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Hello!
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Chapter 89
~X~
And so the next two days passed swiftly, with Fili, Kili, and the twin elves often disappearing together someplace secret. And when they did emerge, they wore sly smiles on their faces…ones that unnerved everyone who beheld them.
Thorin and Glorfindel were especially suspicious, and yet they both agreed that it was better to not even attempt to discover what the pranksters might be up to. However that did not stop Thorin from stumbling upon Flinn and Frodo, sitting outside one of the storerooms one day, playing quietly with their toy elks. When Flinn saw his uncle approaching, his eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open.
"Stop, Uncle Thorin!" he cried, jumping to his feet and rushing forward, placing his hands on the king's stomach in order to halt his progress. Frodo also leapt into action, pushing open the storeroom door and hurrying inside, slamming it shut behind him.
"Flinn, what is going on?" Thorin asked, looking around for any signs of parental supervision. It was not like Fili and Sier to leave the lads alone like this.
"Nothing, Uncle," Flinn insisted, though his expression said different.
"Where is your father?" Thorin questioned.
"He…he is…busy," the dwarfling stammered, his eyes darting towards the closed door.
"Busy with what?" The king was not about to let this go.
"Please don't ask that," Flinn whined, looking as if he were about to cry.
Thorin reached down and picked the lad up, supporting him on his hip as he stared at him curiously.
"And why not?" Thorin persisted.
"Because this is my first time being lookout for Adad, and I don't want to mess it up," Flinn moaned, laying his head on his uncle's shoulder dejectedly. "And if you ask me to tell you…I will have to obey. And I promised I would not say a word."
"Ahhhh, I see," Thorin nodded, finally understanding things better. "Tell you what…how about you just shake your head yes or no, and then you will not be breaking your vow to your adad?" After a moment, Thorin felt Flinn's head bob up and down on his shoulder. "Is your father in the room there?" Flinn gave a nod. "And are he, Kili, and those twin elves working on some grand scheme?" Again there came a signal of affirmation.
"But that is all I can tell you…please don't ask me anything else," Flinn begged.
Thorin took a deep breath and gave a heavy sigh.
"Very well." He dearly wished to know if this prank was directed at him, and if he needed to watch his back. But the look of pure misery in Flinn's eyes held his curiosity in check. "I promise I will not try and discover what is going on in there and ruin your chance to impress your father with your skills as lookout. Just please, make sure that your father does not place you, or anyone else, in any danger."
"Oh, no!" Flinn said, shaking his head adamantly. "There is no danger, Adad said so. He says they have everything under control."
"Why do I not feel more reassured by that?" Thorin laughed, tapping his littlest nephew on the nose. "Still…a promise is a promise. So I will leave you to your sworn duty. Carry on." With that he set the child down and continued on his way, doing his best to shake off the uneasy feelings that lingered.
Once Thorin had rounded the corner and was out of sight, Flinn knocked three times on the door, whereupon his father's head poked out.
"Is he gone?" Fili asked, looking around with a worried expression.
"Yep!" the little dwarfling said with pride.
"And you didn't tell him what we were up to?" Kili spoke up, also sticking his head out of the doorway, looking just as concerned as his brother.
"Nope, I didn't say a word!" Flinn grinned.
"Excellent job," Fili commended his son, watching as a frightened Frodo crawled out between his feet and looked at his friend with wide eyes.
"Did King Thorin go away?" he asked hopefully. "I was scared he was going to catch us and throw us in the dungeons!"
"No one is going to the dungeons," Fili laughed, ruffling Frodo's hair. "Now we are almost done in here, so you stand guard for just a little longer and then we can all go get a treat from the kitchen."
"Yippeee!" Flinn and Frodo yelled, scurrying back to their positions as Fili and Kili disappeared once again into the storeroom.
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That evening Thorin threw a lavish feast for the hobbits' final evening in Erebor, seating all the Shire folk prominently at tables of honor. The mood of the evening was joyous, though with undertones of sadness for a few present, Marigold and Flinn especially. Thorin did not begrudge his wife's preoccupation with her parents and brother, knowing that she wished to spend as much time with them as possible before their departure. Flinn too was stuck to Frodo like glue, the two lads never far apart.
Thorin himself knew that he would greatly miss his friend Bilbo, though he could certainly understand the hobbit's desire for his own home and hearth. He would simply have to find a way to take Marigold west for frequent visits, especially now that they were going to have a child. He had promised Rory and Menegilda that their children would know and love their grandparents, and he meant to keep his word.
The hobbits' leaving also meant that Gandalf and the elves would depart as well, once more depriving the dwarf king of those he had come to consider friends. Gandalf he knew would always wander back into his life, as wizards had the penchant to do, yet he was not sure when he could next expect a visit from the legendary elf lord, or the two sons of Elrond. Glorfindel was nothing like he had ever imagined elves to be, and he had completely dispelled much of Thorin's prejudice surrounding the fair folk.
As the evening wore on, Thorin stood and called for silence over the room, drawing all eyes on him.
"Tonight is a celebration, as well as a time for sorrow. For on the morrow we must bid farewell to our most excellent guests, the hobbits of the Shire." Here there was an outburst of applause, mingled with sorrowful moans and words of sadness. "They have done us a fine service, imparted their knowledge, and aiding us greatly in our ability to become more self-sustaining. We owe them our appreciation and a debt of gratitude we can never repay."
"But the gold you gave us helped considerable!" Saradoc called out, causing the room to burst forth with laughter.
"A payment you richly deserved," Thorin nodded, smiling as well. "And so, I raise my glass and offer up our thanks to you, gentle folk of the west. May your gardens flourish, your pipe weed always be plenty, and the hair on your feet never fall out." His toast was once again received with hoots and cheers, everyone finding it both fitting and humorous. As he sat down, he caught his wife's eye, receiving a loving smile and a look of heartfelt devotion over his words.
"That was very kind of you to say," Bilbo told his friend, a misty film covering his eyes. "We were glad to help, and are very happy we came."
"I have said it before, and I will say it again," Gandalf mused, sitting back in his chair with a satisfied look. "I think you have grown considerably over the past ten years, Thorin."
"Perhaps wider, but not taller," the dwarf king laughed, falling back on a long standing joke of Balin's.
"Smarter," Gandalf insisted, chuckling at Thorin's jest. "You have turned into the king that your forefathers only dreamed of. You have put the needs of your people first, yet still had the good sense to see to your own wishes and desires as well…even if it meant breaking custom and convention. You have accomplished more for your kingdom during your rule than all the kings before you."
"I find I must agree with Gandalf," Glorfindel nodded, seeing that the wizard's words had stunned the king into silence. "The fact that you invited Thranduil to your wedding alone proves that. And he is still marveling over the quality of that magnificent sword you gifted to him at his parting."
"Sword?" Thorin asked, turning to look at the elf questioningly. "What sword?"
"The one that Lady Dis gave to him at your request," Glorfindel explained, a perplexed look coming to his face. "The one with the mithril handle."
"SHE DID WHAT?" Thorin growled, his eyes instantly searching out his sister through the crowd and leveling her an angry glare. "I have been looking for that blade everywhere, and she said she had no idea where it went!"
"Oh my," Bilbo said, covering his mouth with his hand, doing his best to hold back a chuckle.
"Oh my, indeed," Glorfindel agreed, yet did nothing to hide his amusement. "It would seem that your sister has taken it upon herself to further diplomatic relations by gifting items you knew nothing about. However, I must admit, the woodland king was greatly impressed by the sword, and he was very touched by the gesture. Perhaps you should be grateful instead of irritated."
"I agree," Gandalf stated. "And didn't you tell me yourself, on several occasions, that Dis has always been the stable and steady one in your family?"
"Aye, but I also recall telling you that she was devious and sneaky as well," Thorin groused.
"Those too are Durin traits, if I recall," Gandalf laughed. "Ones that you and your nephews possess in large quantities, Thorin."
"Speaking of your nephews," Bilbo spoke up, thinking it might be time to change the subject. "Where are Fili and Kili tonight? And Elladan and Elrohir, for that matter?"
"I fear, Master Baggins, that our four pranksters have teamed up to pull off some elaborate scheme as a spectacular sendoff for you tomorrow," Glorfindel informed him.
"A spectacular sendoff?" the hobbit repeated, looking quite worried. "Should I be concerned?"
"I would think not," Gandalf mused, stroking his beard. "While the lads are mischievous, they are not malicious, and I would trust their judgment in knowing what is best."
"You sound oddly at ease with all this, wizard," Thorin said, giving his aged friend a suspicious look. "What do you know?"
"I know far more about many things than I am willing to share, Thorin Oakenshield" Gandalf said with a warm laugh. "Yet about this…I must confess that I am in the dark. Still, I would trust your nephews to have their secrets."
"Fine, let them keep them if they must," Thorin huffed. "It would appear that everyone else is already carrying on as if they rule this mountain instead of me anyway. Why not them as well?" And while his words were said with an air of irritation, the other three could not help but notice the little tug at the corners of his mouth.
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Later that night as Thorin held Marigold in his arms, he did his best to ease her sadness. She had been sniffling for a while now, unable to abate her tears at the idea of her family leaving.
"I will miss them terribly," she said at last, a small hiccup punctuating her words.
"I know you will, my jewel," Thorin told her, stroking her hair with one hand while the other held her tightly to him. "And they will miss you as well. Yet it hurts me so to see you cry, and I would do anything to make it otherwise."
"You are already doing exactly what I need, Thorin," she assured him, snuggling in just a bit closer. "Your love and understanding will make this parting much easier to bear."
"If I had the power, I would make it so you never had to be severed from them," he whispered. "I would move the entire Shire to Erebor if it be your wish."
This had Marigold laughing, touched by his offer, yet also seeing the ridiculousness of it.
"I love you," she told him, sitting up a bit and leaning on her elbow as she stared into his eyes. "And I know you would gladly do all that for me, and more. Yet all I need is you, my husband. I will miss my family, but here is where my home and heart are…with you. I have gladly traded the green of the Shire for the emerald halls of Erebor. I have come to love your people, your mountain, and your culture, Thorin Oakenshield. But most of all I love you. And that will never, ever change."
"Just as I love you, my little Marigold," Thorin responded, leaning up to steal a kiss from her rosy lips. "We have many, many years of bliss ahead of us. Years filled with love, laughter, and children."
"I have been thinking about that," she said, looking as if in deep contemplation. "You said you saw two children in our future, a daughter first and then another one several years later?"
"Aye, that I did," he nodded, the image of his little dark haired Rose running to him, followed closely behind by Marigold, heavy with his second child still fresh in his mind.
"Well, who is to say that a third little one was not simply at home?" Marigold suggested. "Or perhaps a fourth was being minded by Dis? Just because you only saw two, does not mean there wasn't more you didn't see."
"True," Thorin agreed, liking the idea very much. "And I can't say that I am at all opposed to this new idea at all."
"Good, since I have to say, I do like a bit of spontaneity in my life," she giggled, tracing her finger along the muscles of his firm chest. "I mean, look at how we met. I never dreamed in a million years that I would find the love of my life on this journey. I came here to plant crops and harvest produce, not have my heart stolen by the legendary Thorin Oakenshield, King of Erebor. Oh, if only the girls back home could see me now!"
"I would greatly prefer that I be the only one who is allowed to see you in your current state," Thorin laughed, gesturing to their more than intimate position.
"Oh? Are you saying that you are the typical dwarf…greedy and possessive of his treasures?" Marigold teased.
"Indeed," he nodded, a sly gleam coming to his eyes. "At least where you are concerned, I am. I will not share one moment of my precious time with you. I may be king, and I have duties to my people and Erebor, but you will always take precedence in my heart and my life. And I will guard you like a dragon does his hoard."
"Hmmm, I am not sure I like being compared to a hoard," she giggled. "But I love the sentiment, nonetheless."
"Yet soon I might have a whole hoard of children, if your theory is correct," he reminded her. "I would be more than content with two, but if you wish for more, far be it from me to deny you anything, my sweet."
"Oh, I think three or four would be lovely," Marigold considered. "Five at the most…or maybe six."
"Six?" Thorin laughed, his eyes alight with joy. "That would most assuredly have the mountain's tongues wagging. I would have to check with Balin or Ori to be certain, but I believe that four is the most children any dwarf has ever had. If we were to indeed produce six, we would go down in history for sure."
"And why not?" Marigold laughed. "We have already done the unthinkable by marrying in the first place. Why not shock them all by having half a dozen children as well?"
"I see no reason why not," Thorin assured her, reaching up as he stroked the side of her face with the back of his fingers. "You have brought me more joy than you could ever imagine. I never knew it was possible to be this happy…this content."
"I know what you mean," she nodded. "And I intend to spend the rest of my life making sure we never take a moment of this for granted. I had to travel across Middle Earth to find you, and now that I have, I will never let you go."
"Nor shall I," he replied, stretching out his arms and pulling her down so that her head rested on his chest once more.
"I will be counting on that over the next few days," she said with a sad sigh. "I will do my best to be strong, but parting from my family will be difficult."
"You need never hide your feelings from me, my love," he assured her. "I will be right there beside you, holding your hand and wiping your tears if you need me to."
"Thank you, Thorin," she told him, snuggling into his embrace. "You truly are a very fine husband."
"I am glad you think so," he chuckled, leaning in to place a little kiss on the top of her head. He was silent for a few moments before he spoke again. "Marigold…would you answer me something?"
"Of course," she replied.
"What do you and the other dams really talk about at Dis' tea parties?" he questioned, his voice a bit hesitant, as if he was afraid of hearing the answer.
The only response she gave was a sly little giggle, telling him exactly what he didn't want to know.
Cats out of the bag on both of Dis' secrets now! The sword and her tea parties. ha ha.
Wonder what Fili has planned? Hope it does not blow up in his face...or anyone elses. ha ha.
Wasn't Thorin sweet to his Marigold?
Hobbits are leaving in the next chapter...and then here come the babies!
Guest Reviews:
Emrfangirl: You only have to wait till Wednesday to find out what they have planned. I hope you like it. Thranduil has a soft spot for those two lads. And yes, Flinn WILL make it to the Shire one day to visit Frodo. Thorin never breaks a promise.
Aranel Mereneth: I miss my Fili and Seir too...they are my favorites.
Feu d'Argent: Yep, better late than never...but you were not late, I still have an hour or so before I post. ha ha. Maybe Kili and Tauriel will elope and then just show up married...that will kill Thorin for sure. ha ha. Frodo and Flinn all grown up and breaking hearts...yep, beware females of Middle Earth. I am glad you like Strangers Like Me. You will be done in with the cute hobbit kids! I tried to not make the parting of the hobbits too sad...and the four prankster's little send off should help. Thanks