Chapter 10: What a wonderful phrase.

Fili indeed got on with it, removing his hand from me and sliding my leggings down, leaving my legs bare and tingling in the slightest chill of the room. His face stayed next to mine as his hands returned to their work, my panting turned to quiet moans, unable to keep them locked way, they do into the air, mixing with the Dwarf's chuckles as my nails dug into his wrist.

"Enjoying yourself?" He asked, kissing my forehead as a bubble of heat pooled in my abdomen, a sheen of sweat plastering my skin.

"Why not? I have a hot Dwarf in my bed with his hands all over me, what's not to enjoy?" I replied breathlessly, hips jerking towards him. "But I'm... I'm pretty sure we're supposed to abstain from this until the wedding night." My eyes closed as the bubble got closer to bursting.

"Why bother." His lips on my neck were all I needed, hand over my mouth to silence any possible sounds. "Let me hear you." His dirty mouth shocked me, I shook my head anyway, coming down and panting whilst extracting my nails from his skin. "I feel like a teenager all over again." He muttered, looking down at the wet spot on his trousers with a frown. The train screeched to a halt when he said 'teenager', it then occurred to me that although I was just twenty-nine, an adult in human eyes, I was little more than a child in Dwarf eyes. Fili was old enough to technically be my Grandfather... It was so wrong that that never bothered me.

"Well, the night is young." I whispered, kissing his cheek warmly, lying my head against the rank, drool stained pillow. I didn't even want to know what that brown-ish yellow stain was on the bedsheets either. I closed my eyes to the sound of his chuckle, falling into a relax albeit hot sleep, wrapped in my beloved.

His eyes were open, but there was nothing in them. No life in those ocean blue eyes, staring at me with the ghost fear still dripping from them. I felt a tear in my head from the loss, like a part of me was missing again.

"Clary! We have to go now!" Kili screamed, I looked at him brokenly, seeing an identical expression on his face as I tore my eyes back to the body. "They need you to live! For Them!" Kili added, physically pulling me away, those eyes looked like they were begging me not to leave them, but I had no choice, Kili was right.

They needed me.

There was blood everywhere, all over his golden armour as the Orc dropped him, a shrill cry piercing my ears as I watched this happen, the Elf behind me was on the ground as well, her red hair fall across her tear stained face as the blonde Elf dropped from the sky and killed the Orc.

Ice, red ice and two bodies. The Pale Orc and the dead King, lay amongst the stones spitting his own blood from his mouth.

We had lost.

I looked down, seeing the bulge of my stomach preceding my entrance to the scene, eyes filling with tears unshed. I saw the blade through my stomach before I felt it, dropping to my knees with the tears on my face.

"I'm sorry."

I jolted awake, Fili's fingers soothing me, wiping the tears away as I sat, numb and emotionless.

"It was just a dream my Love, just a dream. I'll never let anything hurt you." He repeated, coaxing me to lie back down, my head on his shoulder as a fire ignited between my legs.

"Fili?" He looked at me, I made my choice. "Fuck me." His eyes darkened as I rolled to blow out the candle, plunging us into pitch black pleasure and a grim fulfilment on my part.

I woke the next day to find him gone, I looked around and saw his clothing gone as well, I rolled my eyes and got up, stretching my stiff limbs before crossing to throw open the window, the cold air feeling good against my feverish skin. I could see Oin and Bofur exiting an apothecary across the lake from the Master's house, deciding I would join them. I found a fresh set of clothes set out for me, a dark grey dress, thick and warm unlike the Elven ones I had worn at Rivendell and personally, I preferred these ones. I went downstairs, catching Kili's eye and smiling, the tips of his ears flushed as he gave his older brother a death glare across the room. I pushed open the doors, wandering through the town until I found what I was looking for, the old Dwarf tapestry in the little store on the Lake.

"I would like to purchase this please." I said quietly, the store owner gave me a smile as he took my money, helping me to bundle the tapestry into something manageable. "Thank you." I added, leaving the shop.

"Oh, Lass, you had better let me take that for you." Gloin called, hurrying over and taking the cloth from me. "It'd be much too heavy for you to carry all that way." I smiled and nodded, looking longingly over at another stall. "I'll take it back to your room."

"Actually would you mind giving it to Thorin, Gloin? He will need it sooner or later." The red head nodded and left me in the market as I approached the other stall, looking over the haggard looking woman's wares. "Have you got anything in red?" I asked, she pulled a dark red blouse out of the pile on her table, I smiled and took it when she held it out.

"Something gold as well?" She asked, I smiled and frowned as I nodded, how did she know? "Here Love, you take this now." She said, pressing a single golden gauntlet into my hands, I tried to pay her for it but she only accepted for the blouse. She waved me off and bustled around her table, putting away what I'd paid her with. I went back to the Master's house with my new additions, stowing them in my basket and covering with a blanket as Alfrid stopped me with a smile that could curdle water.

"Find something nice?" He asked peering at my basket, I nodded and discreetly held it further behind my back.

"I did. If you would excuse me." I made to pass, his hand shooting out and stopping me. "Excuse me?"

"I have been patient, you were very inviting when we first met and I wanted to.." I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"I don't have time for this." I muttered, drawing back my arm and punching the greasy rat man in the nose as hard as I could, he reeled back from the impact, clutching his bleeding face.

"Bitch!" He spat, I nodded as moved around him.

"I know, isn't it glorious?" I replied over my shoulder, setting the basket down in front of Thorin, Balin and Dwalin. "We're leaving soon, yeah?" Thorin nodded as I pulled the gauntlet out of the basket and set it in front of him. "Where did this come from?"

"It's a gauntlet were do you think it came from?" Dwalin asked pointedly, I rolled my eyes and huffed, crossing my arms.

"This was forged in the salt flames of Erebor." Balin answered, elbowing his brother out of the way. "You found this at the Market, no?" I nodded. "Then the Gods have been kind and led you to this artefact."

"Aye, and they have given the Girl the means to keeping one hand attached to her body." Thorin said, bouncing off Dwalin as they high fived.

"I happened to notice Nori missing last night, I meant to ask him to help me with something, a present for Dori. I don't suppose you have any ideas where he was, do you Dwalin?" I snapped, the laughter died immediately, I raised an eyebrow. "And where's our Burglar Thorin? I know Gandalf said he wanted me to be the back up plan, but I don't fancy being a toothpick for a bloody dragon!" I heard a collective gasp from the Ladies in the room.

Obviously they'd never dealt with men like this...

Or a King for that matter