The next couple of weeks were spent, preparing for Dis' arrival.
One morning Fili and Kili had insisted that they take Shobha to Dale, on a visit. They had left in the afternoon and as they reached the gates, the small market stalls were slowly starting to close down for the end of trade.
Dale looked like it had once been rather poor, but was beginning to see some rejuvenation. The market appeared to be thriving now. And the people they came across were clean and well clothed. Even the children that played in the streets appeared to be relatively clean – certainly in comparison to the image that she had of children in the streets in old London. After a walk around the town, and a brief stop in a tavern for a drink, they all set off on their return journey.
The walk was around an hour from Erebor. And they had now set off as the sun began to set.
"So you were a bit quiet..?" Kili asked Shobha. "Did you not like Dale?"
"Not at all," she concluded. "Its strange to be outdoors after all that time in Erebor. The thing is you just don't notice it because it is so well lit. How is that done?"
"Our craftsmanship is very clever! The light filters through many shafts from outside," Fili explained proudly. "And then there is a similar system for after dark. Its very clever. And you will not see anything like that outside of Erebor."
They continued on for a few minuted more in silence, watching tradesmen returning back to Erebor in the distance, between the large stone Dwarves standing either side of the great entrance. There was a group of men following them from behind, and were unusually heading towards Erebor rather than back to Dale. Shobha looked over her shoulder at them, initially just a glance… and then she stopped pretending to adjust her boot, and look back without attracting attention.
Fili and Kili stopped to wait for her.
"Are you ok? Is there a stone in your boot?" Fili asked, and then registered the worry on her face. "What is it?"
"Don't look - A group of four or five men behind us… it doesn't quite look right," she whispered. "They are all hooded as well, and I don't know whether we can outrun them to the Great Gates."
"They don't look heavily armed," Kili bent down pretending to check her boot also. "We have our swords with us, so lets quicken our pace, but be ready in case they make a move."
"If they do attack, we can hold them off while you run to the Gates and alert the guard." Fili finished. "Come on lets get going now, before they gain any more on us."
They quickened their pace. The Gates were still at least another twenty minute run away, Shobha estimated. Then men following had quickened their pace to match also. She glanced over her shoulder again, and this time they appeared to be closer.
"Don't look – keep going" Fili gripped her wrist firmly and began pulling her along. "You're not armed, and have no protective clothing. Uncle will have our beards if you get hurt."
They heard the men break into a run now, and did the same. They were close now.
But the men had gained on them.
"Arm yourself brother!" Fili spun around as the first man caught up to them. Kili threw one of his swords at him, which lodged deep in his chest felling him with a heavy thud. Fili had already pulled it out and tossed it back to Kili, and kicked the dead man's swords away.
They stepped forward "Hold your ground!" Fili yelled.
Shobha stood there frozen, as the remaining four men caught up to them. Fili moved swiftly and efficiently and had managed to kill one of his opponents. While Kili had disarmed one of his.
Shobha snapped back to her senses and ran to the Gates, a mere short sprint away, screaming at the guard to follow. She grabbed one of their shields and sprinted back to where the two princes were fighting, the guard following close behind.
As she neared them she noted, Fili had lost one of his swords and sustained some sort of injury as he appeared to be favouring one leg. He appeared to be losing!
She ran at his attacker from the side slamming into him with her shield. He lunged at her in return with his sword and after hitting her shield twice, he sliced into her right thigh, just as Fili swung his sword overhead severing his head clear of his body in one clean move.
Lungs gasping for air after several sprints, and having witnessed the horror of a violent decapitation Shobha fell to her knees and promptly vomited. She immediately felt a gentle hand pulling her hair out of the way and rubbing her back.
"You were amazing out there," Fili spoke gently as he slipped his hand around her waist and pulled her up.
"You got to him quicker than me!" Kili beamed, and stood to her other side. "Now lets get you and Fili back to Oin, and your wounds cleaned."
Shobha was not sure how much blood she had lost, but her thigh was continuing to bleed despite the pressure she applied. Fili and Kili slung their arms around her waist and together hoisted her off the ground and began carrying her back.
The guard were left tackling the bodies of the men that had attacked them.
As they neared the Gates, they were met by very angry looking Thorin, followed by Dwalin and several other of his personal guards.
"What happened?!" he stormed over stopping them in their tracks. "I told you to take guards with you!"
"We were ambushed…" Fili began. "It was fine until then –"
"And why was she involved in the fighting –"
"WE NEED TO GET TO THE INFIRMARY NOW! Questions later -" Shobha said sharply over the noise. Thorin scooped her up out of their makeshift lift. "We are all bleeding." She finished softly.
"Dwalin – go alert Oin. We're on our way." Then turning to his guard, "Clear the route for us."
Kili supported Fili and Thorin carried Shobha, moving swiftly through the crowds that were being cleared by the guards in front. When they arrived in the infirmary Oin and the other healers were poised and ready. Their wounds were tended to quickly. Both Fili and Shobha required stitches. She had sustained a much larger cut. Kili had a few small cuts that had been cleaned and dressed too.
After the analgesic potions given to them, Shobha and Fili were taken back to their rooms to rest. After managing to change into a loose nightgown and collapsing in bed, she let a dreamless sleep take her.
Shobha woke to the sound of chatter and eating in her room.
"Oh good you're up!" Kili grinned. "We thought you were going to continue to mutter about how 'he is more handsome than you thought'!" He laughed.
"What?!" She sat up, what had she been saying in her drug-induced sleep? Fili and Kili sat around a small table eating, Fili with his injured leg resting on a pouffe. Dwalin and Balin sat with them, smoking their pipes.
"He's just pulling your leg, lass," Oin winked. "Now let me check that leg of yours."
Thorin moved in with Oin to expose her right thigh to check on the bandaging. The stitches appeared to have done the trick and stemmed the bleeding.
"Does it hurt?" Oin asked, giving it a gentle squeeze to test how tight the bandaging was.
"No actually its not too bad." She pressed the leg herself to check there wasn't a developing clot underneath. Thorin observed her closely, concern on his face. After helping to cover her leg back with blankets and passing her a bowl of soup, he then took a seat near her pulling out his pipe, tapping it into a small bronze tray.
"Now I have heard the tall tale my nephews have told me," he looked at her with his usual unreadable face. "And I would like to hear your side of the story please Shobha." He spoke keeping his calm, even though he was still unhappy about the whole event.
"We noticed four men walking behind us after we left Dale. We quickened our pace, but they caught up with us, when we were getting close to the Great Gates. Fili and Kili, thought and acted fast, holding them off while I ran to alert the guard and brought them back." She recalled. "But by that point Fili looked like he was in trouble, so – "
"She was amazing Dwalin!" Kili jumped in. "She knew I wouldn't have got to Fili on time, so she grabbed one of the guards' shields and rammed him. Then she ducked and weaved, just like we trained her! That gave Fili the chance to finish him… He would have been hurt much more if not for her! She may have even saved his life!"
"And why did you not just let the guard do their job?" Thorin asked her calmly.
"They wouldn't have got there on time.. so I guess, I acted on impulse…" Shobha winced as she saw Thorin face.
"I don't ever want you to put yourself in danger like that for one of us again." He clenched and unclenched his fist. A movement that she had come to note was his method for controlling his temper.
"You know I can't promise that, Thorin." She looked at him. "You would all do the same for me."
"We are trained in battle, for many years." Although he groused, his face was now soft. "Well, hence forth, when you leave Erebor, you are to have guards or one of us escort you."
"You also need to know the rest, now that you have been involved – its only fair Thorin." Balin added, from his chair.
"But it will only put her in greater danger, Balin."
"She will be in danger now as long as she is here with us all, as our kin, Thorin."
"Very well," he turned to her, eyes soft, worry clouding his face. "There are some factions of Noble Dwarves who would like to see the rightful King under the Mountain removed –"
"But how is that even possible!" Shobha exclaimed. "Did anyone else face Smaug or Azog and reclaim Erebor!"
"Yes, well… these people would like a leader elected by them, so ultimately they would have control," Thorin smiled softly. "Over the last few years there have been a few attempts at assassination, and disruption to the operation of Erebor; collapsed mines, shipments of supplies intercepted and so on. Whatever it is, this is among the boldest attempt so far on my nephews and now you."
"So how have things changed between the time of your grandfather, King Thror, and you?" She queried, pursing her lips and frowning.
"Well Thror had the Arkenstone. No one questioned his right – it was considered a divine sign from Mahal himself."
"So? You have the Arkenstone too."
"Not quite."
"What?!"
"I had the Arkenstone when we first reclaimed Erebor – but I was overcome…" he trailed off.
"Dragon-Sickness." She finished, finally understanding.
"So what did you do with it?"
"I hid it somewhere no one could find it." Balin spoke up.
"I felt it was best that way," Thorin concluded.
"But how did you overcome it the first time round?"
"Through will-power. It was very difficult and we almost fell in battle afterwards…" he appeared to be mentally reliving the horrors of battle, which made her feel guilty about what she was about to ask him, but she had to get to the bottom of it.
"How did you defeat Azog and Bolg?" This question triggered a painful gasp from all the dwarves across the room.
Thorin froze and looked at her, eyes piercing. "The Eleves and men of Dale stood outside our Gates ready for war, when Dain arrived. Thranduil spent a while trying to negotiate. But before any battle could take place the tables turned when a large army of orcs led by that filth came for us all. Dain, Thranduil and the men were forced to join together to survive. We left for Ravenhill late. As we left, Gandalf brought us word that a second group of orcs were due to arrive in Ravenhill. We were prepared, and more in numbers than that filth expected. Bolg almost killed Kili, but Fili and Dwalin finished him, saving Thranduil's son also. Azog, almost killed Stonehelm, and inflicted an almost fatal wound to me, but when he thought he was about to watch me die, I was able to finish him. I was ready to die that day knowing that my heirs were safe, but Gandalf arrived on his eagles and must have cast a healing spell on me."
"Aye and Thranduil aided in your healing, Thorin" Balin added. "As a payment in kind for saving his son, Legolas, from Bolg."
Thorin noticed that by this stage Shobha was clutching her hands to her mouth during the description of events.
Was she horrified by the battle? Or was she worried about…me…? No it must have been worry for us all. She was a heavenly vision, wearing the white nightgown, her dark hair loose and cascading down past her shoulders.
Shobha didn't know how she could still explain that according to the version she knew, Thorin, Fili and Kili had all died, and perhaps it didn't matter now anyway.
"There is something else here that we are missing…" she frowned again trying to concentrate. "Will not all seven clans of dwarf unite in allegiance to the King…?"
"Aye, they should lass." Balin continued, "but it hasn't been like that so far. Many have returned to Erebor. And it has grown to be the largest stronghold, but it is not as it was under Thror."
"And I hope no King, ever rules like Thror again." Thorin stated, clenching and unclenching his fists again.
"Hmmm… there is still something we are missing here…" she puzzled. Then inadvertently stifled a yawn. She must have been very tired.
"Aye lass, and you can puzzle over than another day. But now you need some rest." Dwalin concluded. "Come on lads, lets give her some rest." And he began to reset the furniture in the room to as it was previously, while Kili helped Fili up.
"Thorin," she leant over and whispered grasping his hand, in his seat next to her bed before he could get up to leave. "We need to talk with Gandalf urgently. I think he has answers to all these questions… or at least will be able to help figure it out."
"Of course," he whispered back, then reaching with his other hand, gently cupped her chin, and looked into her eyes. He would have kissed her in that very moment if he could. "But you must rest now. You have been through much."
Before he left he looked at Balin and signed, She can help – if she knows. Needs lessons – with dwarflings if necessary.
