Everything belongs to JRR Tolkien, except for the plot and OC
Nori couldn't have left just like that. He wouldn't do that to us, to me...would he?
I couldn't be too late. I had been so certain that my last idea would help him. I knew perfectly well he wouldn't be happy. How could he when he had been stolen of the opportunity to find back his father's necklace? But still, I had hoped this mission would calm him, ease his restlessness. But if he had just left, it would be all for nothing. The King would find out and then Nori would be banished.
I closed my eyes and clenched my fists as I hit the wooden door one last, hard time. I had to calm down. I was most likely overreacting. Nori could be anywhere within the Halls. The fact that he wasn't here didn't mean he had left. Nori wasn't stupid, he knew the King wouldn't forgive him. He wouldn't make such a mistake. He wouldn't.
I trusted him.
What I had told the King was true. I trusted Nori completely. There was no way he would have left us behind. He would have talked with one of us before leaving.
He was probably somewhere, smoking or drinking ale, maybe even whittling. I just had to wait peacefully for him to come back.
Because I had to trust he would come back soon.
I didn't even want to think about the consequences otherwise.
Except I did think of those. And with those thoughts came the absolute certainty that, if Nori was banished, I would follow him.
I opened my eyes and blinked several times. I couldn't believe myself. I couldn't believe the strength of those feelings I had for him. This crush was stronger than I had thought. It was rather odd to realize just now how far I'd go for this dwarf. I wondered if I would actually be strong, or crazy, enough to follow him anywhere.
Would I truly go wherever he would?
Would I walk with him, if he were to be forced to leave? Would I have the courage to travel through the wild for him?
I didn't know the answer to those questions.
I was standing, frozen, in the corridor when I heard noise in the kitchen. I startled and ran back there hurriedly.
I gasped when I saw Nori who was just coming through the door.
I didn't think for a second and simply ran to him, relieved to see him there.
"Nori!" I exclaimed as I jumped towards him.
I just had the time to see his eyes widen and his mouth open, probably to stop me, before I slammed into him violently intending to hug him strongly.
"Amelia caref..." He tried to say before I collided with him.
"Oy!" I heard someone shout at the same time.
Then there was a loud cracking noise but I didn't have the time to ponder on its cause as Nori stumbled backwards. I yelped as I felt him fall and take me with him. In a matter of seconds I was lying on Nori who was groaning, one arm around my waist and his other hand rubbing the back of his head.
I blinked several times and tried to lift myself. I placed one hand on the floor near Nori and startled. It wasn't damp, it was soaked. At that precise moment I finally heard the unmistakable voice of Bofur whine loudly.
"Oh lass, how could you? By Mahal...It took us ages to finally find one barrel of this ale. It was all thanks to Bombur we even got a chance to buy it."
I tuned him out. My brain was starting to put together pieces of an embarrassing puzzle. I had, once again, overreacted. Clearly Nori hadn't sneaked out. I was a bit out of it at the moment but Nori's voice managed to bring me back to the present.
"Amelia, are you alright?" He asked as I sat on his thighs and looked around.
The floor was now wet with a brownish liquid and behind Nori I could see the broken skeleton of what had been a wooden barrel full of ale.
"I…erm…"
The sight was rather shocking and I was at a loss for words. I was now sadly used to overreact but the result this time was rather visible. The cracked barrel that lay on the floor behind Nori still leaked dark brown ale on the floor. Bofur was looking forlornly at the liquid, pouting like a child.
"I'm sorry." I finally managed to say. "I just…I couldn't find you and I thought…"
Stammering wasn't helping at the moment. I shook my head and finally realized the position I was in. I felt my cheeks start to heat as I tried to scurry away from Nori's lap. I met Nori's eyes for half a second before I looked away, not seeing the pink that tinged his cheeks.
As soon as I was up, I glanced at Bofur. His face was unusually blank but his eyes were riveted on me. When he met my eyes, I saw a slow, cheeky grin pull at one corner of his lips. At that moment, I couldn't help but feel slightly scared. I had no idea what thoughts whirled in this dwarf's mind. Once Nori stood up though, Bofur once more looked forlorn before he started to unexpectedly chuckle.
Nori quirked an eyebrow at him, clearly wondering what could be so fun in such a situation. Then he looked around and sighed before shaking his head. Still, I could see his small smirk and guessed he would rather laugh than cry over the spilt ale. He glanced at me and I had to admit I was relieved to see his eyes twinkle with amusement.
"Meli, you're a wandering danger, I hope you know that." Bofur said between two chuckles.
"I said I was sorry." I muttered, wondering how long it would take to clean all that ale.
I scratched my head, looking at the mess. It was starting to smell quite strongly too, though I wasn't sure whether the dwarves would see this as a problem or not. I groaned in annoyance. If I wasn't so prompt to react stupidly, I could have avoided this stupid situation easily.
"What happened?" Immediately Nori was serious again and I shrugged.
I couldn't really say that I was just a tad anxious about him.
"Nothing really. I couldn't find you and …well I have good news." I decided not to detail my little panic reaction.
Nori frowned a bit but I ignored it. Instead of reacting to his obvious suspicion, I quickly found the piece of parchment hidden in my belt and handed it to him, anxious to see his reaction.
Gingerly he took it and his eyes grew wide as he read it. Then his eyes snapped to mine and he asked.
"You're the one behind this, aren't you?"
His voice was devoid of emotions and his face was blank. For a minute I wondered whether I had made a mistake. Maybe Nori didn't want to go out if it meant going on a mission such as this one. It would be rather disappointing and embarrassing if that were the case. Maybe my idea wasn't as good as it had seemed. I bit my lower lip nervously before trying to answer to his question.
"I, well…" I fumbled for words. "It's just that I…well I went to see Balin. And the King was there and I talked with him and well…"
"What's going on?" Bofur interrupted, obviously curious.
Nori didn't say a word and simply handed him the parchment while still looking at me. I couldn't read him at all, which was rare nowadays. Bofur quickly read the message and looked at me surprised.
"You convinced Thorin to let him go on a mission? How did you do that?"
"I just told him he should trust you more." I shrugged again, embarrassed without knowing why. "I'm going with you by the way. And Fili too."
"You're going too?" Bofur sounded surprised.
"What did Thorin say exactly Amelia?" Nori asked seriously.
I looked away, forcing my eyes to tear away from Nori's intense gaze. I had a feeling he wouldn't be happy about my next words. After all they proved that the King didn't trust him entirely. It would probably annoy him, if not hurt him. I sighed. There was no way I could lie to him. Not about such a matter.
"He said I should go with you. If you sneak away, he would hold me responsible. That's all he said."
Bofur sighed and shook his head, clearly annoyed, while Nori frowned. He looked really angry then.
"Amelia, you're not ready to go out." He simply groaned. "It'll be dangerous for you."
How could this silly dwarf think about such a thing right now? I was telling him he was finally able to go out, and all he had to say was that it would be dangerous for me? That was ridiculous.
"Nori I don't care. I know you won't sneak away." I rolled my eyes. "With you and Fili, I'll be safe." Safety had honestly been far away from my mind when I agreed to go.
Nori glanced at Bofur and seemed to hesitate before answering. The cheeky and curious dwarf looked suddenly highly amused. He didn't chuckle but I could see he was barely restraining himself.
"I'll leave you two alone." He said then. "I'll see you later."
And just like that, he disappeared from our living room. Nori was at first surprised by his friend's quick departure, but in a second his attention was back on me.
"Mizimul, I don't want to see you endangered." He sounded a bit anxious.
"And I don't want to see you behaving like a tiger in a cage." I retorted, looking away.
There was a short silence before Nori cleared his throat.
"A what?"
I turned to face him. He looked puzzled. I played my words back in my head and realized he might not know what a tiger was. I had no idea whether or not this animal existed here. I had never asked myself such questions. I had just assumed that the fauna and flora would be similar if not the same. Now though, I was wondering what surprises I would face when out in the wild. I was still curious about those orcs. I was starting to believe that the dwarves where just being a bit racist and that maybe the orcs were just men with peculiar features. History had proven that men could be stupid when facing different appearances. For all I knew orcs where just people with a different skin colour or 'abnormally' tall or another ridiculous thing like that.
I didn't really have the time to think about that now though. I tried to find the easiest way to explain my words to help Nori understand what I had meant to say.
"It's like a big cat." I tried to explain but his face told me it didn't help. "It's a wild animal. Dangerous but really well…pretty and it's not made to live in a cage."
His expression told me I wasn't doing a good job at explaining the meaning of my sentence. Not at all actually.
"You think I'm like a cat? That I'm pretty?"
It seemed that Nori couldn't even fathom why I would say such weird things. I blushed some more and shook my head.
"No. I'm not. Well. No. I mean, that's not the point." I stammered pathetically.
Taking a slow inhale I managed to calm my nerves a bit.
"What I mean to say it that, I know you don't like being forced to stay here. I know it doesn't suit your personality. So I thought it would help you a bit. I know you won't be able to go around freely, but at least you'll be outside the halls for a bit." I spoke quickly without looking at him. "I didn't know what else to do. I trust you Nori, but I didn't think you would be able to stay put in here for much longer."
He didn't say a word and I didn't dare look at him. My gaze was riveted to my feet and the brown ale on the floor.
I heard him take a few steps.
My eyes opened wide when I felt his arms around my shoulder and waist. Soon I was engulfed in his embrace. My heartbeat immediately sped up and I held my breath for a second.
"Thank you, Mizimul." He whispered softly before leaning back a bit.
When he lightly kissed my brow I felt my whole body tingle.
I was completely frozen on the spot.
Did he thank me? Did Nori just kiss me? Well, he didn't kiss me…but still.
Oh Mahal I was in trouble.
My feelings for him were just too stubborn to disappear. It seemed that they simply kept on growing and growing to the point I feared my heart will burst.
Slowly I brought my arms around his waist. When I hugged him back, I felt him startle a bit in my arms. But soon we were simply embracing each other tightly. My forehead was resting on his shoulder and I could feel his breath against my neck. I swallowed thickly. This was both incredibly nice and terrifying.
After a while though, we seemed to both think at the same time that we should step back. I didn't dare look at him, thus ignoring the fact that he didn't dare look at me either.
I cleared my throat and said softly.
"So you're not angry?"
"Why would I be angry?" He sounded surprised.
"Well, I don't know."
He chuckled a bit at that and I found the courage to glimpse at him when I heard the sound of parchment being unfolded. Nori was reading the paper once more.
"You don't mind going out on a mission?" I asked in a whisper.
He glanced up, looking at me kindly as he smiled a bit.
"Not at all."
I smiled a bit too and looked away. We were silent for a bit when he cleared his throat.
"Promise me you'll try your best not to endanger yourself this time." He said, sounding rather nervous.
I knew he was thinking about the wolf. I knew he wanted me to think of myself first. I couldn't lie to him though.
"I can't." I saw him frown deeply before I continued. "I promise I'll do my best not to be injured though." He hesitated before nodding but I still had to add something. "But you have to promise me something too."
His eyes found mine and I first saw a bit of surprise before he grew serious. He was clearly focusing on my words, waiting for me to tell him what I had on my mind. I swallowed thickly, unsure of his reaction.
"Promise me never to go away without me. Don't leave me behind." I lowered my gaze as I spoke, unable to face him.
"I can't." He replied with a strangled voice. "Mizimul, I would probably have to leave for dangerous missions at some point."
I looked at him then. He was looking both sad and serious. I nodded at his words.
"I don't want to be alone Nori." I murmured shamefully. "I don't want to be abandoned, left behind."
As I pronounced those words, I realized how true they actually were. It was one of my fears here, in this world. I was extremely dependant of the brothers. I couldn't imagine my life without them and Nori was simply too important to me. Being alone, without them, in here seemed worse than being out in the wild with them.
"I would never abandon you. Mizimul… Umzam, I promise to never abandon you, to never leave you alone behind."
My eyes were probably shining with emotion, just like his did as he spoke. I felt that my heart was about to jump outside my ribcage. I couldn't ask for more. I wouldn't ask for more. My crush might be silly and hopeless, but I would settle with this promise. I would settle for a life at his side, even if it was only as a relative.
The silence that followed felt a bit awkward at first, but soon enough Nori was reading the parchment once more.
"Do you know the details of our mission?" He asked calmly.
"I just know it's the three of us." I answered before remembering another thing. "Oh! And that we're going to Archet."
Nori nodded and read the paper before talking again.
"We should leave tomorrow morning. We simply need to go and check what leather and skin products they have to sell, and eventually buy them. It won't take long."
"I hope not." I muttered.
Nori's eyes immediately found me and he frowned a bit, clearly worried.
"You don't want to go? We could talk to Balin about it."
"That's not it." I cut in. "I just don't like that town. I went there once and it's really not my favourite place." I shrugged.
Nothing had happened there but I truly didn't have good memories of Archet. Now that I thought about it, I had absolutely no good memories of men's towns. I loved being in the dwarves' Halls, but I disliked the men's places. That said a lot about me. Maybe I wasn't a good human.
"Men's towns are rarely nice." Nori replied simply, though he was still observing my reactions.
"Don't we need to see Fili before we leave?" I blatantly changed the topics.
Nori nodded and then looked at the floor. The ale was now in a large puddle that went from the middle of the kitchen to the living room. I was quite certain that Dori wouldn't like it. We had to clean that too. What a bother. I sighed and looked at Nori.
"I guess you should go find Fili. I'll clean that."
Nori seemed about to protest but I rolled my eyes and gently pushed him toward the door. I knew that if he wanted to resist I wouldn't be able to make him bulge. Clearly, my dear dwarf wasn't feeling in a cleaning mood.
"And you should change too at some point. You reek of ale." I said teasingly as I could feel his leather clothes were damp in his back.
"Oy. Whose fault is that?" He protested good-naturedly.
I couldn't help but smile when I saw his cheeky grin. It felt oddly good to see it. It somehow reassured me, as if his good mood was nothing but a good sign for the future.
"You shouldn't drink so much anyway. It's bad for your health." I retorted while pushing him strongly outside.
"Oy woman!"
I didn't let him complain. With a laugh I closed the door and, still chuckling lightly, went back toward the kitchen door. The broken barrel was still lying there pitifully. With a sigh I rolled my sleeves up and started to clean.
When Dori found out that both Nori and I were going on a mission he clearly had conflicting emotions. I knew he was immediately worried about me and Nori. That was easily perceived. He was somehow happy too, I could tell. But his worries were stronger than anything else.
"Are you sure that Amelia is strong enough?" He asked Nori almost immediately.
Nori took his time to answer. He blew a few rings of smoke, watching them grow bigger before he finally looked at his brother.
"She improved her skills." He said at first, obviously not convincing Dori whatsoever. "She'll be with me Dori. I'll protect her."
"I know that." Dori sighed loudly before looking at me. "Make sure this halfwit stays out of trouble."
"Oy!"
I couldn't help but laugh at that, especially when I saw Nori's offended pout as he glared at his brother.
"I'll try my best Dori, I swear." I winked in Ori's direction, making the youngest smile widely.
Nori glared at me before sighing loudly. Ori patted his shoulder supportively before piping in with a smile.
"I'm not sure which one will keep the other out of trouble."
"Oy!" Both Nori and I chorused as Dori nodded.
That evening was spent preparing for the following day's departure. Dori was clearly getting more nervous as minutes passed. Ori didn't really look happy about this mission either. I knew the both of them would be really anxious during our time away. It was true that this world was dangerous, but from what I had gathered, it had been apparently especially so these past months.
I wondered at some point whether Nori could have been able to find some more information about this group of thieves if he had wanted.
The usual danger aside, there was the fact as well that Nori might take his chance to get away. I didn't believe he would. I was rather certain Dori and Ori trusted their brother to a certain extent too. But Nori had been so restless recently that I was sure they saw it too. They had just chosen to remain silent about it.
If I were honest, I would admit I was a bit anxious too. The problem was, I wasn't too sure what made me so nervous about this mission.
I knew I would be safe. I was with Nori after all, and Fili was a strong warrior.
I knew Nori wouldn't leave us. I trusted him completely.
But I was a bit nervous anyway.
Maybe it was the prospect to be spending my days and nights for weeks near Nori.
There arrived the blush.
I really had to find a way to stop this reaction. It would soon become awkward if I kept on blushing all day long. Fili and Nori would see it and they were both curious and stubborn.
I could only hope I wouldn't react like that during this mission.
The following morning I woke up early. Unsurprisingly the three brothers were already awake and Fili was having breakfast with them.
"Good morning." I yawned as I sat next to Ori.
The kind dwarf filled my plate while I grabbed a bread roll and started to munch on it. My mind was still fogged by sleep but I was alert enough to realize they were all silent. I stopped eating and looked at the dwarves. They were all looking at me with various expressions ranging from kind amusement to outright fun. Fili of course was apparently the merriest one.
"You know Amelia, dwarves usually pride themselves on their amazingly braided hair."
"So what?" I asked bluntly, not understanding why he was saying that.
"So maybe you should do something for the nest on your head." He deadpanned with a grin.
I blinked then looked at the three brothers.
Nori was looking slightly amused. I could see the fondness in his eyes and his gaze made my heart swell with warmth and happiness. Ori was apparently agreeing with Fili as he smiled joyously while adding yet another piece of cheese on my plate. There was no way I could see myself eating that huge pile of food.
Dori for his part stood up and looked kindly at me. I could see he was going to ask me something.
"Amelia, would you let me?" He gestured to my hair and I understood the hidden meaning.
Only family or close kin could braid your hair. I understood that already. At this moment, while I was facing Dori's kind yet slightly unsure smile, I didn't even hesitate before nodding.
"Of course"
His smile grew softer and it was easy to see he was deeply moved by my answer. I honestly didn't understand why. It was clear for me that they were family, though this still broke my heart whenever I thought about Nori. Dori and Ori at least were as close to family as one could be. I didn't see any reason not to acknowledge it in front of someone else. I didn't even glance towards Nori though. Something didn't feel right suddenly and my good mood turned a bit bittersweet. I asked myself what my answer would have been if Nori had been the one to ask.
Accepting would mean that I saw him as family. In my mind, that meant as brothers. The thought of Nori being my brother left me not only sad, but bitter as well. On the other hand, refusing would mean I didn't trust him enough with my hair. It would mean I didn't want him to be too close. That was an offense...and far from what I was feeling for him.
I didn't pay attention to the other as I was lost in my thoughts. I was honestly shocked when I realized that I actually wanted Nori to braid my hair. Now that I was thinking about it, I didn't think he ever did. Dori of course had braided my hair, well, he had only touched my ward's braid. That was about to change.
Silently Dori walked behind me and I almost immediately felt his hands work in my long wavy brown hair. He undid some braids only to braid them immediately again. The last one he made was my ward's braid. It would be slightly longer now but I didn't mind. As he worked I realized that I would enjoy this moment too if Nori did it.
But I guessed it would never happen. I didn't want to see him as a brother.
"Maybe I should wear them in a ponytail." I said absentmindedly, trying to tear my thoughts away from Nori.
"It might be easier for you to move around then. But your braids won't be hidden at all." Dori simply answered.
"I don't mind." I replied in a shrug. "I can always hide them when we arrive in a men's town, but I don't really see the point. I am travelling with dwarves after all. Men don't need the braids to realize that."
"In that case…" He whispered before standing up and leaving the kitchen.
I was rather surprised by his reaction. I didn't understand why Dori would disappear like that from the room, just because I had chosen to tie my hair. I looked at the other, unsure of how they would react.
"Did I say something wrong?"
Ori smiled and was the first to answer.
"Not at all. Though I wonder why Dori left." He then didn't seem to think much more about it as he bit into a huge piece of ham.
"After all the problems we've had recently, maybe you should still hide your braids when we'll be in town." Fili said, ignoring the other matter.
"I don't see how I could hide them all." I replied pointing to the one in the back of my head with the large metal bead. "This one especially, it's clearly a dwarvish bead and I can't really hide it. I don't want to remove them either." I muttered stubbornly.
Strangely enough I was rather protective of those braids. I liked them. But more than that I knew they were important and meaningful. It didn't matter that the last one meant I had killed someone. It was a braid that Dís had made herself. She had given me the beads and I cared for them. They were mine and were a proof of my odd life within the dwarvish culture. These braids meant a lot to me too. I was proud of wearing garnet. I was proud of being a ward. I was proud of being recognized as kin by Danà, Gloin and Gimli. And even if I wasn't proud of having killed someone, I was glad of being accepted as someone strong.
"You shouldn't remove them." Ori said, almost afraid.
"I don't want to Ori." I reassured him, though I made a mental note to ask someone what it would mean exactly if I did.
All the while Nori had kept silent. He was observing us, well observing me mostly. He seemed rather peaceful today and I could only guess that the prospect of leaving the Halls soon was putting him at ease.
"If you simply wear a hood or a hat it'll be fine." He finally said.
I smiled at him. I knew that a hood or a hat wouldn't protect me. Nori would.
At that time Dori came back and sat next to me. He was holding something in his palm and he opened it slowly.
"Here" He said.
I looked down to see a very nice string made of various braided leather strands. In the middle was a small stone. Looking closer I recognized a simplified version of their family's crest.
"Dori…it is…"
"It belonged to our mother." He softly added.
I was left speechless.
It was an incredibly sweet present and I couldn't resist the urge to hug Dori. His simple gestures were always so meaningful. It seemed to me that dwarves were loud and blunt but when it truly mattered, they remained silent and acted instead of speaking aloud.
Dori was smiling softly when I finally let go of him. Wordlessly he gathered my hair into a low ponytail and tied them with their mother's trinket.
Ori and Nori seemed just as happy as Dori and Fili remained silent, smiling kindly.
After a few minutes Nori stood up and handed me something covered in a thin and supple leather skin.
"Here. You still have a lot to work on, but we'll all feel much better if you're properly armed this time."
I gingerly took the package. It was rather heavy and I knew from his words I would find a weapon in here.
"But I already have one dagger. Isn't that enough?"
Fili and Nori both snorted at that before glancing at each other.
"The dagger I gave you isn't really a weapon. It's more of a last resort kind of blade…or a cheese knife…" Nori explained while taking a piece of chicken and biting into it.
"Why did you give it to me then?" I couldn't help but ask, feeling oddly offended by this comment, I liked my little dagger.
"I wasn't about to give you a real weapon when I knew you wouldn't be able to use it properly. But I couldn't let you go without at least a blade of some sort." He shrugged and gestured for me to look inside the package.
I cautiously removed the leather and startled a bit.
Inside there were two rather long daggers in their sheath. I could already see that the blades were slightly incurved. I took hold of one and found it surprisingly comfortable in my hand. Even though I had at first thought the package to be a bit heavy, it felt light, or rather balanced, in my hand. Gingerly I unsheathed it. The blade was indeed incurved; it was thinner near the handle before enlarging a bit and it ended in a sharp point. I could see some runes engraved on the handle but that was the only decoration.
Those were weapons. Obviously meant to kill or maim.
I felt a shiver at that thought but I surprisingly managed to calm myself. I gripped the handle a bit more tightly as I stared at the blade. With that, I might have to kill someone else.
I felt the fear and disgust almost immediately at that thought.
Yet I steeled my nerves shockingly easily.
I would do it if I was forced to.
Slowly I sheathed the blade back and looked up at Nori.
The dwarves were once more silent, appraising me, waiting for any reaction on my part. After a few seconds I smiled widely.
"Thanks Nori. I'll have to train harder when we come back so that I can properly use them."
He just nodded.
After a quick breakfast we were getting ready to leave. Nori being the oldest was the one entrusted with the money for the eventual trades we'd made. Dori and Ori started to clean the dishes. While Fili was checking his backpack, Nori came closer and took my new daggers.
"Here, let me help." He simply said.
Quickly he worked the sheaths and attached them to my belt, the one he had offered me so long ago and that I wore all the time now.
"The most important thing," He explained calmly. "It's that you're perfectly comfortable with them. You have to put them so that it'll be easy for you to unsheathe them quickly. They shouldn't hinder your movements at all. They shouldn't be in the way. Alright?"
"I understand." I nodded.
"Do you prefer to have them at your side or in your back?" He asked.
After trying both positions, I decided to place them in my back. Nori helped me to adjust the handles so that in one swift move I could grab them and unsheathe the blades.
Once I was ready I realized that both Nori and Fili had been waiting for me. Still we were in no hurry, as Nori highlighted, so they allowed me to stop by the healing wards where I replenished my stock of ointments, bandages and plants.
It was easily the middle morning when we finally left.
Dori and Ori had come to the entrance to see us off. At that moment I remembered the discussion I had with Dori once. He had been right back then. It seemed to always hurt a bit when I left the Halls.
We walked in silence for awhile until Fili and I naturally started to talk about various topics. Nori would from time to time add a comment but he mostly remained quiet. He was walking a few steps ahead and Fili and I simply followed without really asking any question about the direction.
At some point though I realized we weren't following the usual path. The one we were on was much smaller. The rocky ground was uneven and I had to look where I put my feet in order not to stumble. I had needed Nori's help to attach my long staff to my backpack. Like this at least I could use both my hands to help me keep my precarious balance. Fili and Nori were doing much better than me and I was really surprised when I realized that Nori wasn't actually making any noise while walking.
It was shocking and each of my steps suddenly seemed really noisy in my ears.
As I observed him though, I couldn't help but be impressed to see Nori stride so swiftly in the rocky path. Even Fili had to look at his feet. There were many tricky parts to avoid, sharp rocks or unstable ones that would make us trip and maybe fall. But for Nori it seemed completely effortless to avoid those little natural traps.
In the end I was surprised in the afternoon to realize we were already down at the feet of the mountain. When we followed the larger path, it usually took a bit more time to leave the mountain paths and reach the valley.
Still I was rather tired already. It felt as if we had climbed down more than walked.
Some parts we had to jump down rocks that were reaching up to my waist.
During those moments Fili and Nori had naturally turned to help me. It was nice of them, though at one point I had seen Fili send a surprised glance in Nori's direction. I hadn't asked why at that moment and didn't see the point now, so I simply put it out of my mind. I had gratefully accepted the offered hands each time. I didn't want to break an ankle because of some misplaced pride. When we had been going down this way, we had all been silent and focused on the path. I could see that Fili was slightly surprised too. Nori though seemed completely at ease.
It felt amazing to finally leave the mountain. I could see a forest not even two miles away from the spot we had arrived to after climbing down. But Nori didn't seem in a hurry to walk there and we ended up taking a break.
After taking large gulps of water from my water skin, I turned to Nori and asked the question that had turned in my head for hours.
"Why did we get down this way? I don't think it's the most used one."
"I can tell you it's definitely not used often." Fili said before drinking some more.
"And this is the reason why we came down here and didn't use the usual path." Nori calmly stated.
He didn't even seem to need a break. He hadn't taken his water skin out and casually leant on a huge boulder, watching around before he glanced at us.
"We have quite a nice sum of gold and silver with us. With the reports of theft activity in the region, it's possible we'll be ambushed. Where do you think thieves might wait for their preys?"
I took a second to think. Fili frowned, obviously taking Nori's words seriously. It was nice to see that Fili, being a young dwarf, didn't seem to despise Nori. On the contrary, the heir seemed quite interested to learn the thief's tricks. Ori had even told me once that Nori had shown Fili how to hide weapons properly. Considering the fact that most dwarves avoided Nori, it only made me appreciate Fili more to think he wasn't as prejudiced as others.
The thief patiently waited for us to work it out. His gaze was once more turned to our surroundings, his arms crossed over his chest. He clearly was on watch.
Fili was the first one to talk.
"They will watch the roads and main paths?" He asked with a frown.
Nori nodded, still not looking at us.
"It's the easiest way to catch something. You do it too when you hunt. You try to find the paths walked by the animals and the areas they go to, the places where they eat or drink. Then you wait and catch your prey. It's easier than trailing it." Nori calmly explained.
"So you mean that they would wait for us on the roads?" I frowned.
"Not necessarily for us." He shrugged. "But I don't want to take any risks. It's not such an easy walk, but it'd be safer and quicker to walk through less walked paths."
"Don't we risk finding wild animals on those paths? Won't it be more dangerous then?" Fili wondered.
"I'd rather fight a wolf or two than a dozen bandits." Nori simply shrugged but his eyes found me at that moment, gauging my reaction.
"The odds are more in our favour that way I guess." I tried to let him know I wasn't afraid.
He clearly knew what he was doing. After all Nori had spent decades roaming this world alone and he usually came back relatively unscathed. If there was someone we could trust, then it should be him. Besides, a thief understood other thieves' thoughts, right?
"Don't we risk getting lost though?" I couldn't help but ask.
Nori smirked and even Fili seemed to find my remark amusing.
"We don't need roads to find our way Amelia." Nori answered. "Maybe we could use this little trip to teach you a few useful things."
"Aye. Like lighting a fire. Last time you weren't really good at it." Fili chuckled.
"Oy, let me tell you that were I come from lighting a fire isn't a skill anyone need to know." I retorted.
"Maybe, but here you do." Nori commented. "And it won't hurt for you to know that anyway."
Nori looked at us for a second before taking a step away from the boulder he was leaning on.
"Alright, let's go. We'll stop soon to camp, but first we need to reach the forest."
That day we walked for a few more hours before we found a very small clearing, if it could be called that, and we decided to camp there.
Soon Fili disappeared to collect some fire wood and once he was back, they both showed me once more how to light it. The results that evening weren't convincing. While the stew we had prepared was cooking, Nori decided to force both Fili and I to do a little training session. The hateful Nori was back but for once he wasn't entirely focused on me. Fili soon came to understand why my trainings had been so painful in the past months.
Still it didn't last long and we were quickly all sitting around the fire, Fili and Nori smoking peacefully while I was sitting near them with my staff lying at my side. I was occupying myself by writing in a brand new notebook that Ori had offered me. The previous one was on a shelf in my room. When he had found out I had finished it, Ori had insisted on buying another one for me.
"What do you write in that Amelia?" Fili asked after awhile.
"Nothing special. The events of the day, some of my thoughts too." I shrugged.
"May I see it?" Fili's grin seemed deceivingly innocent.
Nori snorted lightly and I handed the notebook.
"Sure." I replied with a smile.
I immediately saw the mischievous glint in Fili's eyes.
"Really? I thought you even wrote your personal thoughts in that."
"It's fine."
"Alright then." He said taking the notebook.
As soon as he looked in it, his grin disappeared into a small pout before his natural curiosity took over.
"What is this? Is it your language?" His eyes were shining with interest and it made me chuckle.
"Yes. Did you think I wrote in runes?" I shook my head slightly.
"Well. Honestly I had never thought about that at all." His cheeky grin was back in an instant.
"Fair enough." I laughed good-heartedly.
I glanced toward Nori and saw him quickly turn his gaze away from me. I felt my heart falter for a second. Had Nori been observing me? That wasn't really unusual but why would he then turn away?
I was feeling conflicted. I was curious about what Nori could be thinking about me. But on the other hand I didn't really want to think that he might never see me as anything else than a sister. At least right now I had the possibility to dream a bit. Well, I tried to avoid it and I only allowed my mind to go down those paths during the night. But still. I couldn't help but wonder. What was Nori thinking about when he looked at me? When he observed me? When he smirked or winked at me?
Looking up I realized the stars were out and the night had truly fallen.
Nori decided then that we would keep watch during the night. As always I would have the last one, but Nori promised to show me how to count time from the stars' position.
Fili was the first one on watch. He sat by the fire, smoking peacefully.
For my part I simply lied down and closed my eyes. I could only hope I would fall asleep quickly. Nights tended to be short when one had to keep watch for a good part of it.
It wasn't Nori who woke me during that night. It was an unpleasant feeling of seeping cold that disturbed me from my much needed sleep. I blinked as something tickled my cheek until I realized it was actually raining. Around the same time I realized that, I saw a shadow above me and startled.
Immediately I sat up but the shadow, who turned out to be Nori, stopped my hand from reaching my dagger.
"Good reflex. But not quick enough." He murmured. "Here take this coat."
"It's yours." I stammered a bit.
"You were shivering Mizimul."
His whisper made me shiver too. But I realized then that I was really cold. I accepted the warm coat Nori handed me before I whispered back.
"What about you? And Fili?"
"I'll be fine, don't worry for me. Fili is alright too. He got some pretty warm clothes."
I nodded and yawned. I was tired but I didn't see how I could fall asleep with the soft drizzle. I looked at Nori. His face was half hidden by his hood and I couldn't see his eyes. Still I could feel them on me. I yawned once more.
"When are you supposed to wake me?"
"You could still sleep for a good hour." He murmured.
"Nonsense, I'm awake now. I might as well keep you company." I smiled at him and he shook his head.
"You should sleep Mizimul."
"I can't. Please, let me keep you company."
I saw him hesitate. I could feel he wanted me to sleep and it did hurt a bit to think he might not appreciate my company. But another part of me was quite certain that he was only thinking about my well-being. Any way I didn't care. I wanted to be with him for a bit.
He sighed and finally relented, nodding to me and gesturing me toward a large tree that would give us some protection against the rain.
I sat close to him. Our shoulders were touching and it made me slightly giddy just to be here. This was both annoying and pleasant actually. I sighed and closed my eyes for a short while. I enjoyed being there, even if it wasn't comfortable, even if the rain was annoying and cold. I enjoyed it. Nori was warm though and unconsciously I started to snuggle a bit closer to him. The smell of the rain didn't mask entirely his and I pressed my nose a little closer too.
I didn't register or even think then that I had to be really close to him in order to realize those little details.
When my eyes fluttered back open, I didn't react at first. It was still dark and the rain hadn't stopped. The remnants of our fire were pitiful; the embers had probably died a while ago. I could barely make out Fili's shape on the other side of the little clearing. The poor dwarf was probably completely drenched.
As my brain started to work more or less normally, I realized I should be cold and drenched too. I wasn't. I should be embarrassed by my position too, but I really wasn't.
I had obviously fallen asleep with my head on Nori's shoulder. I was actually leaning against him. The kind thief had apparently protected me with his own cloak as I could feel it around my shoulder.
I blinked a bit and slowly rubbed my eyes.
Nori didn't move. He was currently occupying himself with a piece of wood he was whittling.
"What time is it? Why didn't you wake me for my watch?" I asked in a whisper.
"You needed the sleep. I'm used not to sleep much." He replied as if it was evident.
"You're also the strongest one in our group. Logically you should sleep more so that you're not tired if something bad happen." I muttered half asleep.
"Being tired will not prevent me from protecting you." He whispered then before adding. "Both of you."
My heart was already doing somersaults in my chest. Damn this dwarf. How could I not love him when he said cheesy yet sweet stuff like this? Not falling completely in love with him might be harder than what I had previously believed.
A thought struck me then.
Why didn't I want to fall in love with Nori again?
Oh right.
He was family.
He was a dwarf and I was far from being one.
Putting aside the fact that we were supposed to be somewhat close to siblings now, there was still the fact that I didn't have a pretty beard or anything close to what beautiful dwarves' lady had. It was the first time in my life that I really regretted not having a beard. That was odd. And I didn't have strong arms like Dís or the sturdy body shape of Danà. It had always amazed me that someone could be both stocky and yet so feminine. Anyway, even though I was objectively rather curvy, my body was still far from stocky or voluptuous.
I sighed forlornly.
No.
I had never had a boyfriend before in a world where I was seen as normal. I couldn't see how any dwarf would want me now that I was far from the norm.
Oh, I was certain dwarves, or at least some of them, loved me and appreciated me. I was one of their wards, one of their kin. I was a damn good healer around this world because I had some knowledge they didn't. I wasn't that bad in diplomacy and I was working hard to become someone they would be proud of, someone they would trust.
But those were entirely different matters.
"You should sleep some more." Nori's voice brought me out of my depressing thoughts.
"No. It's my turn to watch now. You sleep." I shifted a bit, sitting straight.
I immediately felt the loss when I shifted away from Nori.
I sighed and stopped his coming protest by speaking first.
"Nori. Go to sleep now. It's the healer talking."
He didn't say a word and didn't move for awhile, but he slowly put his small knife back in its hiding place and the wood in one of his inner pocket. Then he crossed his arms and shifted, leaning more heavily against the tree.
In a matter of minutes I was certain he was asleep, leaving me alone with my forlorn thoughts as I waited for the sun to rise.
Dawn didn't come quickly enough.
I was bored, cold and drenched when the light finally started to change, announcing the sun was rising somewhere in the East. Still the rain didn't stop and it was mostly my instinct more than anything else that told me that it was time to wake my friends.
I stood up, stretching my tired and cold limbs before turning to wake Nori. He was already awake. My own movements had probably disturbed his sleep.
Fili wasn't in a good mood that morning. If I were honest I would say none of us were. It hadn't stopped raining and we couldn't light a fire to warm us or cook anything. Breakfast consisted of bits of dried meat and bread that was eaten standing under the trees. I missed my warm tea already as the cold of the rain seemed to sip directly to my bones.
It wasn't long before we started walking once more.
It was a pain to make our way through the forest and bushes with all the mud caused by this never ending rain. Right then I wished we had forgotten about security and just walked on the main road. From time to time I would slip and had to catch whatever was nearby in order not to fall. When I was lucky, it was Fili or Nori. When I wasn't it were bushes or trees that would scratch my hands.
I guessed I could have used my staff, but somehow I didn't think about it. Maybe unconsciously I didn't want to use what I considered to be a defensive weapon as a mere walking stick.
The mud was driving me mad.
I wouldn't even start to talk about the state of my clothes. Mud was a pain.
All day long rain poured on us.
For lunch too we hate cold food while standing, simply because there was nowhere dry to sit comfortably. By that time, my legs were already starting to protest about this unkind treatment. I hadn't known until then that walking in the mud was much harder than simply walking. It was sometimes a struggle to lift my feet off the spongy and sticky ground.
Mid afternoon we decided to start looking for someplace drier to camp.
I couldn't imagine sleeping anywhere covered with mud.
It was Fili who caught sight of a large and flat stone under which we found some dry ground. I wanted to immediately lie down under the boulder but Nori stopped me.
"We should use our coats to protect us from the wind. Besides if you go with your coat on, the ground will be soaking wet in no time."
His voice was kind but tired as he explained this to me. Quickly I nodded while we found some long, broken branches nearby. Cold rain was falling on my face and I could feel some drops making their ways on the column of my neck, making me shiver.
After maybe fifteen minutes we had somehow put enough branches against the boulder to create some sort of vegetal wall that protected us from the rain. Quickly we gathered some wood, though all of it was wet. Then we scurried under our makeshift hut. We removed our cloak, hanging them somehow with the outside against the branches and the inside facing us and thus being protected a bit more. We had to bend in two under the stone but once we were all sitting it was somehow comfy.
Well, not really comfy, but much better than being outside in the mud. Fili and Nori had insisted and I had been forced to sit between them. I was honestly glad for it. I was rather tired and cold and being in the middle provided me with some more warmth.
Nori tried for several long minutes to light a fire but the wood was so wet that it took him maybe thrice as long as usual before he actually managed to get a small flame going. It was a pitiful fire, considering the place we had we couldn't do much, but it was comforting to see the small flame. And it did warm us a bit.
"I hate this weather." I muttered under my breath.
"Aye…" The dwarves agreed moodily.
"Do you think this flame will be enough to warm some water and cook something?" I didn't try to hide the hope I felt.
"I'm not sure."
"We could try." Fili was always the optimist.
That evening we ate some bread and cheese. The fire had been too small.
During the night we were all huddled together. It reminded me of the time when Bofur, Kili, Fili and I were trying to run away from the men. The feeling was different though, and it didn't take me long to realize that being with Nori was what made it mostly so different.
I didn't hesitate to snuggle close to him. I had a good excuse for it. Just before my mind fell completely asleep, I would like to believe I felt Nori snuggle closer to me too. I might have held onto his arm and maybe he lightly placed his other hand on mine. But everything was so foggy that I might have dreamt it all.
And what a nice dream it was, to think he would willingly nestle against me.
Nori's shortcut through the wild helped us gain some time. Instead of the week and a half it took usually, we arrived in Archet two days earlier. That didn't change the fact that out of the nine days of travel, six of them had been spent under pouring rain.
We were rather pitiful to look at.
My boots, breeches, cloak and even my lighter coat were muddied.
The prospect of sleeping in a real bed with a real roof on top of my head was probably the reason why I was actually happy to see Archet. I had hated this place. I could remember the leers some men had sent in my direction once they had realized I was a woman and was sharing a room with men. I hadn't talked about it with Nori though. I could already imagine his reaction if I were to tell him that.
Still, even though those leers had really disturbed me, I knew I would insist for sharing a room with Nori and Fili. I didn't mind sleeping on the floor if it came to that but I truly didn't want to be alone in this place.
We made our way through the streets to the town's inn and entered without hesitation. That was the same place where we had stayed the last time and the man behind the counter was the same lanky old man with grey and greasy hair and bad teeth. When he informed us that he had no room Nori tried to insist. His bargains weren't of any use though and not ten minutes later we were back in the streets.
"What now?" I uselessly asked.
Fili shrugged. He was at a loss, just like me.
"Should we go back to the woods and find a place to camp?" He voiced my own thoughts.
Nori looked at the cloudy sky and frowned.
"No. It might rain tonight and I'm not sure the area is safe. I'd rather we sleep inside." He finally muttered unhappily.
"But wasn't that the only inn in this town?" I wondered, pointing at the door behind me.
"No." Nori shook his head and it was easy to see he was concerned and annoyed. "There's another inn a bit further. It's just not really the kind of place any of you should go to."
At that Fili and I exchanged a surprised glance before Nori explained some more.
"It's the kind of places I went to when I wanted to find some information or some people."
He didn't need to say more. My mind provided me with the image of a place dirtier still than the one we just left. I could see weird looking men too. I shivered. Well, it would still be better than sleeping outside. I needed to ask something now though.
"Will we…erm I mean, if it's such a place can we then, well, share a room?" I blushed a bit.
"I won't let you alone in this place." Nori answered immediately as if it was obvious. "We'll share a room. It'll be safer for all of us."
Fili nodded and I sighed in relief. Not losing anymore time we followed Nori to a dingy building that was on the outskirts of town. That was exactly the kind of places I would have avoided at all costs, but we truly didn't have much choice. The man behind the counter was surprisingly fat and tall. I hated him on the spot. His eyes shone with nothing but hate and all my instincts were screaming at me to run as far from him as possible.
When Nori asked for one room the innkeeper glanced in my direction and snorted before scratching the dirty scruff on his chin.
"I can make you a price if you share." He told Nori.
Fili glimpsed at me as I frowned. Share? What was Nori supposed to share? I looked at the thief as his fists clenched to the point his joints blanched. What was going on?
"We'll pay the usual." Nori's voice was cold and harsh.
"You sure? She's small but she'll get customers easily."
Then it dawned on me exactly what this disgusting man had meant and I froze. I wanted to leave. I wanted to sleep in the woods. I didn't mind sleeping in the mud as long as I was far away from this man and his customers. I had no illusions that they would be exactly like the innkeeper.
"I'm sure. We don't share. We'll pay full price."
Nori's tone could have frozen Thorin's Halls furnace. The innkeeper probably sensed it because he didn't add anything. Meanwhile Fili had stepped closer to me and his reassuring presence at my side gave me some more strength. I couldn't see Nori's face but his shoulder were tensed and I could easily imagine the glare he sent to the man.
"As you want." The innkeeper licked his lower lips while looking at me with a disappointed look on his face.
Hadn't Fili been next to me, I would have taken a step back. Immediately though, Nori placed himself between me and the man.
"Give us our key now." He ordered and thanks Mahal, the innkeeper obeyed.
The thief quickly snatched the key from the man's hand before the fat keeper could realize it. Nori immediately walked away and Fili and I followed him closely. I regretted dearly not to have worn my hood when we entered this place. None of us had thought of it and I wasn't sure it would have made any difference.
The place was creepy and dirty. The corridors were dark and there was a strange, pungent smell; sweat, alcohol and smoke among others that I didn't try to identify. The floor was slightly sticky and I couldn't wait to leave this place.
Nori easily found our room, there were maybe six of them, at least from what I could tell. He opened the door, which creaked and entered the dark room. Fili and I stepped in too and we both let our gazes wander on the furniture.
Two small beds, two wooden chairs, a table with a basin and a small window. That was it.
My eyes went back to the beds. I wasn't sure I wanted to sleep on that. It looked dirty and I wondered whether there would be flees in the rather obviously unwashed sheets. I could probably catch some sort of disease by simply looking at them.
Nori had already closed the door behind us and was now walking to the chairs. He took one while Fili and I observed him, and he went back to place it against the door, effectively closing it. He then went to the window and glanced through it from the side.
Fili and I hadn't made any moves yet. We were both surprised by Nori's behaviour and I wasn't sure I understood exactly what was going on.
Nori finally turned to face us and his face was deadly serious as he spoke.
"Alright. I don't want Amelia to stay alone while we're here. Preferably I don't want you to be alone either." He said looking at me and Fili alternatively. "Tonight we'll stay here, but we'll keep watch. It's too late to see the merchants today, we'll go tomorrow in the morning. If possible, we'll leave Archet tomorrow afternoon. Otherwise we'll go back to the other inn and see if they have rooms. If not and depending on the weather we'll leave for the woods."
"Is it…" I hesitated before speaking. "Is it so dangerous in this inn?"
Nori looked at me, locking his gaze to mine so I could see how serious he truly was.
"Aye." He simply answered.
That was enough to put me on edge and Fili on alert. Nori then went to check our food supply and grumpily admitted we might have no choice but to eat downstairs that evening.
"Let's go now." He said. "It's still early, there might not be as many people. I want the both of you to wear your hoods."
"You won't?" Fili asked.
"I don't need to. You both do." Nori smirked slightly but it soon disappeared.
Fili and I were really obedient. It was clear we were currently in Nori's world. Neither I nor the prince knew how to act or react in such a place, but it was clear enough that Nori was somehow used to it. We didn't even think about questioning Nori's orders. We obeyed. Not leaving any of our belongings behind in the room, we exited and walked to the large dining room.
Once we were downstairs, Nori went immediately to sit in one of the darkest booth and he gestured for me to slide to sit near the wall. Nori sat next to me and Fili faced me. It was Nori who ordered food for us. Cold meat, cheese and bread. Nothing to drink. When I sent him a questioning glance that was echoed by Fili he whispered lowly.
"Drugs."
That word was enough to knot my stomach. I wasn't hungry at all anymore. Thankfully we still had some water left in our water skin. But at least Nori was right, there was no way anyone could drug this meal.
The server brought us our food quickly and Nori paid him. People were starting to fill in the room and the noise level quickly rose. I could only say that this crowd wasn't exactly the kind I usually liked.
I was eating a piece of bread when my gaze went to the entrance door. My fingers let the bread fall on the table as my blood froze in my veins. My eyes were riveted on the man who had just got in. I didn't need to get a closer look. I was already terrified.
We had to get out of this place.
We had to.
Now.
A/N
I am really sorry about this long wait. I didn't plan it (obviously) but I had some problems and a hectic life in the past month. I apologize for making you wait and being unable to answer your reviews and PMs.
I want to let you all know that I intend to finish this story. I won't abandon it, and especially not without posting a word (if I somehow were to stop it) I just didn't have any internet access for awhile.
I really want to thank all of you though. I received amazing and kind reviews and I was really moved by the worried PMs I received. It was overwhelming to open my account to find so many waiting for me. Thank you all.
I hope this chapter didn't disappoint anyone after this long waiting period. I hope you were a bit surprised too :) and that several things are becoming slowly more obvious.
I unfortunately couldn't write in the past month, so I don't know when I'll post the next chapter. I'll try to post it sooner though, probably in a week or so.
Once again, thank you everyone.