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So, let us take a short break from the peaceful Shire and see what's going on back in Erebor.
How is Fili doing as temporary king? What troubles are brewing within the mountain?
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Chapter 158
~X~
Back in Erebor, things were indeed running smoothly, with Fili and Sier taking on the task of rulership like ducks to water. It was taxing work, however, and each night the royal couple would collapse into bed, and sleep like the dead. Dis and Flinn did their best to assist them, when not busy carrying for Lili, and the other members of the company who remained behind helped out where they could. Yet, the majority of the duties ultimately fell upon Fili and Sier alone.
Due to her extended responsibilities, Sier had been forced to employ a nanny to watch little Freya during the day, the kindly old dam named Nara fitting in among the family perfectly. While the overtaxed mother hated the idea of leaving her child with someone else each day, she knew it was only for a short period of time, and Freya seemed to truly enjoy Nara's company.
Fili did his best to stop by his parent's chambers at least once a day, even if it was only for a few minutes, to check on them and allow him some time to get to know his little sister. Lili was indeed growing by leaps and bounds, her hands and feet always going a mile a minute as her eldest brother held her in his arms. More than once she got ahold of his mustache braids and gave them a mighty yank, proving to everyone that she had Durin blood running through her veins.
"Now, now, little Nan'ith," Fili scolded her gently. "Is that any way to treat your favorite brother?"
"Her favorite, you say?" Dis laughed, as she sat nearby, folding another basket of laundry – something that she never seemed to catch up on since Lili had been born.
"Of course I am," Fili insisted smugly. "After all, I'm the one who stayed behind and didn't go gallivanting off into the wild only weeks after she was born. I deserve the title."
"Even though Kili only went so that he could mind your own two sons?" Flinn reminded him, resting on the sofa as he watched his son and daughter with a smile. "The least you could do is mention your brother to his little sister a time or two in his absence."
"Fair enough," Fili nodded, staring down at the cooing babe in his arms. "Lili…even though you have another brother named Kili, who loves you just as much as I do, you must never forget…that I'm your favorite." He looked up at his parents with a wide grin. "There…I mentioned him. Happy?"
"You're incorrigible," Dis laughed with a roll of her eyes.
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So the days went, until mid-summer, when the crops were just starting to ripen, and a lot of tending was needed in the fields. Then Fili's workload seemed to double, as did Sier's, pushing the already taxed couple to the limit. Less and less time was being spent together, or with their family and friends, but they both knew that soon enough Thorin and the others would be home and they could relax.
"I swear, I don't know how Thorin does it," Fili lamented one afternoon when he and Sier found a spare moment to be alone. "He makes being king appear so easy."
"Well, he usually has you and Kili to assist him," Sier pointed out, reaching out to place her hand over Fili's in a comforting manner. "You are trying to do it all alone. And Marigold normally relies on Dis and me to pick up the slack, offering her more time to be just a wife and a mother. Something I have been lacking in as of late."
"And I have had little time to be just a husband and a father as well," he told her, giving her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry things have been so hectic. The crops simply need everyone's attention right now, it's vital that things get harvested and preserved as quickly as possible, otherwise we will be hurting come winter."
"Fili, I completely understand," Sier said with a smile. "I too am just as busy, so do not feel you are neglecting me. I know things will calm down eventually, and we'll go back to how things were. Don't worry."
"I'm so privileged to have such a wonderful and supportive wife as you, my love," Fili grinned, leaning over and giving her a quick kiss. "Yet, I fear that is all we have time for, since I'm needed in another council meeting."
"And I have an appointment to accompany the foreman on his inspection of the corn fields," she added with a heavy sigh.
"See you tonight…back in our chambers?" he asked hopefully, rising to his feet.
"If I can even remember where it is," she laughed. "For I've been stumbling back there half asleep for so long, I might need to stop and ask directions."
"I'll be sure to leave a trail of gold buttons for you," Fili promised, giving her one last quick kiss before he headed out the door.
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Freya was not happy. No, not at all. Yes, she liked Nara well enough, the pleasant dam always willing to stop and play games with the lass, or read her a story, despite her other duties of keeping the royal chambers neat and tidy. But in the end, she was not Freya's ama or adad, and the little lass was missing their company something fierce. She also missed Flinn and Frerin, her two brothers having always made time for her, never allowing her to be lonely. Yet lately, the little princess had begun to feel slightly neglected, and this was not something she had ever experienced.
As she sat on the floor in the middle of her room that evening, surrounded by all her toys and games, Freya was officially bored. She thought about asking Nara to take her down to see Lili…but the babe was still too little to be any real fun. She had played with Tae a couple times, but her friend always seemed too busy helping her mother with her own little brother, Bolund. Freya wished Torin and Talin were still in the mountain, as well as Rose and Raina, but it was her two brothers she missed the most. If they were here, she would not be sad. If they were here, she would not feel so alone. They should be here!
"Freya," came the kindly voice of Nara, peeking her head inside the little princess' door. "Your adad's home, do you want to come out and greet him?"
Freya was on her feet and racing out the door before Nara could hardly step out of the way.
"Adad!" she cried, launching herself into his arms before he even had a chance to slip out of his regal coat. "I missed you!"
"And I missed you too, my little kitling," he grinned, planting a kiss on her cheek as she hugged him around the neck. "What have you been doing all day while I was slaving away in meetings?"
"I ate breakfast, I took a bath, I helped Nara make cookies, I had lunch, I took a nap, then played with my toys, and ate dinner," she informed him, rattling off her day's activities.
"Well now, you really did have a busy day," Fili smiled, nodding his head to Nara as she waved goodbye and headed out the door, leaving the lass in the capable hands of her father. "Do you think Nara left me anything to nibble on in the kitchen? I'm starving."
"We have cookies!" she informed him, wiggling out of his arms as she took hold of his hand, eager to show him what they had made.
A little later, after Fili had made himself something to eat, and removed his formal attire and boots, the two sat in the chair by the fire, laughing and talking.
"I made a new dress for my dolly," Freya informed her father, Nara having recently shown her how to wrap fabric scraps in such a way that it looked like clothes for her dolls. "Wanna see?"
"Of course I do," Fili nodded. "Go fetch it for me and I will inspect your design."
Eagerly, the little lass raced into her room, overjoyed to share her creation with her father. Just then, the front door opened, and in came Sier, carrying baby Lili in her arms.
"Look who I brought home," she announced, causing Fili to smile at the sight of his little sister.
"And to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?" the crown prince asked, getting to his feet as he came to inspect their guest.
"Dis and Flinn appeared worn to a frazzle," she explained. "I took pity on them and offered to look after Lili for the evening, giving them a break."
"That was kind of you," Fili nodded. "But are you sure you can spare the time yourself? You've been working very hard as well, I would hate to see you losing even more sleep in order to care for this precious gem."
"Dis says she only wakes a few times during the night now," Sier informed him, making silly faces at the infant in order to make her smile. "I can spare a little rest in order to offer your parents a full night to themselves."
"Again, that is very kind of you, my dear," Fili told her, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "How about you let Lili and I have some bonding time while you get changed. Have you eaten yet?"
"Yes, I grabbed a bite between meetings, and then Dis insisted I have something with them when I stopped at their chambers," she nodded, passing the bundle over to Fili's arms as she headed for their room. "I'll be right back."
So, Fili sat back down by the fire, all the while talking and smiling at Lili, the babe fascinated by the sight and sound of her big brother. It was this scene that Freya saw as she opened her door, all prepared to show her adad her dolly's new dress. Yet when she saw him otherwise occupied with the baby, she stopped, her lip sticking out in a little pout. It wasn't that she didn't like Lili, but Freya did not care for the idea of her own father spending so much time with the baby. She was his daughter…he was supposed to play with her!
Freya stood there for a few moments longer, all interest in going back out now gone. Returning to her room, she shut the door and got ready for bed, snuggling down under her covers as a little tear slid down her cheek. She wanted Flinn and Frerin to be home, so they could play with her and make sure that Adad and Ama didn't spend so much time with Lili.
Yes, they should be home, and in that moment, the little princess decided that if they wouldn't come home on their own, she would just have to go get them! And with that idea secure in her mind, she fell asleep with a determined smile on her face.
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Later, after Sier had changed and come to sit beside Fili, she looked around curiously.
"Where is Freya?" she asked, having missed her little lass' usual hug when she came in.
"She went to her room to get her doll," he told her, his brows furrowing just a bit. "But that was quite some time ago. Maybe we should check on her."
The two rose and walked to their daughter's room, peeking in to see the blond little dwarfling curled up in bed, a little smile on her lips.
"That's strange," Sier commented. "She hardly ever goes to bed without being told…at least twice. I hope she's not getting sick or something."
"Maybe she was just very tired," Fili suggested. "She told me about her day and it did seem very full. I'm sure she's fine, and will be racing around in the morning like usual."
"I hope so," Sier agreed. "I just worry. After all, she's my only baby here in the mountain."
"I miss Flinn and Frerin too," he told her, slipping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer. "But only a few more months and they'll be heading home, coming back with a whole bunch of tales to tell and things to show us. If you think we're busy now, just wait till then."
"Oh, I can't wait…trust me," Sier laughed. "Still, I think I will take half the day off tomorrow and spend some time with Freya, just the two of us. Nara is a dear, but I miss my baby."
"I do too," Fili agreed. "How about I do the same thing the following day? She's been begging for me to take her back down to Dale for a while now."
"Really? You would actually allow your precious daughter to leave the safety of the mountain?" Sier asked in a mock surprise, knowing just how protective he was with her.
"Only if accompanied by me, of course," Fili stated, knowing that his wife was only teasing him. "It will be an adventure, just for the two of us."
"All right, but now I'll have to dream up something really fun for us to do tomorrow, just to compete with your outing," she laughed, reaching up to turn down the oil lamp before they both left the room, shutting the door quietly behind them.
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The following day Fili and Sier were running late, having spent a good portion of the night taking care of Lili. The babe had been relatively good, yet it had been a few years since the couple had been required to look after the needs of an infant. Thus when Nara arrived they were both racing out the door; Fili to an early morning council meeting and Sier to drop off Lili, before she too began her day. Sier wanted to get as much done as possible, so that she would feel no guilt about taking the afternoon off to spend time with her daughter. The two only had time to peek in on Freya before they left, the little lass still sound asleep.
Nara busied herself with fixing breakfast, before going in and rousing her charge. After Freya had eaten and taken her bath, the elderly dam allowed the princess to play in her room while she began to tidy up the kitchen. It was then that the little dwarfling set about her plan to retrieve her brothers.
She was not quite sure where they were…someplace called the Shire, but Freya knew what direction they had gone when they left, so she would just go that way until she found them. It wouldn't be too hard a job, she figured. Flinn and Frerin were usually pretty loud, and locating them shouldn't be a problem. Still, it might take her most of the day, so she decided to pack a few things to bring along. Getting out a small bag, she dropped in her favorite doll, a small blanket, and three of the cookies she and Nara had made the day before. Freya didn't think her nanny had noticed that she had snuck a few into her room the day before. Once that was done, she looked around for her cloak, putting it on before peeking out her bedroom door.
Nara was humming away, working happily in the kitchen, giving Freya the perfect opportunity to head for the door unnoticed. She had to stretch on her tip-toes to reach the handle, but once she got it open, she snuck out without anyone being the wiser. Once in the hall, Freya knew she needed to get by the guard who stood at the bottom of the stairs, but she was a resourceful lass, and waited just out of sight until the dwarf was distracted by some passersby, then scurried along without him seeing her. From there, it was only a matter of not running into anyone as she headed for the gates.
Freya had never been outside of Erebor alone before, and for a moment she almost changed her mind. But then, the thought of having Flinn and Frerin home with her again, bolstered her resolve, and on she went. However, once she arrived, she found half a dozen guards stationed at the entrance, and no amount of distraction was going to allow her to slip by that many watchers this time.
Well, drat! This was not going at all like she had hoped. But just then, one of the teachers. in charge of a group of younger students. entered the foyer, pausing at the gates to speak to one of the guards. Freya saw her chance and after tugging the hood of her cloak up over her head, she scurried over to stand behind the last child in the group, hoping to blend in with the rest. It apparently worked, for in no time at all, the little princess was outside and across the bridge that led to the road to Dale.
When she was far enough away, and no one was watching, Freya snuck away from the group and hid behind a tree along the path. Feeling quite proud of her accomplishments, she sat down and treated herself to one of the cookies she brought, munching happily as she watched a buzzing bee lazily drift from one flower to the next.
Once she had finished her snack, and there appeared to be no one on the road, she set off again, keeping close to the tree line just in case someone appeared. Freya was enjoying her time out and about, hardly ever getting a chance to do anything this adventurous. She could just imagine how proud her brothers would be of her, braving the dangers to come and get them. It was a pleasant day, not too hot, yet certainly not cool, and the little dwarfling skipped along at a merry pace. At this rate, she thought to herself, she might find Flinn and Frerin before lunch time!
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Not long after, Sier, having completed most of her projects for the day, excused herself and headed back to her chambers, eager to plan out what she and Freya might do that afternoon. Yet when she opened the door, it was not her smiling daughter that greeted her, but a teary-eyed and frantic Nara.
"Oh, Your Highness!" the older dam cried, wringing her hands in panic. "I'm so sorry…so very, very sorry!"
"For what, Nara?" Sier asked, fear gripping at her heart. "Whatever is the matter?"
"Freya's gone! Simply vanished!" the nanny wailed, crumpling to the floor on her knees. "She was playing in her room, but when I went to ask if she was hungry for lunch, she was gone! I've looked everywhere!"
"WHAT?" Sier gasped, a wave of terror washing over her. "Where could she have gone?" She then raced to her daughter's room, searching everywhere herself, not willing to believe what the sobbing dam had told her. How could her baby be gone? Where could she be? Memories of the one time she had thought she lost Flinn flashed through her mind, and she searched under the bed a second time, just to be sure. Freya had never hidden from them before, nor had she ever wandered away, being so timid and all. But no matter how much Sier looked…her daughter was nowhere to be found!
Within minutes, Sier had alerted the guards and the alarm bell was sounded, drawing Fili, Dis and Flinn to their apartment almost immediately. There the crown prince found the two dams in tears, clinging to each other for support.
"Sier, what's happened?" Fili begged, as she turned and came crashing into his arms.
"Freya…she…she's gone! My baby is gone!" Sier wailed, wetting his tunic with her tears.
"Now, let's all calm down," Dis said in a soothing tone, doing her best to remain composed herself. "She can't have gone far…if she has even truly left the chambers."
"Nara and I searched each room thoroughly, she's not here!" Sier insisted, doing her best to stem her tears.
"Then let's ask the guard, he must have seen her if she left the royal wing," Flinn suggested, stepping outside and calling the dwarf to him, the many other soldiers who had followed Fili making way. When the somewhat nervous dwarrow was before him, Flinn peppered him with questions, to which the guard had no answers. He swore up and down that he had not seen the little lass all day, and no one but Sier had been up the stairs in the past few hours. This didn't ease the worried parent's minds in the least, for if Freya was not in their chambers, and had not gone down the stairs, then where could she be?
A quick search of every other room in the royal wing was quickly done, with no sign of the little princess having found her way into any of them. By now Sier was nearing hysterics, and the poor nanny was beside herself with guilt.
"This is not your fault, Nara," Fili assured her, doing his best to remain calm. "Either Freya ran off of her own volition, or someone else is to blame, but it is not you." This comforted the weeping dam a little, but she was still broken up about the missing child.
"Someone else?" Sier asked, her mind suddenly spinning in a whole new direction. "Who, Fili? Who would take our baby?" Her eyes suddenly grew wide with terror. "Bina! Do you think it might have been Bina, trying to get even with us? What if she escaped, and came here to steal our daughter?"
"Now, Sier, don't go jumping to conclusions," Fili insisted, hating to see his wife this way. Normally she was as strong as mithril, but when it came to her children, Sier's heart had no defenses. He knew he had to find Freya, and soon, or both of his lasses would be lost. "I'm certain that Dain would have notified us immediately if that hag had escaped. So put that thought out of your mind, we simply need to keep looking. She couldn't have just vanished."
Fili now found himself recalling the time he and Kili had lost Flinn in the mines, the little lad having hidden in an alcove, jumping out in an effort to scare his father. And oh, how frightened Fili had been…but not for the reasons Flinn intended. He was feeling that same sense of dread now, and he prayed that soon his Freya would be found, so he could finally breathe again without the sharp shooting pain stabbing him in his chest.
Where in Mahal's name was his precious little lass?
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Freya, having carried on down the road, made sure to duck out of sight anytime she saw strangers coming. She was quick for her age, and had become rather good at playing hiding games with Flinn and Frerin, so she had yet to be spotted. The walking was getting rather tiresome, but her determination to find her brothers kept her going. She knew that eventually this road led to the city of Dale, for she had been there once or twice with her family, the last time being for a wedding, which she remembered fondly due to the delicious cake they had served.
She plodded on for what felt like hours, stopping a few times to scoop up a drink of water from the little creek running near the road. It was cool on her throat and tasted very good, putting her back in a walking mood in no time. Still, Freya was getting very bored with all this searching. Why couldn't Flinn and Frerin have left a trail for her to follow? She knew by now it was way past lunchtime, and the thought of Nara's delicious soup made her tummy grumble in protest. So, finding a spot behind another nearby tree, Freya sat down and ate her second cookie, deciding to save the third for her trip back…once she located her brothers.
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Meanwhile, the mountain had been put on high alert, the guards doubled at the gate and every exit, with everyone having been ordered to stop what they were doing and search for the missing princess. No one minded the inconvenience though, for all three of the crown prince's children were highly thought of among the residents of Erebor, with pretty little Freya being the favorite of most. And to imagine the adorable little lass lost…or taken…was enough to set the most hardened dwarf on edge.
Fili had even had a raven sent to Dale, asking Bard for his aid, though not telling the man what he was being summoned for. The crown prince didn't wish for word to get around Dale that the temporary king of Erebor couldn't keep track of his own daughter! But he needed to hear from Bard's own lips that Tom Ferny hadn't somehow managed to escape from Rohan. While Fili seriously doubted that Sier's fears about Bina and Colm being behind Freya's disappearance were true, he refused to discount any possibilities, until he had proof otherwise.
Sier, unable to simply stay put while her child was missing, enlisted the help of Dis, Flinn, and Balin, the four of them heading for the indoor market to search. It was their hope that the missing lass had only wandered off, getting lost in the sea of dwarrow, and was unable to find her way back home.
Fili, on the other hand, took Bofur, Nori, and Ori, and made for the main gates. He knew that every dwarf within Erebor was now looking for his daughter, so he decided to concentrate his search outside. It made Fili sick to his stomach to think of his precious lass out in the world, lost and afraid, and he would give anything if he could only catch sight her sunny blond hair and infectious smile.
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By now, Freya was getting very tired of all the walking. Was this what going on a journey was like? If so, the little princess firmly decided it was not for her! All she wanted to do was find a nice cozy spot in the nearby woods, pull out her little blanket, and take a nap. But if she stopped now, then all her effort to find her brothers would have been for nothing. She wasn't even sure at this point that she could make it all the way back to Erebor, and that began to worry her a bit.
What if it got dark? What if she ran out of cookies? Freya's little stomach rumbled again, begging for some nourishment, but she was hesitant to eat the last of her provisions, for fear she might need it later. So she walked on, no longer a skip in her step, or a smile on her face, and with only her stubborn Durin will keeping her going.
The dwarfling had just come to the stone bridge that spanned a small offshoot of the River Running, which allowed the travelers to reach the city of Dale. Picking up a few sticks, Freya went to one side, dropping one piece of wood into the water, then running to the other side and waited until it came out from under the bridge, continuing to float on down the river. After doing that a few more times, the little princess headed across, hopping from one flat stone to the next while attempting to not step on the cracks in-between.
Freya was nearly across when she heard the sound of horse hooves quickly approaching, and after looking left and then right, she realized there was no place for her to hide. The thought of jumping over the side raced through her mind, but she quickly dismissed it, being deathly afraid of water and having no idea how to swim. So the little dwarf princess just stood there, frozen with fear, completely unsure of what to do, as the sound grew nearer and nearer.
OH dear...what might be coming around the bend?
And poor little Freya, thinking her parents were too busy to play with her. She really needed to just talk things out instead of heading off on a trip to find her brothers.
Sier and Fili are frantic and they don't know where she could be. Bina or Ferny was a good guess though, can't discount anything where those two cads are concerned. But we all know the truth.
Hope they find her soon.
Oh, and points to anyone who knows where I got that little game of tossing the sticks in the river and watching them come out the other side of the bridge. ha ha.
Guest Reviews:
Emrfangirl: Yes, I am shipping Tor and Holly. They ARE the least related after all, and Tor is half hobbit. Good for you for picking up on the word 'son' right away. Kili didn't. ha ha. Well, since elves carry for 12 months, and she JUST got pregnant less than a month ago...or so...I don't think she will till mid winter, maybe just a baby bump, but nothing noticeable yet. Yep, Mari is smart, she is not about to share her sexy dwarf with anyone - not even prying eyes. ha ha. Do you STILL have total confidence in Fili? ha ha. Thanks.
abc: Glad you like the idea of a son, and his name, and why I chose it will become apparent before the story is over. ha ha. Yes, give Holly and Torin time. Oh yes, Thorin will rule for a long time before he thinks of retiring to the Shire. Mari and Thorin did enjoy their fun time. As you can see, the mountain is still standing, but Fili is about to collapse with fear. Poor guy. Thanks.
Dojoson41: Well...now you know. ha ha. Thanks.