"Ye be by yerself an awful lot, Dis. Some are beginnin' to think ye're tryin' to avoid social contact," he crossed his arms and snorted in amusement. "Are ye ill?" The fireplace smoldered and warmed the room. She sat there on her armchair, looking at the dancing flames.
"...no… just cold… and tired…" she replied in a small voice that crackled due to lack of use. She had remained rather quiet for the past ten years now since she came here. It was ten years to the day when she lost everything. To her people, it was a joyous holiday, celebrating the Dwarf new year. But how could she be happy when she could remember them leaving her behind? No matter what she told them, they left and never returned again. They were so full of hope back then, the three of them. The younger two were more full of wonder and curiosity while the oldest was solemn. Durin's Day, it was.
"Are we nae all?" Dwalin sighed as he stepped closer to the fire, looking at the tongues and the popping logs, leaning against the mantel piece, "... well… I willna bother ye any longer, milady…. After the festivities, I'll be taking my leave from the Lonely Mountain..."
"Where will you go?" She looked up at him, though their eyes did not meet.
"Far over the Misty Mountains Cold... " he looked down at his feet, "...we dinna sing that much anymore, now do we? But then again, why would we? There is nothing left for us to reclaim… Erebor is ours… There is once again a King Under the Mountain. The Durin's Folk have a proper home. And Balin is back in Moria... There's nothing left for me here…"
"...nothing?" there was a pain in her voice. "After all you have done… all you have fought for… nothing?"
"Aye… What use am I to anyone here?" He finally looked at her, his eyes gleamed with the light from the fire. A tear ran down Dis's face as the words wounded her deeply. He looked away. "Dain has given me leave… to go back to the Ered Luin… and in his name become the Lord of Thorin's Halls. With the wealth I've acquired for my services to my king, I will make that place worthy of his name."
"And what of those you would leave behind?" She stood and looked straight at him. "What will happen to them?"
"There are none… All who ever cared for me are now dead or gone," his voice was cold and unfeeling. He looked right at her but there was no emotions in his eyes. No scorn. No hatred. No pity. No love. Nothing.
"And what about me?" She protested and tears streaked down her face. "Am I no one to you?"
"Please, spare me… when has the fact of me being nae a part of yer life ever been an issue to ye? Dinna salt old wounds. Scars dinna hurt once they've healed, ye ken," he scoffed. He gave her a mocking laugh. "I am nae here to rekindle with marble."
"Then why are you here? To mock me for what I've lost? Have I not suffered enough?" She stood her ground and roughly wiped the tears away. She walked up to him, filled with fury, a sense of betrayal. She glared at him and nearly snarled.
"Ye ken damn well why, lass! And I've lost just as much as ye've, so stop actin' like yer pain is greater than anyone else's!" he snarled back. "Day in and day out ye sit there, playing the victim, doing nothing to honor their memory, wasting away and expect the world to pity ye. As if ye didna have all the love in the world already!"
"... is that all you have to say?" She balled her fist and never lost eye contact, though hot tears welled up in her eyes. "Anything else while you're at it?"
"Ye ken my mind well enough by now, Dis. There's nothing else left to say..." he turned away and headed towards the door.
"So... that is the end of it all then? Of your... love for me...?" She said before he could leave.
"I never said that," he responded quietly with a small smile on his face. "Goodbye, Dis." Without giving her a final look, he went out the door. There was no point in turning back now.
"Dwalin, wait!" His eyes widened and his heart stopped. He turned around and saw her holding onto his arm, "I will go with you. He was my brother after all. I wouldn't let just anyone become the lord of our home."
"... but Erebor is yer home…" he looked at her rather confused.
"Home is where the heart is," she shook her head and replied with a smile. "It is where their memory lives on." She took his hand and grasped it firmly. "I'm not cold anymore."
"Neither am I."