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[livingmyths]

It was a beautiful sunny day, so Rain took advantage of it to wander out into the forest. It didn't take her long to reach the clearing by the river and wade out to one of the big rocks in the river. She set out a blanket there, in a curved spot of the rock just perfect for curling up in, and settled down with a book to enjoy the sun as long as it lasted.

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[sharpeyedwarf]

"I'm going to go help slay a dragon," he says. "Which is just as good as a rescuing a princess."

Well, if Uncle Thorin lets him come. He's still young after all. Doesn't even have a beard yet.

[livingmyths]

"Really?" Rain said, eyes wide. "Is the dragon near here? Has he kidnapped a princess too? Or are you stopping him before he can do that? Or does he just like gold? Is he a big dragon?"

Dragons! Such excitement! Her hands are clasped in front of her as the questions that fill her head just spill out.

[sharpeyedwarf]

"The dragon is at Erebor, the greatest dwarven city known! Or it was until it came. But we are going to take it back and then we shall rebuild. The treasure shall be ours again," Kili says with the confidence of it'll be easy.

It has to be.

[livingmyths]

Rain slipped to the edge of the rock and sat down, dipping her feet in the river as she leaned forward, chin resting on one hand as she listened to him.

"Erebor," she said with a dreamy smile. "It sounds like a place right out of a story, only it's real. You must be so excited!"

[sharpeyedwarf]

He sits on his side of the river, but keeps his feet out of it as he's not barefoot.

"I am. It's where my family is from. I've heard so many stories about the place."

[livingmyths]

"Oh, I love stories!"

She smiled at him hopefully.

"Tell me one?"

[sharpeyedwarf]

Pfft. Fine then. Make the mun think.

Kili thinks about it for a moment and then tells her the story of finding the Arkenstone, the heart of the mountain and greatest of all jewels. About how it was found and became the crown of his great grandfather's collection.

He's a dwarf. Of course it's going to be about gold jewels.

[livingmyths]

Rain was probably the best listener any storyteller could hope for. She leaned forward, eyes wide, hanging on his every word.

"Ohhhhhh...." Her breath came out in a long happy sigh. "That's a wonderful story! You made me feel like I was right there finding the arkenstone myself. It must be beautiful!"

[sharpeyedwarf]

Kili blushes briefly at her compliment, indicating his relative youth.

"I'm not that good of a story teller," he says modestly.

[livingmyths]

"I think you're wonderful," Rain said honestly. "I liked it a whole lot. I'd listen to you tell a story any time."

She sighed happily again, resting her chin on her hand. "I remember before sometimes the old ones would tell stories. If they were in a good mood. I loved listening to them. But no one seems to tell stories here."

[sharpeyedwarf]

"What sort of stories did they tell you?" Kili asks.

It's only fair, right?

[livingmyths]

"Oh gosh," Rain said dreamily. "There were so many. On the rez they'd tell stories about how the world came to be. They'd tell stories about brave warriors and how they saved the people. They'd tell stories about foolish children who didn't listen to their elders and got lost in the woods and met talking animals."

"On the streets, there was an old black man who'd tell stories about Anansi - the man who stole all the stories from the Sky God and gave them to the people. He was wonderful to listen to." She looked sad suddenly. "He died in his sleep one night. I went to his stoop to find him in the morning and he was just all dead."

[sharpeyedwarf]

"Oh. I'm sorry."

[livingmyths]

"It's okay," she said with a sigh. "He would have hated ending up in a hospital or one of those places for old people. He'd been living on the streets too long to feel safe in a place like that. I think he must have been happy to die in his sleep."

She considered for a moment, staring up at the sky. "Sometimes I think that he maybe went to one of the beautiful places in his stories when he died. I hope so."

[sharpeyedwarf]

Kili thinks about this and then nods in agreement. "That sounds like a good way to go."

[livingmyths]

"I think so," Rain said. "Though I'd rather be out in the woods or a place like this, than on the streets."

[sharpeyedwarf]

"I .. don't know where I'd like to be. Maybe in battle?"

[livingmyths]

"I don't think I'd like that," Rain said slowly. "But if that's what you want, I hope you get it?"

[sharpeyedwarf]

"It's what happens to all the great dwarves in the stories." Which is his way of saying he wants it.

He thinks.

[livingmyths]

"It would be like being a part of a story yourself," said Rain. "I'd kind of like to be part of a story someday."