Six months after the dwarves of Erebor had arrived in the Blue Mountains Queen Runa, king Thror, prince Thrain and prince Thorin sat together in the council room, the queen missing the support of her sister at her side. Oda had left to patrol the borders of their lands with the other six knights of Duath. Oda was one of the few women who had ever been named one of them and it was an high honor. But nevertheless Runa wished that her sister would be here with her, standing against the determined descendants of Durin.
'You are right, king Thror.' she stated through clenched teeth. 'Our kingdom has been threatened various times already in the past. But we stood our ground. We never gave in. And we will not give in now.'
Thror paced around the table, making Runa feel insecure and weak and she hated that.
'I will not leave the new home of my people fall into foreign hands, not even into yours.' Runa grimly stated.
Seeing that Thror was about to burst Thrain stepped in. 'We do not wish to take your peoples home from them, mylady. We are simply stating that sooner or later you might have to admit defeat to a lord or king who is aware of the fact that your threehundred armed soldiers are no match against his own army.'
We have threehundred armed men. The dwarves have more than a thousand. Runa did the math and she did not like it.
'What do you suggest? That I give up my rulership to give it over to...lets say you?' Runa cocked her eyebrows at Thror. 'With all due respect, king under the mountain, I will not do that. You will have to force me.'
Thorin closed his eyes in defeat. This was not going well. He had hoped that the Blue Mountains would become a new home for their people, but the dwarves would hardly submit to a foreign queen.
Oda tried to stay calm. She had returned early from her patrol and had heard everything. The dwarves had become a threat to them, she had feared that. But she did not want to believe that the descendants of Durin would be that dishonorable and take a kingsdom with force which had offered them shelter in times of peril. But there was one more thing which worried Oda. In the worst case the dwarves would have military support though their kin in Ered Luin, only a few miles to the north of the Blue Mountains.
A few months later Oda went to the pub at the rim of the city to meet with the knights. Garain, Dago, Ours, Gwain, Lance and Artos were her comrades from childhood. They were trained all together and they fought as an unity. Now she needed their company to forget their hopeless situation. At least for tonight.
As she entered the pub she could already hear Ours sing. He was surrounded by his family, his wife Frigg and their twelve children. Ours had been to lazy to give them all names, so he gave them numbers. Number ten, a small boy ran towards Oda.
'Aunt Oda!' he yelled and jumped into her arms.
Laughing at the boys merry temper Oda lifted him up as her gaze drifted to the corner of the pub where the dwarves were sitting. Prince Thorin was there, as well as his sibblings and Fili and Kili.
Kili could see Odas smile fade as she saw the dwarves. He had heard that his greatgrandfather had threatened queen Runa and had been furious about it. Even his mother, princess Dis had a fierce discussion with Thorin about respecting the hospitality of the Duath. Thorin himself had been reluctant to follow Thrors lead. But Thror was their king and where he went the dwarves would follow. Now, all Kili could see was Odas sad face as she put down the young boy and joined the knights at the huge table. He could see one of the knights, Dago, look at her in worry and touching her arm. Oda just looked back at him and shook her head, earning an understanding nod from him. Kili frowned at their closeness. Oda had not spoken to him in weeks and he missed her company. She was like a sister to Kili, a sister he had always wanted. Looking to his parents who sat at the table in each others arms he thought that it might happen sooner or later. He was not the only one who looked at the happy dwarven couple at the table. Thorin smiled warmly as he saw his sister in the arms of her husband. She looked so happy. Filis and Kilis father had asked Thorin for the hand of his sister first, not Thrain or Thror, for he knew that Thorin and Dis were close. And Thorin could not have been happier to give them their blessing. But the loss of Erebor had inflicted their lives badly. Dis had lost the dwarfling she had been carrying during the flee from Smaug and they had been trying to become pregnant again since then. Now, in the security of a new home they were full of hope that it might happen. Another reason for Thorin to support his grandfathers plans, even if it might not turn out too well for the Duath. Thorins attention was drawn back to the men and woman of Duath as he heard a woman sing.
Land of bear and land of eagle
Land that gave us birth and blessing
Land that called us ever homewards
We will go home across the mountains
We will go home, we will go home
We will go home across the mountains
We will go home, we will go home
We will go home across the mountains
Land of freedom land of heroes
Land that gave us hope and memories
Hear our singing hear our longing
We will go home across the mountains
We will go home, we will go home
We will go home across the mountains
We will go home, we will go home
We will go home across the mountains
Land of sun and land of moonlight
Land that gave us joy and sorrow
Land that gave us love and laughter
We will go home across the mountains
We will go home, we will go home
We will go home across the mountains
We will go home, we will go home
We will go home across the mountains
When the land is there before us
We have gone home across the mountains
We will go home, we will go home
We will go home across the mountains
Oda watched the dwarves as Frigg, Ours wife, began singing the song of the men of Duath. She had asked Frigg to sing that song, for she knew that the words would also reach the hearts of the dwarves who had also lost their homes like the Duath did long ago. Her gaze moved over to prince Thorin who sat in the corner staring at the singing woman. She could see his deep blue eyes darken at the songs words and suddenly he looked right back at her. Oda felt as if his eyes were burning deep into her soul and she felt a warm tingle in her stomach. She was pulled back into the present as Ours answered his wifes song with a loud warcry causing the other knights to bellow with him.
As the party went on Frigg gave Ours his youngest child, number twelve and whispered something in his ear, grinning. Oda could see him hold up the baby and looking from its face to Lances face, looking back and forth, and then shaking his head with a satisfied expression.
'No resemblance.' he grumbled happily as he passed Oda and made her laugh wholeheartly.
From his place in the corner Thorin watched Kilis friend laugh. It was a wonderful sound and suddenly the world seemed a brighter place.