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Congratulations "purple-pygmy-puff16" for being my 100th reviewer!

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Chapter 9

~X~

Up until then, Jade had been having such a fun time with Fili that she didn't want it to end, yet her uncertainty about engaging in a weapons lesson had her wondering if she should simply bow out. Still, Fili seemed so enthusiastic about the idea, that she couldn't bring herself to say no. Not that she was opposed to learning a little bit of self-defense, but since she's always managed to get by with what little she did know, Jade didn't quite see the need.

"So, what is your weapon of choice?" Fili asked, gesturing towards the weapons rack in the training arena, which displayed a variety of swords, axes, bows, and other things she didn't recognize. She was grateful that the room was empty at the time, for the last thing Jade wanted to do was make a fool of herself in front of an audience. "What feels the most comfortable in your hand?"

"A hoe?" she suggested, giving a little shrug.

"A hoe? Like for gardening?" Fili turned and stared at her in confusion.

"Well, I grew up in a village that farmed," she explained. "It was mostly the men who used large weapons…not the women."

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, you are not a woman, you're a dam, and dwarves make sure their females can not only defend themselves, but take down an enemy if need be," Fili huffed, reaching for one of the smaller practice swords and holding it out to her. "Now, take this, and we'll get started. As my intended, it is my duty to see that you are not left without knowledge of the basics."

"Since we are only pretending to be courting…can I only pretend to learn this stuff?" Jade asked, the heavy blade feeling rather alien in her hands.

"No," was Fili's firm answer, walking out to the middle of the area, another pair of practice swords in his hands. "Now, the first thing you should know is…"

And so, it went, the next hour spent with Fili showing Jade how to stand, how to hold the weapon, how to block a strike, and how to avoid getting her head chopped off during a battle. At first, she had seemed reluctant, but as the lessons went on, Fili was impressed with how quickly she picked up on things, impressing even him in the way she had progressed.

"When do I get to make a strike of my own?" she asked, breathing hard from avoiding the last few advances Fili had made on her with his blade.

"Not until you master the art of avoiding them yourself," he informed her, straightening up as he stepped back, lowering his weapon. "But you are doing very well for a beginner. I would say you have the makings of a fine shield maiden."

"Thank you," she beamed, feeling rather pleased with herself as well. "But you know…I'm not completely without ability to defend myself."

"Knowing how to make a straight row in the dirt with a hoe is not exactly being able to defend yourself," Fili laughed, reaching out and taking the blade from her hands and returning it to the rack.

"I can use a dagger too," she insisted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"To what…skin a rabbit?" Fili chuckled.

"Yes, but I can throw one as well," Jade informed him proudly.

"Really?" Fili was intrigued. "Why didn't you say so before?"

"I tried, but you cut me off," she huffed.

"Forgive me, My Lady," Fili grinned, bowing to her in apology. When he straightened up, he was holding a dagger in his hand, making Jade blink in surprise. Where did that come from? "Care to demonstrate?"

Jade reached out and took the small blade from him, hefting it in one hand and then the other as she got the feel for it. The dagger was finely crafted, perfectly balanced and looked quite sharp. Fili knew his weapons, that was for sure. After a moment of contemplation, and getting used to its weight, she turned and threw the weapon at one of the practice dummies, striking it dead center between the eyes. When she turned back to stare at Fili, Jade was pleased by the expression of shock on his face.

"That was…impressive!" he admitted, taking his eyes off the hit and turning back to look at Jade. "Who taught you to do that?"

"My father," she beamed with pride. "Unlike most of the women in the village, I did want to know how to use a weapon, but none of the blades were small enough for me. So he gave me a dagger and I practiced with it as often as I could. Came in pretty handy when I went hunting for rabbit." She grinned at him slyly. "And I could use it to skin my kill as well."

"Let's see if you can do that again," Fili urged, pulling another blade from off his person and handing it to her. "Aim for the heart this time."

Jade smiled and did as directed, planting the weapon right where he had told her to. Two more daggers found their way into her hand, causing her to stare at Fili in wonder. Where did he have them hidden on him?

"Finish him off," Fili urged, waving his hand at the dummy.

Jade complied, placing one of the daggers in the neck and the final one in the groin, causing Fili to let out a low moan of sympathy for the fake opponent.

"I would say he's done for," the dwarrow chuckled, staring at the damage Jade had accomplished. "I think it would be wise to get you a few daggers to keep on you at all times. But you should still continue with your sword lessons. One can never be too prepared, you know."

"I would like that," Jade admitted, having enjoyed her lessons with Fili. He was a good teacher, not too harsh or critical, and easy to learn from. "And maybe, once I master the sword…I could try one of those axes?" She pointed to the deadly looking double edged weapon sitting on one of the racks, finding that it somehow spoke to her dwarfish side.

"Ahhh, got a taste for chopping, do ya? Dwalin will be pleased to hear that," Fili laughed. "He might even want to train you himself."

"Not you?" she asked, sounding shocked, and a bit disappointed, by the idea. Not that she had anything against Lord Dwalin, but she felt far more comfortable around Fili.

"I'm not exactly an expert with an axe," he admitted. "Swords are more my specialty. But as long as you don't expect finesse, I can get the job done." He then got a sly smile on his face, reaching out to tip her chin up with his finger. "Is there a reason you're opposed to Dwalin teaching you…instead of me?"

"No, of course not," she told him stubbornly, not wanting him to imagine that she favored his company over the bald warrior…which she did. "I just figured that Lord Dwalin would be far too busy to bother showing me how to use an axe. That's all."

"I see," Fili grinned. "That is very considerate of you, My Lady. Yet, as my intended, it would be an extension of his duty as captain of the guard to see that you are well prepared for your roll as princess of Erebor…and weapons training would be one of them."

"But…but I won't ever be a princess!" she insisted, her eyes growing wide. "This is all a ruse!"

"Aye, but not everyone knows that, do they?" he pointed out, the thought oddly hurting him more than he cared to admit. "And it would be wise to keep up appearances, wouldn't it?"

"Yes…I suppose," she nodded, still looking a bit on edge by the idea. "I don't want to risk anyone becoming suspicious and thinking badly of you."

"Or you," he added. "Let's not forget that I'm more to blame for this situation than you. And if you have any doubt about that, just ask my uncle or my amad, they will set you straight."

"But I was the one who started all this by showing up in your bed," she reminded him. "I'm just relieved it was your bed, and not someone else's…like the King's! I swear I would have marched right out of the mountain that very night, and never looked back!"

Fili couldn't help but laugh at the image of his uncle finding a pretty dam in his bed, curious as to what he might have done. Yet a second later, his smile was replaced by a frown and a feeling of jealousy over the idea. What would Thorin have done if presented with a beautiful lass in his bed? Jade was striking, and his uncle was after all a male. Again, the thought disturbed him more than he cared to admit. Shaking it off, Fili did his best to laugh along with Jade, not letting on how he truly felt.

"Well, I'm pleased that you did manage to find your way into my room, and no one else's," he stated at last. "For now that gives me the opportunity to escort you around the mountain on my arm, and have all your attention for myself."

"Upon the order of your king," she reminded him. "And only until the delegates leave the mountain. And then I will politely decline your courtship and things can return to normal."

"Yet…until then, I do plan on enjoying myself," Fili insisted. "And I hope you do as well."

Before Jade could answer, there came a voice from the doorway.

"There you two are!" It was Dis, accompanied by Kili, the two making their way down to where the couple stood. "I've been looking for you Jade. I need you to come with me, for there are a few of the older dams that would like to meet you, and it's always better to get unpleasant things over with as quickly as possible."

"Unpleasant?" Jade questioned. "Will I not like them…or will they not like me?"

"I'm willing to bet a little of both," Dis said with a roll of her eyes. "They are the wives of some of Thorin's councilors, and from what I've found, not much pleases them. So don't take it personally, they could find fault with Yavanna herself, and she's the wife of Mahal!"

"If they won't like me…why do they want to meet me?" Jade questioned, looking more than a bit concerned.

"Because they would see it as a slight if you didn't present yourself to them, as if you would possibly need or desire their approval," Dis huffed. "Still, it's a small price to pay to keep the peace, and Thorin would more than likely appreciate us not making a stir among the dams. He's got enough on his plate right now."

"Well…if it's important, then I'm willing," Jade nodded, though still feeling rather unsettled by the idea. She then looked up at Fili, hope shining in her eyes. "Will you be coming too?"

"Not on your life!" he stated, holding up his hands and taking a step back. "They would eat me alive!" He then smiled at Jade. "You at least have a chance of making a good impression, and I fear my presence would only hamper that. I would rather face a hoard of orcs than that passel of dams."

"Well…that's reassuring," Jade said, giving a nervous laugh.

"Don't let him worry you," Dis said with a roll of her eyes. "He just knows that both he and Kili have not exactly endeared themselves to the dams over the years. Their cheeky nature and well-known pranks have ruffled a few feathers back in Ered Luin, and the dams are not the forgiving sort."

"In our defense, we were only dwarflings at the time," Kili protested. "It's not our fault they have such long memories. And it was all in fun."

"Fun for you perhaps…but not for them, it would seem," Dis reminded her sons, though even she couldn't help but give a little snort of laughter. "Still, one must atone for their mistakes, and it would appear you have yet to do so in their eyes. Let's hope that Jade here can buy you some good will."

"What did you two do to them?" Jade questioned, suddenly very interested in the backstory.

"Nothing much…honest!" Kili stated in their defense. "And no one could prove anything!"

"Proving something, and knowing for a fact that we were behind the prank, apparently meant nothing to them," Fili sighed. "And really, how likely was it that a toad that size would have found its way into their teapot all by itself. We really didn't think things through."

"And you two laughing yourselves silly outside the door wasn't a giveaway or anything either, now was it?" Dis pointed out.

"Again…we were dwarflings!" Kili pleaded their case. "You can't expect us to have thought of everything!"

"I would simply have preferred that you thought better of your idea in the first place," Dis told them, taking Jade by the hand. "Come now, my dear. It would appear that we need to stop and let you clean up before we go. Best get this over with before dinner time, and hope their sour disposition does not ruin the meal for you."

"Good luck," Fili called, looking rather sympathetic as his mother led her out of the training area.

"Poor lass," Kili said with a sigh. "Good thing this courtship is all a ruse, or I would worry it would be over by nightfall."

"Oh, I think Jade will fair pretty well against those wargs," Fili chuckled, knowing that there was more to the dam than met the eye. After all, she had just thoroughly impressed him with her ability to handle a dagger, not to mention her quick uptake with the sword. "She's got more backbone than one would imagine."

"She would have to, if she's had to put up with you for most of the day," Kili laughed, ducking his brother's playful swat. Yet it was then that he saw several of Fili's daggers sticking out of the practice dummy not far away. "Yikes…I hope that wasn't me you were imagining when you planted those!"

"No…and it wasn't me who placed them there either," Fili told his brother, stepping over to retrieve his blades. "It was Jade!"

"She did that?" Kili flinched and looked away as his brother pulled the one weapon from the dummy's crotch area. "Remind me not to get on her bad side!"

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Jade gave a sigh of relief as she and Dis left the tearoom where she had been thoroughly interrogated by the handful of older dams. With there being such a shortage of the female kind among the dwarves, the few there were had formed a rather tight knit klatch, and one even Dis was hesitant to cross. Yet, once you had their good graces, you were pretty much guaranteed not to be bothered again. And thankfully, it appeared that Jade had done just that, having said all the right things during the tea party.

"I am very impressed with how you handled yourself in there, Jade," Dis smiled, patting the younger dam on the shoulder. "You did very well."

"Only because you were at my side," Jade assured her. "Otherwise, I swear I would have ran out of the room screaming."

"And I wouldn't have blamed you either," Dis laughed. "They can be rather ruthless at times. But fear not, they liked you…which might not be a good thing in the long run."

"What? Why?" Jade had thought that was the idea…to get them to accept her as Fili's intended.

"Because now they will want to visit with you more often," Dis told her, rolling her eyes and making Jade chuckle.

"Well, they will lose interest in me soon enough," Jade stated. "When I turn down Fili's final courting gift, and return to being just a simple dwarrowdam with no status, they won't care if I live or die."

"But I will," Dis assured her, placing her arm around her shoulders and pulling her in close. "I liked you long before this all took place, and I will continue to like you after it's over. I just hope that you and my sons can remain friends…I would hate to see things become awkward for you."

"I don't blame Fili…or Kili…in the least for this," Jade told her with an understanding smile. "And I'm very much enjoying spending time with your son, Lady Dis. He is both entertaining, and quite polite."

"Well, good," she nodded. "I'm glad to know that some of my training paid off. I often worried that they would take after their uncle too much, but it would appear they also inherited their father's light-hearted ways, much to my relief."

"What was he like…your husband I mean?" Jade asked, eager to know. "You said once that Fili favors him greatly."

"That he does, my proud little lion," Dis smiled fondly. "Flinn, their father, had a fine mane of golden hair and beard to match, though he had soft brown eyes like Kili's, where Fili inherited the Durin blue. Yet it was his playful nature that drew me to him, and that's what both my lad's inherited from their father. We all suffered hard times while in exile, until Thorin built up the kingdom in Ered Luin, but both Fili and Kili kept our spirits alive with all their pranks and silliness. I don't know what we would have done without those two, and I thank Mahal every day for the gift of my sons."

"I can tell that they love you a great deal as well, Lady Dis," Jade remarked. "They would do just about anything to please you."

"Thank you for saying so," Dis replied. "I've always felt they are fine lads, but it's nice to hear so from others. Sometimes I think I might be a bit biased." This got both women laughing, and that is how they entered the dining hall.

Oh, Dis, I think you know you have two very special lads there!

And look, Jade CAN defend herself...but she has a taste for swords and axes now...her dwarfy side is showing.

Guest Reviews:

Aranel Mereneth: Yes, Fili was a dumb Durin in LSoD, but here he has not figured out what his feelings are yet. He hasn't known her very long, and they don't share a son, so yeah...he's clueless. And Fili will always get a happen ending and live in my stories. So rest assured, you will not be left in tears...unless tears of joy. ha ha.