DISCLAIMER: Let's get this out of the way. I do not own or have any hope of ever owning the characters or happenings of middle earth. They belong to Tolkien and as far as I'm concerned he can keep them. For now. I do however, own my OC, Kidhuzel! So don't steal her. Please, feel free to leave any comments and/or questions that you may have. Follow the story in which ever way you would like, but make your thoughts known but be polite while you do it. Thank you!

~~~~~~~~~~Shishi~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 14

Getting into the room is a simple task for the half drake. Despite her partially dwarven blood, the girl's dragon heritage makes it unnecessary to place her feet on the ground. The only noise that emits from her person is a low flapping sound that is completely overshadowed by the sleeping occupants' heavy snores. The company has been split into rooms divided by closest of kin, as well as rank. Thus, Fili and Kili share a room but Thorin sleeps alone. Yet, the royal chambers are not the rooms Kidhuzel has been instructed to infiltrate. No, the room her bright eyes flicker across belongs to the sons of Fundin. Balin rests on the nearest bed to the door; as even with his advancing age, he wishes to be the first defense for his younger brother. Dwalin, having long since given up this particular fight, sleeps in the bed that rests against the far wall.

'Half way there.' Kidhuzel thinks gleefully as she crosses the room to stand before the slumbering dwarrow 'Soon I'll be able to make up for my defiance in growth!'

As quietly and none threatening as possible, El slides into the bed next to her destined mate. He makes no move to recognize that she has done anything wrong; simply continuing to dream. His breath smells heavy of ale and meat from the night's meal; The warm air hits El in the face strongly before the intake of his breath attempts to suck her hair down his throat. It is so different from the chilling wisps of breath that escape her. Laying flat on her back, Kidhuzel is suddenly overcome with a horrible sense of dread.

'… What now?'

Having no parents or guardian to explain, nor previous experience to pull from, El is quite unsure of how one proceeds with mating. Though her instincts tell her that she needs to be mounted, she is not looking forward to being crushed beneath Dwalin's bulk.

'I suppose I could try...'

Shifting slightly, she lifts Dwalin's arm and slides beneath it as far as she can. She does the same with her leg shortly after; stilling when it is complete. Staring at the ceiling, she waits for the mating to start but after five minutes of barely breathing, the maiden decides that something is not right.

'Must mating take away all of one's breath?'

Slipping from beneath the heavy dwarrow, El marvels at the power given by a One. Had any other body found its way into Dwalin's bed, she is sure it would be headless by now. Yet with her, he slumbers as if he were alone. She is distantly aware of the notion that he is as he has always been because he has always had a piece of her soul with him regardless. Waving the useless thoughts from her mind, she refocuses herself. Even if she did not mind the weight, Kidhuzel has no idea what occurs afterward, nor how to correctly position the dwarf fully without waking him. Her breath speeds up slightly at an even more frightful thought.

'What if I am following the wrong instinct?'

The girl begins to fear that she is perhaps following her sire's way of conjugation and is making a mistake in the positioning of one's body. There are many variables that could lead to the likely outcome of the burly dwarf attempting to cave her skull in. He would fail, but he might try. Deflated by her lack of foresight in the situation, El begins to weigh her options. If she simply walks away from the challenge, Thorin will be extremely displeased with her. Yet, should she make a mistake, she may not be given the opportunity again as easily. It will come again of course; with their souls bound, the dwarf will be unable to be away from her for long.

'It must be difficult to be on his end.'

Kidhuzel can feel the pull of their bond. She was aware of it since the moment Dwalin was born; a presence to make the loneliness a little more bearable. Yet she is not ruled by it as despite their possessiveness, dragons are not monogamous by design. They were not created for love, but to divide and conquer. Being a mixture of both dwarf and drake, El imagines she will never desire to couple with any other than the dwarf beside her, but that she would also be content with not mating at all. Chastising herself for her absent mindedness, she snaps back to the task. Glancing at the heavily sleeping dwarrow at her side, the girl steels herself for whichever position she shall find herself in.

'I have a duty to complete!'

Delicately removing the blanket completely from his person, El slides to kneel on all fours over the dwarf. Being so much smaller than he, she finds the position uncomfortable to hold and quickly sits on his lap. Squirming against the lump beneath her, she is sure his mating parts are in this section.

"Mahal's beard!" Dwalin sleepily hisses in pain, while automatically reaching for the offended area. Coming into contact with a solid mass, his eyes fly open to meet sparkling gold ones. Pushing at El's shoulders, the dwarf looks both confused and angry "Just what do ye think ye are doin', drake?!"

"Mounting you."

"What in the-"

"Was I wrong?" placing a worried hand to her lightly scaled chin, El contemplates what to do "Are dwarf maidens ridden or riders?"

There was a gnawing but familiar presence in the back of Dwalin's mind for many nights before this one. Upon entering Bag End, he learned what it was and he diligently ignored it; refusing to acknowledge it as Kidhuzel. He did this so well, that he didn't notice she had entered his room until she painfully plopped her backside onto his crotch. He welcomes the pain; letting it drown the rush of pleasure that pools to the region. Staring at the recently blossomed dwarfdam, Dwalin fights to organize the words coming out of her mouth. When he does, he wishes he hadn't.

"Off with ye." he commands gruffly from as much annoyance as from the uncomfortable feeling caused by El's closeness. He is conscious enough to keep his voice low, lest he wake his brother and be caught in such a compromising position "Ye shall neither ride nor be ridden by me."

"I must disagree." Wrapping her legs around his thick waist to keep herself balanced as Dwalin sits up, El folds her arms haughtily "My bearer has commanded that I consummate this union, so it must be so."

"He said what?! King or no, he-" Dwalin's rant is cut short by the sound of shredding cloth. Using her sharp talons, El makes quick work of the dwarf's thin night clothes "Get yer claws out of my trousers, ye wyrm!"

"Hush or you'll wake your brother." Shoving her hands into the gaping hole, the girl tries to search for anything that will awaken her instincts so they may tell her what to do. Upon meeting the flesh of his thigh her wrists are seized and the dwarf bodily lifts her over his shoulder. Hanging upside down, the girl attempts to wiggle out of place even as the dwarf stomps to the door "This would go so much smoother if you just tell me how I am to be mounted."

"Ye will not be mounted." pulling open the door and tossing the girl out, he glares down at her splayed on the floor. She is unhurt, as he knew she would be, yet she isn't happy about being tossed "At least not by me."

"Maybe not tonight but you will copulate with me." Rising to sit on her knees, Kidhuzel lifts her head in defiance "You cannot deny your instincts forever and even if you could, you cannot deny your king."

The two stare across the barrier of will power, each knowing the other is right, at least partially. Kidhuzel knows she will not be claimed tonight, yet Dwalin knows that he will not be able to renounce her indefinitely. Even so, neither seems particularly happy about the situation all together. One day, they will join but not for any will of their own or some fickle love developed by shared space. Their joining will be for duty and undeniable fate; the reason why Dwalin refuses to give in until he can fight no longer. The understanding is clear between the two, even if both fight against it.

"Oh! It's a bit dark, even for me but..." Kidhuzel's serious expression twists into a joyfully curious one as the maiden stares between the dwarf's legs "I'll be mounted by that then?"

"... Go. AWAY!"

Slamming the door, the blushing dwarf leaves Kidhuzel to wince at the echoing sound. Eyeing the structure warily, she contemplates making another attempt to slip in tonight but thinks better of it. The dwarf will be on his guard and that will not aid her. The only good that came from the night's events was that she now has a better idea of the process called 'mating.' There is still much she doesn't know but time has always been on her side. Being half dragon has it's benefits, including being able to sustain oneself for long periods of time without sleep or food. With a nod to herself, Kidhuzel decides to spend the night studying in the library. She floats down the hallway to her destination; perking up a bit at the promise of knowledge.

'I'll make him mate me before we leave this place. I swear it!'

Sitting on the edge of his bed, Dwalin is swearing just the opposite of Kidhuzel. Angrily glaring into his lap at the physical response to being so close to his unwanted One, the dwarrow curses under his breath. Pulling off the ruined clothing, he dresses himself for the coming day; He has no plans to retire again tonight. Instead, he will work out his frustration with training. It will do him some good so that he will not have the urge to knock some sense into his King when they discuss the nights events tomorrow.

'Knowin' what he knows and still sendin' her to me...'

Snatching up his twin battle axes the dwarf quietly exits the room before storming into the training grounds. Due to the late (or early) hour, the sizable arena is empty of any possible challengers or spectators. The moon is still high, telling him that he has a few hours before the sun even begins to peak over the horizon. Centering himself to find his calm, Dwalin closes his eyes and listens to the sounds of silence.

A gentle breeze disturbs the leaves on the trees and carries the fresh scent of the far off waterfall. A night owl coos loudly before gliding through the darkness to crash upon its prey. Dwalin's own heart echos steadily; pushing his blood continuously like the waves of the ocean. One movement. Another. And then many more. Moving through the well practiced motions, the warrior only acknowledges that the sun has risen by feeling it upon his flesh. Even joined by his kin in a plethora of sparring matches, his drill does not end until the call for breakfast.

"You were up early, lad." making their way to the dining hall, Dwalin nearly groans at his brother's comment "A bit odd of you."

"Couldn't sleep."

"Aye. I would imagine not." chuckling to himself, the elder brother pats his sibling on the shoulder "What with your One sitting on your lap."

"Ye-"

"-knew that your One was the young half dragon?" Once more sympathetically patting his brother on the shoulder, Balin shakes his head "I've suspected since the trolls but was unsure until your... meeting last night."

"... Thorin should not have sent her."

"Eventually you would have gone to her on your own." a restless silence fills the air as the majority of the company passes them to enter the room. Smiling sadly, the snowy dwarf offers his brother parting words "I do not envy you, nadad. Your path will indeed be the road less traveled. Yet Mahal has deemed it so, thus there is a way to see the blessing in this. You must simply find it."

Balin enters the hall and after a moment, Dwalin follows behind him. To be given a One is usually seen as a blessing, as it is such a rare occurrence. Yet, the dwarf can not help but feel cursed. Kidhuzel is no where to be seen and this both calms and worries the dwarf. Though he wants nothing to do with her, he would prefer to know where she is at all times. It would be easier to avoid her that way.

Making a mental note to have words with Thorin about his 'instructions,' the burly dwarf sits at the table to attempt to enjoy the meal. There is still no meat to be seen but thankfully Bombur has once again brought a roll of sausage links to add to the sad breakfast. The table is alive with conversation as the dwarves dig into their meal. Halfway through, Bilbo arrives with his eyes blurred from sleep.

"How was yer night, Laddie?" Bofur asks good naturedly, passing him a cup "Ye look much better then we've been seein' ye, that's for sure."

"Ah, thank you, Master Bofur..." Taking a sip of the provided tea, the hobbit attempts to wake himself up. Taking in his companions drowsily, he notices a few missing "Where are Thorin and Miss Kidhuzel?"

"You speak formally when addressing the drake but not the leader of this company?" Gloin's temper flares as red as his hair but he tries to chalk it up to the ignorance of hobbits. Smoothing the grimace on his face, the dwarf clears his throat "You would do well to remember that Thorin is king, and she is his weapon."

"I think it is all utter nonsense." Fussing over Ori's braids, Dori gives his opinion "Dragon blood or not, she is a young lady, not a sword! She should not be trailing after him like a child after his mother."

"Or a dog in heat."

"Nori!"

"Calm yourself, brother." the thief soothes before flicking his sharp gaze to the king's guard "I don't believe our esteemed leader has any interest in snogging his newest weapon."

The glance and meaning behind his words are not lost on Dwalin. He has arrested Nori time and again for his many offenses; usually caused by his need to stick his nose where it doesn't belong. He has a keen sense that the dwarrow knows more than he should. His retort is cut off though at the sudden pressure on his feet. The weight is not excessively heavy, yet it is strange. Leaning back in his chair, Dwalin nearly chokes on his sausage when he spots Kidhuzel kneeling on his feet.

'How long has she been hiding there?!'

His first instinct is to leap from the table but he immediately stifles it. To do so would reveal the girl, and many would think she was doing something lecherous. Given that she is on her knees before him, they would assume he encouraged the behavior. Thus, he forces himself to remain seated and as calm as possible. A quick glance sadly reveals that she is not at all interested in communicating with him. Instead, her attention is on undoing the strings on his trousers. Reaching deftly under the table as if to scratch his leg, Dwalin bats away her hands.

"That is all well and good but where are they?" Bilbo refuses to let the question pass, as he is the only one who ever appears concerned with Kidhuzel's safety. Therefore, he has made it a personal goal to ensure her well being, as well as he is able "Surely they wouldn't wish to miss breakfast."

"Perhaps they are saving their appetite for tens."

"Elevenses, Master Bofur."

"He levees what?"

"I said 'Elevenses,' Master Oin!"

Even as the company banters amongst themselves, Kidhuzel focuses on her prize. After many hours, the girl is sure she has mastered the art of coitus. It is much more complicated in beings other than dragons; the positions themselves are so numerous that even her head spun from the amount. El was honestly surprised that such a vast library incorporated so few texts dedicated to the topic. She imagined it had much to do with the belief held by so many races that the joining of bodies is a subject to be kept secret.

'It is needed to create them all yet still they are so shy.'

Regardless, the knowledge could not evade her for long. El found 36 books in total that mentioned the act of procreation. There were just as many names for it as there were positions. The documents were sadly vague and not a single one contained a picture. Thus, the reason she sits beneath the table.

Having only caught a glimpse of Dwalin yesterday, El has made it her business to gain a true visual. As her reproductive organs are attached to her, she is in no rush to see her own just yet. The girl was severely disappointed that not once during the morning did her future mate reveal himself. Taking matters into her own hands, she crept under the table and waited for breakfast to begin. After finding the correct pair of legs, she waited for the right moment before striking. Soon though, her hands are once more restrained and pinned to the outside of the dwarf's thigh.

'It is a good thing I am more than capable of working without my hands.'

Curling her flexible tail up her front, Kidhuzel uses the spiked end to tear through the laces of Dwalin's pants and the cloth of the undergarments beneath. Even with her full weight on his feet, the dwarf nearly dislodges her as he flinches. Any male would, with such a sharp object being so close to their genitals. El is also aware of this and grins in triumph as Dwalin releases her hands to grasp her tail. With her appendages free, the half drake shoots her hands forward to grasp her goal.

'What an odd texture!'

Unfortunately, in her excitement she forgets the sensitivity of such places and grasps the dwarf too tightly. In turn, he shouts loudly in pain and yanks her tail into the air in an attempt for her to release him. She flops onto her back heavily as her lower half is raised off the ground. The result is a flipped table, a half naked dwarf, and an upside down girl holding his groin. Quite a scene for Thorin, Gandalf, and Elrond to come upon. The king slowly presses his thumb and fore finger against the bridge of his nose before asking:

"What... Is going on in here?"

~~~~~~~~~~Shishi~~~~~~~~~~

THis chapter... it was written with the sole intention of causing Dwalin as much discomfort as possible. You may have noticed that El is doing some growing up. Whereas her original mindset was being at Thorin's side, now it is completing his orders. Just so you know, as this is rated T, I won't be putting any gritty stuff in here. Nor will I have a side story. Instead, I will post complete M+ chapters on AO3. The story will be the same on both websites, save for the raunchy stuff that will be incorporate on AO3. This chapter is more or less safe though. There are a few extra phrases over there but that's all for now. I'll always tell you when you need to go check. Thanks for the reviews obsessedreader, YMR, and crazehfreakbesasseh! ~Shishi