A proposition.

Fíli felt the dormant nausea inside him stir at the words. Ever since they had the misfortune to end up at that farm they have been forced to endure horrific things at the hands of one man – and now another has managed to get his claws on them.

Fíli's thoughts flashed back to a time many years ago; he and Kíli were playing in a garden. He could not remember which garden or exactly where, but the memory was altogether vivid and compelling. Armed with stick-swords and handfuls of mud, they took turns at being the dwarf-warrior and the other the monster being slain. Sometimes the monster was a dragon – but dragons could fly and definitely wouldn't be fighting with a sword. So the monster took on the shape of something else – smaller, but every bit as cruel and hateful as a dragon… and now, curled up on the floor of his man-made prison with this monster's hand on him, Fíli didn't even have a stick to defend himself with.

"See?" Wharin's surprisingly calm voice jarred him back to the present and at the same time he felt the man's hand leave his ankle. Fíli quickly drew his leg closer to himself and when no other touch was forthcoming, he snuck an apprehensive peek at the man.

The man was sitting back on his heels now, his hands open and placating at his sides, showing them bereft of weapons. "I'm not going to hurt you," he said steadily. "Or touch you…"

Kíli was still shouting, grunting and cursing from the other room, so Fíli doubted that his brother could hear the man's words. Not trusting those words one bit due to past experiences with men and the current unbalance of power, Fíli could only ask, "Why?"

"I will help you," was the man's reply and with the same steady motion, the man unhooked a small pouch from his bag and held it out in front of him. When Fíli didn't respond, he slowly placed it at the dwarf's feet. "A token of good will," Wharin explained.

With eyes never leaving the man's face, Fíli leaned over to inspect the little pouch. Upon releasing the drawstring, Fíli almost didn't need to see inside to know what it was since he recognized the distinctive smell instantly.

"Herbs for the pain," Wharin explained anyway. 'Yes, the rare and expensive sort too…' Fíli added silently.

"I know you must have need for it in here…sometimes…" Wharin let the sentence hang, seemingly certain that Fíli would know the implication. He did of course.

Kíli's shouts from the next room had quieted down a little.

Carefully placing the valuable bag back down, Fíli drew a deep breath and asked the inevitable question.

"What do you want?" Fíli had to put conscious effort into keeping his voice steady. Surely the man must know how little they had left to give at that point.

Wharin let out a small breath of relief, his shoulders relaxed and he smiled a little. Apparently he was confident that he had succeeded in snapping the dwarf out of his panicked frenzy.

"In exchange for my help in getting you out of here – your trust," Wharin answered; his voice was a little more animated now, friendlier. "And your cooperation, of course."

Upon Fíli's blank stare, the man sighed and shifted his weight to cross his legs beneath him. There was several seconds of pregnant silence before he spoke again, this time at eye-level with the dwarf. This time his voice was grave, serious and almost a bit hesitant.

"I suppose I need to tell you something first – and I need you to listen carefully." Fíli gave a curt nod and the man continued. "Mae is my younger sister - by my father, that is," he began.

Fíli was confused at where this seemingly random story was going to go, but only for a moment. "She married Kerán when she was just seventeen years old. She didn't want to." Fíli immediately recalled the portrait of the young woman with the long hair in Kerán's house and was surprised at the sudden feeling of kinship toward this woman who was apparently also an unwilling guest.

"Her mother made her marry him after my father died – for his wealth and land, of course. She didn't want to." With Wharin repeating that last sentence, Fíli could hear the sadness and regret in his voice.

"You must have heard about her by now…" Wharin looked at Fíli questioningly, prompting the dwarf to nod hesitantly. They had never heard her name before now, but sure enough the ghost of this woman was haunting Kerán's mind. Fíli shuddered at the memory of Kerán caressing his brother's hair that one terrible night not too long ago.

"I think everyone knew that Mae wasn't exactly happy with Kerán, but she was content at least, I think. And I'm sure he did love her in his own way – he took good care of her – had gifts sent for her from town regularly and gave her flowers nearly every day. Fifteen years ago, Mae's mother died a rich woman and later that year was when the rumours in town began." Wharin looked up, perhaps making sure that Fíli was still listening, before dropping his gaze to his hands again.

"Folk in town were saying that they were seeing Mae around town during the night. Everyone knew that Kerán forbade her from leaving the farm." He stopped for a moment, now picking at a piece of straw on the floor. "They… they said there was… someone with her… that they were holding hands…and…" Wharin stopped and drew a hitching breath. "It wasn't long before the rumours reached Kerán…" Fíli knew the next sentence even before the man spoke it. "He was furious."

Fíli could well imagine what happened next.

"I remember the healer in town telling me how he had gotten to her just in time … how she had almost died from her 'horse-riding injuries'." He said the last bit with a sharp bite of sarcasm.

Kíli had gone silent now, perhaps he was now listening too.

"For another couple of years everything seemed fine. Good even. When the news reached town that Mae was with child, Kerán was overjoyed." He paused and smiled as if at a sad, but fond memory. "Mae too. He brought her to town a few times thereafter, showing her off. He even gave away carriage-loads of fresh vegetables to the people of Bree. He had a special lambskin coat made for her by the finest tailor and had the best healer visit her once a week."

The expression on Wharin's face changed to something darker. "Until the time came when the babe was due." He was sniffing away a small sob at this stage, and Fíli could almost feel a tinge of sympathy for this man.

"The midwife never made it back to town that evening. They found her bloodstained clothes just outside town – attacked by a pack of wolves during the night," Wharin said with great reverence and Fíli immediately understood.

"It was weeks later when Kerán came into town, looking haggard to say the least, only to tell how his wife and child had died the night of the birth due to… complications." Wharin scoffed, "Of course, I knew it wasn't true."

Fíli watched the man in front of him, now seeming so vulnerable and finally asked, "How did you know?"

Wharin looked at him, eyes tearing at the edges. "Mae had confined in me during the months leading up to the birth. She told me that she had never stopped seeing her lover from years before… how he came to the farmhouse during the day to visit her when Kerán was out with the workers in the fields."

The pieces of the puzzle finally coming together in Fíli's mind, he asked, "He killed her because the child wasn't his?"

"Yes. Partly that, and partly because of what the child was."

Fíli frowned, "What do you mean? What was wrong with it?"

Wharin did not answer. Instead he stared at Fíli meaningfully and raised his eyebrows at him. Finally, Fíli understood.

"The child's father was a dwarf, wasn't he?"

Wharin nodded, "Yes. And not only that - he was a dwarf lord. Splendidly wealthy too, and they had been planning to elope after the baby was born. " Wharin sighed, for eight years they had kept their love a secret, and when it mattered most, he was too late to save her."

It all made a lot more sense to Fíli now - why Kerán hated dwarves so much and his strange fascination with Kíli who apparently somewhat resembles his wife. He probably thought he was taking revenge on the dwarf who made him angry enough to kill his wife, but instead is now confused when a dwarf actually stirs up old feelings inside of him.

"Kerán withdrew from town after that, he barely has any friends left accept for me. He was my sister's husband after all and he saved me from trouble a couple of times when I was younger. But he never talks about my sister or how she died. I knew he was keeping dwarves here against their will and still I did nothing. But I can take it no longer. He barely lets me in the house after Mae's death and I know he is hiding something."

Wharin suddenly straightened up, the sadness in his eyes now replaced with determination. "That is why I need your help," Wharin said. "I need to find out what really happened to her, how she died and where she is buried. I feel that my soul would not rest until I learn this."

Fíli hesitated. He knew this was where the pivotal moment of the proposition Wharin was trying to make. "What exactly do you need us to do?"

"Find out what happened that night and where my sister is now. He won't share his secrets with me, but he might tell you since he intends to kill you as well, eventually." Fíli winced at Wharin's words and matter-of-fact tone.

"How do we do that? You know how Kerán is – he would just as well beat us before doing us any favours."

"I do know him," Wharin replied. "I know how dangerous he is. I also know that he has never spoken about any person, much less a dwarf, the way he speaks about you and your brother. I am sure you can find a way to the truth if you… play to your strengths."

Fíli felt his throat tighten. "Strenghts?"

"Obey him, flatter him. Gain his trust and affection," Wharin answered. "Kerán is many things but foremost he is lonely."

Fíli gulped, he couldn't think of a way he could betray himself that way or how Kíli, who has already suffered so much, could do it. "And…" Fíli took a deep breath. "In return?"

"Once I learn the truth about my sister, I will set you free. I will give you what you need and more for your journey home – wherever that might be."

"And Kerán?"

"I will make him pay for what he did. I will take him to the site of my sister's gave and spill his blood there. And after, I will take this farm as my own and make sure no evil comes from here ever again."

After his ambitious speech, Wharin extended a hand toward Fíli, "Are we in agreement?"

"How do I know you will keep your word?" Fíli dared to ask, eyeing Wharin's hand sceptically.

"Because I don't want any more suffering on my sister's part. I want her spirit to be at peace," Wharin answered simply. "And also I can assure you that you have no other choice."

Fíli knew he only had a moment to decide, but when he too lifted his hand to shake that of the man in front of him, he knew he had made the only decision he could. He was choosing to survive.

With that done the man stood up and craned his neck to look at the door nervously. "He should be back any minute now. It would be in both our interests if you act like what happened here was what you initially expected, alright?"

Fíli nodded, "Yes, I will."

Wharin smiled politely and turned to leave, poking his head back through the doorway to say, "I need not remind you that you only have until springtime. After that, I can do nothing for you." And with those dooming words, he was gone.

Fíli heard Kíli call his name from the other room and he suddenly felt very tired. He forced himself onto his legs and steadied himself against the wall, his head swimming with thoughts.

The most urgent thought was of wanting to hold that jewel again, which was still safely hidden beneath the floor stones. That beautiful, perfect, precious jewel that would make him feel better and give him strength to carry on with what must be done. Holding that jewel made him feel important, special and most of all, strong. He had to hold it, even if only for a while. He needed it.

But he couldn't do that right now because Kíli was still tied up and complaining about it.

'But with Kíli out of the way he could hold the jewel in private for a couple of minutes,' some part of his mind reasoned. Momentarily shocked by his own thoughts, Fíli shook his head, silently blaming the lack of fresh air in their prison for his insane thoughts. He bent down and pocketed the pouch of herbs Wharin had given them.

Of course he will untie Kíli first; his poor brother must be frightened.

-000-

TBC

Next chapter: Devotion