Twenty Seven Years

'The bard asks you to draw your mind's back. To remember what happened on the other side. Now, we see things how they should have gone...'

"How many?" Fili asked without turning away from the approaching storm he could see.

"Three Hundred plus, we've got some scouts around the back surrounding them so we won't know until we tally up the bodies," Dwalin sniffed thoughtfully, though he almost sounded bored about it all.

"Well, could be worse," Fili sighed and glanced quickly at the clear, but dark sky, "at least it's not raining."

Despite the males making light of the situation, they all knew it was serious. A few hours earlier, a small group of night patrolmen had hurried into the Mountain, warning of a small swarm of Orcs heading their way.

Not only was the army immediately disbanded, but since they were all awake and in a meeting, Thorin and Fili had joined them also. Fili felt if Kili had been in Erebor, he too would have gone to the front with them, but luckily, his little brother had business in Mirkwood with Tauriel and Ceri.

"Oh, for Mahal sake," Thorin grumbled at Fili's side and his nephew turned to him.

"What?" His Uncle was not actually facing the approaching enemy, but rather, behind them towards the Mountain.

"You're not going to like it."

"...She's come out of the Mountain, hasn't she?" Fili sighed heavily when he thought of the 'worst-case scenario' and OF COURSE Dru would come out.

He turned slowly and sure enough, slowing her horse down to slide off the saddle and stand in front of them was his tenacious wife.

Garbed out in her finest battle armour, plus a fine armoured coat that she herself had designed, she did look ready to fight AND had even taken the precaution of having her chest plate buffed. Because the last time she'd done that it was too 'blind the enemies with its shiny surface'.

She jutted her chin out and gave her horse a pat, sending it back on its way.

"Dru-" Fili glared at her but she held out her hand and shook her head.

"No," she shoved in between him and Thorin and looked out at the awaiting Orc, "how many? I make it two, maybe three hundred from here."

Dwalin let out a scoffing noise, but Dru was having none of it.

"Don't start, we've got a battle to win."

"Why aren't you-"

She turned to look at Dwalin with a glare of her own.

"If you ask me why I'm not in the Mountain with the other girls and children, then I'm going to stick my foot up your arse, Uncle Dwa'."

Thorin felt it was his turn, but before he could even utter her name, she swivelled and turned to him.

"Don't you badger me as well! You know the only reason Mam and Rana aren't here is somebody HAS to look after the kids and make sure they don't run out and join us. Which they bloody would! And I'm more than capable and in good health."

"You had a cold last week," Fili pointed out but she rolled her eyes and turned back to him.

"And you tumbled out of bed and did your back in last night, do you really want to try me now?"

Fili shut himself up and then, knowing the argument was lost, shrugged his shoulders and gestured for her to look outwards again.

"Three hundred, give or take. We've got people around the back. Thorin will lead the charge."

"Following the King," Dru gently nudged her Uncle in his side and smirked, "I approve. And we'll get this lot gone before breakfast."

Once the joviality was over and the jokes had been passed between them, they readied themselves.

Thorin gave his commands to hold until the Orcs began to charge and when they did...he waited for three beats of a heart before sounding his command.

"Khazad abod amuriz!" Thorin cried out and took the first large step as he began to run. His family, friends and all those who loved their King swiftly followed, crying out fiercely as they broke into a run.

Storming into battle bought back so many memories for them.

Following Thorin that day so long ago.

Battling it out for the sake of the Mountain.

Fighting side by side, knowing that it could have been the end of them all.

And as their weapons clashed, the Dwarves showed that they were still the best in a fight.

The first wave was slaughtered and fell down.

Thorin's cry could be heard, rallying his troops to keep going.

But Fili was quickly separated from his friends and family.

He didn't mind fighting alone, but whilst his mind was trying to concentrate on bringing down his foes, he thought of his family. He thought of his friends. And then, of course, that strong urge to check on his wife.

Where was she? Was she doing alright? She always assured him she could take care of herself and he knew that, but still he worried. Damnit, why could she never stay in the mountain?!

'Because that wouldn't be your Dru.'

The faint voice in the back of his mind had a point.

He concentrated on slashing his sword out, killing another enemy when something unexpected occurred.

Another loud cry blasted around the field, but it was no Dwarf, neither was it an Orc.

Instead, Fili turned and found himself confronted by a troll, decked out in black, sharp armour.

He also happened to be wielding a very nasty mace in his hand and as he walked forward, his eyes were fixed solely on Fili.

"Come on then!" Fili held up his sword, feeling himself urged on by a challenge, "have a go!"

Fili would quickly come to regret his words when he ran at the beast with all his might and the mace connected with his sword with a lot more power than he expected.

In fact, he underestimated the speed and strength of the troll, despite its smaller than normal size.

'I'm sure these were easier to fight last time! Either that or I'm getting old!'

Fili huffed as he pushed himself again and again to meet the oncoming blows.

He was tiring. He was in trouble and he had to think quickly before-

Something tripped him.

Fili's foot had taken a step back to try to rebalance, but a body must have fallen directly behind him because it got caught.

Fili could not right himself quickly because another blow from the mace came down. He had time to block it, but not enough time to keep himself upright.

He fell backwards and indeed, a body lay beneath him, cushioning his blow.

But the troll did not let up in its own assault.

Fili had time to deflect another blow and then another, but the third one was much stronger.

With one sloppy, but hard whack, Fili's sword was knocked out of his hand.

And then the weapon was raised again, high above the troll's head. Ready to kill the Prince of Erebor.

The mace was coming down. This was it. The end.

Fili tried to reach for his sword, but even then, he knew he wouldn't get it in time.

Everything seemed to slow down.

He took a breath and...

The end never came.

Instead, a figure swooped in front of him, clad in black and with fiery, wild red hair and blocked the attack. Whilst she struggled, she managed to hold them back long enough to push the weapon aside.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Dru screamed and whilst he could not see her face, he could hear rage she let loose. He grabbed his sword, gathered his wits and got to his feet, but he could barely tear his eyes away from his wife.

She was vicious. She was merciless. Her rage rolled off her, like great waves in a storm as she smote the troll in one hard swipe of her blade.

The troll had been surprised by such a small creature, it had left its jambags open to assault.

Well, technically she aimed ABOVE its belt, but when it crashed to its knees, she couldn't help but shout.

"COME ON THEN, WHO ELSE WANTS THEIR JAMBAGS CHOPPED OFF?!" She turned to Fili and he saw the fire in her eyes as she held her sword out.

Mahal, he loved her. Despite the battle around him, he smiled and eagerly begun to cut down his enemy again, wanting to finish it up quickly and take her back home.

He stayed close to Dru this time, making sure her back was covered when it was vulnerable.

He may have gotten older and slightly fatter, but he still moved as quickly as when he was fighting for the Mountain so many years ago.

He-

"DRU!"

Fili turned when he heard Dwalin's scream, but not towards his old friend.

He looked over at his wife and saw with horror what had made Dwalin shout.

Dru was still fighting as best she could, but an arrow had struck her chest plate and was protruding from her breast, her free hand weakly clutching around it as though to pull it out.

"DRU!" Fili moved forward quicker than he'd even moved before and was at her side and protecting her, "I've got you!"

His arm slipped around her waist and held her close as he fought off an Orc that was attempting to take advantage of her injury.

Dru still valiantly swung her blade and fought, but Fili could hear every cry of pain she let out.

"Close ranks!" He yelled around him, "Close ranks and make a path!"

The faithful soldiers of Erebor did as he bade and in a matter of moments, Dru and he were safe at the centre.

"This way, forward!" Fili managed to pull Dru along, although she seemed reluctant to leave.

"You-you have to fight!" Dru grit her teeth against the pain and stumbled on, "forget me and get the soldiers to-"

"Shut up for once and do as you're told," he couldn't believe she was arguing with him. During battle. With an arrow in her chest.

"Don't tell me to shut up, you stubborn pr-AH!" She'd accidentally pulled on the arrow and wiggled the tip a bit more against her skin, "my bloody good tit, ya' bastards!"

Once he got her back over the line of safety, he dropped his sword to free his other arm and swung her up so he could carry her.

"Oh!" She growled and looked down at the arrow, "Mahal, If I get my hands on the archer that did this, I'm going to stick my foot so far up his arse, he'll be tasting my boot-AH!"

Fili had really nothing to say to that, but he did laugh at her fire. She was alright and the arrow didn't seem to be in that deep, but his worries went down at her swearing and rage.

Once safely down on the ground, Oin immediately came over and just shook his head.

"Why is it always you?!" He grumbled as though it was the most frustrating thing in the world, but quickly slipped into 'healer mode' rather than 'aggravated friend mode', "Fili, give us a hand!"

The 'hand' in question was pulling away Dru's armour and clothes the best they could until Oin told him to hold his wife down and 'don't let her move!'

Dru braced herself when Oin swatted her hand away and as quickly as he could, twisted and pulled the arrow from her armour and her breast.

"BASTARDS!" She cried out, shut her eyes and threw her head back against the rock she was propped up against.

Fili almost didn't want to look, but when Oin scoffed and moved some his hands away, he chanced a look and...Dru had the tiniest slither across her breast, just above her nipple. Yes, there had been an arrow in there, but it was still minor.

But the arrow HAD been a Morgul shaft and even now, with what blood he saw, the poison on the tip was evident in his wife's wound.

Still, Oin was not too bothered by it.

Ever since that fateful day in Lake-Town, he'd always insisted on having Kingsfoil on him in one form or another and as he stuffed and smoothed out the paste over her wound, Fili couldn't help but tease her to take her mind off the pain.

"All that fuss and it's a little flesh wound?!" He smirked at her glare, getting a rise out of her successfully.

"If I had the power to kick your arse now, I would!" She hissed when Oin pressed down a small patch of bandage, but still berated her husband, "you know these things are bloody sensitive, I've had three kids!"

"Had it been any deeper, you wouldn't have survived it," Oin pointed out, trying to dig in the severity of her wound but Dru just smiled knowingly and raised a challenging brow at her husband.

"Good thing I listened to you about the armour."

"I Bloody told you to stay in the mountain with the kids-"

Dru growled and shoved him and Oin away as soon as the bandage was fixed in place, pulling her shirt and clothes back into place.

"Oh, sod off, not now!" She stood up, still rearranging her clothes and armour, "We've got a fight to win!"

"You're bloody hurt, sit down, woman!" Fili took a step forward, successfully blocking her from running back into the fight.

"It's a flesh wound, as you said! Let me at the bastards-AH, FILI!"

Fili was sick of her arguing. And he also knew that trying to fight her on this was no good.

She was stubborn.

But so was he.

He was also a horrible cheat and using her little smug tirade as a suitable distraction, he quickly bent forward, grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her up and over his shoulder, his hands holding tightly onto her legs.

He turned to the battle and saw Dwalin near the front, shouting orders and waiting for an Orc to come at him.

"DWALIN!" Fili called when he saw his friend was safe to be distracted, "HOW'S IT LOOK?!"

The Captain of the army turned around and waved Fili off.

"We've got this. Get her back home and back in her cage."

Now, Dru HAD been shouting at Fili to put her down, but when she heard that, he shouts rose to screams and her anger boiled over.

"OI. DWALIN, I'LL HAVE YOUR BOLLOCKS! FILI, PUT ME DOWN!" She pushed herself up on her arms and slapped and punched her husband in the back, but he took the abuse and walked away, purposefully swaying her so she had to grip onto his coat.

With a few gestures and quick work from his guards, he hoisted both of them up onto a waiting horse and pulled her down so she was forced to sit in front of him.

His arm went tightly around her and held her against him so she couldn't escape, but that didn't stop her from trying to push him away.

"Stop wiggling, you're aggravating Marigold," he gently nudged Marigold with his foot, but the horse was already trotting back to Erebor at a nice, slow pace.

Dru just glared and attempted to free herself from him.

"Let me down, NOW," she growled and got her elbow successfully in between them, but Fili just tightened his hold and shook his head.

"No," when she attempted to stick her elbow in his gut, Fili lowered his voice and said threateningly, "if you don't stop, I'm going to tie your hands up and smack you on the backside, in front of everyone here."

Dru flushed a furious red, not only at his threat but at the feelings it inspired deep inside of her.

"You-you wouldn't dare!"

He could only smile sweetly, a picture of innocence to anyone looking at them.

"Keep fighting and I will show everyone here the noises you make when you're across my knee."

That seemed to have the same effect as throwing a bucket of cold water on a fire and Dru immediately settled down and stopped fighting him.

Though she did turn her head away and wouldn't let him see the wicked pout she had.

Just before they got to the entrance, a mighty roar of victory was heard and she peeked over his shoulder to see the majority of the Orcs defeated and the rest, attempting to flee to safety.

"Bloody missed the best part," she grumbled and folded her arms, resembling a naughty little child.

When they finally made it across the mighty entrance and two guards held their horse steady, Fili slipped off quickly first and before Dru had a chance to clamber down herself, he yanked her hard by her arms and managed to get her to lay across his shoulders.

"FILI!" She shrieked as he used one arm to wrap around her legs and the other to secure her arm, "PUT. ME. DOWN!"

"Shh," he hushed her as he began to march again, not stopping for anyone, "you'll wake the Mountain. And the kids are asleep."

"Then put me down! I can walk back to our rooms!" She hissed again at him but he shook his head.

"If I do that do you promise not to lock me out again?"

There was a short pause before he heard her quiet, "no."

Oh, she was a terrible liar.

"Then enjoy the ride from your donkey."

Dru was surprisingly compliant AND quiet on their walk through Erebor. Fili supposed it was because they barely encountered anyone, minus one or two guards, and Dru didn't really feel like drawing attention to them right now.

He knew he would get punished at a later date for his behaviour, but it was worth it to get her back inside and safe.

When they finally made it back to their rooms, she began to talk again.

"Right, put me down here. Fili?" She tried to control her temper when he opened their door with one hand, but closed it again and instead turned towards their bed, "Fili, put me down. Don't you dare-"

"Shh," he cut her off and when he stopped at the foot of their bed, Dru grabbed his arm to stop him tossing her onto their bed.

But he surprised her.

Instead, he carefully put her down and held her so she could get her balance back.

"Oh...thank you."

"Come on," his hands quickly moved to the buttons of her coat and tugged at her lacings, "let's get you out of that armour and into your nightshirt. How is your wound?"

"Doesn't really hurt anymore," she tried to shrug it off, but cried out when Fili poked her just below her bandage, "ow! It does when you do that!"

"Stop pretending to be so brave," he looked at her seriously and his gaze penetrated the armour beneath her skin, "it's just me. You don't have to."

She sighed heavily and nodded.

"Sorry. I forget when it's just you and me," she helped pull off her stuff and looked down at her breast, "it's sore, but not unbearable. Jut another scar to add to the tally."

"You scared me, you know," Fili sighed as he pulled off another item of her clothing, letting it pool at their feet, "gave me a fright."

"You scared me too," she began to even the odds and pushed aside his own coat, "I thought that troll was going to get you."

For a moment, when their eyes met, all their anger and all that tension they had built up was gone.

They allowed one another to see the worry and fright they had felt in those moments and Fili pulled Dru to him, his lips finding hers as his hands carried on removing her clothing.

"Sorry I scared you," he mumbled as he peppered hot kissed against her skin, his lips wandering over her jaw.

"Me too," her hands managed to snake their way under his shirt and she dragged her nails gently across his stomach, "my tit is fine, I was just being dramatic."

He pulled away with a small chortle, knowing that she was now just trying to make him feel better.

But when his hand moved slowly over her collarbone, he did get an idea.

"Come here," he gently pulled her with him and Dru went willingly, watching and waiting for his next command.

Still in his boots, trousers and tunic, he sat on the edge of their bed and opened his legs.

He pulled her towards him so she stood between them and raised her arms when he tugged at her shirt.

Once the material was gone, she was left in her trousers, boots and leather holster.

But his attention was solely on her bandaged breast and whilst one arm snaked around her back and his hand rested just below her spine, the other came up to gently cup her breast.

"What are you doing?" She whispered and watched him with interest as he 'inspected' her.

"Making sure there isn't any damage we can't see. Tell me if this hurts."

Dru's eyes went wide and a small gasp escaped her as Fili's hand gently began to knead and squeeze her breast.

Whilst it did sting slightly, she also felt that familiar warm arousal spread through her.

"No, it doesn't hurt," she bit her lip when his hand seized its motions, but she waited with building anticipation when he looked back up into her eyes and she saw fire behind his own.

"And this?"

Fili's warm fingers moved up until they reached her nipple and gently rolled and played with it until it was a hardened bud.

"No, that doesn't hurt," her hands moved up to the back of his head and slowly began to massage his scalp, "but you haven't promised to kiss it better yet."

The smile he gave her made her toes curl and her stomach somersault and even before his lips closed around her, she was already reaching down to pull off his tunic.

They barely gave one another a chance to latch their lips on the other's skin. Beneath Dru's stomach. Fili's Ear lobe.

That one part of Dru's back that made her giggle insanely when he paid attention to it.

But they did manage to get off one another's clothes and properly climb onto their bed, their limbs entwined as their kisses slowed down and they just lay against one another in the gently light of early morning.

"I know you won't stay when I ask, but be careful from now on," his fingers trailed up and down her hip and she only nodded at him.

"Always am. And watch your footing from now on," she seemed to tease him, but there was a note of seriousness in her voice.

"I will. And thank you. For being by my side. Now and back then," he looked surprised and lost in thought for a second, before surprising them both with something he just realised, "do you know...it's been nearly thirty years since the battle?"

Dru squinted at him and thought a bit harder about the dates.

"Exactly? I'm sure it's been thirty years and a bit."

"Possibly," he paused and his voice dropped deliciously low as he continued, "I can't think right now when you're doing that."

The 'that' in question was Dru's hand wrapped around his hard cock, pumping him slowly and squeezing.

"Don't know what you're talking about," she said as innocently as she could but stopped when she thought about the dates, "actually, it's been less. Mmm...twenty seven years."

Fili's hand grabbed the back of her head and gripped onto her hair. She loved it when he did that because he always wanted access to her neck and of course, she'd oblige him by tilting her head back and baring her throat.

"You still fight beautifully," he growled as her hand continued to pump him, his lips searching and tasting the familiar paths of her skin.

Dru couldn't help but laugh at his compliment. She was sure he had said that to her once...long ago. Perhaps a little over twenty-seven years?

"Flattery. Will get you everywhere."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Khazad abod amuriz! - Dwarves strike the earth!