Rosie and Thorin rushed into the open gates of Erebor, their footsteps ringing throughout the kingdom.
"Go down to the armoury and warn the others!" Thorin called as he headed towards a certain corridor.
"But..." A part of her wanted to go with him to warn Gandalf, Thranduil and Bard. A part of her wanted to talk about what happened a few seconds ago.
"Go, now!" Thorin called, using his commander voice before disappearing around a corner. Blowing air through her teeth, Rosie turned around and sprinted down the now familiar corridor, soon bursting around the corner coming face to face with the rest of the company.
"Rosie!" Bofur called out cheerfully, a pipe in his mouth, smoke rings dancing playfully on the ceiling. The company was sitting around the fire in the room, laughing and joking about this and that. You'd never guess they'd be riding into war in a few minutes.
"They're here," Rosie blurted before rushing over to the armour and flinging on the purple tunic that had been laid out for her.
"What?" Dwalin said standing, his jokes and laughter now in the past.
"The orcs, me and Thorin heard them, they're close," she said, fumbling with the belt around her waist, staring at Dwalin as she did so, "They're here," These words caused the entire company to jump on their feet, the laughter that had been on the features merely seconds ago, gone from sight.
"Let's go," Dwalin said, "Thorin shall be needing us on the east wing," and with that the dwarves began filling out in perfect order as if they had been training for this their whole lives, leaving the three girls behind in the armoury. Not before Balin turned to Rosie and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You sure you're alright," Balin said softly so the others couldn't hear. In that moment, Rosie had a strong sense of déjà vu wash over her, she was reminded of the time she first arrived in middle earth and Balin had been the one to ask her if she was alright, it was almost as if she was re-living that moment.
"Yes, I'm fine," Rosie said curtly, lacing up her boots with some ferocity.
"Know what you're doing?"
"Yes, of course, I know what I'm doing, you know why I know what I'm doing? Because I'm one-third of the people who planned what I'm doing," She huffed as she tied her hair back out of her face and in a sloppy bun.
"Okay lassie," Balin said with a smile and a wink before he too disappeared down the corridor, Rosie sighed as she watched him go.
"So," Came a voice from behind her, turning around she saw her two best friends in the entire world standing behind her with their arms folded, "Thorin get you riled up?" Frankie smirked as she took the pins out of Rosie's hands and started to redo her hair, their dwarven friends merely a sound of footsteps in the distance.
"No," Rosie said firmly, "Well...yes, I mean, but no ugh!" Rosie sighed, slapping her hands over her face.
"No well yes I mean but no ugh?" Cece said in a questioning tone as she began strapping beautifully crafted metal shin-pads onto Rosie's legs, "Not to be picky, but that's not a brilliant answer,"
"It's just..." Rosie sighed.
"Yes?" Both Frankie and Cece asked at the same time.
"It's just...nothing," Rosie said simply causing both Frankie and Cece to stop in their tracks and stare at her.
"Nothing?"
"Nothing," Rosie paused, dazing off slightly, "And that's precisely the problem,"
"Huh?" Frankie asked from behind her.
"Have you ever liked someone but your timing has just been so completely and utterly off it might as well be three-week-old milk?"
"Yeah," Cece sighed as she now fitted plates onto Rosie's thighs.
"Well that's me and Thorin, something comes up...every time!" Rosie huffed, wincing slightly as one of Frankie's pins dug into her scalp.
"Oh honey," Cece sighed.
"I mean," Rosie continued, "At least you guys have established your feelings with Kili and Fili. Me and Thorin, we just kind of talk and keep talking and never end up, you know...but we do...but by that point we've wasted so much time an army of orcs is coming our way," Rosie sighed again.
"Well, that never happens back home," Frankie smirked from behind her causing Rosie to crack a smile. Rosie chuckled at the thought. "Besides," Frankie continued, "I didn't even know you liked Thorin," A pause.
"I do," Rosie sighed dragging her hands down her face, frustrated.
"Well that's my point," Frankie said as she held a pin between her teeth, "If I, one-half of your bestest friends in the entire planet, didn't know you like someone, how can you expect that person to know?" Rosie thought it over as Cece moved onto strapping arm pads on her.
"So, I should confess?" Rosie wondered.
"There's nothing wrong with that. Anyways, if he doesn't feel the same way it's better to get your heart broken and deal with it than live the rest of your life in question,"
"It is?"
"Yes," Frankie huffed as she struggled to get the shorter parts of Rosie's hair into the bun.
"Besides," Cece spoke up with a smile, "What if he feels the same?" Rosie looked down at her with a smile, a warm, fuzzy feeling spreading through the chest. "Okay, done," Cece said snapping Rosie out of her dreamy trance.
"And done," Frankie also said, pushing the last pin into her hair. Slowly, Rosie lifted her now slightly heavier body off the bench and over to where there was a floor length mirror. Rosie stepped forward and couldn't believe what she saw. She was standing there, with her hair slicked back off her face and in a braided bun looking like a warrior queen. Even though she had no makeup, the air of Middle Earth was cleansing towards her skin, so much so that her skin was now clean and almost...glowed, making her blue eyes pierce through her features. But what she loved most of all was the armor.
It was proper metal armour for the few dwarf-women who chose to fight in the many battles the dwarves had, they were women who shoved the male beliefs right up their own arses. It didn't fuck around with breastplates or flowery patterns on the metal, no. The piece was made up of miniature metal plates which were handcrafted together, meaning that it moved with her as she walked and followed her every move. The top half came up around her neck, elongating the lines of her body and making her chest seem more broad and open, more confident. The shoulder pads trickled down her arms like feathers on a bird and continued down to her middle finger.
"Raise your arms," Frankie instructed, and Rosie followed, watching as Frankie began slipping knives and weapons into all the cracks and crevasse of the armour.
"And of course, your swordys are here," Cece smiled as she passed Rosie two familiar swords, the one she picked up in the troll cave and the one from Mirkwood. Rosie took the swords and slid them into her belt.
"Finished," Rosie smiled as she turned away from her reflection and towards her two friends. They were wearing very similar armour to her own except they were adapted differently to their own bodies. However, all in all, the three of them looked pretty fierce. At that moment of time, a horn sounded throughout Erebor, a horn that told everyone inside to get to battle stations. The girls looked where the horn had sounded before at each other.
"This is really happening," Cece said calmly as she fiddled with a dagger in her hand, running her fingers over the carved moon on the handle.
"Yeah," Was all Rosie could reply with, a new and completely alien feeling running through her.
"You know, I'm kind of in the mood to kill some orc," Frankie winked with a grin.
"Me too," Cece said happily.
"Me three," Rosie grinned. There was a pause as the three girls' smiles fell, and without saying anything they each pulled eat other into a tight group hug, no words needed.
Pulling away the three girls smiled at one another before making some final checks. When they were ready they headed towards the door, leaving without a second thought. They made their way up the stairs and through the corridors, the buzz of the thousands of humans, elves and dwarves which stood on their side thrumming through them. It was truly something magical. They were just walking around a corner when Rosie started heading a different direction.
"Hey Rosie," Frankie called as Rosie began moving in the opposite direction, "War is this way,"
"I know," Rosie called over her shoulder, "I'm just going to sort something out first," Frankie raised an eyebrow towards Cece, who simply shrugged in response and began walking down the corridor.
"Just make sure you're back in time," Cece called.
"Don't worry, I will!"
Rosie skidded around the corner, the words from her friends had hit home, they were just the thing to make her do it, she was actually going to do it. Rosie ran through the halls, a smile on her lips, broader than any she had been wearing of late. She burst excitedly into the main meeting room where she knew Thorin would be, and there he was, deep in conversation with Gandalf, his thick eyebrows furrowed.
"Rosie," A familiar voice called out, Rosie turned and spotted Legolas, dressed in beautiful elven armour, a light silver which made his hair appear even paler.
"Hey Legolas," Rosie breathed, not really paying much attention.
"What are you doing here?" Legolas asked running over to her, she, however, kept her eyes on Thorin who still hadn't noticed her yet.
"Hmm?" She asked, not really hearing him.
"I said," Legolas gripped her shoulders and turned her to face him, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at your battle station?" Rosie finally fixed her eyes on Legolas' own.
"Legolas I know, and I'll be there in time, there's just something I need to do first-"
"Is it really so important?" Legolas asked.
"Yes, but I just-"
"Rosie I'm only asking because it's not safe for you to be here," Legolas said, drawing himself up, "People are going to die today Rosie...Nobody wants you to be one of them," Rosie looked up at her friend and held eye contact for a moment. She remembered seeing Legolas on the big screen and secretly thought, although stunning he was, he was a flawed character, stubborn and jealous. But, as she had found out with many other characters, the movies did not completely reflect their true selves. Legolas was kind and protective of the things he loved, he could not deal with himself to see harm coming towards his friends and family, not again.
"Legolas, I understand," Rosie said in a serious tone, "I would not do anything right now that would compromise the safety of me or anyone else in Erebor right now. I am here on serious matters, you have to trust me," Rosie smiled. Legolas paused before nodding his head and turning towards the room.
"May I ask what such pressing matters have arisen at a time like this?" Legolas spoke softly towards Rosie as he scanned the room.
"You may ask," Rosie said, her gaze returning to the figure of Thorin, "But you would not get an answer," Legolas did not respond. Rosie continued to stare at Thorin, watching how he had his arms folded as Gandalf rushed to tell him some information in the room full of team leaders. How thick his shoulders were and how good he looked wearing armour. She looked him over and over until she had memorized almost every inch of him and then raised her eyes back to his own which were coincidental, staring right back at her.
"Rosie?" He asked aloud, causing Gandalf to stop talking and twist round in his seat, "What are you doing here?" He said rushing over to her, Gandalf forgotten.
"I came to talk to you," Rosie replied coolly without a second thought.
"What do you want to talk about? You have to make it quick, we only have a few minutes before the orcs will be seen on the hill,"
"Yes, of course, this will only take a few minutes. Unfortunately, though, it's quite a personal matter, and I would like to talk to you alone," She said, keeping calm on the outside, whilst meanwhile, her mind was whirring. Thorin looked taken aback for a second before his business face returned.
"Very well, follow me," He said turning and leading Rosie out the room and down a corridor. Rosie followed but not before she caught Gandalf throwing her a wink and a nod of his hat, did he know? Thorin and Rosie didn't move too far away, just into the next room which was deathly quiet, yet...calming at a time like this. As Rosie stepped in she tried to decide how she was going to do this, her mind a blur. "So then," Thorin piped up, "What was so urgent that you needed to talk to me, alone?" He said, rather playfully, his business exterior crumbling around Rosie.
"I, um..." Rosie began feeling her hands begin to fidget and sweat gathering on the back of her neck.
"Yes," Thorin prompted her with a smile.
"I, ugh..." She said again now biting her lip, finding the words immensely difficult to say. Come on Rosie just say it, it's just three words, and you don't even have to say 'love', you could say 'like', yeah, say like, say it, Rosie, say I like you, come on, say it, say it, Rosie. Rosie. "I wanted to tell you what happens in the battle!" She blurted out, whilst she could feel the voice in her head facepalming.
"Oh yes?" Thorin said. Rosie couldn't help but notice that he looked a little...disappointed.
"Yes," Rosie said, clearing her throat, "It's important you know because the output of this battle is both positive and negative,"
"Go on," Thorin nodded, crossing his arms.
"Well, uh...you see...the reason why we're going to do this battle like me, Frankie and Cece planned it, is because...because..."
"Mahal, Rosie, spit it out," Thorin sighed playfully.
"We're stopping death," Rosie blurted.
"Death?" Thorin furrowed his eyebrows, "Whose death?" Rosie opened her mouth to say it, she tried to say it, she really did, but...it's hard, it's really hard. It's not really an experience most people get, telling someone that they were going to die in an alternate universe. But unfortunately, by Rosie's silence, Thorin understood. Rosie watched painfully as Thorin's face contorted from shock to anger to sadness. "M..." He began, "Me?" He whispered, the very sound was like a hand holding Rosie's throat hard and painfully twisting it.
"Yes," Rosie admitted sadly, never breaking eye contact with him, "You and..." She trailed off.
"Oh Mahal," Thorin sighed, his playful exterior Rosie had seen a few seconds ago, gone, "Who else?" Rosie paused, her tongue almost fighting her not to say it.
"You and the line of Durin," This caused Thorin to inhale sharply and turn around and away from Rosie. Rosie stayed back for a moment, understanding that Thorin needed time to think it over.
"But..." He said turning around to her, his eyes slightly glassy.
"It's Azog's mission to wipe out the line of Durin. Don't ask me why he's fucking mental is all," Rosie said softly. Thorin once again turned away and burrowed himself deep in his spinning thoughts leaving Rosie to stand there and watch as the man she loved suffer at the thought of his own failure. After a few moments, Rosie couldn't take the silence anymore. "Thorin, you should know that the only reason they die is because you come out of the sickness too late. But Thorin..." She said reaching a handout and touching him on the shoulder, "You're not sick. You're perfectly healthy, both mentally and physically. You have nothing to worry about. Instead of taking this news as a bad sign, take it as fuel to the fire in your belly. You have the chance to not let that become your fate. But Thorin," She looked at him intensely in the eye, drawing her body up close to his, "We're not just going to win this war and make sure nobody dies, no, that's not just it. We're going to finish the final chapters...because..." She felt something hard form in her throat, "The end of the story...could be the end of my time here," Thorin pulled her closer to him.
"Don't say that," He said softly, their faces centimetres apart. Rosie raised her hand a softly traced the lines of Thorin's face. A part of her was shaking at the touch of Thorin's skin so tender under her own, a part of her didn't even realize she was doing it. Rosie didn't even notice that she was shaking so bad until she watched her hand run the length of his jaw. In an attempt to stop this, she brought her hand down to Thorin's arm where she felt nothing but pure muscle clench and shiver under her touch. Well, that didn't help.
"Thorin, I don't know why I'm here...I don't know what's going to happen...and I don't know where I'm going next," Thorin's eyes turned glassy again as he looked down. "But Thorin," Rosie breathed, lifted Thorin's chin tentatively with a finger, their eyes once again meeting, blue against blue, two wild, irate seas meeting somewhere in the middle, a land that didn't feel quite real, "I know that's there's not a version of life, not a mixture of moments, not a minute and not a second, that's better than being here with you." Rosie felt her heart and soul being spilt out of her mouth and falling freely to the ground. But that was okay...because it was out now because say the words made them seem...real.
"Rosie..." Thorin murmured softly bringing their foreheads to touch. That one word made Rosie's chest buzz as if it were full of bee's and she felt a wetness gathering in her eyes, too many emotions to list burned within the two of them. "Rosie..." Thorin sighed softly, the word but a breath on his lips. Rosie raised both hands and tentatively held his face within them, running her thumb against the bone of his jaw. "Rosie," Thorin said once more, his voice soft and tender, "It's you...," He murmured, "It's you, it's always been...you," A tear slipped from the edge of Rosie's eye and trickle down her cheek as she looked at him, her jaw slack, her neck tingling. "It's you, Rosie," Thorin whispered again, raising his head slightly and kissing the tear that continued to skim down her cheek. Rosie closed her eyes. "I knew from the start..." Thorin continued bringing his head down again, his hot breath radiating onto Rosie's neck. "You're so fierce...and strong," He moved his lips across the skin of Rosie's neck, never making contact, but staying close enough that she could feel each ragged breath he drew. "Clever and kind," He said now moving along her jawline and up to her ear, "I didn't want you..." He breathed, "I needed you," Rosie's breath hitched.
"Thorin, I..." Rosie trailed off, her eyes still closed. "I..." Such a moment, on the verge of something you've wanted something for so long, that you can't help but fall. Lips entangled with lips, and Rosie was being pulled even closer to him, pressing right up against his body, she could feel every bone, every muscle, she could even feel his heart beating through her body as they became intertwined. She raised her hands and entangled her fingers in his dark, soft hair, pulling it ever so slightly, a desperate touch. Thorin kissed her with everything he had, trying to force all the pent-up feelings from over the past few months into that single, solitary moment. The kiss was punishingly good, it spread a new warmth throughout both of their bodies as they melted into one. It was like swimming in the deepest sea, where their bodies no longer felt like they were made of flesh and bone but more like they were floating as if they were made of nothing but what they could touch and feel of each other, the world at peace around them. But just like under the deepest sea and the bluest ocean, they soon needed air. They pulled away, gasping for breath as they pressed their foreheads against one another, still pressed up against the other's bodies, still caught in the moment. When they had regained some of their breath they looked at each other and grinned.
"Well, that was..."
"Yeah," Rosie smiled, feeling finally at peace with herself, giddy and loving, a truly beautiful feeling, she was still shaking, but she never wanted it to stop. They stayed like that for a few more seconds, simply wishing to hold on to this moment for as long as they could. "Come on Thorin," Rosie eventually sighed, pulling away yet still holding a firm grip on his hand. "We've got a war to win," Thorin audibly growled and pulled Rosie back in for a tight embrace causing her to chuckle. "Hey, hey," She said pulling away slightly, "The sooner we get this over with...the sooner we can do some more of..." She trailed off suggestively. This seemed to put some fire in his belly as he quickly grabbed Rosie's hand with a grin and began running down the corridor.
"Let's kill some orc!"