The 15th Member

10

As I stood there, my own hand in Thorin's large strong hand we looked out at the Lonely Mountain.

It was a beautiful sight, and somehow actually seeing it made our quest seem real, like we hadn't been going through all of this for nothing.

"I do believe the worst is behind us." Bilbo added with a wide grin, not only had I been hugged and kissed in front of everyone by Thorin, but he openly apologized to both Bilbo and I, somewhat accepting us as true members on this wild quest.

"I hope you're all right, now on that note we should probably find a place to finally get some rest." Gandalf insisted.

Thorin nodded and we walked down the ledge and onto more flat land shaded by trees.

"Nori Dori, build fires." Thorin instructed, "Kíli you're on hunting detail, we eat whatever you bring back lad, so don't let us down, Fíli go with him. Gloin and Bifur, scout about and start trying to find ways off of this place, I will send Ori when dinner is ready. Everyone else try and relax if even for a minute."

Thorin walked, and as my hand was still intertwined in his I walked with him.

We walked past the rest of the guys, through some trees, and then some more and when he finally stopped I was quickly pinned to a tree and his mouth came crushing down on mine.

I gave in as everything in my body screamed for more.

But all too quickly he stopped.

"You saved my life."

I remained silent as it wasn't a question.

"Why would you do that, risk your own life for mine?"

I looked at him square in his eyes, "because I love you, I didn't know it at first, I think I had a small inkling of my feels for you that day the Wargs chased us into Rivendell."

"But you shouldn't love me Maecel, I'm, I'm too complicated, my life is too rough."

I stepped closer and chanced it by lifting my hand grabbing one of his, "after everything we've been through, you still think me too weak?"

He chuckled, "Maecel I've only made the mistake of thinking you weak once, and that's when I stumbled upon a large Hobbit Hole your beauty stunned me and to regain myself I acted on impulse and put you down, but you quickly put me in my place with not only your words, but your actions." He smiled and lifted his free hand to caress my face, "it was then that I knew you were my equal, I tried to push my feelings away but you have this pull over me that I just can't help but stay near you."

I closed my eyes as his hand cradled my face, his rough thumb softly stroking my cheek.

I instantly though of every situation we had ever been in, and he was right. Our first night we had to sleep outside, he stayed near me all night, Being captured by the trolls, I was near him. running from Orcs on their Wargs, I was near him, the stone giants, the goblin kings lair, and even on the tree, I was always near him.

"But i'm just an Elf."

A deep rough sound filled the air in the form of his chuckle. Once more he grabbed my face with his other hand making me look up at him. He let his forehead rest against mine. "Maecel I doubt very much you've ever JUST been an Elf." He replied tenderly as he kissed my lips once. "My prejudice of all elves has blinded me on many occasions, but in truth the Rivendell elves have never slighted us, it was Thranduil who refused to help us when we needed help the most."

"How do you know I am not an elf of the Mirkwood?" I asked.

He smiled, "my prejudice might have blinded me, but when it has anything to do with you I can see clear as day, I watched closely the way the King of Rivendell looked lovingly at you when he spoke of his daughter."

I blushed as I now knew he really had been paying close attention to me this entire journey.

"A lot of people will not like this union."

"When have you ever known me to care about the opinion of others?" He countered.

"I don't know much about you except the tales I have been told." I admitted a little shyly.

"We will learn as we go along, we have ample time to get to know everything about each other."

We made our way back to camp as we encompassed each other in various facts about ourselves, by the time we sat down for dinner he had learned all about my true parentage, my childhood, my likes and dislikes.

"I've never seen you use your knives." He said with a smile as if the thought of me playing with such deadly weapons humored him.

"It's probably for the best." I said, "I never miss my target, so if I had wanted you to see, you might not be sitting here right now."

He chuckled deeply.

"Do you really not recall that time I saved you from the goblin, the one that tried to behead you."

He stared flatly at me, "I thought that was Fíli." He confessed.

It is true that Fíli is adorned with various knives all over his person but it had been me to save him.

After dinner we laid down right next to each other, for the first time he allowed someone else to take first shift and lookout for everybody.

We started off laying on the ground looking up at the random clouds that filled the vast blue sky as he told me about his life. But as we got to him and his people finding refuge in the Blue Mountain I found myself laying against his chest, we laid on his cloak and covered ourselves with mine.

I felt like I had just closed my eyes when I felt him shift and I knew he was trying to get up.

I sat up and he kissed me once, "get some more rest Maecel, you will need it."

I nodded and grabbed my satchel to use as a pillow since he was no longer there, I closed my eyes and then heard his feet move just a little away from me, then another set of feet approached him.

"So..."

"Say what you need to Dwalin." Thorin sounded gruffly.

"It's just, she's an Elf, and after what they've done to us."

"She wasn't there when it happened, we cannot blame others for Thranduil's actions." He snapped back.

"Is this because she saved your life?"

"It's because I love her!" Thorin nearly growled. A moment passed in total silence, "I have loved her since I first met her and with every action she has proven me right in loving her. What other women, Dwarf or otherwise, would be willing to give up their life for someone not of their kin, and yes she has saved my life, more than once actually."

"If you marry her, she will be our Queen." Dwalin continued.

"Then I suppose you will have to start treating her as such, go to sleep, I can keep watch by myself."

I listened as a heavy set of footsteps walked away.

. . . . .

"Orcs!"

My eyes flew open and in and instant I pulled my satchel on and readied my bow.

Thorin ran over and I scooped up his cloak for him, "make haste Maecel, and run."

There was no long glances of loving tenderness, neither was a kiss planted on either one of us by the other, there was no time to show our love as we quickly went on our way.

We ran in a large group down the Carrock away from the Orc Pack that continued to chase us.

"There!" Bilbo shouted, "a b-bear!"

It seemed that The Orcs weren't the only things tracking us now. Gandalf looked frantically around before ushering us toward a large house, the huge bear hot on our trail.