I do not own any of the characters or the Hobbit (just the AU storyline and my OC) those are the work of the esteemed and brilliant John Ronald Reull Tolkien, and without his genius, this and many other fan fics would not be in existence.
Please review! I love getting them-they keep me encouraged! J
Cirashala settled on her bedroll, still feeling a bit guilty about her prank as she saw Fili picking the broken nubs of the pinecones out of his woolen blanket. Kili had offered to help, and still even between the two of them they weren't making a lot of progress. If they had the midnight watch, they needed to get some sleep, and soon.
The rest of the dwarves were asleep, save for Dori and Bifur, who had first watch. She glanced toward Thorin, who appeared to be asleep sitting up against a tree, before getting up and walking lightly toward the two young heirs.
Fili and Kili looked up at her as she stopped in front of them, their hands temporarily stilling in their task. She shuffled a bit from one foot to the other, before gesturing toward the blanket.
"A-are you sure you don't want some help?" she asked softly, her blue eyes moving from the blanket to the two young dwarves' faces. "It will take all night otherwise." The two looked at each other, before looking back up at her.
"You should be getting some sleep while you can," Fili said.
"Midnight watch will not be easy," Kili added. "It is hard to fall asleep after, and we all will be tired enough in the morning." She shook her head.
"It's not like I sleep much these days anyway," she said quietly. "A little less won't make any difference."
The two brothers glanced at each other once more, before Fili nodded and gestured at the space next to Kili.
"Alright," he said. "Sit next to my brother-there's space there. But if you get tired, you should go to sleep." She nodded, and sat cross legged next to the younger of the two. She picked up the edge of the blanket nearest her and began to work.
They sat in silence for a bit, Cirashala so focused on her task that she didn't see the occasional questioning glances of the two brothers directed at her. Fili was the first to break the silence.
"Cirashala?" he asked, and she looked up, hands continuing to work as she felt her way along the thick woven blanket.
"Aye, my lord?" she asked him, and Fili shook his head. She cast him a confused glance, wondering what she had done to make him do that. Fili glanced at Kili, before both pairs of eyes turned toward her.
"If you don't mind our asking—" Fili began.
"Why do you keep calling us Lord?" Kili finished, looking inquisitively at her. She looked at them for a moment, before sighing and looking back at the blanket.
"You're related to the king," she said simply, and both Fili and Kili's eyes widened as they gaped at her, stunned.
"H-how in Durin's name did you know that?" Kili asked after a moment of awkward silence. She shrugged, looking back at the two.
"You both bear a strong resemblance to him," she said. "Kili, your hair and eyebrows are similar, and you also have his glare. Fili, your hair, though a different color, looks similar to his, as does your eyes and your nose. Either you are his sons, or you are his nephews." She of course knew that they were Thorin's nephews, but she couldn't say so outright without them suspecting she knew their story. She went with the safest answer she could think of, knowing that they both did indeed resemble their uncle.
The two young dwarves stared at her for a moment, and she flushed a bit at their scrutiny as her hands sped up their work. She stared intently into the blanket, practically boring a hole through it as she waited for them to speak. To her surprise, the two began chuckling, and she looked up, brows furrowing together.
"You are far smarter than you look, lass," Fili said, grinning. Her jaw dropped, and before she could stop herself, she replied, "A-are you saying I look stupid?" Fili looked taken aback, and she gasped. Her eyes widened comically as her hand flew to her mouth, before her face turned a deep crimson.
"M-my lord, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean—" Kili cut her off with a snort, and her eyes darted toward the youngest, who was covering his mouth in a poor attempt to stifle his laughter. His eyes were dancing, and she saw him glance toward his brother, who glared at him in mock indignation.
"My, what a way with words you have, brother," Kili gasped out between breaths. Fili took a sidelong look at him, eyes glinting, before quickly reaching an arm out and shoving him over. Kili landed backwards on the heap of discarded pinecones, and came up cursing with several tangled in his hair.
"Hey!" he cried, attempting to tug the offending pinecones out of his hair. Unfortunately, all the tugging served to tangle them even further, and he began cursing as they pulled on his hair. Fili grinned.
"I might have a way with words, brother," he began, voice coated with mirth, "But you sure look quite a sight with your lovely new hair adornments! It can be quite risky to try a new style, especially with a lady present, but I daresay they do look quite becoming on you."
Kili blushed to the roots of his hair, glaring at his brother as he continued to try unsuccessfully to extract the pinecones. Cirashala's head had shot up, and she stared at Fili as though she could not believe what he had said. Fili chuckled, and Kili glared again at him.
"You could always help me, you know," Kili retorted, cursing under his breath as another one refused to give.
"Ah, but it is so much more fun to watch you struggle, brother. Seems a fitting punishment for aiding in my rather unexpected surprise this evening," Fili replied, before continuing on his blanket.
Cirashala hesitated, glancing between her hands and Kili, before turning toward the frustrated and embarrassed dwarf.
"I can help you, if you'd like," she said softly, and both dwarves froze as they stared at her, their chuckles (or in Kili's case, grumbles) ceasing immediately. Kili could feel his cheeks and ears flame, and swallowed hard, looking down at the blanket.
Wh-what did she say? He thought, his heart racing with nervousness. S-she's not a dwarf, so maybe she-she doesn't know?
Among dwarves, helping someone with their hair was considered a very intimate act, usually done only amongst family-or those who were betrothed. Very rarely was it done otherwise, unless the person was truly incapable of doing their hair themselves.
"Cirashala?" Fili asked slowly. "Do you know what you are asking?" He looked at her intently. She looked between the two of them, confusion on her face. She saw Kili's hands shaking and his nervousness as he refused to look at her, before she reddened and bit her lip.
"D-did I say something wrong?" she stuttered nervously. "If I did, I am truly sorry, my lord. I-I just offered to help him only because you said you wouldn't. I-it just looks painful. I meant no disrespect, I really didn't. I'm sorry." She made to stand up, but Fili grabbed her wrist gently. His expression softened a bit as he saw the confusion and embarrassment in her face and finally understood.
He sighed, before looking at his brother and back at her.
"Cirashala, I don't know how it is for humans," he said gently. "But among dwarves, hair is very important to us. No one, except family, or…" he trailed off as Kili jumped up, grabbed his bow, and walked over to a rock on the edge of the firelight. He sat down on it with his back to the pair without a word, his shoulders slumped. Cirashala watched him go, and looked back at Fili, realization dawning in her eyes as her cheeks flamed.
"Or…if they are betrothed?" she whispered almost inaudibly, and Fili sighed and nodded slowly. She closed her eyes as she ducked her head, sighing in regret.
"I am so, so sorry," she whispered, stuttering. "I-I didn't know. W-would you please…apologize for me? I-I don't think he would wish to talk to me now...I-I would never….I can't possibly deserve….I don't even want anyone right now. Not after…" She clutched the blanket tightly in her trembling hands, swallowing hard.
The two sat in silence for a few minutes, and Fili laid his hand on her shoulder. She looked up, but her eyes did not meet his. He could feel how tense she was.
"I will tell him," he said softly so Kili wouldn't hear. "He knows you didn't mean it. He's not angry. He-he just hasn't had the best of luck with courting, and it pains him when it is mentioned. You see, by dwarf standards he's not…well, he just hasn't had much luck with catching a girl's eye, that's all."
She nodded, and looked toward Kili. Fili was surprised as he saw understanding and sympathy in her gaze. He had expected pity, remorse, or even fear, but not understanding. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before her hands continued to work at the blanket, faster than before.
The two spent the rest of the time in silence, taking about an hour to get all the prickles out, before they retired to their bedrolls to get some sleep before their watch. Kili remained on the rock, and neither could see the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks.
XXX
Thorin got up for his watch, and was very surprised to see Kili perched atop the rock. He had expected the three of them to try and get as much rest as they could before the least desirable watch of the night, not have one of them stay up.
He approached the wide rock, and he saw Kili raise his sleeve to his face quickly. Thorin sat down on the rock beside him, and glanced over at his youngest nephew, who turned his face away and refused to meet his eye.
Kili was trying desperately to hide it, but Thorin was not stupid. He could see the pinecones tangled in his nephew's dark locks, and he always could tell when Kili had been crying.
"Kili," he said softly. "Look at me." His nephew took a shuddering breath, before turning toward his uncle, still not meeting his eyes. Thorin smirked slightly as he tapped the pinecones in Kili's hair.
"Seems as though you have found a formidable foe," he said, trying to get Kili to smile. "Who won the match?" A smile ghosted across Kili's lips, and he looked at his uncle.
"I was outnumbered," he said, "But they will think twice about attacking the line of Durin again." Thorin chuckled slightly.
"Would you like some help?" he asked, pulling a comb out of his tunic. Kili nodded gratefully, and perched himself in front of Thorin on the ground. Thorin began to gently work the comb around the tangled locks, prying each piece of pinecone out one by one.
"What troubles you, little one?" Thorin asked him, using a childhood pet name. Kili sighed, not sure if he should tell his uncle and risk getting Cirashala in trouble, or making something up. He decided to tell the truth, knowing Thorin would spot a lie, and hoped that there would be no repercussions for the newest member of their company.
"Before I tell you, promise me that no harm will come to Cirashala," he said, and Thorin's hand stilled. Kili gripped the edge of his tunic, waiting for a response. Thorin sighed.
"Kili, you do know that what happened in the marshes was an accident," he said, his tone hoping that his nephew understood it. Kili was quiet for a moment, before he spoke.
"I know," he whispered. "I-I mean, I think I know, but….after the river...I wasn't so sure. You-you really seem to hate her, and I don't understand why." Thorin sighed heavily, before continuing to comb his nephew's hair.
"I don't hate her, Kili," he said quietly. "She saved your life, and she has helped us, though I still don't know why. What happened at the river-I thought she harmed you. Your gaze said as much." Kili looked down at his lap. He knew his uncle had seen him look at Cirashala as soon as the cut was revealed, and wished desperately that he hadn't done that.
"I don't hate her," Thorin continued, "But I still do not trust her. But, I will not harm her unless she brings harm to our kin. Of that, you have my word." He could feel Kili relax slightly at his words. There was a pause, before Kili spoke.
"Fili and I asked her why she called us lords, and she pointed out that we resemble you, and said we must be either your sons or your nephews," he said, and Thorin's eyes widened. Kili resembling him he could see, but few people were able to recognize Fili as being related to him as well. The golden hair often aided in that misconception.
"Fili said she is smarter than she looks, and she said- though I don't think she meant to- she asked if Fili thought she looked stupid," Kili continued, "I started laughing, we started joking, and Fili knocked me over into the pile of pinecones. They got stuck in my hair, and when Fili refused to help me get them out, she-she offered to help." Thorin froze, the comb halfway through Kili's hair, before he yanked it the rest of the way in anger.
"Ow!" Kili cried, rubbing the back of his head. He turned toward Thorin, and could see the barely contained anger in his uncle's face. His eyes widened.
"U-uncle, it's not what you think," Kili said quickly. "She-she didn't realize what it means, and she apologized more than once after Fili told her. I-I think she was really embarrassed. She said she was only trying to help, because Fili wouldn't." He looked tensely at his uncle, and saw Thorin sigh.
"I knew I shouldn't have let her come," the dwarf king said, his jaw tightening. "If it hadn't been for the blood debt and the elves, I would have made her stay in Rivendell. She is just going to get herself-or one of us- killed."
"Then let us train her," Kili said, turning to face his uncle. "She has some basic knowledge of her weapons, but we could train her to get better at them." His uncle shook his head.
"Time spent teaching her will take away from time honing your own skills," he said. Kili planted his feet and glared at Thorin, and the dwarf king started-it was almost like looking into a mirror when he had been younger.
"If she can learn how to defend herself better, then it would aid us in keeping our blood debt and keeping her safe," he pointed out. Thorin looked back at him, matching his glare.
"You have already saved her life," he reminded him. "You saved her from drowning-your blood debt has been paid." Kili raised his eyebrow.
"But you and Fili owe her a blood debt as well," he said, "She saved me where you couldn't, and you owe her one just as much as I do." He smirked triumphantly, knowing he had won, and Thorin groaned.
How in Durin's name had the lad figured that out? He barely knew of blood debts, since they were so rare, and had only been taught the basics of them and what they entailed. Many times, he thought that Kili was not the most intelligent of dwarves, because he acted before he thought his actions through so many times, and had not paid attention in lessons as well as he could have. But now, he was painfully aware that Kili was far more intelligent than he realized.
"Fine," Thorin growled. "Once Oin deems her wound healed enough, she will begin to train after supper every night. But," and he looked pointedly at Kili, "If I see your skills begin to deteriorate, someone else will take over her training. Understood?" Kili nodded, stifling a deep yawn.
Thorin sighed and placed his hand on Kili's shoulder.
"Get some sleep, lad," he said firmly.
"But, I am supposed to watch with Fili and Cira—" Kili broke off with another yawn, and Thorin shook his head.
"They will take that watch without you," he replied gently. "You have stayed up long enough for one night."
The sleepy dwarf nodded, and went to his bedroll. Thorin heard his steady light snores begin almost immediately. He glanced over his shoulder at his youngest nephew, hair put to rights, and smiled fondly.
You are growing up to be a fine young dwarf, he thought to himself. I wouldn't dare say this to anyone, but I love you two very much, and will not let anyone hurt you. Your mother would kill me if I did, if I did not kill myself first that is.
The dwarf king turned around, and began to sharpen his sword as he kept a watchful eye on the camp.