Music Suggestion: Auriel's Ascension from Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

The Golden Wood

-2947-

It had been a week since Coruwen had left Erebor to travel to Lothlórien alone. She had stated that she was going because it was formal for her to appear before her kindred. She hated leaving her son and husband, but she needed to see Orophin and her family with her own eyes and possibly make amends. Her gloved hands held the reins of Faenaur tightly as she came to a slow stop before the gates of Caras Galadhon with the ever towering mallorn trees standing tall with their golden leaves sending soft gold light flickering across the ground like a swimming sea of gold and pale yellow. The air here was clean, mixed with the scent of the cold winds that rushed down the slopes of the Misty Mountains. Her heart shuddered within her chest when she looked at the majesty of her old home, and nostalgia was playing a firm hand in all of the memories that flooded her.

Coruwen could not deny that she often dreamt of home with her father and uncles. That life was simpler, almost easy compared to the one she possessed now. She was a queen, a lady, and mostly a mother and wife. Though she did not carry the Life of the Eldar anymore, it still lingered in her ageless face and appearance. She dismounted Faenaur, feeling her boots crunch the old leaves beneath her feet as she looped her horse's reins around her right hand. Upon stopping before the gates, she heard a voice call down at her from on high. The voice belonged to an elleth and she sounded rather cross. She demanded to know who was approaching her gates this early in the morning.

"Coruwen, Haldiriell," Coruwen returned trying to keep her voice even. The steel rod gates cracked open allowing her inside, and he ears picked up a low song from the tops of the mallorn trees as she climbed the slope with Faenaur. The voice was tenor and full of great melancholy. She halted before the trunk of the grey mallorn tree, slightly feeling her soul pull towards the song. She knew that voice… Coruwen knew that voice anywhere, for it was the voice of a father; low and typically not meant for singing. "Ada…"

The song halted when her lips formed the words of her father and a flash of sliver-blonde passed in her vision along with a bit of storm grey. She took a step back, hiding within the confines of her cloak to hide from her father as he clambered down to her. The sound of light feet touching branches and dead leaves made her flick her gaze upward, and then her heart sank. Before her, stood Haldir dressed in the dark grey garb of the Galadhrim with his bow slung over his shoulder. His long hair was braided back on the sides starting at his temples and the rest fell down his back like a sheet of silver-blonde that deeply contrasted his dark grey cloak. His complexion was pale, in fact far paler than she would have expected from him. His face was chiseled with high cheekbones and stern quicksilver eyes that were ever watchful.

"What are you doing here?" Haldir asked firmly. She jumped at the firmness of his voice, lowering her gaze o the ground. She could not help it; though strong in the presence of the Dwarven race, but around people like her father she was more than an elfling again. She indeed felt like a child caught in between a rock and a hard place. "Araniel, what are you doing here?"

"I came for Uncle Orophin, nothing more," Coruwen said quickly. Her blue eyes stared up at him through the brim of her hood, and she saw his eyes widen in mild shock. He was clearly not expecting her to speak to him like that. He sighed quietly, closing his eyes in irritation. "Rumil sent me a letter."

"I would have figured so," Haldir replied. "That is the last time I let him wander off with a piece of parchment…" The Marchwarden shook his head, sighing. "Fine, if you are here for him, then I will let you accompany me. The last ones for the funeral would have been Rumil and I, but seeing as you rode all the way here…" His gaze slightly softened. "And you were his niece; his only niece."

"Thank you, Adar," She whispered as he started off towards a secluded grove in Lothlórien's vast overhanging trees nearest the Nimrodel. She spied Rumil in the grove, fingering his curved sword that hung from his hip with his face downcast, shadowed by his silver-blonde hair. Coruwen looked up at him, and he smiled. He was gifted with gentler features than that of Orophin and Haldir; in fact he was louder but kinder brother. If an elleth or ellon was troubled, Rumil typically was the least apprehensive of them. When she released Faenaur, Rumil looked up at her with slight surprise.

"Rumil, she isn't here for you to socialize with. She is here to pay respects, nothing more," Haldir snapped. Rumil's grey eyes became stern immediately and he glared at his older brother with great disdain. "Glare at me if you will… She is an outsider, a woman in exile-,"

"She is your daughter, and you love her!" Rumil retorted stepping in front of Coruwen. She grabbed her uncle's arm to stop him, but his grip was ripped from her. She felt her throat constrict when Haldir's dark gaze fell on Rumil. "You told me so yourself, and do not try and deny it!"

"Rumil, stop this nonsense," Haldir growled.

"No. I will not stand by and let you push her away anymore! Orophin was right; you cannot see through the blindness you created by pushing Coruwen away." The young ellon snapped. Haldir let out a short breath before walking forward to get away from Rumil, and Coruwen saw his shoulders were rolled back in a manner that suggested great anger. Haldir had always easily unsettled by Rumil, and this was only pushing his temper further and further away from the edge of calmness. In one short breath, Rumil looked down at her with his features softening when he gazed down at her. Her heart could not bear to see her family fight, but she could do nothing and words surely would not stop them. She felt Rumil's gloved hand take her own, and he smiled. "I see you got my letter then."

"Yes," She replied in a low tone. "I wish I was here upon lighter terms than this." She glanced past Rumil to see the back of her father, who was clearly speaking to Orophin's grave quietly enough to where she could not hear him. "Why is he like this?"

"Haldir?" Rumil sighed, shutting his eyes. "He has been this way since he found out your gave up the Life of the Eldar, robin. He knows now that you will never be able to return to Aman to live there. That was all he ever wanted, he wanted you to be happy."

"But I am," She shook her head, finding it hard to believe that her father had turned cold and bitter because of her. "I have a son, I have a husband that loves me, and I love him. I love what my life has become."

Rumil gave her a forced smile that was turning sad. His voice thickened with a sudden burst of emotion. "Robin, you were the light of Haldir's life. He wanted you to live forever with one our kindred rather than the race that we do not get along with. You see, Haldir and I cannot go across the sea as many of our kindred do. We have sworn to protect this land of Middle-Earth, and now we can never leave. It is a pledge that was placed upon us when took the title of Marchwarden. And the same goes for many of Thranduil's people."

"You are saying that all he was wanted was for me to go where he could not?"

"Yes," Rumil stroked the top of her hand with his thumb. "You were his nightingale from the day we met you. All he ever wanted was to see you happy, as I said before."

"What if I showed him that I was happy?"

"Well, you surely could try. Haldir is stubborn you know."

Coruwen smiled, "I know. Where do you think I learned it from? I surely did not learn it from you, uncle."

Rumil pondered that statement, "I do not know if I should be happy or upset…"

Coruwen held back a laugh, for his dumbstruck expression brought laughs from the recesses of her lungs. When the laughter died down, she stepped forward towards the grave of her uncle standing beside her father, who was kneeling down before the grave. Upon the grave, lay small flowers, ones of purest white and bright yellow. From beneath her cloak, she withdrew the necklace that Rumil had sent with the note a week ago to Erebor. It made her heart tighten in sorrow for the loss of Orophin, and it was then that one tear slipped from her eye as she settled the necklace around the headstone. It was finely made and crafted to catch the light of the sun and moon that lit the world with their grace, but in the middle of the finely polished stone was an engraved lark sitting upon a sapling. She let out a shaky breath before turning away from the picture entirely, unable to believe that Orophin was truly gone. In her heart, she wanted to cry for his loss, but knew it would bring her no comfort.

"Haldir, I'm heading back before Gilion jumps my cage," Rumil stated as he brushed back the long wisps of a willow tree. Coruwen looked up at Rumil, catching the happy glint in his grey eyes before he disappeared.

There was a long silence as Coruwen leaned up against the trunk of a willow tree, knitting her lean fingers together to help soothe her troubled heart that shuddered within her chest. She removed her hood from around her head, letting her hair free of its confinements in between her cloak and dress. She took a breath again, feeling her whole chest shudder with grief. Tears blurred her vision as she looked up at the swirling sky, and the tears that welled in her eyes were beginning to sting.

"Why does the nightingale never sing?" Haldir's voice said in slightly distant voice. Coruwen blinked away her tears, looking to her father, who had stood from his kneel and was looking at her with a forlorn expression. "I knew a nightingale once, so small and frail, which ran away from home. The little bird never returned home, but stayed beneath mountain instead with a great black dragon with sapphire eyes. The nightingale has never returned home, you see. I have yet to see my lost nightingale."

"Ada, please," Coruwen whispered. Haldir came before her and kneeled. "Do not do this to me…"

Haldir raised her face upward with his hand cupping her cheek. His grey eyes were no longer stern, but greatly grieved. He was not himself currently. "My little nightingale was replaced by a dragoness of the greatest gold. And I want my little girl back," He whispered, almost out of breath. Coruwen shut her eyes with tears rolling down her face. "You are not as I left you, my daughter."

"I am sorry, Ada… I never meant to hurt you in any way, but I am happier now." Coruwen touched foreheads with him before wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug, allowing her to buy her face into his neck. She could not stop the tears the fell from her eyes, or the breaths that were shaky from sadness. "I love my husband, but I would never abandon you or Rumil. I am still one of the people of Lothlórien; I am just far away."

Haldir held Coruwen close to him, fearing she would slip away if he did not hold her. Rumil had been right; he missed her more than he thought. He kissed her gold hair and then stroked her back as she clung to him as if she were a child once more. She pulled away from him allowing him to look into her light blue eyes that were glassy from tears. He wiped away a few tears that began to roll down her cheeks with his thumb, but could not help feeling as if her grief was caused by his earlier behavior.

"You are a grandfather now, Ada. I have a son, and he is the greatest joy in my life." Coruwen said quietly and his own heart leaped a bit in his chest. "One day, I wish for you to meet him. He is a loving child, and so bright and happy."

"Just like you were nightingale," Haldir whispered stroking her hair with one gloved hand. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead before taking her hand in his own. He was startled to see the elegantly crafted ring upon her right hand with a single diamond set into it. He smiled softly, "You were always my sun and stars, and now you have one of your own. I apologize for my earlier behavior, I was still bitter from when you left this race behind."

"I am an exile by all rights, but I would gladly come home if asked of me for a short while. I was truly upset when I was given your letter by Mithrandir. I thought you truly despised me."

"I was indeed upset; Coruwen, but I would never despise you." He helped her stand and held onto her hand. "I was very confused on that day. I did not know to be upset or happy for you. My daughter was marrying, but you were marrying a man, whose race we have not had dealings with since the dark days. I sent that letter to possibly make you come home, but I see it only made you flee from me."

Coruwen smiled up at her father before moving aside some strands of his hair that fell in his eyes. "Ada, if you knew the softer side of my husband, you would see why I chose him over all other ellyns; he maybe stubborn and quite short tempered, but he is kind though it can be hard to see."

"You're saying he means well," The Marchwarden chuckled, such a laugh she had almost forgotten. She laughed along with him, and his smile lingered. Her laugh was pure to his ears, no other elleth possessed his daughter's laugh; maybe it was because she was his daughter. "Tell me, nightingale, why have you returned to Lothlórien besides seeing Orophin?"

Coruwen blinked at the question and then she sighed, "It is my son, Odin. He… He was blessed by Manwë with foresight."

"You need to speak with the Lady of Light, don't you?"

"Yes, if you could pull strings to allow me to meet her, I would be eternally grateful, Ada." Haldir gave her a quizzical look, almost as if he did not understand why her child would be blessed with foresight. She gripped his hand tighter. "I need to figure out some way to help my son... Thorin and I feel helpless to this matter. It seems that Odin feels everything that occurs in his foresight dreams. He came to us the other night practically scared to death speaking about the Plight of Smaug upon Erebor. I-I feel like I'm blundering in the dark."

"I will help you in whatever way I can, my daughter. The Lady of Light will more than likely help you." Haldir patted his daughter's head softly. She gave him a smile as they left the small grove, and Coruwen silently prayed to the Valar that she would be able to speak with Galadriel.

"Are you absolutely sure about this?" Kili asked flatly, as he stared at his uncle finding it hard to believe that Thorin wanted him to find two puppies in Erebor's vast halls. The firm look that Thorin was giving him suggested that he was indeed not kidding. "Fine, I'll do it, but at least give me someone to go on this crazy adventure with."

Thorin nodded, glancing over his shoulder. "Sol, keep Kili company," The king said. Kili silently dreaded what was going to happen with Sol with him. He played with the buttons on his coat before he saw fire red hair out of his peripheral vision. His gaze flicked up to Sol, who was standing beside Thorin with her long hair pulled back in a ponytail. "They are small, no bigger than a tom cat and they should come to you."

"Doesn't sound too hard," Sol laughed. "Where did the young prince find them the other day?"

"Outside of the meeting hall, but they could honestly be anywhere." Fili interjected as he came down from a series of steps that led up to the main hall. Kili nodded in agreement; two dogs in Erebor was like finding needles in a haystack. "Uncle and I will search up here and if we find them before you two, then we'll come find you two."

"Come on, Sol," Kili said quickly as he started towards the lower levels with a swift step in his gait. The lower levels were always bustling, almost hard to maneuver through without bumping into someone. Dark green and red banners blurred past Kili's vision as he wove through the crowds of people towards the lowest level with Sol gripping his hand for dear life. Kili began asking people if they saw two puppies wander throughout the streets, but found they knew nothing…

"How do people not notice two dogs the size of tom cats?" Kili whispered venomously. His irritation was blossoming into anger as he leaned up against the side of a pillar tapping his fingers on his sleeve. "I mean, it's a dog! Erebor doesn't have dogs aside from the few that wander in and out from Dale and Esgaroth."

A shout erupted over the crowds of milling people, one that sounded ungodly angry. "Hey, come back here!" The voice shouted. Kili turned his head watching as the crowds of people split like a great divide with two pups fleeing from the scene. One was wheat blonde with silver tips and rose-shaped ears flying in the wind as it galloped away, similar to that of a horse with all four big feet rising off of the ground in one swift stride. On a higher ridge, carrying a flank of meat, was far smaller pup colored like a baby deer and it was fast; almost a blur. Kili looked at Sol, and then at the pups.

"Catch the dogs!" Sol yelled as she ran through the crowd, but Kili was stuck thus he had to slink his way past many people to reach freedom where he saw Sol tumble to the ground with the wheat colored pup in her arms. His eyes darted around like a frantic mouse searching for its feline hunter. He didn't see the fawn colored pup. He let out a short breath before being tackled to the ground by, what felt like a fox. "Kili, don't move." Sol said cautiously.

Though his hair covered his eyes, Kili could hear the sounds of a high pitched growl brushing up against the back of his neck. He knew not to move, but he had to grab the dog before it ran away. He slowly turned his head catching the dark brown eyes of the fawn pup that held great anger within. It teeth were bared in a vicious snarl, though it was not physically threatening. Thorin had been right; these guys were not bigger that large tom cats. His fingers twitched once as it swung up, grabbing the pup off guard and pulling it into his arms like a shepherd holds a lamb. The pup struggled and in the end bit his gauntlet in defiance. The one Sol had grabbed was tame enough to be let down on the ground, and its tail wagged happily.

"Let's head back before this one finds out that he's chewing on my gauntlet," Kili said, for his gauntlet was formed of leather and studded armor, unable to take the vicious beating from the pup's locked jaw. The two made their way back up to the higher levels and found Thorin and Fili waiting for them at the iron door leading to the main hall. "Found 'em."

"We figured as much, they weren't up here," Fili stated, his voice slightly lightening from a withheld laugh. Kili mentally rolled his eyes before trying to pry the pup's jaws off of his arm. "She's got a nice lock on you, brother. You wanna give her up? She's seems quite taken."

"Get. It. Off," Kili demanded as the pup's jaws strengthened when Fili came nearby. He winced when the pup snarled, sounding vaguely like a wolf. "Fili, sometime today, please."

Fili approached the female pup holding onto Kili's arm and clicked his tongue to her. She eyed him darkly before bearing down again making Kili hiss in pain. "It's ok; I'm not going to hurt you." Fili held up his hands to show her that he meant no harm to her. Slowly, the pup's grip loosened just a bit. Kili met his brother's blue eyes that were slightly relieved. "It's all right," The female's grip finally came off and Kili's forearm throbbed in the pain when she leapt from his arms. Upon removing his gauntlet, Kili saw faint red marks in the shape of the pup's teeth upon his skin. The female danced around Fili, and then he looked down at her to see the pup eyeing him apologetically. He knelt down, and felt her cold nose touch his palm in acceptance.

"You're a sweet thing, really you are," Kili muttered stroking her soft head. He looked up at Thorin, who had the male pup before him sitting pretty for the king. The wheat blonde male was scruffy and dirty, possibly been running the mines as well for his head had a big dark grey mark from what looked like stone dust. "What do you think, Uncle?"

Thorin hummed in response, patting the male's head gently and in return, he got a lick on the hand. He knew Thorin was apprehensive of most animals, but the male pup had slightly gotten to him. He stroked its head once, looking into its eyes before raising his gaze. "This one, I name him Maugrim." The king stated, "A name of a commander, of a huntsman, for these pups are descendents of wolves."

"What about her?" Sol asked clapping for Maugrim. The pup trotted over with his tail flicking right and left in greeting. "She is awfully feisty for one so small…"

"I like Nyx," Fili interrupted. "Though it's a name belonging to a creature of darker color; I think it fits, in some strange way." Kili nodded in agreement stroking Nyx's head once more before she gave him a wet kiss on his cheek. He smiled when he hear his mother and Odin not too far away. "I think they'll do, Maugrim and Nyx; hounds of Erebor."

"Quite possibly the first and last," Kili finished standing from his kneel. His bones cracked a bit when he stood making him internally wince at the sound, hoping it was not too loud. "Uncle, you said they were descendents of wolves?"

"Maugrim is, Nyx is meant for hunting deer." Thorin said as he watched Odin approach Maugrim hesitantly before the pup tackled him to the ground with a gleeful bark. Though Thorin was not showing it, he was happy for Odin. The little boy grabbed a hold of Maugrim's head giving him a big kiss on his black nose. Odin's eyes flicked up to Thorin, and became slightly guilty randomly. The king knelt beside his son, resting one hand upon his little shoulder. "There are yours, my little one. This one is Maugrim, and the other Nyx."

"But, you said-," Odin pondered before Maugrim nuzzled the boy's face with his nose. Kili chuckled at the sight, finding it ungodly cute to behold. "Thank you, Adad…"

Thorin ruffled his son's hair once before standing. He was happy that Odin had someone to play with now, someone that was small enough; for now. By the size of Maugrim's feet, he would be at least as big as a small horse, maybe shorter. His body was meant for the hunt, and the same could have been said for Nyx. The small fawn colored pup was lean and nimble, meant for climbing steep rocks and leaping upon inspecting animals. Out of the corner of his eye, Kili watched Odin sit with Maugrim and Nyx's heads in his lap with one little hand stroking their ears.

"When will Coruwen be back, brother?" Dís asked. Kili saw his uncle's eyes darken greatly and he sighed shortly. Kili hated how quickly his uncle's mood changed nowadays; stress was beating him down bit by bit. "Thorin, you… you don't know, do you?"

"I do not know how long it will take her to speak with Lady Galadriel," Thorin replied. Kili's mind halted all thought when Thorin said Galadriel. Why did Coruwen go off to Lothlórien? He narrowed his eyes, and he saw Fili glaring at Thorin as well. Their uncle shifted his weight around, looking to Odin. "He has foresight…"

"Please tell you're kidding," Dís whispered. "What person could live with that? He is but a child." Dís' voice rose in disbelief as she stepped into her brother's view. She worried her bottom lip and Kili saw her throat physically tighten.

"It is more a curse than a blessing in my eyes, but he will have to live with it. That is why Coruwen left; if she can obtain aid from the Lady of Light then we might be able to help him better understand his visions," Thorin replied trying to soothe his sister. He glanced over at Kili and Fili. "Boys, I know it seems hard to believe, but he is Half-Elven… Your aunt and I took the risk, and we must live with it."

"So he's not normal?" Fili inquired.

"By our people, no, but with Coruwen's people, yes. Foresight is common amongst Elven kind, or so I have heard. I am beginning to believe it is hereditary." Kili looked down at Odin, who by all rights appeared... Normal. He was bright and loving for a child, but he matured faster than most dwarf-children for he was only eleven months of age and he spoke as if he were twenty two months of age. He found it unbelievable that his cousin was cursed by foresight…

"He is fine, dear sister," Thorin assured Dís as she looked over her shoulder at her nephew, who was razzing Nyx's face as she raced around him. "By all other rights, he is normal."

Coruwen stood beside Haldir as the two awaited the company of Lady Galadriel. It took Haldir and Rumil to convince Gilion that they needed to speak with Lady of Light by herself without Lord Celeborn watching them. She had remembered the look in Gilion's eyes when they said they needed just her, it was a mixture of confusion and disbelief. Coruwen had heard of the Lady of Light, seen her pass by once or twice in her life, but never thought of speaking to her. To tell the truth, she was nervous.

"It will be all right, nightingale," Haldir whispered still keeping his gaze forward. She looked at him, seeing that his stern mannerisms had returned from their sudden dive earlier. There was a sudden shift of presence in the air that made Coruwen stiffen and raise her gaze upward to the top of a dais.

Standing in the middle of the great silver dais was Galadriel, Lady of Light, and wife to Celeborn. The elleth had long gold tresses that feel in perfect waves down her back and the gold mingled with the silver diadem she wore upon her brow. The lady wore a gown of white with a sheer cloak over her shoulders and it was held together by a opalescent brooch. The lady smiled down at Haldir and Coruwen before stepping down towards them with her gown trailing after her. There was an air about Galadriel that made Coruwen's soul feel at ease, almost as if she were family.

"What brings you here?"Galadriel asked. "When word reached me that I was to be alone; I was shocked."

"We needed you alone for one reason, my lady," Haldir began. Coruwen felt the eyes of Galadriel upon her, making her feel small. She could not help it if her gaze flicked down every once in awhile for the blue eyes of the lady were all knowing. As she raised her gaze up once more, she heard her father's voice become drowned out by a screaming silence that made her skin crawl.

"The love of a child is strong, you fear for the worst," Galadriel's voice rang out in her mind making her cringe. She had never had someone inside of her mind before, and it felt disturbing. The lady's touch was gentle, almost motherly in her mind. "A blessing is simply a curse given in sheep's clothing. Your gift is no different… Nightingale," Coruwen's eyes widened a bit in shock. The nickname the lady used was one her father had used, but the way Galadriel spoke it seemed as if she were trying to soothe her. Galadriel smiled knowingly at her, turning her attention to Haldir again as he spoke.

"A child's life at risk, is risking the lives of hundreds," Galadriel said at last. "To control foresight is control the winds. It is unpredictable, threatening to strike whenever it feels the need. In truth, there is no way to control it."

"You are saying that my son will just have to keep living with nightmares? He cannot live this way," Coruwen said her voice becoming slightly harsh. "Granted, I am blessed with foresight as well, but… But I have always been able to handle it."

"I do believe that your son can handle such troubles, if given time." Galadriel replied smoothly. "All must deal with problems in stride, and your son is no different. Though Half-Dwarven does make this project more difficult; it is nothing he cannot handle. Time is an excellent pace-maker, and it will help him greatly. Wait until he is older, and if the problem still persists; take him to myself or Elrond."

"Thank you, Lady Galadriel," Coruwen said quietly, her voice defeated for she could not believe that Odin would have to continue to struggle with this. In her mind, she wanted to pull her hair out for this matter. However, what good would come of it? When she and Haldir left and made it to a place where eyes could not see them, she hugged her father feeling greatly upset. Haldir stroked her back gently as she gripped his cloak in her slender hands. Her whole body shook with withheld anger and sadness. "How can she know that Odin is suffering? He is being hurt by this idiotic curse."

Haldir hushed her, kissing her hair trying to calm her down. "You will find a way, nightingale. You are his mother, and you will find a way… I know you will." He soothed. He took her hand, and she pulled away from him looking up with her blue eyes slightly glassy from frustration. "Come; let us find Rumil before he gets himself into more trouble."

"Knowing him, he all ready is in trouble," Coruwen muttered as the two ran off in search of Rumil. In a tall mallorn tree, high above Caras Galadhon, Rumil sat watching people train below and he heard the rustling of leaves behind him. He glanced down to see Haldir clambering up the branches like a nimble cat, which made him, stand and swing down a few branches to ease his brother's travels up the tree.

"Rumil, let's go," Haldir stated as he gestured down to the ground. The younger brother nodded and started on his way back down the tree dodging a few finches or squirrels that thought it would be funny to get in his way by pecking or running across his hand. Upon landing on the ground, he stretched almost hitting Coruwen with his arm, making her swat his upper arm. Haldir leapt down from the tree's lowest branch watching Rumil and Coruwen in mild amusement as Rumil apologized for almost hitting her.

"How did speaking with the Lady of Light go?" Rumil asked. Coruwen's blood became icy in her veins and she looked away from him. "Not well, I am assuming."

"She thinks that Odin will figure it out on his own. However, Odin is Half-Dwarven meaning that we do not know if he will be able to handle foresight at all. If he cannot, then his life will be ungodly hard on him."

Rumil sighed, "That's right; your child is the first in all history, or so we believe."

Coruwen shook her head, shutting her eyes. "I only wish for him to be all right. I fought to keep him in this world, just like I did with his father and cousins. All I want is for him to be happy with whatever path he chooses."

Haldir hummed in response. "A subject all parents desire for their children, but our idea of happy and the child's idea of happy are two different things, nightingale." Her stomach twisted painfully at her father's words and she nodded. Her father's idea of happiness and her idea were two different ideas entirely. "All you ever want for your child is to be happy..."

Thorin watched Odin out of the corner of his eye as he sharpened Orcrist with a whetstone. The eleven steel had not been used as of late, and it was becoming slightly dull. Around his feet lay Maugrim, with the pup's long head resting upon its large feet. Strangely, the sound of the stone upon metal didn't bother Maugrim as much as Thorin would have thought. Nyx had taken up playing with Odin by racing around the room like a fawn colored blur darting from one end of the massive hall to the other with Odin giggling all the while. He could hear the sounds of his nephews' harps being tuned in the corner of the room, far out of the way of Nyx and her running.

Once Orcrist was sharp enough for his liking, Thorin sheathed the blade, resting it at the side of his chair. Maugrim's rose-shaped ears twitched a bit, and he stroked the pup's back gently hearing a small content filled groan come from the pup. He heard the sound of an out of tune harp note being hit followed by a yelp from one of the boys.

"Maugrim!" Odin called, as Nyx halted at his side. Odin clapped his hands once or twice for Maugrim and the pup stood before trotting over to him. The two pups seemed to enlighten Odin a great deal, or so it appeared physically. His light blue eyes were no longer haggard and his pale no longer pale. When Thorin thought about Odin's foresight, the more he wondered what all the child would end up seeing. He could easily see future and see the death of many, possibly the deaths of loved ones or close friends. It was almost too much to take in…

"Adad?" Odin's voice asked quietly. Thorin glanced down to see Odin resting his elbows on his knees with his light blue eyes curious. "Is something wrong?"

"No, Little One, nothing is wrong. I was thinking…" Thorin replied patting his son's head. The intelligent eyes of his son glinted sadly for a moment before the boy sat down on the ground with Maugrim and Nyx. Those eyes were the eyes of his wife; they were bright and intelligent, almost too intelligent. They were eyes of the elleth he had met so many years ago that one day before the High Pass, the woman that had saved him from being stabbed by an orc, and the woman that had challenged his rules every step of the way. The woman that ended up becoming his… He leaned forward, patting Odin's shoulder. The boy turned his head, giving his father a smile before returning to playing with Maugrim's silver ears. "Odin…"

"Hm?' Odin hummed as his light blue eyes flicked backward. "What is it, Adad?"

"Do you miss your mother?" He asked. His son nodded slowly. "Come up here." Odin was pulled up into Thorin's lap with father and son meeting each other's eyes. "You have heard your mother talk about the adventure to Erebor, correct?"

"No, Nana says that too many bad things happened," Odin replied. "I have asked before…"

Thorin found that understandable coming from Coruwen. She had her pride broken several times on that journey, but not all aspects of that adventure were terrible. Granted, greed had gotten the better of him in that span of time, but he felt as if he could tell Odin certain parts of that story such as meeting Freya or the landing at the Eagle's Eerie.

"I see, well, I will tell you some parts of the story then," He said and watched Odin's eyes brighten up. He could see the dim gold of Fili's hair in the corner of the room. "Boys, come here!"

"Right now?" Kili asked

"No, later," Fili teased as he stood, walking out of the darkness. Kili slinked after him and the two came to sit near Thorin and Odin. "Sometimes Kili, I truly do wonder-,"

"Hey, do not try and pull the 'I wonder' trick," Kili retorted as Nyx placed her head in his lap. "That's my job."

"Ok, sure, it is. I'll let you keep living with that little thought," Fili replied.

"Boys," Thorin interrupted. "Fight later…"

He heard the ruffling flutter of wings making his gaze flick up to a hawk that had landed on Coruwen's throne with a small letter bound to its leg. He reached up, took the letter and tucked in away in his pocket before starting to speak to Odin about the adventure to Erebor. When Odin fell asleep in his arms, he removed the note to find it from an old friend. One, he never would have thought to hear from… Bilbo had written to him, in the hopes of seeing the company again before the years slipped away.

A/N: I hope you guys liked it! Maugrim is taken from the Chronicles of Narnia, and thought it would be awesome to throw a bit of a throw back to that books series because C.S Lewis and Tolkien were good friends and authors. Nyx is the name of a Greek/Roman goddess of Night.

Little Warning: We are going to be jumping ahead a few years in the next chapter and from there on, we'll hopefully be getting into the War of the Ring. Soon-ish.

Question for those who read A Marchwarden's Daughter and are looking forward to the sequel: When do you want Dragon Queen to come out?

Other Question for everyone: What do you want to see happen in the future?

Please Review, because I want to hear what you all think!