Thessa opened her eyes slowly, regaining her bearings. She looked around the large room she was in, glancing at the piles of gold all around her. Where was she? She was still cold, but she forced herself onto her shaky legs, trying to balance on the shifting gold coins. She spotted Thorin atop a large throne, crown in place, holding a glowing gem in his hands. She made her way over to him, stumbling the whole way.
"Thorin!" she called once she had reached him. He looked up slowly, his eyes glazed over. "Thorin, where are we?" she asked, standing in front of him.
"We are in the great halls of Erebor." He looked back down to the jewel in his hands, ignoring her. Thessa tried waving her hand in front of him, but nothing seemed to work. Thorin, however, caught sight of the arm band on her arm. Thessa had been wearing the leather top she had fought in when they left the woodland realm, bearing her arms for him to see. He rose out of his seat, grabbing her arm roughly and ripping the arm band off of her.
"Thorin!" she yelled, surprised at his harsh handling of her, and the fact that he had taken her arm band. He gazed down at it.
"Gold..." he whispered, eyeing it hungrily.
"Thorin, I need that back!" she said, reaching out to take the band back. Thorin quickly brought his hand up to block her attempt and shoved her back, sending her tumbling down a pile of gold. She had landed in a giant puddle of water, that was conveniently placed in the middle of the large chamber, causing her tail to break forth. Having no arm band, she could not control the shift. She saw Thorin look down at her with his glossed over gaze.
"Gold..." he whispered again, this time staring at the gold scales in her tail. Thessa tried to use her arms to pull herself away from Thorin, but he stalked over to her and grabbed her by the base of her tail, hauling her backward. Thessa sprawled her arms out, trying to find purchase on anything that would help her get away.
"Thorin, stop!" she begged, tears slipping down her cheek. He was facing away from her, still dragging her up to the throne where a set of pliers now lay. Thessa's eyes widened and she began thrashing her tail around, trying to wriggle free.
"No! No, stop! Please, no!" She clawed at the gold around her.
"Thessa..." she heard him say. She thrashed about even more violently.
"Thessa!" he called out again. She closed her eyes tight, not wishing to see what came next. She felt his arms on her biceps now and he was shaking her.
"Thessa, wake up!" She opened her eyes, seeing Thorin in front of her. She clambered away from him and out of his arms. She fell off the bed she had been in and quickly got to her feet. She was about to head out the door when Thorin snagged her arm, pulling her back to him. She struggled against him, but Thorin pulled her into his embrace and whispered into her ear.
"Be calm, my love, it was only a dream," he said softly, stroking her hair. "I'm here, don't worry." Upon hearing the strong baritone voice whisper sweetly into her ear, Thessa snapped back to reality. She realized it was only a nightmare that she conjured up in her mind. She relaxed into her soulmate's arms and took in a deep breath, smelling a mixture of pine and coal. She had decided that Thorin smelled like the pine trees that probably grew in the Blue Mountains as well as coal residue, no doubt from the mines. But it was a nice smell, a familiar one now.
"What did you dream of, zaglamrâl?" he whispered gently, still running his hands through her long hair. Thessa didn't want to tell him what she dreamt. She didn't want him to think that she feared what the treasure in Erebor might do to him.
"Nothing important, just reliving the kidnapping is all," she lied. Thorin didn't believe that. He saw the way she looked at him when she finally opened her eyes. As if he was the nightmare itself. But instead of pressing the issue, he let her be.
"We are going to be leaving for the armory soon," he informed her. "The weapons Bard returned with while you were asleep were a disgrace to blacksmiths everywhere." She smiled slightly at his jest, pulling back from his chest to look at him. Sometimes she still couldn't believe her luck. Not only did she FIND her soulmate, but damn if he wasn't one of the most handsome men, or dwarf rather, that she had ever laid eyes on. It had been a while since they had any time alone, and Thessa did not intend to waste that opportunity.
"How soon are you leaving?" Thessa asked, looking into Thorin's deep blue eyes with an innocent smile. She brought her hands up to brush through his long hair just behind his ears. Thorin's eyes fluttered closed for a moment at the feeling of her hands in his hair.
"As soon as the bowman drops his guard, we make for the armory," he responded, resting his hands around her hips and pulling her flush against him. He looked down at his little mermaid, at her teal blue eyes and his courting braid in her hair. Thessa ran a hand slowly through his short beard, slightly trailing her nails down his cheek. She saw Thorin's eyes darken, tightening his hold on her hips. Thessa brought her hands back up into his hair and brought his head down roughly to capture his lips.
Thorin was slightly surprised by her brazenness, but decided not to question it. He growled lowly and furiously returned her kiss. He brushed his tongue against her lips and Thessa's soft gasp in return granted him entry. Thessa gave a breathy moan as their tongues tangled with one another and Thorin's hands moved from her hips to grip her behind. She could feel that strange tingling again, and she wanted to know more about what Thorin had spoke of down by the river at the Carrock.
Thessa dropped her hands down to his shoulders and gently pushed him back toward the bed. Their lips were still locked in a fiery kiss as Thorin took a few steps backward. He didn't know where she was leading him, but Mahal save him, this woman would be his undoing. The backs of his knees hit the bed and Thessa gave him a gentle shove, causing Thorin to fall back onto the small bed. Thessa gave him a seductive smile that set his blood aflame. He watched her pull the skirts of her dress high enough to move onto the bed, straddling his hips.
"Thessalia," Thorin growled, gripping her hips again. Thessa bent down to his lips again, kissing him voraciously. She felt that place between her legs begin to nearly throb now. She ground her hips down against Thorin's and heard an almost feral growl rip from his lips. Before Thessa could blink, Thorin had flipped their positions, now hovering over her. He dipped his head down to her neck, planting heated kisses along her jawline and collar bone. Thessa gave a breathy moan when Thorin placed more of his weight onto her.
"Thorin," she sighed, gripping her hands in his hair, pulling slightly on the thick locks. Thorin groaned, grinding his hardness against her, when he heard her say his name like that. Oh how he wanted to show her everything she had been missing, everything he could do to her. He shifted onto his right side slightly, trailing his left hand up to grip her breast through the dress. Thessa gasped at the sensation, feeling Thorin's large hand massaging her. He moved his hand further up into her hair, feeling his braid there.
Thessa pulled Thorin's face away from her neck and back up to her lips, kissing him with renewed vigor. Her hands moved to his back, digging her nails into his shoulder blades. Thorin inhaled sharply at the bite of her nails, but it wasn't an unpleasant feeling. In fact, he rather enjoyed his bed partners on the more feisty side. However, it seemed that any maidens he had been with only wanted to lie on their backs and let him do all the work, never wanting anything different or exciting. But he felt Thessa's nails digging into his skin through his tunic, drawing back up to his shoulders and moving into his hair. As a little experiment, he ground his length against her hip and squeezed one of her perky breasts. He felt her grip tighten in his hair as she gave a loud moan, kissing him with more passion than she ever had.
Thorin smiled devilishly into the kiss. It seemed Thessa might like things a little rough as well. Thessa could hardly stand the throbbing between her legs now, she needed some form of relief! She felt Thorin pull away from her then, breaking their kiss. She panted heavily, trying to catch her breath as Thorin picked her up by her waist to stand her upright. He yanked her to him, crushing their bodies together and Thessa captured his lips in another steamy kiss. She felt Thorin turn them and force her backward until her back hit a hard wall.
Thorin pressed her body between his and the wall, running his hands down to her backside. He roughly yanked her legs up to wrap around his waist and he ground his hard length into her center.
"Thorin!" Thessa gasped, gripping onto his shoulders for dear life. Her head was spinning now and coherent thoughts had left her long ago. She could feel his manhood pressing against her and her blood boiled. She moved her hands into his hair, gripping it tightly and pulling his face toward her even more as she kissed him with everything she had. Thorin was supporting her weight with his forearms and Thessa could feel his strong biceps against her sides. She had always preferred more muscular men, or at least to look at more muscular men, and Thorin was heavily muscled under that deep blue tunic of his.
"Thessa," Thorin groaned, moving his lips down to her jawline. "We need to stop..." He planted hot kisses down her neck, making her softly moan his name into his ear. Thorin shivered slightly at the breathy way she said his name, but he tried to mentally shake himself of the lustful haze. "I have to... leave soon..." He said between the open-mouthed kisses he placed on her neck and slightly behind her ear.
"Stay," came Thessa's breathy reply. She needed Thorin, she needed to feel him, to rid herself of this throbbing between her legs. Thorin's kisses to her neck became slower and less frequent until he eventually brought his head up to look at her.
"I wish I could, zaglarmâl, believe me. I want nothing more than to make you mine right here against this wall. But I must go with the company," he said, slightly breathless still. "We need weapons and we need to be ready to leave without the bowman noticing or he will try to stop us."
"I understand," Thessa said. She gave him a lazy smile, her cheeks red and lips swollen from his bruising kisses. Thorin gave her a soft kiss on the lips, setting her feet down on the ground. He had to catch her though because her legs buckled underneath her as soon as he had let go. He gave her a cheeky grin and lifted her into his arms. He placed her on the bed, brushing her hair behind her ear.
"Get some more rest, princess. We'll be back before you wake again," Thorin said softly, laying her back against the pillows. Thessa nodded, even though she had no intention of going back to sleep. She was far too awake now for that, but she acted like she was going to rest, for his sake. Thorin placed a small kiss to her forehead and watched Thessa close her eyes. He turned toward the door, adjusting himself slightly in his pants, and quietly strode across the room. He really needed a quick dip in the lake, he thought. He shut the door behind him carefully and pivoted back toward the main room. The company was all silent and giving him knowing smirks.
"What?" he grumbled, moving through the crowd of dwarves toward Balin, who sat at the table.
"Oh, nothing, laddie," Dwalin said with a sly grin. "We're just glad you and lass were enjoying each other's company." The company burst into laughter around him. He felt his cheeks get hot at what they were insinuating.
"Nothing happened, we were discussing important matters that do not concern you rabble," Thorin defended. This caused even more laughter and Glóin came to pat him on the shoulder.
"Oh, aye, lad. Aye," the red-bearded dwarf said with a chuckle. Thorin rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Balin.
"Has that bowman left?" he asked quietly. Balin gave him a stiff nod.
"Left near ten minutes ago, instructed his lad not to let us leave," Balin said. Thorin looked over to where Bain was leaning against the far wall, watching them.
"Gather round!" Thorin called to the company. "We make for the armory, be swift, be silent." Thorin saw their heads nod and they began to follow Balin toward the door. Bain quickly jumped up to try and stop them but Dwalin held up the make-shift hammer Bard had brought them.
"Sit down, boy" Dwalin ground out. Bain took a step or two back, not wanting to engage with the angry dwarf. He watched them leave and he began to panic. What should he do? What was he going to tell Da? He watched his sisters join him in the main room from where they had been resting in their Da's room. The three of them watched the dwarves pick their way toward the armory from the window when they heard another door creak. The whipped around to see Thessa leaving Sigrid's room.
Thessa saw their panicked expressions and knew she would have to calm them down. She went to sit by the fire and motioned for the children to follow her. They sat by her side and waited for her to speak.
"I know you are probably worried that the company has left," Thessa said. She saw them nod worriedly. "Don't worry about them," she smiled. "They know what they're doing and they are only going to get enough weapons so that they can defend themselves once we leave town." Thessa saw them relax a little, but they were still anxious. The youngest one, Tilda, moved closer to sit closer to her.
"Are you really a mermaid, my lady?" she asked quietly. Thessa smiled at the young girl. She could tell this one was very curious.
"Yes, I really am a mermaid, but you cannot tell anyone," she said with a smile. "And you can all call me Thessa, no need for formalities." Bain and Sigrid gave her a grin, scooting a little closer.
"Will you tell us a story, Thessa?" Tilda asked quietly. "Ma always told us stories to calm our nerves." Thessa glanced down at the young girl. How could she deny such a request? She smiled at Tilda and patted her arm softly.
"Of course, Tilda," she began. "I will tell you my favorite story that my mother told to me when I was young." She saw their grins and watched them shift into a more comfortable position. "Once upon a time there was a young mermaid. She lived in the Great sea to the West and had beautiful, long green hair and a golden tail."
"Green?" Sigrid asked surprised. Thessa smiled and nodded, continuing with the story.
"She lived alone in a small sea cave with no family and no other mermaids around. This little mermaid was the only mermaid, you see, and didn't know where she had come from or what she was. She watched all the little sea creatures for years, looking for one that might look like her. But she never found one." Thessa saw their sad looks and chuckled slightly. That was the same way she felt when she heard her mother tell the story.
"One day, the little mermaid became so tired of searching around the sea cave, that she left the area and ventured into the open water beyond the reef." Thessa paused to watch for their shocked faces but saw none. It hit her then that they did not know the rules of the sea. "Going beyond the reef can be very dangerous," she added for clarification, "and the green-haired mermaid set off into open water. She swam for days and days, not seeing a single living thing around her. Finally, she saw something in the distance. It was small and looked like a little fish. But as she waited for it to come closer, the shadowy shape of the fish grew larger and larger. Soon the shape was enormous and hundreds of times her size!"
The children gasped, imaging such a large fish. "It was a blue whale," Thessa continued. "And it sang a deep sad song as it swam by. The young mermaid asked the large whale why it was so sad, and the whale, who was actually a very young whale, told her that he had lost his mother."
"Aww," Tilda said sadly. Thessa saw her almost teary eyes and pulled her to sit in her lap, wrapping her arms around her little waist.
"The little whale and the little mermaid became the best of friends that day, traveling everywhere together and never leaving each other's side. Through the years, both the whale and mermaid began to change, turning into young adults. The whale could hear the deep slow songs of the girl whales far away. The mermaid could tell that he was sad and asked him why. He told her it was because he wanted a family , but he didn't want to leave her. But the green-haired mermaid told him she would go with him to look for his soulmate and never leave his side. Eventually, the whale had found a pretty girl whale that he adored and they soon had a young baby whale of their own. The mermaid had stayed with them, becoming best friends with the young calf and the small family. The mermaid grew old over time, watching her friend grow old and pass on. She watched his son grow to be a big strong whale and start a family of his own.
"She watched many generations pass by, always protecting and living amongst them. Soon it was time for her to pass on, she told the whales that her spirit would always watch over them, keeping them and their kin safe. The whales were sad to see her go and prayed to the sea god, Ulmo, to not let her sweet nature and love for their kind slip from the world. And Ulmo heard their prayers. He took one of the old mermaid's green hairs and made the strong kelp that grew near the shores. He took one of her fallen gold scales and created a beautiful and magnificent trident. With that mighty trident he gathered all the pearls he could find amongst the sand, turning them into beautiful mermaids, each with different colored hair, eyes, and scales. He told each mermaid to watch over a particular animal in the sea, and that animal and their kin would be theirs to protect. He found a mermaid with long brown hair, which was the only one with a few gold scales, and gave her the whales to protect.
"The whales gave her the name 'Cetavia' and she was the closest the first mermaid ever had to a daughter." The children around her were enraptured by the story, all having shuffled closer to her until they were all perched in front of her on the floor. "My family line is called Cetavian," she explained, seeing the realization dawn on their faces. "Now, I don't think there is any truth to that story, but my mother told me it was the story of the first mermaid and how our family line is the purest descendent from her." Thessa smiled proudly at that thought. She knew she wasn't better than anyone else, but the story always filled her with a sense of pride.
Unbeknownst to those inside the small house, Bard had returned, finding the information he sought on a old tapestry. He had heard the dwarves use the name 'Thorin' and he had known he had recognized the name from somewhere. He found an old dusty tapestry in a shop in the market, depicting the line of Durin. He had rushed back to the house to confront the dwarves when he saw his children huddled next to Thessa as she told them a story. He had to blink his eyes a few times, picturing his late wife. Thessa wore one of her old dresses and had the same chestnut brown hair. He felt his heart clench as he saw Tilda sitting in her lap and Sigrid and Bain at her feet, looking up at her from the floor. She was a vision, sitting there with his children, perfectly filling the role of mother and wife that he had briefly imagined her to be. He felt his heartbeat quicken as he watched them through the window. She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever laid eyes on, and he was sorry that he hadn't kissed he in the old fishing shack.
He heard Thessa finish the story and decided that it was time to figure out where those dwarves had gone. He opened the door and saw their surprised faces, Bail scrambling toward him.
"Da," Bain said quickly. "I tried to stop them!"
Bard nodded to his son and flew back out the door, Thessa on his heels. They made their way down to the town center when they heard shouts and a commotion. They pushed through a crowd of people to see the master's guards had rounded up the dwarves. They watched the master step out into the gathering of people, looking down at the group standing before him.
"What's the meaning of this?" the master asked, turning to a guard.
"Caught em stealing weapons, sire," the guard reported. The master nodded to him.
"Ah, enemies of the state, eh?" he concluded.
"Looks like a bunch of mercenaries if ever there was, sire" Alfrid, the slimy right-hand man of the master. His thick unibrow twisted in a sneer.
"Hold your tongue! You do not know to whom you speak," Dwalin stepped forward from the company. "This is no common criminal, this is Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror." All eyes turned to Thorin and Thessa couldn't help but feel slightly giddy when people spoke highly of her soulmate.
"We are the dwarves of Erebor," Thorin stated proudly, stepping out from the group to speak. The crowd began to whisper amongst themselves at this information, and Thessa was straining to see and hear what was happening. "We have come to reclaim our homeland," he rumbled, eyeing the master. "I remember this town in the great days of old. Fleets of boats lay at harbor, filled with silks and fine gems. This was no forsaken town on a lake, this was the center of all trade in the North," he raised his voice. "I would see those days return, we relight the great forges of the dwarves and send wealth and riches flowing once more from the halls of Erebor!"
The crowd erupted in joyous shouts. Hugging each other and sending their praises to the dwarves. Thessa felt Bard push past her and through the sea of people to stand closer to the dwarves. She followed him, not wanting him to do anything stupid.
"Death!" Bard shouted. "That is what you will bring upon us. Dragonfire and ruin." The crowd fell silent as the bargeman spoke. "If you awaken that beast, it will destroy us all." Bard now stood in front of Thorin, speaking to him directly.
"You can listen to this naysayer," Thorin addressed the townspeople, "but I promise you this, if we succeed, all will share in the wealth of the mountain. You will have enough gold to rebuild Esgaroth ten times over!" The towns people cheered at that, much to Bard's dismay.
"All of you, Listen to me!" Bard shouted to the crowd. "Have you forgotten what happened to Dale? Have you forgotten those that died in the firestorm? And for what purpose? The blind ambition of a mountain king, so driven by greed he could not see beyond his own desire!." Bard threw a sidelong glance at the dwarf king behind him.
"Now, now," The master interjected. "We must not, any of us, be too quick to lay blame. Let us not forget that it was Girion, Lord of Dale, your ancestor who failed to kill the beast!" He pointed a chubby finger at Bard.
"Its true, sire," the slimy sycophant piped in. "We all know the story. Arrow after arrow he shoots, each one missing its mark." Alfrid sneered at Bard. The bowman strode back up to Thorin, staring him down.
"You have no right, no right to enter that mountain," he said to the dwarf king. Thorin looked up at the man, a fire in his eyes.
"I have the only right," his deep baritone voice rumbled. He turned away from Bard to face the master. "I speak to the master of the men of the lake, will you see the prophecy fulfilled? Will you share in the great wealth of our people? What say you?"
"I say unto you..." the master began, "Welcome! Welcome and thrice welcome, great king under the mountain!"