The elleth from under the mountain

Star gazing

Ontario's P.O.V

Everyone was exhausted, after a quick dinner it was apparent that the last few months of running for our lives and constantly being on our toes, preparing for another attack had taken its toll on us. It had finally caught up with us.

By the time I had cleared the remaining dishes away, and stacked them up to dry most of the company had already crawled under their blankets and were fast asleep. Most of the dwarves bedding down in a spare stall, the straw being far more comfortable then the cold hard ground we had begun to become acclimated too.

That was except for Fili and Kili. Both of the brothers were passed out at the table. Fili was half pie stretched out on one of the giant chairs, his head resting against its arm, one leg twisted over his body, dangling above the floor, the other propped up on the opposite wooden arm, his toe kicked against the edge so he wouldn't fall off.

I shook my head at the sight, it was no wonder females lived longer than males.

Untangling his legs I placed them far more comfortably on the seat, dragging him down slightly so his head rested on a pillow I had placed down for him, at least he would no longer asphyxiate in his sleep. I draped a blanket over his sleeping frame, tucking the edges in.

I turned to his brother who was sitting on the very edge of the neighbouring chair. His head had only barely missed a bowl of soup, resting against the table top. His right hand was still wrapped tightly around a mug of ale, the other hung loosely by his side, a half eaten slice of bread lay beneath his chair.

I smiled slightly, grabbing the mug from his grasp, leaning him backwards onto the chair as I had done so with his brother, "Ontario?" He murmured in question, his voice thick with sleep. "Close your eyes and rest," I hushed him as I wrapped a blanket around his shoulders.

He mumbled something incoherent as he rubbed his face against the pillow beneath him.

A chair creaked loudly from the head of the table. Dwalin blinked a few times trying to chase away his drowsiness, his feet propped up on the table top. "What time is it?" He murmured tiredly, "Close to midnight, I'm going to go take over watch," I told him, he nodded once in response before sleep once again overtook him.

I stepped over the sleeping figure of Bofur who was curled up at the base of the stairs, making my way up the winding stairwell.

Everything was silent other than the heavy breathing of the dwarves and the munching of livestock on hay as they happily chewed their cuds.

Moonlight filtered in through the large circular window, covering the piles of straw in a celestial glow.

A lone figure leant against the wall beside the window, staring out into the distance, ever watchful.

"I can no longer see them, but they're out there," Thórin stated, glancing at me as I walked up beside him.

I looked out the window the trees in the distance were black almost indistinguishable from the dark night. If Azog was still out there, he would be watching us.

"Gandalf said that Beorn would be patrolling the house, I doubt Azog will attack tonight," I told him, "You should get some rest," I suggested.

"I'm fine," he stated, almost a little too quickly. "Sure you are," I replied sarcastically. I'd known Thórin for a long time now and I knew that it was best not to press the subject. You could never get a dwarf to do something they didn't want to do.

He rolled his eyes, a slight smile tugging at his face.

I slid onto the spacious windowsill patting the space beside me, "If you refuse to sleep, then I won't," I told him.

Thórin hesitated for a moment before he slid in beside me. My heart began to race at our proximity, as he almost unsurely wrapped an arm around my waist, tugging me closer to him.

A dark look crossed over his face as he looked over my shoulder into the dark abyss. It didn't take a scholar to figure out what was troubling him. He had the same fears that had been weighing him down for his entire lifetime.

Only made more real by the fact we were more than half way through this journey we had undertaken. He feared for what would happen once we reached Erebor, what we would find in the mountain. The sickness that lays upon the hoard guarded by a dragon below.

"Why do you fear the past? You are the heir of Durin, you are not bound to the same fate," I asked him, curling into his side, as I rested my head against his broad chest.

"The same blood flows through my veins, the same weakness," he spoke, as he played with the bead in my hair, staring at it intently.

"You are not your grandfather. Your time will come, you will face the same evil, and you will defeat it," declared. History would not repeat itself.

"The shadow does not hold sway yet. Not over you... not over me" I murmured quietly as I looked up at him intently.

"I would rather spend one life time with you, then face all the ages of this world alone,".

Thórin smiled down at me, kissing me tenderly on the nose, "Your love is sacred to me," my heart fluttered at his words.

"Rest easy my love, I will watch over you,".

.......
Aww isn't that cute