Hello again. This chapter kind of went over what I had intended it to be, probably with a metaphor that went rogue in the middle. Just letting you know, Thorin and Lif are happy families now but I just want to remind you about the nursery rhyme "jack and jill," - "Thorin and Lif went up the hill to fetch a pail of water,
Thorin fell down and broke his crown,
and Lif came tumbling after!"
- Don't get comfortable- this is after all a tragedy!-BADPENNY MUHAHAHAHHA!
The tale of the stag king and the raven queen
Thorin spent much of the day busy with meetings and arrangements for the Durin's day celebration two days from then. He regretted only being able to have lunch with Lif, he schedule was over booked as it was and he didn't even have time for supper. So as soon as he could he collapsed into his own bed, which was still covered in feathers, and fell into an exhausted sleep.
There was a knock on his door early that morning and he arose to a message from his grandfather. He was summoned to an early breakfast with Thror in his private chambers. Shaking himself awake, Thorin realised it was only just past dawn and the sun was still rising. He dragged a hand through his wavy black hair and changed, then ran up Durin's stairs into his grandfather's halls.
At the doorway he met Dis. She stumbled about still half asleep with hand maidens still doing her hair and arranging her skirts. She never had liked mornings, Thorin noted in amusement as she yawned and bumped into the doorway.
"Full of joys of dawn I see!" Thorin exclaimed loudly, enjoying how she winced when he clapped his hands together over cheerily. Dis grimaced and made a ssshing movement with her hand.
"Don't speak to me before ten o'clock, that is the rule," she whispered, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. Thorin snorted and pushed his younger sister in to the small lounge. Thror and Thrain were there already and sat quietly around a round table in front of a roaring fire. Platters had been set out with freshly baked pastries, fried bacon, warm bread rolls and frothy hot milk.
"Good morning my King. Good morning Father." Thorin and Dis said in unison, bowing and curtsying at the door. Thror smiled over a mug of hot milk and gestured for them to sit, Thrain appeared not to notice that his children had entered. Dis and Thorin sat opposite each other and began to tuck into the food laid out. Dis chose a dainty pastry while Thorin went straight for the bacon. It was a few moments before anyone spoke, then Thror cleared his throat.
"I shall be still in council with Thranduil today, the Greenwood is beginning to occupy my time a lot these days but not so much that I can't enjoy time with my family," Thror remorsefully at first but turned his eyes up to meet them, letting a glimmer of a smile tug behind his grey beard.
"What happens in the Greenwood that worries the elf so?" Thorin asked, wiping milk foam from his beard. Thror looked up from his plate and met is grandson's eyes, they had the same blue intensity of his own, clever and bright, they had a liveliness that Thrain's didn't have. Thror looked away suddenly, turning to smile down the table at Dis and Thrain.
"But this is no type of talk to have at the breakfast table! Children use today to rest, so that you're fit and strong for the Mask tomorrow," Thror chuckled folding a slab of bread and lashings of bacon into a sandwich.
"But there is still much to be done, they should not be wasting their time on frivolities," Thrain spoke suddenly and coolly. He ate nothing but sipped a goblet filled with ice water.
"Yes, I do not mind doing the organising," Dis tried to catch a smile from Thrain but he wouldn't meet her eye. Thorin glanced away, Thrain had always had little time for Dis and even when he did he was always full of criticism, but she adored him none the less.
"No, I will not hear of it. Balin is proving himself quiet capable, let him take up some responsibility," Thror assured them, pulling a few crumbs of bread from his long white beard. Dwalin's brother had recently been taken on as an advisor to the council as he had almost doubled his families merchant business, they were quickly becoming to most wealthy family in the mountain: apart from the Durin's of course.
Thorin's mind was a whirl. The whole day with not a care, with no jobs he was putting off or bad excuses, he had the whole day to spend with Lif and he couldn't think of anything better.
"What will you do with your free time?" He heard Thror ask, Dis opened her mouth to speak but Thorin kicked her hard under the table.
"Dis needed to go into Dale. You said you needed new silk for your Durin's day costume, didn't you?" He glared at her as he asked her pointedly, hoping she would understand the hidden meaning of his words. Dis stared blankly for a moment, a strawberry tart halfway to her lips.
"Yes, absolutely! Silk for my costume, defiantly from Dale, the best there is..." She rambled until thankfully Thrain interrupted her.
"Whatever you dress as, just make sure that Lord Vanir likes it. You are to make him feel very welcome, do you hear me Dis?" Thrain ordered coldly, as he glared at his youngest child. Thorin's heart clenched as he saw his sister recoil slightly and nod. Thorin chastised his own selfishness; Dis was in a worst position than him, least Karis was his own age. Lord Vanir was old, fat and lecherous, during banquets he was pull serving girls onto his lap and try and unlace their dresses while they struggled. It made Thorin's skin crawl to think of Dis having to suffer that.
The rest of breakfast past without incident, Thror had been in a good mood and talked lightly, Thrain was brooding as always and the Durin children listened attentively before they were able to excuse themselves. Once outside, Dis waited until they were around the corner to pin her brother to the wall.
"What in Durin's name are you playing at? I don't need to go to Dale?" Her brilliant blue eyes danced angrily as her brothers face slowly turned into a cheeky grin.
"No you don't need to go into Dale, but you do want to meet my Pledge..." He let his voice trial off as he pushed his sister away playfully and dashed down the staircase. Dis stood puzzled for a moment, and then as his meaning dawned on her she chased after him before he got out of sight. **
Lif hovered her paint brush over the canvas and studied the raven in front of her. Roäc posed proudly, his chest pushed out and his jet black wings extended as if in flight, contrasting alarmingly with the snow under his feathers. Lif swiped teal and dark purple over the pictures feathers, and then hummed with discontent.
"I will never do you justice Roäc, it appears you are too beautiful to capture with paints," Lif said, peering at the Raven King around the aisle. Roäc hopped over to her and landed lightly on her shoulder, being careful not to dig his claws into the fabric of her shirt. The snow had fallen heavily and sudden, reaching past her ankles, so Lif had taking to wearing a pair of Thorin's trousers and tucking the overwhelming fabric into her boots.
"You do Roäc great honour," he cawed and peering down at the painting, rustling his feathers and tickling her neck.
"No Roäc that's supposed to be a tree."**
Thorin and Dis watched from them both through the porch doors of the kitchen, the glass was frosted over slightly and condensation fogged up the glass but they pressed their noses against the window and studied they distant figure, swathed in a fur mantle and boots.
"Why is she dressed like a man?" Dis asked snootily, cocking her arched eyebrow at Thorin dubiously.
"Don't look at me like that! She just prefers it when the weather is cold. But don't say anything, do you understand me? Be nice," he warned, turning to his sister and looking down sternly at her. "I am serious here Dis, do not worry her or make her anxious about her appearance, or mention father, or the Mask Ball and above all don't bring up the Arkenstone. Are we clear?"
"I am not Dwalin damn it! Relax. I will be charming as always," Dis made to open the door but Thorin pushed in front of her.
"That is what I am afraid of," Thorin said under his breath and swung open the door. "Lif, come inside, I have a surprise for you!" He called to her, his breath escaping from his lungs a cloud of smoke as the cold air hit his skin. Lif looked round and beamed at him. It seemed an age since she had seen him last but in reality it had only been yesterday, though in the winter mouths the ravens grew restive and were confined to the mountain because of the arctic winds blasting the icy peak. Collecting her aisle and mentally noting to burn her terrible painting, she carefully walked back to her chamber with Roäc still perched on her shoulder.
Stepping in the warmth and closing the door behind her, she carefully set Roäc down on the table and shrugged off her mantle, hanging on one of the hooks she'd fixed to the side of the door. Thorin stepped close to her and she caught his cheeks in her hands, laughing as he hissed at their coldness.
"You are freezing. Lif you will catch a cold in this weather if you are not careful, what would I do if you got ill!" Thorin warned, capturing her fingers and blowing warm air on them.
"Aye, but I have you to warm me up My Love," she smirked suggestively and pulled him by his braids into a deep kiss. Thorin growled and kissed her back, wrapping her cold body against his, until someone cleared their throat: Lif froze as still as a statue. Thorin chuckled in frustration and stepped reluctantly away, presenting Dis with a dramatic sweep of his hand.
"Lifrasir, may I present my younger sister Dis," he said in a business like tone, enjoying how both women's faces were a mixture of shock and awe. Suddenly Lif wheeled on him and elbowed him sharply in the ribs.
"You didn't say you were bringing your sister! I'm wearing your trousers for Aüle sake! Could you not have warned me?!" Lif peevishly, trying to flatten her messy hair. "Is he always this forgetful? I would have made something special if had known you were coming ," Lif turned to Dis, who snorted with laughter.
" Oh! You should have seen him when he was a Dwarrow! There was this one time when..."Dis exclaimed, immediately warming to Lif's outlandish behaviour. Thorin cringed inwardly as he imagined all the embarrassing Dwarrow stories that were about to come out, but luckily that was when Dwalin fell through the main door with only one shoe on and his cloak tangled around his head.
"Lif, why do you insist on having no boots on in the house?! Dwarves are bloody supposed to be mucky and that is how we'll stay!" Dwalin growled and sprang to his feet, attacking the tangled cape round his head. Thorin and Lif howled with laughter and Dis giggled prettily, blushing gentle pink under her golden hair. The blood drained from Dwalin's face when he saw Dis, his mouth gaped like a fish gasping for air and his hand groped for something to hold himself up with.
"My lady Dis, my apologies I...I..." He was half bowed half bent, looking painfully like he'd got gas, as he stumbled over his words.
"Hot cider anyone?" Lif exclaimed loudly, clapping her hands together as the party shouted merrily in agreement, or cawed in Roäc's case.
"Shall I ring for your maid?" Dis offered brightly, looking around the kitchen area for a bell or a pull. Lif snorted with mirth and looped her arm around Dis' narrow waist.
"Little Sis, me and you clearly grew up on different sides of the mountain. Have you never made hot cider before?" Lif asked, her green eyes twinkling as Dis shrugged and shook her head in naive innocents. Lif took Dis' soft hand, led her over to the oven and began instructing her in the higher arts of cider.
And so the day passed. And for Thorin, he would remember it for all time because it the day that he was truly at peace. The people he loved most were enjoying the warmth of the same hearth and the gentle sound of their own chatter. Lif pulled the sofa close to the fire and dragged blankets and pillows from the bed, arranging them on the floor. Dis was more than happy to curl up on the blankets but Dwalin protested and Bow and Dis ended up snuggled on the sofa, Thorin resting his head against Lif's knee, his eyes growing lazy in the warm heat of the dancing fire.
"Liffy, what's this?" Dis asked curiously, leaning over to the table and picking up one of the old scrolls she had requested from Thorin to bring from the main library. The scroll was almost falling apart and crumbling, matchstick like scribbles faded with age.
"It's one of the ancient legends about how the mountain was born, hasn't been read in centuries , because it's written in ancient Khuzdul but it was okay for a bit of light reading," Lif said absently, drawing circles on Thorin's neck with her fingertip.
"You can read it?" Dwalin asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes with his fist, and Thorin tilted his head back to look at her.
"Of course I can read it, why can't you?" Lif stared bewildered as the group all shook their heads. "Well that is something we shall have to remedy."
"Can you read it to us?" Dis asked hopefully, as if asking for a bed time story. Lif cleared her throat and shifted uncomfortably as her friends turned to look at her.
"I am not the best reader, it will sound dull," she assured them, feeling bad as Dis' face dropped. But still the young She-dwarf persisted.
"I am sure it won't, what if Thorin plays while you read?" Dis assured her, bouncing on the sofa lightly in excitement. Lif glanced at Thorin conspirativly; he blushed scarlet and looked away.
"You play?" Lif asked gently, leaning in to kiss the prince's brow. He didn't reply but Lif could tell from the small grin that curled his cheeks that Dis was right.
"Yes, he plays the harp excellently! I will be back before you know it!" Dis exclaimed bashing out the house without even putting on her boots. A silence fell upon them as Dis slammed the door behind her; Lif cleared her throat suddenly and spoke.
"Is anyone hungry?" Lif asked lightly, Thorin nodded and smiled, Dwalin agreed loudly. "Good me too and while I'm doing that, Thorin My Love, you can talk to Dwalin," she chuckled and moved about the kitchen.
"Talk to me about what?" Dwalin asked loudly, confusion twisting his features.
"About how you just Wuv' Dis!" Lif giggled with glee as her old friend's face turned bright red.
"Is it really that obvious?" Dwalin asked Thorin tentatively, avoiding his blue eyed stare as he looked into the fire.
"Dwalin, my friend, my sister is many things but perceptive she is not, though anyone with half a brain can see it." Thorin said gently, smiling a little as the warrior blushed deeply under his Mohawk.
"But sometimes it's too hard to find half a mind when you need one!" Lif called from the larder.
"You can say that again," Dwalin growled low and cold, growing angry with frustration, his knuckles clenched white and his nails bit into his hand. "I am jealous of you Thorin, look what you've got; not just the royal bloodline, or the ability to lead, but you've got what you couldn't have and somehow everything's worked out okay. How do you manage it?" Dwalin looked almost too desperate; his hot whiskey eyes searched Thorin's face for answers, until Lif rapped him on the back of the head with her ladle.
"Enough of that, he doesn't know, I don't know and you certainly don't know. The only thing I can tell you is that fate is a bitch and she creeps up on us sooner or later. The only choice you really have in life is whether she's cold or hot, your choice?" Lif nodded with her stern words and stood with her hands on her hips. Dwalin snapped back to his usual self and swore under his breath and Lif handed him a hot bucket of porridge to take for the raven's supper. Thorin got to his feet as his friend left and caught Lif by the waist and pulled her to him.
"I didn't know you were a philosopher?" He asked musingly, running his hands lustily down her sides. Lif grinned and moaned at his touch.
"Yes, didn't you know, my philosophising is famous," she chuckled kissing him, but before they could continue, Dis charged into the house: Thorin's harp in hand. The Prince groaned and decided to quickly escape after Dwalin, darting past his bewildered sister.
"No matter, they will get hungry soon and be back. I am making a pie, shall I show you?" Lif asked Dis, trying to coax a smile from her face that had fallen. For more than an hour Lif laboured to teach Dis how to cook, but she found that the princes was easily distracted and was actually grating on her nerves a little.
"What's this?" Dis asked loudly, picking up Lif's sword and leaving flour covered hand prints over the oiled hilt.
"Don't touch that! It is sharp and Thorin would kill me if you hurt yourself. It is my blade, Demon." Lif replied trying to keep the tension from her voice as she took the weapon off Dis.
"Will you teach me to fight?" Dis asked brilliantly, turning back to rolling out the pastry.
"If you are willing to learn,"- this seemed to quieten her for a few moments before Dis' chatter started again.
"What are you dressing as for the Durin's ball?" Dis asked lightly, watching specs of flour blow in the air.
"I am not going," Lif said simply, flattening down the pastry in the baking tin.
"Why not!" Dis gasped in genuine horror. "Is it because Thorin hasn't asked you because we can presume he just forgot!"
"No no, he asked knows I hate dressing up. He wouldn't want me there anyway," Lif smiled and wiped a smudge of flour from the young She-dwarfs cheek.
"Are you so sure about that? He would want you by his side," Dis said quietly, fixing her with an intense gaze like her brothers. Lif swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat.
"Even if he did, there isn't any way I'd be able to go and not be found out. I am exiled remember?" Lif said, beginning to ladle sweet apple and pork into the pie base.
"We shall see about that..." Dis said; just quiet enough so that Lif didn't hear.
As soon as the pie was out of the oven, Thorin and Dwalin suddenly appeared again. They eat in front of the fire and Dwalin, whose mood had improved, regaled Dis with the story of the Battle of Wood Hill. Dis listened enraptured as she heard how Lif had saved Thorin's life.
"It'll be your turn soon when we get you trained up and I'm sure that Dwalin will be more than happy to teach you?" Lif glanced at Dwalin who struggled to keep his face impassive as Dis beamed at the both of them. Thorin was unhappy about his little sister learning to fight but he didn't want to spoil the evening by voicing his views.
"Now," Dis said once they had finished eating, pushing the old scroll into Lif's hands.
"Now?" She asked in dismay.
"Now!" Dis ordered, in a similar tone to Thorin, and tossing the harp over to the prince.
"Okay but I warn you, I'm no bard! Thorin play whatever you want to drowned out my screeching," Lif assured them, sitting up straight and clearing her voice. She nodded at Thorin who began to sinfully strum his fingers over his harp strings. Lif had to take a calming breath and look away; damn she was actually jealous of a music instrument.
'"There was once a mighty stag who was king of a noble race. His herd lived in the enchanted forest and grew strong and powerful through its magical power. The deer were twice as big as any Son of man and golden blood ran through their veins. But the stag King, Skinfaxi was the biggest of the all, his antlers were jade and his coat was the deepest burnished gold. But King Skinfaxi was sad. His people grew too many and they were beginning to kill the forest. One day while walking alone, he stopped and sat under a great oak tree and sighed-"
"Why was he sad?" Dis asked suddenly, Lif jumped and Thorin twanged his strings. Dis and Dwalin sat in front of them, enraptured by every word.
"Sshh! You'll have to wait and see," Thorin said playfully, grinning at the figures on the floor, and continued his gentle music.
"-and he sighed deeply and mournfully. "What ails you my prince?" A voice spoke. Skinfaxi looked around but could see no one. "What ails you my prince?" The voice said again, this time Skinfaxi saw a huge black raven peering down at him. The raven bowed to the King and Skinfaxi bowed to the raven.
"Alas, my golden heart is heavy! My kin are growing too many but our bodies are strong like oak and can never die." The raven fluttered down of his branch and settled on the great stag's antlers.
"Aye that is poor but I have my own problems. My children have nowhere to live. The enchanted forest is no place for creatures like us." Said Huginn the Raven Queen.
"Why so?" Asked Skinfaxi.
"You are cloaked in the gold of the sun and us by the moon, we cannot hide in your light, so how may we hunt?" Replied Huginn.
"Aye a grave problem indeed," said golden Skinfaxi. When suddenly the great raven let out a caw and fluttered her great black wings.
"I can fly your oldest Kin into the sky so that they may be reborn as rain and find peace," exclaimed Huginn.
"But what do you want in return for this great gift?" Asked the golden stag.
"Find us a home as good as yours," replied the cunning raven. And so it was that every year the raven would fly the heart of the oldest stag into the sky and there they would find peace. But all those years Skinfaxi searched in vain until the year came and it was his time to fly.
"Huginn my friend, it is my time to fly but bury my body in the earth and from it will grow a mountain and my blood with run like rivers of gold and the tears of my kin like diamonds. This shall be your home for all time."
And so it was that Huginn flew Skinfaxi into the sky and his body grew into a mountain, tall and proud as it had been in life. Skinfaxi's kin did not mourn his passing for they were thankful for the raven's gift and in return gave the Raven kingdom an army of marble dwarves to pay tribute. But with Skinfaxi's magic the marble turned to flesh and the servants fed the Ravens milk and seeds for all time."'
Lif set down the scroll and watched Thorin as he finished his last note. Dwalin cradled against Dis as they both slept gently. Lif took the harp from her lover's hands and set it down, then laid her head against his chest and slept in his strong arms.
Bonjour! please review as always. I know this one was odd but Its necessary.
Just FYI, the next installment will be called- Blood at Durin's Ball. ...DUM DUM DUMMMMMMM but will not be posted until after tuesday x