Things are starting to heat up and we are almost to the climax of the story...just a few more fun ones before the dragon poop hits the fan. ha ha.

Thanks again for all those who have been reviewing. It meas a lot.

~X~

~X~

Chapter 8

As morning broke the following day, Fili began to feel a heaviness in his chest, realizing that his time with Daeloness was growing short. Thorin had told him he would be in place at the High Plains by midweek, and that was now only a day or so away, depending on how quickly the water king responded to their request for the exchange. Even if she had shocked him the night before with her attempt to smoke his pipe, Fili had enjoyed their conversation very much, having learned more about her as well as the ways of her people. He could see that her ability to govern the sex of the children she would bear would indeed be a desirable thing to a king, especially to one who had recently lost all his heirs in battle. Yet it still made him physically ill to think of her being forced into a marriage that she did not want. Fili had never met the water king of Ekmus, but he found he wished him dead a hundred times over, more than willing to lop off his tyrannical head personally if given the chance.

Fili tried his best not to think about what was to come in the next few days, wishing for nothing more than another pleasant day in the company of Daeloness. The troubles and strife of this world would encroach upon them soon enough, why go borrowing heartache in the meantime?

~X~

"It would appear we are running low on water," Fili announced, picking up the two empty water skins. "I will need to go fill them."

"May I come with you?" Daeloness asked, eager to venture farther than the few yards from camp she had thus been allowed to go. "I promise I will not try and run away."

"I know you will not," Fili assured her, sure that she would keep to her word. "And I see no reason why you can't accompany me." He would feel better if she were with him anyway, for he always hated the idea of leaving her alone unprotected.

Daeloness jumped to her feet, excited by the prospect of seeing new sights. During her failed escape attempt, she had not taken the time to observe her surroundings and she was now looking forward to taking a closer look. There had been very little to see from the windows of her tower, and what she could spy from there had been mostly within the city walls, leaving the forest and mountains a mystery to her.

Fili smiled the entire way to the creek, watching Daeloness closely as each new sight and sound seemed to capture her attention. He was beginning to wonder if they might die of thirst before they reached their destination, the empty water skins still slung over his shoulder as they made their way through the forest. They finally arrived at the stream, after taking two detours – one to follow a baby fox and the other to pick a handful of wild flowers that had caught her eye.

The bubbling stream seemed to almost welcome the water princess as she drew near, and Fili could have sworn the rapids leapt higher as she removed her shoes and stepped within its banks. There she stood, allowing the liquid to soak up her travel worn trouser legs as she shut her eyes in contentment. She seemed at home among the waters…she seemed at peace.

Fili left her to her thoughts as he headed upstream a bit and began to fill the skins, keeping a close eye on their surroundings just in case danger came calling. He had just finished his task when he saw that Daeloness had opened her eyes and seemed to be staring at something past him.

"Do you hear that?" she asked, her tone of wonderment not causing him too much alarm.

"Hear what?" Fili questioned back, straining to catch the sound of anything out of the ordinary.

"I hear…water!" she told him excitedly.

"Of course you do, you are standing in the middle of it," he laughed, thinking that she must be joking with him.

"No, I hear more water…up that way," she pointed, jumping from stone to stone as she made her way out of the stream and grabbed her boots. "Come on…I will prove it."

Fili was not sure if he should indulge her spirit of adventure, for they were already a fair distance from the camp, and while he had his blades with him, he would much rather engage an enemy with his back to a wall of stone than be left exposed on all sides, surrounded by a forest. Still, she seemed quite adamant and he saw little harm in taking one final side trail.

In no time at all, Fili could hear it as well…a waterfall! And as they followed the stream to its source, they exited the thicket to see a beautiful little lake, fed by a breathtaking cascade of water falling from the cliff overhead.

"Oh, Fili," she gasped, taking a few steps closer in awe. "May I?"

"May you what?" he asked, scoping out the area for any signs of wild animals who might have come to the watering hole to drink.

"May I go for a swim?" she pleaded, looking from him to the pool and back again anxiously. "I have not had a bath in almost a week and…and…oh, please, Fili…it looks so inviting!"

The bewildered dwarf gave a heavy sigh. He had not intended to be gone from camp this long, yet the imploring look in her eyes was his undoing.

"Yes, you may," he nodded, tossing the skins down on the shore as he took out one of his swords and set about standing guard. "Just be quick about it."

With an almost squeal of glee, Daeloness began to unbutton her tunic, eager to get into the water. She had not gone very far when she stopped and looked over at her reluctant captor, raising an eyebrow at him as he stood there staring.

"I would think a gentleman would turn around while a lady undresses," she teased, noting that he had not seemed aware of his blunder in decorum.

Fili's eyes grew wide with embarrassment and he instantly spun around, putting his back to her.

"Forgive me…I…I was not thinking," he muttered, his face turning red at the sound of her merry laughter. Fili had honestly been far too distracted with thoughts of keeping his princess safe, that he had not even realized that she had begun to undress. Though now that he knew she was directly behind him, stripping off her clothing piece by piece…suddenly that was all he could think about.

When he heard her wading out into the water and the sound of a gentle splash as she dived in, he had to force his eyes to remain focused straight ahead and not succumb to the temptation to peek over his shoulder. He released a low growl and crossed his arms across his chest, determined to not give in to that wicked voice in his head a second time. He would remain resolute!

"Fili!" Daeloness called, followed by the sound of more splashing. "Fili, look!"

Oh, now she wanted him to look? She was trying to kill him, wasn't she?

"I fear it would not be proper for me to turn around at the moment, my lady," he argued.

"I am modestly covered," she protested. "I give you permission to turn around…please, Fili, I wish to show you something."

More than eager to feast his eyes on anything she wished to put on display, Fili gave in to his desires and slowly turned around, his eyes moving from the pile of clothing on the bank to the golden goddess, shoulder deep in the shimmering pool. She was indeed dressed in some kind of shift, her tantalizing skin mostly covered, robbing him of the more intimate sights he had longed to see.

"Watch, Fili!" she called, turning around as she laid her hand out over the water.

"I fear I could not take my eyes off of you, even if I wished it, little princess," he whispered, the power of his voice stolen from him at the mere sight of her. Yet as he stared, Fili became aware of what she was doing, a slight ripple extending from her hand and fanning out into the middle of the pool. Then a burst of water shot straight up, twirling and growing as it took shape. Suddenly the liquid tower transformed into a great winged dragon, soaring and diving high above them. It was so realistic, discounting the fact it was practically translucent, that Fili instantly raised his sword, prepared to defend his charge. Yet as he heard Daeloness laughing, watching the apparition that she had obviously created, he released a sigh and relaxed, standing in awe as he watched the show unfold before him.

As if the dragon was not enough to thoroughly impress him, he watched as the water princess stretched out her other hand, creating a second liquid-like figure. This time…it was him! Fili stood in amazement as he watched an impressive likeness of himself raise a sword and rush forth to do battle with the immense dragon, swinging his weapon as he raced into the fray. The winged drake pulled back and let loose a breath of fire, causing the liquid Fili to brace himself behind the large shield he was carrying. All of this he found quite ironic, since both visions were made of water. As he continued to watch, transfixed by the realistic display, Fili realized just what Daeloness was doing…she was creating the battle he and his kin would soon engage in with Smaug! It was quite surreal to see something he had often imagined himself, brought to life right before his eyes, making the upcoming confrontation seem all the more real.

Yet just then, Fili watched with bated breath as Daeloness ended the melee, causing the fake him to leap forth and strike the dragon down, severing its head from its neck in a triumphant blow. He almost wanted to clap as he saw himself walk over, take the head of the dragon and hold it up in a show of victory. And where the dragon had fallen, a wall of water shot up and formed the shape of a great mountain…Erebor! Their homeland had been reclaimed!

Fili stood there with his mouth hanging open as the waters began to dissipate and return to the pool from whence they came.

"Well?" Daeloness asked, turning back around as she looked at him with expectant eyes. "Did you like it?"

"It was…amazing!" And it truly was! "I have never seen anything like it, the closest being the rare fireworks displays put on by Gandalf the Grey."

"Gandalf the what?" she questioned, not having heard this name before. "Is he another dwarf from your company?"

"Gandalf…a dwarf?" This had Fili laughing at the mere thought. "No, Gandalf is a wizard, one who can make his fireworks take shape and come alive in the night sky, but even he never created anything as real as you just did. I was quite mesmerized by your skills, princess!"

"Why, thank you, Master Dwarf," she said with a bow of her head. "I have never had so much water at my disposal before, having only done small creations up till now. There was a little fountain in the square just below my tower, and at night I would often create my own stories with figures made of water. I of course had to time things just right so that the night watchman who patrolled the square would not see them and alert my father."

"Well, your talents impressed me a great deal," he continued still marveling over what he had just seen. He only prayed that the true victory over Smaug would be as easy…though he highly doubted it.

Shaking his head, Fili brought his thoughts back to their present situation and did a quick sweep of the area, having had his mind and eyes elsewhere far too long.

"Come, Daeloness, we must be getting back," he ordered. "It is time to come out."

"Just a few more moments, please," she called, enjoying her swim far too much. "Why not join me…the water is very pleasant."

"It would not be wise…or safe," he told her, doing his best to keep his eyes on the forest edge and not on her lithe form as she almost danced within the waters. "Besides, if I were in there, who would protect you out here?" His reasoning was sound, but there was also the danger of losing his self-control, should he find himself too close to her in such an appealing state of undress. He had managed to keep his scandalous thoughts in check so far…yet he dared not push it. No, he would remain firm.

"Oh, come now, what harm could it do?" she continued to taunt him, swimming a bit further into the middle of the pool. "Besides, you too have not had a bath in days…perhaps longer."

Fili was beginning to become frustrated with her insistent pleas, and while he would have liked nothing more than to strip off his clothes and feel the cool waters wash away the dust and grime, his chivalrous side would simply not allow it. He was her protector, he must stand guard and protect!

"Daeloness, I will not ask you again," he warned, becoming a bit grumpy at being forced to deny her, and his own, desires. "Come out of there!"

"Come in and make me!" she laughed, taking her hand and slapping at the water as she sent a spray of droplets in his direction.

"If I am forced to do so, you will not like the consequences," he warned her, his usual boyish grin fading as he regarded her sternly. As he watched her face fall and a look of remorse come to her eyes, he knew he had won.

"Fine…I am coming out," she huffed, beginning to swim back in his direction. Yet only after a few yards she suddenly stopped, pulling up short as she turned around in an almost frantic manner. "What…what was that?" she asked, fear rising in her voice.

"What was what?" Fili asked, his eyes frantically scanning the waters as he searched for danger. "I see nothing."

"There!" she squeaked, spinning around once more as she began to slap at the water around her. "Something just brushed against me…something very large!"

"Swim to me, Daeloness!" Fili cried, jabbing his sword into the sand as he ripped off his leather jacket and pulled off his boots in a frantic rush. In an act of compliance, she made a move towards him, but without warning she suddenly appeared to be pulled under the water, her whole body disappearing from his view. "DAELONESS!" Fili cried, tucking one of his knives into his belt as he ran into the water, diving in as he swam with powerful strokes towards where she had last been. When he got to the spot, he whirled around, yet seeing no sign of her, he took a deep breath and ducked under the water. The pool was amazingly clear and once his eyes adjusted, he looked around frantically, desperately searching for whatever might have pulled her down. He stayed under as long as he could, frantically trying to locate her before she ran out of air. When his own lungs screamed in protest he crested the surface, ready to take in a big breath and plunge back under. Yet a voice from the shore stopped him.

"How is the water, Fili?" Daeloness called, sitting there in the sand, completely safe and now fully dressed, just finishing up the buttons on her tunic with a big smile on her face.

Fili floated there for a few moments, treading water as he glared at the grinning girl, the realization that he had just been tricked slowly dawning on him.

"What in the name of Mahal..." he began, anger rising to the fore as he slowly made his way towards the shore. "There was nothing attacking you! You were not drowning at all…were you?"

"Fili, I am the daughter of a water king…do you honestly imagine I would not be completely at home and safe in the water?" she chuckled. "I just wanted to get you to take a bath…and it worked too!"

By now Fili was walking out of the water, his mood having turned quite dark. Once again she had frightened him with her actions, this time making him believe that she was in danger! He could not describe the complete and overwhelming fear that had taken hold of him when he had seen her slip beneath the water, imagining some vicious creature dragging her down to her death. And then to find her sitting on the shore, laughing at him no less, caused him to see red.

Daeloness suddenly realized that perhaps her joke had gone too far, and she scrambled to her feet as she watched her approaching doom.

"Fili…it was only a joke," she said, now beginning to slowly back away. He was dripping wet, breathing heavily and his eyes were the darkest shade of blue she had ever seen. Daeloness knew she should be afraid, for Fili truly appeared terrifying, but instead, she felt a disturbing thrill of excitement run through her body.

"A joke?" he fumed, never slowing down as he kept his eyes trained on her. "You think that leading me to believe you might be dead is a joke?" By now he was within striking distance and before she could take one more step, his hands shot out and he grabbed hold of both her arms and pulled her to him. "Do you have any idea how I felt? How much I feared finding your lifeless body lying at the bottom of the pool? DO YOU?" With each question he gave her a shake, wanting her to feel a bit of the pain he had just experienced…and yet he knew he could not hurt her…no, not ever. He ached to kiss her, to feel her lips once more and prove to himself that she was truly alive, yet he held firm to his vow to control his actions around her. Still he could not simply stand there and shake her, so instead he contented himself with engulfing her in his arms, holding her to him as tightly as his still trembling hands would allow. His heart was just now beginning to slow its rapid pace, yet he was far too overwhelmed to let her leave his embrace.

"I…I am truly sorry, Fili," she told him, her voice slightly muffled as her face was pressed against his chest. "I didn't mean to upset you so…I just wanted you to come join me in the water. I promise to never do such a terrible thing again…please accept my apology?"

By now Fili was beginning to realize he might have overreacted, at last seeing her little stunt for what it truly was…an innocent joke. How many times had he and Kili done similar things to their uncle or their poor mother…even to each other? Laughing themselves silly as they watched the terror spring into the other's eyes, knowing they had scared the living daylights out of them. Suddenly, Fili felt the sting of remorse, realizing just what he must have put those who loved him through with his folly. If they had suffered a fraction of the agony he had just experienced, he would need to make several formal apologies…and soon!

"I do, Daeloness. I am not truly angry," Fili said at last, a long sigh accompanying his words. He pulled back and cupped her face in his hands, once more thanking Mahal a million times over that she was indeed safe in his arms. He was not sure his heart could take much more of this. "Just please…please, never do that to me again!"

"I won't! I swear…never again," she vowed, leaning forward once more as she wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

Fili stood there for a long time, relishing the contact of her slender little body against his own. The sensations she was creating were not lost on him, and he worried if he did not move soon, his body would quickly betray his desires to her. Yet he remained in place, stroking the back of her head and loving the way her golden tresses felt between his fingers. Suddenly he realized, that despite the fact that he was still sopping wet, her hair was completely dry. Pulling her back and holding her at arm's length, he eyed her skeptically.

"How is it that you are no longer wet?" he questioned.

"Easy," she announced, taking her hands and laying them against his chest. Daeloness then shut her eyes and Fili began to feel the oddest sensation, as the water in his wet clothes and hair began to heat up and quickly evaporate into steam. It caused his body to tingle all over and before he knew it, he was completely dry, not a drop of moisture remaining. The experience had been exhilarating, much like the time he and Kili had visited an underground hot springs, his tired muscles having thoroughly enjoyed the moist heat. He watched as Daeloness opened her eyes and stared up at him hopefully. "Now, am I forgiven?"

"Almost," he told her, a sly grin spreading across his own face as he scooped her up in his arms and waded back out into the water, her squeals of protest only being silenced when he tossed her back in. "There…now you are forgiven!" he told her, stomping back out as he picked up his vest and sat down on a log to replace his boots. "You might as well do your laundry while you are in there, princess, for I will not be playing your maid," he called, enjoying her merry laughter as she splashed around trying to regain her footing. Fili truly did love hearing that sound…and he knew he would sorely miss it when she was gone.

~X~

After Daeloness had spent a few more moments rubbing her clothes clean, and effectively drying off in her unique and amazing way, the two of them headed back towards camp. It had been a rather eventful outing, one that Fili would not soon forget…for more reasons than one. For not only had he learned yet another interesting fact about his little captive…he had been granted the sight of her tantalizing bare shoulders and been privileged to hold her in his arms…twice!

This was certain to go down in his mind as one of the best days of Fili's life.

Oh come now Fili...don't set the bar so low...you have a LOT more fun times ahead! Just you wait.

So how did you like the good old swimming hole?

Her little 'water movie'? He should have thought ahead and brought popcorn and a slushie. Right?