I am alive, I swear! I'm sorry to leave you all with that cliffhanger and then vanish like that. I just started back at college and whew, between what happened today in DC and school...crazy. But I am here with another chapter to brighten your spirits.
Love Mels xoxo
Adaira's POV
I ran through the tent city, not caring that I looked half mad as I pushed past people my skirts hiked up and my hand holding onto my crown as I ran. I heard the others shouting to me as I ran and noticed a few Dwarves bowing to me lowly as they noticed me, ducking out of my way, but I was too concerned with getting to Thorin to really care like I usually would or to notice my husband, Balin, and Oin tearing after me.
By now, I knew my way around the tent city well enough that I was able to follow the familiar path to the Healing Tent that had been set up for my family. I slowed slightly as I reached the tent and I put a hand over my chest as I tried to catch my breath and that was when I heard Thorin's voice, the best sound that I had heard in days. While it wasn't funny a smile was brought to my face as I heard Thorin arguing with Rînor.
"I must insist that you return to your bed," I heard Rînor say, sounding a bit exasperated and no doubt he was trying to convince Thorin who was being a less than ideal patient.
"And again I will tell you, Elf," Thorin said, almost spitting the word Elf and I knew that was my cue to enter the tent and I did so, pushing aside the tent flaps and striding inside the tent. "That I shall not rest until I know of the condition of my nephews and niece," Thorin finished as I laid eyes on him.
He was standing on his own two feet, looking slightly pained, but his color was good. He was managing to stand toe to toe with Rînor in the middle of the tent, the Elf blocking his path and trying to herd my Uncle back towards his vacated bed. Tauriel who was sitting beside Kili was staring at my Uncle with wide eyes, and I figured it wasn't good for her recovery either to have Thorin fighting with Rînor who was only trying to do his job.
"Adad," I said in a firm and even tone and Thorin stopped in his attempt to get past Rînor, Rînor turning to look over his shoulder at me, the Elf sighing in relief as he saw me, no doubt thanking the Valar that I had come to deal with Thorin for him.
Thorin looked at me, our eyes meeting and I hesitated for only a moment before quickly crossing the distance to him. I started to go to hug him, but stopped myself as I remembered his injury. Thorin made the decision for me then as he pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly to him. I laid my head onto his chest and sighed out a breath of relief as I heard my husband, Balin and Oin enter the tent behind us, having finally caught up to me.
"Mizimith," Thorin breathed out as he hugged me. "Thank Mahal," He added before he pulled back from our embrace and began to frantically look me over for signs of injury. "Were you injured? Are you…?" Thorin asked me and I reached up and quickly stilled his hands, trying to get him to calm down and ease the look of fear on his face.
"I'm alright," I assured my Uncle quickly and he sighed in relief. "Nothing more than a scratch and some bruises that will fade in a few days," I added and Thorin nodded before pulling me to him once more and he kissed my forehead before gently pressing his forehead to mine. Something else came to his mind then and he pulled back from me again.
"Azog?" Thorin demanded, a fire in his eyes and I grimaced slightly.
"Dead," I told my Uncle firmly and with hate in my voice for the Orc. "I told him I owed him," I reminded my Uncle and Thorin chuckled at my words as he remembered the vow I told him I had shouted to the Orc many months ago when we had first met. "I'm only sorry the honor could not have been yours," I told my Uncle and he shook his head as he looked down at me.
"Azog dishonored you the most, mizimith. You showed him that the Line of Durin was strong, strong enough to defeat him and his armies. I'm glad it was you who slew the snake," Thorin told me before he shut his eyes tightly, his jaw clenched as he held back a pain filled grunt.
"Adad, you shouldn't be out of bed yet," I chastised my Uncle and when I looked down I noticed that there was a spot of blood on his tunic. I reached for the hem of it and pulled it up, exposing Thorin's bandages which were stained with blood and I shook my head. "You need to sit down, your stitches are pulling," I told my Uncle who tried to wave me off and I smacked his hands away and when he looked at me again my eyes were blazing with a glare. I grabbed Thorin firmly by the arm and led him back towards his bed, not letting him protest this time.
Whether he really was in that much pain or just didn't want to fight me, Thorin allowed me to lead him back to his bed and after he sat down on the edge of it, I helped him to settle against the pillow before I grabbed his feet and gently lifted them, easing him back into bed. Thorin bit back a groan, a hand pressed over his midsection and injury and I slapped his hand away from it, lifting his hand and his tunic and peeling away his bandages so I could take a look at his stitches. They were all still intact, but a few of them were stretched and where they were they were oozing blood.
"Gravity is not your friend right now," I commented as I moved about beside Thorin's bed, getting a new roll of bandages and discarding his soiled ones, a task I had undertaken in helping Rînor with the last few days so it was nothing new to me.
"Gravity?" Thorin asked me as I unrolled the bandages and began trying to rewrap his midsection, Thorin aiding me by sitting up to make it easier for me to wrap them around him.
"That would take far too long to explain," I told my Uncle who only lifted his brow slightly at me as I finished. I helped him to lie back down and he grumbled at being back in bed once more, but stayed where I put him. "Rînor?" I asked as I turned away from my Uncle and I looked around the tent, spotting the Elf beside Kili, tending to his wound and Rînor looked up from his work and raised an eyebrow at me sassily, the two of us having formed a bond over the last few days.
"When was the last time you gave Thorin some willow bark tea?" I asked the Elf who frowned thoughtfully before answering me.
"Not since the early hours of the morning before I deemed his injuries healed enough to awaken him," Rînor told me and I nodded as I walked over to the thermos like flask that the Elves had to pour some tea for Thorin.
"I don't need any…," Thorin began and I glared at him over my shoulder and he fell silent. I carried the cup over to him and stared down at him as I passed it to him.
"You do need this. There's no reason to be in pain when we have medicine to help with that," I told my stubborn Uncle. "Drink it," I told him firmly and Thorin rolled his eyes before he began to drink the bitter brew. He made a face at the taste, but continued drinking and he seemed to think when I had looked away to collect a few things that I had seen Rînor was going to need that he could try and get rid of the rest of it by dumping it over the side of the bed. "All of it!" I shouted across the tent without even looking at my Uncle and I heard Balin, Oin, and my husband chuckle as Thorin swore at my demand.
I walked over to Tauriel who was more responsive to others now and I grabbed a comb and quickly undid her braids before combing out her hair. I gently got all of the tangles and then I rebraided her hair and squeezed her shoulders gently. As I went to walk away from her, Tauriel caught my hand with one of her own and looked up at me and she squeezed my hand before letting it fall from hers, her eyes returning to Kili. I smiled down at Tauriel, happy that she had shown me that little gesture. It meant she was recovering from whatever ailed her.
Gandalf had come to see Tauriel when Rînor had requested it of the wizard, the Elf unsure of what was ailing Tauriel. There had never been in recent years a relationship quite like Kili and Tauriel's. Certainly there had been relationships of Elves with mortals, but there was no indication in any records that an Elf had ever fallen in love with a Dwarf before. Gandalf was of the opinion that somehow when Kili was dying, Tauriel's Fae had joined with Kili's soul.
It had been explained to me that Elves believed the very act of coupling to be considered their form of marriage as this was when two Elves' Faes were joined forever as One. Kili was not an Elf and did not possess a Fae in the same way Tauriel did, so it was unknown what would happen should they...couple, but Kili was the other half of Tauriel's Fae and Tauriel was Kili's One. It had to be believed that they were made to be compatible by their Makers.
Gandalf believed therefore that Tauriel's Fae could join with Kili's soul as if it was his Fae and thus, when it had happened, the overwhelming shock of both his injury and his being near death had sent Tauriel into a state of shock. That coupled with the fact that the bond was so new between them and Tauriel could be experiencing Kili's thoughts and even his emotions was overwhelming even for me and I wasn't experiencing it. I could only imagine what she was going through and thus I couldn't fault her for closing in on herself.
Rînor had told me that Tauriel's only close friend amongst those from the Woodland Realm had been Prince Legolas. I had asked after his whereabouts and had been told that he had left and was not expected back at all. Lyssaria had tried to speak with Tauriel, but Tauriel did not seem very interested in speaking to my cousin which was understandable as she hardly knew her. With Tauriel banished from the Woodland Realm I didn't know what more I could do for her than what I was doing.
Obviously having Kili awake would probably help, but he would be in too much pain if he was allowed to be conscious now so we had to keep him under the enchanted sleep until Rînor thought that his injury was healed enough that he was both out of the woods in terms of possible getting an infections and could withstand the pain from his injury. Which led me back to Thorin. I walked back over to my Uncle and looked down into his cup which was empty and then I looked over at my husband.
"Did he drink it all?" I asked my husband, wanting to make sure that he hadn't dumped it while my back had been turned.
"Aye," Dwalin grunted and I nodded before setting the empty cup on the small table beside Thorin's bed as my Uncle scowled at me.
"If you keep looking at me like that, your face will stay like that," I quipped to my Uncle with a slight sniff of indifference and Thorin huffed slightly. "I'm just trying to help you," I reminded my Uncle who stopped looking like a petulant child as he uncrossed his arms from over his chest.
"I know," My Uncle said stiffly before he looked over my shoulder towards Fili's bed. "Fili? Kili?" Thorin asked me, remembering the other half of his earlier reason for being out of bed before I had cajoled him back into it and he began to try and swing his legs towards the side of the bed. I put a hand on his chest and pressed down on it firmly giving him a "don't you dare" sort of glare and he seemed to get the memo and stayed put in the bed
"Alive, both of them," I answered Thorin, starting with that before he decided to try to spring from the bed again. "Fili... we won't know more about his condition until he awakes. His injury was shallow, but the location of it...," I explained to my Uncle, trailing off as I wasn't sure how to tell him just yet about what I suspected about Fili.
"Kili's injury is deep. We were unsure how it would heal several days ago. There was a lot of dead flesh around it, but I've been working with Rînor and it looks more promising now that we've managed to remove all of the necrotic flesh from around his injury," I told my Uncle, frowning slightly as I thought about Kili's injury.
"What do you mean about not knowing about Fili's condition until he awakes?" Thorin asked me as soon as I was finished speaking and I closed my eyes, sighing deeply.
"Here, amrâlimê," Dwalin said then and I looked over at him and saw him carrying a chair. He gestured with his head for me to move and I slipped out of his way for him so he could put the chair down beside Thorin's bed. He pulled it out for me and I kissed his cheek as I took a seat, glad that I would be seated as I tried to explain this to my Uncle.
"There's…," I began, stopping myself as I tried to find the right words. "He was stabbed directly over his spinal cord," I told Thorin and like I expected, Thorin frowned at me in confusion. "In your back, there's a thing called a spinal cord. It allows the body and the brain to communicate with one another. If you want to move your leg your brain sends signals down your spinal cord and then exchanges information with other parts of your body and hey presto, you move your leg," I explained, remembering my lessons when I was learning how to be a doctor and Thorin frowned even more deeply in confusion, the concept foreign to him. "Basically, if your spinal cord is severed, there's no amount of magic that can fix it. Fili could be paralyzed," I told my Uncle, finally admitting the truth aloud for the first time.
"When he wakes up I can test if he can move on his own, but until then we can only hope and pray," I told my Uncle who had been stunned into silence, looking pale and I reached over and grabbed onto one of his hands and squeezed it tightly in my own. "It's not your fault, adad," I told Thorin firmly and Thorin's gaze slowly slid to mine. "It's not," I told him, shaking my head, knowing that Thorin most likely was blaming himself.
"There was no way you could have known what would happen. I know you blame yourself because you sent them after Azog, but that doesn't make it your fault. Fili could have just as easily been injured at any other point in the battle," I told Thorin who wore an expression of guilt. "This isn't a death sentence. I know that it sounds like it, but in the world I grew up in, there are many people who are paralyzed who have done amazing things. Fili's life isn't over if he is," I told my Uncle and he looked confused when I said this.
"What life could he have if he is paralyzed besides the life of a cripple bound to a bed?" Thorin asked me and I realized just how in the dark ages Middle Earth was then and I shook my head sighing out a deep breath.
"A good life," I told Thorin immediately. "There's things called wheelchairs. I know generally how to build one. He wouldn't be bound to a bed. He'd be able to go anywhere he wanted to on his own. It would take getting used to but he'd be alive and that something at least," I told my Uncle who looked thoughtful at my words. "We don't even know yet if he is paralyzed or not. It's best not to worry too much yet. There's still hope," I reminded my Uncle and he nodded before reaching up to rub his chin.
"What else have I missed?" Thorin asked me, looking back to me and I tilted my head back and forth as I tried to figure out where to begin. I decided to start with what I knew which was what I had been told as soon as I had awoken myself.
"Dain was in command for the first few days after the battle," I began and Thorin frowned in confusion and I made a face as I realized I would have to explain why this was. "I...collapsed out of exhaustion while we were trying to bring you, Fili, and Kili down from Ravenhill," I confessed to my Uncle who as I already had expected, immediately freaked out at my confession.
"You collapsed!?" Thorin exclaimed, his eyes wide and I quickly held both my hands up, trying to calm him before he gave himself an aneurysm.
"I'm fine!" I reminded my Uncle quickly. "I promise," I added when he clenched his jaw tightly and I smiled brightly. " Actually, I'm more than fine," I told Thorin and I put a hand over my small bump. "Ugmil'adad," I said waiting for the penny to fall and I watched Thorin's face as he frowned in confusion.
"Ugmil'adad?" Thorin asked me and I smiled wider and nodded at my Uncle.
"I'm pregnant," I told Thorin, wanting to share the good news with him as it was the only good news I had to offer.
"You're what!? Thorin shouted, working himself up again as he stared at me before he looked to Dwalin as if for confirmation and I saw my husband nod out of the corner of my eye.
"Calm down!" I told Thorin, reaching out and putting a hand on his arm. "Dwalin's already chastised me, but as I've told him, Mahal told me that I had to be there when you entered Erebor and I was chosen by our Maker to decide the fate of Durin's line," I reminded Thorin, knowing that like my husband he was remembering everything that we had just done given the expression on his face.
"I saw your deaths. I was shown how you, Fili, and Kili would die by Lady Galadriel when we were at Rivendell. I had to be there on Ravenhill. That was my decision, not anyone else's," I explained to my Uncle, wanting him to understand that I didn't feel forced by him or anyone else to make the choices I did.
"I wasn't completely sure I was pregnant as there's no way to test it here like there is on Hegg, but I was working under that assumption. I knew you all would force me to stay behind in Laketown if you knew so I didn't say anything. I didn't know myself until the night before we left Laketown and that is only because Bard pointed it out to me. Oin has checked me over and confirmed it and both me and the baby are healthy and happy so there's no need to freak out," I assured my Uncle who still looked worried but had calmed down and didn't look as stricken. He looked over to Oin who was consulting with Rînor and the older Dwarf nodded in the affirmative that what I said was true.
"I'm overjoyed for you and Dwalin," Thorin said after a few moments of him trying to gather his thoughts. "Mahal has truly blessed you both," He added and I smiled at him and nodded.
"Mahal has blessed us all," I told my Uncle, silently thinking that Mahal could bless me a little less as doing the duties assigned to you by your Maker were a bit tiring. "Speaking of blessings," I said and I reached up and took the crown off my head, relieved as the weight of the crown was finally taken off my shoulders. "I believe this is yours," I told my Uncle as I put the crown on his bed and Thorin frowned slightly, looking confused. "I've been Queen since I awoke. I have no clue what I'm doing adad," I confessed to my Uncle, groaning as I dropped my head onto the edge of his bed.
"She has been doing an exceptional job actually,Thorin" Balin cut into the conversation then and I turned my head on the bed and looked at Balin, rolling my eyes slightly.
"I've been skating by the skin of my teeth," I mumbled and Balin shook his head.
"You've already won the confidence and respect of Dain's men, lass. That's no easy task," Balin told me and I lifted my head from Thorin's bed and sat back in my seat. "Dain thinks highly of her as well. She's personally seen to the injured and the dead. I'd wager Dain would back her in any fight," Balin said as he looked to my Uncle who was rubbing his chin, looking slightly impressed and then he looked down at me, pride in his eyes.
"I told you that you would make a good Queen mizimith. You've stepped up to lead our people in a time when no one else could. Being a leader is not always about knowing what to do. It is about making the best decision for your people even if that decision is a difficult one," Thorin told me, reaching out and putting a hand over mine, squeezing it tightly.
"Our dead, what is being done for them?" Thorin asked, looking to me rather than at Balin and I realized he was speaking to me as a leader, not as his niece and I straightened up in my chair before answering him.
"The task of clearing the battlefield is a gruesome one and extensive. More than half of Dain's army fell in the battle. It is not an easy task we must ask of anyone to remove our dead from the battlefield, but our people deserve even in death to be treated with respect and dignity," I answered Thorin who nodded in agreement.
"I spoke with Dain and he agreed that the task of clearing the battlefield should be on a voluntary basis. Not everyone can handle such a task no matter how strong they are. At present we are not even a fourth of a way through clearing the battlefield of our dead. The bodies of our fallen are being taken to a location closer to Erebor. I have told Dain and I think you shall agree that our fallen all deserve every honor we can bestow upon them. I've already told Dain they will be returned to stone within Erebor," I told Thorin, hoping that I had not overstepped my boundaries whilst I was ruling in his place.
"You have spoken true, mizimith. This is the highest honor we can bestow upon them and it is rightly deserved. I am glad you told Dain of this offer in my place," Thorin told me and I sighed slightly in relief that I had done things correctly. "Our injured, how do they fair?" Thorin inquired next and I frowned slightly at his question as I thought of those I had visited in the healing tents.
"Some fair better than others. Then there are those who nothing can be done for. I've sat with many of them. King Thranduil has graciously provided many healers to us. Dain accepted his aid because without it we'd…," I said and I shook my head and looked over my shoulder at Kili who Rînor had finished seeing to, the Elf sitting in a chair by his bed, reading a book. When I looked back at my Uncle his jaw was clenched and he looked annoyed at my mention of King Thranduil.
"Many of Dain's men would have died without aid from King Thranduil's healers and I am inclined to believe that so would Fili, Kili, and possibly yourself," I finished quickly, trying to get my Uncle to understand that despite his personal feelings for King Thranduil, not every Elf was like him and King Thranduil was trying to help. Thorin's gaze had landed on Rînor, his jaw still tight and I bit my lip before plowing ahead.
"Adad," I said, and Thorin snapped his attention back to me. "Rînor has done everything he can for Fili and Kili. He's worked night and day to keep them comfortable and has done everything he can to aid in their healing. He's healed you as well and me. I know how you feel about King Thranduil and I know after everything it's difficult to try and figure out what to do next," I told my Uncle, putting a hand over his.
"You...you weren't there when I had to try and negotiate peace with King Thranduil and King Bard before the battle started," I said and Thorin frowned deeply. I felt horrible for having to bring up his gold sickness, but there were certain things we needed to discuss. "King Thranduil and King Bard were both open to negotiations and I am of the mindset that we need to put the past in the past and try and work through the old feud between our people. We've suffered heavy losses. All three of our Kingdom's have. Erebor must prosper, for our peoples' sake and in order to do that we need to have an alliance with the other two Northern Kingdoms," I told my Uncle as I tried to think over it all in my mind and explain it to him as I was starting to believe it to be the truth.
"Thranduil…," Thorin began and I cut him off before he could start.
"Is difficult. He's lived an awfully long while and he's used to getting his way. However, he has a point. Great grandfather did promise him the Gems of Lasgalen and then in a rather dick move kept them and threw it in Thranduil's face. Those gems as it turns out were Thranduil's wife's and he wanted them because she died and it is all he has left of her. Thranduil has a right to them. They were never ours to begin with and I already promised him that he could have them and I will keep my word, he will be getting them back," I told my Uncle who looked slightly surprised that I was taking charge of the situation. In all honesty I was slightly surprised of myself.
"As for Bard, I promised him what we owed him. Gold to help him rebuild his people's lives and aid in the form of Dwarven craftsmen to help him in rebuilding a town so that his people might once more have a place to call their own. It's not even near close enough to what we owe him and his people. We destroyed their town and their lives. So many people died because we woke Smaug. Regardless of what you might think, adad, I will keep my word to Bard even if I have to rebuild their town brick by brick myself," I told my Uncle and then I rose from my chair and shook my head as I crossed my arms over my chest.
"I'm tired of the fighting. Look what it's brought us. Death and ruin. I don't want that for our people. The true enemy is not Thranduil; it's the darkness we've already faced," I told Thorin, pointing towards the distance as I looked to my Uncle who was watching me with a thoughtful expression on his face. "The enemy is out there. Orcs and Wargs who only seek to destroy everything in their paths, who corrupt everything they touch," I said bitterly, a bad taste in my mouth.
"We need to be stronger than them. To help one another. To love our neighbor as we love ourselves. That means extending the olive branch to Thranduil and Bard, trying to form an alliance. If Thranduil wants to act like a two year old let it reflect badly upon him, but let him also remember that we tried to garner peace," I told my Uncle, talking with my hands as I spoke. "That is how you will not be like Thror," I added and Thorin started at that as I mentioned my great grandfather.
I knew that while he had been taken by the gold sickness he kept trying to say that he was not like his grandfather. I knew too that despite him now being cured of the madness, there was probably a part of him that still feared he would slip back into it. I knew that was unlikely. Thorin was strong and I was sure that with the Arkenstone destroyed, the "madness" of Durin's line was no more. Still, if Thorin wanted to be a different king than Thror was he needed to actively try to work on peace not just within our kingdom, but with other kingdoms as well.
A long moment of silence fell over the tent and all eyes were on Thorin and I. Thorin looked thoughtful and he rubbed his chin several times as I bit my lip, hoping that I hadn't over stepped some boundary. Finally Thorin looked up at me and nodded, not looking angry, just resigned almost.
"I will...think on it," Thorin told me and I nodded in understanding, knowing that I had given him quite a bit to think about. "You shall keep your word to Thranduil and Bard. It would not do to appear dishonest should we wish to have any further dealings with them," Thorin said and I nodded again.
"You should speak with Dain, he has all the information about what is going on in the camp. That is, if you feel up to it," I told my Uncle, knowing that he probably wanted to start working right away. He was the sort of person who couldn't sit still.
"Send for him. I should like to speak with my cousin," Thorin told me and I nodded and turned to go and do as I was asked.
"Don't worry yourself, lass. I'll go and find Dain," Balin told me and I turned to my brother in law who gave me a serious look which he only gave me over the last few days when he didn't want me to over do things. I sighed and rolled my eyes before nodding and Balin left to find Dain.
"Dwalin," Thorin said and my husband approached Thorin's bed, his arms still crossed over his chest. He uncrossed them and stared down at Thorin before shaking his head.
"Finally awake, yah lazy lump," My husband said, a smirk on his face and Thorin raised his eyebrow.
"Who are you calling a lazy lump?" Thorin demanded of my husband and Dwalin only smirked wider.
"You," Dwalin quipped before he nodded down at my Uncle. "How's it feel?" Dwalin inquired in reference to my Uncle's wound.
"Like someone stuck me with a hot iron. Burns like a…," Thorin said before his eyes flicked over to me and he stopped himself before he spoke any further. "My foot is another matter," Thorin said, grimacing as he looked down at it. "I don't recall what happened," Thorin said and he looked between Dwalin and I then.
"Yah were battlin' Azog on yer own. Not doin' half bad by the looks of it either," Dwalin began and I nodded in agreement.
"Actually, you tricked him and he fell under the ice. I heard you shout and that's when I turned away from the Orc I was fighting. Azog's arm blade was sticking up through the ice and through your foot and then he just burst through the ice like a daisy. He had you pinned down on the ice. You managed to block him with Orcrist, but he had the upper hand and was using his weight to push his arm blade closer and closer to your chest," I said as I crossed my arms over my chest, hugging myself slightly.
"When I saw your death, I saw you willingly let Azog stab you just so you could run Orcrist through him," I said and I saw Thorin's eyes widen in surprise as I no doubt revealed exactly what he had been thinking as he remembered that moment on the ice. "I couldn't let that happen. I was too far away from you though and I knew I couldn't make it there in time," I said and that was when Dwalin cut in again.
"I'm fightin' an Orc and here my wife tells me to toss her," Dwalin said, not sounding happy as he recalled the memory and I grimaced slightly and sent my husband an apologetic look.
"To toss you?" Thorin asked me and I nodded, biting my lip slightly.
"It was the only thing that came to mind," I told him with a shrug. "It worked though. Dwalin tossed me and I sort of flew at you and Azog. Sent my dagger deep into Azog's skull and he went flying away from you just as his blade pierced your stomach. If I hadn't he'd have…," I said, unable to finish my sentence and Thorin sent me a comforting look.
"I'm alive because of you mizimith. Your bravery is to be commended," Thorin told me and I turned slightly pink at the compliment.
"I...it was nothing," I said and Dwalin walked over to me and put his hands on my shoulders.
"Yah can take the compliment, amrâlimê," Dwalin told me and I sighed slightly and grumbled before nodding and Dwalin leaned in and pressed his forehead to mine.
Dain and Balin reentered the tent then and Dain let out a booming cheer as he saw Thorin awake and he approached Thorin's bed, Dwalin and I moving out of his way. Dain leaned down to clap Thorin on the back before Dain stood back and looked down at Thorin, a large grin on his face.
"Ah, it's good tah see yah awake at last Thorin," Dain said and Thorin grinned up at his cousin.
"It's good to finally be awake. I only wish I could finally get off my backside," Thorin complained and Dain chuckled at that.
"You'll be glad to be on yer backside soon enough with all the work that has to be done," Dain told Thorin as he took a seat in my vacated chair beside Thorin's bedside. "It's bad Thorin, that's the truth of it," He said his smile falling from his face and Thorin fell sober as well.
"Adaira was telling me some of it. My condolences to you. Your men fought bravely," Thorin told Dain and Dain nodded, looking grave.
"Aye, we thrashed them good," Dain told Thorin, a little smile crossing his face once more. I looked up at my husband and gestured with my head towards the tent entrance, signalling to him that we should go and give Thorin and Dain privacy to talk alone. Dwalin nodded and he and I headed for the tent entrance and that was when Thorin interrupted Dain who had just started explaining things to Thorin.
"Mizimith," Thorin said and I turned back, looking over my shoulder at my Uncle. "I wish for you to stay. This concerns you," Thorin said and I opened and closed my mouth before nodding and I looked up at my husband who only pushed my slightly towards Thorin and Dain.
I walked over to my Uncle's bed and Balin carried another chair over to Thorin's bedside for me and placed it on the other side of his bed. I sat down and took my place and Thorin resumed his conversation with Dain, including me and asking me questions often. It was strange to make decisions and be included in conversations like this, but then I remembered that I was Thorin's heir and this was what was expected of me.
I was the Princess of Erebor and this was my new role, to help Thorin and our people. Our Quest was over, Erebor was ours and now the true challenge began. Restoring Erebor to its former glory and creating a home for our people that would provide stability and my role was to be a public figure. To be someone they could look to and trust would have their best interest at heart. I wasn't used to being in the spotlight, but now everything was changing. Everything before us was unknown. The only thing that wasn't was the love I shared for Dwalin and he for me and the love I had for my family. As long as I had that, I could get through anything that was thrown my way.
Khuzdul:
Adad- Father
Mizimith-Little jewel
Amrâlimê- My love
Ugmil'adad- Grandfather
