He longed to hold her in his arms - ached for her even.

Rolling over, he was surprised to find himself in the dim light of dawn. And even more surprised to find himself in a bed.

Stretching, he found himself laying on a soft mattress. Then when he turned to his side, he saw her asleep. Her long dark hair falling around her face and the pillow in soft tendrils.

Reaching over, he gently pushed back some of her locks.

He couldn't believe they were together at last. It made all those many months apart feel like a nightmare.

Softly, he brushed the backs of his fingers over her cheeks and she smiled in her sleep.

"My beautiful...I have missed you..."

She looked thinner, and paler, and the pale streaks of her hair from when the Elven king had revived her looked more distinct. It made him wonder what difficulties she had faced after she had run away from Erebor all those moons ago.

"Mmmm..." She murmured contently as he let his hand continue a trail down her jaw, then her neck, her collarbone and down over her breast.

He wanted to be inside her. To feel their bodies melting into one. To feel all his hurt, sorrow and rage leave him completely. But she was still asleep. Finding her hand beneath the sheets he brought it up to his lips, kissing it reverently before locking his fingers with hers and letting his own lids shut.

But no sooner than he had settled, he felt her stir. Stretching beside him, her hands now moving up his body.

She turned over to him fully, before moving to crawl over his body while he watched as she came to sit on top of him, her rich brown skin contrasting against his own.

"I want you..." She whispered. "I need you..."

"Aye...I am all yours..." His heart began to pound in his chest.

"Then you must wake up..." She leant down and kissed him gently on the lips.

He could feel himself grown harder under her touch as he let his eyes drift down her body. She was bare and felt wet against his belly as she spread her legs across him. Her strong thighs hugged his body.

"I want to be inside you..." He pleaded drifting both his hands over her breasts, and brushing her nipples ever so lightly. "To release myself inside you..."

She arched her back to push her breasts into his hands, and he couldn't stop himself from squeezing her flesh.

"Please...let me..." He groaned as she rocked against him.

"You can have all of me...fuck me as hard as you like..." She offered leaning over his face again and kissing him. "Then you must be strong..."

She took one of his hands from her breasts and moved it down to her apex, letting him feel how wet she was.

It made him thrust his own aching cock against her behind.

She was spread open enough to let him slip his thumb over her swollen bud, drawing circles over it as she rocked against his abdomen and beautiful and wet.

"I don't want to but I will share you...if I must..." He pleaded again. "Even if he is a great one...let me be there and take part when he has you as well..."

"Thorin...please..." She leant forward and stroked his cheeks again with both hands. "You must listen to me...this is not real...find the strength within you...and fight..."

He froze at her words, as tears fell from her eyes and onto his face again.

"If you mean what you say, do not give up..." She urged him again. "Fight..."

The tears seemed to stir him and lift off a haze.

Blinking again her image faded as he found the witch on top of him, still naked as she attempted to fill herself with him.

Once again, drops of water seemed to appear out of no where and trickle down his face until they made their various routes down to his neck and chest this time. Each drop was like a spark of life, where this whole gloomy house had drained him.

Then he finally felt it.

Like a bolt of energy that coursed through him and energized him.

Pulling hard on the tethers of his arms he broke the bonds and sat upright fast, sending the nude woman rolling off as she screamed from the surprise.

He was determined now that he would fight to have his wife back.

Even if it meant returning back to her world after her!

Even if it meant sharing her with one of the Valar!

Hurrying he yanked off the remaining rope from his wrists and ankles. The younger woman he had thrown off has now returned to her feet and holding her hands up began to chant something inaudible as he began to feel an invisible hand closing in on his throat.

Feeling the air escaping him, he grasped at the nearest thing to him, a burning candle that formed part of a boundary circle in the ritual she had been performing and threw it at her.

She ducked out of the way, providing him with a moment of relief. So he grabbed another candle and threw it again!

The first candle missed the woman rolling away somewhere and just as she regained her focus, commencing her spell again, the second candle which has landed on a rug seemed to have caught fire!

Now truly distracted she turned to attempt extinguishing the flame, which gave Thorin the chance to kick the older woman off Balin. His poor advisor lay there dazed and still looking up, still very much aroused. It made him wonder what this dwarf was seeing in his enchantment.

The older woman who had taken a moment to recover now stood on her feet too as she joined the younger witch muttering something.

This time he fell to his knees grasping at the invisible constriction that took away any access to air. Try as he might to fight, he was sure he would now pass out. In final attempt to free himself he grabbed at the nearest piece of furniture, a chair and threw it at the two women. But it was to no avail, as they simply side stepped his clumsy throw while continuing to chant their spell, throttling him with some invisible noose.

Then suddenly a crack of thunder resounded outside, as a gust of wind threw open the door allowing a thick fog to permeate the whole house. It engulfed them all like a heavy cloud and the women shrieked immediately stopping their enchantment.

"You did not tell us that you carry the favour of Valar!" The older women cried out from in the fog.

"Forgive us, o great ones!" The younger women called out.

Thorin took a moment to fill his lungs as he shook Balin.

"Get up! Hurry now!" He grunted pulling his dazed advisor up before calling at the women. "Where are our clothes?"

And just as the fog had entered, it also seemed to clear a path to a corner of the house for them, where he could see their clothes piled up with their weapons.

"Rouse yourself, Balin!" He growled again dragging his old friend over to the pile as he hurriedly got dressed. "If you do not get dressed I shall have to drag you out unclothed."

Slowly Balin seemed to understand, and began to dress, still half dazed.

As Thorin finally threw on his mail and heavy coat, he grabbed Balin's coat also and their broadswords. Then as soon as Balin was sufficiently dressed, he dragged the dwarf out fast through the clear path to the door and outside.

"Och laddie..." Balin panted as though he were finally waking from a nightmare. "I... am not certain... what just took place..."

Thorin stopped after placing a suitable distance between themselves and the house, pulling Balin off the dirt road and behind a hedge of brambles to allow him to wear his coat. Night was falling fast and the air was growing chilly fast. Even though spring was finally breaking the winter frost, the warmth of summer days still remained a far off prospect.

"We were almost fodder to a pair of sorceresses..." He quietly replayed some of the events that had taken place, trying to make sense of it all himself. "Let us never enter or stop at another home again until we reach our destination now..."

"The women feared the guardian of the waters...?" Balin asked again as he affixed his baldric and pulled on his coat. "But surely Ulmo would have no reason to save you..."

"Unless..." Thorin silently agreed with his advisor. Perhaps in spite of his cruelty towards her...perhaps, she still did care for him. For she had surely requested this intervention.

Perhaps she even still loved him...

...

She knew she would soon wake up. Her time on Ulmos shores never did last. But whenever she found herself there, she was at peace.

"You have my word that they are safe now..." He spoke from behind her. "But they will be on their way to you..."

"I don't understand why he needs me, when he has Lana and all those he needs in Erebor surrounding him...?" She sighed turning back to face the Valar. "He made it plainly clear that he held no feelings for me... Even Manwe showed me a vision of him kissing Lana..."

"He shows you only what is favourable for him." Ulmo answered back bitterly, for he knew she still bore equal love for the dwarf king in her heart as she did for himself. "I placed the burden of bearing my son upon you. And for that I am forever your servant. I will not stand in your way and utter falsehoods to you if you wish to return to him."

At that she stood on tiptoe and reached up to touch his face tenderly.

"Yes I do still love him. But my heart also belongs to you. Perhaps that was a burden you did not expect from this relationship - I certainly didn't. But now I know how I feel, I don't think I will ever go back." She whispered, feeling his arms wrap around her gently. "I am sorry I can't have sex with you yet...and I know you do not want to force it either. But it's not that I don't want it. I really really do..and whatever happens between me and Thorin, you will be a part of my heart."

Her confession felt completely bare and honest. It was her hour of frank truth.

"I mean...I really REALLY do..." She felt her cheeks heating up. "But not when I am like this..confused and hurt and torn..."

And to that he nodded silently in agreement.

...

"The Corsairs have been destroying your ships for sometime now, my Lord," Thorongil attempted to keep his calm as he spoke, even though Ecthelion refused to address the issue. "It began with small fishing vessels but now they have sunk a second of your naval ships! Would you not consider doing something about it?"

She had entered the Gondorian throne room at the back unnoticed and stood quietly listening. Now she regretted it.

"They are small attacks. There is no military command and precision," the steward dismissed. While he didn't wear a crown, he still sat on the throne. His deep wine coloured coat was a stark contrast against his pale skin and blond wavy hair. "Besides which we have to protection of the white wizard. He now watched over us from Isengard."

"Sinking two Gondorian Naval ships - and the largest of the small fleet is no minor attack, my Lord," Thorongil replied again with unnatural calmness about him. "Many good men lost their lives -"

"Aye, and it was their job to fight, and defend our borders. After all these years following our raids on Castamirs descendants, it was to be expected. In fact we are fortunate it did not occur sooner," Ecthelion stated again. "They are hardly going to lay siege upon Minas Tirith."

"But they have been attacking all the way up river, and they continue to amass strength -"

"Which is why we replenish our lost ships and men." Ecthelion appeared to be losing his calm now.

"But my Lord -"

"Lord Thorongil, what would you have me do then? Send more men to their death?!" Ecthelion sneered. "Might I remind you that it is Ecthelion and not Thorongil that is steward of Gondor! And it will be Ecthelion and not Thorongil that will have to provide an audience with the families of these men lost unnecessarily..."

Thorongil wanted to reply back but held his tongue with a sigh.

"Very well, my Lord. I take my leave." He replied back calmly once again, aware of the many other courtiers watching now. And with a bow turned and strode towards the great doors at the back of the hall. As he moved through the crowds, he could see her waiting for him and her face betrayed all that she had heard.

She carried her daughter, who lay her head on her mother's shoulders and had fallen asleep. They had all suffered on some nights when Dwalins snoring was particularly loud as it had been last night after all the ale he had consumed at supper.

"I have tried my lady, but one can only take a horse to water," he whispered out of frustration.

"Well, I think that may be the actual problem, my Lord Thorongil," she sighed sarcastically. "If only he were a duck and not a horse."

Thorongil gave her an apologetic smile at that.

"He will not let us travel to Ithilien either. And I am sure he is attempting to delay any onward journey to Dol Amroth also," he confesses quietly, looking around. "I sense he schemes. And there is something behind his desire to keep us for the festivities..."

"I expect he has written to Thorin by now with the presumption that I have run away," she agreed. "I am sure he expects Thorin to turn up and stop me."

Thorongil gave her a sidelong glance.

"I would be charged with treason for aiding your escape my lady," he raised an eyebrow. "I cannot imagine you would not be in trouble also -"

"That all depends on whether Thorin even gives two hoots," she confessed, feeling a little confused by this, as she was in part hoping that he had happily moved on. He had spent so long freezing her out, she wasn't sure that her feelings for him were now just one sided. "He may not be interested in coming for us."

"Surely he would still come for you to save himself from embarrassment?"

"I don't think the dwarves see it that way," she shrugged. "I think most of the important nobility would be quite happy to have a change of consort. And no questions would be asked."

They carried on down the corridor both in silent thought for a while until they reached their rooms. They had been provided with a comfortable apartment together with a bedroom shared between herself, her children and their nanny. While Thorin and Dwalin had been given adjoining rooms with a shared living room and small kitchen. In truth the walls between their rooms were very thin, which meant they could all hear Dwalins snoring.

"And would you want him to come for you, my lady?"

"Perhaps I did on the first night we set off," she confessed sadly. "And it took me a little time, but I think I realised that he probably never even noticed we were gone for a while...and I did feel a little sad by that. But this is the reality I find myself in. And I don't know how I would feel now even if he came looking at this point anymore..."

He remained thoughtful even as they returned to their apartment. And suddenly she felt nervous about how much she had revealed.

"He is a fool, my lady. But we male folk can be a little foolish at times," Thorongil finally replied. "Would there be no chance of reconciliation then?"

"I would like to think he can forgive me..." She hoped as she walked on. "But I don't think we can go back to what it was anymore."

He quickly guided her into their apartment now and closed the door before turning to her.

"I have heard that Ecthelion has now given possession of Orthanc to the white wizard. And that the attacks by the Haradrim are more frequent than we are aware of..." Thorongil spoke quietly. "The people of southern Gondor are unhappy, but their complaints are being silenced."

"Then I shall look for more evidence..." She replied determined.

"The markets at the lowest parts and just outside of Minas Tirith will be most helpful for this I imagine, as they are not permitted further up towards the Kings Halls." He looked at the little girl, now fast asleep with sadness and worried. If they were intent on leaving the shores of middle earth their journey would be hard and after all these months of journeying together, he had become fond of her family. As if they were his own. Gently he reached out and brushed a few locks of the child's dark hair back. "Is your land then truly safe for a mother and her children, without the protection of their father? The kingdoms of men are not safe for the 'wife of the dwarf king who slayed the wyrm' as it is spoken of..."

"But how can they know it is me?"

"There are few women here that look like you and walk freely. The other women of your hue from the east or the south are hidden away or dressed for the service of their masters bed chambers." He sighed thinking. "But it is still not too late - I know of more gentle lands: the Shire and the villages near those lands that are quiet, have not heard of war, and would value a healer such as yourself. They would not even care for your origins."

She thought of Bilbo, who had started his journey back before she had escaped Erebor. Surely he must have reached Bagend now. Perhaps it would be a terrible thing if she ended up there with her children.

"I know the north well. And could take you there carefully. Even your dwarvish nanny and bodyguard would not stand out of place there," he urged her again hoping to change her mind.

She fell silent then. Thinking about her children. She was always worried about the journey through the water.

"I want to go home. They will be safest there. Back home there are medicines, people to help, my sister and her family...and I will be free..."

"But Galadriel said your children will have to return when the time requires it?"

She didn't want to think about that.

"If my plans to return fail. And there is no way back, then I promise I will go with you up north." She agreed, watching the concern on his face fade. And she had still reserved her decision to change her mind but she wouldn't tell him. "But until then I must give it a try."

"Very well. Tomorrow, we can leave for the markets early. The tailors are still busy with your clothes. But the lowest markets will have the fishermen's wives selling their catch early and others who farm outside Minas Tirith. We can start there to find out more." He smiled at her softly as she lowered the girl into her arms still fast asleep, cradling her to her chest. "Today, perhaps you both should get some rest."

...