Tópico: [Fanfic 4, cap. 09] Loyalty, Honor and a Willing Heart - Hot and Demanding

[Luinwen]

Chapter 9 – Hot and demanding

It was a relief to have only morning trainings, as Thorin believed now that the three women were not so bad at fighting as he thought at first glance. This gave Iris time do what she liked better – nothing at all – and to get to know better her new friends. Together with Bofur, Ori and Nori, some of the younger ones, and also Bilbo, she used to spend most of the afternoons chatting as she would have with her friends on the internet, and sometimes with Fíli and Kíli also, who weren’t thinking about some mischief to do only when they were doing it altogether, and she enjoyed that kind of fun.
Lily, on the other hand, found company where she didn’t expect it, although at first it seemed awkward to her. It began when she was spending a late afternoon in a secluded courtyard, making some drawings of the architecture of Imladris. The dwarf girl was sure she was alone, and muttered to herself, as she used to when drawing.
“This is not right. Such a curve means the brickwork is stronger than it seems. It must be made of something else.” The wind in the leaves disguised some footsteps behind her. “This is misleading. A different inner structure, maybe?” She made some notes on the paper margin while mumbling. “Never confide in what you see in an elf dwelling.”
“And what makes you mistrust an elf dwelling?”
Thorin’s voice close to her ear made her jump to her feet, dropping paper and pencils on the ground.
“Ah, I...”
He helped to pick up her things.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“No... no problem, sir.” She stammered. “I was just too absorbed in my thoughts, I didn’t hear you coming.”
He handled her some paper sheets and a pencil, smiling slightly.
“You draw finely.”
“Thank you.”
Lily thought it was the first time she saw him smiling, and she liked it.
“I couldn’t help hearing you. Do you mistrust these dwellings?”
To have someone beside his Company that mistrusted anything elvish was fair for him.
“Well, I see that by these curves it must be made from something stronger than it seems from the outside; it is not that it is not strong, but it seems so frail that can make one misjudge.”
Thorin weighed the statement in his mind and nodded.
“You do like buildings?”
“I am studying for it.”
“To be a builder?”
He arched his brows, a little surprised. It was not so usual along women.
“Yes, in a way. An architect plans, designs, calculates, and guides the ones who will really make the building. Or I was studying, before I came here.” She glanced down at her drawings. “I’m taking some notes for when I go home. If I ever go back home again.”
The dwarf touched her cheek, finding a small wet streak with his fingertips.
“Sometimes I wonder if I will ever be back at my home again, too. There is… a long way to go.”
“How long have you been away?”
He told her. Then, having kept it for too a long time, he told her more, far more than he intended; the struggle to rescue his people when Erebor was taken, the lack of help of the elven king, the years of wandering, the slow building of his halls at Ered Luin, the Blue Mountains, the battle at the gates of Khazad-dûm, the loss of his grandfather, of his father, of his brother, of his brother-in-law, father of Fíli and Kíli, and the sorrow of his sister; the long years in exile, working the forge to keep his arms strong for when the time to take Erebor would come; the prophecies, the recruitment of his Company, the denial of so many to join him, the hiring of Bilbo; and on he went up to when they met first time.
“And from here on you know.”
The sun had set and the stars were long shining bright in the sky when he stopped. Lily was amazed by how many things he went through in his life, and how long that life had been. She didn’t quite understand yet the life span of a dwarf and how she could fit in it. He thought it funny, with all the dense story of his life just remembered, he was having fun on guessing that stranger her age.
“You must be something around seventy, a little past your coming of age and a little younger than my nephews.” He stroke her hair gently. “These braids stand well for you; you should keep them.”
Lily blushed, thankful for the darkness to hide her face.
“I...” She didn’t know what to say. “Thank you.”
That had been the best afternoon Thorin had had in years, and he knew it.
“Let us go find some meat.”

ooo000ooo

The first free afternoon Ellen had she thought of getting to know more about Imladris, now that she didn’t have to fear the touch of something or someone and get flooded by memories that weren’t hers. Arwen was happy to have a new friend to run around with, as her people was so slow to have any novelty. Being virtually immortal meant to be responsible in reproductive issues, else the elves would have super-populated Middle-Earth ages ago, and she played the cicerone to Ellen.
There was the library, which she thought would be nice to visit with more time, the sewing room, the laundry, some kitchens and pantries, the house of healing, manufactories of many skills, living rooms and more living rooms, each one with a different view of the valley. As a matter of fact, it was called the last homely house but it could be called town.
Then they went outside, to see the orchards, the horses and ponies, and then the stranger elf saw smoke curling up from behind some trees, where there seemed to be a dark stone building.
“And over there, what is that?”
“Hmm, I didn’t know there was someone working today. I think you will like to see it, as Father told me you made your swords yourself. It is our forge.”
“Arwen, don’t mistake things, please! I made boffers back at my world and they changed themselves into swords after we came, it doesn’t mean I ever forged a single kitchen knife, all right?”
Arwen laughed heartedly.
“I know, my friend, but if you kept your swordplaying skills, why would you not keep your smith skills?”
“Because swordplaying is not so different from one place to another, and making a sword out of steel is completely different from gluing and duck-taping some pieces of plastic!”
“Maybe you are right, but if you liked this boffer making thing, it might be that you will like to smith, too. It is hot and demanding, but to see in your hands something you have made yourself is a delight!”
They got close to the building and heard some clangs of metal against metal; then they got in, careful to close each door after passing through, so the heat would not get out nor any fresh air get in, as any piece of forgery could be spoiled if it got a cold wind at the wrong time. In view of this, Elrond’s forge had a twisted entrance, with double doors, so the wind could never reach the workplace.
There really was someone working, hitting something in the anvil, his bare shoulders at them. He wore only his pants and boots, plus a though leather apron to keep his chest and tights from getting any spark. Sweat was dripping from his shoulders and arms, glistening from the light of the fire.
“Very hot, indeed!” Murmured Ellen, not meaning the forge at all. She knew who was there by the design of his boots, besides the fact that he was the only dwarf of that bearing she knew who wore no braids.
“What are you doing here?”
Kíli turned around to face them when he heard Ellen’s voice. She thought it must be a family use to greet people with this phrase. Arwen blinked.
“This is the forge of the house of my father. I am showing my friend around. What are you doing here?”
Ellen chuckled to see his embarrassment, tough Arwen stressed some words just for fun, not really to press him.
“I am here because I asked your brother if I could use it to make some arrow points, for I lost a lot of them against the orcs. And the one you call your friend is member of my company!”
“And which of my brothers did you ask to?”
“How can I possibly know? They look all the same!”
The three of them laughed heartedly, because the twins were really identical, having lead to several confusions at the recent party, mostly when Kíli got so drunk he thought he was seeing double and could not understand why his double visions were not acting identical. The elves were curious to see Kíli’s technique of making arrow points out of small pieces of mild steel, for dwarf arrow points were very different from the ones the elves used to make. He was making some broad-headed ones, hammering hard to get them into the shape he wanted, somewhat curved and with a good tang to fasten them to the shafts. He finished the one he was making and drank some water. As Arwen said, to smith was hot and demanding, and Ellen thought it was a pity that so much work would most probably be lost when the arrow was shot.
“Just for me to understand some things better, how many arrows do you use to carry with you?”
“Hmm, up to two dozens in the quiver, else it goes unbalanced, but then I carry more inside my backpack when I can, as we are going into a far journey.” He smiled wryly. “You never know what dangers you may find in your way.”
Ellen laughed back. “Yes, like a bunch of strange ladies in a cave!”
“Ouch, that was the most terrible peril I ever faced! From an orc or a troll I know what to expect, but between a hobbit-lass, a dwarf lady and an elven fancy one can lose his head in a minute!”
“Elven fancy?” Arwen laughed.
“Ah, hmm, I mean, whimsical... bizarre...”
“To lose one’s head, huh?” It was Ellen’s turn to laugh.
“Yes, ouch, to be beheaded!” And he made a gesture of having his throat cut.
“If you ever call me bizarre again, be sure I will behead you, man!”
Their laughter was interrupted by someone getting in. It was Figwit, who came to call Arwen back to the main house, as someone called Galadriel had arrived.
“Grandmother is here? I’ll go at once!” She turned back to Ellen. “You stay or go as you wish, I believe you won’t get lost anymore after all we wandered today!”
Ellen thought getting lost was something to consider seriously, but kept it to herself.
“I will stay a little longer, I want to see the arrow point making from the beginning.” She turned back to the dwarf. “If this master smith allows, of course.”
Kíli returned her a cheeky smile.
“You are welcome!”