Hey guys! Surprisingly, I've got some free time before I leave and I had to write this up (with some changes, of course), so this is definitely the last chapter for the month before I leave. Of course, I still need to pack but that shouldn't be that difficult. It's just clothes, right?
I have no worries left except for writing down all your prompts and enrolling myself into school. I'm so glad I passed all my subjects.
Thilbo4Ever: Thanks for the review! Take your time with thinking up some prompts for me but you better hurry; it's almost time for summer. And I'm sure Bilbo will love snacking on Thorin; have you seen the dwarf (of course you have)? He's a hunk!
Leona2016: Thanks for the last three reviews! I'm glad you actually like the chapter with Thranduil and Bard; I personally thought it was bad. But I suppose your thought of the Elf King having a walk-in closet is true. It's certainly possible! Thorin is certainly the center of all the lost jokes. He never gets a break, does he? And about the prompts, is it alright if I just use any of the Company? Cause I'm not so good with OC's. They tend to turn into Mary-Sue's. But I can try.
Also, I apologize for such a sad story in advance. But this was the only thing that I could find acceptable in such a short time. After all, I'm leaving for three weeks without Internet and I can't write that much without being rude (not that I won't try).
Also, apologies for butchering the whole time line. I didn't know Dwalin was born after the Fall of Erebor, but hey, this is just a story and slight AU where Dwalin is older than normal.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Hobbit. Death would haunt me otherwise and despite wanting to see ghosts, I'm not so keen on seeing the actual Grim Reaper.
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I.
Dwalin knew Death ever since he was introduced to the world. After all, Death almost took him directly after taking his Amad minutes after giving birth to the small-ish dwarf.
Of course, just being born, it was impossible to remember anything, much less use his senses. But even so, every time his father and brother talked about his Amad, Dwalin couldn't help but get the feeling of ice crawling on his skin and dread setting in the forefront of his mind.
It was something he hated and he was resolved to always be strong so that he won't ever know that feeling again, despite not knowing what it is.
II.
His second encounter with Death was when Arndis, Royal Consort of King Thrain, fell ill. While the dwarrowdam wasn't related to him, she always felt like a mother to the tough future soldier, causing him to feel like Prince Thorin was his second brother (He was always close to Thorin, as the prince and Balin used to go everywhere with each other, so that meant he would follow the two around and they would let him. The young dwarf didn't mind calling him 'brother' at all).
All of the Royal Family, even the extended and estranged members (Dwalin had to admit, for a line proud of its heritage and the fact that they could always know who were in the line, there were a lot of dwarrows), were gathered around the beloved Queen when Death took her.
(Dwalin would never forget the first time he ever remembered seeing Death. The being was slouching over his honorary Amad, red eyes slowly blinking at him as it waved a hand over the Queen. It was the last breath Arndis ever took.)
Bells were heard inside and outside the Mountain for weeks afterwards in mourning for the lost Queen.
(Dwalin could feel his heart slowly turning into stone; he became more jaded then the Crown Prince was, his attitude as gruff as Men and Elves thought dwarves thought it to be.)
III.
Death came in the former of a fire-breathing lizard 15 years later. Smaug had decimated Dale's and Erebor's kingdoms and Dwalin had no doubt that everyone had seen Death hanging over the dragon, practically, ahem, dwarfing Smaug.
The warrior had no doubt that Death would take someone he cared about if it wasn't for the fact that he was zealously guarding every single one of his family with his life. He even grabbed Thorin and kept him close by helping him drag off the (admittedly deranged, gold-sick) king.
He fled with his family from Erebor, heart pained from the fact that there was a possibility that he would never see his friends again.
Though that may be because Death was ruining other people's lives. Even so, Dwalin was not taking his chances.
He lost too many important people in his life. If he had to act as strong as his father, as rude and as gruff as possible, just to protect his family, so be it.
IV.
When Dwalin saw Death behind the White Orc, he knew Fíli (that responsible yet foolish youngling he helped trained) was going to die. That didn't mean he was just going to stand there and let it happen. He tried his best, he really did, but he knew he couldn't do anything as Azog impaled the Golden Prince from behind. He could only watch helplessly as his nephew fell lifelessly, Death disappearing from his spot.
Dwalin was on the other side of the lake but when he saw Death gliding towards Thorin and the orc scum as he fought off goblins, he tried to join his King (he had to get to him, Death can't take him, not now, not when they just took their ancestral home back. He can't fail Thorin like he failed Fíli and Kíli. He can't lose another one!). Goblins swarmed him but he was too late by the time he killed them all.
Thorin was glass-eyed with the Halfling by his side when Dwalin finally stumbled to their side.
V.
The old warrior felt hollow once more when he spotted Death trailing after Gimli, son of Gloin. What could it mean? Was the lad going to die? Dwalin hoped not, he got quite fond of Gloin's son in the earlier years before the War with Sauron came to be.
No, it was much, much worse.
"Ah'm sorry, Dwalin, but... we've found this... in tha Mines of Moria," Gimli handed him a familiar (oh so familiar, he could remember his One's laughter and the way he would hold the book to his chest, and it hurt so much) weathered journal and walked away, tears brimming in his usually fiery eyes. He looked so defeated and Dwalin didn't know what to do.
Should he comfort him? Though he was sure the warrior didn't need it and didn't want to be embarrassed. But he looked like he needed it. But if Gimli, the lad who didn't cry at the fear of getting shaved, needed comfort, then whatever was in the book wasn't good for him. He decided let the boy go instead, needing some privacy to himself as he prepared to read the journal.
Death stayed behind. That wasn't a good thing in Dwalin's mind.
Dwalin read his One's journal, laughing at the funny and humorous parts (they must have had fun in the beginning of the journey to Moria; it made him reminisce of the Quest) until it changed in the middle. He felt dread as he read about the attacks from the goblins (he should have been there, one dwarf could have tipped the scales in those long battles for territory). Tears unashamedly trickled down his face as he read Ori's entry of Balin's death and their last stand against the goblins of Moria and the Bane of Durin (oh how he wanted to cut and disembowel the balrog that killed his One and family; but it was too late, the Grey, er, White Wizard vanquished it. He just wished he could get the satisfaction of ridding the monster).
He collapsed down to his knees hard, clutching the journal. He didn't care if he was weak and vulnerable, even in his rooms. He needed this, even just once.
Death laughed into his ear, a hollow sound often found in tombs, before disappearing until it was Dwalin's time to part from the world.
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Dwalin: Ah'm gonna kill ya, Shadow!Shadow: *clumsily dodges axes* Forgive me, but you were the only one I can think of! It has your backstory in it! Plus I don't have a Dwalin-centric story yet; you needed some of the spotlight!
Dwalin: No one needed ta know tha'! It's an invasion o' privacy! Ah didn't want ta be in whateva' delusion ya 'ave o' us Dwarrows!
Shadow: Ooh, big words there. Learning from Balin?
Dwalin: Gaaahhhh! You killed him and Ori!
Shadow: Aah! *runs away*
Dwalin: *chases after Shadow*