Another slightly longer one! Hope you guys enjoy it. Thanks very much to everyone who commented on the last chapter, and as always, I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this one.
"Sorry."
"Excuse me."
"Coming through."
Fili looked up as he heard Bofur's voice carrying over towards him, seeing the hatted dwarf only moments later as he made his way through the crowd and up the ranks of the tribune. The first fight of balrûn 'uzûgh was going to begin in only a few minutes and the hatted dwarf had made it just in time. Panting slightly, but with a big grin on his face, he let himself slump down into the seat in front of Fili, who was sat in a specially designated seat on a small stage in the middle of the ranks. His mother was sat in a chair to his right, while Dwalin, as captain of the guard, occupied the seat on his left.
"Oi, Bofur," Dwalin greeted his friend, shooting him a grin as he turned to look at him over his shoulder. "I see your wife has made it here before you."
Dwalin let out a bark of laughter and pointed a few ranks further down, where Marla was already sitting beside Arinna, the two women talking animatedly among each other. Fili followed the motion with his eyes, his gaze lingering on the druid's back for a moment, before he looked back at Bofur.
"Aye, I had to take the children over to Bombur's place," he explained, still smiling as he turned his own gaze away from his wife. "You know, he's not coming to see any of the fights, so he offered to look after them."
Dwalin, sobering up a small bit, gave an understanding nod. Bombur had taken a step back from any form of combat ever since the Battle of the Five Armies. No one could blame him, the cook had always been of a gentle nature, and if there was no need for it, he did not want to participate in any kind of violence, nor watch others engage in it.
"That's very nice of him," Dis chimed in with a small smile, to which Bofur nodded quickly. He was about to answer, when the sound of a horn echoed through the hall, causing all chatter going on around the ranks to quieten down.
A moment later, Fili had risen to his feet. He cleared his throat slightly, looking around the ranks and at the two fighters that had gathered in the grounds before them now. One of them was a large, red-haired dwarf named Ugnar, who was a butcher by trade, known for his skill with the battle axe, which he was already dangling at his side. The other was none other than Lothar, who was standing tall beside his opponent, gripping his sword tightly in his hand. Fili suppressed a sigh as he looked at them for a moment.
"Folk of the mountain!" he called out loudly then, letting the corners of his lips turn up in a slight smile as he addressed his people. "People of Erebor! The time has come for balrûn 'uzûgh. The chance for any dwarf to prove his strength, his skill, and his courage to all of us, but, even more importantly, to himself! At the end of this tournament, only one can be crowned winner, and in each fight, only one dwarf may be left standing. The honour of the first fight goes to Ugnar and Lothar. Make it a good one! And may the best dwarf win!"
Applause erupted around him as he reached out one hand in a wide gesture, motioning for the fight and the tournament to begin. As the horn sounded once more and Fili sat back down in his chair, the applause quickly turned into cheers and calls toward the fighters as they got into position, facing each other. A second, shorter sound of the horn marked the start of the battle.
Ugnar barely hesitated a second before he made the first swing, launching himself forward and brining his axe down as hard as he could. It connected with the ground with a loud thump as Lothar dove out of the way, gripping his shield close to his torso as he prepared for his own attack. He swung at Ugnar just as the dwarf managed to free his axe from the ground, the large redhead expertly blocking the younger dwarf's blow with the hilt of the axe.
The battle continued and Fili watched, along with everyone else, secretly hoping that Lothar would win this fight, even though, as king, he was not supposed to have favourites. He just wanted the lad to succeed, he thought, drawing his mouth askew as Ugnar's axe collided with Lothar's shield. As the fight went on, Fili's gaze shortly drifted back toward where Arinna was sat with Marla, both women following the scenes before them closely. As Lothar's shield took another hard blow, the wood cracking slightly beneath the force of the impact, Fili noticed the druid visibly flinch from where he was sitting. He didn't have time to think about it further though, as Lothar retaliated with a swift kick to Ugnar's leg, causing it to give out beneath him.
Fili nodded to himself as the crowd cheered for the young guard, watching as Lothar brought down his sword on Ugnar again, the redhead managing to block once more, while he was scurrying backward on the ground. The next moment, Ugnar's axe flew from his grip and landed in the dirt a few paces away, while Lothar brought the tip of his sword up to the butcher's throat.
The horn sounded again, and applause erupted among the ranks. The fight was done.
Fili quickly rose to his feet, applauding along with the rest of the dwarves, before the noise slowly began to subside. He smiled down at Lothar as the young dwarf sheathed his sword, before he helped a disgruntled Ugnar to his feet.
"We have our first winner!" Fili proclaimed, shooting the young guard an appreciative nod, which merely helped broaden Lothar's already huge smile. "Lothar goes on to the second round!"
There were three more fights that day, which resulted in another member of the guard, a dark-haired dwarf named Nellin, a miner called Bedo, and another butcher named Dorin to go on to the next round. The next fights to determine the winners of the first round would be held the two following days.
"Prepared for your fight tomorrow, Fili?" Dwalin asked, as the crowd slowly dispersed later that first day, and they were walking down the ranks together.
"Against Thrakur's boy?" Fili merely shot the older dwarf a sideways look, making Dwalin chuckle slightly. "I'll be surprised if he can find the right end of the sword to fight with."
Dwalin's chuckle turned into a bark of laughter at his words, though he sobered quickly, shaking his head. "Don't get too cocky," he said. "The lad's been training hard."
Fili titled his head slightly, acknowledging Dwalin's words, though he had no real worries about his upcoming fight. He had decided, under Balin's advisement, that he would participate in the tournament himself, as was tradition. It was good for the people to see their king fight, to see him as one of their own. And though Fili couldn't say that he enjoyed wielding a sword as he once had, he knew that he was still among the most skilled fighters within Erebor. Thrakur's son, Rokur, was among the youngest participants in the tournament, and Fili knew him as a spoilt little brat, who relied too much on the position that his father's status gave him. In fact, Fili was almost looking forward to knocking the boy on his arse.
"Lothar did well enough today," the blond king mentioned, as they walked along the halls of the mountain, changing the topic. Dwalin gave a thoughtful nod.
"Aye, not too shabby," the burly dwarf admitted. He cleared his throat slightly. "Though, depending on his opponent in the second round, perhaps he's bitten off more than he can chew."
"Perhaps," Fili returned with a small shrug and a smile. "Perhaps not. Only time will tell. In any case, it'll be good for him to make the experience."
Dwalin merely nodded, and they soon parted ways, both going about their own duties for the rest of the day.
Arinna was sat among the ranks again the next day, with Marla and Bofur beside her. The two of them were currently talking among themselves, while the druid was looking toward the battle ground. It was the last battle of the day; three of the four fights already having been decided. Now, it was the king's turn to fight, and while Dis made the announcement that was usually her son's part, Arinna could only stare at Fili, who was standing with his opponent in the battle ground, clad in a protective leather jerkin. His demeanour was calm, and he was casually holding one of his swords by his side, while the other was strapped securely to his back, and a wooden shield was kept loosely in his other hand. It gave her a strange feeling to see him like this, knowing the many battles he had already fought with these very swords. How they had fought some of them side by side together.
She tried to shake off her thoughts as the horn sounded, which marked the start of the battle. The crowd was more excited about this round than it had been about any of the previous ones, seeing their king fight for his place among all the other contestants, like any of them.
The fight quickly took up speed, as Fili's opponent, Rokur, swung his sword in a first attack. Fili dodged it easily. Arinna watched with a frown as he took a few steps to one side, swinging his sword in one hand without attacking, while he still held his shield loosely by his side. It was a cocky way to face Rokur, who seemed to get confused and angry about it the longer the fight went on. Fili was agile and quick on his feet, and much more of an intuitive fighter than the young dwarf opposing him, and it showed.
As the king deflected yet another blow, pushing Rokur backwards, Arinna knew that he would win this fight. That he could have finished it already, had he wanted to. Yet, the uneasy feeling in her stomach did not subside, but only worsened as the fight went on. The druid found herself flinching at every blow that came at Fili, no matter how well he deflected them each time. The same had happened during Lothar's fight, though not like this. The druid felt her chest tighten as she watched, drawing in a sharp breath as Fili blocked an attack with his shield and pushed back immediately, swinging his own sword at Rokur.
"Arinna," Marla suddenly said beside her, her soft, worried voice almost lost in the noise of the crowd. She shot the druid a concerned look, seeing how pale she had become all of a sudden. Marla could see that her friend was struggling to breathe calmly. "Are you alright?"
The druid gave a quick, jerky nod, forcing herself to tear her gaze away from the still ongoing fight. "Yes," she answered, hearing the slight tremor in her voice and quickly trying to suppress it as she returned Marla's gaze. "Yes, I just can't… I – I think I need some air."
And with that, she quickly rose from her seat, feeling Marla's worried gaze linger on her as she excused herself quietly and made her way through the ranks, trying to be as unobtrusive to the other spectators as she could. She walked as fast as she could without running, making her way out of the fighting hall and only stopping once she could no longer hear the noise of clanging metal behind her.
Breathing heavily, Arinna let her back slump against a nearby wall, the cold stone making her shiver slightly beneath her tunic. She let her head drop against the wall behind her, forcing herself to take a few deep breaths in and out. Her hand rose to cover her chest, rubbing against her collarbone as she tried to calm herself. She wasn't sure how long she had been standing there, perhaps a few minutes, when her breathing had finally calmed down.
Faint cheering sounded from the distance, and the druid glanced back the way she had come, knowing that the battle must have ended. She let out another long breath, before she rubbed one hand down her face and pushed herself off the wall. Not bothering to go back to the fighting hall, she instead made her way to the healing chambers, hoping to occupy her mind with something else, something more productive, for a while, before she would turn in for the evening.
It was around an hour later that she was sat at a table in the healing chambers, grinding herbs into a fine powder. The menial task had proven to calm her nerves further, and she concentrated merely on the mortar in her hand, not letting her thoughts run away with anything else. She barely heard the door open, though she looked up at the quiet mention of her name.
"Arinna," Dis said kindly, letting the door fall closed behind herself as she made her way over to the table. The dwarrowdam sent her a soft smile as she sat down opposite her, ignoring the druid's surprised look. "I thought I might find you here. How are you, my dear? I saw you run off at the tournament earlier."
"Oh, I –" Arinna started, not quite knowing how to respond. She cleared her throat slightly, halting her movement with the mortar. "I'm fine, thank you. It was just… it was nothing."
Dis looked at her intently, though her expression remained kind. "Marla mentioned you weren't feeling well?"
"It was nothing really, Dis," Arinna repeated, inclining her head slightly. "Though, I appreciate your concern. I do feel better now."
Dis gave a short nod, leaning back in her chair as she folded her hands in her lap. She let her eyes roam over the druid's face for a moment, a heavy silence stretching between them as Arinna did not know where to look or what to say. Though it didn't matter, as Dis continued to speak slowly, her voice thoughtful.
"It is difficult, isn't it?" She asked, looking at the druid closely for a moment, though she did not seem to expect an answer. "To watch him fight like that."
Arinna was taken aback by her words, her fingers clenching slightly over the mortar she still held in one hand. Dis held her wide-eyed gaze calmly, giving the druid a strange feeling of having been found out, even though there was nothing but kindness reflected in the dwarrowdam's expression. Arinna could have pretended not to know whom Dis was talking about, though she doubted that the dwarrowdam would buy a word of it. Somehow, Dis seemed to know exactly what was going on in her head, perhaps not the extent of it, but there was an intuitive knowledge of what the druid was feeling. Arinna wondered whether she was truly that transparent.
"I suppose… it just brought up some unpleasant memories," the druid finally admitted, letting out a sigh as she let her fingertips graze against the stone mortar. She followed her own movement with her eyes. "I know your son is a skilled fighter. One of the best I've ever seen, but…"
Dis waited for her to continue as she trailed off, and only when it became apparent that she wasn't going to continue, did she retort. "But what, dear?"
She could see the druid's mind working behind her eyes, had caught the slight quiver in her lower lip as she tried to find the right words. Dis could see a whole whirl of emotions bubbling inside the young woman, suddenly feeling incredibly sad for her. What had happened to her and Fili for them to end up in a position where their feelings and the past seemed to terrify them so much?
Arinna couldn't help the thin veil of tears that gathered in her eyes as she inclined her head, wiping at them. "But…" she finally breathed, feeling as though the words just needed to get out of her. Her voice was shaking, barely above a whisper. "I've seen him in danger and hurt too many times. I know it's just a competition, but –"
"I understand completely," Dis answered gently, as the druid trailed off.
"Would it be terribly rude of me not to attend any more of the tournament?" Arinna asked quietly, letting out a sigh as she slowly regained control over her emotions. Dis sent her an understanding smile and shook her head.
"Of course not," she assured her kindly, reaching out her hand to pat the druid's one across the table. "You're not the only one to feel this way, dear. I heard that Bombur, for example, also does not plan on attending any of the fights. I know it can seem like a simple show of mindless violence, but there is great tradition behind it, and it means a lot to many of our people."
Arinna nodded her head, the warmth of the dwarrowdam's hand on hers giving her some comfort, that she hadn't quite known she needed. "I understand that," she replied softly.
Dis gave her a smile, before she gave her hand another squeeze. "Well, alright," she uttered kindly. "I don't want to take up any more of your time. I just wanted to make sure that you were feeling alright, my dear."
"Thank you," Arinna answered gently, feeling her chest tighten slightly at the warm look Dis shot her. "It's very kind of you. Seeing as I am still a virtual stranger in this mountain, it… it really means a lot."
"You are anything but a stranger, Arinna," Dis smiled, catching the druid by surprise as she looked at her curiously. "Anything but."
And with that, the dwarrowdam got up, reaching out once more to give the druid's shoulder a friendly squeeze, before she made her way toward the door. Arinna watched her go with a small smile, her eyebrows rising slightly as Dis turned around once more just as she opened the door.
"Oh, I was wondering," she said, as though she had only just remembered. "Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow evening? I've been meaning to invite you."
Slightly taken by surprise but touched by Dis' kindness once more, Arinna merely gave a small nod. "I'd like that."
"Lovely," Dis smiled, giving the druid a last nod as goodbye, before she left the room. Arinna was left to stare at the closed door, letting out a small sigh, before her hand began to take up movement again, and she put the mortar back to work.
Arinna spent the next day away from the tournament as planned, instead working away in the healing chambers all morning, before she went to visit Bombur in the afternoon. She spent the whole afternoon with him, helping to take care of Bofur's children, as they talked about all kinds of things. Bombur had even prepared a delicious cherry cake for the afternoon, which they ate with delight, reminding Arinna of how good Bombur's cooking had always been, even when he had mere scraps to work with.
The druid was smiling happily as she left the large dwarf's house early that evening, before she made her way to Dis' chambers.
"Arinna," the dwarrowdam greeted her merrily, as she motioned for the druid to come inside. "Come in. I'm glad you could make it."
The druid followed her inside her chambers, giving a polite nod, as Dis led her through the salon, back to a secluded area where a large table was already set for dinner. Arinna looked around the room in awe. She had thought her own chambers to be big, but Dis' quarters were something else entirely. The whole space was airy and big, and decorated beautifully. Large tapestries hung from the walls, depicting the familiar sign of Durin, as well as scenes from dwarven history. Arinna didn't know enough about it to recognise what they were showing, though Dis, noticing her looking at them as they sat down at the table, was quick to explain.
"That one there on the right shows the creation of Khazad-dûm," Dis offered proudly. "After Durin the First had wandered into a vale in the Misty Mountains, which he named Azanulbizar, he found a still lake. He went to look, and was shown his own reflection, wearing a crown of seven stars. Ever after, it could be seen reflected in the water at any time of the day, though only Durin could see his own reflection."
"Valacirca," Arinna offered up with a small nod, recalling the name of that very particular constellation of stars. Dis sent her a small smile.
"That is what the Elves call it," she answered. "It is Durin's Crown to us."
When the druid merely nodded her understanding, Dis went on. "He named the lake Kheled-zâram, and finally proceeded to build his great hall, Khazad-dûm, in the mountains above."
Arinna smiled slightly at the information, before she let out a small sigh. "Khazad-dûm was where Thorin became Thorin Oakenshield, was it not?"
The druid regretted her question as soon as she had finished speaking. She didn't want to bring up unnecessary pain to the late king's sister, but to her surprise, Dis merely smiled, her eyes, which were so similar to Thorin's, glowing softly.
"Indeed, it was," she agreed, the pride obvious in her voice. "My father and brother were lost in the battle of Moria. But Thorin… Thorin became who he was always meant to be. He had the heart and the courage of a king."
Arinna smiled softly, nodding her head. "That's how I remember him, as well," she stated, her mind immediately conjuring up a picture of the dark-haired dwarf in her mind. Even though she had seen him in some of his darkest days after the return to Erebor, the memories she retained of him told the true story. "He was a true leader. Courageous, strong-willed, and filled with great purpose. Although, I believe he wasn't very fond of me at the beginning of our journey."
Dis chuckled quietly. "Aye, well, he could be a terrible grump," she grinned, causing Arinna to let out a small laugh as well. Dis shook her head fondly. "But as long as people could prove themselves, their worth, their hearts, he would always return the favour."
Arinna just nodded, smiling along with the dwarrowdam, before Dis let out a small sigh. She straightened up in her seat, sending the druid another smile, before she pointed to the various items of food and drink spread out across the table.
"Now, let us eat," Dis said, picking up her napkin and folding it neatly across her lap. "I hope you're hungry."
The druid was just about to give an emphatic nod, even though she was still feeling slightly full from eating so much of Bombur's cake earlier that day, when the doors to the chamber suddenly flew open again with a bang. Arinna jumped at the sudden noise, while Dis barely even looked up at the sound.
"Sorry, I'm late, amad," Fili was saying as he walked in, halting in his tracks when he saw Arinna sitting at the table with his mother. "I, uh, got delayed."
"Not to worry, dear, you're just in time for dinner," Dis replied with a smile, pretending not to notice the looks of barely concealed surprise on both Fili's and Arinna's face. Instead, she sent her son a pointed look. "Join us."
It was only now that Fili hesitantly made his way over to the table, that Arinna noticed the third place, already set at the head of the table. She cleared her throat quietly as Fili sat down, the legs of his chair scratching loudly across the floor. The druid tried to place a smile on her face, not knowing how to take this situation, as she looked up at Dis, who was smiling back at her.
"I hope you don't mind, Fili, I've been meaning to invite Arinna over for quite a while now," Dis said, and the blond dwarf shot her a small look, before he glanced over at the druid with a small but friendly smile.
"No, of course not," he answered quietly. "Though if I had known, I might have come for breakfast, as usual, rather than for dinner. I don't want to disturb the two of you."
"Nonsense," his mother retorted with a casual wave of her hand. "Pass the bread, please."
Both Fili and Arinna watched in silence as the dwarrowdam grabbed a fresh slice from the small basket her son handed over, and put it on her plate. She held it out to the druid, who quickly reached for one, muttering a small thanks. For a few moments, only the sound of the food and drink being passed around, cutlery moving across plates, and goblets hitting the table top could be heard.
"How did you find today's round, Fili?" Dis finally asked, turning to her son, who was chewing on a piece of veal. Fili returned her gaze out of astute blue eyes. "I hear Rokur is still moaning about yesterday's defeat."
"Today was good. Some good fighters going into the next round," Fili explained, looking from his mother to Arinna, and back, as they listened attentively. "As for Rokur, he's his father's son. Always something to complain about."
Dis gave a small shrug. "He did put up a good fight, though."
"Aye, I suppose he did."
Fili's gaze flicked to Arinna as she inadvertently let out a small snort. His eyebrows rose questioningly as she met his gaze, putting down her fork on the plate as she realised that he was waiting for her to explain herself. She slightly tilted her head at him.
"I don't think you actually mean that," she said, causing his brows to draw together curiously, and as she looked at him, Arinna recognised a familiar twinkle in his blue eyes. She thought back to the day before, the way he had barely even bothered lifting his shield to block possible attacks from the lad. "You were goading him."
Fili gazed at her silently for a moment, taking in her words, before the corner of his mouth lifted into a small grin. "I was," he admitted. "And enjoying it."
As Dis shook her head, Arinna couldn't help but smile slightly, tearing her gaze away from Fili's eyes and back to her plate as she picked up another forkful of green beans. "You could have ended that fight after two minutes, had you wanted to."
"Aye, but where's the fun in that?"
Fili was still grinning slightly as the druid looked back up at his words, sending him a pointed look, though the blond dwarf could still see the amused glint in her emerald eyes. He was almost surprised that he could still read her so well at that moment, after all these years. He wondered whether it was the same for her. She had always had a knack for knowing his mind.
"I don't recall seeing you at the tournament today?" Fili then offered casually. He had noticed her absence that day, though he didn't want to sound as though he had been looking for her.
Arinna gave a small shrug in return, shortly catching Dis' gaze across the table. The dwarrowdam sent her a small smile, before the druid answered the question. "No," she said, looking back over toward Fili, who was listening carefully. "I spent the day with Bombur instead. He's been looking after Bilur and Thuri while their parents attend the tournament, so I suppose he was glad for another adult's presence."
Fili gave a thoughtful nod, eyeing her for a moment, before he turned his gaze back to his food. "I should think he was," he uttered, smiling slightly. "Even if it's just to have an excuse to cook a big meal for everyone."
"Oh, Fili," Dis chuckled. "You make it sound as though he intends to fatten anyone that sets foot in his home."
"I do believe that to be the truth," Fili retorted with amusement. "That's why I don't see him more than once a week. I need to stay fighting fit."
He grinned as the women chuckled quietly at his words, before he turned to Arinna once more. "Am I wrong?" he asked, pointing his fork at her. "Did you manage to go in and out without eating anything?"
The druid couldn't help but smile as she shook her head slightly after a moment's hesitation. "He had a cherry pie at the ready."
"Aha," Fili grinned, making a victorious gesture with his fork as he sent his mother a pointed look. "His methods are devious, I tell you. Once he came to address a menu change for a small feast, and he brought me a whole basket of baked goods. If I didn't know Bombur, I'd have thought he wanted to bribe me."
Dis rolled her eyes slightly as she chuckled again, while Arinna let out a small laugh. Fili sent her another look, before he continued eating and the conversation kept flowing easily between the three of them for the remainder of the evening. It took the druid completely by surprise. When she had seen him walk in, she had thought that this dinner would be somewhat tense and awkward, as most of their interactions had been since her arrival. But the longer they spoke, the more at ease she felt. It was almost as though she was transported back in time, to a place where their conversations had always been easy and intuitive, when they had no reservations to tell each other anything. Perhaps, she thought, their conversation that night in the healing chambers had helped break down parts of the walls they had built around themselves. Perhaps there really was a chance that they could be friends again, she thought, her eyes slowly roaming over the side of Fili's face. And maybe, if there was a chance of that, there was a chance of –
She blinked, ripped out of her thoughts, when he suddenly glanced over at her, a questioning look on his face when he realised that she had been staring at him. Arinna merely gave a small smile, before she quickly turned her gaze away and took a sip from her goblet. Soon after, their dinner came to a slow end, and the druid excused herself, thanking Dis once more for the invitation.
"Anytime, my dear," the dwarrowdam said kindly, standing to give Arinna's arm a friendly squeeze. "Fili will walk you back. Won't you, inùdoy?"
Fili hesitated for a moment, before he gave a nod, looking from his mother to the druid. "Of course," he said softly. "Arinna, would you give me a second?"
The druid raised her eyebrows slightly, though she gave a quick nod, and Fili waited until she had made her way to the door, before he turned back to his mother with a frown.
"Don't think I don't know what you're doing."
Dis merely sent him an innocent smile. "I am asking you to walk our guest back to her chambers," she answered quietly, matching his tone. "Is that too much to ask?"
"Amad," Fili sighed, shooting a small glance over toward the druid, who was waiting patiently by the open door, looking in the other direction. "Do not meddle in things that do not concern you. Please."
"My son's happiness is my concern," Dis answered sternly, causing the blond dwarf to grimace slightly. He shook his head, switching into Khuzdul to address her with his next words.
"I am asking you to stay out of this. You do not understand."
"I understand well enough, Fili," his mother said, doing him the favour of speaking Khuzdul as well, as to not alert Arinna to their conversation. She sent her son an intent look. "You lost her once already, Fili. She came back. To the mountain, to you. But she will not stay forever if you do not give her a reason to. Most likely you will not be granted another chance."
Her words rained down on Fili like heavy bricks, making him incline his head. He looked over at Arinna again, who was now looking over her shoulder, curious as to what was taking so long. Surely, she could have made her way to her chamber by herself by now, but was too polite to just leave. Fili let out another sigh, as he put one hand on his mother's arm, giving her a small nod.
"Good night, amad," he muttered simply, leaning in to press a short kiss to her cheek, before he moved to join the druid at the door. She looked at him questioningly, but he merely gave her a small smile, motioning with his head down the hall. The druid shot a last glance over her shoulder, waving a small goodbye toward Dis, before she followed after him.
"Dinner was nice," Arinna uttered into the silence between them, as they walked along Erebor's dark halls together. She sent Fili a small smile as he glanced over at her, nodding slowly.
"Aye, it was," he agreed honestly. Clearing his throat slightly, he added, "I am sorry my mother ambushed you with my invitation."
The druid inclined her head slightly. She couldn't deny that she had been taken by surprise by the situation, and she could tell that he knew as much.
"It must have just slipped her mind. I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it."
Fili snorted quietly. "Oh, she did," he replied, as they came to a slow halt in front of Arinna's door. He let out a small sigh as they faced each other. "My mother never does anything she doesn't mean."
Sensing the strange tone of his voice, Arinna sent him a questioning look. Fili returned her gaze for a moment, his pale blue eyes boring into hers. He felt a familiar pull in his chest and suppressed it firmly and quickly, though he couldn't tear his gaze away from her emerald eyes. Neither of them knew what to say, as they kept staring at each other. Arinna was waiting for Fili to elaborate on his words, while the blond dwarf thought he had already said too much. It was Arinna who eventually broke the silence.
"I should get inside."
She could feel a knot building in her stomach as Fili kept looking at her intently, before he gave a short nod. His expression had suddenly turned softer, taking the druid by surprise. She could not tell what was going on behind his thoughtful gaze.
"Aye, it's getting late," he muttered, though he didn't move. Arinna let out a shallow breath, nodding, as she pushed open the door to her chambers. She had already stepped inside, when she heard him speak up behind her again. "Good night, Arinna."
The druid turned around slightly, looking at the blond dwarf over her shoulder as he sent her a soft, thoughtful smile. The sight tightened the knot in her stomach.
"Good night, Fili," she said softly, before she turned away and closed the door. Suddenly feeling exhausted, she let herself slump against the cold wood from the inside of the room. It was several seconds, before she heard Fili's footsteps moving away and down the hall.