Calm The Fire

09

"A Bereth thar Ennui Aeair! Calad ammen i reniar. Mi 'aladhremmin ennorath. A Elbereth Gilthoniel. i chin a thûl lín míriel..." Náriel's quietly spoken voice sung filling the silent room, its volume was just audible over the sound of the crackling fire by the bedside. Thorin had seemingly refused to go back to sleep. He had forced himself to sit up, regardless of Náriel's apprehension over this. They had spoken on and off throughout the time that she had been here. Somehow the topic of singing had come up. Náriel was curious to know if the dwarves sung songs, much like the elves did. Singing was a casual past time, a way of celebrating, a device to use if saddened.

The curious question alone caused Thorin's expression to turn thoughtful, he had answered truthfully but had declined singing. Which caused her to pout, but that soon disappeared and she soon smiled lightly. Although he was declining spontaneous singing, she wasn't. Deciding to sing something which she had known by heart since a young age, she straightened in the chair, she had long since moved to give him more space and comfort, placing her hands in her lap she commenced singing.

Thorin was quietly contemplating another topic which wasn't musical based but his thoughts drifted off when beside him Náriel's voice sung. Clear as a bell yet gentle like a whisper, it was perhaps one of the most beautiful things to hear. When she had finished, she returned to partially leaning back in the chair. Thorin blinked slowly and tilted his head to the side to look at her. "What does it mean?"

Náriel raised an eyebrow at his choice of words. "Mean? Don't you mean: what did I sing?" She questioned lightly, his expression went blank, why she chose to pick holes in things more so now than before was beyond him. Thorin half reckoned it was because his senses were for the moment dulled. He couldn't think of the right words and would use others instead which may not have fitted in with the rest of sentence he was trying to speak. "O Queen Beyond the Western Seas is what it is called." Náriel explained and looked thoughtful for the moment. Tapping her cheek still in thought she looked to him. "I believe in Westron it goes something like this: O Queen beyond the Western Seas! O light to us that wander. Amid the tree-woven middle-lands. O Elbereth Star-kindler
your eyes and breath are shining like jewels..." Náriel's voice trailed off quietly while she nodded slowly wondering if she translated it correctly.

She wasn't in a habit of translating, it wasn't something she was used to doing. Her thoughts drifted off and she became alert to the sounds of material being moved. Looking up, she couldn't help but let out a quiet laugh, the laugh earned her a look shot at her way though. It seemed that whatever fever was running its course was making it hard for Thorin to be either cool and comfortable, or overly hot and slightly grumpy; or grumpier than he was when she had earlier arrived. Right now, and what caused Náriel to laugh, was his rather irritated expression at the sight of the blankets and throws which were draped over his legs.

Halfway through kicking them off like they were physically burning him, he'd got caught up and begrudgingly had to lean forward to fully push the blankets away. Only this unfortunate blanket ended up getting thrown, not just pushed away. Looking to his bedside, Náriel stood up, shooing her hands at him, she sat down in front of him again. Leaning forward, she placed her hands into the bowl which was on the table. Despite being in a room with a fully burning fire, the water was cold. Chilled even as if it had just come out of a fresh spring.

Slowly pulling her hands out of the water, she wrung the cloth which had long since sunk to the bottom of the bowl. Fidgeting forward slightly, she brushed stray locks of hair out of his face and pressed the cloth against his forehead. The effect of the sudden cold piece of material caused him to give a small shudder. "You do realise, the more you stay awake, the more time it shall take for you to recover?"

Thorin frowned and crossed his arms. "You make it sound like I am on my death bed."

"That isn't even something to joke about..." Náriel said awkwardly while frowning at him.