A/N - Thank you Nauze for helping me to finish this chapter so fast. And Happy Birthday to the adorable AppoApples, a new chapter exactly how you requested! (and now you know the secret to get a chapter written fast, just tell me it is your birthday...)
Breakfast at Beorn's hall was an interesting affair, with grey dogs setting up the table and white sheeps serving porridge and bread rolls. Some of the dwarrowmen offered to help as well but Beorn dismissed them with a wave. Considering that Beorn was twice the size of a normal man, it wasn't very surprising to find that all kitchenware was unproportionally large to their hands.
Everyone sat quietly around the table while Gandalf, who was still the one who was doing most of the talking, was quick to narrate their escape from the goblin tunnels and their confrontation with Azog, the Defiler. The company's spirits were very high, considering that the last time they had a meal served on a table had been at Lord Elrond's halls in Rivendell. Katniss was sitting just next to Thorin, who was occasionally making a point of brushing his hands against hers only to make her blush.
"So you are the one they call Oakenshield. I had no idea you had a daughter," Beorn said looking from Katniss to Thorin.
While Thorin gave a grumpy frown to Beorn's comment, Fíli and Kíli burst into laughter, and many of the others were fighting hard against their urge to join both Durin's brothers in it. Katniss, who was drinking her pint of milk, spit out some of it back into her mug as she immediately felt her face burn, aghast at being assumed to be Thorin's daughter.
"No, no, no, we are not… I'm not..." she started stumbling on her own words as she was overcome by embarrassment, unsure of what to say to their host.
Beorn looked at them lost in confusion. Thorin opened his mouth to say something but he quickly closed it again. What he wouldn't give to say that Katniss was his betrothed! But he did not want to mess things up with her again, and at the same time, he had no idea what he could say to show they belonged to each other without causing any disrespect or offence. So silent, he remained.
"Oh no, Mister Beorn, the lassie is not our cousin, she is more like our future Queen if you know what I am saying!" Kili was the one who ended up speaking his mind to the skin-changer, making Katniss turn redder than a ripe tomato.
Beorn raised his eyebrows, surprised by that revelation and started assessing the young woman who was trying her best to ignore everybody in the room. Even Thorin seemed amused by her reaction.
"Why is Bolg, son of Azog the Defiler hunting you?" Beorn's question was addressed to both Thorin and Katniss, who sat side by side.
"Since when has that scum spawned an heir?" Thorin spitted full of anger.
"Eew! Those things breed?" Katniss said.
"Thes was a mental image we did nae need tae have," Dwalin said, shaking his head in disgust.
"Are you sure they are hunting us?" Gandalf asked, looking straight at Beorn who nodded, making the wizard sigh in frustration "Well, that will surely complicate things…"
"This Bolg will likely try to avenge his father's death." Thorin's voice was full of worry as he looked at Katniss.
"Is this ever going to stop?" Katniss grunted.
"Azog is dead?" Beorn asked, surprised.
"Thanks to our Lassie here…" Balin raised his mug of milk to toast Katniss who was seated on the opposite side he was.
"Is that so?" Beorn looked intensely at her, who quickly nodded in agreement despite her own uneasiness of being put under the spotlight.
"Our heroine is amazing with her bow and arrow, she never misses a shot! Killed the Great Goblin, and three stray trolls on the East Road too," Gandalf beamed like a proud grandfather.
"Any enemy of goblins, wargs, and orcs is a friend of mine. What do you need?" Beorn said looking straight at her eyes. This time there wasn't a glint of embarrassment or shame on her semblance.
"We need to get to the Lonely Mountain before the end of autumn. Can you help us?" Katniss asked.
"You are running out of time," Beorn stated.
"Which is why we must go through Mirkwood," Gandalf said from the other side of the room.
"A darkness lies upon that forest. Fell things creep beneath those trees. There is an alliance between the Orcs of Moria and the Necromancer in Dol Guldur. I would not venture there except in great need."
"We will take the Elven Road. That path is still safe," Gandalf said.
"Safe? The Wood-Elves of Mirkwood are not like their kin. They're less wise and more dangerous. But it matters not."
"What do you mean?" Thorin asked.
"These lands are crawling with Orcs. Their numbers are growing, and you are on foot. You will never reach the forest alive."
"Can you help us?" Katniss repeated her question, looking straight at him. Beorn nodded.
"You are fierce like a lioness cub. You remind me of my own daughter. I will help you and your companions to reach the Elven Road."
There was a general tension released in the room, with Gandalf along with many dwarves sighing in relief. Thorin was looking at Katniss, beaming with pride by the way she had held her head up high while defending their people's best interest, just like a true Queen should.
"Your way through Mirkwood is bound to be dark, dangerous, and difficult. Water is not easy to find there, nor is food. There is one stream there, black and strong, that you should neither drink nor bathe in, as it carries enchantments that will make you drowsy and forgetful.
"But worry not, as I will provide you with new water skins. I will also provide you with material for you to make new arrows and other provisions you might need. I cannot help you inside the forest, you will have to rely on your luck and the food I give you. When you reach the Elven Road, I must ask you to send back my ponies and horse to me."
"We are very grateful for your help, Master Beorn. In exchange, please, allow me and my men to sharpen your tools, make new horseshoes for your ponies and horses, and fix your fence that I noticed requires some mending," Thorin said, offering their services.
Katniss looked back at him fully understanding what was likely to be going on inside Thorin's head, as she also hated the feeling of being indebted to others.
"I don't need help, but your lot is free to do as you see fit," Beorn said. "Now, you should start preparing the things you will need, autumn is upon us, and you still have a long journey ahead."
The few days they spent at Beorn's halls were filled with work. Out of principle, Thorin decided that the company should honour all the chores he had suggested to Beorn and more. Katniss fully supported his decision. Her pride demanded her to pay her debts, a trait that apparently Thorin also shared. Hence why the heir of Erebor decided to personally sharpen and improve Beorn's axe and all the other working tools that he possessed. He was, after all, a master smith, and better than anyone else in their company at that craft.
He gave Fili the responsibility of repairing Beorn's fence. Meanwhile, Kili was tasked with helping him to make new arrows and two new bows, as Katniss's one was the only one that survived the goblin tunnels. Oin was collecting useful herbs, brewing some medicine that they could need on the road, while his brother Gloin was making some pots to store them with Balin. Dwalin was ensuring that everyone's weapons and armour were sharpened and combat read. Dori and Nori were responsible for repairing everybody's clothes that needed mending, making new blankets, and spare clothes for the ones who had lost theirs. Ori would spend most of his time updating their travel journal, as he hadn't had a single chance to do that since the Goblin tunnels. Bombur, Bofur and Bifur spent most of their time making food for the company members, for both their journey and for the day.
Thorin did not give a task for both Katniss and Bilbo, though the hobbit seemed to be happy enough to join the Ur brothers at the kitchen when he wasn't strolling around and exploring Beorn's farmland. Katniss, on the other hand, felt very lost in the beginning, when Thorin did not give her a task as he had done with the others. When she asked him about it, he said that he wasn't sure of which skill sets she possessed, but that she was more than welcome to help then out if that was something she wanted.
Katniss felt a bit lost after that, as she was certain that the only thing she was genuinely good at was poaching. However, after a couple of hours walking around Beorn's halls, she ended up deciding that she would have a go at making goat cheese. Though it was usually her sister Prim who made the cheese they sold at the market, that didn't mean that Katniss did not know how to do it. So she requested some white cloths from Dori and started working on milking the goats who were still breastfeeding their kids. Making goat cheese was a long process that filled her every morning. However, she enjoyed doing something that they would be able to take on their journey but also leave some behind as a thank-you gift for Beorn.
The remainder of her day she spent learning and improving her sword fighting with Dwalin and enjoying the comforts of living in a house again. She had been the only company member that had been given a room, as Beorn insisted that she should stay in his daughter's old room.
The room was as rustic as the rest of his house, though it possessed a little feminine touch in the flowery details on the walls and furniture. Being able to sleep in a bed again and having some privacy back was definitely something she had missed. During their last day at Beorn's house, she decided to enjoy what she had and took her time to fill a large wooden tub with warm water inside her bedroom. The soap bar that Beorn had given her smelled like honey. She used it to clean her hair and body, perfuming them with that sweet scent. She stayed inside the tub until it was too cold for her to carry on enjoying that experience.
During the evening, she decided to wear one of the dresses that had once belonged to Beorn's daughter. Their host had offered them to her many times, but she always refused as dresses were not as nearly as practical as her trousers. But today was their last night there, and she thought that it would be a good idea to save her own clothes for the road. Even though she disliked wearing dresses, she picked one that was plain but caught her fancy and wore it with her wavy hair loose and wet.
When she arrived in the kitchen, Bofur was singing, Nori, Dori, and Oin were playing some instruments and most of the dwarrow men were clapping and dancing. Even Bilbo seemed taken by the festivities and had allowed Kili and Fili to drag him through their boisterous dancing steps. Gandalf, Beorn, and Thorin sat in the corner, watching their interaction instead of joining in, but with a light-hearted expression on their faces.
"Lassie! Come and join us!" Gloin grabbed her hand and Bifur got hold of the other as they led her to the core of their party.
Their happiness was truly contagious. Soon, Katniss saw her clumsy self trying to keep up with their foreign dance moves. Somehow it reminded her of some of the few festivities she had witnessed at District 12, usually when families celebrated their loved one's escape from that year's Reaping. She exchanged a quick glance with Thorin, who was smiling and raised a cup at her.
At the end of Bofur's song, everybody clapped and some of the dwarves began to request the only female to sing one of her own songs for them. After some small persuasion, she ended up settling for a popular love song in her District that was quite catchy and had a countryside beat that reminded her of some of the dwarves' own tunes. Almost as soon as she began to sign, the company members who had musical instruments picked up a tune that matched her song.
My heart's stupid and that's not maybe.
Can't blame Cupid, he's just a baby.
Shoot it, boot it, execute it,
Still comes a-crawling to you-hoo.
Heart's gone funny, it won't hear reason.
You're like honey, you bring the bees in.
Sting it, wing it, give it a fling, it
Still comes a-crawling to you.
I wish it mattered that
You chose to smash it up.
How come you shattered that
Thing I love with?
Did you feel flattered that
You could just trash it up?
That's why you battered that
Thing I love with.
Trapped my ticker but haven't freed it.
People snicker at how you treat it.
Snare it, tear it, strip it bare, it
Still comes a-crawling to you-hoo.
Heart's been jumping just like a rabbit.
Blood keeps pumping but that's just habit.
Drain it, pain it, I'm insane, it
Still comes a-crawling to you.
Burn it, spurn it, don't return it,
Break it, bake it, overtake it,
Wreck it, deck it, what the heck, it
Still comes a-crawling to you.
"Bravo!" Bilbo Baggins that probably had more than his share of honey-mead cheered as she finished her song, before he fell face-first on the floor, making every company member laugh at his expense.
"Lady Katniss, who is this Cupid?" Ori asked her just before he let out a loud burp, making the young dwarf embarrassed and everybody else laugh even harder. Instead of answering his question, Katniss raised one eyebrow and gave him a glare. Suddenly the company members seemed to reach a consensus that a burping contest was another good idea of entertainment. Katniss just shook her head from side to side after looking at the dwarrow men and walked to the table where Thorin, their host and the wizard were still sitting.
Truth be told, Katniss had not spent much time with Thorin during their short stay at Beorn's halls as she had hoped they would. His determination in paying for Beorn's troubles for hosting guests that had led an entire Orc pack to his borders was enough to keep him working from dawn to dusk. Although they shared some brief occasions, like when he brought her new arrows and asked her to test them, or when she brought him a tomato and goat cheese sandwich while he was working, these moments weren't many. And she missed his company. Greatly.
"This was quite something, little fawn…" Beorn said "I'm happy to see you wearing Bren's old dress. But now, I should take my leave. Remember, do not go outside, or you might face a horrible death. I will be meeting my kin tonight."
"Aye." Thorin nodded.
"Good evening, master Beorn. We will ensure that everybody stays inside," Gandalf said and Beorn nodded back at them before he left his lodgings.
Katniss only nodded, as she seemed to be too busy filling up her plate and shoving some bread rolls and vegetable stew inside her mouth, with a bit more haste than it would be considered polite.
"Take a breath, Mizin, the food is not going to disappear."
"Can you really guarantee that? With this lot?" she said looking at the other members of the company who seemed to still be engaged in their burping contest.
"We would never let you starve," he said.
That was true. She was usually the first one to be offered food when they were on the road. It was a dwarrow tradition, for women and children to be fed first when food was scarce, or so she had been told. That evening, however, they did not wait for her to grace them with her presence to dig in. And even though there was still plenty of food on the table, it was clear that everybody had already eaten at least once. Completely ignoring Thorin's request, she started to lick some of the sauce that had spilt on her fingers.
"Will I need to find a tutor to teach you good manners once we move back to Erebor, Katniss?"
She made a silly face and started eating with even worse manners than before. Thorin grunted. Yes, Effie Trinket would be mortified. She used that moment to steal his mug and had a sip. As she had expected, the beverage was alcoholic, though much sweeter than she imagined it would be.
"You lovebirds must excuse me. It is about time for someone to go there and take our burglar out of his misery," Gandalf said as he stood up and went to retrieve Bilbo who was still laying down on the floor and leaving Katniss and Thorin alone.
They remained in silence watching the others who had started singing a famous drinking song in Khuzdul. Thorin was tapping his hands on the table and humming the rhythm of the song.
"Gosh, I'm going to miss Beorn's honey cakes!" Katniss said, licking the honey that now coated her fingers.
"We are taking some for the road. He said they won't spoil for at least two weeks."
"I wish we could spend more time here. I'm going to miss this peace."
"You can stay if you want," he said, even though that made his heart twist in a funny way. "You should stay. It is safer for you here…"
"So you think you can get rid of me that easily?"
"That is not what I meant!"
"I know. But who is gonna save your ass if I'm not there, uh?"
To that comment, he remained quiet. He reached for her hand and gave it a light squeeze. She squeezed it back.
"That was an interesting song that you've chosen, Mizin. What is the story behind it?"
"I don't know. It is just an old song from my District."
They remained quiet for a moment, still holding hands and watching their happy troop sing and dance to another made-up song about bees, bears, and goats. It was Katniss who spoke first.
"You know…you still haven't braided my hair."
Thorin felt a wave of excitement run through his veins. He turned his head to look at her and noticed that her hair was nearly dry.
"We still have time."
It was then that Katniss stood up and offered her hand for him. He accepted and allowed her to lead him away from the kitchen and communal area of Beorn's halls. Neither of them seemed to notice or care about the stares, whispers and cheers that the company members threw in their direction as they left their sight.
Both their hearts were beating fast. There was a tension generated by the anticipation of the moment they were about to share. Still holding his hand, Katniss started to open her bedroom door. Thorin froze on the spot when he realised where she was taking him.
"Are you asking me to go to your room?"
"Is that a problem…?"
"Katniss…" he warned.
"It is not as if you've never been in my room before," she said, but he remained confused.
"Bree, remember?"
They remained in the doorway for a few seconds, their hands were still intertwined. He took a deep breath, removed a horseshoe from his pocket, placed it on the door handle and followed her inside. Just to have her gently closing the door behind them.
"Why did you put that on the door?"
"Dwarrow tradition," he said, making her give him a questioning look. "They will know better than interrupt us if they see that. Don't worry, Amrâlimê."
Without taking his eyes from hers, Thorin brought Katniss' hand that he was still holding to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on it. She shivered and closed her eyes, savouring every second they were sharing. He narrowed the gap between them and slowly brought their foreheads together. She grabbed the back of his neck with her free hand and calmly pressed her lips against his.
Gently. Gradually. They kissed each other with the sluggish pace of a couple who were no longer on the road, running for their lives. Serenely. Smoothly. Trying to demonstrate the extent of their affection through the softness of their touch. Unhurriedly. Thorin allowed her lips to leave his and started to stroke her chin. With her eyes still closed, she raised her hand to touch his.
"Where would you like to do this, Mizin?" he said playing with her wavy curls.
"We can sit on my bed." She opened her eyes and they shared an intense gaze before he nodded.
This time it was he who took the lead and guided her to her own bed. He was finally able to catch a glance at some details in the room. The wooden tub full of cold water, some old toys on a shelf, revealing that Beorn's daughter probably had died younger than he had assumed. As he tried to wave off these dark thoughts, Katniss sat down cross-legged in the middle of the bed. She looked at him, invitingly, and he sat behind her, his muscly legs hugging her tiny frame just as they had done inside that cave.
Immediately, she allowed a pleasured sigh to escape her lips, making his lips turn into a smug grin. To make her go even crazier, he parted her hair and started kissing her bare nape and shoulder blade. The feeling of his lips, tongue and rough beard scratching her skin was enough to make her moan again. She squeezed his thigh making him howl.
Trying to ignore his urge to carry on teasing her, he quickly took his own hair comb and a small bottle with a special lotion. Gently, he started parting her hair. He had dreamed of that moment for quite some time now, and he wanted to savour it. So he did it as slowly as he could if only to make that moment last longer. Humming a soft love song in Khuzdul, he began to braid a variation of the same braid that she usually wore.
He braided her hair bit by bit, enjoying the feeling of her soft hair on his fingertips. There was no point in hasting. Gently. Relishing the feeling of her body so close to his. Enjoying the smell of her skin mixed with the honey from Beorn's soap. Tasting the softness of her skin with his callouses strong hands. Appreciating the noises she made when he made an unexpected move that brought her pleasure. Luxuriating on the way her hips moved, making his desire for her increase as she rubbed her body against his.
This time he had decided to leave the massage to the end. He remembered that she had enjoyed it that last time. He could feel the tension in her shoulders unravelling as he worked on them. The King in Exile then started sucking the side of her neck, leaving a purple bruise behind. She was wiggling her body against his, almost sitting on his lap. Soon he saw his hand sliding inside the front of her dress, stroking her breasts. He could barely believe his own boldness.
"Thorin…" she whispered breathlessly, as she welcomed his touch.
Unable to restrain herself any longer, she turned around and sat down on his pelvis, hugging his torso with her legs before she crashed a passionate kiss on his lips. It was Thorin's turn to grunt and mumble her name as his hands started to find their way to her legs underneath her dress. He was sliding his hands through her unshaven legs as the intensity of their kisses increased. Meanwhile, she was clumsily trying to remove his tunic. It was then he decided that he had to pull away from her and moved to sit down at the edge of the bed.
"What's wrong?" she asked, confused.
"I fear I won't be able to stop if we carry on…" he answered without looking her in the eyes.
"You know that I would never let you do something I don't feel comfortable with, right?"
"Katniss…" he turned over to face her again. "Unless you are ready to take your rightful place as my wife, we should not do this."
"Thorin, I already told you I don't want to get married…"
"Aye. But according to my people's customs and traditions, we would only be allowed to be doing what we did tonight if you had accepted my court and we both had agreed and signed a courting agreement."
"What?" she gasped "Thorin, I'm not ready! And I don't know if I ever will be…"
"That is exactly why I had to stop, Mizin," he said, daring to get closer to her again. "For us dwarves, the actual marriage happens when the union is consummated. This is why only couples that have already publicly expressed their desire of being together are allowed to share moments like the one we just shared. Contracts, courting gifts are only mere details, but what really makes the marriage valid is when the couple consummates the union."
"You mean having sex?"
"Aye."
She stood back, considering the information he had dumped on her.
"The wizard is right. Our traditions are too different for you…" And then he took two tiny mithril beads that were hidden on the chain around his neck, alongside the key to Erebor's secret door and handed them to her.
"My Mockingjay?" she asked after she noticed the replication of her famous token in one of the beads. The other had runes that she failed to recognize.
"I wear yours and you wear mine. It is a tradition. Any dwarf that sees you wearing my bead would know they were talking to the Queen of Erebor."
She looked from the beads she was holding back to him.
"Where did you get this?"
"Gloin helped me craft this back in Rivendell…"
She gasped.
"Thorin… I…" she started, but she failed to convey her thoughts into words.
She handed him back the two beads, who quickly tied them back on the chain around his neck with his father's key.
"Don't worry, Mizin. I gave you my word. We shall do this at your pace and your way. But there are some things that not even I can change. Only give yourself to me if you feel ready to take your rightful place as my wife. There will be no turning back after that."
She nodded solemnly and raised her hand to stroke his cheek. He grabbed it and placed a tender kiss on her fingers. She hugged him, kissed his jawline. Soon, she was pulling him to lay on her bed.
"Sleep here tonight. Please?"
"Are you saying you want to…"
"No! I mean, just sleep. Please? I hate being left on my own. My nightmares, you see…"
He took a deep breath.
"Do you realise that if we do this, my men will assume that we are indeed consummating our union? They will be leaving a wedding brunch by your door before we can even leave this room."
"Yeah, but... well."
"Some may assume I have dishonoured you and refused to give you my bead…"
"Does it really matter? We are the ones who know what is happening, so…"
He sighed again.
"Please?" she begged with her pleading grey eyes.
"All right. This is sure to bring us a lot of trouble. I am warning you."
"I don't care," she said, turning her back to him at the same time she grabbed his arm, making him hug her from behind. "As long as we can carry on spending moments like this, I don't care about what they say…"
He knew this reckless action would come biting him back the next morning. But her invitation was too good to refuse.
A/N - The song is from "The ballad of songbirds and snakes". If you want to hear the Hunger Games universe songs, I recommend going to Maiah Wynne's Youtube or Spotify channels, 'cause the chick is amazing!
Now please, review? Xx