Dwarven Denouement

5

They had just barely gotten there before Kili jumped in the lake screaming with joy. Fili laughed and ran after his brother. They both splashed water at each other, dunked each other's heads, and played water games. All the while Neana sat on the bank watching them, deep in thought.

Kili noticed her sitting and whispered something to Fili, who, after some persuasion nodded. Neana was so deep in thought, that she didn't notice the blonde dwarf get out of the water and walk up behind her. Fili grabbed Neana and held in his arms as he walked to the lake and stopped at the very edge. Neana seemed to not understand what he was doing for a moment, and when she realized his plan she just looked at him with narrow eyes."What are you doing?", she asked skeptically.

Fili just gave her an innocent look and said,"Nothing, why?"

He quickly moved his arms out from under her, making Neana fall in the river. She threw her arms around Fili's neck trying to stay above water, only to fail. Taking Fili with her. Fili submerged smiling and looked for Neana. Only she didn't seem to have come up yet. Fail was now panicking looking all around in the water when he felt two small hands on his shoulders. He turned around to see who it was but before he could his head was in the water. He stood up, turning expecting to see his brother, but instead he found Neana with a devilish grin on her face. Fili was about to splash her back when he heard hid broth shouting.

"Hey guys! Come look at this!"Neana swam up to the bank and climbed out, running to Kili. Fili following at her heels. Kili stood by a tree that was on a little plateau raised above the water. "What is it?", asked Fili.Kili pointed up at the tree and said,"There's a rope!"

"What's a rope doing tied up in a tree for?"Neana laughed, he seriously didn't know what it was for? "Here, let me show you what it's for.", she said grabbing the rope and stepping onto a large rock.

"What are you-"But before Fili could finish his sentence, a wet cloak was thrown in his face. When he removed it, Neana had jumped of the rock and swung on the rope. Once she was over the water, she let go and plunged in. When she came up, the look on the boys faces were priceless.

Kili jumped as he grabbed the rope."My turn!" He got on the rock and swung over the water. He let go and landed a few feet by Neana. He swam up to her, slashing her in the face laughed. Neana laughed to, then looked up at Fili, who was still looking rather shocked.

"Come on Fili!", she shouted, "The waters fine!"

Fili looked from Neana to Kili, he noticed Kili was behind Neana on the bank acting like a chicken. Fine. Fili tossed Neana's cloak on a high tree branch to dry out, and grabbed the rope. He took a deep breath, and swung. Not 2 seconds later he was in the water laughing with Neana. She has a nice laugh, he thought. Kili splashed water at the two of them, some of the water went into Fili's mouth making him sputter, and Neana and Kili laugh even harder.

They stayed in the water for a few more minutes, splashing and dunking each other, before they finally heaved themselves into the bank, panting with exhaustion."That was great!", said Kili breathlessly. "Neana, you have got to hang out with us more often!"

Neana seemed really surprised. "Really!? You want to keep hanging out with me?"

"Well yea that's kind of what friends do. They hang out.",Kili chuckled.

Neana smile grew a big smile on her face when she heard the word friend."We also most definitely play games, but not like the one you played with those other two dwarves, I don't link that one."

"They aren't my friends.", Neana snapped. She looked disgusted at the mere thought of them.Fili was confused. When they helped her, they thought it was a game gone a little too rough. He looked at Neana and asked, "If they aren't you friends and they weren't playing some sort of game, who are they and what were they doing?"

She seemed really reluctant to tell them. If she told them why would they hate her to? She really didn't want to lose these guys after she was just deemed their friend.

"Neana come on you can tell us.",Kili said reassuringly. He must have noticed that she was uncomfortable. She then sighed. She launched into full story of how she had been teased since when she was young about not having a beard. By the time she was done, it was well past noon and Fili was looking at her with a sad look in his eyes. As soon as she looked over at Kili, he had his arms around her neck.

"I understand.", was what he whispered. Before letting her go and smiling at her. Fili now feeling sort of bummed out, got up and looked over at the two, "We should probably head back. Mother will want to know where we are."Kili laughed,"Since when do you care if mother knows where we are?"But Fili didn't answer. He was already walking back towards the village. Kili looked at Neana confused, she just shrugged in response.

"Oh my cloak!", she exclaimed, looking back to the tree. Fili turned around and asked, "Do you need help getting it?"

"No, you guys go ahead, I'll get it." Neana jogged off to the tree. Kili looked at his brother, "Are you really going to go there by herself?"

Though they have known her for only 2 days, they know she is rather clumsy. Fili sighed and walked after her. When he was up on the hill, he saw Neana standing on her tip toes, reaching for her cloak. Fili couldn't help but snicker a bit when he saw her. Then she jumped up and grabbed hold of the cloak. She smiled triumphantly. That triumph was short lived though, because when she stopped down from the rock she was on, she lost her balance and fell on her behind in the dirt.

Fili completely lost it then. He burst out laughing. Neana was startled when she heard him. She looked over and saw him laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes. She blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed, but that embarrassment was short lived because Fili's laughter was contagious. In a few short moments Neana, still on the ground was laughing just as hard as Fili was. After he had calmed down a bit he offered Neana a hand up.

"Are you alright?", he asked, still laughing softly as he helped her up.

Neana's face was red. Slightly from embarrassment, but more from laughing so hard.

"Yes I'm fine. I've never laughed so much in my life.", she smiled.

Fili smiled warmly. She returned the smile. They stood there for about a moment before Fili realized that they were still holding hands. He quickly let go.

"Well uh-um lets go.", he stammered. He was becoming rather flustered as he felt a blush coming on. When Neana didn't move, Fili looked at her curiosly.

She smiled that devilish smile of hers as she said,"Race you there!" Before Fili could even react she bolted past him and was running home. Fili shook himself out of his daze as he took after her smiling. She was fast, but not faster than Fili. He quickly came up behind her and picking her up by her waist and spinning her around.

When he set her down she was giggling."What was with the pretty princess twirling?", she smirked."I wasn't pretty princess twirling. I was....burly dwarf turning?"Neana looked at him and began laughing again."Burly dwarf turning?", she said in between laughs.Fili started laughing, seeing how that was a silly response. The two were then started walking back to the village.

What they didn't know, was that little rascal Kili had gone off and brought Thorin to the lake. Where they saw everything. Kili looked up at his uncle with a smirk on his face,"I told you so."

"You sure did Kili. You sure did.", replied Thorin. Knowing that later, he was for sure going to give Fili a hard time.