Zaliya's Unexpected Journey

Ch 11: The Last Days in Rivendell

Thorin groggily opened his eyes, as he raised his arms to stretch out the kinks in his back he realized something was laying on him. Looking down he saw a sleeping Zaliya laying across his chest, her leg casually tossed across his legs. He stiffened when she shifted, snuggling closer to him. Thorin realized that after he had fallen asleep with a baby tiger Zaliya, she must have shifted in the night to her human form. Lost in thought he gently played with her curly hair. 

Zaliya stiffened when she felt someone's hand running through her hair, she thought that she had fallen asleep as a tiger cub, but she must have shifted sometime in the night. Realizing who she had been using as a pillow, she shot up on to her feet. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize that would wake you up," Thorin explained slightly embarrassed and frustrated at her reaction. 

Zaliya blushed and nodded her head, "It's quite alright, but I think I'll just go for a bath, I feel quite filthy." She winked and quickly walked away. 

Thorin sat up, feeling very cold without her warmth. He looked around at the sleeping dwarves surrounding him. Slowly getting to his feet, he quickly woke all the snoring dwarves and Bilbo. 

"Up and at it boys, this is our last day in Rivendell," Thorin commanded, "We all smell so let's take a bath shall we." 

Lindir had been wandering the hallway when he heard Thorin,"If you'd like, I can show you our bath house?" Thorin nodded and motioned for his company to follow. "I must warn you though, it is a joined bath house for both men and women." Thorin just grinned and kept up a steady pace. 

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Zaliya POV

I was humiliated, I couldn't believe I had been snuggling Thorin all night long, I mean Thorin, seriously? The one dwarf that doesn't like me. Although it really didn't seem like that when I had woken up to his rough hand gently playing with my hair. That dwarf seriously confuses me.

Sniffing under my elbow my nose automatically wrinkled, I really did need a bath. But there was no way I was going to the Rivendell bath house, it's the most absurd place in all of Rivendell. Men and women bathing side by side but naked! The first time I had gone to the bath house I had just hidden in the far corner, attempting to keep my entire naked body under the water. After that I had wandered the woods around Rivendell in search of a river or pond, any kind of bath area that was far in the woods where no one could find me. Thankfully, I had found a beautiful pond with a small waterfall where I could bath in peace. The only other person who knew about my secret area was Arwen who also used it as a bath area. 

Heading to Arwen's room, I slowly opened the door to find her sound asleep. Rummaging through her stuff I found a towel and my old homemade cinnamonsoap and hair wash. Gently kissing her head, I padded barefoot out the door my dress sweeping the floor behind me. Walking with my head in the clouds I heard loud voices heading my way. Looking up, I narrowed my eyes seeing the Lindir and the company heading in my direction. I frantically looked around, hoping to find an open door that I could hide in, seeing no escape I sighed and skipped on ward. 

"ZALIYA!" boomed Dwalin a broad grin on his face as he grabbed me in a tight hug, "Where were you this morning?" 

I laughed, struggling to expand my crushed lungs, "I'm just heading to eat breakfast." 

Thorin raised his eyebrow pointedly looking at the towel draped across my arm, "Oh really, is there another bath house by the breakfast table?" 

I blushed and awkwardly backed away as the dwarves roared with laughter. "Well would you look at that? Zaliya is actually embarrassed!" Kili chuckled tugging on my ponytail. I shoved him away and tried to get past him.