Surviving The Storm (Evergreen #3)

Dwarfs (part one)

"We are supposed to be having dinner with Thorin and his nephews. You need to get ready." You say to Thranduil, who remained on the bed.

"I know" he said, though he remained exactly where he was.

"I guess I could always bring the dwarfs and the food and have dinner in here." You say, hoping to coax him out of bed.

"Okay, okay. I'm up." Thranduil said, moving off the bed.

"What, you don't want three dwarfs in bed with you?" you smirk.

"Not particularly." He scrunched his face up, as if smelling something awful.

"I didn't think so." you laugh, though your mind was in a dark place. You had never seen Thranduil so..... unsettled.

******************

"Thorin, it's so nice of you to accept our invitation to dinner." Thranduil says, actually sounding sincere.

"It's a pleasure to be invited." Thorin responds.

"These must be your nephews." Thranduil nods to the younger dwarfs next to Thorin.

"Yes, this is Fili." Thorin says, motioning to the fair haired dwarf.
"And this is his younger brother, Kili." Thorin motions to the darker haired one.

"Welcome to Mirkwood." Thranduil nods to them.

Neither of them say a word, and just stare incredulously at you and Thranduil.

"You'll have to forgive them, they haven't really been around Elves before." Thorin says, giving his nephews a stern look.

"Of course." Smiles Thranduil, "please, everyone be seated." He adds.

"I had the cooks prepare something special for you, we know how much you like meat." You say, once everyone had taken their place at the table.

"You didn't need to go through all of that trouble." Said Thorin, as the cooks set a plate in front of him.

"It was no trouble." you smiled kindly at him.

"Is there something on your mind?" Thranduil asks Kili, giving him a queer look.

"Um...no. Sorry." Kili blushes looking embarrassed.

"Then why do you stare?" Thranduil asks, clearly amused.

"Oh I wasn't. I didn't mean..." Kili trailed off, looking to Fili for help.

"How long have the two of you been together?" Fili quickly asks, looking from Thranduil to you.

"Why do you ask?" You look at Fili, curious.

"Well, you just seem like you've been together for a while. The way you glance at each other, it's like you're having your own private conversation, without actually having to say a word." Fili explained.

You blush, surprised by how observant he was.

"We have not actually.. 'been together' that long, as you say." Thranduil says, glancing your way.

"Oh" was all Fili said, clearly feeling out of place.

"Are the two of you fighters or anything?" Thranduil asks Fili and Kili, changing the subject.

"I am very skilled with a sword, and my brother is a skilled archer." Fili said, certainly feeling more comfortable than his brother, who was staring intently at his plate.

"Kili, you don't have to be so nervous. We don't bite." You say, looking to Kili.

He glances up giving you a half hearted smile.

"Thorin, what exactly did you tell your poor nephews about us?" you ask in a joking manner.

"Well, I might have mentioned how you would lock someone in a dungeon for looking at you the wrong way." Thorin jokes back.

You look at Thranduil, and start laughing.

"That's funny, because its kind of true." You say, when you had caught your breath.

"What?" Fili asked, both he and Kili looked utterly terrified.

"Yeah, when we were first.... getting to know each other... he had me locked in the prison for nearly a week." You say, and Thranduil gave you a sky smile.

"Is that true?" Thorin asked, eagerly looked to Thranduil.

"I had my reasons." Thranduil said, a serious look on his face, but you could see the humour in his eyes.

"I don't think I will ever understand elves." Thorin says, taking another bite of his food.

"Elves aren't really that complicated to understand. Our relationship is a different story." You say, in a joking tone, though you weren't joking at all.