Disclaimer: I own Eva and any other unrecognisable parts of the plot. I wish I were making money from this, but I'm not, so please don't sue me….
AN: I'm so sorry for being gone for so long. I'm not dead, I promise. I've been tracking all you wonderful people who have been following and favouriting and reviewing. I'm in the middle of a stack of paperwork to get my licence at the moment, so updates are going to be far less frequent for the foreseeable future. I've also had writer's block for most of the past year, which hasn't helped much either. Having said this, I have the outline of the entire story ready to go. Just need to fill in the details.
Warnings: Adult themes, some angst.
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Chapter 23 - The Ur's Claim
Eva woke from her dreams in tears.
It had been a mixed blessing, being able to see Liam again, being able to hold him once more. And it hurt so much to not be with him for longer. She knew though that Liam was right.
Had she really only been existing for so long?
The pain in her heart gave way to a growing pain in her abdomen. Eva grimaced. She knew what this was, but the pain was new.
Maybe if I go back to sleep I'll be alright….
She really wished she hadn't a few hours later.
Bilbo was wandering the hallways, on his way to breakfast when his pointed ears picked up the sound of whimpering behind one of the doors. Concerned, he stopped.
"-sweet Mother of-" came a familiar voice.
"Eva?" Bilbo called through the door "Are you alright?"
"No!" came the choked response. Bilbo's concern morphed into alarm when he heard her sob.
"I'm coming in!" he warned.
As Bilibo opened the door to the guest room, he vaguely noticed that the interior was very similar to his own. Turning his attention to the bed, his eyes widened at the sight he saw.
Eva was laying on top of the covers, having not undressed from the previous evening. She was curled in on herself, whimpering and cursing as she clutched her lower belly. Bilbo noticed her pained breaths, and vaguely remembered that she had not been like this when she had broken her shoulder only a week previous.
"Eva!" he exclaimed in alarm as he rushed over "What happened?"
"Oin... please get Oin… oh God!" she whimpered again, curling even tighter around her belly.
Bilbo didn't need to be told twice, rushing out and carelessly slamming the door shut in his hurry. Having been there a week, it was not a difficult thing to find the old Healer as he was seated and muttering away in Khuzdul with his brother.
"Oin! Thank the Lady I found you!"
Both dwarves looked up, puzzled "What's got yer tunic in a twist, Master Baggins?" Oin asked
"It's Eva! She begged me to get you and-"
Oin stood up hesitantly. "What's wrong with the Lass?"
Bilbo stopped for a moment "I don't know, but she's in a lot of pain."
"Show me, Master Baggins." he said as he picked up his medical bag in one hand and his hearing horn in the other. Gloin was in the process of saying something in protest, but was silenced with a glare and a sharp bark of Khuzdul from the Healer.
Eva whimpered as her belly cramped yet again. She knew exactly what was happening, but never had she experienced such pain. Being a woman that was used to the conveniences of Earth, Eva had resigned herself to having to take the last foils of her contraceptive pill with her and then deal with the consequences when it ran out. She did not, however, factor in the near excruciating pain of the first bleed she would have without it. She had read about it, but nothing prepared her for the cramping that rolled through her body. Her belly knotted and twisted as it brought itself back to natural equilibrium.
Pressing her hands in once more, desperately trying to create a warm patch to ease the pain, she nearly missed the knock at her door.
"Lass?" called the muffled voice of Oin
"Oh, Thank GOD!" Eva exclaimed.
"Lass, are ye decent?" came Oin's concerned voice.
Eva huffed a short and pained breath out "Yes! Come in!"
The door opened hesitantly and Oin's brow creased before he hobbled over and he raised his trumpet to his ear "Now, lass, what seems to be the problem?" he began, his voice rough but soothing.
She searched the old healer's face and found nothing but open concern, which made her feel slightly better. Her eyes drifted to Bilbo who was fidgeting nervously behind him.
"Bilbo," Eva croaked "Oin has to examine me-"
Bilbo blushed bright red and began to stutter out an apology, but before he got very far, Eva stopped him with a gentle look.
"It shouldn't be major, just requires privacy, alright?"
Oin turned to the hobbit and said to him reassuringly "She'll be in good hands. I'm a Healer after all. Been doing this for nigh on a century, laddie."
As Bilbo made a hasty retreat, he could hear Oin's soothing but slightly exasperated voice "So, what've ye done te yerself this time, lassie?"
Oin blinked as Eva described to him what exactly was going on. He had heard of staving off unwanted pregnancy with a combination of herbs from other Healers, but he had never heard of it going on for so long.
"So, lassie," He began a little bewildered. "What is it ye actually need?"
"Something for the pain." Eva replied, her voice strained "That's all I need. My body is coming back into what it should be, but it just hurts!"
He began to search his medical bag, shaking his head in quiet disbelief "Never in all my days … so long too. Little wonder ye're like this…." he muttered. His weathered hands withdrew a tiny parcel and opening it, he tsked softly.
"I can make ye a cup o' willow tea, lassie." Oin began "But that'll be about it. I'm nae sure if I should give ye anything stronger 'n tha'."
Thank Heavens you made me read all those Herb books, Liam.
"Just fine." Eva said softly "Even if it just takes the edge off, that'll be fine."
She heard Oin exhale through his nose. Whether or not it was in disappointment or bewilderment was beyond her, but she was in a little too much pain to really be overly worried by it.
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Once word got out to the Ur's that Eva was being treated by Oin, all three of them stood guard at her chamber door for the afternoon. As prescribed by Oin, she was to have light foods and plenty of fluids to deal with the pain and the return of her natural state of being. Bombur took great pride in delivering the list of goodies into her room himself.
"I've four pebbles, ye see, and me wife." He stated with quiet pride. "She's a gem for most of the time, but when she bleeds, if there's no pain tonic…." Bombur cringed.
Eva gave a weak smile "So it doesn't end well, then?"
The rotund dwarf looked almost sheepish, but nodded "That's a polite way of puttin' it."
Bombur waddled to her bedside and leaned against the window sill. He hummed a tune under his breath that was calming and quiet as he placed a cup of warm sweetened water on her little bedside table.
"What was it like?" Eva asked as she sat up groggily, reaching for the cup to wash out the willow tea Oin had given her "Living in Ered Luin?"
The small smile on his face faded for a moment. "I've never known anythin' else." He replied thoughtfully "Life was not easy fer us, at least as far as I can remember."
Bombur ambled over and sat down on the ornately carved chair beside his niece's bed and gently stroked his beard in contemplation "I'm the youngest of the Ur clan, Eva." he began "I dun know how it was before I arrived, but I do remember me amad. She was a force te be reckoned with, and woe betide the dwarf that e'er messed with 'er. She'd scold me adad a bit, particularly if he came home late. She believed that pebbles needed both their parents, and with amad bein' a cook, she had te get up early, before Bofur 'n' I."
Eva studied the rotund dwarf beside her with a gentle smile. Bombur's love of food had to have come from somewhere, and now she knew where.
"When amad passed, me adad nearly fell apart. They were Ones, ye see."
Eva sat back against the pillows, her eyes trained on Bombur in an asking but open way. Bombur paused for a minute before he continued speaking, understanding without words what Eva was asking him to explain.
"We khazad, well, we're passionate things. When we do somethin' we put all our focus 'n' effort into it. The same goes fer when we love."
Eva saw Bombur's eyes mist over for a moment before he cleared his throat. "Dwarves only ever love once, ye see. Some o' us are craftwed … well actually, a lot o' us are craftwed. So when we find our Ones, 'tis a blessin' from Mahal."
Eva deliberately rested her hands in her lap in order to listen to her about-to-be uncle speak. Even though she had a fair idea of where this was going, she still found a thrill of wonder go through her at the thought of the information coming first hand.
"Khazad believe that we are made in halves, sometimes thirds, crafted together to be made whole. I was one of the blessed ones that found my One early. I didn't know that I'd met her until I started the Dreams, though."
This pulled Eva up short "What kind of Dreams?"
Bombur faltered at the bluntness of her question "I…I- err…." Quickly, he walked over to the chamber door and opened it a touch, speaking quietly in the guttural tones of Khuzdul to someone on the other side. After a moment, the door opened slightly more than before and emitted Bifur, a curious look on his face.
"You asked about the Dreams when we find out One?" Bifur asked quietly
Eva nodded, trying to tamp down the inevitable disappointment that she knew she would feel.
BIfur frowned for a moment, then gave a pained sigh "Not yet, Little Dove. It is a closely guarded secret in our culture. When you are adopted into the Ur clan, then I can speak with you more."
Eva shuffled over under the covers so that Bifur could sit on the end of her bed. He was regarding her with a curious look as he sat and it seemed like he was wanting to say something more, but decided against it for the meantime.
The silence began to grow awkward, so Eva decided to change the subject "Why did you choose to come on this Quest?"
"Family." Bifur replied almost instantly "When my aunt and uncle passed, I was the only one old enough to care for Bombur and Bofur. I promised to protect them and give them a worthy home…"
Eva understood this sentiment very well. After all, she had worked hard within the confines of what could be done in order to give her sons the best upbringing that she could. It was one of the reasons that she had agreed to move rural.
"And we couldn't let Bifur go without us." Bombur added "So here we are. Besides, he's never led us wrong b'fore"
"Now you need your rest, Little Dove." Bifur began softly as he rose and approached Eva "You have been in your room for most of the day, and while I understand that you need time to heal, part of the adoption begins tonight as the sun sets. One of us will come and collect you when the time comes."
Ever so gently, Eva felt her head being guided by a rough hand and Bifur's forehead came to rest soothingly against her own. Eva couldn't help the sense of peace that filled her as Bombur did exactly the same thing. A small smile bloomed across her face.
"Bofur's still 'ere." Bombur began gently "I'll get him ta wake ye when the time's right."
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Some time later, a firm but gentle knock roused her from her sleep. As her eyes opened, she realised that the sun was significantly further towards the horizon than it had been before.
"Eva? Wake up, lass!" came the muffled voice of Bofur. "I need ta take ye down soon…"
"One moment, Bofur!" she replied. Roughly pulling on a shirt and loose pants that had been left out for her at some point between her adad leaving and her irak'adad waking her, she opened the door a touch.
Bofur's face lit up, "There's my iraknâtha." he greeted warmly, a playful smile lighting up his features.
Eva came to an abrupt halt. She was not used to having someone greet her in such a way, and the last time that she had been greeted this way was when she was a little girl at one of the very large and boring family reunions. The old auntie that had greeted her was on the decline from dementia, but she was too young to understand that. It took her back to a time that had her conflicted in her own memories. Blissfully though, Bofur didn't seem to notice.
"The elves left ye some things ta dress into fer tonight." Bofur began has he held out a roughly wrapped bundle through the door "Not really ta me likin', but beggars can't be choosers."
As Bofur handed the bundle over to some of the wrapping came apart to reveal a soft, creamy looking outfit. She frowned in consideration.
"I think ye'll look lovely, Eva." he said with a warm smile on his face.
Eva laughed softly "Thank you." she began "I shouldn't be long."
Bofur waited outside Eva's door, whistling a merry little ditty as he tapped his foot. When he heard the door click, he turned to look at his about-to-be niece imerge from her chamber nervously. A dazzling smile crossed his face as he stuck out his arm.
"Dun be shy, iraknâtha." Bofur began warmly "Ye'll be fine, an' I can promise ye, ye'll be the envy of the Company. They can be grumpy at times, but even they should know how ta behave in the presence of a dam…. khuzd er not." He patted her hand gently as she looked at him "At the very least, Bilbo'll be wanting ta escort ye the rest of the way."
Eva looked at Bofur with uncertainty, nervous at how she would be received. The Company was used to seeing her in travelling attire; it was far more practical on the road, but now she was dressed in an outfit of the softest cream-coloured sindon. The curves of her body that she could hide in the practicality of her travelling attire were now clearly on display. The shirt and skirt were simple, but the neat lines indicated that there was something very special about the set. Even though she was slightly taller than Bofur, she still lay a gentle hand on his proffered arm and fell into step with him as he led her down to the entry of the Main House where she met Bilbo.
"Oh, look at you, Bilbo!" Eva gushed as she let Bofur go and rushed to him "If only the hobbit lasses could see you now!"
His brown curls had been combed meticulously as they shone in the light of the afternoon sun, giving it a soft auburn tinge. He was beaming, and looked the better for the bathing facilities that had been offered to him. Bilbo had also gladly made use of the elves' generosity and changed into a pale beige long-sleeved shirt and sharp trousers. The outfit was even completed with a soft, light-coloured vest. As she looked down, she noticed that the hair on his feet seemed neater than normal. Fascinated, she quirked her head and stared.
Bilbo cleared his throat and Eva looked back up, embarrassed. The quirk of his mouth and the blush in his cheeks told her that she had indeed been caught looking, and he knew exactly what she had been looking at. He held out his arm for Eva to hold as he escorted her to the courtyard where the dwarves were camped-
Only it looked completely different.
Gone were the bedrolls and packs and debris of carvings and half-eaten meals. Instead, the floor had been swept to within an inch of its life; the courtyard spotless. It was clear that the dwarves took great stock in what was about to happen, because everyone had cleaned up. From her vantage point on the balcony, Eva could see clean lines and tight braids. Hair had been combed out, and as she looked to her about-to-adad in the pre-dusk light, she thought that he looked rather distinguished, even though the axe was a brutal interruption to what would have otherwise been the image of a very proud and doting dwarf.
The dwarves were talking quietly, though Eva could see the excitement on their faces. The younger dwarves in particular seemed to be bursting, but a look from Dori (of all dwarrow) hushed them. Eva checked that her hair was appropriately twisted away from her neck before turning her attention to Bilbo who was smiling up at her.
"I'm honoured that you would choose me." Bilbo began softly
"Oh, Bilbo." Eva began "You were the first friend I ever had in Middle Earth. You introduced me to the stories while we travelled. You're the reason why this transition has been so much easier. I wouldn't choose anyone else to guide me through this than you."
Bilbo's cheeks went pink at her praise, but the smile on his face was genuine. "Shall we?"
Eva patted his hand and followed him down to the courtyard.
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As the sun set and the moon rose, the bedrolls were brought back out with little interruption to the chatter surrounding them. This time though, they were grouped into specific family groups. The Ur family had an extra one, and Eva assumed it would be for her.
"As a beginning to the act," Bofur began, "family members keep watch over the newest addition through the night. In the morning, the real process begins."
"Oh? Why?" Eva began as she sat down by the fire.
She caught Balin's eyes as they saddened, and Bifur spoke up as he sat next to her on the ground "Especially during our wandering days, not many babes were born to us, and when they were, it was not uncommon for them to not survive the night. Because of this, we established the tradition of the Night Watch before a babe were to be named."
"If a baby survived their first night, then we would name the child with their outward names." Balin continued "Otherwise, a babe would be buried with the name that their mothers would give."
Eva was stricken to silence, the pain of her own lost children bubbling to the surface before she harshly shoved it aside in favour of looking at the wizened advisor.
"The first part of the adoption is the Night Watch." Balin continued "Family members take turns to take watch during the night to make sure that the child survives. Once the night is through, then your adoption will truly take place."
Eva couldn't help the ache in her heart at both the immense sadness of this tradition, but also of the honour that her family were about to bestow on her to take part in it.
"What am I meant to do?" she asked softly.
"Sleep." replied Balin with a smile "You've been awake for a while today and you are still healing, lass. It'll be your family's job to keep watch to ensure your safety through the first night. This tradition is for them, firstly."
Bifur led Eva to the extra bedroll and bid her to sit down. He sat down beside her on it, handing her the staff that he had carved for her. She received it with a gentle smile, her dark eyes looking at the older dwarf with gratitude. Then an idea came to her.
"I haven't told a story while we've been here in Rivendell." she began as she turned to Bifur "Would you like me to tell one tonight?"
Bifur's eyes lit with happiness as he nodded, settling himself into his bedroll and letting an indulgent smile cross his face. Bofur too, slipped into his bedroll and sat up. Bilbo came over with an extra cloak to wrap himself with, inviting himself into the storytelling circle with Bombur ambling slowly behind him.
Eva looked around at the dwarves and single hobbit that made up her current family and felt herself well up. She initially hadn't known how she would be able to carry through the promise that she made to Yavanna and Mahal, but knowing now that she didn't have to be alone in Arda comforted her in a way she never realised she needed. She looked around at her new family and began her story with a smile.
"Antigone was one of four siblings, and the daughter of King Oedipus…" Eva began softly "Upon the death of the king, it was agreed that her two brothers would each rule for alternating years. But alas, the elder son grew too greedy for the power the King wielded and refused to step down when this year was up…"
Slowly as her tale was told, the Company settled in their family groups around her. Some of the older dwarves lit their pipes and slowly puffed away as Antigone's tragedy was told. It was a sad and bloody tale, but spoke of a deep loyalty to family. Even young Ori seemed to catch onto the moral behind so much bloodshed.
Balin listened to her choice of tale and was instantly struck by the fact that she had been very deliberate in which story she chose. It was fitting for the situation that they found themselves in, and he quietly agreed with her choice. He listened to her soft voice narrate, then project loud and clear when important parts of the story came to be told. He smiled, admiring the modulations and tones that her voice gave to emphasise different parts of the story that she told.
"She's quite the little bard…" Nori observed as Ori scratched down the details of her story into the ever-growing journal that seemed to be forever athisside.
"Considering what we are about to face, nadadith," Dori began quietly, never taking his eyes off Eva "we may need her talent for distraction sooner rather than later."
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Thorin pinched the bridge of his nose discretely as he watched Eva from the outskirts of the Company, feeling his frustration rising. Adoptions were rare, and it had been a long while since the last babe had been born to his people, but adoptions were also a family matter. This meant that no matter what he thought of Eva, because she was soon to be a part of the Ur clan, he had no grounds for objection. The laws stated that he needed proof of harm, but because Eva had come to injury protecting one of his own nephews, he could not nay-say the proceedings.
As much as he wanted to dislike the woman, she had a calming effect on the Company. She cared for them in a way that he, as a dwarrow, could not. Her gentle nature and warm
gestures had endeared her to most of the Company, but there were still so many unanswered questions. Always, he would bend to the will of Mahal, but he still had his suspicions about Eva.
The Dreams were similar to what he had experienced when he found Dwalin, but this? Why had Mahal chosen one from the race of Man to complete their Bond? Why had Gandalf insisted on her coming? Why was he so drawn towards this fierce little woman? Why had he dreamed of her alongside an elf of all beings?
But most importantly for him, what secrets was she keeping from them?
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amad - mother
adad - father
khazad - dwarves
irak'adad - uncle
Iraknâtha - niece
khuzd - dwarf (single)
Nadadith - little brother
