Chapter Three

Nÿr saw everyone looking at Fili, who sighed. "Well," he said. "Kili can't go, Nÿr is the best one to stay here with Dwalin, and An's the expert at Hill matters…but we all know Dain's son only talks to me."

No one spoke.

"Hurmelgang," he said.

"Hurmel-what?" Nÿr asked.

"The Honor Journey," Kili said, not happy. "It's the last part of the Forty Three Days commemoration."

"Ah," Nÿr said, though she still felt confused. She had not been in Erebor during the Forty Three Days in March and April of 3019, but she'd been present at Kili's side for the long series commemoration events of the past month. In short, the Easterlings had attacked Erebor and Dale three years ago during the great war. The preparations, the battle, and the siege had lasted forty three days...and it had ended, of course, on the day when young Frodo of the Shire destroyed the One Ring.

The tragedy of those days in Dale and the Mountain were still quite fresh in the minds of Erebor's people, and the month of March had been packed with ceremonies and observances. She had accompanied Kili to most of them, and discovered he was the heroic focus of many.

"Right before March that year," Lady An said, "We sent a secret caravan of mothers and children to safety in the Iron Hills."

Fili nodded. "At the same time, the Iron Hills sent battalions and supplies to us here."

Nÿr looked down. She, of course, had been safe in Ered Luin three years ago.

"It was all over by this time in April," Kili explained. "But families who had sent loved ones to the Hills still hadn't reunited. So a group of Guard and kin gathered at Ravenhill on April 19th. They left together for a five day trip to the Iron Hills to get their loved ones and bring them back. Someone called it the Hurmelgang and the name stuck."

"And then a hardy group repeated it the following year," An said, smiling. "And then again last year—and now everyone considers it tradition. The group that went last year was the largest yet."

"What do they do?" Nÿr asked.

"It's just a visiting of kin—as you can imagine, some married and remained there, and there's a fair number of hill folk who stayed here." She looked at her husband. "We talked about going last year, but it was still too unsafe."

"But we have that ratified treaty now," Fili said. "Maybe this is the year we go along. It would show my trust in the political process and the road will be well guarded. Once we get there, we can look for Dwalin's daughter."

Kili was frowning. "I wouldn't call that a foolproof plan," he said. "But since no one expects you to be going, at least it has surprise on its side."

An looked ready for the challenge. "And everyone knows I am overdue in visiting my parents," she said. "It's an easy, public excuse for us to go. Do you know they've never met Iri? We can take her along…the younger lads, too."

Nÿr looked at Kili. He did not appear happy, his somber eyes on his brother. "Send An to represent the House of Durin. She is the Queen of Erebor."

Fili was shaking his head. "Thorin Stonehelm has dug his heels in on every matter with us since he became King. He is not going to allow even one orphaned lassie to go without an argument and concessions, Kili. And we don't have the upper hand. We are many times in the Iron Hills' debt. If I go and take a pile of gold along, he might be willing to talk."

"We'll be travelling quite comfortably in wagons. Could we not take Dwalin with us?" Lady An asked. "Find a way to reunite father and daughter there?"

"In his condition, he would not survive a five day journey," Nÿr was shaking her head. "Not even tucked in a travel bed. The pain would be cruel."

She looked at Kili again. His hard-eyed glare said he was against the whole idea of his brother leaving.

"I need to get out and be seen by the people," Fili said to him. "If they are going to trust the peace of Gondor, I can't stay locked inside the mountain."

"No," Kili said, and Nÿr could hear bitterness in his words. "That's my job, isn't it?" With a set jaw, he turned and left the room.

Nÿr almost followed, but felt the King's hand on her arm.

"Let him go," Fili said. "He'll walk off his temper and be done with it."

"Are you certain he has to stay…?" she began.

But the King fixed her with a steely eye. "Kili does not leave the lands of Erebor," Fili said, his voice firm. "Ever."

Nÿr understood and nodded her acquiescence, but it still made her heart sink. Her beloved: Prince, warrior, commander…and curse bearer. The morgul poison that had once nearly killed him remained in his blood, revisited him every year, and away from the protection of the Mountain, the curse would draw wraiths that would overtake him, as sure as he could call a raven.

Even now. Even with the dark lord gone.

"He has to stay in any case," An said to her. "With Fjalar. The law of succession prevents the King and his heir from leaving at the same time."

Nÿr understood this as well. Fjalar was too young to be crowned if anything happened to the King. Kili would be regent until Fili's son reached the age of 82. Sick as he was, Dwalin wouldn't be allowed to stand in this time.

"Kili will have to take the administrative duties. Preside over the court, maintain the council schedule," Fili stated. "And Fjalar enters cadet training in two days, just like we planned."

"When does the Hurmelgang leave?" Nÿr asked.

"Three days from now," An replied.

"And until then, keep it secret that we mean to go along," Fili said. He looked at his wife. "And we have a lot of work to do to get ready."

Nÿr didn't see her intended again until well after sunset. She had tended old Dwalin, seen him settled into the room they'd set up as his own, and handed his care over to a trainee for the night.

She found Kili standing outside on the Ledge in the cold moonlight. She walked out to him, standing close and silently coaxing his stubbornly folded arms apart so she could hold his hand.

She didn't often notice the signs of aging on her beloved's face, but she noticed them now, in the moonlight.

Graying hair, worry lines on his forehead, and a weariness in his eyes.

She didn't have a cure for the first two, but she just might be able to do something about the last one.

"Come inside?" she murmured.

He looked at her, his expression still hard as stone. She knew he wasn't angry with her. He was just unhappy with the situation.

So she took a chance and stepped closer, sliding her hand from his chest to his ear. "I can make it worth your while," she whispered.

There. A slight quirk of an eyebrow.

She kissed his jaw in a slow, lingering caress.

His eyes closed and she felt a slight lessening of the tension in his shoulders. He rubbed her arm.

It was enough. She led him by the hand and he followed. Back inside, she closed their bedroom door and shut out the rest of the world.

And devoted the rest of her energy to him and him alone.