"So, you're an Elf?"
Fili was confused. And a bit angry. But mostly confused.
"Not entirely. My mother is an Elf - a rather important Elf - but your Uncle Thorin is still my Da."
"So, you're still one of the Fair Folk," Fili almost sneered.
"Fili, please don't be like that. Not all Elves are bigoted, overly-praised jesters. I'm not at all fond of any of the Fair Folk that I know, especially since most of them aren't fair at all, except for my cousin Legolas, and I'm not really friendly with him either. Or I wasn't, at least. "
Fili didn't say anything - he only sat in silence, a scowl etched on his face.
Reina sighed.
"Well, I don't know what else I can say to you. Either you believe me or you don't. Just please don't tell anyone - especially Kili. He won't understand yet."
"I'm not sure I even understand yet. I thought I knew who you were."
"You do, Fili! You just know more about me - you know me better now!"
"Do I, Reina? You don't have any more secrets like this, do you?"
No response.
"Reina?"
"If I do, will you promise to let me alone about them until I'm willing to say? You can't deny that I had a good reason to keep this one a secret."
Fili's eyebrows furrowed, as he took in this new information. He wasn't exactly happy about the whole situation, and now he couldn't properly be pleased in finding out her secret before Kili, given the nature of it. Of course, she was right about having a good reason to hide.
"No, of course, even I reacted like a prejudiced, close-minded dwarf. And you have done a good job at just letting your dwarfish side show. So I guess I can let it alone, so long as your secrets don't hurt anyone, really."
"So you won't tell anyone else?"
"No. I won't event tell Kili. You're right - he's not ready for news like this. He's too hot-headed. Especially after the fight yesterday, he needs a chance to cool off."
"I'm afraid of what he'll say when I do tell him - or worse, what he'll do. You know how he feels about Elves. Just about every dwarf I know had been brought up to dislike them at the very least. I don't really want to see what he'd do if he found out too soon about his own cousin's blood composition."
"I only have one more question, and then I suggest we let the subject drop. You never know who could be listening." Fili looked around warily, with his hand on the hilt of his sword. Fili was always wary, these days.
"I'll answer if I can. What is it?"
"Does Mum know?"
Reina smiled and nodded. "Yes, she knows. She found out when she was showing me how to put in the symbolic braids, like you do."
"Your ears?" Fili guessed, quieter than he had been all day.
"Yes, she..." Reina trailed off at the look in her cousin's eye. It made her nervous. "What's wrong?" she whispered.
"I'm not sure. I think we're being watched, but I can't place who or from where. I only just noticed."
Both dwarves became as quiet as they could, scanning the trees around them. It took Reina a moment to realize that the forest in itself was silent - not even the sound of the birds could be heard.
Something was really wrong!
Yikes! Cliff-hanger alert!
Sorry about the wait - I had my crazy siblings over for Christmas. I actually got about 3 chapters written in my notebook, but I'll post when I can, not all at once.
Happy Early New Years, Everyone!
R&R please!