Dwarven Denouement

37

Neana was pacing back and forth in their room. She felt bad for lying to Fili, but at the same time she didn't. She was going to fight, despite Fili saying no. Neana had snuck into one of the other armories and found some armor that fit her and a couple weapons. She missed her chain, but a double sided axe would do just fine.

She avoided Fili all day. Not because she was mad at him, but she knew that if she had to lie to him again she wouldn't be very successful. He was the only person she could think of that could read her like a book. She sighed as she looked outside. She could avoid Fili all day, but she knew she was going to have to face him at dinner, and when they went to sleep. Neana took a deep breath and went to the dining room.

She was second to enter, right after Bilbo. She took a seat next o him,"How did it go with the other dwarves?" Bilbo's mood lightened a bit,"They'll come." Neana smiled and the two were engulfed in silence. Bilbo cleared his throat and spoke cautiously,"I hear Fili won't let you fight?" Neana inhaled sharply and avoided his glance. Bilbo kept speaking,"But you still are?" She didn't reply and cast her eyes downwards, answering Bilbo's question.

Bilbo sighed,"Why Neana? He's trying to keep you safe." She quickly turned her head towards him,"But it's my fight to!" Bilbo didn't ask anymore and they both stayed silent as everyone else slowly came into the room.

Fili was concerned, Neana had not talked once during dinner and she excused herself early. He quickly excused himself and followed after her. He entered the room and quietly shut the door behind him. Neana was laying down on the bed, her back facing him. He said in a small voice,"Neana are you okay?" She didn't answer him. He just walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Neana woke before dawn. She moved slightly to feel Fili's arm draped across her hips. She smiled and carefully moved it. She got out of the bed and put on her slippers and hurried out the door, opening and shutting it silently. She stepped back and began to walk quickly down the corridor.

Unbeknownst to her, a certain little hobbit couldn't sleep and was also wandering the corridors. Bilbo was curious as to where she was going and decided to follow her. After a few minutes, Neana came to a stop in front of a large room with no doors. Bilbo noticed she looked apprehensive, but she walked into it anyway.

Bilbo cautiously took a few steps forward so he was now in the door way. He could not see Neana any longer, but he could hear her footsteps. He looked around once more, up and down the corridors, before he stepped in after her.

He followed the sound of her footsteps for a good number of minutes before he saw a torch begin to burn in a side of the large room. Out of surprise and habit bilbo quickly put on his ring, making him invisible.

He gazed around the now dimly lit room and saw that it may have been a library. Books and papers were strewn everywhere and many of the were singed. A rustling behind him caused Bilbo to turn around and see Neana furiously shifting through a pile of papers. Her eyes were narrowed and her brow furrowed with concentration as she tried to find what she was looking for.

Bilbo cautiously made his way forward and peered over Neana's shoulder. Bilbo was confused, she was looking at paint? Each paper she held in her hand had many assorted globs of paint on them.

He stood of to the side as Neana added water to some of the dots and stuck her fingers in them. When she pulled them out she had paint on her fingers and was turning to face a larger piece of paper. Bilbo, acting very agile, stepped over and around the numerous papers on the floor over to the larger paper.

Bilbo stepped in front of it and was in complete awe, it was a painting. Neana almost bumped into him as she reached forward and added another streak of color from her fingers to the canvas, making a smudge of yellow. Bilbo looked even more closely at the painting when Neana went back to get a different color.

It was a beautiful painting. Though it was only half done, the painted parts were gorgeous and the details on the sketch were astonishing. The colors all corresponded with one another, the proportioning was brilliant. If Bilbo didn't know any better, he believe he was standing in front of the person in the painting. In front of Fili.