Calling Back Old Allies

Fili sat on the edge of his chair watching Sol and Kili closely, but from a safe distance. He tapped his fingers on the pommel of his sword as he thought over why Kili had taken an interest in Sol. Granted, she was practically a mini version of Dís with the flaming hair to match her personality, but why did Kili find her interesting? The wind sucked in a breath when the door to the archery range opened. Fili turned his gaze backward to see his mother standing in the doorway with deeply etched sadness in her topaz eyes.

Immediately, Fili was up and waiting for his mother to walk up to him. Dís walked past her eldest son with a looming shadow over her head. It was so massive that Fili could see it choking out his mother's happy spirit. He whirled around and walked over to his mother. Dís had sat herself in his chair, and hung her head.

"Mom?" Fili asked. His voice was gentle when he placed a hand on her shoulder. Dís leaned onto his hand. Deep within him he felt sadness blooming, surging when his mother had touched him. It was radiating from her like the sun. "Mom, what's the matter?"

Dís raised her head, turning to look at him. "Nothing, Fili," Dís lied. She was biting back a great sadness that could not be purged easily. He wrapped his arms around his mother's shoulders and felt her grip his back tightly. "My little boy… I'm so sorry."

Fili was dumbstruck. What was she sorry about? What had she done to be sorry? "Mom, have you lost your mind?" Fili questioned. Dís pulled away from him, her topaz eyes dark with motherly anger.

"Fili!"

"Sorry…" Fili shied away from his mother's dark gaze. "What is the matter?"

Dís' eyes became sad instantly. "It's nothing, just a bad memory, love." Her fingers ran through his gold hair with a small smile on her lips. The questions that dared to burst from him welled up in his throat tapping him with their greedy fingers. He swallowed them when he felt them travel up his voice box. His mother would tell him what she desired if she wanted to. "Have you seen your uncle?"

Fili's mouth fell open and a small noise came forth. "No… Haven't seen him since last night," He replied. "In fact, I haven't seen Coruwen either."

"Ah."

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing."

Fili placed a hand over his eyes. He understood many things, but one that eluded him still to this day were people of the opposite gender. It seemed childish to say, but they were so damned confusing. They were so fickle; it drove him to the verge of madness. "Mother…"

Dís patted his head softly. "One day you will understand women, little love."

Fili shook his head not trusting her judgment. His mind wandered to where Coruwen and Thorin might've have wandered off to; they rarely went anywhere out of sight nowadays. His suspicions cleared when the door opened again to reveal the two people he had been thinking of. Coruwen wore a smile of pure happiness on her fair face that made him curious. His uncle's eyes had a strange twinkle to them that was foreign in Fili's inner most thoughts. When the two were together, Thorin's mood became lighter and he would tease more often.

"There you two are," Dís laughed. "We had wondered if something had gotten a hold of you."

Coruwen laughed at the statement, a beautiful sound that sounded like music being played. Fili felt a smile creep up on his face when she laughed; he saw why Thorin loved her so. The woman before him was beautiful, almost goddess like. The way she laughed and sang sounded like angels, while her voice was firm but gentle. Her gold hair was always bright and her face fair like all elves, but it was her eyes that Fili found the most intriguing. They were the color of the sky with small tints of darker blue within like the swirling heavens.

"Believe me, we didn't wander to far," Coruwen commented. Her hand rested on Thorin's shoulder, and there was something off about her hand. Fili disliked staring but there was truly something off. "If we did, people would know."

Her voice became drowned out by Fili's surging curiosity. He narrowed his eyes when he spied a ring… A silver ring matching his uncle's in perfect detail. A Cheshire like grin formed on his face at the sight. Three words came to his mind instantly: About damned time.

"Fili?" Dís' voice drew his from his giddy state, crashing him back into reality with a hard clap. "Did you hear me?"

Fili opened his mouth though quickly shut it, shaking his head. "Sorry Mom," He admitted.

"I asked you if you could point Sol back to Borni, please," Dís said. Fili nodded and walked up to Sol, who had a small bow in her hands. They were red from the extensive training, but they gripped her bow with all of her might. Kili gave him a confident smile with an incline of his head.

"Borni is waiting for you through the door, to the left," Fili told Sol, who bowed before bouncing off to the door. Kili shouldered his bow with his fingers plucking the bowstring in habit. "Squirrel, stop it."

"My bow," Kili stated shortly as he walked over to his mother. Yet another item to add to the list: Kili. Fili sauntered after his brother and came to stand at his mother's side. "What is it you needed, Thorin?"

Thorin moved Coruwen's hand off of his shoulder and brought it to join his own. There was something about the two that seemed happy, and Fili understood why. A simple stupid question could cripple a man in nothing flat when it came down to asking it. "As the three of you know, I have been courting Coruwen for ten months now. What you may be asking is why the two of us disappeared for a few hours. The simple answer to that question is that I have asked Coruwen to be my queen."

Dís' eyes lit up at the sound of her brother's statement. "Oh by Mahal, that's wonderful!" Dís cried.

Kili was the only one that didn't speak, and Fili wondered if he was in shock. He smiled, "About damn time." Thorin gave him an incline of his head in response, which Fili took as a sign of 'I know'.

Fili swiveled his gaze to Kili a second time taking in his brother's bothered expression. Within seconds, Kili had run up to Coruwen and tackled her in a hug. "Thank Gods, you did that!" He laughed. Fili laughed at his brother's happiness. Coruwen ran her hands across his dark hair with a faint smile on her face that was on the verge of motherly.

"Question,"" Fili said Kili turned his attention back to his brother. "Are we calling back everyone?"

"Everyone?" Thorin and Coruwen asked in slight disbelief. The elleth had a puzzled expression pass in her eyes, almost stumped. The wind picked up tossing the silver banners awry in its frenzy, and one could hear silence's whispers above. Fili realized that time was key currently. Coruwen spoke instead of Thorin, "I suppose I could work a few things."

"Right," Fili replied with a bow of his head. His shoulder was gripped in a vice like grip that forced his gaze over to his younger brother. "Go away."

"You first," Kili deadpanned. Annoyance passed across his face when Kili spoke; stupid little brother. Fili swatted his brother in the arm forcing him away. Kili shot him a dirty look as he regained his ground. "Not funny."

"Shut it," Fili snapped. His voice calmed quickly when he turned his gaze to Thorin. "Any idea when we should send for them?"

Coruwen's eyes lit up at the sound of that. "We spoke of marrying on Durin's Day. Though it will come down to how fast the other can come," Thorin stated. "We have no idea where Freya is, and Bilbo could take a month or two to get here."

Dís gave her brother a stern look, which he didn't catch right away. When the two siblings' eyes met, Thorin tilted his head in curiosity. "Leave everything to me, Brother," Dís said confidently. The smile on her face was bright as she looked back at her sons. Fili felt a sinking feeling in his stomach that made him want to slink away. "Boys, you get to help."

"What?!" Kili piped.

Fili merely blinked in shock at the statement of his mother's order. He was doing what? Now, any child would never go against their mother's law and this, Fili knew all too well. Kili, however, had a bit more stupid in him than others. The younger silently fumed behind his mother with his arms crossed. Fili held back a smirk by chewing on the inside of his cheek.

"Kili, don't glare at me. You're not going to win," Dís laughed. Kili's mouth opened agape to object, but Dís whirled at gave him a stern glare. Fili slid off to the side letting his mother glare at his brother as much as she wanted. "Where do you think you get your stubbornness from, Kili? It certainly wasn't your father, let me tell you."

Behind Dís, Thorin was smiling while shaking his head. Kili was so damned bull headed that speaking to him was sometimes like speaking to a wall. There was no getting from point A to point B with the boy. Dís continued to tease her youngest son while he was mentally seething with anger. Thorin saw Fili staring at his mother with an amused expression on his face, but was hiding his laughter by staring off into space.

"The line of your family is ungodly stubborn," Coruwen remarked. Her fingers ran across his shoulders making him roll his shoulders back. He found it a bit silly that his sister desired to let her do everything, but then again… He couldn't stop her no matter how hard he tried. Dís was just that stubborn.

"You think of yourself much better?" Thorin asked glancing up at her. Coruwen raised an eyebrow to him before a light pink dusted her cheeks. He chuckled at the sight while she hid within the confines of her gold hair. "Lioness…"

"Shut up," She growled. "I don't like you right now."

Thorin tugged on a strand of her hair making her squeak at the sudden movement. A sly smile came to his lips when her blue eyes caught anger's fire. "Stop it."

"You first…"

"I'm not the one acting like a child."

Coruwen swept aside her hair and swatted his shoulder, "Says you."

Thorin halted Coruwen's speech when Fili came to his side vision. The boy had a look of curiosity written across his face that Thorin found odd. "Fili, what's the matter?" He inquired.

Fili perked up at the question, his light blue eyes shining. "How are we going to get a message to Freya if she's up in the Northern Mountains?" Fili asked, carefully choosing his words.

Thorin glanced up at Coruwen for an answer seeing as Freya was her dragon. Not his, hers. If he had any say in where Freya belonged, it would be beneath his blade. Granted, Freya was kind to him and his kinsmen, but she was a dragon. Moreover, a Daughter of Ancalagon the Black. Coruwen's blue eyes narrowed in thought and her hands came to rest on Thorin's shoulders again.

"The only way that I can think of would be to send a hawk. Freya can speak to animals, but they typically don't come near her," Coruwen stated.

"Frankly, I wouldn't either," Thorin murmured. Coruwen's nails dug into his coat at his quip. He dipped his shoulder gently prying off her nails. He didn't dare look up at his elven lady knowing that she would be glaring at him. "I suppose we could call for her."

"That's what I thought," Coruwen whispered. He was about to reach up and wrap an arm around her but halted when he saw that neither Dís nor Kili were present. What had he gotten himself into? A snicker was heard and he looked up at Coruwen, who had a small smile on her lips. "I'll send a hawk towards Freya, if you wouldn't mind coming with me."

Thorin sighed and took her hand. The cold of the twin rings on their hands bit at each others' skin as they came back into the halls of Erebor. In the higher levels, nearest the peak, there was an opening where thrushes, ravens, hawks, and other messenger birds would arrive and depart with haste. Röac was chief of this realm with his ever aging eyes and cantankerous personality; he ruled this roost with an iron claw. In his later years, his son and second command ruled over this roost also, but the ferocity was different.

Upon entering, thousands of swallows scattered like a rising gale of brown and cream feathers. Röac let out a loud squawk to calm them forcing many down to their posts among the heights. Röac was hunched over an oblong rail with his shoulders hunched to make him appear fierce, beside him sat a female and male raven. The son of Röac, Cairn greeted the King and Lady with pleasure hinting his young, baritone voice.

"Greetings to the King under the Mountain, and his future Queen," Cairn greeted. Cairn was quite handsome with sleek ebony feathers that glistened with strains of dark green and rich brown. His amber eyes were bright, almost the color of Freya's, with hints of green nearest the pupil. Thorin raised his forearm for Cairn to land on. The raven dug his talons into Thorin's coat, but minded how tight he gripped the king. "What brings you to the roost this day?"

"If you wouldn't mind letting us borrow a hawk, Cairn. We need to send a message to the Queen Dragon of Ered Mithrin," Coruwen said. Cairn's eyes lit up at the sound of hawk. He let out a deep crow, and from the tip of the ceiling came a female hawk with snow white and storm grey feathers. Coruwen let her land on her arm, and the hawk let out a screech.

"Meet Vasha," Cairn stated proudly. "She's a Mirkwood hawk, and will do just fine flying to meet the Great Queen. That is if Freya doesn't have a problem with hawks."

Coruwen shook her head. "Oh no, she'll do fine," Coruwen muttered. She scratched Vasha's chin while whispering Sindarin to the hawk. Once she finished, Vasha gave her a cock of her head wondering why the elleth had stopped. "Go on." The hawk leapt into the air with one grace thrust of her wings. The hawk turned north and sped off into the air.

"Thank you, Cairn," Thorin told the raven. Cairn bowed his head to Thorin, which made him smile. The raven had more courtesy than some of his people in one talon. Cairn leapt off of Thorin's forearm to his perch beside Röac. "It is good to see you, Röac."

Röac raised his balding head. "Aye, tis good to see you, my king," Röac spoke, his voice withering from age. "My boy is a good heir, don't you think?"

"Very much so," The king replied.

No reply came. Röac had lowered his head and tucked his beak beneath his wing. Age had treated the old bird harshly, no doubt from stress. Coruwen and Thorin left the room, but wondered how long it would take Freya to reach Erebor. It was a question that needed to be answered.

Throughout the day, news had reached the ears of many that Coruwen had been betrothed to Thorin. The company had been kind of to keep it very low tone, but it was Dís that accidently blurted it out. Night could come no sooner for the two. Coruwen had gone back to her chambers with Thorin and the boys following her. Kili had flopped on a sofa with his eyes shut, while Fili was sitting on the hearth.

"Your mother is never allowed to learn anything important ever again," Thorin growled. He was pacing back and forth, almost making a rut. Kili swatted the air lazily. "You got that from her, Kili."

Kili sat upright, his face aghast. "I love you too, Uncle." Kili snorted. Fili rolled his eyes with his hand tucked beneath his chin. There a great deal of tension whilst Thorin silently seethed disdain for his sister. "She did it because she loves you… So it slipped, people would've found out anyway." Kili flopped backwards with his mane of dark hair fanned around him. "Besides, if Mom didn't tell then I would've done it."

"Kili… Shut up before you hurt yourself," Fili drawled. Kili raised his fist up to his brother and then lowered it. The older brother sighed. "Fine, have it your way."

"Boys, enough," Coruwen's voice soothed from the corner. She had hidden herself away in a lounging sofa that was close to the wall, and she had been watching her beloved grow progressively more and more bothered, whilst the boys fought like two children. Thorin halted his pacing, Kili sat up, and Fili watched his soon to be aunt. "Tension is no good for anyone… This event is supposed to be joyous and let it be so. People will talk, like all must do, opinions will be thrown, and possibly there will be fighting amongst one another. However, do not let it cloud our happiness."

Fili blinked with regret in his eyes. "Coruwen's right… Like normal," He grumbled.

Coruwen smirked, "Not always, little lion prince."

Thorin walked up to her and sat at her feet. His hand rested on her knee with his eyes watching her intently. "You're right, Coruwen." Thorin said. "Mistakes aren't always on purpose."

"True," Fili sighed. Coruwen tapped Thorin in the temple with the edge with an envelope. He grabbed the letter, turning it over and read Bilbo's name on the front. "What's that?"

"Looks like the burglar is coming back for a visit," The king breathed. "You wrote this when?"

Coruwen smiled and sat up, hugging her knees. Gently, she pulled on a braid making him turn to her in a slightly defensive position. "When you were busy curing your sister's existence." She laughed. "Best deliver it tomorrow."

"We get to see Bilbo again?" Kili piped. Fili smiled and rolled his shoulders back. Coruwen gave Kili a nod making his flop backwards while smiling like a loon. "Oh boy, we get to torture the hobbit!"

"Boys, no," Coruwen and Thorin scolded. Kili let out a sigh of disappointment, but Fili withheld such a sigh. He would torture Bilbo regardless. A mischievous smile came to his lips when he thought over what all he could do to Bilbo. Coruwen watched him and he felt something soft connect with his head. A pillow hit him in the face. She gave him a reprimanding glare, while Thorin stared at him in confusion.

Fili shrugged. Quickly Thorin caught on, and looked his nephew up and down. Fili mouthed 'what?' while shrugging in defeat. Thorin shook his head. In spite, Fili threw the pillow back at Thorin's head making his uncle bristle. Kili held back a cackle of a laugh as he watched Thorin glare back at Fili.

"Ha," Fili said pompously.

"Fili, I suggest hiding," Kili advised from his spot across the room. Coruwen leaned back against the sofas back before grabbing the pillow and tossing it at Thorin to draw his gaze to her. This did not work.

"Go on, get him before you work yourself into a rut," Coruwen said plainly as she held onto the pillow that Thorin had thrown. Kili bounded over to her when Thorin moved to chase after Fili. "I didn't know they were this entertaining."

"Trust me, it gets better," Kili whispered.

The cold of night bit at Vasha's face as she flew through the vast range of Ered Mithrin. Mist hung at the base of the mountain's feet like the skirts of women, and trees were the decoration to their grey dresses. Vasha had about given up after flying back and forth about ten times, but after swerving through the tallest peaks she found a hole in which the very ground rattled.

Wisps of smoke drifted from the tunnel's mouth like foam from a rapid hound. Vasha waddled into the cave and found her facing the glowing embers of a dying fire. No, it was a nose. A nose was breathing embers. The hawk screeched loudly with every bit of strength she could muster.

A passing breath escaped the dragon's maw buffeting the hawk in smoke and hurricane like winds. Well, it was hurricane if you were a hawk. Vasha screeched with her hoarse voice and dug her claws into the brow of the dragoness, pecking her with her might.

"Who is there?" Freya's voice boomed. Vasha screeched in panic and darted away, but Freya raised two talons, catching the little hawk in her cage like claws. "What is it you need, little hawk?"

Vasha landed and mustered her strength into the tongue of her people. "The King and The soon to be Queen of Erebor have requested you back, Lady Queen." Vasha panted. Freya let out a smoke ring from her nostrils; the potency of the smoke was so much that Vasha could feel her lungs clog up with the poisonous gas. "Are you going to return?"

"Aye, little hawk. I will be there within three days. Expect me then," Freya instructed her. The dragoness released the hawk and watched her fly off into the moon's light. Freya tapped her talons on the stone floor of her den, rattling deer bones and assorted hides that she found interesting. "So, my Dear One plans on marrying him, eh?" The dragoness smiled. "Then let it be a most glorious day."

A/N: I'm sorry this is late! *hides in corner* I got sucked into school, Skyrim, and Dragon Queen! Sorry! *glares at hand* This is your fault, if i didn't have writer's block I wouldn't get sucked into other stuff!

Prompts: Most Welcome! :D I actually desire them a great deal.

3insteinComplex: I couldn't keep them apart for much longer. It was becoming a nagging thing. The one that I can see that would mother-hen our Elven Lady would be Balin... The elves that got in her face was one of the twins, and that's because Elladan's a jerk and doesn't get it. Arwen and the others know they can't sway Coruwen easily. Plus, your wish has been granted! :)

Please Review!