AN: Thank you to all of my readers! I appreciate you taking the time to read my story. I hope you all continue to enjoy it and if you do PLEASE REVIEW! Again I own nothing but my own character.
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Mireth waited impatiently for her turn to walk up to Beorn's' house. The longer she sat with Thorin in silence the more things she thought of that she wanted to say. She was afraid after sixty years that it would all come bursting out in a rush and not make any sense. Thorin paced nearby and she couldn't help but watch him.
About half of the dwarves had already walked up to the house and so Mireth and Thorin were a little separated from the rest. Even after their tiring journey so far, Thorin still carried himself upright as if he could continue on forever. She had always admired his noble bearing and she found it even more admirable now after everything he had been through.
Oin and Gloin soon began their walk up to the house and Mireth knew she and Thorin were next. Standing from her position on the boulder she had been using for a chair, she winced when she pushed against it with her injured arm. Thorin must have noticed because he was suddenly in front of her. "Let me see your arm," he said holding out his hand. Mireth brushed aside his hand saying, "It is fine Thorin. I just twisted it wrong."
Thorin didn't step out of her path and merely said, "Now, Mireth." Mireth frowned a bit, but did not resist. She held out her arm for him to unwrap. He gently probed around the wound and frowned when she let out a low hiss. "Mireth you need to clean this properly as soon as you can. I fear it is infected," he said, a frown creasing his forehead. Mireth nodded as he bound her arm once more. Mireth began walking to the path the others had followed saying, "It is our turn Thorin."
He had followed her so that when she turned to see if he was coming, he was right beside her. What she saw made her pause. The way the sunlight streamed through the trees gave Thorin the appearance of wearing a crown, the lines of worry on his face erased in the light and he looked as he had all those years ago. A young dwarf prince, full of promise of a better world and she knew then that she truly would do everything within her power to see his home returned to him.
The moment passed as a cloud blocked the sun and Mireth shook her head. "Are you alright?" Thorin asked, concerned. "I am fine, Thorin," she replied gently. As they walked toward Beorns', Mireth observed the woods and fields around her. The landscape was beautiful, the weather calm and mild and for a moment she was able to relax and enjoy her surroundings.
While Thorin appreciated the scenery he couldn't help but watch Mireth from the corner of his eye. The more he was near her, the more his anger faded away and was replaced by sadness. How had it all gone so wrong so fast? She didn't look any different than she had sixty years ago thanks to her elven heritage, but he could sense a change in her. She seemed stronger of spirit and he certainly hadn't remembered her being so well versed in battle.
Of course she had weapons training as part of her growing up, but now her movements seemed to speak of experience. He wondered how many battles she had seen as a captain in Rivendell and to think of it he was curious as to why she was in Rivendell and not the Greenwood. Before he could ask her about all of this they arrived at the house and were introduced to Beorn. The man was impressively big and though his speech was gruff he seemed pleasant enough.
As Gandalf continued his tale for Beorn, Thorin and Mireth took a seat with Bilbo and the dwarves. It was becoming dark when the last of the dwarves arrived and Gandalf finished his tale. Beorn invited them inside offering them food and shelter, but warned them not to leave the house. Once they were all inside the dwarves immediately went for the food. Mireth took the time to explore the house a bit and found a room towards the back of the house that held a tub, with a large kettle hung over a fire.
Walking back out to the group, she gathered her pack that she had left by the door and stopped to tell Gandalf she would be in the back. None of the dwarves noticed her, too busy with their meal, but Thorin did. He gathered a tray together and followed the hall down to the door that was closed.
He hoped that she was cleaning her wound and so he opened the door and stepped inside. He wasn't expecting her naked back and he definitely wasn't expecting the massive scarring that ran from the top of her left shoulder down her side and to her hip. He had kicked the door closed when he had first stepped through and now it slammed shut behind him, startling her.
Mireth turned quickly bringing up her tunic to cover her chest. "What are you doing in here?!" Thorin couldn't seem to get any words to form and he couldn't tear his eyes from the scars he could still see on her side. Mireth saw what he was looking at and drew the tunic to cover them. "Thorin, get out," she said. She wasn't ready for this part of the conversation, but Thorin only moved to set down the tray on a chair nearby and then walked towards her.
When he was within arms distance he reached out to turn her so that he could see once more. "Thorin please, don't," she pleaded a bit breathless. He ignored her, gently running his fingers from her shoulder to her hip, feeling the harsh ridges and valleys that now marred her skin. The last time he had seen her naked had been the night he had given her the rune stone. It had been a beautiful and perfect night and he knew her skin had been flawless then.
"What happened?" he sounded strangled by emotion and Mireth hung her head. Thorin reached for her chin with his other hand and brought her eyes to his, "Tell me." Mireth asked him a question instead, "Do you still think that I abandoned you?" Thorin was taken aback for a moment and then he said again, "Tell me." Mireth took a breath and resolved to tell him everything that she knew.
"I was in Dale the day that Smaug attacked. It was our day to meet, do you remember?" she asked. Thorin nodded. She had convinced her father to allow regular trips to Dale under the pretense of ordering food and supplies for the Greenwood which she did, but then she would spend the remainder of her trip with him.
"I escaped Dale unharmed, but then I saw him attack Erebor. I ran as fast as I could to help you and when I got to the gate, hundreds of dwarves were fleeing. In the confusion, no one could tell me where you were." She paused here and turned her eyes from the spot on the wall she had been staring at and looked at him. "When I couldn't find you, I went in to Erebor myself." At this, Thorin dropped his hands in disbelief, "You didn't." He said it like he was begging her to say she was lying as he looked again at the scars.
Mireth moved away from him and began a slow circle around the room as she continued, "I did and instead of finding you, I found Smaug. I wasn't fast enough to get away from the dragons' breath. It flung me into a wall and after that I remember nothing." Thorins' hands clenched at his sides. If he had been determined to kill the dragon before, it was nothing to what he felt now. Mireth continued, not noticing Thorins' anger, caught up in the memory of fire. "I don't recall anything after that. I was told later by Legolas that he found me unconscious and he took me home. It seems he had followed me this time, because he suspected that something was not normal with my visits. Had he not been there, I do not know what would have happened to me. I was unconscious for two months and was forced to stay in bed another three months after that."
Thorin couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had gone to the Greenwood just weeks after Erebor had been taken and she had been unconscious because she had tried to save him. Then realization hit him and he grabbed the stone he wore around his neck and held it out to her. Seeing what he held, Mireth gasped and closed the distance between them reaching out to cradle the stone in her hand. "Where did you find that? I thought I lost it in Erebor!"
Thorin shook his head and began to tell his part, "I came to the Greenwood a few weeks after Smaug attacked and asked to see you. I didn't know why your father had turned us away and why you hadn't tried to contact me. They told me at the door that you had rejected me and when I didn't believe them they flung it at me as proof." Anger swept over Mireth. A white hot seething rage that caused her to shake, "How could he?! He lied to me!"
Thorin closed her fingers around the stone and held her hand in his. "I am sorry that I believed the lie so easily, Mireth. I should have trusted you more." Mireth shook her head, "It is I who am to blame. I knew what had happened and instead of showing you compassion and understanding I allowed the hurt I felt to cloud my judgement. I am sorry Thorin." Thorin shook his head, "Sixty years we have lost. Where do we go from here?"
Their fingers still wrapped around each other and the stone Mireth said, "I don't know Thorin, but I love you the same as I loved you then." As Thorin registered the words she spoke, his fingers gripped hers tighter. "I love you too," he whispered "I never stopped." He placed his other hand behind her head and drew her to him. This kiss was soft and almost reverent, each still not believing that they were together again.
Thorin pulled back first and said, "I should let you clean your wound." Mireth reached out with the hand that had been holding her tunic up to stop him from going. "Don't go Thorin. Stay with me," she said a little breathless. Thorin stood frozen for a moment just drinking in the sight of her, she was a beautiful as he remembered and the scars made her even more so. Then he noticed the necklace. He reached out a hand and traced the delicate chain down to the cluster of jewels, "You kept it."
Mireth smiled and reached out to run her fingers through his hair, "Of course I did. As angry as I was, I have always loved you." It was Mireth who initiated the kiss this time and she wasn't as gentle. The way he had been looking at her set her body on fire and sixty years was a long time. Thorin quickly took control of the kiss, slanting his mouth hungrily over hers and pulling her body flush against his.
Mireth pushed their bodies apart only to grab the coat Thorin was wearing and throw it to the floor. Thorin quickly assisted with the removal of the rest of his clothing while kicking his coat out like a blanket. When Thorin stood naked before her, Mireth inhaled a deep breath. He was stunning, his body powerful with muscle and she ran her hands across his chest and down his stomach in appreciation. "It seems that you are now more clothed than I, Princess," Thorin said raising a brow.
Mireth smirked and replied, "That doesn't seem fair at all Prince. Perhaps you could remedy the problem?" Thorin kneeled down before her and loosened the ties at her waist. As he drew the leggings down he kissed each inch of flesh that he exposed. Mireth sighed and her head rolled back on her shoulders. Thorin gripped her around the waist and drew her down onto the coat. He hovered over her desperate to continue, but not wanting to go too fast.
He trailed his fingers down the side of her face, over a peaked nipple and down her side to grip her hip once more. Mireth let out a moan deep in her throat and Thorin leaned in crushing his mouth to hers. As their tongues dueled for dominance, Thorin pressed his body down on hers. Mireth responded by pushing back rubbing her body back and forth under him. Thorin pulled back from her mouth on a gasp saying, "If you do not stop, this will not last long."
Mireth smiled and shook her head, "I don't want it to last too long. I want you now." Thorin groaned and pressed his mouth back against hers. There was no fumbling as he entered her, just a smooth glide as if they had moved this way a million times. Their bodies finding a perfect rhythm with each other. As she reached the peak, she gripped Thorins' arms and moaned in rapture. As Thorin felt her body spasm around him he let his own release take him, placing his forehead against hers as bliss closed around him.
After a few moments they both began to recover. Thorin braced his arms on either side of Mireths' head and smiled down at her. Mireth returned his gaze through sleep heavy eyes. "I believe you were going to take a bath," Thorin chuckled as she yawned. "If you will lay down beside me I feel as though I could sleep for days," she replied gently brushing her hand over his cheek.
Thorin grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss into her palm, "As much as I would love that, I really want you to take care of your arm." Now that the state of bliss had worn off Thorin focused again on the wound. It was no more red or inflamed than it had been, but it still concerned him. "I'll make you a deal. I'll take a bath if you take one with me," Mireth said smirking.
Thorin shook his head smiling, "Its a deal, but I have a feeling we won't get much washing done." "I should hope not," Mireth replied. Thorin rolled off of her and got to his feet holding out his hand to help her up. He then went to the tub to check the water and found it had gone cool. Lifting the kettle from the fire he poured its contents into the tub as Mireth picked up their things from the floor and placed them on a table in the corner.
Thorin watched her and couldn't believe that they had gone so long without each other. He was determined to make up for all of the time that was lost to them. Once the tub was once again warm he held out his hand to help her step in. The tub was made for Beorn and so it was large enough to hold them both with room to spare. Thorin knew if they got too close he would never be able to focus long enough to attend her arm so when he climbed in, he sat facing her.
Her legs rested over the tops of his so that she could get close enough for him to wash her arm and she couldn't resist trailing her fingers up his leg. Thorin growled at her to behave and she smiled as she withdrew the hand and held it above the water in a mock show of surrender. Thorin knew better because as she drew up her arm her breast peaked above the water as well. They soaked in the water for a time before Mireth reached for the soap and cloth that she had brought to the tub. Lathering the cloth, she leaned in closed to Thorin and began washing his chest and arms. She loved the feel of him beneath her fingers and couldn't resist trailing the cloth lower.
She watched him as her hands drew close to his most sensitive area and she saw his breath catch as his eyes found hers. It was too much for Thorin to resist and so he lunged for her, water splashing everywhere and guided her to sit on his lap facing him. They made love this way, slowly at first then faster as they both neared release again. Too spent to do anything, they clung to each other enjoying the closeness. The water was cooling around them and Thorin turned his attention to her arm. She stayed in his lap as he cleaned the wound.
The wound did not look too bad now that it had been properly cleaned. He pressed his fingers around the wound making it bust open once more and bleed. It was painful he knew, but had to be done to let out any infection that was lingering. Mireth never flinched as he purged the wound and he inwardly smiled at her bravery.
They stepped from the tub moments later and Thorin wrapped her in a large towel to dry as he grabbed one for himself. Once dry, they bandaged her wounded arm with herbs to help prevent infection and then dressed in clean clothes. Instead of rejoining the others they stayed in the room, backs leaned up against a wall shoulders touching and fed each other from the tray that Thorin had brought.
The bread, honey, cheese and fruit was a feast to Mireth, but she knew Thorin wished there were meat. As they ate they talked about the sixty years that had separated them. Thorin told her about working in the villages of men and then establishing his people in the Blue Mountains. Mireth told him about leaving the Greenwood and fleeing to Rivendell. "After I was healed, I confronted my father about his rejection of your people. The argument that we had was terrible and I swore that I would never return." Mireth hung her head in sadness, "I have not see my home since. I traveled to Rivendell and Lord Elrond allowed me a place in his home and a position within the Guard. There I have been ever since."
Thorin took her hand in his, "We will need to pass through the Greenwood to reach Erebor." Mireth nodded, "I have been thinking about that. I fear I will not be any help to guarantee safe passage. My father swore if I came back that he would have me imprisoned." Thorins' hand tightened around hers and she brought her other hand to stroke his in comfort. "I am sure he said those words in anger and did not mean them," she tried to reassure him.
Thorin relaxed, but he was not so sure.
When they finally emerged from the room they found that all was quiet and that all the occupants were asleep. Grabbing blankets from a shelf, Thorin motioned her to follow him. They found a corner with a clean stack of hay and Thorin lay one blanket down for them to lay on. Once they were comfortable he drew the second blanket up around them. Mireth lay snuggled into Thorins' side, her head on his chest and their hands clasped over his heart. She listened to his breath deepen as he fell asleep and she allowed her mind to rest and wander. That is how the company found them the next morning, the sunlight streaming through the windows as they clung to each other.