"Bella?"
She turned from where she stood on the balcony. "Good morning, Fili," she greeted. "Did you sleep well?"
"Very, thank you," Fili answered. "I wanted to return these to you. I made sure that they were properly cleaned up."
Bella accepted the bundle and opened it. The knives she had left in the warg yesterday. She shuddered at the memory, but held her ground. "Thank you. I wasn't much of a ranger yesterday."
"No," Fili said. "You were a hobbit ranger." He paused. "You didn't want any words yesterday so I held my tongue, but I want you to know that I consider you one of the strongest women I know. You are my Gornil, my valiant one. You are amazing, the bravest, and most remarkable hobbit in all of history. You quite possibly saved our lives."
She ducked her head, blushing. "I don't deserve half the praise. I reacted horribly afterward."
"You want to know what I did after my first kill?" Fili asked.
"What?"
"I threw up and wept like a baby. You reacted a hundred times better in comparison."
Bella smiled a bit. "Thank you, Fili." She bashfully looked up as she slowly started to take his words to heart. "I really appreciate it."
Fili shifted, opening and closing his mouth before asking, "Have you figured out your final decision?"
"I believe I have," she answered. "I just want to be sure that I have made the right decision and not just made a decision based on a wave of emotion."
"Very well," Fili said. "I can wait a little longer."
As he left, Bella gazed down at her knives. Yes, she was almost certain of her decision now. For the first time in her life, she believed she had fallen completely in love.
Fili made his way to the elven forge. Since he'd had nearly an entire day with his brother's words running through his mind, he figured he should do this properly . . . even if she did say no.
In the doorway he paused, knowing that it could be dangerous to enter any unknown forge uninvited. "Excuse me?" he asked.
One of the elves turned to him. "What may I do for you, Master Dwarf?"
He brought out the Gondolin knives he wished to give Bella. "I want to make sure that these are in the best condition possible, and," he swallowed, hiding away his anxiousness, "I would like to help in anyway I could."
The elf studied him a moment. "May I ask the reason for such a request?"
Fili took a deep breath. "It is a custom among my people to forge a present for the one we wish to court. My One appreciates all things pertaining to your people and is skilled in the wielding of knives. I found these, and two others similar, among a troll hoard. I knew that even if I hadn't forged them, they are perfect for her."
"And you wish to aid in any improvements needed so that you have at least worked on them," the elf said.
Fili nodded.
"I am Barathon," the elf said. "What is your name?"
Fili smiled. "Fili I eneth nin."
Barathon blinked before he smiled in a silent chuckle. "Your One is teaching you Sindarin."
"As I am teaching her Khuzdul," he confirmed.
"Allow me to see these blades," Barathon said.
Fili handed them over. He watched as the elven smith withdrew them from their holdings, studied each blade with a practiced eye, tested the edges with a careful finger.
"A very light sharpening," Barathon said after a few minutes. "The work of a day at most. However," he focused on Fili, "if you wish to make these and your other two a true set, a couple more days of work and we can make an etching on each blade."
Fili considered it. "I may ask her before a final decision," he said.
Barathon nodded. "There is no need to rush things," he agreed. "Now, let's see to ensuring that these blades possess the fine edge they were meant to hold."
Though Fili had spent the past several decades working in forges alongside his uncle and brother, he followed the instructions of the elven smith. They were working with ancient elvish blades, Fili didn't want to risk ruining them because he acted foolishly.
"If you were to name any of your blades, what would you name them?" Fili asked.
Bella looked up at him, her brows lightly furrowed in confusion. "I suppose it would depend on the blade."
"What if they were elvish?"
"Does this have to do with your 'courtship' present?" she asked.
Fili shifted on the bench they were sharing. "Maybe, maybe not."
Bella gazed out over the beautiful landscape of trees. "I suppose I would pick names that are related to your own," she answered finally. "Like Dwalin named his axes Grasper and Keeper, I would want names similar to and related to each other."
Fili smiled as a thought entered his mind. "So, possibly our pet names for each other," he suggested.
Bella returned his smile. "I wouldn't mind that, Fangon-nen," she said.
Fili quirked an eyebrow. "Whatever you call me, you are now claiming me as your own."
"I am," she said, "because I intend to officially accept your courtship whenever you offer those knives again."
"Just making a few adjustments while I have opportunity," he said. "So, if I were to use our pet names, I would like to know what you've been calling me."
She gave him an impish smile. "Bearded one, or dwarf," she answered. "But now, you're my dwarf."
Fili blinked down at her before smiling. "You are the only one I'll ever allow to get away with that."
"And what about my name?" she asked.
"My love," he answered. "For no matter what, you are my One and only."
"I'll prepare the etching for the Khuzdul words," Fili said.
"While I prepare the etching for the Sindarin words," Barathon said.
For the next few hours Fili carefully fashioned the runes for "Amralime" and "Khuzde." He could almost laugh that his One had managed to make such a common word mean so much more.
"There, Master Fili," Barathon said. He showed Fili the two blades he had prepared. "Melethen" and "Fangon-nen."
Fili smiled broadly as he looked between their shared work. It was happening. It was truly happening.
"Are you ready for the final step?" Barathon asked.
Fili nodded. "Yes."
As the sunset painted the world in warm gold and rose, Fili polished the four blades one final time. Amralime and Melethen were Bella's blades while Khuzde and Fangon-nen were his own. With a smile, he recalled Barathon's good-humored laughter as he explained how he had chosen the names for the blades.
Honestly between the hospitality of Lord Elrond and this new acquaintance with Barathon, Fili could start to believe that he could one day consider an alliance between dwarves and elves once again.
Fili entered the Company's common room that Lord Elrond had given them. He quickly found who he was seeking. "Bellarosa Baggins."
Bella turned from where she was talking with Gandalf and Bilbo. Her mouth fell open before her hands flew up to cover it, her eyes widening in surprise and awe.
Fili smiled, feeling his new knives slapping against his thighs as he carefully held the knives intended for her in his hands. He pointedly ignored everyone else in the room as he knelt before her. "Will you accept these as both a token and promise of our courtship, a hope of our future union?" He extended his gift to her, waiting.
She slowly stepped forward, tears welling in her eyes despite the smile on her lips. She slowly picked up Melethen and withdrew it just enough to spy the inscription. Her smile widened as love poured from her eyes to him. "Yes," she said. "I accept your courtship, Fili Son of Dis."
"Finally!" Bofur yelled. "About time you made things official with all your doe eyes."
"Bofur!" Kili shouted. "You ruined their moment!"
"What are you talking about?"
Fili pointedly tuned them out as he gazed into his One's eyes. They were a rich, earthy brown, always there to ground him even when he wished to float to the highest reaches of the sky. He reached a hand up, gently brushing her bottom lip with his thumb, silently asking permission.
Bella smiled before leaning forward and initiating the kiss herself. And it was everything he had hoped it would be.
Author's Note: And they are now officially courting. Hope you enjoyed what led up to it and that you will enjoy what is to come for them.
Special shoutout to GoodShipSherlollipop who guessed that the courtship would officially start in Rivendell.
Language things: Gornil = Valiant One; i eneth nin = my name is/is my name; fangon-en = my bearded one/dwarf; mellethen = my love; Khuzde = my dwarf; Amralime = my love.
Now, while I enjoy occasionally watching sword forging from YouTube, such as Man at Arms, some details are still scattered. So if one of my readers actually knows about forging, etching, and sharpening swords and sees that I got something wrong, my sincere apologies. (Oh, Man at Arms/Man at Arms: Reforged has done some cool replica work of some favorite Lord of the Rings/Hobbit weapons if you want to check them out.)
So, what did you think? One of my shorter chapters I think, but this special development deserved a chapter solely reserved for it. Apologies if the first kiss wasn't covered near enough, but Fili and Bella refused to share details. (It may even be that I've never been kissed romantically (family kisses, yes; anyone outside family, no), so I didn't really have a point of reference. I was also getting to the end of NaNoWriMo at this point and didn't want to tax my brain if something was refusing to come.)
Well, about two or three more chapters for Rivendell. Any theories or wishes of what Bella, Bilbo, Fili, and Kili may see? Any one you hope that they'll meet? While the story isn't currently subject to change at the moment, I'd like to at least hear your thoughts. Who knows? Maybe I'll add a bit to a companion "Extended Edition" if you suggest something that inspires the Muse. I already have something like that planned because there is a scene or two that I considered including but I just couldn't make my brain work properly for this story. Anyway, I'll finish rambling so that you can start favoriting, following, or reviewing. (Pretty please. :-D)