Something in the Night

Chapter One

Nothing is forgotten or forgiven when it's your last time around ~ Bruce Springsteen, Something in the Night

Sunny days were Nina's favorite. She loved the way the sunlight sparkled against the lake's surface, making the black water look as if encrusted with diamonds. At night, when the silver light from a full moon shone upon it, she couldn't tell where the night sky ended and the lake began.

She stood out on the narrow deck just off the kitchen. Like most of the houses in Esgaroth, the one belonging to her family was tall and skinny, and it seemed to lean slightly to the left. On days when the winds whipped in from the west, she'd swear the house actually swayed. The only house not built this way belonged to the Master, and Mama didn't like it when anyone brought him into a conversation. He was the only person Nina had ever seen who seemed to be universally hated by every man, woman, child, and household pet in Esgaroth. It was rumored even his own lackey—Alfrid—hated him. But then again, the Master hated everyone in return, so it was really quite a fair tradeoff. Of course, he hated everyone because he liked to play that he was better.

Nina and the other average denizens of Esgaroth hated him because he was a greedy ass. He raised taxes arbitrarily, imposed fines by changing laws and regulations on a whim, and made certain to keep his subjects subservient by taking away and locking up anything and everything that even remotely resembled a weapon. There would be no uprising if he had any say in it and since he had the constabulary at his command and they didn't, he had all of the say.

The wood railing ringing the deck was old and falling apart, the paint faded and peeling from the splintering wood in long, curling strips, ruined by sun and spray, by fog and snow, by frigid winter air and baking summer heat. But she paid little mind to it. It was clear, cold day, the air scented with the promise of snow.

But that wasn't what had her so lost in thought as she watched the waves glitter and sparkle in seemingly all directions.

No. Nina glanced in the direction of the Master's fine, pretentious, utterly stupid house, and sighed.

She was in love.

"Mooning, are you?"

A shadow fell over her and she looked up to see her older sister, Lenna, propping an elbow on the railing and offering up a knowing smile.

"No," Nina shook her head as she managed to tear her eyes from the building, "I am doing no such thing."

"He didn't know you were alive, little sister. All he cared about was getting the Master to release him."

"Which he did. And he smiled at me."

"Or he was smiling at Shalia, as every red-blooded man does."

"But he is not a Man, and you know it. He is a dwarf. And not just any dwarf, but the King Under the Mountain."

Lenna let out a low laugh. "I am not calling you Queen."

"You will when I win his hand."

"He's leaving in like, two hours. And he is not coming back."

"So, I have two hours to get him to notice me."

"You are mad. And Mama said we're to mind the stand for a while. She has to go and fish."

Nina sighed. "Very well. I wish Papa would return."

"He's not coming back, Ni. We need accept that."

Lenna turned to go back into the kitchen and Nina followed her. So much for going to the docks to see Thorin Oakenshield and his Company set out on their quest to reclaim their home of Erebor. She'd heard tales of Thorin and his family, but until the previous night, had never before laid eyes upon him. But as she stood in the snow, with the crowds of people who'd gathered after Thorin and his men—and a Hobbit, of all creatures—had been arrested for attempting steal weapons from the Esgaroth Armory, and her gaze fell upon him, she saw him for the first time.