"I love real people, hard to come by, but when you find them, it's golden."
- Ed Sheeran
Big thanks to mystique999 for following this, I love you!
lovingthisbook – I'm glad you like her! There will be more Noly in the next chapter and some Thorin/Dis in future as well!
FiliandKili'sgirl18 – Wooo! Nothing horrible just yet, you'll have to wait if you want some. :)
Aranel Mereneth – I agree it will take them some time and they might need a bit of help. I'll try and mix Dis' personality up a bit in future as well
Sarah March – Kili may already be in love... although nothing's set in stone yet so I'm open for suggestions!
Goldrush
"Ah there you are..." Kili bounded down the corridors hastily tucking his shirt back into his trousers and rearranging his tunic. His smile dropped though when he saw the situation his brother was in.
Fili was stood in the middle of a dark corridor holding the limp body of Inca in his arms with her feet dragging on the floor and a clear look of confusion and panic spread across his face. He had not moved in fear of possibilities or hurting her and so had froze as soon as he caught her unconscious figure.
"... And how did this happen?" Kili asked hesitantly after taking in the picture and looking back up to his brothers worried eyes. "You kissed her didn't you!" The brunette suddenly broke a grin and went to clap his brother on the shoulder who in turn just glared at him.
"Well at least I wasn't doing the deed with that blonde of yours" he retorted back and Kili's teasing grin vanished into a pout.
"Hey! We were not doing the deed." He tried to say with certainty but his quivering face broke his cover. "We weren't, I swear! We were simply passing the time with other activities... Now back onto you."
"Well we had a small disagreement and she threatened to leave again so -"
"So you kissed her." Kili finished off the statement and his brother nodded guilty a flush of red tinting his cheeks.
"But then she fainted!" Fili added shaking Inca slightly to emphasise the point and Kili only laughed again.
"Come on, I'll get her some water."
Inca woke curled up in her bedsheets. She stretched out slightly curling her back like a cat with her eyes half closed. Suddenly they shot open and she jolted upright kicking the duvet away from her by accident. How she got into her room she didn't know. All she could remember was the kiss, the KISS! And the fact that she had a pounding headache and a clear hangover.
For half the day she gave up on 'living' and instead stayed in bed catching up on sleep and trying to nurse her groggy state back to normal. She wasn't alone with this endeavour as through the stone walls and wooden doors she could hear her siblings groaning in their similar morning nightmare.
Eventually with a final groan, Inca swung her legs over the side of the bed and staggered out of her room falling straight back down onto the sofa.
"And how are you this morning?" Sady said softly from her seat in the kitchen, sipping coffee to ease her own sleepy headache.
"Ugh." Was all Inca could say looking up at the ceiling, her fingers absentmindedly fiddling with themselves. "How did I get here? I can't remember anything."
"Well, after you kissed the Prince…" Sady's eyes sparkled with excitement and mischief and she grinned at her sister groaning at the memory and covering her eyes with her hand. "You left for about an hour or so? Something like that. Well anyway, me and Nols got bored of waiting for you so we went home then you fell through the door and we had to put you too bed."
Inca gave an embarrassed chuckle and when her sister joined in with her own small giggles they ended up bursting into laughter.
"Would you too keep it down!" Noly shouted through the walls only causing them to laugh harder and even though he was trying to hold a grudge they heard Noly join in as well. When the laughter finally died down and it returned to comfortable silence a grumble ran through Inca emanating from her stomach.
"What food have we got?"
"Not much, one of us will have to go to Dale tomorrow to grab everything we need to properly start living here." Inca sighed and got off the couch, the pounding in her head reducing as the afternoon passed.
"I'll go I guess." She said rubbing the back of her neck and stretching out again.
"Have fun walking all the way then." Sady replied with an innocent smile and returned to the book she had been reading – The Imperfect Fairytale.
Inca walked through Erebor towards the market, the only place that she actually knew directions too, and moved through the crowd towards the end of the large sloping room. At the end of the market was the stables and the main travelling entrance to the Mountain. She looked across the rides on display briefly and then walked into the small shop next to it.
"Excuse me? I was wondering if I could buy a horse?" She asked tentatively to an older dwarf currently burrowed in a book on his counter. He raised his head at the voice and peered through his glasses at her with a smile.
"Of course. What exactly are you looking for?" He asked her glad to have a customer.
"Well… I guess I'd like something with a bit of character? Quite athletic, young maybe a bit reckless?" She asked naming all the things she had loved about her previous steed, thinking about to good memories making her subconsciously smile.
"Well, I think we have just the horse for you." He smiled and stepped out from behind the counter and led Inca to a door leading to the main stables.
He walked her down a hallway with horses and ponies snorting and nuzzling at her as they passed them, some trying their hardest to get noticed by attempting to kick their stable door down. He stopped next to a door that seemed to be empty but at the arrival of a person a pastel sandy head popped out and gently nuzzled the man's face causing him to laugh.
The horse turned to look at Inca who was stood next to the shopkeeper and it seemed to bow its head acknowledging her with its rich dark eyes. The man smiled and raised his hand to scratch behind the horse's ear causing it to lean into his touch appreciatively. The sight of the animal's special characteristics and actions made Inca laugh under her breath and smile, reaching her own hand up to pat its neck.
"This is… well he doesn't really have a name." The man smiled at the horse who seemed to smile back with his eyes. "He's five years old and once you gain his trust he will be loyal to a fault. He's extremely smart, stupidly brave and can get defensive. One of the fastest and most resilient horses I've ever come across, would run forever if he could. So he fits your bill perfectly."
Inca smiled at the success and gently stroked down the horses nose letting it sniff at her hand, but then a questioning frown came across her face.
"He seems perfect. So why hasn't he already been bought?" She asked with a furrowed brow tilting her head at the man whose hopeful smile faded and he shuffled his feet around hoping to have brushed over the horses flaws.
"Well he's also very stubborn. If he doesn't want to do it he won't. He's also quite picky about who he trusts. Previous people who have been interested in him have not had the same feeling from him. I guess he's got a wild side that people don't like. Nowadays people want rides that are obedient and do what you want them too, he… has more character I guess." The man sighed thinking he had blown the possibility of selling a horse but Inca only laughed lightly and continued to caress the horse who wriggled under her hand in joy.
"He sounds perfect for me then – well that is if he'll have me." She added hesitantly not wanting to get her hopes up just to have the animal knock them down.
"Well he seems to have taken a shine to you at the moment. You can take him out for a test ride if you want." Inca nodded enthusiastically at the man's suggestion. But his eyes flicked past her shoulder briefly and he stepped into the middle of the hall and into a bow. "Ah Prince Kili, how good it is to see you."
Inca flicked her head around at lightning speed to see the cheeky grin on the brunettes face and she groaned internally, hoping the confrontation wouldn't last long.
"Good to see you too, and please, just Kili." He smiled and briefly embraced the older man. "Hi Inca, don't go fainting on me."
"How did you –" She asked surprised that he knew of that. She had only remembered bits of the night before but had managed to piece them together in her head to get a pretty good idea of what had happened.
"Well you didn't think you got home alone now did you?" He teased his eyes lighting up. "Now, is it alright if I take Minty out?"
"Of course, in fact this young lady was just about to take a horse out for a ride herself, maybe you could accompany each other." Inca wanted to say no but thought better of it and instead stayed silent.
"Yeah why not?" Inca internally curled up into a ball but on the outside slowly nodded as to not be rude.
"Well I will get your new horse ready then Miss Inca."
"How was he Miss Inca?" The man asked when she skid off the saddle and walked the horse forward with an easy smile on her face. Her free hand was resting on the horse's nose gently running lines up and down its light gold face.
"He was amazing. I'd like to buy him if you don't mind." She replied happily handing the horses rains to the man. The ride with Kili had been refreshing and she had enjoyed catching up with him. Unlike with his brother, the conversation flowed easily like their friendship had never broken and she felt completely at ease with him laughter chiming along with the banter.
"Well that's wonderful, you've made a friend for life in him." He grinned gently rubbing the horses neck. "Have you thought of a name?"
"I was thinking of something like Goldrush."
"A lovely name, it suits him perfectly."
After they had exchanged money and Inca had said goodbye to Goldrush her and Kili walked back through Erebor, still chatting away.
"So will you think about what I said?" Kili asked raising an eyebrow and looking at Inca whilst they walked along the stone corridors, grinning to people as they passed.
"No." Inca replied rather bluntly but with a smile.
"Why not?" he tilted his head, eyebrows furrowing but with an inquisitive smirk on his face anyway, not allowing himself to be fully concerned as he knew she would do what he said she would.
"Because I don't- I can't love him." She tried to explain sighing and flopping her hands down to her sides. She looked at the prince who said nothing but was clearly confused and wanting a more detailed explanation. "He's a prince for crying out loud! One day he'll be King and he'll need someone more than me, he'll need a Queen."
"But you're descendants of Royal blood."
"Lost descendants and with human blood in us. Frankly it's remarkable that Thorin let you get so close to us." Inca sighed again rubbing her nose slightly. "I can't love him Kili, and he needs to understand that he can't love me. Don't you have a meeting to go to?"
Kili's mouth fell open when he realised how long he had been out. "Oh shit. I'll see you later! Think about it!" He called whilst running away from her down the corridors and disappearing down a flight of stairs. Inca was just about to turn around and walk back down the corridor when the Prince appeared again.
"Will you be competing in next week's games?" He called between pants.
"Yes!" She shouted back and his face lit up with a brief smile before he ran off again.
"I'll see you then! And don't forget what I said!"
"Am I late?" Kili burst through the door and ran to the empty seat of the council with everyone eyeing him. He sat bubbling flicking his gaze around at everyone else's with a confused expression until it landed on Fili who was struggling to hold it together.
"We were just finishing." Thorin spoke flatly, his voice monotone and empty of emotion. His eyebrow raised at his youngest nephew in curiosity. "Where were yo?"
"I went for a ride and caught up with an old friend." Kili explained hastily glancing at his brother briefly and Thorin sighed in dramatic exasperation.
"Well we've finished for today. Thank you for your council, I look forward to our next meeting." Thorin announced and they began to stand and walk out of the room. When everyone else had left he turned back to his nephews and fixed them with a stern gaze.
"I understand that you may want to spend time with them, in fact I expect it. But what I do not expect is that you will forget your duties." He said gruffly and they nodded their heads. His steely face soon broke though into a small smile.
"Although your suggestions are normally irrelevant to the subject matter, they make me laugh and I'd like you to attend these meetings as frankly without you two they'd be extremely dull."
They exchanged a small chuckle between them and slowly began to stand up. "We'll make sure we're always here Thorin." Fili said with a small smile.
"Uncle." The King corrected reflecting the smirk.
"Uncle." They reiterated.
Sorry there wasn't much Fili in this one I just wanted to, well i don't really know what was up with this chapter so sorry it was a bit of a filler. Let me know what you thought anyway though because I love reading your reviews! Thank's for reading!