"A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment."―Jane Austen,Pride and Prejudice
"Balin, has the King's mind changed on allowing me in the training arena?" Signi knew the answer to her question, but she remained hopeful.
Balin shook his head sympathetically. "I am afraid not, lass."
"It's a right shame too," muttered Dwalin "I could use a few more warriors."
Signi knew he was teasing her, but that didn't stop her from beaming up at him.
Signi's days in Erebor had stretched into weeks and before she knew it nearly a month had passed since she arrived at the mountain with Lifa. There was a comforting routine in which Signi would divide her time between breakfasts with Dwalin and Balin, walks to the lake with the Kili and Gimli, and afternoon tea in her rooms with Lifa and Gloin's wife, Galen. Her days were less restless than they were when she first arrived, but thoughts of home continued to send a pang ringing through her chest.
"Do you still miss the Iron Hills," King Thorin had asked her at dinner the night before. Ever since her second dinner in Erebor, Signi found herself seated next to Balin, who was always at the King's side, on a nightly basis. Most nights she was simply late arriving to dinner and had to take the only available seat, but other nights, such as the previous one, it was the King's request that she sit so close by.
"Aye," she answered him, "I do miss the Iron Hills, although not as much as I once did."
Thorin stalled a response by taking a sip of wine, frowning slightly into his wineglass. "What do you miss the most?"
Signi considered this question carefully. There were many things she missed about the Iron Hills. She missed Dain and his good-natured teasing. She missed Thorin Stonehelm and their days spent hunting in the forest at the base of the fort. She missed her father and his quiet ways, always indulging his daughter in her wild schemes and chastising her when they went awry…
"I miss the library," she answered plainly, smiling when she caught the king's surprised expression.
She did not think further on her conversation with the king until breakfast the next morning.
"Nay, lass," said Balin, his blue eyes crinkled with a smile beneath his beard. "Thorin will be in his grave, I'm afraid, before dwarrowdams are allowed to march for Erebor."
The dwarf brothers laughed at her angry muttering.
"I do have some good news for you," Balin continued. "How would you like to see the library?"
Signi nearly choked on her coffee in surprise. Balin must have overheard her conversation with the king. "I did not think that the library is open to the public?" she questioned.
"I think we can make an exception." Signi did not miss the twinkle in his eye, nor the cheeky grin he shot his brother.
Signi felt her stomach leaping with excitement as Balin led the way to the library after they had finished breakfast. Arm in arm, the old dwarf took her down a series of paths until they reached the great double doors of the library, adjacent to those that led to the Gallery of Kings. The doors themselves towered above the pair and seemed to be made out of rich walnut with black marble slab inlays and golden runes.
"By knowledge, life we gain. All other things to death pertain*," Signi read, running her fingers lightly over the runes. "That is a beautiful line. Has the king seen this?" Immediately she blushed. Her mouth was running away with her, as it tended to do. It was no secret amongst the dwarf colonies that the dragon sickness nearly overcame Thorin in the days before the Battle of Five Armies, but it was still impertinent make such comments, even if she spoke in jest.
To her relief Balin chuckled as he shook his head. "Not near enough," he replied.
Reverently, Signi turned the bronze handle, holding her breath as she entered Erebor's great library. Upon entering, she was overwhelmed trying to take it all in at once. Dusty light shone through the skylights carved into the ceilings that sat several stories above. There seemed to be not one, but two mezzanines circling the great center of the hall. Shelves lined nearly every inch of exposed wall space, and thick leather-bound volumes were crammed tightly in the spaces between, nearly spilling out onto the black marble floor. The furniture of the room was made of same heavy walnut as the door, and Signi noted that it seemed to be made in the ornate curvature of Dale artisans rather than the blockish variety that dwarves preferred. A round stone fireplace sat in the center of the library – so that it might cast heat in all directions – its chimney inlaid with jade runes recounting the Song of Durin:
The world was young, the mountains green,
No stain yet on the Moon was seen,
No words were laid on stream or stone
When Durin woke and walked alone.
He named the nameless hills and dells;
He drank from yet untasted wells;
He stooped and looked in Mirrormere,
And saw a crown of stars appear,
As gems upon a silver thread,
Above the shadow of his head… **
Signi's limbs were humming with excitement as she tried to take in everything at once. She had no idea where to start and soon found herself running her fingers over spines that displayed titles in Khuzdal, Elvish, and the common tongue.
"What do you think, lass?" asked Balin, bringing Signi back to the present. He grinned as he watched her move from shelf to shelf.
"It's incredible!" she said, beaming at him in return. "This library must be 50 … no 100 times the size of Dain's. Can I even read all of these books in a lifetime?"
"I can't say I have heard of anyone trying," laughed Balin. "Perhaps if you started now you can make some leeway."
Pulling a large book from the shelf, Signi settled herself on the nearest chair and opened the tome across her lap. "Thank you, Balin," she said, giving the old dwarf her most winning smile before turning her eyes to the pages below.
Lifa sighed as she flopped back on the grass, ignoring the dampness seeping through her dress as she inhaled the rich scent of the earth mingled with the cold fishy scent of the lake before her. She was loath to admit it, but thoughts of the Iron Hills and the surrounding forests still pained her. Erebor and its dwarves were wonderful, far more wonderful that she ever dreamed, but she missed her home and her younger sisters.
For the first time since arriving at Erebor, Lifa found herself without any company. Signi often wandered throughout the mountain searching for adventure or trouble, Lifa was sure, but the princes, particularly Fili, had been most dedicated to her occupation.
She smiled when she thought of Fili, her face warming and stomach turning flips. He was truly handsome with his blond locks and braided beard, but more importantly he was kind, loyal, and brave. Fili was the sort of dwarf that Lifa could see a future with. If they were in the Iron Hills, he would dance with her all night at each of Dain's parties; she would blush when her sisters teased her about his attentions. They would go for rides in the woods and walks along the great wall of the fort. He would hold her hand and beg for a kiss, which she would deny at first, but yield when she could resist his sweet smiles no longer. And when the time finally came, he would ask her father for her hand, which she would willingly give.
But they were not in the Iron Hills, and Fili was to be king. Rumors were floating around Erebor that King Thorin was entering negotiations with the Lord of the Ered Luin to find Fili a wife. Others said that he turned to Dain to find the future queen. Lifa prayed to Mahal that she could serve as a suitable connection to the Iron Hills, but she knew that she had no place amongst the daughters of Dain and other Lords of the hills.
Movement at the top of the hill caught her eye, drawing her away from her daydream. She instantly recognized the dwarf leading the group, his proud strut as he walked down the slope with his brother, the rest of the company in tow.
Scrambling up off the ground, she hastily brushed off her skirts and attempted to smooth her hair. Mahal, he was a handsome dwarf. The sun glinted off of Fili's golden hair as he passed his half of the dead stag he was carrying with Kili to Gimli and left the group to walk over and greet Lifa.
Lifa tried desperately to keep her eyes on his as he walked, but it was a doomed battle as her graze raked over the loose shirt he wore, bloodstained from the game he had carried, where is opened too much at the neck and revealed the broad expanse of his chest. His muscular forearms were also exposed and Lifa found her face heating as she pictured those arms around her waist, cradling her to that chest…Mahal.
Fili grinned as he approached, his twinkling eyes taking in her flustered expression.
"My lady," he said, taking her hand and bowing deeply before her. Smirking he pressed his lips to her knuckles.
Lifa's breath caught as she felt his rough hand take hers, only to be followed by his bristling mustache and soft lips as he gently kissed her knuckles. If her face was pink before, it had to be positively burning red after this greeting.
"You have been hunting," she observed when he finally stood upright. Brilliant, she thought sardonically.
"Aye," he answered, his smirk never leaving his face. "We shall have venison tonight."
Lifa nodded, unsure of how to respond. The prince always made her tongue-tied. What a fool he must think her to be.
Fili took a step closer and Lifa felt her breath catch once more seeing the intensity in his gaze and the closeness of his proximity. Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched his hand out of the corner of her eye rise and move toward the braid that hung just behind her right ear.
"I believe you missed this, my lady," he breathed, pulling back to reveal the blade of grass he had just plucked from her hair.
Lifa released a great whoosh of air when she realized that getting the grass had been his intent all along.
Fili chuckled, not missing the glare Lifa gave him. "Come, I will walk you back," he said, extending his arm for her to take.
Lifa wrinkled her nose when she observed the bloodstains running down the arm he offered. "You need a bath," she said.
Fili grinned when she took his arm despite the blood and grime that covered it. Resting his other hand on hers, they slowly made their way back to the gates.
The hour was late when Signi remembered that she needed to dress for dinner. Marking her place in the book she was reading with a ribbon, she carefully placed it back on the shelf and ran from the library. In her hurry, she did not look ahead before turning a corner and ran full force into to something, actually someone, rather solid.
Letting out a startled gasp, Signi felt herself fall backwards, only to be caught around the middle by a pair of equally solid arms.
Signi's face burned when she looked up to thank her savior and was met with the piercing glare of the king.
"I-I-I am so sorry," she mumbled, ducking her head to hide her embarrassment. "I should have been watching where I was going…"
"It is no matter," he replied, his voice gentle despite its gravelly tone.
Hazarding a glance once more, her eyes widened when she saw a smile beneath his beard. For a moment she was dazed by this change in his countenance, but she was not distracted enough to not recognize the pounding in her chest or his hands still circling her waist
Pulling away from his grasp, Signi crossed her arms awkwardly before her. Thorin did not seem to notice her discomfort as he looked over her shoulder down the hallway from which she had just come.
"I see Balin has shown you the library."
"He has," she mumbled, still flustered by her near fall.
"You mentioned that you missed the Dain's library in the Iron Hills. I hope this one can serve as a replacement so you might feel more at home."
Signi stared at Thorin, her eyes wide and lips parted slightly in surprise. He was the one who opened the library to her? The king was concerned about her comfort in Erebor?
Thorin glanced down at Signi, chuckling softly when he saw her stunned expression.
Shaking her head, Signi regained her composure. Raising her chin to look him square in the eye, she bobbed a quick curtsey. "Forgive me, my Lord, I must dress for supper," she said.
Thorin nodded and stepped away to resume his walk down the hall. Signi began bustling in the opposite direction, her stomach fluttering in the most unpleasant way.
"Signi," the king called after her. Stopping short, she spun on her heel to face him once more. "I have not forgotten the song you promised."
Signi bobbed once more and all but ran back to the room she shared with Lifa.
Dinner was in full swing long before Signi arrived. Thorin watched from the head of the table as Lifa entered with Gloin and his family, and her attention was immediately captured by his nephews. Her father must be proud to have such a lovely daughter, he mused, her copper hair glimmering in the firelight as she laughed at Fili's retelling of his hunt earlier in the day.
Frowning, Thorin continued searching the table for Signi, but she was not to be found. He hoped he had not scared her when he reminded her that he wanted to hear a song. She had been so nervous in the hallway, something he never expected to see. Lifa was the type to get flustered, but Signi usually held her ground and looked him in the eye when she spoke. She had no fear it seemed and in the few dinner conversations they had had, Thorin understood why Dain preferred her company.
The door opening saved the king from his thoughts as he looked up to see Signi walking in. Meeting his eyes, she gave him a shy smile and carefully set the lute she was carrying beside the door. Thorin continued to watch as she walked over to the table, her step faltering slightly when she saw that the seat saved for her was the one that Balin usually occupied.
"I see you caught my hint," Thorin murmured after Signi was seated and greeted Balin and Dwalin.
Boldly, Signi turned to him, humor dancing in her brown eyes. "How could I not, your majesty?"
Thorin grimaced. He hated the title and forbade those close to him from calling him such names. It was true that he was king, something that should not be forgotten, but he was also fighter and a blacksmith. He had to remember his humble times as well as his birthright if he was to resist the madness that took his grandfather.
"Thorin," he said suddenly, startling Signi who had taken a bite of her dinner. Softening his hard glare a bit he added, "Please, call me Thorin. I like to forget about the crown when I am with friends."
Signi nodded, chewing slowly with her brow furrowed. He suspected that she had something to say and braced himself for her response. Why was he expecting a negative response when she had been nothing but polite before?
"Is that why you rarely wear your crown?" she asked, her face full of open curiosity.
Thorin frowned as he thought of how to answer her question. Many dwarves in the other kingdoms had been quick to criticize him for burying the Arkenstone deep in the mountain and stating that the kingdoms would be united through friendship and commerce rather than wealth and greed. He had heard the whispers within his very mountain that he was less a king because he chose to forgo the crown when walking within his own halls, and because he dined with tinkers and toymakers instead of only choosing to sup with the few lords of Erebor.
"I do not wear the crown because I do not wish to be my grandfather, "he answered measuredly. Thorin knew that Signi was a bright enough girl to understand the unsaid meaning in his response. He could not even say the words 'dragon sickness' without feeling guilt roiling through his guts.
Signi's smile was slow, beginning with her eyes, her lips widening until she was grinning back at the king. Thorin felt his stomach clinch at her approval. His eyes strayed for a moment to where her hand rested on the table, her fingers wrapped around the stem of her wineglass, and the urge to brush his own hand against hers was almost more than he could bear.
Steeling himself, Thorin turned his attention back to his dinner, taking another bite of venison. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Signi had also returned to her dinner, a faint blush on her cheeks.
"I see you brought you instrument," said Dwalin, nodding to Signi's lute by the door. "Are you going to finally sing us one of Dain's favored love songs?"
"Aye, that I will be doing," laughed Signi. "And I will pick an extra sappy one to make all you boys blush."
"We're looking forward to it, lass," Dwalin said.
Thorin watched with amusement as Signi scowled at her sister sitting at the end of the table. "I tried to get Lifa to bring her fiddle so she could sing with me tonight, but she refused."
"Your sister plays as well?" asked Thorin. Not one, but two musical sisters. Mahal had blessed them well.
Signi nodded. "She does, but she is worried that she might embarrass herself in front of this crowd."
And by 'crowd' Thorin could only assume she meant Fili. Smirking, he glanced at Lifa, not missing the heated stare she shared with his nephew.
"If that is the case, I might have to suggest to Fili that he request a song."
Signi laughed openly at his suggestion. "Yes, I dare say that sounds like the perfect plan."
When dinner was finished and all of the plates had been carted away, the dwarves settled in with their pipes for some music and storytelling. All eyes were on Signi as she picked up her lute, looping the woven leather strap around her back. Standing before the roaring fireplace, she began playing the first notes of her song, her short fingers moving nimbly across the strings as she picked out a quick tune. An appreciative hush settled over the dwarves, her voice high and clear as she sang.
There is a time for love and laughter
The days will pass like summer storms
The winter winds will follow after
But there is love and love is warm.
There is a time for us to wander
When time is young and so are we
The woods are greener over yonder
The path is new, the world is green.
There is a time when leaves are falling
The woods are grey, the paths are old
The snow will come when geese are calling
You need a fire against the cold.
There is a time for us to wander
When time is young and so are we
The woods are greener over yonder
The path is new, the world is green.***
Thorin was quite taken by the image before him as she sang. The flames behind her glowed around her head, highlighting in gold the apples of her cheeks and the lines of her slim neck as it met her delicate collar bone. The king had never given much consideration to dwarrowdams and their beauty before, his thoughts never straying from his people and his birthright. Signi would not be considered traditionally lovely by dwarf standards – Lifa had fulfilled that with her plump stature and red beard – but Thorin found his heartbeat quickening as he watched her.
The dwarves cheered and whistled when she finished her song. Laughing, she gave them a dramatic bow before insisting that Dwalin replace her as entertainment. He agreed with a promise that she would sing another song before the night was over.
Thorin expected Signi to sit with Kili and Gimli as she usually did after dinner, but instead she moved to stand beside him in the back of the hall.
"A song, as you requested," she said softly.
The firelight continued to bathe her skin in golden light and Thorin allowed his gaze to openly rake over her. "Aye, and I shall be requesting many more."
* Slightly altered version of "By Knowledge, Life wee gaine, All other things to Death pertaine" by George Wither
** First stanza of Song of Durin by the lovely Mr. Tolkien.
*** There is a Time by The Dillards. For those interested in hearing the song, I recommend watching the version as performed on the Andy Griffith Show. The band performing (The Dillards playing the Darling family) were from my hometown, so I might be a little biased :)
Whew! Where I had trouble getting the last chapter out, this one just flowed. I didn't even intend to put the Lifa/Fili bit in, but I think it turned out well. Fear not, this is just the calm before the storm! Thorin can't change his ways so quickly.
This is my last day to spend writing, so I don't know how soon I can update. The next chapter is mostly ready, but I have piles of paperwork waiting on me once my holiday break is over.
Thank you everyone for the favs, follows, and reviews! I truly appreciate the kind words and encouragement you all give me :)