Keeper of the Ravens
Prologue:
This is the background to Ravna daughter to Khetmuth and Foruna. She is the keeper of the ravens for Erebor.
Chapter One: White Raven
It was an unusually cool mid summer's eve when Khetmuth, master smithie to the royal house of Durin, closed the forge down for the eve and headed home. Aching muscles were nothing new to this dwarf. It was but a short path from the forge to his home just at the base of the Blue Mountain. He cursed under his breath as the door creaked upon his entrance. Long thick auburn mane shook as he gritted his teeth. Damn if he kept forgetting to oil the hinges on the blasted thing! Quietly he padded across the stone floor, down the hall to the last bedroom on the right. Thick fingers grabbed the latch while a heavy hand pressed on the wooden door, easing it open. Gingerly he made his way into the bedroom smiling as he gazed down at his first born, Rognus. Tenderly he stroked the lad's curly ebony strands before pulling the furs up higher on his torso and tucked him in. Khetmuth whispered ' kurosh inùdoy azaghâluh' (rest my warrior son) in the six year old's ear then placed a kiss on his temple. As he rose he once again gently swept his hand over the dwarfling's hair before turning and headed out the door. Just as the wooden structure was about to close he heard a soft sleepy voice call out. "Men lananubukhs menu." (I love you). The elder smiled peering his head back in the room. "Men lananubukhs menu, inùdoyuh." (I love you my son).
Khetmuth entered his own bedchamber trying desperately not to disturb Forfuna his wife. Boots were kicked off and filthy garments shed, then tossed in a pile just to the left of the door (as instructed by his beloved) for washing up in the morning. He padded to the hearth, stoked the embers then placed a log on before heading to the basin for a quick washing up. The sound of his beloved wife stirring caused him to freeze until he was sure she had settled back into a deep slumber.
Furs lifted gently, the dwarf slid in on his side to spoon next to his wife, then placed a hand on her swollen belly. They were pleasantly surprised when Forfuna had begat this child. For five long years they had unsuccessfully tried after Rognus for another bairn. As the years passed the couple had all but given up hope. But then Mahal had blessed them and she conceived. Time for the bairn's birth was any moment now. Foruna's belly was massive and the easiest of tasks were nearly impossible the past weeks. Sleep was slight if any so he tried his hardest not to waken her.
He smiled as she edged closer to him- turning her head so it came to rest against his neck. Her soft, warm slow breathes soothed the tired smithie as he settled in and drifted quickly to sleep.
They slept into the twilight of the night before he dreamt the dream that would alter their life forever. Khetmuth's eyes rolled and twitched behind heavy laden lids.
It was in this hour that a white raven descended down from a blackened sky taking the form of a female as its talons touched the earth. She strode toward Khetmuth bidding him to heed her words-(which were spoken plainly in his own native tongue of Khzudul.)
"Fear not Khetmuth, son of Rogan, son of Lufer. I am Fryja, wife of Carc, chieftain of the ravens of Ravenhill." As she extended her hand towards him massive white wings, twice the breadth of her height, expanded which glistened as bright as Silmarili gems. "I have come to bare news of your daughter. She will come on the morrow and she shall be known as Ravna, keeper of the ravens." Two steps closer towards him she took. "On the eve of her eleventh celebration of birth, two fledglings will be gifted her by Carc. They shall be known as Huginn -who will represent the power of thought, and will guide her to search for knowledge and insight, and Muninn, meaning that of the mind - will guide her with the keen ability to sense the true meaning of things. They will be her constant companions all the days of her long life." Two more steps closer were taken towards Khetmuth by the white raven. "Ravna will have the gift to understand the speech of all ravens thus, giving her the ability to see into the hearts of others. Their true selves will be known to her and so therefore aide them in their transformation and expulsion of their inner demons." She paused before adding a cautionary note. "If they so choose." Her wing expanse slowly began to move and as Freyja took flight her form returned to that of a white raven as she ascended back into the sky flying away.
When the first light of the new day filtered through the window casting its brightness on his eyes Khetmuth shifted in his bed. His thick tongue flicking across his teeth as lips opened he slightly sighed. He stretched his arms over his head before the left arm reached for his wife, but felt nothing but the cold emptiness beside him. Covers thrown from his body, legs flung over the side of the bed the smithie sat, eyes still closed, at the edge of his bed. The weight of his body braced by his hands flanked either side of his body on the mattress. He pushed himself up and off then padded to the kitchen.
After first breakfast was done and he had dressed for another day at the forge he headed into the open space of the main living quarters. Loving arms snaked around the expanse of Forfuna's belly and a bearded chin rest on her right shoulder. He whispered softly conveying words of love both to his wife and unborn dwarfling. A gentle kiss was placed on her cheek before Khetmuth turned to head out the door. Half way he stopped, pivoted on his heels facing his wife and told her of the dream. She did not seem surprised in the slightest. Forfuna told him she had had the very same dream last night. The couple stared one to another and smiled. The female dwarf placed her small hands over the swell of her belly. "I knew this bairn would have a destiny beyond the both of us husband." She whispered. He smiled, nodded then turned to begin his labors at the forge. "Indeed she shall," he whispered as the door closed behind him. The sudden enormity of what their future entailed hit him with the strength of a smithie's hammer. His head held high, massive broad shoulders pushed back- he exhaled. "Ravna." He whispered. "Keeper of the Ravens."
Later that day true to the white raven's prophecy a daughter was born to the couple. As she was brought forth into middle earth Khetmuth heard the caw of a raven come from the widow. He looked up to find a white raven perched in the sill. With babe in arms he strolled towards the opening offering the babe up for viewing. The white raven cawed again, bobbed its head three times then took flight.
TBC.