Disclaimer: I don't own anything - Tolkien gets all the credit.
A/N: I decided to post my Dwalin/OC idea while it was fresh in my mind… and I'm glad I did! It's receiving such a great response! It's definitely nothing like this story, but I'd still love to have you check it out! You can find it on my profile, titled 'His Little Flower'
The result of that, was, a bit of writer's block with this story – so sorry for the delay! :)
Chapter 8
Dinner was over by the time that Hilde rejoined the company. Emotionally, she was raw and uncomfortable and ready to hide away for a few years - well away from the complications of elves and dwarves. Peace was, however, not to be hers quite yet. She was summoned to Lord Elrond's study to join her father, Thorin, Balin, and Bilbo. Discussions over the map were already underway – "For goodness sake, Thorin, show him the map!" Her father's voice sounded abundantly frustrated already, which wasn't a comforting thought.
"Our business is no concern of elves," was Thorin's gruff response. The group stood in an almost circle in the elven Lord's massive library. Elrond's circlet glittered in the moonlight, making the rest of the room's occupants look rather dull by comparison. Balin, the wise but suspicious dwarf who so often was the picture of calm, stood pacing just behind Thorin. "The map is the legacy of my people. It is mine to protect, as are its secrets."
"Save me from the stubbornness of dwarves! Your pride will be your downfall!" Gandalf's words came out like a sigh as he turned to look at Hilde. She neared the group slowly, hoping that her sudden change in appearance wouldn't be off-putting to her dwarven companions. She'd taken time to bathe and now stood before them in an elven dress, her hair set free from most of her normal braids and now was flowing down her shoulders in waves. "My dear, surely you can see the wisdom in this? Talk some sense into your king!"
Hilde glanced toward Thorin and Balin, seeing their looks of suspicion now directed toward her. "You stand before one of the few people in Middle Earth who might be able to help us with the map. If he can see through the map's secrets, I should be able to read any ancient dwarven text that is revealed." Gandalf seemed pleased by her words and Lord Elrond's face belied his concern on what could possibly be contained in the map they all discussed.
"Show it to Lord Elrond!" Gandalf's patience had clearly worn thin.
Thorin kept eye contact with Hilde as he reached into his coat and pulled out the map. Balin's reaction was immediate, "Thorin! No!" The dwarf king still looked only at Hilde as he handed the map over to Elrond. Hilde couldn't look away, captured once again in Thorin's gaze. Her sudden awareness of the feelings she had toward him made the look more important than similar ones in the past.
"Erebor. What is your interest in this map?" Elrond's voice broke the look, drawing all attention in the room to him. Elrond's brown was furrowed in concern and Hilde worried that, knowing their intent, Elrond would refuse to help them.
"It's mainly academic," Gandalf had an answer to everything, it seemed, "As you know, this sort of artifact sometimes contains hidden text." Gandalf looked to Hilde then, "Hilde still reads ancient dwarven, but neither of us was able to decipher the purpose of the map."
"Cirth isil," was all Lord Elrond said for a moment as he held the map up to the light. He turned the parchment from side to side, looking at it from several different angles.
"Moon runes, of course. An easy thing to miss." Hilde shook her head at her father's commentary. This wasn't necessarily a good sign.
"But cirth isil can only be read under a moon of the shape and season in which they were written, Gandalf. We might not be able to view the hidden contents of the map for some time." Thorin's concerned gaze returned to Hilde as she said this.
"Can you read them?" He asked, his voice rough with hope. Hilde looked to Elrond, who had turned back to the small group. Only he would be able to answer that question.
"These ruins," Lord Elrond began, "Were written on a mid-summer's eave under the light of crescent moon nearly 200 years ago."
"Then all is not lost!" Hilde responded excitedly. Looking directly to Thorin, "The crescent moon will be upon us in only a few days. With Lord Elrond's help, I should be able to read them."
The elf in question still held the map as he walked to stand before the dwarven king. "It seems you were meant to come to Rivendell, Thorin Oakenshield. Fate is with you."
With several days to wait, it was agreed that the dwarves would rest amongst the elves of Rivendell until the map could be read. The rowdy company was settled in a small courtyard, luckily (and perhaps purposefully) separated away from many of the elven inhabitants of Elrond's home. Gandalf would be staying in the main house, while Hilde had opted to remain with the dwarves.
"Why do you dress like an elf, Hilde?" Kili had asked when she had returned to the group. Many of the dwarves looked to her then, some blushing at the sight of the dress. While Hilde did not hide her shape under normal circumstances, her travel clothes were thick and loose in some places, conveniently covering her chest, waist, and hips. This dress hid none of those things.
"We are in an elven city, Kili, and my clothes were filthy. I will only be in this dress until my other things are cleaned." Hilde could see Fili on the other side of the small courtyard. He hadn't come to join her as he normally would have and Hilde was sure this was due to the confrontation with Glorfindel. She regretted that he had been a part of that.
"Well, you certainly look lovely!" Kili's remarks earn a few agreeable grunts from some of the others and Hilde was sure that she might blush if the attention wasn't turned away from her. Today had been emotionally taxing and it wouldn't do her any good to have a dozen dwarves telling her she looked pretty.
Thorin quickly put an end to all other conversation as he explained the plan for the map. Balin still seemed uncomfortable with the idea of Lord Elrond reading the map and Dwalin was of the same mind, "Surely Hilde can read the map without the elf's help? We know when to read it now!"
"Unfortunately I cannot. Cirth isil require a special stone for the ruins to be revealed, and the only person I know in this part of Middle Earth in possession of such a stone is Lord Elrond." Dwalin's frown made it clear that he wasn't happy with that answer.
"Enough!" Thorin's voice wasn't raised, but it was clear he wasn't happy with the situation either, "Hilde, come, we need to talk. The rest of you should sleep. We won't have much time for rest after this."
Kili smiled to her as he walked over to his brother and their bedrolls. She noted that her things had been moved and placed between theirs, along with her bedroll, so there was some hope that Fili wasn't too upset with her. Thorin now stood at the side of the clearing, his face turned away of her as she walked toward him. Once she was close enough to almost touch him, he walked away without a word.
The evening was fully upon the valley now, but soft light could be seen along the paths of what Hilde knew to be the eastern garden. The sounds of the surrounding waterfalls nearly drowned out the sound of Thorin's heavy footfalls as the pair navigated the walkway for several minutes. One the sounds of the company we long gone behind them, Thorin slowed and turned to Hilde with an unreadable expression.
"What would you like to discuss, Thorin?"
His eyes were incredibly blue in low light. "I'm not exactly sure. I feel that things are changing between you and the rest of the company, so I think it best that you fully explain your intentions to me. They have begun to trust you and I need to know that this trust is earned."
"My intentions are as they always have been – to help you." Thorin gaze was sweeping over her in a way that she wasn't entirely comfortable with.
"You look as though you fit in here, with these elves. Why would want to travel through mountains and wastelands with us when you could live here in comfort. With your friends." Hilde didn't like where this was going, so she stepped closer to the king and locked eyes with him once again.
"I would leave this place and never return if you asked it of me. I would follow you, Thorin Oakenshield, and forsake these friends."
"Why?" His voice, that smooth and deep sound that had affected her so acutely since that night at Bag End, was even softer now. How she chose to continue this conversation was incredibly important and could have far reaching implications, but Hilde was no child, nor was she a coward.
"I would follow you because I have faith in you as a leader for our people. I would follow you because I believe that the dwarves of Erebor deserve to win back the home that was taken from them. I would follow you because I couldn't endure leaving you." Being so close, Hilde could see the few grey hairs that were usually hidden in Thorin's closely trimmed beard. His skin was dark, the result of many days travel in the sun, and his eyes that held the smallest flecks of green within a sea of dark blue, mesmerized her all the more at such a small distance.
Thorin's breaths were coming faster now, his mouth open and his chest heaving. He didn't say anything, so Hilde continued, "If I were leave you now, I would regret it forever."
"Speak plainly, Hilde of Khazad-dum. Why would you regret it?" He was looking all over her now, at her mouth and her hair and her hands, which now were clutched together just below her chest.
"I would regret it because I care for you." Thorin's brow furrowed, his chest heaving more as he stepped even closer, forcing Hilde's hands to flatten on his chest.
"How do you care for me?" The roughness of Thorin's voice was different, graveled, like stone.
"As a woman cares for a man. As an elleth cares for an ellon." Hilde felt his gasp rather than hearing it, and before she realized what was happening, Thorin's lips were on hers. He lacked any form of subtlety and attacked her mouth with an almost violent passion. The embrace left her breathless and dizzy, air impossible to drag into her lungs given the strength of Thorin's hold on her. His beard was rough on her chin, his tongue bold in her mouth, his hands daring on her back, shoulders and bottom.
When they finally pulled away, Hilde was gasping. Thorin's look was smug, a sign that he was well aware of the impact the kiss had on her, "What? Have you never been properly kissed by a dwarf, my lady?" Hilde laughed and moved forward again, wrapping her arms around his neck and reaching in to kiss him again. This time Hilde was better prepared for Thorin's vicious lust, but was no less moved by it. She surely would never get used to kisses like these.
"Was there anything else you wished to discuss?" Hilde asked, quite a while later.
"No, I think that about covers it."
A/N: One prologue, 8 chapters, and 20,000 words later – their first kiss! I hope it was worth the wait.