Disclaimer: I do not own J.R.R.'s characters or Khuzdul (dwarvish) words. I only own Valdis and my story line.
I also want to clarify for anyone who doesn't know that I will be using Tolkien's way of having his dwarves age, which is faster than men. I will be giving their human, or maturity, ages. And when you read dwarrowdam what is just how Tolkien says a female dwarf.
Khuzdul words:
Amad = mom
Adad = dad
Nadadith = little brother
Namad = sister
Please read my character introduction for Valdis, it is sent a few years before this first chapter and is a nice preview into the family dynamics of the Line of Durin. It is called Daughter of the Line of Durin. Now with that out of the way, I hope you enjoy reading!
The day my brother was born was one of the happiest days of my life. I had watched my Amad during her pregnancy and could not wait to be a big sister. Of course, I was very nervous about sharing my Amad and Adad with someone else. But I wanted to have a little sibling to care for. When she went into labor, I was excited at first. I had to wait in another room. Even from there I could hear her crying out in pain. I did not realize giving birth would hurt her so badly. I was 28 at this time, 8 in the years of men.
I was waiting in the living room with my Adad, named Vali, and uncle Thorin. I was sitting between Adad and Thorin promising that I would I would help them with the baby. When I heard my Amad's cries of pain replaced by a baby's cry, I immediately wanted to go into the birthing room to see them, but my uncle Thorin stopped me. He had been nervous about his sister during her whole labor, but he was willing to be patient while Adad rushed off to see Amad.
"Wait until the midwife says we can come in." He instructed. I nodded and reached up to hold his hand. He looked down at me and smiled.
Once we could come in the room where Amad was, is seemed to me like an age had passed. Amad looked very tired but she smiled at me when I walked in with uncle Thorin. Adad was sitting on the bed next to her.
"Come Valdis and see your new brother." She invited with a tired smile.
A big smile appeared on my face, I had a brother! "Are both of you alright?" I asked, wanting to make sure they were ok.
"Yes love, we both are alright." Amad replied.
I crossed the room and Adad pulled me onto his lap so I could see my sibling. He was the cutest thing I had seen. He looked like Adad with his small tuff of golden hair. He was still crying softly. I started humming to him quietly and reached out to stroke his cheek. He stopped crying as soon as I touched him and he opened his eyes. They were piercing blue, like Amad's, uncle Thorin's, and mine. Everyone said I looked so much like my Amad, Dis. She had beautiful long dark brown hair which I inherited. The baby looked into my eyes and I knew I already loved him so much.
"Valdis, why don't you get your Amad a glass of water." Adad urged, patting my head.
"Ok." I replied and hurried off to the kitchen while uncle Thorin walked over to his sister.
...
When I was able to hold my little brother, who was named Fili, all I could do was to watch him. I felt love for the baby swell through me.
"I love you Nadadith. I promise I will never let anything happen to you. It is a dangerous world, but we will have each other forever and ever." I whispered to Fili, and he looked up at my face. No one would hurt him as long as I could protect him.
Me and Fili were never parted. I was always there with him as he grew, and he was always there when I was sad. When he got hurt outside I would carry him home and bandage his scrapes. Five years later we both had a suprise. Amad became pregnant again. I was a little over eleven in human years. We were all surprised she was with child so soon compared to most other dwarves. Unlike last time when Amad went into labor, I had to comfort and reassure my little brother.
"Namad. Do you think we will have a brother or a sister?" Fili asked me. He was sitting on my lap in our shared bedroom. Thankfully we could not hear our mother cry out in pain.
"I don't know Nadadith. We shall just have to see." I replied. Amad had been in labor all night long. This was taking longer than it had with Fili. Adad and uncle Thorin both had gone to help Amad. I could tell something was wrong. I pushed that thought away and held Fili closer to me. Nothing bad will happen. Nothing bad will happen. I repeated it to myself. I tensed as I heard commotion in the other rooms. Fili looked up at me, confused. I kissed his forehead in reassurance. It was a gesture my people often used as a sign of love and kinship between a dwarrowdam and her family.
"Don't worry Fili, everything will be fine." I soothed.
We spent hours waiting for news of our mother. I could see Fili's eyes growing heavy so I started singing a lullaby that Amad sang to me when I was little and now sings to Fili. We both had been told of our rightful home, Erebor for as long as we could remember. Our favorite times were when uncle Thorin would tell us stories.
Land of bear and land of eagle
Land that gave us birth and blessing
Land that calls us ever homeward
We will go home across the mountains
We will go home
We will go home
We will go home across the mountains
Land of freedom land of heroes
Land that gave us home and memory
Hear our singing hear our longing
We will go home across the mountains
We will go home
We will go home
We will go home across the mountains
Just then uncle Thorin walked into the room. I looked up with Fili asleep in my lap. I threw Thorin a questioning glance. He looked me in the eyes.
"You have a healthy little brother named Kili, yet your Amad lost a lot of blood. She should heal but the midwife and healer said she will need a few weeks to recover. She is asleep now. Your Adad needs you to help him around the house for a while." He said.
I nodded and placed Fili in his bed. I walked out of the room with my uncle and saw my father sitting in a chair outside the birthing room holding what I assumed to be Kili. He looked up as I walked closer. His eyes were very tired.
"May I?" I asked him, indicating the infant in his arms. He nodded tiredly and I told him to go get some sleep.
I sat down next to Thorin and looked at my baby brother. He was sleeping quietly in my arms. He had a tuff of dark brown hair just like mine and Amad's, and chocolate eyes like our Adad's.
"Valdis." I looked up to see Thorin watching me.
"I will not lie, my sister, your Amad is going to be very sick for a while. There were complications in the birth. Your Adad will talk with the neighbor about staying during the day to take care of Kili and help you with everything." Thorin looked tired, and a bit worried. It made me worried, even though I tried to hide it.
"You mean Dagmaer, the widow?" I asked. Dagmaer was a lovely lady who lived next door. Her husband was killed in a mining accident and ever since she had made it her mission to help the poor among us. She came over once a week to visit with my Amad, they both were close. Dagmaer was a lot of fun, me and Fili liked her a lot.
My uncle nodded. "Aye, you alright with that?"
I thought for a minute. "Yes, I think I'm alright with that." I said sleepy nodding my head. "And I will help as much as I can. I love my brothers."
Thorin cracked a slight smile. "I know you love them, as do I."
I smiled up at my uncle when baby Kili started squirming. Apparently he was not comfortable, so I moved his position against my chest and he settled in. When I looked up Thorin was smiling at me.
"You are growing up so fast young one." He said, shaking his head.
I smiled widely, "Not as grown up as you might think." I responded.
Uncle bent down and hugged me, careful of the baby in my arms.
"You are right, you will always be little Valdis to me." He whispered. Thorin quickly gave me a kiss on the forehead and left the room. I was a bit surprised by his show of affection, usually my uncle did not show many feelings, though I knew he was deeply sensitive. Looking back on what he did made me feel happy.
"Namad?"
I looked up at a very sleepy Fili walking over to me slowly while rubbing his eyes.
"Take a look at your brother Fili, his name is Kili." Fili immediately woke up and hurried over to me.
The two brothers stared at each other for a minute. Fili looked up at me with wonder in his eyes. "His name sounds like mine," he noted with a big smile, "we are gonna be best friends. Huh Kili?"
The baby cooed slightly and Fili looked like he was going to start jumping up and down with excitement. He started talking excitedly about all the fun the three of us would have together.
"And we will never have to worry about orcs, cause I will protect both of you!" He said excitedly.
I laughed, "My hero." I said with a wink. Fili's grin broadened. Then he stifled a yawn.
"Now, why don't you get off to bed. You can't fight orcs if you are tired." I reasoned, seeing that he was getting tired.
"Awww I don't want to, I want to stay here." Fili whined. He suddenly looked as if he had an idea and crossed his arms.
"I will only go to bed if you will sing for me and Kili." He declared, trying to be intimidating. It simply made him even more adorable.
I pretended to sigh in defeat. "Alright, now get into bed, I will be right there."
With that Fili scrambled to run into our room that we shared. Little Kili still slumbered in my arms.
"I will always be there for you, never worry." I murmured. I got up and carefully walked to our room with the sleeping babe still in my arms. Fili waited in his bed, already looking tired. I sat on the bed as he scooted into the covers.
"What song?" I asked the blonde dwarfling.
"Durin's song!" He decided enthusiasticly.
"Alright then. Get settled." I told him while gently shifting the baby I held.
A king he was, on carven throne
In many pillared halls of stone
With golden roof, and silver floor
And runes of power upon his door
The light of sun and star and moon
In shining lamps of crystal hewn
Undimmed by cloud or shade of night
They shone forever, fair and bright
The world is grey, the mountains old
The forge's fire is ashen cold
No harp is wrung, no hammer falls
The darkness dwells in Durin's halls
A shadow lies upon his tomb
In Moria, in Khazaddum
There lies his crown, in water deep
Until Durin wakes again from sleep
As I finished the song I looked down at my little brother and saw him fast asleep, along with his brother who I held. Quietly getting up I snuck out of our room. There was much I need to do tonight.
The first song was part of Leah's We Will Go Home. She owns that version, I don't own any. The second song was Eurielle's Song of Durin. Again, I don't own it.
Thanks for reading! I have had this idea in my head for a few years actually, before I had heard of this website. I wrote a lot of it, including this chapter, last year. I hope this is good quality. Thanks for reading!
Please tell me what you think of this story. I hope you guys like the idea, I'd love to hear from you. I love constructive criticism too. :)
Thanks,
N.T.N.