Author's Note: As before, I've edited out the smuttier bits (the full version is on AO3). Plus, it'll probably be next weekend when I get chapter seven out – I'm working away from home on a training course at the moment, so my weekday routine is all over the place right now.
The hobbit sat in the darkening room, listening to the rain and watching through his window as the faint trace of blue on the horizon was slowly drowned by the gathering gloom. It was time to bar the window with the shutters, and light some candles, and make his little upstairs quarters cosy and warm for the long night ahead – yet he was reluctant to begin. Some vague sense of unease gripped him as he looked into the blanketing nightfall. He wanted to cling onto the final tatters of the daytime for as long as he could.
It's normal to have unsettling feelings when you're sitting alone in the dark. I'm sure it's nothing – and if it's not nothing, it's just my imagination. And if it is nothing, it's nothing that shutting the windows and running a nice cup of hot tea won't cure.
He decided to draw a line under the day, and just shutter up the window.
I'm just worn out from caring about that impossible dwarf!
On the table by his bed, he found an old lamp and some matches, and quickly sparked one to light the candle. The little flame jumped into life in a fizz of sulphur and the easy ritual gave him some small sense of comfort. So he stepped gingerly towards the cold, sucking void on the far wall, where the rain and the wind drove unbidden into his chambers.
Taking the sturdy wooden shutters in his hand, he took one last look outside to check all was well. The darkness was almost complete now, and the air smelled damp and salty, as if the coming storm was going to linger. And as he peered out one last time on the dying traces of that winter's day, he was sure he could see small lights in the distance, flickering in the wind.
They were faint, and few, and well dispersed over on the far side of the lake – out towards the Ravenhill tower. Like silent eyes growing out of the blackened hillside, trained on the living.
But what could they be? There wasn't anyone out there. All the Laketown refugees were still encamped around Dale and the Erebor gates. Nobody wanted to dwell so far out in the scrubby woods far away from other people...
Maybe it's the orcs after all. Maybe they never left. Maybe they're all around us now, just waiting for us to let our guard down...
Someone knocked on the door.
Bilbo jumped in fright, nearly hitting his head off the shutters, and cursed under his breath. Who could it be at this hour? It wasn't time for dinner summons, and he hadn't been expecting anyone.
The knocking came again, more insistent this time.
"I'm coming! Hold your horses."
With a roll of his eyes, he padded over to the doorway on his soft, furry feet, and swung open the door. He looked up in surprise to meet the eyes of Thorin's two young nephews, staring seriously back at him as he stood blinking in the doorway.
"Fili! Kili! Come in. This is an unexpected pleasure, I can tell you. I was just setting up for nightfall."
The two dwarf princes stepped in, seemingly unconcerned by the inhospitable gloom of the hobbit's living quarters.
Fili cocked his head to the side. "Do you mind us coming by like this, Bilbo? We don't mean to intrude."
"We just wanted to talk to you for a minute... about Thorin," added Kili.
Bilbo shook his head, sadly. "It's no trouble – I wasn't doing anything important." He beckoned for them to sit on his bed, while he took a seat at the chair by his writing desk. "What is it about Thorin? He's alright, isn't he? I heard about his... announcement... at the meeting this morning."
Fili raised an eyebrow at the hobbit. "Did he come by to tell you about it?"
But the hobbit stared moodily at the floor. "No. I heard from Balin over lunch." He stared up miserably. "It was all everyone was talking about. That and... your betrothal, Fili." His voice was quiet and sympathetic. "I know I'm supposed to congratulate you, but I hardly think it's appropriate under the circumstances."
Fili and Kili exchanged a glance, and the blond dwarf held up a hand. "It's okay, Bilbo, I know everyone will be worried about the news... I know I am."
Kili gave his brother a dark smile, then turned to the hobbit. "We wanted to talk to you about Thorin, Bilbo. We're worried about him. We don't trust that woman!"
Fili nodded. "We think she's just manipulating and using him. And now she's got her hands on the Erebor throne."
Bilbo smiled sardonically. "It's not like Thorin to miss a thief after his gold?" He shook his head. "I think you're both probably right, my friends, but what do you think you can do about it?"
Kili shrugged. "It's not so much about what we can do, Bilbo. It's about what you can do – or tell us." The hobbit felt the dwarf's hazel eyes sweep over him in concern. "What happened between you and Thorin? I thought you were getting on well? You were always together – he seemed happy when you were around! And then... he's betrothing himself to that woman."
Fili scowled at his brother. "I'm sorry, we're not trying to pry. We just want to know what was going on in Thorin's mind when he met Rose. Had you two fallen out? Was he mad about something?" Fili fixed Bilbo with a serious look. "Or do you think all of this goes back to before I found her in the tower?"
The hobbit thought for a minute. Where had it started? Before they reached Laketown? Before they'd loosed Smaug on the town? Bilbo wasn't sure, but somewhere along the way Thorin had changed, or something had changed him. As they'd got closer to the Lonely Mountain, he'd become curt and more aloof, spending less time around the campfire with his friends or his hobbit and more time muttering at everyone in anger or brooding alone in silence.
Bilbo considered. "Look, you both well know how moody your uncle is – so it's hard to put a time on it – but I think after we left Laketown on the boat – that's when I noticed there was something different about him. Something... more remote."
He sighed. "The closer we've come to this place – the closer he's gotten to the throne under the mountain – the worse he's got. But... he's not trying to upset people. He's been preparing his whole life for this quest – for these last few days – and I think the pressure is just... catching up with him. He's lost the plot. He'll come around, eventually. I just hope he still has some friends left by the time he realises what a fool he's been!"
Fili grimaced. "Or before he's given our kingdom away to her."
Bilbo rolled his eyes. "I don't like her either. I don't trust her story. You remember when we found her in the tower? My Sting was glowing blue when you both went in! I was in ever such a worry. But then... there was nothing. It just stopped glowing. Right before you came out with her."
As he spoke, the young dwarves leaned in closer, curious. Fili frowned. "So what are you saying, Bilbo? That there were orcs, and then there weren't? The woman already told us that."
Beside him, his dark-haired brother nodded. "Tauriel says her story is true. I don't know how she knows it– but I think Rose was taken prisoner by orcs. It's just the part about her father stumbling upon an orc horde that sounds like fantasy!"
Bilbo stared up at the young dwarf sharply. "There are strange lights out there, Kili. I saw them at the window before you came in." A flash of alarm crept across the hobbit's face. "She might be right – the whole countryside around here could be crawling with them..."
The two brothers exchanged a glance on the bed, and rose to their feet immediately.
"Show us these lights." Fili commanded.
Bilbo stepped up from the wobbly chair by his desk, and made his way across the cold stone floor towards the window. He'd never managed to actually lock it – he realised that now – and the wooden shutter hung loosely over the front, unlatched and swaying gently in the wind.
"Just out there across the lake – take a look," he offered, pointing the two dwarves towards the window.
The two of them opened the shutters wide and stared out into the darkness for a few moments, before turning back into the room.
"I don't see anything," Fili said carefully. "Are you sure it was lights you saw? Not stars? The far lakeshore is a long way off."
Bilbo paced over to the window and took a look for himself. He saw nothing but blackness, and a thick, choking cloud full of hissing, heavy rain.
"It's the cloud cover - the sky has come down and hidden the lakeshore from view. I swear I could see them! There were about six or seven of them – little yellow lights, all along the lakeshore by Ravenhill."
"We believe you, Mr Baggins." said Kili thoughtfully. "There's been no stars visible tonight with that weather. And I wouldn't be surprised if there were still orcs hanging around, waiting to try and pick off any stragglers who stray out too far from town after dark..." He turned to his brother. "You're still with me for tomorrow, aren't you?"
Fili gave Kili a small nod, and regarded the hobbit curiously. "Bilbo, would you mind us troubling you for one more favour before we go?"
"Eh, a favour, you say? What kind of favour?" the hobbit stammered. It had better not be anything to do with orcs. Or venturing outside in the foul weather to report back on any of the other horrors that were undoubtedly lurking out there.
Kili looked apologetic. "We wondered if you would speak to Thorin, and tell him about our concerns?" Seeing the look of panic spreading across the hobbit's face, he quickly carried on. "We'll come with you – or I will, anyway." He glanced at Fili sideways, who gave him a slight shake of the head. "We just think that someone needs to try talking some sense into Thorin. And since we're the people who care about him the most – it's down to us to do it."
The hobbit stared at the two dwarves apprehensively. He knew they both loved their uncle – and Thorin undoubtedly loved them too – but he wouldn't take too kindly to some misguided intervention. If anything, it would give the scheming woman more opportunity to question their loyalty and drive a wedge between the king and his current heirs.
"I don't know if it's such a good idea, Kili – he'll be very angry! The woman will use it against you!"
Kili scowled. "I'm not afraid of her, and I'm not afraid of my uncle's temper either! I'm sure he will be angry – he certainly won't be pleased to hear what we all think about his new bride-to-be, but we need to try. And maybe in a few days time when he's calmed down he'll realise that we were right?"
The hobbit shut his eyes. Kili was right – they couldn't just allow Thorin to do as he pleased. The people who cared about him had a duty to stand up to his erratic behaviour. It just wasn't going to be an overly pleasant experience...
He gave a deep, weary sigh. "Alright, I'll come with you." He saw Kili smile at him appreciatively.
"Thanks, Bilbo. I was hoping I wouldn't have to go in alone." The dark-haired dwarf grinned.
"Alone? So you're not joining us, Fili?" The hobbit felt confused, like he'd been vaguely misled.
But Kili's blond brother just shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, I can't. I have to go and speak to someone else." He cast his eyes down to the small candle burning brightly on the desk. "I need to see if she's alright."
Enlightenment dawning on the hobbit, he nodded sympathetically. "Right. I see. Well good luck with that." He looked to Kili, raising his eyebrows. "When did you want to speak to Thorin?"
"I thought maybe... now?"
"Oh. Right." The hobbit's eyebrows rose even higher, as his heart sank lower than ever. Why was he always getting talked into these ridiculous escapades? It was going to be the death of him, one of these days – it really was. His patience with being used as Thorin's emotional punch-bag was wearing thin – and he was feeling worn out from the worry of it all.
Plus, how could their plan ever work? Thorin would surely think the hobbit's motivation was lowly jealousy, rather than some noble concern for his former lover's welfare. And that was surely more humiliating than anything else...
The temperature inside Erebor was falling. Through every chink in the mountainside halls, chill gusts were winding their way inside, so that in the corridors some of the candles had been blown out, plunging small sections of the passageways into near darkness.
As Fili marched through the dimming, flickering tunnels however, he paid the wind no mind. He was preoccupied with the day's events, and resolute that nothing was going to stop him from fulfilling the promise he was going to make her – that she would never marry that ugly, mean-spirited kinsman of Dáin's, and that he had a plan to make it so.
He finally reached the Erebor gate, and gave a signal to the young man on sentry duty, guarding the mechanism that opened the main door to the underground city. There was a low, grinding howl as the gears pulled together, and the gate began to rise, exposing his face to the cold and heavy rain gusting in on the breeze.
Where does she live? She said it was not far from the gate.
He strode down the hill towards what had once been the main street of Dale, his blond braids flailing around his face in the storm, and tried to match the house to the description he'd been given by the serving maids. Finally spying what he thought was the right building – a thin, grey sandstone townhouse whose upper floors lay exposed to the rain and ruin – he ventured upto the front door.
Raising his fist to knock, he was struck for a second wondering what he was actually going to say. What if she had flat-out refused the match already, and cared nothing for his plan? Would she think badly of him for trying to save her? For thinking that she needed saving? Maybe she would just laugh in his face, and call him a coward for agreeing so easily to his own arranged marriage. And maybe he would even deserve it...
He swallowed thickly, and knocked on the door. This wasn't about his feelings or worries, it was to try and alleviate hers. He stood up straighter as he heard a light footfall approaching the door, and held his breathe as the door swung open in his face.
Sigrid was standing there in front of him, in a loose, white dress and with bare feet. He wondered suddenly if she'd been asleep, and he'd woken her. Her foggy blue-grey eyes widened as she recognised him in the doorway, but she didn't smile.
"Fili? What are you doing here? Come in, it's freezing out there in the rain."
He stepped into her adopted house, into a large but bare front room, and noticed at once the temperature was more agreeable. A small fire was burning in the hearth, giving off the fresh aroma of burnt applewood, mixed with the warm scent of cinnamon that came from further within her home.
She looked at him quizzically. "I was just cooking some stew. Do you want some?"
He shook his head. "I've already eaten, Sigrid, but thank you. I actually came here to talk to you. About the meeting..."
She shook her head bitterly. "Oh yes, the meeting! The meeting that I was uninvited to, which betrothed me to someone who I despise, without my father's free consent, on pain of my people – my friends and family – going hungry over winter!" She sat down on a chair near the fireplace, gripping her hands together tightly, her face pale and worried. "My father told me all about it."
Fili walked slowly towards her chair, ready to back off if she stared at him in hate like he was half expecting. If she really hadn't hated them all by last night – then by now she surely must hate his people with a burning passion.
"I'm sorry, Sigrid. You shouldn't be made to agree to this under pressure, it's not fair."
She looked over at him, but instead of hate in her eyes he saw cold curiosity. "And what about you, Fili? Is it fair for you? Or do you dwarves just not care who you marry? Do you have feelings for others of your kind, or is it always just about how much you stand to gain by trading one in for another?"
Stung, he retreated away closer to the entrance, where the chill drafts came blowing in from under the door. "I don't know, Sigrid," he whispered, "I care, but I'm not free to change any of it. I didn't make this decision. And there's nothing for me to gain in any of this." He looked at her sadly. "I don't want any of this."
Sigrid stared off into the fire. "You know, I heard that we were to be betrothed. Before they changed it all. I was supposed to be your wife. Would I have made a good trade for you, do you think?" She looked at him sharply, and he could see the reflection of the fire in her eyes.
"If you had freely consented to being my wife, Sigrid, I would have considered it an excellent match – one that I would have been happy to make, as long as you were."
"I would have consented to it, Fili," he heard her whisper softly into the flames. "How would you have felt about that?"
He looked at her, feeling another wave of exhaustion sweeping over him. "Does it matter now?"
But she stared back at him evenly. "It matters to me."
Fili sighed. Why was she being like this with him? He was on her side. He wasn't trying to use her to take a throne, or seal a deal like she was a down-payment on a gold mine. Why did she seem so angry with him?
"I would have felt good, Sigrid. I was happy to think you would be my wife. Is that the answer you wanted? Did I say the right thing?" He felt suddenly emotional. "I wanted us to both be happy! I would never have married you without your consent, I'd never touch you without your consent, I wouldn't – "
He saw her leap up from her chair and march straight over to him, and his first instinct was to duck the inevitable slap coming his way. But instead, he felt her arms grab him roughly at his sides, and her warm, wet mouth was suddenly planted on his lips, kissing him hard and silencing his thoughts immediately as he kissed her back with a hunger he hadn't realised he felt.
She finally released him, and stood leaning her chin on the top of his head and standing close against him. Fili could smell the cinnamon coming from her dress, stronger than before, and feel her heady, warm aura all around him, electrifying his skin. He put his arms around her, holding her tightly, not wanting to let her away from his side.
"I wanted you to kiss me last night, Fili." She looked down at him with her big, sad eyes, and he felt a pain in his heart to see her look so unhappy. "Why didn't you?" She moved her mouth towards his ear, and whispered closely. "Why didn't you tell them that you'd only marry me?"
He took her head in his hands, desperate that she should understand. "Oh Sigrid, you know why I couldn't do that!" He could see the pain in her eyes, and he wanted to take it all away. "I wish I could have told them... I want you to be my wife, I want you – "
"Hush, Fili." He felt her put a finger to his lips, and he realised his heart was racing, his thoughts spinning. "It isn't your fault, I know that." She pulled him closer, tugging at the back of the blue tunic he wore, not seeming to care about his damp clothes. "I'm not angry with you."
"Sigrid," he whispered, "I'm riding to Mirkwood tomorrow with my brother." He felt her withdraw her warmth from him suddenly and stare at him. "We will speak to King Thranduil, and try and come to terms with him ourselves. If we can get him to change his mind, my uncle won't need this deal with Dáin, and both of us will be free..."
But she didn't seem happy. "You're going into Mirkwood? The two of you? Alone?" She looked at him in alarm. "But Fili, is it safe? The elven king is not your friend – and especially not your brother's friend!" She hugged him tight again and sighed. "I don't want any harm to come to you."
He hugged her back, and kissed her on her cheek. "I can't let any harm come to you, Sigrid. That's why I have to go. But I'll not be alone – Kili will be with me. And we can handle ourselves in the woods."
She sighed sadly. "My father will come with you, if you ask him, I know he will. Take him along – the elven king won't be able to do you any mischief with him there too!"
Fili considered. "If your father wishes to join us, he is more than welcome. Where is he now?"
Sigrid smiled. "He's not here. He's taken Tilda and Bain away to my cousin's house for the night." She looked at him sheepishly. "He wanted to give me some time alone to... decide on the match with that dwarf."
Fili looked at her seriously. "We need to leave first thing in the morning, before anyone notices we've gone. I should go and find him –"
"He'll be back here first thing in the morning. You can stay here and wait." Sigrid kissed his neck, and Fili felt the hairs standing up all over his body.
He opened his mouth and was about to protest, but she silenced him with a soft kiss to his lips, and ran her hands lazily down the length of his back, following the curve of his spine gently. "I can hang up these wet clothes by the fire, and get you something to drink," she murmured, "and you can spend the night here. With me."
She looked him deep in his eyes, and he knew what she wanted. He wanted to protest – and tell her that they shouldn't, that it was wrong, but he couldn't. He wanted it too. He felt himself blush a deep red, his cheeks burning.
"We shouldn't," he tried, "it's not – "
"Not what?" she asked, "not right?" She kissed him slowly and deeply again, and Fili felt his legs about to buckle underneath him. "Is that what you think?" She traced a line down his chest with her finger, and began unhooking the latches on his tunic, one by one. "I'll stop if you can make me believe that you really think that's true." She tore at the latches, and pulled his damp tunic open, exposing his curly blond chest hair.
With a smile on her face, she ran her warm hands over the cool skin of his chest, noting every muscle with a firm caress, and Fili closed his eyes and gasped at the sudden weakness he felt within himself. She took his hands gently within hers, and whispered in his ear again. "Come over to the fire, Fili. Let me warm you up."
And he allowed her to lead him by the hand to the small hearth in the far corner, where the applewood fire burned bright and warm, bathing them both in a rosy glow. She peeled his wet tunic off, exposing more of his skin to her view, and she hung it over the back of her chair, near the flames. He could feel her eyes all over his body, scanning him hungrily, and he felt a ripple of excitement as he wondered what she had in mind for him.
"And your trousers too, Fili." She smiled innocently. "I think, actually, you should just take everything off. And I can give you a blanket to dry off your hair." She saw his look of surprise, and nodded towards the door. "I'll be back in a moment."
The dwarf stood uncertainly by the fire, warming his hands, wondering what to do. He should probably leave now – leave and find Bard, and make some preparations for the morning, and tell Sigrid he had to leave because he belonged to some other now. The sensible part of him wanted very insistently for him to leave right away, but Fili was tired and angry with the sensible part of himself. It was the sensible part that had gotten him into this mess to begin with – there was no way Kili would submit to his elders' authority the way he had, that was for sure. And look how happy he was, with his elven lover.
Fili was tired of listening to his joyless, sensible side. He would rather feel Sigrid's lips on his again, and hold her close to his beating heart.
He heard the door behind him open again, and felt the slight draft as the air in the room shifted about. His skin was tingling, waiting for her to touch him, but instead she draped a woollen blanket over his shoulders.
"I thought you were going to strip off for me, Fili?" He felt her hand sliding up the exposed half of his back. "How can I warm you if you're wearing wet clothes?"
She sat down in front of the fire, and pulled at his hips, indicating he should join her, and Fili crouched down slowly, waiting for her instruction.
"Take them off," she whispered, "and stay here tonight with me."
As Fili reached for his belt, she smiled and stretched out on her side by the fire, watching him intently as he stood to remove his clothes, hanging them gently on the chair beside his tunic, until he was standing in front of her, naked except for the blanket around his shoulders.
She motioned him to sit in front of her, and he did so. He felt her sit up behind him and brush her body against his back as she took his blanket and started to gently blot at his wet blond braids.
"You know, Fili, you're very handsome. You must have had loads of attention from all your dwarf ladies, before you came here. Why were you not already betrothed to someone else?"
He thought for a moment. "I think all those ladies were mostly interested in the throne I'm supposed to inherit – not me... The only ladies I liked always fancied my brother."
Sigrid shuffled her body around his, so her knees hugged close to his sides, and he could feel her breasts pressing on his back through the flimsy dress she wore. Her hands encircled his waist, and ran over his chest, while she planted light kisses on the back of his neck, through his long hair. The sensation was utterly arousing, as she no doubt intended it to be, and Fili felt himself forgetting to breath, as her hands lowered to lightly brush the thickening hair around his navel.
"And what do you think I want, Fili? " Sigrid murmured in his ear. "Do you know what it is?" She ran her tongue over his earlobe, and whispered huskily to him. "I want you. I want you now, Fili. Tonight. I want you to let go, and give yourself to me."
And part of his sensible self must have still been functioning, because he could hear himself trying to protest. "But Sigrid – I can't. You're not mine, it's not – "
But she pressed her finger firmly to his lips, and squeezed his nipple until he shivered in pain. "I'm a free woman, Fili. I can give myself to whoever I want. I don't belong to that miserable dwarf... not yet." She lowered her leg furthest from the fire, and placed his hands under her knee, so he could feel more of her body. "I want you tonight – I want you to take me now, before he does – so I won't... have his child."
Fili felt something wet on his shoulder, and he broke free of her grip and spun round. He saw she had tears in her eyes, and she made no attempt to hide them. He held his arms out, and she threw herself into them at once.
He whispered to her softly. "Sigrid, don't worry about him... I will never let him hurt you – you will never be his wife. I swear to you – I will kill him myself before it comes to that!"
She met his eyes, and he saw she trusted him. And there was something else there in her gaze, as she stared back at him with her watery blue-grey eyes in the firelight. A brightness he hadn't seen before.
She took his face in her hands, and kissed his mouth softly. "Fili, why do you care so much? I would never ask you to do such a thing for me – you'd lose everything."
He drank her all in: her closeness, her warmth, her vulnerability, her strength, her beauty, and he realised he never wanted to part with her. He could never let anyone hurt her, no matter what the consequences were for himself. He would do anything to keep her safe, and keep those blue-grey eyes from shedding any more tears.
"Sigrid, I love you."
He blinked at her, and saw her eyes widen as she registered what he'd said. And then her face crumpled in tears. "I love you too, Fili! I want to be your wife, because I choose you."
He held her tightly. "I swear to you it will be so, Sigrid. I'll never marry anybody but you, and I'll never let you marry that brute."
"Are you still going to Mirkwood tomorrow?"
"I have to, Sigrid. You know that. We need Thranduil's help, or we're going to have to find somewhere else with enough food for us all to last through winter." He stroked her head gently. "We can't go through with this deal, we need another way... we need to be together."
"I know. I'm just worried. I'm scared, Fili – I don't want to be left all alone here like this." He heard her sigh, and felt her chest rise and fall. "Just promise me one thing."
"What is it?"
"Just promise me you'll be back safe."
"I promise you, Sigrid. We'll all be back soon, and nothing bad is going to happen to any of us."
He sighed himself, exhausted, and outside the storm grew in strength and power, while the wind howled outside.
As the hobbit and his dwarf companion made their way to the thick oak door of Thorin's chambers, a chill breeze gusted their way and blew out the candles all around them, cloaking their part of the corridor in darkness.
As if we need another portent of doom for tonight! Bilbo thought sulkily.
He could see from his companion's silhouette that Kili remained undaunted, and he knew there was no chance the young dwarf would call off their trip now and make it another night instead. He was too much like his uncle for that.
They reached the door, flanked by two burning lanterns, and Kili raised an eyebrow his way. "Just remember, we're playing the long game here," the dwarf whispered, with an explanatory nod.
Bilbo rolled his eyes, and rapped three times on the sturdy door as loud as he could.
The sound of heavy footsteps racing towards the door was immediate, and Bilbo cleared his throat nervously.
The door was pulled wide open by Thorin himself, and they watched as he scanned the pair of them in turn, then looked towards the empty corridor as if expecting someone else.
"Kili, Bilbo, what brings you here? There hasn't been any news, has there?" There was an urgency in Thorin's voice that the hobbit didn't like.
"News?" Bilbo queried. "Not that I know of. You don't mind if we come in, for a second, do you Thorin?"
The dwarf king shook his head, and pulled the door wider to let them pass into his bedchambers. Or, as the hobbit thought bitterly, the bedchambers of Thorin and Rose. He half expected to see the woman sitting there, smiling smugly over at him from the bed she now shared with her husband-to-be, but they must have found a rare moment when she'd allowed Thorin out of her sight. No doubt she would be back soon though, ready to walk in at some opportune moment to feign perfect innocence at their sordid accusations.
He wondered how much time they had. "Are you alone, Thorin? Has Rose gone down to the bath-house before supper?"
But Thorin shook his head, staring balefully at the window. "Nobody has seen her since she went out to the lake this morning." He turned to Kili coldly. "Although they tell me your elf went looking for her just after she'd left."
Kili's face froze, his eyes darting quickly between the hobbit and his uncle, as if he was waiting for one of them to elaborate for him. "Do you mean, Tauriel's not back either?"
Thorin glared at his nephew. "Neither of them are back! They've been gone all day. And Rose was only going out for a stroll– I sent for the best tailor from Laketown to measure her up for a wedding dress at three o'clock... but she wasn't here!"
Bilbo turned to look at Kili, wondering what he wanted to do. This hadn't been the plan. But the younger dwarf was standing with his hand over his mouth, staring at his uncle.
"So why are they not back yet, Thorin? That was over three hours ago! It's been dark for ages now. Have you sent anyone out to look?" Kili sounded more upset than his uncle.
"Of course I have!" The dwarf king thundered. "I sent Dwalin and Glóin out to look for her two hours ago – they searched the whole shoreline near the rocks, right where Rose said she would be – but there was no sign of either of them." He marched up to Kili, and glared down at him. "I swear, if your elf has done something to her, I'll – "
"You'll what? What are you talking about, uncle? Tauriel would never hurt anyone, how can you say that? Why didn't someone tell me she was missing?"
"Look," Bilbo began, trying to diffuse the tension. "How about you both calm down? It's only a few hours, they've probably just got lost in the bad weather. We can all go out and look for them, together, and I'm sure we'll find them both safe and well..." He trailed off, seeing the two dwarves staring at him attentively.
Kili nodded in agreement. "That sounds like a good plan, Bilbo. I'm going out now to look for them – I'm not sitting around waiting for her to come back, she might be in trouble out there!"
Thorin clapped his nephew on the back. "And I will join you – I will send for more help to scour the shore."
They both turned to Bilbo, expectantly, and he felt another urge to sigh coming on. He didn't want to go out into the dark, not tonight, not with gods-knew-what crawling around on the windswept hillsides... He remembered the lights he'd seen earlier that evening, and felt himself shiver.
But I can't let Thorin down now, he'll think badly of me for sure!
Ignoring the howling wind outside and swallowing down the sense of dread building in the pit of his stomach, the hobbit nodded. "I'll come with you. Let's go and find them!"