Chapter Four
A Token of Affection
It is a difficult thing describing for you dear reader, how poor Nellie felt. The pain scorched her, froze her, trampled, and strangled her. She could hardly breathe and yet every painstaking inhalation made her heart grow heavier in its newfound sorrow. All of the passion and pain she had felt in that one day, was more than all the days of her life combined. (Which if you knew as I know, it would mean a great deal.) Nellie was truly convinced that love was what she had found, no, shared with Thorin. Had shared… and who was there to blame for its loss? None but herself. She knew this. So she didn't begrudge the dwarf for leaving her standing in the rain, miserable and alone. Nellie could only imagine what might have been his burden in it all. To learn he had been cuckolding another man; how could he not be affected by now knowing of it? She could never forgive herself for doing that to Thorin. With tears pooling in her gentle eyes, Nellie slunk back inside the kitchen of the Pig and Whistle, barely able to hold herself up.
Violet had asked her if the deed had been done; no answer save the soft weeping told the woman all that needed to be known. she would have been lying if it didn't bother her to hear Nellie so upset–to see her distraught in such a way. Deciding against comfort, however, Violet sucked her teeth and continued with her game, ever aware that her younger companion was wallowing in the corner of the kitchen. She brought it on herself, Violet thought. Poor wretch.
"Why does it hurt so much?" Nellie begged for an answer.
"Because you dared to dream, you foolhardy girl. You honestly thought a dwarf passing through town, winking your way looking to wet his carrot was going to lead to some happily ever after for you?" Violet drew in her breath to halt herself. Her words had cut Nellie deeply, as the look on her face gave all emotions away.
The younger woman's eyes filled with fresh hoary tears at the prospect of being hustled. The very image of Thorin walking away from her, his eyes blazing with discontentment wasn't helping any. He had been sorely broken by her admission. Perhaps it was what she deserved in the end–to be used. Foolhardy? She felt more foolish than anything else, having let herself believe she could be loved.
Violet stayed there with her until the late hours, hoping her presence was enough to help calm her friend's heartbroken spirit.
When Nellie hadn't seen Thorin at breakfast the following morning, her heart initially sank once more. However, on further inspection of his absence, she noticed his room key had not been returned and no one had been instructed to clean the room. Knowing this had been enough to keep her spirits level, hoping most fervently that she might be able to see him before he left the Pig and Whistle for good. She just had to keep herself busy until his return.
That day had been less busy than usual, leaving the list of tasks numbered and the chores easily completed. Mr. Pickthorn had even given Violet the midmorning off, suggesting she head home and surprise her husband with luncheon. It irked Nellie, seeing him–Mr. Pickthorn that is–in such a chipper mood, knowing full well that if she stepped one toe out of line his displeasure might hit her like a tonne of bricks. So while Violet enjoyed her leisure time, Nellie settled on polishing the silver and keeping her head down. It desperately needed doing anyway.
While toiling away at the spoons, Thorin crept into her thoughts. Now she had tried her best not to think of the dwarf–truly she did–but Violet's words from last night were clawing away at her. Had Thorin only sought her to have his way? She placed a perfectly polished utensil in front of her, replacing its spot in her hand with a tarnished one. Dabbing a bit of slurry mixture to her cloth, Nellie put her elbow grease into the spoon, her mind reeling over her love-sick heart and the possibility. Surely, it wasn't the case. If only she could see him one more time…
"You look worse for wear, master dwarf!" Mr. Pickthorn's voice carried a badgering tone.
Nellie's head shot up from the silver, darting towards the bar. Her stomach caught in her throat while butterflies fluttered rapidly in it. Thorin glanced at her whilst he approached her husband, sweaty and covered in coal dust. He seemed tired though altogether unbothered by Pickthorn's remark.
"A dwarf or man needs work to make coin and I take it where I can find it..."
A short-lived silence descended upon the room before Thorin cleared his throat, causing Nellie to drop her head back into her polishing.
He spoke to the Innkeeper. "I'll take that bath now if you don't mind. I feel you're right…I sorely need it."
Pickthorn nodded and waited. The smile he had been wearing all morning began to fade into a grimace as he stared daggers into Nellie, who had kept her head down, minding her own. Thorin glanced between the two in slight confusion, as his request seemed to go unheard and unanswered. He jumped slightly when Pickthorn snapped.
"You dimwit! Didn't you hear him?"
Nellie shot up, anxiety slowly swelling deep within her. It was always so embarrassing when he berated her in front of patrons–never mind in front of Thorin.
"Sorry sir," She apologized. Gathering the silverware in her apron, she averted her eyes from her husband's, daring not to meet his glare. "I'll just put this away and then I'll–"
"Leave it! I'll have to go over it all again anyway–you never do it properly. Go on then–get! Draw the dwarf his much-needed bath. Be quick about it–I'm going out and need someone to mind the front."
Nellie carefully placed everything back on the table. Her face burned as she bobbed a small curtsy in Pickthorn's direction. "Aye, I'll get right to it." And off she scuttled into the kitchen to begin boiling the water.
Thorin cautiously took a seat on one of the stools at the bar. He eyed its owner with mild displeasure, though the placement of it wasn't all too clear to Oakenshield. From the beginning Pickthorn had rubbed the dwarf the wrong way; the air about him seemed tainted. After hearing the way he spoke to Nellie–now knowing full well she was his wife–Thorin began to dislike him even more. What should have been shameful (sleeping with this man's wife) wasn't. Yet for the life of Thorin, he couldn't come up with a scenario where a beautiful thing like Nellie could be attached to some homely, crotchety old windbag. Why in Arda was she married to such a foul beast?
"Bit of a spitfire is she?" Thorin tested the waters of conversion, trying his best to give no secrets away.
Pickthorn glared at him while drying a mug. "A muttonhead more like it." He held up the pint and pointed to a jar of ale.
Thorin nodded and plopped a copper coin on the benchtop. "She's pretty though, aye?"
The proprietor of the Pig and Whistle eyed Thorin suspiciously. "Mind where your eyes wander, master dwarf. That is my wife."
Upon hearing him say this, Thorin experienced a wrenching in his gut that was altogether unexpected. Try as he might ignore it, it bothered him greatly to hold the knowledge that Nellie rightfully belonged to another. It had been the main reason he walked away from her the night before. That kind of news thrust upon him did not bode well. However, Thorin didn't know what he had expected of Nellie, to begin with. There was little to no reason to foresee something growing between them–no reason for her to harbor affection for him…
Thorin cleared his throat, "My pardon then, sir." He took a long swig of the ale that was placed before him. Then he said, "I have never been married. I've heard nuptials are quite the headache."
"Can be," Pickthorn responded curtly.
Both males' attention was drawn to the door leading to the back. It had been Violet, returning to work. "What's that?"
Her employer seemed to drift into a foul mood, shrugging her off. "Marriage," He muttered, reaching for his coat which hung from a peg. "I have an…uhh… errand I need to get done. It's a slow enough day, so run things for me while I'm gone. And Violet…for the love of the Gods, keep an eye on that imp of a girl–she's been moping all day. Try telling her to pull her head up. It wouldn't fuckin' kill her to smile."
Violet agreed, helping Pickthorn get out the door to run his little errand. Violet and Nellie had known perfectly well that his little trips took him to the cellars beneath the granary, where all manner of miscreants gathered to gamble away their money. It has been going on for years now.
"Be safe now Mr. Pickthorn!" She called out to him as he rounded the side of the tavern, disappearing. Truthfully, Violet only hoped he didn't lose his money that night; it was never pleasant when he lost.
Approaching the bar once more, the woman sighed. Noticing an empty mug in Thorin's hand, she offered him a refill. It was gladly accepted and he placed another copper on the counter. It was a comfortable silence that lasted between them for the better part of five minutes or so until the nerves in Thorin had been built up enough to make the brazen inquiry to Violet–hoping she might be able to provide an answer.
"He is a cruel master…" His voice was low as was his face, peering up at the barmaid. "Nellie lives in fear of him–why is her hand his?"
"It's the natural thing people do, master dwarf." She offered him nothing but a visage laced with warning. "Don't go poking your nose into affairs it has no business in."
Thorin grimaced at being spoken to like a child and drank deeply from his glass. Weighing the situation carefully, his eyes pierced Violet's, matching her pulled face with an agitated one of his own. "I daresay I deserve at least an answer to my question. After all, other parts had been poking about well before my nose had gotten involved. Affair indeed. One honest answer is all I ask…in return I will give my eternal silence."
Violet groaned at his persistence, taking a moment to tend to a pair of farmers who had just entered the tavern before returning to Thorin. She placed her hands into fists at her hips. "Speaking of Nellie…what is taking her so long…"
" Violet." The deepness of his voice carried a command when saying her name. He wasn't a dwarf used to being undermined or defied.
Violet appeared wary, her eyes shifting to the pair in the corner. Content that they were well into each other's own company, a sigh escaped her lips. "Alright then," She said to the dwarf. "But that's it then–no more questions…"
Oakenshield waited patiently, however hard it was to keep his composure. Dwarven tempers are not ones you should provoke. Slowly, he unclenched his fist and took another hardy drink of ale as Violet began.
"Nellie…well Nellie has always been known around town–more specifically her family. Her father was a veggie farmer from the lowlands and came to the market when he had enough to sell. Often his wife and Nell would join him. Well…just so happened one day about ten years ago now, the farmer and his wife didn't show. Yet up the road came Nellie all in tears and looking worse for wear. Little thing were banging on doors to homes and shops, begging for anyone to listen to her. She was turned out by each of them until she got to the Pig and Whistle."
Violet stopped, eyeing Thorin carefully.
"Go on," He nodded his head.
She swallowed hard.
"I was working in the front of the house when she came running in. Hollering about trolls or some such thing…could barely understand her–she was shaking something fierce. Took forever to calm the poor girl down. When she was through, it became clear the farmer and his wife found their fate by trolls. Nellie claims she hid away until the morning–that's when she made for the village.
Knowing she had nothing or no place to go, Mr. Pickthorn offered her work here, in exchange for room and board. Over the weeks' people began talking–what with a pretty little thing like Nellie working for a grown man like Mr. Pickthorn and no one to ' guard her reputation' they said, was mighty fishy. Lewd rumors began swirling around here involving the two of them. So Pickthorn asked for her hand, to make things proper you see… Though he was mighty happy when she agreed, though little choice she had in it. So Nellie married him to save her face in the eyes of the community to keep the only home she had. And Mr. Pickthorn was the luckiest man in town, they all said…
He was good to her in the beginning. Though when she stopped…" Violet bit her tongue and shook her head. "I shouldn't be telling you about her personal life–things told to me in confidence."
"You're a good friend," Thorin offered, hoping it would entice her to keep going.
Eventually, she had. "Nellie told me she couldn't perform her wifely duties for him anymore–this was early on mind you."
So she hadn't been with her husband in quite some time. Thorin fought a smile when he heard that.
"It was after that he became a violent man…a bitter man…"
"Violent? He has laid hands upon her?"
"Are you not hearing what I'm telling you!" She hissed at the dwarf. "Do you have any idea what would happen if any of this…this… torrid affair between you two got round to Mr. Pickthorn? That is why it's best if you leave as soon as you're able to. Then we can all get back to our normal lives."
Sitting with the knowledge he now possessed, Thorin understood why Nellie had been reluctant to share anything with him. Her life for the past year or so had been hard to rebuild, with little room for true happiness. He was beginning to fully understand now, which in more than one way left him puzzled by Violet.
"You would have your friend live a life full of fear and unhappiness?" His tone was accusatory and his demeanor curt. To hell with no more questions.
Violet's eyes squinted with annoyance. "Let me tell you–"
From above them came the voice of Nellie, letting Thorin know that his bath had been prepared and he should make use of the hot water. With that, the conversation between Violet and Oakenshield had come to an end. He stood from the stool, making his way to the stairs. For the moment the only thing on his mind was the warmth of water waiting for him. It was long overdue.
After his well-needed bath, Thorin dressed and sat at the small writing desk in his room. After fumbling in his pack for a quill, ink, and a bit of parchment, he set about writing a carefully crafted letter. As his penmanship scribbled and scratched at the paper's surface, Thorin could hardly believe the words that left his pen. For as true as they were, he felt lovesick and green for it all. It needed doing though, he told himself. If he didn't at least try to convey his tender emotions, he might–no he would–regret it for all of his remaining days. Which may well be numbered, having the daunting task of reclaiming his home growing closer. Thorin needed Nellie to know. He had to try to make her understand.
Right as he signed his name at the bottom of the page, a quiet tapping came upon his chamber door.
"Durin's beard," He mumbled.
Folding the letter, Thorin placed it under the candle holder before crossing the room and opening his door. Part of him knew or perhaps wished it had been Nellie on the threshold; he was not disappointed. She gazed at him without saying a word, melting his exterior and taking him to a place far away from where they were. In her eyes lay the most beautiful places, none of which Thorin ever wanted to leave.
"What are you doing here Nellie?" He asked her. "Violet has told me everything… You must be careful."
Nell pushed her way into his room, closing the door and locking it behind her. From there she stood ever still with her face burning red, looking at Thorin in an almost pleading way. A painful way.
Again Thorin asked her what it was that brought her to his chamber and again Nellie didn't answer his question. She did, however, speak.
"I'm not floozy," She snapped in a whisper.
A brow cocked in confusion. "Of course, you're not… Nellie, what are you on about?"
Her chest began to heave as tears filled her eyes. Thorin was utterly befuddled.
"Did you… Did you hustle me?"
" What?!" Thorin's eyes widened. His hands rested at the sides of her shoulders. She couldn't have been serious. "No–no Nellie, no, I did no such thing. I thought it was what we both wanted, was it not?"
Now her crying was audible, presumably with happiness that her fears were being put to rest. Still, Thorin hated the sound of wailing. "What in Durin's name would have given you such an idea?" He questioned her.
When Nellie responded with 'Violet', things were beginning to clear up.
Running one hand through his hair, Oakenshield shook his head and laughed dryly. "Of course it was Violet… I do believe you're in the market for new friends, little dove."
"I don't want new friends."
The calmness of Nellie's voice pulled Thorin to full attention. She was still sniffling, though more composed. There was a glint in her eyes that melted him and he took in the sight of her carefully.
"What is it you want then, pray tell?"
She stepped closer to him, noting that he steadied himself but did not pull away. "I didn't mean what I had said. I do want to be with you… one more time… before you are gone from my life forever. And you have a right to refuse me, after all, I did not tell you the whole truth as you now know it. But…but I want to believe you want me too–still."
Thorin bit his lip. He didn't like the thought of never seeing Nellie again, let alone looking back and remembering how beautiful she looked by the river. How beautiful she looked now. "It was quite the shock," he admitted. "Though I cannot say I regret what we've done…"
His voice trailed off as Nellie drew even closer. She smelt of all things free and wild, warm and familiar. Her scent filled his nostrils and entered his lungs with euphoric joy. Thorin could almost feel the softness of her skin against his calloused fingertips.
"Nellie…I couldn't deny you anything… or stay angry with you. And if you bid me to touch you, know that I am burning to do so but I warn you not to start something you cannot finish." He was a lion ready to pounce with her consent and feast.
Her blue eyes sparkled with amusement. "Aye Thorin," she wrapped her arms around his neck while he tilted his head back towards the ceiling to maintain self-control. "I want you to touch me. I want only you to touch me."
This was enough.
Thorin's head shot forward, his hands quickly yet gently folding themselves into her hair. His mouth found hers in an instant and recalling the softness of her lips incited a gentle moan from his own. He could feel her small hands searching for the string of his trousers now. He took his own hands from her hair and grabbed hold of her wrists. His features were stone-like; seriousness etched across his handsome face.
"No," He stated. "Not yet."
Believing she had done something to upset Thorin, Nellie withdrew her hands and folded them together in front of her. To her surprise, Thorin wasted no time in removing his tunic. He then reached out to undo the ties of her dress at the shoulders. It began to fall to the floor with ease. Embarrassed at being fully nude in front of him, she clutched at the fabric to keep it up. Her face turned deep red as it always had done. Thorin clicked his tongue and swatted her hands away for a second time, causing the dress to hit the floor with a quiet thud. Nellie's blush deepened at Thorin's reaction to her nakedness. He stared at her with the fierce love of dwarves, as she might have been the most precious and priceless treasure.
"... Mahal…" He whispered, entranced. "You are more perfect than I could have ever imagined."
Nellie shifted awkwardly where she stood, her arms now at her sides. "Thank you…" She managed.
"Save your thanks for the moment, sweetling." A small yet wicked grin sprawled across Thorin's features and he chuckled. She gasped as he lifted her from the spot. He carried her to his bed and laid her down gently and removed her shoes.
Thorin took in the sight of Nellie as she lay there in all her perfection. His hands reached out as his eyes devoured her round breasts with small budding nipples. Between a finger and thumb, he caught the sensitive flesh and raised his eyebrows in pleasure at the small noises his actions were inciting from Nellie. He kissed her passionately, with the hopes of putting her fears to rest. Thorin's mouth traveled further from Nellie's mouth to her neck, where he peppered small kisses which deepened as he arrived at her chest. While his hand still worked the left, gently twisting and pulling, his tongue became acquainted with the right. He could feel her writhe beneath him, her breath was heated and heavy. All from his touch. From his attention. This pleased Thorin, who now had her bosom in his mouth, biting gently before blowing cool air onto her exposed flesh.
"I could travel the length of your body for all my days," He crawled back up to place a kiss upon her brow, before dropping even lower than before. Thorin took in the sight of the mound of auburn hair between Nellie's legs. The swollen lips of her sex were already drenched. Her essence filled his nose and lungs, plummeting him into a fight to remain in control; Thorin wanted nothing more than to free his growing desire and plunge into her and ravage her…but he stayed himself. Instead of this, he lifted her leg and kissed first her calf, then licking Nellie's juices from her inner thigh. She was trembling now. Shaking in anticipation. Thorin winked up at her. "This is surely where paradise lies."
He threw both of her legs over his shoulders with little care and pressed a kiss against her soaked opening. Aware of her moans somewhere in the background, Thorin was consumed by the tantalizing flavors that teased his lips. There was nothing more he could do to stop it.
Thorin moaned as his tongue plunged into her depths and Nellie wriggled beneath him. He could have sworn she had called out his name as her back arched. With strong hands, he pinned her down at the waist–determined that he would eat her wholly and only stop when she was utterly spent. As he roamed deeper within her hot wetness, his eyes closed and rolled into the back of his head. The tangy sweetness of Nellie tingled his taste buds. No dwarf could be so lucky, he thought. It was then that Thorin surfaced for air, licking the length of her slit before stopping right beneath her growing bud. Thorin brought forth his hand and gingerly slipped his middle finger between her folds, pumping a steady rhythm. When Nellie began to pant heavily, his mouth encompassed her clit. He grinned against her when Nellie let out a scream of pleasure. A moan for Thorin was in order as well, for his lover had wrapped her hands deep into his tresses and rocked herself into him, riding his face. The tightness in his trousers was beginning to become uncomfortable but he could not free himself until she found her bliss.
"Come, Nellie," He praised her. "Sing for me…let me hear you."
This seemed to be what she needed, for Nellie thereafter gasped for breath. Her thighs wrapped around Thorin's head like a vice and from her lips came to his name, shakingly and spent.
"Now you can thank me." Thorin teased once he was free.
He leaned over her and kissed her mouth while using one hand to untie his trousers. He sat on his knees now, his bare and broad chest heaving as he stared down at her. Nellie's eyelids were heavy with sexual drunkenness and ever so seductively she bit her lip. Thorin felt himself twitch and pulled down the fabric of his pants, letting his hardness spring free. He cupped a breast in his palm, smooth and delicate.
"Never has a more perfect creature been crafted…"
As he leaned into her, his tip brushed her sensitive button causing them both to moan in desperation. Positioning himself at Nellie's entrance, Thorin pushed himself into her fully in one fluid motion. A deep resounding groan rushed from his lungs; his head falling to rest in the crook of her neck. From here he found a slow and steady rhythm, reminding himself to breathe as her hot wetness engulfed him.
Pumping into her, Thorin began to draw himself out to the tip and rock fully back in. He lifted himself to place his hands on either side of Nellie's shoulders, grinding harder. Her breaths became music to him–the sweetest of songs ever sung. And for the briefest of moments in his mind, he dared to claim her as his own. The very notion had his cock throbbing; Nellie began to swell tighter around him.
Faster and harder he became–feral and sporadic in all his skillfulness. This time, it would be right. Thorin leaned over her, his hair cascading into a curtain that shielded them from the world outside. A shimmering blanket of black and silver. Nellie was staring deep into his blue eyes, her widening with the threat of release.
"Are you ready?" He asked of her slowly, only long enough to hear her soft voice answer him. She clawed at his chest, lifting her hips against his.
There it was; a spot so deep and warm he could hold out no longer.
" Thorin..!"
Stars plummeted from the heavens as he poured his seed into her convulsing sex, squeezing him. He cried out with widened eyes, finding himself drained of every drop–entering a euphoric state of being. It was an orgasm unlike any before.
In the end, they both groaned when Thorin pulled himself from her. Nellie giggled as he slumped beside her in bed.
"I've never… Well I mean… Oh, I don't know what I mean." She twirled a piece of his hair between her fingers.
"It is always better when it's together–moreover when it is with you." Thorin's breath was ragged but joyful.
Nellie sat up from the bed, and the smile she had been wearing faded quickly. Reality began to sink back in. "I shall miss you terribly, you know. That's foolish, isn't it? Everything I'm feeling is foolish, I think."
Oakenshield sighed, tucking himself away and lacing up his pants. He too sat up, commanding Nell to look at him. When she had he spoke. "It is not foolish to feel the way you do. Nor are you alone in the misery of my leaving…"
Her strange beauty caught him off guard. And there he was again, dreaming of making her his own. If he had his way, she would never leave his side.
"Who can say how or why our affections have grown so fiercely or quickly… though I admire your resilience. Perhaps, Nellie, it is your free-spirited nature that has enthralled me…" He reached out for her hand and took it with his own. "I would have made you a queen."
She laughed heartily. "You are hopeless Thorin. And they call me foolhardy."
How desperately he wanted to tell her everything he couldn't—he wanted her to understand. How fervently he longed to give her purpose worthy of herself…to give her a home. An idea came to him then.
"Do you see that satchel over the chair just there? Aye, that one. Bring it here."
Nellie did as she was asked, then began to dress.
A small smile crept across her features as she watched Thorin pack his pipe and then dig deeper into his pack. "What are you looking for?"
Just as the query left her lips, a small golden coin was fetched from within. Thorin held it up, gazing fondly at it before holding it out for Nellie to take.
"That is a magic coin, made in the kingdom of Erebor for the children of Dale. Merely a toy of the simplest configuration. The engravings change from time to time and you may put it in a pocket only to rediscover it in your shoe. Your lineage is from that once grand city…and my stolen home. It is a part of both of us, sweetling–I would like you to keep it, to remember me."
Nellie studied the trinket in awe. "Thorin…I…I cannot. This is too precious a thing."
He placed his pipe at his side, moving closer to his love. "You can and you will," he urged her. "I won't have it any other way."
The young woman grasped it tightly in her hands. In the end, she surrendered to his will, if only to appease his wishes. With or without a token of his affection, she would never forget him.
Outside the world was growing dark, and the noises of patrons became louder from downstairs. Nellie knew she would have to take her to leave Thorin soon, for Pickthorn would be returning. She voiced this.
"Nellie…" Thorin sighed, searching for the courage to tell her what he desired.
She waited with a pounding heart.
He never had the chance though, for another voice tore through the Pig and Whistle–drunk and angry.
" Where is she!? Where is that witch!?"
Terror filled her breast.
A/N: Apologies for taking so long to update. This stand-alone story has sparked an idea for a second 'book' so I had to go through the chapters and make minor adjustments. Thank you to those who have favourited and the follow, and a special thank you to my reviewer. Truly means something to me. If you enjoy it, feel free to follow/favourite and if you find it agreeable, leave a review. As always though, enjoy! Cheers Xx