A/N

Thanks to everyone who reads this double thanks to those who review! Please review! It's a great help and morale booster!

Enjoy this chapter. I found it rather fun to write.

Disclaimer: I own Serafina, and less importantly I own Garth, and the horse from chapters four and five... the rest belongs to JRR Tolkien.

Chapter Twenty-two

Serafina was even more excluded from the party since her display after the warg attack, though she expected little else. She tried to occupy her mind with daydreams of the simpler life that she'd sought when she left Bree, but the looming mountain prevented her fantasies progressing very far.

The elf, Serafina avoided at all costs. However, to her relief, Legolas seemed to pay her less attention than he had before. To be sure of their paths crossing as infrequently as possible Serafina decided to walk at the back of the company, to her utmost dismay the thief soon found that this was the ranger's usual post and soon picked up her pace to put her in the middle of the spread out line of travellers.

The next couple of days past in this way almost without incident. Daytime passed in semi-solitude and evenings in uncomfortable companionship with the company. She had not yet mentioned to Aragorn her discovery of his identity, she suspected this had something to do with Legolas' accusation, but the thief tried not to dwell on the matter. Serafina had even prayed a few prayers of thanks as Aragorn tended her wrist. He was busy discussing plans with Gandalf and Serafina was not required to make conversation. Occasionally Aragorn would turn to her intently and press her wrist in different places, asking if it hurt. Her answer was always no. After handing her back her arm he would produce the cooling balm he had rubbed around her swollen eye. She would watch in silence as his expression darkened on application of the balm. The girl tried desperately to keep her eyes open and downcast, but she found this impossible. The look on his face haunted her mind. She would eventually close her eyes in an attempt to block out the confusing man before her.

Soon their path towards the mountain began to steepen. The thief fell frequently into step with the dwarf. Conversing with Gimli was an easy thing, he expected nothing of Serafina but a partner in conversation, something he found her quite fit to be. Three days after the warg attack she found herself in a dialogue with the dwarf.

"So lass, what do you say to our decision to go up the mountain?" He grumbled beside her.

Serafina could not have hoped for an easier topic to talk with the dwarf on, she paused as if considering her answer, knowing the whole time what she would say. After due reflection she replied; "I believe I would have preferred your mines. I don't dislike heights but the mines seem a much more direct route to me."

"Indeed they would be lassie! And not to mention more hospitable, the weather is all sunshine now, but up on the mountain things can turn quickly."

Serafina merely nodded in reply and this was all the encouragement the dwarf needed. He began talking in depth of the roaring fires and pleasant times spent within the underground city, and then he started on the jewels. Naturally Serafina's interest picked up at this point; at first she let no outward sign show her heightened attention. After a significant amount of time was spent on detailing the finery and the wealth of the mines the thief decided to make the conversation slightly more interesting. In truth she didn't have too much of a desire for jewels and finery, she was not insensible to their worth, but such pieces she'd found difficult to resell for what their actual worth, and were therefore generally not worth the effort. Regardless, Serafina began to probe.

Slowly she started asking more questions about some of the more exquisite items Gimli mentioned, noting their stones, their metal, and their assured fineness. Then she allowed her step to appear lighter, she let a mischievous glint come into her eyes and pushed curiosity into her tone. Gimli was so enthralled in his own recollections that he caught on slowly. But surely his tone became suspicious, his eyes shifty and his pace began to lag as he evaluated the girls interest.

Aragorn watched as the dwarf and thief slowed their pace, he had caught waves of their conversation on the wind. Slowly he came level with the pair as they walked enthralled in their own conversation.

"I am sorry; I did not catch the metal of that amulet." said Serafina. Aragorn glanced into the girls face, he was not sure but he could have sworn he saw something very different from greed in her eyes.

Gimli's response was forced; he evidently was fighting an internal battle between boasting about his kinsman's wealth and craft, and hiding such information from a capable thief, "Mithril", he murmured. "I said it was in Mithril."

The dwarf did not look at the girl as he said this and Aragorn caught her unguarded expression. Mirth. Her eyes were lighted with delight and cheek. A pert smile played across her face before a mask of fake curiosity replaced it.

"I have heard of Mithril but I have never seen it. It is supposed to be worth much more than the finest silver or gold, is it not?" the desire in her voice was unmistakable, for a moment Aragorn questioned her intentions until he briefly caught her eye over the dwarfs head. She smiled at him, her face alive with amusement. Fleetingly he saw that grin, the same grin she had thrown him before she went out, through the window of the room in The Prancing Pony. It was carefree and unchecked. The girl across from him now was a far cry from the girl who had sat almost silent with him the night before, denying pain and refusing to meet his gaze.

Gimli did not answer her this time, instead his pace quickened. Serafina easily matched his stride. Aragorn looked on thoroughly amused as she almost skipped next to him. He allowed them to walk ahead, but kept in hearing range. Part of him wondered if he should bring the dwarf to his senses, but he thought it perhaps too cruel to stamp on the only smile he had seen in three days.

Serafina's voice floated back to him clearly on the cold wind, "I wonder Gimli; do you think we have not gone too far to turn around? Surely Gandalf must agree – there can be no excuse for missing such treasures as the mines of Moria hold?"

This was clearly too much for Gimli, he broke his silence, at first only producing unintelligible splutters of rage, which drew the attention of the entire company. He found his words quickly, and yelled in a fighting temper; "We will do no such thing, thief! I am glad now to be on this mountain. I would not trust you one foot into my cousin's mines. I see through you and your-"

But Gimli never got a chance to finish; the ranger had lost his self control and began to laugh. Gimli turned on the spot to fix his furious gaze on the man but as he did Serafina threw her head back and laughed. The dwarf spun back around and looked up at the girl.

Then realisation dawned.

"Hrmph" he grumbled, but not without amusement "Yes, very funny Serafina. Laugh at the dwarf's expense."

This sent the thief into another unbridled fit of laughter. Aragorn watched on smiling as the dwarf fought his own smile and Serafina laughed in the sunlight. Gimli turned to him and said under his breath, "You could have told me."

The ranger only chuckled in response and Gimli turned back around to make his way towards the onlooking fellowship. Serafina lingered and her eyes rested on Aragorn. He met her gaze in silence and he watched her expression change as a blush crept up her neck. He watched her visibly grow more guarded in a matter of moments. Then the sound of footsteps tore their eyes apart.

Aragorn looked up to see Boromir walking back down the slope towards them. Aragorn fought to bring the light-heartedness he felt a moment ago back to his mind.

"You are holding us up, thief." Boromir all but spat in Serafina's direction, "Pray, tell us what is so amusing as to slow down our quest."

To Serafina's credit, Aragorn watched as her back straightened, her head held high, with a smile firmly fixed on her lips, "I was just discussing the wealth of the mines of Moria with Gimli. He came to the conclusion that it is probably best for his cousin that we did indeed decide on the mountain pass. Maybe you would be in agreement?" Her lively words had their desired effect. Boromir angered almost instantly. Aragorn sighed silently and intervened.

"Boromir, calm yourself. It was simply a joke to pass the hours more pleasantly."

"Forgive me, ranger, if I cannot take her presence with us as lightly as you do. But I find nothing amusing in her manner." replied Boromir.

Aragorn cringed as Serafina opened her mouth to speak. "I could forgive you for not finding my jokes funny, Boromir. But unfortunately, in you, I believe it is more a case of an entire lack of humour that plagues you." She paused slightly for effect, and said with mock condescension, "That, I cannot forgive."

Boromir raised his arm to strike, but Aragorn moved quickly. Serafina though, it appeared, was waiting for it and had moved well out of harm's way before the blow would have struck her. Aragorn wrestled Boromir's arm back to his side. "Leave it!" he said, "leave it." Boromir struggled back but lost, and ended up at Aragorn's feet.

"You would defend her – a thief, with no morals and nothing better to do than goad her companions?" Boromir picked himself up off the ground and stood slowly, "She's not worth the effort."

Serafina watched as Boromir walked away. She lowered her face and began to follow him up the slope as the rest of the fellowship turned as well to continue on, now that the scene was over. She kept her head down as she past Aragorn, but he grabbed her upper left arm and spun her to face him.

"You should have left that to me." His voice was little more than a whisper but with all the intensity of a roar.

Serafina raised her eyes to his, she felt that same heat creeping up her ears but she fought it down, she was too angry to blush. "I can fight my own battles. I am no damsel in need of your assistance."

"And what of this?" he asked gesturing to her slowly healing eye. "Would you prefer me to let him give you another?"

"I was ready for him this time; he would not have hit me." She adamantly spat back.

"Perhaps not the first time." He answered, "Do you think he would give up after one attempt?"

Serafina did not answer; she turned her eyes over his shoulder, looking past him. She felt him shake her to get her attention.

"There are some battles that do not need to be fought, Serafina."

"I am not going to lie down and let him lord over me."

"And I am not asking you to."

"Well what are you asking then?"

Aragorn answered with that same intensity in his low voice, "This is a dangerous place to be tempting fate, and you may need Boromir's allegiance before the end of this. I am asking you to think about your decisions before you make them. You cannot simply do what you please because it feels good at the time."

Serafina looked him straight in the eyes, "Is that what you said to Arwen? Is that the reason she left you?"

The moment the words had left her lips she regretted them, but the effect was instant. Aragorn's hand dropped immediately from her arm. Serafina saw pain etched into every weather creased line on his face before his expression became stony and impassive.

"We are falling behind" he said flatly, before brushing passed her and making his way up the gradual slope into the increasingly cold wind.