Fallen Starlight [Book One]

Chapter Thirteen

Arirua lay on her side, staring at the cave wall, praying for sleep. The star had woken from her slumber several minutes ago, and could not return to the land of dreams. Not sure what to do, the star just laid there, staring. She would have gotten up, but in the middle of the night, Kili had pulled her across the small distance between them into his arms. The young woman knew that she couldn't get up without waking him up, and being in his arms was just so comforting, she decided to stay.

As she laid there, the star let her mind drift off, trying to remember happy, pleasant memories that may help lull her to sleep. Arirua smiled as she thought about the times her and Arwen had made flower crowns with the flowers in the garden near the young elf's room. Arirua laughed quietly as she remember how Arwen had proceeded to make Aragorn wear the flower crown she had made him, even though he had argued against it. They were so young and naïve back then. She smiled at the memories that began to surface after the first one.

Just as sleep was slowly coming back to the star, Arirua heard a small scuffling noise.

The pale haired girl instantly sat up, causing Kili's arm to fall back to his side. Arirua could see his eyes starting to open slightly.

"Time... to... wake... up...?" Kili asked, his voice still gruff from sleep.

"No." Arirua told him softly. "Go back to sleep. You need your beauty sleep."

Arirua laughed at the face that Kili gave her. He opened his mouth to argue but Arirua simply placed her finger on his lips. "Shhh. Go to sleep." The young dwarf nodded and closed his eyes. Arirua smiled at him. He is so very handsome. She thought to herself.

"Where do you think you're going?" Arirua's attention was quickly pulled away from the dwarf prince and towards Bofur, who was put in charge of first watch. And standing next to him was Bilbo.

"Bilbo." Arirua said softly, but loud enough to grab the attention of the hobbit and dwarf.

"Miss. Arirua." Bilbo said, nodding slightly towards the star. "I am going back to Rivendell."

"No, no, you can't turn back now, you're part of the Company. You're one of us." Bofur said as he jumped up from his seat near the entrance to the cave.

"I'm not though, am I?" Bilbo questioned him. "Thorin said I should never have come, and he was right. I'm not a Took, I'm a Baggins. I don't know what I was thinking. I should never have run out my door."

"But Thorin was wrong!" Arirua told him, trying to comfort the poor, sad hobbit.

"You're homesick. I understand." Bofur said.

"No, you don't, you don't understand!" Bilbo said, raising from the whisper that they had all been using. "None of you do - you're dwarves. You're used to - to this life, to living on the road, never settling in one place, not belonging anywhere."