Gimli's Mother
Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings, Hobbit, or any other book that Tolkien has written, and New Line Cinema owns the movies.
Author's notes: There are lots of stories about hobbit, elf, and human children, but very few stories about dwarf children. In fact, I have read only one. So I have written a story about a dwarf child. I hope I make him and the others sound like dwarves. I gave Gimli's mother the name Milli because it sounds dwarvish. Gimli is 8 years old in human years in this story.
Gimli was sitting on his bed. Tears were streaming from his eyes. Earlier that day his father told him that his mother was killed by goblins. Gimli hated goblins; they were vile creatures who took pleasure in killing people. He was also scared of them. He heard stories about orcs dragging people to their ugly caves and eating them.
He missed her so much, and couldn't bare her absence. She used to tuck him in bed at night and sing to him, and she often comforted him when he woke up from his nightmares. He knew that he was getting to be too old for her to do these things, but he missed her comforting presence.
He also missed her presence when she sang songs while she cooked meals. He loved her rough voice and songs and sometimes sang with her. His favorite songs were March to Khazad-dum, and A Mithril Cave.
He used to love the meals she cooked. She often cooked beef and other meat dishes with just the right amount of seasonings and vegetables to add strong flavor to it.
He often dreamed that someday when he grows up he would fight Smaug in Erebor with his father, other male dwarves, and a few female dwarves to free the dwarf kingdom from his foul presence. He often pictured himself protecting his mother from Smaug while slaying him. He also saw his mother and the other female dwarves comfort the wounded dwarves. He looked forward to the day he would live in the kingdom and enjoy the vast amounts of treasure with his parents, but he knew that day would never come. His mother was dead, and she would not be able to live with him and his father in Erebor. Gimli's thoughts about his mother not being with them when they move to Erebor made him cry harder.
Gloin was sitting in one of the chairs in another room while tears poured out of his eyes. He missed Milli's company too. He wished that he could hold her in her arms and kiss her. He also wished that he could still hold conversations with her, enjoy quiet time with her and their son, and listen to her rough singing while she cooked in the kitchen. He enjoyed her singing as much as his son did.
He knew that the goblins killed his wife. He saw them attack her while she was picking vegetables in the garden for their meals. She was picking some tomatoes off the vines when an arrow came out of nowhere and struck her in the back. She fell down immediately. Gloin looked on in horror. He wasn't close enough to protect her. A few seconds later two goblins appeared and talked about eating her. Gloin was enraged by it and ran to them with his axe. Before either goblins had time to do anything he sliced one of the goblins chest open with his axe. The goblin felt searing pain before he dropped down dead. The other raised his weapon to stab Gloin with it, but Gloin cut his arm off. The goblin howled in pain and rushed toward him. Gloin raised his axe and split his skull with it.
More goblins came out of hiding and attacked Gloin, but other dwarves came to his rescue and helped him kill some of them and drove the others away.
Those vile goblins, Gloin thought angrily. If it weren't for them my dear Milli would still be here with us.
I wish I could rid middle earth of them.
While he was thinking these thoughts he heard Gimli's wails. He got up off the chair and ran into Gimli's room. He wanted to comfort him. When he entered the room, he saw Gimli sitting on the bed with his face wet with tears. He walked over to him and hugged him. Gloin rocked Gimli in his arms while tears were pouring out of both of their eyes until they were both exhausted.
"I miss mama," said Gimli. "I wish she were still here with us."
"I miss her too," Gloin said while he still had his arms loosely around him.
"I hate these Goblins papa," Gimli said angrily they took mama away from us."
"I do too, they are evil creatures."
"I wish I could still hear her sing, papa. I love her voice and songs and want to sing with her again."
"I love your mother's voice and the songs that she sang too. My favorite song is A March to Khazad-dum."
"That's my favorite song too. Now I will never hear her sing again, or be able to enjoy her company. It hurts so much."
"I know it does, and it hurts me too, but she is safe with Mahal in his halls."
"That is so far away," Gimli lamented.
"She is closer to us than we think."
"How?"
"Eru is close to us and watches over us all the time, and so does Mahal. They and the other Valar are near us, though we can't see them, and if they are near us than so is your mother."
"But I want to see her in person?" Gimli said stubbornly.
"We can't see her in person, but we can see her in our memories and in our dreams. We can also feel her in our hearts."
"How papa?"
"We can feel the love she has for us," Gloin answered.
"That makes me feel a little better," said Gimli.
Gimli yawned, and his eye lids began to droop.
"It is time for you to go to sleep. Get under the covers, and I will tuck you in."
"But papa, I'm too old for that now."
"I know, but it is a sad day for both of us."
Gimli climbed under the blankets, and Gloin tucked him in them.
"Dad, can you sing for me? It will remind me of mama."
"Why don't we both sing together?"
Gloin and Gimli were singing A Mithril Cave, and Milli joined them. They continued singing until Gimli closed his eyes and fell asleep. Gloin kissed him lightly on his forehead and left the room. He quietly closed the door behind him. Milli, however, was still there.
"I will always watch over you and your father because I love you both, and so does Eru, our adopted father, Mahal and the other Valar."
Milli continued to sing for him.
The End