Chapter 7

Originally posted on: 12th February 2014

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Fire and smoke.

Everywhere.

Flames were closing up around him in a tightening circle.

He could feel the heat on his skin, and his chest ached.

It was not just a fire.

This fire was able to burn down everything.

Moreover, it seemed to have its own, dark and powerful will.

I am fire ... I am ... death.

This voice echoed in his mind when he realized that he was in Rivendell, safe and sound.

What could have that meant?

Yet, even if that dream was a nightmare, the effect of it was cleansing. Dorian felt much better comparing to the day when he had come here. Frequent walks around his room no longer caused him much touble. Surprisingly, he had been here with his sister for six days. Sybil had been visiting him rarely, and according to what Ireth had told him, except that she didn't come out of her room.

Dorian chuckled. She was probably afraid of meeting with one of the members of the Company.

When Dorian was admiring the view through his window, his nurse entered the room, carrying a tray full of food. Beautiful aromas began to spread in the air.

“How good to see you in a better state,” Ireth said. “I've brought a lunch and the medicaments for you, but before you will dive in,” Dorian didn't dream about anything else.”I must let you know that Lord Elrond wants to see you in his private chamber this afternoon.” Son of Brandon shivered.“There are outfits in your wardrobe that my lord wants you to wear. If you need help, call me,” the she-elf added and left.

What a grace. Why he deserved such a distinction?

The clothes he had been given were worthy of some young prince. These were the clothing that men in Imladris wore - high boots, long tunics and specific cloaks. Dorian could not have a good look in at them. He had a very feminine dilemma - what should he wear?

In the end, he chose probably the most modest set - black leather shoes, trousers and simply tailored, graphite tunic with fine silver threads sewn into it.

One look at the mirror and he decided that he was presenting decently enough to show himself to the rest of the Eldar.

He went out of his room and watched passed rooms, corridors, halls, courtyards, porches with growing admiration. A curious glances and whispers of the elves accompanied him, but also for their kind regards. Dorian was shocked to discover that not all the elves here were dignified and serious. A large part of them were giggling and frivolous, as if they were children.

His feet led him to the Elrond’s chamber.

He would never be ready for this conversation.

“Hello Dorian,” his heart leapt into his throat as he heard Elrond’s greeting. 

  

“My lord,” he bowed low.

“I am sure that you wonder why I want to talk to you,” the Half-elven said. “Well, the whole Rivendell gossips only about the children of Brandon and Cora. My people are very curious about you and they cannot wait to meet you. Taking into account that yours and your sister condition has improved enough, I want you to join us on the supper tonight, of course if you feel up to it."

There was a long silence as Dorian remained speechless.

“We will be honored,” he finally choked out while in his mind, he feared the possibility of meeting Thorin. It was still too early for that.

“Worry not, son of Thrain is not quite fond of elves. He likely will excuse himself out of the supper before you will manage to come,” Elrond said, and smiled slightly at the sight of shock on the boy's face.

“My lord ... Me ... and my sister ... we want the King Under the Mountain to be unaware of our presence as long as it’s possible. Whether we can protect him depends on it in large part. If he recognizes us, he will force us to join the Company, and if the Pale Orc discovers it ..." Dorian stopped. It was better to leave these words unspoken.

“Your connections with orcs are striking,” Elrond murmured. Saving the life of the mother and father was a meritorious deed, but the siblings would not be so madly protective of Thorin and Company only because of that reason ... there was something more about the whole case. Much more.

However, the children of Brandon and Cora depended on a discretion. If the son of Thrain stayed at the feast for so long that he would see the young people, Elrond decided that he wouldn't draw the dwarf’s attention to the two. Perhaps the King Under the Mountain wouldn't recognize them. If Elrond  had read the paths that draw in the mists of the future ahead Dorian and Sybil, he could be comforted that it makes appropriate. It would be better if Thorin knew nothing for now.

Difficult moments waited for them already. Elrond doubted whether the siblings could cope with the challenges that would be placed in front of them. Lord of Rivendell was overcome with sorrow, seeing only the further suffering for them.

And there was a little he could do about it.

***

Elves. They were everywhere. They surrounded him from all sides. Everything was elvish. The food, drinks, hall. The rustling robes, laughter and conversations which he didn't understand  pressed in on him from all sides.

What a horror.

Thorin stared at his glass of wine. Only this excellent liquor allowed him to survive the anguish of being stuck here and pretending to be having good time.

He sat on the dais, his chair next to Gandalf’s, and reamined silent.

He glanced at his men sitting in the middle of a big, long table. At least they were having fun. Even Fili and Kili, who recently had been acting very suspiciously, now were laughing and talking with everyone. Maybe they simply had been tired, like every member of the Company.

Excited whispers resounded in the Hall entrance. Even Elrond was saying something to magnificent Glorfindel. A twosome had joined the feast. As they walked along the table in search of seats, the elves looked at those two and spoke quietly among themselves.

This aroused Thorin’s curiosity.

“You know who is it? “ he asked Gandalf.

“I have no idea,” the wizard answered, hiding a lie skillfully.

Thorin looked at the two once again.

“Though they’re just elven children,” he snorted immediately.

Again, he kept busy himself with the wine.

However, a few moments later he become aware of the absurdity of what he had said.

The elven children?

As far as he was concerned, such creatures had not been seen in ages. So who were they?

His sapphire eyes stared intentsively at the place where those two had sat - a few chairs away from the Company. Unfortunately, he could not see their faces clearly, for the elves surrounded them from all sides, desiring to talk.

Yet again, he kept busy himself with the wine.

***

Just wonderful. Those whispers were all what they needed. She felt as if the whole Rivendell was staring at them.

Why, oh why they had dressed up so nicely?

She glanced at the dais. Her heart sank. No! He should not be there!

“Dorian ...” she whispered without stopping. “Thorin's here! He’s sitting on the table top. To the Elrond’s left, next to that old man with a long, gray beard.”

“Oh bloody hell!” she heard in response.

As they sat down, Sybil sighed in relief. They become surrounded by elves, necessarily wanting to meet her and her brother.

***

Kili  had been watching the beautiful she-elves’ faces when he spotted them. He choked on his wine.

He had expected to see Dorian and Sybil on ongoing supper or the next  one, but didn't expect this.

“Fee...” he poked his brother with an elbow. The blond was just running a very funny conversation with Bofur.  

“Wait a minute,” he threw out into Kili’s direction, not even glancing at his younger brother.

Kili looked at the upcoming two again, then kicked Fili under the table with all his strength.

It worked.

“Oi! Kee, what the hell are you doing? Do you always have to …” the older brother stopped his angry speech because he laid his gaze on Dorian and Sybil.

“Durin’s beard …” he whispered.

Dorian was wearing high leather boots, a gold tunic reaching his mid-calf, with stand-up collar and slit at the front down from the waist. It emphasized his broad shoulders nicely. He was also dressed in magnificent, scarlet elven cloak touching the ground. Even his hair was combed to the elven fashion, and he wore a delicate gold diadem.  

Sybil was wearing a trailing scarlet gown made of a heavy material, all embroidered in gold floral patterns. The dress had a corset emphasizing the girl’s narrow waist as well as sleeves reaching the ground, and quite daring neckline. Her hair flowed down her back in gentle waves. There was a diadem on her head, the same as her brother’s, which looked liked it was made of thin twigs.

They looked great, so dignified, as if they were of some royal family. It was not even about what they were wearing. They held themselves proudly, as if they really were of noble blood.

Fili and Kili were in shock. Huge, pure, all-encompassing shock.

“Oh, have they dolled up,” Kili finally chocked.

“You’ve never spoke more truly, brother,” Fili nodded. He could not take his eyes off Sybil. Maybe Cora was right, trying to make her daughter a lady? She looked so beautiful now.

“I have a feeling that we have such a lot to discuss with them,” Kili said with an ominous smile.

“Kee, it’d be better not to have any ideas, though we don’t know them, don’t you remember?” the older brother objected.

“And why shouldn’t we want to meet them?”

“It will draw our friends’ attention, and especially Thorin’s!”

“It's high time them to find out about Dorian and Sybil, don’t you think?”

“Well, I don’t know ...”

“Oh, come on! Let's do a show!”

Thus, when all the elves had left young people alone, the dwarves gave them some time for calm nourishment, then got up from the table and sneaked up to Dorian and Sybil from behind.

“I didn’t know you from this side, your majesty,” they whispered in their ears, Kili in Sybil’s and Fili in Dorian’s, at the same time.

Young people jumped in their chairs, clutching their chests and breathing heavily.

“Fee, Kee, you fools!” Dorian hissed. “Though we don’t know each other, me and Sybil don’t exist for you, Thorin can’t find out anything about us, and so on.”

“A reversal of his attention would be our task, if necessary,” Kili replied.

“And what about the rest of the Company? They’re looking at us,” Sybil snapped.  

“Don’t worry about it,”Fili said quietly. “Since the first time I saw you, I knew that we must be introduced,” he added aloud. “Therefore, let me to do so. Fili …”

“... And Kili ...”

“At your service,” both dwarves said, bowing low.

People quickly spotted the clue. They got up from the table.

“We feel honored. Dorian, son Brandon and ...”

“... Sybil, daughter of Cora. At yours and your families service.”

Young people bowed. They did not notice when the dwarves become serious for a short moment.

At yours and yours families service - how accurate these words were.

***

Thorin rolled his eyes as he saw his nephews talking to this extraordinary two.

"Of course. Boys have a natural, physiological, and absolute need to like and be liked by everyone. They couldn’t refuse to introduce themselves," he thought.

Unexpectedly, some cheerful, catchy music could be heard. Elves, those kind of frivolous certainly, grabbed each other’s hands and formed a dance pageant. They began to move to the rhythm of the melody along the table. The others joined them. The pageant was already quite substantial, as it circled around the table top for the first time. The part of the Company had been drawn into it. Then the rest, sitting on the opposite side of the table. Now, a ring closed around the table. Gandalf, Lord Elrond, Glorfindel and all the noble elves looked at it with joy and a smile. Thorin could do nothing more than observe. Suddenly, he realized that the two, holding hands with Fili and Kili, were approaching the table top.

As soon as the boy, then the girl, looked him straight in the eye, his heart sank.

'I know these faces. Those eyes. These smiles,' was his first thought.

'How?' he scolded himself then.

Wine surely had stirred his mind.

When he shook off the shock, these two were gone. He looked for them in the dance parade.

As they approached, Thorin had confirmed the belief that somehow, he knows these young people! 

Especially, when he heard their laughter.

Being with him face to face, they stared at him almost cheekily.

“Thorin Oakenshield …” he herad the boy’s voice as they were right behind him.

“It’s so nice to see you again,” the girl ended.  

After that, they walked away, giggling.

Thorin was willing to do anything, only to get a chance to talk to them. But the music had trailed off.

And the two had disappeared into thin air.

From now on, he wouldn't miss a single feast.

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Someone has prophetic dreams here... 

Let's be sad together with Elrond. 

Thorin is disturbingly fond of wine. 

Yes, Kili feels attracted to she-elves. 

Fili and Kili are an evil. 

If someone didn't guess, the supper takes place in the Hall, which is mentioned in "The Lord of the Rings". 

This is the same room in which Frodo feasted after his arrival at Rivendell. 

I don't know if the elves could form this dance parade ... It was a boost to my creative inspiration, which I could not resist.