Ammie moaned again when Thorin's tongue slipped past her lips to tangle with her own. His hands gripped her hips firmly, and as a result, their bodies were crushed together even more tightly than before. The hobbit returned his kiss with a great deal more fervor and passion than she expected from herself. She broke away only to catch her breath before diving right back into his heated kisses. Her fingers traveled up the dwarf's chest and finally knitted themselves in his hair. She leaned into him, standing on her tip-toes...Utterly lost in his touch, his taste, his scent...Until he broke away, of course.

Ammie sighed deeply, and even her sigh almost sounded disappointed. The hobbit's face was rosy and flustered; she was overheated with desire. Astonishingly, she felt as though she had too many clothes on. She ought to be ashamed of entertaining such lewd, unladylike thoughts...But at the moment, Ammie didn't care. Thorin's forehead rested against hers, his lips still a few inches' breadth away. She started to dip towards them again, longingly, but he spoke. He asked her a question that caused her to blush several shades darker.

Ammie swallowed nervously, carding her fingers gently through Thorin's dark hair. "W-Well," she began. She could scarcely believe what she was considering, but... She needed Thorin so badly it astounded her. She could refrain, however, if needed. It depended entirely on how he answered her own question. "I need to know something, to say for sure... So that I know you will continue to respect me, even if I chose to...yield. What am I to you, Thorin? Are you still confused about...This?" The hobbit trailed off, averting her eyes sadly. "I admire you so much, but I don't know what you think of me...If you think I am weak or burdensome. Are these interactions just an amusement for you? You're a king and I... I'm nobody."

Thorin's brow knit when she answers his question with another question. Several questions, in fact. But when he heard them, he understood why she asked. He took a moment to gather his thoughts. He didn't want to give her a rushed answer.

Thorin knew exactly what he felt. He supposed that he had always known, but it was so foreign to him that he refused to believe it. He refused to believe that it was what it really was. Love. For so long he had been consumed with hatred, revenge, and longing for his home, but it had cost him dearly. It had cost his heart. He took a slow breath, "I could never lose respect for you, Ammie. Not if you chose to give me something so precious." He smiled down at her and leaned his forehead against hers again, "I have never been more sure of something in my entire life. All of my confusion is gone, Ammie. You are not weak, you a not a burden, and you are most certainly not a 'nobody'."

"You are everything to me." Thorin took her face into his hands and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, "I love you."

Ammie could not even begin to articulate the spectrum of emotions that washed through her at Thorin's confession. The first thing she did, however, the dwarf's forehead resting against hers, was to simply close her eyes and bask in that glorious moment. He kissed her lips gently. She was everything to him. He loved her. He actually loved her. It was very difficult for her to believe, on account of the fact that she was so plain, but she knew Thorin would have not spoken words of affection unless he meant them. He was too honorable to lie about something serious. Ammie could not remember a time in her life when she felt happier than now.

The female finally opened her wide hazel eyes and, trembling, lifted a hand to place against Thorin's cheek. She brushed it down the side of his face gently, feeling his rough beard against her palm. "You love me...Ahh...I feel as though my heart is going to burst..." Ammie's mouth split into a wide grin and she blushed. Her chest and stomach fluttered intensely, her head foggy with joy. She leaned in and rubbed her nose lightly against the dwarf's. "I know that I...Love you, too, Thorin. I've never felt this way about anyone before." Ammie lowered her eyes, letting her hands fall shyly to the man's shoulders. It was so difficult, to relent to him. She was afraid. This was her first time... But she needed him. She needed to feel that closeness. "...I would give myself to you," she said softly, gazing up at him from beneath her eyelashes.

Waiting for her response felt like years. It was agonizing. Though it took mere moments, it felt like a lifetime. Thorin's heart pounded in his chest so hard and so loud, he feared Ammie could hear it through his chest. He breathed a soft sigh of relief when she finally spoke. He chuckled lightly at her comment about her heart bursting. He smiled when she brushed her nose against his. The gesture was absolutely adorable and it made Thorin's heart flutter.

When Ammie confessed that she returned Thorin's feelings of love, he couldn't stopped the grin that broke out across his face. His stomach relaxed and his nerves dissipated. She loved him. It floored him. And she fave him her consent. It was enough to make his own heart burst.

Thorin broke away from her and yanked his coat up from under the forgotten pile of clothing near his feet. He laid the coat out on the ground and turned back to her. He scooped her up in his arms and laid her down gently on the coat. He covered her body like a blanket and pressed a passionate kiss to her lips. He broke away only long enough to whisper softly to her, "I love you."


~Intermission~


After quite an exhausting excursion, Thorin headed back to the camp alone. Ammie wanted to stay behind and take a quick bath in the stream, which didn't surprise Thorin. He gave her a sweet kiss and told her not to be long, then headed back to the camp, his coat slung over his shoulder. He didn't bother covering up his grin as he approached the group. He figured none of them would be awake anyway, so there was so reason to hide it. He scanned the group when he got back to the camp. Everyone, with the exception of Nori, whom was on watch, was sleeping. Nori didn't seem to be paying much attention and seemed not to notice Thorin return. He might not have known he was even gone. He had certainly hoped so.

Thorin noticed something amiss, though. Fili was gone. The elf lay on the ground, sort of sprawled out and most definitely alone. His brow furrowed tightly and he looked over the group again. He glanced into the trees and sighed. His nephew had probably wandered off for a drink or to take a piss, either way. He was sure Fili would come back. He looked back to the elf and almost sneered until he noticed something.

She was quite still. Thorin remembered, from his studies long ago, that elves didn't sleep. They didn't need to. They went into a sort of trance, more or less to rest their minds. But they did so with their eyes open. As unsettling as it was, it was normal for them. Naerwyn's eyes were closed and he wasn't sure if she was breathing. Thorin never really looked at her too closely and couldn't tell if Naerwyn's face was pale naturally or if it was a loss of life.

Thorin hurried over to the elf and knelt next to her. He placed a hand on her chest, above her breasts and over her collar bone and gave her a shake. At first, nothing. He shook again, this time harder, and the elf spurred to life. She gasped and her body convulsed under his hand. She looked up to him with wild eyes and demanded to know what was wrong, her soft voice heavy with exhaustion. Thorin shook his head and stilled her hands, "Relax, elf!" He sighed, "I....wasn't sure if you were breathing. ....Your eyes were closed and I thought..-. ...I thought something happened to you. Go back to sleep."

Getting to his feet, he made his way back to his spot by an old oak tree. He could hear the elf grumble something akin to 'It's like being at home' and he shook his head. Thorin settled down on the ground and laid still, waiting for Ammie to get back from her quick bath. He was exhausted, but now in a good way. He would sleep well that night.

Ammie waited for Thorin to disappear into the woods before breathing a heavy sigh. She stepped into the cool mountain stream and sat, beginning to wash the traces of sweat and lovemaking from her body. On the one hand, she was immensely pleased by Thorin's confession of love...But on the other she was worried over what had just transpired between them. She had just assumed, given their location and current circumstances, that the exiled king would have played it safe. However, Thorin had instead finished inside of her. Knowing full well what consequences could arise from such an action. They were on a journey, for goodness sake! If he implanted a life within the hobbit, she would eventually become unsuitable for travel...For the safety of the child and herself. Thorin would surely never endanger them by allowing her to come along for the rest of the adventure. Not when she became big and round...

Ammie buried her face against her knees. Half of her wished that, somehow, that either she or the dwarf was infertile. Another quarter of her wanted to be pregnant with Thorin's child, and the remaining quarter hoped for an early miscarriage so she would never have to explain. Only time would tell, but... It was too much to hope for that nothing would occur. She was young and virile, and Thorin was certainly at a capable age for such things as offspring to come about. The hobbit began to weep quietly. She mopped the hot tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand, her tiny frame shaking with hushed sobs. She did not want to leave the dwarven party for somewhere safe and spend all her time fretting and anxious over the safety of her lover. Her future husband, the father of her unborn child. And Bilbo! What would poor Uncle Bilbo do without her?!

~~~

Fili had only stepped away from the camp to relieve himself. His mind was foggy with sleep, so he ony ambled a short distance away and found some brush that would obscure him. As soon as he was finished, he pulled his breeches back up and laced them, and headed back to his warm spot beside Naerwyn. Of course, he wasn't able to do do immediately. Thorin was shaking the elf awake for some reason. Fili ducked behind a tree and peered around it at his uncle. He hadn't realized Thorin had stepped away from camp until now. Perhaps he'd left for a similar reason to Fili? Although... Fili's gaze shifted around, seeking the female hobbit. He didn't see her anywhere, causing him to purse his lips in quiet contemplation. Suspicious. Very suspicious.

Thorin's words distracted him, however. He informed a groggy Naerwyn that he remembered elves slept with their eyes open. Hers were closed, because she was a half elf. Fili had suspected that since Rivendell, but his uncle clearly hadn't. Fili's lips split into a mischievous smirk. It was amusing to see his uncle slip up and display his concern for Naerwyn's well-being despite claiming he could care less. Thorin was rough around the edges. He was a stern, strict, hard man... But underneath it all, he'd been a father to Fili and Kili for their entire lives. He cared a great deal for others, even if he tried not to let on that he did. He would tease his uncle later about this, but for now... The pair of them needed to rest.

The blond dwarf watched his uncle return to his spot by the oak tree, and then quietly moved towards Naerwyn. He settled back on the ground beside her and drew her near to him. He wrapped his arm protectively around her waist once more. After smiling contentedly down at the elf for a moment, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and went back to sleep.

~~~

After dressing, Ammie returned to camp... She stepped tentatively amongst the sleeping dwarves, noticing only Nori awake and keeping watch. He did not pay her any mind, as hobbits could go unnoticed if they chose, and so she merely made her way to her things. She plucked her blanket off of the ground on the way to Thorin, who was lying beside an oak tree. She tossed it over him, flashed a smile, and sank to the ground beside him. Ammie tried to shelf her worries for the time being, as she was far too exhausted to lose sleep over what the future held, and snuggled up to the dwarf king's chest with a soft sigh. Her mind slipped quickly into unconsciousness.

The morning came too swiftly for some, who could have slept for days, given the chance. The sky was orange, swirled with pink and hints of the blue yet to come. It was spotted with clouds, though they were small and carried no hint of a threat. It was warm, but a gentle breeze rolled through the encampment, rousing most of the dwarves from their slumber.

One who didn't rise right away was Naerwyn. She stayed curled up in a tiny ball on the ground. She and Fili had started out curled up together, using their coats as pillows and keeping warm from the heat of the other. By morning, Naerwyn had somehow managed to get hold of both coats. Her own was still bundled up under her head. Fili's was wrapped around her like a blanket. She didn't move or stir, even when the others started to make noise, talking and yawning loudly. She stayed, tight in her ball, huddled under Fili's coat, sound asleep.


Thorin had slept like a rock the entire night. He was very pleased when Ammie curled up with him, snuggled under the warmth of her blanket. He would have given the previous night's activities a bit of thought, but when Ammie snuggled up to him, his mind was lost to sleep.

When Thorin awoke, he found the Hobbit still curled against him, sleepily soundly. He wriggled and stretched his sleep heavy limbs as carefully as he could, trying not to wake her. He remained still for a while, not quite ready to get up. He yawned and wriggled until he was comfortable again.

His thoughts drifted to the night before. He was, admittedly, slightly worried about his actions. Last night, it seemed like a good idea, finishing inside of her. He had thought, for a moment, that creating life with the woman he loved was a fantastic idea. In truth, it really was. It was a wonderful thing, creating and raising children, but the timing was beyond terrible. Thorin's stomach twisted up in painful knots and he immediately thought himself a fool. If life sprouted in the Hobbit's belly, Thorin would have no choice but to send her away. To where was the problem.

He heard, briefly, the elf grumble in her sleep and he glanced over to where his nephew slept. An idea sprouted! If Ammie became pregnant, he could instruct the elf to take Ammie somewhere safe. He would be at ease knowing Ammie was safe and he would sleep better knowing the elf was far away from his nephew. He heaved a sigh, which was broken by a yawn, and tried to push the thoughts from his mind. Couples weren't often successful in making a child on the first go and he tried to convince himself that Ammie would not be so (un)lucky as to bear a child after only the first time.

The cool breeze on Fili's semi-exposed form caused him to shiver awake. His coat had been pilfered from beneath his head. Furthermore, it seemed that Naerwyn was now using it as a blanket. The dwarf prince lifted his head, squinting at the blonde woman sleepily. He'd lain directly on the floor, and as a result his long, golden main of hair was horribly mussed and littered with twigs and dried leaves. His clothing was dusty and dead plant parts clung to the fabric.

He sighed and picked himself off the ground, trying to pat off what he could...But as for the mess in his hair and the dust on his face, he would need to bathe. The other dwarves had just barely stirred from their sleep, and the elf remained unconscious despite people moving about, so Fili resolved to go bathe until she woke up. He patted his brother on the shoulder and informed him where he was going before disappearing into the woods.

Bilbo Baggins jolted awake when Bofur shook his shoulder and asked if he wanted breakfast. Bombur was preparing to reheat leftovers from the night before. The hobbit agreed and sat up. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stared directly across the camp at his niece once again curled up beside the king of dwarves. Bilbo frowned. They appeared to be even more comfortable with each other than in the cavern inside the mountains. Ammie had draped herself across Thorin's chest, a small smile plastered on her rosy lips. It made Bilbo wonder if something had happened between them to make her so much less shy than a day ago.

Feet shuffled on the ground beside him and Bilbo looked up to see Gandalf puffing away on his pipe. “Oh, you're back?” The wizard didn't reply. He was also observing, with an expression of mild curiosity, Thorin and Ammie resting against the tree.

“Now that,” he said, “That I did not expect...But could have foreseen.”

His gray eyes drifted towards Bilbo, smiling cryptically. The hobbit merely stared back with his mouth hanging open. What did that even mean?! Wizards and their perplexing manners of speech... Could Gandalf see the future or not?! It was all very peculiar indeed.

“What about the dwarf and the elf?” Bilbo asked with an air of annoyance. “Did you know that would happen?”

“No,” Gandalf said as-a-matter-of-factly. “But it worked out rather nicely, did it not?” He gestured towards Thorin dismissively. “It will be good for him.” With that, the wizard turned and limped towards the others huddled around Bombur.

Ammie stirred about five minutes after Gandalf's return. She heard many dwarves talking from across the camp. Their voices were carried over by the breeze. The hobbit female moaned faintly and pressed her face tightly against Thorin's chest, drawing the blanket up and over her head. He was so warm and comfortable, and she was reluctant to part with both him and sleep. “Ugh, do we have to leave already?” she grunted crossly. Her voice was slightly muffled by the cloth obscuring her from the cold air.

She'd had lovely dreams about living in Erebor with Thorin. They were married and had several children, and she had all the shiny rocks she'd ever wanted. Reality was much crueler than her dreams—cold, violent, unlucky...And worst of all she could become inconveniently pregnant within a week.

Naerwyn didn't stir for quite a while. She remained still under Fili's coat, huddled in a tight little ball in a desperate attempt to keep warm. She slept soundly, despite all of the activity around her. It wasn't until she felt the all too familiar urge to 'go' did she get up. Naerwyn whined and stretched, making odd little noises as she roused from sleep. She forced herself to a sitting position, all the while yawning and shivering, and neatly folded Fili's coat. She set it on the ground beside her and got slowly to her feet. She wandered into the woods, forgetting to tell anyone where she was going, but at first, her sleep heavy eyes didn't see Fili and she figured the others really didn't care.

Naerwyn did what she needed to do and started to head back toward the camp. The walk certainly helped shake off fatigue and she was feeling much more alert. She followed a skinny path along the river to get back to the large one she had followed away from the camp. Only, she never made it to the path. Naerwyn was startled to stillness by a small blue light.

A few feet away, ten or so, was an orb. It floated a few feet off the ground, gently swaying back and forth. It was mystifying. The longer she watched it, the more it took shape, into a strange, almost humanoid shape. Little arms sprouted out of it and beckoned her forward. Startled, Naerwyn took a step back and looked over her shoulder in the direction of the camp. She swore that she heard the wisp whisper her name and she turned back toward it. It was further away now. Feeling brave, Naerwyn started after it. It danced backwards and down the stream some. She followed, extending a hand to it. It slowed and Naerwyn thought, for a moment, that she would catch it, but it darted across the water to the other side. Not about to be outmatched by a wisp, Naerwyn darted across after it. She hopped across some large stones sticking out of the water to the other side.

Unaware, she had strayed close to where Fili had been bathing. He may have even caught sight of her, chasing after nothing. It would have been a sight. She hurried into the trees, her hair a mess from sleep, no coat, no weapons. It was a bit confusing.


Thorin glanced down at Ammie when she stirred. He chuckled lightly when she hid under her blanket, grumbling about having to get up. He rubbed her back lightly and gave her a gentle hug with one arm, "A spot of breakfast and then we must leave, yes. It isn't wise to linger here. We've pushed our luck enough."

Yawning again, he sat up, pulling her with him. He gave her forehead a gentle kiss and smiled, "How did you sleep?" He stretched his arms over his head and twisted his back some, delighted when it popped in all the right places. He glanced over to Bombur and Bofur, whom were working on getting breakfast ready for the rest of them. It smelled wonderful and he couldn't wait to sink his teeth into it. He glanced at the others, but his brow knit suddenly. His nephew was gone. And so was the elf. He grumbled quietly, hoping, for Fili's sake, that they were not together.

Even while bathing, Fili was far too exhausted to fully attention to what he was doing. He didn't have any soap to improve his scent. Rather, all he could hope to accomplish while lathering himself up with river water was to wash the grime off of his skin, face, and hair. He attempted to untangle whatever was stuck inside of it--leaves, twigs, etc.--but, seeing as he did not have a mirror to work with, he could not truly ascertain his success in the endeavor. The air was chilly and the water even chillier, so it did serve to wake him up enough to entertain coherent thought. Mostly, he contemplated breakfast, his “escapades” with the elf the day before, and then how she wrangled his coat out from underneath him during the night.

Just then, Fili thought he caught a glimpse of said elf through the trees. She was dashing through the forest quickly. At first he panicked, believing her to be running from someone. However, as he stood up stark naked in the river, he came to realize that it was Naerwyn in pursuit of something herself. He saw nothing, though, and he almost immediately lost sight of her. But she was moving downstream, so if he hurried, he could catch up. Fili waded out of the river, shaking himself off violently like a dog, and dressed hastily. He sprinted in an effort to keep up with Naerwyn before she managed to get too far ahead.

~~

Ammie leaned into Thorin's kiss on her forehead, sighing wistfully. She slept like the dead, but it was sufficient to reply with, “Very well, thank you. And yourself?” The hobbit enjoyed Thorin's proximity far more than she cared to admit. She wished to remain enveloped in his warmth for a great deal longer...But that was not a practical course of action at the moment. He'd already sat upright with, most likely, the intention of getting up for breakfast. Not that breakfast did not sound divine... She was simply...Sore. Exhausted. Emotionally spent. Every inch of her ached, even if her spirits glowed with the revelation of Thorin's love for her.

Before Thorin attempted to coax her out of “bed”, Ammie threw the blanket off of them and stood up by herself. She arched her back, stretching her arms over her head, and then leaned left to right. “Well, might as well have breakfast, then,” she commented. “Seeing as we are both awake now...Albeit reluctantly.” The hobbit peered across the camp, her hazel eyes searching for the elf. She had half a mind to discuss her newer woman problems with Naerwyn, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Naerwyn went further into the forest, chasing the wisp that darted through the trees. She wasn't sure where it was going or even why she was chasing it. Something inside of her said to follow it. She'd been warned by her mother about wisps once, many, many years ago. She explained that wisps often lead people off the safe path and into danger. Naerwyn promised to run far away if she saw one, but now that she was face to face with it, it didn't seem so terrible. It was friendly, if a little elusive. The wisp darted into a small clearing, some feet ahead of Naerwyn.

As she approached, the light in the clearing began to dim and the trees surrounding it began to take a different shape. As Naerwyn reached the clearing, she saw not grass and mossy stones, but marble floors and tall, black pillars. There was a fireplace on the far wall with an ornate screen in front of it. The walls were decorated with tapestries depicting fanciful beasts, and beautiful maidens. The floor, which was covered with a large, intricately woven area rug, was strewn with toys. Dolls, mainly, and a few small wooden toys. Amidst the mess there was a child.

She sat with her back to Naerwyn as she played on the floor. Wavy, golden tresses spilled down her back. Intricate braids were woven through her long blonde hair with beaded clasps at the ends. She wore, from what Naerwyn could tell, a simple dress that was blue in color. The child perked up suddenly and got to her feet, facing toward Naerwyn now. She had delicate pointed ears and soft, pale skin. She held her tiny arms out to a figure entering the room. A male approached. A very familiar male. Naerwyn saw Fili approach the child and scoop her up into his arms. He looked much the same as he did now. His beard was, perhaps, a bit fuller and he certainly looked happier.

The child smiled and despite that Naerwyn could hear nothing, she knew the child was laughing. She wrapped her tiny arms around Fili and rest her chin against his shoulder. It was in that moment, she made eye contact with the child in Fili's arms. Her eyes were rich blue, like the ocean on a sunny day. It was then that she knew. That was her child.

Tears flooded Naerwyn's eyes, blurring the sight before her. This was the wisp's purpose. It meant to show her this vision.



Thorin smiled and pressed another kiss to Ammie's forehead, "I slept better than I have in weeks." He wondered how she was feeling that morning after their activities the previous night and thought to ask, but thought against it. He didn't want the others to over hear and figure out what had transpired. He would tell them, in time, but now was not that time. Thorin didn't want their minds on the wrong things, after all. This was a quest! They needed to stay focused on their prize! Erebor!

Thorin watched Ammie rise and stretch, then did so himself. He chuckled lightly when she mentioned being awake reluctantly, "You think I didn't want to stay in bed? I would give anything to sleep in. We just can't afford that luxury right now, my dear." Thorin leaned down and scooped his coat up off the ground. He pulled it on and did up the belt that cinched it closed. He stretched again and headed over to the others to join them for breakfast.