Chapter X


Maryse POV

"Laddie, wake up" I heard someone then after some time of silence, that someone started to shake me a little bit by the shoulder.

"Hmrmrmrm...nooo..." I groaned as I turned around and buried myself deeper into the pillow.

"C'mon Mister Markus!" I heard Bofur's cheerful voice. Then I heard some whispers around me. I ignored it and snuggled again into the warmth.

It took me a moment before I realized that, that pillow was breathing. Pillows aren't supposed to breathe.

I slowly opened my eyes in fear to what or rather who's beside me. Once my eyes are opened, the first thing that greeted me was the sun's glare. I squinted a bit and took some time for my eyes to adjust to the light. Then there I saw just inches away from my face was Thorin Okaenshield' sleeping face. His face was so close that I can almost feel his breath on my face.

It felt as if everything around me stopped. I just couldn't tear my eyes away from his face. His eyes closed, lips slightly parted as he slowly breathed in and out. I've never seen him this peaceful looking before, his forehead free of this 'worry wrinkles' while the sun's soft rays lighting up half of his face. Basically, Thorin looked so beautiful.

In a manly way, I mean.

"Mister Markus?" I was suddenly snapped out of my trance as soon as I heard a voice calling out to me. And the realization dawned upon me. I was staring at Thorin. I immediately sat up when I felt an arm wrap around me and pulled me close. I struggled to get out for some amount of time and when I was finally free, I just stood there in shock.

"I-I-I...slept in Thorin's bedroll." I muttered under my breath

"Aye laddie!" I heard Fili from behind as he passed by me carrying a small pack in his arms.

"W-wait Fili!" I grabbed him by the arm and faced him.

"How did this happen?! AND WHEN?!"

"Last ni-" The blonde dwarf was cut off when I heard Thorin from behind me making me jump.

"We leave in a few." He said. When I faced him, our eyes met.

"I-I..." I stuttered and felt my face heat up. He just stared at me before he turned around and left with his bedroll in his hands.

After that, I didn't notice that I was standing on the same spot blushing like an idiot until I felt Bofur's hand on my shoulder. I turned around and when I faced him, I saw a few dwarves on their ponies ready to go. I shook my head and tried to forget what happened earlier.

"Let's go laddie, I'll tell you what happened last night on the road" He quipped

"Aye!" Fili said before turning around and going to his own pony

"But I haven't packed yet!" I exclaimed

"We have packed up for you! And here's an apple since you have missed breakfast." Dwalin came with his pony with my pack on its back and threw an apple towards my direction. As soon as I caught it, I bit it making some of its juices running down my chin.

"Thanks guys! That's so sweet!" I grinned as I wiped away the apple juices with the back of my hand.

"Kili! Could I ride with you?!" I shouted at him, as soon all of the dwarves, Bilbo came each on their own ponies and Gandalf on his own horse, we were set to go.

"Aww why can't you ride with me?!" I saw Fili ride up beside me.

"Because, we don't want what happened the last time to happen again don't we?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh." Fili mumbled as he blushed.

"Uhm..sure you can ride with me Mister Markus!" I heard Kili from behind. I bid Fili goodbye and walked to where Kili and his pony were.

"Could you help me get on the pony?" I asked when I reached him

"Sure!" He got down and when he was about to get me by the waist, I felt a strong pair of arms carrying me, making me yelp in surprise and drop my delicious apple on the ground.

"Wha-?"

"From now on, you'll be riding with me you understand?" I heard my kidnapper's baritone voice behind me. When I turned around I saw that it was no other than, Thorin Oakenshield himself.

"THORIN! LET ME GO! LET ME GO!" I tried to wiggle out of his grasp, I even attempted to bite his arm but unfortunately I failed. So while Thorin was carrying me, I saw the others smirking and chuckling at us. Well, except for Bilbo, his facial features etched with concern.

"FILI! KILI HELP!" I shouted at them as I tried to reach out my arms to them. But, then again all of them just smirked and chuckled.

So in defeat, I buried my face into his chest and tried to cover the embarrassment. WHY IS HE SUDDENLY DOING THIS?! I wanted to scream. I mean, doesn't he like me? I'm really confused right now.

Then before I knew it, I was on Thorin's pony, even before I could say something in protest, he immediately mounted the pony

"Move it!" And we started moving.

Basically it seems like I'm going to be stuck with him the whole day.


"Woah! This is just wicked!" The three girls, namely Elise, Elinor, and Crista stared in awe at the view right before them. Elrond raised an eyebrow at the three as the four of them continued to walk in Rivendell's gardens.

"So, we'll just keep on walking here then?" Crista thought out loud. Then Elrond stopped on his tracks and looked down at her with amusement. Crista, upon realizing this, blushed and immediately covered her mouth with a hand.

"Sorry." She mumbled and the other two snickered at her.

"We could sit here my ladies." Elrond tried to hide his smile as he gestured towards the wooden bench sitting in the middle of the garden under the night moon.

"Awesome" Elinor ran with excitement to where the bench is and sat. Elrond, Elise and Crista followed suit and sat. But Elise preferred to sit on the grass.

After a while of silence, the elf spoke up.

"Why don't you tell me as to how you got here" He said as he waited with such patience for the girl's story.

"Uhm...it's kinda hard to explain..." Elise scratched her head

"Yeah..." The other two muttered.

"Well, you said earlier that you couldn't sleep, why don't you use this time to tell me then?" Elrond pointed out.

The three hesitated and gave each other worried looks for a moment

"Fine" Crista sighed before she, Elise, and Elinor went on with their story of how they got there.


As the whole company rode, the dwarves talked in their own small groups. Bilbo was talking beside Gandalf as he rode beside the said grey wizard. Ori was with Bofur and Balin and Dwalin was with Thorin's two nephews. Meanwhile, Markus and Thorin rode in silence in lead of the company.

Markus struggled in protest as he attempted to hop down the moving animal. This made Thorin's arms around him tighten as the king held the pony's rope.

"Why are you doing this Thorin?" Markus frowned as he asked Thorin while they rode on their pony, the others not that far behind them.

The only response the lad could get was a grunt from Thorin.

Markus couldn't do anything so he ran a hand through his hair in defeat when he felt a braid in place of the messy strands of hair last night as he remembered that he let Fili braid his hair.

"Hey Fili! Thanks for braiding my hair!" He called out to the blonde dwarf. In response, Markus felt Thorin stiffen behind him

"You're welcome laddie! But, I ain't the one that did that to your hair." He replied from the back.

"Uncle did." Kili added

After a moment of silence.

"What?!" Markus exclaimed making the Thorin stop the pony.


Maryse POV

As soon as the realization dawned upon me

"What?!" I exclaimed, then I felt the animal under Thorin and I come to a halt.

"You braided my hair?" I whispered as I turned my head and looked up at Thorin and our eyes met. I noticed that Thorin's eyes don't hold that cold stern look. Today was different; his eyes have this soft look.

"Yes." I heard him barely whisper, even his voice doesn't sound strict. This time, his voice contained emotion.

"Why?" I mumbled.

He didn't reply, and then I noticed that our faces were only inches away from each other. So close that I could feel his breath on my lips.


The others also stopped after they saw that their king had stopped.

"Why are we stopping?" Bilbo questioned from the back for he has no idea as to what is happening in front.

"I don't know Mister Boggins. But it seems like there is something happening between uncle and Mister Markus." Kili replied

"It's Baggins." Bilbo rolled his eyes in annoyance before he turned his attention towards the two people in front of them.

After a while of watching the scene unfold before them, Ori spoke up

"Are they gonna kiss?" He half whispered.

"Aye." Dori told him, excitement evident in his voice.

For what they're seeing before their eyes is that Thorin and Markus' lips are almost touching.

Then suddenly, out of the blue, a roar of thunder was heard in the skies before the rain came down pouring on all of them. Of course this made all of them wet

"Awww" Almost all of them groaned in disappointment when they saw that Markus and Thorin didn't kiss, instead Markus was facing away from Thorin blushing like mad. And the king was sitting still, with shock evident on his face.


Maryse POV

After the thunder roared, both Thorin and I jumped in surprise. That was when I realized that our lips were almost touching. Upon realizing this, I immediately turned around and buried my face into my hands to hide my reddening face.

I can't believe that I almost kissed Thorin for goodness sake! I wanted to scream so hard!

That's when it started to rain.

"Oh great" I groaned as I felt the water starting to make me and my clothes wet. I just washed these last night! Ughh!

"Let's move!" I heard Thorin's voice stand out from the rain plinking on the now muddy ground before I felt the pony starting to move again.

This is going to be such a long day. I thought.


Meanwhile in Rivendell, after Elise, Crista, and Elinor had told Elrond everything that happened from when they had decided to have a vacation towards the event where the earthquake happened and ended up in Middle Earth with Galadriel explaining some sort of connection between them after.

"Well, that's interesting. So you're just waiting for your friend Maryse then?" Elrond raised an eyebrow. Even though he doesn't really understand as to where the three girls came from, he tried to.

"Yeah...we guess...so...yeah" Crista said

"How about I tell you a story?" Elrond suggested, attempting to lighten up the girls' mood and change the subject.

"Sure!" Elise settled nearer to where Elrond's feet are and the three of them started to listen to him.

So by the time the elven lord had finished his story, he realized that the three girls had fallen asleep. Like children that falls asleep whenever their mothers tell them bedtime stories. He chuckled at them. For Elise was resting her head on Elrond's lap, while the other two had their heads leaning on each other for support. All of them were sleeping soundly.

Just in time when Elrond was about to stand up, Arwen came to where they were sitting

"Ada, how come you're here?" Arwen questioned.

"I caught them wandering in the halls, they told me they couldn't sleep so I took them here. And I didn't know that these three and their missing friend had a very special thing about them." Elrond explained.

"They look tired ada, why don't we take them back?" Arwen suggested.

"Yes we should. Have them be taken to their room, I'll carry this girl." Elrond told her before he carefully lifted Elise's head off his lap and carried the hobbit in his arms to the girls' room.


TEE-HEE! So that's Chapter 10! I really hate the rain! I hate it that it was the cause of Thorin and Maryse not to kiss! Ughh! Tell me what you think of this chapter! Next chappie would be the TROLLS! Dun dun dun dun! Ahihihi so excited! Elrond's such a sweet elf! I actually have a crush on him ahaha! I would like to thank all of my followers! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did! R&R!