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The Shire
Three fortnights later...
It was a simple white feather that broke the camel's back so to say, for it landed on Durin's nose making him sneeze and wake up rather abruptly. Rhianaye looked up from her work, which was to stuff all the feather she had taken from Uncle Bilbo's storage room in the new pillow she was trying to make for Thrárin. Durin didn't take a liking at the way his sister found to wake him up even if it was truly unwilling and he made sure to let her know immediately by grabbing his pillow and smashing it right on her face.
That made her fall off the bed with a loud thumb and all the feathers to explode up in the air and fill the whole room. Thrárin started jumping up and down as he tried to grab every feather he could. Rhianaye looked up pissed off, took one of the other pillows and send it off flying on Durin's face. That started up a rather vicious pillow fight that ended up with all of the children running on top of their beds and their couch, overturning their chairs and table and throwing down every single thing on their dresser including two lamps which broke and littered the floor with glass.
When the door flew open Lis rushed to see what all this havoc was about, but Rhianaye pushed her out of the way and run down the hallway, while Durin was yelling bloody murder behind her and Thrárin was following as best as he could while he giggled his little belly off.
Rhianaye made a U-turn at the door of her parents which was closed and then slid under Durin's open legs very skillfully before he had the chance to get her. "Run shorty!" She grabbed her little brother's hand who followed clumsily and pushed Dwalin out of the way as he was carrying his tea, making him spill some of it on his tunic.
"You spawns of hell! How about saying good morning for once like proper children!?" The huge bodyguard yelled.
"Stop her!" Durin grumbled.
"Stop her yourself." Dwalin muttered as he wiped his shirt annoyed.
Rhianaye entered the kitchens and bumped into Dis' chair making her push her water glass which spilled all over Bilbo's best linen. "Stop it you little sprites! What's gotten into you?! Slow down!" Dis admonished.
Rhianaye burrowed between Loa and the kitchen sink and drew Thrárin behind her who pushed the plate that Loa was washing with his hand and it landed at the floor. "Look what you made me do you little vandals!" Loa yelled.
Durin stepped on the table, kicked the water glass and send it crashing at the wall, a mere inch away from Loa's head. "Stop her Lis!" He commanded.
Lis tried to grab Rhianaye's waist, but slipped on the water at the floor and landed with a loud thumb. "My hip!" She spat.
Rhianaye hurried to the living room were Balin was drinking his tea quietly while Master Bilbo was working on his maps. She jumped on the empty armchair and then stepped above Balin making him spill all the hot tea upon his lap.
Balin released a howl of pain. "For the sake of heaven!"
Rhianaye made a quick turn and pointed the door to Thrárin. "Go that way shorty and stop him!"
Thrárin heard her and the moment Durin rushed in like a tempest he tripped him and made him land upon the armchair which he bumped upon Bilbo's stool. Master Baggins yelled, lost his balance and landed on the floor. Rhianaye passed above him and grabbed his desk to steady herself, but she wasn't careful enough and she caused the bottle of ink to tip over and spill down to the floor and on top of Bilbo's hair. "They are at it again! They are destroying my house! Someone stop them now!" He cried in frustration as he tried to get up. Something he failed to do as Durin pushed him down again the moment he passed.
On the way back Rhianaye and Thrárin slipped out of Dwalin's hands and made a beeline for the room of her parents. When she reached the door she threw it open and climbed on top of the bed above her father. "Help me dad! He is going to kill me!"
Thrárin climbed after her and began jumping up and down happily. "Rhianaye made a mess of Uncle Bilbo's home, she made a meeeeesssss!"
"I will kill you alright!" Durin climbed on the bed and pointed at her menacingly. "You woke me up!"
"I didn't mean to! I was making a pillow! How could I have known that feather would land on your big nose?!" Rhianaye spat.
"My nose is not big!" Durin thundered.
"Yes it is!" Rhianaye poked.
"No it isn't!" Durin rebuked.
"Yes it is!" Rhianaye insisted.
"No it isn't, yes it is, no it isn't!" Thrárin chimed in and jumped around his father's head.
Thorin squeezed his eyes tight and cursed under his breath. That was the only awakening that could send him reeling down the world of madness. He grabbed the pillow and covered his head with it, while trying to ignore the chaos around him.
"Thrárin isn't Durin's nose huge!?" Rhianaye screeched.
"I will grow into it and then I will kick your ass!" Durin snarled.
Thrárin picked up his mother's pillow and threw it on Durin's head. "Durin Longnose, Durin Longnose…." He teased happily.
"Shut up you little booger!" Durin gritted his teeth and grabbed his dad's pillow, pulling it roughly out of his hands. Then he smacked it so forcefully on Thrárin the poor kid flew in the air and landed on the floor with a loud thumb. That is where the twins froze for a moment, before the inevitable shriek of pain from Thrárin kicked Thorin's patience out of the window.
He sat up angrily. "That's enough! Next one who speaks without me addressing them gets a thrashing!"
The twins looked at each other and then at Thrárin who was weeping and cradling the back of his head in his hands.
"Where is your mother?!" Thorin thundered.
The twins put their pillows down, flustered and panting. "Mom went to get us some fish for lunch."
"Why in the name of Mahal do you always have to wake me up in this manner?! I am supposed to be getting my strength back, but hell no…Mahal's Halls will probably crumble to dust if you two ever decide to allow me to sleep peacefully and wake up on my own accord. I don't know what's keeping me from lining you three up against the wall and thrashing you till you are unable to sit down….honestly this is a torture worse than death…" Thorin mumbled furiously and got out of bed feeling his body heavy and his head already forming the traces of a headache.
"Sorry dad, but he was trying to kill me!" Rhianaye pointed at her twin.
"I wasn't going to kill you…. much." Durin spat vehemently.
"You young man are supposed to be under your sister's orders! You are still under probation!" Thorin warned and knelt down to take Thrárin in his arms.
Durin rolled his eyes and sat at the bed with his arms crossed. "That is unfair! The month is over dad!"
"Be careful I don't renew it!" Thorin spat and glared at his oldest. Then he traced Thrárin's head to see the point of impact.
Durin cowered away. "She woke me up roughly and you know how much I hate to be woken up that way."
"Me too, but none of you seems to care." –Thorin murmured under his breath and then looked at the back of Thrárin's head where a large bump begun forming- "Does it hurt?"
Thrárin sniffled. "Yeah daddy."
"You two are supposed to take care of your little brother, not beat the shit out of him! What is this nonsense now? Throwing him on the floor so roughly?!" Thorin thundered.
The twins cowered away from his anger.
Thorin was positively fuming when he picked Thrárin up and got out of the rooms with the intention of going to the kitchen for some ice, but instead he met with the ruins that his untamed kids had created before.
He passed by Dwalin who glowered at him and pointed at his stained tunic. "This was done by the heirs of hell that you spawned!" He spat.
Thorin's brow creased and he entered the kitchens where Loa and Dis were trying to pick up the broken china and dry the floor.
"What happened in here?" He frowned.
"You were asleep that is what happened!" Dis snapped angrily.
"The twins had an argument that ended up in a mess." Loa said more quietly with a cringe of regret.
"This is nothing! You should see what they did to my living room!" Bilbo made his appearance.
Thorin raised his brows at Bilbo's disheveled image and at the huge black ink stain on top of his curly hair. "For Mahal's sake…" -He murmured under his breath - "Get me some ice for Thrárin's head."
"Did they get him too?" Dis thinned her eyes.
Thorin tilted his head. "Yes..."
"He was worth it. Little devil was running after them like his butt was on fire. Look what they did to poor master Bilbo's expensive porcelain!" Dis chastised.
"I knew that having you in my house would end up in a total disaster. I have tried having you all together in the same place before and I always end up suffering. Why do I keep saying yes when you ask to vacate here, tell me why?!" -Bilbo bypassed Thorin and grabbed the broom angrily- "Those rascals are the embodiment of what I hate most in Dwarves. Mouthy, loud, obnoxious, crude, untamed and downright inconsiderate!"
"We may be many things my dear Bilbo, but never inconsiderate." Thorin smiled and then pressed the ice gently on Thrárin's head who was whining.
"Wanna see what happened to the carpet of my living room? It is full of black ink! That thing will never come out." Bilbo fumed.
"Bilbo is right. Those tearaways came in like a hurricane. Nobody but you or their mother could have stopped them. They need to learn some manners for heaven's sake." Balin shook his head sadly and stood under the archway with his hands on his belt proudly.
Thorin looked at Balin's wet crotch and raised his brow. "Frerin, Dis and I were worse than them and we learned manners in the end, didn't we?"
Balin followed Thorin's eyes and then exploded. "Don't excuse them and don't look at me like that! Durin spilled all the hot tea there when he jumped over my armchair! I'd be lucky if my loins are still able to produce any children after being burned like that."
"Isn't it too late in the game for you to think about impregnating a woman you haven't even found yet?" Dwalin snorted.
Balin pointed at him menacingly. "Shut your pie-hole you bald gnome!"
"See? You people are all over the place really. I cannot comprehend how you managed to reclaim the Lonely Mountain…it is truly beyond me." Bilbo muttered and started wiping the floor sullenly.
"We had your help my beloved burglar." Thorin rejoined with a smile.
"Don't try to coax your way out of this King Thorin." Bilbo pointed at him angrily.
Durin and Rhianaye made their embarrassed appearance behind their father and Dis pointed at them. "Don't hide you two. Come out here and apologize for the mess you made."
Rhianaye came out first and pulled Durin by the hand. "I am sorry auntie for spilling your water."
"She is not the only one in need of an apology." Thorin raised his brow and then turned his attention to Thrárin's wound.
Rhianaye looked at Loa and jerked Durin by the arm. "I am sorry Loa for breaking your plate and Lord Dwalin for spilling your tea. I am sorry master Bilbo for pushing your stool and making you land on the floor along with all your ink."
"I am sorry Lord Balin for burning your lap, I am sorry Lis for hurting your butt and I am sorry little brother for throwing you on the floor." Durin looked around bashfully.
"It's okay Durin." Thrárin sniffled.
"Your apology won't clean my carpet!" Bilbo glared.
"Master Baggins right." -Thorin exhaled and embraced Thrárin- "One of you two shall help Loa and Dis with the kitchen and the other shall assist Bilbo clean the carpet."
"Now?!" Rhianaye's eyes grew wide.
"Now." Thorin's answer came flat.
"But dad you promised that today you were going to teach me how to free gallop…." Rhianaye's eyes filled with tears.
"You made a mess of things and you have to make amends now." Thorin seemed indifferent to her plight.
Rhianaye leaned over to Durin. "Cleaning the carpet will take all day. I will never ride a horse if I do it."
"I know." Durin frowned.
Rhianaye wiped away a stray tear straightened her shoulders and faced her father. "Fine. I will help Master Bilbo clean the carpet and Durin will help auntie Dis with the kitchen."
Durin pulled her by the hand and she yelped. "She meant to say that I will clean the carpet and she will help with the kitchens."
"What are you doing?" She murmured in a hushed tone.
"Don't you want to learn free gallop today?" Durin glared at her.
Rhianaye's lips pouted and she nodded quietly. "Yes."
"Then shut up and do what I say." Durin's mouth curled up in a sly smile.
Rhianaye's face lit up. "I love you…"
"I don't." He returned and then faced his father square in the eyes.
"So is your decision made?" Thorin asked.
"I will help with the carpet." Durin nodded.
"And I will help with the kitchen, but can we go horseback riding when I finish dad, please?" She begged.
Thorin raised his brow. "Neither of you asked an apology for giving me such a rude wake up …." He let that thought linger until the twins broke into a run and embraced his waist from both sides.
"We are sorry dad!" They said in unison.
Thorin's face softened when he felt their warm embrace and his heart absolutely melted when Thrárin planted a wet kiss on his cheek and mumbled. "Sorry daddy!"
"Fine…finish with the kitchen and then we will train in riding." He exhaled feeling blissfully dazed from the abundant presentation of their love.
"That is how they manage to bring him around. Who'd think that someone as authoritarian as Oakenshield would turn out to be such a sucker for his kids?" Bilbo said sternly.
Balin tilted his head thoughtfully. "Don't judge so harshly master Baggins. Even the most battle-hardened warrior is allowed to have a heart of jelly for his children. That can be said twice for a man who lived with the taxing thought that he was unable to have children for many-many years and ended up having three all at once."
Bilbo's countenance was unable to remain austere at that moment and his mouth formed a gentle side-smile. "You are right on that. Besides Thorin's heart was always kind of soft wasn't it?"
Balin chuckled and nodded. "Indeed it was…but he hates when people notice."
"I didn't notice anything, did you?" Bilbo smiled knowingly.
"No." Balin smiled and they gave each other a nod of understanding while Thorin was taking in all the love that his children were giving him like a withering flower was eager to take in a refreshing rainfall.
"You left Durin deal with the carpet alone?" Thorin smirked.
Bilbo crossed his arms and nodded. "Of course. I wasn't going to toil over a dirty carpet all day, while I can come here, enjoy the sun and your company. Do you mind?"
"No, you did well. A little bit of humiliation and a good day of laboring will straighten the boy out. He will go out like a candle at night. One less worry for me." Thorin returned calmly.
Bilbo smirked. "That was a rough punishment, but a well-deserved one."
"Do we truly overburden you my dear Bilbo?" -Thorin's mouth form a side smile as he cracked his long whip at the hind legs of the horse that Rhianaye was riding and then addressed his daughter- "Keep your back straight and your elbows down girl! Concentrate!"
Rhianaye nodded. "Yes dad!"
"Aside from the fact that I not only enjoy your company, but I seek it constantly and you know it, the fact that you have to travel with such a large court really pisses me off. I mean your men have overtaken the whole village! Look around you!" Bilbo pointed at Thorin's soldier's that were sauntering amidst the villagers.
Thorin chuckled. "No one from my Kingdom will ever allow me to travel alone with my family and neither will I. It is one thing to venture alone in the wilderness once in a while, but my wife and kids must be escorted by a battalion of my Royal Guards always. I am not risking them to travel without escort while the darkness is spreading behind Ered Lithui."
"You do well, but this is a battalion? It feels like you brought Erebor's whole army with you." Bilbo placed his thumbs on his suspenders and admired the young princess whose horse was trotting in a large circle around her father.
"Not even close, but I can see how my men's crudeness can become overwhelming to the village. I will cool them down, worry not." Thorin looked at a couple soldiers who were teasing a very pretty Hobbit rather intensely.
Bilbo pressed his lips and sighed. "Thank you."
Thorin nodded and called at Rhianaye. "Change riding and after a couple of circles come to me."
Rhianaye turned the horse the other way and nodded. "Yes, dad."
"Every time you and your family are in my house I am certain there will be trouble, yet I can never say no." Bilbo continued with a quiet smile.
Thorin pressed his lips. "I know…and I feel guilty."
"Don't. You people have always been so ever since the first time I met you. Remember?" Bilbo's smile was reminiscent.
Thorin gazed at him side-ways and smirked. "I've never forgotten."
"I knew it since the first moment I opened the door and saw your nephews…there was going to be trouble." Bilbo returned.
"Trouble you followed willingly." Thorin rejoined.
"Trouble I came to appreciate, to respect and in the end love dearly." Bilbo looked at him with a smile that presented the honesty of his words.
"I love you too my friend. I hope I proved that to you multiple times already, but above all when I trusted the well-being of Eilin in your hands when she was pregnant ten years ago." Thorin's voice was hushed.
Bilbo smiled musingly. "It was the ultimate honor to help you back then and I will do so willingly every time you need me. No matter how many carpets your children destroy."
Thorin's heavy hand fell on Bilbo's shoulder and squeezed it tight. "Whenever I wish to offer my family some peace of mind and to me the company of a dear friend whom I have missed a lot, you are always my first thought."
Bilbo patted his hand and then pressed it firmly. "I missed you too, even though I hate how loud and obnoxious you people are."
Thorin chuckled. "Yet this was the reason you joined us on that adventure ten years ago. You wish to appear tame and quiet, but there is a fire burning inside you. A fire only a great adventure can clench."
Bilbo's lips twisted. "I guess you are right….so you've got any good adventures in mind?"
Thorin's brow arched. "You missed my latest calamities at Dol Guldur…too bad."
Bilbo scowled feeling rather disturbed. "Heard it was a close call."
"No, my dear Bilbo. My men always use that –close call card- whenever I feel under the weather. I am not even allowed to pass out for a couple of days or be feverish without Erebor getting into a state of terror and start preparing for my funeral." Thorin chuckled.
"Laugh as much as you want, but your people care deeply about you." Bilbo wised.
"That's one way to look at it. The other is that they are in a hurry to get rid of me." Thorin smirked.
"Of course. That is why no one allows you to go anywhere without an escort of hundreds of highly trained soldiers…" Bilbo teased.
Thorin pressed his lips with a quiet side-smile.
"How do you feel?" Bilbo touched his forearm and the care was distinct in his voice.
Thorin patted his hand. "I am much better even though I really need some time off to calm down from everything that happened. "
Bilbo smiled. "You know there will always be a home waiting for you here, but try not bringing half of Erebor with you next time."
Thorin chuckled. "Hard command my friend."
"I know." Bilbo hooked his thumbs on his suspenders and flared his shoulders.
Thorin smiled brightly at Rhianaye who approached them. He grasped the reigns of the horse when she stopped. "Concentrate little lady." He admonished with austerity.
"I am concentrated dad!" She rebuked.
"No you aren't. Back there you kept looking at those cows in the meadow." Thorin noticed.
"I just looked at them for a couple of moments." Rhianaye whined.
"When you are controlling a one thousand pound animal you are not allowed to daydream. I need to you to concentrate on your body posture. Eyes straight, elbows down, reins a little tighter. Okay?" Thorin continued with that calm and calculated tone that always soothed Rhianaye down.
"Okay." She nodded eagerly.
"You are doing very well. Do a couple of laps more with a quick trot and then we will try a controlled gallop." Thorin resumed.
"Why controlled dad?" Rhianaye's lips pouted.
"You want to go free?" Thorin raised his brow.
Rhianaye clapped. "Yes!"
"We will do a couple of controlled rounds so I can see your posture and then I will decide." Thorin pressed his lips.
Rhianaye rolled her eyes. "Fine dad…." She sounded dejected.
Thorin teased the horse's hind legs with his whip and it walked away from them. Then he looked at the sad countenance of his friend. "Call me annoying, but I will say it again…"
"I look sad….right?" Bilbo finished his thought.
"I told you the first night we arrived and shared good ale by the fireplace. There is an unidentified shadow lingering in your eyes. A shadow I haven't seen before." Thorin frowned and looked calmly towards his daughter who had set her horse in a fast.
"I really am not sad." Bilbo said musingly.
"You are not the happy go lucky Hobbit I know either. It is your prerogative to keep your worries to yourself, but know that I am here for you." Thorin's sincere tone touched Bilbo's heart.
He crossed his arms and observed the young Princess making a large circle around them. "There is something bothering me, but I have never spoken about this to anyone."
Thorin turned to him.
Bilbo gazed back at him. "And I don't want you to speak about it to anyone either."
Thorin nodded quietly. "Of course not."
Another long pause from master Baggins, which made Thorin rather nervous. "Let's talk hypothetically, shall we?"
Thorin turned his attention to his daughter. "Fine. Let's."
"What would you have done if you had found abandoned in a dark cave… a ring?" Bilbo mused.
Thorin raised both brows. "Hypothetically speaking…"
"Always…" Bilbo intervened flatly.
Thorin pursed his lips. "You are asking a Dwarf what he'd do with a piece of jewelry…."
Bilbo sighed. "You'd pick it up, right?"
"Certainly pick it up and most assuredly check its value." Thorin rejoined.
"Would you take it for your own?" Bilbo scrounged his lips.
This time the pause was long from Thorin's side. "I've lived enough years in this earth to know not to claim rings I know nothing about." His voice had gained a heavy quality all of a sudden.
Bilbo nodded. "I thought you'd say that."
Another smaller pause. "The fact that we are discussing about this in the first place, means that this piece of jewelry –if it exists- is worrisome enough to overburden you."
Bilbo's lips turned down, but he remained silent.
"That means that it is not a simple piece of jewelry my friend." Thorin crossed his arms and turned his attention to the field.
Bilbo cleared his throat. "It might not be no."
"We are not talking hypothetically here, are we?" Thorin gazed at him.
Another uneasy cough. "No."
"Have you stolen a ring that you don't know who it belongs to?" Thorin insisted.
Bilbo flared his shoulders. "I might have."
"When? Recently?"
"Ten years ago during our quest for Erebor." Bilbo said flatly.
Thorin's mouth dropped open. "Where did you find it?"
"In the Misty Mountains, somewhere underground when I got lost." He omitted to say the ring made him invisible when he wore it.
Thorin sighed. "That was too long ago I suppose. Its legal owner would have claimed it back by now. So why is it bothering your conscience so much?"
Bilbo placed his hand on his right pocket and fingered the ring, debating if it was wise to show it to Thorin. He lingered in limbo for several moments, before withdrawing his hand empty. "Whenever I carry it, it wears me down. I feel like it is spreading me apart in some manner. It is a very peculiar feeling, which makes me rather worried."
"Then don't wear it." Thorin returned casually.
"That's the problem….I …" Bilbo was at a loss for words.
Thorin observed him carefully for several moments, before his face began clouding. "Listen Bilbo. There are many harmless jewels in this world and most of them cannot compel you to wear them or make you feel peculiar when you do so. However…"
Bilbo drew up all his courage and looked at his friend.
"There are some rings in Middle Earth that can control your very soul and make you do things you don't wish to do. Rings that can take over your heart and mind slowly, until they consume them completely. Each of those rings was made by the same entity and none of them is above suspicion. Not even the three Elven Rings that are sufficiently subdued by the power of their masters. The Rings that were given to my kin destroyed each and every holder. The one my grandfather owned, caused him to become sick with a craving for gold that was way beyond anything my people are able to possess naturally. It drew him down a long path to destruction until he collapsed under its immense weight. When my father wore it, it drove him mad and send him on a search that was going to cost him his freedom and finally his life. I am lucky that Ring never came to my hands. Maybe that is the reason I am still alive." Thorin's voice became deep and send a wave of dread up Bilbo's spine.
"I understand." He muttered.
Thorin's hand landed on his shoulder. "If you've found a Ring that seems more than mere jewelry I'd suggest you find someone you trust and show it to him."
Bilbo's eyes held shadows the King couldn't understand. "Someone I trust." He murmured.
Thorin exhaled and closed his eyes. "I don't care if it isn't me. Show it to that Grey meddling Wizard. He knows more about these things than all of us combined."
Bilbo swallowed heavily and kept his eyes on Rhianaye.
Thorin's hand pressed him firmly. "If you've found by mistake one of the Rings of Power then don't expect it to do any good things for you and don't be naïve or arrogant to believe that you have enough strength to control it. Those bloody things destroyed my family."
Bilbo paled. "Hypothetically speaking, remember?"
"You just told me this wasn't hypothetical." Thorin scowled.
Bilbo got ready to reply when from the corner of their eyes they saw Eilin waving at them. His face lit up for he saw this as a chance to stop a conversation that was too close for comfort right now. "Wave back at her!"
Thorin opened his mouth to reply, but Bilbo elbowed him hard on the ribs.
"If you don't wave she's going to know that something is wrong and you don't want to worry your wife with trifles, do you?" Bilbo insisted.
Thorin exhaled roughly through his nose feeling bothered to the core. "Get rid of it." He spat.
Bilbo frowned. "Get rid of what?"
"The Ring you've found." Thorin retorted hard and then smiled at his wife who send him a kiss before concentrating on her daughter.
Bilbo's countenance plunged, but the King didn't notice as Rhianaye led her horse to him. When he caught the reigns he smiled at her. "Ready for some controlled gallop?"
"Mom is here too." Rhianaye looked worried towards Eilin.
"She wants to admire her pretty daughter." Thorin gave a fleeting glance to his wife and then secured the long rope at the horse's bridle.
Rhianaye closed her eyes and drew a deep inhalation.
Thorin frowned. "If you feel afraid we can do this another day. The rider must always be ready to take the next step further. If you are not feeling good now we can delay this."
"I want to do it dad." Rhianaye released the reins and grabbed the saddle.
"No, let go of it and take over the reins. You will use your legs to hold onto the horse." Thorin said calmly.
Rhianaye tried to control the dread from showing upon her face, before her father saw it and made her unmount. "Okay dad."
Thorin led his whip to lick the horse's behind and slowly brought it to a trot and then to a gallop. "Your bottom must sweep the saddle….sweep it…sweep it…." He said in rhythm with the horse's pace.
Rhianaye was unable to stop the smile that formed on her lips.
"How do you feel?" Thorin's eyes were piercing on her.
"Perfect dad!" The enthusiasm was clear in her voice.
"Balance?" Thorin's brow creased slightly.
"I feel perfect!" Rhianaye repeated impatiently.
Thorin swallowed nervously and led the horse around a couple of times more before stopping it and taking hold of the bridle. He untied the rope and let it drop near his boots. Then he stared at his beautiful daughter long and hard. "Are you ready then?"
Rhianaye's eyes grew wide in wonder. "Free gallop?" She murmured.
Thorin's nod seemed determined, but his heart was not convinced at all. "Yes."
"I am ready dad!" Rhianaye shouted.
Thorin gritted his teeth and held the bridle tightly as he slapped the hind of the horse making it take a closed circle around him before releasing it with another slap. "Use your whip and your legs together!" He commanded.
Rhianaye did so and the horse came to a trot.
"More!" Thorin pushed Bilbo out of the way and followed her impatiently.
Rhianaye did so and the horse came into a fast trot.
"Use your whip and your inner leg! Push the outer leg back!" Thorin yelled.
Rhianaye did so and the horse went into a brief gallop before coming down to a trot again.
Thorin's nose flared. "More! Don't slack on it!" He yelled.
When the horse went into a full gallop the King's heart dropped into the abyss for a few terrifying moments, before jumpstarting almost violently and he instantly felt his eyes burning and his stomach bubbling with the preludes of mad laughter. "More! Keep the reins loose, bottom sweeping the saddle, elbows in, look straight! That's it!" He cheered her on.
Rhianaye released a cry of pleasure as her horse galloped freely through the calm meadow and turned to see her father.
"Face straight!" He admonished and she heard him.
Bilbo clapped. "Oh look at the little lady!"
Thorin suddenly felt the burn in his eyes becoming more prominent and before he knew it his heart was screaming in pain and a river of tears was cascading down his cheeks, which he was unable to control. He frowned, taken aback by this unbidden reaction and wiped his face clean so Rhianaye wouldn't see him. The problem was that whenever his eyes looked at the long black wavy hair of his daughter swinging upon her back as the horse's pace picked up speed, more tears sprang from his eyes.
"Hey what's the matter?" Bilbo touched his shoulder concerned.
Thorin turned around, not knowing what to do with himself at that moment. Thankfully the only person able to support him was already there. Eilin rushed across the field and clasped his cheeks tightly. Then she gazed deep into his eyes. "For Mahal's sake get a hold of yourself. Don't let her see you this way." She frowned.
He shook his head and his bottom lip trembled. "I cannot help it." He muttered.
She wiped his cheeks and pushed the long ringlets away from his eyes. "No, no, no. Come on honey…."
Thorin's eyes burned anew and the pain he felt in his heart was almost suffocating. "Eilin look at her. Look at our precious Little Gem."
Eilin turned around.
"Look at our little girl coming to her own. Just look at her go…" Thorin whispered and felt his face contracting as the unbearable sadness and fear he had felt for his daughter all this years seemed to have found an unexpected outlet at this big victory of hers today.
Even though Eilin's heart was so happy to see her daughter achieve this rather difficult task, her soul opened up to engulf Thorin's unexpected breakdown. "Oh honey, I know." She caressed his temple gently.
"I have witnessed her struggle so much and for so long.…" Thorin murmured overcome.
"I know my love. I know how you feel." She kissed his forehead and rubbed her hands upon his black beard.
"She is going to be okay..." He exhaled and more tears surged his eyes.
"Was there any doubt?" Eilin frowned.
Thorin was unable to answer. He simply hid his face on her shoulder and allowed himself to cry like he hadn't done for many years. He cried for Rhianaye's inability to breathe properly when she was born. Her difficulty to speak and walk until she had seen all the seasons at least two times. He cried for all the nights he stayed awake to count her breaths and for how many times he prayed to Mahal that her body would become resilient. For all the times he begged the Gods for her legs to become strong enough to carry her from one room to the next without the need to support herself upon a wall or at the back of a chair. He cried for all his prayers that one day he'd be able to dance with her at her wedding day and that she'd be able to carry children. He never doubted her mental capabilities for they were exceptional since the moment she started speaking, but he prayed hard for her physical abilities to improve. So seeing her now, controlling such a large animal with such grace without any trace of difficulty had released the lever that was holding back all the dissapointment about her delayed development. Right now in front of him sitting majestically upon a beautiful horse was his Little Gem and she didn't look so little, weak and in need of protection anymore.
"Dad I did it!" Rhianaye yelled happily.
Thorin wiped his face clean with the help of Eilin and looked up. "Keep your body straight and your elbows loose!" He thundered.
Eilin nibbled her bottom lip and dried the sweat that broke on his brow. "Don't let her see you like this for Mahal's sake." She admonished.
He nodded. "I know, I won't."
"You know King Thorin, you are the best daddy Rhianaye could have ever had." Eilin smiled proudly and cupped his cheeks.
"An overly sentimental one..." He cringed.
"I feel honored to be one of the few who can admire this beautiful side of you." She whispered and kissed a few stray tears away.
"You always know what to say to make me feel better." His mouth formed a sad smile.
"I am your wife silly. Now shape up she is turning around." She frowned and then began grooming him.
Bilbo who was admiring them quietly till then, jumped into action and stepped in front of the Royal couple just as Rhianaye came galloping to them. "Go this way young lady to the borders of the village, turn the horse around and go straight up to that willow tree." He offered.
Rhianaye gave one quick, but proud look at her parents which wasn't close enough to notice her father's teary countenance and beamed. "Yes Uncle Bilbo! Immediately!"
His intervention as he stepped in to help Rhianaye train some more gave enough time for Eilin to calm down her husband, who emptied all his worries in her arms, before he was able to look his daughter straight in the eye once more. Yet when he did so, there wasn't a single tear in his eyes and his gaze was the proudest he had ever given to any of his children.
The satisfaction inside those loving azure eyes was recognized immediately by Rhianaye and filled her heart with euphoria.
It was the next day that Dis found Thorin sitting under a tall pine tree, musing towards the calm lake waters. She walked up to him quietly, crossed her hands and observed a fishing boat that was close to the shore throwing in the nets. "What are you doing here?"
"Searching for some peace of mind." His lips curled up.
"You miss it?" Dis smirked.
"Immensely." Thorin returned.
"You should have thought of that before taking a wife and having three children." Dis sounded chastising, but in reality she was just teasing him.
"Too late now." He rebuked with a calm smile.
Dis looked at his long hair waving at the summer's breeze and inhaled deeply the refreshing scent of the grass. "This place is heaven on earth truly."
"It calms down even the most troubled heart." Thorin's brow creased.
Dis pursed her lips and sat next to him. "So why are you sitting out here all alone? Give me the real reason this time."
Thorin looked at her sideways and smirked. "I am thinking."
"About what?" Dis crossed her arms above her knees and allowed her eyes to drift upon the lake's smooth surface.
"Everything about lies." Thorin said flatly.
Dis frowned silently.
He turned and observed her quiet scutiny. "I am thinking about all the lies that I was forced to say ever since the first time I began understanding my role in this world."
"What are you talking about?" Dis scowled.
"Lies Dis….remember? The mandatory link that kept our family together all these centuries?" Thorin sounded bitter.
Dis raised her brow. "How did that come up all of a sudden?"
"It has never gone away." He sounded dreadfully upset about something.
Dis clasped his shoulder. "Wolf?"
He shook his head. "You have no idea how many lies I had to keep all these years Gerbil."
Dis nodded softly. "I don't know how many, but you were always the keeper of the most precious secrets of the Longbeards."
Thorin smirked bitterly. "It is the only thing I know how to do very well."
Dis' lips turned down dejected. "Of course not, what is this nonsense?"
"I am an expert at letting people know only the things that I deem necessary. That has become a way of life for me. It is whom I have always been." Thorin continued.
"Our father molded you this way Wolf. You weren't born this way. At first you were a happy kid, like the rest of us, but slowly Thrain's assertiveness subdued the free spirit out of you in order to create a very powerful ruler, a highly adept diplomat and an expert politician. All those assets demand a very secretive nature. An honest man cannot make a good politician and you know it. Policymaking needs a very versatile personality that can adapt to every side of the argument and find common ground for everyone, whilst being able to keep control. A good diplomat knows how to keep secrets and lie when it is necessary. Degrading as it sounds, it is also essential. That asset in you is what created this mighty Alliance. Brutal honesty would have destroyed any bridges that needed to be built between all those different and rather stubborn races and you know it." Dis rejoined.
"It is one thing to keep grandfather's sickness a secret from the court Dis or to know how to white-lie in order to control a huge Alliance and another to keep my personal affairs from the people I love." Thorin raised his brow.
Dis nodded and her mouth twitched. "Oh, I see."
"I extended my ability to be secretive from using it as a very powerful tool in my rulership, to the people who meant the world to me in the end. Do you think that's good?" Thorin looked at her persistently.
Dis shook her head. "No…."
"Lying for what mattered most in my life had been unfair for you and Frerin, but you see that offered me the ability to be in control."
Dis frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I thought that if I revealed the truth and allowed other people to form their opinions I'd feel my life spinning out of control." Thorin said quietly.
"Thrain knocked all the innocence out of you my love and stripped you from the ability to trust in others." Dis caressed his shoulder.
"You know Gerbil, sometimes lies are the best means to sustain a well-ordered peace. Keeping grandfather's sickness a secret from you and Frerin allowed you to be happy and carefree and hiding it from our Kingdom allowed Erebor to continue living prosperously without any true worries about the future. I saw that lies could be helpful in order to give me control of a very difficult situation and allow the people I care about to continue living happily oblivious of the hell that I was holding back from them." Thorin tried to explain all the thoughts that were bombarding his mind.
"Lies sometimes can be very helpful in protecting the people we love, but sometimes we need to allow them to learn the truth and get hurt from that. The ability to handle pain helps people grow up… become more mature. Some secrets are necessary to be kept in order to sustain the peace of your rulership, but interpersonal relationships are different. Keeping me from learning about Siv only hurt you more. You didn't have anyone to share your burden with and that made you lock up further. Lying to me about your fertility issues was even worse. That almost destroyed your relationship with Eilin for heaven's sake. You need to learn to discern when those lies are necessary to be kept for the good of your people and when it is best share the truth with the people you love and maybe allow them to be hurt by it sometimes too." Dis pressed her lips and looked at him lovingly.
"I am a fool no matter how wise people think I am. After all these years and after all these hard lessons I don't think I have learned much. I am still lying to the ones I love the most and it is tearing me apart." Thorin sounded disheartened.
Dis propped her chin upon her knees. "Is this about Othin?"
Thorin remained silent.
"At least you didn't keep the truth from me this time." Dis raised her brows.
"I kept it from the one who matters the most to me though." Thorin's voice was thick with emotion.
"Then tell her!" Dis looked at him intensely.
"How?!" Thorin snapped.
Dis pulled back.
"How can I reveal his identity when her father is unwilling to do so Dis?! How can I be the one to unravel a tangled ball of yarn that is in reality her father's story?! At the end of the line, am I strong enough to do it?" Thorin face settled in anger.
"Instead of fearing to betray Othin, you should be fearing Eilin's wrath when she finds out that you kept this secret from her. Her retaliation is going to be enhanced by the pain she will feel inside when she learns that her father was there next to her all this time and everyone knew, except from her." Dis' voice became hard.
Thorin rubbed his face. "I know."
"She trusts you to deliver the truth, to protect her. Don't fail her." Dis warned.
"I am not telling her the truth because I want to protect her." Thorin rebuked heavily.
"How can you do that, when she will get hurt anyway when she finds out? Is there an easy way to tell her about Othin?" Dis rejoined.
"No."
"Therefore she will get hurt eventually. Better she learns it from you, than from anyone else Thorin. Listen to me, please." Dis grasped his forearm and her voice filled with emotion.
"I am trying to prepare her…slowly." Thorin cringed.
"Forget your bloody semi-measures. Nothing will work when the times comes. The news will crash upon her like a two ton war carriage and nothing you do will change that." Dis continued.
"I don't want her to get hurt." Thorin's countenance was broken.
"You don't want to ruin the peace that your family has right now wolf, but that peace is based on dishonesty. Be careful this doesn't backfire on you. Speak to your wife and tell her the truth. You might not feel strong enough to see her break apart, but you must do it. She must go through hell in order to hope of ever finding her peace, but when she finally does it then that peace shall be the real deal. She will have earned it by knowing everything about her father and by accepting it. You cannot soften the blow for her. You can only be there to hold her when she inevitably crashes." Dis caressed his forearm gently.
Thorin's eyes were full of tears. "I wish I could make him vanish. Then maybe things would go back to what they used to be before he appeared."
"The hell you fear so much hasn't even started yet wolf. Even if you made him vanish your wife's questions about her past would still remain unanswered. You must both go through hell to find your heaven once more. You are a man who fears nothing, not even death…..enter this battle as bravely as you always do. Tell her the truth." Dis' voice was encouraging.
"So I should be the one to break her?" Thorin flared his shoulders.
"You will break her and you will be there to pick up her pieces one by one and then help her mend." Dis smiled bitterly.
"I don't want to do that." Thorin's eyes filled with dread.
"So you want to remain at the side-lines? Lie to her and wait for Othin to tell her the truth? Then what do you expect from her to do? Thank you for lying to her?" Dis continued quietly.
"She will hate me." Thorin's voice was diminished.
Dis pursed her lips and looked at the lake. "I wouldn't say hate you, but she will have some rather negative feelings towards you. Are you ready to take that on or is it easier to be the one to reveal to her the truth?"
Thorin squeezed his eyes tight.
"Do it!" Dis frowned.
"No Dis." He rejoined flatly.
Dis cupped her forehead. "Oh, Thorin…"
He swallowed heavily. "Telchar's family has placed me in the middle of an ethical dilemma. I made an oath to Eilin to always be truthful and I promised her father I won't reveal his identity until he is ready to do it himself. I am still a bloody liar and I cannot do anything about it!" He spat.
Dis embraced him and leaned her head on his shoulder. "You are a liar for all the right reasons my love. Sometimes you need to allow people to be hurt by the truth, to bleed from it, to heal with your help and then become stronger. Protecting them with lies only keeps them weak. Do you wish Eilin to remain weak or to become stronger through this hardship?"
"I don't want her broken. That is all." Thorin's voice was barely heard.
"She will break no matter what you do. It comes down to which oath you are going to fail. The one to your wife or the one to her father?"
"I have already decided." Thorin's eyes welled once more.
Dis looked at his face mutely.
"I will not intervene. Her father must be the one to reveal his identity." Thorin rebuked heavily.
"You will have her wrath in your hands." Dis warned.
Thorin covered his face and closed his eyes.
"And I am afraid that will break you too." Dis whispered and caressed his hair.
"I cannot do anything else Dis….forgive me." He whispered.
Dis kissed his cheek. "Make an apology to her when the times comes with the same honesty you did to me." She muttered.
Thorin nodded slowly. "I will."
That is when the voice of Eilin interrupted their heavy conversation. "Good evening people." She walked up to him happily.
Dis pulled back and Thorin clasped Eilin's hand and brought it to his lips. "Hello my precious. How do you feel?"
Eilin sat at the grass next to him and yawned. "I had the best sleep ever and I feel perfect!"
"I better leave you two alone. I am going to take the kids swimming at the lake." Dis stood up.
"Thank you Gerbil." Thorin's smile held a shadow that Dis recognized.
She raised her brow at him and then waved. "Stay here and relax. This place is truly magical."
Thorin felt Eilin's arms coming around his shoulders and he closed his eyes. "Nausea gone?"
Eilin nodded. "No trace of it whatsoever."
"I'll cook some soup for dinner. It will make you feel better." He rejoined.
"Let Loa do that for us and stay here to relax with me. I need this so much." She kissed the back of his head.
He closed his eyes and sighed. "Me too."
"Ah, perfect. I have you were I want you. Now keep your eyes closed…" She said quietly.
He frowned and felt her propping something on top of his head. "What is this?" He reached up to touch it.
"A flower crown." She smiled and buried her nose inside his thick mane.
Thorin felt his heart complaining hard and his eyes overflowing with fresh tears. His hands clasped hers tightly and he brought them to his lips. At that moment he was unable to find the proper words to explain to her how painful it was for him to keep this secret from her, how truly unable he was to intervene and how much he feared the moment she found out.
He felt the flower crown she offered him way too heavy and his heart broke into a dozen pieces as he knew that soon she'd be more hurt than ever before and that he was unable to do anything to stop the hell that was coming their way. As he turned around and enclosed her in his embrace the words of Dis echoed in his mind.
"Sometimes you need to allow people to be hurt by the truth, to bleed from it, to heal with your help and then become stronger. Protecting them with lies only keeps them weak. Do you wish Eilin to remain weak or to become stronger through this hardship?"
….and he felt broken when he realized that he was unable to shield Eilin from the truth, forever.
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