I do not own The Hobbit—shocker. Nerys however, is mine. This fic follows the movie canon and is a prequel to Treasures Lost and Found. There's some violence and slightly sexual scenes, but nothing worth rating the fic any higher. Anyways, enjoy!
Since Day One
—To Esgaroth, Part 3
Esgaroth was a city almost entirely constructed of wood. Most of it sat on the shore of the lake, but there were several long piers that extended into the water. They looked as if they had started life as docks, but had evolved into floating streets. There were large docks extending farther into the water, sitting slightly lower than the platforms holding up houses and shops. It was entirely unique, but then Nerys had only ever seen Erebor and Dale, cities made from stone.
The market was in the centre of the city and it was huge, filled with humans and elves and dwarves and the noise that came with having so many people in one place. It smelled of meat and flowers and sweat and beer and everything one could imagine seemed to be for sale. Nerys had thought the evening hour of the dwarves' arrival would mean the markets were empty or closed, but she was pleased to find she was mistaken.
She followed Thorin and Dwalin to the building where the dwarves would be staying and promised to remain there while they went with Thrain to speak with the Master of the city, something that was done on every trip. She also promised Dwalin she would rest; he had made a fuss over her wounds, despite them already been wrapped and on their way to healing when he found out about them. So Nerys pulled off her swords, cloak, and boots and climbed into the dwarf-sized bed she'd been given. She was asleep almost before her head hit the pillow, the exhaustion from the walk and from the adrenaline of the battle leaving her empty finally catching up.
In the morning, Nerys found that someone had left her a clean shirt to wear, folded on the end of the bed. She changed into the dark blue garment and had just adjusted the way it sat when there was a knock at her door.
"Come in," she said as she sat on the floor to pull her boots on; her side was stiff and sore and she didn't even watch to try and sit on the bed and bend down to reach her laces.
"Good morning," Thorin said. "How do you feel?"
She raised a hand and huffed as he helped her to her feet. "Just stiff. It will loosen as I move around. How are the others who were injured?"
"They will be fine. They will have to ride back to Erebor tomorrow in the carts, but they will all recover with time." Nerys nodded and smiled at the good news and pulled her cloak about her shoulders before belting on her swords. She was moving slower than normal, but Thorin didn't press the issue. "Would you like some company while you explore the market today?" he asked, almost tentatively.
She looked up, the shock she felt plain on her face. Shock that quickly gave way to a smile. "Yes. I would like that. There is no business for you to attend to today?"
"My father will be taking care of it. The only part he requests that I attend is the initial meeting with the Master."
After grabbing a quick breakfast, they returned to the market to find it even busier than the night before. It appeared a group of elves had just arrived from the Greenwood and Thorin and Nerys passed a pair of females arguing rather loudly with some of the humans of Esgaroth. The black-haired elf looked ready to attack someone and the redhead had positioned herself between her companion and the humans, evidently to prevent any violence. Nerys almost wanted to stay and watch; she'd never seen an elf lose their cool like the black-haired one. Thorin kept her walking however, directing her towards the tables and carts and stands that had been set up to display the merchandise.
Keeping her face hidden, Nerys perused elven jewelry, so delicate and light compared to the heavy bands and square designs of her people. There was one particular necklace done in silver and sapphires she admired. Her and Thorin spent a great deal of time examining the weapons some human merchants had brought up from the south, and one merchant even had a few elven blades that looked exquisite but unlikely to do much damage. When Thorin remarked as such, Nerys laughed loud enough to draw a few curious looks.
Towards midday, Thorin purchased some bread, cheese, cold meats, and apples—much to Nerys's delight, for the ruby-red fruit from the Greenwood were her favourite—from one of the taverns in the market area and he and Nerys found a spot away from the hubbub of the city and near the water to sit and eat. Nerys was grateful for the respite, as her side had begun to hurt, though the stiffness had gone. She removed her cloak as soon as they were away from those who couldn't know she was a female dwarf.
"It has not started bleeding again," Thorin said after a quick examination of the bandage once they were seated in the grass.
"Good. I think I may head back and rest some more after we eat. I do not want to be a burden on the journey home tomorrow." She bit off a hunk of the bread which was dense and full of seeds and delicious. "I would like to be able to walk most of the way, but I will not push myself too far," she added, seeing concern on Thorin's face.
"As long as you stick to that promise. I sometimes believe your stubbornness will get you killed."
Nerys scrunched up her face and tossed the heel of her bread at him. "My stubbornness? You are far worse than me."
"I doubt that, if half the stories Dwalin and Balin have told are true."
She laughed and was pleased to find it didn't cause as much discomfort as she'd been dreading, just a slight pulling. "I would not believe everything my brothers tell you, Thorin. Balin at least as a tendency to embellish his stories."
"I have noticed."
They finished their meal with idle chatter and remained on the bank of the lake for quite a while after they were finished, Nerys nibbling her apple down the core and enjoying every sweet bite. When she was finished, Nerys moved so she was sitting beside Thorin, and he took her hand, lacing his fingers between hers.
"Thorin, there is something I feel I should tell you," she said. Her voice was thick with emotion, but she'd spent the entire day warring with herself about this and having finally reached a decision, she was going through with it. "Though I am sure you already know," she added, squeezing his hand.
"I do know," he replied quietly. His face was blank, but his eyes were soft, waiting for her to speak.
Nerys's cheeks flared to life as she searched for the words to do this without saying it explicitly. That would make it real, make it that much more painful if he rejected her here and now. "I do not expect anything from you, thoughts or feelings or anything, and I will wait until I am considered old enough by most to make this decision properly before I tell anyone else, but you… you are the only one I will choose." She forced herself to meet his eyes and smile. Her cheeks were brilliantly red and she wanted to say those three words, but she didn't.
Thorin didn't say anything—probably because there wasn't much he could say to that—but he did lift her hand and place a kiss on the back of it. Nerys smiled and exhaled slowly, relieved that he was not mad and that he had not said no.
Surprise appearance by Idhril (the black-haired one) and Armae (the redhead), another of my OCs who features more prominently in The Lord of the Rings, and my friend's OC for The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings.
