Author's Note: Hello all. Here' s an early Christmas present. I will try and update on Christmas day but as this is only technically the second half of chapter thirty-five, you can have it early while I update with a full chapter on Christmas day.

And then, and then... it's Boxing Day! And do you know what that means here in Australia? It means its the day The Desolation of Smaug comes out in cinemas! SQUEEEE! So excited. I swear I'm looking forwards more to that than I am Christmas!

Anyway, enough rambling from me. Please read and enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Thirty-Six

The Marking of an Ancient King

It had been a good many years since Dis had carried a child quite so small as the child currently in her arms, but she had not forgotten the feeling of doing so.

The poor child had quickly tired almost a corridor away from Thorin's study. And though he did not speak a word of his tiredness to her she had felt him lagging and stumbling behind her as the grip on her hand grew loss and clumsy.

She hadn't said a word as she stopped to swing him into her arms and he made only a few words of protest before his arms wrapped themselves around her neck, his face burying in the collar of her robes.

Her heart gave a little flutter over once more holding a child in her arms before she quickly brushed the silly emotion aside as she barked out orders – in a low tone so as not to disturb the exhausted child in her arms – at passing servants for them to get ready one of the royal guest rooms and for a bath to be drawn. She also demanded for someone to bring Bombur's wife Eir – she only hoped she wouldn't be inconveniencing the pregnant Dwarrowdam from her own brood - to her and for her to bring some of her lads' old clothes that were too small for them.

She ignored the bewildered looks the servant shot in her direction – or more correctly in the direction of the child in her arms – as they scuttled away to obey her bidding.

She was pleased to find that the royal guest room that she had ordered to be made ready for Frodo upon hearing of his existence from Thorin earlier that day already warm and filled with light, though it did have a faint dusty smell to it still.

One dwarf lass was busy making up the huge bed before stopping as she took note of Frodo's size. She made a humming noises before heading out of the chamber past Dis, returning a few short moments later with an armful of pillows and cushions which she started strategically placing around the bed.

"Until a cot can be brought up my lady," the dwarf lass said as she brushed her fair hair out of her face.

"No cot," the little lad mumbled as he turned his tired gaze upon the dwarf lass, "me not-me not a baby." His sentence finished in a small yawn.

Dis saw that the lass was fighting hard not to coo over the boy so she quickly sent the girl off to the kitchens to bring up some supper for her nephew.

Once the fair haired girl had left the bedchamber another lass with a lovely chestnut brown beard neatly braided into an elegant braid that crowned the top of her head, appeared in the doorway of the adjoining bathroom informing Dis that the bath had been drawn.

"Wake laddie. Bath time." She smirked as the little lad pulled the universal little boy look of disgust at the mention of bath time. But unlike with her own lads when it came to bath time, she did not have to fight him to get him near the tub.

He stood half-awake as she undressed him of his filthy, ruined clothes on one the bathing room marble benches.

She hummed over his bandaged feet for a moment before getting the servant girl to place a small stool at one end of the tub for the boy stick his bandaged feet on. Then together the two of them neatly plopped him into the tub of warm water.

The little lad let out a small squeal as his body sunk in the warm water and started to squirm about, almost knocking his bandaged feet into the water.

"Hush now. Hush. Settle mim ze." Dis said as she ran a calming hand over the lad's curly black head. The lad settled almost immediately, his little hands lightly waving over the water's surface creating the tiniest of ripples.

Dis dispatched herself from her heavy court robes so that she know wore only a simple blue gown which she rolled the sleeves of up to her elbows as she bent forward to start washing all the mud and grime that had coated itself to the child's skin.

"My lady?!" The young servant lass moved forward, looking apprehensive about seeing her King's sister without her royal robe and washing an unknown child.

"Pfft, it is fine. Make yourself useful and get me some soap, the little lad is filthy. You should also get ready some more buckets of water; I think it will take several tubs before he is respectably clean."

"Of-of course my lady." The girl stuttered and did as she was asked quickly and efficiently. But even so, Dis was gratefully for when Eir, Bombur's loud and outspoken wife – and quite heavily pregnant with their fourth child and hopefully, if Mahal was willing, this one would be born with life in its body unlike the dear little lad born to them eight summers back blue and still, never to breath, never to laugh, never to grow - arrived with a basket of old but clean and neatly folded clothes under one arm and the fair haired lass carrying a covered tray of food at her other elbow.

"Hmph, look at him." Eir snorted as placed the basket of clean clothes down upon a bench, "looks as much of mess as my laddies' do after they've snuck down one mine or another after Bofur. Look's like 'im."

Dis nodded her head as she rubbed some more soap into the boy's thick curls, "The blood runs strong, that is for sure." Eir nodded before she set about searching threw her basket of clothes to find something small enough to fit the tiny lad.

It took three refills of the tub before the lad was anywhere near to respectably clean and another refill to wash off all the soap they had used to get him clean.

"I'm a prune." Frodo commented sleepily as he held up his wrinkled fingers for Dis and Eir to inspect as Eir lifted him gently out of the tub.

"Aye, that ya are laddie." Eir chuckled as she wrapped a towel around him and gathered another start drying his wet curls.

"Arms up?" Eir said as Dis handed her a sleeping shirt. Frodo lifted his arms above his head, his eyes glazed over with tiredness.

Dis was sorting through his old clothes for anything salvageable when her fingers brushed against something that she had only felt on very rare and special occasions. She bit back a gasp as she pulled from beneath Frodo's shirt a coat of shimmering rings.

"Mithril." She whispered through barely moving lips.

"That's my coat." She looked away from the coat to Frodo who was peering up at her with tired sapphire orbs, "Or Mama's coat really. I just borrowing it." he yawned, his shoulders slouching forwarded causing the collar of the sleep shirt to slip down his dreadfully thin shoulder.

This time Dis could not stop the gasp that escaped her lips when she saw the all too familiar mark imprinted upon the little lad's shoulder.

"My lady?" Eir questioned Dis carefully; clearly worried for her King's sister as well as for her friend.

"I need to see my brother." Dis said as soon as she was able to collect her thoughts into an orderly fashion.

"Now?" Eir asked bewildered.

"Yes, now. And I need to take the child with me." She said as she lifted the child into her arms once more, him being simply too tired to protest, his head coming to rest upon her collar bone.

If it were earlier in the evening she might have pulled her heavy court robe back on, simply for appearance sake but as it was considered late under the mountain she did not bother as many of the noble-born dwarves who might have had a problem with seeing the King's sister dressed in anything but her proper royal garb should all be away in their chambers, she proceeded without hesitation out of the bedchamber and headed in the direction of Thorin's private study, not giving a wit when she heard him complain about people and their inability to knock on closed doors before entering a private room and the snorts of amusement from his old company who were still residing inside the room.

"Dis." Thorin grated at her as a way of greeting as she marched unannounced – once again – into his private study. She was pleased to see that his eyes soften some when they saw in her arms she carried the child of the Halfling he had been – and still was no matter how much he might try to deny – so in love with. Though only for a moment before they became as hard as sapphires.

"Dis, he is meant to be in bed."

"And he will be, but first," she carefully placed the Mithril onto Thorin's desk, which caused several bewildered mutters and exclamations. Thorin didn't even give the coat a single glance; instead his eyes remained firmly upon his sister or rather, upon the boy child in her arms.

"Dis?"

Without a word, she gently placed the sleepy lad upon Thorin's desk and carefully pulled down the collar of his night shirt so that all present could see the strange but familiar mark upon his shoulder.

"Ah…" was all the ever wise Balin seemed to be able to say on the matter. All the other dwarves in the room simply stared at the mark, dumbfounded.

"Do you think she knew?" Dis asked as she put her arms around the sleepy child to keep him from falling off the desk.

"Doubtful." Thorin muttered his hand raised hesitantly towards the boy's shoulder before he quickly withdrew it. "She knew some of our history but not all."

"Naturally." Dis said as she gently brushed the little boy's curls from his sleeping face.

"She was clever though," Balin said softly his words returning to him. "She must have suspected, though…" he looked to where Kili, Ori, Bofur and Bifur were still standing staring dumbfounded at the child.

"She never said a word about this to any of you?" Balin addressed the four dwarves.

"Uh…"

"No, not a word." Ori answered for them, blinking his dark eyes as he stared at the little lad as if now seeing him in a new light.

"Probably thought that it was normal." Dwalin grunted, "The lad's half dwarf, she probably was expecting a few odd runes on him here and there, though she of course would never have expected that one. You," Dwalin looked down at his brother, "never taught her that rune did you?"

"Not in this context, no." Balin shook his white head regretfully.

"It must have worried her still, to have a mark on her child that she did not know the meaning of." Dis said as she gathered the boy back into her arms.

"She could have always asked." Kili grumbled before blushing when his mother shot him a dry look. He was going to get such an earful when his mother had a spare moment.

"The lassie was always frighten that we might take him from her," Bofur muttered, his furred hat falling over his eyes, "and knowing her, she would 'ave seen it as only another reason for him to be taken away. 'specially if she knew what the mark meant."

"Durin the Deathless," Dwalin looked around at them all, his eyes glittering in a bemused sort of way, "reborn into a," he looked over at Ori and the others for confirmation, "Dwobbit." He whistle softly threw his teeth, "Never thought I would live to see the day."

"Nor I."

"Or I."

"Aye."

Dis looked at her older brother who looked rather like his had taken an orc sword to the gut as he sat heavily down into his armchair, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the edge of his desk.

"The prophets spoke that his rebirth was upon us." Dis reminded him gently.

Thorin tore his gaze away from the sleeping child in her arms to look her in the eyes, only she saw the panic that filled them. He then looked away from her and stared at the mithril coat that lay upon his desk where she had placed it moments before, he brow creasing.

"Where?"

"He was wearing it." She replied, "Said that he was borrowing it from his mama?" she gave him a look and he simply shook his head, his eyes closed as he leant back in his chair.

"Right," she said, taking charge as her brother looked to be simply too overwhelmed by his own thoughts to muster up the energy to kick his eleven closest friends out of his study for the night. "Everyone out."

Using one hand she managed to usher all the dwarves, including her two sons out of her brother's office and back to their own chambers for the night.

"I'll be by to check 'is feet in the morning." Oin rumbled as he and Gloin departed.

"Good, we will see you then. Good Night."

Once all the old company had departed for the night Dis turned back to her brother who was still leaning back in his chair, eyes closed and looking close to death with the dark shadows under his eyes and the pallor his skin beneath his beard.

"That means you too, brother dear." Dis said with an impatient stamp of her foot that caused the sleepy child in her arm to whine sleepily against her collar. The whine was what snapped Thorin from whatever thoughts were overwhelming his mind causing him to look sharply in their direction.

"Come," Dis order, though her tone was gentle, "I'm off to put the little one to bed, you might as well come along as it is the same direction as your own chambers."

"Dis."

"Thorin." He groaned and with some rather unnecessary grunting and swearing he was out of his armchair – she didn't fail to miss seeing him sneak the mithril coat into his coat pocket - and by her side but keeping a fair distance between himself and the child in her arms.

Dis rolled her eyes to the heavens at the ridiculousness of her brother.

"You're going to have be closer to him sooner or later." She growled lowly at him as they left his study for the night and walked back through the maze of corridors for the royal chambers.

"I am close to him. I'm right next to him right now."

"Thorin." She growled and without any warning at all she all but shoved the sleeping child into his arms.

Thorin cursed as his arms shot out to grab the child before he fell tumbling to the stone floor. Frodo whined once more but still didn't wake, his body moving to mould into Thorin's chest.

"See," Dis said with a wave of her hand, ignoring her brother venomous looks as he adjusted the child more comfortably in his arms, "You're fine."

"I could have dropped him with that stunt."

"But you didn't." Dis retorted as she opened the door to the bedchambers that would be Frodo's for however long his stay in Erebor was.

Thorin simply scowled at her before moving awkwardly into the bedchamber. Eir was still in there with the two servant lass, both of whom gave small squeaks of surprise as Thorin entered and dropped into hurried curtsies. Of which Thorin ignored and Dis was quick to dismiss both girls while Eir stood off the side clearly not sure whether to stay or to go.

"Will he be alright?" Thorin asked after they had settled the boy into a section of the bed with pillows piled around to make sure he didn't accidently roll off the bed during the night. Most dwarves upon reaching adulthood slept on their back and did not move about much during the duration of their slumber but dwarrow youngsters were known to toss and turn in the night and Frodo appeared to be at the exact age where this habit begun. "Being alone, all by himself?"

"Would you have him returned to his…" Dis held her tongue, stopping her from speaking the word family in case it infuriated her brother in some way.

Thorin hesitated all the same.

"It is late," He muttered more to himself than to her, "and a servant already reported to Dwalin that they had all gone to bed."

"In the morning, I will take him to them." Dis offered. "Or Kili will. I'm sure he will be only too happy to do so."

"Yes, I am sure." Thorin snorted. "Maybe it would be best…" he trailed off and shook his head.

"Her father might appreciate it if you were present also." Dis offered and Thorin glanced at her, his eyes filled with panic once more before nodding.

"Sire," Thorin and Dis looked back around at Eir who was standing nervously by the chamber's door, "I'd be happy to watch over the mim ze for the night. I've done so many times with my little ones."

"No," Thorin said before Dis could speak a word in edgewise, "the lad should be fine. And if he should wake during the course of the night, myself or Dis, or one my nephews will hear and see to him."

Eir hesitated for a moments, casting a glance towards Dis before she nodded and bowed as she took her leave of the room.

Dis raised her eyebrows at her brother but said not a word as they left Frodo's bedside and the chamber altogether. He would have to learn the lessons of being a parent one way or another, though she suspected even with all the training he had had with her boys, his way of learning would be the long and difficult road.

She just hoped the little lad wouldn't suffer too badly while his father tried to find his way, stumbling the whole time, along the road of parenting. After all, Thorin was not known for his sense of direction.

Author's Note: So the company now knows who Frodo used to be and none of them really know how to process it. Certainly not Thorin! And if he thinks that this is the end of unexpected things being thrown in his face and him having to cope with them within teensy, tiny amount of time... HA, the fun has only just begun. I'm amazed that his brain hasn't exploded yet with all this new information being heaped on to him but then again, there is still plenty of time for that :D.
I'm sorry Thorin. No, really I am (coughkinda), it just that I've just finished rereading the hobbit for the 1000th time and rewatched The Desolation of Smaug trails for the 100th time and seeing you start to act like the bastard you sometimes can be, I am in the mood to torture you a little bit... :D I swear all this emotion torture will end... eventually

Anyway, bye for now. See you again on Christmas day and maybe... maybe even on Boxing Day, depends who much I'm gushing and squealing over DOS. I want to see the movie sooooo badly! ;_;