A/N – Hey Everyone! Sorry that this is so very, very late. This chapter is a perfect example of why you should not fight your story. I have been trying to work an extra plot twist into this story but it was fighting me every step of the way. I finally decided to scrap it and rewrite this entire chapter and many parts of the next few.
Thank you for your patience the next chapter will be up in ONE WEEK to compensate and put me back onto my two week publishing schedule.
Kira was not the first mother that had been surprised at the generosity of the royal family, many dwarves were immigrating to Erebor from the farther Kingdoms and towns of Men and each new resident heard the gossip that surrounded Thorin and his Company. Soon the stories that had been shared in the dining halls during the first winter in Erebor were exaggerated to greater heights.
"Azog was fifteen feet tall!"
"Did you know Smaug was made entirely of ruby and diamond?"
"Amadel killed a hundred orcs with her little blade!"
"She twisted King Thorin and King Thranduil's ears until they got along and compromised!"
"King Thorin ripped the white wargs head clean off! I saw it with my own eyes!"
None of the Company could walk into a room without garnering instant attention, a fact that extremely irritated Nori. The looks they received were awe struck and most of them had lads and lasses swooning at their feet for a chance to steal a kiss from one of the "Heroes of Erebor".
This adoration from the general population gave Billa much security in the mountain proper but the love of the "common folk" did nothing to protect her from the Council. She did not have the experience of Thorin, his temper and tenacious inability to die had served him well while ruling Ered Luin. Balin always said Thorin's strategy was to do whatever was best for the people and damn the consequences, the consequences meaning seven attempted assassinations and three attempted coups. Fortunately for Thorin his policy of putting the dwarrow of Ered Luin first made them fiercely loyal to the exiled king. Each coup had met with a quick and bloody counter revolution; the would-be-rulers found it difficult to take over a kingdom where even the scullery maids were actively trying to depose them as their name didn't end with "son of Thrain, son of Thror."
The dwarves who sat upon Thorin's council were some of the oldest, curmudgeonly creatures under the sun. Where before Thorin could ignore their whims since they were as penniless and hungry as he was he now had to politick and maneuver themselves around their adversaries. They had regained their hereditary lands and the resources within them after the retaking of Erebor. These Lords had grown up in a court filled with intrigue and political back stabbing (though sometimes it was literal). The paranoia that plagued Thror had ended the lives and ambitions of much of the noble class, in the last years in Erebor anyone who spoke against the King's wishes was quickly found guilty of treason and soon the only dwarves left were just as greedy as Thror. Many of them had supported Thror's embarrassment of the Elvenking and later encouraged the war to reclaim Moria.
Every day that Billa had to deal with the council was a new grey hair on her head and today was no different. Billa had been sitting on her throne, a delicate construction of stone next to Thorin's with the Arkenstone placed between the two, as two dwarves continued to argue in front of her.
Lord Fivl was insistent that his mines, some of the deepest in the mountain required immediate attention. His concern that the flooding of the lower tunnels would compromise the coal deposits and the structure of the mountain was legitimate but the question was, were the effect of the waters reason enough to pull workers from mines that were closer to the surface and holding more immediately needed resources?
Of course the fact that Billa couldn't stand Lord Fivl on the best of days wasn't helping her keep her patience or a level head. So as Billa continued to rein in her emotions and think with her higher reasoning skills the two dwarves continued to argue at her feet.
"The damage from the flooding could taint not only the deposits themselves but the water supply of the entire mountain!" Fivl shouted into the face of the other dwarf.
"We both know that the spring of the River Running is nowhere near your tainted tunnels and as long as the spring remains clear we have nothing to worry about! Removing the gravel from my shafts helps to uncover iron deposits as well as yield ingredients for concrete for the rebuilding."
The debate quickly devolved into a snarling, argument peppered with Khuzdul phrases that had the guards at the door itching to bop the two lords over their heads. Billa's head started pounding.
"Gentlemen," she tried to interrupt the two, who were now shouting in each other's faces, spittle flying between and peppering each other's beards, "Gentlemen!" she shouted again her voice too high in comparison to the dwarves to be heard.
She jumped to her feet, slapping her hands onto the armrests of the throne, "SHAZARA!" Her voice echoed through the cavernous room making the two turn from their quarrel to look at her; even the guards looked shocked at her outburst.
She took a deep steadying breath. "Each of the resources your mines hold are precious to the people of our Mountain, they gravel allows us to continue building in the present and as such is our highest priority. But," she interrupted the smirk that was spreading on the dwarf's face, "we are never so far from winter that we need not think of the heat the coal will bring us nor can we ignore a legitimate threat to our water source." Lord Fivl looked up at her, possible astonished that they actually agreed on something. "We shall compromise by sending a small team to evaluate the damage to your mines, Lord Fivl and we shall proceed as they recommend. If your coal and our water is in danger we shall shift attention there immediately, if not we shall continue to monitor the situation until the condition changes."
Both dwarrow began nodding along with her words; each feeling as though the Queen had given an answer most suited to their advantage. "Thank you your Majesty." They bowed in unison before leaving the throne room allowing the next set of petitioners to come before the Queen.
Kohim was the last of an ancient line of dwarrow, Blacklocks, which fled the Orocarni Mountains after the War of Wrath and found refuge in the northern range, naming them after the color of their frozen peaks. Joachim, his ancestor found this mountain, an ancient volcano with crude tunnels and halls that his followers turned into a home.
Of course times were hard when they settled, the world was still torn and scarred from the wrath of Morgoth and his children but his people created a settlement and homes and managed to eke out a living, sparse though it was. But over the centuries things got harder instead of easier, the land refused to yield good crops and the Mountain they had held so much hope for continued to produce paltry veins of common ores and coal. Each generation was born a little harder, and little bitterer as life continued to wear on the world. Kohim was perhaps the most bitter of all; his wife, a political match that gave his people hundreds of cows and rams for food and war had ended with her being disillusioned with noble life, making her grow grey and pale. She passed several years ago leaving Kohim with no heir to succeed him but two daughters instead. They were stupid and dull girls and he had little hope of setting up a match for either of them that would give him the resources his people needed for such a hard life.
But there were rays of hope, the resettling of Erebor strained their resources but it brought two unwed nobles to the area that were set to inherit their own kingdoms eventually. Fili, the Crown Prince of Erebor and Kili, heir apparent of Thorin's Halls in Ered Luin.
His people were dwindling and dire times would soon be upon them all, and dire times called for drastic measures. So he had taken a zinkharkal into his mountain and in exchange he learned everything. Erl's information was astounding in its volume and detail. He knew the schedule of the restoration, the names of most of the garrison and the story of the Battle of the Five Armies. Erl's information turned into a list of names that over the past year had turned into contacts and a small but dedicated network with in Erebor. For the first in many years, the spring held hope for Kohim he just needed to complete a few more pieces before revealing his puzzle.
So Kohim met with his advisers and together they sent a raven winging through the skies towards Erebor.
Ori knocked on the door to the royal chambers his bag stuffed with scrolls and letters from every corner of the world. Ori's mastery had given him a coveted position with in the rebuilding kingdom and as soon as more scribes arrived from Ered Luin he was drafted into service for the Royal Family; being the head scribe to the royal family was a busy job that kept him on his feet much of the day. He attended the most important council meetings and assigned other scribes to any that he could not make. It was his job to deliver official correspondence to the King and Queen and pen their replies. So Ori did not really have time to wait about for Billa to open the door; he knocked again anyway.
Her guards were here, so she should be here and Billa would usually tell the guards if she was tending her balcony garden.
"Perhaps you should just go in, Master Ori." One of the guards chimed in when he started to knock a third time. "The King is not here, so there's nothing to fear inside those walls." He teased.
"Of course, thank you Captain." Ori braced himself and open the door.
It was silent inside; the sitting room fire blazed merrily and a tray was set upon the table with tea and cheese scones, but there was no Billa. Perhaps she needed something in the study and hadn't returned yet?
Nope, no Billa.
The garden? He strode to the large set of double doors and looked through the glass to the balcony beyond. It was amongst the dark and dormant dirt that he found his friend.
"Isn't it a little cold to be sowing seeds?" Ori teased as he walked through the doors; and indeed it did seem so since Billa was wrapped in leather with heavy winter gloves between her hands the trowel.
"You should know that nothing stands in the way of Hobbits and their gardening." Billa replied before sitting back on her knees, scowling at the dirt where she made several furrows.
"Not even frozen dirt?" Ori teased.
"If I can get Elves, Men and Dwarrow to get along then I can certainly plant seeds in frozen dirt." Billa sniped back, throwing her nose in the air.
"Of course" Ori replied, playing along with Billa's tone "how could I have forgotten that Hobbits can do anything; kill dragons, tame orcs and sing crops from the fields without seeds or water-"
"I can do what now?" Billa interrupted incredulously, pausing in her attempts to continue trenching the packed earth.
"Oh you hadn't heard? Apparently we brought a magic hobbit back from the Shire and she is going to be the savior of us all blah, blah, blah." He waved his hand in a blasé circle.
She sat there, stunned, "Well that's- that's just ridiculous!" she stuttered.
"Well I know that." Ori put his bag down and sat next to her and started unpacking his scrolls. "And you know that but the rest of the Mountain is pretty sure you make the sun rise."
Billa scoffed as she grabbed a small leather pouch and poured tiny orange seeds into her hand. "Valar help me then if it ever decides not to rise. Now what do you have for me today, I have no plans to abandon my tomatoes until they are securely planted so we might as well work out here." So Ori pick up a message from one of the many kingdoms of Middle Earth and began reading it to the busy Hobbit lass.
"The Lady Galadriel is pleased by the progress of the Celdan and reports that their portion should reach the Mirkwood section in the next two years. They have even begun using the path to transport goods to Rohan and Gondor."
"You best pass that one onto Thorin you know how excited he gets over news about his pet project."
Thorin's "pet project" was the Celden or Running Road; a road of 370 leagues to connect the six greatest kingdoms this side of the Misty Mountains. Thorin had contracted men from Esgaroth and Dale to do the labor of the building in exchange for funding the project and providing materials. The road already stretched to the outskirts of Mirkwood and would soon begin twisting into the forest itself. The other kingdoms sent regular progress reports out and the trade route would be completed within the next decade, the campsites, inn and guard stations would be completed after that.
Ori put the message into a small pile that would be passed along to people who would benefit from the information more than Billa.
He pulled another from the bag, this one a thick and coarse parchment on a burnished steel roller. The seal was a sword plunged through a keyhole. "Hmm I think this one is from Ered Mithrin." Ori guessed as he unrolled it and began to read.
"King Thorin Oakenshield and Queen Billa Amadith,
It is with great joy that we accept your invitation to participate in trade talks between our two kingdoms. I believe that we have much to offer each other in this prosperous age. Lord Kohim would be honored to attend these negations in person and offer his congratulations on your wedding and progress of Erebor. Lord Kohim and the Ladies Turmalim and Erenim shall be arriving within the seventh crescent moon of this year*. We look forward to re-forging the bonds of old with the strength of new beginnings."
"Didn't we send that Invitation out before Yule?" Billa questioned. In fact they had sent the same invitation out to every dwarf Kingdom in Middle Earth; it was surprising that Ered Mithrin, the closest kingdom, was the last to respond.
"Well you've heard the stories about Lord Kohim. It's not that surprising when you consider it."
And it wasn't. Billa heard stories of Kohim and life in the Grey Mountains, a hard and desolate place that never felt the summer sun. It was a hard land that grew hard people. "That mother, Kira, was from there. I wonder what he thinks he has to trade with us, it sounded like they had very little of anything."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Ori began putting all the letters and responses back into his bag "I'm pretty sure he named his greatest good already."
Billa looked over the letter another time, "You mean his daughters? What in the world does he want to trade them for?"
Ori giggled, "There are only three single dwarf nobles on this side of the world in their age group, two of which live in this very mountain."
"Oh gods," Billa groaned "you mean he wants to marry them to Fili and Kili? Dis is not going to like that idea; not one bit."
Dis' protectiveness of her sons was legendary; many speculated that Azog would have died much sooner if he had gone after the Princes while she was near.
The two were interrupted when Thorin strode onto the balcony, "What isn't Dis going to like?" he unclasped his cloak and set his crown onto a patio table. "I'm sorry I am so late Billa but the mine inspection could not be rushed."
"That's alright dear; we still have plenty of time to clean up before dinner. It's almost dark out here anyway." And indeed dusk was heavy on the horizon when she stood up and brushed off her gardening leathers. "Ori has some things for you from the Lady Galadriel and we will need to plan for a delegation from the Grey Mountains, shortly after the Furkhêkurikl Danukkhulbüzidîn, the enterprising Lord Kohim will be bringing his unwed, of age daughters along as well."
Thorin chuckled knowingly, Dis had always insisted her sons would marry for love and not for politics even when a political marriage of the Princes or himself would have given them much help she had refused any and all offers from Lords across the world.
"Then we shall prepare the mountain for guests and perhaps Balin should give Fili and Kili some lessons in how to turn a lady down politely but that is a discussion for tomorrow. Come inside both of you it is much too cold to be outside for so long. Especially without a coat," He eyed Ori reproachfully who just rolled his eyes in return.
"Yes thank you for that Dori." Ori groused before running from the royal couple, dodging Thorin's hand as it tried to swipe at his head; cackling when he missed.
"He used to squeak when I talked to him." Thorin told a giggling Billa as he took her arm "did you know that? I would speak and he would shake so hard I could hear his knees knocking together in awe and now" he sighed dramatically "now he teases me!"
"You poor dear," Billa patted his hand consoling as they continued through their rooms and towards the dining hall "it's a good thing you didn't have a dwarf army for the quest after all or no one would be in awe of your majesty anymore; though I will certainly always be in awe of other parts of you." Billa's eyes turned teasing and bright as she pinched him and took off down the hall after Ori.
Thorin continued his leisurely stroll instead of taking off after his wife; admiring the view of her skirts billowing behind her.