Bard forced us back into the barrels.
Once again I was in a barrel with Kili. We faced each other, our backs against opposite sides of the barrel.
Kili smiled at me, staring into my eyes. I nodded to him, closing my eyes.
"Malia?" Kili said as I felt his hand clasp my shoulder, and then he gently shook me.
"I'm awake." I said as I half opened my eyes and smiled at him.
"Are you now?" Kili asked, his smile growing.
"Who knows." I said, my smile growing as I shrugged at him, opening my eyes completely.
We stared at each other for a minute, and then both started to quietly laugh.
I held onto his upper-arms for support, and Kili bent slightly over and placed a firm kiss on my forehead. His face lingered near mine, and I could feel his breath on my face as he sighed.
"Amralime." He whispered, his lips so close to my forehead I could feel them move as he spoke.
"What does that mean?" I asked him as he pulled away and I looked into his eyes.
He smiled, raising a brow. "What do you think it means?"
I squinted in thought, then raised my brow back at him. "I have no clue."
Kili's hand came up to my cheek, his eyes staring into mine as his face grew even closer to mine, and he kissed me gently. Kili didn't hesitate to deepen the kiss, our mouths slowly exploring each others. I placed my hands on his chest, and his free hand went to behind my neck, keeping my mouth on his.
Kili finally broke the kiss, his hand still holding my cheek as he looked into my eyes.
"I think you do." He said, and as I looked into his eyes, I realized it meant something important.
It meant what I was to him, what we were. I knew whatever it meant, it was a good thing.
I sighed, resting my head on his chest. His arms wrapped around me tightly, and I was content.
Even after Bard dumped fish into our barrels.
I nearly fell asleep with my head on Kili's chest and freaking fish on us. Talk about weird, right?
Bard knocked our barrel over first, and we came toppling out. By the time I was actually fish-less enough to pay attention, everyone else was out of their barrels too, and we were sneaking around lake-town.
After hiding behind many houses and limping about, Bard turned back to us, and then motioned for us to go in the water.
Some of the Dwarves put up a fight, but I merely dived in like a pro. I'd rather be swimming than walking any day, let alone after a leg wound.
When I reached the top again, I groaned as I watched a few slowly slipping into the water as though it was diseased.
"God, you guys are so slow." I grumbled as I watched Kili swim up to me.
"Malia, you jumped in so fast you didn't hear the rest of what he said." Kili said, a smile on his face.
"You suck at treading water." I snapped back at him, watching him struggle.
"We are going under water and then up to his toilet Malia." Kili said as he smirked.
"His what?" I asked, my eyes growing big.
"Where else did you think their toilets led to?" Kili asked, tilting his head and smirking at me.
"Uhm, I don't know, a filtration system that cleans the water before then putting it back in the lake, cleaner than it was before." I said, frowning at him and thinking about how it was in my world.
"A filtration system?" Kili asked.
"Yes." We swam towards where the rest were heading. "Man, this is some unsanitary ass bullshit."
Dwalin went under first, then Kili, and then I went. It was pretty easy, even though I adamantly refused to open my eyes under the water. I already had an arrow in my leg, I wasn't aiming to get pink-eye too.
When I surfaced in the toilet I grabbed the edges and groaned, and Kili smiled at me and yanked me out of it quickly.
"The poor fishes." I groaned as I shook myself off. "Those poor fish, just." I stopped, trying not to think of it and puke.
"Malia." Kili said, grabbing my shoulders with a dorky smile on his face as he laughed for a moment. "You look beautiful."
I snorted, smiling at him. "No, I look like hell frozen over." I corrected. "But, thanks."
Kili smiled, his hands dropping from my shoulders and one hand grabbing mine, leading me up the stairs as the others started coming out of the toilet too.
"Da, why are there Dwarves climbing out of our toilet?" The oldest girl asked as we walked up the stairs.
"Excuse you," I said. "I'm half-Dwarf."
She raised a brow at me, and the younger sister popped up next to her with a smile on her face.
"Will they bring us luck?" The youngest girl asked.
I raised my hand, ready to spew into soap-box-speech-mode, when Kili yanked me away from them and towards the fire.
He placed his hands on my shoulders again, and pushed me onto a chair next to the fire.
"Sit." He commanded. "Warm up."
"I've swam in water colder." I said, my arms crossing my chest. I may have swam in colder, but never with a leg-wound, "But thanks, Armalamme." I stumbled over the word.
A large toothy grin spread over his face, and his hand went behind my neck as he kissed my forehead and then looked into my eyes.
"You didn't say it quite right." He said, his face crinkling up with happiness. "But I know you really tried." His eyes searched mine. "It's Amralime for you, but because I'm a man, you'd say Amralume."
"Amralume." I smiled at him, and he nodded, his hand leaving my neck. He gave me one last pat on the shoulder before he went over to where Thorin was, and they began talking.
I smiled, uncrossing my arms and lifting my Fish-shirt to get the Rune-stone out of my dress's pocket.
I let out a sigh of relief when I felt it in my hand, and pulled it out. Thank god, that even through Goblins, Orcs, a bear, more Elves, and a river ride though hell, it still stayed in my pocket.
Bilbo plopped himself on the chair next to me, his hands reaching out for the fire to warm himself.
"You alright?" I asked him.
"Yeah." He smiled, nodding his head. "You know, you're not the only Took who's confident in the water. I've done my share of-" I cut him off.
"Of swimming holidays?" I teased.
Bilbo chuckled, shaking his head. "No. I've done my share of leisurely swimming in the rivers around the shire. I even went into-"
But Bilbo was cut off as Kili came up to us, tossing a blanket at Bilbo's face before opening another and gently wrapping it around me.
Bilbo's nose twitched as he slowly opened his own blanket and wrapped it around himself, eyeing Kili wearily.
"It may not be the best fit," Bard started as he dropped a pile of clothing onto the table behind us. "But it'll keep you warm."
Kili slowly kneeled in-front of me, moving the blanket away from my wounded leg.
"No." I said, slapping his hand away from the wound.
"Malia." Kili said, puppy eyes donning. "You have to let me take a better look at it."
I shook my head, looking away from him and into the fire as I fumbled with the Rune-stone.
"At least get out of the damn leggings and into something dry, Malia." Kili said.
"My dad bought me these for my birthday." I whispered. "These and this shirt, they are all I have left of him."
"Burushruka igbulul e." Kili pleaded, his hand going up to my cheek and stroking it.
I had no clue what he had said, but I could tell he was hurt by my pain. I was starting to understand that some emotions, some things, were hard to translate for him. It was easier for him to say it in Khuzdul, because sometimes, the English translation didn't compare.
"I can't pull them off either." I whispered to him. "It hurts, the wound hurts too much." I sighed.
Kili sighed sadly, and I could tell he was getting even more concerned.
"Kili." Thorin said, and looked across the room at Thorin, before sighing again as his hand left my cheek.
"I'll be back." Kili said, gently patting my knee before getting up and walking over to Thorin.
"Are you alright, Malia?" Bilbo asked as he leaned in towards me.
"Not really." I said honestly, looking down at the rune-stone in my hands as I brought the blanket closer to myself.
"I want to thank you, for risking your life for us, and me." Bilbo said.
I looked up at him and smiled. "I owed you for those apples."
Bilbo chuckled, shaking his head. "You didn't." He smiled at me. "Thank you, though."
"Us Tooks got to stay together, right?" I asked him.
"Right." Bilbo nodded, before shaking his head.
A loud clang come from the table behind us, and I turned around slightly and watched Bard unwrap a shit ton of shitty weapons.
"What is this?" Thorin asked, frowning as he picked up a spear-like thing.
"Pike Hook." Bard said. "Made from an old harpoon."
"And this?" Kili asked as he picked up a weird axe.
"A crow-bill, as we call it. Fashioned from a smithy's hammer." Bard sighed. "It's heavy in the hand I grant, but in defense of your life, these will serve you better than none."
"We paid for weapons. Iron-forged swords and axes." Gloin spat.
Ah yes, I could see Gloin was getting angry again. Man, those Durin-folk knew how to get heated.
"It's a joke!" Bofur said as he threw a weapon back into the pile, and the rest followed suit.
"You won't find any better outside the city's armory. All iron-forged weapons are under lock and key."
"Thorin," Balin said as he moved closer to Thorin. "Why not take this an offer and go? I've made due with less."
"I killed two Orcs with a spear I've never used before." I added, and Kili frowned at me.
"And now you have an arrow in your leg, Malia." Kili reminded me, raising a brow at me.
"That's fair…" I said, turning around to look back at the fire.
"I say we leave now." Balin said.
"You're not going anywhere." Bard snapped.
"What did you say?" Balin asked, clearly offended.
"There are spies watching this house and probably every dock and wharf in the town. You must wait till nightfall."
And with that, Bard left us in his house with his children. Weird, right?
Kili came back to me, and I sighed as he kneeled down before me again.
"How much does it hurt?" Kili asked.
"It's not even how much it's hurting me that's worrying me anymore, Kee." I said to him. "It's how I'm starting to not feel it anymore."
We stared into each other's eyes for a moment before he spoke again.
"At least let me rebind it, with some fresh cloth." Kili pleaded.
I stared into his eyes for a moment longer, and then finally nodded. He smiled, and as he stood up he gave me a quick kiss, then bounced off to get stuff for my leg.
I felt eyes on me and looked up to see Bilbo staring at me from his seat.
"What?" I asked him.
"Hmmm." Bilbo's noise twitched. "Nothing."
"You're a dirty liar." I said to him.
Bilbo smiled, shaking his head. "Really, Malia. It's nothing. I'm happy for you, is all."
Kili came back quickly with a bowl and some cloth, and then kneeled back down in front of me.
I moved the blanket away from my leg and I watched Kili's hands shake as they went closer to my leg. He gently placed his hands on the binding and I immediately cringed.
Kili frowned, his hands leaving it alone as fast as possible. He looked down at my leg for a moment, as if contemplating his choices.
Finally, after a few minutes, he mumbled. "Isrên nimgumul ik-kuk."
"What?" I asked.
He sighed again, looking at me apologetically. "This is going to hurt, I'm really sorry."
"You must do it quickly." Fili said, and I turned in my seat to see him coming up to us. "The sooner you get it cleaned, the better off she will be. We should take the arrow out, too."
"Whoah there, soldier." I said as I shook my head at Fili. "I don't think taking it out it a good idea."
Fili looked at me incredulously. "Why not?" He asked as he stopped and stood next to my seat.
"Uhm, I'm sorry, are you a doctor?" I asked him.
"Are you?" Fili remarked.
"No, but I've seen enough episodes of House to know that right now, there is a huge chance this arrow is the only thing keeping me from bleeding out to death."
Kili made a groaning noise and I looked to him as he rested his head on my other knee, and although his head was warm, it made me shiver. Damn he was so pretty, and his face was too close to my… Well, everything.
"Please don't say that, Malia." Kili grumbled. "I do not like the thought of it."
I scoffed. "I don't either." I said, holding the Rune-stone tighter, my free hand gently brushing his hair. "But I'm a realist, or a pessimist." I paused. "I'm something."
"You certainly are something, Malia." Fili said, and I glared at him as he looked at Kili. "Do you want me to help you, brother?"
"Aye." Kili said as he lifted his head up, and I was forced to awkwardly take my hand away from his head.
Fili kneeled down as well, and he roughly kicked Bilbo's chair with his foot to make more room. Bilbo nearly fell off, and then glared at Fili as he got out of his seat and moved it away a few feet before sitting back down.
"First off, we should probably just cut it instead of untying it." Fili said as his hands went into his pocket and he pulled out a small knife.
"I thought you said they had gotten all of your knives." I said as I watched Kili take the knife from Fili.
"Aye they did. I picked this off of an Orc." Fili said. Fili's hand got closer to my wound as he motioned. "Cut right there."
Kili nodded, his hands going back towards the wound. Even with how gently he tugged on the binding, I still winced as he carefully cutting through the cloth.
Kili frowned at this, but finished cutting regardless. He then gave the knife back to Fili after he had cut through. He then gently started unraveling the cloth.
I jerked as the cloth unraveled and tugged on my skin, where the blood had dried onto it. I closed my eyes as I tried to breathe and focus on the engravings of the rune-stone.
"This is only going to begin to hurt more, Malia." Fili said. "Try to distract yourself."
I scoffed again. "Easier said than done."
"Sing me another song." Kili said gently.
I nodded, keeping my eyes closed and smiling as I thought of a song.
"I don't speak, the language that you speak,
There's some words I know I'll never reach,
But when I see you smiling back at me,"
I felt them pour hot water over my leg, the wound burning even more. I gasped, involuntarily cringing. Kili's hand gently brushed against mine, before he then held onto it tightly.
"Somehow, somehow
I know exactly what you mean,
Somehow, somehow
I know exactly what you mean.
When you look, when you look a little hurt,
Sometimes I sing a song that I have learnt,
I swear to God there's no way you could've heard,"
I could Fili and Kili were quietly muttering to each other in Khuzdul.
"But somehow, somehow
You sing every single word,
Somehow, somehow
You sing every single word
Kili's hand left mine.
Sometimes I go running in the dark,
When I don't know how to read the stars,
But where I run, it don't matter how far,
Somehow, somehow
I always end up in your arms,
Somehow, somehow
I always end up in your arms
Somehow, somehow
Somehow, somehow"
I felt Kili's gentle touch as he wrapped the fresh cloth around my leg.
"No, I don't know what happens when you die,
And just the thought, you know, It kind of blows my mind,
But when I look, when I look up to the sky,
Somehow, somehow
I know that it will be alright,
Somehow, somehow
I know that you will be beside me"
Kili's warm hand on my cheek made me open my eyes, and when I did, I saw him smiling at me, admiration written on his face. He stared at me, as though he was trying to memorize every curve and spot on my face.
"That might be my favorite song you've song so far." Kili said, his smile growing as his eyes continued to search mine.
I couldn't help but smile back at him. "Oh, you mean you didn't love Cake by the Ocean?"
I chuckled, watching his face crinkling in laughter as he kept his face close to mine, resting his forehead against mine.
"Amralizi." He muttered as he looked into my eyes again.
I had no clue what that meant, but before I could ask, Kili's lips had met mine and he had given me a gentle kiss.
Fili beside us snorted. "Atsu amuh gargzaharugnar haga khulum." Fili said bemusedly to Kili.
Whatever Fili had said, Kili wasn't happy about it. Kili let go of my cheek and looked at his brother angrily.
Oh god, they were going to fight.
"Kee." I hissed at him, trying to distract him from Fili, whom was now even more amused than he was before.
Kili looked at me and I smiled at him. "Do you want me to rebraid your hair?" I asked him.
He nodded, giving his brother one last annoyed look before moving from his kneeling position into a sitting one right in front of me.
"You're right." I said as I looked at the top of his head. "You'd either need someone with you all the time, or need to know how to braid." I said as I carefully took the barrette out of his hair.
Fili let out a snort and I watched out of the corner of my eye as he got up and left us.
"So why is it you all are starting to use so much Khuzdul in front of me?" I asked Kili as I carefully undid the braids I had put in at Beorns' house.
"I reckon everyone is starting to see you more as a Dwarf, and less of a Hobbit." Kili said.
"Its nice." I said, smiling as I ran my hands through his hair to brush it out. "It makes me feel like I am one of you guys. Like part of the family."
"You are one of us." Kili said. "Not quite one of the family…" His words died out, and he coughed before continuing. "But you are one of us."
"Will you ever teach me Khuzdul?" I asked him as I started braiding his hair.
"Of course I will, Malia." Kili said, and I could hear the amusement in his tone. "How else will you know what I'm saying?"