I finally got this edited and hopefully, readable. It has been a very trying month for me emotionally, as my grandmother passed away. I had been especially close to her since childhood and I am still coping with the grief. And then the Battle of the Five Armies happened, rubbing salt in the wounds. Writing this has provided some catharsis. So forgive me if this chapter is subpar. Hana and Thorin pick up where I last left them…the following is rated M and NSFW.

'Cause you burn to my bones
Like you're all I've ever known
Let thunder crash, let rivers flood
If all we are is flesh and blood.

- Sarah McLachlan


They both fell back asleep, entwined in each other's arms, for another few hours. The wind woke Thorin the second time, and he stole out of bed to tend the fire. Hana could not remember when she had last slept so late into the day; it was nearly noon when they got out of bed. Time slowed briefly, allowing them to luxuriate in their happiness, in a way. The only threat to them in the little hut was cold, if anyone knew they were out in the woods, they would not trudge through the snow to bother. The night that followed the torrid consummation of Hana and Thorin's relationship was not as stormy. Light snow fell intermittently through the day, and Hana ventured out three times, only to retrieve snow to melt and boil for water. Hana worked through the afternoon into the evening, washing the evidence of their consummation from the bed sheets. She also washed their clothes. Thorin helped her, chastened as he rubbed dried blood from the fibers. Hana sat on the floor, holding the cloth over her lap as she scrubbed forcefully, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Her hair was in a tousled pile on top of her head. Thorin sat on the stool, crouched over a bowl between his feet as he worked. She saw him look at the dark stain, his face showed concern. Her hands were wet and covered in diluted cleanser she had mixed.

"If the stain offends you, I can wash that," Hana said plainly. She watched him handle the sheet, stretched between his large, wet hands. She felt uneasy as she saw him eye the stain, broodingly.

Thorin snapped back to attention and looked back at her, alert, incredulous. It was as if she had caught him in some iniquitous act.

Hana wrung out her shift, twisting it tightly between her hands as soapy, clouded water dripped out into the soiled pail beneath. She could feel his eyes on her; his troubled glower at her was unbroken. "I'll warn you, though, it flows much heavier during my monthly," she stated. Her face grew earnest, but matter of fact. "About three times heavier." Hana smiled, half jokingly, and then walked a couple of steps over to where he sat and held her wet hands out for him to pass the sheet he was washing over to her. He eyed her as she stood before him.

"The sight of blood does not bother me in the least, Hana," Thorin countered, his heavy brows raised, as he shook his head defensively. "You will remember I have become quite used it, as long as I have lived, through the battles I have survived. It is different, looking at the blood of someone you love in front of you." He let out a laden breath. "Quite different. I will wash this." He tone was solemn, his eyes wet and staid. Hana shrugged and returned to her spot across from him, deciding not to argue.

"You saw my blood shortly after we met," she said unconcerned, acting as if it were an unimportant fact of life. She gave the shift another wring, as residual water trickled into the pail.

Thorin spoke to the floor. "Yes….I have seen enough of your blood for a good long while. And too much of it shed on my account."

They watched each other, silently, and Hana could tell he still felt some shame. She stared at him, stubborn and steadfast.

"Well, it was shed from love, Thorin," Hana replied, her brows arching ever so slightly. "I'd shed it all for you." She finished her statement, focused on the deep blue pools fixed on her, riddled with sentiment. It was unabashedly true. Thorin knew it was. He pondered her words, eyes cast to the wet bed sheets. He was humbled, and unsure how to answer such a statement. He felt utterly unworthy of such a declaration. She saw him swallow noticeably, three times, and it appeared as if the whites of his eyes grew even whiter as he prepared to speak.

"I would." She dared not blink.

Thorin barely blinked either. "I am so undeserving, Hana."

Her nerves allowed her barely a frown, and she sat very still. She quickly glanced down at her hands, skittish, then back at him.

"I would bleed myself dry for you," he answered. Thorin's austere voice was brimming with unendurable sentiment, which he could not contain much longer. It felt almost tactile to her, in its solemn register.

Hana froze where she sat, and Thorin could see her chest move with her every breath as she absorbed his words.

"Are these the only ones you have?" he asked. He looked up at her across from him.

Hana frowned, rather puzzled. He knew she did not have extra linens, or much extra of anything, for that matter. Why was he asking her this? "Yes…why?"

Thorin put the soaking linens down and wiped his hands on his tunic, studying the floor thoughtfully.

"Because you mentioned something this morning… about it being your turn on top." Thorin looked back up at her with expectant, bowed brows, alluding to a smile. "Remember?"

Hana smiled coyly. "Yes, Thorin. I said it…of course I remember." She glanced back at him with weary amusement.

"Well, I am ready for you to take that turn…. as soon as possible," he said throatily. He stood up in front of her. Thorin reached for her hands and helped her to her feet. He then took Hana's face in his damp hands, and brazenly kissed it, not caring that her wet hands rubbed the back of his neck, under his hair. His tongue pulsed against the roof of her mouth as their lips fused in heated vigor. Three minutes passed with their mouths and damp hands hungrily exploring each other. He mouthed her neck with moistened lips, tugging on her skin.

"Take me, Hana. Now." Thorin's voice was quiet, but direct. "I'd rather not beg." He kissed her mouth quickly, twice. Grinning at her slyly, he pulled her against him; a clapping sound was heard as they collided. "But…. I will if you insist, my lady."

Hana was astonished, again her heart hammered. She was somewhat shocked he was saying this to her, she had never found herself in such a position. Her hands were also dirty, her hair had become unkempt and frizzy during the day, and she was not sure how she smelled, as there was some dampness under the sleeves in her dress. She knew it could not be pleasant.

"I look frightful. I smell frightful," Hana answered, as he pressed her forehead against his. She chortled and made a sour face. "Don't you want to wait until I bathe first?"

Thorin smiled broadly and shook his head. He took a deep breath before speaking. "That is something we can enjoy together…. later. After we have spent all our energy." Thorin rubbed his fingertips leisurely up her jawline. "Take me now, athune." Hana felt herself almost lose balance on her feet.

"That is, unless you are too tired. I understand if you are," he whispered. She was not. If anything, Hana was becoming more enthusiastic.

"I'm not too tired, Thorin," she hissed into his right ear as his fervent breath warmed her flesh, making the rest of her tingle.

"You're not?" He asked with a tone of optimism, as his lips closed into her clavicle.

"No," she responded firmly. She leaned her head back upright, and they smirked at each other.

Thorin watched Hana with unfettered amazement.

He knelt in front of her and buried his face in her abdomen. He inhaled her, mouthing her through her clothes as she continued to trace her fingers lazily through his hair. Hana would not make him beg, this time.

"Where should I take you?" she said, running her fingers through the crown of his head. "The floor? That would hurt your back."

Thorin glanced upwards and beamed at her, moving his hands from her hips to her knees. "Ah, I see…was that a reference to my age?" There was an inch of space between his eyes and his brows as they rose in feigned shock. "You don't have to remind me. I know I'm old." He laughed.

"It was not a reference to your age, it is the truth! It would probably hurt my back too," Hana protested in jest.

Thorin swathed his arms around the back of her knees and pressed her into him. Hana nearly lost her footing again. "Truthfully, darling, I could care less what is under me." He stood up and purred into her face as his eyes pierced her. "I only care…what is on top."

His words and low voice rung in her ears and made her blush. Hana pulled his tunic to her as she kissed him aggressively, her cold hands held both sides of his face as she caressed his brows with her thumbs. She devoured his lips with brash force, as she raked her nails through his beard, their moans and whimpers intermitted between their gulps as they both came up for air. His mouth found its way to her neck again, his teeth grazed her skin in halfhearted bites as Hana ceded. She tilted her head up and met his eyes with intense focus, her hands on both sides of his face. Thorin stopped, awaiting her instruction as they held still. His arms enclosed her in an embrace.

"Over by the fire," Hana said, her mouth open as she tried to catch her breath. He followed her as she led him a few steps closer to the fire. He let go of her for a moment, and signaled her a gesture of understanding as he lifted his right pointer finger for her to wait. He then took his thick fur cloak and laid it on the floor, followed by her bed blankets. He laid them out flat, in layers. Thorin then chucked three logs into the hearth. The fire emitted a purr of life as the flames grew. He walked back over to her and stood, waiting. She did not break eye contact with Thorin as she gave her head an enticing shake and crouched down on the fur. She ogled him and smiled, a knowing glint in her eye, vivified by the reflection of the flame in each green iris. She used her free hand to pat the blankets, beckoning him over where she sat.

Thorin did not need any further summons from her. He walked to her and joined Hana her on the floor. He crouched down and sat opposite her, affectionately pushing a loose lock of hair from her face. He gazed at her face, inches from his, clean and beautiful, and held one hand against it, still for a moment. Hana was not going to wait for him to make his move this time, as she leaned forward and kissed his mouth keenly. She pulled up onto her knees in front of Thorin, her hands on both his cheeks as her lips bore down on him. His large hands crept up her back as their kiss smoldered. Both yielded, as their ardour grew hotter, they were reaching the breaking point. Hana felt his awakenings everywhere as she stopped kissing him, letting his mouth go as she held hers mere spaces from his. All was quiet outside, save for the familiar, shrill squawk of the owl. She looked down at him with a luminous smile as they both furiously tried to catch their breath. His lips hung open, dumbstruck. He was smitten with her.

"No storm out there tonight," she said through broken breaths.

"That's because it's in here," he rumbled huskily.

Hana reached her hands underneath his tunic and lifted it with her delicate fingers; he helped her by grabbing the hem and yanking it over his head. She closed her hand over his that held the wadded up garment, and dropped it to the side of them, not breaking his glance. He watched her, panting as she made him endure removing his trousers. He swung his legs out in front of him, as she drew them low, inching down his knees, and then completely off. Thorin dropped onto his lower back, elbows and forearms for balance, and gave her a prompting nod as Hana boldly relieved him of his undergarments without batting an eyelash. His roguish smile encouraged her as she watched him, her green eyes engrossed in his glinting ones. His hair was gloriously spread on his shoulders and behind him like the fanned plumage of a peacock, the glowing light of the flame bouncing off his clasps. He was a breathtaking sight to behold.

Hana pulled herself onto him in a straddle, positioning herself right on his crotch, which she could feel bulging, hard, ever more insistently, against her own. She pressed her hands gently on his chest, until he was lying flat, his back to the fur. "You are so cold," she murmured, concerned as she felt him move under her touch. Thorin gave his head a slight shake.

"I won't be for long, Hana," he hissed, both rows of his teeth visible as he grinned at her.

She leaned in, savoring the closing space as she pressed onto Thorin's body. She took her sweet time, as she enjoyed feeling his anticipatory squirms underneath her. Hana kissed him lovingly, relishing his lips to the full as she leisurely ran both her thumbs in an outward motion across his cheeks, tracing his beard up to his fleshy earlobes. She felt his torso rise and recede as his excitement heightened, quickening his breath. Her hot breath whirred against his face as she prolonged her kiss, running her fingertips along the edges of his ears. She traced the chilly, etched metal of the piercing on his right helix. Hana pulled her tongue from his lips and as their mouths broke apart, both emitting shallow, shaky breaths. Thorin's lower body begged hers to take him. He writhed underneath her like a captive beast. She opened her eyes and sat back upright, tossing her head backward as she straightened her spine. Thorin already felt spent as his ragged breath poured from his loosened, open lips, overcome by his view of her. She hoped he was not having trouble breathing, as it sounded genuinely pained. Hana pulled her chemise over her head, throwing it casually on top of his scattered clothes. She rose to her feet to peel off her undergarments, his eyes still frozen on her face, almost dazed, as they fell to the floor and she kicked them aside with her foot. She stood over him, as the fire cast an orange glow on the rolling hills and valleys of her nude, voluptuous body. "Abnâmul…abnâmul," Thorin said in a near whisper, eyes squinted, as he admired the beauty of her nudity as art. He shook his head in awe. Hana crouched back down onto him, assuming her straddle, pinning him with her full weight.

"Wait," he interjected as she pinned him. Hana blinked back at him, flummoxed. He reached up and tried to unbind her hair as she held him down. Hana bored her eyes into his as she gave an ever so slight nod, and finished undoing her hair. She unruffled it with her hands, then shook it out so it hung in flowing ebony waves on her shoulders. His eyes ascended from the ends of her hair, to her shoulders and neck, to her face smiling at him. Thorin was downright stupefied. She was his, this striking, exquisite woman.

"That's better," he offered gratefully, his voice hoarse. The sensation of her cold, bare skin against his was too much to bear. Every part of her skin was cold except the inviting warmth between her legs, which rubbed against him. Hana pressed her fingers into his chest as she massaged her chilly palms against its wiry hairs, feeling his ribs and muscles contract as she eagerly worked her hands down his abdomen. She saw his chest rise and recede rapidly as she advanced her way down his thick thighs and the firm length in between. Hana handled the solid, rising appendage in her fingers tenderly and stroked it, tracing gradually from the firm, rounded tip to the root. Thorin's hands, which had started palm down on the furs, were holding onto her splayed thighs for dear life, scratching and digging hard into her flesh, tightening on her as she teased him with her hands. His voice bellowed as he felt her press and encircle his length and other male members over and over, the two latter surrendered to the consistency of putty in her palms. Hana handled him with relentless but gentle caress. His upper back arched in a tantalized crescent against the fur as if searching for some sort of release, his sharply grating moans begged her. He was not telling her to stop. He was begging her for mercy. Kahomhîlizu, kahomhîlizu, athune, he besought her, hysterical. He cried out, shouting in beautiful torture.

"PLEASE, Hana!"

Hana leaned over him once more as his hands clamped down on her thighs, then crept up to her hips. Her mouth curled up at him in triumphant satisfaction as she moved into position to gain full access to him. Her folds engulfed his length like her two hands did moments before, and she gently swayed her hips and situated herself with short bounces as his length slid into her. She uttered a whimper of surprise and mild discomfort as it finally fit in, little by little, still stretching her moist crevasse from the sensitive edges to the inside. She felt the stretch, as her body was still new to this. Hana reeled her hips backward and pushed them forward until he was completely inside her, up to the hilt. Her backed arched backward and flesh jiggled as she rode him vigorously, plunging herself to and fro rhythmically with force as Thorin met each of her forward motions with his own, their bodies coalesced in heated, wild pleasure. Her legs enclosed around his lower body like two clamps. Hana looked down at him with breathless gratification as his shoulders lay against the floor, but his back curved like a bridge as he pled with her for mercy. Once again, she heard him utter words she could not understand, as she bucked herself on him. She figured they were happy words, as he did not ask her stop. Hana began to feel a tad dizzy as she kept moving, she felt similar fatigue after running far distances. Thorin's moan, which began in his usual low vocal register, climbed an octave or two, as did Hana's, as waves of ecstasy channeled through them. He heard her scream in so high and exultant a pitch as he had never heard before. Thorin's neck faced the ceiling, his head tipped back, as he groaned heavingly, intoxicated with carnal delight. He was engulfed in Hana's sweet spot, throbbing hard inside her as her hips pushed against his, crushing him with her body. They continued like this for several minutes until they slowed, and Thorin mustered the strength to sit up. He pressed his face into her chest, almost wheezing into her skin as he attempted to breathe normally. He wrapped both arms around her waist as she still straddled him, hers bent at the elbow as her hands caressed his shoulders. Her knees pressed against the sides of his back, and she laid her head against his, her breath wet his left shoulder as she puffed.

"I hope I didn't disappoint you," Hana mouthed into his skin, voice hampered as she tried to steady her breath. She then picked her head up and cast her eyes down at him as she lightly caressed the sides of Thorin's face.

He did not answer her right away, as he groaned desperately and gulped for air. Thorin then tautened his arms just above Hana's bare hips, round her tailbone. "Far from disappointment, zâyunguh," he answered through his fatigue. She felt Thorin's cold hands caress her back, his icy fingertips lazily tracing her vertebrae. Holding the corner of one of the blankets, he turned Hana on her back and enveloped them both in the covers, looking into her bright eyes as he brushed her tousled hair from her face. "You have to remember to breathe, darling," he said.

Hana picked up on his reference, and her eyes darted to the side uncertainly. "I did…"

The tip of his nose massaged Hana's left cheekbone, then her nose. "You held your breath at first." He chuckled quietly and pressed his lips where his nose had just been.

"I was unaware," Hana susurrated hoarsely. "Sorry…."

Thorin abruptly looked at her. "You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for," his eyes seemed to delve past hers, into her skull. "If I died tonight, I'd die happy." They locked eyes for several seconds. "As would I," she answered, smiling at him. His locks brushed against her sternum and neck, as Thorin's hot breath was wet against her skin, intermitting with his eager lips pressing down on it. He turned onto his side and pulled Hana against him; they were a cluster of entangled limbs, supple flesh, messy hair, and pounding hearts. She nestled her head against the side of his chest, under his shoulder as Thorin closed his eyes and held her beside him. They basked together blissfully for a few minutes before she broke the silence. Outside, it was still serene and quiet. There was no storm that night.

"Thorin?"

He did not move, except to tighten his hold on her.

"Mmmmm…." He mumbled.

"Do you have to leave tomorrow? I know you will have to once the snow melts a bit, but…I…" He opened his eyes, as she trailed off and craned her neck up to face him. He scowled somewhat, out of concern.

"No," he answered, his low voice cutting through the silence. "No, I don't, unless you desire it. Of course I will, by the end of the week, got work to finish and the like."

Hana sat up, and rested her chin on top of her hands, palm down in his chest. Hana eyed him for a moment before replying.

"I don't desire it." Both smiled as she kissed, then spoke into his mouth. "Never." They lay together in the tranquil quiet, as Thorin held Hana against him, her head tucked under his chin. They listened to the owl's subdued call.

"Will you be able to sleep on this floor?" she asked him, as they listened to the crackling fire lull. She touched his right forearm with her knuckles and then held it, as he held onto hers.

"I think so," Thorin replied. "Feeling quite tired now. A good sort of tired. Will you?"

Drowsiness took her over as his breathing chest comforted her. "Definitely," she replied. Both were asleep within fifteen minutes.

Thorin woke first the next morning, and Hana heard him step outside for a brief time, to answer another call of nature. When Hana opened her eyes, she rolled over and saw him remaking the bed for her, with the dried, clean linens. He then quietly sat beside the fire clad in his clean trousers and tunic from the day before, wiping his knives clean. His long shock of hair had been pulled back into a ponytail, bound loosely about three inches from the ends.

Hana sat up, and wrapped the blankets and his fur around her bare body as she got her bearings, surveying around her with bleary morning eyes. She wordlessly watched him work for several moments before speaking.

"That becomes you, Hana," he purred, looking down at the short blade in his hand. Only his eyes moved up as he watched her, affectionately. The right side of his mouth curved upward knowingly, giving in to a broad smile.

Hana blushed. She was not paying attention when she pulled on the fur, she did so because she felt the draft. She glimpsed to her right side and suppressed a smile as she felt her face grow hotter by the second.

He continued to work quietly as she watched him. She was content to for many minutes, as he carefully wiped the blade of each one, gingerly along the serrations, then laid them beside the fire to dry out. There were four blades, arranged in descending order according to size, and unlike Elvish make. Hana's eyes trailed off to her left side, at her freshly made bed. She flashed back to the night before last in her mind's eye, and smiled to herself. That all really happened, she thought. We really did say and do those things.

"How's your back?" she queried before long. Hana eyed him fondly as he stopped cleaning for a moment. Thorin placed both of his large hands on his knees with decisive force.

"It's fine. I told you, Hana, I am used to sleeping on the floor. I have slept more nights on a floor or ground than I have in a bed. I do not mind it. And last night, I quite enjoyed being on my back," he beamed at her, the devilish glint in his eyes enhanced by the bright morning sun. The woman a few feet opposite him rivaled its radiance.

Hana returned his smile as she surveyed her bed for a second, then shook her hair out of her face as she contemplated him. She was about to ask about the scratches she had left on his back from their first night together, but decided to leave it alone. She held the fur swathed around her body and stood before him. Hana touched his right cheek, which he paused everything for. "I'm going to go wash up and dress," she announced as their foreheads held together for a touch.

"Must you?" He asked jauntily. Hana turned around with widened eyes and scoffed. He was undeterred, and the corners of his lips curled. "I would not protest if you chose to wear only that fur for a while."

Hana pinched her mouth to the side and chuckled. "Then what will you have to wear if we venture outside?" she questioned with a tone of put on admonishment.

He shrugged at her, slow with mock defeat and a delightfully broad grin. "What, indeed," he answered, laughing to himself as she left him to his task.

After cleaning his knives, Thorin began to clean the soles of his heavy boots. As he did, Hana sponge cleaned herself behind a blanket she hung near her bed. She then dressed in two layers of clothing: thin stockings underneath her trousers, and a thicker tunic over the trousers. Thorin, unbeknownst to Hana, watched her from across the hut, mesmerized as she brushed and parted her tresses in the center, lost in her thoughts. She carefully fixed her hair into two thick plaits, then rolled the plaits twice around the base of her head in a coiled knot, tucking the ends into themselves, secured with pins. She rejoined him and sat on the floor, tugging on her boots as he watched her, sipping some water from a mug. He watched her put on the boots with amusement.

"I'm sure you need this," he mused as he handed her a small plate with two thick slices of bread and a piece of dried meat on it. "You must be famished." He gaped at her as she took the food, and they both reveled in their mutual smile.

Hana took a hearty bite and nodded as she chewed. "I am, thank you," she answered when her mouth was less full. The sun's insistent beams shone on them both.

"I'll need to make another loaf of this soon," she announced unceremoniously between mouthfuls. Thorin nodded in vague, preoccupied acknowledgment.

"Are you still taking a bath later?" he asked her casually, varying little from monotone.

Hana frowned skeptically as she chewed and narrowed her eyes at him a bit. He caught her off guard with the question; it seemed so out of the blue. He felt he had offended her as he watched her chewing grow slower and slower, then stop. For a moment, Thorin feared her answer.

"If I need it…why, do I smell offensive?" She was growing self-conscious.

He shook his head at her, with an unsuccessfully stifled laugh. Thorin looked downward and set his cup down beside him, then faced Hana again, as a smile spread across his lips. His head still shook in humorous disbelief. She was suddenly quite aware of her presence, in a not entirely good way. He surmised he was headed into dangerous territory when her eyes grew wider with every passing few seconds.

"Ha-na," he responded with a smirk and dragged out the first syllable of her name. "Not at all. I simply want to join you for it, if you will permit me."

She did not look away from him, and eventually replied with a stubborn side smile. "It will take a lot of hauling in water, Thorin. And…I don't have a tub, as you see." She hungrily wolfed down the rest of her breakfast as she shrugged at him with a sluggish apology.

He thought on her answer a moment. He licked his lips pensively as he prepared to speak.

"Well, I do. And I was hoping, when I go back into town in a bit, you will accompany me," he stated, his brows roused with optimism. "I will prepare us a hot bath."

Hana stared back at Thorin. His eyes fervidly implored her, far more than any words could. She knew he had to go back and work, but also wanted to be close to him.

"Wait, do you want to go back into town today?" Hana's face frowned ever so slightly in thought.

"I have been mulling over it all morning. Yes. I think it best if we go today. The snowfall has ceased for the moment, which will benefit us. If we prolong it, I fear we will risk being stranded."

"What if the others will come by? What if they want to stay with you? We wouldn't have any privacy. Out here we do, although it is a small space." Hana put the plate on the floor in front of her, in a wide beam of sunlight, and folded her hands in her lap. "No one can hear us out here," she reminded him, her voice suddenly quieter. She blushed a bit, but smiled.

"That is true," Thorin agreed, as he licked his upper lip, getting her meaning. He thought on her implication for a moment, and could not stop grinning at her. Even he was blushing, she could tell his cheeks were reddening under his beard. "If they stay, it will only be for nights here and there. My friends and kin have their own agendas, it is part of our nomadic lives," he said as he heaved a deep breath. "They will not …(he turned his head slight right with narrowed eyes) disturb us."

He reached for her hands and she offered them, as his clutched hers. He stared at her with barely a blink.

"Will you come back with me?" Thorin requested. His question was direct, and unflinchingly serious.

Hana's fingers curled tighter around his. She rubbed both her thumbs across the scratchy roughness of his dry hands. The sound of her shifting where she sat broke through the quiet.

"Yes," she answered, voice firm.

Enough snow had melted, though only partly, for Hana and Thorin to forge through the woods back to Eldfell. It was six miles to the smithy from Hana's hut, and she knew it would feel even further than that in the merciless cold. Hana was not quite sure what to bring with her in terms of necessities, Thorin suggested she just bring three changes of clothes and whatever medicinal or toiletry items she needed. They set out by midday. The day was one of icy, silent stillness and blinding rays of sunlight pierced through the snow crusted conifers. They were easy to spot in the stark white, the two heavily bundled, dark haired figures travelling against the unforgiving winter. Hana told herself it was not snow moisture she felt through her boots treading the ground as they walked. The heavy snow encumbered their movement, but both tried in earnest to keep their pace, as to make decent time and not succumb to frostbite. The further they walked, the more laborious it became, the weight of the thick snow caked on their boots made them expend more energy to walk. An hour and a half into their journey, Hana fell a few feet behind Thorin, as she felt her toes growing numb. She called out to him, and he turned back, his face concerned and stressed by the exposure. She could tell his cheeks had grown red and chapped underneath his beard. Flurries of snow blown from the trees dotted their hair and clung to their brows as they paused. The little pills of ice seemed to pinch at their cheeks, with tiny, frigid, sharp teeth.

"What's the matter, Hana?" he queried, as white clouds of breath puffed with his every word and step toward her. "Are you alright?" He walked right up to her and braced her by grasping her right arm at the elbow. The snow was so deep it reached her just below her knees, Thorin, almost the same.

"I'm not sure this was the best idea, Thorin," she declared through strained, muffled breaths. She felt the creeping cold clamp around her ribs as she inhaled and pulled her scarf up so only her eyes and reddened nose were visible. "We would have done better to wait until some of this melted." Her cheeks were flushed from the exposure.

Thorin distractedly surveyed her from the chin to her forehead, then met her eyes again, and shook his head briskly. "We will be fine. We are making good time. Another two hours and we will be back in town and indoors. If we had waited, we would have had even deeper snow to wade through." The low tone and shortness of breath caused his voice sound even more stern than usual.

Hana searched the woods around them. There was nothing but snow-covered trees as far as the eye could see for over three miles. The heavy tree limbs were weighted with shields of snow and ice. The path they had both travelled to and from town so many times before now seemed endless. Thorin gradually navigated them closer to the edge of the woods, nearer the surrounding mountains. The terrain was more level, but the distance was longer. Hana told herself she would not have chosen this route in such conditions, but would not expend the precious energy to mention it. What was done was done. She knew they were getting closer, but two hours more in such conditions could be dangerous. Thorin saw her eyes search around them, and his concern grew more pronounced. He touched her right cheek.

"Are you unwell?" he asked. His voice sounded alarmed for the first time since they had set out.

"No," she answered, inattentive. "I…I'm just anxious, is all."

Thorin took her gloved hand. "We're nearly out of the woods. As soon as we get back, I will get you something to drink," he said as kindly as he could, as he eyed her with adoration.

Hana nodded, as she squeezed his hand as she returned her attention. "Let's keep moving. And I think it wise to keep our arms at the ready. I sense a predator." Hana's intuition was sending her warnings, as she sniffed the air around them. The crunching shuffle of their boots through the packed, dense snow became monotonous. Hana kept her bow on her back, and a blade in her right hand. Her left was holding Thorin's. They were only minutes from their last conversation when she saw something that caught her eye on the ground beneath them: tracks. A single series of very large tracks, no doubt a predator. She saw they belonged to a creature with four toed paws; the paw pad alone was easily the size of her entire hand. Hana kept looking right and left and ahead, repeatedly. Her scalp and the hairs on her neck and arms prickled. Whatever this thing was, it was large, and possibly close by, and they were quite alone and vulnerable.

Thorin was on to her. He kept a firm grip on her left hand as they meandered through the woods. "What's wrong?" he asked, his tone inclining on the first word, perhaps suggesting she was acting a bit paranoid. A lone scraggy crow kept flitting from tree to tree a few yards ahead of them. It was the only animal Hana had seen or heard since they began their walk. Hana found it irritating.

"Look at these," she motioned ahead of their path at the tracks. He glanced at Hana, then at the prints. "Look at them."

Thorin remained unrattled. "I am, Hana," he replied calmly. He glanced at her, as he arched his brows barely, shaking his head at her. "If we encounter a predator, we will be ready for it. We've only another two miles until we reach the edge of town."

Hana snorted, determined. "That is why I suggested we should keep weapons handy," she muttered.

All ten of her toes were quite numb. Thorin frowned at her. "You are worrying, Hana. I think, whatever the creature was, it is now in the mountains somewhere. Are you sure you are all right?" he supplicated.

Hana adjusted the legs of her trousers, which were tucked into the cuffs of her boots. She felt icy cold moisture from her calves to her toes. She wanted to tell him what she thought the tracks belonged to, but decided to later. They continued to walk toward town, and both noticed the tracks turn left, out toward the edge of the woods, into the mountains. Hana was acting odd; Thorin had never seen her act this way since they had met. It appeared as if she was having difficulty putting weight on her feet. She shook her head briskly in reply.

"Let's just press on then," Thorin thundered, as he gripped her hand tightly and shook it with affirmation. He saw she appeared not entirely convinced. "I think we will be fine, Hana," he said coolly. "We are both armed, remember."

Hana did not tell him her feet were numb and every step was excruciatingly painful. Her toes felt the worst of it. Outrunning a predator, or worse, a pack, would not be an option for her. He nodded at her for reassurance, and she nodded back in silent concurrence. Something about the woods was giving her major pause. She feared what dreams sleep would bring her that night.

Once Hana and Thorin ventured down the main thoroughfare of Eldfell, she had slowed down their pace even more. Steps were easier since the resistance of snow was lessened. Thorin let go of her hand as they passed the inn, the tavern. When they passed the tanner, she reminded herself to stop in there to verify Thorin was permitted on her account. They tiredly turned onto Pigot and Thorin unlocked the smithy door. It opened with a grated creak and the familiar smells wafted to Hana's nostrils. "You go in and rest yourself," he directed. "I'm going to bring in some wood." There were logs already in the hearth, but not many. He was gone about ten minutes, long enough for her to relieve herself, and came back to find her still peeling off her left boot. The right lay beside her on the floor. He did not notice at first, as he plopped an armful of wood beside the door. "Well, my nephews left us about two day's worth," he announced, sounding winded. "I'm rather shocked…" He trailed off through spent breaths as he bolted the door and took off his cloak. Hana tried not to draw attention to herself, struggling with the boot. She thought Thorin did not notice until he turned around and saw her sitting on the floor beside the hearth. She grimaced as she tugged gingerly; the boot would not budge past the heel. Clearly, her right foot had borne most of her weight during their trek back into town.

Thorin slowly walked up to her, and Hana knew he was watching her try to pull the boot off. She would not look at him, she did not want help. He folded his arms and let out a drawn out breath as she yanked off the right boot, with a halfheartedly stifled utterance of pain. It felt as if she were ripping the skin completely off the sole of her foot. Thorin crouched down and sat in front of her. He took each of her feet and laid them on his crossed legs as he gave her a glance of mild reproach. He then carefully reached a third of the way up each trouser leg and peeled off her stockings. He shook his head as he saw her stubby toes, bright red and quite raw. Hana grimaced through pained breaths as she tried to flex them. Her right foot was the worse off. Upon closer observation he noticed the skin on her toes beneath the nail bed was wet and slimy, the texture of wet tissue. The beginnings of deep blisters. Her big toes bore the brunt. The skin had been worn where the moisture trapped in the boots rubbed against it. Thorin carefully lifted her feet and saw the soles were even redder; the balls had two substantial, round blisters already formed underneath each big toe. Her heels were raw and slimy blisters were already visible on the backs of each.

He sighed and lowered each foot down again.

"Hana..." Thorin muttered.

She exhaled with frustration. "What?" She answered curtly, irritated.

"Why didn't you say something? These must have hurt to walk on," he said, his deep voice a rough murmur. He searched Hana's face and eyes for an answer. She pursed her lips stubbornly before answering, opened, then closed them as she prepared to speak. Hana sighed loudly.

"What was I going to do, Thorin? " Hana rubbed her right eye with her hand wearily. "Tell you they hurt and stop walking in the middle of the woods? I was not aware the cracks in the boot soles were so bad, but apparently they were, because my feet were wet through a mile into our journey." She was embarrassed and exhausted, and would not look at him.

"You could have said, I would have stopped. You could have worn my socks," he shrugged, his large hands outstretched. "Maybe it might have helped."

Hana raised both hands, palms facing the ceiling, resigned. "It's my own damn fault. I should have paid closer attention to the condition of my boots. Thought they would see me through another winter as is. I was wrong." She let out an exasperated, glum sigh. Thorin sat a few minutes with her bare, blistered feet in his lap; he stroked the tops of her feet lovingly with his thumbs, tracing her prominent veins. He then stood up and walked into his bedroom. He came back with two folded washcloths and delicately wrapped each of her feet in them.

"I want you warm yourself here," he uttered quietly, as he grabbed his heavy fur cloak and covered her with it. He brought her a cup of water. "Stay here, hmmm? I don't want you up and moving. Please." He pulled the fur tighter, closed, under her chin. "Alright?" He prompted her agreement with a frown of concern. Hana was too tired and sore to protest. She nodded.

Hana watched as he took a kettle outside and presently came back with it, filled with snow. He got a fire going and simmered the kettle long enough for the water to heat, about twenty minutes. Thorin poured it into a large bowl. The wrought iron bowl bottom was wide enough in diameter to accommodate her feet. After a few minutes, he tested it with his finger. "Feel that," he told her as he nudged the bowl forward. "Is it too hot for you?"

Hana touched it with her fingers, and shook her head. "It is fine," she replied.

"Are you sure?" he inquired, his head tilted questioningly as he knelt in front of her. His eyebrows were upstretched; he did not want her to burn her feet on top of the existing blisters.

"Yes," Hana answered. Thorin very tenderly unwrapped her feet and he felt her shrink back as he eased them into the warm water.

"Ow…OWWW!" She shouted.

"I know, I know. This will help." His voice was calm. They were submerged up to where her feet met her ankles. Hana screwed up her face and clenched her teeth with sharp, shrill breaths as the blisters and exposure damaged skin seared in intense pain upon seconds of contact. "I know this is painful," he said soothingly. "But let them sit in the bath for a while. It will ease the aches, at least."

Hana felt the stinging waves of pain reach from the tips of her toes to her heels. "And it will help clean the blisters out," she added, her jaw tensed up, her eyes clinched shut.

Thorin stayed knelt as he observed her small, reddened feet in the bowl. She closed her eyes as she tried to relax, and reached for his hand.

"Thank you," Hana said, her voice barely louder than a whisper. She squeezed it, and their fingers folded together. It was a welcome sensation compared to her throbbing, stinging, soaking feet.

He sat opposite her with his knees drawn up to his chest, and moved a long strand of silver streaked hair from his face behind his ear. "None of that," he rasped. "I'm partly to blame for this."

Hana shook her head, though the rest of her body remained constricted in pain.

"No, you aren't. Why would you be to blame?"

Thorin held his hands up in implied defeat, then let them fall to the floor.

He drew out his respire. "I insisted we walk back today. I just thought it safer if we were closer to town, should more snow fall…"

Hana opened her eyes, her head rested on the wall behind her as her chin was pointed upward. "I'm just grumbly, Thorin, I've been through worse wounds than these," she replied, managing a slight simper through her pain. "Give them a few days, they will heal. Truthfully, it probably is safer to be here." She shifted her feet in the water. His stroked her right cheek, down to the jawline. They sat together with their foreheads and noses connecting. Thorin touched her right knee with his free hand, up her leg to the thigh. They beheld each other, wordless for a few minutes. "I'm going to fix us something to eat," he announced quietly. He kissed her lips with a peck. "Try to relax." Hana nodded and replied with a wry smile. She was trying to, but the large blisters shot waves of pain up into her calves. She felt anything but relaxed.

Thorin prepared them each supper consisting of bland soup. He drank a bit of ale, as did Hana, her insides felt relaxed after. Hana gingerly walked to retrieve her cloak, trying to avoid walking on the soles of her blistered feet. The result was an odd walk on the inner arches of her feet. Later that night, when they were getting ready for bed, he noticed the barely disguised expressions of pain on her face as she removed her trousers, put on her shift and then joined him in bed. She eased herself in next to him, her face up to the ceiling. The bed smelled of Thorin: musty wood, outdoors, and the ambient scent of burning embers. Thorin shifted on his side and kissed Hana's cheek, then clutched her left hand.

"You won't be putting your feet on mine to warm up tonight, will you?" He asked. Hana turned to her left and shot him an dubious look, mixed with some dry amusement. He immediately regretted the remark as he saw her reaction, fearing her retort. He halfheartedly tried to stifle a laugh. Echoes of a smile played across Hana's lips.

"You're a funny one, Thorin. No. I don't want anything touching my feet if I can help it, not for a while. Unless they are loose fitting slippers."

He nuzzled her cheek with his nose. "You must wear something tomorrow, Hana. You might find them foul, but you could wear some of my socks," he offered. "A clean pair, obviously. If anything, they will be loose, and keep you from getting cold." His voice comforted her, and he kissed her left cheek with gentle pressure.

"A clean pair? Then they won't be too foul. I may take you up on that," she said, returning his cheekiness, face aimed at the ceiling. Thorin paused at her audacity, and they both laughed as they looked at one another. She squeezed his forearm.

Thorin leaned over her a bit; his long hair fell on Hana's neck and shoulders. "Can I take your boots into town tomorrow for repairs?" he whispered.

She turned further to her left on the pillow to look at him, tendrils of hair rolled round and framed her cheeks.

Hana smiled sleepily. "I'd be grateful if you did, yes. Much as I am loath to say this, I don't think I'll be walking into town for a couple of days."

Thorin rubbed her arm, then her abdomen under the weighty, dense covers. "Consider it done, then. Try to get some sleep tonight." They kissed quickly and settled into the tranquil, cold darkness after he blew out his stubby bedside candle. The scent of the wick melting into candle wax soon filled the room. Hana bit her lower lip as her feet throbbed, even the slightest contact with anything aggravated the blisters. The sound of Thorin's heavy sleeping breaths and the pulsing pain in her feet kept her awake for hours.