The Shire's Deadly Flower

Of Runes and Late-Night Conversations

Arwen slammed the door of her chambers behind her as we entered. I gave her a look of contempt as she leaned against her door and smiled evilly.

"Arwen, no. Just no."

"No what?" she was barely containing a laugh and shaking.

"I know what you're thinking, and no. Absolutely not."

"Absolutely not what?"

"I'm not admitting anything to you." I put my hand on my hips, then I crossed my arms, but I settled for twisting my fingers in and out of the fabric of my skirt.

"What in all of Arda could I possibly want you to say to me?" my mind drifted to just minutes earlier, when I had sat so close to Thorin that I could have reached out and touched him.

"That I was enjoying breaking the rules at dinner?" I cringed when she shook her head.

"I don't need you to tell me what I already know. I want you to admit something else."

"What?" it came out as a squeak.

"You know full well what." I coughed and choked for a few minutes before I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

"Alright. I was drooling over Thorin at dinner...."

"But?"

"But it's more than that. He's so brave, he's a great leader, he's selfless, he's dreamy, and that's not even mentioning his singing voice!" I opened my eyes, waltzed over to Arwen's bed, and flopped down onto it in despair. I scrunched my nose at her. "You enjoy watching me suffer don't you?" Arwen moved from the door to stand by the window. She nodded.

"What am I going to do? I've survived a month without saying anything. Now that I've told someone, this is going to be nagging me until I tell someone else. And I'll be cooped up with him on this quest for Lord knows how long. What am I going to do, Arwen? It's not like I can avoid him."

"Well, you could save your brother from you and your handsome king's traveling companions for a start." I ran to the window and gaped. In the courtyard below, Bilbo was being chased by Fili, Kili, and Bofur while the rest of the dwarves stood around watching and laughing.

"Oh good Lord.... I'LL BE BACK, ARWEN!" and with that I burst out of her chambers and down into the courtyard.

When I arrived, Bilbo was still being chased by Fili and Kili. Bofur and a few others had given up and gone to sit in the fountain. Bilbo breathed a sigh of relief when he saw me.

"Thank heavens, Bella, you're here! Save me from these fiends! They've been chasing me for HOURS!"

"Bilbo, I highly doubt that it's been hours. Boys, be civil. What were you chasing my brother for?" Fili and Kili screeched to a halt. They were both shirtless and they pulled it off extremely well.

"Well, we were only trying to get him to go swimming. As you can see." Fili smirked, flexing his muscles.

"Yeah, I don't see what the problem is." Kili smiled. Just as I was about to respond, splashing from the direction of the fountain caught my attention. I looked from Kili to the fountain and gasped loudly.

Thorin had turned and was smiling widely at me. I could only see his top half, but if I had seen anymore, I most likely would have dropped dead on the spot. He, like his nephews, was shirtless, but he far surpassed them. He was built like a bear and, from what little I could see of his upper chest, he had the hair of one too. Oh, how I longed to be one of the many little water droplets clinging to his muscular chest and arms.