Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, I only own Nàin and the characters that I have come up with and their stories.
Chapter 7
Rohan
Breakfast was eaten early in the morning when the sky was still a mix of orange and pink. The circular ball of light that was the sun was not yet visible yet when they headed out on their ponies once more. Nàin and Fili rode together at the front while the rest of the group rode in the back. Late last night, when the fire was starting to die out and the star light was all that was left to shine over the group of Dwarves sleeping, Nàin and been awoken from her slumber by Fili turning in his sleep, his arm draping over her underneath of the blanket. Her eyes had landed on a small figure still sitting by the fire, a book and a pencil in his hands. He was close to falling into the still sizzling ashes of the fire while he tried to use whatever light the ashes could provide him, writing down words furiously in his book. In the morning, Nàin had found Ori asleep by those very ashes, the book and pencil resting on his chest.
She glanced back at the Dwarf behind her. On their previous quest to reclaim Erebor, the little Dwarf had sort of been taken for granted. He had not much experience with swords or axes nor did he seem to have gotten any more after the quest was done. During the battle of the Five Armies, Nàin had not been focused on Ori. Though she had heard afterwards that he had kept close to his brothers, slaying a few Orcs on his own. His task then had been to write down everything he could about the quest for later generations to read. The same was his task now and the same would his task be in the future when he was sent to Moria. Though her heart felt heavy at the thought of sending him there. He had seemed so eager to go when they had talked that she could not have said no to him. But now, she regretted her decision of agreeing with his promise. What if he got hurt? Moria was, from what she knew, a dangerous place…
"What are you thinking about?" asked Fili, interrupting her thoughts.
"Moria…" she breathed before she could stop herself, not having wanted to burden her husband with thoughts of that place until after Rohan.
"Moria? Why?" he asked, furrowing his brow together in confusion.
Her pony made a funny noise, shaking her head around. Nàin glanced down at her pony, almost thinking she had heard the name and reacted to it, knowing something Nàin did not.
"Ori talked about it," said Nàin. "He made me promise that, if we ever reclaim that place, he would be allowed to help reclaim it."
"Ori?" asked Fili, glancing back at said Dwarf who was lost in his own thoughts at the back of the group, not noticing his king looking at him. "Did he say why he wanted to go there?"
Nàin stiffened as she realized she did not have the best of answer to that question. He had told her that he wanted to write it down for the Archives. But she had asked no further questions about why he was so intent on being the one to fill the archives with all their new adventures. She told Fili this, and he nodded his head, looking ahead of him once more.
"All Dwarves work for something, strive for something. Perhaps this is simply Ori's passion," said Fili.
"Perhaps… But Moria is dangerous," said Nàin. "I would never willingly set out Dwarves to that place."
"I have heard many people talk about Moria," said Fili. "Gloin did once. And Balin and Dwalin discuss it many times. Each time, I notice uncle stiffen I try to silence them or change the subject. But there's this strange fire in Balin's eyes, or even Gloin's eyes whenever the subject of Moria comes up. Once Erebor is restored, I doubt we can keep them away from that place."
Nàin sighed, hearing what she dreaded the most, "I suppose not…"
They arrived at a burned down harbor, a small cottage next to it that was stood just by the river. Two men exited the cottage upon their arrival, ones taking the ponies from the Dwarves while the other led them over to the boats. Crossing the lake was no problem nowadays. But for Nàin, Fili and Ori, it was different. It was an emotional rollercoaster for them to be so close to Laketown again, knowing that many people died when the dragon was sent there.
For it was in the old ruins of Laketown that they were, just in the outskirts of what it used to be. To their left, they could see the outlines of the city's burned down foundations. Somewhere in the middle of that place was the skeleton of Smaug along with the riches of Laketown. Though no one had set foot in those ruins since the day it was abandoned and burned down. Tales were told from those who lived close-by of cries being heard in the middle of the night and small fires being seen dancing in the ruins of the town. It was haunted, according to many. Haunted by the spirits of those who did not get the chance to leave; by those who had been murdered by Smaug.
Nàin shivered as she looked away from the ruins. It was past midday and she was glad it was not nighttime – or else she might have seen what others had seen. Perhaps those spirits were even more angry with the Dwarves then others, which would have meant that they would have gone after her and her fellow travelers. The thought scared her.
"Ponies can be hired on the other side of the lake," said the man providing them with two boats lazily. One of his eyes looked scary, his eyelid drooping and looking asthough he had been hit several times. He waggled forwards on a painful leg, though seemed happy and untouched by his uncomfortable body.
"How much for the boats?" asked Fili.
"Nothing for you, sire," the man said simply.
Fili exchanged a look with Nàin which she immediately recognized. He walked over to the man and dropped a small pouch of gold into the man's hand, looking up at him with a serious look on his face, "I suppose that will cover it."
Saying nothing else, Fili walked over to the boats, beginning to prepare them along with the guards. Ori and Nàin stayed by the man, watching as he with shaking hands looked down into the pouch. From the way he swayed on the spot, Nàin and Ori deduced he had never gotten so much gold in his life and she smiled a soft smile at him when he looked over at them, tears visible in his eyes.
"Take care of the ponies for us," she said kindly. "We'll be heading back in a couple of months."
The man nodded his head, speechless, while Fili gently helped Nàin into the boat that he, Nàin, Ori and Kildin would share, while the other guards shared the second boat. She glanced back once at the man as the second man, which seemed to be his son by the age-gap between them, looked down into the pouch as well. The happiness and shock that was visible in their eyes made Nàin smile once more before she turned her head to look forwards, Kildin and Ori rowing on.
The lake was calm with barely any waves or ripples on the surface of the water. Nàin leaned down on the side of the boat, letting her fingertips brush against the surface of the water. It was freezing cold, though she enjoyed watching the way the surface reacted to her fingers' touch. Small ripples seemed to run away from her fingers while the water itself engulfed her fingers happily. It was her husband's words which caused her straighten back up again.
"Do you think he's okay?"
He was glancing back at where they had come from. There, far away, Erebor could be seen. She remembered the first time she had seen it from so far away. The company had been on Bard's boat and the sight of their home finally being so close-by had been amazing. Now, she felt saddened to see it so far away from her, to be leaving.
"Thor is fine," said Nàin, grasping his hand. "Kili promised to take care of him, Dis promised to take care of him, Thorin promised to take care of him… even Balin and Dwalin were going to keep an eye on him. He's in good hands."
Fili nodded, squeezing her hand before his eyes landed on her. There was something in them, a beacon of light which she had not seen there before. She raised an eyebrow at him, wondering what he was thinking about.
"Can you believe," he said, lifting his hand and gently letting his fingertips brush over the braid in her hair which represented her being his, "that this is where I asked you to be mine?"
Nàin smiled, her eyes fluttering over to the ruins of Laketown which they were still passing by.
"It still seems like a dream sometimes," she said, relishing in the feel of his fingers in her hair. "But I never wake up. You're always still by my side. It's amazing."
"You're amazing," he said gently, letting his fingers fall down to her cheek, following the outlines of her cheekbones. He leaned over to her ear, his lips brushing against her skin as he whispered, "When we arrive in Rohan, and we finally have a bedroom on our own…"
It was enough to make her blush and take in a deep breath, trying her best to hold back the fire his words ignited inside of her. The whisper against her ear sent shivers down her spine and his words only intensified those shivers, causing a small sound to leave the back of her throat. Even after two years, this man next to her still managed to make her feel flustered whenever he spoke that way.
A soft cough was heard from behind them, causing both Fili and Nàin to look back. They saw Kildin awkwardly look away and could not hold in their laughter at the flustered look in his eyes.
Two months later
Rohan was not as grand as Erebor, in Nàin's opinion. They had travelled through their lands for the past couple of weeks and met many villages and villages, all who looked poor in comparison to Dwarven villages. As they arrived in Edoras, the capital of Rohan and the closest thing to a city that Rohan had. It was built on a hill, the city itself surrounded by walls made of wood. It was not protected well, in other words, against foes though Nàin figured there was a different place that the city's people were moved to if there would ever be a war.
The Dwarves entered the city after two guards opened the gates for them. Seeing as the King was expecting Dwarves to arrive for the mid-summer festival, the guards allowed them entrance immediately, not even asking for who they were or why they were there. Dwarves were not easily mistaken due to their height and chubby looks, after all. Though Nàin could not help but think the city was poorly defended against enemies. Nàin knew that her guards would have still asked them what they were there for and not allowed them entrance until someone else had come to truly make sure they were expected. Then again, the entire kingdom looked different back in Erebor. Allowing someone to enter to visit the King and Queen of Erebor, would mean that one allowed them to enter the entire kingdom. Were they a threat, the citizens of Erebor would be in danger, and so safety looked a little different in Erebor then it did in Rohan.
Some of the city's people walked over to the path the Dwarves were riding on. It led up towards the top of the hill where a large mansion could be seen. A guard of Edoras was walking next to them in silence and considering he did not protest when the Dwarves rode up towards the mansion, they assumed that was where the King of Rohan resided. The citizens were quiet and watched the Dwarves with interested and mistrustful looks in their eyes. Though none made their way over to them to greet them, which did not surprise either Nàin or Fili as they were unfamiliar with each other.
However the silence of the city made Nàin feel a little uncomfortable. She had been excited about seeing her homeland, though Rohan was different from what she had thought it was. It was not as grand as Men had told her it was and if it was, in their eyes, then Men truly were a different race from Dwarves because this city was not what either of the travelers would have called "grand".
Far off inside one of the houses, a baby could be heard crying, though apart from that and their ponies' hooves hitting the gravel path beneath them, silence was all they heard. Fili and Nàin exchanged a look at the silence, feeling rather unwelcomed. It was not until they had dismounted their ponies, whom were given to one of the Men caring for the very famous stables of Rohan (something Nàin had promised herself she would visit while she was there), that a horn was heard to greet them. At the top of the steps leading up to the mansion, the royal family and some warriors exited the mansion and began walking down the steps.
Thengel, the sixteenth King of Rohan, greeted them with a wide smile on his lips and open arms. He clasped his hands around Fili's outstretched one, eagerly shaking his hand.
"King Fili of Erebor, son of Durin – I welcome you to my humble kingdom," said Thengel, some of the citizens watching from afar. "And Nàin…"
He let go of Fili, his eyes landing on Nàin as he moved one step to the left, "Beautiful daughter of Rohan… I welcome you home."
She bowed her head at him, "Thank you, my lord Thengel. It is an honor to finally meet you and to able to thank you in person for the little bit of information you managed to gather about my grandfather."
"Ah, yes, lord Thornoid," said Thengel with a nod of his head. "Truly an interesting man."
A soft cough was heard from behind Thengel from one of those who had followed him down the steps to greet the Dwarves. A woman walked over to stand next to Thengel, two children clinging to her skirts.
"This is my wife, Queen Morven of Lossarnach," said Thengel. "And my beautiful children, Theodwyn and Theoden."
Nàin did not miss the roundness of the Queen's belly nor did she miss the children's curious eyes as they looked at Fili and her, never having seen Dwarves before in their life. They were young, around the age of Thor though looking much older than Thor as Men and Dwarves aged differently – something Nàin had learned during her time as Nanny a long time ago.
"And, of course, my best warrior," said Thengel, "And close friend. Thorongil."
The young man mentioned, took a step forwards, his eyes burning into Nàin's. He gently grasped her hand and, bowing, placed a kiss to her knuckles.
"My lady," he greeted.
His blue eyes held secrets. Many secrets. One of which seemed to be about her. Her eyes drifted down to her hand which he still held in his. Something cold was pressed against her fingers and she noticed a ring on his own finger. It was silver and looked like two serpents meeting together, their eyes made out of green rubies. Above the snake's was a golden crown…
Something about the ring was familiar to her. Though she could not put her finger on what it was…
Just realized I've messed up the time-line, but if I don't mention any years, no one will know :P :P oops... Anyway! Ten points to whoever can point out who Thorongil is! :)
