To Love a Half-Blood (A Kili Fanfic)

Chapter 36: Amser Ironfoot

When I wake up, there is barely any light creeping through the window. It must be very late. I stretch and swing my legs off the edge of the bed. I walk to the window. Sure enough, the sun is setting.

I have two nights left here. Two nights left as a friend.

The camp at Lake town is coursing with activity. A mass of men and a golden sea of elves are lined up, ready to march on Erebor. They will be here by noon tomorrow. The idea weighs heavily on my heart.

If you have just one more day with someone, what do you do?

I figure the first step would be to go downstairs and see him. I walk to my bathroom and look at myself in the mirror. My hair is knotted in it's braid, my face is coated in dusk from the cave-in. There is a small cut over my right eye.

This is the face of a traitor. That is the mouth that would lie to he she loves most in the world. Stop!

I twist the knob by the sink. It squeaks angrily and sputters for a moment, before cold water comes pouring out. I take handfuls of it and splash my face with it.

I'm doing the right thing.

After the near-disastrous event earlier, I re-hide the Arkenstone. I glitters in the light when I take it from my bag.

The entire cosmos looks as if it it is contained in this single stone. It holds the stars that I miss so dearly.

I caress its smooth surface with my thumb for a moment before tucking it under the bed. As soon as I venture out of my room, the rumble of hundreds of voices hits me. I knock on Kili's door, but there is no answer. So, I pick my way downstairs and peak out into the great hall.

Make-shift beds line the walls, and strange dwarves in furs and rusty armor mill about. I walk, head down, trying to avoid their stares. The smell of ale rushes through the air, making me gag. I quicken my step as I near my destination, the common room we ate breakfast at this morning. However, when I dash around the corner to enter the room, I collide with an armored figure and land on my backside. I mumble apologies, scrambling backwards on my hands. The imposing figure of a thick bearded dwarf with muddy-blonde hair stand over me. He growls something that I don't understand and stomps off. When I peer inside the room, I'm disappointed to see not a single familiar face. I leave the room to continue my search.

I eventually do come to the royal meeting room. The existence of two guards stand outside the door makes me suspect that this is where Kili is. However, when I go to open the door, they bar my way. I try to explain that I'm with the company but they shout at me in a language I cannot understand. It is coarse and gravelly. I suspect its Kudzul, but it sounds much gentler when Kili speaks it. I can hear voices inside, the most obvious of which is Thorin's. However, the longer I listen I also hear Kili and Fili, and even Bilbo! I plead with the gaurds to let me in, but to no avail.

"Kili" I say, pointing to the doors, hoping they understand my meaning. "I have numbered hours with him you will let me pass!" I shout at them in exasperation.

They yell back, pointing their spears at me. From their foreign tongue I only understand one word, "Ollphéist (Mutant)." Just as I fear I will be gutted by them, the doors swing open from the inside. Apparently The commotion was loud enough for the royalty inside to hear, because Kili stands in the doorway. I'm pressed against the wall opposite to him, with two dwarven guards pressing spears into my ribs.

His eyes flash with anger. Although he is not yelling at me, it is still frightening to hear him growl (probably horrible) things at the guards. Whatever it is he says, it must have been terrible, for they jump away from me almost instantly. With an angry and protective fire still in his eyes, he walks across the hall to me. He takes my hand gently and helps me up. He shoots the guards a look that could kill, before offering his arm, just as when we had been playing at royalty, and escorting me inside. As soon as the doors shut he fades back to his normal self.

"Lari-sar! I'm so sorry. Are you okay my love?"

"Yes. I just don't know enough Kudzul to explain myself I guess." I laugh nervously, rubbing my ribs.

"But you are certain you're alright?"

"I'm fine." I do not tell him about 'Ollphéist (Mutant),' though I will think about my muddled-blood often in the net few days.

As I walk into the meeting room I marvel once again at the beautiful carvings. But that is no matter now, for sitting at the right hand of Thorin is the dwarf from when the tunnel collapsed. In the better lighting I can see a thin band of gold encircling his head. He has animal teeth and metal woven into his red beard. Our eyes lock.

Kili leads me to an empty seat and we sit down. Bilbo is on my right, and Kili on my left. The strange dwarf sits across from us, accompanied by a younger female dwarf. She has blonde hair, every strand of it in tight braids across her scalp. The ends are secured with iron clasps and she has a confident heir about her.

"They were just talking about you." Bilbo whispers to me.

"Who are they?" I ask.

As if to answer my question, Kili speaks. "Lari-sar. This is Dain Ironfoot, Lord of the Iron Hills and his daughter, Ember. This is Larien Telrunya."

I nod my head to them. Unsure of what else to do, I simply say, "It is nice to meet you." and leave it at that.

A wide, toothy grin spreads across the Dwarf-Lord's face. "It an honor to meet you Larien." He says. However, he has a thick, gravely accent that drowns any would-be emotion in his voice. "I hear you are from Mirkwood Forest."

"Aye."

"And you were a princess there?"

"Of sorts."

This seems more like an interrogation than a formal meeting.

"So your mother was..?"

"Queen Tari, may she rest in peace."

"So you are an elf?"

"Yes." I'm starting to get agitated.

"But you are a dwarf."

"Yes."

I do not like this.

Kili Squeezes my hand reassuringly.

"And how old are you-" I cut him off.

"What are all these questions for?!" I demand, starting to stand.

"Lari-sar! Wait!" Kili holds me in my chair.

"This is the last question, I promise." Dain rumbles.

"I'm eight and thirty years old." I mumble.

Dain in silent for a moment, thinking deeply on something.

"I have waited long to meet you Amser Ironfoot, Lady of the Iron Hills."