Disclaimer: I own nothing

Series: To Learn To Understand

Shell

Chapter 2

Summary: The day the orcs attack will forever be remembered as the darkest day in Dwarven history since the Taking of Erebor by the dragon Smaug.

Dad you taught me the love of a father. In your arms I was always safe. You taught me selflessness. To you I am forever grateful. I love you dad.

Nishan Panwar

Nineteen floors above, near the heart of a mountain, stood a young dwarfing overlooking the city of Orcs bellow.

"What are your thoughts, Balacıq?" Blodog asks as he keeps his hand firmly on the young one's waist to make sure the child did not take a dive over the railing. Or lack there off. It was one of the few things about his home that Blodog had always found distasteful. Had the dwarves who built these Halls not think of their children?

"You are very scary," Fili says after a moment, squinting into the firelight to make out the movement of Orcs. They reminded him of the ants that would crawl out of their holes after he smashed them before mother told him not to. It is not kind to steal homes from other creatures. "And you made Uncle Thorin sad."

Blodog did not know how to respond.

"But you're not that different." Fili continues. He points at the city bellow, "I think of Uncle could see you all like this, he wouldn't be so sad anymore." Fili turns to look at Blodog with a look of utmost seriousness and says, "And then he'll come home."

Blodog's thoughts turned to his Qardaş and his daily trips to the dungeons bellow, and, how with each trip, he returned sadder and angrier; his moods wild; his tears common.

"Günahından keçmək mən," he would beg, "Günahından keçmək mən,"

"I hope so, Balacıq," Blodog smiles. He truly does.

...

Azog takes great care when placing his Könül on the bed as his thoughts ran wild from what he'd just learned. Outside, the sun has only begun to set, the moon shown a blood read in the distance. Blood had been shed in mass, and for a moment Azog paused to wonder who and what and why before closing the curtains. It hasn't been his people. It isn't his concern.

Turning, Azog's steps lead him to the edge of the bed where Thorin shifts, hands twisting into the furs as his face tenses, worry line growing along his forehead and touch the corner of his eyes.

He was so terribly thin: black-matted hair, oily-yellow skin and the pale outlines of the bones of his wrists.

"Fili," Thorin mouths, over and over and over again as he wrenches the furs from his bed in thick fists, "Fili. Fili. Fili."

Unable to watch and unable to leave, Azog unwinds the fingers until they find their place around his own. Knuckles turned white. Thorin's body turns to him like a sunflower to the sun as Thorin grasps Azog's hand tight enough to draw blood from under sharp nails. Silently, Azog watches red on white trace a path down his wrist to pool on the fur's stained brown with dirt and wonders how they got there.

"Fili. Fili. Fili." Thorin chants

"I know," though he did not, "I know. I know. I know."

…

When Fili is dropped off in the Royal apartments, he is surprised to see the office where Mister Azog works is empty.

"Try his room." Mister Blodog says as he turns to leave. Probably to return to his own family. though Fili did not know if Mister Blodog had a family. It just seemed like something Mister Blodog would have.

It was easy for Mister Blodog to say for he had gone into Mister Azog's rooms plenty of times. But Fili has never gone. Certainly, he has been invited on multiple occasions and told that he could enter whenever he pleased, but Fili has never been able to get past staring at the great gold doors that lead into said rooms.

At first it is because Fili had never been into an Orc's room and found the prospect rather daunting. After all, what if all the stories were true and they did sleep on beds of bones with the heads of their enemies mounted on the wall as a frightening display of power? But after Fili goes to Blog's-who will rather annoying at the best of times was the only playmate Fili had while Uncle Thorin was away (and when would he be coming back? Uncle Thorin had promised he'd be back)-room, he knew that the stories were all dragon's drool-as his mother would say. So Fili is forced to admit-though he'd never say it out loud-that he is rather frightened of Mister Azog, who is bigger than his Uncle. Plus, Fili isn't sure if he likes Mister Azog. After all, he made his Uncle sad! Before Uncle left, he never smiled, never laughed. He used to do that all the time when they were home. Uncle promised one day they would go back home again, but Fili wasn't sure anymore. After all, how could he go home without Uncle! Plus Mister Azog hadn't seemed to like the idea when he asked even if going home would make Uncle happy again.

Glancing at the great doors, Fili debates the merits of at least looking on or waiting for Blog to come home. It is always so very boring when Blog is at lessons-though he supposed it was better than going to lessons himself. Yuck! Visiting with mountain with Mister Blodog is not boring. Fili just wonders what will happen when he no longer has anywhere to visit. After that, Mister Blodog will probably prefer to spend the days with his own son.

Fili mostly wants Blog to come back so they could finish their plans to visit Uncle Thorin. It took too much time to convince Blog to agree in the first place and Mother had always said "Patients wasn't his strong suit."

Suddenly, he could not wait any longer. He deeded to do something. And so he pushes the doors to Mister Azog's room-where were surprisingly heavy-and sees the room is uncomfortably dark.

"Fili?" Mister Azog asks as he walks out of the bathroom, arms carrying a person that looked awfully like...

"Uncle Thorin!" Fili cries, hurrying over with a grin that split his face in two.

"Hush, Fili," Mister Azog hisses, laying Uncle Thorin on the bed, body wrapped in a towel. He must have fallen asleep when bathing, "But yes. Uncle Thorin."

Fili is silent as he takes in his Uncle's appearance, even in sleep, he still looked sad. That's all he ever looks like. Ever since they came here, Uncle has been sad. Fili too. But he has learned how to be less sad when Uncle was gone. He still misses Mommy and Daddy and Uncle Frerin and Grandfather and everyone, but he is okay spending time with Blog and Mister Blodog, and sometimes Mister Azog, who is still rather scary but almost as sad as Uncle Thorin so not as scary as before.

"Will he be okay, Mister Azog?" Fili asks as he decides to lie down and sleep nest to his Uncle.

Asog felt his heart ache to see his dwarves finally together again, "Aye. I suppose he will be."

*Translations:

Günahından keçmək mən - "Forgive me"

Günahından keçmək - "Forgive

mən - me/I