The Truth Beneath the Rose

Betrayal

His lips feverishly consumed hers. Stunned, it took her a moment to gather her wits. But when she did, she did not push him away. Her mouth began to move with his, welcoming the cravings it brought. Her lips parted just enough for him to force his tongue through. For so long he had waited to taste those lips. He had lost control. She tasted cool and sweet, like some mysterious delicacy that he had never discovered. His mouth was boiling against hers, she could feel his heat consuming her. It was intoxicating. Her hands tangled in his hair. He kept her pinned firmly to the wall. Her fingers scraped down his face, entwining in his beard. He latched onto her bottom lip and sucked fiercely, biting and pulling. Her moans fueled his lust. It felt as if her whole world was on fire and then it came crashing down. Visions of fire raining down from the sky bombarded her mind. She gasped. Thorin's restraint had abandoned him completely. He didn't notice the change in her body. His scent was so overwhelming. Her mind was a mess of chaotic, uncontrollable images and savage carnal need. His young face clouding her vision. He was so happy. "Thorin." She breathed. She couldn't grasp what was happening. His laughter echoed around her, though she had never heard the sound. He was consuming her. She could almost taste him. She wanted him. She wanted to taste him. She was struggling to control herself. She couldn't. "Stop." She begged, breathlessly. "Thorin. Stop." She pulled her lips away. But he was consumed. His need was too great to deny. Her strength was dwindling. She needed to taste him. It was too much. "No!" She shoved him away.

He stared at her, completely dumbfounded. Her face was twisted in pain. "What is it?" He took a step toward her.

"Don't." She winced and backed against the wall. She looked like a cornered animal, threatened and afraid. She could hardly stand it. It was all too much.

"Nevaeh, please." His voice was heavy with despair. Her eyes seemed to glaze and suddenly she was miles away. Her mind was flooding with emotions and visions that all seemed to link to the Dwarf King before her. There was no sense of time or fluidity, just incomprehensible thoughts and fleeting images. "Look at me." He pleaded. Her eyes focused on him. It was obvious that she was distressed.

"I don't understand." Her voice sounded frustrated.

He took a cautious step forward. "What don't you understand?" He gently placed his hands on her arms. She was rigid.

"This quest, you...anything." Anxiety filled her voice. "I don't know what I'm doing here. I don't what that just was. I don't understand why you keep popping up in my visions. It doesn't make any sense. Nothing makes sense." Her hands went up into her hair.

"What visions?" He blinked.

"I don't know." She sighed. "I don't know what they are. They don't make any sense. Gandalf says that they can't go back in time."

His eyes grew wide. "What did you see?"

"It doesn't even matter. Everything is a mess." She shook her head.

His grip on her arms was no longer soothing. His fingers tightened fiercely. "It matters." He choked out. "What did you see?" He shook her.

"I don't know." She spoke nervously. His reaction was scaring her. "Before I met you, I had dreamt of the song from Bag End. For years and years, I had heard it in my head. Your voice was so familiar. It was strange." She shook her head. "After I met you, my dreams became more scattered."

"Go on." He urged.

"Sometimes, you're just there. Nothing is happening. I just see you. You're younger, less burdened. Other times, it's your voice or your laugh. A few times I've seen you in this meadow." Her eyes softened and his grip loosened. "I dream of it often. It's quiet and far away, you can only hear the water from the stream. Beyond the stream, there's a forest. And daisies. Daisies everywhere." She sighed. "I don't even think it's real. Probably something I imagined in my head." Thorin was frozen. She remembered so much, yet nothing at all. "And the little girl, she's there sometimes."