Author's Note: Thanks go to the amazing Wockerjabi for all the soundboarding and editing she has helped me with so far and for this chapter, as well as Dragonfyre18 for creating Sky's winter dress and for her own input on various sections here. I hope it's good and that the story continues to improve. Let me know in a review. Thank you to all my wonderful reviewers who have taken the time to tell me their thoughts and help me grow as a writer. A thousand thank yous to Vargavinter, who was good enough to allow me to use two of her awesome characters from her 'Dwarf Gold' series in a cameo in this chapter. I really hope I managed to do them justice. Just keep in mind they are cameos in a very different world to 'Dwarf Gold' and there is only so much one writer can do with another writer's characters. Enjoy.
TRIGGER WARNING APPLIES TO THIS CHAPTER – MENTIONS OF SUICIDE
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Sky was bored.
Not bored as in the way most people feel bored, when there are literally millions of options available to them but they don't want to do anything but hate not doing anything never-ending-cycle kind of bored.
Sky was bored as in the way people feel bored when literally all they are allowed to do is sleep, eat and fuck at the whim of two other people, one of them nothing short of a terrifying psychopath who might just kill her at any second in some horrible, painful way when he himself eventually got bored of fucking.
She might literally die from boredom. How pitifully sad. And terribly annoying….
Sky had yet to finish even one of the Westron tomes Fili had found for her the week before, however, since her rather unpleasant encounter with the nobledams, Sky had felt reluctant to wander the halls in that section, let alone go into the library itself. And so it was that reading had been struck off her list of available activities once again, and she was left sorely wanting for mental stimulation. She had taken to haunting the halls at night and sleeping during the day, waking whenever the King or younger prince required her services before sleepily washing off their fluids and scent and climbing back into bed. The corridors were freezing most of the time, and Sky was grateful for the thicker winter dress Lasl had brought up as she had said she would. It was more in the dwarvish custom and make, with a full skirt and a simple high neck top, and the detail of a faux tunic complete with ties. It even had a fur trimmed hood, complete with veil so she could remove it when commanded. The sleeves were long and, like the hood, capped at the wrist with the softest of rabbit's fur. It was a dark rich brown with hints of sable. The only real adornment on the entire gown was the intricate gold embroidery imitating and representing the gold consort cuff she still consistently wore on her arm beneath the garment; Thorin's mark was to be displayed clearly at all times.
The upper levels of the Mountain were typically lit by wall sconces and ceiling lanterns just like most other areas Sky had seen. Yet in some of the more remote places, the young woman had happened across what appeared to be wide rays of weak moonlight spotting the floor and illuminating the tiny dust motes dancing in the air. The beams were in straight lines down their respective corridors and spaced out quite precisely. Sky had looked up to see perfectly carved shafts leading to what appeared to be a tilted mirror at the top of each, reflecting light presumably from another mirror in another chute adjacent. This method evidently allowed them to direct natural light from outside into the mountain, without it being lost as a result of the length and angle of the aperture they would need to have dug from outside to inside.
It would probably be even more beautiful during the day.
During her wanderings, Sky had made a number of interesting discoveries. One of them had been the enormous, empty chamber she had entered – quite by accident – through a little side door. There were no real furnishings other than the intricate tapestries hanging from the galleries above and reaching to the ground where she stood. The floor was entirely bare. A ballroom perhaps? She had paused to scan the room, especially the grand double doors at one end, and listened carefully to ensure there was no one else there. Then she curtsied to an imaginary partner and spread her arms, taking the position for a waltz. It was strange making any movement backward at first in the floor-length dress, but she managed to only fall on her backside once or twice before she had the hang of it again. Moving forward was simpler, as the waltz required her to step with her toes anyway, kicking slightly at the hem of her skirts and moving them out of the way. In her mind the room was filled with people in lavish outfits, torches lighting up the entire space as other figures chatted, watched and danced themselves. Her partner's gentle blue eyes smiled down at her and a soft and oddly familiar voice drifted over her ears as he said something….
She had stopped after a few minutes when that annoying little voice reminded her that they would perform different dances in the Mountain, and she would most certainly not be taking part. The illusion came crashing down and she was once again a tiny, lonely figure in a dark and empty ballroom. A room she would no doubt never be welcome in.
Sky had left swiftly, not looking back.
On a different night, she had discovered a much smaller chamber with soft armchairs, and fur rugs spread over the cold flagstones. A fireplace squatted at the end to the left of the entrance, and a large golden harp dominated the centre of the room. Sky had entered and closed the door behind her, fumbling with the flint and striking-steel resting on a sideboard by the door until she managed to light one of the torches in its sconce. Lifting it out, she warily explored her surroundings. On the opposite wall, several instruments somewhat resembling violins rested on their mounted stands, their bows hung beside them. A music room then. Most likely exclusively used by the royal family. A lute rested against the side of one of the armchairs, carelessly left there by whomever had played it last. Kili immediately came to mind and she rolled her eyes; it would be so like him. She debated finding where it belonged and putting it back, then decided it to be too risky. The room hadn't been mentioned by Balin as one of the 'forbidden' places, but it paid to be cautious. It was unlikely her presence would be tolerated.
Finally, she had had enough. Thorin or no Thorin, she had to find something else to do. Something productive. Technically something which would break a number of major rules on deeper reflection. Unfortunately, there was simply nothing available in the Thorin-approved department, and Sky knew she had to at least case her surroundings at some point if she ever wanted to rescue the girls and escape. She tried not to think about what would happen if she was caught, focusing instead on persuading Lasl to assist her.
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"No."
"Lasl, please…."
"Pardon my saying it Miss, but I think you have clearly gone mad already, so I see absolutely no point in this venture."
Lasl busied herself cleaning up the mess around the fireplace which Sky had created as an excuse for the maid to come outside of her usual beginning and end of the day schedule. Her story had been that she had tried to start the fire herself and a log rolled out, taking around half the bed of ashes with it. Lasl had taken one look, closed the door and asked what Sky actually wanted her for. So far, she had shut down every one of Sky's ideas and requests, even after Sky stated she would go mad if cooped up much longer. It was simply too dangerous in Lasl's eyes.
"Lasl..." Sky rubbed an eyebrow for a moment, thinking carefully. "I realise this doesn't put only me at risk. I understand what I'm asking you to do is probably even more dangerous for you than anything I plan on doing once I'm out there." The older woman turned to face her with an expectant look as she waited for Sky to continue. "But I just... You're my only chance. There is no way I'll get anywhere near the Middle Levels, let alone the Kitchens, looking like this," she gestured at her dress and the embroidered cuff on its sleeve helplessly. "With generic slave wear from this level, I might be able to pull it off. Though I'll need some kind of cloak with a hood to hide my face." She added, the thought only occurring to her then. "The veil is a dead giveaway—"
"Sk- Miss, please stop. I am aware of your frustration. But, leaving my own safety out of the equation for a moment, are you really sure you want to risk this? It is not like your night-time jaunts. Yes, I know about those," Lasl sighed in response to Sky's surprised expression. "If you want to avoid being detected, you'll need to do it during the day. A cloaked slave from any level moving about at night would be regarded with suspicion. In the wakeful hours they will simply assume you are working and leave you alone. But then there is the risk of everyone else out and about on their own errands..."
"There is always a risk to anything we do in life, Lasl!" Sky snapped, then bit her tongue in frustration, watching her maid's eyes harden as she turned away, posture stiff. There would be no convincing her now. Sky was on her own. Still, she continued her train of thought, doubtful it would be of much use. "I could choke on my breakfast tomorrow and die before I got help. If the balcony didn't have that grate in front, I'd risk trying to climb out –"
"Why do you think it was made inaccessible in the first place? Not because you might escape; you can't. The King had it grated after one of his consorts before you threw herself over the edge."
Sky froze as Lasl spoke in a grave tone. The maid was still working at cleaning up the floor by the hearth, her movements agitated.
"Fuck."
She had difficulty trying to comprehend just how bad things must have been for such a drastic action. And whether or not she might end up considering it. The thought of life being so bad she would rather fall to her death than attempt to hold on in hopes of improvement frightened her more than the idea of the demise itself. What had Thorin done to that woman? She spent the rest of the day thinking and pacing. Lasl finished within the hour and left again with a warning to be more careful in future. Her words held a clear double meaning, which was not lost on Sky, though she brushed them away with a huff.
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The next day also proved to be futile in regards to obtaining Lasl's assistance. And the day after that. It seemed no amount of begging, pleading or even crying would move Sky's maid to help her in her venture. Not for lack of sympathy, she was sure. Lasl had shot her many a pitying glance during her visits, but she was afraid for herself, understandably. Sky would not get away from Thorin unscathed were he to find out, but Lasl would most assuredly meet a fate far worse than Thorin's bed slave, being of no physical value in his eyes the way Sky seemed to be. As had been pointed out continuously, Lasl would be putting herself at risk more than Sky, simply by helping her in a manner not approved of by the King. Sky understood her refusal, but that made it no less frustrating.
Finally, she became desperate enough to pull out her reserve tactic. It was a low move and she certainly wasn't proud of it, but self-pride was hardly of much use to her in her current situation anyway. She waited until after her evening bath, then leant against the door watching her maid finish up. She had purposely left more work for the poor woman throughout the day, and if she was honest with herself there was nothing but pettiness driving her actions. She really needed a better distraction; something mentally stimulating.
As Lasl made her way over to the exit, Sky casually asked, "Are there any children of our kind working in the Upper Levels, Lasl? Just wondering…."
Lasl frowned, "What are you planning now?"
"It's a simple question, please answer it."
"Miss, what are you planning? Not to manipulate their naivety to obtain something your size I would hope?"
Sky shrugged. She'd been hoping to melodramatically beat around the bush, but as usual Lasl saw right through her. "I'm not getting a decent disguise any other way, because someone I know – who I am sure could figure out a way of sneaking it in, and working with my knowledge of the guard's rosters to get both of us out again – keeps refusing to have anything to do with my plans to keep my sanity intact."
Lasl crossed her arms and stared down her nose at Sky, quite in the literal sense as she was easily over a foot taller than the now-tiny younger woman. "I do not believe you would stoop so low as to force my hand by endangering a child. You are better than that."
'Now we're both fighting dirty,' Sky thought with grudging admiration. "You seemed happy enough to take my snowflake etching," she countered. "There was a lot of danger in that; what could it hurt to risk just a little more?" This was rather a foolish question ultimately, as they knew equally just how much it could hurt when failing meant Thorin's undivided attention; Lasl as a result of witnessing and Sky, from extremely unpleasant experience. Lasl must have been thinking the same thing, for she raised one eyebrow incredulously, though she didn't argue aloud. Sky sensed the ball was still in her court and tried the gentler approach again.
"Lasl…. I am going to become so desperate soon, I will run down those levels and keep running until they stop me by force. Then Thorin will definitely know and I will be severely punished. If you help me, I have a chance of staying mentally sound for longer and escaping the repercussions. I have some ideas for how we can keep your involvement a secret in the event I'm discovered. Just hear me out."
A weighty stillness fell over the room.
"Alright," Lasl finally said with a heavy sigh. "If you can come up with a plan I can follow and remain anonymous as your cohort…. I will see what I can do." Forgetting herself in her joy, Sky threw her arms around her maid's waist and hugged her tightly. Lasl gasped and struggled within the smaller woman's tight embrace, trying frantically to push her away. Sky reluctantly let go.
"Sorry."
"I need to tend to Lord Balin now. Think of something and I shall let you know if I think it is feasible." Lasl's speech was abrupt and hurried, and she was out the door before Sky could draw breath to tease her about how close she and Balin appeared to be nowadays. She always blushed in the most amusing way when asked about it in the privacy of Sky's chambers. Sky shook her head with a grin, then sat down to plan.
There had to be a way….
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It was surprisingly simple, at least to Sky's stimulation-starved mind, to put together a strategy which appeared as though it would run like clockwork. Part of her worried it was too simple and she was missing something, but after repeated failures to discover the problem her gut seemed certain was there, she gave up and ignored it. After outlining it to her maid, her co-conspirator had been dubious but willing to give it a try.
Over the following days, Lasl brought a spare brown winter dress and drab hooded cloak, hidden in with clean bedding, to be altered during her time in Sky's chambers. A child slave accompanied her and did all her usual duties other than bathing Sky and emptying the chamber pot; the latter task Lasl performed after hiding the partially finished garments under the bed, as she had to be accompanied by the door guard in order to have the grate opened. Now Sky understood why, she had to drag her thoughts away from the frightening revelation whenever she looked at the balcony.
The child was an efficient worker and rather embarrassingly the exact same height as Sky, at a mere twelve years of age. Sky had attempted to make a self-deprecating joke about her own diminutive figure to lighten the atmosphere, as Pella looked rather uneasy being in the Royal Consort's chambers, but Lasl had interrupted her by giving the little girl an order before sending Sky a warning shake of the head. It was difficult to restrain the desire to interact, as Sky had always enjoyed working with children and felt a strong need to bring a bit of joy and fun into Pella's life. Her childhood had to have been either too brief or non-existent, and the thought made Sky simultaneously sad for her and angry at the Khazad. But Lasl clearly thought it was too dangerous, so Sky reluctantly listened and kept any contact with the girl minimal.
Sky had often kept her door slightly ajar ever since it had stopped being bolted so she could watch and time the movements of her guards, in the event the information might become useful to her. And indeed it had. The progress of other aspects in the plan was slower than Sky would have liked but also steady. She used the week long preparations to adjust her data when she realised her usual method of keeping time in regards to the rotating sentries – which involved a crude sundial of sorts created by the grate and the sparse furnishings inside – was affected slightly by the change of seasons. The heavy snowfall also raised the shadow cast by a spur of the Mountain when hit by the elusive sunlight. Sky couldn't remember the last time she had seen the Sun. Certainly not since she had taken up 'residence' in Erebor. The position of her chambers just didn't allow the rays to make it to the single opening in the mountain face which made up her disused balcony.
They had been interrupted once or twice by Thorin, which had been terrifying to say the least. Luckily, Sky had seen his approach the first time whilst updating her knowledge of the guard schedule and had frantically gestured to Lasl with a cutting motion of one hand across her throat. The maid had roughly folded and shoved both the dress and the cloak along with her sewing supplies under the divan, just in time as the King swept through the door. The only thing missing was the actual sound of fanfare, Sky had thought dryly as Thorin ordered the two maids to leave and herded her into the torture/bed chamber.
Lasl had almost backed out of the entire thing after that, and it took Sky mentioning that they were already halfway and insisting that she would keep watch at all times from then on before the shaken woman agreed.
Finally, preparations were finished and the day arrived. Sky couldn't eat. Her stomach was roiling and wouldn't settle, so both her morning and afternoon meals sat untouched on the side board. She'd offered the food to Lasl, but the maid had made a face and given the younger woman a look that seemed to say 'you honestly think my digestive system is behaving any better?' They waited apprehensively for the guards to change over. The idea was that the dwarves didn't report the unremarkable comings and goings of the servers to each other, so the replacement guard – who had become used to Pella's presence according to Sky's plan – wouldn't bat an eyelid at the sight of a child-sized figure following Lasl out when Pella hadn't actually entered in the first place. They had agreed that it was safer than leaving the real child in Sky's chambers to be discovered by Thorin. Pella had been kept as oblivious as possible in regards to the plan in the event she was questioned. Lasl had merely told her she could have the day off to do other errands, to which Sky had dryly commented wasn't technically a day off and was promptly shot a stern look from Lasl. She couldn't remember when exactly the perceived power-balance had shifted, but she didn't care. As she herself had pointed out, without her maid, she wouldn't stand a chance in this endeavour.
Lasl was looking through the slightly ajar door and nudged Sky to get her attention, holding up a finger to indicate that stage one was complete. This meant the guards had changed over and it was time to start preparing for their exit. Lasl helped her into the brown dress and cloak, pulling up the hood before dumping a pile of laundry over her out-stretched arms and arranging the fabric to cover the exposed parts of her face. Once she was out, she would be relying on the anonymity the veil had been affording her the past few months in order to pass by Erebor's population without being recognised as Thorin's consort. Or a consort at all, hopefully. Her heart was pounding in her chest as Lasl began to count quietly. They had decided to wait about ten minutes to allow the previous guard to get far enough away that they wouldn't bump into him. The maid raised two fingers and motioned them forward. Sky took a deep breath and released it slowly as the door was opened and they filed out.
It almost went off without a hitch. Almost.
Sky was having difficulty seeing and came very near to dropping her load a few times as walls made it their business to sidle closer to her than was proper. The guard evidently noticed as he called out to them when they were several metres short of Kili's door and began to clank in their direction. They both froze, Lasl turning and dropping a curtsey to the dwarf as he pulled up beside them. "Can we be of assistance, sir?"
"I could not help but notice your urchin cannot see very well. Poor thing will fall down the first flight of stairs you come across, mark my words. Here, allow me…."
Sky's heart stopped dead as the cloth was moved until the helmeted head of the guard was visible. He was about Fili's height so he was looking slightly down at her as he attempted to shift the laundry so her line of vision was no longer obscured. Unfortunately, that meant he was staring right at her face. Sky saw a pair of vivid green eyes, then dropped her own to the ties of her cloak, holding her breath as she waited for him to drag her right back into her chambers, bolt the door and report her to Thorin. But when he was done, he merely stepped back, gave a nod of approval and waved them on with a gentle pat on her shoulder, returning to his post as though he'd noticed nothing amiss. Sky's knees felt like liquid and her body rather wanted to collapse in relief. Once again, the hated veil had actually done her a service.
They paused once they had finally cleared the royal apartments, having found a darkened and deserted alcove where they stared at each other before releasing identical nervous laughs as the tension and fear began to dissipate. "Please don't ever make me do this again," Lasl begged, and Sky sobered immediately with a nod. Her maid took the pile of sheets and towels, walking away silently after pleading with Sky to be careful and to avoid making eye contact with anyone. Then Sky was alone, fidgeting in the hallway as she figured out where to go next. She was so used to the confines of the upper levels – except in the instances where Thorin had her sit by him in court which was held in the Throne Room on the middle levels – that she had no clue where to start. Eventually, she decided on just trying to continue moving down and keeping her eyes peeled for any escape routes she might find useful later. And of course, the original reason which was to find the kitchens and contact Leadawn. There had to be a way to get them all out.
Sky soon found herself caught up in a chattering group of other slaves carrying baskets as they followed at a respectful distance behind a group of nobledams and what appeared to be a few dwarflings, clinging to their mothers' skirts. They were absolutely adorable and Sky smiled as one of them jumped up against the side of a wall in an attempt to touch the bottom of one of the beautiful gold lamps lining the hallway they were traversing. They weren't all that different to human children; she herself remembered making competitions to see who could leap high enough to make contact with hanging tree branches and other suspended objects in her own early youth. Hell, she still did it. Or at least she had back when she was free. Her thoughts turned to Pitha, wondering how she was faring in a bustling kitchen of a size required to feed all the nobility. She hoped she was being treated fairly and hadn't gotten into any accidents. A vague memory of watching a group of Heath children with Leadawn for the day whilst their parents worked in the fields gathering in some of the harvest – mere weeks before the fateful battle – sprang to her mind. Pitha had been among them at the time, she was sure. The little girl was rather shy and tended to only go to Leadawn when called, eyeing Sky with constant distrust. 'And so she should,' Sky thought bitterly as the group she had nondescriptly attached herself to the back of moved through a large guarded archway. 'I couldn't help them, and now she's probably suffering multiple cuts and burns at far too young an age, all without her mother. She must be so scared and confused.'
Sky bumped into something and she was dragged roughly from her thoughts as the dam she had collided with cursed her and shoved her to one side, growling, "Watch where you are going, Man-filth!" Sky grit her teeth and muttered an apology, bowing quickly then dodging a dwarf with a cart coming from the other direction. That was when she finally noticed how busy it had gotten.
She was in a marketplace.
The sights and sounds were overwhelming and Sky staggered to one side of the thoroughfare, standing stock still by a stall selling what looked to be medieval-style kebabs, interestingly enough, as she tried to take it all in and make sense of her surroundings. She was in an enormous cavern, with rows upon rows of stalls and stands and roads between them for as far as she could see. The diverse groups of people from both races milling around in front of her on that one road alone was distracting and she had difficulty making any sort of sense from the chaos around her. The colours blurred and separated, the noise swelled and rolled, the smells of various food stalls intermingled and made her feel like throwing up. She was once again thankful for opting out of eating that day.
She grasped the pole of the stand beside her as the earth seemed to sway a little beneath her feet. She was on the verge of a panic attack, she realised blearily, and tried to focus on taking deep breaths, struggling to ignore the sickening blend of scents invading her nostrils as she did so. Suddenly, an all too familiar tenor cut clearly through the babble and Sky froze.
"There you are! Mahal's Beard, I have been waiting for you for hours!"
'Please no, not him. Not anyone, please... Please be talking to someone else. I just want a day to myself... He'll be so angry with me, I know he will.'
Sky turned slightly to see him already too close and tried to straighten up and keep walking, however he reached her too quickly and took her by the arm, gently but firmly pulling her along behind him as he navigated through the crowd to the edge of the main thoroughfare.
"I told you to meet me by the East entrance. And I was expecting you at Noon. So what do you do? You enter some other way and wander the market place until it is late afternoon!" His voice was just a little too loud, as though he were trying to subtly broadcast their supposed agreement, which of course was utter nonsense, over the noise of the marketplace. They hadn't arranged anything at all and Sky had no idea why he was behaving this way. But the grip on her arm tightened, and she met his blue eyes sheepishly only to see them widen very briefly in the universal expression for 'play along'.
And then she understood.
He thought he was saving her ass yet again, though from what exactly she had no clue. No guards had come to escort her back. Nothing had happened to make her think anyone else was aware of her disobedience. She could see no one in the crowd who would need to witness and hear Fili's words in order to dismiss her own forbidden behaviour as something she had been ordered to do. He had deliberately drawn attention to them to inform everyone around that she was meant to be there but had gotten lost. Why? There was evidently something he was aware of that she wasn't and he had never led her wrong yet. Trusting him had always been to her benefit since her capture, so she kept her mouth shut and head bowed, trailing meekly in his wake once he released her arm. Fili slipped into Khuzdul as he spoke to himself in an annoyed manner, loudly enough for others nearby to hear if they wished to listen. Sky presumed he was still keeping up the pretence of the vexed noble, nodding distractedly to dwarves, dams and slaves bowing, curtsying or crouching as he passed. She ignored them and kept her eyes on the back of his wine red cloak. The colour really did suit him.
They passed stall after stall and moved down a few narrow stone alleys of a sort into other caverns also filled with the same brightly coloured canopies and stands covered in merchandise. She supposed the cloth roofs were for show as there wasn't exactly any chance for rain underground, and indeed, many of the vendors simply had a number of simple yet beautiful rugs spread and overlapping on the cave floor, the items they were selling laid out in rows with little aisles between them so potential buyers could walk through and look without stepping on anything.
Some of the shops were actually carved into the rock walls around the edges, designating them as more permanent businesses. Fili crossed the wide floor towards one of them, Sky trying to catch a glimpse of all the pretty jewellery, clothing and odd things she had no name for and no time to scrutinise and figure out, whilst simultaneously doing her best to keep up as they walked through at a rather stiff pace. It would be hard to lose him come to think of it, as his unusual hair - for a dwarf - stood out against the sea of browns, reds, blacks, greys and whites, in addition to the great wave of sorts happening in the crowds as he moved, the individuals around him paying their respects to the Crown Prince. She didn't dare stop to admire anything properly however, remembering his earlier indication that they were being watched.
Finally, they reached what appeared to be a blacksmith of sorts next to another permanent shop displaying animal pelts and various forms of clothing and leatherwork. Fili muttered her name softly to get her attention, which had been riveted on a frankly gorgeous waist-length fur coat hanging on the wall inside, and flicked his head subtly toward the bench he was already standing at in front of the blacksmith. She reluctantly moved to wait at his side and half-listened to the brief discussion he held in Khuzdul with a burly dwarf who looked as though he himself had been carved from the rock, his features were so angular and hardened.
In a few moments Sky found herself holding a beautiful pair of matched daggers in odd-looking sheaths as Fili withdrew a money pouch and placed a number of gold coins on the bench. 'Rock' shook his head then said something quietly with a bow before pushing the money toward Fili, who raised his eyes skyward and started up a new conversation, this time involving a lot of head shaking and hand waving of the gently refusing kind from both of them with the occasional smile on the other dwarf's end. Finally, they seemed to come to an agreement and Fili sighed as he gathered up a few of the coins and returned them to the pouch. The smith grinned and muttered something else, sliding more of the money toward Fili but the blond dwarf replied in a very firm tone and pushed them back. Rock bowed deeply and spoke some words Sky had observed were regularly used to convey gratitude, then Fili had a hand on her lower back and was gently directing her to the store adjacent. She found it incredibly difficult to resist leaning into the touch as it sent what felt similar to an electric current throughout her body from their point of contact. This was ridiculous; what was wrong with her?
"And what can we do for you today, your highness?"
The snarky tone brought Sky's focus back to the shop, surprised any of the dwarves would speak to Fili like that. Then she saw it was not a dwarf, but rather a small human girl. Probably a little older than Pella, though of a more diminutive size interestingly enough. Her lip was curled slightly as she stared challengingly up at the prince. Fili's moustache braids twitched, but he ignored her words.
"I would like to talk to your sister, please."
"She's busy," came the snappish reply.
"No, I'm not," a voice called out from the back of the shop, and another figure appeared, placing a half-finished shirt sleeve on the bench before turning to Fili with a much friendlier attitude than her sibling. Sky was bemused to see that the woman, though possibly the same age as her, what with her overall appearance and mannerisms, was about the same height. She wasn't the only tiny human adult here after all. The younger girl scowled and slunk away to sit at the back somewhere Sky supposed, as she was certain she could see the dark shape stop moving and continue to watch them. "Apologies for my sister. Again." The woman glared behind her to emphasise the last word, then shot Fili a smile, "What brings you here today, m'lord?"
"Is your master around?"
She shook her head, "Not for several more hours I should think. Dead drunk, snoring in his bed upstairs."
"Good." Fili seemed grimly pleased with this. "Then I'd like to have a look at that new belt you designed."
"Certainly m'lord." The woman rummaged around somewhere under the counter for a minute or so, retrieving a thick belt from beneath which looked as positively fearsome as it was beautiful. She began to point things out about the item and speak whilst Fili nodded and listened intently, asking questions from time to time which the woman answered, rather enthusiastically in Sky's opinion. She tuned the words out when she began noticing Fili's level of attention, the way his body and face both seemed more relaxed than they had before, watching the woman's face more often than he did the belt. For some reason it bothered her. She felt a twist in her gut and her vision blurred slightly. She turned to face the other direction and casually shifted the load in her arms so she could wipe her sleeve over her eyes to get rid of the odd moisture there, hoping absentmindedly that the garment was relatively clean. She couldn't remember asking where exactly Lasl had obtained it.
"Sky." Fili's voice jolted her from her thoughts and she numbly reached out to take the belt he gently laid over the top of the daggers. Then he handed over a number of coins which the woman counted carefully before separating two of the coins and glancing meaningfully at them. Fili sighed, "He doesn't feed you well enough. Buy yourselves something from the market." She seemed about to refuse, then evidently thought better of it after a look over her shoulder at the barely visible outline of the little girl at the back.
"Very well. Enjoy your belt, m'lord."
"Thank you, Hannah." The smile which spread across his face whilst saying those words was painfully beautiful, and the twist turned into a sharper stab. Sky swallowed against the lump in her throat and tried to silence the nasty thoughts which began to rise in her mind, all involving the other slave. He was just being polite; her reaction was bordering on insane and she had to wonder if perhaps her lack of sleep lately was catching up to her. And besides, if he did choose to flirt with the store holder's assistant, who was she to complain? He could do what he liked, it was hardly any of her business.
The trip back to the upper levels was uneventful and silent. Fili didn't speak to her and she sensed anything from her own end would be rebuffed. His stride was stiff and it seemed as though he was also actively avoiding looking at her. She caught herself throwing furtive glances behind them every now and then, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. A few other dwarves were also going their way and they were all keeping to themselves. A thick fur coat swung open on one of them further down the hall for a moment, and Sky thought she saw a flash of green with gold stitching, but she shook it off as her imagination. The dwarf himself looked pompous and important, with excessively fancy beard and hair, which he had to consistently brush away from the official documents he was studying intently as he walked. Someone like that would not have taken any notice of a group of dams tormenting a slave. And most certainly would not have been able to disappear like her saviour. His appearance was frankly rather ridiculous.
To her confusion, instead of escorting her to her chambers, Fili took hold of her shoulder and steered her into his own, giving a nod to the guards as he passed.
Sky blinked several times to acclimatise her eyes to the sheer amount of light in the room, compared to the rest of the Mountain. The source of it became clear quite quickly and she did a double take when she saw the sheer number of lit candles, all at various stages of melt. A large box rested just inside the door, stacked to the brim with fresh ones. Nearly every surface which could hold them was covered in the waxy burning sticks. The hearth was cold, but at least half a dozen candles flickered on the mantle. The rest of the sizeable living area seemed similar to his brother's and her own, if slightly more lavish. Most of the room was carpeted in soft, warmly coloured rugs, somewhat reminding her of the market again, with a large black bear skin laid out near the fireplace. A door in the corner most likely lead to his own washroom, but it was closed. A very large desk just like Kili's stood against the back wall, adjacent to a single yet wide bookshelf which took up the remainder of the wall space. It was filled with books, though that was hardly surprising. If nothing else, it seemed they shared the same hunger for knowledge.
"Put those things on the desk." Fili's tone was cool and businesslike as he unfastened the clasp at his throat, hanging the cloak on a hook near the door before removing his gloves and placing them on a sideboard. Sky obeyed the order, trying not to look through the open door on her left, leading to what she assumed was his bedchamber. When she turned around, he was standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed, eyeing her sternly. She felt smaller than ever under that gaze and shifted nervously. After what seemed like an eternity, he took a deep breath and released it very slowly. "Do you remember what I said to you in the library a fortnight ago?"
Sky swallowed and nodded.
"Then can you kindly explain to me why it was that I found you wandering a middle level market place armed with nothing but a rather poor disguise to hide you and the hope no one would recognise your face?" A hint of steel laced his voice now, and suddenly she wished he would go back to the cool and indifferent one he normally used. It was certainly the less frightening of the two. "That was not a rhetorical question. I do expect an answer," he gritted when the pause grew too long. "I was bored," she said quietly, though he clearly heard her as his eyebrows shot up into his hairline.
"Bored? That is your excuse for putting your maid's life in danger? Your selfish actions will lead directly back to her."
"How did you–"
"It is not much of a stretch to figure out exactly how you got a hold of a uniform your size, Sky. If I can put that information together, so can Thorin! Think!"
"I'm sorry!" Now she really did feel utterly worthless and indeed, incredibly selfish. She hated being the cause of his disappointment and felt tears prickling her eyes. "'Sorry' does not erase what your Shadow has seen today," Fili growled, voice lowering in tone as he shot a look at the door. "I couldn't believe my eyes. I was under the now clearly false impression that you had more sense than that." Sky was distracted suddenly as her brain clung onto and mulled over his odd use of the word 'shadow'. "What's a 'Shadow'?"
Fili sighed heavily and moved to sit down on his divan, waving an arm at the place beside him; Sky lowered herself into the space but was careful to leave a large gap between them, still hurting for some strange reason about his surely drastically decreased opinion of her, if his previous words and tone were anything to go by. "Did you honestly never think it was strange that no guards tailed you after you were released from your chambers? Never wondered how Thorin knew so quickly you were in the library that day?" He levelled a questioning gaze at her and she shrugged, feeling as dense as he had to be thinking she was right then. "From the second you were given that freedom," Fili continued, ignoring her soft snort at his use of the word 'freedom', "you were being followed. Every moment you spend outside of your chambers is monitored, and reported if you break any rules or go into forbidden places. Or leave the upper levels without permission as you did today." He waited for the information to sink in and she felt her heart drop as everything started to make more sense. Thorin's almost omniscient knowledge of her movements throughout each day, and Fili's odd behaviour in the market. He had been acting for the crowd, or rather, someone in specific. Someone hidden in the crowd and whom she hadn't known was there; who was trailing her and watching her in her act of disobedience.
A Shadow.
And Fili's amazing web of lies spun and spoken clearly and confidently without a second thought, hoping the Shadow would think the Crown Prince had actually ordered Sky to meet him there, had possibly saved her yet again. How he planned to convince his uncle of the finer details, such as why she had gone in disguise and why she had arrived alone in order to get lost in the first place was beyond her, but if anyone could do it, it was him.
"How many of these… Shadows… are there?"
Fili shrugged, "I am unaware of the number, but I do know that it is a sizeable network of previous criminals who Nori, their leader, had released from the dungeons whilst awaiting trial and put into his service. He trains them then assigns them as the King sees fit. Some are there with their assigned dwarf's knowledge, and act as invisible body guards of a sort. Others are sent to tail their quarries in secret, reporting their every move straight back to the King. Every consort Thorin has ever had has been shadowed by one of Nori's ilk. You may sometimes hear of Nori himself spoken of as the King's Shadow."
"And he protects the King, I assume," Sky said. "Aye," Fili nodded, "though really he is somewhat superfluous in the role, as the Elite Guard would stop any attack long before it came close enough that Nori would need to step in. My brother alone is enough to protect our King from a small army." He smiled softly, though once again it wasn't directed at her and her gut gave that odd little twist. "They are highly skilled fighters for the most part and the lower ranks are often used as law enforcement and peacekeepers in areas where guards are noticeable and too easily outmanoeuvred by the criminal element. Shadows can move largely unseen and have various secret techniques they use to blend in with crowds and otherwise appear relatively nondescript to those they are tailing or trying to capture. There are some accounts of them supposedly disappearing like wraiths and many believe they are demons in Khazad form, which is foolish as they are as mortal as you or I, but I suppose those not privy to the information I have could easily believe something like that."
Silence fell for several moments, Sky watching the flickering motion of the flames burning away the wicks of the candles on the mantelpiece. "You do realise…." Fili trailed off as though changing his mind about whatever it was he wanted to say, his brow pinched slightly in thought, then he continued. "You do realise that every time you rebel and I step in to save you from severe punishment, the blame is placed on my shoulders and I suffer the consequences? The sheer amount of lying I will need to do when your Shadow makes his report to Thorin…." The blond shook his head and rubbed his hands over his face with a drawn out sigh, then fixed her with an intense stare. "I would appreciate it if you began to think outside of your own needs and wants from now on. Start considering how your decisions impact the people around you. You cannot survive here by yourself, Sky. Left to your own devices, you would be dead by now."
He held her gaze for a moment as he let that sink in. Sky would have given anything to have a hole swallow her up right then. She had indeed been foolish and self-centred. And despite her questioning why Fili bothered rescuing her at all, let alone continuously, she could see the logic in his words. Continuing to put herself in danger by defying the King didn't just affect her. Whether she was helped or not, Thorin would most likely take out his anger on others too, knowing how much worse it could be having someone else punished for her crimes. As grateful as she was for his interference, Sky berated herself for prompting Fili to step into the firing line yet again. It must have seemed to him like she was throwing all his efforts and his suffering at Thorin's hand for her back in his face. No wonder he wanted nothing to do with her.
"I'm sorry," was all she could say, and by the tightness in his shoulders and mouth, it was clear that a mere apology was not enough.
However, before she could figure out a better response, a loud pounding broke the tension and Fili ordered the knocker to enter. Dwalin's huge frame stood in the doorway. He growled something to the Crown Prince, who replied in a rather short fashion before rising and motioning Sky to do the same. Dwalin raced off down the corridor and Fili propelled Sky out the door and towards her chambers, calling a flurry of orders, first to his own guards and then to Sky's. She stumbled into her living quarters and turned quickly to catch him before he left, ignoring his surprised glance at her hand wrapped around his forearm. "What's going on?"
Rather than shake her off as she'd expected, Fili gently disengaged himself and gave her hand a quick squeeze as he answered simply, "Orcs. Stay here."
Then he was gone, and she could hear the bolt sliding into place with an ominous scrape.
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Author's Note: Next up, a major turn of events and some interesting times for our characters. :D Skywolf, over and out.
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