Oh wow, it's the 100th chapter! Clearly I can't write short stories :D I hope you're still enjoying this LOL

Love xx

Katya


The next morning Eorwyn was woken up when a large hand grasped her shoulder and shook her. She grumbled a protest and tried to turn away - and then she remembered where she'd been sleeping. She sat up sharply, and Ein laughed.

"Morning, my lady."

She rubbed her eyes and looked around. It was still dark, but the horizon seemed to be growing paler. She could see the shapes of other Dwarves moving near the ponies.

"We let you sleep as much as we can, but it's time to jump back in the saddles," he said softly.

Eorwyn smiled at him and pushed her cover off her. She could smell coffee in the air, and then she saw Mistress Algun walk towards them with a mug in her hand.

"Morning." The needlemaster's voice was quiet. "Here's your coffee."

"Um, thank you." Eorwyn's cleared her suddenly choked throat. "And, morning."

The mug travelled into her hands, and she clasped her hands around it, enjoying the warmth.

"Another quarter of an hour, and we're setting off," the King called to them, and Eorwyn searched for him with her eyes.

He had a map spread on the pony's side, and the Captain was pointing at something on it. Eorwyn sipped her coffee. It wasn't particularly hot anymore, but it was strong and flavourful.

"Master— Lady Eorwyn," Mistress Algun said, and Eorwyn whipped her head and gawked at the Dwarf. "May we speak?"

"Oh, this is my cue to scamper," Ein said with a chuckle.

He started walking away, Eorwyn threw a helpless look after him, and then he suddenly brushed his hand to Mistress Algun's upper arm, almost in a small pat. She threw a glance after him, the meaning of which Eorwyn didn't understand.

"Lady Eorwyn," the needlemaster said after gathering lungfuls of air.

"Oh please, no 'lady,'" Eorwyn blurted out, and the needlemaster froze with her mouth half open. "Whatever happened between us, whatever you think of me, I'm… no lady." Eorwyn's voice trembled. "And we were almost friends before, and I wish—"

She bit her tongue and took another gulp of her coffee, just to do something to hide her affliction. The needlemaster frowned and slowly looked over Eorwyn's face.

"We were, weren't we?" she said slowly.

"Aye, and I felt horrible that we couldn't speak openly." Eorwyn once again couldn't seem to keep her habit of blabbering when emotional under control. She felt a painful burning heat spill on her cheeks. "So horrible..."

The Dwarven maiden's jaw set, and she looked aside.

"Could we please—" Eorwyn started, hoping to ask for an opportunity for the two of them to speak privately soon, but she was interrupted by Captain Onar's voice ordering the guards to mount their ponies.

Eorwyn tried to down her drink as quickly as possible, when Mistress Algun suddenly said, "You are a lady."

Eorwyn swallowed the coffee with difficulty.

"You're the Lady of the Mountain now, Kalmûna Ereborul," the needlemaster said.

"What does it mean?" Eorwyn whispered.

"The Crownlady of Erebor. That's your official title," Mistress Algun answered and finally looked at Eorwyn. "Since the King calls you 'raklûna,' which is a moniker for a wife, I assume it's official now, you signed the Indenture."

Eorwyn of course didn't want to lie. On the other hand, she didn't feel like admitting that her status as the King's wife rested solely on their carnal association - but then she remembered that it had been Mistress Algun's doing, that it had been for the sake of her kin that Eorwyn had been keeping her bond with the King secret and no papers were signed. And after all, what did it matter? She was his wife, and he was her husband. Eorwyn gave it a thought and simply nodded, without saying anything.

"My lady Eorwyn, I've been bestowed with the greatest honour!" Ein shouted from his pony. "You're riding with me today. We need to discuss our tactics for visiting our pointy-eared friends."

Eorwyn approached him, and he pulled her up into his saddle. She was seated behind him unlike the way she'd ridden with the King. She wrapped her arms around Ein's middle tightly, and he chuckled.

"It's a Dwarven pony, birdie. You're in no danger of it rearing up or bucking," he said.

"They know I'm scared of them," Eorwyn grumbled, and just to prove her point the pony snorted and shook its head.

"Pennybun here is as docile as they come," Ein said and patted the pony's neck. "Nothing to worry about. And if anything, I'll just throw you out of the saddle. You're as light as a silver pouch of an Elf."

Eorwyn threw the bright orange back of his head an inquisitive look.

"Are you… fond of Elves?" she asked carefully, and he barked a laugh.

"You're asking a Dwarf whether he's fond of Elves?" he drew out cheekily. "But I'd say, more than many others among my people. I'd say I have more patience for their… short-comings." He gave out a series of small chuckles, after intonating purposefully around the word 'short.'

The King rode in the head of the procession today. Eorwyn saw him spur his pony, and everyone in the company slowly started following him.

"What are their shortcomings in your opinion?" Eorwyn asked.

"There has been so much history between our races, mostly squabbles over one piece of jewellery or another, that no one remembers anymore," Ein said pensively. "But I'm no high lord, and I don't have an ancestor who'd lost in a negotiation with yet another Elven lord in Belegost, or had been disadvantaged by some Hollin Elf. I simply find them pompous, aloof, and.. somewhat pitiful."

"Pitiful?" Eorwyn exclaimed. "They are an ancient immortal race of immense strength and intelligence!"

"They are cold-blooded," Ein said with a shrug. "They might have the smarts, but they have no fire in them. Sure, it makes them strong and powerful, but where's the joy in such living? When it's all in one's head," he said and tapped his finger on his temple, "that's no merry life. There's a reason why we have other… organs," he added with a chortle.

Eorwyn gave his words a thought. To think of it, she hadn't enjoyed being around the Elves in Mirkwood when she'd been wounded in the Goblin tunnels. They'd saved and healed her, and she was grateful, but the whole time she'd stayed with them she'd longed to see the company again - and its leader most of all. Memories of saying goodbye to the Dwarves flooded her mind - and the image of the King's hand in hers was the sharpest of them all.

"I'd rather take the rashness and the obstinacy that comes with the fire of Mahal burning in my kin's hearts, if I get to enjoy the pleasures it brings," Ein continued. "And what's the fun in living forever? It sort of takes the excitement out of things, don't you think? The ale would surely taste stale after five hundred years of drinking it. And imagine loving the same person for eternity!" He shook his head dramatically. "Wouldn't you want to clobber your raklûn to the head after ten hundreds of years?"

Eorwyn giggled.

"I don't think I would," she said and threw the King's head a quick glance. She certainly wouldn't, she decided. "But I see what you say. Having the luxury of possessing something for a long time makes people less appreciative."

"Aye, and you and I know that better than anyone, don't we, birdie?" he murmured. "When you have nought, and never see much luck in life, and then you get a gift, you cherish it beyond measure."

Eorwyn nodded, and once again her eyes followed the Dwarf who'd been the greatest gift in her life. She'd been thinking recently - tentatively, most of the time quite embarrassed by the thought - that perhaps her position in Erebor, her vocation, and her status at the Court of the Exchequer were something that she'd achieved, as opposed to it being simply a matter of fortune. She had the talent, and she had worked hard. She slept little; she never allowed herself to be distracted. She was frugal with her silver - she bought nothing but the essentials, except for a few frilly undergarments, but that was quite a different question - which allowed her to purchase the books that strengthened her education. She was never too proud to ask for advice and guidance, and she listened when it was given to her. The love of Thorin Oakenshield, on the other hand, seemed to her to be the most bewildering and miraculous luck. And oh how much she cherished it!

"Oh, birdie, to have a woman gaze at me like that," lord Ein exclaimed.

Eorwyn jerked out of her thoughts and saw that he was looking at her over his shoulder. She blushed and lowered her eyes. They rode in silence for a while, and then he laughed.

"Well, it's time to shake off this reverence and discuss our battle plan."

"Are we going into battle?" she asked sarcastically. "I thought we're approaching our allies to guide us through the forest on a safe road."

"You never know with Elves, I find," he said with another of his shrugs. "So, what do you want to do, birdie? To humbly ask for help, reminding them of your history with the stiff-necks, or do you want to give them a tough going, and come in as the Queen of Erebor demanding passage?"

Eorwyn frowned. She felt rather stunned by the sudden request to make such an important decision. She knew nothing of diplomacy. She'd have to educate herself of course, when time came, but she expected to follow the King's lead, at least at the beginning. And again, she looked towards the King. This time he noticed and gave her a warm smile.

To think of it, both options proposed by Ein seemed rather absolute to her. Surely, there had to be a middle way!

"I'm no Queen, not yet at least," she said pensively. "What I am is a bookkeeper and a broker. I will always vote for a cunning negotiation over begging or coming in with one's sword swinging."

He laughed. "Oh you are a Queen, my lady. I find the women of the Khazad to be more reasonable and more ruthless than their husbands, and to succeed at being clever where the men fail. We'll do it your way. You'll talk, and I'll stand and look impressive."

Eorwyn smiled, pleased to hear such words.

"Alright, we have another couple of hours of riding before we get to their camp," Ein said. "Let me tell you a story of how one day I arrived at the Blue Mountains, and there was this wine merchant there, who had a daughter most enchanting."