Author Notes: I'm really glad that I'm interspersing the flashback chapters with the present-day ones. I really needed to write this after I was so mean to Fili in the last chapter!

Mani is the Viking God of the moon (the Vikings have a moon-God and a sun-Goddess, instead of the other way around)

Âzyungâl = Khuzdul for "lover"

Chapter 11:

Outside Mirkwood

while still on the quest, the day after Beorn's house ...

When the Company had reached Mirkwood and turned Beorn's ponies loose, it was only an hour or so before dark. On Gandalf's advice (before he galloped off again doing whatever wizard business it is that wizards do), they decided that it would be safer to attempt to cross the forest during the daytime. So camp was made, much to the relief of everyone. No one was looking forward to entering the Woodland Realm, but doubly so at night. Thorin assigned Fili first watch and Moira last watch, an obvious attempt to keep them apart. So when Bofur shook her awake, she automatically reached for her sword, thinking they were under attack.

"No, lass, nothing's wrong. Shh, don't wake Thorin."

"Wha?" Moira was still not quite awake. "Then why are you up? It's Fili's watch."

"Not anymore." Bofur grinned at her mischievously. "I took it for him."

Moira thought she was catching on. "And?"

"And Ori is taking the last watch for you. Kili has middle watch, so he won't tell." Bofur was grinning. Oh boy. Thorin has his work cut out for him.

Moira looked around the camp and saw that Fili was nowhere in sight. "Does that mean …." her question drifted off.

"Yup. He's back there," Bofur jerked his thumb over his shoulder, "a good distance away." At that he winked, and Moira cursed herself for not being able to control the blush that crept over her face. She was Viking, Godsdammit. Vikings shouldn't blush. She looked up at the sky, noting that the moon was quite high. It was already late.

"Sorry I took so long to wake you lass, but I had to make sure Thorin was asleep for this to work." She nodded mutely. The whole Company knew about the king-in-exile's insomnia.

"Bofur, why are you doing this? Defying Thorin?"

"I guess I've always been a romantic at heart, lass."

Oh sweet Gods of Asgard, this is a terrible, terrible idea.

"Bofur?"

"Yes, lass?"

"Do you think Fili and I really have a chance?" Moira's voice was soft. When she saw the confused look on the kindly Dwarf's face, she clarified. "With him being a prince, I mean." She didn't say more. Bofur was a miner from a lower-class Dwarven family who had joined the Company as much to seek his fortune as out of loyalty to Thorin. She knew he understood her concerns. He smiled softly and patted her shoulder.

"Like I said, I've always been a romantic. And I ca' see the way he looks at you, and the way you look at him. I'd have ta be blind not to."

Moira nodded, and then, slowly, the rational part of her mind protesting, stood up and rolled her bedroll up. Facing down Azog had made everything so real, made her realize how close to death she was. Death may not be the end of her existence, but it would mean the end of being in Middle-Earth, and of any chance of ever being with Fili. After the escape on the eagles and still having to run, AGAIN, she had finally given in to what she wanted. To Fili. Now the whole Company knew. She should be more embarrassed about that, but somehow, she wasn't. Thorin was trying to keep them apart, and apparently the rest of the Company was conspiring to keep them together. Or, at least Bofur, Kili, and Ori were.

Suddenly she was nervous. She looked down at herself. Her clothes were dirty and there was a tear was on the left side of her tunic that she had not had time to repair yet. She ran her fingers through her dark hair, finding it was a tangled mess. Dammit, I should have kept cutting it. None of that had mattered last night, but last night hadn't been planned.

"Bofur, do I look okay?"

He chuckled. "You look ravishing, darling, and I'm sure Fili will agree."

She lifted her arms. "Do I smell?" She asked worriedly. Her clothes hadn't been washed in weeks. Then again, neither had any of the other members of the Company.

This is stupid. I already slept with him. Moira thought to herself, but she couldn't help it.

Bofur full out laughed now. "Yer fine, lassie. Yer beautiful, ya clothes are fine, you smell better than a rose, and he won't care about yer hair. Well, he might care about the hair, but I'm sure he'll brush and braid it for ya." He winked at her again. "Lass, go to him."

She wasn't sure if she could manage to say anything, so she just nodded. She belted her sword around her waist (just in case), and carried her bedroll under her arm. She left her pack in camp, and trudged into the blackness beyond, heading in the direction Bofur had indicated. After she had gone a good distance, the light of the camp fire retreating behind her, she began to regret not taking a torch with her. The moon was full, thankfully, and Mani's light gave her enough illumination to know where to put her feet without tripping. She glanced up at the moon's face and sent up a silent prayer of thanks. She came to some scrubby bushes (there were no trees this close to the cursed forest that were not a part of Mirkwood), and walked carefully past them. They wanted privacy, but not to be too close to that accursed forest. She found a little clearing, surrounded on three sides by scraggly shrub-like bushes almost as tall as her. Several of them were Fili's height.

Fili. Fili was in the middle of the clearing, where he had set up his bedroll and some extra blankets – where did he get extra blankets? – next to an unusually large rock, which he had set a few candles on top of to burn. He didn't see her at first, giving Moira a moment to admire him. The moonlight made his golden hair gleam a creamy color, like warm butter. Gods she loved his beautiful hair. He was fussing over the bedding right now, trying to fluff the blankets up and make them soft enough, she assumed. The action remind Moira of Bilbo, and the thought caused a laugh to raise in her throat. The noise caught his attention, and he turned to look at her, his unbelievable blue eyes lighting up at seeing her.

"Hi." was all she could say.

He grinned at her, a smile wider and brighter than usual, an expression of pure joy at seeing her there. "Good evening, fair maiden."

Moira was at war with herself. The rational part of her was yelling at her for her foolishness, the part that was still Viking told her to throw him down and take him right there, the part that feared being hurt again wanted to bolt and run far, far, away, and the girlish part, the part that Fili awakened in her so easily, that made her feel young and almost carefree again, was just afraid of disappointing him. The internal battle led to her just standing there awkwardly, bedroll tucked under her arm, chewing her lip in nervousness.

Fili noticed, and he made his way over to her slowly. Moira didn't bolt, like she would have a while ago. When he reached her, Fili took her free hand gently in his and raised it to his lips, his sparkling blue eyes never leaving hers. "Thank you for coming," He murmured earnestly, just before placing a gentle kiss to her knuckles. Oh, Odin help me, I want this. I want him.

She didn't fight him when he stretched upwards to kiss her, long and slow, his tongue darting between her lips teasingly and then retreating. He tasted of coffee and wood smoke, a taste she hadn't remembered from their kiss in Rivendell. She made up her mind and kissed him back, bending over a little to make it easier, and dropping the bedroll to fling both of her arms around his neck as she did so. He chuckled into her mouth at that, continuing to kiss her.

When he finally pulled away, she was breathless. His eyes were dancing, and she smiled down at him. "I needed that." She whispered.

"You'll get far more tonight," he promised her, bending down to pick up her bedroll for her. Placing his hand on her elbow, he guided her to a makeshift bed he had made. He opened her bedroll and laid it down on top of the other blankets he had brought. There were a few candles burning on the top of the rock that would serve as their headboard tonight, but with the full moon the clearing was more than illuminated anyway. Moira unbuckled her belt, dropping the sword beside their camp bed, and took off her leather boots.

Before she could change her mind, she sat down on the bed and pulled Fili along with her. She drew him into another searing kiss, and moved to lay down, but was surprised when he pulled away, shaking his head. Still holding her hand, he was grinning wickedly as he placed his back against the rock and pulled her into his lap, her legs flung across him in a position reminiscent of riding side-saddle.

"Last night was far too fast," He murmured into her ear, biting her earlobe. "Tonight, I want to go slow," he moved his mouth to the spot below her ear, kissing there gently, "savor every moment." He nipped her neck suddenly, drawing a yelp from Moira and making her squirm in his lap. He chuckled, the rumbling sound making a heat spread between her legs. He kissed her again, one large hand on the small of her back, the other caressing her legs through her leggings, running up and down slowly. His lips worked on hers, his short beard scratching her face wonderfully, while his hands left trails of fire all over her body. Moira was grasping Fili's neck as she kissed him back passionately, holding his full lips to hers as their tongues battled for dominance.

Eventually Fili's hands went to her gray tunic. She lifted her arms to help him, and he slipped it off of her easily, leaving her in the form-fitting green bodice she wore beneath. The laces at the front were already partially undone, revealing some of the cleavage beneath, and his eyes took it all in greedily. He started to kiss his way down her neck, nipping, licking, and sucking as he went. Everything he did to her ripped moans from her lips and caused her to squirm in his lap, rubbing her ass against his growing hardness. His lips were so warm, putting off that signature dwarven heat; his beard scratched and prickled her over-sensitive flesh deliciously; those magnificent braided mustache braids tickling and the cool beads cooling her skin. When he finally got to the laces of her bodice, he planted a kiss between her cleavage, tongue darting out to lick the spot, and then veered back up. When Moira mewled in disappointment, he just chuckled again and continued with his torturous journey.

His hands were holding her around the waist now, and Moira had noticed his breath hitch when she squirmed. If he was gonna torture her, she would do the same to him. When he got up to her collarbone and ran his tongue along it, she gasped and buried her hands in his golden hair, pulling slightly as she squirmed a little harder than she had to. He growled, and bit down again, sucking hard this time, wanting to mark her as his. "F-Fili," The moan that came from her was so wanton, so full of need, that Fili couldn't help but groan in response. He claimed her lips again, hungrily this time, insistently. Her lips parted instantly for him, and he eagerly took the invitation, slipping his tongue inside to explore her mouth. As her tongue met his, her hands left his hair and slid down his neck to slide under his coat. She wanted to touch his skin, but was frustrated to find layer after layer of clothes.

"Fili," she pleaded, tugging at his fur coat, "too many layers!"

He laughed at her, a throaty chuckle. "My, my, somebody's eager!"

She glared at him. "You've been teasing me for months, what do you expect?"

"You could've given in sooner."

She glared for a moment, before resorting to pleading. "Please, Fili. I need to see you."
He chuckled again. "When you put it like that, how can I refuse?" He easily picked her up, both hands holding either side of her buttocks for a moment as he moved her to be the one with her back against the rock. Rolling onto his knees, he hovered over her for a moment, placing another kiss on her mouth, nibbling her lower lip for a moment, before he drew back. A small pile of weapons started to grow next to the bed, since they were stashed everywhere in his clothing. Moira looked at the pile in amusement. She thought she counted five daggers, plus the two throwing axes from his boots, and he was still pulling them out! Plus his twin swords, with lay on the side of their makeshift bed.

"Do you really need so many weapons? You're a one-Dwarf walking arsenal." He chuckled, seemingly pleased by that statement.

"You know, if I hadn't already slept with you, I might think you were over-compensating for something."

Fili slapped her leg with one of his fingerless leather gloves, frowning a mock-frown at her and trying to look serious, but his eyes were sparkling. Still on his knees, his smoldering blue eyes on hers, he started to strip, tortuously slow. The large fur coat was first thing to go. Under that was his large tunic, which needed to cover the chain-mail and wool shirt under it. Finally, a thin white linen undershirt was removed, and he crouched in front of her bare chested, one hand on his belt buckle. Moira couldn't help the moan the came from her as her eyes raked over his form. He was glorious. His startling blue eyes never left hers, and they were darkening with lust. His golden locks were tousled, his braids somewhat messy, surrounding his strong jaw like a halo. His mustache braids swayed slightly as his full lips curved into an incredibly sexy smirk at her moan, watching her eyes rake over his bare chest. He was stockily built, wide and well-muscled. They tensed and rippled under his skin with his every movement. His muscled chest was dusted with curly blonde chest hair, and a trail of golden fur led from his navel to his trousers, where the large bulge betrayed how turned on he was. When her eyes darted back up to his face, his smirk widened, and he lifted one eyebrow at her, clearly saying, Like what you see? Oh, she did. She really did.

"Praise Mahal," Moira breathed, one of her hands having unconsciously gone to her bodice, playing with the laces. "He really did make you Dwarves superior in every way."

He preened at the praise.

"Are you posing?"

"You're the one who moaned just from me taking off my shirt."

She didn't have a response for that, so she just snapped, "Get over here."

He complied, dropping to all fours and crawling up her body with feline grace, his eyes burning into hers, every inch the predator. Oh Gods, he knows EXACTLY what he is doing to me.

~000~

Moira was exhausted, pleasantly worn out. Fili had been true to his word. This was not the hurried coupling they had before, worried about getting caught by the others. No, Fili had spent hours worshiping her, gently kissing and touching and caressing and licking every part of her body until she was begging to be taken hard and fast, at which point he had complied with her demands. More than once. Now, thoroughly worn out by her more-than-human lover, she lay with her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, while Fili worked his fingers her tangles.

"If I had ale right now, I'd have to raise a glass to dwarven stamina." Fili chuckled into her hair at her comment.

"Moira?" Fili's voice was soft, but from her position with her head on his chest, she could feel the rumbles his voice created deep in his chest.

"Hmm?"

"May I brush your hair?" He sounded nervous. "It's … pretty tangled." I wonder if messing with hair is more meaningful than sex in Dwarven culture?

"Yeah, there's a reason I usually try to keep it short. It's really thick and hard to manage."

"I promise to be gentle and careful. I won't hurt you." He hesitated. "And I could braid it for you, if you like, which would keep it out of your way and make it manageable." Moira couldn't help but smile. Bofur called that one.

"Okay."

Fili kissed the top of Moira's head, before gently moving her so he could go get a brush from his pack beside their "bed" (treating her to a wonderful view of his well-sculpted backside in the process). When he returned, he sat with his back up to the rock and drew her up flush against his broad chest between his legs. When he noticed her shiver a little from the cool night air, Fili reached to the pile of their discarded clothes and draped his fur coat over her naked form.

"Thank you," she murmured. He acknowledged her not in words, but with a nod and a gentle kiss to her temple, before setting about to his work. Yet again, he was true to his word, and despite the awful tangles, he never pulled hard enough to hurt, not once. Fili's fur coat was draped around her front, hiding her nakedness from the rest of the world, and she was warmed by the incredible heat his body was giving off, seeping into her and warding off the chill. She snuggled deeper into his chest. Despite what she knew was to come, despite that tomorrow they would have to face the spiders and the Elves of Mirkwood, right now, she was more content than she had felt in a long, long time.

When the brushing was done, Fili started to braid her dark hair, and Moira was surprised at how good it felt to have his skilled fingers working through her hair and running over her scalp. Fili started to hum as he worked, and the vibration added another pleasant sensation to the experience. She couldn't help the sigh that came from her. Fili smiled to himself as he finished her braids, two binding her hair away from her face, and capped them with beads from his own hair.

"Âzyungâl," he breathed into her ear. "My Âzyungâl."

Moira didn't know what the Khuzdul word meant, but she could guess. She turned her head to see him watching for her reaction, and she kissed his bearded lips. His hands slipped under the coat to encircle her waist as he kissed her back, slowly, gently. When the kiss broke apart, she smiled at him for a moment before laying her head back on his chest. He placed his chin on the top of her head, holding her close, completely enveloping Moira in the warmth and safety of his embrace.

"Moira?"

"Hmm?" She was beginning to feel drowsy and could easily drift off to sleep in his arms this way.

"I love you." Fili's confession woke her back up fully. When he felt her body stiffen, Fili hurried to continue, "You don't have to respond in kind, if you aren't ready to. I would never rush you. But I had to say it."

Oh, Gods, what do I do now? Moira twisted around to look at him, her hands settling into their (already familiar) position on his neck. She gazed into his blue eyes, chewing on her lip, considering. Fili tensed, waiting, giving her time to think as he watched her warily. It's too late, Moira thought, there's nothing for it now.

"I love you, too, Fili." She said softly, and watched as expression changed from one of worry to joy. "I have for a while. You were right, all those months ago, when you said I was scared to love again. Very un-Viking of me, really, for a shieldmaiden to be so terrified of her own heart."

Fili's bearded lips tugged into a smile, and his large hand came up to gently cradle her chin, drawing her to him for another kiss. This one seemed to go on forever, and Moira almost expected it to turned heated and become another love-making session, but it didn't. Instead, he again moved her around, settling her between his legs and against his chest once more. They sat in comfortable, satisfied silence for a time, staring up at the moon, before Fili broke stillness.

"May I ask you a question, lass?"

"Shoot." When he didn't ask, she realized what she had said and clarified, "That means go ahead."

"Ah." Fili chuckled. She loved that sound. "Do you realize that you go back and forth between referring to the Vikings as your own people, and as a separate one?"

Oh, but he was observant. He knew there was more to her story, and he was asking for it now. It hurt her heart to think that she could never tell him all of it, but there was no way around that. She pushed it aside.

"I suppose I still think of myself as Viking. I started to think of myself as Viking long before Sven and I became involved." She could have left it at that – she should have left it at that. But she felt the need to continue. "Being a Viking isn't just a matter of birth. Vikings can be made. A person can choose to become Viking, if the community chooses them and they are accepted. One of the warriors I fought with was in love with a former slave, and even trained her to fight. Aslaug freed her so that they could be together." She thought carefully about how much she could tell him without betraying too much. Fili waited patiently for her to continue. "The culture is beautiful in it's simplicity. If you act Viking, and are accepted by Vikings, than you are Viking. Honor the Gods, love your woman," she patted his thigh, "or man. Defend your kin. And they are fierce in sticking to that code." Her fingers went to the wooden Thor's Hammer necklace that dangled between her breasts. "In the temple at Uppsala, their most sacred site, before the Old Gods, I was officially blooded. I cut my hand, offering my life blood to the Allfather, to Odin, and dedicated my worship to Him, forsaking the God of my mother's people. Ever since, I have always worn a Mjolnir pendant, Thor's Hammer, the symbol of the faith of Asgard. I may never be able to return to Norway, and I no longer use my Viking name, but I guess in my heart of hearts, I will always consider myself Viking."

Moira fell silent.

"The words you use, the places you talk about ….."

Here it comes.

"Just how far away is Norway?"

Wow. He didn't directly ask if she came from outside of Middle-Earth. He still wasn't pushing her too much. She'd been expecting that question for while, and she had an answer prepared, since there were supposed to be unknown continents besides Middle-Earth and Valinor in Arda. She still didn't look forward to having to use it, as Kili, Ori, and Bilbo would immediately be peppering her with questions about this 'other continent' if she had to use that excuse. Somehow, Fili seemed to sense her apprehension whenever conversation strayed dangerously close to the subject of her origins, and he respectfully let it slide.

"A very, very, very, very long way away. Even if I wanted to return, I can't." Moira tried but failed to keep the twinge of sadness and longing out of her voice. They continued to sit in silence, looking at the stars, until Fili asked another question.

"What was your Viking name?"

"Brenna. It means 'flaming'. It was a joke, referring to my temper."

Thinking of her yelling at Elrond when they had reached Rivendell, Fili laughed. He kissed the back of her head, smiling into her hair and the brand-new braids he had put there. "It suits you."

After a moment, Moira sighed. "As much as I'm enjoying this, we really should get back to camp and get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day. Gandalf said this forest is cursed; we should be well-rested when we cross it."

Fili groaned in disappointment, but agreed.

~000~

It was still early and the camp was just beginning to wake up and prepare for the day. Thorin, often the first to wake, had taken in Moira's new braids with a look of disapproval, and just turned to stand outside the camp, hands behind his back, waiting for the others. Bofur had grinned and commented on her new hairstyle, which of course drew the eyes of everyone else in camp. Bilbo gave her a gentle smile. As the rest of the Dwarves woke up, a simple breakfast of porridge and foraged berries (from Bilbo) was handed to them. Moira's snares had failed to catch any wild game this close to Mirkwood.

"Why, dear brother, were you attacked by some wild beast in the night?" Kili gestured at the bite marks on Fili's neck and winked at Moira.

Fili laughed and grinned at her. "Indeed, I spent half the night wrestling a fierce wildcat into submission."

Moira flushed and felt embarrassed at first, but decided to respond in kind. "If you think that's bad, you should see his back! It was a fierce beast, truly, but he fought well." The brothers burst out laughing. The sound was music to Moira's ears.

"Alright, that's enough!" Thorin's voice boomed. "We have no time for games. We must cross this accursed forest."

Moira sighed a little at his tone. Fili wrapped an arm around her in comfort. And the Company prepared to cross the forbidding forest realm of Mirkwood.

~000~

Author's Notes: I almost wrote a full-on lemony sex scene for this chapter, but after getting halfway through it, I wasn't sure if my skills could do it justice, or if it would be tonally appropriate with the serious conversation in the rest of the chapter. Plus my brother kept coming around and bothering me and trying to talk, and I couldn't explain what I was writing and why I was getting flustered and why I didn't want him "hanging out" while I wrote it. So, sorry.