Thank you to all of you who have added this story to favorite, follow and what not.

Thank you to those of you who reviewed,

ScienceExeriment5150,

Vault108,

Shadow fang the black wolf,

creepyLOTRfangirl55

Also, I was going to post this in the first chapter but was too excited to get it out and I forgot.

{It reminded him of the bed he slept in back when he was younger, in Erebor. The smile that had found its way on his features faded.

Erebor… }

Now think of Major Monogram from Phineas and Ferb,

... The Academy...

lol... Anyways that's what came to my mind.

Also, my 't' key isn't working all that well so lt me know if you catch anything I missed... Thank you!

Chapter 2: Melekkhathuzh

Thorin watched the flames dance in the forge's fire pit. This was his second full week in the town. He had all but taken over Ahvain's forge. Pieces of work hung in different stages of completion. A pile of horse shoes stood on a work bench near the outer entrance to the forge. He had received a few commissions from the farmers for new equipment or for their existing equipment to be repaired. Nothing he needed to put much thought into making.

Pulling a glowing red rod of iron ore he placed it on the anvil and began to shape it into the beginning of a scythe's blade. Each hit of the hammer pierced the air with a sharp, sparking, 'tink'. He hammered a few more times before putting it into the water barrel. A hiss and wisps of steam come next. He removes the metal, Thorin examines his work. He scowls at the thought that enters his mind.

"This is what my people have been reduced to. Crafting metal shovels, hoes and plow heads instead of gem incrusted blades and beautiful trinkets."

He returned the rod into the flames and pumped the bellows, adding fuel to the already blazing fire. With a sign the dark haired dwarf sits on a wooden stool and wipes the sweat from his brow. The door behind him opens with a creak. He turns. Ahvain throws him a smile.

"Are you hungry?"

She was in a dark, sleeved, dress that had, what looked to be flour, dusting the area of her abdomen and the endings of the sleeves. Her hair was up in that cap, as always (he had yet to see it down).

"I made some cakes and a small loaf of bread." She stood in the doorway expectantly.

"When I've finished perhaps." He turns back to look at the reddening iron in the fire.

She sticks her lower lip out in a pout, she knows he can't see. "You have time; I'll bring you a small slice."

Thorin turn to her to protest, but the door had already started to close.

He smiled and shook his head, "bloody woman."

The moment the words left his lips the women he spoke of yelled from the kitchen. "I heard that Thorin!"

She came back through the door holding two slices of bread in her hand. In a few steps she was next to him handing him a slice. Thorin eyed it for a second before pulling a rag from a pocket on the apron and wiping what he could from his hands, it was still warm. He took a bite aware that Ahvain was staring at him the whole time. He chewed slowly. The bread was the best he had had in many years.

Ahvain waited for a sign of distaste on his features as he chewed. She knew she was being rude, but she hadn't baked anything in years and wasn't sure if this loaf had turned out well. He didn't show any sign dislike, but none of liking either.

"Well?" She was desperate. "Do you like it?"

He took another bite. Nodding and chewing at the same time.

She smiled and took a bite of the bread still in her hand. The crust is crisp and the bread is soft. It was perfect… in her mind.

"I'm glad."

They sat together, quietly eating the snack. By now they had become accustom to the silence between them. The fact that they didn't need to talk to one another pleased both of them.

Thorin finished, brushed the crumbs from his hands and pants, stood and returned work.

"Thank you."

Ahvain stood up as well and smiled. "Thank you for trying it. I'll admit it's been years since I've made bread."

Picking up the iron grips he turned to give her a smile of his own. "I would have never known."

She moved the stools out of the way as he brought the glowing, red iron over to the anvil and started to hammer it into shape. At this time Thorin could tell he was being watched, but wasn't sure if it bothered him, or if he liked it. Sure he had dwarf women staring at him since before he had come of age, but this woman was different. Something about her made him forget about his horrible past and his people's pain and suffering.

TINK

He hit the cooling iron with extra force hoping to shake his thoughts. It didn't work, his thoughts stayed. Ahvain had given up her forge and all she asked in return was his company. Originally he thought it was to start rumors about him, the strange dwarf living with a lonely, innocent woman. But the looks that the both of them had received in the market on a daily basis said otherwise. She was already an outcast among them; she didn't need his help, if anything he had made the townspeople's speculations worse.

With a sigh he thrust the metal into the water. It was the shape he wanted and all he needed to do now was sharpen it. A hand made its way into his field of vision.

"I can sharpen it for you, save you some time, if that's alright by you of course." Ahvain stepped closer, her hand still extended towards the metal in his grasp, "unless you'd rather do it yourself." She withdrew her hand.

"Thank you for the offer but I can handle it Ahvain." Thorin watched her clench her jaw and open her mouth to say something, and then close it again.

"Of course, I'll just go finish dinner. It will be done by the time you've finished sharpening that." She slightly tipped her head before leaving the forge.

~karak~

They sat at the table eating their meal in silence. The only noises came from the crackle of the flames in the stove and the clatter of utensils against the plates. Ahvain didn't know how to take the silence anymore. She had figured that her offer to sharpen the scythe earlier had somehow come off as if he could do such a thing. She took a sip of her tea and glanced a bit to Thorin. He was looking at his plate while he ate. Slowly she set her cup down.

"I didn't mean to offend you earlier in the forge." She couldn't meet his eye so she took to looking at her plate as well.

"Pardon me?" Thorin looked up from his plate just in time to watch her look at hers.

"When I offered to help you I the forge, it was merely that I thought I could help. I didn't mean any offence by it."

Thorin's brows rose, "I took no offence by it."

"Oh." She brought her head up. "Well then, I feel better now."

He let loose a deep rumble of a chuckle, "It would take a lot more than that to offend me Ahvain; you'd have to be part elf to even…" He stopped talking when the woman he was taking went tense and turned away from him.

"You're part elf, that's the part of your heritage you didn't wish to speak of." Thorin pushed his plate forward, put his elbows on the table and brought his forehead to his hand. "Aulë, I shouldn't have…"

"You're part elf?" He looked up at her, teeth clenched now.

"…Yes..." He had to strain watch her lips for her reply it was so quiet. "My mother was an elf."

Silence

"I know that most dwarves harbor ill feeling towards elves, more so do the dwarves of Erebor, so I figured if I didn't talk of parents then you'd not enquire my heritage." She was still and continued to look at her hands in her lap.

"I've been sharing living quarters with an elf?" The loathing side of Thorin raged, but the other part of him was confused, about what he didn't know…yet.

"Half, Master Thorin." She returned his glare with one of her own. "I'll have you know that my parents have been dead for near fifty years. After they died my grandfather raised me from then on. I was raised more from my dwarven blood then I was from my elvish. If you cannot bare sharing quarters with me then you are welcome to leave. If you would like to continue your work here then I will see you in the morning. Good night Thorin."

Ahvain stood up abruptly, grabbed her plate, pushed in her chair and walked to the basin before walking down the hall to her room. Thorin sat still at the table still, unsure of what to do. He eyed his plate. Fourteen days he had spent with this woman, unaware of her bloodlines, certainly he could overlook them now. Thorin rose from his seat and with plate in hand walked over to the basin. He washed the few dishes that were there before going to his dubbed room.

He laid down on the bed and looked up at the log ceiling. He didn't want to leave this town yet and he had enjoyed Ahvain's company. It wasn't like he could leave right now anyways. To move on to the next town would require supplies that he currently didn't have the money for. He'd need to be here another month based off of the commissions he had now. Not that he wanted to leave now anyways. Thorin sighed and rolled onto his side and fell asleep.

In her room Ahvain was sitting against the head board f her bed, tracing the delicate patterns with her fingers. A tear rolled down her cheek. Surprised, she wiped it away.

"He is going to leave and I'm going to be alone again." She sat up straighter. "No! I'll be fine. I lived on my own for a few years now, I don't need him."

Her back slouched and she picked at a knot in the wood. "The company was nice though, while it lasted."

Ahvain fell on her back and fiddled with the color of her dress. "Why do I feel so comfortable around him?"

Sighing she pulled the cap from her head. Light brown hair fell out in waves from the cap. A bead ended braid fell in front of each ear and another holding a crown like braid together in the back where it fell to her shoulders. On the tip of one ear was a slightly pointed dwarven cuff that gave her ear a more elven look. A small button stud was through both of her lobes.

Once her hair was free Ahvain rolled to the side and waited for sleep to take her.

~karak~

Thorin was in the forge when she awoke. His hammer fell in a steady beat. She stretched and (if it was possible) wiped the sleep from her eyes. The red-orange hues that poured through her window's glass told her how early it was. She could run over to the next town and pick up ay commissions she might have since she'd have the time.

Pulling out a clean pair of ladies riding trousers and a cloth to put her hair up in, she dressed and walked out of her room with her sword and scabbard un-belted. She grabbed a large bit of leftover bread and pit it in her mouth while she fastened the blade around her hip. Next she pushed open the door to the forge which caused Thorin to jump slightly (though he'd never admit it).

"I'm going to pick up my commission in the next town over. I'll be back sometime tonight." She stepped down and went to walk past him.

"You're going alone?" He relaxed his arm with the hammer in it.

"Yes, I go alone all the time."

"It would make me feel better if someone were to accompany you." Setting down the grips he crossed his arms. He looked intimidating.

"And who would that be?" She crossed her arms as well and shifted pressure off one of her legs. "You?"

Thorin nodded.

Ahvain dropped her stance and walked off to the stables, "I'll be fine. Stay here and continue your work."

The outer door closed behind her. After a few minutes the clack of hooves passed the door and faded from his hearing. This was not how Thorin had planed the morning to go. He had wanted to apologize and figure out a way to make it up to her, to show her that the elven blood in her veins didn't affect him.

But oh how it affected him. When she had suddenly come through the door with a sword hanging off her waist his mind instantly was powered by adrenaline and itching for a fight. But he didn't want to at the same time. Part of his mind told him that this was the kind, part dwarven woman that had given free shelter and had cooked his meals for the past two weeks, not to mention she had given up her forge to him. For how long would he be able to stay like this? What had she said before leaving, I'm going to pick up my commissions…

She wanted her forge back. His welcome was overstayed. But why did he care now? It's just like the town before he would be pushed out and be forced to move on. Why did he care?

"We've only know each other for a couple of weeks. It's not like I've got feelings toward her, if anything we share a mutual respect for one another, not even friends."

He scowled and returned the now cold iron to the flames. He wasn't sure if he should even give the woman that much due, but that reflection would only be because he knew she was half-elf now.

"Stop! You liked her before you knew her bloodlines." He paused, did he say 'liked'? "She is the same being as before, she has just entrusted you with a fact about herself. I don't even think she knows who you truly are, Thorin Oakenshield."

Thorin stood near the flames with his arms crossed, glaring into the glowing embers. Since when did he argue with himself? He brushed it off and removed a glove from his hand so he could run it through his hair. Silver was just beginning to show. At his point he wasn't sure if that was from her or his young nephews. But, seeing as hair doesn't change color over night, he went with his nephews.

~karak~

Left, right, left, right, left, right, pivot and repeat. Thorin paced in the main hall between the door to the forge and the main entrance. Night had fallen long ago and she should have been home by now. He pivoted again. A noise outside caused him to halt. He waited again for the noise.

Nothing.

The dwarf went back to pacing.

"What if she was attacked? I should have gone with her, a woman shouldn't travel alone."

Pivot.

"If she was harmed, it would me my fault. I should have insisted on going with her!"

Pivot.

"Oh, Aulë, my last moments with her were full of cruelty."

He let out a huff of air, pulled up a chair and slumped against his hands that rested on the table.

"I sound like a concerned father." His mind offered another thought, "or a worried lover."

Thorin slammed his hands down on the table with a 'bang', at the same time the forge doors opened.

Ahvain looked at Thorin with a furrowed brow, "everything alright?"

He stood suddenly, almost knocking over the chair. "I-I've been worried about you. I expected you home hours ago. I thought something happened to you."

She walked closer to him, heading for the pantry for some bread and cheese.

"I told you that I would return tonight and that I would be fine."

Ahvain watched his eyes soften and look down, "something could have happened."

Leaving the pantry with a bite of cheese and an apple (Thorin ate the rest of the bread), Ahvain shrugged, swallowed and said, "Then there would be one less elf to worry yourself over."

Thorin grimaced, "half."

The woman rolled her eyes, sat down and took a bite from her apple.

"I'm sor-"

"Don't start that again." She wiped a stray trail of apple juice from her chin, "I overreacted. You didn't know any better. My grandfather spent years wrapping his head around the face that his son married an elf. You and I have known each other for fourteen days and you didn't know anything."

"I still should have shown some respect, you have giving me a place to stay and a warm meal every night."

She nodded, "yes, but I have forgiven you." She stood up and took another bite of her apple. "I'm going to bed now. Good night Thorin."

"Good night Ahvain."

Thorin watched her walk to her room. I huge relief fell from his shoulders. He heard her door close and he found himself walking towards his. It had been a long stressful. He could barely get any work done. Each hit from his hammer brought up a new scene. One of Ahvain being overtaking by robbers, another of her falling off a cliff, getting carried away by a rapid current in a stream. The list went on. He went to push open his door when another creaked open down the hall.

"Thorin?" He looked over to see Ahvain's head sticking out from behind her door, brown waves of hair down. "Thank you for worrying about me."

Thorin smiled, "Your welcome."

A smirk formed on her lips, "but I suppose that I should expect that from a dwarf."

"Go to bed, elf." He opened the door and started to head in.

"Only half." She said in a sing-song voice.

He chuckled. "Good night Ahvain."

"Good night Thorin."

Ahvain shut her door and collapsed on her bed with a smile on her face. It was going to be a busy day tomorrow. She had collected a copious amount of commissions from the town over and as long as he let her work with him, she planned to share the payout with him.

Thorin stripped down to his breeches before doing (nearly) the same thing as the woman down the hall from him, and fell asleep, unaware of the amount of work tomorrow had in store.

Well?

Was Thorin too OOC?

Oh well, I hope you all enjoyed.

If you have any questions, comments or a review maybe, don't hesitate to send me a PM or put it in a review...

Until next time...