On we go! Thanks very much to everyone who commented on the last chapter, I hope you guys enjoy this one. As always, do let me know your thoughts!
In the end, it was Dwalin who decided the final battle of balrûn 'uzûgh for himself. The ranks of the battleground had been filled with most of the mountain's residents and so the halls had shaken and rumbled with their thundering applause once the winner had emerged.
It was a long fight, and neither of the opponents gave each other any leeway. It was only when Dwalin managed to punch Fili right in his still injured shoulder, that he had managed to finally gain the upper hand. Fili was a gracious loser and they had concluded the final with a friendly knocking together of heads, which had earned even more applause from the mountain folk.
Arinna, however, had not been there to see any of it. Even though several people had asked her if she really intended to miss out on the final, she had stuck to her decision and felt happier for it. After all, she had seen the state in which both Dwalin and Fili had walked into the healing chambers that evening after the fight, beaten and bruised, and with minor cuts all over. Oin and herself had tended to the wounds, and while there were many of them, most of them were shallow and would heal quickly enough.
Dwalin, for one, was still sporting his black eye when the winner's celebration took place the next evening. He was sat opposite the druid at a long table, which seated most of her old companions and their families and friends, already drunk enough to begin telling exaggerated tales of heroism from long ago.
Arinna listened with half an ear, though her mind was elsewhere. She let her gaze wander across the great hall, feeling her cheeks warm from the heat in the room and the ale in her jug. The celebrations had started earlier that evening, and had begun with several different announcements, among which had been her appointment as court physician. There had been some murmurs, though as she had already been staying in the mountain for a while now and acted as a healer, people were already used to her in a way, and so there was no big huff made about it all. And in any case, they were all waiting for the big announcement of the day anyway, which followed swiftly. Dwalin had been called up to the large table at the end of the hall, where the royal family and their closest advisors, among which Balin, were sat. The whole hall had watched as the captain of the guard was gifted with an intricately carved ceremonial dagger, its hilt made from gold and adorned with several precious gems. It was a fine prize for winning the tournament, besides honour and glory. Though, Arinna suspected that Dwalin would have been happy enough with his victory even without a reward.
Then, food, wine and ale had been brought out to all the tables and Arinna had found herself engulfed in many friendly and interesting conversations, while her plate never seemed to empty itself and her jug of ale was refilled, as soon as it was but half empty. Jolly music was echoing through the hall, a group of dwarves playing flutes, harps, fiddles and drums in one corner of the place. Arinna had never known dwarves to be this musical, even though she had heard Bofur sing a song or two during their journey, and she was aware that some of her companions were capable musicians themselves. But she had never attended a feast such as this, with the atmosphere and the joy of the people so engaging.
"Arinna!"
The druid felt a slight push at her shoulder, the gesture ripping her out of her thoughts as she brought her attention back to her friends. Nori, who was sitting beside her, was giving her a pointed look.
"I don't think she listened to a word we said, lads!"
"I'm sorry," the druid said sheepishly, watching as the red-haired dwarf sent her a small grin to placate her. "I was miles away. I have never been privy to such festivities, it's quite something. I'm afraid I got distracted."
"Oh," Dwalin answered her in Nori's stead from across the table, causing the druid's eyes to turn to him, as he grinned broadly at her. "If you think this is a great feast, just you wait, lass. They are already preparing for Fili's birthday next month. Now, that will be one to remember! People are coming from all over to take part, in fact, we're expecting the first guests to arrive this week!"
"Ah, but I think celebrating your victory tonight will be one to remember, as well, Dwalin!" Arinna offered, smiling broadly, as the bald dwarf let out a thundering laugh, as he clapped his hand against his chest proudly.
"Aye, you're right, of course! Here's to my victory, again!" he roared, before he downed the rest of the ale still in his cup, slamming it on the table with a broad grin. Arinna couldn't help but laugh, as well, raising her own cup to toast her friend.
"Speaking of great feasts," Ori chimed up then, demonstratively picking up a piece of meat with his fork and swaying it dramatically over the table. "Do you remember that one the Elves held for us in Rivendell? Greens, only! I still shudder just thinking about it."
His words earned a lot of laughter from the others, and the druid chuckled quietly, as well, though her memories of their first time in Rivendell were overshadowed slightly by having been mauled by a warg shortly beforehand. She had spent most of her time there in the healing chambers. She still remembered waking up there after her attack, Fili sound asleep in a chair beside her bed. One corner of her lips lifted slightly at the memory, and Arinna shot a short glance over to where the blond dwarf was sitting now, talking to Balin at their table down the hall. Her hand shortly came up to her neck, her fingertips brushing lightly against her old necklace. She also still remembered how he had kept it safe for her then.
It was Nori again, who ripped her out of these musings.
"Well, this is your first proper dwarven party, after all," he said with an emphatic nod, before he got up on surprisingly strong legs for the amount of drink that he had in him, and held out a hand toward her. "We'd better show you how it's done, then!"
"I'm not sure, that's a good –" the druid started, but was interrupted as the dwarf grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up in spite of her words. Arinna sighed, resigning herself to her fate with a small smile, as she took in the excited grin on Nori's face. "Very well. Lead on, then."
Nori did not need to be told twice and swiftly led her toward the dance floor, where many dwarves and dwarrowdams were already gathered and following along with the music on agile feet. Arinna felt herself be twirled around on the spot, before she had any chance to look further, and found herself face to face with her grinning friend as he put one hand to her waist. She couldn't help but chuckle at his excitement, feeling her mouth pull into a smile as he started dancing. Nori was a good dancer even when drunk, though, perhaps a little too good for her to make an adequate partner, she thought. The druid struggled to keep up with him, being twirled and lifted and twirled again until she felt dizzy, although the smile never faded from her face. When the music finally slowed to a halt, Arinna quickly thanked Nori and breathlessly excused herself, before the next song could start.
Nori just laughed and nodded, waving at her as she made her way over to a nearby table to grab something to drink, while he was already wooing a young dwarrowdam to be his next dancing partner. Arinna shook her head with another smile, as she poured some cold water into a fresh cup, trying to calm her breathing as she found a quieter spot by a large pillar and let herself lean against it slightly.
"You seem rather out of breath!"
The druid turned her head at the familiar voice, smiling as she saw Lothar making his way over toward her with his own jug of ale in his hand. He sent her a small grin, his eyes twinkling with the alcohol and the joy of the festivities.
"Nori," she uttered by way of reply, taking another sip of water as she tilted her head in direction of the dance floor. "Turns out even when blind drunk, he's much more in shape than I am."
"Aye," Lothar nodded sagely. "Many people underestimate dwarves that way. We're natural sprinters, you know."
The druid glanced over at the young dwarf, images of the Company running from orcs, wargs and spiders flashing through her mind. She chuckled quietly.
"I would have to agree," she smiled, earning herself an appreciative grin from her young friend. She gave him a little once over. "How is the pain in your ribs these days, Lothar?"
"Oh, recovering quite nicely," the dwarf answered with an easy smile and a nod. He had heeded her and Oin's advice and was indeed feeling much better for it. "Though, I am looking forward to getting back to proper training. Dwalin says he'll expect me back soon."
Arinna let out a small hum. "By the sounds of it, he should have you back under his wing in no time."
"Aye, I hope so," Lothar replied, taking a big sip of his jug. "He said he was rather impressed with my performance in the tournament, you know."
He cleared his throat quietly as she glanced over at him in slight surprise, and he responded to her gaze with a small shrug. "Well, perhaps he didn't use the word impressed,exactly," he admitted sheepishly, causing the druid to smile. "But he said I did well. And that he might consider having me do more work outside the mountain, like escorting travelling parties from and to Dale on diplomatic missions and such."
"That sounds great," Arinna answered, sending the young dwarf an earnest look. "You earned it, Lothar."
"Thank you," he replied with a slightly shy but proud smile. They both took another sip of their respective drinks, before they continued chatting amicably for another long while. Arinna was glad for the young dwarf's company, finding it easy to talk to him and enjoying his view of the world and his wit. It was only when she became so tired that she yawned several times mid-conversation, that she excused herself for the night. Lothar was kind enough to escort her through the still crowded hall, the two of them making their way through the many people that were still celebrating.
They had made it out of the great hall and were just starting down the long, deserted corridor, when a voice behind them stopped them both in their tracks.
"Lothar, you may wish to return to the festivities," Fili was saying, looking at the young dwarf as they turned around toward him. He was standing by the entrance, calm and somewhat imposing, clad in his regal garments for the celebration. He sent the guard a friendly look, which softened his features. "I believe Dwalin is challenging all of his guards to an arm-wrestle. I suppose defeating me has given him an appetite for victory."
Lothar let out a small, excited sound, though he straightened up slightly. "Well," he said hesitantly. "I was just about to accompany Arinna to her chambers, my King."
The druid glanced over at the young dwarf; the hesitation obvious for her to read on his face. If Dwalin was issuing a challenge to his guards, no matter how drunk he might have been, the druid knew that their pride would lead them to accept it. And considering how eager Lothar was to prove himself, it was no surprise to her that he wanted to compete. She cleared her throat quietly.
"It's quite alright, Lothar," she said kindly, sending her friend a pointed look. "It seems you have more pressing matters to attend to, and I can assure you, I am quite capable of making my own way back."
"Are you certain?" Lothar asked, though she could already see the excitement forming behind his eyes. The druid chuckled quietly.
"Absolutely," she answered. "I hope you win."
Lothar gave her a grateful nod, bidding her a quiet good night, before he turned to Fili and excused himself formally. He hurried past the king, back into the hall, and the druid could already hear Dwalin's roaring voice calling out to him from the distance. She shook her head with a small smile, before her gaze fell back on Fili, who was still standing in the same spot, looking at her. She let out a small breath, brushing her hands down her clothes to straighten her dress. It was a new one, which Dis had had made for her despite her initial protest, claiming that one could not wear old travelling clothes to attend a dwarven feast. Arinna had yielded eventually, and was now grateful for the simple but beautiful dress Dis had presented her with. It was a simple dark green colour, with small leaves stitched into the fabric around the waist with silver thread.
"Would you mind me accompanying you in his stead?" Fili asked, his voice breaking the silence in the hallway. Arinna's eyebrows rose in slight surprise, though she quickly shook her head. He gave her a small smile, before he moved and closed the distance between them and they began to move down the corridor side by side.
They walked in silence for a little while, before the blond king quietly cleared his throat. The druid glanced over at him at the sound, finding him returning her gaze.
"You look lovely."
"Thank you," Arinna answered, slightly taken aback by his words, though she tried not to let it show. "Your mother suggested I make a bit of an effort for the festivities."
He let out a small hum as they turned a corner. "Well, I've seen you covered in grime, and dirt, and blood, never thought you needed a dress to make an impression," he uttered with a smile, causing the druid beside him to blush slightly. "But it does suit you well."
All she could do in reply was to incline her head in thanks, feeling her cheeks still warm from his unexpected words. She wasn't quite sure what to say as they continued on through the quiet hallways, but again, it was Fili who broke the silence.
"I saw you dancing with Nori earlier."
"If you can call it that," Arinna replied with a smile, which was mirrored on Fili's face. She sent him a sideways glance, caught by the fact that he had noticed her activities during the festivities. He had been busy with his own conversations and company, and the hall had been filled with people, yet somehow, he had seen her. She cleared her throat slightly, when he turned his head and returned her gaze, continuing quickly. "I'm afraid I didn't make a great partner. I'm sure I stepped on poor Nori's toes at least a couple of times."
"He was so drunk, I doubt he even noticed," Fili grinned, rising a chuckle from the druid as she tilted her head in agreement. They were now walking up the stairs to the royal wing, entering the long corridor together as they approached Arinna's chambers. "But perhaps such a fast jig was rather daring."
"You make me sound incredibly courageous indeed for even attempting it," Arinna mocked slightly, sending him a pointed look as he smiled at her words. "I'm sure I'd make an adequate enough dancer given the practice."
The small hum that came from Fili's throat echoed slightly off the dark walls around them, and the druid slowed her steps in confusion, when the dwarf came to a sudden halt. She shot him a questioning look, having almost reached the door to her chambers.
"Aye," Fili muttered, looking at her intently. The firelight, coming from the torches along the walls, flickered lightly in his pale blue eyes as he held her gaze across the small distance between them. Arinna couldn't bring herself to move her eyes away from his as he slowly raised his right hand toward her. "Given the practice."
"What are you doing?" she asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper as she glanced down at his outstretched hand and back to his eyes. He didn't answer, instead she only saw one of his eyebrows rise ever so slightly. The druid felt a tense knot build in her stomach as she drew in a breath, unsure of what to do, though her body seemed to react almost entirely on its own. She took a careful step toward him, glancing once again from his face to his hand and back, before she slowly raised her own and joined her palm with his.
Fili's fingers closed around her hand as he pulled her closer, so that he could rest his other hand on her waist. His touch was gentle, yet firm enough to keep her in place as he slowly began to move. The druid felt her breath catch in her throat as her body moved along with his as he led, holding her gaze, while he moved them in slow but elegant circles. It was nothing like dancing with Nori, which had been fast, and fun, and exhausting. This was something else entirely, Arinna thought, feeling the knot in her stomach tighten as she looked into the dwarf's eyes. There was no music, only the quiet sound of their feet moving along the stone floor and their breathing, as they danced.
Her breath hitched again when Fili released her waist to grasp her other hand, and her eyes widened slightly as he pushed her backwards, before he twirled her once and pulled her back at the same time, causing her back to collide with his chest. Another twirl, as he raised one of their joined hands into the air, while he released the other, and she almost collided with him again, her free hand coming up to brace herself against his shoulder just in time. She couldn't help the sudden laugh that escaped her, the quiet feeling of joy bubbling out of her freely for a moment, which was enough to draw a quiet laugh from Fili, as well.
They looked at each other, both of them still chuckling quietly, before the air between them suddenly shifted. It was only a small change, but both of them felt it, and Fili's features softened as his chuckle slowly faded.
He still held one of her hands in his, though she had withdrawn her other one from his shoulder. He held her gaze, taking in the familiar shade of green of her eyes, as he let out a deep breath. Almost transfixed, she stood before him, feeling her heart suddenly beat wildly in her chest as he slowly let go of her hand and raised his palm instead to her face. His movements were slow and careful, as though he was afraid to spook her, his fingers trembling slightly as they made contact with the skin of her cheek.
Arinna held her breath, unable to move as she felt his touch ghost over her skin. Transfixed by his intent stare, she took a shaky breath as his fingers moved from her cheek to her cheekbone, brushing softly against her skin, as though they were exploring familiar territory. The druid closed her eyes for a second, overcome by a sudden wave of emotions that she was not prepared for.
As her eyes fluttered open again, she could see the turmoil behind his own blue eyes as they roamed across her face, his breath fanning warm against her skin. He breathed in slowly, and she watched as he shook his head ever so slightly, though a warm smile came to play on his face. Arinna watched as the braids of his moustache twitched slightly with the movement, a deep dimple creasing his cheek beneath his beard. He let his thumb stroke across her cheekbone one more time.
"And you didn't step on my toes once," he murmured softly, his voice sounding slightly hoarse in the small space that remained between them. Arinna couldn't help but smile herself, feeling his hand still resting against her cheek as she did, before he withdrew it slowly. Slowly, he folded his hands behind his back, one of them still warm from the feeling of her skin against his. He flexed it slightly, as he let out another audible breath. "Good night, Arinna."
"Good night, Fili," she replied quietly, finding it hard to regain her voice at all. They were still gazing at each other, as she took a small step backwards and reached toward the door to her chambers, and she sent him another small smile, before she turned and disappeared from his view.