Disclaimer: I own nothing but Rona in this story, the rest belongs to JRR Tolkien!
Chapter One: Searching
She was chasing after whispers, hoping, praying she would find him. He was the reason she held onto her life as a youth, when the dragon Smaug attacked Erebor. Their home. The one place she once more longed to see, even if it was the last thing she saw in her life. She would die trying if she had to.
'Thorin…' she thought to herself, the night cloaking her as she stared up at the stars lighting the sky, 'Papa where are you?'
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"Thorin, come. We've been summoned!" called his father, Thrain. With a sigh the young prince put down his book, marking his place with a small leather book mark, "Coming father."
Thorin left his rooms and followed his father down the halls of Erebor. They were met with a large crowd, all were gathering round the entrance to the mines. "Alright!" cried Thrain, "Everyone out of the way!" the crowd parted allowing the two to pass. In the center of the group was a worker with black hair and equally dark eyes holding a glowing stone out to the King Under the Mountain, Thror.
"It is to be called the Arkenstone. My right to rule is divine. This proves it!" Thror took the stone and began to order the craftsmen to build a chamber for the stone in his throne, he wanted it to be where everyone would be able to gaze upon it, as well as himself. Thrain left Thorin's side to congratulate his father as well as the worker who found the stone. Thorin was filled with a sinking feeling. He turned from his family and left the hall, he needed to think.
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Thorin left word with the head of the guard that he was going to Dale; he knew the man would get word to his father and grandfather in a timely manner. The pony he rode was swift. Before he left the halls of Erebor he had made sure to dress down, so as not to be seen as Thorin son of Thrain, son of Thror, but just another man at the market.
Everyone greeted him with kind words and smiles, which he returned. All around him vendors were selling goods. He made a stop at a food booth and bought some salted pork and a skin of water. He took his meal to an almost untraveled part of the city. He sat down and was just about to start eating when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. There in a dark alley was a small set of eyes watching him from around a small crate. A small squeak was heard when they realized they had been seen, then they vanished behind the box.
Thorin put his food on the wrappings they had come in on the bench and walked over to the alley. What he saw shocked him. A child, not more than five years of age was there crouching behind the wooden crate. Blue eyes looked up at him in fright, a pale face covered in dirt, while an equally dirty cap covered their hair and forehead, right down to their eyebrows. He could tell that they were at least half dwarven due to their small size and facial structure, but it was mixed with something else, for they had no hint of any kind of beard.
Thorin knelt before them, holding out his hand to them to take, which they didn't. "I'm not going to hurt you little one." It took a moment but the child did take his hand. He wasn't sure if they were a boy or a girl as of that moment, but he knew he would find out.
He sat them on the bench he had been on before handing them a strip of the salted pork he had bought. They took it, timidly nibbling at it, not even eating half of it before they put it down, once more glancing at the man before them. "Now child what are you called?" the child just cocked their head to the side, seemingly confused.
He sighed a bit and put a hand on his chest. "I am Thorin." He tapped his chest repeating his name then pointed at the child. A smile crossed over the child face, they pointed to him and said "Thorin!" the voice was soft and feminine, she pointed to herself, "Rona."
"A very pretty name Lady Rona." Thorin said smiling and she giggled smiling back at him, "Now little one, what are you doing out here?" She looked down slightly shrugging. "That is no answer child."
He reached forward and tilted her head up, it was then he noticed a rusty metal collar around her frail neck, "Where did you get this?" his voice was soft so as not to scare her as he pulled her closer to look for a weak spot on the collar, and Rona just shrugged.
"Bad people came… Mamma wouldn't wake up after they hit her…" he frowned and began to work on bending the small lock holding he metal round her neck, "Where was your father?"
"I don't have one…" was her soft reply, "Momma said he went to sleep a long time ago, before I was born." Just after she finished talking he felt the metal under his fingers give way and he pulled the wretched thing from her neck casting it aside. "I see, but how did you manage to get here?"
"Running." She reached up and scratched at her hat. "Why don't you just take it off?" Rona wrinkled her nose at that and shook her head, "My hair is dirty!" Thorin laughed and shook his head, "You are coming with me. We'll get you cleaned up then you shall come with me to Erebor."
"Airbor?" she frowned when Thorin laughed at her, "Erebor, not Airbor dear one, but very close." He stood and removed his coat, wrapping her up in and before he picked her up, using just his left arm to support her light weight, while his right hand rested on her back. Her arms automatically wrapped tightly round his neck, making his smiling, "Don't worry, I won't let you fall."
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Rona smiled at her memories. She remembered how kind he was to her that first day, and every day since. Never once when she was in his care did she want or need for anything. Those were the good days, the times when they didn't have to worry.
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"Come on sweetheart, let's get you cleaned up and back to you father." A woman, about the age of forty, took Rona to get her cleaned up. Rona didn't want to leave Thorin's side; after all he was closer to her size than any of the others in the city of Dale. She did no more than pout and look forlornly at Thorin as she was lead away.
Once inside Gelsa, as she learned the woman's name to be, brought her to a small room with a tub. It took about 10 minutes for it to be filled with warm water. Rona was stripped down in that time and dunked down into the water. Gelsa pulled the hat off of her head and was surprised when black hair fell down to the girl's lower back in messy ringlets. Across her forehead was tattoo, it was the same blue as her eyes. It was what we call Celtic in design, the middle rested lower, just above her brow line, while the points of the edges stopped just short of her hair line.
"That is very pretty Rona, where did you get it?" Gelsa gently brushed her fingers over the tattoo. "Mamma said it was fitting of me… that's all I remember really…" the woman smiled nodding. "Now let's get you squeaky clean!"
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Thorin had been waiting for them for at least 2 hours when he began to wonder if everything was alright, when he saw Gelsa walking to him a small hand in hers. He did a double take at the child she had in tow. If he didn't know better even he would have thought it was his own daughter, for they looked so alike.
"Here you are… now Rona you be good to you father. No running off." Before Thorin could say otherwise Gelsa had left them. Thorin shook his head before turning back to Rona, kneeling before her. She bit her bottom lip nervously making him smile. "Now none of that." Rona looked up at him and he noticed a blue scarf around her head, covering her forehead. She wore a bell sleeved grey chemise, with a deep blue skirt and small black vest to hold it all together. Her hair was pulled behind her shoulders. He studied her for a few moments before picking her up, noting the small black boots on her feet.
"You look beautiful Rona." He said to her softly kissing her forehead. A bright pink spread over her cheeks and he laughed softly. "All you need is one more thing… but that can wait until we are at Erebor." Rona nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck, her head on his shoulder. He saw the looks they got but paid them no mind. Let the humans think what they will; there was no harm in it.
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Rona closed her eyes. 'Please… please let me find him…' she placed a hand over her throat and closed her eyes tighter. 'At least let me be able to call to him when I see him… It that too much to ask?' a silent sigh passed her lips and she continued on her way. If her map and reading of said map were correct, which they usually were, then she was a few miles away from a small town. It was inhabited by just hobbits. She'd never met a Halfling before, but she had always wanted to.
'Please… let them remember me…Please Aule….that's all I ask.'
A.N. so what do you think so far? Sorry if Thorin is OOC in this chapter, but this is how I imagine him acting before his grandfather, Thror went off of the deep end. Reviews make my muse happy and me post faster! XOXOXO
P.S. i do have chapter two ready and waiting