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Sighing, you place your bow down. You were not feeling like archery today, so you decided to take a walk around the city. That was until you heard from a passing servant that lord Elrond wanted to meet you in his study. You hurried towards it, worrying that you had done something to anger the elven lord. Even if you were capable of defending yourself, even if you were blind, you wouldn't survive out in the wild alone. You passed elves as you walked, greeting everyone with a smile or a few kind words, and you received ones as well.
You were slightly out of breath when you made it to Elrond's study, and you knocked, hands shaking.
"Come in." He didn't sound angry, so that was good. You stepped in and breathed the smell of candle wax, ink, and old books, the smell that always lingered in the study.
"Y-You wanted to see me, my lord?" You muttered, turning to face away from the direction where you heard his breathing coming from.
"Yes. Don't look so worried, you haven't done anything wrong." You felt your shoulders relax at his words. Elrond let out a small laugh.
"I was actually hoping you could help me with something." You straightened your back, surprised but proud. It was not every day that you could help the elven lord with something.
"Of course, my lord." You could hear Elrond's footsteps walking around the room, and you did your best to follow him with your gaze, so to speak.
"You might have heard that a company of dwarves arrived this morning. I was hoping you would go and take them some clothes and then show them the baths. Everyone else is quite hesitant to work with the dwarves, but I know you don't see the fact that they are a different race as an issue. And you have the nerves of an oliphant, so you'll be able to listen to all their moaning without snapping at them." You both laughed at this, you had grown exceptionally long nerves due to the fact that you were blind and people always wanted to help you with everything, even if you could do it yourself.
"And the fact that I am blind might make them slightly more cooperative." You smirked, and Elrond huffed out a small laugh as well.
"That is also probably true. But if you could get going, I would like them to have washed by dinner." You bowed shortly and exited the room, making your way to the room you had heard they were staying on.
You walked amongst the halls towards the room where the dwarves were staying in. They weren't hard to find, all you had to do was follow the loud racket they were making. When you reached the door, you knocked on it gently and waited. You heard them muttering inside, some sentences audible while others were not.
"Why can't we get a moment of peace?"
"What do they want now?"
"Can't they just leave us alone?
"Could that be the food that was promised to us?" Other elves probably wouldn't have heard anything, but because you were blind your other senses were better than normal.
The door opened, and a gruff voice sounded slightly downwards from you. It was completely different from the elven ones you had gotten used to during your life.
"What do you want, elf?" You ignored his hostile tone and gave a small curtsey.
"Lord Elrond sent me to escort you to the baths." You tried your best to keep your tone as polite and pleasant as possible.
"Does he think we are so stupid that we cannot find it ourselves?" The sentence was spat out, but you didn't even blink at the hostile tone.
"No, he just said that you might want to bathe while waiting for supper." You felt the dwarves perk up at the mention of supper, and another voice, this one younger and sounded slightly less hostile.
"How long will we have to wait, miss elf?" You let out a small laugh and turned slightly so you were facing him.
"You can call me Y/N. I think we will dine at noon, but I am sure someone will come and fetch you when the food is ready. Now, are any of you interested in bathing?"
- -
Thorin couldn't help but feel perplexed. You didn't even blink with their hostile tone or looks they threw in your direction. You were polite at every turn and smiled. Oh, the smile. It turned Thorin's knees into putty and he didn't even know you. He knew your name was Y/N, but not much else. Now, you were explaining to Dwalin, about a hundredth time, that dinner would be served shortly.
"How bloody long will it take to make one meal? We've been waitin' for hours?" The hotheaded warrior was clearly hungry and utterly annoyed, and you, by some miracle, didn't even blink at his hostile tone.
"I've told you-" You tried to speak, but Dwalin interrupted.
"I bloody know what you have told us, elf!"
"My name is Y/N, you don't have to call me el-" Dwalin spoke on top of you again.
"I don't care what your name is, I just want food! Is this some sort of trick, promising us food but we never actually get it?" Everyone who knew Dwalin well knew that he was not to be messed with when hungry, the youngest of the group was slightly worried for you.
"I can assure you-" You tried again, but Dwalin was quick to cut you off.
"Oh shove off, you elves love to look down on us dwarves only because you think you are better than us." Dwalin was basically growling.
"I cannot look down on anyone." This was the first time the elf raised her voice. Her eyes were tightly on Dwalin, who stared at her with an empty look.
"You're blind," Dwalin stated. It wasn't a question.
"I have been since birth." There was a slight quiver in your voice, barely detectable, and you turned to leave. However, before you exited, you called behind your back.
"Dinner will probably be ready quite soon." With that, you excited the room, closing the door behind you with a louder bang than normal. It was clear that Dwalin's words had hit a nerve.
When the dwarves met you after dinner, you behaved as if nothing had ever happened. You were as polite and as cheery as before. Now that the dwarves knew you were blind, they made sure to keep the floor clear of their belongings so you wouldn't trip and stayed out of your way to the best of their ability. You thought it was actually very sweet.
"You don't have to tiptoe around me." You half expected them to deny it, but they didn't. They just continued on with what they were doing.
"Why do you so nice to us?" Ori was the brave one that had the guts to open his mouth.
"Shouldn't I be?" You asked a veil of amusement on your tone.
"You're an elf. We're dwarves. We don't usually get along, we're different." Ori speaks, and your smile.
"I have never understood why I treat others differently just because they aren't like me. Sure, you are shorter and have lower voices, but what does it matter? People have tried explaining the difference to me, but I just can't understand why the difference is so important." You muttered, and the dwarves sat with stunned silence.
You turned your eyes towards them.
"Why do you hate elves so much?" Thorin answered, with a tone dripping in hatred.
"Elves have never been remotely nice to us. The last time we had dealings with your kind, you abandoned us. You turned your back when our home was taken by a dragon. You did nothing."
"It seems as if you have already made up your mind about elves there is nothing I can do to change that." Y/N smiles while speaking, slightly sadly as she turns to the door.
"Good night."
-
Thorin couldn't help it. He fell for Y/N. Every time she visited them or came to take them somewhere, he fell a little harder. Every time you came to bring them something small to eat every evening, or when you brought them clean clothes. He tried telling himself that you were an elf, the enemy, but his heart said otherwise.
They had just decided that they would leave Rivendell when there was a knock on their door. Thorin opened it and forced away a smile when he saw it was you. You were carrying something in two big baskets, and you placed them on the ground.
"I know you want to continue your journey soon, I thought these could be useful." When they peeked into the baskets, they were filled with bread and nuts, a few shirts and trousers, as well as small glass veils of herbs and ointment for injuries. The dwarves just stared at you with mouths agape, and you smiled at them.
"I wish you the best of luck on your travels." And with that, you were gone. Thorin's heart strained. He wanted to run after you, to beg you to come with him, but he couldn't. You were an elf. The enemy. He should just forget about you.
When they were making their way up the stony paths, Thorin couldn't help but glance behind at the city one more time. His mind visited you for a moment, and he swore to himself that would not be the last he would see of you.
- - - -
You hadn't realized how much you had missed Thorin's voice and presence until both of them were there. The low baritone rumble of his voice was so comforting, it felt like home. There was mutters heard all around you, not hostile but friendly, happy ones. You had just arrived in Erebor, the dwarven kingdom, and all the dwarves of the company were happy to see you.
Thorin, especially, was thrilled to see you again. He had missed you, he had yearned to know more about you. He hadn't been able to forget about you. And there you were, your lips pulled into a small smile and your arms folded lightly on your stomach. You were wearing a light grey gown, and it brought out your eyes with their slight tinge of grey. Some might have called them hazy, but if you saw beyond the milky color, you could see the bright e/c shining trough.
"Evening, Thorin." You greeted, head turned in his direction.
"Let's get out of here, give them a minute alone." A hissing whisper sounded from Thorin's left, and he glanced there to see his sister ushering everyone out.
"You can go too, Lindir. I'll be fine." The elf that had been escorting you opened his mouth to argue but decided against it and followed the others out of the room.
You stood still, listening carefully as Thorin approached and grabbed your hand. He pulled on it slightly, and you followed; trusting that he wouldn't lead you into a wall. Thorin gently guided you to next to a bench, and you sat down on it, squirming slightly as the stone was cold underneath your quite thin dress. Thorin sat down next to you and gently grabbed your hands. You turned your head to where you felt his warm, bigger hands encase yours.
"Y/N." There it was again, the deep baritone voice. You turned your head in his direction, signaling that you were listening.
"D-During my journey, I realized something." Thorin tried to find the right words. None came to mind.
"Thorin?" Shifting slightly, you tried to read the situation. The foreign place made you slightly nervous, if he left you had no idea where to go.
"I-I have never felt anything like this before. I felt it when I was with you in Rivendell. And now..." He trailed off but continued speaking quickly as he saw your brows furrow.
"I can not describe it, but it feels like .. like ..."
"Home?" You suggested, and his eyes snapped to you.
A small smile grazed your lips, and you shifted towards him, lifting your arm and inching it forward. Your hand made contact with his cheek, and you ran your thumb on his jawbone gently.
"I feel it too. Ever since that conversation, we had just before you left. That was the last time I've felt whole." You muttered, and you could feel Thorin's lips pulling into a smile.
"I feel the same. The same feeling, the emptiness has been plaguing my heart after we parted." He took a deep breath and hoped that what he would say next wouldn't scare you away.
"I think you are my One." Your brows furrow slightly, your head tilting to the left.
"We dwarves only love once." Thorin tried to explain, hoping that he hadn't completely scared you off. What surprised him was the smile spreading on your face. You gently leaned forward and pressed your lips to his. Thorin returned the kiss and his hands flew to your sides, and he gently pulled you closer to him, deepening the kiss.
When you pulled away slightly, your foreheads touching and your lips lingering close to each other.
"I know that you are my love. We don't have a word for the love of our lives, but there is no doubt in my mind that it isn't you. Thorin smiled at this and pressed his lips to yours for a gentle kiss.