Understandings
This will be an AU/Slash/Mpreg tale. Sorry for those that don't like that genre, but this story has been itching to be written. Give it a shot if you dare.
This veers off of canon a lot. Sorry for canon lovers. Quite a twist in the story of the Ri brothers' pasts too so be warned.
Please review and let me know what you think, good or bad.
I own nothing. Poop!
Chapter One
Everyone looked up in shock as Nori tore past with Oin chasing after him angrily. The group had been enjoying some breakfast in the private, dining hall reserved for the Royal family with their kin and friends when the sound of running feet had alerted them to someone coming in swiftly.
"Stop this," Oin ordered as he caught Nori's arm and hauled him backwards as Nori snarled and hissed like a wildcat, "Stop. Tell me now. Stop fighting me."
"What in Durin's Beard is going on?" Thorin thundered as Oin shot him an annoyed glance.
"Don't upset Nori," Oin snapped as the king's eyes widened.
"Brother, he looks upset already," Gloin admitted as Nori continued trying to break free from Oin's grip continuing to hiss angrily, "What he do? Take something of yours and lie about it?"
"No," Oin bit out wrestling Nori to the floor and holding him close from behind, "Stop. Stop, Nori. Calm down. Tell me. Tell me who it was. Tell me."
"Tell you what?" Dori questioned hurrying over, "What's wrong with my brother?"
Oin didn't answer as he scrambled to keep Nori contained. The dwarf was wily and twisted anxiously trying to get the hands locked around his waist to release him.
"Go. Let go," Nori whimpered struggling harder.
"Stop, Nori," Dori insisted as he reached to touch his brother only to retreat as Nori drew away in what was apparent fear, "Oin, tell me what is going on? What's wrong with my brother? This isn't like Nori. What's wrong?"
"He's got a wee babe growing inside his belly," Oin admitted as Dori froze in shock.
"What?!" the whole group shouted in surprise.
"He came to me this morning complaining of feeling sick," Oin continued as Nori shook his head hard and continued to struggle, "He's been claimed. Looks like the claiming happened right after we won back Erebor when the Battle of Five Armies ended in victory. Lad's not told the sire and he's getting ill because of it. Nori needs to complete the bond, but he refuses to tell me the sire's name and took off."
Claiming was a unique, dwarrow trait. Mahal had seen that dwarves had few children and fewer females. Claiming was when a sire found a male mate to take as his own to provide children. The process involved being scented out, taken, and then left without the sire remembering the claiming happening as a new life began within the claimed. The claimed was supposed to present the good fortune to their mate to complete the bond so that the sire could assert his role as provider and stabilize the claimed's strength to carry the babe.
"Nori, calm down," Oin continued to murmur as Nori struggled harder, "Calm down for the babe within you. Stop. Calm yourself."
Nori stilled then and remained hunched in Oin's arms breathing heavily. There was no denying that the dwarf looked tired and ill. The whole room was silent for a moment.
"Which one of you did it?" Dori hissed turning with livid eyes on the group, "There were no others, but us then within the mountain at that point since the Iron Hill dwarrow were still regrouping. Which one of you claimed my brother? Figure it out now and do your duty. Nori looks about ready to break."
Everyone looked at one another in shock. Nori was with child and he was growing ill?
"He's right," Gloin muttered sitting hard, "One of us is surely the babe's sire. My wife is going to kill me if I sired the child."
"Stop," Nori moaned pulling in on himself, "Leave it alone. Let me go."
Dori glared at everyone before sitting next to Nori on the floor. The older brother in him realized that his younger brother was at the end of his limits.
"Nori?" the elder Ri called softly as his brother whimpered, "Come here, Lad."
Nori looked up and saw Dori with his arms open and threw himself into his brother's arms beginning to wail. He was tired, worn, and felt sick as a dog and all thought of being stoic as what was expected of a grown dwarf was thrown out the door to try to seek some comfort at last. Why couldn't everyone see his state and just leave him alone?
"There, there," Dori soothed as Nori sobbed, "It's okay. I'm here now. Hush, Nori."
"He's overly emotional because the bond is not complete," Oin sighed while everyone watched Dori rocking his brother as Ori rushed over to offer some comfort too, "He needs the sire of the babe to step up. Nori's ill from supporting the baby on his own. He is not himself right now."
"Let's figure everything out then," Ori insisted rubbing his brother's back gently, "Nori's sick and needs the sire. Hurry up!"
The former company stood looking upset and unsure.
"Nori, we need to know the truth of the matter," Balin tried once Nori's sobs faded into sniffles, "Tell us who fathered your babe."
"Can't tell," Nori denied hiding his face in Dori's shoulder.
"You must," Dori argued as his brother looked up at him without pulling away, "You and the babe will die without the bond being completed. It wasn't Ori or I, was it?"
Dori laughed as Nori pulled a face of purest disgust.
"It has not been unheard of for family to bond, but that face tells me that Ori and I are not the sire," the eldest Ri continued, "Please tell me that it wasn't Fili or Kili. The princes are so young."
The two mentioned looked at one another in surprise.
"Either one of us would do right by Nori if we are the sire?" Fili said as Kili nodded.
"Thank you, but it's neither of you," Nori murmured looking down, "I'll not say anything else."
"You will," Thorin urged as he walked over and kneeled, "You'll lose the babe and your own life without bonding. Am I the sire?"
"No, my king, you are not. You and your nephews were still in the healing tents when I was claimed," Nori whispered keeping his head down, "It would be better if the babe and I die."
Pandemonium broke out as everyone started yelling at once while Nori hunched into himself.
"Now don't be sayin' that," Bofur disagreed as he kneeled and gently lifted Nori's chin once Thorin had shouted for everyone to shut up, "Why would ye say such a thin'? Nobody here would want ye or tha babe ta come ta harm."
"The sire would never accept the bond. Not from me," Nori sighed looking back down.
"Any of us would," Dwalin snapped making Nori look up at him sharply, "That is a sire's job to protect his mate and babe. Mahal would not have created the claiming without the two being meant for one another."
"Who is it?" Dori insisted again as Nori looked at him, "Bofur?"
Nori shook his head keeping his eyes cast down.
"Gloin? Oin?" was asked as Nori shook his head again.
"I'll claim you if it was me," Bombur bragged while Nori looked up at him in astonishment, "My wife wouldn't mind at all. I bet the babe would come out with hair like a carrot if I be the sire with the copper of your mane mixed with my own ginger. I'd be proud to claim you, Nori."
Nori chuckled and shook his head.
"Me?" Balin asked as Nori shook his head, "I'd have been proud to claim you too, Nori. So that leaves Bifur or Dwalin."
Bifur grunted and stooped to be near Nori.
"Why are you afraid?" Bifur signed as the former thief looked at him.
"The sire hates me," Nori gestured back, "I'd rather allow my child and I to die then have my babe suffer because his or her sire rejects the babe's birth. I didn't expect the claiming. I was shocked and when no symptoms appeared, I thought I had miscarried until just recently when I realize that I was carrying the babe."
"Mahal, I'm the sire," Dwalin gasped looking stunned, "Bifur has never hated Nori and I did once when I disliked Nori's past profession, but that ended when he earned my respect on our quest. It's me, isn't it, Nori? I'm the sire of that babe in your belly, aren't I?"
"Yes," Nori agreed drawing further into Dori's arms, "You claimed me in the armory when we knew Thorin, Kili, and Fili would live. I didn't know I was with child until about a week ago and I was hoping Oin wouldn't discover the babe when I was trying to get some relief from feeling sick."
Eyes turned accusingly on Dwalin as he swallowed.
"I'm going to be a father? This is wonderful news," Dwalin squeaked as Nori looked up at him in surprise, "Come here."
Nori drew back against his brother as Dwalin approached.
"It's okay," the warrior soothed seeing the trembles that were shaking his newly discovered mate, "Come here."
Dwalin stooped and lifted Nori into his arms and walked the two of them out of the room. He'd be damned if his babe and mate died. It was time to do his duty.
"This will never work," Nori sighed as Dwalin carried him, "You can't stand the sight of me."
"You've grown on me," Dwalin denied continuing to his room, "You should have told me the truth."
"I know what it feels like to be unwanted as a child, Dwalin," Nori admitted as the warrior stopped, "I didn't want that for the babe. I'll take my child to Mahal's Halls before I allow the babe to suffer."
"Our child will not suffer and neither will you," Dwalin denied as he hurried his step, "Trust in me to keep you safe. Mahal would not have pushed us together if I was so callous as to allow my mate and babe to pass on."
Nori stilled then and looked up at Dwalin in wonder as the two entered the warrior's chambers. Dwalin laid his new mate on his bed and pulled Nori's face close to look in his eyes.
"I, Dwalin son of Fundin, take you as my bonded mate to protect and support for all eternity," the warrior recited as Nori's eyes widened as the bond clicked perfectly into place between them, "By Mahal, you have been suffering!"
Dwalin was livid as he felt how bad things had gotten for Nori once the bond opened his mate's mind to him. The dwarf was ill and very weak.
"I'm fine," Nori argued only to blink as his belt was removed then his boots were tugged off and he found himself tucked into bed, "Really. I'm fine."
"You're not," Dwalin disagreed placing his forehead to Nori's as he began to temper Nori's strength levels with his own while the dwarf relaxed bit by bit, "Better?"
Nori nodded trembling as the ache he had gotten used to within him faded leaving him terribly tired and relieved. A knock at the door led to Dori bustling in with a tray a few seconds later once the warrior had allowed the eldest Ri inside.
"Have you done your duty to my younger brother?" Dori demanded as Dwalin stepped back in surprise, "Have you?"
"Of course I have," the warrior growled, "I would not abandon my mate and babe."
"See?" Balin pointed out as he walked in behind Dori, "My brother is honorable and would do what needed to be done. I told you that already, Dori."
The eldest Ri sniffed and walked over to Nori to set the tray on the bedside table.
"Drink this," Dori insisted after he had poured a cup of tea for his brother.
"What is it?" Nori asked sniffing at the cup, "It smells spicy."
"Rooibos tea," Dori answered as Nori took a cautious sip and smiled at the flavor, "Good for you and your babe's health. You should have been drinking this all along, but now is a good a time to start. I'll teach your mate how to brew this."
Dwalin watched as some color returned to Nori's face and was pleased when he sensed that the tea was helping his new mate feel better. Nori had been pale for a couple of weeks and the warrior had noticed this, but had left it alone. He could have kicked himself now for not having said anything to a dwarf who had once been a thief and had become a friend to see what was wrong.
"Now Nori's my mate," Dwalin thought as he watched Dori fussing over his brother, "I can't believe this. I woke up this morning a loner and in a few short hours I've become a husband and soon to be father."
The warrior walked over and helped Nori settle when he noticed that the expecting dwarf was getting overly tired. Nori was sound asleep as soon as his head rested on the pillow.
"This way," Dwalin instructed as he led Dori and his brother into an adjoining sitting room so as not to disturb his mate, "I'm assuming that the negotiations are about to begin."
"As soon as our king gets here," Balin agreed taking a seat, "Did you have any idea at all, Dwalin?"
"No," Dwalin sighed sitting down heavily, "But looking back on it, I know when the claiming happened. I woke up in the armory alone and…um…exposed with a blanket draped over me. Nori was there and said that I had passed out taking a piss."
"In the armory?" Dori huffed rolling his eyes, "And you believed him?"
"I was damn exhausted at that point and nearly took Balin's head off when he asked me to get some sleep," Dwalin defended, "I thought that maybe in my addled state I had mistaken the armory for a water closet. Nori never mentioned it again and that was the end of it."
"Except now my little brother has a babe in his belly and has been suffering alone," Dori snapped as a soft knock on the door made the elder Ri pause.
The king was allowed in and peeked in at Nori's sleeping form before having a seat.
"Who represents the House of Ri?" Thorin asked as was tradition.
"I do," Dori answered sitting up straighter, "I stand for my brother and demand restitution for his suffering."
"Who represents the House of In?" Thorin demanded.
"I do," Balin offered, "I stand for my brother and have objections over the accusation that the House of In allowed any suffering on the part of Dwalin's mate."
"State your case," Thorin instructed as he turned to Dori.
"Nori has been hunted, chased, and verbally abused by that brute over there for years," Dori accused as Dwalin sighed, "I understand that Dwalin had a job to do, but he continued this harassment even after Nori reformed himself. My brother was too frightened to tell the beast that he had been claimed. The House of Ri demands restitution for Nori's pain."
Dwalin hunched a bit as Balin scowled.
"If you disagree, state your rebuttal," Thorin continued as Balin nodded firmly.
"My brother had no idea that he had claimed Nori," Balin argued, "Nori's track record has always been…interesting and my brother did make it a point to keep tabs on him. I realize that meant that Nori felt a bit persecuted, but Dwalin was trying to assist the lad to stay on the straight and narrow. The minute Dwalin knew Nori's state he did right by him. A finer sire could not be found and the House of In welcomes Nori into our fold."
Thorin tapped his chin as Dori looked ready to burst.
"Nori's fear was apparent," Thorin began speaking cautiously, "His suffering was clear as well. There is some truth to the House of Ri's claim."
"He abandoned his brother," Dwalin sneered pointing angrily at Dori as the other dwarf spluttered, "I have claim that part of my mate's fears were from emotional abuse as a child. Nori came right out and admitted that he feared to tell me about the babe because he didn't want our baby to be unwanted as he had felt as a little one. The House of Ri will be telling me what happened to my mate to cause these fears within him, rest assured."
"I never abandoned him," Dori hissed before calming and looking away sadly, "Nori's father left before my brother was born and then his exact likeness to his sire made my mother cold. I raised Nori on my own nearly and then when Ori came around, I…I had little time for him between the new baby and mother having grown ill. When he lowered himself to theft to keep us fed, I felt betrayed and I…I grew colder as well. Nori and I reconciled just recently."
Dwalin studied Dori and felt displeased by the explanation. There was more to this story. How the warrior knew this, he had no clue, but there was more. Dori wasn't telling the full truth and judging by the look his brother was given him, Balin knew this too.
To be continued…