Another Reunion, or Two.
Why did Thorin, King Under the Mountain, have to summon her? If she never returned to Erebor, it wouldn't matter. Loosing Frerin meant that nothing mattered anymore. 146 years since his death, since her father's death, since her brother's death. 146 years since Azanulbizar.
Why couldn't she let go? They were children, Frerin was 48 and she was a year younger. But the pain was still there. Every day.
And now his brother was summoning her to Erebor. She'd ignored every letter that Dís had sent every month, for the last four years, the first arriving within a week of Erebor being Reclaimed. But a Royal Summons was not to be ignored. It was just so painful to think of them, safe in the Mountain, without their blonde brother. Her khi-amrâl.
She only looked up at the Mountain when she reached the Gates and Dwalin blocked her path.
"Larzi. About time ye got here. They've been running around like headless chooks since Braga sent word ya'd left Laketown. Here 'old this." The Guard shoved a wriggling bundle into her arms.
She automatically closed her arms around the bundle, before looking down at what she now held, she jerked in reaction, she held a babe. A very small babe, it couldn't be more than a few hours old, surely.
"Dwalin? Who's babe is it? Why do you have it? Why give it to me?" She was a bit rattled.
"Tha's young Belrís, Thorin youngest girl, she's about two weeks old now and 'er brother, Thrórlin's got a touch of colic, so I volunteered to have 'er for the day. Bilbo and Thorin t'were both knackered, what wit' the older t'ree up and running now, so? I took 'er so they could sleep." Dwalin rumbled.
"But why give her to-? Did you say two weeksold? No, she can't be more than a few hours old."
"Nah. Two weeks and two days, about. And I handed 'er to ye, cause it's hard to look at 'er and pay attention to where I walk." He grunted. "Now, come on. There's things here tha ye should see. If ya'd read Dís' letters, it would'na come as a shock, but ye be a stubborn lass. Ya missed a lot, Thorin's got five 'o these now, the Triple Terrors are comin' up on two, soon and now? this lil darlin' and 'er brother." Dwalin put a hand on her shoulder and steered her around corners, up stairs and through doors, stopping beside a padded stone bench, he took the babe and told her to sit.
"What did you mean? When you said 'things I should see'?"
"Well, lass. Before we got 'ere we stopped for a few days wit' the biggest man ye'd ever see, only Beorn weren't a man, he's a shape-shifter, see? While we was there, the elf queen, Lady Galadriel told Tharkûn, that he and Elrond and the other wizards needed to go to Dol Guldur with her and deal with some sorcerer there, I never got the straight of it an' I don' wanna, no' now. So they left and went south. We kept on and got here, we got ready to fight the rukhs and t' goblins. And the night afore they was gonna get 'ere, Thorin gets hisself a message from Galadriel, she and the ûdâr 'ad found dwarrow 'eld as prisoners in the ruins of t' old fortress."
"Prisoners?" she put her hand to her chest in shock.
"Aye, lass. Galadriel said she and her people would bring t' able-bodied by 'orseback and t' rest would come by wagon. She got 'ere t' day after the battle and right glad we was t' see 'er and 'er elf healers, we 'ad injured tha' Óin and t' Twins were strugglin' to treat, by then the t'ree of 'em 'ad been working t' infirmary for over 30 hours. T'ey could barely stand." He gently bounced the babe in his arms and stroked a finger down her tiny face. "T' dwarrow she brought? We knew 'em, or some of 'em anyways. Every battle we fought against the rukhs, the mongrels took some o' our injured as prisoners, as toys to play with, to torture. Most of 'em were taken at Azanulbizar, but by t' time Galadriel finds 'em, t'ere's only 47 dat lived to se Erebor agin. 47. 47 of our people came 'ome, Larzi." He lifted the child and held her close to his face, tickling her with his beard. "Not everyone we mourned is dead."
"What do you mean?" Hope burst in being in her heart, she tried desperately to push it down.
"For the first time since Náin Split-Beard, we've a nearly full Court." Dwalin was trying to be subtle, but it wasn't his strongest weapon.
"A full Court? I don't understand. What's that mean?"
"A nearly full Court. King and Consort, two Heirs, a Uzbad-zai'adkhut, a Uzbad-naná, a Uzbad-nadad and five Uzbad-dashshat and Uzbad-nuthâ. The only thing we've not got is the Queen-at-Rest."
Only one phrase jumped out at Larzi.
"A Uzbad-nadad? But I thought Thorin only had one brother?" It couldn't be.
"Aye, lass."
"But that would mean…?" It couldn't be. Could it?
"Aye. Frerin's alive." It could. "And tha's not all."
"What?"
"Lorzin's alive, too."
"My brother's alive?"
"Aye, lass."
"If my brother's alive, why didn't he write to me, himself?" she snarled.
"Two reasons." A long unheard, but not forgotten voice came from behind her. "Firstly, I knew you wouldn't believe it and secondly? It's a bit hard to write without fingers, my little zomor."
She stood and turned, Lorzin looked much the same as the last time she'd seen him, a little skinnier and greyer, perhaps, but he still looked the reckless idiot their father lamented would never grow up. Larzi walked over to him and drawing her arm back, punched him in the gut with all her strength. He doubled over gasping, while Dwalin laughed. When he finally straightened, Larzi reached up and gently pulling him down, tapping her head to his.
"You lulkhe. Of course I wouldn't have believed, but… I would have come sooner just to make sure it wasn't true." She growled.
"Larzi?" Her brother's voice got quiet and serious.
"Lorzin?"
"Frerin? Is he still important to you?"
"How can you ask that? You would dare?" she snarled viciously.
"Easy, lass. He's no idea what ye life 'as been like." Dwalin stepped between the siblings, still holding Belrís.
"Larzi, please. There is a reason I ask. Please." Lorzin offered.
"I fail to see your reason, nadad. But yes, Frerin is still important to me." She said.
"Tell 'im the rest, lass. He needs to know." Dwalin urged.
Larzi took a few deep breaths, gathering her courage.
"When Thorin brought Amad our father's sword, she took to her bed, when he gave me Frerin's sword and bow, I collapsed. Amad Faded, she lasted only a few weeks. I nearly Faded, too, but Leztra needed me and so I had to keep going, she was the only thing that kept me going at all. I never wed, never accepted a Courtship, I wear mourning braids and Frerin's Beads. I became as if Craft-Wed. I worked hard to provide for our baby sister, to see she was fed, clothed and educated. She grew into a beautiful dwarrowdam and a talented silversmith, she trained under the same master as Víli, Dís' husband. He was good but she's exceptional. Then Jédrin asked permission to Court her, he gave a share of the business he'd built as the Family Gift, so that I'd not struggle to support myself when Leztra moved out. They're in this caravan, too, nadad. Our baby sister is grown up and married, now."
Lorzin swayed in shock, reaching out a hand to prop himself up on with the doorframe.
"Easy, lad, easy." Dwalin quickly pushed the babe into Larzi's arms and grabbed her brother, easing him down onto the bench.
For the first time Larzi looked at the space they were in. It was a huge sheltered garden, lush with growth, a sapling tree stood behind a series of stone benches, a glass-house off to one side. Fruit trees were espaliered across the back wall, giving the impression of a living wall, garden beds were spaced out, leaving a grassed area all around the sapling and it's benches. There were stone planter-pots dotted here and there, filled with sweet smelling flowers and herbs. A small section in the middle of the space was obviously for a memorial garden or shrine, each plant there had an engraved plaque, with a vase of flowers, in front of it.
Larzi brought her attention away from the garden and back to her brother, he was regaining his colour. He looked at Dwalin.
"You didn't think to tell me about Leztra?" he said hoarsely.
"Ah. Kinda forgot she was ya sister, truth be told." Dwalin grimaced.
"Oh, lay off Lorz', Dwalin wouldn't do that on purpose. You know that."
"Aye, I suppose…. Oh, did you ever finish the underlay on that quiver you were making as a Courting Gift for Frerin?" Lorzin asked.
"I did."
"Did you keep it? Or did you get rid of it?"
"Lorzin. You should know better than that. I kept it of course. I even kept the three mantles I'd made as a Family Gift. I figured that if Frerin wasn't smart enough to Court me, I'd Court him."
"Did ye bring them with ye?" Dwalin asked.
"I did, they're in a trunk in Leztra and Jédrin's wagon. Why?"
"Larzi, Frerin has offered a Family Gift and I have accepted it. He gave our family rooms in the Royal Wing and with Thorin's approval has formed a guild to help the elderly and those permanently injured, so that their families won't suffer or struggle anymore. He named me a patron and has employed people, men, hobbits, dwarrow and even a few elves, their tasks are to visit, chat with and provide assistance as needed to those that are unable to support or care for themselves. It was watching me learn to eat and dress myself without all my fingers, that prompted him." He held up a hand, he wore a glove-like thing, it was a strange contraption made of wood and steel. "This lets me hold a mug, a knife, a fork or a spoon, I can, on a good day, manage buttons and buckles, on a bad day I wear clothes that have no buttons, buckles or clasps. Hair is the hardest to manage, I can't braid anymore, but thanks to these things, I can at least pull it off my face and fix a clasp in it, not the same, but… Independence is a good thing. So many don't have that, so many were more severely injured than I was."
Larzi looked pleadingly at her brother.
"Frerin?"
"No, Larz. They broke his arm and his leg, many times. Neither healed well and when we got here, Elrond of Rivendell was forced to re-break the bones to reset them. He walks with a limp and probably always will, but he walks, runs and jumps. His arm healed well and while he can't swing a hammer all day, he can still manage an hour or two and he can still use his bow just as well as ever."
"Larzi?" Dwalin interrupted. "Wouldn't ye rather see Frerin than talk to ye ham-fisted brother?"
Larzi handed Dwalin back the now sleeping child and nodded.
"Yes, I would. Definitely. You can take Lorz, here, and introduce him to his brother-in-law." She grinned wickedly. Jédrin looked like a walking haystack, but spoke much like a scribe, he'd started studying to be a scribe until Azanulbizar changed the lives of so many, after that he became a wheel-wright and he was a damned good one. He made carts, for hand use, for ponies to pull and even some for horses.
"Tell ye what? Lorzin and me'll show ya to ya rooms and I'll have ya trunks brought up straight away, then ya can dig out ya Gifts. I'll send me husband, Ori or one o' his brothers, prob'ly Nori, 'e's always got time on 'is hands, to take ya to Thorin's Personal Assembly Chamber, tha's where the Company meet in t' evenin's. Frerin's like to be there waitin', and knowing 'im, prob'ly, ver' impatiently." All three laughed.
"Quite likely." Lorzin said as the three began to make their way back inside. They'd not gone far when Thorin appeared and without a word, reached for the babe in Dwalin's arms.
"She's fine, Thorin. Slept like an angel, she did." The guard said gently placing her in her father's arms.
"Thank Mahal for that, Thrórlin's finally settled too, he, Bilbo, Rûkhuz and the Terrors are sleeping in a pile in the middle of the nursery floor, the Terrors pulled all the rugs, blankets, quilts and pillows into a pile and now the six of them are out to it. I plan on taking this little miss and…. joining them." The king rumbled, the babe stirring and nuzzling closer to her father.
"You do that… Your Majesty." Dwalin mocked.
Thorin wrapped one arm securely around his daughter and swatted Dwalin with the other, before turning and disappearing through a plain door.
The other three wandered down an adjacent corridor, as they walked a group of dwarrow coming the other way rounded a corner, pulling a trolley upon which Larzi spied her trunks.
"Hey, lads. This room 'ere."
Dwalin indicated a door with a rose vine carved into the door. He opened the door and the dwarrow manhandled the bulk of the trunks into the sitting room, when the trunk containing the Courting Gifts she'd made for Frerin all those years ago was put down, she opened the trunk and pulled out the boxes, one held the three glorious mantles she'd made for Thrór, Thráin and Thorin and the smaller box with the quiver she'd made and meticulously engraved.
She held the two parcels in her trembling hands. Her life had changed so dramatically in such a short time that she wondered if she was dreaming, so many times, she'd dreamed that somehow Frerin had been found alive, waking up had meant facing his loss all over again.
Neither, Dwalin, Lorzin or Larzi spoke as they headed for the King's Audience Chamber. At last Dwalin stopped outside an ornate set of double doors.
"This is it." He said to Larzi, before addressing the guards standing one on each side of the door. "This is Lady Larzi, I speak with the King's authority when I say she has the right to enter the Royal Quarters at any time." Both the guards stood at attention.
"Yes, Master Dwalin." They said simultaneously, one then stepped forward and bowing to Larzi.
"Lady Larzi, welcome to Erebor. Prince Frerin is inside and we've sent for tea for two, my Lady." He said.
"Well, lass, we'll leave you to it." Dwalin nearly pulled Lorzin along with him as he walked down the corridor and around a corner.
"Ready, my Lady?" the guard asked, with his hand ready to open the door for her.
"No. Not nearly."
"How can we help?" the other guard inquired.
"I… I… Can? Does it have to be… formal? Can you just open the door and I slip in?" she asked.
"We can do this any way you want, my lady. If you wanted a formal entrance, then that's what we'd do, but a quiet entrance is just as easy."
"Oh, yes, please. If I can slip in, then maybe it won't be so stressful." Larzi whispered. The guard didn't answer, but he did very quietly open the door, just wide enough for the dwarrowdam to slip through.
As she entered the room, she saw a blonde dwarf, sitting on an ottoman in front of the fire, his head in his hands. She watched as he sighed and climbed to his feet, he rested his hand on the edge of the mantle-place, his head still down.
She didn't know how to alert him to her presence without startling him. Finally she tapped her boot on the tiled floor. The dwarf straightened, his shoulders tightened, but he didn't turn.
"Frerin?" She asked, still half believing it was a false hope.
The dwarf spun around, his eyes wide. He looked as nervous as she felt.
"Larz?"
The two just stood and looked at each other for a few minutes. In the end, Larzi stepped forward, Frerin matched her, step for step. When they stood within arms reach, Frerin grinned and bounced on his toes, his hands reaching out to touch her face. He wiped away a tear at the corner of her eye.
"Don't cry, Larz, please." He begged. "If you start, so will I and that's not how I want this to be. I want this to be a happy day."
"I'm happy. I'm happy." She chanted.
She dropped the two boxes on the chair beside them and leant forward to touch her forehead to the prince's.
"Oh, I have missed you, Amrâl, so much." She sighed.
"I'm here now. We can finally make that start we wanted."
"Yes, yes, we can." She agreed with that.
"I have Gifts for you." Frerin went over to the desk in the corner, he brought back an open box. As he neared she saw what was inside it.
A set of beautifully wrought engraving tools, all different shapes and sizes, perfect for a Master Metal Engraver to create magic with. She knew without a doubt that he'd made them.
"Oh, Frerin. They're beautiful."
"My arm limited me, so Thorin was my hammer most days." He warned.
"I don't care, they're still beautiful."
"Will you accept them? Will you accept me? Will you let me Court you?" he asked.
"I will. I have a Gift for you, too." She turned to the chair and paused. "Actually if I'm being honest, I have a Gift for you and also a gift that Mother and I made as a Family Gift. I'm not sure what to do with it now."
"Will you show me? Maybe I can help."
Larzi didn't respond with words, but she reached for the larger of the two boxes and lifting the lid, she held a magnificent cloak mantle up for Frerin to see. The mantle was black, glossy black and it was covered in black raven feathers, each feather's blue-black sheen catching the light.
"Whoa, that's stunning, Larz, stunning. And you made this as a Family Gift?"
"Mother and I made three of them, we intended one for Thrór, one for Thráin and one for Thorin, but now…? I don't know what to do with them." She sighed.
"I do. Give one to Thorin and one each to Fíli and Kíli. They're his Heirs and the lads are closer than even Thorin and I were. These would be perfect on them." Frerin assured her.
"Then they can have them. This is for you, though." She laid the mantle down and picked up the smaller box, holding it so Frerin could see inside and the prince reverently reached in and lifted out the quiver. It was made from two layers of leather with a thin sheet of steel between the leather, this enabled her to cut away the outer layer of leather and engrave the metal underneath, giving a three dimensional look to the hunting scenes running around the quiver, climbing in a spiral to blend into the elegant filigreed edging. The metal had been treated and blue and purple tints gave depth to the images, the leather engraving showing a delicate hand, while the metal work showed strength and precision.
"Will you accept this token of Courtship?" Larzi asked formally.
"Yes." Frerin was nearly speechless at the work involved, he knew Kíli would be jealous, but too bad, this was his, made by his intended for him.
Think of Kíli and the demon-child appeared. A smaller door off to one side creaked open and two heads, one dark and one blonde, peeked around the frame. The two spoke to each other like there was no one else in the room.
"How do you think that went?" The darker one asked.
"Who knows, nadad? I mean, Frerin looks happy enough and she's still here, so there's a good chance she agreed." The blonde replied.
"Should we ask them?"
"Might as well."
The two stood and entered the room.
"Fíli" The blonde said. Larzi caught her breath, he was the spit image of Frerin.
"And Kíli" Added the brunet, this one was Thorin all over.
"At your service." They said in unison, bowing.
"Well, Irak'Adad? Lady Larzi?" Fíli asked.
"What's the verdict?" followed by Kíli's question.
"Yes, lads, you get another Aunt, but I'm still not convinced that Bilbo is happy about you calling him Auntie." The lads cheered and bounced over to offer their congratulations.
Larzi was hugged by each lad and touched foreheads with them, before remembering the mantles. Just as she was about to reach for them the small door opened again.
"Unca F'erin, Unca F'erin." A tiny dwarfling waddled out, followed by an even tinier, more delicate child and a small sandy haired hobbit. He carried yet another tiny child, the king at his side, his arms full of babes. Kíli rushed over and gently relieved Thorin of one bundle.
"Careful, Kíli, she's just been fed." The hobbit warned.
"Yes, Auntie Bilbo."
"Larzi? You remember Thorin, of course? And this is Bilbo Baggins, Bilbo is Thorin's husband and carrier of these five. Here we have, Brelór." Frerin picked up the dwarfling and tickled him for a moment, he handed the child to Fíli, and picked up the smaller child. "And this little one is Farís. Bilbo's holding Sâl, Thorin's got Thrórlin and Kíli's greedy and got Belrís. Brelór, Farís and Sâl are often call the Triple Terrors. Tharkûn's coming for their second birthday in a month and a half, Bilbo's asked him show of his whiz-poppers. Whatever that means."
"You'll see, just you wait."
Brelór squirmed to get down and Fíli quickly lowered him to the floor and stole Farís from his uncle, cuddling her close and tickling her face with his moustache braids.
Bilbo gently lowered Sâl to the floor and took Thrórlin from his husband. Before anyone could say anything else, Larzi gathered up a mantle and offered it to Thorin. He lifted it to shoulder height and studied it.
"This is remarkable work, Larzi. Frerin will look good in this."
"No, Thorin, not Frerin. I wasn't sure that Frerin would ever Court me, but I wanted to be ready, while you all went to Azanulbizar, mother and I worked on them, I figured, if Frerin didn't Court me, I would Court him, but… that's not how things worked out. Mother and I made these as a Family Gift, there's three of them. We planned one for Thrór, one for Thráin and one for you. Frerin suggested that I offer them to you, Fíli and Kíli. Would you like it?" The dwarrowdam said.
"Larzi, if Frerin hadn't already given a Gift to Lorzin as Family Gift, I would be delighted to grant you permission to Court my brother, but as he has? I will happily accept this as a gift from my sister-in-law-to-be." The king replied.
Fíli lowered Farís to the floor to join her siblings and the dwarf prince scooped up another mantle to drape over his shoulders.
"Aunt Larzi, this is lovely. Thank you so much." He beamed.
Kíli handed Belrís to Frerin and was admiring the mantle he'd laid over the back of a chair and was stroking it gently.
"I can see Sabâs, Markhel, Marilla and Rûkhuz sneaking around the raven rookery hunting feathers to get their own feathered harnesses."
"Oh, Mahal, don't encourage them." Thorin groaned.
Bilbo sidled up to Larzi and gently plopped his son into her arms.
"Welcome to the madness that is the royal family of Erebor, my dear. Tell me, what are you like in the kitchen?" The King's hobbit husband asked.
Sindarin = (S) Quenya = (Q) Khuzdul = (K) Dragonspeak = (D)
Please note that Dragonspeak is completely from my imagination. Any similarity to another language is purely accidental.
khi-amrâl = one love (K)
Rukhs = Orcs (K)
Ûdâr = wizards (K) plural
Uzbad zai'adkhut = king at rest (K) Thráin
Uzbad-naná = king-sister (K) dis
Uzbad-nadad = king-brother (K) Frerin
Uzbad-dashshat = princes (K) Fíli & Kíli
Uzbad-nuthâ = princesses (K) Brelór, Farís , Sâl, Belrís & Thrórlin
Zomor = owl (K)
Lulkhe = idiot (K)