Chapter 23: The Bear Encounter: Part III

When the sun went down they all found themselves gathered in Beorn's home near the hearth. Having spent the day around him and none of them had been torn apart, the company had eased more around the shapeshifter, enough to spend the evening with their instruments out and taking to the dance floor every so often when a particular tune struck up.

Fílí was watching his brother happily bound around the room with Sigurd in his arms. It seemed the earlier events had altered something within Kili, making him more confident. While pleased, Fili was still wary of if and when the time would come that his brothers heart would be crushed. While Sigurd had certainly been less attached or attemptive in catching Thrade's eye for a dance, Fili was wise enough to know her feelings would not disappear so easily.

His eyes left the dancing duo and roved over to where Thyra sat sulking in the corner. Fili frowned at the sight of her. She had been like this all day. Sulking and avoiding. Every time he had tried to approach her and talk to her, she suddenly became too preoccupied to hear him or in most cases, just walked away.

And he was tired of it.

Before he would have brushed it off or not cared. She had no obligations to him when they first met but things had changed. He had been denying it for a while. But the more thought he gave, the more he realized, they were friends. It was certainly not a conventional friendship. But in some odd and construed way, he found himself caring about the bond they had formed.

Over the past week she had made efforts to ignore him, as if she were angry at him. But for the life of him, he could not think as to what he could have done. Last night, in the loft, he had thought perhaps she had gotten over it. But then she had ended things abruptly and since the morning rise of the sun, she had only spared him a few words in the orchard.

As if she sensed his staring, Thyra's eyes moved up and locked with his. Before she could manage to look away, Fili decided he had enough of this, he wanted answers.

Flicking his head towards the door, he gave a silent command for her to follow. Not bothering to check if she did so, Fili made his way to the door and quietly slipped out into the night air. As soon as the heavy door shut behind him he made his way down the stairs and stood at the bottom.

His head tilted back to look up at the stars as he listened to the muffled tune that Bofur was plucking away on his fiddle. The sound of the metal latch clinked and scraped as the sound of the door being opened echoed behind him. For a fraction of a second the music rang out clear again before the small thud of the door closing muffled it again.

He didn't turn around until she spoke.

"What you want?" Thyra's voice sounded, her words thickly accented. It was something Fili noticed when she was feeling particularly bothered or annoyed.

He turned around to find her standing at the top of the stairs looking down at him with her arms crossed and frown pulling at her lips. "I want answers," he demanded. "No games, no trading, just the honest truth about you."

She frowned impossibly deeper at his words. "I don't owe you anything," she snapped back, her eyes narrowing and looking darker.

She turned to leave but Fili stopped her with his next words. "If you don't want everyone in that house to find out you're an heir to the Régínn throne you will."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Careful Feelig," she said very slowly, enunciating each word. "Blackmail is usually not the trait of a good king."

She had resorted back to her old ways, attacking his weaknesses and insecurities. Even the nickname had its original condescending tone to it. He was sure he had still yet to hear her utter his true name. Over the softening of their interactions he had grown used to it, even fond of it. But not when she used it in that tone. However, despite the tone and the low blow to his already low self esteem of being a good ruler, Fili had his own counter attack.

"I guess it's a good thing I'm not King...not yet. That's what you said right?" She didn't say anything in reply. "You know you have some mighty bold words for a hypocrite," Fili fired back, folding his own arms and taking a wide stance.

Instantly her face darkened and he knew he had struck a nerve. He had learned that honor, truth, and loyalty was what mattered most for her people. Without it, they were nothing.

"And what have I done to earn an accusation of hypocrisy?"

He let out a scoff. "For one who preaches about duty and honor you sure failed in your own as an heir."

Her jaw tightened as she bared her teeth. "I am not the heir. I never was nor will I ever be."

"From everything I just heard in there-" he nodded his head to the structure where a slow ballad was being struck up on Thorin's harp- "sounds to me you have a responsibility."

She was down the stairs in a heartbeat with her hands grasped around his shirt. "You don't understand," she hissed.

"Then explain it to me," Fili said, lowering his head toward her as he meet her eyes in a challenge. "Help me know that you are not a threat to us and I won't say anything."

He watched her pull her lower lip in with her teeth and chew on it thoughtfully. She released it and clicked her tongue. She looked around, first to the door behind and then to the small wood shed at the side of the barn home.

"Fine, but not here," she consented, grabbing his wrist and dragging him towards the shed.

The strong scent of freshly chopped pine filled his nostrils as they reached the wood shed. She pulled him into the darkness. Only a few silver beams of light managed to slip through the cracks and holes of the roof and siding of the shabby shed. Half of her face was masked with darkness while the other was bathed in a beam of moonlight.

"What must you know?" She demanded, folding her arms against her chest. Fili heard the clink of her sword as it shifted against her back with the movement and wondered if she went anywhere without it.

He pointed to her left arm. "You said your tattoo represented the blood rage." She loosened her arm to look at it, the dark lines looking like sickly poisoned veins beneath her skin in the dim light. "Does that mean you possess it?"

He watched her jaw clench before she answered without looking up. "Yes."

"In order to have it you are descended from Ragnar...the royal family." She nodded her head, still not looking at him. "How directly are you related to the royal family?"

There was a long pause as everything stilled. "Hymir was my father."

Fili blanked. While he had his suspicions, hearing it confirmed was baffling. Thyra was a princess.

"So Hvitserk and Aelle—"

"My half brother and my uncle."

He fell silent for a moment. "You were the girl...weren't you. The girl your people wanted to be crowned."

Thyra looked down at her arm and traced the largest vein of the tattoo. "There was an assassin one night. They had been sent to kill Hvitserk but entered the wrong room and instead attacked me...I don't remember much. But there was a point in which I remember closing my eyes, ready to give up when it suddenly took over."

"It being the blood rage?"

Thyra nodded and looked up at him. "I ripped the man's jaw off...I was nine years old, far smaller than most and I ripped half a man's face off."

Fili flinched at the gruesome image his mind painted for him. He had seen many violent things in his life. There was no avoiding it when you lived in a world that had to be defended from constant goblin and orc raids. But there was something extra disturbing about the image of a young Thyra standing and clutching a bloody handful of flesh and bone. It explained a lot about her character.

Fili swallowed thickly. "What happened then?"

"A chambermaid found me, having heard my cries. My father tried to keep her silent but the rumors spread like wildfire. Questions arose as to if the choice in heir would be changed but my father stayed firm, not willing to break his word to my half brother that he would be heir.

"My people have always been unified by one thing, the will of the gods. Since the time Ragnar was passed the crown, the choice in leadership has never been questioned. Even when the blood rage became extinct, that trust and loyalty was ingrained and passed down for generations. But then the blood rage manifested and for the first time in their existence, my people questioned who should be king.

"My father had always been a firm and confident ruler...until then. He was worried and unsure of what to do. So I was sent to live with my mother's father. He was a fisherman on the outskirts of our lands. He lived in a secluded area where it took so long for news to travel to them it was old enough to be forgotten by the rest of my people. I did not understand why until much later.

"At the time I thought my father was disgusted by me or afraid. And he was disgusted and afraid, but not of me. He was afraid people would take advantage of my power, try to put me on a throne that I was too small for while they pulled the strings of their puppet queen. No one alive had ever seen the power. Most people looked at me with fearful awe. But I remember seeing the hunger in their eyes too. Loyalty, honor, and truth holds a great worth...but power is a hefty commodity as well.

"After several years with my grandfather, things calmed down and I became older, mature enough to understand politics. Or so I thought, I had been gone for nearly two decades. When I came back, things were different. My father had died and my uncle and brother were fighting for the throne."

"Did you?"

She cocked her head to the side. "Did I what?"

"Did you fight for the throne as well? You said yourself that there were people who supported you in taking the throne. You had the power. You had the ri–"

"I did not have the right," she growled out. "Nor do you have the right to know any of this," she said with a sneer. She stepped towards him tilting her head up to stare straight into his eyes. "You are ignorant of what has gone on in a land and people you didn't even know existed but four months ago. You know nothing of me, nothing of what I have done, nothing I have seen-"

"Then talk to me, help me understand!" Fili interrupted. "Tell me full truths, tell me your feelings, your memories. Open up so that maybe I can help you or you can help me. That's what friends do. They give and take from each other! Not walk away and ignore them just because you don't want to share."

"Then maybe that is your mistake!" she snapped back. "I'm not your friend Feelig, I'm your temporary comrade. I don't owe you anything!"

Fili stared at her in disbelief. He hadn't realized how much this so called friendship had meant to him until he felt the stinging bite of her words. Then again, maybe she was right. It was his mistake for thinking they could every be friends. However, that did not stop him from pushing her further.

He let out a tsk. "You know what, you're right," he said with a nod of his head. "That was my mistake, thinking we were friends. But then again, it was never an option really...was it Thyra?"

He paused, waiting for her to contradict the statement or even give some sort of rebuttal. But she said nothing causing his anger to rise.

"Fine then," he spat, throwing his hands in the air before pointing at her. "At least answer me this, why not? Why have you been so determined to keep us from becoming friends? You hated me in the beginning, which was fine-" in truth it was not, but that was beside the point- "but then for a little while we got along and I don't know about you, but it was nice. It was nice having someone to talk to, someone who almost seemed to understand me." He took a step forward, closing the space between them and grabbing onto her shoulders as he bent his head lower, narrowing his eyes in accusation. "But there has always been something wedged between us, something that you put there yourself. So tell me, what are you so afraid of? What is it about me that makes you distance yourself every time I think we are getting a little closer?"

She stared up at him, her chest moving in and out against his own as she breathed heavily. Fili could feel her heart beating within her at the spot where her chest gently pressed against his upper abdomen. Her dark eyes quivered back and forth between his as she stared up at him, mute and seemingly panicked.

"What is going on?" Came a sudden demand from a third party.

Simultaneously, Fili and Thyra turned their heads towards the front of the wood shed. Standing in the doorway was the silhouette of Thrade. Thrade's eyes flickered between the two, taking in their position and close proximity. In the dim light, Fili could make out the territorial expression on his face, as Thrade's attention settled on him.

For a moment Fili was confused by it, until Thyra slightly moved and he realized just how close he was to her. He let his hands fall from her shoulders as he turned his body away from her.

"We were just getting some fresh air," Thyra finally answered, taking Thrade's harden stare away from Fili as he looked to her. Fili looked at her as well and she gave him a side glance, as if asking him to go along with her.

"Yeah," Fili managed to say as he folded his arms, taking almost a defensive stance. "Thought we would make a sweep of the area, make sure things were secure."

From the corner of his eye Fili caught Thyra slightly shake her head. Even as he said it, Fili knew it was an opaque cover up. And it seemed Thrade thought so too.

"So you thought the woodshed was the best vantage point to do that?"

"The transaction between the two of us is none of your concern," Thyra defended.

It was a defense that Fili felt made the situation look even worse. But when he caught her expression, he realized that maybe Thyra was hoping for Thrade to interpret it wrongly. Immediately, Fili looked to Thrade to see his reaction. Hurt and then anger flashed beneath the composed expression he was struggling to hold. Thrade's jaw tightened and flexed as he stared back at Thrya with as his expression tightened in an attempt to keep control.

"Fili," Thrade began, the name sounding almost bitter on his lips as he failed to look at the other male. "Could you please give us a private moment? I would like to speak with Thyra alone if you are through with her," he requested, his eyes never leaving Thyra.

Fili would normally never delay in granting such an entreaty, but something within him caused him to stall. Instead of automatically moving to fulfill Thrade's request, he looked to Thyra, silently asking her if this was what she wanted and offering to remain if it was not. He saw her look at him from the corner of her eye. For a moment she seemed to hesitate and then she nodded, the movement subtle but clear.

It was only then that Fili took a step forward to the doorway, but he stopped when something latched onto his wrist. Fili looked down to see Thyra's small hand grasping him. He looked up to her, questioning if she had changed her mind.

She was still looking at Thrade, but after a moment, she looked up at him and stepped closer. "You don't know much of my people but I am confident you know what the value of keeping one's word means to us," she quietly enough that only he could hear.

Fili nodded.

"Then will you swear to me, under that same commitment, that you will not tell the others?"

Fili did not immediately respond. He was tempted to just walk away, but the urgent, near pleading look in her eyes could not be ignored. He nodded and immediately she relaxed. Before he turned back around, Fili could have sworn he had caught the glimmer of a thankful smile. But the poor lighting made it much too dark to be sure.

When he turned back to face Thrade, the older dwarf was looking down where Thyra was still holding onto him. Fili began to walk forward, Thyra's hand letting him slip free as he made his way out of the darkened shed. Ignoring the heated glare that Thrade flashed him as he brushed past him, Fili exited and made his way back to the barn. His ears strained to hear the conversation that was about to take place as his mind began to wonder just what kind of position he had just placed himself between the pair he had just left.

Thrade waited until he heard the distinct and sure sound of the door to the main house open and fully close before he said anything. And even after he waited a full minute to speak to be sure he had full control of his voice.

"What's going on between you and Fili," he demanded.

It had been a question that had been creeping into his mind for quite sometime now. His reuniting with Thyra had not gone as well as he hoped. And his first meeting with Fili had been off the wrong foot. When he found out who Fili was he wanted to forget the ill first impression he had with the younger man but it had been harder than he thought. He had no problem liking his brother well enough, though he felt Kili felt differently. Both brothers had been cordial but there was always an underlying distance. Kili he understood why, but Fili was the one that he questioned the most.

Thrade had always thought jealousy was beneath him. It was a petty and undignified emotion. One that he had never experienced until recently. For years Thrade had stood around silently while Thyra played around with those she wished. By no means did he care for any of the handful of lovers Thyra had toyed with, this was a fact. But he had never truly felt envy for them. He still disliked the thought of her with anyone, but it had never gotten under his skin quite as much as her interactions with Fili.

For years he tolerated watching her move from one dwarf to the other, but this time was different. He had never seen her open up so quickly the way she did with Fili. Thrade knew in full detail what kind of relationships Thyra had with past men in the guild. And they were nothing more than a partner in which to find a release. There was no relationship, despite what some of them tried to force. Any time they did this, Thyra would remove them from her small circle of interactions.

While he was certain there was nothing of that kind of physical nature going on between herself and Fili, Thrade could not help but resent the intimacy in which their interactions seemed to hold. For the first time, Thrade felt that he truly had a rival in earning Thyra's actual affections that went beyond just physical intimacy.

He had seen them speaking with each other more and more frequently. Ever since Thorin had forced them to be partners for the night watch and scouting. In his weaker moments, he had nearly gone to Thorin and asked him to partner himself with Thyra, if anything but to separate them. However he resisted. Despite his selfish desires, he was not willing to stoop so low as to resort to petty actions.

"I asked you a question," Thrade reminded when Thyra had yet to give him a response. "What is going on between you two?"

Thyra began to walk towards him. "I believe I already told you. That is none of your business," she said sharply. "I am finished speaking."

She moved to pass by him, not sparing him a glance but Thrade was not about to let this go. He grabbed onto her upper arm, forcing her to face him as they stood in the doorway of the shed.

"Well I am not," Thrade argued, grabbing onto her shoulders and giving her a small shake in frustrations. Her eyes widened and immediately Thrade released her. When she made no move to depart again, he began to pace, running an agitated hand through his hair as her muttered curses of khudzul under his breath. Finally he paused in front of her. "Why?" he blurted out suddenly.

She gave him a confused look. "I do not-"

"Why am I not good enough?" he interrupted, planting his body in front of her as he towered over her. "Why can't you not accept me? Accept what I want to offer you, accept my feelings."

He grabbed her face, one had wrapping around her neck as he pulled her forward. She stumbled towards him as he lowered his head to capture her lips with his. It was forceful and sloppy, a result of the desperation within him. Her lips did not move with his which pushed him to try harder, desperate to receive a response. All he felt though was her body begin to separate from him, an action he was not quite willing to let happen yet. He pulled her closer which caused Thyra to fight harder. With an exerted force, he felt himself being pushed away.

He staggered a few steps before he caught his balance and stared back at her. Her chest heaved and she looked disheveled but it did nothing to soften the look she was giving him. Contempt and fire roared in her face as she glared at him. Her arm rose up as she wiped it roughly across her lips before letting it drop to her side again.

Realizing what he had done, he opened his mouth to try a salvage his poor decorum. "Thyraー" he began in a small hush but she stopped him from speaking further.

"I do not want this," she said, he tone softer than he expected given her expression. "I am sorry Thrade, but I cannot accept what you offer because I do not want it."

Her tone held pity which only made the embarrassment that came with rejection sting even more. That sting of embarrassment quickly transferred into anger. Anger towards her because she could not feel the same way. Anger at the past because at one point this distance was not between them, nor this rejection. Sure he had not fully confessed nor did he know what her stand point was before she knew of his heritage, but there was a time when he was convinced she was at least open to the idea of him being enough. Then finally, his anger landed on the golden prince that had somehow doing what he could not.

The image of how he had found them, Fili's arms holding her, the lack of space between them, and the heated look they were giving each other. It was perhaps nothing, just as they had claimed, but to him it looked like everything he had ever wanted from Thyra. Intimacy and emotion. Something beyond what little social obligation Thyra practiced to acknowledge his existence.

His brow bunched in his anger and he took several steps forward. "What does he have that I don't?" Thrade demanded, his arm extending to point in the direction that Fili had departed to. "Is it because he is a prince with an actual crown in the future?" he asked. "Do you think he is going to help you? Is that what you are aiming for? Lead him on like you do all those other toys you have back in the guild, then use that connection to manipulate him into-"

The resounding sound of her slap echoed far through the night air. The force of her hand causing his face to turn away as his eyes watered from the lingering sharp sting of the strike. Blinking back the tears, he faced her again, only to see her face was construed into one even worse than pity.

Disgust was written all over her face as hot, angry tears welled up into her eyes. Immediately Thrade regretted his words. But before he could say anything remotely apologetic her hand met his face again in another slap of contempt.

"I want nothing to do with crowns, thrones, or princes," she hissed. "I just want to be left alone. I don't need anyone, not Fili, not you, no one. I am here under obligation and service, not to make friends and most certainly not to find courtship."

Thrade opened his mouth to say something, but Thyra was already moving. She pushed past him roughly before stomping away, not in the direction of the farm house but away from the house and away from any others.

She wanted and needed to be alone. She thought she had escaped her fate long ago when she had given up her token for the throne, yet here she was, being chased down by that same fate. Thrade had no throne to take but she would not risk that factor when fate was in play. There was a time that she had possibly accepted Thrade's advances, but in respect to Sigurd she had stalled crossing the line of friendship. A hesitation she was grateful for when she found out about his heritage. After that, all consideration left the table.

And in regards to Fili, she had not received any indication that he harbored any feelings of romance towards her. However, his insistence of forming a friendship scared her. It was alarming how set he seemed to break through to her. As much as she enjoyed Fili's company, it was still better to keep things as simple as possible. She had played with fire before and she was not keen on being burned again. Fate was nipping at her heels but she would be damned if it caught her.

She could not, would not, risk it. Years ago she had gone down a dark path because of a crown. She would not do it again. She would not bring such devastation to another nation again.

From the darkness of the awning of the house, Sigurd had watched the scene play out. Beginning with Thrade approaching Thyra and Fili and the events that followed after Fili had departed. She had come out for a quick breath of cool air as the dancing had caused her to become overly warm. She had taken the back way and had planned to take a safe lap around the house when she heard raised voices and turned the corner just in time to see everything play out.

She had not made out the majority of the words exchanged, but there was one thing she had seen clearly.

The kiss.

The contrast between the one she witnessed and the one she had received just a few hours ago was astronomical. The biggest difference being the nearly physical pain she had felt within her chest when she watched Thrade grab Thyra and kiss her with a passion that she had only dreamed of receiving from him.

She had turned back around the corner of the house not long after their lips had first met. It had hurt too much to watch any longer. She remained there, hidden from them and protected not only from their view, but also the view of them.

Sliding down against the side of the house until she was crouched into a small huddle, she wrapped her arms around her legs and let her head fall down to her knees. Tears pricked in her eyes as the euphoria that she had been riding since that afternoon wilted and died like a plant during the coming of winter.

She was not sure how long she had stayed in that position, but when she finally managed to stand up and peek around the corner of the house, Thyra was gone and Thrade was alone. Automatically she moved towards him. He was pacing in a loopy circle, every once in a while looking in a direction then turning back and looking towards the house, as if contemplating which way he should go. As she grew nearer she could see the agitated way in which he moved as he muttered to himself. Most of his words were cursing of khuzdul, each time a profanity escaped his lips her rubbed his head in aggravation.

Her foot hit a piece of loose kindling, causing a hollow sound as it hit against another piece of wood. Immediately Thrade paused is pacing and whirled around. "Thyra-" he began, only to cut himself short when he realized the identity of the person approaching. "Oh...Sigurd," he corrected, his eyes wavering around. "Sorry I thought you were-"

"Thyra," Sigurd finished for him, doing her best to not let her voice sound bitter from the slight hurt that was brought about.

"Ahh, yes sorry, I just thought…" he drifted off, his eyes not fully meeting hers. "How long have you been out here?" he inquired, almost nervously.

"Um...not long," Sigurd lied. There was a pause as they each stood quietly in front of each other. Sigurd watched Thrade as he seemed to almost forget she was still there as his eyes moved around into the distance. "Thrade?" she said, only causing him to hum lightly as his eyes continued to search. "I was wondering...could we possibly...talk?"

Thrade stilled and finally looked at her when he heard the hesitancy in her voice. Immediately his eyes caught the puffiness around her eyes as well as the still wet streaks she had failed to wipe away from her face. Evidence that she had been crying. Intuition told him that Sigurd had perhaps been out much longer than she was letting on.

Immediately he felt he knew where this conversation was going and he did not like it. It was a conversation he had avoided for years now. And at the moment, in his state of mind, he was not in the mood to have it right now.

"Look Sigurd…" he began, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he let out a tired sigh. "Could we maybe talk later? I really just want to be alone right now."

Sigurd frowned at his dismissal. But nodded all the same as she turned and began to dejectedly walk away. She had made it four steps before she stopped herself. For a moment she stood there, staring back at the house where she was headed before whirling around.

No, she was tired of being brushed off. She was tired of being ignored. Taking on a face of determination, she took a few brave steps forward. Kili's declaration earlier had touched her, but it had also inspired her. He had impressed her with his bravery and she admired the way in which he had laid it all out there. And if she were to take his words seriously, there was something she had to do.

At her approach, Thrade looked up at her, a questioning expression coming to his face. "Sigurd what are you-"

"I have something to say," she interrupted. Thrade said nothing, too taken aback by the sharp tone in her voice. For a moment, Sigurd stalled, surprised by herself. But soon she reclaimed the muster of what she had set out to do. She took in a deep breath. "I love you," she stated bluntly. "And I know you know that, but I have never said it out loud. I have loved you for years and as much as I appreciate everything you have done for me. Treated me like family and looked out for me, I want to make something clear. I am not a little girl anymore and I am a woman, and I would like you to see me in that way."

There was a long pause as Thrade stiffly stood and looked at her. Crickets chirped and a breeze ran past them, ruffling the grass and causing the trees to rustle. As it died down it was replaced with a sigh from Thrade.

"Sigurd," he began delicately. He took a step forward, closing the distance and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I know you are no longer a young girl. You have grown into a beautiful young woman, and I have seen you that way for a long time now. And I love you too." His words caused Sigurd face to brighten and he quickly continued before she took his words in a different meaning. "But," he countered, "as a sister."

Immediately, Sigurd face fell and she took a step back. "I am not your sister," she defended.

Thrade nodded. "I know by blood you are not. But in every other way you are. I love you and I am so proud of how you have grown and turned into a beautiful young woman."

Her face angled down and he heard a small sniffle. The sound of it was heart wrenching. Heart break was something he had never wanted her to fell. He had always thought he would break the legs of any many who would do such a thing. At the time, when he had thought that he had never thought it would be his own legs he would be in need of breaking.

"Hey," he said gently, tucking a handle under her chin and tilting her face up to look back at him. Tears rolled down from her saddened eyes and he brushed them away. "I am so sorry. I want you to find the love you seek and I hate that I cannot give you that. But it would not be right, it's not the right kind of love that you are looking for in which I can provide. All I can do is try my best to do what Dane would have done. I owe it to him."

At the mention of her brother, Sigurd took in a sharp breath. Finally, after a moment, she nodded as if in understanding but he wondered if was an automatic response or actual acceptance of his answer.

She sniffled. "I miss him,' she said between small sobs, "so much."

Thrade gave her a empathetic nod and pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her and locking her into his chest. Automatically her arms wrapped around him and grasped onto the back of his tunic.

"So do I," he said quietly into her hair as he held her. "Not a day goes by that I don't miss Dane."

For a long time Sigurd stood there in his arms, latching on and sobbing into his chest. Soon the sobs died and she focused on the feel of his embrace. It was just as she remembered how Dane's were. Large, tight, and full of comfort. The more she thought about it, the more she began to realize just how much Thrade had worked to replicate what her brother had always done for her. And in that moment of analyzing, Sigurd realized something. Perhaps she had been confused about her feelings all this time. For as he held her in his arms, in a way that he had not held her in a long time, she realized that there was nothing more she wanted from him.

She had been blinded by the fantasy of romantic love that she had failed to see how Thrade truly was. In his attempt to distance her, he had abandoned most gestures of affection, brotherly or otherwise in hopes to not lead her on. But in that neglect, she had forgotten this bond from long ago. He wasn't her brother by blood, but Thrade was right, they were siblings in every other way.

After a long moment of revelation and thought, Sigurd loosened her grip and slid from his arms. She took a step back and looked down at the ground as a sudden rush of embarrassment washed over her. She had dedicated years of love to him that seemed to have been dissolved in minutes. It made her regret not pushing this conversation much sooner, but back then she had lacked even the smallest shred of confidence.

Digging her toes into the ground she glanced up at him bashfully. "Sorry," she apologized, doing her best to save face. "I understand now…I was confused...I just wish I had.." she ran a hand over her face. "Mahal this is mortifying."

She peeked up at him when she heard him chuckle. "It's fine Sigurd," he said with a shrug of his shoulders as he tucked his hands in his pockets. "To be honest, if things had turned out differently in the past, I think maybe our futures would have been different. But obviously fate decided this was not meant to be."

Sigurd gave him an appreciative smile for his efforts to ease her embarrassment. "Either way," she said, "I am grateful to have you in my life. Whatever we maybe."

Thrade smiled back at her, his own earlier heartache easing with her warm smile. He had always had a suspicion that Sigurd's healing abilities went beyond her herbs and bandages. Her being itself had healing properties. While he was certain a broken heart was not something she could heal for him, it at least eased the pain.

"Common," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and directing her towards the house, "Lets take a turn around the hearth. I think a hearty jig would be something Dane would have rather enjoyed with his sister."

Kili looked around the room, his eyes searching for Sigurd for another dance. He had been worried that she would avoid him after the events in the orchard. But to his surprise, she had been rather accepting of his presence. Her cheeks had gained a small tint of pink each time he looked or approached her, but other than that, things had been nearly perfect tonight.

The night had grown late and as he looked around, he noticed that Sigurd was not the only one who seemed to have disappeared. Thyra and Thrade where missing as well. Fili had been grouped in the missing persons for a short while but he had been accounted for when Kili caught him slip in through the door. He was going to go and inquire of him if he had seen Sigurd while outside, but Fili had made made a direct line to where their bedrolls were. His face looked grim and perturbed, causing Kili to think better than to bother him.

When Sigurd's absence lengthened, Kili became concerned. He told himself she was with Thrade or Thyra as he knew they would provide protection, but his mind would not be eased until he knew her safety was assured. So he dropped down from his perch on one of the high chairs and made his way towards the front door.

It was there from the threshold of the barn house that he had spotted her, safely tucked into Thrade's embrace. He watched Thrade bow his head, pulling her tighter and giving her head a soft caress. After that he couldn't watch any more. He immediately turned around and went back into the room. The cheerful tunes and happy dancing buzzed in his ears as he somberly walked to where the bedrolls where in the quiet section of the house. Giving Fili no regard who seemed to be in his own somber trance, he laid down and pretended to sleep. With his eyes closed, he did his best to let the happy tunes and laughter around him distract his mind from letting the image of Sigurd, wrapped in the arms of another man to consume his thoughts.

Wow finished this chapter way faster than expected but happy to be posting it so we can keep going! Thank you all for your feedback and follows! Finally done with the Bear Encounter and moving onto The Mirkwood!

isakey: lol loved your reaction so glad you are so enthusiastic for this story and hope this next chapter was fast enough!

CA1916: Happy to have you stick around for another one of my stories I hope you enjoy this one as much or more than the other one you read!