weep, little lion man;

She’d already turned to leave once he’d said ‘no’, and quickly put her things back into its rightful place in her bag. She did, however, quickly turn to look back again once she was satisfied her embarassment was gone,

“You’re welcome!” she grinned, “I said I was a good doctor, right? I have not lied to you!”

Elliel suddenly wished that she had been less hasty in gathering her things, for before she knew it, it was time for her to leave. She’d ensured that he’d be her last stop, so that none would pay them any mind if they talked for a while, and it worked. Unfortunately, she’d also forgotten all about the questions she intended to ask him earlier! But then, she planned on returning anyway. Her bag was not terribly heavy, & she hoisted it over her shoulder, and turned to face her new friend again,

“I’ll be back tomorrow, yes. You don’t need to worry. In my opinion, you look good―” she paused; awkward word choice. She blinked and shook her head, her hands gestured this way and that in an attempt to correct her apparently failing words, “So far. You look good so far. ’Good’ meaning ‘fine’. You know what I mean. You won’t die or anything like that!”

Elliel gave up speaking altogether and turmed away stiffly on her heel, “I’m leaving now! Try and sleep, it’ll help. Night, Fili.” said Elliel, finally. Her gaze just barely peeked over her shoulder, hidden away like the moon behind clouds, as she waved in goodbye, and ascended back up the stairs. Ah. And here Elves were supposed to be elegant!

Fili realized his arm was still awkwardly out in the position Elliel had left him in and he gingerly lowered it to his side. He gave her another small smile, along with a nod at her words. Without her help, his stay in the Elvenking’s prisons would have been much more uncomfortable and possibly shorter... if he ended up succumbing to the spider’s venom.

Elliel’s awkwardness made him feel less silly, though he did wonder why his heart had jumped at the comment that he looked good. She obviously meant nothing by it, but to let him know his condition wasn’t fatal. Still, it made his smile widen and he lowered his head in an attempt to hide it.

“Good ta hear,” he replied. “Be seein’ ya tomorrow, then. I’ll do my best ta get some rest. G’night.”

He watched her walk away, attempting a wave back with his injured arm. It felt slightly heavier than usual and he realized he probably shouldn’t be exerting it. When Elliel was gone, he sighed, making his way back to the corner of his cell to sit down. He propped himself against the wall and close his eyes. Tired from a long day of wandering the forest and being attacked by spiders, he soon drifted off.

There was the faint noise of jingling and the clank of metal which immediately drew Fili from his sleep. He jumped slightly, on alert, before he saw Bilbo standing with keys, the door to his cell wide open.

“Bilbo?” he asked quietly, standing up. “What— where have ya been? Where did ya get those keys?”

“There’s no time for questions,” Bilbo answered, voice hushed. Fili saw others of the company making their way past him. “The guards will be waking up soon. Quick, follow me! I know a way out.”

Fili took a few brisk steps from his cell, eager at first to follow, but something slowed his gait and brought him to a halt. Elliel. The thought of her coming back to him being gone... Mahal, he would never see her again now, would he?

His home waited ahead, their quest one of great import— he couldn’t hesitate now. Not even for her. What did that mean? What was she to him? Without much thought, he reached up into his hair and tugged one of the larger decorative metal beads from his hair. Making sure he wasn’t being watched, he hastily made his way back into the cell and placed the bead on the stone floor. He hoped Elliel was the one to find it. Whatever bond they had shared hours before... he wanted her to know it had changed him somehow. To what degree, he wasn’t sure of yet himself.

“Where’s Fili?” Kili’s voice sounded, concerned.

Turning for the last time from the cell, Fili made his way towards the others. Kili sighed in relief as he approached and Bilbo lead on, the rest of the company in tow. 

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The words were heavy; Fili felt them sink into his chest like stones. His eyebrows furrowed and he gave his uncle a slow glance, expression one of concern. He tried, and failed, to push down the rising anxiety within him. The memory of what the Arkenstone had done to Thorin was not something he easily forgot. The dwarf that it had turned him into… he was not the uncle Fili knew. That dwarf had almost thrown their dear friend and Burglar from the ramparts.

It was why they got rid of it, why they entrusted it to Balin to lock away somewhere where no one would ever discover it. In truth, Fili had always worried it would take hold of him, too. He had felt something the few times he laid eyes on it, though it was faint. Regardless, it had frightened him enough that he made sure he also didn’t know the location.

That it would tempt Thorin again was another of his fears, and now… it seemed that they were realized. Perhaps he was over-reacting— he hoped that was the case.

“Were you?” Hearing him say that fished her gaze upward, for she missed Lindon, and it seemed so far away now. “So it is! Just lucky I guess ” said Elliel, something of a giggle there. She meant this somewhat sarcastically, as a joke. Tthat was a funny thought,(And cute).

She wanted to ask him if he’d seen Lindon before, or the ocean, or if he’d seen any Elves pass through to leave across the water, and what it looked like now… But feared that if she did, she may be here all night. And there was always tomorrow, should they still be imprisoned; she planned to see him again. Instead, she turned her attention again to his arm, and held his wrist to steady it while she poured the antiseptic over it: it shouldn’t feel like anything, since he’d taken the antivenom. She tried and failed to force her smile away; talking about their homes made her heart warm.

After some moments, she stopped the flow and eyed his injury again: it looked better than before, & clean. She decided not to bandage it and set down the antiseptic,

“I think it’s better to keep it this way, to let it air out. Wrapping it may slow healing. Although I must say I’m actually surprised… dwarves heal very quickly! Ah, Aulë made you tough.”

Elliel glanced back down towards the injury, but realized her grasp had somehow migrated lower from its initial position, and that she now held his hand, rather than his wrist. After this realization, she paused minutely before snatching her hands away, taking a step back.

“Um.. Is there anything else?”

Nûph, don’t say ‘Um’, since when do you say ‘um’? she thought; Nanneth would have twisted her eartips for not speaking proper! It was almost like she was stalling now. Why was she suddenly acting so awkward? It wasn’t like her at all.

How embarassing…

Fili’s own smile grew at seeing hers and— Mahal, she had almost laughed. 

“Lucky indeed,” he said softly, almost to himself.

He was lucky to have met her. The thought that any other of the elves could have been the one to take his weapons made no sense to him. Something in him felt like it was always going to be her. It confused him, how sure he was of it. Perhaps the vial she gave him was also numbing his judgement.

His gaze remained on her face as she worked on his wound, studying her expression. She was quite gentle and, he noticed, her smile did not fade. Her hand had moved some while she tended to him, and his heart thudded strangely in his chest when her hand held his. It was soft against the toughness of his own, and for a moment, he had the odd urge to turn his hand to grasp hers, but he pushed it away. What was he thinking?! Some of that spider’s venom had most definitely went into his brain and done some damage. There was no other explanation. Or, at least, none that he wanted to acknowledge.

“Aye, that he did,” he agreed awkwardly. The absence of her hand made his feel cold. “Ah, no... not tha’ I can think of, anyways. Thanks fer th’ help.”

It was then he realized that this meant she would take her leave. He was silent for a moment, debating whether or not he should say something before he realized he didn’t care if asking made him seem silly.

Fili might have taken offense on another occasion, but he could tell that— perhaps? —she hadn’t meant it as an insult. It seemed to him a result of curiosity, and he was no stranger to that. Instead, he just let out a small puff of a laugh.

“An’ what made ya imagine us like that?” he asked. “Ya weren’t listenin’ ta any Elves, were ya?”

Bilbo had been minding himself, leaning back against the trunk of a tree. It had been another long day of hard riding, trying to put as much distance between them and the many things that hunted them across Middle Earth. Now he gladly traded the saddle for a bedroll, and had been staring at the fire, lost in though. He glanced up at the mention of his name, although it took him a moment to determine who had spoken, and another to recall what had been asked.

How was he faring? Truth be told, he was tired and cold…and sore…and definitely leaning on the underweight size compared to the hobbit he’d been at the start of their journey. But he wouldn’t say any of that, at least not out loud. He’d been chastised more than once by Thorin and other members of the company for thinking back on his warm home and hearth, and was not eager to receive it again tonight.

“Umm, fine! Just fine. Glad to stop for a few hours.” He answered, sitting up a bit straighter.

Fili chuckled softly to himself and gave Bilbo a nod.

“It’s nice ta relax some,” he agreed. “Though with all th’ runnin’ we’ve been doing, it’s hard not ta keep lookin’ over yer shoulder.”

When Thorin had told him of this journey, he had expected it would be dangerous in some parts. Many hostile creatures roamed Middle Earth, and he assumed they would run into them often. What he hadn’t expected was that an entire party of Orcs would be hunting them. It was a wonder the young dwarf got any sleep at night. He wondered if Bilbo had the same trouble.

Fili made his way through the village, searching for somewhere he could purchase a coat of some sort, or perhaps the materials to make one. His own coat had been lost a few nights ago during a dangerous encounter with a bear. Thankfully, he had made it out fine, but the coat— which he had used as a distraction— had been left behind. He later returned to find it irreparably ripped, but the book he kept inside had only been torn slightly.

The nights were slowly becoming colder, though, and to be without a proper coat would mean catching his death out there traveling. Already he felt as if he were coming down with something.

Up ahead, he saw what looked like a small marketplace. Relieved, he made his way closer, scanning the goods as he approached. One of the stalls took his interest. He got closer, giving the shopkeep a small nod and a smile.