.
Chapter 150? Really? How in the world has this gone on so long? Ohhhh, right, I'm long-winded. ha ha.
Well, it's time for a journey!
Shire Ho!
.
.
Chapter 150
~X~
The next few weeks were filled with joy, and much preparation. For though the trip to the Shire had originally been scheduled for another month or so down the road, with Dis giving birth early, it could now be moved up to coincide with the departure of King Thengel and Queen Sigrid back to Rohan. When it had first been suggested that the dwarves caravan with the Rohirrim, the offer had been respectfully declined, since Thorin and Kili were adamant about being on hand when Dis had her baby. Yet now, with both mother and child doing well, it was decided that traveling in greater numbers would be the wisest course.
So, while Dis, Flinn, and little Lili spent time bonding and trying to get some sleep with round the clock feedings, the rest of Erebor prepared for the departure of their king and queen. Fili would be in charge during Thorin's absence, and the two spent a number of days locked in his uncle's study as he instructed Fili on a great many things. In the end, it was with a confident heart that the king turned authority over to the crown prince.
"Erebor will be yours to rule one day, Fili," he told him, placing his hand on his shoulder and giving it a squeeze. "Might as well get a feel for it now." Thorin then gave his nephew a sly wink. "Just don't burn the place down in my absence…or demolish the front gates."
"I will do my best," Fili laughed, rolling his eyes. "Besides, you'll only be gone through the summer, I would be hard pressed to do too much damage in that short amount of time." He then became serious and gave his uncle an almost pleading look. "Please be careful, Thorin. The enemy might have slacked off on their attempts to eradicate the line of Durin…but that does not mean your trip won't be rife with danger. Remain vigilant…and trust no one."
"I could say the same to you," Thorin nodded. "And don't worry, I will watch over Flinn and Frerin…with both eyes."
"And Kili too," Fili teased. "You know how reckless he can be."
"I worry less about him now that he is married," Thorin told him. "Not only does he have more to lose should he act foolishly…but Tauriel is skilled enough to watch his back when it is required."
This made Fili smile, knowing that over the past year, Thorin had truly grown to respect his brother's mate, and appreciate her skills in battle. It was a relief to Kili as well, always worried about whether his wife was being accepted or not, and wanting to protect her any way he could.
.
.
When the day of departure arrived, it was a mixture of excitement and sorrow. Sier and Fili spent a long time hugging and kissing their lads, telling them over and over to have fun, but also to be careful and listen to everything Kili and Tauriel said.
"We'll be extra good, we promise," Flinn assured his parents, trying his best not to cry at their parting.
"Don't let Freya forget us while we're gone," Frerin begged, allowing his mother to smother him with kisses one last time.
"I'm sure she won't," Fili told his youngest son, ruffling his hair affectionately. "We'll all be anxious to hear about your adventures when you get home." He then picked up his lads in turn, giving each one a final hug before setting them on Storm's back. Fili would miss having the pony to ride himself, but there was no one he trusted more with his sons than the little grey. From the moment they acquired the mistreated animal, he had proven both loyal and protective towards Flinn, and later to Frerin as well. He was also the smartest pony Fili had ever met, and he knew that Storm would serve them well on the journey.
"Take good care of our lads," he told the little grey, rubbing his hand up and down its forehead. "Bring them home safe."
Almost as if he understood, Storm bobbed his head up and down, nickering a little as he did.
"Don't worry," Kili said, walking up and placing his hand on his brother's shoulder. "I won't let anything happen to them. I promise."
"I too will watch over them…as well as Kili," Tauriel assured him, causing the blond prince to smile at the elleth's confidence.
"There, see?" Kili laughed, pleased by his brother's grin. "What more could you ask for than that? They'll be just fine. The most you have to worry about is Bilbo feeding them so much that we'll have to roll them home from the Shire."
"I don't care if you roll, carry, or float them back…just make sure they come home." Sier pleaded, trying so hard to contain her sorrow. "Bring my babies back to me, Kili."
"I promise, Sier," the dark haired prince swore, stepping forward to kiss his beloved sister-in-law on the cheek. "I will guard them with my life." He then leaned over and tickled Freya under the chin, doing his best to make the little one laugh. However, the blond lass was no fool, and she understood that her brothers, as well as much of her family, was leaving – and thus would not be consoled. "I'll miss you, little one. Don't forget your favorite uncle while I'm away."
"Unkee, bye," Freya nearly sobbed, waving her little hand in a pitiful gesture of farewell. "Finn…Fren…bye, bye."
Sier, not knowing what to say, simply hugged her daughter close and kissed her cheek, thankful that she at least had one of her children to hold on to at this parting.
Kili then moved to where his mother and father stood, with his little sister wide awake and watching everything from Dis' arms.
"Now, don't you go getting any crazy ideas about Fili being your favorite brother while I'm away," he told the little infant. "Because I'll be bringing home lots of toys, trinkets, and amazing stories to tell you when I return. Then you will see just how much your brother Kili loves you." He next extended both his arms and gave his parents a parting hug. "I love you both as well…never forget that."
"We won't, son," Dis sniffled. "I always hate to see you leave me…but at least this time I will worry less, seeing as how you are not off to slay any dragons or fight a hoard of orcs."
"Well…it's true I have no plans to," Kili joked, trying to lighten the mood. "But you know me, I can always find a bit of trouble to get into."
"Just keep it to a minimum, son," Flinn ordered, also doing his best to keep his tone teasing. "And don't go falling in love with those rolling hills of the Shire and choose to stay there - you would be missed far too much in Erebor if you did."
"Understood," Kili nodded, turning away from them to give Fili one last embrace. "Take care, Nadad. Be a good king while we are gone."
"I will do my best," Fili agreed, hugging his brother back fiercely. "This will be the first time we've ever been away from each other for so long. What will you do without me?"
"Probably ride around in circles, not knowing which way to go without you telling me constantly," Kili chuckled. "And you?"
"More than likely run this mountain into the ground without you telling me what to do either," Fili replied.
"Then it's probably a good thing you two have some time apart, if you're that dependent on each other," Dwalin snorted. "Now say your farewells and let's get on the road. You don't see Balin blubbering like a baby over me going, do ya?"
And while his words were meant to illicit a bit of laughter, when everyone turned and looked at Balin, the white haired dwarf was indeed mopping his eyes with his handkerchief.
"For the record, I'm crying because I'll miss Bergie and the twins, not you, ya big oaf," Balin insisted, at last eliciting a bit of much needed laughter from the group.
"Take care, brother," Fili said solemnly.
"You too," Kili nodded, striding over to where his mount waited, taking the reins from Tauriel and swinging into the saddle.
"We'll tell Mister Bilbo hello for you, Auntie Dis," Rose told her, leaning out from the back of the wagon that the other children were riding in.
"Thank you, my dear," Dis said, waving her hand at the little princess. The mention of Bilbo drew a quiet growl from Flinn, earning him a quick jab in the side from his wife's elbow. "Have fun in the Shire," Dis called out. "And Bergie, you make sure to give me a full report on that Daisy Baggins. I need to be sure she is doing right by our burglar friend."
"Will do," Bergie nodded firmly, letting Dis know she would interrogate the hobbit lass thoroughly for her.
"I leave Erebor in your care, Prince Fili," Thorin said in a loud voice, his words carrying to all who stood nearby. "Rule well in my stead."
"Yes, My King," Fili replied with a low bow. "May your travels be pleasant and Mahal grant you safe passage there and back again."
And with a signal from the king, the small group of dwarves, hobbits, children, and one elf, turned and headed off, a full platoon of dwarven soldiers close behind. There was much waving, calling out of farewells, and tears shed as they watched them make their way down the road towards Dale, where they would join up with King Thengel's party.
Fili, Sier, and Freya, as well as Dis, Flinn and little Lili, all stood at the gate and waited until they could no longer see the company. It would be a long summer, but hopefully with as much work that needed doing in their absence, the time would pass quickly. In the interim, Fili knew that ruling Erebor would take up a great deal of his time, and he was glad his parents had decided to remain behind. Not only would Dis and the baby be a good distraction for Sier, the now acting king was happy he had his father to back him up. For the first time in Fili's life, he would not have the support of his brother. And that scared him just a bit.
.
.
"Hail, King Thorin," Thengel greeted as the dwarves came near. "It fills me with great joy to be riding with you back to my homeland."
"And we thank you as well for the opportunity to do so," Thorin replied. "There is safety in numbers, and it is our pleasure to join our swords with yours should trouble arise."
"But let's hope none does," the king of Rohan stated.
"We wish you safe travels, and hope to see you return again soon…all of you," Bard called, sitting upon his own horse at the gates of the city. He, Bain and Tilda had already said their tearful farewells to Sigrid and little Théoden, never knowing when they would see them next.
"We bid you farewell, Bard of Dale, and wish you peace and prosperity in the years to come," Thengel replied, signaling for the company to head out. Once again there were calls of farewell, but this time from Sigrid, Bain and Tilda, but all too soon they too were but specks in the distance.
.
.
The going was easy for the first day, with Kili and Tauriel branching off from the group for a short time, desiring a bit of privacy to attend to a little ceremony they had planned. It had been a year since their wedding, and per elvish custom, they were to bury the ivy and star-flower wreath in the ground, and plant a sapling in the center. They had chosen a cherry tree, in honor of the ones they were wed beneath, and decided that the spot for this would be halfway between Erebor and Tauriel's former woodland home. Thus it was, that they planted the sapling together, offering a small blessing on the tree in hopes that it would flourish…just like their love.
.
.
The next week of the trip went by without event, and the company of dwarves, hobbits, men, and elf passed the time talking and enjoying each other's company. Thengel and Sigrid were extremely pleasant company, and Thorin found he admired the Rohan king a great deal. Sigrid and the dams, as well as Tauriel, got along famously, with all their children playing games and having fun each evening.
During the second week, Thengel called to one of his soldiers, instructing him to scout ahead for a place to camp for the night. As he rode off, Thorin pulled his pony up beside the king, curiosity getting the better of him.
"That man there, where is he from?" Thorin questioned, noting that he looked very little like the blond men of the Rohirrim.
"Thorongil?" the king asked, giving the dwarf a discerning nod. "I see you recognize he is not from our lands. He is one of the Rangers from the north, or so I am told. He came to Edoras, requesting leave to serve with my soldiers for a time, and after taking note of his skill, I granted his appeal wholeheartedly. Thorongil is still young, yet he has proven to be a valiant fighter, and I have come to put much trust in him."
"Thorongil," Tauriel mused, having overheard the conversation between the two kings. "In Sindarin, that means Eagle of the Star," she informed them.
"So it does," Thengel nodded, having become quite familiar with the elven language himself during his time in Gondor, the birthplace of his mother. "So it does."
.
.
Later that day, they made camp early, for it was decided that some fresh meat would be good for morale, as well as extend their food supplies. Thorongil volunteered to go hunting, with Kili and Tauriel requesting to accompany him.
"It would be an honor to hunt beside such skilled archers as you," the young dark-haired man stated, bowing respectfully to them.
"And how do you know we possess such skill?" Kili asked, cocking his head to the side. He had not spoken to the soldier in all the time they traveled, making the dwarf wonder if this Thorongil was gifted with foresight…or had simply been eavesdropping.
"I can tell by the way you carry yourselves, as well as your weapons," he explained. "It is not hard to see you have both been well trained."
Accepting his reasoning, Kili smiled and gestured for Thorongil to lead the way, with him and Tauriel following closely behind.
.
.
"The tracks are muddled," Thorongil stated, kneeling down and touching the hoof prints lightly with his fingers. "Two more beasts have passed this way since the buck we are tracking."
"We could split up," Kili suggested, his taste buds already set on eating venison that night. "Each take a different direction, that way we triple the chances of coming upon the stag."
"Agreed, yet do not go far, these lands are not safe, and we do not wish to run into anyone unfriendly," Tauriel warned.
With nods of agreement, the three hunters fanned out, keenly searching for tracks that would lead them in the right direction.
Kili had not gone far when he heard a rustling in the bushes ahead of him, and knocking an arrow he slowly approached, eager to be the one to bring back a fresh kill. Yet when he was only a few yards away from his suspected prey, something else entirely burst forth from the thicket…a huge brown bear!
Kili stumbled backwards, completely taken by surprise. He was about to let his arrow fly, when something occurred to him, staying his hand. Could this be Beorn? The skin-changer's home was on the other side of Mirkwood, but he had been known to travel at times. And the last thing Kili wanted to do was injure the man who had been so kind to them during their quest. Unfortunately, these thoughts cost him valuable time, and when he at last concluded that this bear was of a smaller size than Beorn, the beast was right on top of him. The arrow he shot went awry, making contact yet not in an area that would subdue the animal. Discarding his bow, Kili quickly drew his blade, yet it was too late, the bear lunged forward with a fearsome roar, swiping at the dwarf with his mighty paw.
The blow to his side knocked the wind out of Kili, causing him to drop his weapon and sending him hurtling to the side. The force carried him several yards, rolling across the ground and dangerously near the drop off close by. Desperately reaching for anything to stop his momentum, Kili was able to grab some roots as he went over the side. Letting out a cry of panic, he held on for dear life as he was left hanging there as he legs dangled in midair. This was not good, he thought to himself.
The bear, still angered by the appearance of the dwarf and the arrow now buried in his flesh, came to the edge of the cliff and roared down at his attacker. Reaching out he pawed at the roots that Kili hung from, causing dirt and rocks to rain down over his head in an undignified fashion. And whether the bear was trying to get to him in order to eat him, or simply wishing to make him fall to his death, Kili didn't know. What he did know was that at that moment, he had never missed his brother Fili, and his constant protection, more.
Looking up, Kili watched in horror as the bear stretched out his paw, coming dangerously near to his head. But just before he made contact, the creature let out a loud howl of pain and turned around, losing all interest in the dangling dwarf.
"Face me, beast!" Thorongil yelled, the arrow that was now sticking out of the bear's neck effectively pulling his attention towards his new attacker. The man shot twice more, each one a deadly strike, yet the animal was not going down easily, and charged forward with a vicious roar. Thorongil drew his sword, prepared to take the beast on, yet just before it reached him, one final arrow came from the side, felling it at last. When the bear landed on the ground, only inches from Thorongil's feet, and did not move, the man let out a sigh of relief. He then turned and gave a nod of thanks towards the elf-lass who had come to his rescue. "You have my gratitude, Lady Tauriel," he said with a bow.
"And you shall have mine when you tell me the whereabouts of my husband," she countered, leaping down from the rock she was standing on, and hurrying to his side.
"I'm not exactly sure," he admitted. "I heard the prince cry out, yet when I arrived, he was nowhere in sight. However, the creature appeared to be toying with something over there…at the edge of the cliff."
Tauriel ran quickly to where he pointed, looking down as she released a pent up breath.
"Hello," Kili said, a goofy grin on his face as he looked up at his wife.
"Kili…what are you doing?" she questioned, crossing her arms over her chest and peering down at him in bemusement.
"Oh…nothing much," he replied nonchalantly. "Just hanging around."
"Would you care for a hand up?" Thorongil offered, a smile coming to his face as well.
"Is our friend the bear still up there?" Kili asked. "If so, I'm quite happy where I am."
"He is dead," Tauriel informed him, unable to hide her mirth.
"Are you sure?" Kili pressed.
"Do you require proof, or will you be taking my word on the subject." She laughed.
"Well…since my arms are getting a bit tired, I think I will trust you," he told her. "Now…how about hauling me up."
.
.
In no time at all, Kili was sitting on the ground near the dead bear, letting Tauriel and Thorongil examine him for injury. Thankfully, the claws that had shredded his outer clothing had been stopped by his thick leathers beneath, saving him from serious harm.
"You will be sore and bruised for at least a week," Thorongil predicted, noting how Kili winched in pain at the smallest of pressure on his ribs. "But I do not think they are broken."
"Good," the dwarf prince nodded, slipping his arm back into his ripped tunic.
"However, you will be riding in the wagon with the dwarflings at least for the next few days, until you can stand to be on a pony once more," Tauriel informed him, much to Kili's dismay.
"What? Relegated to the wagon with the dams and children?" he moaned.
"It is either that or risk a rib cracking and puncturing your lung," his wife reasoned, raising a warning eyebrow at him. "I promised Fili I would watch over you and bring you home safe. Will you thwart my efforts to keep my word?"
"No," he grumbled, accepting the man's help to rise. "But do we have to tell everyone that I let the bear get the drop on me? I would have been fine if I hadn't hesitated out of fear it was Beorn."
"Beorn?" Thorongil questioned, unfamiliar with the name.
"He is a skin-changer we met a few years back after we crossed the Misty Mountains," Kili explained. "He can take the shape of a massive bear, and I didn't want to be the one who shot him with an arrow and made him mad."
"Understandable," Thorongil nodded, intrigued by the story. "I would like to hear more about him later, after we get our kill back to camp."
"Well, I suppose bear for dinner is better than nothing," Kili moped, having had his heart set on venison.
"Or you could dine upon the stag that I killed, just before I was called to your aid by the sound of battle," Tauriel suggested, apparently reading her husband's thoughts clearly.
"I knew I married you for a reason," Kili laughed, grinning up at his wife.
"That too is another story I would love to hear told," Thorongil chuckled, keenly interested in how a mortal dwarf and an immortal elf met and fell in love.
Points to everyone who figured out that Thorongil was the name Aragorn took on while serving in Rohan and Gondor for the next twenty or so years.
I hope the farewells were OK. I really hate writing goodbyes.
Kili, Kili, Kili...you never disappoint, you can always be counted on to get into trouble, and be just as cheeky as anything as you get out of it.
Thanks, and more to come!
Guest Reviews:
Feu d'Argent: Glad little Flinn was of help. I have no idea of fainting is that common, but it makes for a good laugh. And since until now the males stayed out of the birthing rooms, I figure it is a new thing...well worth fainting over. ha ha. Yes, this whole genealogy thing is all messed up with the age differences, but like you said, dwarves DO live longer. Sadly no...Dis wanted nothing to do with the bet Nori had going. Ok, I will just keep writing forever and ever. ha ha. Thanks.
emrfangirl: Ha ha, Flinn says he is sorry. Kili almost lost his lunch on the floor, so it was a good thing they had just gotten Flinn off of it. Glad you like Lili's name...and Nori thanks you for not going with your first guess. ha ha. Yah, but too bad for Torin that all the dams born are related to him...so there will be no matches there for him. ha ha. Oh you think they will make a baby in the Shire do you? Well...wait and see...Thanks!
abc: Nope, Dis pulled double duty, first a wedding and then a birth. Busy dam! And as you know already, it was a girl...and her name was Lili. ha ha. He tried to hold her hand through it ALL, but only made the last half count, ha ha. Yes, my story does seem to have no end...well, it DOES have an end, and most of that is written, but now these extra chapters inbetween are what's holding up the process. Flinn was brave and went in...and then down. ha ha. I had thought about giving Kili twins...or even triplets...but then decided against it. Kili WOULD faint for sure then. ha ha. Thanks
Aranel Mereneth: Glad you like her name. After reading all about them for so long, I BET you know them well. ha ha. Thorin IS a good big brother. The bonding times might have to wait a bit...as you just read, they had to take a journey. Although now is Fili's chance to get in good with his little sister and edge Kili out of the running. ha ha. Thanks.