I allowed myself a good while to cry in bed, mentally falling into a place even darker then the cavern Bofur had abandoned me in. Finally, after I had tired of feeling sorry for myself, I got up and went for a soak, woefully washing away the tiny waves - the last reminder of Bofur's courting braid - from my hair. Upon drying off, I was warmer, more relaxed, and determined to feel at least a little less pathetic than I did before. I curled up in my too-short robe on a leather armchair in the entrance room, keeping my thoughts well away from him.

My stomach flopped uncomfortably when I heard a knock on my door. I hesitated; did I even want to see him, to talk to him? When the knocking continued, however, I realized it was much too snappy and upbeat a cadence than what I could expect from Bofur, and so I went to open it.

I smiled to see Dori, carrying an armload of cut wood, and Ori, who balanced a tray with a teapot and, thank the dwarven gods, a plate of scones.

"Ah pardon us, miss," Dori stammered, his eyes fleeting down to my bare legs then quickly away. "We can come by at a better time."

I shook my head, blushing slightly as I pulled my robe tighter around me. "No, please, come in." I insisted happily, standing aside and holding the door open. "I apologize; I don't have much to wear." I explained as they awkwardly shuffled in.

I excused myself for a moment, closing the door of my room to quickly pull on my leggings and tunic before joining them back in the sitting area. Dori was arranging some of the wood in the fireplace and Ori was pouring the tea. They immediately relaxed when they saw me more covered. Soon I was enjoying a lovely distraction of a warm fire and a hot drink as the brothers kept up light conversation about some of the rumoured wonders of Erebor.

"I heard there are caverns of solid ice in the lowest levels, where meat would stay frozen solid all year round." Ori piped in excitedly.

"No, no, no. That don't make sense." Dori rebuked. "Erebor gets warmer as you go down, not colder. I heard there's vast hot springs that would boil you alive if you went for a dip in 'em."

I smiled as they argued and helped myself to another scone. Far too soon for my liking they both stood up, hoping to get some rest before Thorin demanded everyone return to search duty - something he seemed to like to do when he thought too many dwarves were absent. Dori left me a small box with flint and steel and showed me the tinder storage so that I could light my fire when I wished to.

"When you run out of logs, just ask one of us to fetch you some." he added as they moved out into the hallway. I thanked them both, and when they clicked the door shut I decided to try and get some sleep as well. I headed back to the bedroom, pulled off my clothes once more and crawled in under the covers, shivering slightly. The fire in the next room didn't quite throw off enough heat to fully warm the bedroom and, though there was a small fireplace across from the bed, I was too weary to light it.

I drifted in and out, finding it hard to keep my thoughts neutral enough to properly doze off. Though I tried to hold them back, the tears came once again unbidden.

Then I heard it, more knocking, this time quiet. So quiet that I had to strain my ears to ensure I was hearing anything at all. But yes, there was a slight tapping, I was sure of it. And I was sure of whom it was.

After donning my housecoat I tiptoed to my door and leaned my forehead against it. The knocking stopped. I exhaled slightly, trying to prepare myself, willing myself to keep my composure. Then I unlocked and opened the door.

I could tell immediately that he was thinking clearly once again. His presence at my door was testament enough, but he had also washed up and donned new clothing; his hair was redone, his hat lie atop his head, his moustache was neatly curled... yet all I could look at were his eyes. They were crinkled at the corners with sadness, crystal clear with grief, and they were unmistakably looking at me.

"You've been crying." he murmured, his voice low and quiet.

I opened my mouth to say something, but lost the words before I could vocalize them so instead lifted my shoulder in a slight shrug. He held up his hand to me then and on his palm stood a wooden dog figurine. The hound Bofur had promised to whittle for me.

"I don't deserve your forgiveness." he began as I tentatively reached out and took his offering. "I don't deserve you. I understand if you want nothing more to do with me, but let me at least apologize."

I said nothing, and instead studied his handiwork. It was a hunting dog posed in alertness, its front leg lifted as it pointed towards its quarry. Every detail was perfect; he'd even strategically applied a rich stain to add depth and shadow, and carved in minuscule patterns of fur and outlines of muscle groups. It was truly an outstanding work of art.

I returned my gaze to Bofur and he gently took up my free hand.

"I'm sorry." he continued, bringing my hand to his mouth and placing a small kiss upon it. "I am sorry a thousand times over... I told you that we dwarves cherished our women, and now you must think of me as a monster for how I treated you."

I studied him for a moment, my heart beating hard in my chest.

"When did you make this?" I asked suddenly, brandishing the wooden hound.

He looked slightly puzzled by my change of topic but answered nonetheless. "I started it on the way here, found the wood on the beach that morning after the dragon…" he trailed off for a moment, shaking his head slightly before meeting my eye once more. "I decided to finish tonight. A pittance really, I wish I had something more worthy to give you..."

I offered him a tiny smile. His eyes searched mine but again I stayed silent.

"Do you want me to leave?" he asked softly after a moment.

I looked down, my emotions and thoughts and voice of reason were all conflicting with each other and swirling about like a great whirlwind inside my head. I was hurt, and though I knew Bofur hadn't quite been in his right mind, I was still unfamiliar with the idiosyncrasies of the gold sickness that had plagued him. How much did he remember? How much control did he have at the time? Were his actions a reflection of some dark tendencies or desires that he normally kept hidden, but were a very real part of his persona nonetheless? Would that kind of behaviour surface again in other times of weakness or strife? Could I always forgive him for it if so?

Bofur took a small step towards me.

"Amrâlimê." he whispered, carefully placing his hand on the side of my neck and guiding my forehead down to his. "Tell me what to do to make it right… to fix this."

After a few moments, I tentatively placed my arms around his shoulders. "I'll forgive you," I said, eliciting a breath of relief from Bofur. "On one condition." I added, pulling back from him just enough to meet his eyes.

"Anything." Bofur replied huskily.

"You must forgive yourself as well. I don't think you were yourself… you weren't thinking clearly..."

He nodded and sighed, his fingers weaving through my hair.

"Actually, two conditions." I continued, moving my hands down to grab the collar of his new jacket. "Stay with me, for the rest of the night. I don't care if Thorin personally breaks down the door; we are not leaving bed until I say so."

Bofur straightened up and gave me a small smile. "Well I can't refuse a deal like that." he said quietly.

I smiled as well and noticed a warm glow enter his eyes as I took his hand and pulled him inside.

I was able to sleep peacefully for a few hours with Bofur at my side. He had been cautious with me, and so unassuming that I had to essentially force him down on the mattress beside me, resolutely pulling his arm over my waist before I turned and allowed myself to finally rest soundly.

I awoke to him lightly stroking my hair. I smiled sleepily.

"Good morning." I said softly, not bothering to open my eyes yet.

"Aye, it is." Bofur responded. I turned over to look at him, squinting slightly as the beam of channelled sunlight stretched across my face.

"You are truly beautiful." he said, reaching up and rubbing the back of his fingers across my cheek.

I grinned. I was finally perfectly warm and rested, and felt relaxed for the first time in days. We stared at each other for a few moments and then I felt an odd tension build between us. I thought it might have been a good opportunity for him to kiss me, but he seemed reluctant, and that in turn made me feel timid and unsure.

With some degree of disappointment, I excused myself to freshen up. When I was finished, Bofur had moved to the main room and was busy bringing my fire to life.

He poured me a glass of water from the pitcher when he saw me, and after handing it off he stepped back and again we simply looked at each other with an awkwardness that was altogether new. It was the first time we had been alone together since Laketown - not including the mining cavern of course.

"Shall we go fetch some breakfast?" Bofur offered, rubbing the back of his neck almost nervously.

I frowned and took a few steps towards the fire.

"No. I'm not quite hungry yet." I lied.

Bofur nodded and then plopped himself down on one of the chairs. I studied him for a few moments out of the corner of my eye and realized that I did still desire him, I also didn't want to waste such a rare opportunity of being completely alone - without anyone waiting on us and no urgent matters for us to attend to (I didn't count the Arkenstone hunt as being of utmost importance). Plucking up my courage I moved closer to his chair. He raised his eyebrows at me, his expression pleasant but otherwise unreadable.

"You're staring." he observed - a throwback to simpler times - after I fidgeted in place for a moment. I realized that after my last attempts at seducing him had taken such a dark turn, I was second guessing every action that I thought to take. Not wanting to let the moment completely slip away though, I did something I remembered one of the tavern wenches doing in Bree when she wanted to bring in the big tips; I sidled up to him, and then sat down in his lap.

A flash of passion flickered in his eyes, but I could tell he was doubting himself as well.

I took a steadying breath and then leaned forward, trailing my lips against his. And although his hands came up around my waist, he remained infuriatingly gentle and didn't take advantage when I opened my mouth slightly.

I stood up in exasperation after trying unsuccessfully to deepen the kiss and stomped off a few paces, slightly embarrassed but also somewhat wounded. Perhaps he did not quite share the same desires. Perhaps, after being so enthralled with the impressive treasure hoard, he now found me less-than, even though the actual gold lust had left him.

"Is something wrong?" Bofur asked when I failed to look back at him.

I bit my lip, trying to come up with a tactful explanation. I spared him a quick glance and saw that he had gotten to his feet as well.

"Well… I thought we had a deal - to move on from what happened." I ventured, wringing my hands in front of me. "But unless I am mistaken, you still feel badly."

When he frowned in confusion, I couldn't keep the heat from rising to my face, and then I began to stammer. "Oh- or maybe you just- perhaps you don't feel the same anymore- that's fine- I just thought-"

Bofur, sensing my distress, quickly came to stand in front of me. He took up my hands and looked up at me thoughtfully.

"What makes you think my feelings have changed?" he asked gently, squeezing my fingers reassuringly and instantly stemming some of my doubts.

"It's just… you're not being very... enthusiastic." I remarked with a small pout. "I wanted things to go back to how they were before... unless something else is wrong? Do I have bad breath...? Or maybe at your age you're finding it's getting harder to-"

Bofur cut me off, pulling a hand from mine to hold it up and glaring at me in mock offence. "Hold your tongue, young lady, I can get it up just fine if that's what you're asking," he interjected, taking hold of my hips and abruptly tugging me close against him, "...and I can certainly do enthusiastic, if that's what you're looking for."

I shrieked in surprised delight and then broke into laughter as he effortlessly wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me off my feet over one shoulder. He strode purposely into the bedroom, and then tossed me back onto the bed.

"That's more like it." I smiled, sliding up the mattress seductively as he climbed on after me.

After guiding me back onto the pillows he moved forward and kissed me, finally with the passion I had been hoping for. His hands glided up my bare legs as his lips began trailed down along my jaw and neck, then along the opening of my housecoat at my chest. Then he kept moving downwards.

"What are you doing?" I asked, stiffening slightly as he placed himself between my bent knees.

"Trust me, love, you'll like it." he responded, his eyes glinting as he turned his head and pressed his lips against the side of my knee.

I fell back against the pillows as he began to kiss down my inner thigh, squirming slightly as his moustache tickled the sensitive skin there. I felt him pull open my housecoat, and then gasped in surprise as I felt him kiss between my legs.

He paused and uttered something in Khuzdul, kissing my other thigh as he placed his hands on my hips.

"Relax." he added in a whisper before his mouth moved down to claim me once more.

The soft flaps of his hat tickled my inner thighs as his tongue began to elicit the most pleasant sensations from my body. Soon I had forgotten my self-consciousness and was beginning to writhe against the bed, my eyes squeezed shut, moaning softly as he moved his hand down and he added the use of his fingers.

When my body released Bofur grabbed my leg and kissed it once more before getting up. I heard him walk away but kept my eyes closed, revelling for a moment in the sweet relaxation that came after the climax.

I smiled when Bofur returned. He smiled back, took off his hat then lay back down beside me.

"You were right. I did like that." I said, turning into him and kissing the side of his mouth.

He smiled and pulled me against him, kissing me hungrily. I felt his readiness and grinned as I began to pull off his clothing. When he was unclad he positioned himself between my legs once more and slowly took me, groaning deeply as he did so.

"Mahal. What was I thinking? There is no sum of gold that is equal to the feeling of being with you." he said breathlessly, kissing me fervidly and bunching his hand in my hair. I smiled against his lips, wrapping my arms tight around him.

This time, however, after a few minutes I bade him to stop and pushed him off me.

"Nothing's wrong." I added quickly. "Just lie back."

I pressed him down and locked eyes with his as I pulled off my housecoat and then settled atop him.

His mouth opened slightly as I took his hands and put them on my hips, then I began moving, slowly at first. I smiled down at him, feeling liberated and in charge. His lusty expression chased away any trepidation I might have otherwise felt to be in such a position where he could openly watch me. After a few minutes he suddenly sat up, his arms wrapping around me and his lips slamming against mine. His one hand pushed my bottom and he began guiding me in my movements.

A short while later he effortlessly returned me to my position on my back then plunged into me harder and faster. My hands traced across his lower back, fingernails digging into his skin as I pulled him against me. His momentum grew erratic, and with a groan he finally began to slow, relishing in the final moments of our love-making.

With a contented grin he kissed my forehead then settled in beside me. We lie there unspeaking for some time, catching our breaths and appreciating the return of normalcy and intimacy in our relationship. I eventually forced myself to get up, excusing myself before grabbing my clothes and padding off to the lavatory.

I returned to see Bofur sitting up in bed, the sheets haphazardly thrown over his lower half and a pipe in hand that he was beginning to light.

I rushed over and unceremoniously yanked it out of his grasp, some of the leaf spilling out as I did so.

"Not in my room, mister." I tutted, "I don't want the place to smell of smoke."

Bofur stared slack-jawed for a moment, shocked by my curt reaction, but then simply shrugged and lay back in the bed with his hands behind his head. "You're going to be out of luck when the rest of our people get here, you know. Some of the women are even worse smokers than the men… Might need to find you a room with a balcony." He lifted his head up and winked.

"Your women don't sound very womanly." I retorted with a wrinkled nose and my hands on my hips.

"Ah, you may be surprised." He looked me up and down with mock criticism, then added "And you'd never catch a proper dwarven lady wearing trousers."

I tutted indignantly then sprang forward and clambered atop him, legs straddling his hips as I pinned him down. "Well, a good dwarven man would go find his lady a few dresses if he finds her attire offensive, instead of letting her wear the same old travel garb for days." I said admonishingly, leaning forward and biting his lip before kissing him chastely.

He laughed. "Fair point." he replied with a grin. "Though I'm just teasin'. I like you just the same no matter what you wear. Besides, in those I can best see the shape of those long legs of yours."

I giggled as he grabbed hold of my thighs then leaned up to kiss me once more.

"Still, I need something to change into in order to wash these." I continued thoughtfully. "Unless you'd prefer me walking the halls of Erebor stark nude while they dry?"

"Best not, love." he replied with a roguish raise of his eyebrow. "Else we may find the rest of the company suddenly wanting for a human lass, and Thorin would have all our heads for breaking custom... I think Nori's been collecting and sorting any clothing he can find, I'll talk to him for you."

I nodded then got up once more and stretched. "I thought I could stay in bed all day... but I can't." I admitted sheepishly, feeling full of energy now that I wasn't hampered with stress.

Bofur laughed and began dressing. "What would you like to do then?" he asked.

I pondered for a moment then put my hand to my very empty stomach. "Breakfast?"

Silence greeted us, and we received more than a few glances when we arrived at the storage room. While clearly stunned, it was a different silence than the mindless daze the dwarves had been in the past few days. Bofur was not the only one to have completely shaken free of the gold lust.

"Well now, it's about time you got your head back on straight." One of the dwarves called from the far end of the room - I looked to see Gloin seated there across from his brother, who shook his head.

"Too late? No, it's not too late - look, they're back together!" Óin remarked loudly.

The weighty atmosphere of the room seemed to dissipate at that, and the room's occupants all turned to look at Óin rather than us. The aged dwarf's poor hearing, without him knowing it, had broken the tension. A few laughs rang out, and Bofur and I moved to take a seat along the benches.

Bombur graciously brought us each a bowl of oats and dried fruit, patting his brother on the back as he did so.

We ate in happy silence and once finished Bofur looked up towards the front of the room where Bombur was still bustling around.

"I should help him clean up today." Bofur told me. "I haven't had much of a chance to speak with him since we arrived." he shifted, slightly uncomfortable, and I touched him arm sympathetically.

"I will meet up with you later." I said gently, handing him my bowl.

As I wandered back up the hallway I suddenly heard footsteps approaching behind me and turned to see Nori catching up.

"You need new clothes then?" he asked without any kind of greeting.

"Yes, at least something to wear so I can wash these." I admitted, looking down at my rumpled dirty tunic.

"It might be a challenge with your- ah- dimensions, but I'm sure we can find something. Follow me."

I nodded and he led me away further along the corridor, up one flight of steps, and down another hallway.

We came to a large stone door, which he pushed open, and we entered a spacious pre-lit room lined with various wooden chests and shelves, all packed with clothing, fabric and furs. There were also racks of hung items as well which seemed to be sorted between dresses, coats and tunics.

"Wait here." he instructed as he disappeared between two racks and began flicking through the dresses that hung there.

I looked around curiously at the collection. Judging by the small dais and long mirrors that adorned the corner of the room, plus the large desk cluttered with thread and measuring supplies, it seemed this space was once used by a seamstress.

Nori returned with a rather awful coloured dress draped over his arms, it was a burnt yellow hue, and I knew I would look terrible in it. I tried to refrain from wrinkling my nose as I grabbed it.

"One of the longest I could find." he explained as he directed me to the back corner of the room which was cordoned off with curtains to change behind.

Once I had stripped off my vest and tunic, I shrugged on the dress and immediately knew it was not going to work, not even if I tried to alter it. It was much too large in the chest, hanging in large loose folds, and it was also extremely saggy under the armpits. It would not even stay up without me holding it and it also only fell just past my knees.

"Well?" Nori asked impatiently.

"Um, I'm not quite sure." I replied as I pulled the ties as tightly as they could go.

I jumped and shot him an affronted but unheeded glare as he unexpectedly pulled the curtain aside to see for himself. His face contorted in distaste as I turned in defeat to show him the fit of the dress.

"That's hideous." he stated heatedly. "Try these." He tossed an armload of clothing at me and pulled the curtains closed once more. Though some were slightly different styles, one even looking to be a gown for a special occasion with many layers of rich fabric, I ran into the same problem with all of them.

"Anything smaller?" I asked with a slight smile, revealing my current dress that sagged so low in the neckline that I could probably carry around a large cat in the excess overhang of fabric.

"Dwarf women don't come much smaller." Nori said with a rakish grin, yet then his expression turned thoughtful. "But maybe..." he suddenly held up a finger. "Wait here." he ordered once again before turning on his heel and heading over to a different section.

After a few minutes he returned with a new garment and a curious expression on his face. I wordlessly took it and shut the curtains, then I held it up for inspection. It was another dress of a thick grey wool and fringed with white lace around the cuffs and skirt bottom. Instead of the typical corset lacing at the back, this one simply had buttons in the front starting at the waistline and going up to the collar, and it definitely appeared like it might fit more appropriately around the middle. It would still be much too short in the arms and legs, but I couldn't expect a perfect fit when dealing with an exclusively dwarven wardrobe.

"Where did you find this one?" I asked curiously.

"Children's clothing." I heard Nori reply.

I frowned, but still thought it worth a try, so I pulled it on and adjusted it. It fit snug in the middle, and unlike the others it was actually a bit too tight across my chest so I left the top two buttons undone. As predicted, the dress only hung to my knees, and the bottom of the sleeves stopped just past my elbows. But I was desperate for fresh clothing and, given that it was still just the company residing in the mountain with me, I didn't mind so much if I was forced to sport a peculiar style for a bit.

I pulled open the curtain and walked to the platform to check in the mirror. It was certainly strange to wear such a short dress, but it wasn't entirely awful looking as it hugged my waistline then flared out slightly at my hips, plus I was still wearing leggings, so it wasn't completely inappropriate.

Nori stepped up behind me, his hand on his chin. "It's not bad." he remarked after taking a few paces back and looking at me from different angles. "We can probably find you some tall boots, and then with your coat on it should look passable."

"Passable will do." I exclaimed with a grin.

Nori went off and found me some footwear. Luckily dwarven ladies' feet seemed to be larger overall so I quickly found a pair of newer leather boots that fit. We realized that I could also take a few pairs of tights to wear under the dress in place of my thick stained leggings, though they would regularly be much too short for me to pull on all the way, they would work if I cut off the feet, and then paired with socks and boots, no one would be the wiser.

So I left carrying my old clothing plus a neatly folded pile of high quality dresses, hosiery, socks, belts, some children's undergarments (how humiliating) and even a short white nightgown. I almost felt wealthy, despite my embarrassment, as I hadn't had a stash of decently made, relatively new clothing in years.

I returned to my room and put things away, then decided to go to the dining area to see if there was any lunch cooking.

Judging from the hearty aromas wafting down the hallway, it seemed that my timing was perfect. I stepped inside. Kili and Fili were already well into their plates. Gloin, Ori and Bifur were also sitting down and Bofur was helping Bombur ladle out servings of delicious looking stew and dark bread. Thank goodness for Bombur's ability and drive to cook each day, else we might all starve.

I began walking to the back and smiled nervously when I saw Bofur finally notice me, his eyes trailing up my body before he smiled in return.

"I was wondering where you'd gone off to for so long." he said cheerily when I was close enough.

I came to a stop in front of him as he readied me a bowl. "Can you believe there wasn't anything in my size?" I asked with a smile, looking down at my new outfit somewhat self-consciously.

Bofur chuckled. "Don't worry, love. You look good." he said as he handed me some food.

I squinted at him suspiciously, not able to tell if he was just reassuring me or if he was actually being honest. Either way I wasn't about to go change again, so I took my food and, since Bofur was unable to join me right away due to the arrival Nori and Dori, I decided to go sit by Kili and Fili.

The brothers outright gawped at me as I approached them, then Kili smiled, his eyes bright with mirth.

"Why hello, little girl, can we help you with something?" he asked me, barely able to contain his laughter.

Fili piped up too.

"Have you lost your dolly?" He held a deadpan stare, taking a calm sip of his drink, until he spotted Kili fit to burst, which caused him to nearly choke on his beer as he tried to stifle a laugh as well.

I scowled at them.

"Don't worry, lassie, I think you look very grown-up." Dori piqued in, patting my shoulder in a motherly fashion when he came up behind me, but this just caused more sniggers from the other two.

"Shut it." I snapped at the brothers as I slumped down a good distance away from them.

"Aw, don't be mad." Kili admonished as I glared down at my food. "We're just teasing. You look fine, really you do. If anyone can pull of a child's dress, it's you." He slid closer to me on the bench. "I'm sure everyone will be wearing short dresses someday." he added, nudging me in the ribs with his elbow.

I scoffed, swatting at him playfully.

"It's true." Bofur added as he took a seat across from us, free to mingle now that the new arrivals were supplied with their food. "Best be careful though lad." He added in mock severity, lifting a finger up to twirl his moustache while looking at Kili. "There's few enough dwarf maids to go around, if you take to wearing short dresses, you might be mistaken for one... especially with such a delicate beard."

He raised his eyebrows up pensively, held the look for a moment, then broke into a smile and with a wink looked at me.

"You might have some competition, love."

I smiled at him as the others forgot about my new style and laughed at Kili's behest.

When we were nearly through our midday meals, Dwalin, Balin and Bilbo soberly entered the storage room and after doing a quick survey and seeing everyone was present, they shut the door behind them and beckoned everyone to move closer.

It was readily apparent from their demeanour that something was wrong and the group waited quietly for them to begin speaking.

"It's Thorin," Balin sighed, shaking his head slightly. "He is no better. In fact, he has gotten much worse."

"What do you mean by that?" Fili questioned, anxiously glancing at his brother.

"He begins to question our loyalty... he thinks - well, he thinks one of us is withholding the Arkenstone."

The group became loud for a moment, voicing their objections, but Dwalin quieted them with a snarl.

"We know none of us here would conceal it," Balin continued calmly, "but I fear that Thorin's mind is becoming corrupted, that the dragon-sickness has taken hold of him."

"What are we supposed to do then?" Kili questioned in alarm.

"Well that's obvious," Dwalin snapped, "we need to find him that damned stone, and fast."

At that some arguing broke out, some agreeing with Dwalin, others objecting. Balin raised his hand slightly, vying for silence.

"Maybe it would help, and maybe it would not," he admitted sadly. "Yet I am sure that his doubts will grow if he does not see us at least trying to find it. We wanted to let you know about his current... instability." Balin paused, his expression strained as he slowly shook his head once more. "Tread carefully around him. And we should all try to show our presence in the treasure hall as much as possible."

As the group agreed and filed out, I shot Bofur a worried glance. He gripped my hand, nodding reassuringly as he led me along behind the others towards the gold hoard.

I tried to subtly watch Bofur as he sifted through the treasure, looking for any signs of him reverting back into the wretched state the gold had initially put him in, but he appeared completely lucid. At one point he unexpectedly tossed a handful of coins at me, lightly berating me for staring at him.

"You're making me nervous, lass." he exclaimed. I stammered an apology then moved on, my worries clearly unfounded.

After a few hours of searching, Bofur agreed to accompany me as I snuck back to my rooms for a small break.

When we approached my door I reached out to open it but Bofur softly said my name, causing me to pause and turn to look at him. He seemed oddly uncomfortable, which was unusual as usually he always appeared so collected. I leaned back against the closed door and raised my eyebrows questioningly.

"I remember you said something to me, right after you... tried to strike some sense into me." he grinned sheepishly as I grimaced and opened my mouth to apologize, but he held up his hand to stop me. He then stepped forward and stroked my cheek with his fingers. "Did you mean what you said?" he asked, his voice quiet and serious.

His eyes bore into mine and suddenly I felt nervous as well.

I bit my lip and then nodded and found the courage to speak.

"Yes." I said truthfully with a small smile, my heartbeat loud in my ears. "I do love you." I quickly looked down in fear of his reaction. "I understand if you don't-"

His hand was suddenly under my chin, tilting my head to meet his kiss as his other arm wrapped around me.

"I love you too, lass. I have for a long while." he whispered in my ear.

I smiled and hugged him close.

"You know, I do quite like that dress on you." Bofur added, kissing my neck.

"Really?" I questioned somewhat skeptically.

He nodded and I felt his hand move, sliding slowly down the curve of my bottom. Suddenly he grabbed underneath my upper thigh and pulled my leg up high alongside him. He pushed himself into me, my back flattening against the door. I laughed and tightened my arms around him as he kissed above my breasts.

"Come take a break with me." I demanded, my hands pulling at his hips.

He nodded, his lips quickly finding mine as his hand reached around me to open the door.

"You know, there was something I've been meaning to give back to you." Bofur began as he stood up, pulled on his trousers then grabbed his coat. He fumbled around his inner pocket for a moment and then presented me my courting bead. "If you'll accept it again."

I beamed at him and nodded, taking hold of the small wooden ornamentation and kneeling on floor so he could sit on the bed behind me and braid it back in.

"Bofur?" I asked when he was through, turning around to look at him as a thought occurred to me. He raised his eyebrows in response. "Do you find elf women attractive by any chance?"

He squinted his eyes at me, his nose slightly crinkling. "Why would you ask me something like that?"

I shrugged as I stood up and moved to stand between his legs.

"Well, you seem to like me..." I reasoned, gliding my hands over his bare shoulders, "...and, from what I've heard of dwarf women, I think I might look more similar to an elf," I paused and smiled, "though of course, elves are perfect in every possible way, so by that logic, you should find them even more attractive than you do me."

Bofur snorted a laugh and reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ears.

"I think you've mistaken me for Kili." he chided with a grin. "The lad has always had strange tastes - in women, in weapons, in facial hair..."

"Because he can't grow a beard?" I questioned idly while toying with Bofur's earring.

"Because he doesn't. I think he full well could if he just put his mind to it. Nah, he keeps it cropped close, says it helps him in his archery... mayhap that's why most dwarves don't use bows…" he mused as if considering it for the first time. "But to answer your question; no, I am not keen on elves."

I chewed on the inside of my cheek as a small seed of worry sprouted in my mind. If Bofur truly had no attraction to the look of elf women, then perhaps he also found me rather ugly. Although I knew I should be comforted by the thought of him loving me simply for my personality, I fervently hoped that he also found me somewhat physically attractive. When we kissed did he close his eyes and picture something different? Did he secretly wish I looked more dwarven? I wondered what his first wife looked like, but knew it would be tactless to ask. Perhaps she was the burliest, hairiest, stoutest of dwarrows you could find. If so, did he miss that?

Bofur lifted a hand and placed it on my neck, and his eyes began to study mine so intently it was as if he was trying to read the thoughts behind them. I remained quiet, not wanting to voice my concerns as I felt they wound sound like a shallow plea for compliments more than anything else.

His thumb grazed my ear and his other hand trailed around my waist, pulling me closer. "I love you more because you're so... well, human." he said matter-of-factly.

I pursed my lips, not quite understanding. "I don't know if humans have many traits that could be envied by others."

"You only say that because you can't see yourself as I do." he explained, running his hand down through my hair and idly picking up my courting braid between his fingers. "You have this… energy about you. You don't mask your emotions, not that dwarves do either, but it's as if you want to make every moment meaningful - I don't think I'm explaining it well, but whatever it is, it's refreshing to be around. You're also just more...well, fidgety, it's adorable really. Elves… Elves are dull."

"Fidgety?" I replied indignantly, yanking one of his braids and making a face.

"Did I say fidgety? I meant beautiful of course." He answered with a grin. He stood up and turned me about before gently pushing me back onto the bed.

"Beautiful..." he repeated as he carefully balanced over top of me and leaned down to kiss my cheek, "... and smart..." he then kissed my other cheek, "... and bold..." he kissed my lips, "... and brave..."

"Too bad I have no sense of humour." I interrupted with a smile.

Bofur laughed and then kissed my lips once more. "You didn't let me finish." He tugged me back to my feet then reached for his shirt.

"You know, this can't be a habit, me being in your private rooms." Bofur said as he finished getting dressed.

"Why not?" I questioned, pulling on my coat. "Everyone knows..."

"It's just not proper. There are strict rules for courting. Now that I am publicly courting you, I should probably follow them. I want to do it right."

"What kind of rules?" I asked.

"Oh you know, things like no kissing on the mouth in public, no sleepovers." he winked at me. "There's certain timelines that should be followed, it's all very formal. Though to be honest it will all matter more when the others arrive."

"Well, we should take advantage of our time before then." I added mischievously. Bofur chuckled and agreed.

"Ready to go, amrâlimê?" Bofur asked when I had pulled on my boots.

"Only after you tell me what that means." I said, stepping closer to him.

"I thought you'd have figured it out by now... love of mine." he responded, wrapping his arms around my middle.

I smiled. "Amrâlimê." I repeated slowly, sounding it out correctly. "Well it does sound nice, especially now that I know it isn't some veiled insult to give yourself a secret laugh."

A loud shout from outside made us pull apart and rush towards the door. We exited into the hallway and saw the dark figure of Thorin briskly retreating down the corridor.

"To the gate!" he shouted again, causing Ori to quickly spill out of a room a few doors down.

"Thorin!" Bofur exclaimed, causing Thorin to spin around and study us.

"Everyone to the gate. Now." He demanded.

"Why, what's happening?" Bofur questioned, taking a small step forward.

Thorin's eyes briefly flickered to me before he curtly growled "Laketowners."