Frór held fast to his mother's finger, looking up at her with wide eyes set against his tiny face curiously as he took in the sights and sounds around him. There were bright lights shinning from the torches, hanging on the walls and providing warmth as well as light. The air was cool and comforting, allowing Rose to remove his thick blanket and replace it with a thinner one to ensure he was comfortable. Off in the distance the child could hear the sound of clashing metal, not that he would know what it was. It sounded familiar to him of course, being in the training arena so many times when his mother was still pregnant. The noises and images excited him greatly. Rose found it amusing to see her little man kicking his feet in a playful dance as he laughed.
She bounced her finger up and down, cooing softly for her son while the other men in the family continued their lesson. Every now and then Thorin would look over his shoulder to see what the two were doing next, then back to his nephews with a small grin on his face. Kili had slowly gained the upper hand, eventually robbing Fili of his weapon and casting it aside before making his final blow (which of course only amounted to a small push with his sword- Thorin would never allow the two to actually maim one another). Fili panted breathlessly as he stood wiping the dust from his trousers.
"Excellent attack, Kili." Thorin rarely ever complimented the two, feeling that this would only cause them to lose focus and become more reckless, but would allow one or two on occasion. Kili straightened, knowing it would be one of the last times he would hear such words that day, and nodded his head appreciatively.
"Thank you, Uncle."
As Thorin proceeded to tell Fili where he had gone wrong, Rose couldn't help but smile to herself. Looking down at the small infant in her arms, she knew that one day it would be his turn to be trained by Thorin, and even Fili and Kili when they could spare a moment. He would grow to become just as they were, training in the large arena and testing his skills with blades and axes. But for now, he would have to be content with sitting on the side lines watching with his mother- and Rose had her mind set on enjoying every moment she had of it.
She gently stroked his cheek and made a funny face, causing the child to laugh and kick his feet cheerfully. It was strange to her how so much had changed in the time since she last saw the Iron Hills. Strange to think that here she was, cradling the child she bore to a husband Rose had never met until after their engagement, watching as he dueled with their nephews, now realizing she was happier now than she ever was at her old home. It hardly seemed real to her. She lifted her gaze just as Thorin gave the order to put away their weapons and start heading to the dinning hall.
Before standing to meet them at the entrance, Rose paused as her memory flashed back to the first time she had came across the arena, being led by Fili and Kili who pulled at her wrists eagerly.
She looked down at her son, and as if being thrust into a dream, Rose seemed to be carried off in a vision of her son's future. She could see him grown and clad in armor, holding tight to his shield and sword defensively against an unseen rival. Frór stood tall for a dwarf, just as his father, and the pride and excitement radiating from him practically touched Rose even then. She could see herself, now aged with time, sitting at a bench watching intently as her son sparred and trained. Looking further into the vision, she saw who it was training Frór. His long dark hair was streaked with grey, and though he had much changed since his son was born he still fought well for one of that age.
"Keep low to the ground before you strike."
Thorin lept aside before Frór's blade could hit him, his smirk almost taunting the boy. They continued on until both were spent, and Rose took it to be her queue. She cantered forward and met her husband halfway, greeting one another with a kiss as they always have over the long years. Off in the background, Frór made a disgusted tone and complained about their public displays of affection. Laughing heartily, Thorin took his son's head under his arm and began ruffling his thick hair, assuring him that someday he wouldn't be so opposed to the action. She waited for him to release her son before Rose fixed the tangled knots and planted a kiss on the young boy's forehead (much to Frór's feigned displeasure).
A voice drew her from the vision and back into the present.
"Rose?"
Thorin stood in the arena, gazing up at her curiously. She hadn't moved from her seat, which was unusual- normally she would bolt for the entrance to the training grounds right away and wait for him. Rose blinked and gave her husband a reassuring smile before turning to leave. He met her at the doorway, lifting her in his arms with Frór and kissing them both.
"Is everything alright, Aunt Prim?" Kili asked. Thorin was not the only one who had noticed her odd behavior earlier. Fili stood by his brother's side and looked at his aunt expectantly. Thorin wrapped his arm securely around her waist while she cradled the baby in her arms as the group made their way to the dinning hall to start the new day before them.
"Yes," Rose said with a sentimental gleam in her eyes. She looked to each of her nephews and at last to Thorin, exchanging a loving glance as they matched each other's pace. The joy in her heart was too great to contain, which swelled to form one solitary tear that trailed the length of her cheek. "Everything's perfect."
A/N: It was so hard having to finish this story. I became so attached with the characters that I kept imagining various scenes of them in my head that if I wrote all of it, the story would go on and on and eventually it would just be too much. Thank you for reading and sticking through till the very end. The reviews are awesome and inspired me to keep going even when the motivation began to fade. I'm really going to miss working on this project, but all good things must come to an end- plus this gives me the chance to find a new one. Until next time- Amanda.
