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Hello all. Sorry to say the plague has hit my hobbit hole. I officially have a cold!
So, needless to say, if my chapter comes off disjointed, I am blaming it on the cold pills. ha ha.
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Chapter 171
~X~
Thorin had hoped he would handle this pregnancy better, but for some reason he felt he was even more nervous than before. He wasn't sure why, but maybe deep down in his heart he knew this would be their final child. He was not a young dwarf any more, and even if his wife was still in the bloom of her youth…Thorin was starting to feel his age.
Still, three bairns was quite extraordinary for his race, and he was already looked at with admiration for two of them being lasses. Thorin of course credited all of this to Marigold, for his little hobbit wife was a marvel.
As the months few by, Thorin found himself spending more and more time at home, not wishing to leave Marigold alone for too long. Raina's birth had spooked him a bit, and he would not allow anything traumatic to push her into early labor again. Protecting his wife had essentially become his main focus, leaving quite a bit of the day to day duties to Fili and Kili. Not that they appeared to mind, and both had proven themselves quite capable of ruling in his place. Add in the fact that they were both fathers themselves, and it was obvious that they could tell he was overly concerned about the upcoming birth.
Oddly enough, it was not Marigold's pregnancy that was the sudden and unexpected cause of a great ruckus about a month before she was due…but instead, Gandalf's!
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"AMA!" Freya wailed, rushing out into the living area, where Sier, Dis and Tauriel all sat, discussing some of their duties of the day. "Ama! Help, Gandalf is dying!"
"WHAT?" Sier gasped, setting down her cup with such speed that she may have chipped the saucer. "What are you talking about?"
"He's in my room, laying down and panting like he's sick!" the child wailed, tugging at her mother's arm to hurry. "Fix it, Ama! Fix it!"
The three dams hurried in, eager to see what was ailing the cat. Yet one glance at the rather distressed looking feline and it became instantly clear what was going on.
"Oh, my!" Dis said, covering her lips with her hand to hold back a chuckle.
"Oh, my indeed," Sier nodded, kneeling down to place her hand over the cat's extended stomach, watching as it panted and arched it's body as if in pain.
"It would appear that Gandalf found itself a friend," Tauriel nodded. Everyone did their best to refer to the cat as an 'it'…or a 'he' when pressed, for Freya was still quite adamant that her pet was a male.
"Is he going to die, Ama?" Freya sniffed, looking from her mother to the cat and then back again with worry.
"No, sweetling, I do not think so," she said in a soothing tone. "In fact, it is more like the opposite. You see, Freya…Gandalf is going to have babies."
"Babies?" The child's eyes grew wide in disbelief. "How?"
"Well, the same way any other female has them," Sier told her, trying not to laugh at the absurdity of the whole situation. She had noted that Gandalf had been filling out a bit, but thought that was only due to eating too much. Apparently not.
"But Gandalf is not a lass," Freya argued. "And lads don't have babies."
"Freya, I know you wish to believe your cat is a male, but I think you can no longer deny the fact that this is indeed a female cat," Dis told her granddaughter gently. "She is about to have babies…thus, Gandalf is indeed a female."
"But how did Gandalf get babies in…her?" the lass questioned, using the correct term for the first time, since it was indeed impossible to argue in the fact of such overwhelming evidence.
"Um…" Sier hedged, looking up at Tauriel and Dis for help. Yet when she found none, she took the next best rout. "How about we deal with Gandalf right now and you can ask your father that question later."
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So the day wore on, with nearly half the mountain hearing about the big event taking place in the royal chambers. One would have thought it was Marigold giving birth with as quickly as word had spread.
Fili was pacing back and forth, almost as if he were the expectant father, with Kili, Thorin, Dwalin and Flinn all waiting for someone to come out and tell them how things were going.
"One kitten!" Dis announced, exiting Freya's bedroom. "One black and white male so far."
"Is Gandalf doing all right?" Fili asked, having become far more attached to the feline than he had expected.
"Both the mother and Freya are doing well," Dis grinned. "Your daughter is being very supportive and is handling things like the princess she is."
"Well, I'm glad she is," Fili laughed, flopping down on the sofa with a moan.
"Come on, Nadad," Kili laughed, plopping down next to Fili. "One would think this was your first birth."
"Well, it's my first with multiples!" Fili argued.
"Nothin' to it, lad," Dwalin assured him, acting as if it was something he went through on a daily basis.
"Because your wife did all the work!" Dis huffed, rolling her eyes at the foolish dwarrow.
"Two kittens!" Tauriel announced, sticking her head out the door with a wide smile. "A pure white female this time."
"How many do you think she will have?" Fili asked, suddenly looking as if something had just occurred to him.
"Hard to say, some cats have only a few…while others could have ten or more," Dis said with a shrug.
"Ten?" Fili gasped.
"Or more," Kili added, enjoying his brother's distress.
"What will we do with them all?" the blond prince asked, looking around at his male companions.
"Don't look at me," Thorin huffed. "It was your idea to bring the animal into the mountain to begin with, and one is quite enough." Apparently even the king was not immune to almost being tripped a few times in the hall when the lively cat had made one of its daring escapes.
"I know what we'll do!" Kili spoke up, looking as if he had just solved the problems of the world. "How about you offer a kitten to Tilda and Bain's kids…sound like the perfect retribution to me."
"Hey…that's not a bad idea," Fili stated, a sly grin spreading over his face. "And if I presented them as a royal gift, Bain and Dunner would have to accept them."
"Or risk offending their most trusted allies," Thorin grinned, liking Kili's idea very much.
"But what if Freya doesn't want to get rid of them?" Dis asked. "What if she wants to keep the kittens?"
"Well…let's just hope that idea does not occur to her," Flinn offered. "And before you ask, no, Lili does not need a kitten."
"Oh, you males are so hard-hearted," Dis scolded, rolling her eyes at them as she headed back inside the room to check on the cat's progress.
After what felt like a lifetime, the door opened once more, this time Dis and Freya came out, the little lass beaming with parental pride.
"I'm a grandmother!" Freya squealed, jumping up and down and clapping her hands in glee. "Gandalf had all her kittens!"
"Wonderful," Fili laughed, finding it oddly amusing that it took such an event to finally convince his stubborn daughter that her cat was indeed female. "And how many did she have?" He held his breath, praying for a small number.
"Fifteen!" Freya announced proudly. "Fifteen kittens in all."
"FIFTEEN?" Fili gasped, stumbling back as he slapped his palm to his forehead in shock. "Gandalf had fifteen kittens?"
Kili and Flinn both reached out and tried to steady the overwhelmed prince, but before he had a chance to faint, both Dis and Freya burst out laughing.
"I'm just teasing you, Adad," the blond princess told him. "N'ama Dis said it would be funny to say she had that many…but really, Gandalf only had three. Two lads and a lass."
"Only three?" Fili questioned, his face returning to its normal color. "Are you sure?"
"Quite sure," Dis nodded, patting Freya on the shoulder for executing such a fine joke. "Would you all like to come in and see Gandalf and her kittens?"
For being a group of big strong males, they all appeared rather interested in doing so. Dis and Freya led them back in, where they found Sier and Tauriel kneeling on the floor beside the basket that now housed the mother cat and her three babies. Gandalf looked no worse for wear after her ordeal and was busy bathing her new children with her tongue, the tiny kittens wiggling and mewing with their eyes still shut tight.
"Awww…they're kinda cute," Dwalin stated quite unexpectedly. He quickly cleared his throat and tried to look stern. "I mean…for something that looks like a drowned rat."
"They don't look like rats!" Freya told him sternly, placing her hands on her hips and giving him an evil look. "They're adorable!"
"Of course they are, precious," Flinn smiled, laying his hands on his granddaughter's shoulders and peeking at the kittens over her head. "And you did a wonderful job helping them into the world. I'm proud of you."
"Can I keep them, Adad?" the little princess asked, looking up at her adad with pleading eyes. "Ama said I would have to ask you."
"Oh, she did, did she?" Fili asked, giving his wife a look of betrayal. "Well, I think we will have to keep them for a while, at least," he mused, squatting down as he reached in and gently pet Gandalf on the head. "I don't think they can be away from their mother until they are older. But, if you kept them, don't you think that Gandalf would feel a little jealous? She is used to being your only cat…wouldn't it hurt her feelings if you suddenly started paying attention to others?"
"I never thought of that," she said, looking almost horrified at the idea. "Just like I got jealous when I thought you were paying more attention to Lili than me."
"Exactly," Fili nodded, pleased that his daughter was seeing things his way. "However, I know of three little children who have no kittens to play with and I am willing to bet they would be more than happy to give your kittens homes when the time comes. And, you could visit them whenever you like. How does that sound?"
"Will they be nice to them?" she inquired, narrowing her eyes in a protective manner.
"Of course they will," Dis smiled, knowing exactly of whom her son spoke of. "And they will be happy and content, just like Gandalf is living with you."
"I suppose that would be all right then," she nodded. "But until then, I can play with them…right?"
"I am certain that Gandalf won't mind a bit," Sier grinned.
And so it was decided, that in six weeks, the three kittens would be presented to Tilda and Dunner's lad and lass, as well as Prince Brand. And Fili couldn't wait!
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"Thorin?" Marigold whispered late one night, very close to when it was her time. "Thorin, are you awake?"
"IS IT TIME?" he gasped, instantly awake as he leapt from the bed and grabbed his trousers. "Is the baby coming?"
"No!" she giggled, watching him stumbling around in the dark. "Now stop fussing before you fall and break something."
"Dwarves do not break things," Thorin huffed, tossing his tunic back in the pile with the rest of his clothes. "We are stone…we don't break."
"Oh, I know that's a lie," Marigold giggled, reaching out to pull him back into the bed beside her. "If you were stone…I wouldn't be in the family way right now, would I?"
Her intimate jest caused the sullen king to crack a little smile, though he huffed in fake offense as he slipped back in bed.
"If it is not the wee one, then what are you doing waking me up in the middle of the night?" he questioned, his heart at last returning to its normal rhythm.
"My back and neck is sore…could you rub it for me?" she asked, batting her eyes a bit, hoping that her flirtatious actions could be seen in the dim firelight.
"Of course, my jewel," Thorin said with a warm smile. He would do anything for his Marigold…even if it meant giving up precious hours of sleep.
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"Thorin?" Came Marigold's voice a few nights later. "Thorin…are you sleeping?"
"IS IT TIME?" he barked out, once more instantly awake and flopping around in an attempt to detangle himself from the blankets.
"No!" she once more responded, laying her hand on his bare chest in hopes of settling him. "I'm hungry."
"Hungry?" he snorted in surprise. "How can you be hungry? You ate three times as much as me tonight as well as a meal size snack just before bed."
"Your child is hungry!" she told him, her words coming out rather stern. "Would you deny your babe the nourishment it needs?"
"Of course not," Thorin told her sincerely, reaching out to pull her lips to his in a gentle kiss. "And nor would I deny you anything, my heart. Now just lie here and I will be right back. What is the lad or lass hungry for tonight?"
"Ham…and bread," she said, sitting up and smoothing out the blankets over her extended stomach with a wide smile. "Oh, and an apple, and some bacon…and maybe a piece of cake."
"Your wish is my command," he grinned, slipping on his trousers and boots.
"And maybe some of Bombur's rice pudding…and some corn bread…and a pickle?" She gave him a shy look, hoping she was not asking for too much.
"Is that all?" he laughed. "Perhaps I should wake Fili and Kili and ask them to help me carry all that back."
"Oh you!" she laughed, tossing his pillow in his direction.
Thorin caught it easily and gave her a sly wink.
"I will be right back, my love," he assured her.
"We'll be waiting," Marigold told him, rubbing her stomach in anticipation.
Unfortunately, when he returned…his wife was sound asleep, apparently their little babe having changed its mind about a midnight snack.
Giving a heavy sigh, Thorin sat down at the small table and looked at the tray of food.
"Well, no sense in this going to waste." And he proceeded to eat everything before him…except the pickle.
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"Thorin!" Marigold hissed, her tone quite urgent in the darkness. "Thorin…wake up!"
"What now?" he mumbled, rolling away in an effort to return to sleep. "Are you thirsty? Did you have another bad dream that pickles were attacking the mountain?"
"No, you big oaf!" she said with more than a hint of irritation. "The baby is coming…NOW!"
"WHAT?" Thorin spun around, looking at his wife in fear. "The baby…now?"
"Yes, now," Marigold assured him, grabbing her stomach as she squeezed her eyes closed tightly. "Get Oin…your son or daughter is on its way."
Thorin flew out of bed so fast that his feet got wound up in the covers, causing him to fall to the floor in the most undignified manner. But in seconds he was up and running, grabbing his trousers as he headed for the door.
"I'll be right back!" he yelled over his shoulder as he fled the room.
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Thorin did indeed return a few minutes later, still clutching his trousers in his hand, having apparently forgotten to stop and put them on. He had brought Oin with him, along with several others he apparently got out of bed.
"Don't you worry about at thing," Bergie told her niece, hurrying to her side. "You've done this before, so you know what to expect."
"Exactly!" Marigold moaned, gripping her belly as a spasm of pain hit. "And I don't recall it being very pleasant the last two times either!"
"We'll get you down to the healing halls, so you can get this over as quickly as possible," Dis assured her, reaching for the queen's night-robe. "Let's get you up now…carefully."
"I will carry her," Thorin said, stepping forward, eager to help.
"First you need to put some pants on, brother," Dis informed him, pointing at his night clothes.
"Oh, right," the flustered king agreed, reaching for the tie at the waist, ready to strip them off and get dressed.
"NOT IN FRONT OF EVERYONE!" Marigold barked, stopping her husband from becoming openly indecent.
Thorin froze, suddenly realizing what he had almost done. He looked up at Dis and Bergie, as if truly seeing them for the first time. Then, grabbing the rest of his clothes as well, he hurried to the washroom.
"Males," Bergie laughed, rolling her eyes. "They really are helpless at times like these."
"But we still wouldn't want them anywhere but by our side," Marigold laughed, rising to her feet and slipping on the robe.
"True," Dis laughed.
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In the end, Thorin managed to pull it together and carry Marigold to the healing halls, fully dressed. Dwalin and Flinn were the next to arrive, after having made arrangements for Nara to watch over their children, as well as Rose and Raina, so they could be there to support Thorin. Fili and Kili came busting into the waiting room a bit later, sleep still in their eyes and their hair quite the mess…well, at least Kili's was.
"Did we miss it?" the youngest prince asked. "Has the baby arrived?"
"No, not yet," Dwalin informed them, taking a seat near the wall as he leaned back, stretching out his legs and crossing them at the ankles. "My guess is that we are in for quite a wait."
"Can I go back to bed then?" Kili grumbled, releasing a large yawn.
"No you can't!" Fili huffed, shoving his brother towards a chair with a stern look. "You will stay here and support Uncle Thorin, just like he did for you…both times!"
"Fine!" Kili grumbled, plopping down and folding his arms over his chest. "But at least when Anor was born, it was during the day and not at this ridiculous hour."
"Babies come when they want…not on any schedule of ours," Flinn laughed. "I recall the night you were born Kili. The worst possible time imaginable, but still, there was no stopping you."
"Right, that was the night there was an orc raid on the outskirts of the Blue Mountain," Dwalin nodded, recalling that night well. "Everyone was called to fight and right in the middle of it all, Kili wished to be born."
"See, I was born a warrior!" Kili said with amused pride. "I wanted to fight."
"No, you wanted to make a mess of things," Dwalin argued. "And you've been doing exactly that since the day you were born."
"I was in the middle of a fierce battle, trying to hold back about fifty orcs with my warriors, and who comes running up but Dori himself, telling me that Dis was in labor!" Flinn laughed. "Well, needless to say, I couldn't stop what I was doing, even if I desperately wanted to. So I sent all the soldiers I could spare to protect our little house, telling them to guard my wife as she gave birth. Thankfully, the orcs never breached our defenses, and as soon as the invaders were destroyed, I hurried back, just in time to be handed my new son. I might have missed your birth, but I was there the first time you opened your eyes, Kili. So, don't go faulting your new cousin for having poor timing…since you, my son, are the king of that."
"Oh, fine, everyone pick on the youngest," Kili huffed, as the room filled with laughter.
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Inside the birthing room, Thorin stood at Marigold's side, holding her hand and speaking softly to her as the labor pains increased.
"Not long now, my queen," Oin told her. "It would appear that this child is anxious to be born. Are you in a great deal of pain?"
"No more than the last two times," she told him through gritted teeth. "Although, Raina was a bit of a trial, being sideways for a bit."
"Well this one is in position and heading the right way, rather quickly too I might add," Oin assured her. "Now, push, your highness…push!"
Thorin did all he could to assist his wife, easing her up and supporting her back as she did the unimaginable. And before he knew it, there came the sound of a crying babe, causing him to tear his eyes from Marigold and stare down at the child in Oin's capable hands.
"Well, Thorin…you have a son," he announced, holding the squalling baby up for all to see. "A strong and healthy lad, just like both his sisters."
"A son, Thorin!" Marigold cried, her eyes filling with tears of joy. "We have a son!"
"A…son?" Thorin appeared rather stunned by the news, for in one split second, all his dreams had finally been realized. He had a beautiful wife, two lovely daughters…and now a son.
Moments later, after Oin had cleaned and wrapped the babe, and the little lad was placed in his arms, a wave of emotion overtook Thorin. Looking down at the tiny babe in his arms, his dark hair and distinctive dwarf nose peeking out from the blanket, the king of Erebor knew that his life was now complete.
Soon though, he was forced to relinquish his hold as he passed his son over to Marigold, allowing her to hold him for the first time.
"Look, he's the spitting image of you, Thorin…and from the looks of him, all dwarf," she said with a laugh.
"But with the loving heart of a hobbit, I'm sure," he told her, leaning in to kiss her on the forehead. "Thank you, my darling wife."
"No, Thorin…thank you," she replied, gazing up at him with such love. "Thank you for staying with me. I couldn't have done it without you."
"And what is the name of the new prince?" Oin asked, looking at his king and queen questionably.
"If it was to be a son, we had talked about calling him Thrór…or Thráin," Thorin began, gently stroking his finger against the sleeping babe's cheek. "But the wounds are still too fresh for me, and I want our son to be his own person, not living in the shadow of my father or grandfather."
"But we did wish to keep with tradition and give him a fine dwarf name," Marigold broke in.
"So, he will be called Náin, Son of Thorin, son of Thráin," Thorin finished, his voice strong and proud.
"A fine name, one he will bear with honor," Dis agreed.
"Thorin…are you crying?" Bergie asked, suddenly noticing the tears running down the king's cheeks and dripping off his chin.
"Isn't a dwarf allowed to cry when he has everything he's ever wanted in life?" he argued, though the wide grin on his face left no one imagining that he was the least bit upset. It was then that he took note of Dis, who was crying as well. "And you, sister…what are you blubbering about? You have not gone all soft on me, have you?" He teased.
"Of course not!" Dis huffed, wiping at her eyes as she tried to regain her composure. "It's just that I lost five gold coins over this, since I bet Nori that it would be another lass!"
This caused everyone in the room to roar with laughter, waking the sleeping babe with a start. Yet as his beautiful Durin Blue eyes opened, and he gazed up at the face of his father for the very first time, he didn't cry…for he knew with Thorin, he was safe and protected. Always.
A son! Thorin has his son! And for those who thought his name was going to be Thrór...I almost went that way, but in the end, I couldn't choose between Thorin's dad or grandad...so I went in another direction completely. Hope you like it.
Gandalf had kittens! Three of them. And won't Bain and Dunner be happy with Fili's idea of who will get them. ha ha.
How did Thorin did at the birth?
Also, there have been a few questions popping up as to time and dates. So here is a rundown on stuff:
At this point in time, the year is roughly 2965
The LOTR happens in 3018
Flinn Jr = 17 (or more like 10 in human terms)
Frerin, Tor and Tal = 12 (like 7 in human terms)
Rose = 11
Raina = 6
Lili = 5
Ithil = 4 (but he is part elf, so he is taller and more advanced)
Anor = 1
Little Náin - just born.
Hobbits: Frodo = 17. Holly = 11. Merry = 10. Sam = 5. Pippin = 4
Hope that helps a bit.
Guest Reviews:
abc: Nope, Kili didn't burn the mountain down and the gates are still standing...so that is one up on Thorin, ha ha. Yep, Thorin took the news of his impending fatherhood well...but not the part where everyone knew before HIM. ha ha. Fili gets a 'father of the year' mug for that speech, right? I agree...12 is more reasonable for a regiment. And this is Middle Earth, so they probably count different anyway. ha ha. And as you just read...yep, Gandalf had kittens! Thanks.
Emrfangirl: ha ha, yes, Marigold knows just how to handle Thorin. ha ha. And as much as I would love equality and stuff, I still think Middle Earth is a bit of a patriarchal society. Men rule kingdoms...Women rule the men. ha ha. Glad you enjoyed the Flinn and Fili talk...it had to come out eventually. Flinn can do the math. ha ha. Thanks.
Aranel Mereneth: Fili did a good job, right? And Flinn was very accepting too. Well, with the way things are going, it might be 200 chapters, but no way I could stretch it to 1000 ha ha. but thanks for the support.
Feu d'Argent: No...Bergie and Dwalin are done. Sorry. Sier is very, very proud of him for handling that little bombshell...and it looks like she wants him to tell Freya about the birds and the bees too. ha ha. Well, looks like you get to keep those virtual cookies and a whole lot more, since yes, it was a boy child! Thanks.
arrondissement: Ok, I am confused...what idea? You never said, so I can't confirm or deny - but hey, why not, let's say whatever it was it did indeed come from you! (care to tell me what idea that was?) I think Flinn would come up to Fili's chest...not too tall, but not a 'little lad' any more, and one that would not take kindly to being picked up...but riding piggyback is still OK. ha ha. And kisses...well, no lad likes those. Until he grows up, that is, ha ha. Thanks.