Chapter 3; Thorin and the sons of Fundin.
When Thorin woke up in his tent after the battle he knew that his time was short . He knew that his line was ending, for he had seen his boys fall and how badly hurt they had been before he passed out and he knew that they were already waiting for him in the Halls of Waiting. Tears burned in his eyes when he saw their faces in his mind, remembering those sweet and funny and adorable little children they had been for what seemed not so long ago. His boys, the nephews who were the closest thing he had to his own kids , his heirs and pride... They had died like heroes , like true heirs of Durin and he couldn't have been more proud of them or more heartbroken , knowing that they had died too young , too soon , instead of him who had lived for so long and done so many terrible things these last few weeks . Fili had been so much like his father Gili , from his blond hair, strong body and handsome face with the Durin's blue eys , to his skills with the blades , his protective nature , cleverness and bravery , and Thorin had always felt that Fili would when the time come make the greatest king under the mountain seen in centuries. But now he was gone and would never have the time or chance to mature into a great king and take his throne after Thorin's passing. And Kili … His youngest nephew , looking so much like both Thorin and his mother, but even more like their long lost brother Frerin, and with the same reckless , adventerous personality , bright smile and tendency for sticking out among dwarves. Oh , how he had loved them and now his broken heart felt only darkness and despair and heavier guilt than ever for he had broken his promise to Dis , that he would watch over her sons and keep them alive.
His own injuries were bad and he could see it in the faces of those around his bed, the healers looked sad and hopeless and he knew that they could do nothing for him, except dull his pains from the terrible wounds, but they mattered little to him , compared to the loss of the boys. They had informed him almost as soon as he opened his eyes about the passing of first Kili and then Fili, hours earlier. When Balin and Dwalin finally entered his tent – he had requested for them to come as soon as they could – they looked at each other and all three knew the same thing. His oldest friends looked battered and weary and burdened by grief and for a long while neither spoke, but then Balin placed his hand on Thorin's shoulder and looked at the broken shadow of the king .- I am so sorry , Thorin, he said and tears shone in the wise old eyes. - We tried so hard to find you and the boys and when we finally did... - I know, Thorin whispered hoarsley .- They did it to protect me, even though I haven't done much lately to deserve it. They died because of me . He closed his eyes and the grief displayed on his pale , weary face was heavier than anything his cousins had ever seen in him, despite the other tragic losses he had endured. - They did it to protect their king, Thorin , said Dwalin unusally gently and he looked almost as sad as the king, for he had helped raise and train the boys.- But they shouldn't have , they had their whole lives ahead of them. And I took it from them , because of that damn stone and my goldsickness. - Rest easy , Thorin, said Balin and took the dying king's hand in his. - The boys did it because you were like their father and they loved and respected you more than anything. - I will at least see them again soon, right ? He looked at his friends with tired , wet blue eyes and they could only nod , for they knew that he had only hours left.
- Tell Dis that I am so sorry for everything , and take care of her when I am gone, she is going to need it . - Of course, shield-brother, said Dwalin and looked at his best friend with pain in his eyes. The battle had been hell on earth for all of them and the outcome so far was more than Erebor was worth to the survivors . They had fought side by side but rarely seen any of the others, at least not until afterward, when they found out about the princes and Thorin and then had found the others stumbling in to the camp , or like with Gloin and Nori, still among the bodies and wounded. They had waited for hours to be allowed to see Thorin – after seeing first Kili and then Fili die , they had mourned together , side by side, outside the tent of their dying king. Their wounds captured Thorin's attention and he remembered the other members of the Company, besides his nephews and Oin, who had gone to check on other patients , and asked :- I am glad to see you resonably alright, my friends. But what do you know of the others ? They looked at each other and then Balin said quietly :- So far we have lost the boys and Nori, I am afraid. And soon you will join them , I am so sorry for that. - Oh , Thorin sighed and grimaced when he grew dizzier .- Poor Nori, he who was so eager to change his life and start over here in Erebor with his brothers. How are they ? - Dori will be alright, but he is heartbroken by the loss of Nori and terrified that he will lose Ori as well, for he lies in a tent nearby and has yet to wake up. It seems that he lost a lot of blood and it is still pretty much touch and go for the lad. - He has to make it, I can't take all the youngsters with me to the halls of Mahal, I can't … Make sure that he survives, for his sake and for Dori, who I am sure really needs him. Then he looked at Dwalin and said :- And the others ? Gloin and the Ur family ? His friend looked down and muttered :- Gloin isn't hurt too bad... But he is in shock after finding Nori and the whole battle and everything, he is sedated right now and Oin checks on him as often as he can. I guess that when his family arrives one day , they will help him get on . Old Bifur is pretty seriously injured, somehow he lost the axe in his head and that is a nasty wound , so he is fighting for his life like Ori . Bofur is alright and like always taking care of his kin, so he refuses to leave his cousin's side . As for Bombur, he has minor wounds and is mostly exhausted and shocked by everything that happened, so he rests with his family.
Thorin took the news in silence and closed his eyes again, seemingly falling asleep , but when Balin quietly said to Dwalin that maybe they should go and wait outside, Thorin opened his eyes again and spoke in an even weaker voice than before :- Tell them all how sorry I am for causing all this trouble and make sure that all of those who survive get more than their share of the treasure , do everything you can to help them find a suitable home inside Erebor and make their lives as comfortable as possible , as well as for yourselves. And make sure that Bilbo... the hobbit.. Master Baggins get what he truly deserve. Make sure to recall that idotic banishment I gave him for everything he did for us. Suddenly he looked worriedly at them :- Have you found him yet, is he alright ? Is he as mad as he has all right to be ? - We have not seen him yet, but we and Gandalf make sure that people still searching the fields look for him. Sleep now , Thorin , and we will go out and search for him. We will come back when it is time to say goodbye. - Good, said the king and smiled weakly before dosing of into unconciousness again.
At that point the sons of Fundin left the tent and went out to tell the others who were awake how their kings was faring and discuss with Dain what would happen after Thorin left, for they all knew that he would be the next king under the mountain. Finally Gandalf showed up with their burglar hobbit by his side, looking pale and stunned by everything that had happened. Oin hurried up to check him over and noticed that he had a nasty headwound and bump on his head, which Bilbo explained by having been knocked out by a rock or something during the battle. He seemed happy to see his friends, but very sad for the young princes and Nori and worried about those still alive, but wounded and fighting for their lives. Meanwhile , some of the others had been visiting Thorin to speak with him one last time and when Bilbo was informed that Thorin wanted to see him and talk things out with him, he went pale for he understood that the king was dying and he worried about what he would say to him after their last meeting and everything that had happened since then. But he followed Oin inside the tent while Balin and Dwalin went into the tent where Bifur and Ori fought for their lives, surrounded by their kin and a sleeping Gloin. Dwalin sat down with a heavy sigh on a chair and looked around on the remains of the Company and suddenly the tears fled his reluctant eyes and drenched his face. Nobody said anything, but he felt eyes upon but, but he didn't care about hiding his feelings for once, he knew that they understood , considering the battle they had all endured the day before and the consequences that they were only now seeing . Suddenly he felt strongs arms around him and a forehead touching his own and he knew that it was his brother, of course, he would never have allowed anybody else to touch him and hold him like this in such circumstances. Now all he could do was lean his head against Balin's and cry out his despair for their king and princes , whom with the exception of Balin were the people he had loved most in the world. Their old home had been reclaimed and the enemies defeated, but the heirs of the throne was dead, their king dying , the thief whom he had hated back in Blue Mountains, but had come to respect and understand more during the quest , had perished as well and nobody knew what would happen to their scribe and the excentric toymaker , and the rest of them were just a mess right now . What would happen in the future ? He cared nothing about anything except his brother right now and he knew that soon they would have to go and see Thorin one last time .
And so they did about two hours later and they wept , but listened to his final word to them and Bilbo Baggins . Not much later they saw their king and cousin close his eyes and gone was the last true heir of Durin, the remaning descendants were not of the same line and it would be up to Dain to take the throne instead. But right now the survivors mourned for their king and princes and the thief who had befriended them all during these months and worried about what would happened to those who still fought for their lives...
TBC...