Ohmicrofilm: That means so much. I'm still doing my own writing but I think it's good to keep going with these things too. I've been with these stories for so long that it would be a shame to stop them.
Guest: I'm so glad you liked it!
Chapter 17: A Fight by Candlelight
The sweet scent of honey and the rolling fog from mountain streams mixed with the new leather and fresh weapon oil, filling my lunges on an intoxicating breath. The weight of a new weapon weighed down my arms for a moment, pressing down into my palms as I studied them in the flickering lights of Rivendell's halls. A small fire was burning away at the gleam of the elves' stonework, the rumble and roar of the dwarves bouncing from the peaceful slumber that had overtaken the last homely house east of the sea.
"Where in Durin's name did you get this?" I hissed at my brother as the three of us crowded around the burnished glow of the twin axes, crude runes twining around the impressive width of the blade. They were much bigger than my last ones, tall enough to come to my naval if I let them rest against the ground. Saliva filled my mouth, excitement and wonder twisting my stomach as my fingers slid along the sturdy length of the hilt, gripping onto the comfortable leather there.
"Found 'em," Nori smirked back, mischief sparkling in his eyes and Dori's eyes cut across to him, obvious scorn lighting his eyes to a flinty silver. "Did ye know they have a whole lot of dwarven weapons in some dusty old crypt-"
"You desecrated a crypt?!" Dori whisper-shouted, his face going red as he stared in disgust and astonishment at our brother. His eyes snapped to me, brows lowering sternly. "You'll return those weapons right away, Tori."
I stared down at the grooves, the spine of the weapon curving around my hand like it wanted to be there. My eyes slid to where Nori was staring at me, a knowing tilt to his brows.
Really. Wouldn't it be more of a lesson so that they would keep such precious things locked up properly?
"When you think about it-" I started, trying to sound reasonable and Nori snorted.
"Tori." Dori warned, brows furrowing, even more, making his face look like a stormy sky with clouds drifting overhead.
I tried to start over again. "No one would miss-"
"Are you a common thief?" Dori demanded and I floundered, glancing around dubiously.
"Yes?"
I had been rather proud that I was a thief too. Nori grinned, raising his brows, clearing enjoying the words currently trying to splutter free from Dori's lips as he stared, aghast at both of us. If he could have prayed to all the gods that we could go back in time and save our virtues, I'm sure he would have.
"What are we doing?" Roasted, nearly burnt greenery withered away on a small platter in our youngest brother's hands, his brows up expectantly as he joined us.
I grinned, whirling toward him. "Nori got me some new axes."
"Stole," Dori correctly sharply. "He stole them."
I ignored my brother's gripe, showing them to Ori gleefully as his eyes turned a shade wearier, his gaze flicking to the way the lamplight glinted off the clean silver like moonlight off the ebbs of a stream. I loved it with a fierceness that could come only from taking something that didn't belong to you. Glee curled my lips, forcing a giggle from my tongue.
"Ach," Dori snarled, rubbing a hand through his mass of silver hair. "If it makes her laugh like that then I guess that's the end of it." His finger jabbed into my nose, glaring down at my grinning face. "But just know that you'll be making them new blades when we aren't in such a pinch."
Ori blinked dolefully at me, his nose wrinkling as Dori stormed away, clearing unhappy with his lack of willpower in the face of such a travesty. "Think I'd be able to get a new slingshot out of the mess?"
"They don't make weapons for toddlers, hamumul nadadith," Nori snipped, soothing the blow by patting Ori on the head and then stealing some sort of roasted turnip. He eyed it suspiciously before shrugging and popping the whole thing in his mouth with a horrifying series of crunches. "Wouldn't kill you to laugh a bit more, Tori if it got him to stop being such a nag."
"I can still hear you, you rukhs shirumund caragu," Dori growled across the space, the dwarves around the fire giving jeering encouragement as Nori stormed over, cursing at him vehemently in khuzdul.
Ori's teeth tried to gnaw into a particularly charred piece of something before paling, whispering, "That's wood."
The first step with new weapons was to learn the weight of them, to test how they felt in a full swing, how long you would last in a fight. My heart burst as the twin axes caught the moonlight once more, glinting like lovers moving with each other. They were so beautiful that they took my very breath away.
My eyes caught my brother's hopefully. "Help me practice?"
I watched the suggestion transform his face, that familiar worry line creasing his brow as he immediately took a short step back. His ever-present satchel thumped nervously against his hip, ink bottles and medicine vials clinking together in agreed denial of my plea. The expression looked similar to Nori's when he had been told by Thorin that there would be no stops to loot on our quest - horror.
"Oh please, Ori," I begged, lip popping out as I felt the familiar itch to swing something heavy and break things tighten my stomach.
"You know I don't-" Ori started out, voice only barely revealing his anxiety at the thought.
"Practice?" My brows furrowed at the thought, pressing him a bit more. "You need to-"
"I'm a scribe-"
"On a quest-"
"Writing about a quest that I'm on-"
"Oh, come on. We just barely escaped a pack of orcs-"
"Which will be documented very well." I couldn't help the snort that forced its way from my lips, Ori's face somber in his conviction. "I have the first draft right now if you would like-"
"I can spar with you." My whole body tensed at the silken suggestion, the gravel roughening those words doing dangerous things to me. I blinked, turning slightly as Kili and Fili stepped onto the balcony.
My heart quickened, knocking insistently at my ribs as Fili's lips pulled up in a mischievous smirk, his eyes running slowly down to where my fingers clutched at the twin axes.
Slowly, his brows rose. "Now, where did you get those?"
"Nowhere," I blurted out quickly.
"The crypt," Ori offered at the same time and Fili and Kili's brows drew a bit higher as they stopped. My eyes snapped to my brother's, glaring. He gave me an awkward blink. "Were we not supposed to tell anyone?"
"It was completely consensual," I supplied, stumbling over the last words as they seemed… oddly sexual. Heat seared my nape, warming my face to an uncomfortable degree as Fili's smirk grew. "I - I mean that… the elves-"
"Offered for you to take their most prized relics?" Kili supplied, grinning, his dark hair ruffling in the wind.
"They aren't relics," I protested, scoffing. Then I blinked, stalling out at the thought. Were they? I mean, what sort of fool kept old things just lying about? I forced the thought away, giving a brave smile. "We'll give them back."
"We?" Fili questioned and I immediately shut my mouth. I wasn't about to drag my brothers into my runaway mouth issues. My eyes inadvertently drifted to the mouth in front of me. A very nice mouth. A mouth that had kissed me just a day ago. I shouldn't be thinking about that kiss though. That kiss was highly inappropriate.
"Tori?" I jerked, nearly dropping my axes as Ori scooted a bit closer to me, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You're staring at the prince's mouth."
If I could crawl into the nearest cavern and seal myself inside, I would.
Fili's smile had grown positively wicked, the lamplight lancing across his face in a way that lit his eyes to an indecent blue. As I watched, a soft breeze toyed with the beads in his hair, ruffling the already tousled mess and making the air around us tinkle with the soft sound of his metal beads slipping together. My mouth was suddenly dry, an odd beating vibrating through my gut.
"Tori." His voice rang, each syllable oddly candied as if they were treats offered to draw my attention. His head tipped to the side a bit, his eyes going a shade darker causing the azure depths of his irises to light with silver. "Practice?"
Practice? My muscles knotted, stomach tightening. The blades of my axes had dropped at some point that I couldn't remember, skimming the stone beneath us. The whole exchange was getting out of hand, my own body turning against me. At least if I fought him, I would be able to knock away some of this - whatever this was between us.
"I won't go easy on you because you are my prince," I warned him, raising my axes, my stance widening as I adjusted for the opening fight.
Kili laughed, drawing closer to FIli so that he could whisper something in his brother's ear that made him grin before he went to sit comfortably against a nearby pillar, Bofur and Bifur joining him shortly.
Ori's breath whispered along my cheek as he moved to the outer circle. I hadn't noticed by the other dwarves had started to take notice, some moving to sit in a wide circle around us as they tried to scrounge up some more food after the measly dinner. "Good luck, anai."
I didn't need luck, I wanted to say but watching the practiced ease that Fili drew his twin blade, the muscles in his shoulder rolling in a way that made my stomach flip, I started to doubt that sentiment. When we were children, we had rarely sparred with each other. He was a prince after all. But when we had, it had been a disaster for me. Each of his blows had landed with the force of a full-blooded dwarf, heavy and unforgiving. And I hadn't forgotten how the others spoke about him, how they all could rarely seem to beat him.
He eyed me for a moment, the mischievous glint in his eyes receding a bit as he lowered, his blades glinting ominously in the firelight. "I beg you not to go easy on me, my lady. I would hate to win when you weren't even trying."
I didn't justify that with a response.
There was a gentle balance when it came to battle. Perhaps it could be the willingness to get hurt, the flight or fight instinct that had to be monitored and kept under control. Sometimes it was better to flee, to save yourself from a defeat that was more than likely.
In practice bouts, there was none of this. I knew who was across from me. I knew that Fili would never hurt me. That was both a good and a bad thing. Good because when I would stand next to him in battle tomorrow, I would know without a doubt that we would be there together, on the same side.
Bad because when he swung at me, I took the blow head on, raising my axes to meet him as they came down.
"You look a little surprised, hamumal amrul," Fili teased and I let out a snarl, making his teeth flash as he chuckled.
My arms shook, trembling under the weight of Fili's blow. I had forgotten how strong he was. Or maybe I had thought that his strength hadn't grown since we were children. I was expecting him to strike like a prince with barely any muscle on his bones. My feet slid across the stone, trying to adjust enough to get out of the lock of steel that we were in.
My voice shook as I stared up into his eyes, watching the way that they drifted to my lips. "Don't call me that when we're fighting."
A sudden blinding grin flashed across his face. "But when we're not?"
I snarled again, angry that even in the middle of a fight he was able to get under my skin so easily. My fingers flexed on the worn leather of my axes, adjusting slightly as I heaved, sending him back far enough that I could twirl my axes, sending the flat width of my blades into his side and making him grunt. His eyes flared with fleeting pain, dodging my next swing with a deftness that made me draw back.
He was quicker than he had been when we were children. That wasn't something that you could easily teach a dwarf. Built stocky, the majority of my kin took attacks head-on instead of dodging them. They were a lumbering lot, built to deal damage and take hits instead of dance around an opponent. Maybe it was his height, I reasoned as we circled each other.
Or maybe it was the weight difference in our weapons. When fighting with dwarves, my own slightness had always been an issue. I had never been particularly slim compared to hobbits and humans but when it came to the packed muscles of a purebred dwarf, I would be considered a runt. It was why I had chosen something as heavy as the dual axe - a way to upping my own strength in blows.
Fili's eyes narrowed seconds before he was in front of me, the weight of one blade coming down as he gave me no alternative but to block it. My teeth bared as he brought his other blade low, driving it toward my chest. Fast. He was so fast. I broke from him, dodging to the side, the sound of his blade scraping along stone clawing at my ears.
The muscles in my arms tightened, pulling back just as I leaned into a swing, bring both of my axes toward his side. My insides tightened, panic gripping me for a moment. I had went in for the opening without thinking-
Metal against metal clashed, sparks flying as he turned shifted, both of his blades catching mine as he blocked me. The leather against my fingers chafed, a low sting flaring across my palms as Fili swept them to the side, almost knock them out of my hands as I went with them. The knot in my chest loosened, relief making me weak for a moment.
The feeling was short-lived.
Pain lanced through my palm, making me grunt as Fili brought the butt of his blade down on my wrist. His eyes were a merciless blue as he watched me stumble, one of my axes clattering to the ground.
"Don't pull your swings like that again." A shiver crawled up my spine, stray moonlight catching his eyes and turning them luminous. His voice lowered to a dangerous purr. "If you underestimate me again, I'll take your other ax."
Someone in the crowd crowed, followed by a few jeers that I couldn't make out. My eyes stayed on him. If I looked away, he wouldn't hesitate to swing again. I had a few daggers in my vest - a few more running along my leggings.
But he had taken my axe away fairly.
I kicked the offending weapon out of the circle, adjusting my other one in my hand as I tried to feel out what to do next. Well, there was only really one thing to do.
I danced a bit closer, sidestepping a strike, my blade skimming along his as he readjusted, trying to keep my in front of him. He was quick. But I was willing to bet that I was quicker. My foot connected with his shin, drawing a hiss from him as I caught another strike, the hit reverberating up my arm. His teeth bared on an adorable grimace, eyes tracking me intently. Deftly, I caught his wrist stopping the second blade from going into my side.
His eyes danced, our breath mingling in heaving gasps. We were so close that I could see where the blue of his irises swirled into the silver. He was dizzingly handsome, I thought seconds before I jerked forward, slamming my forehead into his with enough force to yank a harsh gasp from him, his head snapping back.
I grinned, hooking my foot swiftly behind his and yanking.
"Get 'em, lass!" I heard Nori call from somewhere to my right, a few cheers following the exclamation.
Breath sawed unevenly from me, air heavy as sweat coursed down my spine, making my top stick to my back and sides.
"I wi-" The words puffed from my lips, bouncing right out of me as Fili's fingers curled around my ankle and yanked me off my own feet. I groaned, head throbbing as my axe slid away from me, skidding on the smooth stone.
A hand patted at my thigh. "You win when I give up, love."
"Men shmek menu!" I snarled, wrestling to my side, his laughter ringing out as he met me, both of us rolling as we tried to grapple with each other.
Deftly, he batted away a punch, my breath huffing from me as he took a knee to the side with barely a wince. My size was going to be an issue - but at the moment, I just couldn't care. I heaved, wedging a knee between us enough so that I could get enough force to roll us. His fingers curled around my waist, steadying me as tried to send a punch to his face and only ended up slamming my fist into hard stone. Pain lanced up my arm, tears immediately clouding my vision.
"Makk an e ha'ak!" I shrieked, curling around my hand with a whimper. Fresh, hot pain scorched up my arm, stopping all other attacks. Durin's beard, did I just break my hand?
"Did you just break your hand?" Fili whispered, immediately sitting up and forcing me back so that I was kneeling over his lap. His brows furrowed, eyes running over me attentively.
"Did she just break her hand?" Gloin called and my nape burned at the reminder that everyone was still sitting around us, all able to see the fact that I was all but straddling Fili.
Calloused fingers scraped along my hands, making my stomach knot and all thoughts fly away.
"I didn't break my hand," I forced out, horrified at the slight tremor that shook every word. His fingertips traced the reddened, swelling skin around my knuckles, pressing down until I winced. Slowly, his hand thread through mine, pressing it out until he was satisfied. Nori and Dori were murmuring somewhere nearby, the other dwarves creeping closer and closer as they tried to get a better view.
"Lass, if ye got injured again-" Bofur started, sounding halfway between exasperation and amusement.
"It's not broken," I repeated emphatically, earning a few relieved murmurs.
"Honestly, Tori," Balin sighed, walking back to the farthest edge of the balcony where the fire was still roaring. Dwalin followed after him, shaking his head disapprovingly as he passed. "Take better care of yourself."
I blinked, blushing at the sentiment. The words felt… odd, startlingly unexpected.
"Good fight," Gloin praised, languidly walking back to a corner of sleeping blankets and packs. "Reminded me of my first fight with Larlum. Ah, now that was a day~"
I spluttered, the heat in my cheeks intensifying. Larlum was his wife. The position that I was in suddenly came rushing back to me, my knees digging into the cold stone on either side of Fili's thighs, his chest nearly touching mine, forehead bent so that his hair fell in a blonde curtain around us. His head was still bent, his intent on where his hand massaged along mine.
"Fili," I hissed, earning nothing besides a furrowing of his brow as he turned my hand over, looking at the rough skin of my palms. "Fili."
He blinked, glancing up.
Why did he have to look so handsome?
I lowered my voice, trying to shrink away from the varying attention that we were getting. "Tell them that nothing's happening between us." Confusion marred his brow, his eyes darting around the area as I jerked my chin expectantly at everyone. Dwarves, like elves, only had one spouse for the entirety of their lives. The courting process was usually long, filled with gifts and family gatherings and roaring, chaotic parties. I knew - my eyes snapped down to where his thumb was drawing small, soothing circles along my palm, the touch all too distracting. It felt like… It felt like the shoe had to drop somewhere - somehow. "They think we're… You need to tell them nothing's going on."
"Oh." His eyes darted around the balcony, narrowing. At that moment, I felt my whole body ice over, dumbfounded by the sudden swell of anxiety. Would he - His eyes met mine again, head tipping to the side. "I don't want to."
What?
"You don't-" I started dumbly.
"It's fine."
"I-"
"Attention!" Whatever words were about to spill out, died on my tongue, the rolling thunder of Thorin's voice drawing every last person's attention. He stormed in like a force of nature, his black hair ruffled by a brisk walk. His usual gloomy gaze held an edge of irritation - something not altogether strange since entering Rivendell but noticeable in the lamplight, his face cast in stark contrast. "Pack all supplies. We leave in 20 minutes."
The words sent a shock through all of us. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bilbo step forward, his face paling. In our short time here, he had seemed to grow more attached, his smiles just a bit more open, a bit more genuine. I wondered if he knew why they called this place the last homely house.
"Already?" Bofur breathed, looking mournfully at his already rolled out pack.
Balin stepped forward, his brows furrowed. "Has something happened?"
"A council had been called in regards to our quest." His face darkened. "Gandalf says that they'll wish to stop us here."
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Khuzdul for this chapter:
hamumal amrul: little love
hamumal nadadith: little brother
Rukhs shirumund caragu: Bearless orc dung
Anai: sister
Men shmek menu: I will kill you
Makk an e ha'ak: son of a bitch
