An arched brow was all Kíli could muster at her words. Not of Middle-earth…so then Aman? Kíli knew naught of Aman other than the realm of the great Ainur lay within its borders. He eyed Corazon studiously for he didn’t believer he to be an Ainu, she had proclaimed herself of the Philippines and that certainly didn’t sound like a place in Valinor.
Then she spoke, comparing her own Dragons to his. An invasion by men and ships, certainly then she was not of Aman. So then where?
The Dwarf placed a kind hand on her shoulder and shook his head. “You cannot blame yourself for their wickedness. You were deceived twice because you have a good heart and you are willing to give chances, even to those who harmed you. So then it speaks more of them and their black hearts then of you.”
When Corazon spoke of his race, the bowman couldn’t help but puff out his chest. “I pray I have done my kin honor, most people look down on us.” Kíli paused and chuckled. “And that is not only because of our stature. We’re a secretive lot, I broke many an instinct by speaking Khuzdul to you earlier. Many of my people believe Dwarf business should stay Dwarf business and not one outsider is to be permitted. But it seems my reckless heart oft clashes with my Dwarven mind.”
Kíli neared choked when she inquired about romance; he held up a hand and shook it from side to side, beaming and blushing all the while. “It’s not a thought that has ever crossed my mind, friend Corazon. You’d be surprised how many Dwarves never take wife or husband, they focus on their crafts for that is their joy in life thus as sweet as having any child or spouse.”
He chewed on his lower lip, pondering his own stance. “After we reclaim our home, I wish to see the world sometime afterwards. Perhaps my brother will come with me, if not, well, I’ll miss him terribly. But alas, adventure is what I have in mind not a true love. When my uncle passes, my brother will be king and I will most like become his right hand. Perhaps then when I am settled I shall think of courtship though that is at least a hundred years from now.”
She offered him a faint smile, struggling to find a way to explain it to him without looking suspicious. What she knew of Tolkien’s world was very little, and she was afraid to make a wrong assumption and lose this slow going friendship with the Dwarf prince. Corazon rather liked his company , his actions indicating that he was young for his kind, reminding her of her days as a colony and not a nation. “I’ll find a way to explain to you where I come from, I’m a little overwhelmed to have come here to Middle-Earth to be honest…” That much was true, she really did not think much of the place before dropping in there.
When she felt his hand rest on her shoulder, she looked up to him with with slight surprise that slowly melted into a grateful one. “… Thank you, Kili. It’s nice to hear someone tell you that once in a while… Especially when you know you aren’t entirely innocent about the matter…” Her eyes flickered down to her open palm, as if there had been an object or a mark on it. However behind those burnt brown eyes she saw flashes of red and shook herself to regain her composure. Immediately she looked back up to Kili, that faint smile resting on her lips.
“That’s understandable. There are a few communities and people like so in my country. Mainly because of that quiet little voice of distrust and spite within our minds. I suppose it’s still going on.” A grin flashed across her features as she lightly punched the other’s arm, “Comes to show that you have an opened mind and a very trusting heart, Kee.”
Seeing the Dwarf slightly flushed as she brought up the topic or courting, she chuckled behind her fist as she listened to what he had to say. Corazon wondered when it was appropriate for Dwarves to seek out a ‘companion.’ “Does not surprise me. There is such thing as marrying you work, you know?”
Once again she stretched out her legs, the soreness from earlier was coming back in. “You and your brother must be really close, huh? Not only that but it seems that you’ve taken adventuring as your mistress for the time being.” There were so many things about him that made her remember of the days where she did not have to worry about anything but simple things such as the common cold. “So, besides being a prince… What do you do? What’s your trade?”
saribayan 