In Time

Chapter Eighteen

Nothing felt as good as Amara did curved up against him, her head tucked against his chest, her arm draped over his hips. There was no where else in Middle Earth Thorin wished to be at that moment but where he was, stretched out on the east lawn in the soft grass, staring up at a moonless but star-spangled ink black sky. He let his fingers skim along her hair, soft and cool, like a river of ink to match that sky above.

His love.

While he'd been in love before, nothing could compare to what he felt for this woman lying in his arms now. True, he was older and somewhat wiser, a bit more jaded, perhaps, and he knew what he wanted from his life now. The confrontation with Azog was a wake-up call, nearly losing Amara even more so. Erebor was his once more, or it would be, once he returned and took his rightful place on its throne. He had a few fences to mend, with the people of Esgaroth, or Laketown as the Men who lived there called it, with Thranduíl of Mirkwood. If Kili wanted a life with Tauriel the Woodland Elf, Thorin had the feeling he'd be offering up to Thranduíl the necklace he'd coveted so badly, the one he had been willing to go to war over. A small price to pay, if it meant Kili found happiness with his elf.

At one time, Thorin wouldn't have been at all willing to compromise with an elf. Kili could simply find another woman, as far as Thorin was concerned.

But now, after everything that had happened, after finding what he'd found with Amara, he could never be so foolish. If Kili wanted a she-elf, he'd have her. And if that meant Thorin had to hand over a fool necklace, he'd wrap it in a box with a big fluffy bow for the prissy Woodland king.

"Thorin?" Amara's voice was little more than a misty whisper, but he thought he heard a note of panic in it.

"What?"

She lifted her head to peer down at him, her eyes heavy lidded and sleepy. "I must have been dreaming..." she murmured thickly. "But it was so real..."

He stroked her hair, tucking it behind her ear. "What was?"

"We were in the clearing and... and I saw Magra taking aim with his bow, but I couldn't get to you in time."

He tightened his arm about her. "It was but a dream, amrâlimê. As you can see, I am right here."

She sank back against him, her fingers curving into the front of his shirt. "It was so real, though. It didn't have that dreamlike quality to it."

"You needn't worry about Magra. I dispatched him the way I did his ugly cousin or brother or whatever Azog was to him." Thorin shifted to press a kiss into the top of her head. "You needn't fear his return."

"But there will be another," she murmured, although her fingers did loosen on him. "There will always be one to take his place, and his determination to end the line of Durin might be even greater."

"No one will get into Erebor without express permission and the Orcrist glows blue if orcs or goblins are near. I will always know if one is stalking me."

"But they did manage to get into Rivendell."

He smiled, his fingers resuming their lazy strokes. "We will be perfectly safe in Erebor. I promise you."

"Wait," she lifted her head again, "we? What do you mean by that?"

"I mean just that, you will be safe in Erebor."

"But..." she shook her head as she pulled out of his arms and sat up, "I cannot go to Erebor. I belong here."

"Amara, I cannot stay here. My home is in Erebor and I cannot just walk away from that." He also sat up. "I came back to get you, but I cannot remain here much longer."