Disclaimer: I don't own any familiar characters, and or anything pertaining to the world of the Hobbit. All, but my ocs, are owned by J.R.R Tolkien

Chapter Five

The Promise of a New Day


Her feet dragged along the stone that lay before her. The night had been plagued with sleeplessness and thoughts that would never dare leave her lips. Every time her eyes closed she saw the phantom that haunted her. It had to have been a dream, Claudia tried to convince herself. That it was her conscious trying to speak to her. But she couldn't ignore how the soft pads of his fingers left her skin buzzing. How real he had felt speaking in front of her, the warmth of his breath brushing her face. He was supposed to be a childhood memory, something she had created to cover her loneliness. Yet when he spoke in front of her, it felt like anything but a fantasy.

I chose you for a reason.

What had he meant by that?

What was she chosen for?

The questions burned in her mind like a wildfire, setting the forest of her rational ablaze. Beside her, she could hear the vague conversation of Brand and Theo patter on, but she couldn't bring herself to join in on their merriment. A day had passed since her birthday, and Brand had not pushed Claudia on her answer. Which she was thankful for, her mind was consumed with chaos and she feared what she would say if he asked her again. The three entered the warmly lit space of the royal dining room.

It was rare for every member of the royal family to gather around the same table for any meal. Each had extensive duties within their positions, and many councils to oversee. Kili and Thorin both oversaw the budget and war council. Tauriel was on the trade council and often traveled between the three kingdoms of Erebor, Dale, and Mirkwood making sure all three of the kingdoms traded in peace. Theo was still training under Dwalin's supervision, he wished to become a general in Erebor's army. Rowan spent most of her days with her nose in a book or following their father around like a shadow, never straying far from their Da. Odette rarely left the forges that glowed at the heart of the Mountain Kingdom, she was an apprentice to one of the most prestigious iron crafters in Dwarven history. Their parents had even sent her to study under some elves in Mirkwood for a few months last year, their Ama had claimed that it would widen Odette's abilities. Their Da was silent, not wanting to fight with his wife. Their parents were the most important figureheads in all of their kingdoms. Their people demanded much of their parent's attention, but they always carved sometime in the evening to eat with their daughters.

Noticing the last two members of the royal family enter, Kili stood up rushing up to his son and niece consuming them in a tight hug.

"We were waiting on you three," Kili squeezed their shoulders, guiding them to the table, "I'm nearly starved to death. You both get your slugginess from your Ama's."

As the words left his mouth a piece of bread hit him square between his eyes. Odette and Tauriel laughed as Magdalen smiled brightly. Kili let go of both Theo and Claudia leaning forward to speak to the Queen teasingly. Magdalen only held up a hand to silence Kili.

"I would watch how you speak to your Queen. I will have you thrown in a dungeon, little prince." Magdalen said with false sternness.

Claudia rolled her eyes as she took her seat next to Rowan, who sat quietly watching with only a small sliver of amusement in her blue eyes.

Kili held a hand to his heart as if her words injured him.

"Your Highness, please I beg you for your forgiveness." He rushed to Magdalen's seat, bending down to capture Magdalen's hand.

Magdalen looked down from the tip of her nose, replying with a sweet tone of forgiveness. Though they were only related by marriage, Kili and her Ama acted as if they were cut from the same cloth. They were mischievous twins who looked for trouble wherever they stormed through. Kili groveled in thankfulness, Fili sighed from beside his wife shooing off his brother with vague threats. The familial hum of conversation flowed through the room as the royal family began digging into the food that stacked the long oak table. The words melted into bittersweet music in Claudia's ears, only picking up a few words here and there. The edges of her vision darkened as the words from the night before sang in her eyes.

You're nothing compared to your sisters, you know it's true.

Her eyes glanced up at Odette watching as her wonderful face lit up with laughter leaning against Thorin's glum person teasingly.

But to me, you are everything. You have a destiny.

Her breath hitched at the words. Never before had words affected her so much, not even Brand's. She wanted to hear them again, and again for the rest of her life. Thallian had promised her a destiny, a chance to outrun the shadows that she lived with her whole life.

Glory is your destiny, little bird

She imagined herself looking up the throne. Her Da smiled down at her in pride, the crowd of her peace cheering for her. A blue tulip held out to herself as everyone she loved applauded her triumph.

The idea was short-lived as a hand snaked around Claudia's, snapping her out of her vision. Her eyes met Brand's, a questioning look marking his handsome features.

"Did you hear me?" His tone was gentle and concerned.

Claudia let out a short laugh, shaking her head. Her free hand reaching up to touch her own face in embracement.

"I'm sorry, I didn't sleep well last night. What did you say?" She confessed.

Brand's lip pulled slightly, a lopsided grin shining on his face, "It's okay. It was nothing important. I was just telling Theo about that deer we saw last spring when I was escorting you home…" His words faded from Claudia's ears as she caught the words her sister spoke quietly to their Da.

"It's not a question, Da. I'm going to Rivendell, it's a question of who you are sending with me."

Rowan's words were firm and unwavering. Claudia watched from the concern of her eyes as her Da's shoulders tensed. Rowan didn't often go against their Da's wishes, she admired him to a fault. But the tone in her words was unmistakable. Rowan had inherited much of her looks from their Ama, but her personality came from their Da. The stubbornness that all three of the sisters carried was undoubtedly their mother's.

Claudia's heart squeezed tightly. Rivendell. Thallian had told her that her destiny began in the Elven house, that she needed to find a way there. It seemed that the destiny Thallian had claimed she had was calling to her. Without a thought of her words or the consequences that they held she turned to her Da and sister ignoring Brand and Theo's conversation.

"I'll go," Claudia said much louder than she had intended.

The table froze turning their eyes on the middle Durin sister. Both Fili and Rowan looked startled by her words. The shock faded from Fili's face as the stoic face of the king replaced it.

"Absolutely not."

Rowan's sharp brows shot up, leaning back to take in the full picture of Claudia.

"Go where Claudia?" Magdalen leaned forward looking between her daughter and husband in curiosity.

A hot flush kissed Claudia's face as everyone stared at her. Bowing her head she swallowed the panic that tightened and dried her throat. When Claudia did not answer Magdalen, she moved on to Fili, who picked at his food avoiding his wife's deadly glare.

"What were you talking about, Fili?"

Fili sighed, unable to bring himself to lie to his wife. "We were discussing Lord Elrond's message. Rowan is determined that she go," he waved in Claudia's direction ", and now it seems that so is Claudia."

Rowan glared at Claudia as he Da spoke the words.

"No, you can't send them to that elf!" Thorin scoffed.

Rowan turned her heated glare to Thorin. "That elf is a high lord, he gave you safety on your quest. Lord Elrond has been in trade with Erebor for ten years now and has brought a lot to our land. The least we can do is answer his call. Mirkwood is sending an advisor!"

Thorin stood at her words. "Dwarves do not answer to the elves, though they would like to believe so."

Tauriel shot daggers at Thorin and his illogical reasoning. Rowan shot to her feet. "This is not about us bowing to the elves, this is about keeping us open to a relationship to the elves."

Rowan and Thorin descended into chaos, and so did the room around them.

Fili held his head in his hands. Claudia sunk in her chair knowing she had been the main reason for the commotion. This was the second reason the royal family didn't have meals together much.

"Thorin, Rowan sit down right now." Magdalen smacked her fist on the table silencing the room. "Rowan is right, we need to keep our relationship with the elves in good standing. Lord Elrond is a key piece of this." Thorin folded his arms looking away from Magdalen. Rowan smiled in delight.

"Thorin is also right, we do not answer the elves. That is why we need to go, our voices need to be heard on the council."Rowan's smile faded. Fili sat down his fork with a light clatter as he stood. His hand was outstretched to Magdalen.

"I'm going to think this over. Until then I don't want any more discussion on this matter." Fili led Magdalen from the table toward the door, opening it for her.

He paused looking back at the table, his eyes burning into Claudia's soul.

"Rowan and Claudia come and see me after dinner." And with that, he was gone.

Rowan snapped her head in Claudia's direction, her lips pursed. Claudia's mouth opened but no words came. Her face dropped. One by one the remaining members of the royal family left the dining room, an awkward silence hanging in the air. Rowan pushed from her seat, storming out of the room her fist closed tight.

"Rowan, wait!" Claudia called, chasing after her sister.

Rowan did not slow down. "Rowan, please let me explain."

Rowan stopped on her heels, Claudia crashing into her back. "How could you do that to me?" A fury that Claudia had only seen a few times in her short life, burned in Rowan's eyes. The blues of her eyes no longer resembled a calm sea, but that of the hottest fires.

"You don't care about Erebor's political relationships, Claudia. You may not care about anything, but I do. I was trying to get Da to see my reasons, but you just came and shit on me." She stepped closer to Claudia, her face like a predator staring down at its meal.

"Row-"

"No! The only reason you want to go is to get away from Brand." Her finger pressed painfully into Claudia's chest.

Claudia gasped at the truth in Rowan's words. Rowan's chest heaved a few times, her eyes closed, and just like that the beast melted away. She ran a hand through her hair, turning away from Claudia.

Claudia reached out a hand to Rowan. "Please, I know you're mad at me. But you don't understand I have to go to Rivendell with you. Make Da see that." Claudia pleaded, squeezing Rowan's hand.

Rowan snapped her hand away. "Why do you want to go so bad?" Rowan asked though she believed she knew the answer already.

"I-I just have to."

Rowan slow nodded her head, turning to head down the hallway. Claudia watched as she disappeared around the corner. Claudia swallowed the heavy lumped in her throat, pushing away the tears that touched her eyes. A hand touched her shoulder, she relaxed.

"Brand I'm sorry about…" The words died as she looked to where she felt the presence of a body. Beside her sat nothing. Her heart knocked on the chest trying to escape her body. Wide eyes stared at the air.

"Claudia," Brand's voice called.

He approached her, his arms draping over Claudia's shoulder. Claudia looked up at the golden face that stared down at her. He was like a sun, his warm joyful light touching her.

"You okay?"

A pang of strange guilt weighed in her stomach. She only nodded. Brand smiled pressing a soft kiss into her hair before leading her away. The cold clamp of the invisible hand stung her shoulder through her clothes.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Rowan stood with her back to the room of their Da's study. Her arms were folded tight into herself as if she were holding herself. Her lips were pressed into a hard line. Claudia treaded softly knowing that her sister's temper, though rare, was dangerous. Rowan was so unlike Claudia in many ways. Rowan was always calm and collected. She excelled in everything she studied, and always looked good doing it. Claudia always wished had a fraction of Rowan's pose.

Claudia walked quietly to one of the chairs that sat in front of the wide desk of the father's. A pair of crystal eyes set on Claudia's small frame, a sneer smeared on Rowan's face.

"Still mad at me?" Claudia smiled sheepishly.

Rowan rolled her eyes, her fingers pressed deeper into her toned biceps. "I'm not mad at you, Claudia," Rowan said with a sigh.

"You should have told yourself that," Claudia grumbled.

A huffed of air slipped from Rowan's lips as she pushed herself off the bookcase. Her porcelain hand, soft yet firm from years of training, touched the soft of dark wood in front of Claudia. Traveling up the hand Claudia found Rowan leaned over her.

"I just don't get you. You have someone who is willing to give you love. Someone until yesterday you seemed madly in love with, and now all of the sudden you want to run away from? I thought Brand, and his kingdom is something you wanted."

Though Rowan hadn't directly said, Claudia knew exactly what she meant. And it stung Claudia to her core. Tears burned her eyes. Her bit down on her lip, the metallic taste of blood touched her tongue. The thunderous roars of anger stormed in her mind, thinking of every way she could hurt her sister just like she had hurt her… But the words never came to her lips. Instead, she looked away, a single strain of golden hair falling in her face.

"Then perhaps you don't know me.' Claudia said.

Rowan released her hold on Claudia. "Perhaps I don't. What I do know is that you are a bra, too consumed in your own glom these days to see what you have in front of you." Rowan hissed.

Claudia glared up at Rowan. "I see exactly what opportunity I have in front of me. If I marry Brand I will be stuck here the rest of my life in this valley. I will be a wife and a mother, stuck as exactly as I am now. A shadow among you, even as a Queen." Claudia stood staring into her sister's eyes.

Before Rowan could say anything, the door opened revealing their Da. The sisters fell quiet moving away silently from each other. Their Da, though older in an age now, had become a fine king. His golden locks were filled with pride and braids, each telling of his success. He circled his desk, taking his seat before he began to shift through the piles of documents on his desk. Picking up his quill he began scribbling on the parchment. Claudia tapped her foot, impatiently waiting for her Da to speak. Rowan snapped her neck in her direction, "must you do that."

"I must, Row," Claudia replied snottily.

Rowan narrowed her eyes, "you are acting like a dwarfling."

"At least I can remember being a dwarfling. Tell me did you come out the womb bossing people around?"

Rowan slammed her hands on the arms of the chair."Enough, girls." Fili bellowed, quieting his daughters once again.

Fili sighed leaning back in his chair, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. "I am tired, girls, can we speak like adults for a moment?"

Claudia folded her arms, looking away from her sister. Rowan did the same. Fili prayed silently to Mahal for strength. "Rowan I will admit I trust your judgment. But I can not see the reason for your willingness to go to the aid of the Elves. Our relationship with them ends with trade and that is it. We are not allies, we are trade partners." He paused. "And as for you Claudia, I don't even know where to begin. Why would you of all people want to go to Rivendell, especially now of all times."

Rowan turned to her father. "Da I told you I am going to Rivendell. I will leave in two days from now with or without your blessing. I am going because it is what is right. Something is happening beyond our kingdom. Every day less and less animals wander through our land. The fish have shown up on the shore of Lake-town dead and rotted. Our crops have started to turn black and foul. I know you can feel it too, something is coming. Something dark has come to our lands, Da, you can't deny it. I've seen the reports from the rangers. And if we can stop it then we must ALL help to stop whatever is coming." Rowan finished her impassioned speech.

"They do not know what it is." Their Da admitted.

"That is why I have to go. Lord Elrond might have a solution." Rowan pressed.

"You want to be the representative for Erebor in the Rivendell Council, then?" Fili asked.

Rowan bowed her head. "You have never gone on a mission by yourself." Fili pointed out.

"She won't be alone. Rowan needs support and I want to be that for her. The elves need to see that the future of the royal family is unified." Claudia finally spoke, wedging herself into the conversation.

"Claudia, I have never denied you or your sister's interest in any part of our royal duties. But you still have Brand to think about."

Claudia pushed back her shoulders, sitting as straight as she could. "Once I return give him my answer."

Rowan paused, her eyes now set studying her sister. "Will you agree to Brand's proposal?" Fili questioned a slight excitement bursting in his eyes.

"This mission will give me the time I need to think," Claudia spoke in half-truths, she would never tell a soul about Thallian and the words he spoke to her.

Fili nodded, returning to the documents in front of him."Fine, you both will leave two days from now."

Rowan snapped her head in her Da's direction, her perfect brows also touching her hairline."What?"

Fili's shoulders slumped, he ignored the surprising glare of Rowan looking directly at Claudia. "If this is what you want, then I will give this to you. It will do your sister good to begin to understand the importance of our relationships to the other kingdoms.``. The muscles flinched under Claudia's skin at her father's pointed stare, though she kept her composure, "if she is to become the queen of Dale one day."

After some muttering commands of what to do, and gathering documents to begin their journey ahead, the sister's made their way out of their father's study wordlessly. Making their way down the familiar halls of their home. Rowan paused at her apartment door, hesitant to open her door. "I am sorry for what I said earlier," Rowan admitted, she had always been the bigger person in fights with her sisters. "I understand that this proposal is a lot, and it's not something you can just jump into. I-I just thought this is what you wanted … that Brand is what you. But I shouldn't have been so harsh on you, I've just been worried about Elrond's meeting."

Claudia smiled at her sister, something deep inside panging with guilt. "I shouldn't have sprung that on you, Row. It's just there's something inside of me that's telling me to go to Rivendell. Thorin has always told us to listen when we feel our calling." Rowan nodded gently.

Rowan placed her hand on Claudia's shoulder, squeezing it. "Well, I will be glad to have you by my side."

Night had claimed the sky, and Claudia stared up at the ceiling. Her fingers traced the curve of her hand as her mind wondered. Would she see Thallian again when she closed her eyes? Would he be glad that she was well on her way to Rivendell? And then came the question that had sat in the dark of her mind; What was she to do when she finally got to Rivendell? Her mind did not rest, tossing and turning in her comfortable bed. The guilt of her lies weighing on her chest. But when the pad of a cold finger touched her forehead, every thought melted away and she was left with a smile in the darkness of her mind.

That night she dreamt of nothing.


Rin, thank you for your reviews. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, you've inspired me to jump back into this story. Look for updates soon!