Chapter 20
Talk, Marriage, and Mated
I woke up nestled on Nori's chest, wrapped in his arms with the smell of food in my nose. I shook Nori awake and he smelled food also.
"Let's go eat, love." Nori said, kissing me gently. We got up and walked towards the dining room hand in hand.
"Tzipporah. I thought that was you." Beorn said. I hurried up to him and hugged him.
"You two know each other?" Thorin asked.
"He was an escape when father was on me. Shifters and skin changers have always been friends." I said.
"Things have changed with them since you left. I've been keeping an eye on your sister and younger brothers liked asked. They seem to be doing well." Beorn said. I introduced him to my family and friends. He raised an eyebrow at me being with Nori, but nodded in agreement. I sat down between Nori and Dori for breakfast. Beorn filled Fili's mug with milk and looked at Thorin. "So you are the one they call Oakenshield. Tell me, why is Azog the Defiler hunting you?"
"You know Azog? How?" Thorin asked, looking at him.
"My people were the first to live in the mountains, before the Orcs came down from the north. The Defiler killed most of my family, but some he enslaved." Beorn said. I saw that he still had the manacles on his wrists. "Not for work, you understand, but for sport. Cagins skin-changers and torturing them seemed to amuse him. If it weren't for Tzipporah, her best friend, and her twin, I would be dead. She's the reason I lived." I smile lightly, which he returned.
"There are others like you?" Bilbo asked.
"Once, there were many." Beorn said.
"And now?" Bilbo asked.
"Now, there is only one." Beorn said. There was silence in the room as I took a bite from a honey cake, not saying anything. "You need to reach the mountain before the last days of autumn?" Beorn sits down as he talks.
"Before Durin's Day falls, yes." Gandalf says as I put down the cake.
"You are running out of time." Beorn said.
"Which is why we must go through Mirkwood." Gandalf said.
"A darkness lies upon the forest. Fell things creep beneath those trees. There is an alliance between the Orcs of Moria and the Necromancer of Dol Guldur. I would not venture there except in great need." Beorn said. I frown at his words. Mirkwood must have changed since I was last there. Nori rested a hand on my thigh and I relaxed.
"We will take the Elven Road. That path is still safe." Gandalf said. Thorin gets up and walks away at the mention of the elves.
"Safe? The Wood-Elves of Mirkwood are not like their kin. They're less wise and more dangerous. But it matters not." Beorn said. Thorin turns to look at him.
"What do you mean?" Thorin asked.
"These lands are crawling with Orcs. Their numbers are growing and you are on foot. You will never reach the forest alive." Beorn said. Thorin looks shocked. Beorn stands up and faces Thorin and starts slowly walking towards him. "I don't like dwarves. They're greedy and blind, blind to the lives of those they deem lesser than their own." Beorn picks up a mouse as he talks and holds it as he comes to a stop in front of Thorin. "But Orcs I hate more. Besides. I owe your daughter a favor after saving my life. What do you need?
"Before we tell you. We would love to use your gardens to hold a wedding? Because a King made a promise to his daughter and her future husband." Gandalf said with a knowing smile and I blushed.
"Of course." Beorn said. The dwarves jumped in excitement and Beorn led me to his washroom so I could get ready. I slid out of my clothes and got in the water. I slid in as I washed off while the dwarves were getting Nori ready. I sighed and slid back out. I got in Nori's purple tunic with my corset wrapped around me along with my black legging pats and leather boots. I brushed out my snarls with my brush. A knock on the door came.
"Ready?" Thorin asked as I opened the door.
"Ready as I'll ever be. Wish I had a dress." I said.
"Nori would love you if you wore a sack. Come." Thorin said, holding out his arm. I took it and let him lead me out. Nori stood by the tree waiting. I smiled as Thorin led me towards him as the dwarves and Bilbo stood there. Gandalf stood behind Nori with a knowing smile. Beorn stood off a bit to watch, on my invitation. Thorin put my hand in Nori's.
"Take care of her." Thorin said.
"I will." Nori said. Thorin went to stand by Fili and Kili as Nori took my other hand as we faced each other.
"We gather here to unite this couple in marriage. Nori. Your vows." Gandalf said.
"Tzipporah. Since you fell off your horse and into my hearts. You captured my heart. You looked passed my thieving and saw me for who I was truly was. I will protect you, love you, fight at your side, and never leave you till my dying days." Nori said. I had tears in my eyes as Nori winked at me. I smiled.
"Tzipporah." Gandalf said.
"Nori. I feared falling in love with my birth father's threat, but you pulled me out of my fear and showed me that I don't always have to look over my shoulder and that I could love someone. i will protect you, have your back when needed, love you, fight at your side, and put up with your stubbornness till my dying days." I said. The dwarves chuckle my last words. Thorin smiled. I knelt next to Nori and he put the marriage braid in my hair and I did the same with his hair. We stood facing each other again waiting for Gandalf to finish.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss." Gandalf said. Nori pulled me into a dip and we kissed. There were cat calls and whistles. Nori pulled me to my feet. He wrapped an arm around my waist.
"We did it." Nori said.
"We did it." I said.
That night. I sat on Nori's lap as the dwarves partied. Nori had a couple drinks, but he didn't get drunk along with Thorin, Bilbo, and Gandalf. Fili and Kili pulled out their instruments and I was pulled into dances with all my friends. Nori was the last to join me and we danced as the dwarves stood, drinking and laughing.
"Ready to go to our room?" Nori asked. I nodded. Beorn had given us a room for the night. Nori and I disappeared and found the room we were staying in with no issue.
An hour later. Our clothes were on the floor and we laid tangled in our sheets and legs and arms in the bed after our first intimacy. (AN: Not rated m and not good with sex scenes to be honest.) Nori ran a hand through my long black hair as I trailed my fingers over his chest.
"You made me a happy dwarf." Nori whispered. I leaned up an we kissed. I gasped as a burning sesation came to the back of my hand and heard Nori grunt in pain. I lift my hand up to see the mating mark of a panther paw mark with an axe ging through it. "What's the mark for?"
"Its our mating mark. Marking you as mine. Your life force is now bond to me. We live like elves. We don't lie unless killed in battle. You'll live unless one of us dies and we die with him or her" I said.
"I'm happy for that, love. We can have a peaceful life for now." Nori said. We curled up together. I was happy, but knew my father will not be when he finds out. I fell asleep knowing I would worry about this another time.
AN: There's the wedding and mating. I got the mark from another book series I love and thought I would add it. We're almost to Mirkwood. I'll update soon