I turned, still holding the netting, as I looked at the quaint little home that seemed tilted on its base. Shelves covered the walls with drying greens, a few dotted candles, and a basket or two. There was only one room with a door, the other room was right next to the front door, a young little girl of about ten or eleven inside there, folding clothes.
She looked up from folding, her face brightening as she ran up to Bard, "Da! Where have you been?" She asked, hugging Bard as he hugged her back. I froze at the sight, a twinging pain growing in my chest, watching this young one hug her father, who held the back of her head with all the love he could put into one hug...
I wonder if my father would have done the same thing for me. I gritted my teeth hard, forcing myself to remain standing in the corner, smoothing my expression quickly. I am not jealous, nope, I am not.
"Father! There you are. I was worried." I heard a female voice say, making me turn to see a girl of about 17 or 18 I would say, brown hair done up in a thick braid wearing a soft blue dress. I would gather that she took after her mother, as I see little of Bard's features in this girl. She walked up quickly, nearly sobbing with relief at the sight of her father as she hugged him.
I forced myself to look away, pulling my foot tighter around me as I looked down at my foot, breathing carefully around the needle like pain I felt at the love that very much fills this room. I know I have found a family in the company, but I don't know what it is like to hug my father after he returned from a long day's work. I don't know the warmth and comfort and love he would give in one of his hugs.
I don't even know what my father looks like. Does he have red hair like my own? Or eyes that match mine? Is he goofy and joyful or is he careful and sweet? Less and less, as time passes, do I think I will ever know those answers.
I forced the pain away, drawing up the anger at my own emotions as a shield over the very real pain I struggle to hide, shaking my head and looking around the home as Bard walked around me to the window, watching closely through the window as he handed the older girl a bag.
"Here's something to eat. Bain, get them in." Bard said as I looked at Bain, grinning deviously. I need a distraction from this pain, and I know just where to look for said distraction. I quickly followed Bain down the stairs, the little girl looking at me with wide eyes, probably shocked at my stature and brightly colored hair popping out of my hood. I looked at her once, gave her a slight smile, and followed her brother down the stairs to an open area with a small boat docked on a personal dock connecting to one of the channels through Laketown.
I watched Bain from where I stood in the darker shadows as the boy closely watched the houses across the way. It seems pretty secluded here, though. The back sides of the houses are the only thing really visible, and there are no walkways here so no passing people. Bain continued to watch the area carefully though, before banging his fist on the wall next to the toilet.
I looked over, my grin growing progressively larger as I watched the bald head of one Dwalin the dwarf slowly rising out of the toilet hole, rage in his every xpression as water dripped down his nose. I kept my hood up in case someone stopped my bright red hair, but Dwalin definitely saw my smirk.
"If you speak of this to anyone, I'll rip your arms off." Dwalin growled at Bain while I snorted, reaching up to cover my face with my cold hand, the leather coverings I made for guarding my hands falling to pieces, bits of leather hanging and covered with little bits of frost, much like the bottom of this cloak and the metal of the clasp. I don't even want to know how much new rust has been added to the necklace that belonged to my mother. Luckily the net Bard forced me to carry covered up the elvish bow strung across my shoulder that I honestly forgot about.
Smart, Bard, smart.
Dwalin turned his glare on me before speaking as he opened the hatch, "I wish I could make the same threats to you. Thorin would rip my head off if I did." Dwalin grumbled, still glaring at me. My eyes widened, my grin dropped in shock as I heard a growl down in the pipe system, a growl that sounded distinctly protective.
Said growl sent shivers down my spine for all the wrong reasons. Was that seriously Thorin? Why in the world did that sound so damn amazing? I fought down a blush, gritting my teeth in anger at the lapse in my control at the sound. Dang stubborn royal dwarf and his extremely attractive voice that has always drawn me in, even when we first met.
Dwalin looked down into the pipe once more, scowling, "I said if, I didn't threaten her." Dwalin grumbled in irritation as I stood there frozen. Why in the world would Thorin be so protective? We are still getting to know each other...
But then I remembered the intensity of the near kiss back on the barge and looked away, the hood covering my face as I felt my cheeks warm. I looked back as I heard the sound of a hand getting smacked, just in time to see Dwalin smack Bain's helping hand away.
"Get off." Dwalin growled, standing up and out of the toilet. As Bain backed up, moving quickly out of the irritated dwarf's path. "Up there." Bain said, pointing up the stairs. I watched as Dwalin passed, the dwarf glaring at my smirk, which only grew before he stomped, sulking, up the stairs.
I looked back just in time to see a wide eyed, pale and nearly puking Bilbo being lifted out of the toilet by Bain, who had a grip on his soaked coat. Bilbo made a near puking sound, visibly swallowing it, making me grimace in apology to the hobbit. I might be able to make some simple tea from some of the things hanging in this house for his nausea, that is if Bard allows me to. It is very, very likely the hobbit will get a cold after this, he just isn't built for this cold.
Then again, neither am I.
I watched as dwarf after dwarf climbed out of the toilet, Bifur looking disgruntled, Bombur getting stuck on the seat, and then... I couldn't handle it when Thorin's sulking, angry face covered in lakewater came out of the toilet, an extremely disgusted look on his royal face just drove it home for me.
I giggled.
I clapped my hands over my mouth tight, eyes wide as Thorin looked at me in shock. I stared at him with wide eyes as he pulled himself out of the toilet. By The Valar, did I just giggle? I just damn giggled like some frilly lady of the court! Dangit, Thorin! Why do you have to be so damn amusing that you make me giggle, of all things?!
I glared at Thorin with anger and challenged him with my glare to never speak of this. He rolled his eyes as he pulled himself up out of the toilet.
"Really, Ruby? Are we really going to have another test of wills?" Thorin sighed, but yet, even with his tone of voice, I saw that twinkle of amusement in his deep blue's as he met my eyes. I dropped my hands and smiled at the sight, gasping quietly in shock as Thorin grabbed my hand as he passed, pulling me up the stairs. I glared lightly and his back and rolled my eyes but let him pull me back up the stairs and into Bard's house.
"Da...why are there dwarves climbing out of our toilet? And who's the girl you brought back?" The eldest girl asked, looking at me with wide eyes as I finally decided to push my hood back.
And instantly a large poof of insane, tangled, frizzy, curly red hair was exposed with the lack of weight holding it down. Thorin turned after reaching the top of the stairs as I stared in horror at a strand of tightly curled red hair that fell down right onto my nose. I met Thorin's eyes and grimaced. Thorin's eyes widened a small touch as he stared for a second before smiling a minute amount at me. Really nothing more than a twitch of his lips, but I understood the message behind it.
I glared at Dwalin and the other as they laughed quietly at the insane mess sitting atop my head. I frantically tried pushing the mess down, but it popped back into it's frizzy and insanely curly mess, pointing in all directions like the many tentacles of an octopus. How i wish I did not throw away that band of cloth to tie back my hair now...
"Will they bring us luck?" The youngest said suddenly, taking the attention off my hair as the dwarves looked affronted at her words. I couldn't take it, what with their looks and that old myth that dwarves clearly hate. I busted out laughing, hugging my chest as I leaned over, laughing and snorting in between, not at all ladylike.
But when have I ever been ladylike? I am well aware my laughing snorts sound nothing like how a proper lady or woman would laugh. I looked up to see Nori come up the stairs last, thinking my laughter was over, only to see leaves and a eyeball of a fish stuck in Nori's hair and I was right back at laughing so hard I was nearly leaning over on my knees.
"Please, Mena, don't pick on us." Bofur sighed finally when I was releasing the last few snorts of amusement. I looked up at Bofur and smiled, actually very glad to have something amusing happen.
But the fact that I haven't slept since Thranduil's dungeon is probably also part of why I am acting this way. I could go a day or more without sleep but that doesn't mean I won't be a bit slap happy if I do. I could see a few grins on the company's faces so they clearly needed this, a small but good laugh. Even if they are laughing at how utterly ridiculous I probably look right now.
"You cannot deny, Bofur, that this is pretty funny." I said, grinning. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I sneezed, shaking my head as I rubbed my nose. Great, I never sneeze unless I caught a cold, just great. After rubbing some warmth into my nose once more, I felt my nose tickle again and another sneeze escaped me, this one jolting me slightly as I grumbled in annoyance. Definitely got a cold, only time will tell how bad it will be.
"Sigrid, dear, you remember those old dresses of yours? And your pair of worn boots? Do you think you could find them for our new friend here, I think she may need them." Bard said suddenly as I finished rubbing my nose to try to stop the tickling sensation and looked up at the oldest girl, who looked at her father and then at me and smiled softly, her face the picture of sweet and caring innocence.
I have been doing an excellent job up to this point of hiding how truly affected by the cold river water and frigid temperatures I really am. Hiding the fact that my teeth have not stopped chattering is not easy, or the fact that every inch of my body wants to shiver against the cold of the water seeping through my clothes still. I am sure I am quite the sight right now. Uncontrolled hair everywhere, rosy cheeks from the dip in cold water and the cold temperatures, a missing boot, frost and mud on my cloak, a soaked and falling apart coat that is now an off ugly color with soaked furs and a ripped end to my red shirt which I used to wrap Kili's leg.
"Good idea, father, I know of a few dresses that should work, and I do still have those old boots. Come, Miss..." She trailed off halfway through turning, looking back at me, the near same exact look her father gave me when asking for my name. Now, in that, I see the resemblance between the two.
"Philomena. My name is Philomena, and thank you." I said kindly, smiling a touch at the Sigrid as she gestured to the only other door in the house, the young girl opened the door and went in as I followed them inside a crammed little bedroom with one bed that is clearly shared by both sisters. I walked in, carefully removing my cloak, running my thumb along the caked mud and river that covers the clasp, smiling as I carefully laid it down on the floor so as to not destroy their bed with whatever is on it.
Sigrid and the younger girl moved about, the young one found one single worn brown boot with quite the high heel on it, placing it down and digging around for the other boot and Sigrid laid out a hideously sunshine yellow dress with a white shirt to go underneath, as well as a pair of britches a touch darker than the dress to keep my legs warm. All of the clothing was worn of use, the colors faded from being under the sun.
I sighed quietly, knowing I had to other choices in clothing, I would just have to wear the dress.
"It's all I have that might fit you, the boots at least will help you not step on the edges of the dress." Sigrid said in apology. I turned and smiled at her.
"No, thank you, it is more than enough." I said, carefully stepping around my cloak on the floor. I looked over quickly as the young one picked the cloak up, studying it before looking up at me.
"This cloak means a lot to you?" She asked innocently, making me smile as I approached, carefully taking the cloak from her hands.
"Yes, it does, it was given to be by a stubborn friend who cares very much for my health." I said, then spoke in a quieter voice, "But don't let the dwarves out there know, I will never hear the end of it." I said, making her giggle.
I grinned, surprised. I have tried in the past to get along with children but there is just so little I know about them, so little I even understand about them.
"If you would like, Philomena, I can see if I can get the mud off the cloak for you, maybe hang it near the fire?" Sigrid spoke up, making me look up at the older girl.
"Could you, please? And thank you so much for doing so." I said, holding the cloak out to her, Sigrid smiled and accepted the cloak, looking at it herself, running her thumb over a most likely clear dwarven design. She looked up at me and smirked, oddly making me want to blush at the look. I get the feeling she knows that 'friend' is not all I mean.
"Well, we will leave you to get dressed, feel free to pick up a blanket next to the door to warm up." Sigrid said, making me smile. These two girls are quite kind. I nodded once as the two girls left, leaving me to examine my clothing.
I pulled off the soaking wet and ragged grey coat, the fur around the edges soaked and frozen, no longer even a close shade of white. I dropped it to the floor, seeing the rip up the side had grown, the thread I used to hold it together had deteriorated under river water and exposure to the elements. Really nothing more than rags at this point, same goes for this red shirt, the rip I made in it to make Kili bandages has risen up the shirt since then, resorting to the shirt being useless.
I quickly removed my sopping wet clothes, dropping them to the floor as I pulled on the dark yellow britches, having to roll up the ends to be able to walk in them, as they are too long. I then picked up the shirt and pulled it on, having to roll up it's sleeves too, I decided to leave the too long ends of the shirt hanging down my legs, might provide more warmth. Then I picked up the dress, slipping it over my head and adjusting it, glad for warm clothes as I pulled my knives out of the sleeves of my coat, ripping free the hidden leather holders for the knives and slipping them up the rolled sleeves of the shirt, using the original clips of the holders to hold them to the sleeves of the shirt, only those clips were visible as I slipped the knives into their holders. I pulled my belt free of the old coat, squeezing it tightly to drain the water until it was only semi damp before slipping it around my waist to help hold this too big of a dress to my smaller body.
I looked to the door as I put the boots on, constantly stepping on the edges of the too long dress. I grimaced, hoping the younger girl wasn't going to wear this dress eventually because I am about to ruin it. I pulled free a knife and cut it up to the point that my new boots were more visible before slowly, carefully cutting it all around it edge. I sighed in relief when I could walk forward without restrictions. I picked up the elf bow off the floor and strung it over my shoulder, sighing in relief now that I wasn't surrounded by soaking clothing.
I felt my hair and groaned in annoyance, realising I cannot simply tie this mess up, or even braid it, I know it won't stay. Something fell in my vision as I leaned down to tighten the damp belt about my waist better, drawing my attention. I stared in shock at the dried, unaffected braid hanging from the side of my head, the signature deep blue ribbon with gold touches still intact, the small gold symbol of what I think is the House of Durin hung from the wider end of the ribbon, not a single part of the ribbon was damaged by all it's been through, shocking me.
Dwarves really know their craft. I picked up a blanket by the door, throwing it over my shoulder for warmth as I opened the door and exited, leaving the door open as I walked back into the main room.