Of Vili and Dis
Author's Notes:
Khuzdul [English translation]
oOoOoOo
Thorin had just concluded a council meeting when the master of Vili's brewery arrived.
"Your Highness," he bowed.
Thorin nodded to the dwarf and noticed he was very pale. "Is there a problem, Master Brewer?"
"There has been an accident. A rack in one of our storerooms gave way."
Thorin thought he was going to hear there would be a bit of a shortage of drink in the future. Those storerooms were among the biggest rooms in the mountain. They were capable of holding thousands of large barrels in wooden racks, some of which were several stories tall. His heart stopped for a moment at the master brewer's next words.
"Your sister's husband… it collapsed on top of him."
"How is he?" the King-in-Exile demanded.
He opened his mouth to answer but no words came out, so he shook his head.
Thorin could not believe it. "Where is he? Show me!" he commanded.
The brew master had been quick to show him the way. Vili's body was visibly broken in several places and drenched from the mead, but there was no doubt it was indeed his sister's husband on the healers' cot.
"I am sorry, Your Highness," the healer that had taken charge of the body offered. "There wasn't anything I could do. He was gone by the time they'd got to him."
"Was it quick?" Thorin choked out. "Did he suffer?"
The healer shifting from one foot to the other made Thorin's stomach drop.
"Well, that would depend on whether he was conscious," the healer offered. "His injuries from the collapse were severe enough to have been life threatening…"
"But," Thorin prompted.
"But he drown in the mead," said the healer softly.
Thorin looked at the body of his brother-in-law in horror. "How is that possible?"
"It only takes a few inches to drown, Your Highness. There was more than enough flooding in the debris from the broken barrels for that," the healer said then hesitated for a moment then offered his condolences again. "I am sorry."
For a few long moments all the dwarf lord could do was breathe as he gazed down on the dwarf he had been happy to call brother. Eventually he realized there was something more important than his grief.
"Has my sister been informed?" asked Thorin.
"No, Your Highness," the master brewer said.
"Leave it to me then."
"As you wish, Your Highness."
The brewer looked relieved. A side part of Thorin's mind supposed as the master of a brewery the dwarf had never been required to do a death notification before. Each one that Thorin had been duty bound to perform he'd hoped would be the last knowing it would not be.
It was late enough in the day that Thorin was able to find Dis in the family quarters along with their mother and Fili.
"Amad, could you take Fili for a while? I need to speak with Dis."
"Of course," Nis said. "Come, ibine [my gem], let us go play in your room."
Fili picked up his toy and took his grandmother's hand. The two left the room.
"What do you need to speak to me about?" Dis asked giving her brother a small confused smile.
Thorin said nothing, but took her hand and guided her to the couch.
"Thorin?"
He took a deep breath.
"There was an accident at the brewery today."
The little smile fell from her face along with all the color. "Vili…"
"A full storage rack collapsed on top of him. I am so sorry, Nanith [baby sister]. Vili did not survive."
"No," she breathed. "NO! I don't believe it! He will walk through that door any moment!"
"Dis-"
"No!"
"I have seen him, Nanith [baby sister]."
"Show me!"
"I do not think you should see him like that."
"Show me his body," her voice broke over the word, "if you want me to believe! Prove it! Take me to him!"
It was her right as his wife, so reluctantly Thorin took her to see her beloved Vili.
Thorin had lost track of time as he watched his sister stroke her husband's cool face. Her tears fell on the unmoving chest as she murmured endearments of their love in khuzdul. Eventually she did turn to her brother and wet his tunic in turn. Sometime later the screaming began, and she pounded her fists on Thorin's chest. He did not try to stop her. He knew the bruises she would leave could not even compare to the hurt his sister felt. As inadequate as it was, all he could do was hold her in his arms and let her know she was not alone.
Thorin had liked Vili very much. If ever there was a dwarf that was worthy of his sister, it had been him. He remembered the first time they had met.
Dis had accompanied Thorin on one of his stores inspection tours. Vili had been helping deliver the new barrels to the storeroom at the time.
Dis had been smiling about something before she froze in front of the young brewer.
Vili had looked at her as if she was the most precious thing in the world, even more precious than gold, or gems, or even air to breathe. Something he forgot to do until she spoke.
"Hello," Dis whispered, as taken with the dwarf as he was with her.
Vili gasped as he finally remembered to breathe once more. "What would you have of me, Uzbadnathae [My Daughter of the King, or My Princess]? I would travel to the farthest reaches of the world to obtain your every desire, if only to see your smile once more."
"Buy me a tankard of mead and we will start there," Dis had told him. "A good one mind."
"I think I can manage that!" Vili had beamed.
And Dis did smile again for him, many times over the few years they had together.
Many had been against the pairing. Nar had been particularly vocal with his protest. It was Vili's insistence on performing a full Royal Courtship despite their peoples' reduced circumstances and Vili himself being a commoner because 'Dis was worthy of every honor' that had won Thorin over.
"I know I am not worthy of a dwarrowdam like your sister," Vili had told him when Thorin had summoned the young brewer into his office. "What I desire is to make Dis happy, and I will do everything within my ability to do so until my last breath. Whether you allow me to court her or not does not change that."
Vili had stood there respectfully defiant, but visibly nervous. The King-in-Exile had wondered which intimidated the prospective suitor more: Thorin's position in the mountain, or his relationship to Dis. After all, as the head of the family Thorin could actually forbid a courtship from taking place.
Thorin had decided to allowed it because Vili showed himself to be both honorable and devoted to Dis. That and his sister would not have been above marrying her One anyways, even if they would have needed to leave the mountain to do so. His mother would have been none too pleased if he had tried to deny anyone their One either.
Luckily, each gift Vili had presented had been a worthy offering Thorin was pleased (and relieved) to approve being presented to his sister. He'd been particularly fond of the mead Vili had specially formulated as his crafting gift. Dis still had two small casks of it left that Thorin knew she intended to present to her sons one day, hopefully at their own weddings.
True to his word Vili had made Dis so happy, but now Vili was gone.
Thorin was terrified when his sister collapsed in his arms clutching her stomach in pain. He yelled for one of the healers.
Checking her over he asked, "Are ye with child, Yer Highness?"
Dis nodded her head vigorously.
"Let's get her ta bed and call fer her regular healer. Stress like this is no' good fer the babe."
Thorin carried Dis back to her room and laid her on her bed. The healer stayed with them until the royal healers arrived.
Hearing the commotion Fili left his room. "What's wong wiff Amad?" the toddler asked, lip trembling.
"Come here Mizimith [Baby Jewel]," Thorin said picking Fili up in his arms and taking him to the sitting room.
Nis joined them looking on in concern. "What is wrong, Thorin?" she asked.
Sitting on the couch, Thorin arranged his nephew in his lap so that Fili could look at him and his right arm supported the dwarfling's back. He gestured to his mother to sit beside him. When she was in place he wrapped his left arm around her shoulders and began. "There was an accident today and your daddy died. Do you understand what that means?" he said focusing on his nephew.
Nis covered her face and started to weep quietly. Thorin pulled her close, offering his shoulder for to cry on.
Fili looked over to his grandmother, then back to his uncle and shook his head.
"It means he is gone and he is not coming back," Thorin said softly.
"He weft us?" the four year old asked as tears started rolling down his cheeks.
"Not because he wanted to, little one," Nis said as she reached out and cupped her grandson's face with one hand. "You know the stories and songs that talk about the hero falling in battle and going to stay in Mahal's Halls?"
Fili nodded.
"What falling battle means is they died."
"Adad went to Mahal's Halls?"
"Yes."
"Is Amad gonna go too?" Fili choked out just as his tears turned to sobs.
"No," the two adults said together and gathered the young dwarfling in a hug between them.
"Your amad is just so sad that it made her and the babe in her tummy sick. The healers are going to take good care of her. Of both of them," Thorin voiced trying to be strong for his kin while hoping the words would bring comfort to himself as well.
Thorin had waited until he was alone in his room that night to finally let his own tears fall.