Monday his here...time for more Fili and Daeloness!

Hope you enjoy this one.

~X~

~X~

Chapter 10

As he neared the edge of the woods that would filter out into the small clearing of their camp, Fili slowed his pace, reining in his urge to burst forth, in hopes of taking his enemy by surprise. Yet as he stepped through the brush he felt his heart come to a thundering halt at what he saw. Directly before him, its mange ridden head facing away from him, was a monstrously large warg, currently feasting on the small pheasant that was meant to have been their dinner. Daeloness had obviously tossed the half cooked bird at it in an attempt to buy time, as he now saw her edging her way around it in an effort to get over to where Cotton was still tied to the tree. The pony was dancing around, pulling at the rope that held him fast, not wishing to become the warg's next meal. Daeloness held the small dagger he had given her for cooking purposes in her hand, yet Fili knew that it would be next to useless in defending herself against a beast of that size.

As quietly as he could, Fili drew his weapons, clenching his fists around the hilts of his swords anxiously. Yet his movements must have caught the warg's attention, for with one final gulp, the hell-hound downed the paltry bird and whirled around to face the oncoming dwarf.

"FILI!" Daeloness shouted as she too saw him enter the camp, her cry a mixture of relief and warning.

Unfortunately, he had no time to answer back before the mighty beast lunged at him, swiping at him with both teeth and claws. Fili jumped aside, bringing one of his swords down on the warg's shoulder as it flew past him, causing a loud howl of pain and displeasure to emanate from the wolf-like animal. Now able to place himself between the advancing creature and Daeloness, Fili took up a stance of defense, feet apart, both swords bared and a look of death in his eyes.

"Stay behind me!" he ordered, hoping that Daeloness would do as he said, for he could not concentrate on killing the warg if he had to worry about her as well. If she gave any response, it was lost to him as the foul beast sprang forward once again, this time hitting Fili square in the chest with its rock-hard head, sending him tumbling backwards, one of his twin blades flying from his grip. The animal was on him in seconds, one mighty paw landing on his chest and holding him to the ground as it lowered its head, the snarling jaws open wide in an attempt to deliver a death bite. Fili's empty hand shot out, gripping the warg around the neck in an effort to keep it at bay, while his other hand came around, slicing at it with his sword. The beast howled in pain but refused to give up, swinging its powerful head to the side and knocking the blade from Fili's hand. Now all he could do was try and fend the hell-hound off and hope he could reach one of his many other weapons hidden on his person, but as the warg brought its free paw across his chest, he could feel the claws dig deep, slicing through his protective leather and leaving shallow cuts across his flesh. This knocked the wind out of him and for a moment, Fili's strength failed, allowing the salivating jaws to come dangerously near his neck, its hot, foul breath far too close for comfort. The rain that continued to pour down was pelting him in the face, half blinding him as he struggled to ward off his determined foe.

Just when Fili wondered if this might truly be the end for him, he heard a loud cry of rage coming from his right, and before he could comprehend what was going on, Daeloness came hurtling out of the dark and threw herself on the back of the hairy beast. The warg reared up, pulling back as he attempted to throw her small form off, giving Fili just enough opportunity to reach for his fallen sword, expertly placing it deep within the heart of the wretched creature. He felt the animal shudder, screeching out in agony as it thrashed around and then fell to the ground beside him…dead.

Fili scrambled to his feet, covered in mud and dripping wet as he stared at the sight before him. Daeloness still clung to the back of the animal, her eyes shut tight and her slender hands wrapped around the hilt of the small dagger, which was now completely embedded in the back of the warg's thick neck. Her strike had been true, and suddenly Fili wondered exactly who had delivered the death blow that killed the animal…him, or her? Yet he had no time to contemplate these things, or even a moment to catch his breath, for his urgent need to get to Daeloness superseded all else. Stumbling forward, Fili reached out to pull her off the animal, having to take a moment and unclench her fingers from the dagger she still clung to. The little princess was shaking like a leaf and had yet to open her eyes, however her body willingly went where he directed, as he pulled her against him.

"Daeloness," he called, cradling her face in his hands as he searched to see if she had been injured. "Open your eyes…the danger is past. The warg is dead."

She only shook her head, not wishing to see any more of the horrors before her, and buried her face into his chest, clinging to him as if he were the only thing holding her up. Fili wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, making soothing noises as he stroked her wet hair. The rain showed no signs of letting up and Fili knew if he did not get them out of the elements it would not fare well for either of them. So pushing her back from him slightly, he tipped her head up, hating to see that look of terror as she finally opened her eyes.

"I have to get rid of this beast and you need to get under cover," he instructed, waiting until she nodded absentmindedly. "Can you stand on your own?"

"I…I think so," she told him, still sounding as if she were in a daze.

"Go then, I will deal with this," he instructed, reaching down as he grabbed hold of the warg's back legs and began to drag the cumbersome carcass towards the edge of the cliff. Once there he kicked at it with his foot, propelling it over the side, the satisfying thud that came a few seconds later causing him a moment of morbid satisfaction. With that taken care of, and seeing that the pony had not been harmed and was now calming down on its own, Fili spun back around to see to Daeloness. Yet, where he had hoped she would have made her way back under cover like he told her, she was instead still standing just where he left her, staring at her outstretched hands as the rain beat against her blood stained palms. Fili knew it was the warg's blood, and not her own, yet the sight of it turned his stomach, realizing just how close they had come to it truly being hers.

"Are…there any…more of them?" she asked, not looking up, but keeping her eyes trained on her hands.

"No, it appeared to be alone. Perhaps it had been turned out of its pack or its rider had been killed," he told her, approaching quickly as he took her hands in his and began to wipe away the last of the blood, letting the rain aid in the job.

"How…how do you know…?" Her voice was beginning to quiver, her words coming out in small gasps.

"It was big, but appeared starved," Fili explained, placing his arm around her as he slowly guided her back to where their little fire still burned beneath the overhang. "No orc would allow one of their wargs to become so famished, for if they did, it would quickly turn on its rider and eat him. I assure you, this one was all alone…there were no other tracks. Trust me, Daeloness…you are safe."

At his final words, when she at last realized the danger had passed, she suddenly gave way to tears, her legs no longer able to support her as she collapsed against him. Not breaking stride, Fili scooped her up and carried her the final few yards to their rocky shelter, setting her down as he did all that he could to calm her. She was shaking violently now and her eyes were wide open and glazed over with an almost frantic look in them, causing the dwarf to realize that she was succumbing to what they called battle-fear. Fili knew the only cure for this was to get her warm and dry, and he could do none of these things while she was dripping wet. The dwarf prince was truly caught between a rock and a hard place.

However when she began to sway back and forth, on the verge of losing consciousness, he knew he had no choice. So steeling his mind against the task at hand, he quickly began removing her sodden clothing, keeping himself focused on her face and away from the tantalizing flesh being exposed to his hungry eyes. When she was down to the thin shift she had worn when swimming the other day he stopped, not daring to go any further. It was lightweight enough that it should not be a hindrance to her comfort and he immediately wrapped her in their sleeping furs, doing his best to heat up her body as quickly as possible. In an effort to hasten his own drying time, he stripped off a few of his outer layers as well, cringing slightly as he felt the scratch marks the warg had given him pull and stretch across his chest. Yet he knew his wounds were minor and he was far more concerned with seeing to the care of his little princess, so tossing what little wood they had left on the fire, he draped a blanket around his shoulders and positioned himself against the rock wall, pulling the bundled Daeloness across his lap, holding her as close to him as he could, in an attempt to share what little body heat he had to offer.

After a few minutes Daeloness was still shaking, and Fili was unsure if it was from the cold or the shock. He continued to speak to her, assuring her that she was safe and that everything was going to be all right, yet the longer she remained unresponsive the more worried Fili became. The adrenalin that had filled his blood at the sight of her in danger had long since worn off, and now he could feel his own body plummeting to the full depths of terror at the thought of what might have happened. If he had not arrived when he did…if he had delayed even a minute longer…oh, he could not even think of such things. Or what if he had failed in his attempt to fend off the beast, like he almost had, leaving her to its ultimate mercy…no, she was safe…she was alive…and she was in his arms! That was all he would allow himself to focus on.

~X~

Fili was not sure how much time had passed, but he could see that the fire was starting to burn low, and just like he had feared, the standing water on the ground began to pool and run into their small alcove, creeping dangerously close to where they sat and threatening to cause them further discomfort. Yet he would not budge! He would willingly suffer through whatever it took to see that Daeloness was kept warm, dry and comfortable.

Soon the rain began to subside at last, narrowing down to a slight drizzle. He realized that Daeloness had ceased shaking some time ago, however Fili never stopped stroking her hair, nor did he release her from his arms, unwilling to part with this bit of contentment he had found. It was somewhere during these quiet moments, her soft form nestled against his body, that it finally hit him.

Daeloness was his one!

He had felt it all along, but the situation, as well as the fact that she was not a dwarrowdam, had kept him from truly embracing the idea. Yet suddenly it made perfect sense. The way he had immediately felt drawn to her…how she continually tied his stomach into knots with a simple look or touch. It did not matter that she was not of his race…the only thing he cared about was that she was Daeloness…his love…his one! Many times, other married dwarves had tried to explain the concept to him, how they just knew, what it felt like when the realization hit them, and Fili had found each account ridiculous and laughable. Yet now he knew that everything they said had been correct.

The golden prince just knew.

Part of him was elated, while at the same time, he groaned inwardly. What would Thorin say? Would he understand? It was not as if he had chosen this, there was nothing a dwarf could do about who his one proved to be. He knew of some who had fought these feelings, the two proving to be the most unlikely candidates to be matched, having some form of family animosity or whatever going on in their lives. Yet in the end, they were forced to give in and just accept it…for there was no fighting it when your one was revealed. However, Fili did not want to fight, he did not wish to deny his feelings any longer…he loved Daeloness and he was proud to call her his! And yet…she was not his! She was promised to another and he, of all people, was charged with the duty of seeing that she was returned to this madman who would take her as an unwilling bride! Well by Mahal's Hammer, he swore it would not happen! Fili would fight to keep her…he would die in the attempt if needs be…but he knew he could never live without her. Not now…not ever!

And then he saw it, lighting up the darkened sky with a series of brilliant colors, each flash like a dagger to his heart.

Thorin had just sent up the signal. The deal had been struck…and Fili was now being summoned to bring the princess to the High Plains for the trade. No…he couldn't do it. He just couldn't.

"What was that?" came Daeloness' quiet voice, a bit muffled by the fact that he had wrapped her in so many layers of blankets and furs. She attempted to sit up, thinking perhaps there might be more of the pretty lights in the sky.

"It…it was nothing," he lied, tugging at her in an effort to get her to settle back down. "Just ignore it and try to get some sleep."

"Fili…you are not telling me the truth," she surmised, knowing that something had set him on edge. Granted it could still be blamed on the warg attack, yet something told her it had more to do with the lights in the sky…and then it hit her. "It was the signal you have been waiting for…isn't it? That is the sign from your uncle, telling you that my father has agreed to the trade. Don't lie to me, Fili."

"Very well…it was the signal," he responded gruffly. "Yet it does not matter…nothing matters any more. I will not see you handed over to that swine! I can't let you return!"

Daeloness at last managed to sit up straight, practically having to dig her arms out of the cocoon of blankets. Turning so that she could look him in the face she stared at him in shock.

"What are you saying?" she gasped. "Fili…we talked about this. You cannot go against Thorin and I would never ask you to. What has gotten into you?"

"Do you not know, Daeloness?" he questioned, daring to hope that she somehow felt it too. She might not be a dwarrowdam, but surely she could sense the connection between them…there was no possible way she could deny it.

She stared at him for a long time, looking deeply into his eyes, examining every detail of his face in hopes of deciphering the clues laid out before her. She thought she knew…she hoped she was right…but she dared not believe without proof. Finally she decided the only way to know for sure was to ask.

"Why…why did you kiss me before, Fili," she questioned, her voice hardly above a whisper. "When you found me after I ran away…why did you do it?"

His eyes grew wide as he looked at her in shock and disbelief.

"You need to ask why?" he responded, thinking it the most foolish inquiry in the world. "You require that I voice my reasons out loud? Can you not guess?"

"It is just that…you were so angry with me…I did run from you and I…" She halted there and swallowed the fear that had lodged itself in her throat, "…did you do it to punish me, Fili?" She prayed the answer was no, but she had to know for sure.

"To punish you?" Fili gasped, gently gripping her by the shoulders as he stared at her in disbelief. "How can you even ask such a thing?" The next thing he knew he had pulled her against his chest, crushing her to him as he held on for dear life. Her head was tucked under his chin, her cheek resting against his collarbone as his right hand came up to let his fingers run through her hair. "I could no more hurt you than I could wound myself…for you are my heart," he whispered. "I kissed you because a part of me could no longer go on living without doing so. I kissed you because that has been the only thing I have thought about since the second we met, and every moment since. I kissed you, Daeloness, because I love…" as quick as lightning she cut him off mid-sentence.

"No!" she cried, pulling back and reaching up to silence his lips with her fingers. "Please, don't say it," she begged, looking away as tears sprang to her eyes.

Fili cupped her chin with his trembling hand and turned her face back to his.

"But it is true," he confessed, shocking even himself with the alien words. "You are my one, Daeloness…the only woman in all of Middle Earth designed by Mahal to be my mate. It is you."

"I can't be…I won't let it be true," she objected, covering her ears with her hands in order to block out the sound of his confessions of love, tears of grief coming to her eyes. "It would be far too cruel a torment to know that you…you love me…only to be denied such things for the rest of my life."

"Why deny it?" Fili was confused. "Accept it, and believe that from this day forth, my heart beats only for you!"

"STOP!" she wailed, placing her hands against his chest and pushing backwards in an attempt to get away from him. Yet when he winced and cried out, she stopped, noticing the dark stripes across his tunic for the first time. "Fili…you're hurt!"

"It is nothing," he told her, unwilling to let their previous conversation end that way, he must convince her of the truth.

"Nothing? You're bleeding!" Her tiny hands quickly reached out and began to peel back the shredded layers of his shirt, stripping him of the ruined garment and exposing the now blood encrusted scratches to her worried eyes. She sucked in a breath, her heart racing by what she saw and suddenly she could feel his pain in her own heart. There was no longer any way for her to deny it…Fili was as much a part of her as the air she breathed. If he now claimed that she was his one…then he was just as much hers as well.

Wiggling out of the furs she quickly grabbed for the pack with the medical supplies in it, taking out a rag and holding it up into the air. Instantly the tiny bit of rain that still fell seemed to obey her command and gathered together on the cloth, soaking it well. Wringing it out slightly, she began to wipe away at the blood on his chest, whispering apologies every time he would wince or make a hissing sound through his teeth. When he was all clean, she spread a thick layer of ointment over each razor sharp slice, before taking out a long bandage and asking him to sit up so that she could successfully wrap it around his body. It took a while and the effort caused him no small amount of pain, yet when it was over, he had to admit he felt much better because of it. When he at last leaned back against the wall, she sat there and looked at him in silence, not even noticing the chill in the air or the fact that she was dressed in only her lightweight shift. Fili on the other hand, had hardly been able to keep his eyes off of her, and was now doing a very poor job of not gawking.

"I…I believe you, Fili," she whispered, reaching out to gently run her fingers over the bandage she had just applied. "I can feel you…right here." Daeloness placed her own hand over her chest, directly above her heart. "Part of me knew…I think I always knew, but I simply could not understand what it meant."

"It means you and I are one…we now share the same heart, the same life," he explained, being more versed in this dwarfish custom than her.

"Tonight…tonight you could have lost your life," she murmured, still staring at the now hidden scratches. "That warg could have killed you."

"But it didn't…you didn't let it," he reminded her gently, reaching up to cup her face in his hand. "You saved me."

"And me…I could have died as well. Today could have been my final day on earth," she continued, still acting as if in a daze.

"NO! I would never have allowed that to happen!" he growled, hating to even think of such a thing. Yet he knew it had been a distinct possibility had he come back to camp even a few minutes later.

His tone seemed to snap her out of her stupor and as her eyes locked on his, Fili could tell that she was completely lucid once more.

"Fili…make love to me," she whispered, yet there was no sign of uncertainty in her voice.

"What? Daeloness…you are not serious!" Fili gasped, her shocking request leaving him nearly speechless.

"You said yourself that I am your one…and I feel the same way," she insisted, her tone becoming almost frantic. "I want to be with you…now! No one knows what tomorrow will bring, and after almost facing our end tonight, I do not want to wait one moment longer. I want you to be my first…my only. Please, Fili…don't make me beg."

"No, my little princess…my queen," Fili gasped, leaning forward as he cupped her face in his hands and brought her forehead to his, closing his eyes as he allowed the feelings of love to wash over him. "I would never make you beg. I…I just do not want to do the wrong thing…to move too quickly only to discover later that you did not want this after all."

"I do, Fili…I do, so very, very much," she continued, her hands reaching up into his hair, her fingers fisting there as she brought her lips up to meet his in a deliciously innocent kiss.

He was instantly lost, completely consumed by her unbelievable offer and his desperate need. Fili could no more deny her now than he could throw himself off the cliff and take flight. His body and mind were hers to command and if she wished for him to do this, he found he no longer had the will to argue or fight. In a perfect world he would be taking her to his bed on their wedding night, after their vows had been spoken, and yet he could regret nothing. The circumstances that brought them together and forced them into this unconventional situation be damned! She was his and that was all his clouded mind could understand at that moment. He pulled back, instantly mourning the loss of her lips upon his.

"Are you sure, Daeloness?" he asked one last time, needing to be absolutely positive this was what her heart desired.

"Yes…oh, yes, Fili," she moaned, her hands leaving his hair as they slid down his shoulders and over his muscular arms, pulling at him slightly, eager for him to comply. "Please…make us one."

"Yes, my love…for that is what we shall forever be," he agreed, laying her back against the discarded furs, arranging her gently as he leaned in for one more long, lingering kiss. "You are mine, Daeloness, and I am more than willing to prove it to you. From this moment forward…you are my one…my only."

OH MY...ummm, shall we give these two some privacy? I hope Cotton is not watching!

More on Wednesday, then we will see what these two lovers have been up to. (as if we don't already know, ha ha)

Now...I am not sure if they use the term "make love" in middle earth. But really, there is only so many ways one can say this without sounding cheesy. I hope you all feel it fit the mood appropriately.