-Alternate Ending-
When the eagles came, he was standing.
Azog the defiler lay dead on the ice, black blood spilling from between the cracks in his primal armor, his eyes glazed over. Thorin stared down at his enemy of a hundred years. Was it over? Could it be?
Footsteps from his right made him turn, only to see Bilbo bolting down the stone staircase, a look of utter relief on his face. "Are you alright?" he asked as he drew near, bluish brown eyes glancing at the lifeless form of Azog, and then back to the dwarf king.
Thorin nodded numbly. The battle had been won, but just barely. As Azog pinned him down, the dwarf blocking his blade with Orcrist, Thorin managed to find some hidden strength that he used to shove Azog up as he rolled to the side. The orc's sword came down full force on his shoulder, and Thorin howled in pain. What Azog didn't expect though, was Thorin using Orcrist to slash through the tendons in the back of his knee, and then when the orc was distracted by the action; thrust it through his armor and deep into his chest.
Adrenaline coursed through every vein in his body as Thorin took a deep breath. His shoulder was bleeding severely, but if he were to receive proper medical treatment he would probably be fine. Blood coursed from the cut above his eye as he turned to look at Bilbo.
"Where are Fili and Kili?" he asked.
"In the healer's tent." Bilbo responded. "Oin's been checking them over, he says that they should make it, although Fili's back will be in bad shape from the fall he took, and it's likely he broke his leg. Kili will be fine."
Thorin's chest fell as he let out a deep sigh of relief. He then glanced back over the frozen waterfall, watching as the eagles took out what remained of the orc armies. His eyes widened as he turned to Bilbo, memories flooding back.
"I hurt you." He said, approaching the hobbit. Bilbo only shook his head, offering an awkward smile.
"No, no, I'm alright. No harm done."
Thorin shook his head stiffly. "I said horrible things, I held you over the edge of the gate. I nearly killed you."
The Halfling shrugged good naturedly. "More or less."
"I do not deserve your forgiveness," said Thorin, taking a step forward, staring at his own feet in poorly hidden shame. "But I will ask you for it anyways."
Bilbo gave an exasperated laugh, rubbing a hand against his forehead. "Of course I forgive you. You were not yourself; it's that gold that turned you mad."
"There is a sickness in that mountain," he agreed, turning to gaze at the doors of Erebor, watching as the battle died down and men poured out to tend to the wounded. "I do not want to go back there, not yet."
"Then why don't we go to the healing tents?" Bilbo suggested, "Your shoulder could use a fair bit of patching up, if I do say so myself."
"Yes," he said, looking back at Azog and then closing his eyes in relief. "Please, take me to them."
/
Fili heaved a deep breath as Thorin entered the tent, so his uncle was indeed alright!
Azog had nearly killed him not to long ago, and if not for his own set of Mithril armor much like that of Bilbo's he would have succeeded. Instead, Fili feigned dead as he was dropped from off of the tower and down to the doorway, where Kili then half carried him away and to a healer's tent. His back was bruised in several places, and he was quite sure that something was terribly wrong with his left ankle, but he would not be dying anytime soon, which was good enough for him.
"How are you?" Thorin questioned as he approached his nephew, worry evident in his glassy blue eyes.
"Quite alright." responded Fili with a grin. "Although I doubt I'll be in working order for at least a few days. Is the battle nearly over?"
"Yes," said Thorin, and then after an awkward silence overtook them he continued, "I am sorry Fili. I am sorry that you had to see me the way that I was. I was not myself, and I should not have treated all of you as I did." The king looked down at his bloodied hands. "I am ashamed at what I have become."
Fili glanced at where Bilbo stood awkwardly in the doorway, and the hobbit gave him a look that said, 'he need's comfort,'
"I-I felt it as well." Fili said hesitantly, and Thorin looked up at his nephew. "The dragon sickness I mean. When I first looked at it I was nearly overcome, and if I hadn't had you as an example of what would come of it, I would have failed to resist- I am sure."
Thorin gave him a look that was a mixture of relief and despair, and Fili felt something tug at his heartstrings. He reached a hand out to Thorin, but was interrupted when Oin popped his head in the doorway. "I heard voices," he said, and then his eyes widened at the sight of his king. "Thorin, are you alright?"
"He um- hurt his shoulder." Bilbo piped up from beside him, voice a little strained. "Azog seems to have mangled it."
Oin nodded and entered the tent, bringing with him his medical kit.
"How's your brother?" Thorin asked as he took off his tunic and armor, and Oin set to work on his shoulder. Fili opened his mouth to say that Kili was nearly completely unscathed, but before he could another smaller figure emerged from the doorway.
His eyes went wide, and then a grin spread across his face as he recognized the familiar face, freckled and lined around the mouth from smiling, with grey streaked honey blonde hair. Hana glanced around the tent and then met his eyes, smiling back at Fili.
Thorin stood from the stool he was being tended on "Hana."
She stepped in, and both of them shared a long glance before he stepped forward, holding his hand out to her.
"I would embrace you if not for your shoulder." She said, smiling as she took his hand. Bilbo shot Fili a questioning glance, as if the ask 'Is this who I think it is?'
Thorin led her back to where he sat on the stool, and Oin gave Hana a nod as he continued to work on the king. Fili watched as she put her hand on his uncle's uninjured shoulder, and then moved away from him and to where he sat on the bed, leg propped up on the pillow.
"Kili is alright I hear." She said softly, eyeing his bandaged leg. "And you?"
Fili grimaced. "Don't tell mother."
Hana laughed, and leaned forward to give her nephew a gentle embrace. "I am glad that you've all made it out of this madness in one piece." She said, before turning to where Bilbo stood awkwardly in the corner. "I assume that you're Mr. Baggins, the burglar hired for this company?" she asked, and Bilbo nodded, offering a tight smile.
"I pray my husband has treated you fairly?" she asked, and Bilbo glanced between Fili and Thorin, the latter of which only looked down at his large hands.
"We had our rough patches." Bilbo admitted. "But I feel as if things have worked out."
Thorin looked up at the hobbit, something akin to gratitude in his eyes, and Fili smiled.
/
"Hana-" Thorin said, stopping in his tracks. They had been on a small walk between tents to visit the injured dwarves, it was late at night and few were wandering at this point, so he figured it was safe to explain things then. Hana turned to him.
"Yes?"
He stared at the snow covered ground beneath his feet. Of all of the people in Middle Earth, she was the last he wished to admit his faults to. These weren't just normal, trivial faults either; he had tried to kill someone over the Arkenstone, a mere rock!
"I have done terrible things today." He whispered. "You will dislike me very much when I explain them."
She remained quiet, and he continued, albeit a little shakily.
"I forsook our people, and let Dain's men die in battle for hours before I went to help. I nearly killed Bilbo when I found out he had taken the Arkenstone from me. I did not heed the council of Balin or Dwalin, and I let the refugees of Laketown suffer while I sat on my throne, thinking of nothing but the gold." He inhaled deeply. "I don't know why, but it took me Hana, just as it took Thror. The gold drove me mad. I have never felt so strongly drawn to anything before in all of my years. I couldn't resist it… I just couldn't."
"Thorin-"she started, reaching out to him, but he pulled away.
"I have failed everyone." He said. "If you had seen me as I was, you would not be with me for a second longer."
Hana sighed, gazing over the wall and at the snow colored battlefield. "I spoke to Balin before I came to find you. He told me everything."
"He did?"
"Yes," she said, nodding. "He said everything you have said, but he told me something else, something that you have left out."
Thorin grimaced. Had he missed a sin?
Her dark blue eyes met his own as she smiled slowly. "He said that you came back. You returned to your own ways and abandoned those of your grandfather. You led the dwarves to victory today and slew Azog, eventually cutting off the ties with the army from the north. You redeemed yourself Thorin."
"For a short while, yes." He said, "But I cannot go back there Hana- not again. I do not trust myself with the gold that is in that mountain."
He nearly jumped as he felt her small, cold hand come to fit into his. It had been well over a year since they last shared physical contact. It felt like an eternity.
"I understand." She whispered. "Come back to Ered Luin with me."
"What?"
Hana nodded, "Help me to gather our people and prepare them for the trek back to Erebor. In the meantime allow Balin to control our affairs here. That gives you at least nine or ten months to clear your head before you return."
"I do not deserve that." He said softly. "I do not deserve anything like that."
"Hush," she said, squeezing his hand. "You could not control your actions in that mountain Thorin. They have all forgiven you already. Can you not forgive yourself?"
He glared at the grey stone of the wall. No, he could not.
Thorin felt her hand on his cheek, turning his head to face her, her eyes were glassy.
"There was not a day that I did not think of you." She admitted softly. "There were some nights when I did not sleep at all, just because I was so worried. The only thing that kept me grounded was the thought that I'd see you again, only with less of a weight on your shoulders. We would have our home and our happiness, and you would be free of whatever guilt you harbored from Smaug's attack. Please- do not take that hope away from me. Will you not stay by my side as you once did?"
"I will." He said immediately, "But I do not deserve to."
Hana sighed, "Perhaps one day you might see yourself as the rest of us see you."
Thorin grunted. "As a coward?"
She stood up on the tips of her toes so that they could be eye level, and in a soft voice she whispered: "As a king."
He looked at her for a few more moments, his features softening. Finally he grabbed her and pulled her into a close embrace, not caring about the ache in his shoulder.
Hana hugged him back just as fiercely, holding him tightly to herself as she smiled against his shirt.
There were not words to describe what he felt in those moments; all he knew was that he had made it. And she was there to see it.
/
"Well," said Bilbo, clearing his throat. "This is where the road forks. I shall return to Bag End," he smiled, "And leave you with the best of wishes."
"I thank you," Thorin said softly, bowing his head to show his gratitude. "And I am also sorry."
The hobbit let out a half laugh. "You've apologized a good two hundred times! Must I say I forgive you yet again?"
Thorin bit his lip, and the hobbit went into a small rant about the stubbornness of dwarves, before finally pausing, and putting his hand out for him to shake.
The king glanced at the hobbit up and down, and then grinned widely before pulling him into a hug.
"I hope your acorn fares well, Bilbo." He said, being sure to use the hobbit's name instead of 'Burglar' or 'Master Baggins,' a habit of which he was beginning to break.
The shorter of the two patted Thorin on the back awkwardly before pulling away. "May we meet again!" he called before turning to follow Gandalf, heading towards The Shire.
Thorin sighed and turned to his own company, Hana, Fili and Kili waited not far away with the ponies, smiles evident.
And for the first time in years, Thorin was at peace.
/
The king under the mountain watched as Dis rushed forward, pulling the sore Fili and the grinning Kili to her chest as she let out various exclamations of relief. Both of the brothers had warm smiles on their faces, because although they would not admit it, they were still very much their mother's sons, and being away from her for so long had worn on them.
He had called together a council meeting once they had returned to Ered Luin, explaining the events of the past thirty months and what was to be done next. Several people applauded at the announcement that they could now return to their kingdom of Erebor, while others were discontent due to the rapidly growing prosperity of their life in the Blue Mountains, which they were not ready to leave. It was decided that the city of Ered Luin would remain a territory of Erebor, and the people there would not be forced to return to the Lonely Mountain if they did not wish to.
Late that night, after a long and drawn out party with much drinking and games, Thorin found Hana in their old home, looking into the dusty fireplace that they had once read stories to their nephews near.
"It's strange," she said when he came to stand next to her. "I never thought that we would do it, and now that we have, I'm not sure if I even want to go. There are so many memories in this house."
"There will be more to make." He assured, placing a tender kiss on her temple. "There are many years ahead of us yet."
"Many." she agreed, leaning her head against his shoulder.
/
A year passed before Thorin gathered the nerve to return to Erebor.
He was not one to admit when he was afraid, nor was he one to show weakness in any situation. But as the last caravan of intending dwarves left Ered Luin for Erebor, he could not help the panic that arose with him. For he no longer had an excuse to stay, he would need to face his fear. Balin could only be Steward for so long.
This realization came to him as he was helping some of the younger dwarves load bags of wheat into the back of a wagon. Sweat poured down as the summer sun beat up ahead, and suddenly everything seemed to be closing in.
"Sir?" one of them asked, and Thorin looked down at the lad, taking a deep breath. Sir. That's right- he was the king- wasn't he?
"Carry on," he said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder before turning to find somewhere to be alone and gather his wits.
He found this beneath the shade of a great tree, a good ways away from where the caravan was preparing to depart. The king sat in the cool grass, wiping a hand across his forehead before closing his eyes for a moment, unsure of what to do. Could he go back? What if the gold sickness remained? What if he returned to his old ways?
"Thorin?" a voice whispered against the silence, making him jump. Soon Hana came into view, her face strained as she rubbed her neck. "Do you need someone?"
The king looked down at his hands. In front of large groups of people he rarely let his cool façade leave him, but here, alone in the woods with her, he could do so.
"Yes." He admitted, and the grass rustled as she came to sit beside him. She said nothing, and he was quite sure she already knew what was on his mind.
Her hand came to take his, rubbing circles into the back of it with her thumb. He let out a deep breath as he felt her lean against him, still not saying a word.
In those moments his thoughts turned from the dilemma at hand to her steadily growing stomach.
When they had found out, they were ecstatic. For years they had been trying and failing to bring forth children, and Hana had nearly been consumed in the guilt that came with knowing that her blood was likely the reason. But when she came out of the medical facility all of those mornings ago, large grin plastered across her freckled face, Thorin could not help the joy that flooded his soul.
"I hope he has your hair," He admitted quietly, and Hana looked up at him.
"He?"
The king nodded. "I have a feeling it will be male. If not, then we must find more names. I do not think that 'Frerin' would quite fit a daughter."
She laughed, "Correct you are."
Silence overcame them again, but not for long, as Thorin felt Hana shift beside him, and then as her soft lips pressed against his cheekbone, he could not help but smile.
All would be well.
/
They were not considerably young when they had their first child.
Thorin remembered little of that day, only that he had never had a happier day in his life. He had been meeting with some of his councilmen in their private tent. They were discussing if the amount of food would last them to Erebor, and what they would do if it did not.
Halfway through he noticed the shadow of someone standing outside, but they did not enter or speak, only shifted from foot to foot as the dwarves finished their meeting. Thorin began to feel anxious as he ventured outside, only to be relieved in finding Fili.
"Finally!" said his nephew, "I wasn't sure if it was alright to interrupt this meeting, as I got in fairly big trouble for disrupting the last one."
Thorin glanced around. "What is it?"
Fili pointed towards the medical tent a good half a league away. "Little Frerin is on his way."
Thorin was not sure why exactly he ran, all he knew was that he needed to be there when she had the baby; he needed to be there to hear its first cry. And so he sprinted across the camp, curtly apologizing to the people that were pushed out of the way as he dodged campfires and wagons. After what seemed like ages he reached the medical tent, and felt queasy at the sounds of stifled pain coming from inside.
He supposed it may have been smart to ask before entering, but in those moment's he did not feel smart. He felt terrified and elated all at once.
Hana lay on an assortment of quilts, several dwarrowdams bustled to and fro through the tent, some carrying water, some carrying cloth, some coated in unnamed substances. He half wondered what they were doing, but the other part of him sincerely didn't want to know, so he instead moved to kneel next to his wife.
"Look who's late," she said, letting out a high pitched breath as sweat poured down her forehead.
"Forgive me," he said, taking her hand as she cried out. The dwarrowdams all kneeled down by her and began to giving various instructions to breathe and to push. Thorin said nothing, only bit his lip at her apparent pain, that- and the bruising that would surely come from her squeezing his hand so.
Finally, he heard a cry from where the dwarrowdams kneeled, and all of the tension in the room left at once. He smiled, pressing his forehead against hers as the baby's sobs began to fill the air.
"You've done it," he breathed, grinning from ear to ear.
"A boy!" One of them said from the other side of the room, and Hana chuckled, "You bastard."
After a few more moments a dwarrowdam passed Hana their son, and he smiled softly as he brought a hand to brush against his face. "Frerin…"
Hana began to coo to him, and eventually the babe's sobs quieted. His eyes were shut tight and his skin was red, a thin crop of dark hair covering his head. Thorin felt something strange in his chest, something associated with both nostalgia and happiness. Something he could not name.
A tear left his eye, and then another. He was rubbing them away, smiling at the bundle in his wife's arms. He could hardly believe it.
"I love you," she murmured quietly beside him, and he kissed her then, his reply having no need to be said.
It was that moment that he knew for certain that there was no gold nor jewel that he could love more than the two people he held in his arms.
/
They made it back to Erebor in one piece, something that Hana was grateful for. Balin welcomed them at the gates, a large smile plastered against his steadily aging face. Dwalin was at his side, as well as Bofur.
She watched as Thorin moved to embrace each dwarf, holding their six month old son against her. After they had finished their hello's, all of the dwarves seemed to turn to her at once, ready to see the prince.
Hana stepped forward, and Bofur was soon beside her, a hand on her shoulder as he put out a finger for Frerin to latch on to.
"He's got your eyes," said her brother, "A nice deep blue."
The baby hiccupped, and Bofur met her eyes, grinning from ear to ear. "I am happy for you," he said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before giving space for Balin and Dwalin to approach.
The whiter of the two had tears in his eyes as he bade her son hello. "Thorin…" he started, grinning shakily. The dwarf king came to rest a hand on his friend's shoulder. "We've made it." He said, before turning back to the mountain. "Finally."
/
Fili considered himself to be a noble dwarf- at least to a certain extent. However, as Frerin began to grow he could not help himself. And when the dwarf prince was about ten years of age, he helped him to pull his first prank.
It was a simple one, taking the keys to the library right before closing time. He couldn't help the grin that split across his face from where he sat down the hall, watching the old fussy librarian pace back and forth, wondering how in world he would lock the door before retiring for the night.
Frerin giggled next to him. "What next?"
Fili looked down at the lad, he had thick dark hair like his father, as well as a light dusting of freckles on his forehead and chin. By the way he laughed and the energy he had, he could not help but be reminded of Kili.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," said the blonde, crossing his arms over his chest. "Your mother might ring my neck for this."
Frerin raised an eyebrow, something he'd been practicing over the past few weeks. "And what about pa?"
Fili snorted. "Thorin would act angry, but on the inside he'd laugh. They all do."
The younger grinned. "He always says that I need to prepare to be king. I don't see why though, I'm sure I'll be a great king."
The blonde looked down at the little one and grinned. "I'm sure."
/
"It's getting late," said Kenaii as she began to tuck Kona into bed. Her daughter was growing to be very beautiful, with long red hair and bright eyes like her father. Kona's twin, Kena, was not much different, Hana noted as the later of the two bounded up the stairs, Bofur in toe.
"I should be getting home," Hana agreed, bending down to plant a kiss on each of her niece's cheeks. "Frerin has training early tomorrow. Is he and Bram downstairs?"
Her brother nodded, giving her a grin. "Those two will be a world of trouble."
Hana laughed; her son and Bofur's were only eleven years apart, and were already the best of friends. She couldn't imagine the hell they'd raise in the future, considering the chaos they had already caused.
She made her way down the stairs, picking up her skirts as she did so. If there was one thing she didn't quite like about being queen, it was that she had to be in formal dress nearly every day. At first she had liked it- never being one to wear something that wasn't second hand, but now she could only see it as a nuisance. She was more than ready to go to her chambers and change into a night gown.
Bram was on the floor, hair in his face and laughing loudly as Frerin stomped to and fro, no doubt imitating the 'noble air' that Thorin attained when he was not alone with his family.
"Time to go home," she said, and Frerin groaned.
"Ma…"
Hana raised an eyebrow at him, putting a hand on her hip, and he quickly shut his mouth.
/
Frerin married young, being only ninety at the time. He asked for the hand of a pretty lass of the grey mountains, one with soft brown eyes and a smile as radiant as the sun. She was quite playful and at times a little too loud, but she had a kind heart, and they approved.
They brought forth five children, much to the happiness of the king and queen. They spoiled their grandchildren rotten, giving them as much of their time as they could. Thorin took a special liking to his youngest granddaughter, Rain was her name. Hana could often find her riding on his shoulders and running down the hall whilst pulling him behind.
Her husband had grown old now- she noticed. His beard was long and his hair was no longer the stark black it had once been, but now gray and faded. He had various spots on his hands and face, and a good amount of lines beneath his eyes. She supposed she wasn't much better, her hair hardly had any evidence of the sunny color it had once been, and she had much more trouble walking these days, needing a cane at her best of times.
Hana smiled when he approached her, just being released from a long and strenuous meeting. It was time for their midday walk.
When they had first returned, the couple had made a point to put aside time for one another in their busy schedules. Now that Frerin was slowly ascending to the throne however, they found there to be much more time on their hands then previously granted.
"My lady," he greeted, his voice not having changed the slightest from their younger years. Hana took his elbow as they made their way out of the city and into the fresh summer air.
"Do you ever look back?" she asked when they had made it a ways from Erebor. "When we were much younger?"
"I still remember that day I spoke to you and Bofur on the bridge," he said with a nod, "As well as the day you first kissed me in that forest."
Hana scoffed, "I believe it was you who initiated the kiss- my dear sir."
Thorin raised an eyebrow. "Was it now? I'm finding it hard to remember. You were quite eager you know."
The queen rolled her eyes, "You shan't speak those things- I am a lady."
He snorted. "You are?"
Hana frowned, looking out over the grasslands. She had to slow her pace a bit, not quite able to keep up. Thorin complied. "I do remember you asking for my hand as well as a good hundred years of being queen. Does that not make me a lady?"
Her king smiled. "I suppose."
She sighed, squeezing his arm. "It has been a good life, Thorin, son of Thrain."
"Aye," he said, "It has."
/
Hana died on the sixth of March, at a strange time of year where it was not winter but also not summer. She had been ailing a good four months beforehand, and it was of little surprise to Thorin when he woke up one morning to find her not breathing.
But that did not mean that he was at terms with it.
That morning he found himself holding her to his chest, not quite crying, but nowhere near content. He lay with her like that for a good few hours before Frerin came to find him.
"Pa-" he started, pushing the door open, but he stopped when he saw them on the bed. Thorin watched as his son's face fell, and he slowly came to stand beside them.
"She's been sick for quite some time," he said softly, and Thorin nodded. "We were expecting such a thing."
Frerin reached out to lightly brush a hand against her cheek. "She was too good to me."
Thorin let out a dry chuckle as a threaded a hand through her long, gray hair. "She was too good to both of us, son."
/
"You'd be so proud of him," Thorin said, groaning a bit as he came to sit beside the dark stone of her tomb. "Frerin, I mean. He's going to be a greater king than I ever was."
She said nothing, of course, and Thorin found himself sliding his hand over where her name had been engraved. "I daresay we did a decent job."
"Grandfather?" a voice whispered, and he looked up to see Rain. He smiled up at her; he knew those eyes, dark blue like the sky near midnight. Those eyes had been with him for over a hundred years. "Join me." he said, and she nodded, coming to sit at his side.
"It's been six years," Rain said softly, and he nodded. "Nearly seven."
She quietly took his aged hand into her young, soft one. "I love you, grandfather."
He smiled, ignoring how his eyes stung. "And I love you."
/
Thorin lived well on to see his great grandchildren, and on the twenty seventh of November in the year 3086, he joined his one at the home of Mahal.
Frerin did not cry, although he wanted to. He knew that his father was happier now, being no longer alone, he knew that Thorin had wanted this for many years. And so a great feast was held, kin, friends and people from all corners of middle earth came to remember the king under the mountain. Peace was spreading throughout the lands, and it was the first of many gatherings of folk of all races.
Tales would be told for many years to come about the king and his mountain, about his commoner wife and adventure with a company of twelve other dwarves, a hobbit, and a wizard. But no one would remember it quite like they did.
And perhaps that was alright.
/
Feels!
I was originally gonna keep Fili and Kili dead, but then I was like… NOPE SO NOT OKAY WITH ANY MORE EMOTIONS.
Tell me what you think! I thought they deserved a decent amount of fluff after all of the crud they've been through. I think this might be my last addition to this story! D:
Thanks for reading everyone; I really hope that you enjoyed it. If there's anything else you want me to put in I'd be glad to do it. Again, thanks for reading. I hope this alternate ending helped with some of the feels.
Stay awesome!
-Infinityscripts
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