(Thorin)

Perhaps it was her calming presence or her kind words. I'm not sure why I allowed myself to be free with her even for a moment. An instinct deep inside of me felt the overwhelming need to shield her from any harm. Rather it be brash words or a sword. It was the way she would look at me I suppose. How she looks to everyone. When I look at her, I do not see what I see in others here in Middle Earth. I see kindness, love, empathy, and understanding. To her cruelty and malice are words unknown to her. They are as foreign to her as the actions of being so.

As we wander through the tree line just below the pathway leading to the others, I stop. Following not far behind me she comes up next to me looking fretfully around us. Smirking I rest a hand on her shoulder "It's alright. We're not far from the others."

Following closely, we step into the woods walking further in. The crickets are chirping, and the forest is alive with its nightlife. As we come to a clearing I stop and turn back to Elena. She looks at me suspiciously "Okay, just so you know if you brought me all the way out here to murder me, I'm going to make you work for it."

Chuckling I shake my head stepping closer to her. For a moment she looks as if she's going to take a step back from me. Holding her shoulders she stands arm length from me. Slowly my hands slide down her arms until I'm holding her forearms. The red color powders her cheeks and I quickly let go. Clearing my throat, I step aside giving her view of the clearing.

"What are we looking for exactly?" she asks confused "Am I not seeing it or...?"

I see the spark of light and quickly cover her mouth with my hand. Holding her close I whisper softly "Try to be quiet."

Laying down on the ground I face the night sky. Awkwardly Elena shuffles and I chuckle "Do you need an invitation?"

Nervously chuckling she lays beside of me making sure to keep a distance between us. Ignoring her isolation I shift my body nestling as comfortably as I can. Looking over to her I give a nudge on her arm getting her attention "Close your eyes."

She nods closing them with her face to the sky. Intently I watch her tracing the outlines of her round face with my eyes. As the wind blows through the tree's I speak just above a whisper "Look beyond us, beyond this world. Look past the dark sky."

Opening her eyes they look up in awe at the majesty above. The stars decorate the dark blue sky like diamonds glistening with specs of gold. A shooting star falls as we both watch it descend down into a new resting place.

"Thorin, they're so beautiful." Elena breathes admiring the night sky.

I smirk watching her look above "Yes, they are."

Elena looks back at me with her eyes meeting mine. Blinking I avert my eyes from her as she looks back at me concerned. Quickly I stand turning my back on her. I cross my arms walking away "We should get some rest. Sunrise will be on us soon."

AN: Sorry for the shorter chapter! Hope you still enjoyed it!