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The enchanted forest
Eilin's skin broke out with goosebumps when his deep voice spoke, "Come out Eilin. Don't lurk in the shadows".
The silence behind him drew long until she decided to do what she was told. She walked out timidly. "Good evening", her soft voice said.
"Why are you following me around?" He frowned but kept his back turned to her.
"It's late and it looks like you are ready for one of your infamous -dashing into the night alone- tricks", she smiled.
"If you haven't noticed I do feel much better. I don't need a nanny anymore", his lips upturned in a side smile which she missed.
"Oh, I've noticed alright", she said thoughtfully.
"Why are you awake at this hour?"
"Couldn't sleep, you?"
"Me neither", he frowned defeated.
"Are you in pain?"
"No".
She remained behind him and he felt her wavering indecision and wanted to help her out...if only slightly, "You've taken time out of our sleep to follow me, so why do you stand behind me? Come next to me so I can see you".
She approached and her beautiful face came out of the shadows making his breath catch if only for a moment. Her head was as usually bowed low and her long red hair was enveloping her figure. "It is not appropriate for a maiden to stand next to the King".
"Oh, we've been through that before haven't we? You are creating that bloody contradiction in me once more. Right now, alone as we are, can you just forget the King for once and stand next to me? This is possibly the last time I am going to ask you...", he said, not really hoping that she would do something about what was pissing him off in her behaviour lately...but she did. She walked next to him and her shoulder brushed with his. The air she carried filled his lungs with the same flowery scent he had gotten so used at whenever she was around.
"So, where are you going?" She looked up at him and he saw the fire of the torches playing with the green in her eyes. For a moment he took time to admire her.
"Since I cannot sleep I wanted to visit the forest", he said and averted his eyes as he pushed the heavy doors open.
"Alone?" She hesitated for a second before following him in. The animals moved nervously as they were asleep.
He looked back at her and smiled, "Do you see anyone else wanting to keep me company?"
She heard it as a proposition, he said it as a simple observation, "I can keep you company", she muttered.
That left both of them carefully silent for several moments before he drew back and spoke, "Do you see any ponies or rams here tonight? They've all been taken. How are you going to ride with me?"
She looked down regretfully, "that means that I am doomed to stay behind".
"Doomed?" He led his horse out and saddled it.
"I don't want to go back to bed now. I'd really prefer coming with you", she looked at him wistfully.
"I cannot overlook that you have offered me your company twice tonight Eilin", he said and tied down the ropes.
"I've tried to offer it many times before but you were always dismissing me", she pressed her lips.
He smiled knowingly, "All those times you were offering your services to me and of them I am not interested. This is the first time you clearly offered your company…of which I most certainly am".
She shook her head rubbed her forehead, "Am I acting stupidly right now?"
He smiled widely and pulled the leather straps tight, "Not at all. On the contrary I'd say that finally you are doing the correct thing...and I like that".
She looked up suddenly and bit both lips, "You do?"
He nodded and took off his coat, "Took you sometime to see past the needs of the King and approach the man. I thought you never would".
She frowned partly confused, "It was this simple?"
He raised his brows.
"All this time, this simple?" she facepalmed, truly annoyed that she had totally missed on all those opportunities to get closer to him, when he was expecting her to do it all along.
"Obviously", he smirked at her.
Her mouth dropped open, "You must be kidding me. Why didn't you see past the maiden and approach the girl then? Why didn't you offer me your company before my stupid brain decided to take action?"
He rested his elbow on the back of the horse, "Because you, Eilin Firebeard, don't want to feel trapped, remember?"
Her face opened up in sudden recognition and then melted in a mixture of awkwardness and sweetness that warmed his heart, "Oh…damn…" she whispered.
He offered her the first genial smile. "Catch", he said and threw his coat at her suddenly. She yelped and caught it as it landed on her face. He pulled himself up on the horse easily which neighed in response.
She revealed her flustered face behind his coat and looked up at him, "Hey, I was not expecting that!"
"Want to keep you on your toes. Now wear it", he pointed at it.
"Why?" She frowned.
"You said you didn't want to go back to sleep now, didn't you?"
She nodded eagerly.
"And you are not wearing proper clothes for the weather outside", he noted.
"What?" Her mouth was hanging slack.
"Don't act so surprised. Persistence can bring amazing results. Now wear the coat and take my hand".
She hesitated.
"You offered me your company and I just accepted. What is this? Aftershocks?"
"Most definitely!" She cringed.
"You will come along for the ride and see where that will lead you", he smiled and pointed at his coat again, "Wear it!"
She did so quickly and he released one stirrup. Then he moved forward on his saddle and offered his hand again.
"We are going to ride together?" She said and put her hand gently in his. Afraid to take up his offer, even though she was the one that initiated the whole deal.
"Yes, unless you want to run after me on foot", he teased.
She snorted and shook her head.
"Come on then", he smiled enticingly and pulled her up with an ease that surprised both of them, as he used his wounded side.
She sat behind him awkwardly and threw her hands at her sides feeling them useless. Her eyes looked down at her lap shyly. Now that she had accomplished exactly what she had wished for, she didn't know what to do with it. "Uhm…" she mumbled, certain that she didn't have any intelligible words in her vocabulary anymore. The fact that she was almost flushed against him had stolen all her logical processes.
"Uncomfortable much, are you?" He said and set his horse on a slow walk.
Her legs tensed to keep her upright and her arms dangled stupidly, like two foreign appendages she was seeing for the first time in her life, "No…", she was not convincing.
"Maybe you have a change of heart?" He asked as they moved up the long corridor that led to the entrance.
She shook her head, "No…."
"Maybe you want to return at the service of the King and revoke your company to the man?" The tease was clear in his voice.
"Oh, hell no", she shook her head fervently.
He chuckled, "are you going to try to keep your body respectfully away from mine for the whole duration of our excursion?"
"I don't know…" she muttered, her voice becoming even quieter.
"This is suddenly becoming too much?" He smiled widely.
"Yes…NO!", she said and facepalmed again.
His laugh rumbled straight onto her torso and she curled inwards.
"I find your awkwardness infinitely appealing Eilin and I cannot stop poking you to get a response. Now either you buckle up in whichever manner you see fit, or you fall off the horse", he said as they reached the exit. The sentinels there stood in attention and saluted.
"What do you mean?" She asked confused.
He replied by kicking the flanks of his horse. It stood on its hind legs and she screeched in surprised terror. Instantly her arms came around him as far as they could and grabbed his leather vest for life. She pressed her body on him and her cheek got glued on his back, "Shit!" She cursed.
The horse landed and dashed down the road with a carefree gallop. He looked above his shoulder and laughed, "That's exactly what I mean", his hand clasped hers. A soft squeeze of reassurance was all he gave her before retrieving it to take hold of the reigns. She bit her lower lip and a wide smile brightened up her beautiful face as they flew into the night like the wind. She didn't pull back from him one single moment for as long as they rode, even though at certain times the pace of the horse was slow enough to allow her to relax. She enjoyed the quick canter of the animal and his immense frame becoming a steady wall of protection in front of her body. So much so, that after a point she was not embracing him only with her arms, but also with her thighs and her mind got entangled into a magical ride of warm tension that she never wanted to end. Several times she opened up her eyes to see the land around them drenched from the light of the full moon, but she didn't keep them open. She couldn't have cared less where he was leading them or how amazing the view was. She only cared that she was there with him. They rode long and far and even though her hands grew tired of holding on to him so tightly she wouldn't have ever let go...unless he told her to do so. Her thoughts kept running away into different tantalising directions as long as the horse was trotting.
She re-opened her eyes and looked around them only when he brought the horse to a stop. It's frothing mouth and fast breathing was the only thing heard around them in the middle of the night. They were standing in front of a forest that was full of tombs and on the other side there was an amazing view of the valley and the Kingdom under the mountain. All dressed in a silver light that took her breath away.
"Wow", her mouth slacked.
"One of the best views of the valley", he agreed quietly.
She felt goosebumps running all over her skin as the silence of the night enveloped them like a soothing blanket. She pressed her ear on his back, wanting to relish on his strong heartbeat. A deep sigh left her chest and every single cell of nervousness and anxiety rolled off her body onto the ground. When she spoke again her voice was hushed, "What is this place?"
"Erebor's burial grounds".
She flinched, "Oh…"
His silence was heavy.
"I can wait for you to visit your relatives. Don't worry. I'll just sit here and muse at this amazing view. Maybe I can find some leafs for tea around. I can surely make use of myself, worry not", she sounded measured.
"So eager, so kind, so sweet and full of life…I don't understand why I have brought someone like you into such a dark place. A big folly on my behalf", he mused and didn't make an attempt to get off his horse.
"I imposed myself when you had such a grim task at hand. If I had known…"
He spoke over her, "I wouldn't have accepted your company if that was the case Eilin. Now let us leave the dead to rest and change our plans for this evening". He turned his horse around and set it off on a trot.
"Where are we going?"
"Somewhere much more befitting you", he smiled.
Their ride took them on the outside borders of Mirkwood and she pushed back onto him once more. Satisfied just to be there while he led his horse quickly through twists and turns that made her dizzy. When they finally entered one of the southeast entrances of Mirkwood she looked up from his back to admire this magical elven forest. Tall trees grown too close together and gave the dark topiary a claustrophobic sensation almost immediately. The silver threads of the moon were not passing down from the dense canopy, so the darkness at certain moments felt almost too much.
As he slowed his horse down to a careful walk through the twisting and bending roots that had broken above the earth, she tightened her arms around him in slight apprehension and felt her heart picking up speed. If they were to get lost in here, she rather doubted that anyone would find them. Not even the elves. They rode like for a sometime and she didn't dare speak and break his concentration. She didn't know where they were going, but he was the one that brought them in here and she wanted him to be collected enough to get them out of here also.
As if listening to her thoughts he spoke quietly, "We are here".
She drew back slightly to see that there was an opening in front of their path. When their horse left the dense trees behind, she took her first deep breath and her mouth dropped open in awe. He brought the horse in front of a dark lake and stopped. Not a single sound was heard around them. No animals were moving, no night birds were calling, not a single wisp of air was passing through her hair, they were not even breathing it seemed. Everything seemed frozen in time "Oh..." she whispered and it was the first time she willingly pulled away from him "This is simply breathtaking".
"More than the burial grounds?" He raised his brow with a knowing smile.
She nodded eagerly, "Much more, can I get off?"
He offered her his hand, "That was the point of coming here in the first place".
She smiled as he lowered her down. When her feet touched the ground the leaves stirred and she shuddered, "What is this place called?" She asked and approached the dark lake waters that were like a mirror. They didn't have a single ripple on them.
"Elear, small almost unknown lake that is being fed by the smaller river that starts at the Mirkwood mountains. As the river is enchanted so is this lake. Do not fall in it, or slumber and forgetfulness shall befall on you. Enjoy it from afar".
She looked back at him, "I wish I had known this lake years ago".
His eyes looked down at her wistfully.
Her lips toyed with a sad smile, "I wish I could forget many things from the past", she explained something that he had already figured out.
He remained deeply thoughtful on her face.
"Don't look at me like that. Lately I don't wish to forget anything", her smile opened up.
He alighted and walked over to her, "This magical place is known to few. Only the elves and a few woodland folk know of it, and most stay away from fear of it's waters".
"How come you know of it then?"
"Storming Thranduil's realm even if it was outside the borders of his halls was something I prided myself for, years ago. I loved angering our elvish neighbours when I was younger. On one of my excursions in this forest I happened upon this lake. I didn't visit it often, so when I decided to bring you here today I was not sure I remembered how to find it. Especially since in my last venture through Mirkwood I got myself and my men thoroughly lost".
"Was that the time you stole King Thranduil's horse and got tattooed with the rune of fierceness?" She looked up at him.
He frowned down at her with an annoyed look, "how did you know about that? I don't remember telling you that story".
Eilin averted her eyes and her forefingers twisted around each other nervously, "Your sister did when we first arrived at Erebor".
He winced and crossed his arms, "Spoke a lot did she?"
"In her grief for prince Kili and in her fear for your life, she did encounter some of your adventures but always with the best of colours", she offered him a brief timid look.
"I see", he nodded.
"Have you ever fallen into these waters?" She asked and approached the edge of the lake. She could see the faint outlines of the trees around them and the silver path of the moon upon its surface.
"No, but Bombur did, not long ago. That was a bit troublesome. No one wanted him to forget his famous recipes", he added cheekily.
She laughed then and he enjoyed how open her face was.
He raised his finger and hushed her, "Ready to see the real magic of this place?"
She sobered up, "What do you mean?"
He rested upon his heels and picked up a stone, "This is what I brought you here for", he added and threw the stone at the water sideways, making it bounce once, twice, thrice and land on the other side. It hit the bark of a tree and all that disturbance arose something amazing all around her.
Hundreds if not thousands of fireflies woke up from a deep magical slumber and began flying around them. The lake exploded with silent sparks of yellowish colour and Eilin opened up her arms and giggled happily, "Wow!" She exclaimed and began twirling around herself as the sparks enveloped her, the forest and the lake.
Thorin walked pensively towards a rock formation at the side of the lake and leaned upon it. His eyes feasted not on the amazing dance of the fireflies, nor at their small lights mirroring on the surface of the beautiful lake. His eyes looked only at Eilin and how easily the magic of this place allowed her to let go of all her restraints. She pushed his coat away from her shoulders and it pooled defeated at her feet as she started a slow combination of a chase with the fireflies and a dance, that simply bewitched all his senses.
Her body twirled as her hands tried to touch the sparks and she was not hesitant at all to giggle happily as she run away from them. Only to stop a little further off and chase another batch that flew away from her. Her fur brown boots shuffled noisily through the fallen leaves as she twisted, turned and jumped around the yellowish dots of magic, back and forth and side to side, making him dizzy. His mouth opened up in a dazzling smile she missed and his heart missed several beats when he saw her head leaning back to reveal part of the smooth skin on her neck. Her hair covered her hips as she laughed at the night sky, "amazing!"
Her laugh made his heart rejoice and a small austere voice hidden at the dark recesses of his mind told him how close of a call tonight had been when he took her to the burial grounds. It didn't matter that his original plans were to visit Siv's tomb in order to feel a little better. The moment he decided to accept Eilin's company, he should have changed his plans to another destination. She was so full of life, so vibrant, so colourful….so real…that she had no place amongst the dead. Tonight, he had no place amongst the dead either. He couldn't quite label what was going on with this heavenly woman in front of him, but he didn't want it to stop.
"Do you see this?" Her beautiful eyes looked at him amazed…bewildered, overflowing with emotions he had never expected to see from another woman after Siv.
He shuddered in pleasure and nodded.
"It's amazing!" She opened up her arms and began a series of twirls that made her quickly dizzy. She stoped and grabbed her head, "Oh…". Then she looked at him.
He was smiling quietly.
She raised a finger at him, "You are coming with me…" she said and walked up to him decisively.
He frowned, "What?"
She run up to him and without any hesitations she reached out for his hands and uncrossed them. Then she clasped them and looked at him with her intense green eyes, "Stand up and dance with me…"
"To what music?" he looked around.
"To the one in my head, isn't there one in yours?" She bit her lower lip.
"No", his frown deepened.
"You don't have any imagination, do you? You've brought me here to enjoy this stunning place, so the least you can do is come with me and dance", she pulled him up.
He didn't resist, "I never dance…"
"You will now…to the music in my head!" She said and smiled brightly as she dragged him in the middle of the clearing….and with that she kept hold of one of his hands and began twirling and twisting around him happily. He smiled at the soft swaying of her body and at the way she was able to close her eyes and imagine music in her head. Something that he was unable to do. He was transfixed at the way she moved around him, making him take a couple of unwilling turns as she didn't allow him to let go of her hand. So much so did her hypnotising dance drew him in that his chuckle became a laugh vibrant enough to make her stop and look at him behind all the fireflies that flew between them.
"You don't know how to let go, do you?" She whispered.
He looked at the long red locks that framed her face and smiled down at her, "No".
"Maybe it's time you should learn", she smiled sweetly at him and her small hand squeezed his for a brief moment before she released it and kneeled down. She picked up a handful of dry leafs and tossed them above his head.
He chuckled and tried to get away, but her hand clasped his once more and kept him in place, "No…you are not going anywhere! Close your eyes…"
He pursed his lips and looked at her, "Close my eyes?"
She nodded, "trust me. Close your eyes!"
He inhaled deeply and did so. The loss of that sense made him very aware of his surroundings, "What are you doing?" his brow furrowed in confusion.
She hushed him, picked up more leafs and tossed them in the air. This time when they fell on his hair and face they didn't feel like leafs, but like fingers caressing him. His confused smile died down and his mouth opened up slightly. She bit her lower lip as she saw the enjoyment on his face and picked up more leafs to repeat it, again and again, until she managed to elicit the first exhalation of pleasure from him. And then she stopped and looked at his handsome face, enraptured, "didn't your mind create images out of these fallen leafs?"
He opened up his eyes slowly and felt dizzy, almost floating out of his body, "yes".
She smiled brightly at him, "You do have an imagination, you've just forgotten how to use it".
A bright smile was his answer.
She reached out and clasped his hand, "Now dance with me…and I don't care that you never dance".
He opened up his mouth to deny once more, but she was quicker. She drew him into a dance, between the yellow sparks of magic, that he hesitantly followed with as much distance as she was allowing him, mostly holding her hand as she let herself go with an ease he envied. When she was inside another world once more he drew back slightly and enjoyed her from the safety of his immovability. Never at peace with allowing himself to open up in this revealing manner, even though her trick with the leafs truly made his mind float away from him for a few precious moments. His admiring smile though never left his lips and he remained there translucent, looking at her, at the fireflies and at the serenity of the forest around them for sometime. Nothing could have drawn his attention from this captivating creature in front of him, if it wasn't for a shadow that appeared at the edge of the clearing.
His eyes quickly focused at the movement and his body lost all the calm, it had gained from her gentle handling. He instantly became battle worthy, but that lasted only for a few brief confused moments she totally missed. When he saw the white deer standing close to them, he closed his eyes and exhaled in relief. Then he looked back at Eilin that was still chasing the fireflies. He walked up to her and took hold of her shoulders. She stopped and opened up her eyes in mild confusion, "Why did you stop dancing?" She asked.
He placed his finger on his lips and hushed her, "Look" he turned her around and his finger pointed at the immovable deer above her shoulder.
"Oh…" her mouth dropped open.
"Stay still…it might come to you", he whispered and squeezed her shoulders for a brief moment before pulling away from her. He took several steps back and rested on his heels patiently, not wanting to scare the animal with his roughness. It was much more likely to approach the dainty Eilin.
"Thorin?" She tried to look above her shoulder.
"Don't move, I am right here", he reassured her.
"Can I do something to call it over?"
"It seems curious about us. Let it feed it's curiosity", he said quietly.
"Come here baby, let me see you," he said in a hushed voice.
The deer's ears perked up and it took a few steps forward.
"Thorin it's coming", her voice elevated.
"Keep calm…don't talk too loud", he whispered.
She raised her hand at it, "Come here…".
The deer took another step forth. Thorin remained in the sidelines, urging her quietly how to bring it closer not really believing that one of Thranduil's ethereal creatures would willingly approach a dwarf, but not wanting to ruin her hopes. So when the deer came only at a breathing distance from her extended hand he was the one that was surprised more than her. She was smiling spellbound and when the deer's nose touched her forefinger she jerked back and giggled lightly, making it jerk back also.
He cupped this mouth and exhaled through his nose, "Don't ruin it", he warned her, feeling happier than he had felt in years, just by seeing her interaction with this beautiful creature.
She shook her head and reached out again. The deer smelled her fingers and then did something extraordinary. It came around her side and circled her once. When it did the same twice her hand reached out and caressed it's neck and body. Before she could enjoy a third round the call of an owl disturbed the thin balance and the deer jerked nervously away from her and bounced quickly back into the forest. She remained with her hand extended for several moments….with her breath stolen. Then she turned at him quickly, "Did you see that?!"
He stood up, "that was a great honour for you".
Her eyes welled. Then out of nowhere she ran up and fell on him with such enthusiasm that she knocked all the air out of his lungs. His hands lingered above her back as she hugged him with zest for a few moments before she pulled back. Her green eyes seared into him and she smiled widely even though her eyes were teary. Then wordlessly she stood up on her toes and planted a quick and awkward kiss on his cheek, before pulling back and running at the middle of the clearing once more, "that was incredible!" She cried and clapped her hands, "I have never experienced something so breathtaking in my life!"
His hand cupped his cheek and his eyes burned the back of her head. Was she talking about the deer or herself? That unexpected friendly kiss had blown his mind right out of his head and right now he was looking at her confounded. His knees unlocked under him and he sat down amidst the fallen leafs. For the first time in years he was at a loss for words. He had lost his head and his self control….and the weirdest thing was that he didn't care who saw him like this. He looked up at her as she was swivelling happily and he wanted to do the same, not for the deer, but for what her kiss made him feel. He rubbed his cheek with the back of his wrist wanting to eliminate the tingling feeling that lingered there before picking up another stone and dropping it into the waters…his eyes got lost at the ripples on its surface. His movement alerted her and she looked at him for a few moments before coming over, "Wasn't it amazing?!" She asked and emptied herself next to him.
"Amazing indeed…" he smiled thoughtfully, not intending to tell her that he didn't meant the deer.
"But aren't these animals supposed to be asleep at this hour?" She frowned and took a stone.
He nodded.
"Then how was that one awake? Did we wake it up maybe?" She threw into the lake. The fireflies had began settling again and the yellow sparks were few and sparse now. A few more reawakened from their stones.
"That was a white deer, it was one of the enchanted creatures of Mirkwood. We didn't wake it up, no".
"Then …"
"We are under scrutiny", he smirked and looked around him, feeling her presence ever so soothing next to him.
"Elves?" She looked around her.
He nodded, "We mustn't exceed the hospitality of the Mirkwood realm. Soon we must go. The deer was a warning that we are being watched and we are expected to leave soon".
Her shoulders slouched, "Wish you had a better relationship with King Thranduil. Then maybe he'd allow us to stay a while longer".
He chuckled "I'd be sure to fix our diplomatic issues so you can have ample access to this lake. I promise".
She smiled and rested her chin on her knees, "Don't jest, this was probably one of the most beautiful nights of my life".
He sobered up, "I am not jesting. Your need to see this lake more is probably a bigger incentive to find my footing with Thranduil than anything else my court deems important".
She offered him a quick glance and exhaled feeling relaxed and at peace with the world for the first time in her life. Not thinking about her different appearance, not afraid that she was going to be ridiculed, judged or attacked, not nervous that she was going to offend someone. Right now, with him next to her, having totally forgotten that he was the King, she felt comfortable in her skin, "thank you for allowing me to be myself", she said quietly.
He frowned and offered her a thoughtful look, "thank you for allowing me to do the same".
"Thank you for showing me this dream", her eyes were so endearing that his stomach bubbled up.
"It was an honour to share it with you".
She wiped away a few stray tears, "Is it okay that I don't want to leave yet?"
He leaned his hands back and observed the lake thoughtfully, "Let's remain here a while longer. I don't think Thranduil will risk breaking a possible allegiance with Erebor just because we are trespassing his enchanted lake".
She smiled at him and settled her head on her knees for several quiet moments were the only thing heard was the calling of the owl that scared the deer away. They sat quietly next to each other, enjoying the silence of the night and each other's quiet company. Their thighs were barely touching and their shoulders were barely brushing against each other. After a while almost all the fireflies had settled down and a soft drizzle began passing through the dense forest canopy. So tiny the raindrops were that they never sipped through their hair, they simply remained on top of their heads, creating a soft silver halo, brightened by the moon that escaped between the clouds.
It was his quiet voice that made her reopen her eyes and look at his, "Ready to go?"
She nodded and he helped her up. They walked up to the horse that was grazing a little ways off and she turned at the lake once more, "Will I ever see this again?"
"Why not?" He said and pulled himself up.
"I don't know how to come here. Only you do…" her eyes looked up at him thoughtfully.
He released the stirrup but this time he didn't move forward on the saddle but backwards and offered her his hand, "then you shall most certainly see it again".
She looked at his hand transfixed for several seconds, "Will I ride in front of you?"
He raised his brow, "If you want to".
Her throat felt dry and instantly a hand twisted her stomach around, releasing an envelop full of butterflies in it. She took hold of his hand and was pulled up, "Do I?" She muttered and settled in front of him.
"I think you do", he said with self certainty and his large body engulfed her into its heat. Then she found her back flushed against his chest and his arms encasing her inside a cocoon of safety she had never experienced before. Instantly her body unwinded and as he set the horse into a trot she allowed her head to lean back onto his upper chest and closed her eyes. The euphoria she felt there was indescribable. She barely remembered the ride back to Erebor, as her mind floated with the images in front of the enchanted lake. Only when the trot became a canter and then a full blown gallop did she reach out to his forearm. He tightened his grip around her in response and she didn't feel a drop of fear as the horse jumped over streams and rocks and zigzagged out of the forest expertly. She yearned to give all control to him and he longed to have it. So she remained calm, completely unknotted in his arms, opening her eyes now and again to check for a second and then snuggling back against him. Only when they reached the gates of Erebor and she felt the horse slowing down to a walk did she open her eyes. Everyone was sleeping except from the sentinels that kept their discreet eyes away from everything, but the road. She pulled away from him with deep regret and he assisted her down gently.
She frowned and took hold of her shoulders, already wanting to return to the lake with him, "And now the dream ends?" She whispered and felt her eyes filling with tears. She kept them away from him.
"Hey you?" He said with a tired smile.
She hesitated before looking up at him. His eyes made her smile instantly, "What?"
"Every dream has an end and every end has a new beginning", he winked at her.
Her smile become bright and hopeful, "And with those words you are sending me off to bed?"
"Yes".
She shook her head and bit her lower lip, "thank you for tonight, I will never forget it".
"And neither shall I. Goodnight Eilin", he said and with a sweet smile that she reciprocated he galloped towards the stables alone. Leaving her to muse after him for a long time before deciding to take whatever bits of her body he had left behind and go to bed.
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