Chapter Eight:
Scary, intimidating, frightening, menacing, all of these were understatements about Aerchkaleya, Heart of the Lonely Mountain and protector of Durin's Line. The absolute rage pouring off of her was like the heat of the forge's fires. Today was the day that the traitors to the throne would face their consequence: the pure fury of Erebor's Heart and Soul. The entire kingdom had gathered in the throne hall, every dwarf wanted to witness the true power of the Heart of the Mountain. Bilbo, Frodo, and Gatena, however, had been forced to remain in the royal wing with a half-dozen guards.
The entire royal family stood at their places, Thorin seated on the throne, his sister and her sons to his right, Balin to his right, as well as the Fae who was practically vibrating in anger. The rest of the company were split on either side of the throne as well, showing their positions they had earned in helping reclaiming Erebor. The heavy tromp of boots echoed through the halls as the guards, led by Dwalin, brought in the ten traitors. Immediately, the murmurs of irritation and disgust arose from the citizens, but silence fell over them as Thorin Oakenshield stood from his throne.
Nothing was said for several, tense moments, before finally, the Kind Under the Mountain began, "Rsgrolir, Koldrunli, Furndor, Hongroud, Ukhir, Grughuli, Groosgruri, Grungrolir, Khumdirlun, Bhazmid, you all stand here, accused of treason to the line of Durin. What say you to the accusations that face you?"
Immediately, the ten began shouting and yelling in Khudzul over each other, but it was fairly obvious they were shouting curses and crass phrases against them. Thorin allowed them to scream, then glanced over at Aerchkaleya, who gave him one nod. With that, Thorin called over them to be silent, before informing them, "It matters little what you say. The decision of your guilt does not belong to me." That caught everyone's attention, even the ten dwarves with their arms shackled behind their backs.
Aerchkaleya stepped forward and spoke finally, "That decision is mine." The pure ice and venom in her voice crashed onto the ten traitors, who looked remorseful of anything they had ever done when the Fae spoke. Thorin returned to his throne, leaving her to stand in front of the kingdom. Every dwarf looked frightened, the true extent of her fury hadn't been known until she spoke. Dwalin and the company seemed to be the only ones who weren't surprised, but all of them seemed a tad worried. She was a Fae, a creature of absolute power inside the mountain. If she lost control, it could harm more than the traitors.
The silence that had fallen was almost deafening, before she finally spoke again, "Thousands of years before any of you were even conceived, seven dwarves thought they could try something very similar to what you tried. My nephew, Daephrin-"
"Daephrin was the son of Durin and his queen Aephaerylia! Not kin to a worthless Fae!" Aerchkaleya wasn't sure of the idiots name, but she saw him and smirked, before her face snapped to one of hatred and malice, and as her arm shot forwards and then yanked back towards her, a thick rope of rock burst from the stone walk beneath her and grasped the dwarf around the throat and retracted towards the Fae, dragging the traitor with it, forcing the man to his knees when he was no longer being dragged.
The man trembled under the piercing blue glare of the small girl until her hand shot out again, this time no rock followed, rather her small had clamped around his jaw, squeezing with unfathomable strength and she roared at him, "Aephaerylia was my sister!" Regaining a bit of composure, the Fae growled out, "She was the heart of Moria, when that damned Balrog drove Durin from Moria, it forced my sister away as well, stealing her home, her mountain, from her. Durin was her One, and she loved him as much as he loved her. Durin was my father's greatest creation, and my sister's One. Daephrin, Eldphrin, and Baephrin were my nephews and I loved them as much as my sister and Durin. When Aephaerylia gave up her life to protect this mountain-"
Aerchkaleya stopped abruptly, blinking, before tightening her grip until the unmistakable crack of bone echoed through the hall, followed by the scream of the dwarf with a crushed jaw. The smile that crept onto her face made the other nine dwarves restless, and Dwalin began to smash the backs of their heads with his hand, forcing them to stop their squirming. As she let go of her victim, Ark straightened and addressed the traitors once more, "The last time a dwarf attempted to hurt the line of Durin, it came to law that the punishment of treason was to fall to me. You have all been found guilty of treason."
Smiling venomously at the man who was still imprisoned in front of her, his cries having dwindled to pitiful whimpers, she announced, "And the only punishment to fit the crime is death. At my hands." There were no more words from the Fae as she stomped her foot down and the stone beneath the dwarf in front of her, wrenching another scream from him before the stone around his neck vanished as did the dwarf, the stone closing and swallowing him.
The dwarven women began to hurry the children out of the hall, panicking just a bit that the Fae had lost control. Dwalin moved from his place to take the one beside his brother behind Aerchkaleya, and the guards followed. Before any of the prisoners could try and run away, the stone beneath them came to life, thick tendrils of the rock shooting up and wrapping around their arms or legs, screams of terror emanating from the men.
The dwarven children began to double back, squeezing between legs to watch in wonder as the Fae manipulated the rock, it becoming moving and living branched extending from the walkway. Soon, the traitors were being flung around by the tendrils of stone, smacking them against each other, against other vines of rock. It was amazing to everyone, that the small Fae was able to manipulate the rock like it were living plant vines.
After a few minutes, small, thin vains of rock came from the stone floor and began to stab through the limbs of the prisoners, bringing another round of shouts and cries of pain. It was a kinder action then what followed next; nine stone blocks rose from the walkway and the thick rock arms that had been holding the traitors in the air brought them to collide with the new fixtures, freezing to pin them against the blocks of rock.
Aerchkaleya looked at them all and told them with absolute finality, "When you reach the halls of Mandos, and you are asked what ended your life in Middle Earth, do not bother lying. You tell my uncle Mandos that the eldest daughter of Aule and Yavanna found you guilty of treason towards the line of Durin." The only sound after her words were nine screams of the traitors, then the squash as nine other blocks of solid stone fell and ended their lives by flattening them thinner than parchment.
A wave of relief washed over the Fae; the ten who had threatened her One and his family, her sister's descendants, were gone, and could do no more harm. The blocks dissolved back to the walkway, the remains of the traitors still within them, and with them the rage that had consumed Aerchkaleya. That had been the only reason for her rage, for her irritability over the past week, that the scum who thought they could decide who lived or died were still drawing breath within her mountain, within her home.
They were buried in stone, now, though, and couldn't do a single thing to create any more trouble, and it calmed her more than anyone knew. That didn't change the fact that everyone was a bit shocked that her anger seemed to just vanish with the rock encasing dwarfish remains. Silence fell over the hall, no one quite sure what to say, or to do, until Thorin stood, Aerchkaleya moving back to stand beside Kili. Thorin looked around before addressing the dwarves, "Every dwarf is entitled to their own opinion. Whether you think I'm a good king, or an absolute idiot. But that opinion does not allow anyone to attempt harm on anyone, myself or anyone within this kingdom."
A hum of agreements rose as Thorin continued, "Seven of the dwarves who were punished today were the council, that isn't a secret. But, they were not dealt with until today in order for a new council to be secured." With this, Thorin stepped back a bit, and people were shocked to see Aerchkaleya step forward again. No one was quite sure why the Fae was speaking, but no one wanted to see what would happen if they objected.
"The men who were dealt with today acted without the knowledge of anyone outside themselves. They never told others, no family or friends. This is why I found no reason not to allow two of the new council to have been their wives." This brought discussion, people muttering and murmuring between themselves before the Fae spoke over them, "Dwiltha and Lvarnel are intelligent and fair, they were as disgusted as anyone to learn what the men they once loved had planned. I invite them now to speak their peaces, to show you all why I chose them personally."
Two dwarrodams came forth, neither looking the least bit shaken by the chatter surrounding them. They weren't young women, but not frightfully old, they were still lovely by dwarfish standards, and just as independent and strong as any other female of the race of Aule. They both spoke confidently and without any fear. Ark had no doubt that these women would help keep Erebor on track to become one of the most prosperous kingdoms in all Arda.
Authors Note: I am so sorry this took so long! Moving and starting a new job are fairly difficult while pregnant. I'm cranky and moody and always freaking hungry and it is driving me bonkers. But life is finally settling down, so I am hoping to be able to get chapters going again. So... yeah. Reviews on this would be appreciated, because I wanna know how bad I've gotten. Or how not so bad, even.