.

Amad = official word for mother

Ama = mommy

Adad = official word for Father

Ada = daddy

Ugmil'amad = official word for Grandmother

.

If you like my story, please check out my other Fili/OC tale called "A Different Kind of Thirst". It is all done...no waiting.

.

Chapter 6

~X~

Sier's smile instantly disappeared and all the blood drained from her face. For there, standing before her, was one of the two dwarrows in Middle Earth she had feared ever meeting again…Prince Fili being the other. She did not know what to do, and she debated on whether she should scoop up Flinn and make a run for it, or stand her ground. Yet Sier was tired of running, tired of hiding and most importantly, tired of lying…to everyone. She had promised herself that she would tell Flinn about his father when he turned five…yet it would seem that fate had other plans. The king was here, he had seen her son, and she could tell just by looking in his eyes that he knew who her child's father was. So in the end, Sier did the only thing she could. Taking hold of her skirt she dropped into the humblest curtsy she could muster.

"King Thorin," she greeted him, her voice quaking with fear. "You…you honor us with your presence, Your Majesty."

Her words caused the little dwarfling's mouth to drop open and his eyes flew towards Thorin.

"You're a king?" he gasped, his admiration for the older dwarf growing by leaps and bounds. "What are you king of? Why don't you have a crown? And why didn't you say so?"

"Flinn!" Sier hissed, tugging at his shirtsleeve as she willed him to meet her warning gaze. "Remember your manners."

"I did!" he argued, unwilling to take his eyes off this new and mysterious visitor. "I bowed and told him my name, just like you showed me. I even said 'at your sur-bus'. He's the one who didn't say who he was!"

"The lad is correct," Thorin quickly spoke in Flinn's defense. "I purposefully withheld my identity from him when we were introduced. Your son is not to blame, and I am not offended by his questions." He then looked over at the three humans, who were staring at them with shock and fear, and cleared his throat. "Might there be someplace we could talk…in private, Miss Sier?"

There was a moment of silence while Sier gathered her courage, looking up at Omer and Maywen she gave them a pleading look. Yet it was not a request for help, but for understanding.

"You…you can use the storage room in back," Omer offered, still a bit unsure if he should leave them alone, yet he had to trust that Sier knew what she was doing. Both he and his wife had often wondered exactly what caused the kind hearted dwarrowdam to all but flee from Erebor. But now with the king of that very mountain there before them…they knew it had to be bigger than even they had imagined.

"Flinn," Sier began, kneeling down before her son as she laid her hands on his shoulders. "I need to speak to King Thorin for a bit…alone. Would you be a good lad and do me a favor?"

"But I wanna talk to the dwarves too," he whined, sneaking a glance at them out of the corner of his eyes.

"And you will, I am sure of it," Sier guaranteed him in a sad voice. "But if I am going to sew a coat for the king, I will need to talk a little business first. Maybe you could run down to the button shop and pick out the fanciest ones you can find? Would you do that for me?"

"Perhaps I could come too?" Ori spoke up, hoping that his presence might convince the child to do as his mother asked, without putting up too much of a fuss. "My brother Dori loves to sew and knit, and I have helped him pick out buttons many times before. I would love to see what kinds they sell here in Himros."

Apparently the ploy worked, for Flinn was eager to ply these new dwarves with a million questions, and an excursion to purchase buttons seemed as good chance as any.

"I will get some shiny gold ones!" Flinn announced happily, pocketing the coins his mother slipped into his eager hands. He turned to go, but stopped and looked up at Thorin hopefully. "Will gold buttons match your crown, Mister…I mean, King Thorin?"

"Gold will be perfect," he nodded with a smile, keenly aware of the irony behind the lad's words. "The shinier the better."

And with that piece of information tucked securely in his mind, Flinn led Ori out of the shop, the little dwarf already talking a blue streak.

After they had gone, Omer, Maywen and Mace stood watching as Sier and the three dwarrow disappeared into the back - silently praying that everything would come out right in the end.

.

.

Once inside the large room, filled with all kinds of tailoring supplies, Sier turned to face her would-be accusers, her head still lowered, not daring to look her child's great-uncle in the eye.

"I am pleased to learn that you are well," Thorin began, finding it hard to come up with just the right way to broach this sensitive matter. "You left Erebor in such a hurry that we did not get a chance to say a proper farewell." He did his best to keep any accusation out of his tone, but from the way she flinched at his words, he could tell he had failed.

"We were worried for you, lassie," Balin spoke up, taking a step closer in what he hoped would not be mistaken as a threat. "You had us all in quite a dither."

It was then that Thorin took note of the braid woven into Sier's hair…a marriage braid! His heart instantly stalled…was there another dwarf, or man, in her life? Had she taken a husband? This would complicate things greatly! And yet Rogan's words quickly came back to his mind, saying that Flinn had no father. Still, he needed to know for sure before he proceeded.

"Your braid," he began, pointing towards the long plait that dangled from her left temple, held in place by a silver clasp at the end – one that would normally indicate her husband's lineage. "Have you taken a husband…found your one?"

Sier's hand quickly went to her hair, grabbing hold of her braid with both hands as if she were embarrassed by it, and trying to hide it from view.

"No…I…I placed it there myself," she murmured, her voice hardly above a whisper. "I did not want to incite gossip or perpetuate any rumors of my unwed state, so I placed the marriage braid there myself and used one of my own family's clasps. I did it for Flinn's sake, though in truth none of the humans here understand what it means…yet it made me feel better."

"Ahhh, wise," Thorin nodded, seeing how a pregnant dwarrowdam who wore no marriage braid in her hair would indeed have raised the eyebrows of any dwarrow…had any come through on travel.

Once again, an uneasy silence fell over the room, with no one quite sure what to say next.

"Oh, Mahal!" Dwalin grumbled at last, his voice a truly frightening sound. "Ain't no one got the stones to speak plain?" He then turned his steely eyes on Sier. "Tell us why you ran away and hid Fili's son from him all this time? Was that your plan all along? To blackmail the crown prince for rights to his own child?" "Dwalin!" both Thorin and Balin barked, angered by the bluntness of his accusations.

"NO!" Sier cried out in defense, her eyes frantically moving from one dwarrow to the other, fighting for the right words to explain. In the end, she stumbled backwards to sit on a small bench, buried her face in her hands and began to sob as if her heart would break. "I never…I would never have done such a thing! Yes…Flinn is the prince's son…but he is mine as well! I didn't know when I left that…that there would be a child. I swear. But now that he is here…I…I can't give him up! He is my son…my little Flinn. Please do not take him from me!"

"Come now, lass, there is no need to carry on so," Balin was quick to console, coming to sit beside her as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We are not here to take your wee one from you. It was only by pure chance that we stumbled upon the lad at the master's house. Now, dry your eyes, lassie, so we can have a much needed discussion about this, alright?" He then fished a handkerchief out of his pocket and pressed it into her hand, urging her to wipe away her tears and calm herself.

"I…I never had any intention of blackmailing anyone, least of all over the knowledge of Flinn's birth," she added, as her sobs slowly turning into mere sniffles and the occasional hiccup. "And despite what you believe, I was never in league with Lord Colm or Lady Bina. They betrayed me just as much as they did the prince, and I despise them for what they did…to both of us."

"No one blames you for what happened," Thorin insisted, having always held to the belief that Sier had been a victim in the whole plot, the same as Fili.

"He does!" she cried, pointing at the stern looking, tattooed warrior standing next to the king. "I overheard him accuse me of plotting against the prince back in Erebor, and he apparently still believes that I am capable of such things."

"Well, my brother's head is as thick as his neck, and he is known for speaking without the benefit of thought…or even a shred of evidence," Balin huffed, shooting Dwalin a scolding look before turning back to the distraught dwarrowdam, offering her a warm smile. "Though you must admit, the fact that you did not stay around to offer us your side of the story did cast some doubt, but it is not hard to understand your reasons for running. You were placed in a very unfair and cruel situation, and I am sorry that it ever happened to you, lass."

"I…I'm not," Sier was quick to correct him. "I would not change a thing…for if I did, I would not have Flinn. Yes, I was frightened, and out of my mind with worry when I found out…but now? Now, I wouldn't trade him for all the gold in Middle Earth." She then stood, drying the last of her tears with Balin's handkerchief, and looked Thorin directly in the eye. "I know I was wrong not to notify the prince as soon as I learned of my condition. I am willing to accept whatever punishment I have coming for that deception. But I was unsure what my reception might be, had I returned to Erebor. I did not leave under the best circumstances, nor did I know if I was still suspected of treason." Here she paused and snuck a quick glance at Dwalin, whose stern face was quite unreadable. "I could not bear to part with him. Please, I beg of you, do not take him from me. He is all I have."

"You think me so cold that I would separate a mother from her child?" Thorin asked, his voice a mixture of anger and regret. "I cannot speak for my nephew, for both he and his brother are long past the age where they will blindly follow my orders, king or not. Yet I know Fili's heart, and I do not think he would ever dream of doing such a thing either. However, he deserves to know that he has a son…that he is a father, and to meet the child. Will you consent to journey with us to Erebor? Will you allow your son to know my nephew for who he truly is?"

"It was always my intention to do so, upon Flinn's fifth year…it just appears that the time table has been sped up a little," she said with a heavy sigh. "I will return to Erebor. Flinn will meet with his father."

"Thank you," Thorin nodded, releasing a sigh as a measure of fear ebbed away. He had no idea what he would have done if she had refused, for while he had spoken truthfully about not wishing to part the two, he knew there was no possible way he could have left Himros without the child in tow.

"Prince Fili's mother, the Lady Dis, will be beside herself with joy when she learns that she has become an Ugmil'amad," Balin spoke up, his tone now quite jovial. "I fear, Miss Sier, that young Flinn is destined to be one spoiled little dwarf."

"I will not deny him any connection to his paternal family," Sier assured them, yet turning her gaze upon Thorin. "Yet I would ask that you guarantee me two things."

Thorin's eyes narrowed, wondering exactly what she might request. Gold? Gems? A title and enough wealth to last the rest of her life? Yet to secure their access to Fili's son, he knew he would agree to just about anything. "What are your demands?"

"I ask, that while on the road to Erebor, you do not tell Flinn that you are his kin…or that he is traveling to meet his father," she began. "Should the prince choose to deny my son's parentage, I would prefer that Flinn still imagine his adad as a simple soldier in the army, one who loves him. Should this come to pass, I will invent some story about how he died valiantly in battle - anything to spare Flinn the devastating effects of knowing his true father would not acknowledge him."

"I can practically guarantee that will not happen," Thorin told her gruffly. "Fili is not the sort who would do such a callous thing. And yet, I will honor your wishes and conceal the truth from the boy during our journey. I speak for all those who accompany me as well…Flinn will not hear the truth from us. That duty lies with you and Fili alone." When she nodded her head in gratitude, Thorin pressed Sier for her second request.

"Should the crown prince indeed accept Flinn, claiming him as his son, I ask that I be allowed to remain in Erebor to be near him. I do not expect special dispensation, and I am willing to labor at whatever task I am assigned. I could work in the kitchens, or perhaps continue my trade as a seamstress."

Thorin was impressed, though he gave no outward sign of this, for years of schooling his emotions made this easy. Still, it revealed to him this dwarrowdam's character, and so far, he was pleased with what he saw.

"I accept both your conditions," he nodded. "As for the manner of your employment, first I will have to see how you do with my new coat."

"Your coat?" Sier was confused.

"Flinn is under the impression I came to see you about a new coat," Thorin told her, crossing his arms over his chest with a slight grin. "I am a king, and it would not do for my word to be brought into question, now would it? I will judge your skills upon the quality of your work and then decide about your employment. Thus, you will design and stitch me a new coat during our journey back to Erebor. After all, I must have something on which to display those shiny gold buttons your son is currently picking out for me."

Sier could not help but laugh a little at that, covering her lips with her fingers as she stared at the king she had feared for so long.

"I…I will begin cutting the fabric immediately," she nodded, bowing respectfully.

.

.

The next little bit was spent acquiring the king's measurements and picking out the materials to be used. Fine soft leathers and fabric in a deep Durin blue were chosen, for they seemed to suit him best. And even though Sier tried to refuse payment for the garment, Thorin had insisted.

"This is a commission, not charity, and a worker deserves her wages," he told her, placing several gold coins of high value into her palm and closing her fingers over them. "We must return to the home of Master Rogan now, for there is much still to discuss about the agreement we hope to make concerning the coal mining operation. Can you be ready to travel in two days' time?"

"I…I can, Your Majesty," Sier nodded, her mind frantically working out all the details that would need to be made quickly.

"And you will not run the moment we turn our backs?" he asked, trying to make light of the question, though in truth it was something he feared greatly.

"No, King Thorin…I will not be running again," she assured him, her tone doing much to calm his worries.

"Then, with your permission, we will say farewell to Flinn and return in two days to collect the both of you," Thorin said, heading for the door that led back to the main part of the shop. "We will take care of all your travel arrangements, you need only pack your personal belongings."

"I thank you for your assistance, I am truly in your debt," Sier told him with a smile of gratitude. For she had often fretted over how she and Flinn were to make it back to Erebor when the time came for them to go. This way they would not only have the way provided, but be heavily protected as well – feeling extremely safe in the company of the king.

"No, my lady," Thorin answered, giving her an unexpected bow of his head. "It is we who are in debt to you." And with that, he turned and exited the room, followed by Dwalin, while Balin offered Sier his arm and escorted her out as well.

.

.

When they arrived back in the main part of the shop, Flinn and Ori had apparently returned, and the dwarrow scribe was carrying on a pleasant conversation with the two humans. Flinn and Mace were sitting on a bench near the window, but the little dwarfling seemed uncharacteristically somber and his brow was furrowed with concern. When he saw Thorin emerge, he jumped off the bench and ran over, looking up at the majestic king as he held out his little hand, displaying one of the buttons he had purchased at his mother's request.

"Do ya like it?" he asked hopefully, eager to impress this new acquaintance.

"It is a fine choice," Thorin nodded, eyeing the small metal object in the child's palm. "They are the perfect shade to match my crown."

This made Flinn grin from ear to ear, yet when he noticed the concerned look on his mother's face, and her red rimmed eyes, the perceptive lad was immediately at her side.

"What's the matter, Ama?" he questioned, tugging on her skirt as he stared up at her in worry.

"Nothing, my lamb," she soothed, releasing her hold on Balin's arm and bending down to kiss him on the forehead, smoothing his unruly golden locks out of his eyes. "Nothing is wrong. In fact I have some very exciting news for you. We will be taking a journey very soon…going on a true adventure, to visit Erebor."

"Erebor? Where the dwarves are?" Flinn gasped, unable to hide the excitement in his voice. He then looked back over at Thorin. "I gets to see where you live, King Thorin?"

"That you do, lad," he nodded with a warm smile. "Your amad has agreed to make me a new winter coat, and since I must be heading back in only a few days' time, the two of you will be journeying with us to Erebor, giving her plenty of opportunity to finish it. Does this please you?"

"Oh, yes!" he cried, dancing around as if unable to contain his joy. Flinn was going to see the mountains at last, and finally get to meet more of his own kind. Yet another thought quickly stole away his happiness and replaced his smile with a frown. "But…what if Adad comes back while we is gone?" he asked his mother. "How will he know where to find us?"

His question caused everyone to turn anxious eyes upon Sier, wondering how she would respond. Yet reaching down, she cupped his cheek lovingly and gave him a reassuring smile.

"You need not worry about such things, my dear," she told him. "Your father will have no trouble finding you…I guarantee it."

All they have to do now is 'follow the yellow brick road' back to Erebor! ha ha.

Should be a fun trip with a really cool surprise waiting for Flinn at the end. A really big surprise for Fili too!

And Dwalin might be a bit rough around the edges...but he has a heart of gold and will redeem himself in time. Fear not.

Anyone who sends in a review gets to pinch Flinn's adorable little cheeks!

Guest Reviews:

Mjean: Flinn is full of energy and life...and thankfully good manners (for the most part, ha ha) And any time I can knock Thorin off his game, that cracks me up. Yes, if Sier did run, there is no question that Dwalin would catch her this time. And he would have the other four dwarves helping him!

Aranel Mereneth: I think a few years of being king has mellowed our darling hot head. ha ha. At least a little. Well, I will get Flinn to Erebor as quickly as I can! Ponies can only go so fast though, ha ha. Kili and Dis will be just as shocked at Thorin and Fili, I am sure. But sooooo happy too.

Archangelarrow: I will keep updating as quickly as I can. I have a few chapters as a buffer, but I am trying to only post after I write a new one to add to is. BUT...sometimes I get excited and jump the gun...like I did with this chapter, ha ha.

Arveldis: Yes, right now Flinn is blissfully unaware of all the intrigue, but trust me...he aint blind or stupid. ha ha. As for how he will react when he learns his parentage...well, tune in and find out! ha ha.