Chapter 23: Bittersweet Nights
Gailien sits down next to Bilbo, the feast already well underway with a small and growing stack of plates being taken off by a serving girl. It reminds her of the meeting in Bag-End, the main difference being that Bilbo now has a large smile planted on his own face as he enjoys the night as the Dwarves do.
Thorin takes the seat back at the head of the table, Fili and Kili on his right, Gailien and Bilbo on his left. A plate is placed in front of her, piled with more food then even her eyes can handle, let alone her stomach.
There are guests that she doesn't recognise, as well as some she does but she pays them no mind.
Gailien begins eating her food (much more politely than the Dwarves) and engages in casual conversation with those in hearing range, although the entire town may as well be in hearing range with how loud they talk. There is music playing behind them, and Gailien is shamefully surprised that they know how to play. She would have thought it too much of a waste of time and resources to learn but it seems like a merry way to distance themselves from the cold harshness of their world, pulling them off into the world that melodies belong in.
Food is flung at her, hitting her shoulder and dropping into her lap. Gailien's mouth hangs open, looking up from her lap around for the guilty Dwarf. She finds Kili smiling cheekily at her, pulling a piece of bread apart over his plate. Gailien reaches for the piece of bread in her lap and throws it back at him.
She both scoffs and laughs as Kili catches it in his mouth, cheering loudly. "You are like a dog, Kili," she muses. "Would you like to give me treats when you're well behaved?"
"I wouldn't mind," Kili teases, smirking with playful cockiness as he leans back in his seat.
"I reckon we should keep him on a leash as well," Fili adds. "Might make keeping him alive a little easier." Kili nudges his brother but the joyous smiles don't leave any of their faces.
"You'll need a strong one, or he'll chew right through it," Thorin says, with one of those rare true smiles. He leans forward on his elbows, resting his chin on clasped hands. Kili crosses his arms, fiddling with a small animal bone that he has already eaten the meat off.
"The dog's got his bone," Gailien taunts at the faux sulking prince. Kili rolls his eyes, bringing his hand behind his head before throwing the bone at Gailien who promptly ducks out of the way. "Is that any way to treat a Lady? My, I'm beginning to question who taught you."
Kili leans forward with confidence. "Ah," he says, pointing to his left. "That was Thorin so you can blame him."
Thorin swallows the large bite of food in his mouth, holding his palms up in surrender. "Do not drag me into this."
Bofur brings out his flute instrument as the musicians of Lake-town take a break from singing. The food in front of them is mostly scraps and their stomachs full, but with no less energy. They move from their seats onto the open floor area. Although to Bilbo and Gailien the tune is unfamiliar, the Dwarves start singing along to the melody of Bofur's tune. They bellow loud with beaming faces, clapping and stomping their feet.
Gailien takes a wine offered to her, along with Bilbo while the rest opt for their tankards being refilled. She will be surprised if she manages to go the night without slipping as they dance about with their drinks held high, knocking them together and chugging them.
Gailien notices Ori being particularly quiet, drinking and cheering but not dancing with the others. Thorin, herself and Bilbo are the only ones not dancing, though Bilbo looks about ready to join in. She places her glass down on a counter, walking over to the young Dwarf.
"Are you not in the dancing mood, Master Ori?" she asks, standing shoulder to shoulder with him.
"I'm not much of a dancer," he confesses.
Gailien gestures out to Fili and Kili who are moving about in what seems like random moves, but she is sure they are some form of dance. "Do they look like much of dancers to you? Dancing is about having fun, not being good at it." She holds out her hands to him, stepping in front. "Come on, I need a dance partner."
"I don't want to embarrass you, Miss. I'm-"
Ori shrieks as Gailien cuts him off, grasping his hands and pulls him into the large circle with the others. She dances free-heartedly, swinging her body about, pulling Ori along as she skips and twirls. Ori starts off just as shy, but she knows he is braver than he looks (a fact which he has proven many times over) and soon loosens up as Dori and Gloin join their circle. She watches their moves, trying to copy them herself but she likely looks rather ridiculous. But she meant what she had said to Ori; that dancing is about having fun, and she knows that if anybody here was to judge her, it would be the musicians and she could not care less about their opinions.
She couldn't care less.
They thought strikes her and for a moment she stops dancing to look at the musicians who have at some point returned to playing as Bofur now joins the small dance party. Even as she looks at them, catching one or two of their eyes she realises in pure delight that she truly did not care what they thought of her.
It is like a heavy weight has been lifted from her because for the first time since she was a child, their opinions don't matter to her. At all. They may as well not even exist.
Her trance of self-realisation is broken as her arms are pulled and she is dragged off much as she did to Ori. Only in front of her is Bofur who spins her around in so many circles that she is sure the room is going to be spinning when she stops. The smile doesn't leave her face as she lets Bofur lead her around, bumping into the other Dwarves.
She swings past Thorin, catching his eye for a split second as he watches her with an adoring smile. Her cheeks flush and she bows her head slightly. Eventually, she is swung in Bilbo's direction who has finally given in and they dance around with looped arms, dancing slightly differently from the rest of the company but they enjoy their own style – or rather, Bilbo's which Gailien learns much quicker than the Dwarves.
Then she is snatched away, her feet leaving the floor as rough hands plant on her waist. She shrieks as she is spun in the air, her hands finding the culprit's shoulders. Kili chortles but Gailien can see the wince of pain in his face. Her feet land back on the ground.
"Be careful," she warns, though making sure her tone is light to not insult him. Kili shrugs as he leads her around.
"What's life without a little risk?"
"Much safer," she retorts but does agree with him silently.
"I have to make my favourite half-Elf happy," he defends proudly.
"And how many other half-Elves do you know, dilthen er?"
"Well if I knew more than one, you'd still be my favourite."
"I'm glad to hear so."
She dances around with Kili and Fili, the former favouring his right leg but shows no sign of the pain he was in before. Soon she requires a good moment to breathe and steps away from the brothers. She retakes her glass of half-drunk wine and wanders over to Thorin who still stands there with his own drink, watching over the company with content.
"Don't feel like dancing?" she asks.
"I'm not much of a dancer," he replies smoothly.
"Ori said the same thing," she notes. "Now look at him." Thorin and Gailien watch as Ori does a sort of known dance with Nori, not fitting the music at all but still nonetheless, entertaining to watch. "Don't worry, I won't force you out there."
"We are leaving the morning after next," he says. "Make sure you have everything that you need."
Gailien nods, thinking about her empty holster. Perhaps Fili may have two long knives instead that he could spare for her. She jolts, almost spilling her drink. "I almost forgot!" she cries. "I saw something." Thorin turns to her, giving his full attention. "The last light of Durin's day. It isn't the sun, it's the moon!"
Thorin's eyes widen and his mouth opens partially. His eyes flicker behind her, looking out through a window where there the moon shines through. "The moon," he mutters. "I never would have thought…" He places his drink down, his hands being filled with her hips instead. He lifts her up, twirling her around once. "You are amazing. We might have never realised."
Gailien laughs, her hands resting on his shoulders. Her feet touch the ground once more. His hands do not leaver her hips and shy coyly glances over to the company. A few eyes are on them but Thorin doesn't take notice. For the second time that night, he leans down, claiming her lips.
There is a moment of silence, only filled by the instruments as the Dwarves stop dancing. Thorin breaks away once more, smiling broadly. Then the hall fills with a mix of cheers and groans of disappointment. Gailien turns her head to look at the group. Around half of them are digging into their pockets, and the other half stand their cockily.
"I had my money on you, Gailien!" Gloin cries with a scrunched face as he pulls out a small sack of coins. He dumps them unceremoniously in Oin's awaiting hand. Gailien begins to realise what this is all about.
"Did you have a secret wager going on?!" she exclaims. Even Bilbo is having money handed to him by Bofur. "Unbelievable. What was it even about?"
"Who would confess first," Balin answers. "It was an even split."
"Wait a minute!" Bofur begins to protest. "That definitely didn't look like their first time! Who was it then?"
Gailien can't even answer, her mouth still hanging open partially as she shakes her head. "You still won't win, Bofur," Thorin announces. Bofur cries out again, his hands slapping the air. Thorin leans down close to her ear, standing behind her. "Let us dance."
"I thought you weren't a dancer?" she teases but lets him guide her out, nonetheless.
"I can make an exception."
So they dance, her feet beginning to tire. Kili and Fili sit back down (and she is sure that his leg has just become too sore) but the smile on his face never leaves. And neither does her own. True to prediction, she does end up slipping on a small puddle of ale, her shoes (also borrowed) not having the same grip as her usual boots. But her arms are caught before she slides to the floor.
Gailien laughs breathlessly, excusing herself for another break. She heads for the two brothers who are sitting with newly filled tankards but only makes it half-way before she is pulled into an unexpected vision.
They are at Bard's only the man is not there, only his two daughters. Fili, herself, Oin and Bofur are also present, leaning over a figure on a table. The figure cries out in pure anguish, their limbs being thrown about. The three company members plus the two daughters try to hold the person down as Gailien seems to be tending to their leg.
Gailien realises with horror that it is Kili. His face is pale stricken, dripping in sweat and his teeth and jaw are clenched, eyes screwed shut. His hand latches around Gailien's wrist as she removes the bandage, trying to stop her from causing his pain. Her own face is tear covered, her mouth sending a stream on never-ending apologies.
As the bandage is finally unravelled, Gailien finally sees why the wound is causing so much pain. The arrow has been poisoned. A poison she has only read about but knows well of. It is that caused by a Morgul arrow, taking from the poison on the wraith's blades.
The vision ends and she is sucked back into the present. In front of her are the brothers, waiting patiently for her to come back to them. She blinks, glancing quickly down at Kili's leg. He has is slightly propped, resting almost no weight on it. Just how much pain is he hiding?
"You need to come with me," she says. There is no lightness in her tone as she has had for almost the entire night. Her face is blank, almost trying to both show no emotion, yet show how entirely serious she is right now. "Both of you."
"What? Why?" Fili asks.
"What did you see?" Kili asks. Gailien looks over her shoulder. Most of the company have followed her lead, their dancing stopping but they hold their drinks once more and talk loudly in groups.
She holds her arm out, catching Dwalin as he walks past. "The boys and I are going to retire for the night," she tells him. Dwalin nods before continuing on. Gailien turns back to the brothers. "You both come now, or I tell Thorin just how much pain you're in," she warns, directing her words to Kili.
Kili frowns, looking at his brother who eyes him off with tight lips. His eyes flicker uncomfortably. "I don't want to be left behind," he confesses in a whisper. Gailien's stern eyes drop, placing a hand under his dropped jaw, lifting it back up so he looks her in the eye.
"And you won't. But you have to follow me."
I knew the last chapter would cause quite the reaction! Also, already planning another Hobbit story in my head but I won't start it until this is complete. It'll take a different idea - someone that knows the Dwarves beforehand, a different race, different love interest, different motives and reasoning for joining the company, etc (which I have planned). I'm sure most of you that have read this far would be interested but if there's anything that you would love to read and haven't found yet, feel free to leave an idea and if it fits I'll try and mould it!