I know I've spent awhile in Laketown already, but bear with me just a bit longer!
Glenn and Fili stopped in the dark hallway just outside the rooms provided for them by the Master of Laketown. The sounds of dwindling celebration could be heard below, though most of the company had decided to retire for the night.
"Good night." Glenn smiled, at the dwarf, who grinned back.
"What? You're leaving me?" he joked, pulling her close again.
"Oh behave yourself!" Glenn laughed, swatting him on the arm playfully. "You forget we aren't yet married."
"Yes, but we already have a child." He reminded her, touching her nose with his own.
"Spare me your desperate attempts!" she laughed, rolling her eyes. Fili left out a laugh as well.
"Well are they working?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Glenn considered this for a moment before shaking her head and stepping back.
"Sorry, I need to keep an eye on Tille and Adriana." She said, walking over to the room that she was going to share with the two she dwarves. "They act tough, but they're both still injured. Especially Tille."
"I know." Fili sighed, stepping close to Glenn again. "But this may be the last night we spend together…"
"Hey, don't talk that way!" the blonde woman reprimanded him. "You're going to go and kill that ugly dragon once and for all! And I'll be here and waiting when you come back."
"You have such faith." Fili laughed hollowly.
"And you need to have more." Glenn replied. "Now stop worrying and go get a good nights sleep." She gave him a gentle shove towards his own door. But she hesitated when Fili did not smile. "This is really bothering you isn't it?" Fili looked back at her.
"Aye." He nodded. Glenn frowned slightly.
"Fili…" she started, stepping forward. But no other words followed as they pulled each other close. Fili buried his face in her hair and Glenn laid her head upon his shoulder. She rubbed his back slowly as they stood in silence. The sounds of laughter drifted up through the floorboards from below. Slowly, they pulled apart and looked into each other's eyes. Fili smiled sadly at her. Glenn smiled back.
"Dwarves have a custom…" Fili began, brushing some loose strands behind Glenn's ear. "That often, a courting couple will braid each other's hair with a special braid to tell others that they are taken."
"If you're asking permission to braid my hair, the answer is yes." Glenn grinned at him. He grinned back. Another large round of laughter drifted from below.
"Here, it'll be quieter in the room and Kili hasn't come back yet." Fili began, turning to head toward the room he and his brother were sharing. Glenn pulled back slightly. Fili turned back to her. "I promise I will not do anything dishonorable." He looked her in the eye. She looked back at him hesitantly, and then drew a deep breath.
"Okay," she nodded. "I trust you." Fili smiled and led her into the small room. They sat down next to each other on one of the two small cots.
"Here, I'll go first." Fili said, positioning Glenn so that she was sideways to him. She took a deep breath as she felt the dwarf's calloused fingers brush her cheek slightly as he gathered some loose strands. The room was quiet, with only the faint sound of creaking from those downstairs. Fili's fingers moved with elegance through Glenn's lighter blonde hair. He stopped after awhile, pulled a clasp from a braid hidden deep in his hair and put it on the end of the new braid.
"There." He smiled, satisfied with his work. Glenn curiously pulled the braid around to see it. Her eyes grew wide as she saw the complex weavings of her hair.
"I have no idea how to do this." She admitted at last. Fili laughed.
"It's really simple." He promised moving slightly and offering a lock of his own hair. "Here, I'll help you." Glenn nodded in determination. Together they slowly pieced together the strands of Fili's own dirty blonde hair. Glenn insisted they start over several time as she kept messing up.
"Okay, okay I got it this time!" she nodded, eyebrows pinched together in determination. They both fell into silence as Glenn focused intensely on the lock of hair in front of her. Fili watched her work with soft eyes. A gentle smile upon his lips. At last, her brows unfurrowed and she smiled broadly.
"I did it!" she cried triumphantly. Fili chuckled and opened his palm to her. Another tiny clasp rolled in his hand. It was identical to the one in Glenn's own hair. She took the tiny clasp out of Fili's hand and fastened it to the end of his new braid. He, like Glenn had done, pulled the braid around to see it.
"Well done!" he congratulated her. "Most dwarrowdams take years of practice to learn this braid."
"I thought you said it was simple?" Glenn frowned slightly.
"It is in principle." Fili chuckled. Both sat back and gazed at each other.
"And we leave these in forever, right?" Glenn asked after awhile. Fili nodded. Glenn smiled, leaning her head on Fili's shoulder. Both sighed contentedly. "Whatever tomorrow may bring…"
"We'll face it bravely." Fili finished for her.
"Yeah." Glenn smiled.
"We're one short." Bilbo observed as the company loaded their supplies into the supplied by the people of Laketown. "Where's Bofur?" he looked around without a glimpse of the cheery dwarf.
"If he's not here then we leave him behind." Thorin said, handing another bundle to Dori in the boat.
"We have to." Balin sighed. "If we are to find the door by nightfall, we can have no more delays." The people gathered as the dwarves began filing into the boat. Glenn, Tille, and Oin watched them from a little distance. Fili spared another glance back at Glenn before he stepped onto the boat. She gave him a small encouraging smile. He nodded back and began to settle himself in. Kili followed behind but an arm stopped him. The dwarven archer looked at his uncle questioningly.
"Not you." Thorin shook his head. "We must travel with speed, you will slow us down." Kili laughed slightly, at his uncle's joke. But his smile fell as he saw the seriousness in Thorin's eyes.
"What are you talking about? I'm coming with you." Kili said.
"No." Thorin shook his head. Fili looked up at them in confusion.
"I'm going to be there when that door is opened. When we first look into the halls of our fathers, Thorin." Kili looked at his uncle in confusion and horror.
"Kili, stay here. Rest." Thorin implored. "Join us when you're healed." He patted his nephew on the shoulder before turning to board the boat himself. Kili watched his uncle, a look of betrayal on his face. Then Fili stood up and turned to their uncle.
"Uncle, we grew up on tales of the mountain. Tales you told us. You can't take that away from him!" Oin walked over to Kili, attempting to bring him back to where Glenn and Tille were standing, but he resisted.
"Fili." Thorin sighed.
"I will carry him if I must!" the blonde dwarf shouted.
"One day, you will most likely be king." Thorin began. Adriana glanced at them out of the corner of her eye, but said nothing. "And you will understand. I cannot risk the fate of this quest for the sake of one dwarf, not even my own kin." Fili looked between his uncle and brother then moved to leave the boat. "Fili, don't be a fool." Thorin growled, trying to stop him. "You belong with the company."
"I belong with my brother." Fili snapped back. "My brother and my fiancé and cousin."
"Do not let that woman cloud your judgment." Thorin hissed.
"And do not let this mountain cloud yours." Fili turned on him. "You are not yourself…" he looked the dwarf in front of him up and down. "I only hope that you will get over it once we reclaim our home." With that, he yanked his arm away from Thorin's grasp and climbed out of the boat. Kili looked up at him wide eyed as his older brother walked over to join the group staying behind.
"Fili, what's wrong?" Glenn asked, coming up to him. "Why aren't you and Kili boarding the boat?"
Fili frowned. "Thorin is making Kili stay behind."
"What?" Glenn scowled. "Why? I thought he recovered from the orc blade." Kili grimaced.
"Not quite…" the dark haired dwarf frowned. "I pushed myself trying to prove I was fine."
"His leg gave out while we were stealing weapons." Fili explained. "That's why we were discovered." Glenn turned to Kili questioningly.
"So you aren't okay?" she asked.
"I'm FINE!" the dwarf hissed. "It's a bit weak still, but healing nicely. But Thorin will hear nothing of it."
"It's the dragon sickness." Fili frowned.
"Dragon sickness?" Glenn looked to him in confusion.
"Aye," Tille growled from next to her. "My great grandfather succumbed to it. His greed for gold and gems drove him mad. But papa is not like that!" she hissed. "Right now he has to think like a king. Not an uncle… or a father." She muttered under her breath. Glenn frowned and rubbed the she dwarf's back sympathetically. The five of them watched as the boat took off from the dock and floated down through the canal, the people of Laketown cheering loudly on either side.
"Goodbye!" Dori called back to the small group. Then waved sadly until the dwarves were out of sight. Slowly, the crowd dispersed. A panting Bofur rushed past them, and stopped in the middle of the now almost empty pier. He glanced at the five dwarves remaining.
"Ah! So you missed the boat as well?" he asked chipperly. Kili frowned and opened his mouth to reply. But his words were cut off as Glenn gave out a loud cry.
"Glenn?" Fili turned to her in alarm, catching her as she began crumpling to the ground. "Glenn!"
"Lass, what is it?" Oin rushed to her side. "What's in pain?"
"The-the-" Glenn let out another loud cry.
"Glenn, what is it?" Fili said frantically trying to keep her up and calm her down at the same time. "You've got to tell me what's wrong!"
"It's-" she gasped. "It's coming."
"What is?" Kili looked around in surprise, expecting to get ambushed by something.
"The baby you idiot!" Tille huffed, smacking him on the back of the head. Fili's eyes grew wide.
"Now?" he breathed.
Glenn groaned through gritted teeth. "It doesn't seem to be the patient type!"
"What do we do?" Tille asked Oin, trying to let her panic not creep into her voice.
"We need to get her to a bed!" the old healer instructed. Bofur immediately began running up to anyone he saw, asking for help. But they all turned away.
"Why won't anyone help us?" Kili looked around as an elderly lady avoided Bofur resolutely.
"These double crossing-" Tille seethed.
"Come on!" Fili said, motioning his head forward. "There's still one person who will help us!"
^-^ Please review so I know I'm not just throwing theses into a black hole!