*******************...******************************************...***********************
*******************...******************************************...***********************
For the two angels overlooking this story:
-Thank you for everything you have done up to now, Julie-I-am!
-Thank you StephCalvino for sharing your immense wisdom and for helping in the creative process of this story!
Trust in me
It was three days later during the dead of night and Karunn was delighting at Rhiannon's bold descriptions of Eilin's naked body as she led her carriage carefully through the dark winding roads close to Rhudaur, searching for a bridge to cross over the river. She didn't want to pass close to Rivendell and risk being captured by those meddling elves. They'd find a way to get her identity and then contact her relatives in the Iron Hills or even worse maybe speak directly with Erebor.
As they traversed on the outskirts of the forest and were about to pass one of the quiet villages that was sleeping, Karunn asked Rhiannon for more proof of her acquaintance with Eilin. The baby belt was enough, but a few personal details could go a long way. Poor Rhiannon was so eager to please the dwarrowdam that rescued her from that brothel that she began spewing everything she remembered about Eilin, which was a lot. Since they were not only sharing a room, but also the common showers she had a lot of details to offer Karunn who feigned her excitement at those accurate descriptions. Reassuring Rhiannon that she believed her honesty since she had seen Eilin naked also in the royal hot springs.
Enthused so much was Rhiannon in her conversation with this elegant and knowledgeable dwarrowdam that she didn't notice three dirty and wild looking men following them quietly, using the thick foliage of the forest around to hide. So eager was Rhiannon to please Karunn with her knowledge about Eilin and so keen she was to see her old friend at all her glory in the Lonely Mountain that she didn't even hear them overtaking the carriage and climbing on it.
The strong punch delivered on the side of her face was the only thing that drew her out of the trance the wicked Karunn had placed her in. Three of her front teeth got knocked off and she grabbed her mouth in pain as she fell violently down and banged her head at the inside of the carriage. Then a rough looking knife pressed on Karunn's throat and a hand came around her waist, "don't utter a word little princess or I will cut your tongue out and make your servant swallow it."
"I will not," she muttered.
Rhiannon's scared eyes, suddenly turned wild and she pushed the man that was pointing an arrow at her head so hard that he almost toppled off the carriage. Then she grabbed the man that had the knife on Karunn's throat and yelled wildly, "let her go you bastard or I will eat your heart out! Let her go!"
Karunn closed her eyes and hissed as she felt the knife pressing a little too hard on her skin, but the struggle behind her didn't take long. A third man grabbed Rhiannon by the waist. Emptied her onto the back of the carriage, kneeled on top of her stomach and brought his knife just inches from her throat, "stand down you dirty old rat!" He grumbled.
The man that held Karunn laughed, "I don't want to take up your time, or mine. Tell me which boxes contain the valuables and I'll let you and that sickness smelling troll go."
Karunn almost gagged from the pressure, "if I tell you, what will stop you from killing me after you have my gold?"
"What stops me now from doing so and then ransacking your carriage?" The man rejoined and slid the knife down the side of her neck.
She heaved, "the two chests on the back that are covered with my mantle. They have some gold pieces, but they are not much."
The man gestured to his comrade to go check, "even a spit of gold in these forsaken lands is valuable."
Karunn nodded, "take all of them, but let me go."
"We'll need something more than gold in order to do that," the man smiled on her back.
"Like what?" She frowned.
"a few of moments of pleasure," the man drawled.
Rhiannon began sobbing, "don't touch her! Don't you dare touch her!"
He turned to her, "I am not into women with sideburns, but neither am I into women with rotten teeth. Maybe I can kill you, cut your head off, stick it on her shoulders and have my way with her body."
Karunn shuddered, "Let me go and I will lead you to a place where gold runs in rivers."
The man paused, "what?"
"I will lead you back to Erebor. You can have all the gold you want in there," Karunn said eagerly.
All the men laughed in unison, "so we should storm one of the biggest dwarven strongholds of Middle Earth? Oakenshield is on the throne there now, ain't he? one of the butchers of Azanulbizar. The one that demised the pale orc, right? Are you joking little princess?"
One of his comrades nodded, "I say fuck Erebor. I say kill them both and take the gold!"
Karunn shook her head, "I don't mean go in and steal the gold. You are not equipped to go against hoards of angry dwarves. No one is. Not even the best trained warriors. Not even the elves…"
"Enough!" He pressed the knife deep into her skin.
"I will go to the treasury and bring you gold. As much as I can carry. Just let me go," she panted and wrapped her small hands around the man's forearm. She felt the hesitation. "If it is gold you seek, I can bring it to you. If it is blood you seek then kill her," she nodded at Rhiannon.
The poor girl tried to get away from her captor, "no my lady, what are you telling him?"
"Kill her, get rid of her and we can sort everything out between us!" Karunn's eyes suddenly became cold and dark.
The man weighed her words carefully for a few moments and then nodded at his comrade. The man lifted his sword to strike down Rhiannon, but in a sudden burst of adrenaline she kicked him in the balls. He howled and doubled down. Before the other man had time to return from ransacking the boxes, Rhiannon had jumped onto the muddy road and sprang off to the dense forest around them. Her bare feet slipped on the ground, she fell down and screamed as one of the thieves made to grab her. She was quick enough to escape his hands and in the end much faster than him. He chased her into the woods for several breathtaking moments, before returning totally out of breath with his head shaking, "I lost the damned bitch."
"Idiot" the man that was holding Karunn said and released her.
She coughed and shook her head, "you were too fervent in your quest Alf and dangerously unpredictable."
"You told me to be convincing," the man cleared his knife and sat next to her in the carriage, "didn't pay me enough to become more brutal with her. I could have," his eyes gleamed.
"I didn't need you to stage this bloody attack, I needed you to kill her and you failed," she chastised him and straightened her heavy coat.
"I wanted to see the fear gleaming in your eyes. Besides what's keeping you from lying to me about the treasure you promised?" Alf said and then nodded at his comrade to climb the carriage.
"I am not lying. You will escort me safely back to Erebor and I will deliver what I promised, only if you manage to bring me back her dead body. I didn't expect to have my life threatened and moreover to be forced to tell you to get rid of her. You were supposed to do it silently." She raised her brow coldly.
Alf pursed his lips angrily.
"Now not only did that dirty bitch escape, she might also live to tell the tale to your much feared butcher of Azanulbizar. Then he along with his hoards will come after me and subsequently after you!" Karunn's eyes spewed fire.
Alf's jawline flexed.
"You failed to deliver what we have bargained silently and effectively. I have a witness loose that will try to make her way back to Erebor. A witness that knows who betrayed her. Now either you bring me her dead body, or our deal is off and don't even think of getting rid of me. My kin will find a way to trace everything back to you. Don't ever underestimate the wrath and persistence of a dwarven clan."
"Harry, Perry, go into the forest and dig that rat out. You'll smell her off miles. Find her and kill her. We'll meet at the last dwarven bridge before entering the passage through Mirkwood. We'll wait there," Alf said and leaned back on the seat looking pissed off.
Karunn raised her brow, "if they come back with her body, I will double your reward."
Alf gave her a careful nod, "lead the way on princess. I cannot wait to get my hands on what your promised."
Karunn looked at the forest thoughtfully, "She's so weak that she will probably die from an animal attack or starvation long before your friends get her, but I want to have her dead body in my hands."
He flicked his shoulder, "they will get her worry not and to make things clear what happened before was not just a show. I won't hesitate to kill you, if you don't deliver the goods."
"And I will have you killed if you don't behave. I employed you remember that and I have all the Ironhills behind me. Don't play around with my family, it won't get you anywhere good. You are just a low life nobody, that lurks into the gutter. Now you have a chance to rise above your pit and see the light. Don't ruin it by acting like you are controlling this game, because you are not. I want your men to bring back Rhiannon's body and you to protect me and my carriage up to Erebor. When you deliver you will get paid and then you will vanish from my eyes. If I get harmed before we reach out destination, you will get nothing and you will be hunted by my kin. You wouldn't want that would you?"
The man straightened and took the reigns from her hands. He jaw flexed, "no," he admitted with a deadly glare in his eyes.
"So is the new plan clear to you?" Karunn smiled and buried her chin into her fur lapels satisfied that she had complete control over these low scums.
"Yeah," he clicked his tongue against his teeth angrily and began leading the carriage away.
Six days later as Karunn was approaching Erebor, Eilin was hiding in her bedroom looking over at her potted barely as if it's small blooms held all the mysteries of the undying lands. She was admiring the few small yellow tips that had popped up from the top of it's stem like a bloody idiot. It was Dis's persistent knocking at the door that animated her. When the princess saw the results on the grass, she wasn't as confounded or lost as Eilin. She laughed and embraced her with a warmth that made Eilin cry.
The princess asked her why she was crying, but Eilin found it impossible to reveal her innermost thoughts. She had never expected her body to be capable of creating such a miracle and more so with a man she adored. She couldn't find herself worthy enough to be carrying Thorin's children and she was apprehensive of his reaction. So afraid in fact that she didn't want to tell him anything yet.
"What are you so afraid off?" Dis's question made Eilin deeply thoughtful.
What was it that scared her so much? Thorin had embraced her with so much affection, acceptance, care and love that she had really had nothing to worry about. Undoubtedly he would embrace her pregnancy with the same zest. Dis reassured Eilin that her brother would go off the wall by learning that he was going to be a father. He had reacted with equal ardour when he learned about Dis's pregnancies and he was a fool for children. Dis proposed that they told him the amazing news together.
Eilin persistent refusal confused Dis even more. Eilin explained that she needed time to deliver the news. Dis understood that part of Eilin's reluctance derived from the fact that her brother hadn't officially asked to wed her. Yes, they may have gotten unofficially engaged, but that was behind closed doors. Eilin was afraid of the city's reaction to their private situation and in consequence Thorin's reaction to her pregnancy. Everything was so fragile at the moment.
The princess allowed Eilin to take the day off and rest as much as her body wanted and decided to go and face her brother about all this, without betraying Eilin's most beautiful secret or her trust. The situation between Thorin and Eilin had gone too far. He needed to stand up for her and take responsibility. Dis marched up to his office, not knowing that he had just left a rather demanding meeting with the six family lords. A meeting that had brought up the case of his maiden and the rumours about them more than once. So when she entered to find a brooding Balin, a dejected Dwalin and an weary Thorin she paused.
"Tell me this isn't a good time, because I came to discuss something very important," she said solemnly.
"This isn't a good time," Thorin said flatly.
"What happened?" She looked at the other men.
"Trouble in paradise. What do you think happened my lady? His fragile situation with Eilin has taken a toll on his relationship with the family lords. The feast that precedes his coronation is coming soon and the mood is not festive but rather bleak. He has allowed his private matters to run rampant and now he has to find a way to fix everything," Balin said sternly.
"Enough Balin," Thorin's annoyed voice stopped his advisor that leaned back to his desk broodily.
"Should I come back later?" Dis was worried about her brother. He looked at the end of his tether and the news of Eilin's pregnancy needed a composed Thorin. Maybe the maiden's decision to delay delivering the news was wise beyond Dis's original recognition.
He looked up at her, "No Dis, remain. You Balin, out!"
Dwalin stood up also, even though Thorin hadn't addressed him and escorted his brother out of the office. When the door closed Dis felt the need to cross her arms protectively across her chest, "you don't look good my love."
"I don't feel good. The bloody Arkenstone is back in place and now they've got something else to complain about. Now I understand Thror's hesitation in uniting the seven families. Too many stubborn heads at one round table, cannot produce a positive result. Only in the heat of battle defending one another can we cooperate without causing trouble to each other," he sounded truly spent.
She approached his desk, "the trouble they are causing you now is because of Eilin?"
"The rumours about us, yes"
"I don't want to sound like Balin, but you have fed those rumours by acting intimately with her everywhere, but right up to their faces," she raised her brow.
"Did you come here to chastise me? I don't need that," he averted his eyes from her dismissively.
"On the contrary I am here to help you. Didn't you feed those rumours will full awareness of how provocative your actions were?"
"Yes," he replied angrily.
"Then reveal the damned truth to them, like you did with us that day of the furnace accident and let's get this over and done with!" She rejoined.
"You make it sound so easy." He raised his brow impatiently.
"Why not? What are you afraid off? What can they hold on you?" She reciprocated the gaze.
"They will not pledge their swords to the allegiance. All my effort would have been for naught," he sounded discouraged.
"Why for naught? Haven't you reclaimed this mountain for our people?"
He looked up.
"Won't you accept anyone to relocate here no matter the name of their family?" She continued.
"Of course"
"Won't Erebor be open to everyone?"
"Yes"
"Then why for naught? You claimed one the biggest dwarven strongholds and you shall make it flourish, like you did with your halls in the Blue Mountains. You will be the only King apart from Durin to rule more than a hundred years! If the other families don't want to unite under you, then so be it. We'll survive, won't we?" She smiled.
A small gleam of amusement appeared in his eyes, "nothing gets you down, does it?"
"Do you find a fault in my thinking?"
"No."
"Will Erebor collapse if the six lords don't unite under you?"
He shook his head with a side smile.
"They will take back their armies, so what? Some soldiers might choose to remain. We shall rebuild a new army from the thousands of families that are arriving every single week. Fili informed me the majority of the Blue Mountains is already being evacuated. Your army of tens of thousands is already marching back to Erebor. You don't need the six lords for anything and they don't need you. They have their own halls to rule, so let them do that."
"The whole point was to make our kin great again under one rule Dis," he looked at her imperatively.
"Our kin shall always be great no matter if we are under one King, or divided into seven smaller parts. Whenever the need arises our kin will always come together as one to fight a common enemy," Dis said proudly.
"That is true," he agreed.
"Then free yourself from their grip. Admit your engagement to the poor girl who loves you so much she can barely see straight and claim the life you've always deserved!" Dis said with such fervour that Thorin was taken aback.
"Just throw Thror's and Thrain's dream to unite the seven families out the window?" He frowned.
"yes, why not? Many things are at stake!" Dis sounded waspish.
He shook his head, "I will not throw away the opportunity to unite the families Dis. I need to give this another chance."
"So are you going to give up on Eilin then?" She frowned unable to believe what she was hearing.
"No," he looked at her deeply puzzled.
"Then how is this going to work? Will they accept your rule with Eilin by your side?"
"I won't have the chance to find out, unless I force them into action as you so wisely suggested," he leaned his chin on his crossed hands thoughtfully.
"I see wheels turning inside that brilliant mind of yours and I don't know what it is you are planning, but I have to warn you about Eilin," she said.
"Warn me?" He frowned.
"Don't give up on her brother, because you are going to destroy her," her eyes welled.
"I shall not. What's gotten into you all of a sudden?" He looked back at her truly mystified.
"Tell me, if it comes down to the unity of the seven families or Eilin, what will you choose?" She said fervently.
His eyes became coldly calculative, "that's not a fair question."
"It is a question that you will probably have to answer soon enough," she warned him.
He sighed and his eyes darkened, "if it comes down to the Longbeard rule of Erebor and the unison of the seven families, or Eilin... I shall have all!"
Dis pulled back confused, "how will you manage to convince them of your choices. How will you enforce their collective agreement?"
"I won't have to," he said and raised his brow, but he didn't clarify what he was planning to do further.
"Thorin you are confusing me to no end," she crossed her arms once more.
"I am answering your questions. The rule of Erebor under the Longbeards is unshaken. Truth is the unison of the seven families is still unstable, but I will try to make it happen under our rule! As for Eilin…I shall not let her down," his deep conviction blew a breath of fresh air over her doubts.
A deep sigh escaped her as she observed his solemn countenance, "You seem to know more than you are letting on."
"I most certainly do. That's my job," he offered her a lopsided smile.
"But you are worried…" she rejoined.
"Of course I am, who wouldn't be? The burden that's pulling me under now is heavier than it has ever been in my entire life!" He said and for the first time Dis saw real emotion behind his controlled features and he still had no idea how serious things were with his woman. If Eilin's tender condition was added onto his shoulders now that everything was so volatile, no one would be able to predict his reactions. Erebor didn't need a ruler that would act upon instinct. She preferred the calculative Thorin she saw a moment ago, even though she had no idea what gears were turning inside his head.
"You have really tough decisions in front of you wolf. The crown of the Mountain or the love of your life. Poor sweetheart, you've never had to face such dilemmas before," she said gently and rounded his table. Her hands fell on his stiff shoulders and she leaned her cheek on the top of his head.
He blanched and his lips turned down, feeling annoyed by the irony of this conversation. "No, never gerbil."
"Please please don't betray Eilin," she said and suddenly her arms tightened around his neck.
He frowned, "you told me once and I reassured you that this is out of the question. Is there something that I need to know that makes you so emotional towards all this?"
She felt her stomach clenching in fear. She knew how clever her brother was and she didn't want to betray Eilin's trust. Not even by mistake. "I know how to appreciate loyalty. You are lucky this girl accepted your advances."
His brow rose lively and a frisky smile appeared on his lips.
"What? You expected me to say the opposite just because you are my brother?" she grinned at him.
"I don't know," he patted her forearm.
"Fine, she's also lucky to have you." Dis rejoined.
He leaned his head back to her and relaxed. "I know of Eilin's qualities and I love her deeply. I shall not betray her. Rest your worries little sis."
Dis exhaled in relief, "You don't know how much I want to raise your children as my own, like you have done with my sons. I hope the great Vala Aule will bless you and this beautiful young lady with offsprings soon."
His body unwilling tensed and she felt it, "that may not be as easy as you think," he retorted heavily. The change in the tone of his voice was palpable.
She caressed his temple. "Or maybe it is much easier than you think," she rejoined.
"Enough sis," he said and pushed her away.
Instead of receiving the last comment of hers with the merry energy that she had offered it, he suddenly became tense and distant. That made her frown to his back. She wanted to ask why he had reacted in this manner, without allowing him to suspect anything about Eilin's condition. If she continued down the path she had taken with him today, he would easily figure it out sooner rather than later though.
She sighed and decided to give him the space he required. "I think I'll leave you to your conniving schemes about our city wolf. I have to prepare for the great feast."
"Tell Fili to come here if you see him," he opened up several scrolls on the table and pulled back in order to see better.
She snorted, "you look like dad when he lost his ability to read up close."
He looked up, "that's old age for me. Now go," he pointed at the door.
"Fili says you are overworking him," she said in an afterthought.
"Boy is the heir to the throne you admire so much. He has a lot to learn. I won't stop taxing him, until I am satisfied with how well he can take the heat for it," he raised his brow.
She smiled sweetly at him, "Do whatever you judge best."
"Fili can hold his own, but he needs to learn a thing or two before he's thrown into the deep end of the river," he said with a thoughtful look that made Dis frown once more.
"Why do I feel that you've got plans for him, that he doesn't yet know?" she raised her brow.
"Because I do."
She grinned, "will you tell his mother?"
"Of course I won't," he rejoined with a side smile, without raising his gaze from the scrolls.
"I will let him know that you need him and whenever you need to talk, reach out for wolf, alright?" she offered him a sweet and honest smile.
He reciprocated, "thank you gerbil."
She nodded and closed the door behind, leaving him to muse on his scrolls and their conversation for a long time. The thoughts came and left as fast as lighting setting his mind on fire. His fatigue at the end caused all those thoughts to start overlapping and he knew that after a point he was not being productive towards the solution he was seeking. When Fili came in, he opened up every map of the residential areas, the mines, the working stations, the trading centres, the central areas of the common gatherings, the secret exits that only Thror's maps had and he showed him the Fili that belonged to those exits.
He explained the runes of the Elders upon those maps and how they were supposed to be used in order to open them up. He presented him a map of the treasury and told him where he could find the trap doors that released the gold of the upper floors into the deep caverns underneath if the need arose to hide it, but warned him that emptying the treasury would be a task that would take time. He found the ancient maps of the waters works that had been dug into the very stones of Erebor, and the vents that led to the top of the mountain.
He explained to Fili which landmarks to look for in order to locate them out in the wilderness. Trees that had a rune carved on their barks were always next to a secret vent. He gave the poor young prince all those maps and scrolls to study, along with a large pack of papers that explained the laws of the four residential caverns and how they were supposed to be ruled by their elected lords. After inquiring Fili about the royal guards he was satisfied that he had given the boy enough homework to occupy him for the next fortnight. He dismissed Fili with a warning that in a couple of days he was going to come back and give a detailed description of how Erebor operated, inside out.
Fili left quite disheartened balancing precariously the scrolls under his armpits, against his chest and even between his legs.
It was close to afternoon when Thorin decided to go search for Eilin. She was nowhere to be found. Not in his rooms or hers, not in the kitchens and not with Dis who instantly panicked when she learned the girl was missing. She grabbed his arm, making him promise to find her soon. He left feeling rather suspicious of Dis. He felt as if she knew something that he didn't and that annoyed him. When he reached the King's Halls he stood in the middle of it, trying to understand where Eilin could have gone in this heavy weather and why she left without notifying anyone. It wasn't as if they parted in the morning in a bad mood. They slept together at night and when he woke up he kissed her goodbye before he went to attend the meeting with the six family lords.
Roac's caw echoed in the enclosed tall ceilings of Erebor as the black bird flew between many surprised people and found Thorin. He landed on his shoulder and Thorin turned to the master of the crows. "Find Eilin," he whispered and the bird cawed once more and flew away from him.
"Good evening."
Thorin turned around, slightly taken aback. "Good evening."
Servin pressed his lips, "are you busy?"
"I am always busy," Thorin rejoined feeling rather distracted.
"I want to have a word with you," Servin said and crossed his arms.
Thorin noticed his lofty bearing and frowned, "Our words in the meeting today weren't enough?"
"Not by far," Servin sounded casual enough, but Thorin already knew were this was going. He had witnessed Servin's negativity at the meeting. He was the one causing the most trouble for him from day one.
He nodded and pursed his lips, "you want to talk about me and the maiden. Again."
Servin was taken aback by Thorin's straightforward approach and was unable to hide it, "well, yes."
Thorin raised a hand at him, "be my guest."
Servin crossed his arms, "you must understand that this revelation about your personal life does not stand well with me. Especially after I learned how you dishonoured my sister. I didn't want to expose you in front of the other lords, but this must be addressed between us and solved in a satisfactory manner."
"What happened with your beloved sister took place a hundred and fifty years ago, don't act like it happened yesterday," Thorin's sudden shift of attitude shocked Servin once again. He had been expecting Thorin to be as condescending and regretful as he had been at the burial grounds. He certainly didn't expect such direct aggression.
"Nevertheless it shows a pattern in your attitude..." Servin raised his brow.
"A pattern?" Thorin spoke over him.
"You hide your affairs with various women. You are not acting honourably towards them in front of your Kingdom." Servin began, but Thorin didn't allow him the time to continue.
"Affairs? with women?" his eyes thinned.
"My sister being one and this maiden being another..." Servin rejoined.
"Who else?" Thorin's jaw flexed.
"What?"
"You said various women, so go ahead," Thorin took a step closer and came up to his face. He was so angry already with what was happening with the high lords that he was one step from exploding into Servin's face and this time the memory of Siv was not there to keep him at bay. This was a completely different story he was being accused off.
"I can only suppose..." Servin looked at around searching to find words to rebuke a very angry looking Thorin.
"You suppose?...speak of the women I dishonoured apart from your beloved sister," Thorin hissed in a low threatening tone.
Servin shook his head, "I don't know..."
"None, because there are none!" Thorin's rich voice echoed in the King's hall drawing the attention of many people. One of them was Bilbo who stood further back and crossed his arms.
"Yet this situation with your maiden is not much different with what had taken place with Siv..." Servin was beginning to lose his composure against Thorin's steely reaction. He reached out and grabbed Thorin's forearm, "you are not giving out positive vibes as to your ethics Thorin..."
Thorin looked down at his hand and the air froze around them. "Remove your hand, unless you want this to end nastily," his nose flared.
"You said you'd never raise a sword against me. I am worried because I fear that what happened with my sister will be repeated. I don't want to give my allegiance to a King that repeats such follies," Servin's jawline tightened and so did his hand.
Thorin's iron grip came out and clasped him so hard and so suddenly that Servin instantly released him. He pulled the surprised dwarf up to his face. "What I did to your sister was dishonourable, but I loved her to death and the decision to abandon her cost me more than you will ever be able to understand. I thought I cleared up all that with you already. I'd never raise a sword against you, concerning the matter of your sister, but that is were your privilege ends. What is happening in my personal life shall be addressed soon and you shall all have your answers about my ethics. Do not dare compare what happened with your sister so long ago to what is taking place now in my house! Your power over me is limited to your beloved sister, is that clear? For everything else you are on equal level to the remaining high lords, which for the time being means that you stand lower than me! You will have to wait for my official answers about what concerns my household like all the others. You shall not dare bring back the issue of your sister in order to manipulate my current situation to your liking. You shall not dare raise your hand on me again unless you want us to go head to head and you will fix your tone towards me. Is that understood?!" his voice was so authoritative and haughty that Servin took a couple of steps back and blanched.
He remained silent.
Thorin squared his shoulders. "For whatever concerns your sister I am at your disposal. For the worries about my personal affairs take a step back and get in line. There are many expecting answers and you won't be the one to have them first." Thorin's rich voice made Servin take another step back. He raised his brow at Servin waiting for a comeback.
It never came. The reaction of the King was unexpected and so severely assertive that he allowed no opportunities for Servin to strike back. Siv's brother felt deeply worried, but above all unnerved by this version of the Mountain King, that he hadn't been anticipating.
Thorin tilted his head majestically and walked out of the King's hall. When he exited from the gates his anger was boiling to the point of explosion. He stood there with his hands on his heavy belt, trying to calm down from his showdown with Servin, when Bilbo's quiet voice made him close his eyes with a wave of relief.
"Weather is getting awful. In Hobbiton we never have such blizzards," the hobbit came next to him.
Thorin inhaled deeply, "it's the north my dear Bilbo. What did you expect?"
Bilbo's mouth played with a smile, "the north indeed. Blizzards inside and out of the mountain."
Thorin raised his brow, "sometimes the weather gets tremulous. We have to deal with it."
"Are those blizzards becoming too much for you?"
Thorin felt his shoulders relaxing if only fractionally, "I am used to them."
"Have you always been living inside a bloody storm?" Bilbo looked at him.
Thorin pressed his lips and nodded, "since birth."
"You really need a break. You barely had the time to recover and look what you have gotten yourself into," Bilbo smiled up at him, "you have a knack for making your life hard, don't you?"
Thorin smiled sadly, "I think I do."
"I am getting ready to leave soon, but I won't stop reminding you. I will be expecting you in Hobbiton at spring," he raised his finger, "the weather down there is mild and so are the people. We don't have the fiery blood of the dwarves in us. We seek peace and quiet. I think spending a few days in Bag end will do you a world of good."
Thorin crossed his arms and his eyes looked at Roac that was flying towards them, "dear Bilbo, I promise to come. I don't know when, but I will come."
Bilbo grinned, "that's enough for me."
Roac landed on Thorin's shoulder and whispered a few words to his ear. Thorin turned to his friend, "I've got to go. See you later master Burglar and thank you for giving me a little taste of the mild weather of Hobbiton."
Bilbo smiled widely, "don't mention it. Take care out there."
Thorin smiled at him and walked towards the stables.
Half an hour later found him riding up to Ravenhill through the heavy snowfall. When he dismounted at the gates he followed Roac that was cawing endlessly above a summit of the hill that overlooked part of the valley. He found Eilin standing like an ancient statue at the same place that she had found him the night that he was searching for Kili's bow. His arm came round her stomach and he pulled her back to him.
"Hey there pretty lady," he whispered softly into her ear.
Her nails clawed his forearm shield and she leaned her head back to his chest, "hey handsome. What are you doing up here?"
"Came for you. What are you doing out in this heavy weather? the snowstorm has not yet abated," he enfolded her to his body and she used that chance to steal some of his warmth.
She snuggled between the fur lapels of his coat, "I wanted some time away from Erebor to think."
"About what?"
"Things I am not ready to reveal yet my love," she frowned.
"Those words worry me," he rejoined feeling troubled. There was something strange going on with Eilin lately. Something he couldn't put his finger on.
"Can you please allow me the time? I will talk to you when I am ready," she said and tightened her hands around his forearms.
"Now I am worried even more," a cold hand squeezed his stomach.
She pulled back and turned around to face him. She needed to look at his eyes. Her small hand touched his nape and pulled him down until her lips skimmed over his, "I love you, does that make everything better?"
He smiled and gave her a firm kiss that send a strong wave of goosebumps travelling through her skin. "It does, but all this secrecy between us is still worrying."
"Please trust me, and trust in my love for you," she said and her lips moved slightly above his for a few moments before she opened her mouth to deepen the kiss, lighting up a fire for both him and her equally.
When he pulled back his brain was already foggy and his body more awake than he had bargained, "why did you come here to think? what's so important about this place?"
She smiled thoughtfully, "it's where I found you, remember?"
He nodded and his arms pulled her in protectively, "I do."
"It was the first time that I realised that I had feelings for you," -she whispered- "feelings that were much deeper than daydreaming over my drawings of an elusive King at the other side of the world when I was younger."
He smiled silently, "you made drawings of me?"
She nodded and played with the buckle of his sword seethe, "I did. Not one, but many. Left them at the tavern. I don't expect any to have remained intact. They probably threw them in the trash the moment I left."
"Why do I find all this immensely endearing?" his long fingers nuzzled under her ear lobe.
She bit her lower lip and gazed at him with an affection that touched him deeply, "Not easy to admit to such a thing."
He drew her gently up until his lips touched hers in a tender kiss that made her stomach fill with butterflies, "I bet."
When she pulled back she hesitated for several long moments. "This is where you died, isn't it?" her eyes turned dark.
"Yes," his lips turned down.
"Did it happen here?" she looked where they were standing.
"No."
"Show me where you took your last breath. I want to see it," her eyes welled suddenly.
He pulled back and looked at her eyes solemnly. His palm cupped her jawline and his forefinger caressed her bottom lip, "I don't think that's a good idea."
"Please," her eyes looked beseechingly at him.
He nodded thoughtfully and clasped her hand, "follow me." He walked her through the various corridors, over the ruins of war until they exited the side gates. Then he led her over the frozen river and stood at the precipice of the waterfall. His eyes fell on the rusty colour of his spilled blood embedded into the upper layers of the ice. Come spring it would wash away with the remaining painful memories of this battle.
She spoke in a hushed voice, "Tell me this isn't your blood."
"I don't remember well, but I think it is."
She cupped her mouth and felt her eyes overflowing with tears.
He looked at her and his heart broke. He drew her face gently away from the stain and pointed towards the valley, "I remember seeing the eagles flying over our reclaimed homeland. That is the only clear memory from that day."
"Was it painful?"
He frowned, "I think I have lived through more painful experiences in my lifetime Eilin. This was a battle of honour. This was fought for my forefathers and I wanted it to end in fire and blood. My blood, his blood, it mattered little," he said thoughtfully.
"The heart of a warrior," Eilin whispered remembering Dis's words.
He looked at her fleetingly, "I avenged my fallen forefathers and took the life of the beast that slew them. After that I could rest in peace. My part in this world was done. Our homeland was back in the hands of Durin's folk and our foes were dead."
She looked at him with immense dedication. "Do you think that it was fate that brought you back to life?"
Amusement wavered in his features, "I'd say it was more the doing of a certain grey wizard I don't like so much."
She shook her head, "I think it was fate Thorin."
He sobered up and frowned.
She felt her eyes welling up again, "if you had remained dead above this rusty stain, I would have never met you, I would have never loved you..." she wanted to add I would have never become pregnant by you, but she stopped.
"Tell me that wasn't as regretful as it sounded," his hand skimmed over the silky skin of her neck and remained there, making his heart beat faster.
"Never my love," she frowned and grabbed his lapels, "I would never regret knowing you, even though the fear of the future is making me numb at times."
"What do you fear about the future?" he felt troubled by her words.
She shook her head and flushed her cheek and body against his, wanting to hear his heartbeat regulating her own poor heart that was ready to give up under the pressure.
"Eilin..." he hesitated and his fingers tunnelled through her hair softly.
She didn't speak, she just shook her head.
His heavy arms felt so comforting around her shoulders. "Is it the uncertainty of our situation that is causing all this trouble in you?"
She wanted to tell him no, but the words refused to slide off her tongue.
"It is," he rejoined with certainty at her lack of a response. His eyes fell on the valley that was barely visible under the heavy snow, "you fear my final conduct towards you?"
She wanted to scream no and kiss him to all eternity, but the truth was that now that she carrying his child she was afraid of everything. Especially his final conduct and if he was going to accept this baby or not, "so many things are at stake for Erebor, because of us."
His arms tightened around her small frame, "do you truly believe that because I have a lot at stake I'd give up on you?"
She couldn't answer, and she didn't want to pull back away to look at his face.
"That's why you are up here? That's what's been bothering your mind, men kurdunuh*?"
He felt her silent nod and heard her sob.
"Men kardunuh bi azamar," he whispered and his fingers slithered between her long tendrils, caressing her head gently.
"What does that mean?" she sniffled.
He smiled and pressed his lips on her forehead, "my heart is forever yours."
She squeezed him tight, "don't ever leave me." Her voice had a tone of plead that made his soul fracture.
He wanted so much to speak these words to her...
-never doubt that you will be my wife Eilin-
...but his blood froze upon the memory of Siv. He couldn't speak them to another woman and not fear that he would betray them again, even though his soul was crying that would never be the case with Eilin. That he would find a way through this even if it took his last breath. Still those words got lodged into his wind pipes, remaining buried there forever, "trust in me Eilin," he said instead.
She gripped his forearm and brought his hand towards her belly. Once again she made him shelter her stomach and sighed in relief as her tears began drying out. "Just touch me there," she muttered.
"It still hurts?" he said and caressed her belly delicately.
She nodded, "a little bit."
He kept his hand on her belly and pulled her up by the chin until his lips slid above hers, wet and warm. "I love you," he whispered her and his tongue rolled into her mouth, capturing all her senses and opening her up like a star. Her hand came above his, securing him over their child and her other slid through his thick mane never wanting to allow him to get away from her. A strong sense of possession overtook her and parallel to her blazing hormones made her want to claim him in every possible way. He felt her need so intimate that he reciprocated her attentions eagerly. It was the caw of several birds that made them pull back and look up after a while.
She smiled up at the sky, feeling her lips wet and bruised. Her eyes saw a flock of crows birds flying towards Erebor.
He drew her face back to him, "don't divert young lady. We are not done," he promised her.
"They flew so close by. They scared me," she grinned, feeling her mood slowly turning around by both his reassurances and his vigorous fondling.
"These are the Ravenhill crows, just letting us know they are looking out for us. Now kiss me," he said with an adoring smile and she pulled him down needing to imprison that smile forever. She wanted to place it inside a strongbox, lock it up and throw away the key, so he could smile like that only for her till the end of all times.
They remained up there in Ravenhill's frozen waterfalls long after the sun hid. When they decided to return into the warmth of Erebor, they shared a bed once again. Sleep quickly overtook her after the ultimate satisfaction he offered her once more. Before allowing herself to drift into the world of dreams she guided his hand above her lower stomach and every fear of the future and every uncertainty got wiped away under the comfort of his steady breathing, the heaviness of their blankets and their blazing fire...but above all under his words.
Trust in me Eilin.
A/N:
*my heart
*******************...******************************************...***********************
*******************...******************************************...***********************