Star-Crossed

Chapter 4

 “She’s pretty good, the elf.” Dwalin said, watching her block Thorin’s blade. “We should challenge them.”

 “Uh, ok, no. We’re twice their height and weight, thrice at least for the elf, and she might be good, but brother, you’re a brute.”

“Thanks, Balin, now let’s go.” The boys started towards the children. As they grew closer they saw the intensity of the fight had risen. Thorin was good, especially for his age, the elf was just as good, the only thing she had on him, agility. She could bend backwards to dodge a blade and get right up. She could fall and be up before you could process she was ever down, she was just faster than Thorin.

“Aye!” Dwalin called. They stopped and looked at the older two dwarves.

“Hello Dwalin, hi Balin.”

“Hello lad, who’s your friend?” Balin asked, trying to get a name out of one of them.

“Beuren.” She said, looking up at him.

“Shall we duel?” She smiled.

 Ten years later…

“You’re on!” Beuren yelled. Kirdral leapt to his feet.

“’Bout time!” Thorin sighed getting to his feet, following Beuren out to the training arena. The two had become very close, too close some might say. He was regularly asked if he had feelings for the lass, he always responded with a smile and a ‘I don’t know yet’.

“C’mon Elendil, let’s go.” That was what most people called her, Elendil, her last name, it had started only several years back, Balin had asked her what her last name was, it just stuck. The normal dwarves would say ‘it’s just a nickname’, but if you asked Thorin, he would say ‘it’s elegant, Star-Lover, gives her kind of a, lethal beauty kind of a name’. Though, he would never admit that he only called her Elendil or Star-Lover, because he had caught her many times standing on the balcony of his room watching the stars, practically swooning over their beauty, and that he loved to wake up to find her there, gazing at the pale white lights from a faraway place.

“Ok, you both know the rules, no purposeful bloodshed, no major wounds, and lastly…” Dwalin was cut off by the several spectators.

“No missing limbs.” Everyone said in unison.

“Now, begin!” Beuren lunged, distracting him with her sword, she kicked his out of his hand, her back to him now. Vulnerable, she spun on her heel, tossing her weapon aside to make it a fair fight. Kirdral was a large dwarf, built about like Dwalin. He charged first, with little time to prepare, she went to the only tactic she could think of. He was only feet away. She leapt up, and with both feet, kicked him square in the chest. He flew backwards, hitting his head hard on the ground and knocking himself out. As for Beuren, she landed with a loud thud on the solid ground. Her arm was bent under her in an awkward position. She moaned and gritted her teeth.

Thorin sped to her side, while Dwalin was trying to wake Kirdral up. With help from her companion, she sat up, putting her arm the right way. Thorin took her wrist and moved it, feeling the bones, then her elbow, then…

“Alright, alright! It’s not broken!” She tried to get up with the same arm; a wretched snap echoed in the arena, everybody covered their ears. Elendil went white as a sheet and gasped at the pain. “Now it is.” She choked and exhaled, not allowing tears to escape her eyes. Dwalin left the unconscious dwarf’s side and helped Beuren up.

“Somebody make sure he wakes up, understand?” The spectating dwarves nodded. Dwalin and Thorin rushed her to Balin, he was better with bones than Dwalin was. The eldest dwarf of the group was found in the exact place they had expected, his study. Thorin gave a thundering knock and then entered. Balin looked up over the top of his spectacles, Thorin stepped aside and revealed Beuren, her arm was already a mixture of black and purple bruises.

“What did you do this time?” He sighed, leading her to a chair and examining her arm.

“Nothing really, just sort of, landed funny on my arm.”

“And why did you fall?” Dwalin turned to study the spines of the books behind him, Thorin became greatly interested in the sole of his boot and Beuren couldn’t escape Balin’s gaze.

“I had to do it! He thought he was better than me, stronger, faster, smarter.”

“Will there ever be a time when you won’t fight everyone to defend your title and just take it when someone gives you trouble?” Thorin smirked as Beuren’s eyes lowered to the floor. “What is your mother going to think of this? She’ll be furious!”

“I know, I know.” She let out a long painful sigh. “Is there any way we can fix it?” She asked nodding to her arm.

“Of course there is, it’s going to take a long time, but it can be done. Come, Dwalin, I need materials, and a lot of them.” The brothers left, leaving the prince and his wounded cohort alone in the study. She sighed and picked a book off the shelf to occupy her mind, keep from thinking about her arm. As she started reading, Thorin took the time to look at her, really look at her.

For an elf she was quite short. Her long ashen brown hair fell to her waist, it had been twisted into a braid, and two smaller braids had been pinned into it. It was Frerin’s doing, his younger brother. Between him and Dis-Thorin’s sister, the youngest- Beuren’s hair was always done.Beads had been knotted into her locks, which was hardly ever as silky and straight as it was all those years ago.

Over the years she had taken on many of the dwarven customs, including numerous piercings and tattoos. Her left ear had three simple black ear cuffs along the edge of her ear; her right had five diamonds along the outside. Several rings adorned her fingers, as well as many rune tattoos. Several were visible under the collar of her shirt along her collar bone, he knew of several others, but there were some that were hidden from view.

Beuren’s long legs were covered by dark brown pants, her boots were tall, the soles and side were caked in mud. Her torso was covered by dark blue shirt with a tightly fitted brown bodice. A decorative metal belt wrapped around her middle, hooking in the back with a nearly invisible hook. Thorin looked up again at Beuren’s face, only to find her starring back. Her green eyes glowed in the sunlight streaming through the window.

Thorin opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Dis throwing the door open and glaring at the two of them, Frerin close behind her. Thorin’s little sister cocked her hip and crossed her arms, for a ten year old she had quite the attitude.