Alright, we'll finally reach Mirkwood in the next chapter for I had another idea for this one.
Hope you like it!
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„So here you all are still!", the dark voice of Beorn spoke up and he picked up Bilbo who seemed to be quite afraid. The dwarves laughed.
As he set him down to the ground again the huge man said:"I made breakfast for you. There's plenty of bread and honey. Come and have some more"
With that he left to walk outside into the garden where he had set up a long table with a lot of food and drinks.
The Company was thankful and so they had breakfast with Beorn.
Beorn was in a good mood and made a lot of jokes and he laughed a lot about Kili.
„Now you told me much about your journey. But there's one thing I don't get. How come two such beautiful young ladies go on a journey with that bunch of dwarves?", he suddenly asked and watched Kate and Lindsey.
The whole group fell silent. Lindsey was nervous, she had no idea what to reply to that.
„Uhm...it was more like an accident.", Kate tried to explain.
„An accident? I hope they did not capture you?", Beorn grumbled but Kate added hastily:"No! No, everything's fine. We just stumbled into Mr Baggins house while we've been on a journey of our own. And somehow we ended up with them. And to be honest...am happy about that", she said looking at Thorin with a warm smile.
Beorn watched the couple and his eyes then drifted to Lindsey and Fili.
„So, the king got the elder sister while the prince got the younger one? Now, that's nice", Beorn laughed roaringly and the Company chuckled even the two couples.
/
Later the Company met in the courtyard and Beorn provided ponies for each of them, and a horse for Gandalf, for their journey to the forest. And he gave them a lot of food to last them for weeks with care. He gave them nuts, flour, sealed jars of dried fruits, and red earthenware pots of honey, and twice-baked cakes that would keep good a long time.
„What about water?", Kate asked.
„You don't need to carry water on this side of the forest, there are streams and springs along the road. But I will give you waterbags so you can fill them on your way"
Then his eyes went a bit darker.
„But your way through Mirkwood is dark, dangerous and difficult. Water is not easy to find there, nor food. The time is not yet come for nuts, and nuts are about all that grows there fit for food. In there the wild things are dark, queer, and savage. I will give you some bows and arrows. But I doubt very much whether anything you find in Mirkwood will be wholesome to eat or to drink. There is one stream there, I know, black and strong which crosses the path. That you should neither drink of, nor bathe in, for I have heard that it carries enchantment and a great drowsiness and forgetfulness. And in the dim shadows of that place I don't think you will shoot anything, wholesome or unwholesome, without straying from the path." Now his voice changed again.
„That you MUST NOT do, for any reason. That is all the advice I can give you. Beyond the edge of the forest I must ask you to send back my horse and my ponies. But I wish you all speed, and my house is open to you, if ever you come back this way again"
His words left a bitter taste in their mouths and they all exchanged some worried looks. After all they thanked him for everything. Kate and Lindsey were standing close to each other and both thought the same. That adventure was far more dangerous than they had thought. And though they had seen all those dangerous until now they still could not yet believe that in the end there would really be a dragon waiting for them.
At midday they left Beorn and rode up north and then on to the north-west. They rode in silence, galloping wherever the ground was grassy and smooth, with the mountains dark on their left, and in the distance the line of the river with its trees drawing ever closer.
Kate was riding next to Ori who was watching her from the side.
„How are you today?", the young dwarf asked always a bit shy.
Kate looked at him with a smile.
„Fine, Ori. And you?"
He slight smile curled his lips.
„Fine as well, but my thoughts are grave when I think about that wood we're heading to."
She nodded slowly and could see that Thorin seemed to be tensed as well.
„What danger is it that could wait for us in there?"
„You mean besides that enchanted black river and the possibilty to starve?", she could hear Bofur from behind.
Ori whispered:"The Elfking of Mirkwood. Remember the story of Erebor Thorin had told us in Rivendell?"
„Yes...oh...", she whispered and her eyes found Thorin again. Now she understood. That elfking was the one leaving Thorin and his kingdom alone the day Smaug had come. The old hatred was what made Thorin tensed. And the whole group with him.
„Kate?"
She looked back at Ori again and he pulled out his little red journal. „I made these. I'd like you to see them"
He offered her the book and she took it. A smile showed up on her face as she saw the drawings. There was the one she already knew with Lindsey and her in the garden of Rivendell. On the next page was like exactly the same drawing but with the rest of the dwarves that were with them back in that day. There was Balin, Bilbo, Kili, Fili and Thorin. Ori had drawn another scene with Lindsey sitting on Filis lap. And then she saw Thorin glancing at her. She did not recognize that look back in Rivendell but Ori seemed to have seen it. It was a warm and very longing glance. A smile curled her lips as she watched the picture a while.
„It was just a short glance but I've seen it and I thought it made him look different than before. Softer, you know?", Ori whispered and she smiled at him.
„That's a really good picture, Ori"
„Thank you. There are more...", he said with a smile.
She turned the page and laughed.
It was the drawing Ori made the day down at the Carrock. Kili and Fili both sitting on a boulder with amused looks while pointing at Thorin and her cuddled up together.
„Did this really happen?", she asked still chuckling and Ori blushed slightly but nodded.
„I can only draw what's happening or what I've seen before", the young dwarf explained and she could hear a slight proudness in his voice.
She watched some other drawings as well, some of them showed the whole Company, some of them Thorin and herself and some with Lindsey and Fili.
Soon the sun had only just turned west going to set slowly and the land was covered in golden light. Some of them started to sing and the mood became a bit merrier again.
In the evening when the dusk came on and the peaks of the mountains glowered against the sunset they made a camp.
Kate walked up to Thorin and sat down next to him.
None of them paid much attention to the couple, they just sat around a fire whispering deep in conversations.
Thorin leaned closer to Kate and whispered:"I've seen that Fili and Lindsey had braided each others hair back in Rivendell. You do know what that means?"
Kate shook her head.
„Our hair is important to us. Those braidings have different meanings but the main one is to show love or emotions. When a dwarf braids anothers ones hair it means to show that person how much he or she means to them. Mine are made by my sister and the boys. I would not let anyone braid my hair but them. Only if someone decides to open those and braid them new. That would mean..."
„...that this person is the one you love?"
He nodded slowly.
Kates heart started to bang faster.
He took her hand in his and looked her deep in the eye.
„Kate...would you like to braid my hair again?", he whispered and she knew this was a very special thing to him. To her it seemed like the same thing as if a normal man would propose to her. A smile turned on her face.
„Yes, Thorin...I'd love to braid your hair"
She kissed him tenderly and as they broke apart. Then she frowned and looked back to Fili and Lindsey.
„Wait...does that mean...?"
He shook his head.
„No, I know every braiding in my nephews' hairs and this one is new. If she would have opened his old ones and re-braided them...that would mean something very serious."
She nodded slowly and took a deep breath.
With slight trembling fingers she reached for his two braidings and opened them carefully.
Dwalin saw this and shoved Balin and soon the whole Company watched with wide eyes but somehow amazed.
„What does that mean?", Lindsey asked and Balin explained to her what Thorin had explained to Kate before.
„You mean...this would be a symbol for them to...", she said but did not find the right words.
„That they belong together. Like an engagement", Bofur whispered and they watched Kate braiding Thorins hair new. As she finished it he examined the braids and gave her a warm smile.
„Those are perfect"
He pulled her into a soft kiss.
„Now it's my turn...", he whispered against her lips and she gave him a nod.
Slowly he took some strands of her gold-blonde hair and started to braid it. He could have done it faster but he was gentle and slow, taking in the beauty of her hair, the softness and that loving look in her eyes she was watching him with.
After some minutes he finished it and pulled a very beautiful hairclip from his pocket to attach it.
„That's wonderful...", she breathed as she examined the clip. Suddenly she was aware of the symbol engraved to it. It was the same of his belt and his ring.
He saw the look on her face and he chuckled slightly.
„It's the symbol of Durin. My heir. These clips belonged to my grandfather. They were meant to be for someone I would..."
She cut him off with a deep kiss, shutting him up for this was not the time for such words. She knew what he was going to say but she wanted to hear them in a more loving and peaceful surrounding.
Soon the Company drifted to sleep with Gandalf taking guard that night.
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