Date: TA 2941
Thorin: 195 years old
Lina: 192 years old
Lina rolled over, her arm reaching for Thorin. Nothing. Panic stabbed through her. He had not said anything about getting up before her. Then she remembered. Thorin was gone. He'd already left for Erebor. Shaking her head at her own forgetfulness, Lina stepped out of bed.
As she dressed, Lina thought over the dream she'd had that night. Her husband's voice still echoed through her mind, sending chills through her whenever she thought about it. The other voices must have belonged to the rest of his companions as she'd briefly recognized Dwalin's voice in the song. Obviously they'd all managed to meet up. How had the meeting with the prospective burglar gone?
Pausing in the middle of one braid, Lina suddenly realized the dwarves, even if they could get to Erebor, had no way into the mountain. The gates had been shut, only able to be opened from within. There was likely a back door as the dwarves rarely built anything without a backdoor. Those, however, were near impossible to find if one did not know exactly when and where to look. Lina made a mental note to ask Gandalf that very question when she met up with the company in the Trollshaws.
Lina's musings were interrupted by a knock on the door. Quickly tying off her braid, Lina answered. One of her pages entered the room.
"The Dwarf Kitta wishes to speak with you, My Lady," he told Lina solemnly.
"Show her in," Lina answered, rising from her chair. The page bowed. A moment later Kitta entered the room. She seemed nervous, uncertain as to how she was to greet Lina. As Thorin's wife, Lina was the highest ranking female in the city. However, as her marriage to Thorin was technically not recognized by dwarven tradition, Lina was still a commoner.
"Have a seat, Kitta," Lina told her, gesturing to one of the chairs before the great fireplace. The female did so, tugging nervously at her skirt and blouse as she perched on the edge.
"What's on your mind?" Lina asked. She leaned back casually in her chair, taking a moment to examine the younger female. Kitta had never been truly comfortable around Lina, most of the younger females no longer were. The days of "Lina's army" had ended long ago with the coming of the proper dwarven matrons. Now she had come to Lina's chambers, requesting an audience with the one female who frightened her more than anything else in the world. Kitta sat quietly before her, her hazel eyes underscored by dark pouches. Last night had not been restful for her. Lina was willing her sleeplessness had something to do with Fili.
"Can I come with you?" she blurted finally. Her trembling hands had tightened into fists around handfuls of her skirt as she tried to still them.
"Excuse me?" Lina's brow furrowed at the younger dwarf's sudden request. She sat forward, encouraging Kitta to explain.
"You and I are completely different," Kitta began, "and my mother has not always said the nicest things about you."
At that Lina gave a snort of dry laughter. Kitta's words were something of an understatement. Her mother was one of Lina's biggest critics. When she had first been introduced to Lina by Thorin, the old cow had been utterly unable to contain her harsh words about Lina's childless status. Both Lina and Thorin had been so shocked that she would dare fling such terrible words in Lina's face upon the first meeting that neither had been able to respond for several long minutes, giving her time to sweep off into the city. Her husband had hastily apologized for his wife's behavior, but that had set the tone for every interaction Lina had with her since.
"However," Kitta continued, ignoring Lina's reaction, "I realized something last night. I love Fili. If you are to follow Lord Oakenshield to reclaim Erebor, then I would ask you allow me to follow Fili. I will do whatever you ask of me. Only let me go with you."
Lina's eyebrows rose in surprise. She had not expected such a bold request from a normally very quiet and shy dwarf.
"Can you fight?"
"Well, no."
"Have you ever been outside the city?"
"No."
"Would you be able to survive on your own if you somehow were separated from the group?"
"Probably not." Kitta's shoulders dropped lower with each answer.
"Kitta, while I know you have a strong desire to go, and that you would do your absolute best to be helpful, I don't think your presence would be wise," Lina told her gently. "You would be travelling with a group of battle-tested warriors. You are a born and bred lady of refinement. Even if you were able to pick up on our lifestyle, you would become a danger, not only to yourself, but to everyone else the moment we are attacked. Imagine what would happen if, while we were meeting with Fili and the other dwarves, we were attacked. You cannot fight. You have no skill in any weapon as you have admitted readily enough. You would put everyone in danger, Fili especially. He would try to defend you at any cost. Do you understand?"
"I'm not a fool," Kitta answered softly. She rose from the chair.
"I am sorry to have wasted your time, Lady Firehammer." The younger dwarf started to leave.
"Kitta, wait." Lina rose and opened the door. She had her page send for one of her band of dwarves. He darted off down the hallway.
A few minutes later another dwarf appeared at Lina's door.
"You sent for me, Lady Firehammer?"
"Yes, come in." The dwarf Lina had sent for was in charge of her messenger bird. The birds had been trained to find Lina in any circumstance, including the midst of battle. They knew half a dozen other locations including Belegost, the Iron Hills, and Kira's fortress.
"I need a pair of birds set aside for Kitta," Lina told him, gesturing to the female beside her.
"I have a pair that will do nicely. Shall I fetch them?"
"Yes, please do." The dwarf hurried off.
"What am I to do with birds?" Kitta asked curiously.
"You understand that, for the safety of my warriors, I cannot allow you to travel with us. However, I will do my best to give you whatever news and messages I have from Fili. The birds you will have can locate me at any time. All you need do if you wish to contact Fili is to send two notes. The one shall be for Fili and you may seal it however you choose. The one wrapped around it will let me know that the enclosed note is for Fili. If I can, I will deliver those notes whenever I see him," Lina explained. She noticed the immediate affect her words had upon Kitta.
"You would not be with him, but you would be able to have some communication with him. Would this satisfy you?"
"Yes! Oh, yes! Thank you, Lady Firehammer," Kitta gasped. Her eyes had brightened considerably.
The dwarf returned quickly with a basket containing two birds. He gave Kitta strict instructions on caring for the birds before he would allow her to take them. Lina had no doubt that Kitta would follow his instructions to the letter. The female was highly intelligent and she wanted to have contact once more with Fili. With a happy curtsy, Kitta took herself and the birds off.
"Have the assassin sibs arrived?" Lina asked her bird handler once the other female had left.
"They have, My Lady," he replied. "We are ready to move whenever you are."
"Excellent, I will be down in less than a candlemark," she informed him. He nodded sharply and went to inform the others.
Lina sighed as she shut the door behind the retreating dwarf. One way or another, Lina doubted she or Thorin would ever sleep in this room again. If the quest succeeded, the dwarves would reside in Erebor. If it failed . . . it was not likely that either of them would return alive in that instance.
After looking once more around the room, Lina put out her candles and moved to join her warriors. Everything that was important to her was either packed or being worn.
The clear stone ring Thorin had given her still rested upon her finger as it had every day since he'd given it to her. It was the only piece of jewelry Lina wore beyond the marks of rank and freedom she wore. Thorin had told her later that he hadn't actually asked anyone to make it for her. He'd made it himself. That simple revelation made the ring even more precious to Lina. The very thought of Thorin making jewelry was rather absurd when one considered that he'd worked in a forge making weapons and sharpening scythes. Imagining Thorin trying to carve the stone into a ring was endearing to Lina as she knew just how difficult such a task was.
Her fingers left off playing with the ring as she greeted her warriors. The band was small, numbering only twenty including Lina. There were the assassin sibs, the earth mage, a full healer, the bird (and beast) handler, the six berserkers, one other line breaker, and seven heavy skirmishers wielding a variety of different weapons. All had agreed to help Lina in any way they could, and the moment their contracts with the army of Belegost had ended, they'd formed a new group under her command.
At her command, the group mounted the ponies they'd obtained on a trading caravan a year or two back. They were already a full day's journey behind Thorin's company. They would need to make quick time to catch up. Lina noticed Kitta standing to one side of the city gates. The two females made eye contact, Lina giving a small salute as she rode past. With that, the dwarves left Belegost behind.