Clill sighed in content as she walked along the gate to the city. She had to admit, other than the sounds of mining and crafting, Erebor was quite peaceful. The Dwarves were quite respectful of each other. There was only one problem with the Dwarven city. Thorin was acting very distant toward her. He spoke very little to her, but he did notice that he seemed to watch her a lot. Thorin must've been as nervous about the wedding as she was.
"Father", Clill greeted as she approached Balin.
"Clill", he nodded. "Is everything alright, dear?"
"I've been thinking about the wedding."
"Come, come, my child. Are you trying to talk yourself out of this again? We've spoken about this before. This marriage between you and Thorin will be good for Moria and Erebor."
"But, is it good for me?" she asked. "Does Lord Thorin even like me? He barely speaks to me as it is."
Clill sighed as she leaned against the gate. She looked up at the sky, watching the clouds float along and the thrushes fly among the trees. She was so unsure about the marriage from the start. So far, Thorin was everything she was afraid of in a marriage. A husband who was cold and distant to her, someone who cared very little about her.
"I'm going to train for now", Clill sighed.
"Would you like for me to speaking to Thorin?" Balin asked.
"No, Father", she said. "I would hate to impose."
She gave Balin a bow before turning away to leave. Balin sighed and shook his head. Clill was such a sensitive being. After her mother died, she longed for someone to fill that empty space inside. Someone who would love her and never leave her alone in the world. Thorin was to fill that empty space, if he would just open up to her.
Thorin stood on the bridge overlooking the training arena. It was his turn to watch over the Dwarves training. Ever since, Clill and her company arrived a few days ago, Erebor had been buzzing with excitement. Everyone was putting so much planning into the wedding, which was just a few weeks away. He was trying his best to at least start a conversation with Clill, but she was always looking away, as if she wasn't paying attention.
"My lord…"
Thorin turned to see Clill carrying a weapon of her own. A huge metal staff with a spiked metal top, a mace.
"Are you here to train?" she asked looking down.
"Are you sure you can handle a weapon like that?" Thorin asked.
"I chose this weapon as my own. I believe I can handle this as well as you can handle a sword."
Clill looked at him with a bit of glare in her eyes. It was the first time Thorin saw any bit of emotion within her. Her comment sounded almost as if she were insulting him.
"Is that a challenge?" he asked.
"If it were, would you accept?" Clill asked raising an eyebrow.
This may not have been her first idea of bonding with Thorin, but it was a start. She watched him pull his sword from the sheath on his belt.
"I accept", he nodded.