They made camp near the base of the Misty Mountains. The moon had disappeared by heavy, dark clouds. Off in the distance, deeper rumbled of thunder echoed through the air. The company surrounded their small fire, seated on the ground, prepared for the night. Bofur sat smoking his pipe, staring into the flames. Bombur finished the last of his rations. Ori and Nori were already nodding off to sleep. Balin lay against his pack, gazing up at the sky. Thorin stared off toward the far edge of the company, where Validhreniel and Dcor sat on watch. He could barely make out the top of the warg's body on the lower ridge, but he could see the rise and fall of its body.

Kili sighed heavily from his place on the ground and sat up. He rubbed the back of his head. Sleep was evading him well tonight. He scanned the company, searching for any kind of conversation, but most had already started to drift, or appeared in no mood for conversation. Kili's gaze drifted down the ridge, where the warg's body lay. He cast a quick glance toward his uncle, finding him lost in his own thoughts. Without a second thought, Kili rose from his place and walked down the small slope onto the lower ridge. He tried to be quiet, but his boots shifted several small rocks, waking the warg.

Its ears shot up quickly. Its head turned toward Kili, growling darkling.

"Dina, Dcor." Validhreniel coaxed. "Mellon."

Her words eased the warg and it lowered its head back onto the ground.

"Don't worry about Dcor." she called from her place on the ground. "He'll trust you with time."

Kili walked around Dcor and found Validhreniel sitting on the ground, leaning against the sleeping warg. She held a small letter in her hands and a battle axe Kili did not recall her carrying earlier. He moved slowly, unsure of his limits in the warg's-and his aunts-presence. "May i join you?"

Validhreniel's gaze lifted from her letter. She gave him a small smile. "Of course."

Kili settled himself on the ground near his aunt.

"First venture from home?" she inquired.

Kili smirked. "Does it show?"

Validhreniel nodded with another smile. "Clearly."

Kili chuckled to himself.

"I'm surprised your mother agreed to allow you on this venture." Validhreniel spoke.

"It took a lot of convincing to do so." Kili explained. He reached into his pocket and retrieved the token. "And a promise to return."

"Tokens of safe return." Validhreniel smiled, folding the parchment. "It is unwise to break those promises."

"Is that what your letter asks?" Kili inquired. "Your safe return?"

"No." she answered. She lifted the axe from her legs. "That is what this is for." Kili chuckled. "No, this is no letter. But a reminder of what I will return to."

"May I?" he asked.

Validhreniel gazed at her nephew closely. "Sejer. Mine, for yours."

"Shândab." Kili said. He extended the talisman to Validhreniel. in exchange, she placed the parchment in his hand. Kili carefully opened the parchment, finding, not a letter, but a drawing. A drawing of a family. He took in the exquisite artwork, immediately locating his aunt's face. She looked very much as she did beside him, yet her features were different. Happy. Even her jagged scar in the drawing seemed less daunting. Below his aunts face was a young male dwarf. Kili noticed the elven features, but was astounded by how much else could be identified as dwarven features. The light shading of his plaits told Kili that the young dwarf was fair hair, like Validhreniel. His beard was, surprisingly, similar to Kili's; lacking in thickness and length. Kili saw much of his uncle in the young dwarf, nearly mistaking him as a younger portrait of his uncle, but there was still differences. Besides him was a dwarf maiden, clearly taking after her mother. She too was beardless-like her mother, but her hair was a rich shading color. She appear well tempered, yet held a hidden gleam in her eyes. Above her...Kili wasn't sure how to respond. It was his uncle, there was no mistaking him. The light shading of his hair and beard where grey was just beginning to show. Yet this was not the man who practically raised Kili and his brother. The Thorin before him was...cheerful. There was no frown, no scowl, nothing to displease him as his arms held Validhreniel. As if all duty had been lifted form him. Kili took note of the look in his uncles eyes and how the affection and tenderness nearly light of the entire portrait. Kili took a heavy breath. "Tis a very astounding portrait."

"If it were not an illusion." Validhreniel responded quietly.

Kili frowned and turned to look at his aunt. "How do you mean?"

"There is no hope of this future." she expounded. "None. Yet she was adamant of drawing our portrait as such."

"Who?"

"Saebrylla. My daughter." Validhreniel reached across the portrait and pointed to the dwarf maiden in the corner. "Her token to me."

Kili nodded. He pointed to the young dwarf across from her. "And this is your son?"

Validhreniel nodded. "Yes. Durin."

"A good name." Kili stated with a chuckle.

"Yes it is." Validhreniel laughed with her nephew, though her guilt rattled away within her. She thumbed the runestone and extended her hand toward Kili. "She worries for you."

Kili retrieved the stone and replaced the portrait into her hand. He nodded and thumbed the stone. "Yes, she does. She thinks I'm too reckless."

"Young dwarves often are." she replied with a smile. "However, it would not have matter were this your first or ten venture from her. She is your mother, Kili. And she will always worry for you. From birth to death she will always worry. There will be no changing that."

Kili sighed. "I know. I juts, wish she would not worry so."

Validhreniel smiled. "I'm afraid that a mother worries for life. Dis worries for you and Fili, as I worry for Saebrylla and Durin."

"Did you leave them with a runestone as well?" Kili inquired.

At that, Validhreniel chuckled. "No. No, I left them with worse. Saebrylla kept Dcor for protection. And Durin..." she looked down at the axe. "He was given my fathers axe years ago. I was not about to leave them unprotected. But, they returned Dcor and axe to me. Thinking I need protection myself."

"They wish to protect their mother as she protected them." Kili smiled. "Though, it seems to me that they must not have heard tales of your youth."

"Unfortunately, they have." she replied. "far too often."

Kili chuckled at the thought.

"However, I think you're right. They wish to protect me as I have protected them." She looked to the rune in Kili's hand. "And your mother is trusting to let you go and protect yourself now. She trusts you enough to join your brother and uncle and to return to her."

"I'm sure my mother would have preferred to send me as formidable as Dcor." Kili said.

"She'd rather you not leave." Validhreniel replied. "As I wish my children would not. But we cannot hold onto them forever. And your mother is letting go. You merely need to keep your promise to her Kili. Wouldn't you agree, Thorin?" Her eyes drew up toward the ridge behind them.

Kili turned his head, following Validhreniel's sight. Thorin stood near the edge of the ridge, staring down at them. His arms were folded in front of his chest. "Indeed I would."

"Uncle, I-"

"You hardly need to explain yourself, Kili." Thorin stated. "However, you'd best get some rest. The mountains will not be an easy journey tomorrow."

Kili nodded. "Yes uncle." He rose from the ground and returned toward the camp.

"Have you come to request I keep from you kin?" Validhreniel inquired.

"As they are your kin as well, that would not be a fair request." Thorin replied. He started down the ridge slope. "I came to discuss tomorrows venture."

Validhreniel straightened her posture. "I see."

"I recall you saying you are familiar with these paths more than most." Thorin stated. He walked but a few meters from her.

"I am." she confirmed.

"Can I trust you to lead this company safely through the mountains?" he asked.

Validhreniel said nothing. Instead, she rose silently to her feet. Her fingers laced together in front of her body. She stood straight, holding Thorin's gaze. "You wish me to lead your company through the mountains?"

"Is there some reason I should not trust you?" he inquired.

His words wounded her deeply, but she made no comment on them. Validhreniel simply nodded. "I will lead them through safely."

Thorin nodded. "Good. Nori will relive your watch in a few hours. We leave at first light."

"Then you'd best get some rest as well." Validhreniel replied. She lowered herself to the ground again. Her head tilted toward the ground, sending numerous plaits over her shoulder.

Thorin caught sight of one of her plaits. "You still wear it."

Validhreniel lifted her head once more. "Pardon?"

"The bead."

She took hold of the plait mentioned. "Of course I do."

"And the others?"

Validhreniel thumbed each one of the beads. "One for each of us. Durin, Saebrylla, myself, and you."

There were no words for Thorin to speak in return. He merely nodded and turned to leave. He walked past Dcor, who's ear twitch and growled slightly in his sleep, but did nothing. He had ventured down for the sake of the journey, yet he found his steps grow heavier the further he ventured from Validhreniel. It was a mere two days since learning she was alive and one traveling with her. To have lived without her for long took all of his will, but to know she had done the same, raising their children, never denying his existence, Thorin was unsure what to make of it. He was unsure how to proceed in her presence. He was unsure if he could ever show her anything beyond animosity.


okay, so here's a little more on Durin and Saebrylla. and a little Vali/Kili bonding time.

translations

Shândab -dwarvish: agree

Sejer- dwarvish: trade