Prologue Part 2- The Wizard's Blessing
Gandalf, or Tharkun as he was known in the dwarven courts, was actually closer than they realized. He knew the birth of the prince of the Durins was drawing near, and the Valar had gifted him with foresight towards the new life's vital role in the future of Middle Earth. Foresight was a tricky thing to navigate. Many assumed it was images or messages passed down when it was nothing more than an inkling. A 'ping' in the cosmetic bell resonating sound outward for all to hear, and this ripple had been most assuredly originating from Erebor. Therefore, the appearance of Thror's raven surprised him none, but did hasten his progress.
"Come, Belladonna. I fear our arrival may already be seen as too late." He instructed his ward.
The young hobbit who looked vastly uncomfortable on her small pony merely squinted at the grey wizard.
"I thought a wizard was neither early nor late." She quipped.
Gandalf hid his smile as he pressed them onward. When he was approached by the adventurous princess, he did not hesitate to take her into the wilderness of Middle Earth far beyond her precious Shire. Another 'ping' in the universe. Her company had been most appreciated and cherished. He would miss her greatly when she was returned to the kindly West.
"If you have energy to sass, you have energy to ride. Don't fall behind." He ordered.
He was able to catch her eye roll out of the corner of his gaze, but she obeyed with little extra fuss. By the time the sun sank below the horizon, the great gates to the Lonely Mountain were within their sights.
"Thank Mahal, Tharkun!" Fundin met him upon his arrival. "Your presence is needed immediately."
Gandalf narrowed his eyes and nodded his understanding as he followed the dwarf into the kingdom. As soon as he crossed the threshold, he found himself frozen under the pressure of the dark magic still hanging in the air. Beside him, Belladonna let out a gasp further solidifying his instincts. Fundin paused when he noticed he was no longer being followed, and turned to Gandalf with a desperate look in his eyes.
"I believe you had best start to explain, my good dwarf." The grey wizard demanded.
Fundin's face fell into a weariness unbefitting the fairly good-humored diplomat.
"Not here. Please, Tharkun."
With renewed urgency, Gandalf fought his way to the royal chambers, Belladonna his faithful shadow. Once they had finally reached the royal family, rather than finding a reprieve from the evil permeating the palace, it was even more strongly concentrated. In the first few seconds it took Gandalf to bow in respect, he saw the gaunt and pale faces of the usually spirited Durins. Even worse was the death shadow of a particularly cruel curse twisted around the young newborn cradled in his mother's arms. Gandalf felt his face fall as empathy squeezed his heart.
"Thror, my dear friend, what horror has befallen you and your kin?"
Whatever mask the king thought he was wearing crumbled as his chin shook with repressed emotion.
"Tharkun, Bâhukhazâd (Dwarf-friend), I'm afraid I'm in desperate need of your counsel."
They took their seats, the Durins on one sofa, Fundin in the armchair beside them, and Gandalf and Belladonna on the facing settee. While the hobbit was given some curious and disconcerting glances, she had not been asked to leave. A true testament to the desolation breaching the walls of Erebor. Thror spun his tale describing Smaug's arrival, citing the now charred contract, and revealing the horrific curse passed upon their House. It was the line pertaining to Thorin that had Belladonna on her feet, pacing and mumbling angry Hobbitish curses much to the amusement of her hosts.
"Gandalf, how could he?! He risks breaking one of the Unnegotiable Laws!" She cried looking at him with the same hope that the dwarrows held.
The grey wizard pulled out his pipe from the deep recesses of his cloak puzzling on all he had been told. Grave was the curse that held his dwarven friends, and Belladonna was right about the Unnegotiable Laws of the Fae. Wordsmith and silver tongues they are, but never had they played with the literacy of their Unnegotiable Laws.
"Unnegotiable Laws?" Fundin questioned.
"One of nine that bound the Fae." Gandalf answered absent-mindedly as he still worked through the narrative.
"Then is there a higher power we can adhere to if he broke one of these laws?" Fris pleaded.
Belladonna was the one to answer as she shook her head in disappointment for the new mother.
"I'm afraid not, Your Highness. The Unnegotiable Laws were made of Fae magic by the Sidhee, themselves. If he had broken it...well, it would have been obvious in that moment. The Golden Lord retaining his power is not a good sign."
Gandalf glanced down at his friend at the mention of one of many of Smaug's titles. It was no secret that gold was the weakness of the self-proclaimed king. So what was it about this...Arkenstone that he would risk isolating the last of his people for?
"Do you still have the stone?" He asked passively.
Thror's eyebrows drew downward as his fingers twitched towards his robe's pocket.
"Yes." He answered gruffly.
Gandalf found his reaction odd if nothing else.
"May I see it?" He persisted.
The dwarf king did not answer him as a tension settled over his body. It was then that Gandalf noticed the dark bags hanging under the eyes of all three royals plus their advisor, and the lack of gold on their person or in the room. Clearly, the curse on their line has already taken effect. Gandalf leaned back with his pipe holding Thror's dark gaze. The king's next move would determine how much help Gandalf could be. After all, a curse upon the mind was not an easy fix. A curse upon the heart, harder still. And a curse upon the soul? His eyes glanced sadly over to baby Thorin sleeping soundly against his mother's breast.
Thorin made a small snuffling noise, capturing Thror's attention as well. The grandfather's eyes softened at the beardless babe before turning back to Gandalf with a slump in his shoulders. Very slowly, he pulled the stone from his pocket. Immediately entranced with the gem was the wizard, and so it seemed to be the hobbit as Belladonna looked as if to take a step closer. Gandalf nudged her foot with his, and when she met his gaze, he gave her a subtle shake of his head. Best not to incite the precarious peace of the dwarrows with this.
Thror quickly hid his treasure away once he felt Gandalf had gotten his fill. The grey wizard only found himself more perplexed. Never had he seen a gem glow with an inner light since the Gems of Lasgalen, and they were literal starlight. Whatever powered the heart of this creation was great indeed.
"Tharkun, can you help us?" Thror asked the question weighing heavily on the minds of him and his son.
Gandalf had dreaded this question since learning of the Durins plight.
"If you mean, can I break this curse? I'm afraid not, my old friend."
Thrain's arm wrapped around Fris as she buried her head into Thorin trying to keep from sobbing.
"Truly, it is hopeless?" Fundin beseeched sounding so close to tears himself.
Gandalf removed his pipe having let it die out long ago and busied himself with dumping the ashes in the crystal tray on the table next to him as he stalled for time.
"Nothing is ever truly hopeless, Your Majesties." Belladonna piped up surprising all the occupants in the room. "Powerful is the curse of the Fae made upon a broken contract, but my people have a saying: 'Dark is the shadow, but stronger is the light which gave it life.' The love you share for each other and for the little Prince is a true light. Have hope that love will stand unwavering to free you from this darkness."
Gandalf felt a smile tug at his lips in spite of himself. Never would he cease to be amazed by hobbits. It seemed the Durins were inspired as well as they stared at her with looks of wonder and gratitude.
"Thank you, Mistress Hobbit." Thror choked out, unable to hold back his tears any longer. "Please, forgive our rudeness that we never inquired the name of our guest."
"Thror, son of Dain of the line of Durin." He stood up executing a full bow. "At your service."
"There is nothing to forgive, Your Majesty, when dealing with such a terrible ordeal. Belladonna Took of the Shire, at yours and your kin." She responded fluidly with a curtsy of her own.
"Thrain, son of Thror, of the line of Durin, at your service." The prince also stood up giving a sweeping bow of his own. "Your kind words have rekindled our spirits, Mistress Took. If ever you have need of us, you need only speak your request, and it shall be fulfilled."
Belladonna flushed at so great a favor from the royal family.
"Please, no, I am but a simple hobbit."
"But a princess." Gandalf corrected, too amused by the situation, and by the reactions, if the look of horrors on the dwarven faces and Belladonna's own irritated glare were anything to go off.
Still Gandalf had become inspired by the smaller being's kind heart.
"Thror, King Under the Lonely Mountain, I'm afraid there is little I can do for you in the way of this Gold Sickness that plagues you and your kin. You asked for advice, and the only thing I can think to offer is that you leave Erebor until it is safe for you to return."
"Leave Erebor?" Fundin repeated aghast. "Where could we possibly go?"
"There is a settlement in the West that is small and in need of guidance that I believe would take in your people. Ered Luin, is the name it has been given." Gandalf answered.
"Please, Tharkun. There must be another way besides abandoning our home. Would giving the Arkenstone up fix any of this?" Thrain pleaded ignoring the tense and angry look of his father.
Gandalf sighed and shook his head sadly. "If the curse you spoke was word for word, I'm afraid there are many interpretations of what 'Until I have my Arkenstone' could entail."
The dwarves seemed utterly perplexed by how such a straightforward line could be misconstrued, and Belladonna took it upon herself to spell it out for them.
"Since the line was the last he spoke it could undo all of the curse or just a small portion of it." She explained. "For example, he could imply that once he gets the Arkenstone, he no longer plans to sit on an Unseelie Throne as he specifically stated. And honestly, I wouldn't put it past the dreadful, heartless wyrm."
The dwarves seemed amused by her insult, but none reassured of what their next step would entail.
"I know this is not the news you hoped for, but there is one last thing I can do." Gandalf offered to the interest of the dwarves. "I may not be able to resend the curse on Prince Thorin, but I could offer a blessing that would save his life."
Thrain and Fris sucked in a breath as if such a thing was too much to believe in.
"Please, Tharkun. Whatever you can offer would be a kindness we can never hope to repay." Fris begged holding out the baby to him.
"Belladonna, your necklace if I may." Gandalf asked.
The hobbit did not hesitate to hand over her trinket. A simple carving of amber in the shape of an acorn that she became enamored with as they passed a dwarven caravan earlier on their journey. Gandalf took it reverently, giving her hand a small quick pat of thanks. It had been a few hundred years since the last time he had to make a countercurse, and he found himself mumbling under his breath as he searched for the right words. Finally, he was ready, and he held his staff over both the baby and the necklace in his hand.
"Prince Thorin, here is my gift to thee:
Upon your soul so dark a curse,
Be eased of hatred by this verse.
Imprisoned not lost, by the necklace your wear.
As you wait for the courage of one so fair.
In sleep, not death, so say this:
You will awaken at true love's kiss."
The magic from Gandalf's staff transferred straight into the amber necklace. It shined bright for a mere moment before returning to its light brown shade. Gandalf slipped it over the baby's neck, careful not to disturb him.
"As long as he wears this necklace, his body will be preserved when the curse comes to pass." Gandalf explained to the anxious parents.
Fris wrapped an arm around Gandalf to press her forehead against his in a sign of deep gratitude. Gandalf accepted the gesture knowing he did little in saving Thorin from his fate. Merely giving him the hope to lift it. However, it was enough for the dwarrows. As it had passed late into the evening, Gandalf and Belladonna were given the most beautiful guest rooms in the palace with the reassurance to make themselves at home for as long as they saw fit.
For the next week, talk began in earnest about how best to combat the gold sickness. Gandalf was invited to sit in on many of those meetings as a neutral voice. The way he saw it, there were three parts to this curse. One upon the stronghold, one upon the Durins, and one upon Thorin himself. He had done what he could for Thorin. The Durins' curse was much trickier to navigate as they had to resist the allure of greed, but greed came in many forms and Gandalf offered them private counsel on their best course of action. When it came to the curse of the kingdom itself, he did have an alternative solution to leaving.
"Tear down your doors and lower the number of guards. You will no longer be a stronghold."
The simple suggestion went over as well as one would expect when dealing with hard headed dwarrows stuck in their ways and inching deeper into madness. Allies were talked about as robbers, and robbers as enemies of the state. After that, it took all of Gandalf's considerable patience and many puffs of his pipe not to curse them twice over himself.
Meanwhile, Belladonna whiled away her time with Princess Fris and Prince Thorin. The hobbit and dwarf found themselves to be fast friends, and as such discussed many possibilities for the future. Often the subject drifted to the idea of the Ereborian dwarrows having to relocate west. Belladonna promised to speak on their behalf to the Thain of the Shire, her father, and how mutually beneficial their alliance could be.
In the time that the hobbit and wizard stayed, the curse only grew. Fights broke out in the streets over the smallest scrap of gold, and as the currency switched to only silver and copper, poverty grew at alarming rates. It started to dawn on the desperate dwarrows that leaving Erebor may be the only option they have left. For the safety and wellbeing of their people. While an official announcement had yet to be made, the citizens of Erebor began to pack their belongings and secure their mounts. Eyes were looking west to the promise of greener fields for their yieldless hearts. Of course, the dwarrows were not the only ones with their gazes set on the setting sun.
The longer the young adventurous Took stayed, the more she began to long for home. Her home in the Shire was nothing like the grand halls of the Lonely Mountain, yet she saw her father in Thror. She imagined what saying yes to that young Baggins lad who constantly sought to court her would be like when she caught sight of the love shared between Fris and Thrain. And, despite how much she denied these feelings, she yearned for a precious babe of her own when she held Prince Thorin, and he merely watched her with his steady, curious eyes that were slowly turning blue like the sky above. Therefore, after three weeks of debate and counsel, when Gandalf asked if she was ready to depart, she agreed unfaltering.
The evening before they were to leave, Prince Thrain asked them for one last service. He led them down to the treasury whose doors had sealed the riches behind it many moons ago. He knew leaving was inevitable, but he was reluctant to allow their wealth to fall in the hands of looters. He asked for a spell that would lock the vault away for any that were not Thorin. Whether this was the heart of one sick in gold madness or the plea of a hopeful father, Gandalf did not know. Still, he deemed it a wise decision for many reasons known only to him. The seal was set, and finally the hobbit was able to head home.
I created The Nine Unnegotiable Laws of the Fae when I was researching Fae lore and culture. I wanted something that would really make Smaug look like "the Master of All Evil" even in the eyes of the Fae. I'll name a few as we go along in the story, but if you want to take a peek at them, I put it in my profile. Also, I love making rhyming couplets.
Special thanks to everyone who has followed and reviewed so far, and I hope you will continue to do so!