In my dreams (Elentari and Thorin)

Thorin was as tired as his beard was long.

Durin-damned that was one hell of a night! They had all been captured and almost eaten alive during the night and had only been saved by the delaying tactics of Bilbo Baggins and the timely arrival of Gandalf... and the sun. It was far too close a thing for Thorin's liking and he had gotten his company to destroy the now-stone creatures. That way they could rest in peace knowing they'd never be back.

Sighing a little bit, Thorin adjusted his pack beneath his head and descended into a fitful slumber.

Before long though his dreams began to take shape, although welcoming him to some misty plane of nothing but whiteness. It took a few moments before it took the shape of a bedroom. Odd but alright. He heard a knock at the door as, seeing as how it was a dream, he answered,

"Come in, the door's unlocked."

Elentari sat in her manor, not far from the Elvish house of Rivendell and she thought about Thorin and how his mission had been progressing. It had not been going well so far, the Pale Orc was on their trail still but she had managed to delay him a little bit with some decoys around and about different areas, but, the run in with the trolls had worried her as well...surely there shouldn't be any trolls this low in the mountain.

She supposed that would end up being her fault as well when the other wizards came to hear about it, despite the elves not sensing any evil coming from her home, her living so close to them and everything. In these times, they were far kinder to her than the council had ever been.

Now however she was thinking about comforting Thorin, his confidence must be knocked and she could sense that his strength was fading with the tiredness of the long day that they had encountered. Hopefully Elentari would be able to restore this strength and the courage that he so badly needed, by fulfilling her promise that she made to him on their last meeting.

Closing her eyes she allowed herself to descend into a dreamlike state, where in, she attached herself to the dreams of Thorin Oakenshield himself, forming them into what she would want for him, dreaming of sleep was by far the most relaxing thing. That was why she had chosen a bedroom for their conversation.

As he told her to enter, she did so, dressed in a long flowing black dress made out of a see through black gossamer material, which was fitted to her by the black velvet tunic she wore over the top which came down to the middle of her thighs, covering her modesty but leaving her long pale legs mostly exposed underneath the gossamer.

"Greetings Thorin." she whispered softly "Did I not tell you I would come to you in times where you needed strength? After the day you have had...I believe my presence is required." Elentari smiled brightly, treading lightly further towards the bed on which he lay.

Thorin couldn't be sure but he could have sworn he felt something as he looked around the bedroom he found himself in. He had to admit that the feeling felt so... familiar. It was like someone he knew was standing a little bit away from him, just out of sight, but he was able to tell who it was just by the way they were in the room. He wasn't too sure to be perfectly honest, but it felt like that. Then again, dreams and feelings were the realm of elves, not dwarves.

When Elentari entered the bedroom, dressed in a see-through black dress, he couldn't help but admit that this was one of his better dreams. She was flashing her long, smooth, legs at him and the rest of her body was complimented so very very well by the dress itself. He couldn't help but check her out in the most obvious of ways.

It was a dream right, so why not?

He chuckled a little bit as she said that she was here because of the promise about him needing strength from her. Circling around her, he smirked a little bit and gave her ass a firm squeeze before giving it a firm slap,

"Oh I can tell this is going to be a very nice dream..." he purred a little bit into her ear from behind as he cupped one of her breasts from behind, "One of the type I've been having for awhile now too..."

Elentari blinked when she saw Thorin so blatantly looking over her body, she wouldn't lie and say that she minded but it was a little more open than he had been the other times she had met him. It didn't seem to be his sort of style to be this upfront about it, perhaps she had read him completely wrong. Maybe it was the fact he thought this was a dream as well, and that this wasn't actually her...well it would be a sight to see his face when he figured it out.

Unable to stop herself from squeaking as soon as he gripped her, and then slapped her, Elentari didn't really know how to react. If she should turn to him and slap him for touching her in such a manner, or allow the dream to continue in this manner considering that it was obviously what he had wanted for some time if what he said was any indication.

Gasping softly as he cupped one of her breasts from behind, Elentari turned and raised an eyebrow at the Dwarf, placing her hand on her hip as she looked down at him. She had been developing a shrinking spell that would enable her to turn smaller in order to be with him properly when the time came, but it was not yet perfected.

"Not that I don't appreciate you sharing the subject of your dreams." she stated, her voice filled with mirth "But I am actually here you know, I said I would be with you in ways you would not entirely expect, it seems as if you might have forgotten that little fact."

As she peeled his hand from her breast, Elentari couldn't help but chuckle softly; "I suppose it is one way to attempt to get me into bed but, slapping doesn't normally work so well, when you haven't even kissed me yet."

Thorin had to admit that the feel of her breast in his hand was amazing. The weight was just so soft and subtle... like it was real! Of course it couldn't be real. If it were real he'd be officially dead by now and that meant that it wasn't real. She wouldn't let him touch her like this if she wasn't a figment of his imagination after all.

Or maybe had had been took fast for her to react properly right away.

As soon as she told him that she was actually here, he blinked a few times. And when she mentioned that she had said to be there in ways that were not entirely expected... then the penny dropped! Thorin froze and all the colour left his face as he instantly released her from his rather intimate hold on her, jumping back a step as he did so,

"Oh... oh dear Durin..." he breathed, his eyes wide and his cheeks burning red with embarrassment and shame. Oh she was going to tear him apart for that! He coughed a little bit and tried to control himself but his body just wasn't having it, "I didn't mean... I mean... I thought that you were a dream! Durin's beard! Just... don't vaporise me or anything please..."

He blushed so hard that it was visible even though he had a thick beard. Dear gods could this get any more embarrassing? He moaned a little bit and nodded a little bit,

"It'd be different in real life but... but I thought this was a dream!" He shook his head, "I am so sorry about all this..."

Elentari couldn't help but laugh hard and loud when Thorin took a step back from her, in fact she would go as far to say that he jumped away from her when he realised what he had done. It was such an amazing expression that she wished she could capture it so she could look at it whenever she needed to cheer herself up. Such terror had surely never been seen on the face of any male before, never mind on a Dwarven face.

Seeing Thorin blush made her laugh stop and Elentari merely smiled broadly, he was so sweet the way that he got so flustered about the whole thing. Honestly it wasn't as if it was any great secret to her that he had feelings for her, she had feelings for him too, but she was sure that he was not aware of that, why would he be? She always kept herself in check.

Slowly, she traced her fingers across his burning cheeks and kissed each one in turn;

"Why would I do that?" she asked softly "You are dear to me Thorin, I would be lying if such thoughts hadn't crossed my mind at a time or two but...now is not the time for such things, imagine the sounds you would be making in your sleep." Elentari teased with a slow catlike smile.

A little laugh escaped her lips again and she shook her head, wrapping her arms around Thorin in a gentle hug, it felt good to embrace him, to know that he was safe. Moving to the bed, she lay down upon it and patted the space beside her for Thorin to lay upon, their height difference was not as noticeable in this position.

"There is no need to be sorry, the look on your face was apology enough. But come, you must sleep, regain your strength, and I will be here, beside you giving you mine also." she whispered soothingly.

Thorin had to admit that he had never looked more of a fool in his entire life before and he was sure that he looked damned foolish. He groaned a little bit and tried to pull himself under control but he knew that it was likely too little too late. She had already seen him like that and there was nothing he could do to try and change that back.

When she saw him blushing she did something that he had not been expecting at all and kissed both of his red cheeks. Almost instantly his blush somehow managed to double in strength until he was pretty sure that he would be glowing in the dark right now. Her words seemed to trigger the same reaction from him too seeing as she was also talking about the whole sexual side to a relationship and thoughts of such a relationship,

"I... I am glad to see that I am not alone in my thoughts of such a relationship." he admitted softly before growling a little bit in mild annoyance, "No doubt they would be rather entertaining for the others... and I would never live it down either."

Laying down on the bed next to her, he tried to get comfortable on the bed. When he was comfortable he sighed a little bit and looked straight up at the ceiling,

"I was powerless." he admitted out of the blue, ashamed, "For all my strength and skill, I was powerless. It took a fast talking Hobbit, Gandalf and the rising of the sun to save me and my kin from being eaten. I don't like that it was all up to chance."

Elentari was trying to work swiftly so that the thoughts of the embarrassment would be left behind, she didn't want his rest to be marred by them he would need all the rest that he could get after all, the quest was going to get much much harder over the next few days. What lay ahead for the Dwarves was harder than what they had left behind.

Now was not the time to tell Thorin that however, now he needed to be calm, and to rest.

"Do not worry, this will remain our little secret until the time is right that I reveal myself to all of those in your company, some of them have not met me as of yet, have you spoken of me to them?" she asked with a sly smile on her lips, interested in the subject, and if he had spoken of her, what he had said to those that follow him.

When Thorin got comfortable, Elentari lay her head on his chest, softly stroking stray strands of his wild black hair from his chest. Hearing his worries, she smiled reassuringly and cupped his cheek, Elentari was glad he was speaking to her, and his pride was no longer an issue between the two of them, as this little episode would show.

"You cannot hope to bare all the skills needed for such a quest, or indeed needed for life. That is why you have your companions with you, to help and aid you where your own strengths fail." she whispered softly, stroking his hair back from his face "It is no weakness of yours Thorin, the only weakness will be if you harbour this feeling too long in your heart. Learn, as we all do, from our mistakes."

Softly, she kissed his forehead, and smiled warmly; "Now sleep, you will see me soon if that is your worry."

Thorin wanted to move on from the embarrassment as quickly as possible. The thought of the company seeing him blushing, either in his sleep or when he woke up, was positively disgusting to him and he would do anything to keep it from happening again! Of course he knew that she would likely bring out this reaction from him sometime in the future. Only she could do it and she knew that she could and she knew how to do it perfectly,

"I'm glad that it will remain a secret... I can see myself losing all of my credibility as a leader if word got out about my reaction." he admitted with a little bit of a chuckle before smirking a little bit and decided that he would tease her by only giving her the barest amount of information, "Yes, I have spoken to them about you. At length."

When she laid her head to rest against his chest he smiled a little bit and idly began to play with her hair as she seemed to do the same for him. Her advice was soothing and her logic sound and Thorin felt himself relaxing even now,

"I suppose I must learn to better accept the aid and contributions of all of the members of my little company." he admitted a little bit quietly before yawning a little bit, "Do not worry... I won't let these thoughts dwell in my mind. I shall... sleep as you suggest."

He sighed softly and nuzzled against her gently as he began to drift off to sleep.

Elentari smiled softly as she felt Thorin drifting off to sleep, she was glad that he was content in her company to take her advice, to let go of the cares of the day and to finally be able to get some rest. Some proper rest as he would need it. There were talks of orcs and warg packs nearby, and this could so easily be the work of the Pale Orc that she had been hearing tale of.

If indeed it was true and the Pale Orc had come out of hiding, Thorin would be devastated, and she would be certain that he would need her presence that night. Tonight, however, was not that night. This night was not tainted by darkness, and dutifully, until she could feel Thorin awakening from his sleep, stayed by his side, replenishing his strength and hoping that her words and her presence would give him the courage needed to face the trials ahead.

His face was so peaceful in his sleep, Elentari hoped that one day, his cares would vanish for other reasons, as opposed to the sleep he found himself in. She hoped that one day he would have no cares to line his features.

"Sleep well, Thorin my dear." she whispered softly into his ear, as she hummed an old lullabye of old, to soothe him even further as he dreamt.