A/N:

Hey there! So, this chapter is still not in the timeline of the movies and books, but rather when the siblings were still younger. A bit of a sad chapter this time; their father has passed away during the Battle where Azog lost his arm and Thorin got his famous title Oakenshield. The siblings will be older than in the previous chapter and you will see a different side of a more mature, responsible Níli.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: The only thing I own is my OC, Níli. The rest does not belong to me. Damn it.


Chapter 2

"Mama, please say something."

Níli was kneeling in front of her mother, a hopeful look on her face. Dís hadn't talked for days, too heartbroken by the terrible loss of her husband and beloved brother to truly see what was going on around her. She was as good as lost in her own mind, trapped in darkness and not knowing how to banish it.

"I need you," Níli whispered, grabbing a hold of her mother's hands and ignoring the cold touch that greeted her. "Fíli and Kíli need you, please mother. Try to come back for us."

It was no use. The past 7 days, her mother hadn't uttered a single sound except for the long, anguished cries that could be heard coming for her bedroom at night.

Níli sat there, hours it seemed before she gave up and released the hold on Dís' hands. "Come mama, I will take you to bed. The moon is shining bright tonight, it might help you sleep better." Being gentle, she lifted her smaller mother in her arms and carried her to bedroom before tucking her in the warm sheets. "Sleep mother, tomorrow is a new day." Pressing a final kiss to her mother's forehead, Níli walked from the room and closed the door behind her, willing her build up tears to go away.

Making her way to the living room, she sat down on her favorite chair and buried her face in her hands. She couldn't do this anymore; her mother always silent and unmovable, her uncle filled with grief for so many brave dwarves that were lost, including her youngest uncle, grandfather and great-grandfather. And then there were Fíli and Kíli, her beloved siblings who missed their mother's care and love.

All the pent up tears that she refused to shed almost made their way down her cheeks when she heard the floor creaking. "Níli? Is mama sleeping now?"

Taking her head out of her hands, she looked at her two siblings who were standing in the doorway with sad looks on their faces. She tried giving them a smile but was sure it came out more like a grimace. "Yes Fíli," she whispered, "mama is sleeping now. She was tired. Are you hungry? Do you need me to prepare some of the meat that we still have? I am sure I can make some stew, or-"

"No sister." Kíli shook his head, brown hair flaying around. "We just wanted to make sure mama was doing better. Is she?"

"Oh yes! Yes," Níli cleared her throat, hating to lie at her siblings but seeing no other option. She hated it even more when she saw her siblings unhappy. "She fell asleep immediately, she will be much better tomorrow."

Her two brothers shot each other skeptical looks before they wished her a good night and retreated to her room.

Sighing, Níli decided to do the same and walked to her room before starting to prepare herself for bed. Finally laying under the covers, she closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep.

Sleep wouldn't come, not even after an hour of tossing and turning. She missed the comfort of her father, the gentle way in which he would always be able to bring a smile to her face, even when she got pranked horribly by her two younger brothers and found a toad in her favorite pair of leather boots. She missed her uncle Frérin, who had the most amazing humor she had ever witnessed, no doubt passed on to her brothers. And she missed her mother, the loving and gentle woman who was now suffering the losses of her dear ones.

She was taken out of her dark thoughts when she heard her door open. Sitting up and rubbing her eyes, she sighed sadly when she saw Kíli standing with tears in his brown orbs. Opening her arms, she motioned for him to come and he wasted no time in running to his sister and crawling into her arms, as if he was still a dwarfling.

"It's alright, no need to be strong now," she whispered to him, rubbing his back when she felt his shoulders shaking with suppressed sobs, "let it out."

Níli let out her own tears when she heard her brother's anguished sobs. Hearing the door open again, she looked over the shoulder of Kíli and held out one arm when she saw her other sibling standing, his blond hair unruly with tears streaming down his cheeks.

Fíli sniffed quietly. "I miss papa."

"Oh Fíli," Níli whispered, beckoning him towards her. When she had him in her other arm, she sat against her bed's headboard and made sure the blanket was tight around the three of them. "I miss papa too. And uncle Frérin. All our good friends. But you know what?" she sniffed, waiting for her brothers to look up at her. "We are going to make sure that they did not die in vain. We will honor them and tell everyone, even if they do not want to hear it, how they were the greatest warriors."

Neither sibling said anything. Both of them send her sad looks that made her heart clench before they snuggled back against her neck.

"Why is mama not with us?"

"Mama is sleeping, Kíli, you know that."

Níli frowned when he abruptly pulled away from her started glaring at her. "You always say that! That means she has been asleep for a week now! It's not fair, I want her here!"

Níli gently shushed him before pulling her younger brother back when he started to cry again. She knew her mother was deeply buried in her grief, but she had thought that having three children would get her out of it eventually. Níli could handle being alone, seeing as her uncle was busy now and stuck in his own grief, but her siblings were still young and needed the comfort of their mother. Yes, she was here now and both of them began to look up to her more and more when they needed something, but that was not the way it is supposed to be. Dís was supposed to comfort her children, hugging them close to her and whispering soothing words in their ears, like she herself was doing right now.

Níli felt her siblings' breathing grow steadier and they soon fell asleep. She didn't think about how they were actually to old now or the fact that her bed was not suited for three young dwarves; laying down with each sibling resting on one of her shoulders, she closed her eyes and tried to follow their example.

One last thing went through her head before she succumbed to a restless sleep.

'We did not just lose our father; we lost our mother as well. I will never forgive her for that.'


That was chapter 2, lads and lasses! Don't be too harsh on Níli; she kinda has to fill the role of both older sister and mother now. You'll notice later in the story that the relationship between the three siblings is very special, and the main reason is what happened in this chapter.

Next chapter we'll start with the movie, this was just to show you how a horrific event can have a huge effect on how Níli will act later on.

Don't forget to leave a review, pretty please ;) Hope to see you in the next chapter!

xx Habibty 17