striving for a chapter a day now. End of the chapter will leave the story after spring.

Also, fixed chapter 2 because I realized I never actually introduced thorin to lapis.

Ch 10 Through the Snow

That night, Lapis fell into her hibernation slumber after Thorin sat with her for a bit after their bath. He was going to get no sleep that night anyway, maybe a few hours before sunrise. Thorin left her curled up in her dragon form on her little nest of treasures and nature, reluctant to leave. It took time to climb the tunnel, then to walk up to his rooms where he laid in his bed in fitful sleep for the next two hours when his father came in to wake him.

"Thorin, time to rise."

He cracked one eye open and groaned, turning over in protest. He didn't want to do anything that day knowing his One would be sleeping for months and he wouldn't be able to speak to her.

"Thorin." The voice was closer and a heavy hand grasped his shoulder.

"Father." Frerin's voice came from the doorway, the best Thorin could figure, and he heard his father shift. "I'm not sure he is feeling well, he was tossing around when Dis woke me last night. I was going to have him help me, but he was moaning."

Thorin huddle under his blanket further, wondering why Frerin was lying for him. The hand that was still on him shook his body lightly.

"Son, can you wake up?"

"No." The word came out raspy. He needed a drink.

"Are you ill, does the healer need to stop by and look at you?" Worry was evident in Thrain's tone.

"No, sleep. Just sleep."

The hand left him after squeezing the limb in comfort. "Frerin, get dressed. I need you to accompany me today."

"Yes father."

Heavy steps fell and the door shut, queuing Thorin to lift his head. Frerin was still in the room, looking at him in question.

"What is wrong with you, other than not getting enough sleep."

Thorin rolled over to see his brother better, "She's going to sleep through the heavy snow fall. I don't know how long she is going to hibernate for the winter."

"Ah." His brother came closer, "You are going to owe me, I don't know what I'm covering for you today."

"Nobles from the Iron Hills, Náin will be here." He paused and looked at Frerin. "Why did you lie for me?"

"Would you prefer I told him the truth." Silence. "Thought not. Get some sleep and don't mope around for the next however many weeks, father will know something is wrong." He turned on his heel and walked away, stopping with his hand on the door. "Why are we getting visitors so late in the season?"

"Something to do with the King, hopefully they won't be staying."

"Yeah, that might hurt your love life."

Thorin groaned again and pulled his covers over his head.

Náin and his company didn't stay longer than a week, heading out when the snow stopped falling; determined not to stay any longer. Thorin was only in bed for that first day, thanks to Frerin, and resumed his duties as Heir to Erebor. Apparently, his brother realized his duties called for a lot more than just standing around with their father. It also resulted in Thrain realizing Frerin needed the same lessons Thorin had gone through and so he was now stuck in the library with the same tutor. The glare leveled at Thorin when their father had announced his decision was strong and he gave a look back that said his feelings, his younger brother had gotten out of much in his life and now was answering for it.

It was harder to sneak out at night now, almost as if Thrain knew that he wasn't in bed at night. There were random guards wandering around the royal halls and make sneaking away so much more difficult. It wasn't until three weeks after he had last seen her did he have an opportunity to sneak away and see her. It was a declared holiday, the Winter Solstice, and no one would be working; only celebrating the shortest day of the year. He went to the kitchens first, grabbing a large satchel of food behind the cooks as they worked, then to the armory; stopping along the way to talk to different dwarves so they could tell his father that he had been seen that day. Adjusting the bag of bag alongside the other he had filled with trinkets, he slipped behind the shields and under the tapestry into the tunnel.

He had snagged a small lamp from the mines a few days ago when he had finished the necklace for Dis under the watchful eye of the head blacksmith, Bron. His sister had been beyond delighted at the delicate piece of jewelry and hadn't taken it off since. Lighting the lamp with the flint in his pocket, Thorin started the journey down to Lapis carefully. The downgrade of the path wasn't terrible, but he didn't want to stumble and end up passing out where no one knew to find him. His mind was so vested in seeing his One, the time flew by and Thorin blinked in surprise as he entered her cave. The light bounced off her scales and jewels, lighting the room up further.

How he had missed her, the feeling of loneliness crashed upon him ten-fold and he dropped the bags by her nest and laid his cheek upon her, feeling the slow heartbeat. How he was going to survive months of this was a terrible thought. She was surprisingly warm and Thorin settled down on the nest and rested his body against hers, sleep already crowding his mind although it was early in the day. Three weeks of only sleeping a few hours a night had taken a toll on him and his eyes slid close.

It had become routine, although an irregular one, that for one full day Thorin would sneak away with food for him and trinkets for Lapis. Her cave was filling up with things from the world of men and dwarves, ranging from jewelry to clothes to a mirror. He had wanted to bring her new flowers for her nest but the winter had made that impossible. For three months this went on, totaling nine visits in all; ones where he would do nothing but sleep against his One. It was on his visit during the Spring Solstice, a day his father had given him off, that she woke up.

While he was sleeping on her.

After over four months of sleeping, no one would be blamed for relishing in a long stretch. In her case, shifting as she stretched her limbs, rolling onto her back. A yelp escaped her when a heavy body fell and covered hers when once she was human again and a moan met her ears. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times, her sight adjusting after sleeping so long.

"What are you doing?"

It wasn't a shout, but merely a question for her curiosity. In the decades passed, she had never had someone there when she woke. The warm weight felt nice on her if maybe a little heavy. Looking at the dark head of the dwarf who claimed she was his and wondered how many times he had come down here. And if he always slept next to her. She tugged a few locks of his hair.

"Thorin?"

The name felt strange on her tongue, as if it didn't suit him for her. Previously, months ago when she tried to lay with him, she had called him a name, but it didn't feel like one that should be used everytime when she needed to get his attention. Like now. Lapis tried to roll him over to the side but her actions resulted in his arms wrapping around her and his nose going against her neck. He didn't seem like he was going anywhere now and she needed to leave her nest to complete her usual after winter routine.

Feeling the edge of her nest mound with her hand, Lapis rolled them off the side and sid down the jewels on Thorin's back. That woke him up and his eyes popped open, the blue orbs looking around frantically and his arms tightened around her further.

"Are you awake now?"

Thorin's eyes snapped to her face even though he couldn't see her. "Bunmel, you're awake."

The relief in his voice confused her, she had said she would be awake after the snow. "Of course I am what are you doing down here? It's just after sundown."

"It is? How do you know?"

He still hadn't released her but his arms did loosed and one hand was wrapped in her hair while the other was stroking her back, threatening purring growls to come out that came with the sensations she was feeling. "I can feel the movement in the mountain, smell the outside, feel the cold setting in once more. I need to go outside soon, could you release me?"

"It's too early for you to go out." Nevertheless, Thorin let his arms drop.

"I wont fo rout for a few more hours, did you have a torch to light? I know you can't see."

It was true, but thorn had stopped lighting the lamp after his fourth visit since he memorized the way down and layout of her cave. He still brought it with him though. When she rolled off him, he instantly felt the loss and almost jumped away when she set the arm of a torch in his hands. He fumbled around his pocket for the extra flint and struck up sparks until the oiled rag caught flame. Holding it up, Thorin found her eyes immediately and was lost to the liquid gold color. Dear Mahal, how he had missed looking into those unique eyes. Reaching a hand out, he stroked a hand down her cheek, chin, then down her neck. The skin beneath his fingers was unbelievably soft.

"I miss hearing your voice, seeing your eyes, touching you..."

"You seemed to be on me fine while I slept."

Thorin shook his head. "No, not like that." Lapis cocked her head in question and Thorin let the torch drop to the ground before dragging her forward by one hand at her waist and the other on her nape, meeting her halfway to devour her lips in a kiss.

Here we are, I'll try and keep up with the story. Much love, please drop a review to let me know what you thought. Thanks for reading.