Coming Of Age – Chapter 22

.

Oin and Gloin were able to help moved a very distraught Thorin to his quarters and laid him in his bed. Oin volunteered to stay with him as he made a soothing brew for his young cousin to drink, which helped calm him down as he sat and talked to Oin about ThoraLee.

Frerin stayed the queen who had retired in her quarters to rest. The horrific events had upset her too much to remain in the Receiving Halls.

Thrain also had his reasons for removing Thorin from the Receiving Halls; he did not want his son to be present when the criminals arrived. Thorin might shed blood in the Halls and Thrain would not be able to stop him and in truth, he himself would let him do so. His anger had not simmered down.

Thrain had come to love ThoraLee as his own daughter. Now that he found out his son had secretly wedded her, he realize he was not angry at them, no.

Thrain shook his head angrily; he was incensed, at these fools for killing his new daughter-by-law.

How could they done that to another being?

And ThoraLee was the best person in the world, Thrain realized, with the heart the size of…of…well, ten…no, hundred times the amount of the gold coins they found!

Nay, her heart was priceless. No one was as wonderful as ThoraLee, she could not have been anymore lovelier and he did not get a chance to know her more. These heinous people had robbed him of a daughter.

How was he to tell her father? Thrain closed his eyes for a moment as he shook his head sadly; to lose a child before the parent left the world …dear Mahal! He shook his head, Thrain could not fathom the lose or the pain.

Thrain knew he would have to make the somber journey to Dale, when he had dealt with them, and informed ThoraLee's sire of the unfortunate news.

Thrain felt as if he had aged tenfold suddenly.

But he couldn't get the thoughts out of his mind! They killed his daughter-in-law just because she tried to protect an animal! Now, who were the animals? They were, all of them! Thrain was disgusted to know that they had lived in his kingdom!

Bah! They will live no more, after he was through with them!

…

It was near dark when Balin and Dwalin as well as the guards marched in with the criminals. The little girl Bels and the young lad Nuin as witnesses, as well as Bels' mother and Nain's parents were walking behind them. It was quite a procession coming through the Receiving Halls!

Bels and Nuin were holding onto Balin and Dwalin for dear life as they had never been inside the palace, much less in front of the King! Balin had assured them that nothing bad would happen to them; as well they had assured their parents.

They even let them ride on their ponies with them!

The Cimbollis and company, once identified by Bels and Nuin were rounded up, and brought before King Thrain escorted by the guards; they were not told of their crimes as yet.

"Have a care, here!" Curian, the elder Cimbolli, tried to shove at the guard. "You'll ruin my new coat." He brushed at his coat with his hand as he glared at the guard as he pulled a kerchief and wiped his perspiration from his brows. "Any chance of a drink of wine here, my good man?"

"Silence!" Thrain exclaimed out loud.

It was then that Curian saw King Thrain sitting on the throne starring sternly at him and the unruly group.

He tried to bow low but couldn't, given his extremely wide girth, instead he looked like a dressed balloon that made him looked like a pig in clothes. The jowls under his neck spread several folds out as his little eyes made him looked even more piggish. "Your Majesty, forgive me, I had no idea you're here! I...I…it is my pleasure to meet with you and, may I present my illustrious son and my beautiful daughter who is very single and of marriageable age? Er, perhaps we can discuss er…some sort of business?"

"You are called Cimbolli, is it not?" Thrain asked.

Curian nodded enthusiastically.

"Your son, bring him forward."

Curian turned around and seeing his big son, quickly ushered him forward, Curian thought he was about to strike a rich deal frowned at his son, wishing that he had cleaned up before he came to the palace, that strange hoofmark on his forehead and those bruises simply did not look presentable in front of the King but what was one to do?

"Your Majesty, my son Crudd." He bowed his funny attempt again. Then he realized his son was not bowing so he smacked him hard and exclaimed in loud whispered tones, "Bow your head to the King, Crudd!"

Crudd who was still hurting from his accident, scowled as he bowed slightly.

Thrain frowned at the slight but he was in no mood to argue with a fat lump of a young doughy dwarf, said in an angry tone, "This morning did you try to steal a pony?"

Crudd looked up, startled began to sputtered, "But…I…its Shia! She's the one! She wanted the pony!"

A squat female dwarf with pock marks on her face came waddling from the sad group in the middle and began yelling at Crudd, "You gave it to me anyways!"

"Silence!" Thrain exclaimed. "Who are you?" He pointed at her.

Shia cowered behind her father who said, "This is my precious daughter Shia, your Majesty."

"Is he the King, father?" Shia asked loudly. "Can I see Prince Thorin? I'm going to marry him!" She said ignorantly.

Dwalin and Balin almost laughed out loud if it weren't for the seriousness of the situation of the crime.

Curian's face was red, "Well, yes precious…we'll get to that later...what pony, your Majesty?"

Thrain, "This morning, your son and daughter accosted a young lady, ThoraLee." He heard the group gasped loudly as they all began to paled and looked nervously about them. "Your son forcefully took the pony from her and then…"

"I didn't! He...he…is lying!" Crudd pointed at the King.

Balin and Dwalin as well as the guards gasped out loud!

"Silence! Do not interrupt me, young man. Guards, if he does it again, gag him."

"Yes, your Majesty!" The guards snapped their answer and smiled at Crudd ready to obey Thrain happily.

"Now, as I was saying, you, young man forcefully took the pony from ThoraLee and pushed her to the ground."

Then Thrain asked for the little ones before him. Bels and Nuin, quaking in their boots, slowly walked towards the front, they made sure they stood a good distance from Crudd and Shia.

Balin and Dwalin stepped from where they were standing and stood by the little ones, offering protection and assurances to them. Bels grabbed Balin's hand and held on tight while Nuin did the same to Dwalin. The two older dwarves taller than their heights as they glare at Crudd and Shia, daring them to harm the young ones.

"Well, now little ones tell me, and don't be afraid of me or them. Did you see the whole thing, what they did to ThoraLee?"

Bels and Nuin nodded, confidently.

Thrain nodded, "Can you tell me their names?"

Bels nodded, as did Nuin again as they began to name them, beginning with Crudd and Shia, who exclaimed and sputtered and started to scream at the children, threatening them but Thrain called for silence again as the guards pointed their swords at them, they were silent instantly when they felt the pinprick of the tip of the swords on their throats.

Curian tried to speak, "Your Majesty, you cannot possibly believe these brats! They are always telling lies! My son, he's a good boy, he does not steal! Or hit anyone!"

Thrain held his hand up, indicating for him to stop, "What do you have to say about the hoof print on his fore head, sir?"

"I…I…I guess, he …he…was playing…" he said lamely.

Thrain glanced back down at Bels and nodded gently at her, "If you'll continue, little one."

Bels nodded and repeated her horrific tale once more, as she described the parts where Lee was being punched and kicked, she saw her mother, and Nuin's parents in tears. A few of the guards were also teary as well. And when Bels got to the point when Shia stabbed Lee in her back, Nuin's mother fainted. Shoshin knelt by and fanned her as she came around. Bels was in tears again as Balin gave her an encouraging squeeze in her hand.

"…Shia took Lee's ring and then she used the oak branch and pushed Lee into the deep water. Lee floated away…They killed Lee!" She pointed at them!

Shoshin rushed forward to Bels and hugged her little girl as she cried hard into her mother's neck.

Shoshin turned to the King and said in anger, "Your Majesty, Lee saved my little Bels. She drowned in the deep water and she saved and gave her the breath of life. I don't know how she did it, or how she knew to do it but I am eternally grateful for it. Please show the justice accordingly. Lee did not deserve this treatment or this senseless death. She is a wonderful person. She thought of everyone in Dale!"

Shy little Nuin stepped before Thrain, tears pooling in his large brown eyes, "Please sir King sir. Lee is the nicest person in the whole of Dale. I wanted to be soldier in your army when I grow up, sir. And I wanted a sword but I didn't have any. And Lee made this sword for me on my birthday. Please, if she is all right. If she is alive, I promise you that when I grow up, I …pr..pledge myself to you." Nuin laid a small wooden sword before him as he knelt in front of Thrain, his head bowed, tears flowing down his cheeks as his shoulders heaved up and down continuously.

Thrain, touched by the little boy's sincerity, his eyes began to tear nodded, "Thank you, little one." He stepped down from the throne, unsheathed his own sword and touched Nuin's right shoulder then his left and then Thrain pronounced him the King's youngest soldier. Thrain nodded to his parents and said, "You have a fine son, a very brave soldier." He turned back to his throne and sat down. Nuin's parents gathered the little boy into their arms as they brought him to the corner.

Thrain then glared at Curian and said, "For the crime your son and daughter had committed, I shall sentence you to death." All three wailed loudly.

Thrain held his hand, "Your son and daughter had murdered a Princess…"

"Princess!" Shia protested her crying stopping suddenly as she looked at the King. "I didn't kill a Princess, ThoraLee is not a Princess. She is the daughter of Erimm, that dirt poor metal maker! Nothing special, not worth buying their shoddy metal, isn't it, Father?"

"Silence, you fool!"Thrain glared at her. "My son Prince Thorin is wedded to ThoraLee four days past. She is my daughter-by-law, therefore she is a Princess."

Shia fell to the ground on her rump and began to cry, "But father! You promise that I will marry Prince Thorin! That I will be the Princess not that bones and skin wench! I wanna be a Princess!" She began to pound her fists. "I wanna be…"

Thrain spotted Lee's ring on Shia's finger;

"Guards, retrieve the ring, and please take them, all of them to the dungeons. The wardens are waiting for them."

"At once, Your Majesty!" One of the guards approached Shia and removed the ring and brought it to the King who held it with a heavy heart.

"Little Nuin," Thrain said, "As my new soldier, it seems you'll a new home to live in, I think you shall have the house these people lived in. They no longer need one." Curian tried to protest but the guards were dragging him and the others towards the dungeons, a whole lot of protesting noise accompanied them.

As soon as they were gone, it seemed quiet again.

Thrain looked at Bels and her mother, "Madam, I thank you for having such a brave young girl. Without whom we would not have known what truly happened to ThoraLee."

"Is it true she is a Princess, Your Majesty?" Bels asked?

Thrain smiled sadly, "Yes little one. She …was."

"She is a beautiful Princess."

Thrain nodded, "Aye."

"Guards, will you escort these good people home? And make sure little Bels and her mother have a new and larger house to live in. I believe one of those girls lived in a good house, it would make a nice new home for our new friend." Thrain smiled at her.

Bels returned his smile with a grin and a happy nod. Her mother thanked Thrain gratefully, looked forward to a bigger home for her girl and herself.

The two families took their leave from the King and left the Halls, the little ones happily discussing about having their own bedrooms, skipped out of the Halls. The adults had much to talk about; by the morn news of what the Cimbollis had done to Lee would have spread all over Dale. The guards watched the little ones indulgently as they escorted them out to the courtyard where a wagon and ponies awaited to take them back to Dale.

Balin and Dwalin were about to leave for Thorin's quarters to inform him of what had happened when a guard came rushing into the Hall and stood in front of the King.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" he was panting, catching his breath. "There be elves out in the gardens! Elves, your Majesty! From the woods beyond! And…and…they found her!"

"Who?"Thrain asked as he glanced at Balin and Dwalin, "Who?"

The guard was pointing eagerly, "The Elves found ThoraLee!"

.

End of Chapter 22