Kili

We traveled forward without haste. Though they were surely chasing us, we had enough of a lead to continue on without running. I could feel Laurel walking awkwardly behind me through our grasped hands. With difficultly I took my hand back to adjust my pack to wrap around my waist. "Climb on," I murmured, "I will carry you for a while."

When I stopped I felt her grasp my shoulders and start to hop onto my waist. Her legs wrapped around my hips, one underneath my pack, and her thighs squeezing tightly around me. The action and feel of her legs on me brought a smirk to my face. It was pleasant, and brought back fresh memories of how just a few mere days ago she was wrapped around me and kissing me with vigor.

A soft even sigh caressed my cheek. Her head had come to rest on my shoulder, and by the lack of pressure around my shoulders and hips, I could tell she had fallen asleep. Fili slowed down to match my pace, offering me a smirk at the sight of Laurel wrapped around me. "She must be tired," he murmured, "we have been running day and night. If you tire I will carry her for you."

Against my will my eyes turned to slits at his words. I have listened to Laurel tell me that there was nothing to be jealous of when it concerned my brother, but I could not help but feel it anyway. The thought of any one—dwarf, man, hobbit, elf—touching her in any way that was more than friendly had my blood boiling. Even that of my brother.

Fili sighed, "All harmless brother."

"I saw you looking at her… like I look at her," I mumbled off softly slightly saddened by the thought. It was not something I told Laurel. When her and my brother were talking, Fili gazed at her with satisfaction and appreciation. A look that said he wanted to keep.

Fili had the decency to look a little ashamed, a tint of red coating his cheeks. "I did for a moment," he uttered, "but it is difficult not to. She is very beautiful, even without a scruffy face. You have nothing to worry about. Even if I wanted to sweep her away from you, which I do not, I simply could not. Lady Laurel talks too highly of you."

After a while we stopped to fill our water pouches at a stream. Laurel did not wake as I laid her gently on the ground. The Hobbit offered to scout and see how far we were from the orc pack and if the Lonely Mountain was within our reach. I drank heavily from one pouch before retrieving one from Laurel's pack to fill it for her and refill my own. The rest of the company were sitting about near a very small fire in the rising sun.

"Kili."

Thorin's voice was always so serious and demanding. Just now it was soft and tired.

"Yaes uncle," I murmured, rising to meet him.

He sighs while he plopped down and hissed at his injuries. His next words threw me off guard, "We must talk about the girl."

"What about Laurel," I asked, eyes seeking out her slumbering form. Fili was sitting next to her drinking his water. I was curious to hear what Thorin had to say, seeing as he was so kind to Laurel just a while ago.

"I was wrong about her," he started looking a little lost, "she was brave and loyal, even to me who treated her unfairly. Anything that happens between the two of you, I cannot stop. A bastard child I cannot bless. A union between the two of you is something I wish to bless, but our brethren will not allow for it."

The words he spoke of were contradicting. It sounded as if he was okay with the idea of Laurel and I, but he hated it. "If you were not a prince," he huffed, "perhaps no comments would be made. The court of Erebor that would come would not tolerate this of a prince."

A snort tore through my nostril, "I do not care of what the court of Erebor thinks. I care only for her and her safety. Once we take back the mountain and you are crowned a king formally, you will be in control of whatever you wish, and the court will abide by it."

With those words I rose, taking guarded steps to the red-head's sleeping form only to rouse her from sleep. Confusion clouded her eyes as she started to wake, the limbs of her body begun to seize as she begun to tense. My hand found her cheek where my thumb rubbed just under her eyes, "It's just me little doe. We are resting, drink up."

The other hand that was holding her water skin up to her lips. Without attempting to raise her own hand, she leaned into me and closed her eyes once more as she drank heavily, every last drop. Fili offered to take the pouch and refill it.

Bilbo rushed into our clearing, huffing.

"How close is the pack," Dwalin urged.

"A couple of leagues, too close. That isn't all though," he gasped.

Gandalf rose pulling his staff up to its great height before looking around, "What is it Bilbo?"

"A bear, larger than any one I have ever seen."

The old wizard stood straighter, huffing as well, "There is a house, it is not far from here, where we might take refuge."

Thorin arrived closer with Fili at his heels. "Are they friend or foe," uncle asked hotly.

"Neither, he will hunt us or he will kill us."

The roar of an animal ripped through the forest. Laurel tensed from under me, hands pushing herself up from where she lay. "How far is the beast," she croaked.

"Just a bit closer than the orcs," Bilbo responded.

In seconds everyone was up, preparing for another run. Once on their feet and ready to move, we started out at a mild jog through the woods, Gandalf leading the company. Laurel had a look of determination set on her face as she kept pace with me at one side, Fili reacting much the same on my other.

This was no easy journey. First there were trolls and goblins and orcs, now there was a giant bear chasing us.

Once we cleared the forest we were running through an open meadow, in the distance there appeared to be a stone and wooden enclosure. "There! That is the house," Gandalf bellowed from the front of the front of the company. We were moving from a slower pace to a flat out run at the sight of the house hidden behind the walls. Each of the dwarves were huffing as their legs worked to reach the house faster.

The ground beneath us started to shake every other second. Another roar tore through the air around us, shaking even me to the bone. Laurel looked behind us and screamed softly, "Fucking shit!"

What did she see? I turned around to gaze at what she was scared of.

Standing at least ten feet tall—on all fours—was a ferocious dark brown bear, baring all of his sharp white teeth. Just behind us. I turned back around, ready to pick up my pace when I noticed Laurel was running almost as fast as a gazelle. Bombur was right behind her. They were the first to reach the gates of the enclosure. As soon as Bofur, the last dwarf was inside the enclosure we all started to push the gate door closed. A ruff snout and teeth growled at us through the crack attempting to get inside, but we were able to lock the door with the monster out.

"What was that," Ori trembled from the ground.

All around us there were beautiful flowers and plants, each larger than I would have normally seen. There were also large animals coming closer to sniff at each and every one of us.

"That is our host," Gandalf gruffed as he started to go towards the moss covered house. "His name is Beorn, and his is a skin-changer."

Skin-changer? So that beast was actually a man that could change from the skin of man to the skin of bear when he saw fit? The idea sent chills down my spine.

"Sometimes he's a huge black bear, sometimes he's a great strong man. The bear," Gandalf laughed without humor, "is unpredictable, but the man can be reasoned with. However he is not fond of dwarves."

How incredibly fantastic. Run right into the den of the beast that does not like dwarves. At least the wizard, Bilbo, and Laurel might be spared.

"Rest for now," Gandalf sighed, "until tomorrow we are safe."

The company trudged into the house, finding that inside there was a stable of sorts without any horses or ponies. Just a lot of hay. Laurel went to one of the corners and lay on her side, tossing her pack out of her way along with her weapons. I followed her lead and left my pack and weapons next to hers. We had been running all day again, most of the company already drifting off to slight snores. My brother settled down next to me as well. Thorin and Gandalf spoke softly. By the rays of the sun that were filtering into the windows, it was probably a little past half of the day was gone.

I laid back against the hay with my arms stretched out behind me, letting the aches in my muscles take time to adjust to relaxing. Soon I was slowly drifting off to the sound of Laurel's even breathing.

The sound of a low moan and a kick to my leg woke me. The darkness covered the house we slept in, and a quick glance around let me know that the rest of the company were sleeping soundly. As my eyes settled on Laurel, I remember why I woke. She moved slightly, moaning low in her throat. The thrash of her head back and forth led me to believe that she was having a bad dream. I rested my hand on her hip, about to shake when she moaned softly again.

"Kili."

The way she said my name was similar to the night at Rivendell when I was kissing her neck earnestly.

A heat started to emit from my loins, blood pumping a little faster at the sound. So she was dreaming of me, and by the sounds of it, it was a very good dream. Why was I not dreaming with her? The more I thought about it, I have not dreamt of her since she arrived to Middle Earth.

Another moan rippled through her throat, but slightly louder. I feared she would wake the company, but at the same time I did not want to interrupt her pleasant dream. Maybe it would give her the push she needed to embrace me in such a way when she woke.

Hay was grasped tightly in each of her hands at either side of her hips, which were thrusting upwards subtly.

My member grew with the sight, the ache in my loins came strongly as I fought the urge to run my hands all over her body. With all the members of the company sleeping just mere feet away, I could not try to do what I truly wanted.

There were countless nights where I stayed awake in my bed or on my roll thinking of her in inappropriate ways. Every time I imagined her naked, she was always on top of me or below me. Those nights were long and full of frustration as I always fulfilled my need. It irked me how some mere girl of my night time dreams drove me to madness. My days were filled with her in my head and how she would love to have lived in my world. Sometimes I day dreamed of her there with me when I hunted and did chores, almost as if she were my imaginary friend.

"Oh Kili," she moaned more softly again, teeth catching her bottom lip as her hips made a larger thrust, "don't stop yet."

Feeling ashamed, one of my hands grasped myself through my trousers while the other hand hesitantly ghosted over her through her own. A soft gasp came from her as she thrashed her head to the side and her hips ground against my hand. With careful timely hand movements I rubbed her softly, my hand becoming hot with the heat she was emitting. The other hand of mine was just holding myself, I was fearful someone would wake and catch me in the act of doing anything more.

I moved the fingers at her core a little more swiftly in the same rhythm of her thrusting. Suddenly she seized upwards sharply before moaning once more her face scrunched up in ecstasy, lips forming a small 'o'. She then became limp, breathing heavily before rolling into me and snoring softly.

By Valar. Softly detangling myself so I did not wake her, I rose and cringed at the tenting of my trousers. I was going to be a while outside.