'No.' Dis collapsed in the arms of her sons as she heard the heartbreaking news. Her husband was dead, as well as her brother Frerin, her father and her grandfather. Tears fell down the face of the proud and strong dwarf woman and Oda could not help but shed own tears of sympathy. Thorin watched the princess cry with his sister, over dwarves who had taken her home from her and her people. He could not help but feel a warm tingle in his heart, but soon the cold grief took over again.

Thorin was king under the mountain now. But he refused to have a decent coronation. His grief was too deep and too fresh and he buried himself with work. Plus, he was still ashamed of the way the dwarves had taken the mountain from the men of Duath. At days he followed his kingly duties and at night he worked in the smithy. He slept in Thrors old chambers deep inside the mountain now and did not spend much time in Dis home anymore. But one night, after he spend hours in the smithy forging a new sword, Thorin was so exhausted that he thought he would not make it to his chambers. So he walked to Dis home and into his old room. Already half asleep he lay down in his old bed, but soon realised that there was something different. His bed smelled different, like horse, cotton and cherry blossoms. Frowning, Thorin looked around and saw a figure laying beside him on his bed, the face covered with hair. As he reached out to stroke away the hair the figure moved. A loud shriek startled Thorin and before he knew what happened he was kicked out of the bed. Groaning, he tried to stand up as his sister and nephews came rushing in with candles in their hands. Dis had a frying pan in her hand and was ready to swing it at the intruder.

'For Durins sake!' Thorin growled and looked at the person sitting in his bed. At first he did not recognise the woman. Long brown wavy hair covered her body and framed her face with the huge brown eyes.

'Prince Thorin!' she exclaimed. 'I mean...king Thorin!' Thorin immediately recognised Odas voice. He blinked and looked closer at the woman in his bed. It was really Oda.

'What is she doing in my bed?' Thorin could not think clearly. He was tired and he was exhausted.

'Your sister gave me your room to stay in, since you have moved into the mountain, your majesty.' Oda told him, while Dis helped her brother out. 'I apologise, if I had known that it was you then...' Oda swallowed. What then? Would she have not kicked him out of the bed? Oda cursed under her breath.

Kili grinned at his uncle and his friend. 'You would have kicked him anyway, Oda.' he stated, earning a nudge from both his brother and his mother.

The next morning hell broke lose in the Blue Mountains. Orcs had followed the surviving dwarves from the battle of Azanulbizar and attacked their new home. The dwarves fought bravely, as did the men of Duath, but there were severe losses on all sides. The orcs were defeated for good, but three of the seven knights were killed, Artos, Lance and Dago. Thorin found Oda leaning over the dying Dago, her hands cupping his face.

'Don´t leave me.' she whispered, tears running down her face. The tall knight had been struck by three arrows and a spear, but had fought valiantly until he had collapsed. He died in Odas arms, looking into her face, smiling.

That night the burial fires burned high and bright, enlightning the mountain.

Runa came over to Oda.

'We cannot go on like this. The dwarves of Erebor are stricken, as are we. We need new allies.' she lay an arm around Odas shoulder.

'Then why don´t you get married, then?' Oda asked her sister grimly.

Runa smiled bitterly. 'Maybe I will. But we are not in the condition to chose.'

Oda sighed, knowing that her sister was right. In that moment she looked across the fires and met deep blue eyes, staring at her intensivly. Oda felt a sting in her abdomen. She had not loved Dago. They had been close friends and they had occasionaly slept together. But there had been no love. At least not the love that could exist between a man and a woman. Dago had never awaken the feelings inside of her which Thorin did when he looked at her. Oda looked back into the fires. She barely knew the dwarf king. They had barely spoken two sentences with each other for the last long months that the dwarves were living in the Blue Mountains. And he was Kilis uncle. And he was the king of the dwarves who took Odas home away from her. Closing her eyes in exhaustion, Oda walked away from the fires and into the woods, wanting to be alone. As she returned moments later her sister was gone and Oda joined Dis and her sons at the fires.

'I am sorry, Oda.' Dis took the younger woman in her arms and hugged her tight. 'These men were your friends.'

Oda nodded, her throat thick with sorrow. 'It will never stop, will it, Dis? You have lost half your family, your husband and I have lost my home and my friends to these filthy creatures. They will pay for this.'

Dis nodded slowly. 'One day they will.'

The gathered men and dwarves feasted heavily to honor the dead. Late at night a group of younger dwarves and men gathered around an old, half blind dwarf who told them what had happened at the battle of Azanubizar.

The battle started on a cold winters day, no sun warmed the battlefield, there was only cold and freezing air surrounding the fighters. We were outnumbered greatly, for the orcs of Moria and the orcs of Gundabad had united against us. Fundin and Frerin fell in the first attack and Thrain and Thorin were wounded. Our great king, Thorin Oakenshield, had lost his shield in battle and used an oaken branch as protection against the brutal assaults from the orcs. The forces of evil were led by no other than Azog, the Defiler. The giant white Gundabad orc slay many of our comrades, fathers, sons, brothers and cousins and our beloved king Thror before he was destroyed by king Thorin. Valiantly he fought that day, he cut the white orc into pieces. Lord Nain from the Iron Hills came with reinforcemements and the orcish filth was drawn back into the dark shadows from which they came. But we have payed a heavy prize for our victory. And today, the men of Duath have fought bravely at our side, bearing heavy losses of their own. Sometimes, pain and loss ties bonds which are stronger than any alliance on paper.

With these words the old dwarf looked at Thorin who stood behind the group of dwarves, listening to the painful story. Then the storyteller looked at Oda who was sitting beside Fili and Kili. The old dwarf may have been half blind, but in return he could see things that others could not.

Thorin worked in the smithy for three days straight. But he could not concentrate. He knew that he would ruin the sword, but he hammered onto the glowing metal mercilessly until it broke under his powerful blows. Panting he threw away the remaining handle of the sword and opened a window to catch some fresh air. After a while he sat back behind the anvil and began to work on a new sword. After a while he felt a cold wind on his back and frowned. He had closed the window and that could only mean that the door was opened. That someone opened it. Bracing himself Thorin grabbed the hilt of the glowing sword ready to swing around.

Oda watched Thorin as he sat back behind the anvil. The dwarf king was only clad in a blue tunic, grey trousers and heavy boots. His hair hung down in sweaty streaks and covered most of his handsome face. Sweat ran down his body, making the tunic stick to his upper body. Odas gaze shifted from the back of his head, over his muscular arms, his massive lower arms and his callous hands. She could have watched him all night, but Oda was tired and only wanted to bring him a cup of water before she went to sleep - in his bed. Slowly she moved forward until she was stooped by a glowing tip of a sword at her throat. She had let go of the cup and it burst at her feet. Alarmed Dis came running in. As she saw her brother and her sons friend she sighed.

'Can´t you to just meet and not try to kill each other?' she scolded them and broke the awkward silence.

'What happened?' Fili and Kili came running in and caused Thorin to roll his eyes.

'Oh! I see.' Kili grinned from one ear to the other. 'Payback.'