I didn't wake up in good time the next morning. Fili had come to knock on my door.
"Are you awake in there?" I stretched, not wanting to get up, "Sharae?" He asked in concern.
"I'm up, sorry," I rolled into sitting position on the bed, "I'll be out in a minute."
"The sun's already risen high, our allotted time is running short…" He paused, "You're not doing this on purpose are you?" He joked but I could sense a slight irritation at the idea.
"No, Fili, I'm just tired and sore, give me a sec to dress." Flil really wanted me out training today. I pulled on my now cleaned clothes. They were stained and ripped but much more comfortable that the replacement clothing I'd been given. My jeans hugged my curves and I felt the kind of pretty skinny's always seemed to be. My boots looked much better than they had, mud and blood now washed away. I felt so happy my familiar things were back on. I braided my own hair this time and looked down at myself approvingly before I headed out the door.
Fili was waiting in the dining hall resting his feet on the table. His eyes were closed. Had I really taken so long dressing that he'd fallen into a noonday nap? I walked over to him quietly, assessing his resting face. His hair was so… perfect. The blonde strands lay straight and his braids were immaculate. I wondered how it had been done, especially the small ones in his mustache. Dwarf fingers didn't seem adept at that kind of work. My fingers were thin and nimble and I couldn't make braids that perfect. I stopped myself partway through my thoughts as I had unknowingly leaned toward his face. I tried to take a careful step backward but landed on the loudest floorboard I could have.
The creak threw Fili from his seat and right into me, knocking me back onto the wood floor, his knife at my throat. I flung my hands up in defense and tried to catch my breath from the fall
"Mahall, woman, are you trying to get yourself killed?" Fili stepped over me, grabbing my arms and pulling me up in the process. I tried to make sense of the seconds that had just passed. Heavens sake! Fili was fast! "What in the world were you sneaking up for anyways?" I didn't answer right away, I didn't know what else to say bit the truth.
"I was, uh, just admiring your braids is all, and trying not to wake you," I looked away, embarrassed. Fili's silence made me look back to him. A shocked, musing expression was stuck on his face, "Sorry, did I do something wrong?" I asked. I wondered if I had done something else faux pas. Fili shook his head, wiping the surprise from his face.
"Sorry, no, nothing except sneaking up on a sleeping dwarf. Just mystified is all, with your cultural follies. How different you are than the women here, definitely more brazen!" He was back to teasing me so I felt better. He laughed as he headed toward the door.
"Hey!" I ran after him.
When Fili and I reached where we would be training he unsheathed the swords he always carried with him. I started worrying a little bit. He flipped one in his hand and offered the handled end to me.
"Take this for a few and go over the moves I showed you before. I want you to get to know the weight of a blade," I took the sword from him and nearly dropped it. It was much heavier than I was expecting. I lifted it up to begin the moves. The blade was heavy but balanced and it was almost easier to use that the training stuff had been. I smiled; Fili had mastered using two of these at once. I was once again impressed by him, "When you are fighting with the bow, enemies will get past your rounds. You will have to defend yourself with the sword in all situation." It was something I'd already figured. Tauriel and Legolas both had swords. I just worried that if it came to swords I would already be dead. I tried not to express that worry, "You already have the movement in your soul, I have seen you express it before."
He turned to face me, knocking his sword on mine. With his, he guided my blade through the motions of a fight. They were slow and steady movements, easy for me to follow. Slowly, he quickened his pace until I easily fell into the quick movements of the blades. Fili was grinning hugely as we tossed moves back and forth and as he threw some unexpected stuff into the mix hoping for a positive reaction from me. Though the new quickness and danger of what we were doing spiked my adrenaline, I was able to follow him. I began throwing away the doubts I'd had before. And, what did you know, I was starting to have fun! Fili realized this and started sparring for real
At first the movements confused me but I understood where he was going and followed and predicted, and lunged. Fili and I were dancing and it was absolutely exhilarating. I laughed with joy as I used the things I was taught, and the things I already knew. Another of the things I didn't dare mention to the company was about dance. I twirled around his lunge and caught him in the back with the blunt of the blade. He jumped back and charged forward, dropping suddenly and sliding toward my legs. I leapt to the side, far enough away I knew his sword wouldn't reach me. Before he could leap up I'd grabbed his sword hand and jumped onto his chest, pinning him.
"Does this mean I win?" I panted, especially proud of myself.
"Maybe," he huffed, "against me, but you forgot to check for other enemies," I snapped too immediately, looking to see who'd dropped in to join the fun. I flipped my head back and forth seeing no one. I looked back to Fili who has already used my distraction to his advantage, freeing his arm and pushing my weight backward. He followed the movement effectively pinning me down with the blunt of his sword to my throat.
"Callback," I mumbled as he helped me back up.
"Do you mean to say the situation is similar to this morning?" He grinned knowingly. Huh, he'd done it on purpose! "Always remember your enemy will do everything in their power to stay alive. That includes deceit," I nodded, understanding his lesson, "Thorin would have been proud to see you fighting today. It was utterly beautiful." He said while sheathing his swords. Did he just say I had been beautiful? How… charming. I could feel my face heating up.
"Thank you," I said. Fili saw my face and looked away towards the targets. He nodded.
"You're done for now. You can do what you'd please for the rest of the day." I lit up. Yes! I'd not had any good free time yet and there was something I wanted to try.
"Awesome! I've been wanting to go skip rocks! Would you like to come?" He looked at me like I was nutty.
"The lake is frozen over except in town." He explained.
"Exactly!" I said, "Come on!" I grabbed his arm and ran for the shore of Laketown.
He must have thought I was absolutely insane as I scoured the beach for smooth stones. He watched as I gathered an armful. I walked over to him and handed him half.
"Ok, watch and learn," I walked to the edge of the ice and tried to remember the best way to throw the smooth stones. The first one I threw gently, trying not to break the ice. Two tiny echoes filled the air followed by one long echo as the stone slid across the ice. I readied another and gave it a stronger throw. The ice seemed to sing with every bounce of the rock. I smiled as Fili immediately followed suit. Glassy crystalline echoes filled the air with a kind of melody. I began to hum along a tune that was soft and slow. The moment almost seemed magical. I hadn't noticed Fili had stopped skipping stones and sat behind me, listening, till I was already well into the song. With my last stone the song ended, leaving only the silent lake and frosty air. I breathed in. After a long while in the peaceful silence Fili broke it.
"I wonder if you know how truly mystical you are." Another complement I didn't know how to react to. My heart did a kind of fluttering as I stared back at him. Understanding began to fill my eyes. He was… flirting… or something similar. I smiled at him with all the happiness that brought to my soul and turned back to the lake. I grabbed from Fili's leftover rocks and began tossing again, not knowing what else to do. Fili didn't seem to mind, he watched me with a smile on his face.
The cold stones had just about frozen my fingers when the pile was finally finished.
"Well, I'm frozen through now, let's head back." Fili lead the way back in quaint silence. I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous at what Fili's flirting might mean. Fili pushed the large Inn door open and we were greeted with a burst of ruckus shouting.