Inneg had been conducted to a rich room, and left alone. She had lost the sense of direction in the hallways of the City Under the Mountain, but she got that she was in the proximity of the richest chambers.
The room was large, had a tall ceiling, and at its walls heavy red tapestries were hanging. A huge king bed was in the middle, and smaller chest of dark wood were placed alongside the walls. But apart from that, the room was empty.
Scattered on the chest, small lamps like the one the light bringer was holding that morning, and that familiarity made Inneg's chest feel less heavy.
Inneg was starting to feel scared and alone, and every shadow resting in the corners or behind the chests was made huge by her own fear.
'One night', had said the small, not-so-kind man, that was the King of the other short, kind men. One night, and after that, Inneg had no idea of what was going to be of her. If she tried to imagine what she could do once out of the mountain, her thoughts started to entangled one with the other, forming knots she was not able to untied.
Tired by the trip, a little hungry, and more scared every minute, Inneg lay herself on the bed, and a moment later she was well asleep.
It seemed to her to have just closed her eyes, when she was suddenly awakened by a high voice of woman, screaming angrily from the top of her lungs.
"For Mahal sake! Why am I always the last to know about important things! Why no one bothers to keep me informed!"
Inneg's eyes shot open. Some of the lamps must have gone out, because it was dark in the room, and she couldn't make the shapes of the objects as she could before. How long had she slept?
"A poor child closed in a room all alone, like some sort of prisoner! How cruel!"
Again, the voice resonated outside, making the door tremble and Inneg jump sitting on the bed. Who was the woman screaming so loudly? Was she looking for her? What had she done now?
"After saving the life of my son, treated this way! Ha, not until I am around!" the voice got closer, accompanied by marching steps resonated in the hallway.
Inneg squeezed her eyes, trying to remember more, but thoughts and memories kept slipping under her fingers. Her head felt heavy but... but less heavy than before.
"Not even a cup of tea! Starving from lunch until now!"
The woman's voice startled her again. Whoever was screaming like a mad crow was now in front of her door. "You! Move out of the way!" commanded the woman.
"Your highness..." came hesitant the voice of a man. "The King has ordered..."
"And I am ordering you to move!"
"But..."
"Are you disobeying me?"
"No princess, I would never, I just..."
"Good! Now, move out of the way! Go to my room, tell Rena to come here immediately!"
"Yes princess!" Inneg heard the the man could whimpering, and then walking away. A second later, the door of the room was slammed open and someone stormed inside it.
Outside the room, at one end of the alley, Fìli and Kìli were grinning each other. "That was a great idea brother!" "Excellent plan, indeed!"
A minute later, they saw a short Dwarrowdam with a huge mass of black hair and a black beard, hasting down the corridor with her arms full of clothes and small packages, entering Inneg's room.
"Rena! Finally, it took you good time!" they heard the woman's voice cry, before the door was shut behind the short Dwarrowdam, and the hallway fell into silence again.
"Telling mom has been a great idea." sighed Kìli, proud of himself.
Right, because the woman who had just marched all along the corridor, sent away the guard Thorin had put in front of Inneg's door, and called the short Dwarrowdam into the room, was no one else that Dìs, daughter of Thrain, twin sister of Thorin, and princess of the Kingdom Under the Mountain.
After the wary and cold welcome Thorin had reserved Inneg when he first saw her, the King had called his nephews and had forbade them to be around the semi-human again. "We don't know who she is, or why she was with the Orcs." Thorin had said. "We will try to gather as much information as possible, and if she is harmless, then we can let her go by herself."
But the two brothers have been most unhappy with the King's decision. After Inneg had saved Fìli's life? When she looked so lost and defenceless?
As soon as they were out of King's Hall, it took a few words from Kìli for Fìli to know what to do. Against Thorin's stubbornness, there was only one thing that could hope to win, and it was their own mother.
When princess Dìs had heard the whole story from the mouth of her sons, she hadn't lost a moment. After scolding them for not standing their ground against their uncle - because Dìs always found time to scold her two sons - she had headed to the room Inneg had been locked in.
"Will you think she will bring her down to dinner?" asked Fìli hopefully.
In fact, it was almost dinner time, and the King's Hall, where Dwarves were dining all together at the end of everyday, was already starting to crowd.
Fìli was hping he could see more Inneg, and that thei mom was going to allow her to stay with them a little more. Damn, Inneg wasn't even speaking! Couldn't they just wait for her to be able to care for herself?
"Sure mom will bring her down to dinner!" laughed Kìli. "Have you ever seen mom letting anyone skip a meal? By the way, how much do you think uncle will be mad at us when he finds out?"
Someone growled from behind them. "A lot."
The two brothers froze on their spots, suddenly feeling the eyes of Thorin Oakenshield burning a hole in the back of their skulls.
When Dìs had entered the room, the first thing she did was to rush over the bed, where Inneg was sitting, too surprised to do - or say - anything, and hugging her.
"Oh my dear! You helped my Fìli, right? Thank you so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Inneg felt her whole being be crushed by the Dwarrowdam thick arms, but before she could understand what was going on, Dìs was walking around the room, lighting the many laps on the chests and walls that had died out, and talking fast and loud.
"Fìli and Kìli told me everything dear! Captive by the Orcs, that must have been terrible! They said Oìn has checked you, luckily there was no need to patch you up! I am sorry for Thorin, I hope you don't think Dwarves are ungrateful! My brother has just so many worries at the moment, but don't you worry! You are coming to dinner with us tonight, of course! Ah, but not giving you anything since lunch is just cruel!"
Now that the room was lit, Inneg could finally see princess Dìs in her full glory. Because that was the princess, right? The whimpering man outside the door had called her 'your heighness', and 'princess', and she was the King's sister, so yes, she was.
However, despite being Thorin's sister, Dìs was shorter, for she was five feet at most, and instead of black hair, she was blonde, and her light hair were braided elegantly high above her head.
She had thick, yellowish eyebrows, and her light blue eyes were as clear as the sky - in this she was exactly like the King noticed Inneg. Dìs had also thick sideburns, braided in small tresses, and a short beard.
Her arms were strong, and almost exploding in the leaves of the red and orange dress she was wearing, but her figure was elegant and graceful. She looked rather young, or maybe it was her warm smile, and the fact that she always moved and talked fast, that was giving the impression of her being a young girl, instead of the mother of two grown up Dwarves.
As if the princess could feel the eyes of Inneg studying her, she suddenly turned and smiled brightly. "Oh, but I guess you don't know who I am! My name is Dìs, and I am the sister of Thorin Oakenshield, King under the Mountain!" Dìs straightened her back, and lifted her chin. "I am here first of all to thank you from the bottom of my heart, for saving the life of my eldest son. So, thank you, young woman, for the service you have provided to me, to my family, and to Erebor."
And saying so, Dìs made a small, courtesy bow with her head.
Inneg stared at her a few seconds, and she seemed for a moment unsure of what to do. Then, she slowly processed that the sister of the King, had just thanked her, so she had better return the courtesy.
Once more, Inneg wished she could talk. However, she bowed deeply, and Dìs smiled even more, if possible, as Inneg awkwardly got out from the bed and made a few deeps bows.
Yes, Inneg was very honoured to make the princess acquaintance. Yes, when she exited the wagon - she was starting to remember something more, finally! - she had heard someone screaming, and she had been very glad to kill the Orc that was about to crush with his club the blond, gentle short man - who Inneg had decided to call 'lightbringer' from now on, because of the light he had brought with him that morning.
"Well dear, it is nice to meet you! My sons told me they called you 'Inneg' so far, but do you have another name?"
Inneg opened her mouth to speak... And no sound came out. She closed it, and shook her head. Damn, her mouth was still not answering to her commands!
Dìs frowned. She remembered Fìli had told her the young woman looked very confused and had probably been drugged, and hadn't been able to tell them her name, or where did she come from.
Well, it was not the first time Dìs saw someone struggle with temporary inability to speak and memory loss.
After the Dwarves had to flee Erebor, she had seen Dwarves unable to speak for weeks, too shocked by the attack of Smaug. Some of them never recovered, and had totally ceased to talk. And in some cases, they didn't seem to remember who they were, or from were they come form, as if their memory had been swiped away, together with their houses and life.
Dìs remembered that too well. It was a painful memory to her, and even more painful it was to witness the very same in such a young woman.
"And do you know where you come from, dear child?" asked the princess, softening her voice. "Anything so that we might help you go back home?"
Inneg shook her head. She tried to remember something, anything, but her mind felt blank, empty as if she had been born the moment she opened her eyes a day ago.
"Do you remember anything of who you were before?"
Again, Inneg shook her head. Her lower lip trembled, and she bite it hard.
Those questions were making her feel vulnerable and alone. She couldn't remember a thing from 'before'... Because there had been a 'before', right? She was someone 'before', wasn't she?
Dìs saw tears starting to collect in Inneg's eyes, and she closed the Dìstance in between them, hugging Inneg tightly again.
For a moment, Inneg allowed herself to lean onto the princess body, and a few tears escaped her eyes. A few sobs chocked her, despite all her effort to control herself, but the sense of emptiness was overwhelming.
"Oh, dear!" Dìs caressed Inneg's back with her small hand. "Don't you cry! It happens that ones forgets who she is, after something... After a hard time!" She squeezed Inneg lightly. "The important thing is that you are here now! You ought to stay here for all the time you need to recover!"
Those words seemed to calm Inneg's sobs. She straightened up once more, and nodded to the princess, sniffing.
Not only 'one night', then. That was very comforting.
"Good, see? Everything is going to be just fine!" Dìs, an optimistic to her very heart, smiled again. "We will take good care of you! Oh, yes, this is the smile I want to see!" chirped the princess, seeing Inneg mouth twist in a faint resemblance of a smile.
"Now, are you hungry, aren't you?"
Inneg nodded. She hadn't eaten but at lunch, and she could feel her stomach growling soundly.
"Wonderful! Dinner is about to start! But you can't go down with these clothes!" Dìs had now turned onto mother hen mood again. "Well, you have a pretty nice figure girl, nothing like a Dwarrowdam surely, but I might have something that should fit you!" said Dìs thoughtfully as she inspected her.
"You truly have beautiful golden locks! Ah this is Mamal work, isn't it? Well, they took you to a person who knows how to treat a girl" Mamal is a good friend of mine, you know? Ah, Rena, you are here!"
Another Dwarrowdam, shorter than the princess, and with black hair and beard, had just entered the room, huffing behind a huge pile of dresses. "Yes, princess! I brought the things you asked me, and a few more, just in case!"
"Wonderful Rena! This lass need a good fix before being presentable for dinner!"
Rena, Dìs personal maid, put her load on the bed, and Inneg could see rich fabrics of all sort, mixed with small bottles containing colourful liquids.
"Rena, so, go to the storage room and bring some water, you will scrub her a little while I do her hair - ah, yes, go and bring that small yellow dress of mine, the one that the seamstress got the wrong measures for..." the princess gestured towards Inneg. "And do you still have some tiny corset, maybe the one your daughter used to wear? Yes, bring that one too! Good, now go! Dinner is about to start, and we are already late!"
A couple of hours later...
Dwarves lead a communitarian life most of the time. Showers and baths, the main dining room and training ground were public places, were most of the life of a Dwarf took place. However, families had their own houses and each Dwarf had his or her own room, dug in the tunnel in the Lonely Mountain.
Mines and forges were deep down at the lower levels, and there was also the greatest part of the laboratories, where metals were carved and melted, gems cut, the most beautiful jewelries made, and the most precious and elegant - and lethal - weapons forged. Every single piece that was part of the Kingdom Under the Mountain came for the rooms of the Dwarvish craftsmen.
There was a big market, open most of the week, were baked good, groceries coming from Esgaroth, meat of the hunt, fabrics coming from all Middle Earth were sold and bought from merchant Dwarves, that had travelled far to gather those goods, or simply were treating with merchants in Esgaroth.
Nothing was missing in the Kingdom Under the Mountain, and in five months only, Thorin had been able to restore a part of the wealth that the Dwarves were used to before Smaug. After all, of all the gold and the treasures in Erebor, nothing had been touched as long as the dragon had been there.
Among Dwarves, the ones of the most nobles families had taken back their old quarters - marvellous room full of treasure, that the dragon had left untouched. Those Dwarves and Dwarrowdams were somehow distantly related with the line of Durin, and although they were not workers - miners, craftsmen, traders, sellers - they were all mighty warriors, and the lead expeditions for the King outside Erebor if needed, and counsel him when requested.
The Dwarrowdams, in particular, were exhibiting their wealth through jewelries and elaborate dresses and rich jewels that couldn't be found in any other part of Middle Earth, and their main task was to nurse the Dwarrowlings, keeping an eye on the daily life ad Erebor, checking for provisions, taking care of the Dwarves in need, of the wounded and the elders, of widows, widowers, orphans, and whoever could not provide a life for him or herself.
The princess was the head governess of this intricate and complex structure. Nothing that went in and out of Erebor was unknown to her.
Wise and pragmatic, Dìs had surrounded herself with smart and quick Dwarrowdams, and helped by her entourage she was slowly, but inexorably, restoring the rhythm of the life they were living before Smaug.
While Thorin was the King, and was taking decision, officiating ceremonies, presiding over the court and commanding the army of Erebor, Dìs had the equally - if not more - important role of leader of the trades, of the order, of the organisation of that huge, immense mechanism that was the life of the Dwarves in Erebor. And even with all the burdens she was carrying, she was there when Thorin needed someone to talk to, or was here, when her sons were committing - but most often they had already committed - some misdeed.
On that very evening, Dìs felt her duty was, first of all, to honour the host that Thorin had so coldly Dìsmissed.
Inneg might be the daughter of an important Man-chief, maybe some King in the north, judging by the fairness of her skin. Or she herself might be some sort of Queen or Princess, given the nobleness of her features.
Or even she was part of the Elves, somehow. In fact, Dìs was not entirely sure she was human.
The princess had been quite disturbed by the rough cut of Inneg's ears, but hadn't dared to make any comments.
But if Inneg had sported a pair of common rounded ears, Dìs would have felt more securely declaring her not one of the People of the Stars.
Because, Inneg had an inner grace, a sort of elegance, that human-born women didn't possess.
However, Dìs pressed her doubts in the back of her head.
One thing the princess was sure about, was that Inneg was harmless, and was a good girl. The princess could see it written in her eyes, and in that shyness of hers, that was making her open her eyes wide when she was unsure of what to do.
Even without being a healer like Oìn, it was easy for Dìs to come to the conclusion that Inneg had been drugged, or that some sort of terrible event had occurred, to make her lose the memory and the word.
Because Inneg was all but idiotic. Her eyes were not dull, and followed with interest everything that happened around her, and the small frown that was clouding her forehead from time to time indicated that she was desperately trying to put order among her confused thoughts.
"Don't you worry about anything, lass." was saying the princess, giving the final touch on Inneg's hair in front of the mirror. "I have seen the mightiest warriors lose themselves after we lost Erebor to the dragon." she murmured, pinning a small braid behind to cover Inneg cut ear. "As I have seen many coming back to themselves, and starting over a new life with the same strength as before. Give your mind time to recover, and see how everything will come back to you."
Inneg met the eyes of the princess in the mirror, and slowly nodded. Yes, she believed the princess was right, and she thanked her with all her heart for her encouragement and help.
"Ah, great! Now you look presentable, as a guest of the King Under the Mountain should look." The princess took a step back and clapped her hands. "What do you think, Rena?" she asked. "Doesn't Inneg look presentable?"
Rena went all around Inneg, checking her gown one last time, muttering words the woman could not understand, and nodding to herself. Finally, the maid seemed satisfied as well as the princess. "Inneg looks very good, princess." she nodded approvingly. "Very good indeed."
Very good was an understatement, at least in Inneg's opinion, but she had no voice to express her amazement, and all she could do was bowing many times, and giving the princess and Rena the biggest smile she could.
Dìs has found a satin yellow dress, with a black gown decorated in orange and yellow, covered by a bright yellow overgown. It had a small beading of pearls and rubies around the neckline, and the hems of the separate inner sleeves black and orange were decorated in the same way.
It looked extremely rich, despite not being as nearly as sumptuous as the princess's dress - which was embroidered with topazes and rubies, and was of a rich red velvet and light pink silk - but it was comfortable to wear, and Inneg looked at herself in the mirror, admiring her own reflection with her mouth slightly open.
Dìs looked at the absolute cuteness of Inneg swinging carefully the gown right and left, as the girl was afraid to break it. Her cascade of gold hair was matching perfectly with the black of the inner sleeves.
"You had made a very good choice not throwing away that dress, your highness!" observed Rena.
"Sure Rena! See, how it come to hand to have a slightly bigger dress now?"
Dìs was indeed very proud of her choice. Inneg looked stunning, and was going to make a nice impression on Thorin, after their first encounter.
The princess mentally noticed that Inneg was definitively too short to be an Elf - wasn't she just an inch taller than Fìli? Maybe two inches...
"Oh! But dinner!" the princess snapped out of her trance. "Rena, I am so sorry I kept you up so late! Go and have dinner, we will meet afterwards as usual!" Rena bowed, winked at Inneg, disappeared out of the room.
Dìs quickly took Inneg's arm. "Come with me dear! They must already be at the second course!"
And by saying so, she stormed out of the room, dragging Inneg behind her.
"You will see Inneg! It will be a beautiful dinner, and you will be fed as you deserve! You will see how we thank our friends here at Erebor!"
In the meantime, in the King's hall, dinner was cheerful as ever. The Dwarves that had come back from the mission have been reunited happily with their families, and everyone was celebrating their return home.
A crowd of noble Dwarrowdams that had been waiting the two princes, had gathered around the King's table, glancing every now and then - ok, way more often than now and then - to the two princes. Who, by the way, were little touched by their languid glances.
That night in particular they were gloomy. Thorin had scolded them for a good hour about their irresponsibility, and when Fìli had observed that, if Inneg really wanted to kill one of them, she had plenty of time at the inn last night, the King's fury had exploded, because how could they let her sleep in a room next to theirs?
If Dwalin hadn't come to interrupt him, Thorin could have kept going until Durin's day, Fìli and Kìli believed.
They were hoping their mother would have come to save them from their uncle's rage, but Dìs was not back yet.
Right on that moment, Thorin was thinking he ought to to send someone looking for her, when a maid came rushing to him. "The princess and your guest are coming, your majesty!" she said bowing deeply.
Thorin had not time to point out that that woman was not his guest, but sighed and surrendered. At least Dìs was finally coming. Mahal knew what his sister had to do with that Inneg.
The King Under the Mountain let his eyes roam over the room. Dwarves were packed around tables, drinking and chatting, under the warm light of the Dwarvish lamps.
The table were the he, his sister and nephews and their closest friends were sitting was a few steps over the rest of the Hall, and from that small elevation, Thorin could spot Bombur, Bifur, and Bofur busy talking about something, and in a corner Ori scrabbling onto some scrolls. Oìn, Dori and Nori were surely already sleeping in their beds.
Thorin thought about the letter that had arrived a week ago from Gloìn. Gloìn had written that his wife and him were good, and that his lad, Gimli, was doing fine growing fast, and learning how to use and ax. Soon the three of them were going to set for Erebor, were they planned to move by the end of next year.
The King allowed himself a small smile. His company, the ones that had helped him taking back his throne...
He knew they would follow him to the house of Mahal if necessary, but the truth was that it was him, Thorin himself, who felt most grateful to them. He was going to be in debt forever.
How would he find the courage to keep going, if not for those who were ready to fight at his side without a second thought, after all?
He wondered how Bilbo was doing. Back int he Shire, at Baggin's End...
At the left side of the King, Fìli suddenly snorted at something his brother had just said. At Thorin's right, in the place usually occupied by Dìs, was sitting Dwalin, drinking his fourth mug of beer of the evening.
Thorin suddenly remembered that Balin had to be back the next evening. They were going to have a huge party for his friend.
After the first months at Erebor, Balin had to leave for the Iron Hills, were he had to attend some affairs and discuss matters with King Daìn, but he was coming back to Erebor, and planned to stay for a while. Thorin hoped for forever. He needed the old Dwarf advice, that he valued more than the ones of all the nobles he was surrounded by.
Not that they were not valuable and wise warriors, but it was Balin who had answered to his call when it was time to fight Smaug, not them.
And Balin knew Thorin better than many of those who had come back to Erebor after the Battle of the Five Armies.
The King left his gaze pass over the high ranked Dwarves sitting on the table closer to his. Many Dwarves, and many young Dwarrowdams, he notice. Many of them looking their way, he noticed. In particular, in Fìli's way, he noticed.
Thorin sighed, and his smile disappeared.
Right, Fìli. He was going to be King one day - not soon, Thorin hoped! - and he ought to consider marriage, sooner or later. Thorin hoped Fìli was going to chose a Dwarrowdam of a noble house, so his line might have new blood, and maybe old political alliances might be strengthened, or new could be draw.
Thorin had decided he himself didn't want a wife, and seeing the languid stares of some of the dames, he thanked Mahal for being so wise. Balin had totally approved his decision, pointing out that the King of Erebor taking a wife was equally to lift a hornets' nest, and Erebor surely didn't need that at the moment.
But none of the Dwarrowdams in the Hall seemed to catch Fìli's attention. Maybe it was just a matter of getting to know them better?
'Maybe...' and idea popped in Thorin's mind. An idea that could push Fìli into starting considering the Dwarrowdams not only as some nobles he had to be courteous with, but as something more.
The King pondered that idea a few minutes into his mind, and the more he thought about it, the more it looked like a very good idea to him.
So much he thought it was a smart idea, that Thorin decided to put that idea into practice immediately.
"Fìli?"
Fìli turned to him. "Yes, uncle?"
The tone of the prince was a little cold, but Thorin shrugged it away. Fìli must be still angry at him for who he had welcomed Inneg.
"You know that tomorrow Balin is returning to Erebor, right?"
Fìli raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I do. Why are you asking?"
Thorin cleared his throat. "Well, how about..." but he couldn't not finish the sentence, because something else caught his eye. That happened to be his sister, followed by a tall dame, with glowing blond hair, that Thorin didn't recognise immediately.
But when he did, he cursed under his breath. What was Dìs thinking, sprucing up Inneg in that way?
However, in the whole room, he was the only one who thought it that way.
As she usually did every evening, Dìs marched among the nobles Dwarves and Dwarrowdams, chatting, exchanging a few words or a laugh, making plans for the days ahead. The only difference that night was that she was accompanied by a tall - from a Dwarf point of view, of course - stunning woman, dressed in a bright yellow and black dress.
Arm in arm with Dìs, Inneg was moving among the Dwarves smiling shyly, yanked here and there by the princess.
The Dwarrowdams, were looking stupefied at the girl with the golden hair. Who was she? What was she doing in Erebor? Who had given her that beautiful dress? And above all, how was it possible that she wasn't wearing any jewel and was glowing like she was covered in gems?
The Dwarves at the tables whispered and tended their necks to see her better. 'Who is that gorgeous woman?' 'Is she a Dwarrowdam or a human?' were the questions whispered all over the King's Hall.
When Dìs passed next to the table were Ori, Bifur, Bofur and Bombur were sitting, Inneg saw them and waved happily.
Ori was so surprised to see her so changed from the girl he saw that morning, that he poured his beer all over his neatly written pages.
Bofur whistled and winked - probably forgetting that the princess of Erebor was right next to Inneg - and lifted his mug of beer in a silent toast to the girl with the golden hair.
Next to him, surprised to see Inneg so finally dressed, arm in arm with the sister of Thorin, Bombur sprung up from his seat and bow, however, his immense belly almost knocked down the whole table.
The commotion that followed - Thorin had no idea if he was about to laugh or sigh, so opted for none of the two - distracted Kìli from the conversation he was having with Dwalin about using an axe or sword against a troll.
The young Dwarf frowned, searching with his eyes and bursting into laugh seeing Bifur scolding Bombur in his incomprehensible language, and then seeing his mother he grabbed his brother's arm. "Look, finally mother's here! And..."
...and then words died in his throat as he saw who was with Dìs.
"Ah she is here then!" Fìli took a huge gulp of his beer. "Well, what is that face of yours?" he asked with a laugh, following Kìli's gaze.
It was pure luck Fìli had swallowed his beer, because at the sight of the beautiful woman that was coming towards their table with their mother, his mouth fell open.
At first Fìli didn't believed his eyes, but when the two woman approached, he recognised that golden mane, now styled in elegant braids running on her back, and those eyes, blue and green, shining out against the yellow satin of the dress.
It was the second time Inneg had passed in the hands of a Dwarrowdam, and she got more beautiful. Fìli wondered if it was a magic of some sort, as he stared gaping at the two dames arriving in front of the King.
"Good evening, brother." Dìs made a courtesy bow, smirking. His brother was furious, but more at her than at Inneg. "I have come to understand that this young woman has saved Fìli's life. It seemed to me the least we could do to invite her for dinner."
"Yes, I know that you... have been told."
Thorin glared at his left, were Kìli had somehow regained his composure and was not stiffening his laughs behind his glass, while his brother was still mouth open, lost in the vision of Inneg.
"She is welcome, of course." Thorin added quickly, seeing way too many stares in their direction. "She can sit next to Dwalin."
Dìs bowed again, and then frowned at her sons. "Fìli, how many times I have to tell you not to stare! And close your mouth" she hissed. "And Kìli, stop laughing now!"
Fìli chocked his own breath, called back to Erebor by his mother - and by the snickers of his brother, who was now bent in two and about to fall from his chair. He quickly bowed a little to Inneg, not realising the huge smile he had displayed on his lips.
But if Fìli hand't realised the blissful expression settled on his face, everyone else in the Hall had.
The Dwarrowdams were now staring at Inneg, angry and green with envy, and they started to whisper among themselves excitedly, their chests squeezed in the corsets moving heavily up and down. Had everyone seen the face of the prince? What did it meant? Did he knew her?
Unaware of all the commotion she had caused - or maybe aware of it but deciding it was not her business - Inneg smiled back to Fìli and returned the courtesy, before Dìs took her to her sit next to Dwalin.
"Treat her well, Dwalin." chuckled the princess. "I can tell she is a smart lass from her eyes! You don't want to be on her bad side, once she will be herself again!"
And by saying so, ignoring her brother's death glare, the princess went sitting in between her two sons, hoping to prevent them planning any trouble that might involve poor Inneg - Dìs could just feel they were going to cause some trouble!
Dwalin glanced down at Inneg. He personally was of the opinion Thorin had been a little too hard on her, but now that he saw her dressed up like a princess, Dwalin thought that Dìs had exaggerated as well. Couldn't just those two find an agreement?
Inneg was sitting with her back straight, with her hands folded in her lap, as a maid started serving her food. She smiled lightly and nodded a 'thank you' to the maid, and then, somehow sensing that Dwalin was staring at her, she turned and smiled again. A smile to which Dwalin responded with a light pat on her shoulder - and Inneg mentally thanked him for not being so enthusiastic as he had been with Ori that afternoon. She was going to fly to the other side of the Hall, had Dwalin used the same force he used with Ori!
"Have a nice dinner." Dwalin said, but it was hard to understand for Inned, because Dwalin had his mouth full of spinaches and beans on that very moment.
Soon Dwalin resumed his conversation with the King, and Inneg, often turned her head to them, showing a sort of polite interest in what was being said.
Not that she understood very well the topic of the conversation - axes and swords, she believed, but it was a little hard to follow the Dwarves talking with his mouth full of food.
From time to time, her eyes met the cold ones of the King, and she was quickly to bow a little, or to avert her gaze. Those eyes were piercing her uncomfortably, as if the King was searching something buried deep inside within her.
Inneg thought it was not very polite to stare at someone in that way, but since he was a King, it was not exactly she could scold or reprimand him - apart from the fact that she still couldn't utter a word!
On his side, Thorin was silently taking in the fact that Inneg was so far one of the most well-educated being he had ever seen - only Bilbo could match her good manners at the table.
She was sitting up properly, using forks and knives, not spilling water when she drunk, keeping her elbows off from the table, not dirtying herself with food...
The memory of how hard had been for Dìs to teach Fìli and Kìli not to chew with their mouth open was still very clear in his mind.
Undoubtedly Inneg had been raised under careful watch. That might imply she was some sort of noble, 'Maybe a princess?' he thought.
Dìs had joined the conversation with Dwalin, Fìli and Kìli, about the best way to slain an Orc. Dwalin and Kìli thought the ax was by far the best weapon, while Fìli clearly preferred the sword.
Personally Dìs would have used a spear, and she was indeed explaining why the spear was the best choice, when Kìli leaned over the table and spoke to Inneg. "And how about you, Inneg? Would you prefer an ax or a sword or a spear?"
The question was silly, and out of place, considering that Inneg wasn't talking, and that she had just been saved from the Orcs, but Kìli ignored the hard stare of his uncle and the jab of his mother.
Fìli leaned over the table, curious to see Inneg's reaction. He was dying to talk to her, maybe she had finally managed to have her voice back while she was with mother?
Suddenly called to actively taking part in the conversation, Inneg looked puzzled at the five Dwarves, staring at her. Ax? Sword? Spear? Why did she have to choose in between them?
But Dwalin, who thought the question of how to slain an Orc of capital importance, was determined to get an answer form the girl anyway. And he knew the best way to get it
Rather unceremoniously, Dwalin grabbed Inneg's hand and studyed it.
"Ha!" he cried in great surprise. "I was expecting a nice clean hand, but seems we have an archer here!"
"An archer?" cried Kìli, leaning over the table.
"No sword nor ax nor spear, but bows and arrows!" Dwalin bursted into laugh. "And a skewer, we must add!" - Inneg had pierced the chest of the Orc that was about to kill Fìli with a skewer, do you remember?
Thorin raised an eyebrow, and looked at the thin hand Dwalin was shoving right under his nose. To his amazement, the King saw the unmistakably calluses of the archers, on the second, third and fourth fingers.
'A fighting princess?' Or maybe a noble of some lost land infested with Orcs? The few suppositions Thorin had done a few minutes before were flooded away by that new piece of information, and the King groaned frustrated.
Fìli leaned over and muttered in surprise "Mahal! That's true!"
Before he could move to touch that thin hand and verify himself, Dwalin had taken Inneg's other hand, and was victoriously pointing at a callus on her palm. "Ha-ah! See here, that where she hold the bow!"
"She will not be to throw any arrow if you keep crushing her hands like that!" came Dìs voice from behind her son.
"Right right, sorry lass!" Dwalin released Inneg, who looked up at him, and then at her hands, more confused than ever.
She raised an eyebrow. Bow and arrows?
Dwalin pointed at her hands. "You know, you are an archer!" he said in a loud voice, as if he was talking with Oìn. "Bow and arrow!" he repeated, seeing Inneg still dumbfounded.
Dwalin was an extremely practical Dwarf. Well decided to show Inneg what he meant, the Dwarf straightened his left arm in front of him, and bent the other behind his ear, aiming at some imaginary target in the King's Hall, taking what he believed to be the pose of an archer, and looked down at her. "Look! An archer!"
Inneg narrowed her eyes at him, studying Dwalin for a few moments. That pose lit a small light into her mind.
An archer?
Without really thinking about what was she doing, Inneg lifted a hand and moved Dwalin left arm a couple of inches upwards. Then, before the Dwarf could protest, she tapped his shoulders, straightening them back, and finally with a finger she moved his cheek, rotating his head, so that he was now properly facing his target.
Now, that was the right position of an archer, as far as she could tell, and pleased with the result, Inneg gave Dwalin a solemn, approving nod.
"Well, is he good, Inneg?" Fìli asked with a snort.
Inneg nodded a few more times, adjusting one more time Dwalin's arm, and then nodded again. Yes, she was satisfied. The tall-short man could now go and play with bow and arrow without making a fool of himself.
The stunned expression of Dwalin, who had been frozen into the pose by Inneg's pointy, mute commands, had Dìs laugh behind her hand. Kìli had now definitively fallen from his chair, and Fìli - who had not stopped once to smile, that same bright smile he had since Inneg had come into the King's Hall, was looking at her with fondness and amusement.
Even Thorin had to suppress a small chuckle when Dwalin grunted and glared down at Inneg, with smile hidden under his beard. "Well, thank you lass! If you have some guts!" he said gruffily.
Around them, the Dwarrowdam looked like some strange kind of Orcs, ready to jump on the girl with the golden hair and slaughter her on the spot. Never, never had Dwalin smiled at any of them! And even more, never had prince Fìli looked at a dame for so long, and with such a smile! How dared that small, mute woman, behaving so liberally at the King's table? What was she scheming under her golden locks?
But Inneg was not scheming anything. Seeing Dwalin taking the stance of an archer had allowed the smallest glimpse of a memory brighten her clouded mind for a moment, and she had acted without really meaning to amuse the Dwarves, nor to anger the Dwarrowdams.
Dinner went on without any particular incidents, until Kìli asked innocently. "So, mom... Fìli wanted to ask you something... Can Inneg stay with us?"
That earned the young Dwarf a a good clip round the neck, and then Dìs had to pat the back of her other son, for Fìli had almost chocked on his beer.
Later that night, Thorin's private chambers...
"Stay with us!" cried the King Under the Mountain, pacing up and down in one of his rooms. "Stay with us!"
Sitting in a chair in front of him, his sister huffed. "Come on Thorin, don't be a nuisance now!"
After dinner, Dìs had walked Inneg back to her room, biding her good night, and promising her she was going to send someone next morning to wake her up.
The princess had then threatened her sons with weeks of work in the kitchens if they dared to disturb the young woman.
"She needs rest, and you can't just suffocate her like that!" had warned the princess, before kissing them good night and heading to his brother's room, where she knew a good telling off was waiting her.
Well, as much as Thorin could tell her off.
"What is she expecting? That she can stay here forever?"
Dìs rolled her eyes. "Inneg barely understands what is going on around her! She is confused, and is not speaking!"
"It seemed to me that she was well awake tonight!" the King glared at his sister. "What if she is pretending? What if she is dangerous? What if-"
"I agree she is not an idiotic peasant - I believe she is a smart girl indeed, but think about this Thorin, only one out of his mind would wait to be in Erebor before attempting to the life of a Dwarf!"
"Right, she ought to stay in Esgaroth, where her kind lives!" Thorin stopped in front of his sister, staring down at her with icy eyes. "She should never have come here!"
"In Esgaroth? To do what, if I may ask?" Dìs stiffened on the chair. "A woman alone, without connections and protection, that doesn't speak and has nowhere to go?"
"And why should this be of our concern?"
"The wounds of the mind are the same of the body." Dìs stated coldly. "They took time to heal. I doubt you would let anyone roam alone with a broken leg in Esgaroth, where no place to stay, no money and no one to care for them."
Thorin pressed his hands on his temples. With all the things he had to take care of, a strange, memoryless woman wasn't exactly what he wished to have on his plate.
But his sister was speaking the truth. He would have never allowed Inneg - or whatever was her name - to leave Erebor before she was fully back to herself. Not only because she had saved Fìli's life, but also because... He just couldn't.
Thorin sighed. "What do you want me to do?"
"I must insist for you to let her stay here."
"Well, she can, then." the King took a deep breath. "But only as long as her memory comes back to her. This is a Dwarvish city, not human."
"If she is human." murmured Dìs, more to herself.
Thorin didn't say anything, and for a long moment, brother and sister stared at each other, both of them knowing perfectly what the other was thinking.
"You too think she is not human?" Thorin asked, more hesitantly than he had wished.
Dìs shrugged. "She is no Elf, but I would not call her human either. She is not a commoner, on this we all agree, I think."
Thorin nodded. "I agree with you on this point."
"I have Rena bathing her in front of my eyes," continued the princess, "and I can tell she has the body of a traveler or a warrior. And if she is a traveler, she is surely not a tramp, and if she is a warrior... Human-born women very rarely fight or travel..."
"Unlike the Elves." completed Thorin.
"If she hadn't her ear cut, I would feel quiet about her being of one or the other race." Dìs shook her head. "But those look like very old cuts, and the poor thing jolted when Rena touched her there. Might she be one of the Dunedain?"
Thorin shook his head. "I don't think so. She is too short to be one of them."
"Right. And we are far from where the Men of the West roam. I doubt the Orcs could have made it here with one of their kind."
"At least, not without the help of someone of great power."
The last sentence of the King remained suspended in the air, and Dìs had to close her eyes, to absorb its heavy, terrible implications.
But that was the truth. If Inneg was no human, but somehow of the house of Isildur, or even part of the Elven kind, it would only be with a great power - great and dark power - that the Orcs might have concealed her from her own kin.
"What should we do, brother?" whispered Dìs, suddenly feeling afraid and unsure.
Thorin was thoughtful for a few moments, before shaking his head again. "There are too many questions for the moment, and the answers lay in a person that is not able to speak. I think we should ask around if a girl has been missing lately, but nothing more. If there are dark powers seeking for Inneg, it will be better not to give clues of her presence at Erebor."
Dìs nodded slowly. "Should we ask the Elven King?"
"I don't wish to drag the Elves in this matter for now." Thorin frown deepened. "We are not really concealing her, we are merely giving her shelter and being discreet about it. When she will come back to her senses, she will be more than free to go where she pleased. However, I can't say that I don't hope for her to recover fast."
"I know there is a lot on your shoulders, my brother and King." Dìs gaze had softened, and she was now looking at Thorin with a gentle smile. "But this time, I believe we have nothing to fear."
Dìs smile was so warm and contagious that Thorin couldn't help the corners of his lips to twitch upwards. "Let's hope so, Dìs. Tomorrow night Balin will be here. I will ask his advice as well. Maybe coming here he has heard something about a lost girl with golden hair."
"Everything is going to be good, Thorin. I feel it." Dìs wished she could help her brother more, but being at his side and listening to him was all that she could do. "Mamal has promised me she was going to be back in Erebor soon. I am expecting her in a few days." added the princess. "She had already met Inneg in Esgaroth. We might ask her advice as well."
Thorin huffed. Not that he didn't like Mamal, but he was not inclined into believing in vision and prophecies. He was confiding more into the judgement of Balin, if he had to be honest.
Thinking about Balin and his upcoming arrival, Thorin thought back at that idea he had during dinner, which he was about to tell Fìli, right before Dìs and Inneg made their appearance in the Hall.
He glanced at his sister. Well, surely it was only just that Dìs was consulted about it.
He cleared his throat, looked for words, didn't find them, and fell into silence again. He tried again, but Mahal! That was easier said than done.
"Sister dearest..." he finally started. "I have thought about something during dinner... May I have a few more minutes of your time?"
Dìs raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Yes, you may. What do you wish to tell me?" Thorin calling her 'sister dearest' usually meant they were moving to a topic she didn't necessarily like.
Moreover, the King Under the Mountain never asked anyone if he could have 'a few minutes' of their time!
Thorin cleared again his throat, and swallowed. Dìs raising an eyebrow meant all her senses were on alert.
He took a deep breath. "You know one of my greatest desire it to secure our Kingdom, and securing the Kingdom means, among other things, to secure a succession to the throne."
Dìs eyebrow didn't go back down to his place. Bad sign. "Yes, I know, brother."
The King took another deep, deep breath. "Now, Fìli is going to be King one day, and you know that one on my main concerns is to see him married, and with a heir, as our grandfather did with our father, and as Fìli will hopefully do with his firstborn."
Dìs lips twitched in a grimace Thorin couldn't read, but the Dwarrowdam stood still and silent as stone.
"I do not wish to betroth him to someone against his will." said quickly Thorin - Dìs eyebrow was still raised. "I only thought that, since tomorrow we will held an official dinner in honour of Balin, Fìli might choose a dame of his liking from the ones in Erebor, to bring at our table to dine with us."
Dìs eyebrow went slowly back into place. Internally, she was sighing in relief. She didn't need the premises about the secureness of the Kingdom, for she knew that all too well. "And what is your aim telling me this plan of yours, Thorin?"
"It's not a plan of any sort." murmured the King. "I meant to talk to Fìli tonight at dinner but... I can always talk to him tomorrow morning."
Dìs nodded, but she was not convinced. No, not at all. "Are you sure it is a good idea, brother? Isn't he still young for..."
"For marriage?" finished Thorin for her. "Yes, he is young, I agree. But we are not speaking about marriage." The king caressed his long beard. "I am not going to marry, as I already told you. But it would be good for Fìli to do so. I will merely suggest to look for a dame for tomorrow night."
Dìs rolled her eyes. "Thorin, we all know how your suggestions work!"
Thorin stiffed a small laugh. "I will do my best. I promise. I was going to celebrate Balin's return anyway. It will be nothing grand, just more official than usual, so to say." The king shrugged. "I am not asking Fìli to pick his wife tomorrow night, but with so many Dwarrowdams doting on him, are you sure there is really none of his liking?"