Mermaids Curse

Socks and Flowers

At first Fili and Kili didn't actually notice that anything was wrong once they'd left the cave. The two siblings just grinned at each other, full to the brim with pride that they'd made it with the Mermaid safely intact in Kili's arms. Satisfaction over whelmed them, which is when they looked to the others, expecting them to be chuffed also. But they didn't, the rest of the company stared wordlessly and the quivering female in Kili's arms.

It was Amara all right, even though her face was hidden beneath Kili's coat there was no mistaking that cascade of golden, wet hair. Her skin however did not have its usual golden hue and had turned a sickly green in colour. Most of all, which started Kili so much he nearly dropped the girl, was that her bottom half was no longer a parade of golden scales and fins, but instead a pair of slim, smooth, slightly green, legs.

She whimpered from under Kili's coat, clearly in pain. Her open wound was still bleeding, although not particularly heavily, but her blood was a pale turquoise in colour.

Thorin's gaze drifted from Fili to Kili, then back to the trembling Mermaid – if you could still call her that – and remanded silent, but the siblings read Thorin's look.

"T-Those creatures got her, we couldn't just leave her." Kili mumbled, not making eye contact with his uncle. Another whimper came from the bund of green and gold in his arms. She was soaking wet, cold and every clearly distressed.

Thorin did not say a word for quite some time, his thoughts and emotions were in utter turmoil.

When he finally spoke his voice was surprisingly hoarse.

"Can she walk?"

Kili looked down at the female and gave her a gentle squeeze and then a light shake in an attempt to get her attention. She peaked out his coat, and caught sight of her knew limbs. Clearly by her following actions she did know they were there.

"Aaaa-eeee!" She propelled herself from Kili in a whirlwind of water and hair, landing on the ground with a hard thud (she was obviously not as graceful on land as she was in the water) and gawked at her legs which lay awkwardly sprawled out in front of her. She wiggled her toes and made a noise of surprise.

"Can you walk, lass?" Bofur tried, coming forward gently and crouching to her level. Everyone was silent and watched intently as the girl looked at him with large, round eyes. She sniffed in response and wiggled her nose before grabbing one of her feet and pulling it up to her face for closer inspection. She had never seen toes before, of course she'd seen legs but toes! She lost balance and toppled over.

It was Bifur's turn now, and he didn't take such a soft approach. He simply strode over to the confused girl and in one swift movement hoisted her up. He held her arms to steady her as her newly formed knees wobbled slightly.

Thorin couldn't help but think she looked like a baby dear taking its first steps. Her large golden eyes begged for comfort and her bare, totally hairless legs shook under her weight. Her normal colouring had returned now, and in the rising sun her skin glowed a soft gold. Her hair kept catching the light and although still slightly damp it glistened. Thorin watched her face. She wasn't like a Dwarven woman, that's for sure, although she was surprisingly small, standing maybe an inch taller than the Hobbit did, but she had always been petite. Her hands had been swallowed by his when he held them only the night before. Her face was soft, the only hair on it being a pair of beautifully arched eyebrows and long thick lashes. Her nose was like a little tomato, cute as a button and her jaw was smooth. Completely polar to the sharp square jaws of female Dwarves (if ever visible from under their beards). Her lips were not a bright red and her cheeks were not rosey either, instead her lips were full and a pinky, peach in colour and her cheeks being a soft, dusty pink. But it was those large eyes that made her so alluring, and Thorin found himself understanding why sailors would pursue such a creature. She was so innocent, so untainted by the horrors of the outside world. But she was also strong, brave and had a heart of gold. He finally admitted it: his first impression was wrong. Thorin Oakenshield had been wrong.