Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is not my own, yadda yadda yadda. I'm not making any money off of this. (Though I wish I could.)
A/N: So I decided to include this little chapter of fluff and fun because it's going to get dark and heavy all too soon… So enjoy!
Thorin and I stayed in the rooms long enough for me to dress and for him to rebraid my hair. His ring was centered just below the hollow of my throat, the red piece of fabric knotted securely at the base of my neck.
We finally walked out towards the main room we had all been staying in, his arm wrapped loosely around my waist. We paused outside of the doors, listening to the casual conversation of those within.
"Thorin… Uh… What are they going to say when they see this?" I asked, suddenly hesitant, gesturing down at my throat. I really did not want a repeat of Dwalin's performance at Lake Town.
"As you know, gifts of a personal nature such as this are a sign of affection, so in most cases it would mean little more. However…" He trailed off a little and offered another small smile. "I have not been known to give out such trinkets… And the very fact that I have had that ring for so long, and that it means so much to me… They will understand it as my intent to court you and, once I am truly crowned, to make you my wife."
While the admission made my heart race, I couldn't help but raise an eye brow to him and smirk a little.
"'Court me'? Somehow I think we are a little past that stage, don't you?" I leaned in and kissed him solidly, molding my body to the front of us. He growled into my lips and returned the gesture before pulling away.
"Perhaps," He answered dryly. He nodded his head forward and together, we made our way through the doors and towards the rest of the company.
Everyone looked up as we entered and it didn't take them long to find Thorn's ring around my neck. Balin smiled and stood up, coming over to embrace me and clasp Thorin on the back. One by one, the company made their way over to us, offering congratulations. The only two members of the group that hesitated were Dwalin and, oddly enough, Bilbo.
Bilbo finally offered me a small smile and squeezed my shoulder gently before patting Thorin on the back and withdrawing as Dwalin stepped forward.
Dwalin and Thorin stared at each other, their expressions neutral, until finally Dwalin inclined his head towards Thorin. Thorin returned the gesture and, after a moment, the two embraced.
"Congratulations, Talya." Was all he said to me.
"Thank you," I replied softly.
"Well now. This is a fine occasion to roll out some of the barrels of ale we found in the cellars!" Nori called out, clapping his hands together. Bofur grinned.
"Aye! It's not every day your king decides to settle down!"
"What do you say, Thorin?" Balin asked. "How about a bit of a celebration?"
Thorin gave an exaggerated sigh, as though the decision was a painful way to make. He glanced at me and I just gave him an innocent grin.
"As you will," he finally conceded. The dwarves cheered.
Suddenly, there was much bustling as Bombur called for volunteers to go and catch fish and freshwater crustaceans from a lake-fed stream just out a side door. Huge barrels of ale and some suspicious looking bottle of an amber liquid were brought into the room as tables and chairs were hauled into place.
Before long, it looked like a regular party. Bofur had brought out his flute and was playing a merry tune as preparations were made. Almost as soon as everything was in its place, ale was poured and passed around. A large mug was pressed into my hand by Nori with a wink.
"Now this is true ale. None of that watered down piss you've had in the past."
I took a hesitant sniff of the heady brew and took a small taste. It was strong and bitter, though not terrible. It would definitely take some getting used to.
"Oi. What was that little sip?" Gloin demanded. "If you are gonna be one of us, you've got to drink like us! Bottoms up!"
I glanced over at Thorin, who was leaning against one of the tables, a flagon in hand, smirking ever so slightly.
"I will… If Thorin does." I replied. Thorin raised an eye brow at me, then slowly lifted his mug and did a 'cheer's gesture with it. If I thought he was going to hesitate, I was wrong. He downed it in one go, not spilling a single drop. Then he plopped the mug back down on the table and crossed his arms, watching me with an almost challenging expression.
The rest turned to look at me and I sighed, then shrugged. I upended it to the cheers of the dwarves.
Food was ready soon, and we all plopped down at the tables, eating and drinking to our hearts content. I was determined to enjoy myself, determined to put everything else out of my mind and enjoying the evening with the company that had grown to mean so much to me. I knew that I was probably drinking more than I should, but I really didn't care at that point. I wanted to forget, even if it was just for a few hours.
"Right, then. Now tha' dinners out of the way… How about we break out the real drinks, eh?" Bofur called out, grabbing a bottle of the amber colored liquid. Small glasses that looked very much like the shot glasses from home were produced and, after being filled, handed out. Bilbo and I took them hesitantly, glancing at each other before both sniffing the contents. I jerked my head up, nose crinkled.
"Oh god. What the hell is this?" It smelled like jet fuel.
"Fine dwarvish whiskey, that!" Dori called out.
"Depends on your meaning of 'fine'," I grumbled.
"Come now. It puts a fire in your belly and hair on your chest!" Nori downed his in one go, smacking his lips dramatically. Everyone else followed suit, leaving only Ori, Bilbo, Thorin and I with full glasses. Thorin attempted to pass his on to Balin, but Bofur shook his head.
"Oh, no. You, too, Thorin!"
Thorin had not been much of a drinker in our travels and I wondered if he thought it unbecoming of a king, if he hadn't been in the mood, or if he just wasn't much of a drinker. Given the fact that he was a dwarf, I highly doubted that it was the latter.
I glanced down at my shot, winked at Ori, then downed it.
Oh. God.
It burned like hell. I could literally feel the heat travel down my throat and splash into my stomach. I coughed hard and Bilbo looked truly concerned. I cleared my throat and made a face.
"Come on Bilbo. Just plug your nose and do it."
"Does that help?" He asked dryly, peering down at the contents of the glass once more. I shrugged.
"Try it and find out." He gave a heavy sigh, pinched the bridge of his nose and downed it. He sputtered and coughed.
"I thought you said it would help!" I couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculous look on his face. I glanced at Ori, then Thorin.
"Come on, you two. If Bilbo and I can drink this then so can you. Unless, of course, you are scared."
It was like a gauntlet smack to the face. I knew the pride of the dwarves would not allow for that challenge to stand and so I watched with a grin as Thorin lifted the glass to his lips and, without flinching in the slightest, swallowed the entire shot. Ori followed suit and, just as Bilbo and I had, he sputtered and coughed as soon as he could breath.
There was much cheering from the dwarves, this apparently being the first time Ori had ever tasted the stuff. He did not look much like he was enjoying it.
"Another round!" Nori shouted and between Bofur and him, they hurried around the table and refilled the glasses.
"I am fine, thank you. I will stick to the ale." Bilbo said, covering his glass before Bofur could pour more. Bofur winked at me and I had a feeling Bilbo's ale was going to end up spiked.
"So, what do you think of your first taste of our whiskey, Talya?" Fili asked. I glanced at him and watched him down his second glass.
"I think that I could breathe fire about as well as a dragon," I said dryly, swishing the glass around in my hand. Nearly everyone had completed their second shot. I felt eyes on me and glanced up to meet Thorin's eyes. He very deliberately lifted his glass, touched it to his lips and, with a small heart-melting playful smile that I had never seen on his lips before, downed it. He set the glass down with a solid clunk.
"Why do you hesitate, Talya? Surely you are not –afraid-?" He asked in his deep voice, raising an eyebrow at me. I let out a grunt. And I said the dwarves were stubborn. I wrinkled my nose and downed the second shot to the cheers of the company around me. Even Bilbo was laughing, though I had a feeling it was more at the face that I made than for anything else.
"How about a song?" Bofur called out. This was met to a round of applause and, without further ado, he hopped up on to the table and began to sing a rowdy bar song. We all clapped along, most of the dwarves calling out the words right along with him.
I was feeling pleasantly warm by this point, having already had two mugs of ale on top of the hell-fuel they called whiskey. It felt good to relax and to be able to separate myself just a little from the future.
After Bofur's song, there was much carousing as the dwarves began to hop around and, locking arms, swing about and stamp their feet in a rhythmic dance. Bilbo and I clapped and cheered them on, particularly when Fili and Kili snagged Thorin from his seat and pulled him into the fray. It didn't take long for the complicated dance to dissolve into a min-fist fight as the dwarves more rambunctious manner took over. I was watching Thorin and Dwalin wrestle when Fili and Kili came and plopped down next to me.
"This is the most relaxed I've ever seen Uncle." Kili said, leaning back against the table and taking a long draw of ale from my mug. I mock-glared at him and he offered it back to me with a grin. I tugged it back only to find it was empty.
"Nor have I ever seen him this light-hearted," Fili added. He reached across the table and grabbed a bottle of whiskey. He poured out three portions and handed one each to Kili and I.
"To our uncle, King under the Mountain," Fili started, lifting his glass up.
"And to Auntie Talya," Kili finished with a wink. I glared at him and we all downed the glasses. As soon as Kili plunked his down, I punched him in the stomach, probably a little harder then I meant to. He grunted, then laughed it off and shook his head.
"You get feisty when you are drunk," He said with a chuckle.
"I'm not drunk. Just… pleasantly warm." I argued. "And if you ever call me 'Aunti' again, I will show you just how feisty I can get."
"Alright, Alright." He put a hand up and I saw a glint in his eye. "Auntie."
"Oh that its." I launched myself out of my chair and tackled Kili to the floor. He let out an involuntary yelp of surprise and we both ended up on our backs, laughing hysterically. Fili came to stand over the top of us.
"Kili. Why would you provoke our Auntie so?" He said cheekily grinning down at me. I rolled my eyes and he leaned over to help us up when, in a quick jerk, I hooked my foot behind his knee and brought him down on top of Kili.
"Alright, alright. We won't call you Auntie!" Kili cried from under Fili. I rolled myself to a stand and watched the brothers untangle themselves.
"Does our Uncle know how feisty you get when you are 'pleasantly warm'?" Fili asked, brushing himself off.
"No doubt Thorin knows all about her when she is 'pleasantly warm'." Bofur cracked from behind me. I huffed and stuck my tongue out at him.
"What do I know?" Thorin asked, finally having broken the match between him and Dwalin. He grabbed a mug off of the table and took a long draw from it.
"Your intended gets quite violent when drinking, apparently." Bofur answered.
"Do not," I grumbled. "I was provoked."
"No doubt you were," Thorin answered. "I am surprised neither of my nephews sport black eyes."
Fili laughed out right at that and threw a punch at Kili's shoulder. Kili grumbled and shook his head.
"Fili. Kili!" Dwalin bellowed from across the table. We glanced in his direction to find him seated with an odd looking machine in hand. If I didn't know better, I would have said it was a gun, but it was attached to a box that had a hand-crank to it, which Bifur was dutifully working. There were a few pots of what looked like ink. I frowned for a moment before my eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"That's an ink gun for tattoos!" I stated in surprise. Balin glanced over at me.
"Aye. I do not know the word 'gun', but it is for tattoos." He replied.
Fili and Kili walked over to Dwalin and he gestured for Fili to sit. Bilbo followed behind, fascinated.
"It's time for you two whelps to get your first tattoos." Dwalin growled out. Ori walked over to the table and placed two sheets of parchment paper down in front of Dwalin. He looked down at them, up to Ori, then nodded.
"Here," Dwalin handed Fili and Kili each a sheet and they glanced down at them before nodding, smiling, at Ori.
"Come now, Fili. Off with your shirt."
I watched in fascination as Fili tugged off his tunic and turned so that his right bicep was to Dwalin. Dwalin glanced down at the design and with no hesitation, dipped the tip of the gun into an ink pot and began to tattoo Fili. Fili did not flinch even a little as Dwalin began to work. Bilbo continued to watch and make awful faces at the process.
"If I didn't know better, I might be jealous," Thorin said softly. I turned to look at him and he was watching me carefully, a slightly amused expression on his face.
"Fili is good looking," I stated, then smiled warmly at Thorin. "But hes not you."
Thorin let out a dry laugh and slowly wrapped an arm around my waist. While he was not nearly close to being drunk, I could feel how relaxed he was and I leaned in to him.
"Are tattoos uncommon among dwarves?" I asked, watching as the design began to take shape under Dwalin's steady hand.
"No," Thorin answered. "I will most likely get one when I am officially crowned as King. Some dwarves get them to remember those fallen. Others, special occasions in their life, such as the birth of a child. Dwalin has many, and each one has a different meaning. It is not even unheard of for our women-folk to get tattoos done."
I nodded slowly, unable to tear my eyes off of the work being done.
Bofur crossed in front of us, holding out a shot to each of us. I winced, knowing that another one would probably put me over the limits of buzzed into drunk territory. Thorin did not hesitate, however, and he smirked at me in challenge as he took his shot. I let out a pained sigh and did my own.
"Thorin!" Gloin called from his spot at the table. Him, Nori, Dori, Oin, and Balin were gathered around with a set of dice in hand.
"I am being summoned," He said softly, almost sarcastically, and I smiled at teasing tone in his voice. He took my hand and left a soft kiss on the back of it before he turned and made his way over to the gambling dwarves.
I turned back to watch Dwalin and Fili before I slowly made by way over to Ori, who was sitting off to the side with a mug of ale in front of him, his eye brows narrowed in concentration as he sketched in his leather bound book. I watched his quill move furiously and I slowly lowered myself next to him.
"Your art never ceases to amaze me," I said softly when he paused to offer me a smile. He flushed.
"Thank you, Talya."
"I didn't realize you drew up tattoos." I said, glancing back at Dwalin and the brothers, then back to Ori's book. He shrugged.
"I am a dwarf of many talents," He answered almost lustily, then realized what he said and blushed.
"I don't doubt that," I replied teasingly. He went back to furiously scribbling in his book. For a while I sat next to him, watching as Kili took his brothers place next to Dwalin. Fili was looking at his bicep, turning this way and that, admiring the stark black design there. It was made up of dwarven ruins and geometric patterns.
"What do their tattoos mean?" I asked softly. Ori glanced up.
"Well, to be honest, most of the patterns are just for show. If you noticed, each of us tends to have a different pattern to our clothing, our jewelry, the like. I incorporated each of their designs into their marks. The runes are the same for both, and it states roughly 'Son of Durin', as a sort of way to remember their ancestors by."
I nodded but said nothing. Then, hesitantly, I cleared my throat.
"So… If you were to draw up a pattern for me, what would it be?" I asked, almost shyly. Ori glanced up at me and studied me for a moment, very seriously. Then, slowly, he dipped his quill back into the ink, pulled out a clean piece of parchment, and began to sketch. I tried to glance at it but he tsked me and motioned for me to watch as Kili was tattooed.
Fili was teasing his brother unmercifully as Kili grumbled loudly. Apparently he was not as stoic about the tattoo as his older brother had been. Dwalin shushed them both roughly and the two brothers exchanged sheepish grins.
Kili was nearly done before Ori finally tapped me on the shoulder and pushed the piece of parchment to me. I studied it, amazed at the crisp dark lines and interlocking lines. It had only two runes on it, one on each side of the tattoo, and I glanced up at Ori.
"What does these mean?" I asked, pointing to them. He glanced at me very timidly.
"Strength and heart." He answered simply. He pointed at the center. "And if you look closely here, you can see that the patterns form the shape of a dragon."
I peered down at it and smiled brightly at Ori. I brought the shy dwarf into a bear hug in which he sputtered fiercely. I picked up the parchment in hand and began to walk towards Dwalin. On the way, I snagged the shot Nori was about to take out of his and downed it myself.
I came to stand in front of Dwalin just as Kili was getting up. I held out the parchment to him and he took it, raising an eyebrow to me.
"If you would, Master Dwalin," I said. He narrowed his eye brows and studied me for a long moment. Finally he inclined his head towards the bench Kili had been sitting on. I tugged the tunic off leaving me in my usual sports-bra esque undergarment. I pushed my hair out of the way and turned so that my right bicep was facing Dwalin.
"Are you sure?" Dwalin said finally. I nodded.
"If they can do it, so can I."
"You would mark yourself?" Thorin asked. I hadn't realized that he had been watching, and when I turned to look at him, I found that everyone was suddenly watching. Bilbo looked fairly green after having watched the two brothers be tattooed.
"You said it's not uncommon for dwarven women to get tattooed, did you not?" I asked.
"Tis true. But among Men, particularly of your gender…" He trailed off. "It is usually taboo."
"But I am not among Men." I answered. "And if it is acceptable to you that I get this done… Then I would be honored to bear a dwarven mark on me."
Thorin glanced at Dwalin for a moment, then gave a single nod of his head. Balin smiled warmly at me and tugged a chair up to sit next to me. Everyone else followed and I suddenly felt quite self-conscious.
"So. Who wants to take bets on how many times she swears?" Nori called out, winking at me. I flipped him off as Dwalin studied the parchment. I ignored them as bets began to be called out. When Bofur claimed an astounding eighty-six times, I flipped him off. He blew me a kiss, then called for a shot to be passed to me. I downed it as Bifur began to work the hand crank and the gears in the gun began to whir.
Dwalin gripped my elbow tightly in hand and leaned forward. I let out a long breath and pointedly looked away as the first needle touched my skin.
"Ah, fuck." I snapped, trying not to flinch.
"And there's the first!" Bofur called out, laughing.
Everyone fell into telling stories and crass jokes as Dwalin tattooed my arm and I knew they were doing their best to distract me. I was torn between being touched at their concern and irritated that they thought I needed distraction. Which I totally did, because fuck did it hurt, but I wasn't about to admit it.
Drink were passed around and it was becoming glaringly obvious that most of the dwarves were becoming quite drunk. The more they drank, the crasser they got and, half of the time, the jokes that spilled from their lips were in half-dwarvish. I had to roll my eyes, coming to realize that I would never really understand just why the punchline to a cat being in pajamas was just so damn funny. At one point, even dear Bilbo popped off with a joke so terrible that even Dwalin had to stop what he was doing, lay his head in the crook of his arm, and laugh.
"Come on, lass. You must have some sort of joke or song or lymeric." Gloin called out, wiping a tear out of his eye.
"Gloin, don't encourage her to sing –hick-!" Fili called out. He had sat down immediately to my left and passed me his mug of ale. I took it, drained it, and then handed it back. The second he turned to set it down on the table, I sucker punched him with my left fist, hitting him directly on his fresh tattoo. He yowled and Kili laughed hysterically. Even Thorin sniggered.
"I've got plenty," I said, letting out a burp. "S'cuse me. But I can't seem to think of a ssssingle damn one."
"Well, try harder." Nori called. I turned to glance at him, screwed my face up, then brightened.
"There once wasss a man from Nantucket…" I started out. By the time I was done, Ori was blushing horribly, Bilbo was red faced, and half of the dwarves were rolling around on the floor in tears.
"There now." Dwalin said, sitting back. I blinked slowly and sat up straight, stretching out my back. I gingerly shifted my arm, wincing at how sore it was, and glanced down.
Just as with Fili and Kili's, the designs were done in all black, a stark contrast to my pale skin there. The design spanned the entire length of my upper bicep and ran down about three inches were it came to a solid point. I was surprised at the detail and intricacy Dwalin had managed and I smiled warmly at the dwarf.
"Thank you, Dwalin." I said sincerely. The usual stony expression he seemed to reserve just for me softened just a little.
"You are welcome, Talya." He answered.
I stood up and spontaneously hugged him. He froze, then awkwardly patted my back. Behind me, the scores of my bet were being settled. Ori had won at twenty-eight.
"Oi. Dwalin gets hugged while the rest of us get punched and tackled. Hows' that fair?" Kili demanded. I grinned and turned around. Drunkenly, I wrapped an arm around his shoulder and hugged him tightly.
"Psh. You guyssss know I love you." I turned away from him to hug Fili who, as soon as I let go, turned and sucker punched me in my arm, just as I had done him.
"Hey!" I yelped. "Thass no way to treat a lady!"
"Didn't we have this discussion in Rivendell, Talya?" He shot back, grinning. I rubbed my arm tenderly.
"Thorrriiinnn." I whined. He stepped up behind me and shook his head.
"What am I to do with you three?" He asked.
"What do I have to do with it? They started it!" I stumbled and he caught me around the waist. Tender eyes looked down at me.
"I do believe, AmrâlimêI, that you are quite drunk." He stated softly. I shushed him.
"No one can know." I replied in a loud mock-whisper. He chuckled softly and brushed his lips against my forehead.
"Your secret is safe with me." He whispered. We kissed then, much to the delight of the surrounding dwarves. I had quite forgotten for a moment that they were there and I felt myself once more flush as they cat-called. Thorin groaned and pulled away. He glared at Fili and Kili, who had been the loudest of the bunch.
"Enough." He pointed at his nephews. "Ten shots. First one to finish wins."
Fili and Kili looked at each other and grinned hugely. A stunned Nori quickly produced a bottle of whiskey and began to pour out the shots. Balin came to stand next to me.
"Are they gonna be alright?" I asked, watching with one eye closed as the dwarves began to make bets. Balin chuckled.
"It'll take a lot more than a dozen shots to take down Thorin Oakenshield." He answered. "Fili and Kili… I do not think they appreciate their Uncles' tolerance. They have never seen him drink as I have. They will be in for a world of hurt tomorrow, I think."
I watched and cheered along with the others as the three began to down the shots. As Balin had guessed, Thorin was in the lead from the beginning. He downed one shot after another, clunking each glass upside down on the table as he went. By the time he had finished his tenth, Fili and Kili were still on their sixth and seventh, respectively. Kili thwacked Fili in the gut as Fili was about to down his seventh, and ended up sloshing half of it on himself. Thorin stepped back in time to avoid getting an elbow to the face as the two brothers decided to finish the contest with a drunken wrestling match.
Thorin gingerly stepped over the two and made his way to my side. While it was obvious that he still was not drunk, the jerk, I could tell that he was, at the very least, buzzed. I watched him walk towards me, a smile on his lips and a glint in his eyes and my heart ached. This was the dwarf that I had only glimpsed at until this point. He was carefree and mischievous, his wit sharp and his words dry. As he wrapped his arms around me, I burrowed my face in his chest and, for the first time, allowed myself to really hope that everything would turn out alright.