Mudslide, Part I

Fili - 72, Kili - 67

"I'll be with Thorin and Fili today," Kili said at breakfast.

"Why?" Joli asked.

"Thorin and I have a big project," Fili explained. "We need Kili to work the bellows while Thorin and I work the metal."

"Well, best of luck, I'm almost finished with my latest commission. It will be a pretty penny in our pocket when I'm done," Joli smiled.

They finished their meal and headed to the door. They sky was dark with an on-coming storm.

"We sure can use the rain," Joli said, looking out at the dark clouds. "Bye Dis. See you tonight." He kissed his wife.

"Bye. Be careful out there today." She turned to her two sons. "You too."

"We will. See you tonight, Amad," Fili said. They walked down the road with their father, talking about their work for the day and the storm. The forge was on the way to Joli's shop. Thorin was already there, stoking the great fire.

"Morning, Thorin," Joli waved.

Thorin nodded at his sister's husband. "Come on boys, I want to get this started."

Kili waved to his father as he left. Joli went along thinking of what he would get done today. Raindrops started to patter around him. He jogged the rest of the way to his shop.

The thunder rumbled louder than the sound of the great bellows Kili was pumping. Fili kept a firm grip on the large piece of iron while Thorin pounded it with his great hammer. The rain outside was pouring in torrents.

The ground rumbled beneath their feet. Kili had to hold onto the bellows to keep himself upright. Then they heard a sound like no other and it was a hundred times louder than thunder. Thorin knew that sound. He was familiar with the sounds of crumbling and falling rocks.

"Dunk it, Fili!" he ordered as he ran outside.

Fili took the hot metal they had been working on and dunked it into the water barrel, then he joined his uncle and brother outside. Within a matter of moments, he was completely drenched. They heard dwarrow yelling and took off running in that direction.

"Vol!" Thorin called to a familiar face. "Was it a mine tunnel?"

"Mudslide. The entire mountain's come down over the south end of the village," the dwarf answered.

"The south?" Fili yelled. "That's where Adad is!" Fili took off running.

"Fili, wait!" Thorin yelled, running after his nephew. They ran in the direction of Joli's shop, but long before they could reach it, their path was blocked by a huge slide of moving mud, rocks and trees. "Oh no," he whispered. Fili started to move forward, but was stopped by Thorin grabbing the back of his shirt. "Fili, no!"

"But Adad!" Fili yelled over the sounds of the rain, the thunder and the moving ground.

"It's too dangerous," he said, looking into Fili's distraught eyes. "Evacuate the area!" Thorin yelled. "Move to the inner caves!"

The order was called out and every dwarrow in the area began to run.

"Find me Gamir! I want him at my forge!" Thorin yelled.

"I'll fetch him, my Lord," Vol said.

Thorin had to drag Fili away. Kili looked to be in shock. The inside of the forge was hot; a sharp contrast to the cold rain water they were covered in.

"Thorin, we can't leave him," Fili' heart was breaking as sadness and anger washed over him in waves.

"Fili, believe me, I hate this as much as you do, but it's too dangerous right now. The mudslides are still moving. I can't send anyone near the slide until it stops. If we did, more would die."

"Die?" Kili startled?

"There is almost no chance of surviving a mudslide like that. I'm sorry, but if that mudslide went over his workshop," Thorin took in a deep breath, "then your father's dead. I can't let you go look for him. If anything happened to either one of you," Thorin's breath hitched.

"No, no!" Kili cried. He grabbed for Fili. "He's not dead. He can't be."

"I'm sorry, lad," Thorin tried to pull Kili into a hug, but Kili stepped back, shocked that Thorin even suggested his father was dead.

"My Lord?" a dwarf walked into the forge.

"Gamir," Thorin pulled himself together as much as he could. "What's the word on the mudslide?"

"From what I've seen, it's massive and as long as it continues to rain, that mud is going to keep moving. We can't get near the area that's been buried. You need to get everyone on the outside into the caves. This mud slide will destabilize the rest of the mountain. It could trigger another slide."

"Fili, go to the village center and raise the alarm. Get everyone into the inner caves. Tell anyone you pass along the way to take as much food with them as they can carry."

"But, Adad's out there," Fili said with desperation.

"I know." Thorin laid his hands on Fili's shoulders. "But you are a prince and it's time to take care of your people. They need to you to lead them safely into the caves. Now go."

Fili stood taller, nodded, turned and ran.

"Kili," Thorin looked to his younger nephew. "I want you to go to your mother. Tell her we move into the caves. She'll know what to do. Get her safely to the caves and then you must help Fili. He needs you."

"Don't worry, Thorin. I'll do it. What will you do? Where will I find you?" Kili asked.

"I'm going to do what I can to help. I'll join you in the caves."

"Thorin?" he grabbed the sleeve of his uncle's shirt, "I want Adad safe as much as Fili, but please, don't put yourself in harm's way. I couldn't bear it if something happened to you, too."

Thorin leaned in and pressed his forehead to Kili's. "Thank you, lad. I'll be careful. Now go to your duties. You are a prince."

They took off in their separate directions. Kili heard the emergency bell ringing. He ran faster, his feet slipping and sliding in the muddy roads. He made it home. His mother was already packing a large basket with food.

"Who's ringing the alarm?" Dis asked her son.

"Fili, at Thorin's orders. There was a mudslide. We're moving everyone into the caves."

"A mudslide? Anyone hurt?" Dis asked, packing more food into the nearly full basket.

"I don't know." Kili couldn't answer his mother with the truth. Not yet. He needed her to get to the caves first and he needed Fili by his side.

"Come on and help me," Dis started packing another basket. "Kili, get the large pot off the hearth."

He did as he was told and within minutes, they were out the door and making their way to the caves. Fili was at the door, directing all who came in. The look on his face when he saw his mother alarmed her.

"Fili, what's wrong?" Dis asked.

Fili looked to Kili. "She doesn't know?"

Kili shook his head. "I couldn't say it without you."

"Say what, Kili?" Dis looked to her two sons. "Fili, tell me what's happened."

"It's Adad. The mudslide happened right over his shop. We don't know if he's alive or not, but Thorin thinks he is most likely dead."

Dis's breath hitched. Tears formed in her eyes. "My Joli?" her voice cracked.

Fili pulled his mother to the small room off to the side of the cave's entrance. She sank to her knees.

"My Joli? Dead?"

"Thorin said they can't get near that part of the village because mud and rocks are still sliding. It's dangerous," Kili explained. "I don't know what Uncle is doing right now, but he said he'd meet us here."

Dis's head hung to her chest as she knelt on the stone floor. She took several deep breaths and afterwards, she wiped away at her tears and stood up. She looked into her sons grief-filled faces. "My sons, we are royalty. In times such as these, we must set aside our grief and care for our people. They are scared and they look to us to be strong. Fili, remain here at the gate and instruct all who arrive to come to the main hall. Kili and I will see to those who are here. Be strong. We mourn our own losses later."

She held her head high and went into the main hall. Many wet and confused dwarves sat in the hall. A fire in the enormous hearth had been lit. All moved aside as Dis and Kili came in. She was pleased to see the large pots and kettle they kept there were already in the fire, heating water for food and washing.

Fresh water was not an issue while in the caves. Water, clean and cold, leaked through the rocks. After they had first arrived in Ered Luin, they discovered the fresh water springs and had set up barrels to catch the water and a pump system to direct the water where they needed it to go. With the ingenious engineering of dwarves, the system still ran as fine as it did the day it was constructed.

Dis looked over the supply of food that was available. It wasn't much, but the village could eat comfortably for a few days. She tried hard not to think about Joli and Thorin and instead worked to keep herself busy. She visited with everyone there and greeted all who arrived. She helped everyone find a place within the halls to settle down with their family. The wounded were placed in the smaller side rooms where Oin and other healers could tend to them.

They heard another loud rumbled and Dis feared for her brother even more. She went to the entrance where Fili stood guard.

"Any news of Thorin?"

"No, Amad," Fili's voice was steady, but strained, like he was holding back.

"The rumble?"

He shook his head. "I couldn't see anything and no one has come here since."

Dis exhaled slowly. "Alright, thank you." She went back to the main hall. She began helping the hall's head cook prepare food. She would catch bits and pieces of news as it traveled through the hall, but there was nothing new to answer her questions.

She looked for Kili and found him with a few young dwarflings. He was pulling a blanket tight over the shoulders of little Sela, the villages' youngest female by some fifty years. When he was done with the dwarflings, he joined his mother's side.

"I'm worried about the dwarrow who aren't here," he spoke quietly.

Dis nodded her head. "Anyone in particular that you know aren't here?"

"Leys, Thora, their mother and the dwarflings she cares for," Kili looked to his mother.

Dis looked around, somehow hoping Kili had simply over looked them, but they were nowhere to be seen. "Their home's not far from Joli's shop."

"I know," Kili whispered.

There was a loud commotion from the entrance. They turned to see Thorin carrying in Thora and a group of dwarves who worked in the mines, helping others into the hall. Dis dropped what she was doing and ran to her brother. He allowed his sister a kiss on the cheek before he moved forward towards the fire. Everyone there was soaked to the bone. He gently put Thora down.

"Oin!" he called out. Soon the old healer was by his side and looking over the girl. Thorin stood up, ignoring the pleading faces who looked to him for answers. He held a quick whispered conference with Gamir, the mine foreman, then he stood in the middle of the room. There was silence as every eye turned to him.

"Friends," his deep voice filled the hall. "I am glad to see so many of you here, safe and well. As many of you are aware, our village has been victim to a large, destructive mudslide. As long as the rain falls, the threat of more slides remains high, and so, until the rains subside and it is safe for us to leave, we will remain here. I know you all wish to know who we have lost, but at this time, I cannot confirm much. All I do know is that from Carpenter's Lane, south, it is covered in deep, moving mud. We can't safely approach the area, but it is presumed, at this time, that all those in that area are dead."

A collective gasp and wail of anguish rose up in the hall as every dwarf there knew someone in the affected area. Someone turned to Dis.

"I'm so sorry, Lady Dis, for your loss."

"Thank you, Dari," she said.

Fili had joined his family and he and Kili clung tightly to each other. Thorin moved to sit next to Thora, whose leg was being bandaged by Oin.

"Your leg alright, lass?" he asked.

She looked shyly at him. "Nothing's broken. Thank you, my Lord, for rescuing me."

"You're lucky, then," he said.

"I know. I apologize for my rash behavior," Thora said.

"You love your family." Thorin leaned close to her and wrapped his strong arms around her shoulders. "If I could have done anything for them, I would have."

"Thank you, Prince Thorin."

Fili came up and stood next to his uncle. He looked at the lass he had loved since they were in their forties. She was soaked, covered in mud and now a large bandage covered most of her right leg.

"If you are in need of anything, you let us know," Thorin spoke and stood up.

Dis came to him and practically ordered her brother out of his soaking clothes. He grumbled, but removed his coat and over-tunic. Then he went to meet with his advisors. Fili wrapped a blanket around Thora's shoulders. He knelt in front of her and held her hands.

"Thora? Your family's where the mudslide is," Fili said.

Thora nodded her head. "Amad had a bit of a head cold, so Leys stayed home to help care for the dwarflings today."

Dis turned to Thora. "How many dwarflings today?"

"Only two, of the usual four, thank Mahal, but two dwarflings, plus my younger sister," Thora's breathing turned into a panicked pant, "it's too much!" She started to cry.

Fili sat down and put his arm around her, drawing her close to his chest. Kili's face was white. His Adad, his Leys and two dwarflings. Lost to them forever. It was a cruel thing to happen to so many good people. Even if Kili hadn't know Leys or the dwarflings, the fact that those victims were youths, and one was a female, was incredibly tragic to his people. But they were his friends and his father and that made the loss so much more painful.

Food was cooked and Dis and Kili helped to dish out the food to the dwarves in the hall. As was protocol, Thorin received the first bowl of stew. It was important their king be well cared for, but while Thorin accepted his food, on protocol, he personally could not bring himself to eat until all had been served. There was enough food to go around and soon all had warm food in their chilled bellies. The guards were set at the main entrance and periodically reported back about the weather conditions. Soon, it was dark with night. Rain continued to fall and no one else had come to the caves to seek refuge from the storm.

Dis and her sons went about making sure everyone had a place to sleep. Some had brought supplies with them and were more comfortable than others, but everyone had at least one blanket and the hall was kept warm by the great fires. Thorin and his advisers had moved to one of the smaller chambers off the main hall so they could council with each other and make plans about what to do once the rain had ceased.

Finally, after everyone else had been seen too, Dis allowed her sons the chance to rest. Fili went back to Thora to check on her. She sat alone, shivering from cold and sorrow. He helped her remove some of her wet layers and covered her in a dry blanket. He sat down next to her and put an arm around her. Kili sat on her other side and they leaned into each other, finding warmth and comfort from each other. When Thorin came out of his meeting, he saw the three youth sitting together, asleep. He gently helped them to lay down and covered them in a warm blanket.

He found Dis, sitting in a corner, her face wet with tears. He pulled her close and held her. He leaned back against the smooth stone wall and soon, they both fell asleep in each other's arms.