Hey, pasteleiros de plantão, vou ficar muito feliz se houver algum comentário, assim eu cou saber que quem está lendo essa fic não é um bot, ok?
Bjokas com pipocas!
Next sunrise found them well on their way. The Company departed from Imladris in a fresh morning, full of hope and in a far better mood than when they arrived there. For most of them it was a more than needed refreshment, as they were traveling with almost no rest at all since the Blue Mountains, and that was months ago. The only thing to blur their mood was that Gandalf would not be with them, as he had to attend a meeting of the White Council – seemingly his boss was about to reach Imladris that day.
At first there was a little bemusement for the dwarves, as the three women found out in the worst moment that they had to ride and none of them had the slightest idea of what to do with a horse or pony. If anyone had thought of this, they could have at lest tried to learn the basics back at Imladris, but it was completely out of her minds that it would be necessary, as they found the dwarves on foot and none of them ever had a need to use a horse as transportation; on the other hand, no dwarf nor elf would ever guess that they didn’t ever ride a pony before
“Be at easy, Lady Iris, you will get the knack of it right away.”
Bilbo was caringly trying to ease Iris’s fear of falling down the pony Elrond lent to her. She laughed.
“Bilbo, dear, please do not call me a lady! I go embarrassed, it is not used in my world for some hundred years already!”
It was his turn to go embarrassed.
“But then, how should I beckon you respectably? You definitely are not a lady – I mean, a girl, if you feel it suits you better – that should not be treated the most respectably way one could.”
“But Bilbo, you already treat me with all respect someone can dream of! As a matter of fact, sometimes you are even more respecting than you should, do you know?”
He considered what that could possibly mean, but things didn’t quite fit.
ooo000ooo
Lily and Ellen had had a long conversation the night before, after the dance incident. The elf was amused by what she thought she had seen and wanted Lily to confirm her suspicions, but the dwarf-lass was reluctant to open herself to her aunt, and also still angry at Thorin mentioning the dance they had as a lesson to his nephews. Now, with them trying to balance themselves on the pony and the horse, Ellen touched the subject again.
“Lily flower, dear, you don’t have to be shy at your aunty! You know I have always been at your side, don’t you?”
“Yes, Ellen.” The girl answered, quietly.
“When have I ever messed up with anything that you really wanted?”
“In alphabetic or chronologic order?”
They both laughed at their internal joke. Then Lily got serious again, lowering her eyes to the reins of her pony.
“Aunty, I know what I feel for... someone... but I’m not so sure about him. No more.”
“You know we are among people who have different customs and traditions from what we are used to, don’t you?”
“Yes, I fancy, but how different?”
“I dare say different enough for strong feelings to be misunderstood; the dwarves have a different way of showing they care for someone. They must show they are strong and protective, and it can sometimes be mistaken for harshness or bad temper, especially in more mature ones, if you take what I mean. Another point is that in our world it is more usual that a woman waits for the man to take the initiative, and this is not quite so with the creatures of Mahal. A miner may find a jewel, but it is the jewel who chooses to be with her guardian, because she is not his property.”
“You are already talking like a dwarf, Aunt! How do you know so much about them, or about how they show their feelings?”
Ellen laughed quietly.
“I have had some opportunity to know more about them while you were having your swordplaying classes, dear! Now, I must talk to you about a serious matter. If you are... interested... in the someone I guess you are, you must know there will be a high price to pay, don’t you?”
Lily shook her head.
“What do you mean? What is the price?”
“To have Fíli and Kíli calling you “aunty” right away!”
ooo000ooo
After the conversation with Lily, Ellen settled beside Dwalin and Balin and they chatted like old friends exchanging news. As a matter of fact, since the duel they both used to discuss warfare with her, who actually had her mastering degree in strategics and was fascinated by the opportunity to compare business strategy with actual warfare. To ride close to Kíli was impossible with Thorin’s personal dark cloud hovering over his head, and they had had almost no opportunity to talk to each other after Thorin’s negative. They had embraced and kissed warmly after the Midsummer-Eve party, and parted knowing it would be hard to have a chance to be together on the road, now that Fíli’s plan had failed. But the Jewel Dance and her talk with Lily were giving Ellen ideas, and she thought there was a chance to negotiate things and turn the tide.
Lily was still unhappy, but pondering the things her aunt explained to her. It was not at all different from what Kíli had suggested days ago, and shed some more light on Thorin’s undecipherable personality. He was responsible for his people, as she herself said to her sister, and they were going to reconquest their own home from a bloody beast, and having three strangers within his company was disturbing, most of all because dwarf women never went to war; so, she was not only a stranger for being not known before as she was a weird stranger, a dwarf-lass fighter in the wild, something unthinkable by a dwarf mind. Then it hit her. If he was being harsh to show he cared, it was her turn to show him she appreciated his care and protection. She managed to advance her pony to his side.
He nodded, looking at her sideways, to acknowledge her presence beside him, but nothing more. She had to be bolder if she wanted to clear up things.
“It was a nice dance.”
“What?”
“Last night. When you saved me from being spun around. I would have fallen if it weren’t for you. I didn’t have the chance to thank you until now.”
He looked at her, smilingly.
“It was nothing.”
“For me, it was a lot.”
They rode a little more in silence. In front of the Company, it seemed easier to get milk from stone than to get a decent conversation with Thorin. She got an idea.
“What should a jewel do?”
“What?”
“While dancing, you said the things a dwarf should do when he finds a jewel. And the jewel, what should she do?”
He smiled. It was a good thing that she wanted to know more about dwarf-lore. If his plans came out as he wished, she should be one versed in everything about his people.
“It is not so different from what the guardian of the jewel should do. To take care even in the things you may thing are lesser, this is the first verse for both.”
“And then?”
He begun to declaim quietly, thinking that she probably would not like the second verse.
“A jewel is formed in the forges of time, so, she has not to have haste; a jewel must shine brightly to show honor on her guardian, and to make him proud of her; a jewel shall always polish herself, to shine more and more truly, else her finder may think she is a mere pebble; a jewel has a light of her own, so she is bound to enlighten the ones around her; and a jewel must be whole, unbroken and unbreakable.”
“This is beautiful.”
“Yes, but serious too. If you pay close attention to the verses, you will see it is a code of conduct, an instruction list of how a man and a woman should behave to each other. Care, respect, independence, confidence, patience, continuous self improvement, integrity, and of course, compromise for life.”
“I still think it beautiful. In my world it is hard to find people willing to compromise for life.”
“For a dwarf, anything different from compromise for life is not an option.”
“Why?”
“A dwarf may even have some flirting, though it is not very commendable, but tolerated; beyond this, there is only one way.”
“I don’t understand.”
He turned to her and made sure she looked into his eyes when he said.
“A dwarf loves only once in life, and it is for life.”
ooo000ooo
They made a good distance along the day, stopping shortly to eat and rest a bit, the women having help to get down from the ponies and horse, feeling sore for the first ride of their lives. Iris found out there were sore muscles she didn’t even know that existed. At least, they didn’t have to carry everything on their backs, which was a blessing. Thorin had called for the halt beside a creek, and they begun to set up camp. Lily realized it was the first time they would camp along with the dwarves and was curious about how they dealt with outdoors fare. They brought no tents at all, as they followed Elrond’s advice to ride light and fast until they reached the other side of the mountains, having to keep their warmth at night only with the bedrolls. As it was summer, it would not be a problem while they were on the plains, but up in the ridge of the Misty Mountains she saw snow and got apprehensive. She got to the creek to wash her hands and face and stirred up a couple of woodcocks, squawking angrily for her coming too close to their nest. It gave her an idea and she begun to rummage along the bank.
ooo000ooo
Fíli, Kíli and Iris were the ones to watch the ponies while they grazed, as after the troll incident Thorin would not allow his nephews to do it alone, but they still were a choice for this task due to their good sight. They just could not have the chance to get distracted with each other, and Iris was one who had the ability to make them focus, believe it or not. Usually she was the one who hushed them when they talked too much and got distracted, but this evening Kíli was awkwardly silent, and Iris noticed it.
“All right, Kíli, what is the mischief of the day?”
He just shook his head, his eyes lost in thought, pretending to look at the horses. Fíli perceived there was absolutely nothing right with his brother.
“Kíli, what is wrong with you?”
The dark haired dwarf closed his eyes, not wanting to let it out. Along the riding day it was easier, but now he could not avoid their questioning.
“Uncle is wrong.”
“As we usually find out when he goes not along with what we want, is this it?”
“Fíli, this time it is different. I am not at flirting, this is no joke, no passing fancy! Without Ellen I will die! How can it be settled?” He looked at his brother with eyes wide open, glazed as if with a fever.
“Hard-headedly speaking, it could be just a matter of time, as Thorin is older than you and in the long run it is most probable that he will die before you and then you will have to comply with his decisions no more, but I’d rather get things settled long before his passing away happens, as I respect him deeply and would really love to have his blessing on our union.”
The three horse-watchers looked up at Ellen, who happened to step in the middle of them out of the blue. Kíli sprang up and embraced her, burying his face into her long raven black hair.
“I missed you so much!” Kíli’s voice was hoarse. She lowered her head to his shoulder and replenished herself with the smell of his body and the heat of his hands. She muttered softly under her breath just for him to hear.
“This day away from you was like a whole year to me!”
He stepped away and looked sternly at her eyes.
“But I saw you talking to Balin and Dwalin all the day long. You didn’t seem to miss me then!”
She shook her head, smiling.
“Kíli, Kíli, Kíli, try to be a little more self-confident, would you?” By the look in his eyes Fíli and Iris knew it was not the first time that kind of issue had emerged. “Don’t be angry at my Little Brothers, or who do you think is distracting Thorin right now so I can come close to you? He is worse than a bloody watchdog, your uncle!”
Kíli looked up at her, pulling away form her hardly two inches.
“What will we do? I will lose my head if I have to be another day away from you!”
“As an old professor of mine used to say, it is possible to negotiate anything.” She had a mischievous look in her eyes. “Keep calm, I have a plan.”
ooo000ooo
After dinner Ellen managed to get Thorin’s attention mentioning something about the ponies, and they walked to where the small herd was tied for the night after grazing. He sensed something queer would come, but had his mind far too occupied with the memory of Lily looking for him to talk along the day that he was almost off guard. Almost.
“Lord Thorin, I would like to have more diplomatic words but I have not. We must talk. From leader to leader.”
“We have nothing to talk about.”
“Yes, we have, for the safety of the Company’s sake.”
“What do you mean?”
“You must have your Company whole, focused, united, or you will never get through what has to be done to get Erebor back, and you know this, as you are a leader of men.”
“Yes. And so…?” He uplifted an eyebrow.
“One distressed man can bring trouble to everyone. I would not risk our safety out of pride if I were you.”
“Hear me, elf, if anyone in my Company is distressed it is only because of you! So, if you really care about safety, you should stop distressing the one we are talking about.” He was angry now, but she was not less than him.
“What distresses him is not me, but the lack of me, and this is because of you and only you! Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrór, to whom I swore loyalty, I ask you to use your senses and lift up your forbiddance. I know Durin’s line has had unbearded women before, be less Neanderthal and use your reason! There is nothing in me that could possibly tarnish your line!”
Thorin hadn’t the slightest idea of what a Neanderthal was, but it sounded to him that he would not like to know anyway.
“You are an elf, and this is enough.”
She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. It would not be easy.
“Do you trust the judgment of Balin and Dwalin?”
“Of course I do. I’d trust my life to them.”
“Then why don’t you trust their judgment on me? If they believe we are from the same alloy, why don’t you? They being my Little Brothers doesn’t make me a little dwarvish too? Am I not stubborn enough for you?”
He was sure she was, but he himself was more.
“Things are not so simple, woman! I cannot agree to a relationship that will only bring frustration and sorrow to my nephew.”
“I would never do anything that could possibly bring sorrow to him!”
“No? Why are you going to Erebor, in first place?” He didn’t wait for her to answer. “To find the Gate and flee to your world, that is it, leaving a broken hearted boy behind! You have no idea of what can happen to a dwarf who loves and is forsaken!” She tried to say something but he kept on, bitter. “Yes, I know an elf can die for grief, but we dwarves have not this grace; we struggle on, each day a torture, the memory of the beloved one haunting your unsleeping nights and your nightmare days, until the day comes when you should die, and this can be hundreds of years far when you talk about a youngling. So if there is any chance that you will do this harm to Kíli, beware of me, for I’ll hunt you and assure you regret every tear you may make him cry!”
The silence was cut by his heavy breathing. He was really angry, and now Ellen perceived why. It had nothing to do with her being an elf at all. But, thanks to Varda, it was already settled in her heart.
“Sir Thorin, I acknowledge your worries, but I swear you can rest assured that you will not have to hunt me anywhere, for I have already made my choice. I must find the Gate of Erebor because my brother, father of my nieces and my only family, must at least know what happened to us. I understand Iris is far too young to decide for herself, and I deem she should better go back home; Lily has already come to age, she can decide for herself, although I believe I know what will be her choice, but it is not mine to tell; and as for my own choice, sir, it has already been made. I will stay. My place is where Kíli is. I will not break his heart. I would shed my very blood for him.”
“Be careful with what you promise, Mahal uses to grant the wishes of whom tempts him.”
“Thorin, I am willing to give up my entire life, in fact my very world. I’m leaving everything behind, would you really begrudge me your blessing? You told me of what happens to a dwarf that loved and was forsaken, but what of a dwarf who loves and is forbidden to fulfill his love? Will his life be less miserable knowing there is a jewel for him that he can never have? Or what more do you hold against me?”
“If you are able to understand, I mean my nephew should not be bothered by someone of less than royal lineage.”
“Well, sir, I am not sure if you are able to understand a mastering degree in business administration can be far more significant in the place I came from than a bloody lineage.” He stared at her with steel eyes and she got on before he could say anything. “And before you think badly of my manners, by bloody lineage I mean a lineage that is carried on by the blood.”
“Actually, you are not in the place you came from, so it may be wiser for your health that my nephew is not bothered anymore.”
Ellen gave him a sheepish smile, finally putting her plan at work.
“As you wish, sir, as long as my niece is not bothered either.” He gave her a sharp look. Until then, he was sure he was not being so obvious. This switched the balance, although he was already almost convinced by her arguments. Almost. “Not that I care if she is bothered by someone of less than a first line university, as long as she is happy. Not like all aunts and uncles, I trust the judgment of the children of my sibling.”
“It is not that I mistrust my nephew’s judgment, it is that I am responsible for him, I must keep an eye on him.”
“Hmm. So, then, I believe we can think of this as an exchange of favors.” Said the elf, narrowing her eyes, with a mischievous smile in her lips.
“What kind of exchange?”
“I keep an eye on your nephew, while you keep an eye on my niece.”
This was possibly the best excuse he needed.
“Dealt.”
ooo000ooo
Next morning the Company awoke to the smell of fried bacon. Lily and Ellen, who had offered to take the last watch, were frying eggs in Bombur’s large frying pan and serving them in a row of the general purpose bowls the company used for every meal, along with chunks of bread and butter the elves had provisioned them with. The heavenly smell got into Thorin’s nostrils as he dozed out of his dreams half expecting to see his mother smiling at him at the door of his bedroom back at Erebor, a life ago. He opened his eyes to find Lily beside him with a bowl of fried eggs and a mug of mint tea ready for him.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m just taking care of the breakfast. I found some nests yesterday and collected the eggs. We had some bacon left from our former provisions. I...” She lowered her eyes, shyly. “I noticed at Imladris that you like fried eggs in the morning. It is only a small thing, but...”
Thorin lifted up her chin with a finger so she would look at him.
“This is not a small thing. Breakfast was not even your duty today. Why?”
“I... I know it is not proper for a dwarf woman to be out in the wild; it would be otherwise if I could; but as it is, I don’t want to be a burden, I want to be useful, and if I can make your day start better with this little effort, why not?”
“You made the day of the whole Company start better, not just mine.” He was smiling now.
“It would not be fair to treat them any different only because you are the one...” Her voice disappeared.
“The one what, child?”
She found a way to dissemble and said quietly, while rising to her feet and trying to disappear.
“The one I call my king.”
Tópico: [Fanfic 4, cap. 12] Loyalty, Honor etc - On the Road Again (Lida 5572 vezes)