It had been many weeks since King Thror and his subjects had left the borders of Erebor, moving South along the edges of the Mirkwood Forest. It felt a lifetime ago. The men of Dale had not chosen to follow. They had gone, she assumed, to seek out other villages of men. It was said their destination was Dunland, the foothill region that fronted the western slopes of the southern Misty Mountains. Eiranna had not ventured far beyond the borders of Dale and was uncertain as to what Dunland was like. She had heard it described as a green and pleasant country, and she sincerely hoped the description was accurate. She longed for a time when the Dwarves of Erebor could settle, at least for a short while. The constant traveling wearied them all and, in the more extreme cases, was a death sentence. Smaug had seen so much destroyed that most were left with little in terms of possessions and, more importantly, necessities. She had seen others around her be left, unable to continue, succumbing to fatigue and hunger. There was little anyone could do to help. Eiranna, herself, carried what she had with her the day Smaug came, which had not been much. She was grateful for the care from Prince Thrain, otherwise, she feared she would have been one of those left behind.
Since accepting his offer, the Prince Thrain had kept Eiranna close. She spent the majority of her time traveling with the Royal Family, although there was now little separating them from the refugees of Erebor. Her grief for her father and utter exhaustion of constantly walking each day left little time for her mind to wander. On those occasional moments it did, her thoughts would, at times, drift to Thorin. He had said little, or even interacted with her much, since they had left the ruins of Dale and Erebor. Eiranna wondered what might have come to pass if she was still in Dale and the dragon had not come. She told herself there were much more pressing issues to be dealt with, and it offered her comfort.
On this day, Dis walked alongside Eiranna, the small child holding her hand. Eiranna felt an abrupt tug on her hand as Dis stopped walking. "I do not wish to walk anymore," Dis stated, her hands balled into fists at her side. Others passed them by; few offering more than a distracted glance at the small girl and fragile looking female Dwarf. As Eiranna kneeled to her level, she could see tears gathering at the edges of Dis's eyes. Fatigue and exhaustion were etched into the girl's face. Eiranna felt nothing but sympathy for her. "Baby girl, do not cry," she murmured gently, a small sad smile on her face as she placed a thumb on Dis's face and wiped at the tears that threatened to spill from Dis's eyes.
Thorin, who had been walking further ahead, had noticed Erianna and Dis had stopped. He murmured something to his father and headed back to where the two females were. "What seems to be the matter?" he asked, as he looked down, first at Eiranna and then to Dis, who was resolute in her determination to keep her eyes at the earth. "I think Dis would be grateful for a little rest," Eiranna said, looking up at Thorin. Dis's head shot up and glared at Eiranna. "I do not need a rest!" she shouted. "There is no cause for you to shout, and certainly not at Eiranna," Thorin scolded Dis. She turned her eyes upwards to her brother, and the tears that held in her eyes broke free and fell down her cheeks. "Why can we not go home?!" she asked, her little voice shook with emotion. Eiranna opened her mouth to reply, but Thorin spoke first. Kneeling down to his sister, he said simply, "We do not have a home to go back to." "But it is just right back there," Dis said as she pointed to the path from where they came." Thorin shook his head sadly. "I am sorry, Dis, it is no longer there. Believe me, I would take you home if I could."
A sob escaped Dis's mouth, followed by another, until the little girl was completely overtaken. She sat upon the ground and cried. Eiranna brought her hand to Dis's back and gently rubbed back and forth there. She struggled to remain calm, to refrain from collapsing into tears herself. Thorin lifted a hand to his face and, as Eiranna watched, massaged his forehead, his eyes closed tight, his face twisted into an expression of frustration and pain. He opened his eyes and looked at Dis. "Would you like me to carry you for a bit?" he asked. Dis continued to cry, offering him no response. After a moment's hesitation, Thorin scooped his sister from the ground and, nodding to Eiranna to follow, made his way back to Prince Thrain, who was now a ways off. Eiranna allowed herself a moment to calm her emotions and followed quickly after the siblings.