Evie awoke to a clear, calm morning. A pale strip of light peeked through the curtains in the window, making the air sprites below twirl and dance atop the marble floor. The hobbit let out a long breath, feeling as though she had just woken from a deeper sleep than she had enjoyed in much time. She turned carefully over to look at her husband, relieved to feel his weight still beside her in the bed. His face was pressed wearily into the pillow, his jaw slack and his expression, mercifully, demonstrating the peacefulness of his sleep. Dark hair spread wildly from the crown of his head, and Evie smoothed it away from his face, allowing her fingers to sink into the course threads and continue their tender dalliance back to his tranquil features. She leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead, savoring the rich smell of him and the comfort his closeness brought her. It sometimes seemed like such a small thing, to share a quiet moment with another person, to feel connected with another soul so deeply the very thought of losing them made your bones ache in fear... He was everything to her – the moon, the stars, the sun, the clouds... He was the green bed of grass she used to tumble into as a child, relaxing as the soft blades tickled her cheeks. He was the brook which passed by Tookbank, powerful but soothing, and always pushing onward toward some ultimate, inscrutable goal. He was comfort, he was solace; he was the velvet night sky which held the promise of a thousand tomorrows, of just as many happy moments as there were stars in the endless expanse above. He was everything she ever needed, and Evie was saddened to admit to herself that she did not always cherish him the way she should.

She felt sick when she thought of the night before, of the last time she had closed her eyes and the terrible nightmare which haunted her.

"I am so sorry to leave you…"

It had felt so incredibly, piercingly real. And yet it had only been a dream. Just a dream. For once her reality was so much more precious than any vision could be. She felt her love for her husband swelling in her chest as she curled herself into Thorin's embrace, bringing his arm carefully around her and kissing his knuckles. He shifted against her, making a soft sound into her curls as his body relaxed. Evie closed her eyes, drinking in the moment and committing it to memory – it was not often they had these quiet, perfect pauses together. In fact, most mornings when she woke up he had already left her side to attend to other business. The hobbit woke early but her husband rose even earlier, never content to be anything less than one step ahead all those who served him, to make their lives all the easier and to better rule the growing settlement.

But this morning he remained with her in spite of the rising sun, and she was grateful for it. He could rest just a little longer, her assiduous, tireless king, and no one would fault him. Who knew what this new day would bring, but to savor the warm light streaming through the window, the first light they had seen in days, was a true gift – and Evie had learned to be extremely thankful for each little gift life gave her.

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"Thorin!"

The king was nearly bowled over by a large blur – it was only after she had found a steady anchor with her arms around his neck that the dwarf stopped moving long enough for Evie to recognize her (although who else could it possibly be but Dis?). Tears streamed from her eyes like twin rivers as she sobbed into his shoulder. Thorin bent forward toward her, obedient to her embrace, and his sister's boots fell flat upon the stone once more.

"I knew you would be alright, I just knew it!"

She cried, sniffling into the thin strip of fur lining his surcoat. Evie smiled, trying not to laugh as a very haggard Fildur entered the hallway, looking perpetually thirty seconds behind his pregnant wife and desperately trying to make up the difference. He sighed, hanging back next to Evie.

As Dis continued fawning over her brother, thanking Durin his life had been spared and telling him all about how absolutely sure she was that he would live despite the fact that she was openly weeping, her husband turned to Evie, shaking his head.

"She's impossible. I thought she was supposed to get tired, being with child. But by my beard she has twice the energy she's ever had, and I could barely keep up with her then."

He confessed, lilting like a kite after a passing gust of wind. The dwarf leaned against the smooth stone wall, taking a shallow breath.

"I can't tell you how relieved I am to see him…" Fildur said softly, his eyes going far away for a moment as he looked back at Dis and Thorin. Evie placed a hand on his arm, offering up a weak smile even though his gaze was directed elsewhere. "Even if I near lost my breath chasing her here to be the first to greet him at breakfast."

Evangeline welcomed the opportunity to smile at the lighthearted addition, her own silver eyes drifting back to her husband and his sister. The king looked well (or as well as one could expect from someone trapped underground without food or water for days); he was a little weak on his feet and his arm was bandaged in a sling, but otherwise he seemed every inch the strong, unfaltering ruler he proposed to be. He had fought her on the sling, but Evie had insisted. If anything, it would show his commitment to his people, and not his weakness. Besides, she had threatened him with a sleeping drought if he refused to take her advice; as his wife and healer she was under obligation to make him well again and if it meant knocking him out until he had rested and come to his senses, then she was honor bound to do so. That had turned things around somewhat, and although he had very nearly called her bluff, in the end the king had submitted to the obstinate hobbit and let her sling his injured arm.

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They all ate sparingly at breakfast after the harrowing events of the previous days, for despite Thorin's great hunger after not having eaten in so long, he knew that if he filled his belly he would regret it later as his stomach would not abide by such a sudden bounty. Evie picked at her food, more concerned with watching over her struggling husband than she was with eating her own meal (which may have been the definite proof that she had been away from the Shire too long – certainly no respectable hobbit would miss breakfast).

Dis was the only one who filled her plate, and Fildur's eyes looked almost as big as the round seed cakes she had piled up on top of fruit and porridge and sausages and toast. Evie envied her, even in her growing rotundity. She wondered if the baby she was feeding all those tasty morsels to would be Durin's heir. Thorin's heir. The blonde hoped so, she truly did, and yet the pang of jealousy which stung her heart warned her against straying too long in such thoughts. It was not her place to wonder such things – Thorin Oakenshield was alive and he was hers and it was all she could have possibly asked for. To want more was to tempt fate itself, and perhaps that was the root of the threatening visitation she had received. All her youthful dreams had come true, and to want for more than this was to sour her own happy ending. Yes, that was it, and she must come to peace with it.

Thorin's hand found hers where it rested on the table and a sweet smile fell on the hobbit's pink lips. What more could she ask for, than this? A simple touch which made her feel like a candle had been lit in her soul, banishing the darkness which threatened to dwell there. The king lifted her hand to his lips, which lingered on her soft skin for a moment. She longed to give him a child; it was a deep, yearning ache in the very core of her womanhood, and to fight that physical need was like swimming against the current. Yet she must, for his sake and her own. There were things in life they had absolutely no control over, like whether or not she was barren or whether or not it would rain. Her womb may be as empty as the broken land of Eriador, and yet who knew what a bit of rain might do. So that was what she wished for, beyond all hope. Evie wished desperately, wildly, urgently for rain.

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Before breakfast had ended, Evie excused herself for a moment and slipped down the hall toward the council room, where she was sure to find Thorin's advisers collecting for the day's undertakings. As if he knew she was coming to visit him, Belinir stepped out into the corridor just as the queen turned the corner.

"Master Belinir, I have a favor to ask of you…"

Evie approached the other dwarf slowly, her eyes scanning the hall to make certain they were alone. The elder came forward, his feet scuffing along on the stone as he inched toward her. He had begun using a cane to help steady himself, and so for every two shuffling thumps there was the quick crack of the wooden stick smacking the floor.

"First, I would thank you for your deeds while Thorin and I were in the tunnels… You did us an exceptional service, and I cannot express my gratitude with mere words."

The white haired dwarf nodded, his cheeks flushing behind the age-spots which dotted his skin.

"I am here to serve you and the king. Your praise is all the thanks I deserve."

He told her, and Evie bowed her head with humility. To imagine that this was the very same dwarf who had tried to have her sent away from Ered Luin upon her first arrival, who had fought against her marriage… It was incredible to see how the years had softened him, removing the hard lines from his face and turning them to wrinkles, which, if looked at in the right light, could have just as likely been from a lifetime of smiles rather than grimaces. She knew which described his difficult life best, yet she supposed it was never too late to begin to etch a few new smile lines in one's face, slowly but surely.

Whatever the reason, the old dwarf was kinder to Evie now than he had ever been. His prickles had snapped off as the years went by and he had become accustomed to her, and even, she liked to believe, rather fond of her. He did favor her sweet cakes, at least, when no one was around to chastise her out of doing the baking herself rather than letting a cook take care of it. Evie had always thought a meal tasted better when it had been made by her own two hands, and while to taste food prepared for her by others was a lovely thing, the hobbit grew easily restless being waited on.

But Belinir was the one waiting, now, and it was for the favor she had promised to ask for. She had no doubt he had already guessed what it was the queen would request; even so, she knew she must pose the question.

"The king needs to rest in order to recover from the injuries he sustained in the tunnels." She began, simply. The twinkle in the adviser's eyes told her clearly enough that he understood her intent. "He has expressed an interest to return to where he had been trapped and to aid those brave dwarves still pushing through. While I find this to be a valiant thought, I…" She paused, meeting his gaze straight on to confirm that he appreciated the meaning behind her next words. "I fear the king might be caught up in other business with you and the council and will forget to visit the tunnels."

Belinir smiled at her, winking in such a practiced way the hobbit wondered if it was a trait all great advisers must learn while earning their position. "I am so sorry, my lady. The king has much to attend to – he will certainly be occupied all day with important business. I doubt he will be left with much time to go down into the tunnels. Ruling a settlement as big as this one, as I'm sure you know, can leave one quite exhausted… And perhaps his assistance may be needed in caring for the Lady Dis this evening…"

Evie grinned, nodding.

"She may need someone to sit quietly with her as she falls asleep."

The hobbit supplied, catching on quickly. Unless Thorin's will was truly beyond their determination to care for him and see him return to full health, she doubted their little plan would fail. She thanked the loyal adviser, moving on to business of her own. Thorin would surely be engaged for the rest of the day, and, with any luck and the work of creative minds, most of the next week.

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To the great fortune of the dwarves, it only took three days until their king needn't worry about the tunnels any longer. He had received a message while at council (which had become even more tedious than before but which Belinir would staunchly refuse his absence from), just after the sun had risen to its summit, and within an hour a large host had collected in the great hall.

Thorin stood before them, seeming more proud than he had in months and holding a goblet. He smiled, a true smile, and a hush fell over the crowd.

"I have good tidings for you. For you who are starving, who are thirsty… Your suffering may be lessened after today. Pithnir did not die in vain, nor did the toil of our people go unrewarded. We have found a pool of water in the depths of the mountain, just beyond where the tunnels caved in only a few days past. It is not enough to lose our caution, but we may hope that it will help us survive this terrible drought and continue to endure, just as we always have."

The king raised his goblet toward the vaulted ceiling, his head held high.

"The first cups of this new font will go to Gwanin and Nanir, and then we shall draw up a well from which everyone can come and drink. It may seem impossible to fight a foe such as this, a curse of nature. Yet Durin's Folk will prevail even upon the elements!"

A great cry rose from the crowd until the fiery sound of Khuzdul echoed through the halls and made the very stone tremble. Perhaps it was loud enough for even the clouds to hear and obey. It was a fiercely guarded hope that these folk harbored, and they would not let it go easily. The dwarves of Ered Luin, of Erebor, truly, were made all of hard, unyielding rock, and refused to falter. They would prevail, indeed, and with Thorin Oakenshield leading them ever onward.

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Author's Note: It has been exactly two years since I published the first chapter of this story here. How crazy is that!? In ways it seems like it was only a few days ago that I began this journey, and in others it feels like it has been so much longer than two years. But it has been two, and I aspire to have it completed by the end of 2015, if time and creativity permit.

In honor of this little ficaversary, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has read this story, and to those who have encouraged me in ways you may or may not know. I am inspired to write because of the material but also because I feel a responsibility to continue updating it here. If I'm tired or in a block, I remember all of you wonderful, fabulous people and that if even a few of you are interested in reading new material, I owe it to you to press on and keep writing. That has been a huge help to me during times that my life has been busy or I feel overwhelmed. This story has been a great gift to me, and so have all of you.

I take a look at the numbers on here fairly often, and I can't express how much every single follow or favorite means to me. I notice, and I am grateful. I find it very hard to believe that there are truly over 400 people following along with this story, but if even a fraction of that number is reading, I am incredibly humbled by your interest in what began as something purely for my own enjoyment. But my little hobbit's tale turned out to be a lot bigger than I expected, and I am so glad I decided to share it with you, something I've never done before with another piece of writing. So thank you for reading, thank you so very much, and please never hesitate to reach out to me with feedback, good or bad. Your thoughts and encouragement affect me more than you can know. For those of you who have left me comments, I am so greatly indebted to you. I won't lie and pretend I don't often check to see who responded and what they said – I probably hang on your words much more than you do mine. For those of you who have been around since the early days and have faithfully commented on so many of my chapters… Words cannot express how much I appreciate you and how happy it has made me to go on this journey with you.

Finally, just for fun and curiosity, I wanted to ask you all a question. What is your favorite moment so far in the story? Is there a particular scene, line, or even chapter that stands out to you or which touched you somehow? I would love to hear what you enjoyed the most!

With all the gratitude and love in the world – xxx.