My Trust
-Year: 2946-
Kili watched Sol bounce around Fili, wielding a small wooden dagger with deadly accuracy. She had given the brother's welts because she had rapped them so hard on the arm. Fili put up his gauntlet in defense, but it didn't stop Sol hitting his hip. Her red hair hung around her green eyes in long curly strands as they fell from her braid. The fire in her green eyes was bright as Fili feigned defeat, falling to the ground in a heap.
A few months had passed since the Lords of Belegost and Nogrod had arrived. Amren was still in his catatonic state, but Rorik had sadly taken his leave of his cousin. Dain had left in the morning back to his home in the Iron Hills, which meant Erebor was oddly quiet. No shouting, arguing, or drunken song came anymore. This was slightly disheartening to the young dwarf heir. He enjoyed Dain's presence since he made most everyone laughs, and he provided an excellent sparring partner whenever it was needed. Kili heard a tinkling laughter come to his ears that made his gaze rise.
Sol was sitting on Fili's chest with her small hands pressed against his face tugging on his beard. Kili smirked at his brother's little game of playing dead. He stood and removed Sol from Fili with her falling limp in his arms. He couldn't believe her when she pulled this on him. He gave out a huff when his arm released a burst of hot pain lancing all the way to the tips of his fingers. Through the pain, he hoisted Sol onto his shoulders. The girl wasn't so little anymore; she was thirteen now. Though Sol was still small enough for him and Fili to pick up and place on their shoulders. Gimli had showed it to them when she was first placed under the care of his mother, but Kili had found that the son of Gloín had created a monster. Sol now wanted up on anyone's shoulders whenever they were within eyesight.
"Kili, what's wrong?" Sol asked sweetly tugging on his dark hair. He mentally groaned when she played with his hair; he hated whenever someone played with his hair. He withheld his hands that twitched in desire to swat her hands. Sol shifted her weight so that she hung slightly over him. Strands of fire red hair fell in his eyes as she placed one gentle hand on his face. "Kili...?
"I'm fine, Sol. My arm is just giving me fits," Kili said. Sol squeaked in surprise as a pair of hands picked her up off of Kili's shoulders alleviating him of the weight. He stared out into the vast plain between Ered Mithrin and Erebor. The plains were green and rolling, but not in comparison of the Shire and her great hills of green. Kili missed Bilbo a great deal; he hadn't seen the hobbit since the marriage of his aunt and uncle.
"Hey, Kili," Fili said in a short, firm voice. He let out a quiet sigh before turned around to face his brother. Kili withheld a laugh as he looked upon his older brother. Gold blonde hair was mussed and tangled into a wild mane of hair. The look of annoyance was darkening Fili's eyes to a dark shade of topaz as Sol picked apart his braids. He felt the irritation radiating from his brother like a heat wave and gently Fili picked up Sol off of his shoulders. He tentatively placed Sol on the ground before his fingers pulled his hair back into a messy braid. His pent up laughter burst out in a snicker. His brother was going to skin him later, he could feel it.
"Be quiet," Fili grumbled under his breath. His brother's jaw clenched in irritation when he looked upon him. "Sol, you should probably go find Gimli."
"But Fili, Gimli is off training with Papa today," Sol stated in an obvious tone as she tucked strands of red hair behind her ears. Kili shook his head to which Sol responded with a scrunching of her nose at him. He internally smiled at the cute reaction, but he saw a cocky grin form on her face that surprised him. She skipped past him and Fili reentering Erebor.
"She is plotting something," Fili said under his breath. Kili glanced over at Fili to see his eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the doorway. He walked up to his brother, gripping his brother's shoulder with his good hand. He met Fili's blue eyes catching hints of concern in eyes. He didn't understand why they should fear Sol; she was only a little girl.
"Fili, this Sol we are talking about, correct?" Kili replied in a bit of disbelief. He felt the muscles in Fili's shoulder tighten as he let the words drop into the air. Neither brother spoke or moved in the slightest for a few moments. Slowly, Kili's gaze went upward to the halo of mist around the peak of Erebor, where he saw flecks of dark shadows pass overhead taking on the shape of birds in flight. Time had not aged the great majesty of this mountain; still it remained a shade of light grey-blue with a delicate halo of mist that's thickness varied between seasons. As of late, the mist had become thin from recent season change from summer to fall. He felt Fili shift beneath his grip and he gaze was drawn back down. "What's wrong?"
"It's about what auntie said a few months back about the creatures called the Nazgûl. If they could attack Nogrod, and get away with it not once, but five times," Fili stated with a grave tone hinting his voice. He glanced back at Kili, who became a bit taken back by the statement. "They killed Sigyn, and Mahal knows who else. Whoever the lord of the Nazgûl is sick and twisted."
"Fili, leave it alone. He won't come here," Kili said. Fili ripped away from him with a dark, protective anger in his eyes. The calm older brother he had seen so many times was gone in a matter of seconds. The sighting of the Nazgûl had bothered Fili more than Kili presumed. "I know that those creatures' presence seems frightening, but what can we do? Coruwen and Thorin both know of their power, and know of a few ways to stop them. We will be fine, and you don't need to worry yourself."
"I worry for our people!" Fili snapped.
"And you don't think that our aunt and uncle don't all ready do that?" Kili stated. He glared at his older brother knowing this dwarf was not his brother. He gripped Fili's shoulder, ignoring the screaming pain that his arm gave him. He needed to set Fili straight since all he was doing was worrying like a mother hen. Fili was kind in that way, but sometimes it could get overbearing to the point where he started sounding like their mother. Kili loved Dís, but when she became worried, he wanted to snap her back into place again. The look in Kili's eyes was firm with bits of concern flickering within. "I know you are next in line, Fili. But, please, do not start worrying to the point where all other emotions stop functioning. I love our people, and I do not want to see them killed by some strange thing in black, but that does not mean I shut other people out."
"I'm not-,"
Kili's glare became scolding and Fili withdrew his comment. "Yes, you are. That little snap that you just did, was similar to that of Amad when she becomes so wrapped up in things that she loses track of other emotions."
Fili shrugged off his brother's grip. The look of self regret cast his gaze downward like a dog. Kili let out a long, hiss like breath. "You're right…" Fili muttered. His voice was very quiet, almost an inaudible whisper. "Seeing Sol reminded me that generations of our people will be most likely effected by the war that will come eventually." He sighed heavily, "But, many would say that we should not burden ourselves with such worries when they are not present. How can people do that, knowing full well that something of great doom lingers overhead?"
"I have told myself that when that time comes then we will worry physically, but until then only worry in your mind." He smiled weakly not knowing what else to say. He was not very good with words as many would think; he was quit terrible in fact. He let out a small chuckle that was swept away by a gust of wind. He looked to his brother, who was looking at him fondly. "What?"
"Idiot," Fili whispered tapping Kili's forehead with two fingers. Kili smacked his brother's arm away like a small child would. Fili laughed at the gesture, and ruffled his hair. Had Fili not been not in current state of mind, Kili would've hit his shoulder for good measure. "You really are no philosopher, but when times press you pull through."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"When people you love are feeling upset, you typically pull smart words out of the air." Fili started towards Erebor's halls, leaving Kili behind to stare at the world in a bit of shock. His gold eyes were staring blankly ahead like he had gotten on the head to hard. He could not make heads or tails if Fili was making fun of him or being sincere. He felt a hand grab him and pull towards the entrance back inside. Fili had a hold of one of his tunic sleeves, pulling him along like a dog on a leash.
He watched the gold firelight glitter off of the walls of Erebor as he lollygagged behind Fili, who had a strange fast gait. The mixture of soft, pale sunlight mingling with the burnt orange and gold firelight cast dancing circles of color upon the stone walls that were finely polished to the smoothness of river stones. He had been living in Erebor a long while now and never once did the walls appear so beautiful. He remembered the slightly glittering blue halls of Belegost sparkling in spring or summer's light, but compared to Erebor it was dull and held no shine. He could hear the clicks of his brother's boots stop causing him to stop as well. They had stopped before the steps of the throne room.
"What's wrong?" Kili hissed poking Fili's shoulder blade. Fili raised a hand to silence him, which halted his next question. Light blue eyes stared back at him through wisps of gold, and within Fili's eyes was a great sense of command. He gave him the sign to listen with a gesture upward towards the hall. Kili did as instructed; turning his full attention to the main hall and shutting his eyes. He could hear the sounds of Balin speaking to both Coruwen and Thorin. The words sounded like whispers trying to be heard over the laughter of people. What words did come to his ears, they were disjointed and made no sense. "I am not hearing much…"
"Let's get closer," Fili replied, starting up the steps. Kili found it impossible to be quiet with Coruwen's sensitive hearing and sight. They were quiet for their race, but not for hers. She was like a cat, soundless until she wanted to pounce on you. In fact, Kili had asked Coruwen what they sounded like to her, and she answered that they sounded like rain upon sheet metal. He thought it was a bit exaggerated.
They approached the great door leading into the throne room finding that they were half cracked open. Fili situated himself on the door that was closed, leaning up against the iron wrought door engraved with half the symbol of Erebor and three silver lined stars. Kili leaned up against the stone wall, allowing him to stare into the pillar lined Throne room that was big enough for Freya to fit her long body into. He caught the glimmer of the Dragon Blade's hilt that was leaning up against the side of Coruwen's thigh. He could see the black fabric of her dress along with the small bit of porcelain skin that he realized was her hand resting upon her knee.
"Dwarrowdelf was long since forgotten by old miners when goblins started inhabiting different sections that were barren of their resources," Thorin said firmly. "I would love to reclaim one of the greatest dwarf cities, but it is folly to do so."
"And wherever did you get that assumption?"Balin's voice asked in mild curiosity. Kili heard a sliver of edginess come to the old warrior's voice as he spoke. Kili took it as a sign that Thorin was pushing on Balin's calmness level. That only happened when Dwalin was nearby. "People have been saying that goblins have long since left Dwarrowdelf's halls. We may have a chance."
"That chance is slim," Thorin replied in a chopped sentence. The rap of a scabbard upon stone made Kili jump; he knew that familiar rap now. The Blade of the Dragon had hit the floor in a yell for attention.
"Enough," Coruwen soothed. Her voice was smooth and calm, not firm in the slightest. "Ori, have you found anything on the city?"
"Working on it," Ori's little voice returned hurriedly. "Just can't seem to find what you're asking of me."
"All right," Coruwen replied. Kili slinked closer to the door giving him more sight into the room. Light danced in the middle of the vast room coloring the engraved stone a light grey. He caught sight of Ori, sitting with his legs criss crossed, beside Coruwen's right hand on the floor with stacks of books around as he scanned through two that rested on each leg. His light brown hair was frizzy as he combed his fingers through it nervously. Then Kili saw Coruwen, she wore a dress of black and white with long sleeves that covered her hands. Her left hand was resting upon Thorin's wrist with their gold rings glittering in the pale sunlight. Her blue eyes were trained upon Balin, Bofur, Bifur, and Dwalin; who all were standing before their king and queen.
"What is Ori looking for exactly?" Kili mouthed as he watched a book get flung over Ori's head and landing somewhere far behind him. This was strange for Ori, who loved books more than people. The young dwarf's brow was furrowed in thought as two fingers tapped over a passage.
"Found something," Ori smiled handing the book up to Coruwen, who removed her left hand off of Thorin's wrist. The queen's eyes scanned the passage and slowly a frown came to her face. "I could only make out a few instances of Tengwar within, but-,"
"Balin, going to Moria is a fool's idea," Coruwen said raising her gaze from the book. "If what this book says is true, and Durin's Bane still lives, then horrible things could happen." The concern in her voice was slowly breaking her voice. Her fingers brushed the tips of the pages. "There was a reason that Gondolin was destroyed, and Moria cannot be retaken. Balrogs are a spawn of Morgoth, and they are not to be taken lightly. The sole reason that the Balrog of Moria has not killed the goblins is because they pray to it."
"Did Dain not say that he felt Durin's Bane when he stepped towards the gate?" Dwalin asked.
"Aye, that he did, but that was many years ago and I have a strange feeling that Durin's Bane has been put to rest." Balin stated. "I cannot be certain that it has happened, but Balrogs must sleep once in awhile."
"And what then? What if we can possibly reclaim Dwarrowdelf?"
"We will do what we did with Erebor. It is that simple."
Coruwen looked down at Ori once more as he played with the tip of a braid. Kili slinked into the room, which he hoped she did not hear him as he sat against a pillar in the shadows. He did not enjoy having to sneak around like this. Fili could get away with being in the room with such matter, but he could not. He saw Fili's gold hair bob up as he prepared to enter the room. The queen's blue eyes flicked up to the door when she heard Fili's footsteps reach her ears.
"Coruwen," Ori said handing her a book. Her eyes fell on a picture of Durin's Bane standing in a plume of shadow and flame with its horned head rising from the flames. It eyes were the color of flame with immaculate power and fear emanating from a simple picture. "It that similar to what you've seen of Balrogs?"
"Yes, it is," She whispered as if the breath had been swept out of her lungs. The twinge of a cough crawled up her throat like a spider. The cough had been keeping itself concealed as of late with the aid of medicine, but once in a while it would strike at odd moments. "Thorin…"
From her hands, Thorin took the book observing the picture. Her husband's eyes narrowed at the sight. His jaw tightened as he shut the book. Her fingers wrapped around his wrist loosely, but it did not stop the feeling of anger from radiating off of him.
"Balin, we cannot lose you at this moment in time," Thorin stated. Her husband's firm tone was enough to make Balin take a step back mentally. The look of somberness was in Balin's eyes and disappeared when he shut his eyes. "Should there be a time of peace once more then you will be allowed to leave for Dwarrowdelf."
"I understand completely, my king," Balin replied with a bow of his head. He and Bifur walked off leaving Dwalin and Bofur behind. Thorin eyed the two curiously with the darkness of agitation and anger leaving his eyes. With the release of his anger, Dwalin seemed to relax physically and Ori halted his hurried pace of flipping through books.
"I do not believe I have ever seen you become cross with Balin before," Coruwen commented softly. Thorin's eyes met hers, and she saw him become a tad solemn.
"The queen's right, what is the matter?" Bofur asked sitting on the steps before Ori. The king shook his head, but Coruwen rested her fingers in between his. Dwalin looked up at him in a slightly condescending manner with both hands resting upon the end of his war hammer.
"I suppose too much has been on my mind," Thorin replied turning his hand to catch his wife's hand. Her gaze watched the rise and fall of his chest. Deep within her soul, she felt his uneasiness, but physically she saw his hand curl around her slender hand tightly along with his chair arm. "Balin's desire to go off to Dwarrowdelf is that of a fool. We attempted to take back that city numerous times only to have battle take so many of us."
"It could be done with a small group, you know," Dwalin stated. Coruwen caught the uncertainty of his voice. The brothers did not desire to be parted, but Dwalin was firmly against going to Moria. His dark eyes became sad and his gaze was cast down. The look and disposition that the warrior took on was not Dwalin, but rather someone else in his skin. "My brother has this stupid notion that going there will change everything. He believes that since we took back Erebor, Moria should be that easy to retake."
"We will have to let him figure it out on his own," Coruwen reminded them. Bofur glanced up at her curiously. He leaned back against a stack of books to look at the ceiling. "You should not feel ashamed for your brother's actions, Dwalin."
"I am not," Dwalin grumbled. "I am merely angry at the fact he would assume that Moria would be easy to retake! He fought in the battle against Azog at the gates; he should have known that the city cannot be retaken!"
"I wonder if someone could enter through the back gate," Ori thought aloud. All of the people stared at Ori with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief. Coruwen knew Ori was only tossing ideas out into the air, but it made the most sense. She gave him a soft smile as he looked up at her. "I-I mean we did it when we came to Erebor, right? There should be a back door somewhere."
"Ori, don't you go getting into my brother's ludicrous idea," Dwalin growled.
"No, Dwalin he's right," Coruwen interrupted. "Moria should have at least two back doors since Dwarrowdelf was expansive. If we don't want Balin going off to Moria, we best hide the maps marking the entrances."
Thorin narrowed his eyes up at his wife, which made her cast her gaze to the engraved floor. His blue eyes were sterner than she predicted they would be. She let out a short breath tapping her fingers on the arm of her chair. She flicked her eyes down to Ori, who blinked up at her in confusion.
"How many maps do you have on Moria, Ori?" She asked shutting her eyes for a brief second. Her senses stretched into the expanse of the room, and she graced a familiar presence in the far right corner of the room. She opened her eyes, looking to Fili who was looking toward the exact spot she had graced. She saw Ori shuffling paper around into neat stacks and he counted each of them with the numbers words playing on his lips. He then dropped the stack of paper, shutting his eyes.
"Fifteen?" Ori mumbled looking up at his queen quizzically. Coruwen was shocked by how many they possessed; she was sure that they did not possess fifteen maps of Erebor. She leaned on the heel of her hand with her slender hand covering her eyes. "And that is just an estimate…"
"Hide them, all of them. Dwalin, Bofur, best help him."
Bofur leapt up scooping up a pile of books to which Ori went pale at the man-handling of his books. He picked up a smaller pile, following after Bofur, who marched off to the library. Dwalin leaned his war hammer up against a pillar before grabbing books to follow the other two. She glanced over at Thorin, who was lightly smirking at the antics of the company. Coruwen gently slid her hand into his once more, entwining their fingers together.
Dís watched Dwalin descend the steps from the main hall carrying a great deal of books in his arms while curses were uttered in rapid Khuzdul. She quickly climbed the steps and entered the room through the large crack in the door. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kili sitting behind a pillar with his fingers fashioning braids out of his dark hair.
"Kili," Dís scolded narrowing her eyes at him. Kili's gold eyes went wide and he froze. She strode forward, kneeling before him. "What are you doing?"
"Well, I was eavesdropping-," Kili started but halted himself. He shut his mouth with his eyes narrowing out of frustration. "Damn it, I did it again…"
Dís chuckled, placing her hand on his forehead. His face was downcast with shame as he bumped his head on her shoulder. She found it rather cute to behold since he had had done this whenever he was in trouble. It reminded her of a dog coming before its master in shame of being caught. She smiled lightly, patting her youngest son's back in assurance. He mumbled his apology into her shoulder; she accepted the muffled apology, but she reminded him it wasn't her he needed to fear. Kili sat back up, shifting his gaze backward.
"Do I have to?" Kili mumbled.
"I do not know why you have this insane notion that you should stealth around like this," Dís said standing back up. Kili leapt up with a slight teeter most likely caused by lack of blood flow to his legs. Strands of his dark hair hung in his eyes to which she swept away with a simple sweep across his eyes. When she looked upon Kili, she saw a mixture of her lost husband and her father. He was blessed with the dark hair of the line of Thror, but the handsome face and eyes of her husband. She patted his hand. "You are an heir, Kili. You shouldn't be hiding like this since you are of age now."
"But-,"
"Kili…" Coruwen's voice came from behind him. Dís saw him shudder at the smoothness of her sister in law's voice. In her spirit, she shuddered as well. Coruwen had that strange, smooth voice that made people feel a tad uneasy. She smiled brightly at Kili, giving him a motion to move along. He shook his head, and she rolled her eyes.
"Go on," Dís said motioning with her hands for him to walk. He half walked, half shuffled his way toward his aunt and uncle, who had come to stand up with Fili nearby Thorin's right side. Thorin motioned with two fingers for the boys to follow him out of the main hall, leaving Coruwen with her. She saw a flash of pain in the queen's eyes as she took a step down. "Are you all right?"
Coruwen's attention snapped up to hers. Deep sky blue eyes were indeed marred by pain's grip. Dís saw her gaze flick over to the corridor that Thorin and the boys had disappeared down. Dís sensed something was wrong with Coruwen; the way she held herself was not as high along with the deeply etched pain in her eyes. The Dragon Blade beneath her hand was the only thing holding her up right now as she slowly crumpled to the floor.
"Coruwen, what in the world is going on?" Dís asked firmly, starting towards her. It was then that a most horrible sound came to her ears. A rasp like cough came from the queen as she shook. Dís heard a desperate gasp for air that was muffled by a hand. She knelt beside Coruwen, and took her shoulders to draw her closer. The elf queen was shaking physically as if she was stricken by the cold and she was deathly pale. "Oh Mahal, you're sick."
"I am fine," Coruwen coughed. Her breathing deepened as it fought to draw breath. "I have been," She let out a small cough, no where the same ferocity as before. Her smooth voice was hoarse, almost scratchy, "Dealing with this for a year now."
"Then why have you not said anything before?" Dís helped her stand, finding that Coruwen regained her tall stature once more. "That cough sounds horrible, have you told anyone?"
"Dain, Dain knows," She breathed.
"Does Thorin-?"
"No, I do not plan on telling him."
"Why? He is your husband, he has the right to know," Dís could not believe her… Coruwen would rather keep Thorin in the dark than tell him of her health. She saw it as childish to do such a thing. "Why will you not tell him?"
"Because the time has not come yet…"
"Then what time will that be? When you are lying dead before him?" Coruwen's gaze rose to her own fierce one. Dís wanted to see her brother happy, and he was just that with Coruwen. "My brother loves you far more than the heirloom of our family! Why are you tossing aside your love for him?"
"I am not tossing it aside…"
"Then what are you doing? Why are you keeping him in the dark?"
The queen let out a short, irritated breath and she straightened herself to her full height. "Because if I tell him, I will no longer be free. I will be confined to these halls until either my sickness, old age, or both take me. That is not the life I desired when I left the elves. I am no bird you can put into a cage and expect to sing." Ferocity ignited to life in Coruwen's voice as she looked down at Dís. "Though your brother knows this, his protective nature is stronger and will tell him to prohibit me from walking outside like a free person. I have seen it happen with the women of your race."
Dís took a mental step back, not realizing that fact. Thorin was protective by nature and would not doubt cast aside all thought to protect Coruwen, even if it suffocated her. She knew the feelings that the queen spoke of. Her husband had told her to stay inside his halls when she was pregnant with the boys both times. Dís hated those long months while she was prohibited from walking outside. She shut her eyes for a brief moment. "I-I understand," Dís replied wrapping her dark hair to rest on her shoulder. "I understand your logic for my husband restricted me from walking freely when I was pregnant with the boys."
"Dís…"
She gave the queen a gentle glance. "Is there anything you are taking to control the cough?"
Coruwen dipped her head to her. "There is a medicinal herb that Lady Iris has in Dale for me. I was planning on sending Merida for them since I have run out."
"Right and that herb alone seems to work?"
"I have not coughed since Dain was here a few months ago. This is the first outburst I have had," Coruwen replied. She started toward the main hall exit until she stopped short. She glanced over her shoulder with a solemn expression on her face. "Dís please do not mention this to anyone."
"Your trust is well placed, Sister."
Coruwen ran her fingers across the satin fabric of a shift that she had been stitching beads to. The shift was flowing like sheer silver water over her fingers as she worked on the stitching. She had forgotten the last time since she had sat down at sewn for she had been so preoccupied with affairs ranging from large diplomatic arguments to small things like sorting out family disputes. A sharp pain pricked her finger while her mind wandered to several events making her recoil. She had pricked her index finger on the needle drawing a small bit of blood.
As she put pressure on the small prick, she saw the door to her chambers open a bit. In the doorway stood Thorin, who was glancing over his shoulder speaking to Dís. Her sister in law's alto voice chuckled as they spoke in rapid Khuzdul to the other. Thorin groaned, shaking his head at small quip Dís made before her door shut.
Thorin shut the door with his gaze still locked on the floor. He removed Orcrist from his hip and setting it beside the door beside the Dragon's Blade. He glanced up directly from his wife's blade to see her lying on a burgundy chaise sofa in a gown of pearlescent white with a robe over her shoulders as she held a shift in her hands. Coruwen gave him a soft smile before returning her gaze to her shift.
"Where did you run off to?" Coruwen asked as he disappeared into their bedroom. She heard him moving things around in the room along with the shutting of cabinet drawers. "Thorin?"
"I had to speak with the boys about something," Thorin replied coming back to her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and settled behind her. "Kili still believes he is too young to be involved with certain affairs. He seemed rather unsettled at first, and it took both Fili and I to explain it thoroughly."
"And?" Her voice rose in curiosity. Her thin fingers started to stitch together black thread throughout the shift. His train of thought got lost for a moment as he watched her work. She shifted against him to where her elbow dug into his hip sharply.
"He will stop sneaking around now," He let out a breath when her elbow removed itself from his hip. "But Kili did not tell me why he was sneaking around in the first place. I assume it had to do with age, for Frerin did it as a young man."
"Did it ever cross your mind that he had a small fear of being a diplomat?"
Thorin's brow furrowed in thought. His wife stopped stitching and glanced over her shoulder at him through strands of gold. That thought truly never did pass through his mind for he assumed that his sister-sons would follow in his footsteps in that manner. He was no diplomat by nature, but he could perform quite well if needed. In thought, he played with Coruwen's gold hair by twirling a few strands around his fingers. He felt her fingers brush up against his hand, trying to stop him. He allowed her to grab his hand and she placed it back on her waist.
"I suppose it never did," He answered simply. "Fili has shown in interest in following after me, but I have yet to piece together Kili." Coruwen craned her head back with her blue eyes asking him to continue. He bowed his head touching foreheads with her. "Maybe it is because Kili is more like their father in the regard that he enjoys being free. I could easily be very wrong, but ever since he was little Kili has intrigued me with his different take on ideals."
Coruwen returned her head forward again and she relaxed into his grip further. She let out a hum of thought, and he felt her fingertips run over the tops of his hands. The touch was gentle almost nonexistent if he had not known she was present.
"Kili is not so different from your sister," She said finally. He found that a bit surprising to hear from her. "Dís is a very free spirited woman, as free spirited as any dwarf can be, of course. No doubt Kili obtained that from her. So in truth, he is no different than her."
"I-I never thought of that."
"You would have think back to when your sister was his age," Coruwen's fingers played with his ring and tunic sleeve. The touch of her sparked a bit of fire in his blood, but he pushed it away. Once again, she was his greatest strength and weakness. As he broke away from the fire, he thought back to Dís' younger years. Dís had always followed her own path; unlike him and Frerin had when they followed the path of their forefathers. The more he thought it over and compared the two, the more he saw a resemblance between mother and son. He heard the soft, melodic laugh of his wife to which he raised one eyebrow. "I know you're looking at me funny, but I assume you figured it out."
"Aye, I have what of it?" He pulled her back into him that made her laugh a bit more. Her laugh was such a rarity that he delighted to hear it whenever he could. Coruwen turned her head to face him allowing him to meet her sky blue eyes. They were bright with mirth almost the true color of the sky on a spring day. She placed a small kiss on his nose that made him smile. Gently, Thorin tucked the front section of her hair behind her ear, which allowed him to trace her jaw with the back of his hand. "How did you figure out that Kili and Dís were similar?"
"I spoke with her earlier and found that she and Kili are oddly similar in the regard of freedom." His fingers wandered down to her neck where he found the chain of her necklace. Coruwen sat up and rolled one shoulder. She returned to him by curling around his left side so that her head could rest on his chest. "I find it strange that you never noticed that…"
"So it slipped my mind, you are not without fault as well, Coruwen." He ran his fingers through her hair feeling it slip through his fingers freely like the wind passing through the grass. The section he was running his fingers through fell onto her side and he saw her looking up at him with a gentle smile on her face. He had remembered what Dain had told him once about the way Coruwen smiled when someone would say something; his cousin could not depict what emotion she was truly portraying. Slight reprimand was shining her blue eyes making him wonder what he done to evoke this. "What have I done?"
"You have done nothing; I was thinking," She stated as her smile fell. Her voice faded into a low tone of lingering thought, which was rather odd for her to do. She bowed her head causing her hair to fall around the sides of her face. It made him curious to why she was suddenly having lingering thoughts. "I was thinking about the fate of the Nazgûl and Sauron. We have not heard any news from Rorik or Dain about any dark forces. I am beginning to wonder if something has occurred within the old fortress."
"What could have occurred? You said that the Dark Lord was calling his minions a few months back, and now what would he be doing other than hunting for his ring."
"He needs a stronghold that is not close to any type of pure good. Elves are so very spread that there not too many places are free of my kindred. The only place he could flee would be Mordor."
"And that is very far south, and if he is as weak as you and Thranduil believe then he will not get far." He raised her gaze up to his and concern was strong in her eyes. She had been worrying so much that it seemed very little of any other emotion would come forward. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips to which she smiled faintly. "You have been worrying too much. Can you not let some things go?"
"When I do, other things just replace them," She sighed with a solemn expression on her fair face. "I have stopped trying to fight the worry that clouds my judgment. What point is there in fighting against a rising wave?" Her voice became quiet, almost below a whisper. Her eyes flicked back to him as he frowned at her. Her light blue eyes were full of grief with fragments of love. "Be cross with if you want, but I cannot deny that I worry incessantly about the rising darkness."
"You are not yourself, and I understand that you are worried, for I worry about our fate as well." He sat up and placed a hand against her cheek, his thumb brushed against her cheekbone which made her eyes close. "You cannot keep doing this; it will make you become something that you are not."
Her slender hand rose and rested upon his with her eyes opening to half slits. Her eyes were very dark with swarming emotion, and his spirit could feel her uneasiness. "I do not mean to bother you."
"You are doing anything but that, my dear. I am concerned that I will lose you should you persist like this." He lowered their hands and kissed her knuckles. Her eyes opened to look at him with a bright love within them, such a love made his spirit lighten realizing he had a fair jewel before him. "You should rest, Coruwen," He slid his hand free of hers to sweep a few gold waves behind her pointed ear. "I will join you in a few minutes."
She gave him a quizzical look, but did not object. He waited until she had disappeared entirely to walk out onto the balcony where Cairn sat upon the stone rail with his amber eyes watching the horizon. The raven lord had gained a new plumage of feathers of ebony and dark taupe that were veined with the light of the crescent moon. When Thorin greeted the lord with a gentle pat on the head, Cairn turned his gaze backward to him.
"Is she asleep yet?" Cairn whispered. Thorin glanced back not hearing any movement, but Cairn simply blinked at him. "She is an elf, she will hear you. The queen knows your voice and mine quite well…"
To the best of his ability, Thorin quietly walked up to the door of their bedroom to find the room pitch dark. His eyes adjusted to the deep darkness and began to search for Coruwen. He spied gold hair that was stark against the dark fur blanket and when he listened he could hear her breathing was deep. He hadn't suspected she would have fallen asleep so quickly, she did not appear tired in the slightest to him. He returned to Cairn, giving him a small nod.
"What do you ask of me, my king?" Cairn inquired. Thorin allowed Cairn to perch on his forearm so that they could see eye to eye. "I am not flying off to the Iron Hills again, am I?"
"Not unless you miss Dain that much," Thorin teased. Cairn let out a small groan, shaking his head. He chuckled at the lord's response and he stroked Cairn's chest feathers with two fingers. "I need you to fly to Freya, and ask her if she can come to Erebor. I require her extensive knowledge on the world of Sauron."
"Why in world-?" Cairn shook his head. "Never mind, it shall be done," The lord hopped off of Thorin's forearm and he waddled onto the ledge with his wings unfurling for flight. "I will just have to get over my fear of giant snakes that think I taste like chicken."
"Freya doesn't eat little ravens, Cairn."
Cairn scoffed, "Bet me." The raven flexed his wings and he shot up into the air. "I shall return by morning's light, my king."
The king bowed his head watching the raven slip off into the darkness of night with only the moon's light to guide him to Ered Mithrin. He hoped that Freya would ease Coruwen's nerves along with give him insight about Sauron. He hadn't seen or heard any word from the Great Dragoness in a long time, about three years in fact. His eyes wandered up to the cloudless sky were dozens of small stars flickered like white candle flames. The crescent moon that hung in the sky reminded him of Rivendell many years ago when Elrond had read the Moon Runes upon his grandfather's map. He shook his head, shaking himself free of that old adventure. Thorin's eyes fell upon his ring that was pale gold in the moonlight. The adventure had given him many gifts and many curses, but his ring signified one of the many gifts.
The king left the balcony and returned to his wife, who was sitting up and looking at him curiously. She had been waiting for him. He blinked in shock at the sight of her slightly awake state. When he joined her, he found that she was awake because she had heard Cairn's ending statement before he flew off. The two laid in the pitch dark of the room talking, but speech turned into an embrace allowing their spirits to entwine.
Cairn landed on a jutted out rock with the dark silhouette of Ered Mithrin in the dwindling moonlight. He wings were a tad sore from fighting against cold Northern winds and the few stray owls chewed him out for being in their territory. He let out a puff of air before rising into the air once more. He remembered Vasha stating that Queen Freya lived in the old Dwarven city created by King Thror many years ago. This would've been easy had he known where the bloody city was. He had flying over the greatest peak of Ered Mithrin for hours with no sign of the city in any cavern.
"Well Hello there," A voice chirped. Cairn hovered in the air searching for the voice. He only saw black in his line of sight. "Down here…" Cairn looked down to see a small chickadee sitting delicately upon a tall pine tree eyeing him with her black, beady eyes. Her voice was tiny but more beautiful that any birdsong he had heard before. "What'cha doing up here, Mister Raven?"
"A girl like you should not be caring," Cairn answered as he landed beside her. The chickadee ruffled her wings a bit, puffing up her chest to appear big. Cairn mentally laughed at the sight.
"Well, sir, this is my tree and I can kick you off if I see fit," The chickadee sang. "Now, tell me why you are all the way up here."
Cairn sighed. "I am the Lord Cairn hailing from Erebor. I come in search of Freya, daughter of Ancalagon the Black."
"Oh," Chickadee replied. "You're a bit too far; she lives in this mountain's sister. Go west until you hit the door in the mountain, and there you will find the gate leading to a Dwarven settlement. The door's always open, so feel free to go inside!"
The chickadee flew off into the night, and Cairn blinked in shock. He rose into the air, following the Chickadee's directions to the great, steel gate open abroad for a dragon to enter. The gate was heavy rusted, but Cairn could make out the symbol of the crest of Durin upon its walls. He waddled inside hearing a great snore from within. He hopped, almost picking up his wings to move himself along. Deep within the winding halls, similar to that of Erebor's design, Cairn saw Freya's bone white neck scales catching streams of moonlight. He dove down into the depths landing on a spear that was stuck into the wall.
"Freya," Cairn shouted. The dragoness' cat eyes opened and the raven felt a small shiver dart down his spine. He prayed to the Earth Mother that she would not see him as food. The Dragon Queen rolled over onto her stomach with her wings slightly unfurled from sleep. Her great sigil pupil was expanded greatly because of the darkness making her appear like a predator catching the scent of blood. Her nose passed over him, inhaling his scent.
"Little Raven Cairn, it's been an age," Freya greeted. "What brings you to my Hold?"
"I come bearing news from Thorin Oakenshield," Cairn began with his little voice cracking from nervousness. Freya's amber eyes became curious as she shifted once more. "He wishes for you to come to Erebor for he requires your insight upon the matters of the Dark Lord Sauron, who has been growing in the South-west. Why he requires your insight, I do not know."
"I see," Freya replied scratching her chin with her vermillion claws. She let out a happy rumble and rested her wings against her back. "I shall fly with your in the morn, little lord. You must be tired…" He mentally agreed with her as he waddled up to Freya's broad paw. "You will be safe here, rest for I will wake you in the morning when we will fly."
"Thank you, Great Dragoness," Cairn answered as he flew up to one of her ram curled horns where he landed, tucked his beak beneath his wing and fell asleep. Freya smiled as she shut her eyes.
"Why do the leaves fall in autumn, but come back again? At the coming of an age, the leaves of the world will fall…" Freya thought to herself as she fell into the pits of slumber.
A/N: So, I did the math last night, and found out what year we are in. I had gotten wrapped up in everything that I forgot which year it was book time. So, according the the appendices of The Return of the King, our current year is about 2946; two years before Theoden was born. So, at the top of the chapter, I am going to start putting the current year, that way we don't forget what year it is. If any of you have the appendices at hand, take a look at what is coming our way, kind of. I will be changing certain things around because this is AU.
Sorry for the long Author's Note, and until next time. :)
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