Cursed Gifts
"Oh my goodness...Fili, this is absolutely hideous," Dru grimaced and tilted the figurine to the side to get a better look at it, "you know...I kind of like it and I also don't."
"Thorin thought you'd appreciate it," Fili sat behind her and leaned his chin on her shoulder, "out of all the strange things he found in the vault, he saw it and thought of you."
"Charming," she snorted and wiggled the golden figure she could only describe as 'troll-like', "I'd hate to think what he's going to get me for my birthday. Although...he's very charming, in an ugly sort of way."
Thorin Oakenshield, King of Erebor and Uncle to Dru and Fili had been 'sorting' through the many treasures in the vault. Amongst them, was a strange, golden figure that looked like a strange monster, holding a giant red ruby in its fat podgy fingers.
He hadn't meant to sound mean and he only told Fili his thoughts, but when he looked at its very round, protruding belly, he had likened it to Dru's pregnant state.
Fili would NOT be telling her that small detail unless his Uncle did something terribly wrong in the future.
With his front to her back as they sat together on the bed, his arms came around her and his hands rested on her back, gently rubbing circles up and down.
"How about," Dru deliberated for a bit before deciding on a good name, "we call him Homphrey?"
"Why does he need a name?"
"Because he looks like a Homphrey."
"Mmm," Fili was losing interest in the topic of conversation, but not her, "you can call him whatever you want."
"Homphrey it is," Dru turned her head and pecked Fili on the side of his head, as though rewarding him for good behaviour.
"Are you coming into bed now?" His hands moved up and around her sides, his thumbs pressing ever so slightly into her back, causing her to moan in pleasure.
"Oh yes, don't forget YOU promised me a foot massage at breakfast," she sounded a little smug and nuzzled into his hair.
"I promised you an all-over massage if YOU remember correctly," he nibbled at the flesh of her shoulder and she couldn't help but giggle.
"Dirty buggar, you just can't wait to get your hands on me," she bit her lip when a hand reached her breast but remembered something important just before he could get his hands inside her dress, "wait!"
She managed to disentangle herself from his grasp and scrambled up and off the bed. She waddled over to the table as quickly as she could and quickly deposited 'Homphrey' on top.
"Don't really fancy that poking me in the back," she waddled back over to Fili and quickly sat back down on the bed, giggling happily when Fili looped his arms around her and slowly pulled her down to lay next to him.
"I mean, I've got something you might fancy poking you in the-"
"Oh, shut up, you dirty buggar!" Dru swooped down and planted a firm kiss on his lips, stopping him from saying anything else.
They made love, held one another and talked and finally, slept pulled them both to lay in one another's arms.
As they began to drift off, happy and content, they were unaware that the magic was already working.
Xx Fili xX
The Orcs were coming.
They were hammering at the door.
He could hear their claws.
Their growls and shouts in black speech.
He could even smell them through the wood.
"Fili!"
He turned around and found Dru, cowering in the corner of the room and holding her stomach.
"Fili, please!" She cried over and over again, knowing she wasn't going to be able to protect herself.
Of course.
He had to do it.
He had to protect them.
He had to make sure they wouldn't be hurt.
Not again.
She'd never get hurt again, as long as he was there.
He had to keep her safe inside their room and hold them back.
He'd stand and fight until he would fall.
They were coming.
He had to keep them out.
He had to hold them back.
For his family.
Xx Dru xX
In her sleep, Dru had slowly shifted about and listened. She wasn't dreaming, but she could hear something.
There was a continuous knocking at the door. It wasn't loud or quiet, but she could hear muffled voices growing.
She tried to ignore it, but that wasn't what made her fully wake up.
It was the sound of wood scraping and clanking together, as though someone was banging into pieces of furniture.
She reached out for her husband and found nothing but bedsheets.
She opened her eyes and slowly pushed herself up.
Wiping the sleep away with one hand, she looked around and saw that she was alone in her bed, but her husband was still in their room.
"Fili?" She blinked a couple of times and watched him march across the room, grabbing a chair and picking it up, "what are you doing up?"
"Keeping them out," he didn't even turn to her as he put the chair down and that's when Dru noticed what he was doing with all the other pieces of furniture.
He'd already gathered their tea table, bedside table, vanity and three chairs up against the door and was moving about the room, quickly testing other heavier items.
He was trying to pull their chest of drawers away from the wall when Dru realised he was effectively blocking them inside their room.
"Fi' what are you doing?" She suddenly felt a lot more awake and carefully clambered off of their bed, waddling her way over to him.
He looked frantically worried and sweaty with exertion and he stopped struggling with the drawers and came over to her.
"Fili, what-"
"Get back!" He grabbed her suddenly by her arms and began to force her back away from the door, "you and the babe stay safe!"
Fili was in such a panicked state that his fingers were painfully digging into her skin and Dru could only cling onto him as he walked her back to their bed.
"Fili, stop!" He suddenly pulled her down with him as they crouched low and she held onto him when she nearly lost balance, "what's wrong?!"
His hands moved and grabbed her head, his eyes boring into hers as he pleaded with her.
"You need to stay safe," he pressed his lips quickly against her forehead, as though saying goodbye, "they're at the door, I'll protect you. Just stay here."
"Who is?" Dru reached for him, but he was already standing and making his way back over to the door, ensuring it was secure, "Fi', you're scaring me, what's wrong?!"
Who was he talking about? They? Was the mountain under attack? Had it been taken whilst she slept?!
No...it didn't make sense! Where was everyone else?! If the mountain was under attack, the guards would have woken them up and her Uncle would be there, she knew that.
And that's when she heard the tentative, quiet knocking from the other side of the door.
"My lord?" A muffled voice called out and she knew, that was not the voice of any enemy. She recognised Espen's voice from anywhere.
But Fili heard differently.
He ran to where he left his sword and drew it from its sheath, holding it out ready as though they'd burst through the door.
"STAY BACK!" He held onto the pieces of furniture from his side and held on to reinforce them, "I WILL NOT LET YOU IN, I WILL HAVE YOUR HEADS!"
Dru shuddered at the ferocity in his voice.
He truly thought the enemies were on the other side of the wood and she knew, if that door opened, he would slaughter all that entered.
"Fili, lad? Dru?"
It was Thorin.
He had obviously been roused from his slumber at his nephew's odd behaviour and was trying to get in.
Dru couldn't let him get hurt and not knowing Fili's state of mind, she just knew she had to stop him. Help him. Despite wanting to leave and run out and keep the babe safe, she couldn't leave him. She just had to be careful
"Fi'," she called loudly to him, "Fi', come here. I need you!"
He looked at her, but she could see he was torn between guarding the door and going to her.
He was keeping her safe, but she hoped his love for her would overpower the madness clouding his mind.
So she held out her hands and let her tears fall freely from her eyes as she knelt behind the bed.
"Fili, please. Come here. Come to me, please!"
The desperation in her voice must have reached him. Slowly, looking back between the door and her, he made his way over.
"Please, Fi'," she waited until he was close enough before gently shoving aside the sword, "put it down. Please."
Despite the momentary madness burning in his eyes, he shakenly crouched down in front of her and laid his sword down to the side.
As soon as the weapon was out of his hands, she carefully pulled him by his wrists and as close to her as he could.
His arms instantly came around her and he shook with such vigour that she clung desperately onto his shirt.
"I won't let them get you," he whispered huskily, his voice rough with emotion, "I swear, I'll protect you."
"Who?" She looked into his eyes and asked him again, "who, my love? Who is coming to get me?"
"Can't you hear them?" He turned his head and snarled at the gentle knocking and quiet voices at the door, "Orcs. They've taken the mountain. They've come back! I won't let them get you and the babe!"
His anger was rising again and he almost pulled away from her, but she held on tight.
"Look at me," she managed to get hold of his face and turned him back, "please, Fi', you have to listen."
He struggled against her for a moment, but she forced him to listen and spoke quickly.
"I need you to listen. Fili, do you trust me?" When he nodded at her, she took a deep breath and continued, "then trust me when I tell you, there is NO enemy at the door."
"But-"
"Please!" She pressed her forehead against his and sobbed harder, "please, Fili something IS wrong. But there are no Orcs. I promise you, I can only hear the guards!"
Fili furrowed his brow and shook his head, but he had stopped trying to push her away. Now, he held her back with as much determination as she was holding him.
"It's a trap. It has to be," one of his hands rested on the side of her belly and his own tears began to fall as his voice broke, "you and the babe need to get out of here!"
"No," she tenderly stroked his face, trying to calm him down, "no, I'll not leave you like this. Come with me and you'll see nothing is wrong! I promise you!"
She pressed her lips to his quickly and felt his own quiver.
Whatever spell or madness he was under was slowly coming apart.
She was getting through to him.
"I promise you. Please, trust me."
She repeated her little 'please' until Fili gave her a tentative nod.
She could still tell he was nervous as a voice called out, a little louder from the other side of the door.
"Dru, if you can hear me, open the door!"
Fili trembled beneath her fingers, but she could see the uncertainty in his eyes.
"It's alright," she stroked his face and wiped his tears away with her thumbs, "it's alright, I swear. I'll go and I'll be fine. Just watch."
She stood slowly, pulling Fili up with her.
He did not move forward with her when she let him go and she kept one hand held out to keep him there.
"It's alright, I'm coming!" She called out to those waiting on the other side, looking back at Fili as she did so, "I need to get some stuff out of the way, so please be patient!"
The knocking and the voices stopped, Thorin obviously knowing something was wrong and that his niece had to have control of the situation.
Carefully, she removed the chairs and placed them out of the way, not bothering to put them back in their right places just yet.
She wouldn't ask Fili to help. She wanted to keep him away, for now.
Once everything was shoved aside, she reached for the key in the door and called out one last time.
"I'm opening the door. Please- please don't rush in," she turned the key and slowly opened the door, stepping aside to keep her eyes on Fili.
His eyes were hard as he saw who was waiting outside, but his mind was tricking him.
They were slow and growling, but they did not charge in.
They just...seemed to stand there.
As though Dru were controlling them.
"Thorin," Dru moved to the side and looked up at her Uncle, lowering her voice as she said, "he-he is not in his right mind. Go slow, please."
Thorin nodded and reached out his hand.
"Are you-"
"STAY BACK!"
Dru and Thorin startled and turned back to Fili.
He had bent low and grabbed his sword when he saw Thorin reach for Dru.
Of course, for him, it wasn't Thorin.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!" He went to charge at Thorin, but Dru thought quickly.
She stepped in front of Thorin and held out her hands.
"Fili, it's alright-"
"Move back!" Fili urged her, his eyes never leaving Thorin's, "move away!"
"FILI, PLEASE," she felt tears fall down her cheeks again and slowly moved toward him, "it's alright. He won't hurt me."
"Mahal, what's wrong with him?" Thorin's voice was just as thick with emotion as Dru's as he watched his nephew snarl at him, "Fili, lad-"
"Your tricks won't work here!" Fili growled and moved forward, determined to strike down the enemy he saw, with or without Dru's permission.
"NO!" She cried out and in one last desperate attempt, she waited until his arms were raised up high before she threw herself at him and grasped his forearms.
"DRU-" he cried out, but she screamed at him.
"YOU CANNOT KILL HIM! IF YOU WANT TO HURT HIM, THEN YOU HAVE TO PUSH ME DOWN!"
Fili turned startled eyes to his wife and saw the pain as she looked at him.
"Can you do that Fili?! Can you push me and the babe aside when we're trying to help you?!"
"Dru, move aside," he flicked his gaze behind her, but the figures were no longer moving forward, "I need to-"
"No. No, you don't do anything to them. I WILL NOT move aside! I'm standing here to protect my husband! And he's not listening to me! I'm begging you, please Fili...please. Listen."
Fili froze as her words rolled over him and he fought against the urge to shake her off and throw her aside.
"It's Thorin. It's our Uncle standing behind me. I would NEVER lie to you about this, would I?" When he didn't answer her, she repeated one last time, louder, "WOULD I, FILI?"
He thought about it...and he knew she wouldn't. She would never lie about something so important, so...that meant she was telling the truth.
"I need you to really concentrate and see Thorin behind me," her hands were beginning to cramp at the force of holding him back, "just look at him and see!"
Fili almost felt like crying again, just listening to her plead for him.
He could hear her, but...he was struggling to believe.
He looked back at the enemy and for the first time, he really stared.
The Orc in question was tall and fierce but...he had no weapon.
He was just standing behind her.
Waiting.
"Fili, my lad," the voice was thick and clear and went straight to Fili's heart, "no one is going to harm you. I promise you."
And then, he saw it.
It was like double vision.
He saw the Orc, but he could also see his Uncle standing there, waiting.
His hand held out and his palm facing the ceiling.
"Give him your sword, Fi'," Dru's head ducked down as she began to cry again, "please. I need you to give him your sword."
Fili felt his fighting resolve crumble.
The only danger in the room...was himself.
He saw them now.
His Uncle and the guards behind him, at the door, their hands on their swords, ready to protect their King...from his own nephew.
And Dru...his strong Dru, holding him back with all her force and exerting herself in her pregnant state.
"Gods, what am I doing?" He whispered and shut his eyes tight, "Thorin. Take it. Please."
Not trusting his mind to suddenly turn again, he kept his eyes shut as his Uncle took his sword from him.
As soon as the weapon was out of his hands, he moved his arms again and this time, wrapped them around his wife.
"It's alright," she cried and buried her face into his nightshirt, "everything is going to be alright, now."
"Dru," he pressed his head against hers and held her close, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I don't know what got into me."
"Fili, lad," Thorin got his attention and furrowed his brow at him, "come with me. We'll need Oin to look at you. Dark magic had entered your mind for some reason, but...it could also be a hallucination. Some sickness that needs to be treated."
Fili was about to protest, but Dru pulled back and nodded.
"Go with him, love," she cupped his cheek and gave him a shaky smile, "let Oin and the healers see what's wrong. I'll be here. I'll wait for you."
Pressing a firm kiss against her forehead, he let her slip from his hands and walked towards his Uncle.
He felt so tired and weak, that when Thorin put his arm around him and let him lean his frame against his, Fili willingly let himself slouch a little of his weight on to his Uncle.
Thorin made quick commands to the guards as he left and called out one last time to his niece.
"We'll see what's wrong with him. Try not to worry yourself and get some rest," he shifted Fili again as they stepped through the doorway, careful not to jog his nephew into the wooden frame.
"I won't be asleep, but I'll rest," she looked on as the guards hurriedly entered her room and began to tidy up for her, glad she had been spared that chore so late in the night, "wait!"
He turned again and Fili with him, both looking at Dru with great worry at the slight wobble in her voice.
"Just-just be good, Fili," she blew him a kiss and nodded, "go with Thorin and stay strong."
Fili nodded back at her weakly, but she could see he was just as exhausted as she felt.
They turned and left and despite her audience, Dru clambered back over to her bed and sat down, not realising she was so anxious until she tried to get her breathing under control.
"My lady?" Espen appeared in front of her and for a moment, the 'guard' in him left and only a concerned friend stood before her, "are you alright? Do you need anything?"
"Truly, Espen? I'm not alright," she wiped her face hurriedly and sniffed back anymore that threatened to spill over, "but I will be once I know my husband is well. And right now...once everything is clean, I just want to be alone. Please, I-I will be fine."
Espen, understanding her want for temporary solace, gave a gentle nod and then a more formal bow and turned away.
Once the furniture was back in its right place and the other guards were already out, Espen took ahold of the handle and checked one last time that she was alright.
"If you need anything, just call out, my lady."
Dru nodded and big Espen goodnight.
As soon as the door was closed and she was alone in her room, she covered her bump with both hands and sighed.
"I'm so sorry," she tried not to cry again and shut her eyes tight, "I'm so sorry I had to do that. He'd never hurt us but...I know you could feel how scared I was. He'll be alright."
Almost as they understood what she was saying, Dru felt the babe give one of their little kicks inside of her and she smiled.
"Ok," she clambered back onto her bed until she could get her feet up, "let's just rest until Fili comes back."
Dru was lying there for about ten minutes before sleep began to pull at her again. It wasn't her fault, she was just emotionally exhausted from stopping her husband taking off their Uncle's head.
So she thought to herself, 'I'll just shut my eyes for a few minutes.'
But, of course, as soon as her mind began to cloud and her dreams form, that's when the magic worked again.
Xx Dru xX
Dru's eyes snapped open and she cried out as pain tore through her.
The babe.
Something was wrong, something was happening.
She opened her legs and grabbed onto the covers either side of her as the pain overwhelmed her.
She was having the baby now.
But how?! She wasn't supposed to, not tonight!
The searing pain passing through her unbearable, but she put up with it when she felt a sudden need wash over her. The need to push.
Unlike anything she'd read or from any of the stories she heard, she gave one big push and the next instant, the pain was gone and the child was out.
Weakly, panting and sweating, she pushed herself up and looked down.
When she saw the state of the bed and her legs, she gasped in horror.
Everything was covered in blood.
And there was no child.
"No," she whined and began to search around her, frantic that she could see no child, "no, my baby!"
She began to cry and managed to pull herself off of the bed, looking down at the covers and then herself.
Not only was there no child, but Dru's large belly was gone as though she hadn't been pregnant in the first place.
They were gone.
Sobbing and letting out broken little ones, Dru raised her hands and saw just how much blood was covering her.
The babe was gone, so now she had to get clean.
That's what happened before.
She lost the child and they bathed her.
And now...she had lost another.
How was she to tell Fili?
Her mother?
Everyone...
She'd killed her child.
Xx Fili xX
As Fili walked along the dimly lit and quiet hallways of Erebor, he took deep breaths to try to get his mind around just WHAT had happened to him.
As soon as Thorin had gotten him walking and talking, he'd felt the thick fog lifted from his mind and he could see everything and everyone a lot more clearly.
Oin listened to every detail but had been surprised when he examined Fili and found nothing wrong with him.
Still, that hadn't stopped him from poking, prodding and supplying Fili with endless teas that were full of medicine.
After a couple of hours, it took desperate pleading with Thorin that he be allowed to return to his own bedchambers and be with his wife.
Oin had luckily been on his side and pointed out that Fili was no danger to Dru, only to 'the enemy', but if he did suddenly turn back into the temporary mad state then Thorin would ensure that Fili was bound and dragged back to Oin and this time, he'd be made to stay under twenty-four-hour observation.
But Fili now knew that he wouldn't turn back because...what he thought he saw had been an exact replica of his dream. Maybe he had been sleepwalking at first, but he was sure he'd been awake during the entire dreadful ordeal.
And Dru had stood up to him. Protected not only his family and friends but himself.
Had he hurt them and then awoken after his crimes, he knew he would have never forgiven himself.
As he made his way up the stairs to the royal chambers, he wasn't sure what he'd say to her, but he knew there would be a lot of thanking.
But his thoughts of thanking her were replaced by concern as he came to the door to his rooms and saw three guards surrounding it, two looking on with great concern as Espen knocked.
"My lady?" He called out to her and Fili just KNEW something was wrong.
"Espen, what is it?"
"My lord," Espen looked momentarily taken aback that Fili was there so soon after being 'taken ill' but quickly recovered and moved away from the door, "I think she's having another nightmare again. We can hear crying, but she won't come to the door and we daren't go in-"
"Let me," Fili immediately pushed his door open and stepped inside.
Wanting a few moments of privacy, he shut the door behind him just enough that it was only open a slither.
He looked around for Dru, but when he couldn't see her, he merely listened out.
Espen had been right, Dru was crying.
Sobbing, in fact.
He followed the noise towards the open bathroom door and walked straight inside.
Dru was pacing back and forth hurriedly at the other end of the room, sobbing and scrubbing at her hands with what looked like a nail brush.
Her skin was broken and Fili could see great big welts on her skin.
"Dru?!" He went straight to her and gently took her by her arms, forcing her to stop pacing, "Dru, what's wrong?!"
Fili knew Dru saw and heard him, but she just shook her head and held up her sore hands for his inspection.
"The blood-I can't get the blood out!"
He looked down at her hands and whilst they were swollen and she was definitely in pain, he saw no blood.
He opened her arms out and looked her up and down, finding no other blood anywhere else.
"There's no blood," he shook his head and felt his heart seize up in terror at the look on her face, "what happened?!"
"The baby," she suddenly tried to break free from his hold and screamed as loud as she could, "where's my baby?!"
Fili held on tightly and pulled her against him, trying his best to restrain her.
Form what he could see, Dru was still definitely pregnant and there was no sign that she had given birth whilst he was away.
But she believed it.
And Fili knew if she had fallen asleep and believed what she saw...then it was the same experience as he had earlier.
But this time, the only danger of her growing hysteria was damage to her mind and their child.
"Hold on, love," he managed to pull the brush out of her hand and picked her up, despite the weight and her wiggling form, "just hold on."
He walked with her back out of the bathroom, but just before he reached the door to their rooms, she suddenly grew a lot more frantic.
"They're not here!" She tried to push him away and get out of his arms, "I can't see them! WHERE'S MY BABY?!"
As she fought, Fili stumbled and knocked into their tea table, hearing something fall off and smash against the floor.
He paid it no mind as he adjusted her weight again and held her close.
"We'll go to Oin," he began to talk to her, trying to get her mind clear, "I'll take you back there and he'll help look after you. The babe-the babe is alright."
She finally stopped fighting him, but screamed and cried out more as though she truly believed the child inside of her was gone.
It broke his heart, but he had a feeling once they were out of that room for the night and to Oin, she would be alright.
She just had to be.
A short while later...
After carrying Dru all the way back to Oin's shop, he wasn't surprised by the way Oin looked between them and said, 'I should have bloody known it was too good to be true!'
He carefully placed Dru on Oin's table and the elder man asked him all the normal questions regarding her health and what was troubling her.
Dru's cries and screams had dulled down to pitiful whimpers and whines for 'her baby', but it was only Fili's reassuring palm pressed against the flat of her belly that made her listen to the both of them.
As soon as she seemed to register that the child inside of her was safe and not yet delivered, Dru passed out, by Oin reassured Fili that was expected and within a few minutes, she would come back around in her own time.
He left Fili with her so she only saw her husband's face when her eyes flickered open and she looked extremely forlorn when she saw him.
"I had a bad dream," her hand came out to brush against the side of his face and he nodded.
"What was it about?" He already knew the answer, but had wanted to hear it from her.
He soothed her as he began to smooth back her hair with one hand whilst the other rested protectively over her bump.
"I was alone in our rooms and the baby came. But...there was only blood. I couldn't see them," she seemed to fight back tears and forced a small smile out for him, "but it was just a nightmare. I shouldn't trouble you when-"
"It was more than that," he leant back slightly so she could see where she was, "I found you awake in the bathroom when I came back. You were rubbing your hands and...you kept saying you couldn't get out the blood. You thought you'd lost the babe."
Dru's eyes widened when she realised where she was, but let him finish when he continued.
"What I saw...what I THOUGHT I saw was a nightmare also."
Slowly, Dru pushed herself up and scrunched her nose as she thought.
"So...we were sleepwalking?"
"I think it's more than that. We both had nightmares that were so vivid we couldn't grasp what was real and what was not? On the same night?"
"So, what's happening? What could it be?"
"I'm not sure," he took her hand and helped her as she hopped down off the table, "but we'll talk to Oin. Maybe he'll have something for us."
"Like dreamless draught?"
"Possibly. Let's hope we can think about what is causing this before we get back to our room, there might be no need for the medicine then."
Oin did not keep them long. He poked, prodded and gave Dru only one cup of tea (deeming the others unnecessary) before he decided that nothing was outwardly wrong with her. Minus the exhaustion.
He sent them both back to bed, promising not to tell Thorin first so they could explain to him what had happened. Plus, they didn't want to pull him out of bed with his wife-to-be again.
The walk back to their rooms was slow but full of conversation, both wracking their tired brains as to what could have caused this. Had they eaten or drunk something that had been drugged? Had someone with a grudge cast a wicked kind of magic over them?
They went through anything they could think of, but alas, everything came to nought in the end.
Reluctantly, they reached their rooms and hand in hand, walked back in, unsure of how to deal with what had happened.
Fili had been ready to climb back on the bed and just thought to wait for sleep to come back to him, but Dru gasped and let out an 'Oh no!' and that's when he noticed the mess he'd accidentally left.
"Oh...we broke Homphrey," Dru walked close enough to the damage, but was careful not to step on any pieces, "and he was only painted gold. Poor ugly git didn't even last the night."
Fili came over and lit a candle in its holder to get a closer look at the damage.
"I'd be lying if I said I was sorry," he squinted at something odd glittering and took a step closer, "one moment. There's something else there."
Crouching down at the edge of the damage and lowering the light to have a look, he found that amongst the tiny broken pieces of 'Homphrey' there were strange little wooden chips with gold lettering on them.
Careful not to cut himself, he picked up each one, finding seven in total and once he had them all, stood back up and gestured for Dru to follow him to their fireside.
Whilst it was dying, he threw a shovel of coal and gave it a prod, getting more light when the flames flickered up.
"I think I know what these are," he held up one of the small chips in between his fingers bade her look, "do you?"
Dru did recognise them. She'd seen Oin 'play' with them whenever he sought to tell fortunes.
"Their runes, aren't they?" She pulled a chair up behind him and then, one for herself in front of him, making them both sit down in front of the fire.
"Yes," he sighed and shook his head, "but worse than that, these are cursed runes. Can you read them?"
Dru didn't even need to take them, she just shook her head.
"It's basically a spell. An ancient one. And this...this makes sense," he scowled and began to play with the chips, rolling them in his closed palm, "there are supposed to incite bad dreams, make them come true. Though apparently, these ones mean in the literal sense."
Dru groaned and rubbed her face.
"Why is it always me?!"
Fili let out a dry, humourless laugh.
"Us. I think we both have our fair share of bad luck and trouble finding us."
She dropped her hands and scowled at his closed fist.
"What do we do? Go get them blessed? Bury them?"
Fili, for the first time that night, gave her a genuine smile and shrugged.
"Simple."
With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the little wood chips into the flames of the fire and they both watched as they landed on the coal, ready to be consumed.
"Oh," Dru stare at the flames, slightly mesmerized by them, "that was simple."
They both stared into the fire and stayed silent as they watched the chips slowly burn and then, catch fire.
Within a few minutes, the golden lettering could no longer be seen and all that was left was charred, flaming wood.
"I really thought the Orcs had come. To get you, you know," Dru looked back at her husband and saw the seriousness as he thought back to what he had done, "I didn't hear the voices of our friends and family, just...grunts and threats. But you managed to pull me back. You reached me."
He turned to look at her and reached out, his hand resting on top of hers.
"Thank you."
"It's alright. I was scared as well," she raised his hand to her lips and pressed a kiss against his knuckles, "I suppose it's a good thing I kicked out when I did. Sorry about that."
She looked back over at the shattered ceramic pieces on the floor and gave a hefty sigh.
"Well, you can go to bed. I'm going to clean up the mess I caused."
"In your condition?" He arched his brow at her and she just rolled her eyes.
"Fili, we've been through this. I'm-"
"Pregnant, not an invalid squid. Yes," he pulled her up with him and shook his head, "but do you really think I'd go to bed and leave you to do all the work? Come on, let's clean up that hideous troll."
Together, they worked in the candlelight and carefully gathered up the larger pieces of the broken statue.
Both of them promised to remind the other NOT to walk around barefoot until the maid had come in and cleaned up the smaller ones.
Tomorrow.
As Fili picked up the last piece, he found that part of the ceramic still had the large gem in it.
It was a ruby, the size of a small peach and the cogs in Fili's mind quickly turned as his eyes caught Dru.
"You don't think?" He scrutinized the tiny gem but knew that gold and treasures weren't ALWAYS a gift.
"No...maybe?" She grimaced when she thought back to how the gold and treasure had affected her Uncle and his grandfather.
Surely something so small couldn't cause amplify the runes powers to make Dru and Fili re-enact their dreams...could it?
"Better safe than sorry," Fili stood up and walked away with the ruby still in his hand.
Dru wondered what it was he was doing as he disappeared quickly into the bathroom.
Her concern raised when he came back only a few seconds later with a small smirk on his face.
"If you've clogged the plumbing, I'll have ya' guts," she stood up slowly, her hands on her lower back as she arched and stretched herself.
"Nah, I just tossed it down the drain," he came up to her and placed his hands on her waist, "do you want to sleep?"
She shook her head at him with a heavy sigh.
"Unfortunately, no. I'm very awake right now."
"Scared of dreaming?"
"No...yes, but I always have bad dreams," she smiled at him and let her hands fall away from her back, "but you always wake me up. So...no, I'm definitely not feeling tired."
"Me too," his hands moved over her arms, gently caressing her up and down, "do you want to stay up with me?"
"Well, what do you have in mind?" She let her arms come around his neck and he dipped his head to lean their foreheads together.
"How about one of your favourite pastimes?"
She gasped and bit her lip and he could see that playful twinkle in her eye as she caught on.
"How did you know what I was thinking?"
"I'm very good at reading minds," he wiggled his brows and let his hands roam over her sides and backs, "well? Up for it?"
"Alright. You get on the bed and I'll," she slowly leaned forward as though to kiss him, but paused at the last minute, "get the card deck."
Fili groaned and shook his head.
"You and your blood snapdragon!"
Dru could only giggle and pull him as close to her as she could, humoured by the way her stomach prevented him from getting TOO close.
She knew exactly what he meant. But after the night they had, she couldn't help but tease him.