Frerin- 16.5

Fien- 14.5

Gideon- 12

Fali- 10.5

Kien- 14

Tauris- 11.5

Orian- 12.3

Vesper- 10

"Well, what do you think?" Vesper asked, tossing her hair back.

What was left of it anyhow. She'd cut it short since the last time they had seen her. Now the curls were only framing her face, no longer trailing down her back. Gideon didn't know what to think of it. He'd grown so used to Vesper having long hair, and it had looked so nice in a lengthy braid.

Orian, her cousin, was observing the change as well. "It's certainly different." He shrugged. "I don't really care what you do with your hair though. Besides, it's going to grown back eventually."

Yes, it would grow back eventually.

"Well, Gideon?" She asked. "Any thoughts?"

He smiled. It wouldn't do to stand there so incredibly shocked at her new appearance. Even with the shortened hair she was still lovely. "It looks sweet on you." He replied.

Vesper rolled her eyes a little. "Sweet? I was hoping to look a little more grown up."

Fali glanced her over, with a meticulous eye that a female friend poccesses. "I don't think it makes you appear any younger."

Gideon remained quiet, not wanting to upset anyone.

"What made you want to cut it?" Fali asked. Dwarves did not cut their hair that short.

"I had a bit of scrape at training one day." Vesper said. "One large piece got cut short so we had to cut the rest to match."

"Do you mind?" Fali asked.

"Not really, hair grows back." Vesper shook her head, the short hair following the movement, curls flying. "If I had broke my arm or something I would have been more angry."

Fali smirked. "You'd have killed the poor lad."

Fien and Kien snickered. "Fali has a lad of her own she wishes she could kill."

Gideon smirked to himself too, though he knew better than to let Fali see it. Fien and Kien were both smacked in the shoulder for their comment. Fali looked as though steam may come out of her ears. "They keep teasing me over it!" She snapped. "I haven't been able to win a single match against him!"

"Not one?"

"No." Fali crossed her arms. "He's so smug about it too."

"You haven't even said a word to him." Fien reminded her, dodging a second smack to the shoulder.

"It's in his eyes." Fali concluded.

Vesper stretched herself farther out at the base of a pine tree, limbs reaching over the unearthing roots. "I missed this." She said. "All of you fighting, and the air up here." She devoured some of the mountain breeze then, greedily filling her lungs.

"You should see me when I'm training though." Fali smiled. "I've become so good!"

Fali then began to relate her tales of victory against the other boys. She had been defeated by them as well, but she always found some way to win. By being quicker or smarter, thinking on her feet.

Gideon's mind wandered away from the conversation Fali was leading and toward the books in his bag. He'd soon be having another exchange with Thaemin. He had wondered if he should tell Vesper of it a few times. Everyone often confided in Vesper, himself included. But this was one secret he should keep to himself. He suspected she would be right furious with him for befriending (sort of) the boy who had insulted her years ago. Nymphs of the South held grudges. It would be best if she did not know. He didn't want her angry with him, and it really didn't concern her.

"Gideon!" His name was called, and he felt a hand grasp his shoulder.

He was shaken from his thinking by Vesper. "Yes?" He asked.

"Where did your head go?" She asked.

"Nowhere." He replied. "I'm only tired I guess." It was a pitiful excuse but he couldn't think of anything else to say.

Vesper looked at him curiously, a look that stared straight through the excuse. She dropped her hand from his shoulder, bearing a smile, and letting the conversation around them fall back into place. After another few minutes she whispered to him "Is something bothering you?"

"No." Gideon answered simply.

"Are you sure?" She pressed him a little. She read people well, and she had always known he was quieter. It was just part of his nature. "You know, you are becoming a good fighter…even if you still fall into the sand."

He sighed a little to himself. "Bad habit, I suppose." He made light of it. Really, by now he was so used to it he didn't even notice.

Vesper still stared at him, reading him. When she determined he wasn't feeling badly she shrugged, perhaps believing he was tired as he had said.

He'd go and see Thaemin tomorrow he decided.

/

It was hard getting out of bed this early in the morning. Half of his bones didn't want to work. His movements were sluggish and heavy. He mentally cursed himself for staying up into the late hours of the night with his friends and family. The late night and early morning were not going together nicely.

He slung the bag of books over his shoulder, nodded at his mother who had dropped her parchments for a cup of tea that morning, and made his quiet exit. The halls were open and calm, as usual. Good thing too, he swayed unintentionally as he fought to wake up entirely. Perhaps this was what everyone had felt like when they were traveling through Mirkwood, on that big adventure years ago. Good thing there were not any giant spiders in Erebor, or else he would just as easily be caught.

He continued his sleepy way down to the stables, stretching as he entered. Thaemin was carrying around a large pail of water, spilling it into bins of the ponies. He spotted a Gideon. "You look exhausted." He noted.

"Late night." Gideon yawned. "Friends from the South came visiting again…and Uncle Gloin has decided to move his family over to the Blue Mountains. Gimli's decided to leave too. There was lots of company."

Thaemin nodded at his explaination, finishing up his work.

"I brought you this." Gideon pulled a rather thick volume, bound in red leather, from his bag. "I found it in some of the rooms below the library." Gideon himself had just finished eagerly reading the pages. The volume was a detailed account of dragon species, and it was incredibly old. The clasp that bound the book was, in fact, a jet black scale from a dragon.

Thaemin noticed the unique appearance and title as well. "Thank you." He nodded accepting the book. He took a book from his own tunic and held it back out.

"How was it?" Gideon asked.

"Great, as always." Thaemin replied.

"Good." Gideon nodded. With the transaction complete he turned to leave. He opened his mouth to say goodbye, but his words evaporated before they could be heard. There was a woman standing in the entrance to the stables. "Hello." Gideon said, quickly dropping his look of surprise.

Thaemin turned around to see who the new individual was. "Mother?" He seemed equally surprised to see her there as well.

"Oh." Gideon's mind froze up in a flurry of thoughts. He'd never actually met anyone of Thaemin's family since the day they'd spoken with his father. He felt as if he shouldn't be in the stables with them. He wasn't sure of how he would be received.

"So you are the giver of books?"

Gideon dared to look the lady in the face, and was quite surprised by how lovely she was. She reminded him of his own mother, willowy, with nice green eyes.

"What are you doing down here?" Thaemin asked, pulling out a stool from a corner.

"To see your secret friend." She smiled. "Someone had to be giving and taking the books you leave on the table."

"You shouldn't be down here." Thaemin said, his tone almost one like scolding, as though he was the parent and she the child.

The woman sighed, amused by such a tone. "You sound just like your father." She mused. "They worry over me too much." She said.

Gideon realized the comment was directed at him. He had been just standing there during the exchange between mother and son. "We're just aquaintences really." Gideon replied. He wasn't sure if the word 'friend' could be used with Thaemin. Orian and Vesper were friends, and he was in their company far more often than he was within Thaemin's. He only exchanged the books with Thaemin, so they probably weren't friends, though they could be considered good aquantinces.

"You should be resting." Thaemin continued to speak with her, his scolding tone not yet gone.

"Rest, rest, rest…my goodness, I can only lie down and sleep for so long, Thaemin."

"You need to."

She sighed. "He's just like his father, really. Those two will have me sleeping and eating until I'm just as big and lazy as a cow."

Gideon smiled at her little joke. He quite liked her.

Thaemin was frowning at her. "You shouldn't tire yourself out." He stated, firmly.

"I feel fine." She shook her head. "Don't worry." She nodded over at him. "He looks more tired than I feel right now." Gideon smirked. "Did you bring something new?"

Gideon nodded, pointing at the book in Thaemin's hold.

"Where did you find something like that?" The woman asked. Indeed, you could tell it was quite old.

"There's secret places in the library." Gideon answered. Thaemin looked a little frustrated with him for engaging in a conversation.

"Fascinating." The woman smiled. "I used to be a teacher, did Thaemin ever tell you?"

"No, we just exchange the books Mother." Thaemin said, hoping the conversation would end.

"Well, I was." His mother continued anyway. "I did a lot of reading myself, but that was a while ago, back when I was younger."

"Mother, you should be at home." Thaemin was nearly pleading now.

"Oh, fine." She relented, smiling kindly. "I'll go back. But for once maybe you'd share the novels that come and go in our house."

Thaemin nodded eagerly.

"Say goodbye to your little acquaintance for me."

She then stood from the stool and slowly made her exit. When she was gone Gideon said toward Thaemin "I like her, she's seems quite nice."

"She shouldn't be out without someone."

"Why?"

"In case she gets tired."

Gideon didn't know what to think of it, and Thaemin was certainly not explaining anything.

There another sound, and Gideon suspected Thaemin's mother had returned. He turned himself around again, to ask what had brought her back.

Vesper stared at him from the entrance.

He froze, guilty where he stood. Her eyes darted from him, to Thaemin, then back to him.

"Vesper…" He finally managed a word.

She turned and ran.

"Vesper, wait!" Gideon shouted after her.

Vesper did not wait, she only continued running, and faster at that.

"Vesper, wait, please!" Gideon shouted after her, desperately trying to get her to stop.

She flew through the halls leaving him behind her. When she reached her guest quarters she opened the door, slipped through and slammed it shut.

"Vesper!" Gideon shouted again, nearly falling into the door. He knocked furiously. "Vesper, I know you're in there."

"Is he the same boy?" The question was aked through the door. Gideon gulped. "Is he?" She demanded.

He had to be honest. "Yes."

There was a moment of silence. "Vesper let me explain!" Gideon tried to reason with her, through the closed door.

"I don't want an explaination!" Vesper snapped roughly. There was another silent pause. "Just leave Gideon." Those words were softer.

"He's not my friend…not exactly…if that's what you're thinking."

"I said I didn't want an explaination."

"Well, you have to know…"

"Just leave." Vesper said.

"But Vesper…"

"Leave! If I want your company again I'll find it myself!" She said.

There was more silence. "Are you alright?" Gideon asked. He'd annoyed her definetly, but he hoped he hadn't upset her very badly…

The door swung open, revealing Vesper with a keen fire in her eyes. "No." She said, quietly, but with venom in her voice. "You know what he called me, you fought him over it, and now you're his friend."

"Not exactly, more like acquaintances." He flinched under her fiery gaze, knowing that had been a poor comment the second it left his mouth.

"Leave." She snarled at him practically. She then slammed the door again.

Gideon with left with no chance to explain how Thaemin had changed since those days. Of course, she would have been unwilling to hear it at that moment.

He stood there for a while, unsure if he should do ask she demanded or try to speak to her again. He didn't feel as though he was at fault. From Vesper's perspective, he was though. He hated to leave her so upset. He had upset her, he knew it now, and regretted not telling her of his dealings with Thaemin. The reaction would have been similar, but if he had been lucky she would have not spoken to him for a couple of days…and he might have gotten the chance to tell her of Thaemin's improvements.

But now…

Oh, if only he was better at handling conflicts like Fien or Kien were! They didn't mind arguing over matters to get their points across. Of course, half the time they made things better and the other half of the time they made things worse…

He realised he had been standing there for quite some time. It would have been rather stupid to start explaining himself after such a silence. Vesper probably though he had left already. He turned to go, and said, loudly enough to be heard through the door, "Goodbye."

He retreated to his own home, slipping quietly back in. This time his mother looked up from what she had been doing and said "There you are! You took longer than you normally do."

"I saw Vesper on the way back."

Mother nodded. "How is she?"

"Quite angry." Gideon sighed to himself.

Vesper stayed 'quite angry' through most of her visit. He received the silence from her he expected, and a few glares as well. Nymphs of the South did not take betrayal, big or small, very well.

He did make any attempt to explain himself to Vesper. He was sure she still didn't want to hear anything from him. Perhaps this would be like Fali's temper. If he left her in peace for a few days she would steam off all her anger and then he could approach her again.

But he knew oof how her mother was, Varis, who hated disloyalty among her men. It was more likely that Vesper had absorbed that trait from her mother.

So he tolerated the silence and the glares, accepting the punishment from her. He could only wait until she was ready to approach him again.

He frowned. That might take years. He hoped it didn't take years.

It went on and on, until Vesper and her family were due to return back to the South soon. Gideon and Vesper had yet to exchange words since he had been caught. He was beginning to think they'd never make peace.

One thing was for certain, and that was that Vesper could not return home hating him like this. Mahal knew what she'd be like the next time she visiting. No, all those ill feelings would have to be dealt with, and not left to dwell over the following months.

He'd have to go and speak to her. There was no avoiding it.

No matter how uneasy he felt about conflicts.

He left Fali to her practice at the arena, and ventured off in search of his friend. He walked as one condemned. Orian spotted him, and asked if he felt sick. He must have looked like it. He shook his head, and asked where Vesper might be.

"Somewhere in the back." Orian shrugged, pointing to the vast array of book shelves. "Last I saw her anyhow."

"Thank you." Gideon replied, a little stiffly.

He had to search the back shelves for her, and he took his time purposefully to think of what he was to say to her. He finally spotted her among some of the older histories. She noticed his presence as well and two shared a long stare.

Finally he willed up the nerve to speak with her, and it all sort of blurted itself out in a big, long mess. "He's changed, you should know that. Thaemin, that is. They made him clean out animal pens for a full year and half , and he had to train with my Uncle Dwalin. You've seen him before, and his patience is even shorter than Fali's, so you can imagine how that must have been. It did him good I think. It was bitter medicine, but needed. He's different now. He's a bit more friendly. Not very much, but nice enough. You may have liked getting him into more trouble, and I can understand why, but I didn't. I'm different, I hate conflict and fighting, and you know it."

Vesper tried to make a comment just then and he quickly stopped her.

"No, don't say anything yet. You can't interrupt me or I'll just shut up and I'll never be able to find the words again. What was I saying? Oh, yes, confrontations…you know I'm no good at them. I couldn't stand him being punished like that. Yes, he deserved it, but I sympathize with everything. He was only repeating what he heard from others. Not from his family either. Those miners wives, their all terrible gossips. His own mother is lovely. So I did pity him. I can't hate anyone, that's my nature. You can't blame me for something that's just part of who I am. I can't help it. I noticed he was quite apt at lessons, so I thought to bring him books. I hid them for a long time, and he didn't know it was me. It was only of late that he found me out. If he hadn't I think I would have gone on hiding them for him, keeping it all secret."

He took a great breath now, quite out of air.

"But he did find me out, so there was really no point in hiding them anymore if he knew it was me. So we just exchange them face to face now. That's all we do really, exchange books. I must have given him all the books in this shelve alone." He pointed to the array of histories.

He paused. "He's not really a friend either. Not yet. More like an acquaintance."

There was another pause, as though Vesper expected his speech would draw on even longer. When it did not, she spoke finally. "That was an awful lot to say for someone who hates confrontations."

Gideon just nodded, speech quite beyond him. His words had all been extinguished.

"You should know the only reason I sent you away was because I was so angry, I was afraid I would hurt you." She said. "Physically, I mean. I could have beaten you to the floor."

He frowned. "Thank you then…I guess."

"I still don't believe much of what you said."

"Oh." He must have looked rather crestfallen, though he couldn't see himself in that moment.

"I can't tell if he's changed, and I don't pity him. Though I don't pity many people." She smiled the smallest bit. "But I do believe what you said about hating confrontations. I know that much. That, and the bit about it not being in your nature to hate people."

Gideon smiled a little too. Some of the unease in his stomach vanished. "I don't know why I keep fighting." He said. "I never liked it. Not the way Fali, or you or the others do. It's always seemed such a hate-filled action. I guess it's just become a habit."

"You're becoming good at it though."

"I don't think so."

"I think you are."

"Thank you, but I don't think it's really in my destiny for me to be a fighter."

Vesper smiled, now larger, meaningful and friendly. "There's not many people out there who can fight well, but cannot hate others no matter the effort."

It didn't sound exactly like an apology, yet he knew it was one, in it's way.

"You still hate Thaemin?"

"Oh, yes." She shrugged. "But that can't be helped I guess…I suppose it's part of my nature."

She grinned up at him, the shortened curls floating about her face. "Perhaps you have a different destiny." She said. "A better one."

Next time: Fali's going on an adventure of sorts...and make a new friend.