This story is developing slowly. I apologize for the lack of updates. I really want to finish this story, and with these writing apps, it is making things a lot easier. However, because of the ease of these writing apps, I started more stories than I can keep up with. So, have patience with me, and reviews are very helpful. Thank you for your attention.

Chapter 5: An Evening with the King

Nyssa was escorted back to her room by Iona once the meeting was over. The healers believed that she was not fully recovered and therefore needed more rest, at least another day or two.

She counted herself lucky to have been granted the chance to stay in Dale. She had a long way to go to convince the dwarves to let her into Erebor. They still did not trust her. She just hoped that there was enough time to gain their trust, enter Erebor, and complete her task to Thranduil's satisfaction.

Iona hustled her back to her room and verbally forced her to strip down into a night shirt. She crawled back into bed with Iona still scolding her for leaving in the first place.

Nyssa did not realize how tired she was until her head hit the pillow. She was asleep before Iona finished pulling the blankets over her body. Iona was thankful that she did not have to put a sleeping draft into a cup of tea to get her patient to stay put. She folded the ranger's clothes and left the room.

It was a few hours later when she woke up again. The room was much darker than before. Nyssa rose to a seated position and wiped the sleep from her eyes. She glanced out the window and saw that the sun was low over the horizon. There was only an hour of daylight left.

She felt hungry again and thought about calling for some food but decided against it. Since she was now a guest in Dale by order of Lord Bard, she would get something to eat at the tavern.

Nyssa got out of bed and dressed in her clothes. She was still a little weak and light-headed, so she had to take care with her movements. She did not want to spend another week in bed. She was running out of time.

Nyssa carefully slipped out of her room like she did before and left the house. She took the same route as before and found herself back into the marketplace. The street had emptied of most of the carts and the people.

She wandered around taking in the sights while also getting her bearings. She stopped at an unfinished wall and looked out over the lands. The stone wall was left over from the battle when a troll rammed his head into the structure to create an entrance. The people filled in the hole and rebuilt the wall as best as they could, but there were still signs of the destruction left behind.

From her perch, Nyssa could see all the land surrounding the city. It was a high structure and a good place for a watchtower. Why had no one thought to build one at this station?

They are still fishermen of the lake. They will never be keepers of a city.

She smirked as she looked out over the lands with the last bit of daylight left. To the far left of her she could see the gates of Erebor. A stream the size of a small creek ran along the front that emptied into the lake far ahead of her view. Even the forests were visible, although she did not think that the borders of Mirkwood stretched that far.

The sun was setting over the waters giving the lake a beautiful orange and red glow. It was an eerie reminder of the night that Smaug visited Laketown. She wondered if the people still held the scars of that night after all of these years.

She watched the sun set and darkness cover the lands before she stepped away from the wall and continued on her way. The marketplace was completely empty but for a yellow glow from around the corner.

There were music and laughter heard from the streets as she walked toward the light. She turned the corner and saw that the tavern was already filling with people, man and dwarf alike.

Nyssa entered the establishment pushing her way through the sea of people who gathered to watch a young dwarf dance on top of a table. He had long black hair and the early growth of a beard that was not quite full. He had a gray tunic covered in brown dirt and beer stains. It was clear that he had quite a few before she even walked in.

Nyssa walked over to the bar and called for the bartender. The man was a heavy burly creature with a thick beard and thick dark brown hair. If it was not for his enormous height, Nyssa would have sworn he was a dwarf.

"Who is that dwarf singing on top of that table?" she asked after ordering ale for herself.

"That's the youngest Durin, Lol I. 'E comes every night and sings a diddy fer 'is supper," said the bartender.

The bartender poured Nyssa's drink, and she threw a couple of coins on the bar. She took her pint and made her way around the crowd toward an area near the fireplace. She stopped to scan the room for a secluded place to sit.

"Analyn! This is a surprise," said a baritone voice behind her.

Nyssa's eyes grew large as she slowly turned around to come face to face with the King under the Mountain. Thorin was seated at a table facing her back side. His eyes were like the cold blue ice caps of the Misty Mountains. He took a drink from his tankard and motioned for her to sit at his table. Nyssa got the impression that it was not a request.

"Are you going somewhere?" he asked.

"Why would you ask that?" she asked feigning innocence.

"I distinctly remember the healer telling you that you need at least two days of rest. Yet, you are here against the healer's instructions. Are you going somewhere?"

"Maybe I just find lying in bed all day very boring. I am always in the mood for good company." She smiled.

Thorin smirked at her flirtatious banter. She was quite sure of herself for a human. Most human females that he encountered during his exile were always meek and quiet, like delicate flowers that would break apart in a breeze.

Dwarves were warriors by nature, and they loved a good fight. Their dwarrowdams were equals in both strength and mind. It was only because there were so few of them that the dwarves fiercely protected their females, not because they were physically incapable of fighting.

"A tavern is not the ideal place for a lady," said Thorin taking another drink.

"I would not describe myself as a lady, my lord. Besides, my stomach informed me that it needs some nourishment. I have not eaten since this morning."

"I am certain that the healers would not have let you starve. They would have brought you something."

"And, yet, if I had taken supper in my room, I would have missed the sweet presence of your company, my lord." Nyssa smiled before taking a drink from her own tankard.

"Then you shall eat with me." Thorin waved to a barmaid and ordered a serving of bread and meat along with another round of ale for themselves.

"I assume you want to learn about my family, where I came from," said Nyssa.

"I am curious how a human woman who never entered our lands before know more about our defenses than we do. We are very capable of defending our lands."

Nyssa could see that he getting defensive with her, yet she could also see great pride in his statement. Dwarves were notoriously prideful. Perhaps, she could use that.

"I would never question the capabilities of you or your kin, my lord, but your numbers are still too few to defend both Erebor and Dale. I was walking along the outer wall this evening and noticed that the marketplace is still as vulnerable as it was during the battle. These people are fishermen, my lord, not warriors. They have the heart but not the skill. You can teach them that, and this land will grow in mighty strength again."

Nyssa could see that Thorin understood and saw the truth in what she said. She saw that this was a first step toward getting the dwarf king to trust her.

Thorin leaned over the table to get closer to Nyssa. He wanted to be very clear of what he said next.

"You have quite a tongue, my dear. I see why Lord Bard is taken with you. It will take far more than that to convince me."

Very clever, Lord Thorin. It seems I have my work cut out for me.

"Very good, my lord. I understand your hesitation to trust a stranger. You are an excellent leader for your people. I suppose I should leave in the morning. I thank you and Lord Bard for the hospitality, but I should continue on my way."

She rose from her chair and started walking past him toward the door. She stopped moving when Thorin grabbed her wrist and told her to sit back down. At first, she thought about pulling her wrist from his grasp. She would play like she was offended by his behavior, but then she looked in his eyes. He was a dwarf who was used to people following his orders. She could not say what would happen if she defied him. She calmly moved back to her previous seat. He slowly released his grip on her wrist.

"I told you to have a meal with me. If you want me to trust you, than you need to learn proper manners," Thorin said. "We will eat and drink tonight. Come morning, I will listen to your proposal."

Nyssa nodded her head in agreement. It was a start. Tonight, they would eat and make small talk. Perhaps, this was his way of sizing her up. Tomorrow, she would have to come up with a genius plan to get into Erebor. Time was running out.