Whew, I am so sorry I didn't update on Wednesday. I was so busy this week I completely forgot and now only just had a second to sit down and think for a few moments. I hope this chapter makes up for it and there will be another update soon. Should be this Wednesday. I will leave several sticky notes for myself.

A few lines in this chapter come straight from The Hobbit and all credit for those belong with J.R.R Tolkien.

Enjoy!

Mels xoxo

Adaira's POV

The next morning when I awoke it was to a bumblebee tickling my nose. I crossed my eyes as I tried to look at it, a little afraid of getting stung at first, but I remained still until it buzzed off knowing that it was more afraid of me than I was of it. I could hear the booming laugh of Beorn and I lifted my head looking around. I was alone for once which was both a blessing and a bit sad. I missed my dwarf. I groaned and laid back down before pushing myself up to a sitting position, grimacing slightly as my ribs twinged in pain. I stretched, wincing at times. I had been lucky. Very, very lucky. I knew that, especially now. I got to my feet and tiredly stumbled my way towards the sound of the others who were making a racket that I was surprised that I had managed to sleep through. I was yawning and rubbing at my eyes, my tunic showing the barest hint of my stomach when I heard a booming cheer.

"There is our little bunny!" Beorn said in a loud voice and before I could lower my arms I was picked up and brought up to eye level with Beorn. He was beaming at me and I squeaked in surprise which only made him chuckle. "You look well rested, little bunny," Beorn said with an appraising eye. "Come and eat. A feast for the brave bunny," Beorn said as he put me down on the bench beside Dwalin who looked amused rather than ticked off this time around at Beorn's man handling of me. I elbowed him in the ribs before the delightful smell of baked goods reached my nose and I closed my eyes inhaling deeply.

"Now she's awake," Dwalin grumbled and he picked up my plate and began to fill it with fresh bread, some filled with raisins and apples and some with berries, cakes, and all the good food that Beorn offered to us. I leaned over and kissed Dwalin on the cheek as he set the plate down in front of me. He grumbled halfheartedly as I started to eat, heading right for the little cake first it was warm and sweet and heavenly.

"They're honey cakes," Bilbo told me from across the table, one on his own plate. "I've already had three myself. I must ask Master Beorn for the recipe," He said as the flavors melted in my mouth and I hummed and nodded in agreement. Dwalin raised an eyebrow at me and I blushed, slightly embarrassed and swallowed heavily.

"What?" I asked him, my hands and mouth kind of sticky.

"If you keep making sounds like that I might get jealous," Dwalin said as he leaned in towards me and I pinked a little more as he kissed the tips of my fingers, his tongue darting out to taste the honey on my fingers.

"Behave," I hissed to him as he smirked at my blush and straightened in his seat. He gave me a "I have no idea what you are talking about" look as Beorn sat down at the head of the table.

He began to talk in his slow and halting way, each word carefully chosen. He told us how he had traveled over the river and up into the mountains in his bear form. He had discovered where our battle with Azog had taken place and was able to confirm that at least this part of our story was true. Then he had come upon an Orc and Warg who were wandering in the woods. From the Orc he managed to confirm that Azog was still hunting for us.

He also learnt that Azog had suffered a great injury at the hands of one of the dwarves. He continued and confirmed the death of the Great Goblin. Beorn smiled as he spoke, and looked at us all differently than he first had. At last he stood and from near him he picked something up and unwrapped the cloth from around what he held. I gasped in shock as the axes which Dwalin had forged for me as a courting gift were revealed. I put my hands over my face as tears welled up in my eyes, crying happy tears.

"No tears, little bunny," Beorn told me as he returned them to me and Dwalin stood on the bench and bowed low to Beorn.

"Dwalin son of Fundin at yer service," Dwalin told Beorn, and Beorn nodded, clapping him slightly on the back and Dwalin for his part was good nurtured even though he almost fell off the bench.

"I'll remember that," Beorn told Dwalin before he stood behind us and looked at the Company. "It was a good story, that of yours," Beorn informed us. "But I liked it still better now I am sure it is true. You must forgive my not taking your word. If you lived near the edge of Mirkwood, you would take the word of no one that you did not know as well as your brother or better. As it is, I can only say that I have hurried home as fast as I could to see that you were safe," Beorn told us before he smiled toothily. "I shall think more kindly of dwarves after this. Killed the Great Goblin, killed the Great Goblin!" He chuckled to himself shaking his head is disbelief.

"What did you do with the Orc and Warg" Bilbo asked Beorn suddenly, looking worried and Beorn smiled brightly.

"Come and see!" Beorn told us and we got down from the table and followed Beorn outside and around the house. The orc's head was stuck just outside the gate on a spike and the Warg-skin was nailed to a tree just beyond that. I grimaced at the sight of both. There was no denying that it was better to have Beorn as a friend rather than as an enemy.

Beorn remained merry for the rest of the day and was pleased for us to stay as long as we liked and offered up the use of his home, his supplies and anything we might need more freely than before. Dwalin led me out into the sunshine and I was glad to lay in the dew damp grass and just bask in the sun like a cat, a small smile permanently etched on my face. Even though I had gotten used to the sun, it still was a novelty to me and I enjoyed every minute that I got to spend under its warm rays. The moment was made even better by the fact that I got to spend it with my One. Though danger was at our back and our front, for now we were in a peaceful limbo.

I was thankful for every minute we had here. One week would go by more quickly than we could imagine. Dwalin laid back on the grass with me, his eyes closed and his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. I curled up into his side, his arm wrapped around me tightly. This was my little bit of heaven right here. I knew the others were around, but I didn't care what they were doing. I was spending time with Dwalin, something which I didn't get much of while we were crossing the Misty Mountains.

I was surprised when I was broken out of my lazy half snooze by Dwalin wrapping his arms around me and rolling so that I was laying on top of his chest. I opened my eyes and stared down into his and I raised an eyebrow as he tightened his arms around my waist, holding me close to him. He looked like he wanted to say something, but was fighting an internal battle with himself.

"Marry me," Dwalin said after a moment, finally saying what was on his mind as I cradled his cheeks with my hands and leaned in close to lay my forehead to his.

"Now?" I asked him, slightly surprised by his question and he rolled us over once more so that I was beneath him. He held himself up so he was looking down at me, none of his weight or his body touching me before he sat beside me, allowing me to sit up next to him.

"I know I'm not worthy of marrying you. I abandoned yah. Even if yah say I didn't, I did. I just can't lose yah again. I don't want to leave here without being able to call yah my wife. Mirkwood is a dangerous place. We've already got Azog hunting us. If we die, I want them to say yah were Adaria, wife of Dwalin son of Fundin," Dwalin confessed to me, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked away from me and I slipped my hand into his much larger one and squeezed it before reaching up and tilting his chin so that he had to look at me.

"Yes. Yes, I'll marry you, Dwalin. Yes, I'll be your wife if you will be my husband," I told Dwalin who looked hopeful by my words. "If you will stop blaming yourself for things that were out of your control. If you will love me despite my flaws and just stand by me no matter what happens."

"Aye, I can do that," Dwalin told me and I nodded in agreement. Dwalin hesitantly snaked and arm around my hip and pulled me closer to him until I was sitting between his legs. I turned my body so that I was hugging his torso and he was hugging mine. I ran my fingers through his hair as he rubbed circles on my back. "Uzfakuh," Dwalin whispered into my ear and I hummed happily as I pulled back slightly and laced my fingers in his beard and kissed him.

"Sanâzyung," I said back and Dwalin pulled me closer. It was like we couldn't get close enough. "You should go to Thorin, today, the sooner the better," I told Dwalin before he kissed me once more, just a light kiss, nothing overly heated. He groaned then as he remembered that he still had to fight Thorin for my hand. "You know as well as I do that the only dwarf he would ever trust to protect and care for me is you," I told Dwalin, pulling back and looking at him. "Thorin loves you like a brother."

"That's what makes this more difficult," Dwalin grumbled and I fixed him with a pointed look.

"Let's not have that argument again, please," I said and Dwalin nodded before sighing and drawing me close to him again. I leaned in and pressed my lips to his. He let out a little sigh, his lips firmly pressed against mine as we kissed slowly and sweetly.

Our moment was ruined as Bofur, Nori, Kili, and Fili, began cat calling at us and making kissy sounds from behind us. Dwalin pulled his lips from mine and called them all something I would never repeat, along with some rather rude hand gestures and possible insults to their mothers before he helped me to my feet. We ducked around the side of the house, finding another quiet spot, Bilbo being the only person around and we leaned against the side of the house, my back to the wood of the cottage while Dwalin's hands were on my hips, fencing me in.

Immediately my hands were in Dwalin's beard. I couldn't get enough of it. He growled and one of his hands which had been on my hip went to my backside and squeezed tightly at the round globe of flesh. I moaned into the kiss as his tongue sought entrance into my mouth and I allowed it. They danced in a slow sweet way, Dwalin quiet obviously holding back a lot of his passion, though I wouldn't have minded him getting a bit rough with me. I didn't even notice that one of his knees was between my legs, my hands buried deep into his hair until I heard a very stern and angry sound of reprimand behind us. We broke apart quickly, Dwalin jumping back several feet while I blushed a deep red. Thorin was standing, face red either from anger or embarrassment, his arms crossed over his chest as he glared at Dwalin.

"I've allowed you some leeway given everything that just happened, but I will not allow you to dishonor my niece in this way," Thorin growled at Dwalin, stomping forward and grabbing me by the arm and pulling me to stand next to him.

"I wasn't dishonoring her Thorin! You know I never would," Dwalin retorted angrily as he came to stand in front of Thorin, arguing. "She means more to me than my own life."

"This is not appropriate. Nor is sleeping beside her. If I have to be more vigilant and stand guard over her I will. I thought I could trust you with her however I…," Thorin began and as Dwalin opened his mouth to angrily defend himself I pulled my arm free from Thorin's tight grip and stepped between the two hot headed dwarves.

"Adad," I said and Thorin's expression softened as he looked at me. "Nothing happened. Nothing. And as much as you don't want to hear this, this is partially my fault. I initiated this," I told Thorin, whose face started to turn that shade of red again. I turned to Dwalin next, a small smile on my face. "Perhaps such things should wait until after I marry you," I told Dwalin who snorted and rolled his eyes and Thorin's eyes widened in surprise at my words.

"Yah know yah can't resist all this," Dwalin said, drawing his hands down both sides of his body before he turned around slowly and I laughed loudly, Dwalin chuckling as well. Thorin made a strangled sound behind me and we turned to look at him.

"Adad," I said and I reached back for Dwalin's hand. He took my much smaller hand into his and stood beside me, kneeling before Thorin and trying to hide his amusement.

"Thorin son of Thrain son of Thror, I come before you as but a humble dwarf, asking for the honor of marrying your nâthuê kurdu," Dwalin announced and Thorin uncrossed his arms, still looking angry, but his expression softened as he looked at me, seeing my pleading face.

"Is this what you want mizimith?" Thorin asked me as Dwalin looked between us and I nodded, looking down at Dwalin.

"Dwalin is my One. I know that as sure as I know myself. I know we haven't known each other for long, but we don't know what might happen next on this quest. I don't want to look back later and have regrets. Even if we die tomorrow, at least we were married today. At least I got to call him my husband. Yes, this is most assuredly what I want, Thorin" I told Thorin speaking from the heart and Thorin rubbed his chin, looking thoughtful before he turned to look down at Dwalin.

"Dwalin son of Fundin, you know our ways. You must fight for the honor of marrying my mizimith," Thorin replied and Dwalin raised his head and grinned at Thorin who finally smiled himself.

"I was counting on that," Dwalin said with a laugh as he stood, thumping Thorin on the shoulder and I noticed that Thorin still winced slightly. "When do you want to do this?" He asked eagerly, starting to stretch, ready to go right now.

"Tomorrow, I'm sure you can wait that long," Thorin told him dryly with a pointed look.

"Aye, but I won't lie to yah, it won't be easy," Dwalin said with a booming laugh and I blushed a brighter shade than my hair.

"And with that, I'm leaving," Thorin said before turning on his heel and walking away. Dwalin boomed out another laugh before turning to me, picking me up and spinning me around before setting me down and kissing me eagerly. I pulled away after a moment, breathless, my arms wrapped around his neck.

"I think I should go. Wouldn't want Thorin to get too mad at you," I told Dwalin, playing with the ends of his hair.

"Why, can't keep yer hands off of me?" Dwalin asked me with a cocky smirk.

"It's the beard. I can't help myself," I teased him honestly. "Besides, as nice as spending all day with you would be, I do have some things I need to see to. I am a healer after all. I'm sure Oin could use some help preparing more salves and poultices before we set out for Mirkwood," I told Dwalin and he groaned and pressed his forehead to my chest.

"Fine. Best get to it lass," He told me, releasing me reluctantly from the safety of his arms.

"I won't be far," I assured him, and he nodded.

"Yeh better not be," He told me, and I jumped slightly as he smacked me slightly on my rump as I turned around to leave. I rolled my eyes and turned back to him and fixed him with a glare and he held up his hands shrugging before grinning.

"I think you can't keep your hands off me," I remarked and Dwalin laughed at that and held up his hands and shrugged.

"Guilty," He informed me, and I snorted before walking off to find Thorin. Determined to take another look at his shoulder. I caught up to him easily enough and waylaid him, forcing him to sit in the sunshine. I went to Oin and got the salve from him that he had used on me the first time and carried back what I needed to Thorin.

"I'm really, really sorry you had to see that," I mumbled quietly as I sat down cross legged in front of Thorin.

"Don't mention it," Thorin told me, holding up his hand, looking as embarrassed as I felt.

"This should help that shoulder," I said to change the subject, smearing the salve onto his shoulder and he sighed in relief at the numbing effect. "Nice, right?" I asked and he nodded and sat back as I worked.

"Has Oin seen to your injuries?" Thorin asked me and I mumbled a no under my breath.I might have neglected going to see Oin in the last day or so. Mostly because the first day I was still mourning the loss of my hair and today I was enjoying myself with Dwalin, a little too much. "Would you rather be the pot or the kettle?" He asked me and I laughed brightly at that.

"Good to hear some familiar expressions," I told him and he gestured for me to give him the salve. He gently applied it to the long gashes on my face and to the cut on my forehead before resealing the container. I sat with him in the sunshine for a bit and was about to start dosing when he cleared his throat loudly. I opened my eyes and turned to look at him and noticed that he looked very uncomfortable. I raised my eyebrow, waiting for him to speak and he finally did, looking away from me.

"I think we need to have a talk," Thorin finally said and I hummed in confusion as he looked back to me, actually fidgeting.

"Okay...what sort of talk?" I asked Thorin, wondering what was making him act this way. Thorin sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, screwing his eyes shut before speaking.

"When a lad likes a lass, things can get...heated. There's feelings...emotions…," Thorin started to say grimacing and I realized where the direction of this conversation was headed.

"No,no, nope! We do not have to be having this conversation," I told Thorin quickly before he could continue, scooting a little bit away from him and flushing with embarrassment and Thorin sighed in relief as he opened his eyes. "Adad and I had this talk already."

"Thank Mahal," Thorin muttered under his brother before his face looked pained once more. "I know your father and you spoke of this, but our ways of older. I know you grew up on this Hegg. Have you ever…?" Thorin asked me and I could get where he was going with that question.

"Lain with a man?" I asked him and Thorin nodded, looking relieved he didn't have to say the words. "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph this is so embarrassing," I said as I put my face in my hands, my cheeks burning a deep shade of red. "The answer is no," I mumbled out before rambling. "I lived on a small island. I was the only single woman and no, I never had any dallances," I assured my uncle before a thought crossed my mind. "Has...has Dwalin?" I asked him in a small voice and Thorin frowned at my words.

"It's best that you ask him that yourself, mizimith. Despite us being friends, there are things we do not speak of," Thorin told me and I nodded rubbing the back of my neck.

"Right," I said, not knowing if I should be worried by Thorin's response or glad that he didn't know the answer.

I hadn't considered it before. Dwalin was older than me. Most dwarves didn't think they would ever find their Ones. It was very rare to, not to say that it never happened. How could I fault Dwalin for something that might have happened before I was born? Or old enough to have ever been a consideration? I couldn't. At the same time, it did make me wonder, was there a darrowdam back in the Blue Mountains that he hadn't told me about? Maybe she was waiting for him to come back. My stomach rolled and churned with the thought making me feel sick. I hadn't even noticed that Thorin had left me, obviously saving himself.

I put my hands over my face and scrubbed it. The thoughts just fed back into all my new insecurities. Maybe I wasn't good enough for Dwalin. Pretty enough, strong enough, tough enough. I was just me. I had never fought in a battle before now. I had never had my home taken from me. I had lived a quiet, comfortable life before I was dropped in Middle Earth. I was learning, but I was still soft. I could just barely fight. I….

"Amrâlimê," Dwalin said behind me and I turned around quickly, looking up, noticing for the first time that the sun had set and that I was sitting in complete darkness. Dwalin frowned and sat down beside me looking worried. "What's wrong?" Dwalin asked in a low voice and I smiled and shrugged my shoulders.

"Nothing. I'm fine. Wow, is it this late already? Guess I lost track of the time," I said, keeping my voice happy and jaunty and I made to get up, but Dwalin put a hand around my arm, stopping me.

"Something is not fine," He said gruffly, raising an eyebrow. "I want to help, but I can't if you won't be honest with me," He said then and I froze as he repeated my words from the Carrock back to me. I sighed and lowered myself back onto the grass and he let my arm go. I played with the hem of my borrowed shirt, careful of my broken finger. "You're worrying me ghivashel," Dwain told me with a frown and I finally found the courage to look up at him.

"It's...Thorin brought up something earlier and until now, I hadn't thought about it and...I'm not sure how I feel about it," I confessed honestly, biting my lip and looking back down at my hands. Before I looked away Dwalin nodded and he sighed loudly.

"Is this why he looked like he would rather be battlin' Smaug earlier?" Dwalin asked me and I chuckled slightly at that.

"He tried to have the "talk" with me," I told Dwalin, making finger quotes around the word talk, glad that it was only the pinky on my right hand that was broken.

"Mahal," Dwalin said and he ran a hand over his head. "And that upset yah?" He asked me with a frown and while his expression was one of support, I could tell that now his mind was reeling about why that would upset me.

"No...embarrassed me, yes. I…," I said before stopping and shaking my head, trying to figure out how to word this. I didn't want to come off accusatory. Dwalin hadn't done anything wrong and I knew that if I treated this like he had he would just get defensive.

"Thorin asked me if I had ever...lain with a man," I said and Dwalin looked a little pink around the chinks at my words, but he was listening closely and intently for my answer.

"And I told him the truth. I haven't" I assured Dwalin and he nodded, looking a little pleased with this face before he seemed to catch on to where I was going with this. "Have...have you been with other...other women before?" I asked Dwalin pointedly, deciding to lay it all out on the line and ask him pointedly so my words could not be misconstrued.

Dwalin sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, an odd look crossing his face. He was quiet for a long moment and I was about to get up, my worst fears confirmed, but he finally spoke, turning his entire body towards me. I knew that I needed to hear him out and just listen to him. A lot of my fears could be quieted by the truth.

"I knew that we needed to talk about this eventually," Dwalin finally said and he shook his head. "I wish we would have had more time tah get tah know one another," Dwalin continued and I nodded in agreement.

"We have the rest of our lives to get to know each other," I remind him and he hummed before nodding.

"I can't lie tah yah Adaira," Dwalin said then and I felt a little clench in my stomach as he used my name which he only seemed to do when the situation was about something serious. "I've known other women. I've lain with two. I never thought I would find my One. I didn't think myself that lucky," Dwalin explained to me, looking slightly stricken as he spoke and he reached for my hand. I gave it to him and his shoulders slumped in relief.

"The first time was at Erebor when I was just barely of age. The second time was in Ered Luin. Thorin and I had fought. I went out and got drunk. Drunker than I've ever been before and drunker than I ever should have let myself. Don't remember much else, but waking up in another's bed. She claims we laid together and I have no memories to prove her false," Dwalin told me and I nodded, understanding the first and sort of understanding the second. Dwalin must have seen something in my expression because he gently squeezed my hand and got me to look him in the eye again.

"I never spoke with either woman again and the last woman was just after we settled in the Blue Mountains, over sixty years ago," Dwalin told me hurriedly and I realized that if he was telling the truth, he really hadn't been with anyone in a very long time.

I bit my lip, worrying it between my teeth and took in his hunched shoulders, his pleading look, and his expression. I took in the feeling of being doused in fire that was raging within me, burning brighter where he held my hand. I knew. I had my answer. He wasn't lying to me. Dwalin was an honorable dwarf, the best. Loyal to a fault and with a willing heart. He was my One and I was his.

"I love you, Adaira. You are my One. Those women mean nothin to me, no other woman could. I will never love another. If I could take it back I would," Dwalin told me, his expression pleading now and I raised my other hand and put a finger to his lips before leaning in and kissing him. My lips firmly pressed to his and he seemed surprised for only a second before one of his arms snaked around my waist drawing me closer to him.

"I believe you," I said as I pulled back away from the kiss, my hand on the side of his face as I stared into his eyes. "I love you Dwalin," I assured my One and I pressed my lips back to his and tangled my fingers into his beard. He growled and pulled me onto his lap. My legs fell on either side of his so that I was straddling him and his hands came up to encompass my hips, one hand cheekily squeezing my ass. Dwalin broke the kiss this time, the both of us a little out of breath.

"Might want to head back before Thorin thinks I'm just out here tah ravish yah in the shrubbery," Dwalin told me, his voice husky and I chuckled at that, still running my fingers through his beard.

"Not a bad idea," I told him, biting my lip and he growled before reaching up and catching my hand and stilling it.

"Yah'll be the death of me woman," Dwalin grumbled in a low voice and I leaned in close to his lips, licking my own.

"I intend to be," I told him, taking another quick kiss before I bumped my forehead to his. "Men lananubukhs menu, Dwalin," I told my One, determined to make sure that he always knew how much that was true by my actions, not just my words.

"Men lananubukhs menu, Adaria," Dwalin breathed back to me in the extended twilight. The sounds of crickets filled the air and a crescent moon was rising in the distance between a break in the trees, the sky filled with an aurora of purple, green, and gold and twinkling stars that formed new constellations I still hadn't gotten my fill of. All of that paled in comparison to to Dwalin who in that moment was the most beautiful thing of all.

Khuzdul:

Uzfakuh- My greatest joy

Sanâzyung- Perfect (true/pure) love (Reserved for Ones)

Nâthuê kurdu- Daughter of my heart or heart daughter

Mizimith- Little Jewel

Amrâlimê- My love

Ghivashel- Treasure of treasures

Men lananubukhs menu- I love you