Title: A tale about friendship, Part 2?

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

E-mail: Overall rating: M, for violence and orctorment. This chapter: K+

Summary: A group of children are told the tale of their friendship with the dwarves in general and the Folk of Durin in particular.

Warnings: The overall rating of this fic is M, as parts of it deals with violent battle and torment. There are also Original Characters in the fic, but no Mary Sues. Unbetaed, all mistakes belong to me.

Disclaimer: I don't own any one of Tolkien's characters, never have, and never will. The only ones I own are the people you have never met before.

Chapter 2, A journey to Iron Hills

"I would like to hear about it" Bard said and Gandalf said

"A bond that can't be broken, even by my fire magic is something I would like to hear about" but Melian still hesitated. Finally Dáin told her "I am sure that if my cousin had been here, he would have said ´if you don't tell them, I will and Melian nodded.

"I am certain that he would," she answered, and looking at her children she said, "you had better sit down, because this is a long tale and parts of it are horrible. I must also ask you not to tell anyone, other than your future children when the time comes, about what you will now hear. Because what I will tell you now I have never told anyone before, the story of what we did in the war our foremother named ´the war of vengeance, the war that made Dáin and Thórin Oakenshield renowned."

"The War of Dwarves and Orcs" king Bard said amazed, "you mean that there were Men involved?"

"Men" Balin said, "they were children when the war started but they grew up soon enough. People grow quickly in wartime." The children looked astonished as their mother began her tale.

"It began with my maternal great-great-great-great-great-grandmother who was named Morwen daughter of Túrin. She married Huor son of Húrin for two reasons, the first reason was that they had loved each other since they were children and the second reason was that she was a skilled healer and Finduilas daughter of Amandil, the mother of Huor, had no daughter to pass her craft and lore to. But when she heard about the love between Huor and Morwen she was relieved, knowing that the village would still have a healer of great skill when she passed away. On the day of their marriage, Húrin asked his son and daughter-in-law to go to either Dale near Erebor or Iron Hills to purchase arms and mail from the Dwarves living there. ´In these places live the Folk of Durin Húrin told them, ´and what they don't know about smithying isn't worth knowing. They discussed where to go and finally decided to go to Iron Hills."

"Why there and not to Dale?" Bard asked, and Melian answered that in her foremother's book the decision was explained in the following manner, "It was the name that made us decide to go to Iron Hills, because we had the feeling that it was where the best Iornore was found". So it was a coincidence that made them go to Iron Hills and consequently it was by coincidence they were rescued from the Dragon. "The Dragon?" the children said shivering, and Melian answered "the Dragon, Smaug the Golden. I saw him the night he attacked Esgaroth and king Bard felled him from the sky. I had never before felt such fear" Melian shuddered at the memory, "and I have only been so afraid once after that. But that will come later so I say no more about it now."

"He was frightening when he came as well" Balin said and there was great fear in his eyes. "But do say on Melian" he added.

"As I was saying," Melian continued her tale; "Huor and Morwen went to Iron Hills with a group of people from the village, one of whom was her sister named Rian. At the time Grór son of Dáin was Lord of Iron Hills, and Morwen describes him in her book as a noble and kindly lord. ´I would follow him anywhere if he asked me, even if the road led through a Dragon's Den she wrote. Her memory of their first meeting was that he had her laughing with his stories about people he had met. Huor and Grór discussed the agreement while Morwen and Rian shared their knowledge with the healers of Iron Hills. One day when Morwen was gathering herbs for medicines she saw groups of Dwarves running towards Iron Hills. She could see that many of them were injured so she called out to them, named herself and offered to help them. They were shaken but when she lay down her dagger as a sign of her peaceful intentions towards them, they dared to come to her. Many of them were scorched and blistered and Morwen asked what had happened to them. They told her that a Dragon had come to their Mountain and taken over it, as well as turning Dale into a heap of rubble. She asked them if they knew what had happened to the Father of their Folk, and they told her that they were unsure of the fate of their Father and his son, his grandchildren however were safe as they had left the Mountain with their friends the same morning. Morwen treated their injuries but she had only small amounts of medicines and pastes with her. She did however have more in the camp they were living in so when her supplies ran out she asked those who hadn't yet been treated to come with her. One of those who had already been treated said that he would stay and tell those who came after which way to go and Morwen said that she would send a friend to him with food and drink. When they came to the camp the villagers were shocked to see them and immediately gave them food and drink. They were also given beds in the tents so they could rest.

Those who had been treated went to Iron Hills and according to Huors recollections their arrival caused a clamour. When the Lord heard what had happened he was very worried for his brother and kin. When he was told that more persons were in the camp, he went there with Huor and found the people being treated and fed. He asked if they knew anything certain about his brother and nephew but got no news and he felt sad, but Morwen told him to wait awhile before he tore his beard for them, as it was likely that they had escaped the Mountain through some other passage.

The Dwarves who came to Iron Hills recovered quickly and the day came when Huor payed for the arms and mail that had been made for them. Grór paid Morwen and Rian for their care for the Dwarves from Erebor, a payment they were loath to accept but finally they did so, having been told that they did deserve it. Morwen was then given a dagger to replace the one she had with her that had been broken. She was most thankful to Grór and promised that it would become an heirloom in her house. She also promised that she would seek for his kin and send word if she heard anything about them. They left for home, feeling most worried and wondering what they could do to help."

Dáin nodded as he heard it. "Grandfather was very worried for his brother and nephew and he had heard nothing about them at the time the people of Huor left. Fortunately he did receive word later that they had made it out of the Mountain and were safe. He was very relieved when he heard it."

Bard said to Melian "the dagger you speak about, is it the one you are wearing?"

"Indeed it is" Melian answered, took the dagger off her belt and handed it to the others. Dáin looked at it and saw clearly his grandfather's handiwork in it. All of them were amazed at the quality of it and how it had been treated with care through the years.

TBC