asked quietly as he tenderly stroked the skin of her arms with his fingers.
"I am, very." She said quietly as she turned to look at him. "What if they do not like me…? W-what if they want to make me leave this place? I could not stand to be forced away from you, Thorin. My heart could not take such a pain." She whispered nervously as she rested her forehead against his. "You are my cherished one."
"No one is going to take me away from you." He said quietly, squeezing her tightly. She loved how his arms felt around her. He was so strong and warm. His touch filled her with a sense of comfort and safety.
"How can you promise that? I've heard you speaking with Balin during the hours of the night. I have heard you speak of your council. You think they will try to send me away, but you have not told me these things. Why are you hiding what we both fear?"
"I did not mean to hide it and we do not know these to be facts, not yet. We know that the laws of our people say that Elves and Dwarves can not be wed." He said tenderly. "But we already are." He said with a tender smile as he looked at her. "We know they will try to dispute our union, but there is nothing they can do to tear us apart now. I will not chose another bride, not as long as I shall live. If I can not have you, I will have no one."
"Why are you willing to sacrifice so much for me?" She asked quietly as she pulled out of his arms so that she could reposition herself. She laid down upon the sandy cave floor and rested her head upon his lap. She hugged his leg tightly and took a deep breath. "I do not understand why you are willing to give up so much, just to keep me near you."
"You seem to forget how much you have given up for this union." He said gently as he stroked her hair with a gentle hand. "You gave up your home, your family. You gave up your life as you knew it, just to give me a chance. You did not even hardly know me then, Anira. We were strangers who had an irrational belief that love at first sight existed." He said with a small chuckle. "We were right to assume what we felt in our hearts was true."
"Do you think that we will ever be able to go back to Maradok..? I would like to see my sisters once more." She whispered sadly. Most of the time, she chose not to think of her home. It caused her heart to ache and long to hold her sisters in her arms again. She craved the comforts of home above all else. Any home would do, as long as Thorin stayed with her.
"I do not see why we could not go back one day." Thorin said with a tender smile. He knew that they would never make it back to Maradok while her sisters still lived there. He could tell by their actions before that neither of them had intended to stay once Anira left. He would take her there as she wished, just so that she could see her home once again. He knew how he longed to see Erebor again and did not feel right to deny her what he was denied.
"I can not sleep, Thorin." She said sadly as she let out a deep sigh. "I am filled with too much excitement and fear to be able to sleep. Will you stay awake with me?" She asked gently.
"I do not know if I can stay awake the whole night with you." He said with a small laugh. "My kin is going to love you."
"Your kin?" She asked gently as she sat up and looked at him.
"Ah, yes, I've completely forgotten to tell you." He said with a heart-filled laugh. "I have a sister, and two nephews back home. They are absolutely going to love you."
"A sister and two nephews? What are their names?" She asked with a small smile. She lowered her gaze, tracing her finger through the sand on the cave floor, making small shapes and pictures.
"My sisters name is Dis. Her two boys are Fili and Kili. We are the last of the line of Durin." He said gently.
"The last…? There are… No others? What about your parents?" She asked gently.
"My mother died when I was very small." He explained quietly. "My grandfather was slain during our battle for Moria. My father went missing… That was why I was within Maradok to start. I had been on a quest to find him. I have tried several times to find him. No one ever has any information, and I do believe the trail has gone cold." He said sadly. "I can feel that he still lives… But I know now where he is, or how to find him."
"I am sorry, Thorin." She said sadly as she cupped his cheek, stroking his beard tenderly.
"Do not feel pity for me, Anira. I will find him. I know that I will." He said confidently as he looked at her with determination in his blue eyes. "I am thankful that I still have my sister and her children."
"I am glad that you were not completely alone before you met me." She said with a small giggle.
"Not by blood, but I did feel alone." He said gently as he placed a large hand over hers. "I will feel the pain of loneliness no more. Not now that you are here with me."
"Will you to put a sock in it?" Dwalin's voice called grumpily from the floor across the cave. "Some of us are actually trying to sleep!" He growled bitterly before rolling onto his side, facing the wall opposite them.
Anira looked a Thorin and he only shrugged his shoulders as a response. She sighed and decided she would at least try to sleep. Thorin had calmed her nerves, even if just a little bit. She hoped it would be enough to let her body sleep. She laid back down upon the sand and paid her cheek upon her arms, using them as a pillow. Thorin laid on his side next to her, placing a hand on her back tenderly as he closed his eyes to sleep.
She did not remember falling asleep, but she woke up as Dwalin and Balin were packing their sleeping supplies back into their bags. She had never even set up a bed. She did not think she would use it, but she did end up sleeping. She sat up and rubbed her eyes nervously as she looked around.
"Are you ready?" Thorin asked gently as he stepped into the cave and offered her a hand. "By night fall, you will be enjoying the hospitality of my kin. There will be roaring fires, bountiful amounts of food and drink. There will be songs and laughter. There will be nothing but love and family." He said sternly as he kissed her knuckles. She loved it when he did this. She felt as though it was one of the sweetest actions he could take to show his affection for her. It was small, soft and his facial hair tickled against her skin, but she loved everything about it.
"You make it sound as though it is a sanctuary." She said with a small giggle as she wrapped her arms around him tightly, closing her eyes. "It sounds like everything I have ever hoped for. I am ready to go."
They tied all of their belongings back onto the horses and began the last of their long travel home. Anira found it easier to keep up with them today. Her thigh did not seem to hurt her as it had before. She thought that maybe the wound was finally healing the way it should be. Her muscles were finally mending themselves beneath her flesh. Thorin frequently looked over at her, to make sure that she did not look fatigued. She wore only long sleeves now and the reason broke his heart. She was covered in scars now, from her night with those horrible men. They had cut her more deeply than any of them realized. He questioned what kind of blades they had. Wether it be the dirt, rust, or blood that was on their blades, they scarred her skin and destroyed her elvish looks. There was even a scar beneath her eye from the punch that was delivered to her face. How any being could destroy such loveliness was beyond him. She did not seem to mind that she was no longer flawless like the rest of her kind. Part of him believed that she enjoyed feeling more like a human.
"You look very excited." Thorin said with a soothing tone as he reached over and grabbed her hand.
"More than words can express." She whispered tenderly as she squeezed his hand. "I so long to see your home."
"It is going to be your home as well, Anira." He said with a small chuckle. "You are going to be queen beneath the mountain."
"Queen?" She laughed with a small snort. She blushed and covered her mouth with a hand nervously before looking at him sheepishly. He had a bright smile upon his face as he looked at her. He had never heard her laugh so hard she snorted, and he found it to be rather adorable.
"Yes. Queen."
"No! I am no queen." She laughed, shaking her head. "I am no where fit to be royalty of any sort."
"Oh, and you think I am? Anira, when you met me, I was working as a blacksmith in your town. Did I even remotely resemble a prince when you met me?" He laughed heartedly.
"Well, no… But-"
"Face it. You are much better at being royalty than I have ever been." He said sternly. "You were raised by a high class man who taught you the ways of respectable rulers. I was too, but by the standards of dwarves. There is a reason that our alliances with men and elves no longer exist. When it comes to politics, we are lacking in our knowledge and tact." He said with a smile. "Perhaps, having you will fix that."
"This all depends on if your Council will allow me to stay within the mountain." She said gently.
"I do not fear them nor their decision. If they make you leave, I will leave with you. They will not risk losing me just because of outdated laws." He said sternly.
"Do not do that, Thorin." She said sternly. "I will not let you forsake your people for me."
"My people will not betray me because of their own fear." He said sternly. "I make these threats, knowing only that they will never betray me and my rule."
Anira knew better than to argue with him then. He was always so stubborn. Once his mind was set on something, there was no talking him out of it. All sense bounced right off of him. The rest of their journey was spent in almost complete silence. Balin and Dwalin were speaking quietly to one another about food and ale, ignoring Thorin and Anira.
The sun went through the sky at its usual pace, but it seemed to take so much longer to Anira. She wished that they could finally arrive home and relax. Each night she feared that they would run into cruel men as they had earlier in their trips. Men who wanted to rob and hurt them. She no longer cared for the race of men outside of her home. They were all cruel and filled with blackness she could not understand. What had happened to them to make them so cruel?
Taller and taller the mountain grew as they drew near. It touched the sky and its peaks were covered in snow from the cold. The mountain range was much larger now than she had been able to see from a distance. There were beautiful greens growing upon the sides closer to the ground. She could see it, tiny in the distance, a door. There was a large door, that seemed to glow a bright, rich blue in the distance. She could not tell what substance it was made of from this distance, but knew that it must have been huge if she could see it from here.
"Is that the entrance?" She asked quietly, focused on the blue rectangular shape in the side of the mountain.
"That it is." Thorin said gently as he looked up at her. "We are almost there. Are you still as excited?"
"No." She said honestly as she shook her head. "I am more nervous than excited now. I feel as though I might be ill." She said skeptically before looking over at him. "What if they do not like me?"
"Do not worry yourself about such ridiculous things. There is no way they won't like you."
"He's right, lass." Balin interjected gently as he looked over at her, finally breaking away from his conversation with Dwalin.
"What makes you both so sure?" Anira asked sternly, not convinced with just their belief. She wanted reasons.
"Lass, I do not know a single person who hates elves the way that Thorin does. If he likes you, despite his deep hatred and his wounds of mistrust, there is no way that anyone else will dislike you." Balin said with a smile behind his white beard. Anira smiled at him and nodded her head nervously. For an elderly dwarf, she found him to be quite adorable in his expressions and his mannerisms.
"I was told of his deep hatred for elves. I was certain he hated me when he met me." She laughed quietly.
"Oh, really?" Balin asked with a stern look as he focused on Thorin. "What did he do to you, do I have to rough him up?" He said as he adjusted his belt and tried to make himself look taller.
"No, no." She said with a small laugh. "He did not do anything put speak his mind." She said sweetly. "He was a good man. He repaired my…. My necklace…" She whispered nervously as she placed her hand upon the pendant around her neck. She had all but forgotten the little trinket that was once her mothers. After all that had happened, she was not sure if she even wanted to keep it. When she was younger, it was all she had of her mother, who she was told to be dead. She did not want to give up the good memories this pendant gave her of her childhood, but she did not want to keep it now that she knew who that terrible woman really was.
"Come now, Anira." Thorin said gently, trying to draw her back out of her thoughts. It worked. She shook her head and smiled at him before looking back at Balin and continuing her story.
"He fixed it and then snuck into my bedroom, if you can believe it. He climbed up the wall and came in through my balcony door." She said with a small laugh.
"He did, really? That seems so unlike him? Thorin, making rash decisions and not thinking them through? No, that does not seem like him at all." Balin said with a very sarcastic, teasing tone as he looked over at Thorin.
"Make fun all you want. I am the one who gained a wife from my foolish actions." He said with a small smile.
"That you did, laddy, a strong one at that."
"Strong, smart, and more loyal than any woman I have met before her."
When they finally arrived at the base of the mountain, Anira could do nothing but stare in shock and awe as she looked up. It was larger than she had ever imagined and far more elegant. There were celtic designs carved into the stone all around the doors and words written in dwarfish. She could not read them, but hoped that maybe the dwarves would teach her to read, write and speak as they did. The large, blue doors appeared to be made of stone and she could not help but to run her fingers again their smooth surface and trace her fingers across their designs. She had never seen stone so blue in all of her life and it was beautiful.
Thorin came up behind her and stood next to her, smiling up at her. He placed his hands upon the doors and pushed them open. She gasped and stared in shock as he moved the doors that were at least six times his height. She knew he was strong, but how on earth could he be that strong? She looked forward and into the large mountain as it opened before her.
A hot wind blew out from the mountain and washed over her face like hot water. She took a deep breath and slowly followed Thorin inside. Everything seemed to shine and shimmer with jewels and light. The craftsmanship within the mountain was far more beautiful than she had ever expected. The pillars, hallways, doors rooms, everything within sight was completely made from the stone of the mountain. She wondered how they did it. How they could they carve into stone and build hallways and rooms that connected and looked positively elegant. She had watched men build homes out of pieces of rock back home and that seemed hard enough. But this, there was no making mistakes with this. If they made a mistake, there was no adding more stone to fix it. Everything had to have been created flawlessly, the first try, every time. This skill gave her a deeper respect for the crafts of the dwarves. Thorin fixing her necklace must have been nearly an insult to him. After all of the things he was clearly capable of creating, fixing a silly little trinket must have been no more than a children's project.
"This place is more beautiful than anything I could have ever imagined, Thorin." She said breathlessly as she looked around. She looked up and realized that all of the halls and rooms went as high as the eye could see and it took her breath away. Building one level seemed impossible, but they had dozens both above and below the level the stood upon now. Their skill was unearth and she could hardly even believe what her eyes were seeing.
She was completely oblivious of the dwarfish men and women that had now flocked around them and where whispering between themselves. They were all excited to see that Thorin arrived back home safely yet again. Each time he left, they all feared that they would lose the one person who kept them all together. The fact that he had an elvish girl with them made them all skeptical of his journey. He did not seem to regard her as a captive, but what other use would he have for an elf? After Thranduil betrayed their people, Thorin swore that he would never help them.
"Uncle!" A dwarfish man with shaggy, black hair called loudly as he pushed his way through the sea of dwarves to greet them. "It's good to have you home!" He said with a large smile as he wrapped his arms around Thorin.
"Kili, Lad! Have you been keeping everyone in check?" Thorin laughed as he hugged the younger dwarf back. This dwarf looked strange to Anira. He did not have a large nose or beard. He looked like a human male. He was actually fairly attractive, for a dwarf. She could not properly judge their looks though. She found herself to be biased, seeing as she had married a dwarf man.
"Of course, Uncle!" Kili said with a bright smile. "Not a single disastrous event has occurred since you left!" He said proudly before looking over at Anira. The smile left his face then and he just stared at her with eyes wide and mouth falling open slightly. She felt nervous, not knowing why he was staring at her. She brushed her hair back from her face and looked away from him sheepishly. He took a few steps towards her and bowed before her. "Hello, M'lady. Kili, at your service." He said sternly before looking up at her.
"Hello. Anira, at yours." She said, bowing her head nervously as she looked back at him. She looked back at Thorin for help, but knew that no help would come. He had kind of a devious half-smile upon his face as he watched the younger dwarf. He crossed his arms over his chest and seemed to act like he was waiting for something unexpected to happen.
"May I say, my lady, that you are the loveliest being beneath this mountain." Kili said with a tender smile before taking her hand in his. "If there is anything I can do for you, anything at all, do not hesitate to ask. I would climb the highest mountain, or go into the deepest cave if there was a task you needed accomplished." He said breathlessly. She had no idea where any of this was coming from or why he seemed so determined to please her when they had only just met and barely even exchanged names.
"You are very sweet, thank you." Anira said nervously as she pulled her hand away from him, holding it to her chest fearfully. She did not much like how forward he was, but he did not seem to notice her discomfort.
"I am being serious, M'lady. And, if you are ever looking for any company…" He said, reaching for her hand again. A bright blush crossed her cheeks and she was about to start screaming at her to get away when Thorin finally interrupted the younger man.
Thorin came up from behind him and wrapped his arm around the boys neck tightly, holding him under his arm. Kili struggled for a few moments, placing his hands on his uncles arm.
"Let go! Can't you see I am trying to woo a woman right now, uncle!" Kili protested childishly as he tried to struggle to get away.
"Now, Lad, is that any way to speak to your aunt?" Thorin asked quietly as he looked down at Kili. Kili stopped struggling then and just did his best to look up at Anira. Disappointment crossed his face for a moment before confusion as he looked up at Thorin.
"Uncle, you married?" He questioned with surprise obvious in his cracking voice.
"Aye, that I did." Thorin said as he slowly released Kili, stood up him straight, and patted him upon the back. "She is the reason I have returned so much sooner than expected." He said gently.
"I can not believe you married while you were gone." Kili said sternly as he looked at his uncle. "Is that even legal? Can you marry an elf woman?" He asked frantically before looking back at Anira.
"No, not technically, but I do not really care for the technicalities of our laws." Thorin said sternly.
"Uncle!" A second voice called from the distance. There was another young dwarf man, with long, wavy blonde hair and a braided mustache. His eyes were a bright, stunning blue, just like Thorin's. She could see the resemblance between these two much more than she could see it between her husband and Kili.
"Ah, Fili! Just in time, lad!" Thorin said with a smile before hugging the other man just as he had hugged Kili. "Could you people be so kind as to help us with our belongings? Everything is upon the horses. Could you bring mine and Anira's things to my room?" He asked with a small smile. "I have a few things to take care of with the council."
"The council? Will you not greet all of your family first?" A deep, womanly voice called from behind them. Thorin turned around and smiled brightly.
"But of course, I shall say hello to all of my blood first." He said with a small laugh before walking over to the other dwarf and hugging tightly.
Anira thought it sounded like a woman, but she was confused. This dwarf had longer, braided hair that was over both of their shoulders, but had a full beard. The body was slightly rounded and wearing what appeared to be a dress. For the life of her, she could not tell what gender this being could be that Thorin was hugging.
"Anira." Thorin said sternly as he broke the hug and turned back to her, still having an arm wrapped around the other dwarf. "This is my elder sister, Dis." He said with a small smile.
"Oh my god, that's a woman." Anira said in shock before covering her mouth. A hot blush of shame and embarrassment crossed her cheeks as she looked down at the floor. "I am so sorry. Forgive me for my rudeness." She pleaded quietly.
Balin and Thorin looked at each other nervously before they both began laughing at the small mix up.
"In all of our conversations with Anira." Balin said as he chuckled. "How come neither of us thought to tell her that even our dwarfish women have beards?"
"I suppose that it is just so common to the rest of us, we did not even think of it." Thorin said with a laugh before looking at his sister. "Anira is my wife."
"Wife?" Dis questioned with a small smile. "My dearest little brother finally decided to marry!" She squealed excitedly as she hugged him tighter, shaking him violently as she did so.
Anira could not help but to smile and think of her own sisters. If it were not for Krystoff, she felt that her sisters would have reacted much the same way to her union with Thorin. This made her miss them all the more now, but perhaps Dis would be kind enough to accept her as family, and as a sister.
Dis finally released Thorin before she quickly walked over to Anira and looked up at her. Anira smiled nervously down at the woman and was actually rather surprised at how lovely she was beneath the facial hair. Her eyes were a lighter blue than Thorin's and filled with a gentle feeling and love. Her face was soft and her cheeks were rosy beneath the full, brown beard that matched her hair.
"Welcome to our family, Anira." She said happily before wrapping her arms around the elf girl and hugging tightly. Anira gasped in surprise, unable to believe how strong this woman was. She could hardly breath due to the hug. She hugged back tightly as tears filled her own eyes. Never did she expect her first meeting with these people to be so filled with love and acceptance. Not a single one of them had said a word against her due to her being an elf. Being accepted by these people was all she had hoped for since she had left Maradok.
"Thank you, Dis!" Anira said happily as tears began sliding down her cheeks. "I am so grateful to be here and to be a part of this family." She said, speaking through her tears. Her voice was slightly muffled and she could not help herself.
Oh, dear." Dis said gently as she pulled back from the hug and reached up to wipe the tears away from the girls face. "Do not cry." She said sweetly. "You must be exhausted from your travels. Come with me and I will make you a nice bath, how does that sound?"
"That sounds absolutely heavenly, thank you." Anira said quietly as she tried to stop her tears from flowing. She had never cried out of happiness before and she thought she must look absolutely foolish.
"Go on with her, Anira." Thorin said gently before he walked to her and tenderly kissed her knuckles. "I have a few things that I still must take care of before it gets too late. I am excited to finally sleep with you in a real bed, and while you are not injured." He said with a small wink before releasing her hand and walking back towards Dwalin and Balin.
Dis crinkled her nose slightly and looked up at Anira with a devious look upon her face. She grabbed the elf's hand and pulled her down one of the long, stone corridors. Dis knew her brother well enough to know what was on his mind. He said he was married to this woman, and she was not naive enough to think that her brother had not yet consummated his love with this girl. She would ask Anira about it, out of friendly curiosity, and so that she may tease her brother, should it be true.
"I do hope you enjoy our system of bathing. It is a little bit complicated, but it is lovely and the water is fresh and hot." Dis said tenderly.
"I am sure that anything will do at this point." Anira replied honestly. "I have not bathed in almost a month and fear I must smell something awful." She laughed before shaking her head quietly. "I'm surprised that Thorin can stand to be as close to me as he does."
"Really? I do not think you smell at all. That is a gift of elves, I hear. You do not suffer the same, petty problems that dwarves, men, or even Dunedain face." Dis said with a small laugh. "Besides, my brother is a good man. He would not be so cruel as to push you away because of something as silly as cleanliness. We are people who dwell beneath a mountain. How much do you think being clean really means to us?" Dis laughed.
"I do suppose you have a point." Anira said with a small laugh. "I do not often think about it." She said before she continued to look around. She felt as though every hallway and corridor they passed seemed to go on for miles and smiles. There were stairs that went up and down and she could not see any end in sight of anything. This place seemed like it was a never ending maze. Hopefully, she would be able to walk through here with Thorin and learn what was where. She desired to know as much about these people as she could possibly learn.
Dis lead her through several hallways and up six flights of long, stone stairs. She thought that her legs may give out on her any moment. How could these people walk this much each day and not fall over exhausted? They must be used to it and she was sure that one day she would be used to it as well.
"Here we are." She said tenderly as she pushed together a dark, forest green door. It was also made of stone that Anira did not recognize. She wondered where the dwarves found these large stones, in such shapes and colors. Dis pushed the door open and the room smelled amazing. It was not a flowery smell, nor did it smell like dust or fire or smoke. She could not place the smell, but it seemed to have a strange affect on her body. She could feel herself growing hot between her legs, just because of the smell of this room.
There was a large bed, at least six times the size of any bed she had ever seen. It was covered with thick, hand made blankets, that were the same deep shade of blue as Thorin's clothing. There were four large bannisters, one on each corner of the bed. There were blue, silk curtains that were tied to each of the bannisters with golden ropes. As far as other decorations, there were hardly any. There were two large dressers that looked almost untouched, a night stand on each side of the bed, a large fireplace with a bear skin rug on the floor before it.
"Is this really Thorin's room..?" Anira asked quietly, resisting her urge to jump on his bed and roll around in all of his blankets. She wanted so badly to wrap herself within the smell of him and enjoy it for a while. She sighed and shook her head. She would wait until after she was clean to lay on his bed. She did not want to make it dirty or mess with the amazing smell of it currently.
"It is. Come on, this way to the bathroom." Dis said sweetly as she walked to a hidden door beside the fireplace. She pushed it open and walked inside. Anira followed her nervously and smiled as she looked around. There was a large tub made of white stone. There was also a sink and a toilet. She laughed quietly to herself. It was amazing how such simple luxuries seemed to mean so much to her after spending only a month on the road.
"This is all so beautiful." Anira whispered quietly before placing her hand upon the white tub. She gasped and pulled her hand back. "It's warm!" She exclaimed quickly.
"Yes, it is." Dis said with a small laugh. "It is a special kind of stone that we have only been able to find here beneath the Blue Mountains." She explained before grabbing a small rope from near the top wall and tugging. A long, thin piece of rock folded down from the wall and it looked like tap that would be used to syphon sap from within a tree. After a few seconds, hot, steaming water poured down from it and began filling the bath tub.
"Oh my god…" Anira said with her eyes wide. "This is absolutely amazing! Not only do you have some of thee most advanced devices I've ever seen, you've made them out of stone, built into the walls!" She said, completely in awe as she watched the tub fill. She sat down upon the edge of the tub and reached into the water, tracing her fingers across the surface as it filled.
"Thank you. We have done our best to rebuild our home, since we lost Erebor." Dis said sweetly. "I'm going to leave you be whilst you bathe. If you need anything, I will not be far away, just call."
"Wait, Dis?" Anira said nervously as she looked back at the woman. "I do not want to be alone here, not yet. You are one of very few people I know here and you are close to Thorin. Will you please stay here with me?" She whispered quietly. "I am sorry if you find this to be an inappropriate request…"
"It is alright, Anira." Dis said quietly before she sat herself upon the sink and smiled down at Anira. "I will stay here with you until Thorin comes back. There are a few things I wish to speak to you about anyway, if you do not mind." She said gently.
"I would like that. I have some questions, too. I think this would be a good bonding experience for us." Anira said with a small giggle. As the tub filled, the water stopped on its own. Anira pushed the tap back into the wall, and it was hardly visible at all except for the golden rope attached to it. If she did not know it was there, she never would have been able to find it. She slowly slid her arms out of her sleeves and slid her dress down her body. She heard Dis gasp as she looked at her. She looked up at Dis and blushed nervously.
"What is it..?" Anira asked skeptically.
"What on earth happened to you?" Dis asked sadly as she pointed to the large, crater like scar in Anira's thigh, and then the scars from cuts upon her legs and arms. "I have never seen so many scars on one person before…" She said sadly.
"This happened during the first week of my travels with Thorin." Anira said sadly as she removed her underdress and bloomers. She slowly lowered herself into the hot water with a wince before looking over at Dis again. Dis had a look of pain and horror upon her face as she looked at the girl.
"Please… Please tell me that it was not my brother who did these things to you." She said. Her tone sounded as if she was going to cry at any moment.
"I will not lie to you, Dis. Thorin broke my arm that night when we had a fight, but that was the least of my injuries. I was a foolish woman and went out on my own into the darkness without a weapon." She said gently, looking down at her bath water as she spoke. "I was captured by a group of very bad men. They tried to rape me that night, but Thorin stopped them, but not after they had done damage. They stabbed me in the thigh, cut my arms and legs, broke two of my fingers, my nose and a few of my ribs. It took a long while for me to heal, especially while we were on the road. We needed to escape the elven queen…" She said sadly as tears filled her eyes before she looked up at Dis again.
"The elven queen..?" Dis questioned cautiously.
"She is my mother, apparently. We learned that during our journeys too." She said sadly before sighing as she looked down at her water again, grabbing a bar of soap from the ledge of the tub as she began to wash her arms. She was silent most of her bath now, and she did not realize that her sadness was upon her face. She hoped that maybe being clean would be enough for Thorin to want to be close to her again. Before she was injured, he wanted to make love to her so badly, but after he saw her naked… He had not even mentioned it in the slightest.
"What is on your mind?" Dis asked sadly.
"Thorin…." Anira said softly before looking up at the woman again. "Am I attractive… By the standards of your people? I know that I am almost completely hairless and now I'm covered in scars…" She said sadly. "I just… When we first married, Thorin seemed to want to be with me physically more than anything…" She stopped then and shook her head. "Never mind, you are his sister, you probably do not want to speak of these things." She laughed sadly.
"No, no, Anira, I want to be able to help you and my brother. If I can do anything to help you two be happy, I would like to. Please, continue." Dis urged on with a small smile. She wanted to ask earlier if Thorin had been a decent man and waited for her to be ready or if he had forced her before she desired it. Now, she was certain that they had done nothing at all. She had a deep respect for her brother before, but this proved just how noble a man he really was.
"When I was injured, he saw me undressed… That was the only time." Anira said nervously. "He wrapped me in a blanket and laid beside me all night, but has not asked to see me again since. I think he is not attracted to me, not like he thought he would be." She said sadly as tears filled her eyes. "I just do not know what I can do to show him that I am ready, or ask him if he even still wants me. I love him so deeply and I do not want to disappoint or offend him." She whined as she covered her face with her hands before she began crying.
"Of course he hasn't touched you yet!" Dis said, thinking quickly. She was going to make this work the best way she knew how. This elf girl knew little of their ways, so if Dis told her a few fabrications, she would be none the wiser. At least, not until it was too late. Anira moved her hands from her face with a small sniffle before she looked up at Dis.
"What do you mean? I really am unattractive, aren't I!" Anira cried sadly.
"No, no! There is just a certain tradition amongst dwarves. Women have to make the first move, you know." Dis said with a sweet smile.
"How come Thorin never spoke of this?" Anira said with a small sniffle before she wiped her tears from her face. It was a futile effort, seeing as her hands were still wet.
"I am sure he did not want to push it upon you. My brother is a very good, very decent man." Dis said sweetly. "You see, it is the woman who asks the man to marry in our race. Physical relations are the same way. It is tradition for the woman to wear a dress much to small and a corset much too tight, so that all of her curves and her lovely form can be seen clearly." She said sweetly. "This is how she gets her partner worked up. No man can resist a woman dressed in such a way."
"It seems rather… Embarrassing. What if he does not like it?" Anira asked gently.
"He will like it, I promise you that he will. Now, our women are very dominant in nature. You are going to have to start things with him."
"I.. I can't…" Anira said gently as she shook her head. "I would not even know where to start!" She exclaimed nervously.
"I will help you. You are going to want to drop to your knees and take him in mouth-"
"Are you mad?" Anira whined loudly as she stared up at Dis. "That seems absolutely terrible! Why on earth would anyone do that!"
"Because the men love it. It is one of their deepest, darkest desires, and women who comply without being asked are cherished."
"Are you sure…?" Anira asked nervously. "I feel like you are trying to trick me…"
"Why on earth would I do that? I am only looking out for the happiness of you and my dearest brother." Dis said with a sweet smile.
"I trust you…" Anira said gently. "Though… I do not have the kind of clothes that you speak of."
"Wait here and finish bathing. I will go see what I can find that might fit you." Dis said with a bright smile as she lowered herself off of the sink. "I will be right back." She said as she hurried out of the bathroom and closed the door behind herself.
Anira could hear the bedroom door close not long after that, and she knew she was alone. She stood up and continued to clean her body. She was feeling better knowing that she was clean. It had been so long since she had had a nice bath. She had rinsed a time or two with a wet cloth during their travel, but it was not the same as a real bath.
Dis hurried down the flights of stairs and ran into Thorin as she went. She smiled at him sweetly before looking him over.
"You look like you could use a good bath." Dis said sweetly as she placed her hand upon his shoulder.
"You are right, I am actually heading to my room for just that-"
"No." Dis said sternly. "Anira is bathing there right now. You do not wish to make her uncomfortable, do you?" She said with a tender smile. "You can use my room to take a bath."
"Why do I feel like you are up to something…? There is a hint of guilt in your voice." Thorin said sternly as he watched her skeptically. "What on earth are you up to?"
"I am up to nothing. Your journeys have made your skeptical of all." She said with a tender smile. "Go on now." She said gently as she shoved him back. "Go down to my room to bathe."
Thorin looked at her skeptically but nodded in agreement as he walked back down the stairs. Dis watched him go and let out a deep sigh of relief. Her brother had always been too smart for his own good. Dis continued down the flights of stairs until she found their seamstress. She quickly explained what she needed. The elderly dwarf was skeptical of her purchase, but did not question it. Anything that would bring in money was helpful. Dis took a few golden coins from her pouch and placed them into the elderly woman's hands. She thanked her quickly before practically running up all of the stairs. She was breathless when she finally reached the top and hurried back into Thorin's room, closing the door behind herself.
"Anira, we must hurry. Thorin will be up here before too long, I can guarantee it. We still need to get you into these new clothes." Dis said hurriedly as she set the bundle of clothes upon the bed.
"Are you sure?" Anira called nervously as she stepped out of the bath. She looked around for a few moments but could not find a towel. She picked up her dress and wrapped it around herself nervously as she stepped out from the bathroom. "How can you be sure that he will be here so soon?"
"I ran into him as I was on my way to buy your clothes. He is down in my room taking a bath now. He's not in any hurry, but I want to have you dressed and I want to be long gone before he comes up. Hurry, come here." Dis said as she held out a hand for the girl. Anira took her hand and was quickly tugged over to the bed.
"Are you sure about this?" Anira asked skeptically.
"I am positive. This is how I got my husband to marry me." Dis said proudly as she pulled Anira's dress away and tossed it aside. "I am sure that this is going to work for you. Perhaps you and Thorin will have some handsome young children like my own one day." She teased gently.
"That does sound nice…" Anira said quietly before she stopped talking. She let Dis dress her, well, if you could call it that.
The silky blue gown she was in had long, flowing sleeves that hung from her wrists, though that was almost all it covered. It was more like a shirt than a dress, stopping just passed her hips and not eve covering her womanhood, not like it would have helped. The fabric was translucent and everything could be seen through it. The corset Dis put her in was not too tight, nor did it change her shape much. It hugged her hips and her curves, but supported her breasts instead of covering them. She trembled with cold as the water on her skin dried. She could see her stiff nipples through the fabric and she was completely ashamed of it. She crossed her arms over her chest nervously as Dis finished lacing the corset.
"Alright. I think we are done." Dis said quietly. "Turn around and let me have a look."
"I do not think so." Anira laughed gently, shaking her head. "I think I would like it if you helped me out of these terrible clothes! I have never felt more foolish in all of my life, please, help me remove them." She pleaded nervously.
"Nonsense, I'm sure you look stunning." Dis said sweetly as she forcibly turned the girl around and smiled. She took a few steps back and nodded her head. "You look absolutely beautiful, Anira. Do not be ashamed of your god given gifts. If we were not put on this planet to seduce men, the gods would not have made us women so appealing." Dis said with a wink as she laughed. Anira smiled slightly, liking the way Dis had stated that. Perhaps she was being too self conscious. She lowered her arms and looked down at herself nervously.
"Do you really think that Thorin will like it?" Anira asked nervously, biting her lower lip.
"If I know my brother half as well as I think I do, he will not be able to get enough of you." Dis said sweetly before she stopped talking and listened. "I think I hear his footsteps." She whispered.
"W-what?" Anira cried loudly as she tried to cover herself again. She quickly took one of the large blankets from the bed and wrapped it around herself. "Dis, please, help me out of these clothes!" She whined. Her heart was racing within her chest and she did not think she could do this.
"Absolutely not. Good luck!" Dis called sweetly as she hurried out of the room and shut the door behind herself. Anira could hear her footsteps fading quickly, and Thorin's growing louder from the opposite direction. She took a few deep breaths, wondering what she could do. The only other clothes she had was her dirty dress that lay at her feet. She could always hide until Thorin went to sleep, but that seemed like a terrible idea too. She had no choice now but to be brave and actually attempt what she wanted to do. She hoped that he would not deny her now. Her heart could not take that kind of rejection, especially not after dressing so foolishly.
The door opened after a few moments and Anira took a deep breath, facing the wall as she stood beside the bed, still wrapped within his large blanket. It smelled like him and was making her hot between her legs again.
"Why on earth are you wrapped in a blanket?" Thorin said with a small laugh as he shut the door behind himself.
"I was cold." Anira said nervously as she turned around and smiled at him. She knew she looked foolish wrapped in his blanket, but it was better than letting him see what she was actually wearing.
"I can see that." Thorin said with a small smile as he looked at her. He looked so different to her now. His hair was still wet from his own bathing and his face looked clean. It also looked as if he took the time to trim his beard and make it look neat again. He wore only a thin, black tunic and black trousers. All of his blue robes, belt, cloak and sword lay neatly in his hands.
"You look so… Clean." Anira said with a nervous smile. She was trying to act as normal as she could, but she knew that she wasn't. He was going to notice that something was not right with her. It was only a matter of time before he questioned her.
"So do you." He said with a small smile before letting out a small sigh. "Do you like it here?" He asked quietly.
"It's beautiful." She said quickly, too quickly, as if she did not want to talk about anything else. "I was admiring this place the entire time Dis was showing me to your room." She said sweetly. "I would love to take a walk around here and see where everything is, if we could."
"It is late now, but we could still go. Everything will be lit up beautifully because there will be sun coming in from our high windows." He said hurriedly. "If you are willing to put the blanket down, we could go now." He teased.
"I… I can't…." She said nervously as a bright blush crossed her cheeks.
"What are you hiding Anira? What did Dis do to you?" He asked sternly. "I can tell that something is wrong. You are trembling and you are not speaking like yourself." He said with a hard look upon his face. "Tell me, now, before I have to go hunt my sister down."
"No, Thorin… It's nothing bad… I just feel foolish. I feel like a stupid child and I hate it!" She cried out suddenly before looking at him. Tears filled her eyes as she turned away from him. "You have not even tried to get close to me since the night I was injured…." She whispered quietly. "I.. I do not know if it was because Balin and Dwalin were with us, but it seemed as though you were no longer attracted to me after you had seen me undressed." She whimpered.
"Anira… That is not why…." He started before letting out a deep breath. "I stopped touching you because I wanted to prove to you that I was not after only an heir. I wanted to be a good husband for you. I did not want to be a selfish man." He explained gently.
"I did not know how to tell you…." She whispered nervously as she closed her eyes tightly and released the blanket, letting it fall to the floor around her feet. She slowly turned around to look at him. "I.. I told Dis you would not touch me, and… A-and this was her suggestion." She whimpered nervously as she rose her hands to cover her mouth to keep herself from crying.
Thorin just stared at her with wide eyes. He could hardly believe what he was seeing. He thought her the most beautiful creature he had ever seen when she had clothes on, but this. This was pure torture. She was more than just beautiful, she was seductive and he wanted to touch every inch of her. He wanted to rip the clothes from her body and trace his tongue down her chest, across her breasts, down her stomach and… He gasped when he realized that his manhood had grown stiff with his thoughts. He dropped all of the objects within his hands to try and force his member back down with his hands. He looked up at Anira, slightly embarrassed as he tried to hide his own blush.
"You…. Are beautiful…" Thorin said quietly as he stared at her. "Forgive me… I…" He laughed nervously. "The minds of men often go to the darkest places very quickly. I look at you and all I want…. Is to rip those clothes right off of you and force you onto my bed… But if you do not want-"
"That is what I want, Thorin." Anira interjected nervously as she slowly walked towards him and got on her knees before him, a bright blush on her face. There were still tears in her eyes as she smiled up at him. "That… That is why I dressed like this. I wanted you to know that I wanted to be with you, finally seal our union. I just… Did not know how to ask you." She said nervously as she placed her hands upon his own.
"All you ever had to do was ask…" Thorin said gently as he cupped her cheeks and kissed her roughly. She gasped nervously as she placed her hands upon his arms. She kissed back just as roughly. Their teeth clashed as they opened their mouths, swirling their tongues together. It was a feeling that Anira had always enjoyed, his tongue against her own. It was so hot, wet, and strong against her own. Everything about him was strong and made her body ache for him. She slowly slid her hands from his arms and gently caressed his hard manhood with trembling fingers. He let out a small gasp as he broke the kiss, placing one of his hands upon her own.
"What in Durin's name are you doing…?" He whispered quietly before leaning down to kiss her again. Anira turned away and blushed brightly, looking like a tomato before she looked back at him.
"P-please…. Just…. L-let me try this…" She said nervously before she leaned down and lowered his pants with trembling fingers. She gasped when his hard manhood revealed itself to her, pulsing as she looked at it. She trembled, closing her eyes nervously before wrapping her fingers around it. Thorin let out a deep moan as he placed his hands upon her shoulders.
"You do not have to-" His words were cut off as she wrapped her lips around his hard shaft, swirling her tongue around the head nervously. He trembled and gripped her shoulders harder as he found it harder to stay standing. He panted nervously as he looked down at him, twining his fingers within her hair as he watched her. She slowly began to move her mouth on and off of his shaft, sliding it deeper and deeper into her mouth. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to get lost in the pleasure of her hot mouth around his manhood. He resisted every urge to move his hips, to thrust into her. He did not want to scare her and make her stop what she was doing. She continued moving deeper and deeper, little by little until she could not do it anymore. She gagged softly and pulled off of his shaft completely, gasping for air as she looked up at him with a bright blush on her face.
"What's wrong…?" Thorin asked gently as he cupped her cheek.
"I.. I do not wish to do that anymore, please…" She whispered sadly as she began shaking her head.
"I won't make you." He whispered before kissing her upon the forehead. "But now, you need to take off that outfit and lay down on the bed." He said gently as he pulled his pants back up.
"I can not unlace the corset by myself." She whispered quietly before standing up. Thorin nodded and turned her around. He knelt down and picked up his dagger from the floor and quickly cut the laces on her back. He grabbed both sides of the corset and forced them apart with ease. He grabbed her dress from her shoulders and slid it down her body without hesitation.
"Well, that was easier than expected. Lay down upon the bed, with your legs over the edge." He said sternly before slapping her on her behind. She cried out softly and hurried towards the bed. She sat down on the edge and laid back nervously, covering her breasts with her hands as she lay there, trembling with excitement and nervousness.
"Like this…?" She asked nervously, shifting her hips slightly. Thorin came into view, standing before her and he smiled.
"Almost…" He said quietly before leaning down and grabbing her legs, throwing them over his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around them and gently placed his hands on her thighs, near her womanhood. A bright blush crossed her face as she watched him.
"P-please don't! This is so embarrassing!" She protested quietly as she tried to close her legs.
"I let you do it to me. Calm down, Anira, I'm not going to hurt you." He said quietly as he began to layer soft kisses upon the insides of her thighs, getting closer and closer to her womanhood. She could feel his breath, hot against her skin and it was giving her goosebumps. That's when she felt it, like a hard pinch as he bit the inside of her thigh gently. Her body jolted and she cried out, but she did not know wether it was pleasure or pain. She could not tell if she liked it or not. She laid back against the bed, her chest heaving as she took a few deep breaths. She could feel her nectar dripping from her womanhood after his bite. Her body must have liked it, though her brain did not understand why.
"You are already so excited, Anira…" He whispered gently as he shifted beneath her.
"Thorin, that's-" She stopped and cried out loudly, covering her mouth with her hands as she felt his tongue against her. He was sliding it up her womanhood, between her nether lips. She could not see him as his hair covered his face. She trembled, placing her hands on the back of his head as she felt his tongue trace up her womanhood. She moaned indignantly as she tried to squirm away from him. He held her legs more tightly and slid his hands to her womanhood, spreading her nether lips gently as he prodded her opening tenderly with his tongue. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his heat against her, but that was short lived. Thorin forced his tongue inside of her small entrance, flicking it around tenderly as he nosed against her clit, causing shivers of pleasure to course through her body, washing over her like waves upon the beach. He continued to move his tongue in and out of her, drawing her fluids from her with ease as she trembled and moaned beneath him.
"Th-thorin~" She moaned quietly as she moved her hips against him. "Please… Please stop teasing me… I want you… S-so badly~" She cried out, moaning again as she gripped the blankets beneath her. Her grip was so tight that her knuckles were turning white from the force.
"Are you sure…?" Thorin said, slightly breathless as he finally stopped. "I am kind of enjoying tormenting you like this…" He whispered quietly.
"I am sure, please!" She cried out loudly before she sat up. She leaned down and cupped his cheeks, kissing him roughly as she looked down at him. She could taste herself on his lips, but she did not mind. He still tasted like himself and she craved him more than anything now. He slid her legs from his shoulders as he stood up and kissed her back, tugging her closer to the edge of the bed. She could feel his hard, throbbing manhood between her legs as he pressed against her. She looked at him with a bright blush across her legs before she smiled. She had never trusted anyone like this and thought that she never would. Thorin was truly special to her and she was so lucky and grateful that he was the man she was going to give herself to.
"Is there any way you want to do this in particular…?" Thorin asked quietly as he stroked her cheek. "I do not want to hurt you…" He said gently before kissing her again.
"Lay down on the bed…" She instructed with a small smile. "I have an idea…" She said sweetly. He watched her nervously for a few moments before nodding. He quickly lifted his tunic off over his head and threw it aside before stepping out of his trousers. He got onto the bed and laid down with his head on one of the large, fluffy pillows at the end.
"What on earth are you planning?" He laughed quietly before closing his eyes.
"You will see." Anira said as she leaned over him, kissing him tenderly before she got on top of him, sitting upon his lap. She trembled, feeling his hard shaft against her womanhood. She blushed nervously and rocked her hips slightly, sliding his shaft between her wet nether lips before she placed her hands upon his hairy chest. She loved how it felt beneath her skin. She stroked his chest for a few moments, admiring how he looked. He was so muscular and every inch of him was covered with brown hair, with a few streaks of gray here and there. His age was one of those things that made him so attractive to her.
"I like looking up at you like this." He said quietly as he lifted his hands to her breasts, squeezing tenderly as he looked up at her. "I want to be able to see the looks on your face… I want to hear every little sound that you make…" He said gently, thrusting up against her. She cried out and scratched at his chest nervously as she leaned down, tenderly kissing him upon his lips.
"Just.. Be gentle, at least to start… I do not want to get hurt." She whispered quietly against his lips.
"I will do my very best, not to hurt you…" He said quietly as he smiled against her lips.
She nodded and nervously lifted herself on her knees. She grabbed his stiff shaft and nervously lined it up with her entrance. She closed her eyes and slowly began to lower herself down upon him. She let out a small cry of agony as he entered. Her body was trying to stretch to accept his size and it seemed to burn. She stopped moving as tears filled her eyes.
"It hurts, Thorin… It hurts a lot…" She whimpered quietly before she continued to lower herself down onto him. She could not feel it, but a small trickle of blood slowly slid from her entrance. Her innocence was now lost. She had given it to Thorin, and she did not want it any other way.
"I know… I.. I'm sorry…" Thorin said, moaning between his words. He felt guilty for hurting her, but it felt so good to him. He could not help that she was the only one in pain.
"Maybe… This…." She whimpered before forcefully pushing herself down onto him until her hips united with his. She cried out again before falling forward, resting against his chest as she trembled. She whimpered, petting his chest nervously as she held still.
"Are you alright..?" He asked quietly, trying so hard not to move his hips against her.
"I will be alright… I… It is already starting to hurt less.." She whispered quietly before she lifted herself up, trembling as she put her hands upon his chest again. She moaned quietly as she began to move herself on him, forcing him in and out of her. It was starting to feel good, making her whole body tremble each time it re-entered her. She panted nervously as she looked down at him. She could see the pleasure upon his face. He placed his hands on her hips so that he could thrust in time with her. He was going in as deeply as he could, and she cried out in pleasure each time he thrust. There was nothing better than the feeling of him inside of her. She could not understand why she had denied herself this for so long.
In an instant, Thorin was on top of her, thrusting into her harder than she was capable of doing on her own. She cried out loudly in pleasure as he pushed into her, rocking her entire body with each thrust. He leaned down and latched his mouth upon her right breast, sucking tenderly before biting down upon her stiff nipple. She cried out loudly and her body jolted against him. She could feel her pleasure building up inside of her, wanting to release.
"Th-thorin…" She whispered tenderly as she wrapped her arms around his neck, trembling. "I… I want to bear your children…" She said quietly as she buried her face against his neck.
"And you will…" He whispered quietly as he continued to thrust into her. "I promise." He said gently before he began to thrust into her even faster. She cried out again, throwing her head back, unable to control her sounds of pleasure. He thrust into her more and more quickly before suddenly he slowed to nearly a stop. She looked up at him nervously and he pushed into her once more.
That's when she felt him erupt inside of her, causing her own pleasure to finally release itself. She cried out as she was blinded by pleasure. She could see bright colors across her vision as her mind was completely lost within the sensation of him filling her with his hot, burning fluid. Her legs trembled around him and after a few moments, he collapsed upon her, breathing heavily. He kissed her neck repeatedly before slowly pulling himself out and laying beside her. He looked over at her and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand tenderly.
"We are bound to one another…" He whispered tenderly before closing his eyes. "No force on earth can tear us apart now…" He assured her.
"I hope you are right…" She said quietly as she curled against him, snuggling into his side. His skin was coated in sweat and was causing her own skin to stick to his. This was normally a sensation she did not much care for, but right now, it felt like the best thing on earth.
"I love you, Anira…" Her said gently as he wrapped his arm over her shoulder, kissing her tenderly upon the head.
"I love you too, Thorin…" She said softly, enjoying the feeling of his kiss before sleep quickly took her.
