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This chapter is dedicated to the poor guest reader who has to go to a funeral today. Hope this helps cheer you up a little. Sorry.

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Chapter 7

~X~

After the four dwarves had gone, the adults sent the boys out to play while they had a very long talk. Some of the story Maywen already knew, but now she had names and faces to go along with the sordid tale.

"A prince?" the human woman repeated, shocked by the news. "All this time we have had royalty living under our roof, and we had no idea."

"Will we need to start referring to Flinn as Your Highness?" Omer asked, doing his best to insert some levity into the serious conversation.

"Please don't," Sier smiled sadly, "not even in jest. For I still have no idea if the prince will even recognize him as his son, and I do not want Flinn to know the true reason we are going to Erebor. Not until his future is certain. This will be a heavy burden upon him…especially if his father rejects him."

"Yet the king appears satisfied by his parentage," Maywen pointed out. "Otherwise he would not have invited you to return with them. That must count for something."

"Prince Fili might not be able to deny that Flinn is his child, yet knowing such a thing, and publicly acknowledging it, are two different things," Sier pointed out sadly. "I do not know what the protocol is for situations like this, for as far as I know, there has never been one - and if there was, it is a very well-kept secret. Dwarves marry for love, and then only once, with children being a product of such a union. So an illegitimate child is…well, almost unheard of among dwarves."

"Yet that does not mean that he is any less loved," Maywen added protectively, her motherly instincts coming to the fore. "And who could ever look upon that darling boy and not have their heart stolen immediately. It was quite obvious that King Thorin was greatly taken with him."

"I only hope that Prince Fili will feel the same way," she said with a heavy sigh. "This will come as quite the shock to him, I fear."

"Fatherhood always is," Omer assured her with a knowing grin. "But men…and dwarves, have survived the news for ages. I am sure Flinn's sire will rise to the occasion." His expression then turned sad as he looked down at the kindly dwarrowdam who had become like family to him. "We will miss you both terribly, and we want you to know that you always have a home here with us. No matter what happens."

"I have known for a long time that I would eventually need to return to Erebor, but the love and acceptance you have shown us here makes our parting all the more difficult. Flinn and I will never forget you, and a dwarf's memory is long indeed," Sier told them, engulfing them both in a warm embrace.

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The next two days were spent packing and saying their farewells. Mace was especially sad to see his playmate leaving, even more so now that his sister, Tia, was old enough to begin courting and had no time to play games with her younger brother. Granted, there was still Anders and Donin, yet the young boy claimed that it was not the same. He did brighten however when Flinn suggested that he come visit him in Erebor, the idea bringing a smile to his somber face once more.

Thorin had concluded his business with Master Rogan, a satisfactory agreement having been made where the dwarves would send workers to help assist the excavation of the coal and arrange for its continued transport to Erebor. All of this hinged on King Fengel, Lord of the Mark, approving the treaty, but no one expected him to object. The small city of Himros would prosper greatly and Rogan stood to become a very rich and powerful man.

True to her word, Sier had worked hard on Thorin's coat, getting the material cut out and prepared so that she could work on stitching it together on their journey. She was determined to do her best work possible, in order to impress the king and hopefully find a place within Erebor's stone walls. Her future livelihood might possibly depend on it.

Sier had seen very little of the king and his company during this time, though Flinn had gone to visit them often at Master Rogan's home, bringing back wild and fanciful tales his secret kin had shared with him. She could easily tell that her son was quite enamored with the five dwarves, having had no association with his kind besides her…until now.

The next time Sier saw Thorin and his company was when they arrived at the tailor's shop, the morning of their departure. She knew she was doing the right thing, but that did not stop her from still being afraid of the ultimate outcome. Not only were they heading off to reunite her child with his father, but she would have to travel with, and converse, with the King of Erebor and his high ranking officials. The idea was a bit daunting.

Still, it had to be done and Sier put on a brave face for the sake of Flinn. If the child noticed any misgivings in his mother's actions, he did not let on, for he was far too excited to get going – hardly having slept a wink the night before. True to his word, Thorin had indeed acquired a couple of ponies for them, one for Sier and Flinn to ride and another to carry their belongings. The little dwarfling was dressed warmly, prepared for anything, though it would appear that they were going to have a fine day for traveling. Sier only hoped the weather would hold until they arrived at the mountain, for she did not fancy the idea of sleeping on the ground during frigid nights.

"Can I ride with you, King Thorin?" Flinn asked, racing up to stand beside his pony with hopeful eyes.

"Flinn," his mother warned, not wanting the lad to start off the journey pestering everyone needlessly. "I am sure the king would prefer to ride alone."

"The king would not," came Thorin's somewhat amused reply, reaching down to offer Flinn his hand, pulling the small dwarfling up in front of him. "With your permission, of course, Miss Sier," he added, not wishing to overstep his bounds. "I would welcome Flinn's company."

"Pleeeeeease, Ama?" the little dwarf begged, his adorable blue eyes melting her heart and weakening her defenses.

"I have no objections…as long as you truly do not mind, Your Majesty," she nodded, receiving a wide smile from both in reply. In truth, Sier had been looking forward to her son's company, hoping it would settle her somewhat frazzled nerves. Still, it was good that he should interact with the others…after all, they too were his kin.

Once Sier was comfortably seated on her own pony, final farewells were spoken and the company headed out of Himros, this time amid friendly waves and well-wishes for a safe trip. Flinn kept up a steady stream of questions as they rode, but Thorin appeared not to mind at all, answering each of them as well as he could, while still keeping true to the promise he made to Sier. As far as Flinn knew, they were only going to Erebor so that his mother could finish making the king his coat. It was a flimsy excuse, yet the lad never seemed to question it…he was obviously far too excited to care.

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Over the next several days they made excellent time, traveling much faster than the caravan she had originally come with five years ago. It came as no surprise to Sier, however, since this time she was riding a pony and there were no wagons or people on foot to slow them down. Having five strong warriors offering protection also went a long way in making Sier feel safer, having heard tales about bandits and orcs that plagued those journeying through these lands. And at night, when she snuggled under her warm blankets, holding her son's little body close, she was able to drift off without fear or worry.

Flinn had made his rounds through the group, asking to ride with a different member of the company each day. Sier had been shocked that even Mister Dwalin had welcomed the boy aboard when it got around to his turn. She was still a bit wary of the gruff looking captain, yet Flinn showed no fear, and the two of them could be heard laughing quite often as they went along.

During the evenings, when they made camp for the night, Sier spent most of her time sewing while Flinn would race around, exploring anything and everything. She never had to worry or insist that he be careful though, for not once was he left unguarded or unaccompanied. If Thorin himself was not constantly with the lad, then Balin, Dwalin, Bofur and Ori took up the slack. And while she did not begrudge them their time with her son, Sier herself was starting to feel a little lonely. Was this how it would be in Erebor, after Flinn discovered his father? Would she then be pushed aside over the delight of finding his sire? Deep in her heart she knew her son would never treat her so…but on the surface, it still worried her.

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As she was sitting near the fire one night, using the light of the flames to guide her stitches, she looked up just in time to see Flinn begin to doze off. He was snuggled comfortably within Thorin's arms, the dwarf king having just finished telling him a grand story that had lulled him to sleep. As his eyes drifted shut, Sier watched Flinn's thumb make its way into his mouth and his head fall back against Thorin's arm, instantly becoming dead weight. Sier went to rise, in order to retrieve her son and rescue the king from a soon to be numb arm, yet a gentle hand on her shoulder stopped her. Looking up, she saw Balin moving to sit beside her, a tender smile on his face.

"Let them be, lass," he instructed. "I dare say that Thorin is more than pleased at the moment."

"He might change his mind when Flinn begins to drool all over him," she chuckled.

"I think our mighty king will survive," the white haired dwarf smiled in return. "After all, he used to put both Fili and Kili to sleep very much the same way when they were dwarflings. Don't worry, lass, Thorin is not the least bit concerned. In fact, it has been a long time since I have seen my dear friend this content, and we have you to thank for it – you and little Flinn. You have acted with great courage, Miss Sier, not only in raising your son alone, but for agreeing to return with us…to face the unknown."

"I just hope I am doing right by my son," she muttered, staring into the fire as if she hoped it would give her the answers she sought.

"Reuniting a child with his father could never be wrong," Balin assured her, patting her hand. "He is a fine lad, one that will give you, and Fili, many reasons to be proud."

"He has already filled me with more pride and love than I ever imagined I could feel," she smiled, looking over at Thorin and Flinn, watching as the often stern king leaned down and placed a whisper soft kiss on the top of the sleeping lad's head.

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A few more days passed and Thorin announced that they were nearing the end of their journey, causing a new measure of concern to form and settle in Sier's stomach. The coat was coming along well, and she was very anxious to see if the king would like it. She was glad to have such a project to keep her distracted, for after helping with dinner and assisting in the cleaning up, there was little else to do before they would bed down for the night.

Flinn however, never seemed to be lacking in activities, being so full of energy and finding even the smallest of things overly fascinating. On this night, she watched as he approached Ori, who was perched on a nearby log scribbling in his journal. Sitting down beside him, the little dwarf peeked over his shoulder, staring at the paper.

"That's my name!" he spoke up, pointing his finger at the page. "That says Flinn. You're writing about me!"

Ori turned and stared down at the lad with a look genuine surprise on his face.

"You can read?" he asked, a bit shocked by the idea.

"Just a little," he admitted with a small shrug, his eyes still glued on the book as he searched for anything else he recognized. "Ama's teaching me, but most of the letters still look like squiggles. I know how to read and spell my name though!"

"Then you must be one bright lad indeed," Ori commended him. "For most dwarflings don't start their formal education till they are a few years older than you are now." The young scribe's praise went a long way and Flinn was grinning from ear to ear with pride over his words.

Ori spent the rest of the evening pointing out other words and even showing him many of the drawings he had done while on their trip. All the others who sat around the fire continued with their own activities, be it sewing, whittling or tending to their weapons. Yet it was more than obvious that each one was listening intently to the happy chatter of the little dwarfling.

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By now they were skirting the edge of the great woodland realm of Mirkwood, though Thorin kept the company at a safe distance, preferring to remain as far away as possible. When it was mentioned to Flinn that elves lived in the woods off to their left, he was immediately intrigued and asked a million questions. The five dwarves were only too happy to tell him many of their experiences during their trek through that accursed forest, including their encounter with the hopefully long gone giant spiders. Sier frowned a bit, especially when the tales became a somewhat frightening, and rather graphic. She knew that her son was a brave lad, more than eager to prove that he was strong and courageous like his father, but he was still a dwarfling…one prone to nightmares.

Sure enough, not long after he had been put down for the evening, the stillness of the night was broken by the sound of Flinn's cry of distress. It greatly startled all the adults, causing each dwarrow to grab for his weapon, ready to do battle with whatever had upset the child. Only Sier, who had wondered if the tales of spiders and the elf king who had imprisoned them all in his dungeons had been too much, acted rationally. Hurrying to his side, she scooped her terrified son into her arms, drying his tears and rocking him back and forth, doing all she could to soothe his discomfort. Wrapping him up in an extra blanket, she quietly sang to Flinn his favorite lullaby, until the little dwarfling was once more sound asleep. When she was sure he would not awaken again, she moved to retrieve her sewing items she had left by the fire, before turning in herself.

"Will the lad be all right?" Thorin asked, having approached her from behind.

"Yes, it was just a nightmare," she told him with a tired smile. "He does not have them often, but perhaps it might be best to monitor the content of the stories you tell him a bit more carefully in the future."

"I apologize if we frightened him, that was not our intention," Thorin insisted, obviously sorry for the fear they had caused the lad. "I often forget how things were with Fili and Kili at Flinn's age. They too were prone to occasional nightmares, however, due to the uncertain times we lived in, their fears were quite real and not simply from stories. They both lost their father when they were very young, and while my sister and I did our best to protect them from the harsh realities of life, the threat of orc attacks or starvation was ever present. Even though they were princes by birth, they were not raised with wealth and privilege. Instead they grew up hard and fast, learning from a young age never to take anything for granted." The king turned his head and looked over at Flinn, a frown creasing his noble brow. "I would not see Flinn suffer the same fate as his sire. For while it is true that both Fili and Kili retained a happy spirit through it all, the memories of the hardships and dangers still weigh upon them. Flinn should never have to experience such things…I will do all I can to make sure he is kept blissfully unaware."

"That is indeed the solemn duty of a loving parent," Sier agreed, touched by his concern for her little one. "Yet we cannot shelter them from every stumbling block that life might throw at them, for then they will never learn to stand on their own two feet. It is obvious that you did all you could to protect your nephews as they grew, and from what little I have seen of them, you did a fine job. You have no reason to feel anything but pride for all you have done."

Her words seemed to startle Thorin, for while he had not voiced such concerns, it was as if this young dwarrowdam had looked into his mind and identified his worst fears. Many times in the past, and especially on their journey, Thorin had questioned if he was doing right by them, doubting his decision to bring his young nephews along on such a dangerous quest. They were like sons to him, and he could not love them more if they had sprung from his own loins. Still, he often wondered if their own father had been there to guide and teach them, would they have been better off…more happy and less scarred by life? These were dark thoughts that plagued his mind, and right now he did not wish to dwell on them, so choosing to focus on other matters, he brought up another subject he had noticed.

"I heard the song you sang to put Flinn to sleep," the king continued, linking his hands behind his back, determined to regain his composure. "It is an old song, one I have often heard sung to dwarflings, and yet you changed some of the words in order to incorporate the mention of his father. Why?"

"I might not have been able to tell Flinn his sire's name, or much else about him, for fear that he learn the whole truth. But I never wanted him to forget that he has a father, or that he is loved by him…or at least I always hoped that he would be loved." Sier's voice trailed off as she looked down at her hands uncomfortably. "I believe the first full sentence Flinn ever spoke was, where is my adad? Telling him that his father was away fighting, seemed the easiest way to explain his absence. Although I fear it might have forged in him a desire to become a soldier as well, to following in his footsteps."

"Fili is a fine warrior," Thorin assured her, pride showing in his eyes as he spoke. "Flinn will not be disappointed by the skill and abilities of his adad. Fili will consider it an honor to teach his son to use a weapon and defend himself. It is a long standing tradition, one that is passed on from father to son. Although, Fili and his brother had to settle for learning from Dwalin and myself, since Flinn died in battle before they were old enough to begin their instruction. It will be interesting to see if my eldest nephew recalls any of our training techniques and uses them when teaching young Flinn."

"There is much pride in your voice when you speak of Fili," Sier noted. "I can see that you admire him greatly…Prince Kili as well."

"They are both fine lads," Thorin nodded, then caught himself as he gave a slight chuckle. "Yet, in truth, I should no longer call them lads, for they are now full grown dwarrow. But even now, I find I often picture them at Flinn's age, remembering how they would stare up at me, as if I had all the answers."

"And did you?" she teased, feeling a bit more open with the imposing king.

"Hardly ever," he laughed, his low and rumbling voice quite pleasant to hear. "If anything, their one question would lead to a dozen more - ones that I was hard pressed to even understand, let alone provide an answer to. I have noted that Flinn takes after his father in that regard."

"He is quite inquisitive," she nodded. "And often the questions he comes up with mystify me, causing me to fall back on the old tried and true mother response."

"And what might that be?" Thorin asked, raising his eyebrow in curiosity.

"Because I said so!" she laughed, the now thoroughly amused king joining her.

Awwww, so much Flinn/Thorin/Dwarf fluff!

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. One more for the 'road' and then we get to Erebor!

Also, I have no earthly idea how long it takes to get from Rohan to Erebor by pony, so I am being as ambiguous as possible by just saying "days past". I imagine it will take a while but I did not want them on the road for months! So let us all just imagine it took the appropriate amount of time...all right?

Guest Reviews:

Guest: so glad you have been enjoying my story! And that is is a good distraction for you on a sad day. Thank you for seeing that Sier is not perfect, but she does try, that is all a good parent can do. She puts Flinn first though, his happiness is her main goal. I am having a lot of fun with Thorin. I think his 'stab first, ask questions later' attitude as a warrior had to be reconciled with his 'I am king now and have to be diplomatic' attitude he is expected to have. I think Thorin felt that if Sier was married, this new husband might not allow them to bring Flinn to Erebor, saying he was his child by law of marriage or something. It would have just complicated things greatly, throwing in another dwarrow, or heaven forbid...A HUMAN MAN. ha ha. Oh, I think if you put enough dwarf heads together they will come up with a fine way to save everyone's reputations! Wait and see. Thanks for your AMAZING review.

Arveldis: Yep, they did hold back pretty well with the accusatins...well, everyone but Dwalin, ha ha. Thorin and Balin did good though. And yep, off to Erebor they go! Fili...ready or not, here they come!

Aranel Mereneth: Oh you know it for sure that this kid will be SPOILED like crazy. With a Great-Uncle who is a king, a grandmother who is a princess, a father who is a prince and an uncle who is also a prince...not to mention 10 other dwarves who will all want their turn with the kid! SPOILED like mad!

dojoson41: Thanks for liking it. And no...what WILL Kili be up to? Being the best uncle to his nephew ever? I can see that. ha ha.