Anoesis

-— a state of mind consisting of pure emotion, without cognitive content

A/N: This is in tandem with my friend Sapphireswimming's Danny Phantom sentence-story collection, Apricity (s/9611048/1/).

I'm including some headcanons in here, but nothing will contradict Tolkien directly, and unfortunately, there aren't any happy AUs.

Thanks so much for checking this out, guys! I hope you like it :)

1.) Hail—

Dáin Ironfoot sits upon the throne of Erebor and knows he does not deserve it; Thorin and his sister-sons gave themselves to this mountain with heart and soul and body, and they are the ones who should be hailed as kings.

2.) Twain—

Fíli and Kíli have always been inseparable; they fight and live and breathe (and die) as brothers, because that is what they are and what they always will be.

3.) Blade—

A young Fíli watches Dwalin fight in the sparring ring with an axe in each hand, and knows instantly that he wants to do the same; after all, two swords must be better than one.

4.) Hidden—

He cowers in the shadows of his cave, nothing but leathery skin and brittle bone, repeating a single phrase like a prayer: "My precious...my precious..."

5.) Key—

Balin recognizes it as soon as Gandalf pulls it from his robes: it is the key to Erebor, to their home, to their ancestors, to their future...(and perhaps to their doom, as well.)

6.) Above—

Thorin looks down on Bard and Thranduil from the battlements of his mountain—and he revels in this, that after a century and a half of being forced into subservience, he has finally reclaimed the glory his people deserve.

7.) Twinkling—

Ori never met his father, but he likes to think that he would be a little like Gandalf: irritable and stubborn, yes, but with twinkling, kind eyes and a demeanor that radiates reassurance and hope.

8.) Laughter—

It's been months, now, since the Battle of Five Armies...but sometimes, Dwalin swears he hears Fíli and Kíli's cheerful banter echoing from just around the corner.

9.) Lost—

Thorin vows that if he ever finds their burglar's hobbit hole, he'll murder Gandalf for not giving him clearer directions through this maze of a village.

10.) Feet—

Nori asks Bilbo one day why he does not wear shoes; Dori almost smacks him for his rudeness, but Bilbo only laughs and offers to show them the soles of his feet, which he is sure are superior to any boots the dwarves could ever make.

11.) Burden—

Bilbo may not be a skilled warrior, may never have a place among dwarves, but he will do all he can to help the Company...and after the fight on the cliff, Thorin realizes that he truly cannot ask for anything more.

12.) Race—

Dwalin has met men and elves and orcs and goblins, and every one of them has looked down on him for who he is; he's honestly surprised, then, when Bilbo Baggins does not seem to care that he is a dwarf, and is only angry that he ate the rest of his dinner.

13.) Dust—

Bilbo has been back at Bag End for less than twenty-four hours; he's encountered missing furniture and thieving relatives and general depravity...but he only breaks down when he sees his ransacked pantry, completely untouched by his neighbors, covered in a thick layer of dust.

14.) Ring—

It's such a small thing, this trinket he stole from the creature under the mountain...but Bilbo doesn't think he's cared more for anything in his entire life.

15.) Braid—

Kíli remembers the cruelty he endured when he was young, remembers the way his body was beaten and his braids were ripped out by the roots...and only smiles wanly at Bilbo when the hobbit asks why his hair is so unadorned.

16.) Knitted—

Ori knows that the others poke fun at him behind his back, knows that his cardigans and scarves do not garner him favor among the great warriors of the Company...but the smiles on his brothers' faces when he knits them something new make it all worthwhile.

17.) Enough—

It's only when Bombur opens the last of their packs, digging desperately in the dim light of Mirkwood, that he realizes the food is gone.

18.) Foreign—

Young Hamfast Gamgee watches warily as several strange, hairy Big Folk enter Bag End; he doesn't know who they are, and he can only hope that they will leave Mister Bilbo in peace by morning.

19.) Legendary—

Bard remembers clearly the tales of the great Kings under the Mountain of old; when he meets Thorin Oakenshield—half-drowned and starved as he is—he has no doubt that this king will be just as great as his forefathers.

20.) Silver—

The miners of Ered Luin have struck upon a new vein of silver...but when Thorin is called to inspect it, all he can think is that in Erebor, they would be finding this a hundred times over in gold.