Erebor's Guardian

Chapter 22

Dawn crept through the glass pane windows. My eyes fluttered open to see Thorin sitting by me inspecting the silver bead in his braid. I stretched my body long and far until the muscles recoiled in a satisfied ball. "Thorin," My voice barely above a husky whisper. "What are you doing awake?"

The warrior's smile curled upward under his scruffy short beard in the way that made my heart skip a beat. "I was thinking about that day you braided my hair." He sighed deeply, spinning the small silver bead around and around in his fingers. "How much of it do you remember?"

I patted the hay pile next to me and Thorin came and laid with me. He pulled my body flush against his disregarding the risk of anyone seeing us. My head nestled in his chest and shoulders as I breathed in his warm scent calming the now persistent ache in my side. "Some memories are stronger than others and some are just blurs. But I do remember that day." I traced my fingers down the bumps of his braided hair still soft and silky through the days on the road. "That was the day you and your siblings came to visit Celeb Taure and you and I were walking along the great river." I blushed at the memory. "Then a mischievous prince decided to pull me into the river with him."

Thorin's chuckle echoed deep in his chest. "In my defense you pushed me first."

"You were bragging about how agile and 'on top' of everything you were. So naturally I had to prove you wrong."

His lips lingered on my forehead when he kissed me. "But I did make up for it though. Right?"

My mind traced back to that embarrassing and yet romantic spring afternoon. After I was pulled in Thorin took extra care to cradle me against him during the fall to avoid injury. The calm river water chilled me to the bone and stole my breath from my chest. We broke the surface and I was gasping for air like a cat in a bath panicked and confused. Thorin kept me flush against his body with the water soaking our clothes. My face flushed feeling every curve of his body against mine. The sunlight sparkled off the calm flowing river, the blossoms hung from the trees in long white strands creating a curtain around us and Thorin's eyes were filled with tenderness. When he kissed me it was like the world fell away into starlight and fire. His lips awoke a hunger in me and I clung to his muscular body, my nails dragging down his back as he groaned and nipped my lip.

We laid up on the banks of the river among the long blades of grass drying in the warm sunlight that licked our skin. I wanted to give everything I have to him but I did not want to risk his life for me. His head laid in my lap as I braided his hair a long thick strand from his temple and placed one of my own beads in his hair. Once I was finished, he explained to me what braiding one's hair in dwarven culture meant. If I continued we would be engaged. After he knew I understood and it was what I had wanted he begged me to braid the other side. I added a third braid under his mane of hair as a promise whichever we would approve of or not I was to be his and his only.

"You did make up for the fall." I kissed the hollow of his neck and felt him sharply take a breath. "Although, you never gave me my braids in return."

"After our stay in Celeb Taure my grandfather pulled me in for a two hour scolding with your father and Sundriel. He was furious that he didn't know about the courtship but after much debating your father explained to him your culture and how private it is to avoid any interface from any other suitors."

"Wait, your grandfather was not mad for your betrothal to an elf?"

"No," His fingers interlaced with mine as he brought them to his lips and kissed them tenderly. "Not at all. Being king and kin to me he wanted to be involved with the courtship. After a while he agreed to our engagement and I was sent straight away to the forge to make your courtship beads." Sadness filled his eyes at the memories. "I was to place your braids the day Erebor fell..."