Title: If I Lost You
Summary: Out on a hunting trip with Frerin, Princess Karla of Erebor was lost. Years later during the quest for the Lonely Mountain, Thorin find Azog has something of his – and he wants to give it back.
Disclaimer: I do not own The Hobbit.
A/N: NO FLAMES! Not accepted.
2nd A/N: I was told no one reads these but PLEASE Review!
Chapter 1 – The Quest
When Thorin told Dwalin, Balin and his nephews his plan, they agreed to accompany him immediately. Others came when he called. Bofur, Bifur and Bombur. Dori, Nori and Ori. Óin and Gloin. They all answered and finally he had his thirteen he needed. He explained the plan to them and where they were to go to begin their quest, where good food and a humble host were promised. But when Thorin told Dis she flat-out refused to let her sons go.
"They're of age Dis. They were when they turned 60! They can say yay or nay to this." Thorin said to his fiery sister, but she hardly backed down.
"I lost my husband, brother, father and grandfather at the Battle of Azanulbizar. And I will not suffer my sons to that same fate!" Dis shouted as Fíli and Kíli froze in their packing in their room.
"Dis you are not the only one who lost a brother, father and grandfather that day! I remember the pain just the same as you do!" Thorin roared.
"What about Karla? Do you remember her?" Thorin froze. They had not spoken of their sister in the years since she disappeared. She hadn't been seen since she was 35 and taken from the Mountain. Vanished without a trace. Frerin had been out with her and had returned to the mountain shouting for a search party for he had lost his sister. When they came home 24 hours later after scouring the entire forest they had to assume the Princess kidnapped and probably dead. But they had no idea of where to find the body. They had found her hunting knives and her quiver and bow. Kíli had turned out just like her. Much more equipped for range weapons, not close combat but could be used in combat if needed.
"We swore we would never speak of her." He said lowly.
"No, you swore you would never speak of her. Karla was my sister too, Thorin. I may not know her as well as you did but I will never forget her smile. Her laugh. Her telling me I was going to be so beautiful! Have good-looking kids and live happily ever after, like the people did in all the fantasy books she read!" Dis snapped angrily, she wasn't angry at Thorin, not really. She was more frustrated that he refused to speak about their sister. Karla was gone but certainly not forgotten and Dis wasn't about to let her brother dismiss this discussion. She knew she couldn't stop her sons, but she could let Karla play on Thorin's conscience. The last memory both had of Karla played through their minds:
"Come on Thorin! It'll be fun! Just you, me and Frerin! Dis is unfortunately too young to hunt yet but we can still have some fun!" Karla said tugging at her brother's sleeve.
"I can't Karla. I have to look after Dis and do my studies. I wish I could but I'm busy." Thorin said tugging his sleeve free of Karla's grip.
Karla blew a raspberry at him, "Spoil sport." She said.
"Maybe tomorrow." He said, Karla shrugged.
"Maybe I won't want to go hunting tomorrow." She said, she knew how to make Thorin feel guilty, but he still couldn't go hunting. He told her calmly again and again that he couldn't go hunting it got the better of him.
"KARLA! I cannot go hunting with you and Frerin, alright! Go and have fun, I'll see you later. Mahal, you're annoying sometimes!" Karla looked hurt for a moment before she took Frerín's hand and the pair left together.
That was last time they saw and the last thing Thorin said to her was that she was annoying. He hated himself for saying it because he hadn't meant it. He hadn't meant to make her upset.
"Dis, you know I loved Karla. I don't speak of her because it pains me. She was the only person besides you who stood up to me. Frerin never did. You and Karla are the only two to ever stand up to me." Thorin said.
"Do you see her when you look at Kíli?" Dis asked; her sons now stood in the doorway watching the exchange.
"Of course I do. She'd adore him – both of them – if she knew them. To know that Kíli takes after her, despite the fact he is not her son, would make her so proud." Thorin said, "but you must understand Dis, this quest is important to us. We're going to get Erebor back and we're going to do it, for Father, for Grandfather, For Frerin, For Díli. And, most of all, For Karla." Thorin said quietly.
"For Karla? How do you know she is dead?" Dis asked, she almost looked shocked, as if she thought Thorin had found Karla's body and not told her.
"I pray to Aulë that she isn't. I hope that the pain in my heart when I think of her is as bad as it's going to be, because I imagine that it would be worse if she were dead." Thorin said. Dis nodded, she knew too it would hurt like it did when they thought of Frerin if she were dead.
"Thorin…promise me – if you can – find her and bring her home." She asked quietly, Thorin shook his head.
"I'll try my best, sister. But I can make you no promises. So then I cannot break them." He said, Dis gave him a warning smile before nodding again and sitting back down at the table to finish her tea. Her boys were packing and they needed calm if they were to believe that their mother had faith.
"Mother? Uncle?" Kíli's voice made both adults look up, "do I really look like Karla?" Dis stood up and nodded sadly at him.
"In every way, though you are not her son…it is uncanny – she was a fine archer and you are the best, she loved and protected fiercely. She was passionately loyal and she was…quite the prankster too. She loved a good laugh." Dis said, Kíli laughed. He was just like her and yet he had never met her and she didn't know him.