Here we go, another chapter!

Please note, I was told that not everyone received notice by the FF site when chapter three was posted...so make sure you have read that chapter before you read this one. You don't want you to get out of order and miss something important to the plot line.

Thanks

~X~

~X~

Chapter 4

The next two days passed quickly, with nothing of interest to report. Fili was a perfect gentleman, seeing to his captive's needs as best he could without allowing her out of his sight. The long chain on her arm might have been a bit cumbersome, but at least it afforded her a measure of privacy when he was forced to take her to the woods when nature called. Standing at a distance behind a tree, he would only insist that she shake the chain every now and again to prove to him she had not somehow slipped away. Each trip was embarrassing for both of them, yet they managed to endure.

By the third day their provisions began to run low and Fili announced that he must go hunting if they wished to continue eating. He hated the thought of leaving his little princess chained to a wall while he was away, yet there was no other way around it. He could not take her with him, for how could he possibly try and sneak up on his prey while watching his back to make sure she did not attack him? He had seen that look in her eyes many times over the past few days, her desire to escape still burning within her, and he could only assume she would do just about anything to see that wish fulfilled.

~X~

"If I leave you a weapon, with which to defend yourself should the need arise, do you promise not to harm yourself with it while I am gone?" Fili asked, twirling a long bladed dagger with his fingers.

"I wish to be free, not end my life," she told him with a huff. When he cleared his throat, withholding the weapon until he heard the words from her own lips, she gave in. "Yes, I promise not to slit my own throat while you are away."

"Do you also promise not to use the blade to free yourself and escape?" he pressed.

"Now that I cannot guarantee," she informed him in no uncertain terms. "As a captive, it is my obligation to try and free myself. You cannot ask me to go against my nature, can you?"

"I suppose not, but it does not matter anyway," Fili said with a shrug. "That is dwarf metal that holds you and a little dagger such as this would be useless against it. Try all you like, Daeloness, you will not free yourself."

"In that case, may I have the blade?" she asked, holding out her hand impatiently.

"Of course," he laughed, placing the hilt in the palm of her hand. "I will however expect it back upon my return, for I am not foolish enough to allow you to keep it. In the meantime, you could make good use of it to peel and chop some of the remaining root vegetables for a stew. I might not be as good a cook as Bombur, but should I bring back a coney or two, I think we shall feast rather well."

"And should they prove to elude you, master hunter, we shall dine on vegetables alone, courtesy of me," she said in a teasing tone, causing him to narrow his eyes at her barb.

"We shall see, little princess…we shall see," he huffed, grabbing a bow and arrows as he mounted his shaggy white pony and headed down the woodland path, now more eager than ever to prove his hunting skills.

~X~

It did not take long for Fili to track and kill several wild rabbits, causing him to grin with pride as he imagined the look on Daeloness' face upon his triumphant return. The two of them had exchanged many heated words of contempt over the past few days, and yet he had never before enjoyed sparring with anyone as much as her. In fact he would often say things just to bait her into responding, fascinated by the way her eyes would dance with the flames of defiance and conviction. They also had plenty of friendly conversations as well, with him telling her tales of his dwarf kin and the many adventures they had been on. More than once he had her laughing merrily at one of his stories, causing him to realize she looked twice as beautiful when happy as she did angry. It was then he decided to modify his conversations, just to see her smile more often.

It still bothered him to think of the life they would be condemning her to, should they return her to the water king, according to the bargain they had proposed. A small part of him hoped that the king of Tellmar would refuse, allowing them to possibly set her free if she proved of no further use. However, that would mean acquiring the water stone another way…one that might not be very pleasant.

Fili felt trapped between a rock and a hard place for sure.

As he headed back to the camp, always on alert for danger, he found himself urging his pony to quicken its pace at the thought of seeing Daeloness again, her golden hair and azure blue eyes almost beckoned to him. At night, when he dared to sleep, she would fill his dreams and he suddenly realized that he was giving his little captive far more consideration than was wise. He was a warrior, a prince and a loyal subject to Thorin…he could not afford to develop feelings for a girl he would soon be forced to give away. Besides, the girl hated him, probably wishing his death a million times over each day, making a relationship impossible and doomed from the start. And yet…Fili could not deny the attraction.

As a young dwarf of only eighty two winters, he had never truly been in love before. Sure, a dwarf maid or two had caught his eye, and he was no stranger to the backrooms of the occasional tavern or the sultry arms of a busty wench - yet none of them had ever managed to touch his heart. Perhaps, much like his uncle, he too did not wish to court a bride until he knew he could offer her a home and security, assuming that he was able to find his one. Kili on the other hand, had already claimed to be head over heels in love so many times, that Fili had long since lost count. At only five years his junior, Kili had no shortage of women lining up in hopes of catching the eye of the dark prince. A less secure dwarf might have been jealous of his younger brother's conquests, but Fili knew he wanted more…he wanted something deeper, and he was willing to wait until the maid that Mahal had deemed to be his one presented herself.

~X~

Daeloness had kept her word and not attempted suicide with the blade Fili had left her. She was in no hurry to die, and until the day she would be forced to speak her vows and marry Lord Palnish, there was always hope of escape. But first she would need to be rid of the blasted cuff and chain around her wrist! Since she had told Fili flat out that she would make every attempt to free herself, she felt no guilt as she used the dagger to try and release the locking mechanism on her bonds. Yet try as she might, it would not budge, neither would the large spike he had embedded into the stone wall. She gave a bit of a laugh at her foolishness, for what did she expect from a dwarf, were they not widely known for their expertise with stone and metal?

Once she had exhausted her attempts at escape, she sat down and began to prepare the food for dinner. As her stomach gave a growl of protest, she found herself hoping that Fili would indeed prove successful in his hunt. She had not doubted his ability to provide, even if she had hinted otherwise, for he was obviously more than capable of doing so. In fact, as she thought more about the golden prince, she had to admit that she almost admired him. Not only was he a skilled warrior, if his many tales were to be believed, but he had a way about him that put her at ease, often causing her to burst forth with merry laughter at his jokes and quips.

Daeloness had never met a dwarf before being taken captive…in fact she had not met hardly anyone in her own short life. The servants who cared for her and saw to her needs and education had been few, and none of the men among them had been young or handsome. This left the sheltered princess to wonder if, by the standards of the world, Fili would be considered good looking. To her he appeared so, his cheeky smile causing her insides to do flip flops every time he became tickled with something…which was thankfully often. How a nephew of the sullen and moody Thorin Oakenshield could be so engaging, she would never know.

Oh, what was she thinking? she chided herself. How could she even be contemplating such things? He was a dwarf and her enemy, while she was a water princess already promised in marriage. The chances of anything coming from all this were slim to none, especially if they did indeed trade her back to her heartless father like they planned. She would return to Tellmar and await her marriage and he would take the water stone and wage war against the dragon Smaug. Neither one of their futures seemed optimistic…so why even bother thinking beyond tomorrow? And yet, Daeloness couldn't seem to stop herself from daydreaming about running her fingers through his golden mane or imagining what his lips would feel like upon hers - his silly little mustache clamps tickling her chin as the kiss deepened and he…

"I have returned!" Fili announced as he broke through the trees, proudly displaying the brace of coneys in his hand. "Tonight we shall eat like kings!"

Daeloness jumped at the sound of his voice, her face becoming flushed at the thoughts that had just been running through her mind. She felt a flutter of excitement, mixed with shame, and she averted her eyes, not even daring to look at him until the sensations passed.

Fili, ever the alert warrior, knew that something had upset his little captive, for not only had she turned several shades of pink, she would not meet his gaze. What exactly was she hiding? A quick glance at the rock wall told him that she had tried to chip away at the spike that held the chain in place, and he was certain if he looked at the cuff on her wrist, he would find scratches there as well. Yet she had warned him that she would try these things, so what was causing her to act so strangely.

Dismounting his pony and tethering him to a nearby tree, Fili headed over to a large rock near their supplies and prepared to skin the rabbits.

"So…tell me," Fili began, watching her from the corner of his eye, "What sort of wicked thoughts have been running around in your mind while I was gone, lass?"

His words shocked Daeloness so greatly that it caused the knife she held to slip when she went to chop the carrot in her hand. She released a hiss of pain and displeasure as the sharp blade sliced through her palm, thankfully not too deep.

Fili was at her side immediately, removing the weapon and setting it far enough away that she would not be able to reach it or use it on him. He grabbed her hand and quickly bound it with a piece of cloth he pulled from inside his leather vest.

"Had I known you were prone to disasters, princess, I would never have allowed you to handle something so sharp!" He was up and gathering supplies before his words were barely out of his mouth, returning with a bowl of water, some ointment and bandages. He removed the rag and placed her hand in the cooling water, frowning as he watched it turn red. "It appears you managed to chop an entire bowl of vegetables without incident, what caused you to falter now?"

"Your…your question…it…" she was unable to finish her sentence, realizing just how improper any explanation on her part would be.

"You need not be ashamed," he told her as he dried her hand and began to smooth the ointment across the cut. "I knew all along what you had been thinking."

"You…you did?" Her eyes grew wide with shock…how could he have known?

"I do not begrudge you your efforts or thoughts of escape, Daeloness," Fili assured her. "In fact, I would be shocked if you had not been plotting such ideas in my absence. However, the fact that you are still here, simply confirms that dwarfish metal craft is stronger than a small dagger." He then looked down at the red gash in her palm. "Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for your hand." Fili had expected her to laugh, or at least smile, over his jest – yet instead she only stared at him with wide eyes. Had he been wrong about the nature of her thoughts? When she suddenly blushed once more and attempted to pull her hand from his gentle hold, he began to think perhaps it had been something else entirely. What had caused her to stumble with the blade, he wondered.

They fell into an uncomfortable silence as Fili wound the strips of cloth around her wound. As he did so, he became keenly aware of how the feel of her skin beneath his fingers seemed to ignite a blaze within his chest. She was so soft, so warm – like the finest velvet and he wished to never let go. Yet soon his ministrations were complete and he knew he must, or run the risk of going back on his word about never touching her without her permission. Still, he wondered if she had felt the same stirrings he had…was she by some chance entertaining thoughts similar to his?

"I would say you have done enough chopping for one meal," he informed her, tossing out the bowl of water and putting the supplies back in his pack. "I will finish dressing the coneys while you rest, we would not want you to injure your hand more than it already is." She nodded in compliance and went back to her spot against the wall, still apparently slightly rattled by her wound and mysterious thoughts. As Fili worked to skin his catch, he would glance over at her every now and again, catching her either fingering her bandage thoughtfully or watching him attentively.

Yes, indeed…what had his little princess been thinking?

~X~

Dinner had been delicious, but unlike the past few days, the conversation was a bit stilted. Fili did everything he could think of to pull her from her solace, yet she seemed determined to keep her opinions to herself. Yet when he pulled out his fiddle and came to sit down a few feet away, she visibly brightened.

"You play?" she asked, breaking their almost hour long silence with her question.

"Usually my brother accompanies me, but yes, I play," he nodded, a smile gracing his lips at her inquiry.

"You miss him, don't you?" It came out more as a statement than a question.

"We are very close," Fili confirmed, lowering his eyes as he began to tune the instrument. "And being my younger brother, I of course worry about him when we are parted."

"Tell me about your family…your childhood," she urged, pulling her knees up as she circled her arms around them, hugging them close.

"I am sure I would bore you to tears with a story like that," Fili laughed, not taking her seriously.

"No…I want to hear it," she persisted. "I told you about my life…will you not do me the courtesy of returning the favor?"

Fili stared at her for a moment before putting the fiddle down and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Very well," he nodded. "What would you like to know?"

"Anything. Tell me about your parents, or your brother…or even your humorless uncle, if that is what you wish." Daeloness smiled as her last statement caused the handsome dwarf to laugh.

"Yes, I suppose to some he can seem a bit…severe," he agreed. "However, when my father was killed in an orc raid, it was he who stepped in and took over as man of the house for our mother, Dis. I was only eight at the time and Kili had just turned three. My brother can't even remember our father, while I have only scattered memories of him, causing our Uncle Thorin to have always been the male influence in our lives."

"And yet you can joke and laugh, where he…well I suppose I don't have to tell you that Thorin appears to have no sense of humor at all," she said with a huff, recalling how he had spoken to her when they first met.

"Thorin is highly driven, which leaves little time for jocularity," Fili agreed, his smile never fading. "Yet I could tell you stories of pranks and sneak attacks and things about Erebor's future king that would shock you. The weight of reclaiming our homeland is a heavy burden and it has taken its toll on him, but Kili and I know the true Thorin - the uncle who cared for us, taught us to fight, and treated us just as any father would a pair of sons. I owe him everything…I owe him my life."

"I wish I felt such loyalty to my kin," Daeloness murmured, resting her chin on her knees. "I have six brothers, and do you know that I couldn't even tell you the names of two of them? That is just how isolated I have been, forced to glean information of my own family from servants who might let something slip, if I was extra clever in the asking. And to tell you the truth…Marshaun is probably the only one I could identify by sight. You are very lucky, Fili, and I would give anything to have what you possess."

"What is that exactly?" he asked, though he was pretty sure he knew the answer already.

"A true family whom you love…and who loves you in return," she responded, staring into the fire as if she were a million miles away.

"Never give up hope, princess," Fili told her, his tone full of compassion. "Miracles do happen you know. At least I have to believe so…if we are to stand a chance against the dragon, Smaug."

"Well…" she said, seeming to come out of her trance and looking him directly in the eye, "if the ease in which your company captured me, and how well you have managed to keep me confined is an example of the resourcefulness of dwarves, I would say that you will more than give that fire breathing drake a run for his gold!"

"Technically, that gold belongs to us…he stole it," Fili pointed out, once more breaking into one of his charismatic smiles, the kind that sent butterflies throughout her stomach.

"I stand corrected, oh, mighty prince," she laughed, extending her arms and bowing her head respectfully. "A pox upon me for my heinous oversight of the facts."

"You are forgiven, dear lady," he responded with a laugh. "And to prove it, I offer you a choice. Do you wish to hear stories of how Kili and I put those grey streaks in Thorin's hair, or a tune on my fiddle?" Fili asked, more than pleased to have the feisty and talkative Daeloness back.

"Stories first…and then music!" she insisted, clapping her hands together in delight.

"Your wish is my command," he nodded, before he felt obligated to add, "…up to a point, that is."

And so he told her tale after tale, having her practically rolling with laughter over some of the tight scrapes and predicaments the two young brothers had gotten themselves into and how Thorin had been called upon to get them out. By the time he was done, even Daeloness had to admit that she had gained a new respect for the king in exile, thinking that after all he had endured with those two, it was shocking that he wasn't twice as sullen…or insane!

Fili's fiddle playing was also a delight, and he entertained her with several tunes before he saw her eyes begin to droop. Finishing up, he laid the instrument aside and told her it was time she turned in, claiming that he would stay up for a bit and tend the fire, since he was not yet tired. Without much fuss Daeloness agreed, burrowing under the soft furs with her face turned towards him.

"Thank you for the stories, Fili," she told him, as a small yawn escaped her rosy lips.

"You are most welcome, Daeloness," he nodded, pulling out his pipe and filling the bowl.

"Again with the pipe?" she questioned with a heavy sigh. "That really is an annoying habit."

"So is the fact that you keep griping about it," he teased back, making a big display of lighting it and taking a few puffs for good measure. "Go to sleep, princess. With your eyes closed you will not have to watch me smoke."

"Fine, dwarf!" she huffed, rolling over so that her back was now to him. However, Fili did not notice the slight flick of her wrist as she did so, until his pipe suddenly extinguished for no apparent reason. Pulling out a second match, he attempted to light it again, but to no avail. When a third match failed as well, he stuck his finger inside the bowl to inspect things, only to find that his pipe weed was now soaking wet. In fact, when he turned it over and tapped it out on a nearby rock, it looked as if someone had filled the whole thing with water.

"Daeloness!" Fili grumbled, looking over to see her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. And while he knew he should be upset, for pipe weed of this caliber was hard to come by, he couldn't stop the sly little grin that spread across his lips.

She really was a very remarkable woman, he thought to himself. Very remarkable indeed!

awwww, do you think they are starting to fall in...shall I say it...LOVE?

But the days are passing quickly and soon he will have to give her up...how sad.

Please drop me a line and let me know what you think of my story :o) Thank you.