She's back! And with another chapter, just for you!

Guest Almara Elf: Glad you are loving it and thank you for the review. Sorry, I am not on Google Plus.

~X~

I added in a few more dwarf words:

"Caragu rukhs - orc dung

Vemu - greetings

Gajut men, Thanu men - Forgive me, my king

~X~

~X~

Chapter 12

Daeloness woke to the feel of a hand pressed over her mouth, her eyes flying open as she instantly began to struggle. Yet the sight of Fili leaning over her, his finger raised to his lips as he silently told her to hush, stilled her movements immediately.

"Don't make a sound, but get dressed quickly," he whispered, releasing her as he rolled over and slipped on his clothing as well. When they were both respectfully covered, he took her by the hand and led her through the trees, careful not to be heard as the sound of horses and metal clashing became louder and louder. Crouching low behind some bushes, they both peeked around and caught sight of where the noises were originating.

Dwarves! A dozen, or more, were riding through the forest, each one armed and battle ready. Their leader was a stout fellow, looking to be about the same age as Thorin, his beard a thick mass of dark hair with several intricate braids decorated with metal clips. They were heading away from the direction Fili had been taking them the previous day, which Daeloness found odd. But it was not until Fili gave what sounded like a curse in a language she could not understand, that it began to give her concern.

"Caragu rukhs!" Fili growled low in his throat as he spun back around, staring motionless into the woods. Daeloness could see his eyes darting this way and that, as if he were frantically plotting something. He then grabbed her hand once again and led them back to their camp.

"Who are they?" Daeloness asked, once she felt they were far enough away to dare to speak, but even then she kept her voice in a whispered tone. "Are they your enemies?"

"No, the leader is my cousin, Dáin, from the Iron Hills," he explained, grabbing things around the camp and quickly packing them away. "He should be at the High Plains with Thorin…what is he doing here, and heading in the wrong direction?"

"Perhaps he is looking for you," she suggested.

Fili froze in place and spun around, staring at her with fear in his eyes. He could feel the ice seeping into his veins, as the implications of his cousin's arrival began to take hold. He was going to lose her! If he revealed himself to Dáin now, their fates would be sealed, there would be no going back. Fili was not ready for this, he had almost convinced himself he could do it, he could allow her to leave his side for just a little while, knowing that he would do anything required to get her back. But now…now that the moment was upon him, he found it impossible. She was his one, his heart, and he could not let her go!

"Come!" Fili barked, grabbing her by the hand and dragging her towards Cotton, throwing on the saddle and quickly cinching it tight. "Take the pony and ride east, you will eventually reach the Iron Hills, there are many dwarf settlements there where you can find safety." He then removed the medallion he wore around his neck, the one his father had made for him, and placed it over her head. Tucking it within the folds of her tunic, Fili placed his hand over the hidden object as he continued speaking. "Mention my name and show them this, and you are sure to be offered shelter. Wait for me there and I will come as soon as I am able."

"Fili…no! We talked about this," she protested, watching as he turned and continued to load the pony with supplies. "We agreed that it was the only way."

"I don't care what we agreed!" he choked out, halting his efforts as he turned to face her, his expression one of utter frustration. "I can't lose you…I can't!"

"You will never lose me," Daeloness told him, stepping closer as she ran her hands up his chest. "I will always be with you…right here," she placed her fingers over his frantically beating heart, and then taking his hand in her other, she brought it up to rest upon her own. "Just as you will live forever in mine." She was crying by now, for it was difficult enough to convince her own mind that this was the right course, but having to fight with Fili on the matter was making it even worse.

Fili reached up and cupped her cheek with his free hand, his own eyes now brimming with unshed tears.

"I beg of you, Daeloness…do not ask me to do this," he pleaded, the catch in his voice causing her to flinch. "I cannot bring myself to let you go…it is impossible."

"Then…then I will have to do it for the both of us," she whispered, pulling back until he held her only by the one hand, his expression turning to one of confusion. "I love you, Fili…no matter what else I might say or do, never forget that I love you."

"Daeloness?" he asked, not sure what she was talking about, until he saw her face turn cold and her eyes narrow. Before he could say another word she began to scream at the top of her lungs, attempting to pull herself from his hold.

"HELP!" she cried, her voice loud enough to wake the dead. "SOMEONE HELP ME!"

"What….Daeloness, stop!" Fili gasped, pulling her towards him as he attempted to cover her mouth, but to no avail. "They will hear you!"

"Let me go! Don't touch me, you foul dwarf!" she continued now lashing out, striking him on his arms and kicking with her legs. "Help, someone help me, please!"

By now Fili's frantic mind had figured out her plan, realizing that she wanted the other dwarves to hear her and come running, thus taking the burden of choice out of his hands. Part of him admired her for her spirit, her sacrifice and ingenuity…yet the rest of him only felt pain and sorrow. He refused to let her go, no matter how much she fought him, simply because he knew this might be the last time he would be allowed to hold her in his arms.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of dwarves crashing through the bushes, emerging into their little clearing with weapons drawn, prepared to answer the mysterious call for help. Yet when they saw Fili standing there, attempting to contain the writhing girl in his arms, they stopped dead in their tracks.

"Fili?" the lead dwarf, the one Fili had identified as Dáin, asked, his look of shock now turning to one of joy. "Vemu, cousin! How fortunate we have found you." Lowering his weapon, and signaling the other six dwarves beside him to do the same, he took a few steps closer. "And it would appear that we came just in time…for your prisoner seems to be giving you a bit of trouble."

"Why are you here?" Fili asked, his tone none too friendly. Even though Daeloness had ceased her struggling when the others arrived, he still held her tightly to him, one arm around her waist, and the other one grasping her wrist. However, he could see the scowl on her face and the look of hatred reflecting in her eyes, telling him that she fully intended to continue her ruse of a disgruntled captive. Fili wondered if he would be able to keep up this pretense as well. "Did Thorin have so little faith that he sent you to fetch me?"

"No, not at all," Dáin answered, a bit flummoxed by the anger in Fili's tone. "Thorin trusts you implicitly…knowing that you would come upon seeing his signal. It was I who offered to go forth and assist you in your delivery of the captive. On our way from the Iron Hills we ran across several orc packs, thus I thought a few extra swords and axes might be of use to you."

"I…I thank you for your concern," Fili nodded, realizing that he was acting quite out of character. "We did indeed run into a stray warg, thus delaying our journey in answer to Thorin's call. I do welcome your assistance." He did his best to sound convincing, yet his gratitude did not reach his eyes. Thankfully, Dáin did not seem to notice.

"Excellent, cousin!" his kin said with a clap of his hands. "Then we should make haste back to the High Plains, for the water king of Tellmar has indeed arrived and is willing to trade the stone for his daughter. He was not pleased at all to be told he must wait for your arrival, and Thorin is hard pressed to keep him placated in the meantime." He then turned to one of the dwarves at his right and barked out his orders. "Take a fresh pony and ride as fast as you can back to where our army waits. Inform King Thorin that his nephew is safe and we will be returning with the prisoner before nightfall. We will make haste to follow." His soldier bowed and quickly ran back through the forest in an effort to fulfill his leader's command. "I see you are packed and ready, thus shall we go?"

Fili was anything but ready to go, yet he could not tell Dáin this, so he instead nodded his head as he turned to grab hold of Cotton's reins.

"Allow me to escort your prisoner back to our company, there I will see that she is assigned a mount of her own," Dáin offered, stepping forward in an attempt to take hold of the now seemingly pliant girl in Fili's arms.

"NO!" Fili almost shouted, his ire coming to the fore at the idea of anyone besides him touching her. Yet at the shocked look on his cousin's face he tried to calm himself and explain. "I…I mean, I have been charged with her care by Thorin himself, and only he can relieve me of my duty. She will ride with me….it would be safer that way."

If Fili thought his words would offend his cousin, he was sadly mistaken, for the older dwarf broke out in a fit of merry laughter.

"Yes, I was warned by your brother, Kili, that I should mind my fingers around this one," he chuckled. "Has the she-cat managed to separate you from any of yours during your time as her captor, Fili?"

"I still possess all my fingers and toes, cousin," Fili assured him, though he knew he had already lost his heart to her forever.

"I am glad to hear that, for with the acquisition of the water stone, we will need good fighters like you if we are to defeat Smaug," he told him, taking a cautious step closer. "Yet, I must insist that she ride alone, for we are to be traveling swiftly and your pony will not be able to keep up if burdened down by the weight of two. Thorin will understand, due to our need for haste."

~X~

And so it was that Fili found himself seated on Cotton alone, riding near - yet not close enough for his liking – to Daeloness who clung to the saddle of her own mount as he lead it by the reins. He did his best not to look at her, for he was certain that he would give himself away with his longing stares and eyes full of regret. She too kept her head bowed, doing all she could to not appear in any way attached to the dwarf she was expected to hate.

Each mile was torture, each step their ponies took like a knife to his heart…for they were bringing the two lovers closer to the moment of their parting. Dáin kept up a steady stream of conversation, filling Fili in on what had happened in his absence. Thorin and his company had met up with Dáin and his troops, who had already rendezvoused with the warriors who had come from the Blue Mountains - over a hundred dwarves loyal to Thorin and his quest to reclaim Erebor. Balin had been successful in delivering the ransom demand to the water king and had met back up with the group, where they all traveled to the High Plains and waited there to see how King Maldor would respond. Her father had arrived two days ago, with several of his sons at his side, demanding that Daeloness be returned to him, and not happy at all when he was forced to wait. Thorin had assured him that she was safe and would be handed over in two days' time…in exchange for the stone that they desired. It was then that Dáin offered to go and assist Fili, to which Thorin agreed, sending them in the direction he presumed they would be coming.

"You say the king of Tellmar has arrived?" Fili asked, glancing briefly at the despondent girl who rode beside him. "What is your assessment of him…is he sincere in his wish to reclaim his daughter?" He knew how much Daeloness hated the idea of returning home, but perhaps her absence had brought the king to his senses, causing him to realize that he did care for her after all.

"Sincere?" Dáin scoffed. "I can honestly say I have never met a more pompous piece of orc trash than this king! He has threatened and insulted Thorin from the moment he arrived at the meeting place, regardless of the fact that he is vastly outnumbered and we could have slain them all and just taken the blasted stone!"

"Then why didn't Uncle do just that?" Killing the water king would certainly solve all his problems, Fili thought to himself.

"Honor, lad!" Dáin explained, almost shocked that Fili would even suggest such a thing. "Thorin has given his word as a warrior, and he will stick to it, even if that pig of a king does not deserve it. That is the sign of a true leader…his willingness to uphold his oath, no matter what it might cost him. You would do well to learn from him, cousin, for you stand to inherit the throne one day yourself."

Fili spared one more glance back at Daeloness and found her looking directly at him, almost as if she were trying to confirm Dáin's admonition. Once more the bile began to rise in his throat and Fili felt sick to his stomach – was he not already paying the ultimate price to keep true to his word? Wasn't he at this very moment risking the loss of the one thing he cared most about in this world, simply to fulfill his oath and remain loyal to his king? Fili wanted to scream curses at the sky for how unfair it all was, so horribly unfair to them both.

~X~

Maldor, the water king of Tellmar, approached the meeting place for the third time, his rage and indignation showing on his pale face. The jeweled crown, thin body and silver hair that hung down his back caused him to somewhat resemble an elf more than any other race in Middle Earth. Yet the fact that he only stood a few inches taller than Thorin left no doubt that he was not from the race of the Eldar. Yet despite his regal appearance, one could tell it would take very little to overpower the king, should his sentries fail to protect him. Leaving no doubt that the dwarf he now faced could easily slay him where he stood…if that be his wish. The water king had brought only a few warriors with him, three of them being his own sons, who stood behind their father with their hands on their weapons, ready to spring to his defense.

"I come before you for the last time, dwarf scum, demanding the return of the girl you stole…and yet once more I do not see her," he spat, his eyes scanning the sea of angry dwarves around him. "Was this all some kind of trick…do you even have her like you claim?"

"If I did not indeed have the girl in question," Thorin spoke, gritting his teeth as he fought down his anger at the insults, "you would be wise to ask yourself who does. Yet I am not a fool, King Maldor, and I found it prudent to conceal the prize you seek, keeping her away from our arranged meeting place lest you unwisely chose to attack me and my company. A choice you would have quickly regretted. I have sent for her and have been informed that she will be here shortly. Thus, I trust that you have brought the item we seek as well, for the exchange will take place tonight."

"I will produce the stone when the girl is within my sight and found to be unharmed, not before," Maldor informed him, crossing his arms over his chest. "I do not know how your spies were able to breach my city and take her, but I swear that if she is not returned in the same condition in which you took her, the wrath of my people will rain down upon you."

"Your people could not win a battle against a herd of rabbits," Thorin sneered. "Your civil wars have depleted your army and weapons, if I wished it, I could order the annihilation of your city and every inhabitant within its flimsy walls with only half the dwarves at my disposal. Your threats are laughable at best."

"Then fulfill the bargain as promised and be done with all this," Maldor sputtered, not at all enjoying the fact that Thorin knew of the weakness of his military force. "Where is the girl?"

"She is here!" came a voice from the midst of the troops that stood behind Thorin. Turning, he watched as they parted, allowing Fili and Dáin to make their way through, Daeloness displayed protectively between them. "Your princess has been delivered just as promised," Dáin stated, resting his hand upon the hilt of his sword and giving the water king a disapproving scowl.

A brief smile touched Thorin's lips as he walked over to where the three now stood, placing his hand on his nephew's shoulder, giving it an affectionate squeeze.

"It is good to have you back among us, my sister-son," he said in a low voice, not wishing for his words to be heard by all. To say that he had been worried for his nephew's safety would have been an understatement. For though he had complete faith in the young prince's skills and strength, as their uncle, he had been charged with the solemn duty to watch out for both the lads by their understandably overprotective mother. And if Thorin Oakenshield knew anything, it was to never risk the wrath of his sister, Dis…for he still bore the scars as a reminder. "I knew you would not fail me, Fili."

"It is my honor to serve the future king of Erebor," he replied, knowing he meant every word, but still lamenting the cost of such loyalty to his heart. From the corner of his eye he saw Kili step forward from where he was standing, the younger dwarf grinning from ear to ear at the sight of his brother back safely. He too had missed his younger sibling, yet even his infectious smile was not enough to lift Fili's spirits at the moment.

"Now, Maldor…as you can see, the princess is here and in perfect health. Where is the stone I seek?" Thorin's voice boomed loudly, stepping forward to proudly stand before the water king, leaving no doubt in anyone's mind that he was the one in charge.

"Come here, girl," Maldor barked, signaling for her to obey him.

Daeloness raised her eyes, for until now she had kept her head bowed, both fearing to look upon the face of the father she had come to hate…as well as the dwarf that she knew she would always love. Unsure what to do, she turned her gaze to Thorin, unwilling to move if he did not first approve it. He seemed upset with the king's commanding tone, yet turning his head in her direction, he nodded once, giving his permission for her to cross to the other side. It was not as if her father and his measly guards could fight their way out of there without giving up the stone, so it apparently made little difference to him who handed over the goods first.

So, walking forward, Daeloness stood before her sire, looking up at him with a mixture of fear and loathing.

"You are unharmed?" he asked, no sign of warmth in his eyes.

"I am well," she nodded.

Her father eyed her for a moment more and then signaled for one of his sons to come forth and pull her aside, holding on to her arm in an almost punishing fashion. When Daeloness dared to look in Fili's direction she could see he was seething, barely able to contain his anger at the way her father had spoken to her, or how her brother - one of the few she actually recognized - was holding her. She implored him with her eyes to not react, to say nothing and let it be…yet apparently he had not understood, or simply chose to ignore her.

"Uncle, this is wrong!" he spoke out, taking a few quick strides until he was standing next to Thorin. "I must speak with you on this matter…now!"

"Fili, you will hold your tongue and be silent!" Thorin growled. Now so close to his goal, the last thing he wanted to do was take the time to hold conference with his nephew.

"I will not!" Fili continued defiantly, though he lowered his voice, speaking his next words in a desperate whisper, so that only his uncle was privy to his words. "If we let them leave with her…with Daeloness… her freedom will be stolen away, she will be locked in a tower once again and forced to marry a man she detests! Please do not do this…do not allow the exchange to take place."

Thorin was both stunned and enraged, not only by the fact that Fili would speak to him so boldly, but also that his own kin would attempt to thwart his plan. He knew his older nephew had a kind heart and was honorable to a fault, so he could genuinely understand the lad's displeasure over the possible treatment of the princess…assuming what he said was true. Yet the idea that he would risk the reclaiming of Erebor on the chance that this girl had not just been feeding him lies, upset Thorin greatly. He would stand for no dissension among his ranks, even if it came from his own kin. Grabbing Fili by the arm, he jerked him aside, stepping away from everyone as he spoke in a commanding tone.

"This is not up for debate, Fili," he hissed, leaning in until their faces were only inches apart. "I gave you the assignment to guard the princess because you are my most trusted warrior, and my heir. I had faith in your loyalty above all others, and yet here, when we are moments away from gaining all we sought, you dare to defy me? You are not the dwarf I knew if you can now side with some girl you hardly know over your king and kin. Would you shame your family this way…would you shame me?"

Fili opened his mouth to speak, yet over Thorin's shoulder he once again caught a pair of eyes on him, imploring him to be silent, to let things proceed as planned and not make things worse. He had nothing to offer her, no home, no treasures, no real life other than that of a nomadic dwarf in exile from a home he never knew. Fili's heart cried out for her, his body ached for her touch and his mind told him that without her, he was nothing. Still, she begged him to play along, and since he could give her nothing else…he lowered his head and gave her this.

"No, Thorin…I will not defy you. You are my king and I will follow where you lead," he assured his uncle, watching as his face grew softer and he placed his hand on Fili's shoulder.

"I knew you were loyal, and I trust you with my life, nephew," Thorin told him, pride ringing in his voice. "Your sympathetic heart will serve you well as a ruler…yet it is the wise course of action not to trust everything you are told, even when it comes from the lips of a beautiful maid. I am sorry if what you say is true, that she will not be treated kindly, yet these are her people, her ways and customs. We would do well not to interfere. Now…will you stand with me, Fili? Will you support me in this endeavor and remain at my side as we battle Smaug for the rights to Erebor?" He then stretched out his hand to him, looking Fili in the eye as he sought an answer.

"I will always stand with my king," Fili assured him, grasping his arm just above the elbow as Thorin did the same to him, offering a warrior's handshake and sign of solidarity. "Gajut men, Thanu men."

"There is nothing to forgive, nephew," Thorin nodded, a slight smile tugging at his lips. "Now…let us see to this trade." Leaving a despondent Fili standing where they had spoken, Thorin headed back to stand before the king of Tellmar. "We have fulfilled our part of the bargain, now…where is the stone you were to offer in exchange?"

Maldor eyed the exiled king with malice, before reaching into the folds of his robes and extracting a small silver chest, holding it out to the dwarf. Taking the metal box in his hands, Thorin slowly opened it to reveal a glowing gem, one that rivaled the beauty of any stone mined from Erebor or anywhere else. Lifting the glowing jewel in his hand, Thorin held it up towards the setting sun, watching as it gleamed in the fading daylight.

"There, you have your stone, now allow us to depart and be done with you all," Maldor insisted, obviously eager to leave.

"You have kept your bargain, thus I will give you leave to…" Thorin began, but a delicate yet firm voice cut him off.

"That is not the water stone you seek, king of Erebor," Daeloness informed him, glaring at her father. "My kin attempts to deceive you!"

"Silence, girl!" her brother who was holding her arm hissed, giving it a painful shake.

"What is this?" Thorin roared, looking from the stone in his hand, to the girl and then to Maldor. "You aim to trick me?"

"The girl is a fool and a simpleton, she knows not what she says," the water king insisted, shooting his daughter a look that promised death should she speak again. "Is the jewel you hold in your hand not magnificent? Is it not all you expected from one of the ancient water stones?"

"He lies!" Daeloness shouted, now fighting against the biting grasp of her brother. "Would the king of Tellmar shame his people by dealing treacherously with those who kept their word? The dwarves of Erebor returned their prisoner, they fulfilled their end of the bargain…will King Maldor not do the same?"

Thorin stood there, angered beyond words as he fought to decide who was telling the truth. A hand on his shoulder caused him to turn.

"If the princess says that is not the stone you seek, I believe her," Fili told him, his tone telling Thorin all he needed to know.

Turning to the water king he threw the gem to the ground and drew his sword.

"You would dare lie to me?" he bellowed, taking a step closer as he watched Maldor stumble back. "I came to you in good faith, offering you treasures untold for the use of a water stone, yet you insulted me and threw me out of your city. Now I keep my word and return what I have taken, and yet you choose to deceive me? You are playing with fire!"

"You worthless girl!" Maldor snarled, turning his head to glare at his daughter. "How dare you side with our enemy and betray your kin, you will pay for this!"

"Oh? And how do you plan to punish me?" she spat back, hatred and defiance shining in her eyes. "Will you lock me in a tower perhaps…force me to marry some wretch of a king?" Her sarcastic words were not lost on him and it only appeared to anger him more.

"If I did not already have a use for you, I would slay you where you stand for defying me!" he threatened, taking a menacing step closer to her.

"Father," came the voice of one of the men behind the king, coming forward and placing himself between the angry monarch and the princess. "My sister speaks the truth. You would not want it said that the race of dwarves has more honor than the water king and his people…would you? What is one tiny stone in comparison to your mighty reputation?"

The king stared at the younger man for a long while, contemplating his words as he continued to seethe.

"I will heed your words, Marshaun, yet I find that I question your motivation," he hissed, not at all appreciating his son siding with his disgraced sister. "You best remember where your loyalties lie, my son, or you will find yourself falling from my favor." He continued to stare at him for a few moments more but finally he gave a growl and turned to signal his third son to come forth. The prince then produced a leather pouch and handed it to his father before stepping back in place. Maldor took the pouch and tossed it at Thorin, the item falling short and landing a few feet from him. One of the dwarf guards was quick to retrieve it and handed it to his king, stepping back to join the ranks once more.

With narrowed eyes Thorin undid the ties and opened the bag, watching as a smooth black oval stone fell into his hands. It was not nearly as impressive as the last one, yet there were ancient runes written on it and when the dwarf fisted it he could practically feel the rock humming. Thorin then turned his eyes towards the princess, looking to her for validation as he held the stone out for her inspection.

Maldor glared at Daeloness, his eyes still ablaze with anger over her treachery, yet the princess did not flinch or cower, keeping her head held high. A slight breeze blew a few strands of her golden hair into her eyes, and reaching up to brush them aside, she tucked them behind her ear as she looked over at Thorin. With a sharp nod of her head, she confirmed to him that the stone was indeed genuine.

Kili, who had been standing off to the left of his uncle and brother, had a good view of all that was transpiring, ready with his bow just in case he was called upon to defend his king. Yet when the princess had tucked her hair aside, something had caught the young prince's eye. For just a moment he could have sworn he had seen an intricate braid hanging down the girl's back, a plait that had been marked with one of Fili's very distinctive clips! No…surely not? And yet as he watched, the girl's eyes lifted and settled directly upon his older brother. Now turning to look at Fili, Kili's mouth dropped open as he saw him return her stare, his eyes filled with a mixture of pain, sorrow and…no, it couldn't be…love? He had always looked up to his older sibling, often wishing he could be just like him, but for the first time in his life Kili felt a stab of pity for Fili and he knew he did not wish to be in his boots for all the gold in Erebor. What had happened during the week they were parted? What spell had this water witch cast over him? Yet before Kili could process any of this, Thorin spoke, pulling his attention back to the business at hand.

"Tell me how to make it work," he barked, not going to let the water king get away without this last piece of knowledge. At first Maldor appeared like he might remain silent, yet at last, with a sigh of defeat he revealed the secret.

"You split the stone in two, place one in the river you wish to divert and the second in the area you wish it to go. Then speak the words written on the stone and the two pieces will join once again, become one, and bringing the water with it. Once it has accomplished the purpose you seek, repeat the words once more and everything will return to the way it had originally been. At this point the water stone will become useless, a mere rock with no more power than the ones beneath your feet." He gave Thorin another withering look. "I have given you what you asked for…now may we leave?"

"Aye, you have my permission to depart," Thorin told him, yet before he could make a move, he added, "Yet know this, Maldor of Tellmar. If you have lied or further attempted to trick me, I will not hesitate to lay waste to your city and tear its walls down, brick by brick, until I hold all the water stones in your possession. Dwarves have long memories and should you ever cross me again, I will not be as forgiving a second time. Now leave my sight before I lop off your head just for the simple reason that it offends me! GO!"

This made the king jump as he spun around and marched back the way he had come, his sons and the few guards he had brought following behind. Daeloness was now ensconced between the brother who had held her and the one named Marshaun, forced along against her will.

Fili's legs begged to run after her and wrench her free of the men that held her, pulling her back into his arms where she belonged…and yet he knew it was too late. There was no going back now and he had to trust that he could return her to his side another way…and soon. As he watched her brother, Marshaun, lift her up onto one of the horses they had come on, he saw her eyes drift back towards him. His heart nearly ceased beating as he saw the glistening tears pooling in her eyes, ready to fall. Yet his view of her was quickly stolen when her brother mounted up behind her and kicked the steed into motion.

Unwilling to let this be the last vision of her, Fili quickly ran up the small hill to the left of him, standing beside the dwarf guards who were posted there. He watched with a heavy heart as the procession, with the water king in the lead, headed back to their own kingdom, taking with him the only treasure Fili would ever desire. He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over to see Kili standing beside him, the look on his face telling him that he understood more than he should. In the past he had always taken comfort in his brother's words and their familial bond…yet now, Fili knew that even Kili could not say anything that would heal this ache in his chest.

Turning back to stare at his disappearing princess, Fili felt it was almost poetic that it suddenly began to rain lightly, only adding to the depressing mood that had overtaken him. Then, as if she could feel his eyes upon her, Daeloness looked up, catching sight of him standing there among the group of soldiers lining the hill. He could have sworn that she smiled at him, lifting her hand slightly in a wave of farewell, before laying it over her heart. And suddenly, much to the shock of those standing around him, the rain turned into soft glistening snowflakes gently coming down and into his hair and eyelashes. When a couple landed on his lips and slowly melted, Fili licked away the moisture, savoring the taste as if it were one last kiss from her.

Kili and the other guards all began to look up at the sky, then staring at each other, all marveling at the oddity of snowfall this late in the season, yet Fili knew where it was coming from and exactly who was causing it. This was Daeloness' final declaration of love…her last way of telling him how she felt. And as she disappeared from view, the water king and his people stealing her from his sight, Fili gave a roar of rage and turned on his heel, racing down the hill and away from everyone in an effort to find a lonely place in which to grieve.

His princess was gone.

Well fiddle! Why did they have to go and part? Oh, right, because I wrote it that way.

Poor Fili, he is trying so hard to to the right thing, but it really hurts him a whole bunch.

Please let me know what you think about the story...it will be over soon and I would love to hear from you before then.