"Really? Is that the best you've got, brother?"
"Oh just wait, Kitty, I'll be wiping the floor with you soon enough!"
Briseis groggily opened her eyes, her vision blurry as she made out nothing but a faint golden glow somewhere in the distance. Not knowing what exactly had caused her to wake, she sleepily closed her lids, waiting to slip off into slumber once more.
CLANG CLANG CLANG!
The girl's grey eyes flew open as the sound of steel clashing against steel rang through the night air. Her first instinct was to panic, but then she heard deep voices laughing and hollering. Gritting her teeth in annoyance, she reached for another pillow and slammed it over her head. She was sorely tempted to climb out of bed and give whoever had woken her a good beating, but then she remembered where she was.
Without letting the thought bother her too much, she screwed her eyes shut and tried to fall back asleep.
"Ha! I bet Sigrid fights better than you!"
Another furious series of clashes and clangs.
"Oh what's that, little brother? Run out of insults now?"
"Fucking Idiots…" muttered Briseis miserably as she threw the pillow off her head and swung both her legs over the side of the bed. She gingerly pulled herself into a sitting position, taking care to brace herself as she stood up to close the veranda doors. Surprisingly, her head felt fine. The only thing that ached unfortunately, was the rest of her body.
It was dark outside, and the only source of light in Kili's room came from a dying candle a top his dresser. The soft, golden glow was enough however for Briseis to find her way.
The night gown she wore had slipped hapazardly down her shoulder and the stars only knew what condition her hair was in, but she didnt care. She marched up to the large double doors, ready to slam them shut loud enough for the two arse-holes to hear, but then she caught a glimpse outside and her jaw nearly hit the floor.
The large moon hung high in the inky sky, illuminating the heart stopping beauty of the gardens of Erebor.
"Oh…" was the only thing she was capable of saying as she stepped out onto the veranda with eyes as wide as dinner plates.
A soft breeze greeted her and she breathed in the clean, crisp air, clutching the stone railing as she looked around herself, awestruck.
Either side of the colassal mountain had been cut into, the rock sparkling as though a thousand stars were trapped beneath the amazing carved figures which surrounded the rear like a pair of wings. She turned her back to the gardens for a second to gawk at the giant, stern faces of the ancient dwarf lords as they stared down at her.
"Wow…" she whispered to the night air, she had never even dreamt that something so big and lifelike could have been made from stone. She also noticed the numerous windows and balconies that made their way up higher and higher towards the peak, a thick coat of ivy running up the rock face alongside rooms and terraces. The trail of vegetation came past Kili's room and went all the way down to the very first level.
She brought herself to look up again at the dwarf lords, slowly realizing that there were indeed more statues that had been hewn out of the very mountain, gradually diminishing in size until both sides of Erebor met with glittering streams of crystalline water.
Slowly turning around, she soaked in the sight of the earth as it gave way to the biggest trees as far as the eye could see, their branches covered with beautiful multi-coloured blossoms.
And then there were flowers - everywhere. In blooms, in heaps and mounds and rows. Some had been clipped vertically into various shapes and figures and others hung in magnificent crystal globes from large fountains which littered the numerous stone courtyards.
The largest of which was situated not far below Kili's room and was currently occupied by two half naked figures, sparring in the glow of the lanterns.
Briseis shook her head in distaste -her attention recaptured by them- as the one with golden hair hooted loudly after disarming his partner. The other man cursed, flinging his sword to the ground with a loud clatter as he turned around to collect his breath.
The girl's eyes widened in shock to see that the obnoxious rabble rouser who had just thrown his weapon away, was in fact the dwarf whose bed she had been sleeping in.
"Don't cry, Kitty!" The other dwarf taunted, laughing slightly as Kili swung a half hearted punch in his direction.
Briseis, her attitude towards them having come full circle, smiled and leaned over the railing, propping her elbows up as she watched the two dwarves take a quick breather.
The circle of lanterns which had been lit around the clearing offered a beautifully warm glow and she ignored the goose bumps on her skin as a breeze picked up. Her eyes involuntarily drifted towards Kili, now 10 times more aware of the fact that he and his friend were only wearing a pair of breeches and boots.
Perhaps she should have averted her gaze as he had this morning, but Briseis shrugged - the circumstances were different. And so with a small smirk, she thoughtlessly enjoyed the way sweat glistened over Kili's broad shoulders, the shadows which accentuated the dip in his lower back and the light that shone off his muscular arms as he stretched them over his head.
The other dwarf was about the same build, and the girl could make out his rippling stomach muscles even from where she was standing as he expertly twirled his weapon in his hands.
She couldn't hear what they were saying now that they were speaking at a normal volume, but after a few more seconds, Kili let out a loud bark of laughter and bent over to retrieve his sword off the ground.
The two stood opposite each other and before Briseis could blink, they began dodging each other's blows. The girl was amazed at how fluid they seemed, twirling and slashing their weapons seamlessly at one another as they circled, jumped and ducked. Loud clangs and clashes ringing through the air once more.
Sleep having completely left her, Briseis watched, mesmerized by their rounds as they disarmed one another again and again and again. A curious voice at the back of her head wondering how on Earth he had become so skilled with a sword.
Briseis lost track of time as she spectated quietly, the two dwarves now tied in their game as they stopped to take another breather.
Kili stretched his arms behind his back, exaggerating a loud grunt as his partner playfully gave him a jab in the ribs. The girl found herself idly wondering who he was, and as though her thoughts had called out to him, the blonde dwarf suddenly looked up directly at her.
Briseis' eyes widened in shock and she froze to the spot, panicking internally as she watched him say something to Kili and cock his head towards her.
"Shit!" She hissed, frantically looking around to see if there was something she could hide behind. But it was too late.
"Oi! What are you doing up?" Kili shouted, trying his best not to be too loud.
Well there was nothing for it now. She slowly turned to face the courtyard again and leaned over slightly to help her voice carry. "I can't sleep!" Briseis lied.
She didnt want to say that their sparring had woken her up, just in case it was the cause of their early retirement for the night.
Kili looked around to his companion and the two began to have a heated discussion of some sort, it lasted long enough for Briseis to wonder if she could simply retreat back into his room before either of them noticed. But just then the dark haired dwarf faced her again.
"Don't move! Ill be right there!" He whispered as loud as he could, cupping his hand over his mouth. And before the girl could begin to protest, he bounded away under the balcony and out of sight.
Oh this was just fantastic. Of course she would get caught spying on two half naked men in the middle of the night.
She tried to ignore the feeling of the blonde dwarf's eyes on her, but ended up giving him an awkward half-wave instead. He bowed slightly and turned away, heading to the circular pool of water a few feet from him. He reached in and washed his face. Slowly cupping more water in his hands, he began to rinse his neck and chest, wiping his hands on his breeches when he finished.
Whoever the dwarf was, he was definitely nice to look at.
Briseis reluctantly turned her gaze into the room towards the door, waiting for the sound of Kili's knock.
But just then the sound of rustling leaves alerted her to something on the right side of the balcony.
She reflexively ran and grabbed the stool which sat just inside the chamber and reared it behind her shoulder, ready to protect herself if necessary.
The rustling got louder, matching the volume of Briseis' heart-beat as her palms began to sweat, when the top of Kili's head came into view.
"What the hell are you doing?" The girl exclaimed in shock as she watched him climb up the last bit of ivy with ease. Jumping over the rails, he plopped down in front of her with a smug smile.
"I could ask you the same thing," he said, cocking his head towards the stool in her hands.
Briseis narrowed her eyes at him, gently placing the item of furniture back down. "Im not exactly used to having dwarves scale the side of a mountain just to come say hi," she whispered, her voice steely as she tried to keep her gaze locked on his face.
He gave her a toothy grin and shrugged - something was different. She noticed a faint spark in his olive brown eyes that had not been there this morning.
"What?" He inquired, noticing her studying him oddly.
"Nothing," Briseis replied innocently.
Kili opened his arms, his stomach muscles tightening distractingly as he looked down at himself, a lopsided smirk playing on his lips. He took a step forward just as she took one back, his eyes snapping up to give her a smouldering stare from beneath his lashes that made the girl's ears glow red. "I can put a shirt on if I'm making you uncomfortable," he offered, a teasing note in his voice.
Briseis glared at him and shook her head, trying to act as though she was not at all affected by his appearance. She was even more taken aback by his behaviour however. Although, she had only just met him this morning - perhaps this was what he was always like.
Whatever the case, she thanked the stars for the cover of night which concealed her scarlet face.
"It's nothing I havent seen before," she said cooly, still trying very hard to keep her gaze only on his face.
"Sure, and may I ask which wind storm you fell out from?" Kili teased as he pointed towards her long, brown locks.
Bastard, thought Briseis as she pursed her lips at him and raked her fingers through her tresses. She had always woken up with a frizzy birds nest for hair, even when it had been cropped short.
"Why did you climb up here again?" The girl asked, trying her best to keep the irritation from her voice.
"Right!" Kili exclaimed, snapping his fingers as though he just remembered. "Lets go," he said, grabbing her by the arm.
"Whoa whoa whoa!" Briseis pulled back against him, his hand felt hot and rough on her skin and she tried to wriggle free, but the dwarf only held on tighter.
"Come on, my brother wants to meet you," Kili urged, tugging on her arm as he directed her towards the side of the balcony.
"Brother?"
"Yes, now let me carry you so we can climb down."
"Uhhm no thank you," Briseis replied, trying to take a step back from him. She was wearing a nightgown and he was shirtless - sneaking her off a balcony in the middle of the night. Her mother would have skinned her alive if she were here to see this.
"Come on, I've lifted heavier women," the dwarf offered, smirking again as he came closer, his arms opened wide as if to scoop her up.
"Kili- no." Briseis ordered, pointing a finger at him sternly as she backed away again, like he was some sort of misbehaving dog. "I can climb down myself."
"But you're still hurt!"
"No, those herbs I took really helped. I feel perfectly fine!"
Kili narrowed his eyes at her and then shrugged, swinging a leg over the rails as he grabbed hold of the vines. "If you say so," he declared, pulling himself up and over with ease as he began descending.
Briseis was not a very good climber, in fact every time she had climbed the massive trees in her yard, she'd ended up with a broken bone or sprained ankle.
Not that either of those had stopped her from trying again, and it wasnt the thought of a broken arm that made her hesitate now. What made her curse softly and bite her lip was the idea of making a complete arse out of herself in the presence of Kili and his brother.
She peered over the ledge at the vines of ivy. They appeared thick and strong, growing in and out of the iron frame against the walls, but knowing her luck, she would find the one vine that would snap and she'd end up flat on her face.
"You coming or do I have to throw you over my shoulder?" Kili's voice brought her out of her ill timed trepidation and she scowled, ungracefully lifting her leg up over the rails. A sudden breeze made her extremely aware of the fact that she was in a dress, had no undergarments on and that there was a male dwarf beneath her.
The realization made her do a very abrupt, very awkward lunge off the side of the balcony and she heard Kili cry out in alarm. But it was by some miracle that she managed to grab hold of a snaking tendril, all the while keeping her legs tucked beneath her securely.
"Im fine," she whispered, just having told the biggest lie of her life. Her entire body felt like it was on fire and she could barely hear herself think over the sound of her hammering heart beat. She was swinging slightly from the vines as she looked down at the young dwarf below her who had an incredulous smile on his face.
"I didn't know you were half monkey!" Kili joked, continuing his way down the side of the mountain without bothering to look around for a foothold. Apparently sneaking out of his chambers was second nature for him. Briseis frowned suddenly as she looked down again.
"What's a monkey?" She asked, genuinely perplexed. But Kili didnt hear her as he climbed lower and lower, making her realize she hadnt moved.
She began to search around for a foothold with no success and after a few seconds her arms began to ache even more. Panicking slightly, she decided to climb down the spiraling vegetation like a ladder, without using her legs. Besides, if she fell and died, it wasnt as though she had much to live for at this point anyway.
Gingerly peeling a hand off the vine she was clinging to, she shakily reached down and grabbed a firm hold of another.
Once she made sure her palms werent too slick with sweat, she let go from the top and held her breath. She fell for what seemed like too long, but then felt the entire weight of her body nearly pull her arm out of its socket. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from cursing out loud, and quickly reached down to grab another vine. This time flexing her arm as she dropped in order to prevent any damage to her other shoulder. She did it twice more before pausing to take a deep, shaky breath, trying her best to ignore the copious amount of sweat she was producing.
Briseis could feel her hair sticking to the back of her neck and she peeked down to see how much further she had to drop. Her leg and thigh muscles were starting to burn from keeping them so tightly shut at a 45 degree angle.
Kili had already made it down to the ground and was wiping his hands on his breeches as he squinted slightly, his brother coming to stand behind him. Both of their eyes on Briseis.
Great. As if she wasnt already under enough pressure.
The girl's arms were shaking violently as she gauged the distance to the ground. Probably another three or four drops…
To hell with it.
She grabbed a vine beneath her and fell. The muscles in her arms screaming with pain as she did it. Again and again and again. She thought she was going to slip out of her dress with all the sweat that soaked her body as she got to the bottom. But she gratefully stretched her legs out and swung off the vine, landing -thankfully- on both her feet.
Her legs were shaking like trees caught in a hurricane and she could barely feel her arms, but she had done it - without embarrassing herself. It was definitely a milestone in Briseis' young life.
Kili walked over and was about to place a hand on her back when the girl immediately recoiled.
"No, im all wet and sticky!" She shouted, trying to explain how sweaty she was. But as soon as the words left her mouth she heard Kili nearly choke on his laughter, and looking over to see his brother grinning widely, she realized the double meaning to her words.
"Maybe we should put our clothes back on," the blonde dwarf offered, still chuckling.
If any more heat went to Briseis' face, she was sure steam would come out her ears.
"That's not what I meant…" the girl muttered, carefully distancing herself from Kili.
"Oh come on, we're only teasing!" The dark haired dwarf said as he went to put an arm around her. But then, perhaps realizing how innapropriate that might have been, he awkwardly tucked his arm behind his head and laughed.
"I'm Fili, the numb skull's older brother" the blonde announced, smiling at Briseis as he extended a large hand towards her. The girl took his warm, calloused hand and returned the smile, introducing herself as well.
"You two are actually brothers?" She asked suspiciously, looking from Fili to Kili in blatant disbelief. Beside their names and impressive physical assests, there were literally no similarities between them.
"Unfortunately," Fili responded, earning him a solid punch in the shoulder from his scowling sibling.
"He says things like that, but really he cries like a little bitch when I'm not around," Kili stated, scrunching his nose as he tried to convince Briseis.
The girl smiled, and then was suddenly reminded of her own little brother. There was a sinking feeling deep in her chest, and her grin fell completely as she thought of Jax.
"Do you need to sit?" Fili offered, exchanging a worried glance with Kili.
Briseis vehemently shook her head, forcing herself to smile as she regained her composure. "I was just thinking of my family," she explained quietly, her eyes fixed on the fountain of water behind the two dwarves.
There was a long pause before the blonde dwarf spoke again.
"I'm very sorry for what has happened to you."
The girl nodded and made a stab at changing the subject.
"Are you two going to keep at it, or did I ruin the party?" She said gesturing towards both of their forgotten swords, the blades glinting dangerously in the light.
Kili said something to Fili in what Briseis could only assume was Dwarvish and as the two conversed, she took a moment to study them.
Fili had a stockier build and shorter legs. He was also slightly paler than his brother, making the three white scars lining his left breast more difficult to see. His chest was covered in curls of golden hair which extended downwards to the perfectly defined set of muscles along his abdomen. Her eyes wanted to linger further downward, and she felt a giggle rise up in her throat at the thought before she quashed it. Fili turned slightly and she instantly noticed the swirling black markings on his thick bisceps. The girl frowned slightly at them, a sudden sense of fear bubbling up within her.
In her village only bandits and vagabonds had anything branded into their skin with tar. But they had always been crude, ghastly marks whereas Fili's were neat, intricate and quite honestly beautiful. She consoled herself in the fact that things were much different here than they were in Norwoth Dale.
Her grey eyes flicked over now to carefully study Kili. He was grinning hugely and Briseis found herself momentarily unable to look away from his face. When he smiled, it was the most genuine thing one could possibly imagine. It was an eye wrinkling, teeth showing, from the heart expression and it was undeniably contagious.
If this was what he was usually like, Briseis could definitely get used to it.
She swept over his sunkissed skin and noticed a series of small, random scars all over his torso and chest along with a surprisingly small amount of dark hair. His muscles differed from his brothers; they were less obtrusive and seemed to fit his leaner, taller build. She noticed the way he fiddled with his suspenders as he talked, his arms flexing wonderfully and his broad chest rising and falling to the steady rhythm of his breathing.
The blonde suddenly shook his head, rolling his left shoulder with a slight grimace.
The younger dwarf laughed and turned to the girl shaking his head as Briseis recollected her thoughts. "Looks like we're going to pack it in for the night, Fili's old bones are starting to hurt."
The girl frowned, going through the possible injuries he might have as she stepped towards Fili. "Let me take a look."
"Uhh, I'm alright thank you," he declined politely, a hint of confusion in his voice as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Don't be stupid, you could have a sprain," the girl asserted advancing on the dwarf who gave his brother a look of sheer bewilderment.
"She's a Healer," Kili beamed, placing his hands on his hips like a proud parent.
Fili rounded on her, his braided moustaches swaying slightly as he re-examined the young girl. "Almost a Healer," Briseis corrected, as she sat the blonde down in front of her.
Kili made a pssht noise and waved his hand, "Two months shy is nothing - you're practically an expert," he stated.
"Well, no one told me," Fili said acussingly looking up at his brother.
The young dwarf shrugged his shoulders animatedly, wrinkling his forehead as he weasled his way out of an explanation. "I was going to tell you, but you just kept insisting we come out here," Kili grinned.
Briseis smiled as she listened to the two banter; something about the familial relationship and the way they interacted with each other made the girl feel less…lost. She couldnt explain it exactly, but it made her feel comfortable.
She quietly knelt down and pulled aside Fili's long, sweaty hair, placing her hand on the very top of his left shoulder.
She pressed down lightly and felt nothing out of the ordinary, moving downward she pressed again and felt a small protrusion. "Right there!" Fili affirmed enthusiatically.
Briseis bit her bottom lip, it could either be something extremely easy to fix or something very difficult she would not be able to mend. She hoped it was the first and pressed down with her thumb as hard as she could on the sore spot.
"SON OF A BI-" The dwarf stopped short of cussing and looked around at Briseis furiously, both of them ignoring Kili's laughter as the girl smiled.
"There's a knot in your back," she explained, rubbing the area gently.
"Is it serious?" Fili and his brother asked together, the look of concern mirrored on both their faces.
"Not at all," she assured, watching the relief wash over them. The girl nearly laughed at their worry, but chose to explain instead. "They usually form due to stress, all you need is a good back rub."
"Well go on then," Fili encouraged, sprawling his legs out in front of him.
"Uhh- excuse me?" She asked, completely taken off guard as she looked to Kili for some sort of help.
"Now that you mention it, I think I have a knot the size of my fist back there," the dark haired dwarf said, grimacing as he plopped down beside his brother leaving Briseis with her mouth open in protestation.
If anything, she was the one who needed a massage! She had spent half the day chained to a bed and just finished pulling her entire weight down the side of a damn mountain.
"This isnt exactly what I had in mind," Briseis said, interrupting their conversation.
Kili looked back at her, "We'll tag team you after, and then maybe give you a massage" he said grinning wickedly.
The girl felt her face flush as she smacked the back of his head, making him flinch. He and his brother started laughing as Briseis rolled her eyes and stood up, ready for bed.
Fili and Kili immediately stopped their chortling and clambered up to face her, both looking apologetic as the younger one approached her.
"Im sorry, that was rude- you should be resting and here we are making you give us back rubs," he said, genuinely sorry.
Briseis sighed, feeling unnecessarily guilty all of a sudden. He had been the only one to bring her any sort of good fortune since she'd been selected and here she was making him feel like an arse.
"No, its fine," she said smiling, "besides, I'm not sleepy."
It took another three minutes of arguing before she finally got them to comply. Only after threatening both of them with a foot up the backside did they follow her to one of the benches near the fountain. She managed to get them sitting comfortably in front of her as she sat, perched on the stone.
She began with Fili and tried to ignore the illicit groaning that left his mouth each time she rubbed his shoulders until Kili thankfully struck up a conversation about the stars.
The three of them wondered how far away they were and what they were made of as Briseis expertly worked on the blonde dwarf, feeling his brother gently rest his head on her leg.
She smiled and listened to them talk quietly. Briseis didnt know how she had ended up giving two dwarves a back rub, but was thankful that admist all the strangers, there were at least two people who made her feel at home.
In a dark room far above the lit courtyard, King Thorin watched Fili and Kili as they sat in front of Briseis. He rubbed his beard - cold blue eyes calculating the situation as he thought of the best way to teach his nephews a lesson about meddling with his property.
"Have you finished with me, my lord?" Beryl inquired, getting up from the bed.
"Get out," He ordered, ignoring the sound of her rushing to collect her clothes.
"Your breeches, my lord?"
"GET OUT!" He roared, turning just as she scampered out of the room with robes hastily wrapped around her.
He returned his attention to the courtyard, a small smile curling up on his lips as he thought of the perfect plan to take care of his interferring nephews.
Hello again! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and are ready for the Ceremomy in the next update!
Thank you to all who reviewed, and for those who didnt - PLEASE REMEMBER TO REVIEW ! :-) It really does motivate me to write. Love you all!