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pixiedurango · 6 years

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Ursa - A Rogue’s Tale - (part 4)

part 4: In which Thorin and Ursa go shopping of some sort.

Notes: I used the Dragon Age Inquisition character creator to give Ursa a face, ANYWAY THIS IS NOT A HOBBIT/DAI CROSSOVER Future events will loosely follow the movie version of the Hobbit, but story sets in a good part before the company meets at Bilbo’s house. Feedback, comments, reblogs and any kind of rambling about this is - like always - highly appreciated. Just drop by and start a convo. @deepestfirefun @xxbyimm @armitageadoration @thegreyberet @cd1242 @fullvoidmoon @patanghill17 @brieflyhopefulluminary @mynameisnoneya1991 @sherala007 @shikin83 @evyiione @thorincuddlez @thorins-magnificent-ass @tomssweetbouquet @abiwim @niteowlnest @maybetomorrowgirl

Thorin let her sleep through the night without bothering her to take second watch. 'Just this one time' he swore to himself. Such silly acts of chivalry he impossibly could hold up for the rest of their journey.

And she would not want that either, he assumed. Her sour face greeting him in the morning was proof enough.

“You'll have to finally trust me if you want me be a part of your company, your majesty!” She grumbled, clearly mocking him.

His eyes narrowed, becoming icy and his features hardened. “Don't call me that if don't mean it!” Thorin snapped back. “And maybe you should start learning the concept of simply doing something from kindness alone. If you ever consider becoming part of my company that is.”

“Dwarves are not particularly known for kindness, you know? Simple as that.”

They stood opposite, actually mirroring each other, arms braced in front of their chests measuring each other with stubborn eyes.

Thorin finally gave in.

“Fine. Take it as you will. I don't care. Now get ready. I won't waste any more time with your follies.” With a face remaining like stone he gathered his belongings but did not ask for his coat. Leaving it with her who still had nothing to properly cover herself other than her ripped clothes. “We head to the next village. I'll see that you get something decent to wear and then you may leave to where ever you wish.”

Strange enough it annoyed him that obviously she had changed her mind over a night's sleep, not really realizing that she never actually said she wouldn't come. But just to argue with was rejection enough right now.

How wrong he was, he slowly realized when he saw her brows furrow in a frown as she glanced over to him obviously surprised by another change of rules.

“I thought we're on our way to Hobbiton. Together? As you offered last night?” She was trying to fix her torn vest with a leather cord she had found somewhere in his bundles and when it was done in a halfway decent way she wordlessly tossed him back his coat. Now they both were puzzled but Thorin tried to overplay it while catching his cloak and it was a good distraction to gain time while putting it on.

“Yes. Of course... I... just wanted to... emphasize... that you are free to decide any time.” She realized he was rambling but was clever enough not to rub his nose in it. That was why she only gave him a broad smirk as she deliberately chose to take one of his bundles so the load to carry was shared. Of course he was about to object but her gaze silenced him.

~ ~ ~

They wandered in almost peaceful silence until they arrived at the gate of the village. “Let me do the talking?” Ursa asked.

“Why do you think I'm new to bargaining? I make a living of selling my smithy work.” Thorin grumbled back. Why in Durin's name did everything she said sounded like she was challenging him?

“I'm certain, you'll be an excellent negotiator when it comes to your hand's work, but we're here to get me new clothes. Let me make my own choice and work for it? Please?” Without really wanting it, she went all soft for a moment and her eyes showed more of the plea than her words did.

As soon as she realized it, she looked away and mumbled something he could not understand.

He did not see why this even mattered but he agreed when he saw how important this seemed to be to her. Halfway he expected that she would try to get a fortune out of his offer to buy herself unnecessarily pricey things but he was bound to learn different when they finally found their way to the local merchant.

She chose a pair of dark and well worn sturdy buckskin breeches. Cutting the legs would be necessary but he knew they would not find dwarf sized clothes in a human settlement. A simple tunic in an earthy green with laces to close at the collar. A darned but surely warm coat from blackish gray wool, a short padded leather jerkin mainly made of straps, laces, buckles and hidden pockets and a pair of knee high boots completed her choices.

When she finally was done negotiating, he literally had to collect his jaw from the floor. Along the way he had never been sure whether she was pulling up a fight, starting an argument, being about to leave the place without buying anything, flirting with the merchant or actually just buying something without further hassle.

The prize he finally was paying was way less than estimated and he could not help but making a somewhat approving face while they left the merchant's place.

“Impressive.” He acknowledged and she grinned over to him, happily carrying the bundle they just had purchased.

“Seems all this dwarvish blood is good for something at last.” she replied with a wink and he had to look away so she would not see how his cheeks started to burn.

She indeed had impressed him and he caught himself being more and more fascinated by her. She was lively and reckless and she surely stood her ground. And she was beautiful which he very well realized. And now she was winking at him!

But he chased away once more any such ideas. Follies! Inappropriate and so not worth a second thought. He could not divide his attention between his quest and a woman. Not to speak such an impossible one.

Thorin realized that he had been quiet for far too long now as they were still standing in front of the merchant's house and he turned towards the smithy which was right across the street.

“Let's go, see if I can sell a sword or a dagger.”

“Can I see what you have? Tell me what’s your price for each?” She asked. Clearly she was up to something but she seemed serious and not trying to mock him again. Still, her request put him on alert.

“Why should I?” He asked suspiciously narrowing his eyes.

“Let me try and sell them for you and what ever I get more than your price is, shall be mine as my commission. Everyone wins.”

It was brazen and she knew it, but on the other hand she would need coin no matter whether she would be traveling along with him and his obscure company or on her own. So better she got started soon enough to earn some because no one ever knew what tomorrow would bring and how long she would have the luxury of traveling with him.

Thorin sighed and stepped over to a waist high wall where he quickly unfolded his bundle of forged goods and gave her a quick overview of what he had to offer and how much he hoped he would earn with each of them. Keeping the prices deliberately high so hopefully he would not have to pay her too much. Or anything at all.

“Try your luck if you want.” He offered with a shrug.

Ursa nodded and pulled the bundle back together. “Wait at the tavern?”

Again he glared at her with a frown but said nothing. Turned on his heels and walked over to the house with a colorful wooden sign of a singing badger. Without looking back he stepped into the small and well frequented tavern and ordered a meal for two and two tankards of ale before he placed himself in a quiet corner from where he could keep an eye on the whole room and the door.

She would return. He was sure of that. This was her way to test his trust and he forced himself to pass it quietly waiting for her with all the patience he could summon.

It took a good amount of time but when finally the door opened and she slipped into the 'Singing Badger' he realized that his bundle was remarkably smaller and lighter and her smirk was so smug he could not help but hiding a grin himself by taking a deep sip from his tankard.

With all the calm in the world she sat down and began to eat what was her first proper meal in days but if she had thought she would make him nervous by staying silent she was mistaken.

Thorin Oakenshield, if nothing, could be stubbornly patient when he knew he would learn something anyway. So they ate in tensed silence until she could wait impossibly a single minute longer and finally pushed away her empty bowl and shoved the bundle on the table for him to check what she had been able to sell.

Three swords and no less then 5 daggers were gone. All his best pieces sold. Thorin quickly calculated and came up with an impressive amount. Which she silently placed in front of him, carefully counting each coin all into even piles so he would know she was not trying to steal from him. Thorin sat in silence and waited. To be honest, this was what he had expected. The prices he had called had been high but not unreasonable. The interesting part was yet to come.

“Good work already.” He nodded, as he collected the coins and let them slip into the pouch he carried on his belt. “Now the intriguing part. If you don't mind to tell.”

Quickly she piled up another impressive amount of coins for him to see. Then she separated some, counted once more and shoved them over to him while she began to bind the remaining money into an old handkerchief.

Thorin frowned looking at the new pile of coin in front of him.

“What's this?” he asked calmly.

“What you borrowed me for the clothes.” She nodded towards the pile and a quick count confirmed it was exactly the amount he had paid for her earlier.

With a determined face he shoved it back towards her.

“No way. I said I'd provide for you no matter how we later decide on traveling together.” he objected.

“It's too much.” She insisted. “And since now I can pay for myself I don't want to be in your dept.”

Thorin glanced at her with a long silent look out of serious eyes. “No dept. A gift.”

“Since when dwarves are into gifts?” She asked back with a frown, trying to read his face and what was behind it. But he only remained blank and serious and so there was no way for her to guess what his intentions were.

“I don't have to explain what I do and what not. And why I do it” Thorin stubbornly insisted and shoved the pile of coins back over the table. “And now put it away! We already have drawn too much attention for too much coin we carry. Argue later if you need but for now we should just get out of here.”

At least to this she had nothing to fight about because from the corner of her keen eyes she realized he was right and so without a further word she stuffed the coins into her makeshift pouch to the others and mumbled “Let's be gone, then. But this isn't over yet.”

Thorin shook his head and got up along with her. “Yes. I know.” He sighed but with a quiet grin. It never would be.

#Thorin Oakenshield #thorin oakenshield x ofc #thorin #richard armitage #Thorin x Ursa

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vardasvapors · 6 years

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I started writing separate answers but realized I was repeating myself so I hope it’s okay that I combined these to spare my dash! Anyway SORRY THIS IS LATE I wasn’t quite sure how to word it concisely….also thank u for giving me an excuse to scroll up to a great convo I had months ago for reference >_o

re: Luthien’s song passage. It seems to be creating one phenomenon out of dual experiences of how painful it is for these two races to meet one another and bewitch one another and be doomed to different fates? The two closest peoples, like it’s described, on the world among the innumerable stars. And yet Mandos responds to this lament by…uh, enabling the peredhil, who are both, yet choose one fate. The grief and sorrow of this weaving-together isn’t removed – if anything it’s forced into continuing manifestations, yet Luthien transmuted this grief into song and by dint of it made it beautiful, and Mandos acknowledged its enormity, so people in-universe who know that story have a foothold for meaning. As part of the peredhil’s overall fates, they choose which anguish to endure, since they, unlike most elves and men in most eras, can’t avoid the perilousness — as Tolkien put it using this word so many times — of the contact between mortality and immortality, whichever side they view it from.

I guess one of the most interesting things about Tolkien elves for me is how life- and character-altering an influence and bond something as brief as a friendship of years or months with a mortal has had on multiple different elves. It’s pretty weird imo! It’s not like some stories where there are creatures that are very sheltered apart from contact with humans and get super-attached that way, you can’t really apply that particular revelation-factor to those Tolkien elves’ things for mortals. But I guess you can kind of reverse-engineer it from the way elves are a weird wish-fulfillment for humans – to be immortal, yeah, but the wish-fulfillment also extends to wanting to know immortals. I was just reminded of that passage from The Seafarer! Remember me! The most universal of desires that bargain with, rather than deny or rage at, death. If I must go, remember me! Remember my presence! Remember my deeds! Those people and places are gone, yet their presence remains, albeit subjectively and incompletely: “And so it is for each man / the praise of the living, / of those who speak afterwards, / that is the best epitaph.” That imprint they left is expressed in words, but it’s really the kind of shape they carved in the minds and lives of people left behind – which in this setting include immortal lives, of elves who can still speak of them centuries and millennia after. Not so unlike, those archeology discoveries? where we can be reached, one-way, from across the vast abyss of time, by ancestors from 10,000 years ago, via footprints of ancient peoples made in soft clay that hardened into stone. Sometimes a small bit of evidence of someone’s existence, and their imprint on their times, is immortalized. I will never forget you. So the other passage–

–I would say, if Elwing chose to become immortal because of Luthien, she chose to become immortal because Luthien became mortal. Doriath is gone, Luthien is gone, her parents and brothers are gone, but as long as Elwing lives, that tale of Luthien still lives, including her choice to become mortal and leave the world, and all the hope that may lie therein. ‘I’m alive! I survived, I survived everything, even the waters themselves, I risked everything and survived it, and I’m still here, I’m still alive, and I will be here to prove it and to be alive until the end of time, as Luthien could not’ Or something like that. I guess the distinguishing rub of being an elf – even if most elves aren’t super self-aware of it – is that if they wind up in such a situation by choice or chance, then in a world subject to death, or entwined with people fated to death, all that is part of an elf’s life will hold an echo of fleeting things and their very fleetingness forever, because that elf’s life goes on forever.

For Elwing it’s probably not much about humans, outside of her pride in Luthien, just as elves aren’t always the source of these issues for mortals, Bilbo whisked out over the water under a strange moon by the dwarves’ song. It’s just that elves/humans are used as a proxy for the whole arda marred crossed-signals problem a lot – the myriad roads and not enough time to take them all versus the impermanence that will crumble them all beneath their very feet. But as humans are to inherit the world, elves are tied to it – not observing it or performing on it, but being part of it, letting its fluctuation leave its mark on them so it becomes part of their immortality – eternal life is just the prerequisite. Like you know, normal human life, but for keeps. Memory’s cool! Pls listen to me mix my metaphors about it.

With the Luthien and Elwing passages together, as Elwing choosing immortality “because of Luthien” makes no sense as imitation, I like to think the other peredhil’s choices aren’t always only (or at all) about a connection to one heritage over another, or feeling like one race and not the other (like Eärendil), which is a totally legit interpretation that can definitely be supported, but I’m not super interested in it and have a hard time buying it as how the characters think about this stuff, when a mortal/immortal fate is so much more overwhelming a factor. What strikes me more is the element of choosing which role they want to have re: Luthien’s song thing. This is just my two cents so if it’s not you guys’ thing just ignore it, but I really love the concept of choosing one fate being intimately associated with the potential relationship with the alternate fate, not a lack of interest in it. Although with Elwing it’s more about loss in arda marred generally, and comes while poised on the brink of apocalyptic war that she believes might well wipe out all memory of her people, rather than in the aftermath of war’s costly victory, the more human-adjacent role of elves I described above is very much how I interpret the choice for Elrond, and headcanon-predict the choice of Elladan and Elrohir, and perhaps to some extent, Tuor (tho Tuor’s a whole other issue /)_o). There is a folded-in heroism of immortality in such a frame, though I don’t think of it as a mainly dutiful thing for those characters above, but – like and yet unlike Luthien, and Eärendil, and Arwen – done for love, but in the other direction: for who and what they loved and grieved for and most fiercely desired to keep alive in the world in the form of word and deed and memory, by immortalizing it within themselves:

Then Andreth looked under her brows at Finrod: ‘And what, when ye were not singing, would ye say to us?’ she asked.

Finrod laughed. ‘I can only guess,’ he said. ‘Why, wise lady, I think that we should tell you tales of the Past and of Arda that was Before, of the perils and great deeds and the making of the Silmarils! We were the lordly ones then! But ye, ye would then be at home, looking at all things intently, as your own. Ye would be the lordly ones. “The eyes of Elves are always thinking of something else,” ye would say. But ye would know then of what we were reminded: of the days when we first met, and our hands touched in the dark. Beyond the End of the World we shall not change; for in memory is our great talent, as shall be seen ever more clearly as the ages of this Arda pass: a heavy burden to be, I fear; but in the Days of which we now speak a great wealth.’

Anyway….uh….I forgot that 12 year old me was much smarter than current me. You know the LOTR timeline, with character after beloved character inevitably dying, after the end of their awesome happy life, until Legolas and Gimli sail? That was my thought as a kid – the kind of, elves in LOTR are a lot of what gets the weight of backstory and context to materialize for the mortal characters, and hey if we swing around the timeline from backstory to what-happened-after, the fellowship all eventually die, on earth they would eventually be forgotten, but Legolas would never die, and he would never forget them.

#luthien tinuviel #elwing #peredhil #legolas #the silmarillion #lay of leithian #immortality and mortality #vaporous answers

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