Two weeks of rest saw me at a full recovery, but even though I was better physically, I felt emotionally drained. I relived the fight for many nights after, and it never went as well as the real one. Always I managed to lose one or both of my charges before becoming overwhelmed. Dwalin failed to show up in time, or I was the one at the river and got there too late. It made sleep difficult, and only added to the discomfort that plagued my waking hours. I tried not to think too much on the other source of my uncertainty. Thorin. While he had been initially grateful, over the course of my recovery he had become distant, even harsh. I began to avoid him, confused by his anger.
I sat outside my door, strapping on armor before heading out for my first morning patrol since the incident. Once I was geared up I sat and watched the dawn for a moment, seriously considering blowing it off. I could feel exhaustion creeping up on me, the last two weeks a blur of sleepless nights and bad dreams. It was a sign of how tired I was that the feeling of a hand on my shoulder had me leaping from my spot on the ground and falling disgracefully backwards, barely catching myself on my hands. I glanced up to see Dis giving me a look of concern.
"Easy there lass." She reached down and dragged me to my feet before returning me to my original position. Sitting beside me, she examined my face for a moment as I stared at my feet. "Bad dreams?" she asked. I nodded in confirmation, keeping silent. I was not willing to speak about it, trying to avoid reliving the horror. Dis placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, allowing me this time.
"I should get going," I said at last. I stood up, looking at her in appreciation, and together we headed for the gate. I was just about to step outside the walls when a hand dragged me back. I whirled, wondering why Dis hadn't just spoken, only to see Thorin on the other end of the arm that restrained me. Dis stood beside him, looking just as confused as I was.
"You are not going out there alone," he said flatly. "Wait for the rest of the patrol and don't do anything foolish." I was startled, and mildly insulted, that he suddenly found me so untrustworthy. I glanced at Dis questioningly where she now stood behind him, but she shook her head, looking resigned. I could tell she knew what was going on, I just had to hope she would tell me later. Without another word, the irritable dwarf stalked off, leaving me on my own while his sister followed after him. I could hear her starting to lecture him on his behavior, eliciting a chuckle and a feeling of pity for the poor man. I had found Dis to be even more stubborn than Thorin, and I didn't envy him in the slightest whenever he managed to get on her bad side.
The patrol was uneventful, contrary to the nervous watchfulness that resulted after my confrontation with the wolves. I twitched at every sound in the bushes, gripping my staff tightly and keeping my companions on edge. Dwalin finally called it off slightly early, leading us back to town as I continued to watch my surroundings. I had tried to question him about Thorin's behavior, but he just shook his head.
"Tis not for me to say. If you feel like getting your head chewed off, go ahead and ask him yourself. Otherwise, I would wait for Dis to tell you. I'm surprised she hasn't mentioned it already." That said, he left me to find my friend, and the answers I sought.
I had searched the town for the better part of the day before finally discovering Thorin at the forges, beating an already flattened piece of metal far more forcefully than was necessary. Sparks flew, the anvil itself shaking slightly under the weight of his hammer blows. Before I could approach him, Dis appeared, warning me with a glance not to go near. With a nod of the head, she beckoned me to follow, leading me to the benches outside. We were just out of earshot, so I turned to her determined to get answers.
"What is the matter with him? I saved the boys and this is the thanks I get? This has got to stop." I was so upset that I stood up again, pacing back and forth to rid myself of nervous energy. Dis looked understanding, but slightly wary, and the expression had me wondering if I actually wanted to hear what she had to say.
"You must be patient with him. Over the last four years you have gained his trust, left him vulnerable. He will forgive you in time." Her words stopped me in my tracks. I stared at her for a full minute, jaw dropped in shock.
"He'll forgive me!? For what exactly?" I stuttered. She seemed unwilling to say anything more, looking as if she had made the situation quite clear. She even looked confused, as if there was something I had completely missed. I had heard enough, and I didn't bother to reexamine the situation before stalking towards him in anger, muttering to myself. 'Of all the infuriating dwarves...' Reaching his side, I yanked him around to face me, dodging the hammer that had been mid swing. He dropped it with a curse, opening his mouth to yell before I cut him off. "What is your problem?! I'm getting real tired of this broody attitude of yours when all I did was save your family. What in Mahal's name have I done to deserve this from you?!"
"You almost died!" he yelled. I staggered back, floored by the unexpected accusation. So that was what this was about? My reaction was probably unwise, but I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing, leaving Thorin spluttering in anger. My laughter quickly turned almost hysterical, tears flowing as I grabbed him in a hug. I could no longer see his face with my own buried in his shoulder, but he stiffened slightly before returning the gesture weakly. Pulling back slightly to look at him, I sobered.
"I'm sorry Thorin. I truly am. I honestly didn't think I was going to die." He looked at me like I was going insane.
"With those injuries? How could you be certain?"
"Well, because guardians can't die. Or, if we do, we're brought back. It has happened to me before, death is not a permanent thing for my kind. At least, it wasn't. I forgot that I have never told you that. And that it may no longer be true..." I grew deadly serious now, contemplating what happened in a new light. "I have never had someone worry about me before." I added softly. Thorin looked startled, his expression softening back to the one I had come to know in the past years. He pulled me back in hesitantly.
"I was worried," he admitted quietly. Embracing for another moment, we pulled apart at the sound of chuckling to see Dis shaking her head in amusement. I didn't like the look on her face, like someone who has a secret. Thorin must have agreed, because we both gave her identical scowls of annoyance before stalking off to finish whatever chores we had yet to complete that day. Dis stayed silent, keeping the memory of our embrace filed away for the day when she was sure it would turn into something more. Perhaps she could get the others to bet on when it would happen, she thought to herself. It ought to be a long journey considering the stubbornness of the two concerned.
Thorin and I slowly returned to a level of comfortable friendship, my promises to be more careful holding the peace between us. He had included me once again in his circle of advisers, and so it was with pleasure that I responded to the summons for council one morning about a week after our talk. Entering the room, I joined those seated around the table. Balin gave me a friendly smile, the others joining him in greeting. Besides him and Thorin, Dwalin and Dis were also present. Thorin wasted no time in getting to the point.
"There have been advances from the nearby town of Gorlond to establish trade between us. I want your opinions on this. Before we begin, I will start by saying the men appear to be eager to work with us, though their initial proposal will require some negotiation. It will bring more gold and food our way in exchange for our services and tools." Finished with his speech, he began to pass around neatly written copies of the proposal that had been drafted in Balin's fair hand. His work as a scribe was invaluable to Thorin for creating documents of that nature quickly. Silence reigned around the table as we all perused the words in front of us for a moment. I finished first, joining Balin in waiting for the others, the scribe having no need to reread the copied works. Sitting back, I waited for the others to speak, wanting to hear their opinions before voicing mine.
"I think with a bit of work, we can make a good deal with them," Balin stated once he saw that the others were finished.
"I for one am not sure brother," Dwalin interjected. "How can we be sure we can trust them? Maybe they do this so they can gain entrance to our town." Thorin considered them both carefully, noting the look I gave him and nodding to me to speak.
"What do you think Alanta? Does this seem wise or no?" I looked around at the others, making sure I had their attention.
"I think it should be safe enough. I have seen their town during some of my more far reaching patrols, though I never came close enough for them to spot me. They are half the size of this place, if that. Even were they to empty their town and attack with all they had, they cannot hope to injure us. Besides, cooperation and trade are the beginnings of a successful alliance, and that is to be encouraged. It can only make us stronger, and if they benefit as well? That is a good thing I think." Dwalin looked slightly mollified by my description of the town, and Dis was nodding in approval.
"She is right brother," she said, addressing Thorin. He nodded, reaching his decision.
"Very well, we will have the envoys come here to the town as soon as we can get word to them of our acceptance." Adjourning the meeting, we all left the hall, Thorin pulling up beside me for a last word. "I would like you to watch them from a distance when they come. Get a feel for their intentions, but do not interact with them if you can help it." I must have looked a little confused because he continued. "Do not misunderstand me, I know you are more than capable of handling yourself against others, it has nothing to do with that. They will not have seen your kind before, for you are most likely unique to this world, and I do not wish to see you in unnecessary danger due to their inevitable curiosity. Never mind the fact that you are a woman, and men do not treat their women as kindly as we do." I understood now, cautious at the thought of being the target of undue attention, but not overly worried for my safety. I hastened to agree with him for his own peace of mind, leaving to make preparations.
The day came when the men were due to arrive, dawning hot and smothering as we neared the summer equinox. I had opted to wear a dress with a short cape and hood that I could pull over my face. I silently thanked the gods that I was not overly troubled by the soaring temperature, or my covering would have become unbearable. I kept only my knives strapped to my waist, leaving my other weapons behind at home. Placing myself on a crate so that I would be less conspicuous, I watched as the party of men were admitted to the town. There were six of them, and they stayed cautiously grouped together as they walked in the direction of the market (where I was sitting).
As they got closer my ears were able to pick out bits of their conversation, and I listened carefully as I examined their faces. Their leader was a grim man, dark of hair and eyes and very nearly as tall as I was. He was called Cardor by those around him. The two that followed most closely behind him appeared to be his aides. Barnen was one, he was fair haired and had bright green eyes that looked about him with curiosity. The other looked remarkably like a younger, less world weary version of the leader. Celdor was his name, and the leader was quick to confirm that he was indeed his son. He also looked fascinated by his surroundings, paying far less attention to his father and eying instead the numerous stalls with material goods. I liked the look of these three, they would make good allies.
The others were as different as could be possible. I could tell at a glance that they were hard men, most likely hired as body guards. They did not appear to hold any particular loyalty to those they were supposed to be looking after, evidenced by the fact that they were far too busy muttering to themselves to even follow after the others. Thelgen, Hildor, and Skarfir were their names and all three possessed dirty blond hair and dark eyes. I figured they were related in some way, so similar were their looks. I didn't like the calculating glance they gave everything, and I focused my attention on keeping tabs on the trio. I was glad now that Thorin had ordered Dis to remain at home with the boys, along with requesting female presence be kept to a minimum in the market. The few that were there were hard pressed to ignore the leering stares of the visiting men.
It wasn't long before their inappropriate glances fell on me. Seeing my unusual appearance, they sniggered to each other before heading in my direction. As it was quite easy to guess what they had planned I remained seated, expression one of bland disinterest. Idly pulling out one of the knives strapped to my waist, I began sharpening it with care, not taking my eyes off the approaching men. I kept quiet, waiting to see what tactic they would use to try and get a rise out of me. Thelgen appeared to be the elected spokesperson.
"Well, well lads what have we 'ere? An exotic beauty if I ever saw one. Where might you be from pretty lady?" He attempted to give me what I'm sure he imagined was a roguish grin, but turned into a nasty sneer. I restrained myself from rolling my eyes at the painful attempt at flirting.
"I'm from here," I said shortly, my continued knife sharpening beginning to make Hildor and Skarfir uncomfortable. It was at this moment that I shifted momentarily to check on Thorin, making eye contact. He gave me a questioning look, to which I replied with a shrug, nodding almost imperceptibly towards my unwanted admirers. I had never seen someone become enraged so fast. Shoving past those in his way, Thorin barreled towards us, murder in his eyes. To their credit, the trio did not appear unduly concerned with his approach, no doubt due to the way they towered over him. Knowing the following scenario could jeopardize our relations with the town, I hastened to calm him down. "Thorin. Glad you could join us. These nice men and I were just having a friendly chat, weren't we boys?" They nodded, looking slightly confused by my change of attitude as they voiced their agreement.
"What's your name then dearie?" Thelgen asked, encouraged by my behavior. Thorin was practically steaming, looking just about ready to challenge them to combat or some other such foolishness. I decided to end the altercation before it could begin, and give the men something to think about at the same time.
"Luna," I replied with a grin. Thorin's eyes widened as my friend appeared just behind the group, stilling them with a low growl. They turned very slowly, backing away from my ferocious companion in fear. She stalked forward to sit at my side as I stood up, emphasizing my next words with my full height. "There's many more where she came from," I said softly, giving them a dangerous smile. "They follow my every command, luckily for you, or she would have already killed you for your misguided attempts at flattery. Have a good day gentlemen." I strode off towards my house before I could burst out laughing at the looks on their faces, leaving a thoroughly embarrassed Cardor to apologize for his men.
A knock at the door later that afternoon revealed Dis, eager to hear about the day's adventures. I joined her outside to sit in the shade of some nearby trees I had nurtured from saplings some years ago, cool drinks in hand and a light snack nearby.
"Tell me everything," she begged enthusiastically. I laughed, proceeding to tell her all about the men and their horrible flirting. I was nearing the end of the story when Thorin stalked up looking positively incensed, many of our friends behind him. They listened raptly as I finished my tale, ignoring the snorts and grumblings coming from a certain direction. I ended with a flourish, bowing in response the the howling laughter coming form everyone except Thorin. He scowled darkly and stomped off to the forges, no doubt planning to abuse some poor strip of metal for a few hours.
Despite the situation that occurred when the men came to our town, I had managed (with the help of Dis and Balin) to convince Thorin to go ahead with the trade negotiations. The leader had been truly apologetic, going so far as to send the trio home as soon as he discovered what had happened. The next step in our plans was for our own envoys to pay the village of Gorlond a return visit. Thorin would be going, along with Balin, Dwalin, Gloin, and to my surprise, me. I was pleasantly shocked at his efforts to forget what had happened, only rolling my eyes when he said it was because the four of them ought to be able to protect me. I was tempted to let him have it for blatant over protectiveness, but I knew it really wasn't worth it. He would most likely never change.
We set out as soon as we were able, stocked with supplies and armed to the teeth. I wore my dragon hide armor this time, not leaving any room for assumptions as to my abilities. I also carried my long staff, daggers strapped to my hips. With my towering height I knew I would look more than a little intimidating, despite my gender. There were still those who undoubtedly would underestimate me, but I was always happy to prove my skills, so I was not worried. I had more than enough past dealings with shady men to know how to handle them, never mind the added insurance of ferocious animals that came at my call. I had purposely left my companions out of sight as we neared the town, wanting to draw as little attention as possible.
A day's journey saw us at the outskirts of the town, a small place surrounded on all sides by the forest and protected only by a thin wall. A few guards patrolled the top, glancing around in boredom as they propped themselves up with their spears. I felt the urge to knock some sense into them for a moment, irritated by their lax attempt at protection before the feeling passed. It would do no good to go into this with bad intent, so I comforted myself with the knowledge that if anything happened while we were here, they would have our help. I could hear the others muttering similar sentiments and smiled.
The gate was opened as we drew near and we were ushered in by the master himself. He looked pleased to see us, and I found myself returning his smile with ease, promptly cutting off his apologies for his past visit with a wave of my hand.
"What's done is done, no hard feelings master Cardor. It wouldn't be the first time I was propositioned by strange men," I grinned. He laughed outright, remembering how quickly I had set the men straight before leading us towards the main hall. There we would discuss the main points of our agreement and revise anything that needed it. The men and women of the town stared at us as we passed in a mixture of awe and fear. I ignored it for the time being, we would either have their trust in time, or not. I did keep an eye out for the three that had caused me trouble last time, but they were nowhere to be seen.
Entering the hall behind the others, I was delighted to find that all the chairs and the table besides were much closer to my size than anything in Ered Luin. It was a relief to sit out of the sun, though in truth I had no particular interest in the present conversation. I sat back, water in hand, tuning out the political discussion with a sigh. I wasn't sure how long we'd been sitting there when I felt a hand on my arm, turning to see what Balin wanted.
"You don't really need to stay if you don't want to," he whispered. I raised a brow incredulously, earning a nod of confirmation.
"Alright, I'll be just outside then," I replied. Excusing myself quietly, I stood up and slid out the door. Once outside I took a moment to examine my surroundings, quickly spotting a small market place. I headed over, curious to see what sort of goods they had for sale here, giving a friendly smile to any who glanced my way. They all looked down as soon as they saw me catch them looking, but they didn't seen especially hostile so it was a start. The shopkeeper of a booth selling bolts of fabric gazed up through her lashes shyly at my approach. I gave her a nod of greeting, passing fingers gently over the plainly colored fabric. It was all in dark colors, but the quality was sturdy and soft. Praising the work, I drew a tiny smile from the young girl. My stomach rumbled as I caught the scent wafting over from the nearby stalls of food, drawing me in. I ended up buying a small loaf of bread and some cheese, quickly crafting myself a rough sandwich that I took over to some nearby crates to eat.
I had almost finished my snack when I noticed a fluttering in the small crowd of people, noting the approach of several young men who appeared just of age to begin weapons training. They were dusty, like they had recently been wrestling in the dirt, which I could easily believe given their age. I smiled to myself to watch the way they walked with the type of confidence only young males had in overabundance. The group ranged around where I sat, barely keeping to a respectful distance at the sight of my weapons. One of them stepped forward, a red haired lad with challenging blue eyes.
"Are you a soldier?" he asked in disbelief. I nodded, noting their scoffs of protest with barely concealed amusement. "Sure those aren't just decoration then?" he snorted, indicating my knives with a casual wave of the hand. The others laughed at his jest.
"Perhaps you'd like a demonstration?" I asked, brow raised in challenge. They nodded, still looking doubtful as they led me over to a nearby training yard. I drew out the weapons, bidding them stand back as I faced the archery targets. Idly flipping one in my hand for a moment, I flicked my wrist in a sudden gesture, sending the blade spinning to land with a bulls eye in the target. The astonished boys instantly forget their earlier doubts, surrounding me enthusiastically to ask just how I had done it. They looked over the long staff that hung across my back, shouting in excitement when I brought it out and performed a short fighters dance to display it's effectiveness. "Do any of you train yet?" I asked, noting the wooden practice spears leaning against the wall. Half of them nodded, so I decided to spend some time inspecting their skill. Motioning for them all to choose a spear, I lined them up in rows, spaced evenly apart. I then went to the front of the group and demonstrated the moves a beginner would learn to defend and attack. The boys listened raptly before moving to copy my actions.
I first noticed our growing audience when the men and women leaning against the fence began chattering about the impromptu training session. The men looked rather impressed, the older women scandalized, and the younger women longing.
"Well you know what you're doing, I'll give you that," one of the men called. "Even if it is in the safety of the training ring," he added.
"I can assure you, my weapons have seen more wars than the count of your years, young master," I said wryly.
"Impossible," he scoffed indignantly. "You're barely an adult by the looks of you."
"Looks can be deceiving my friend. I am almost seventy years old, and the past four decades of my life have been spent in battle." His jaw dropped at the deadly serious tone of my voice, a few of his mates laughing at his discomfort. He quickly recovered himself, watching the training with renewed interest. I had been mildly surprised that the matter of my gender was not brought up, taking it as a good sign. Seeing the desire on the faces of some of the younger females leaning on the fence, I ushered them inside, placing practice weapons in their hesitant grasps. There was an immediate clamor of protest from the mothers, and I hastened to explain myself, leaving the boys to welcome their new training partners. I turned to the most vocal of them, a grey haired woman with snapping black eyes. "What seems to be the problem mistress?" I asked politely.
"It's not done, having young girls fight," she exclaimed. "It's indecent."
"Am I indecent?" I inquired, my mild question leaving her spluttering. "It is good for women to know how to defend themselves. We live in the wilds here, not safe in a great city. Would you have your daughters unable to protect their lives and virtue?" She had begun to look a little uncertain, so I drove the point home. "If there is an attack, there is nothing more dangerous to your menfolk than helpless women. They will be forced to look after you as well as themselves, making them fearful and reckless and causing unnecessary deaths. Yet if your girls can fight, you would expand your protective force by double. Never mind the added benefit of allowing your sisters and daughters the ability to discourage unwanted advances." The men were nodding agreement to my arguments, leading many of the women to waver in their resolve to keep their girls safe. Seeing their grudging acceptance, I turned back to my charges, leading the practice once more. The girls caught on fast, muscles strong from doing heavy household work were easily able to handle the weight of a staff.
Once the session ended and many of the youngsters dispersed, I sat outside the ring, soaking up the sun with eyes closed. I had called on Seraph to keep me company, the little bird perched on my shoulder and chirping in my ear. It wasn't long before she drew the attention of many of the little ones nearby, the children coming closer to see her bright wings and listen to her song. I popped my eyes open, smiling from my position on the ground and transferring my friend to the palm of my hand for them to see better. They exclaimed in delight, cheering with my offer to bring out more of my companions. There were shrieks of excitement when I summoned a flurry of creatures. Squirrels, rabbits, kittens, and large butterflies filling the area with color and sound. Several startled parents glanced our way before relaxing at the sight of their children's enjoyment. I spent the rest of the afternoon here, telling stories and showing off my menagerie, giving tired parents some well earned rest.
The meeting had concluded at last to Thorin's satisfaction. All deals had been worked out and the dwarves were now going to spend the night here in a guest house before heading home in the morning. Looking around as they walked outdoors, Thorin was uneasy to note that he could not see Alanta.
"Where's she got to?" he muttered to Balin.
"She probably found some young people to entertain," the wise dwarf suggested. Thorin conceded that he was most likely right, and they headed for the center of town. So it was that they were not surprised to find their elf sitting on the ground telling stories to a wide eyed group of children, all with an animal in their laps. She caught sight of them, giving them a bright smile as she finished her tale. There was a cheer from the little ones, and parents moved forward to thank her and collect their children before heading home for the evening.
"Eventful day?" Thorin asked her in amusement.
"That is was," she replied. "Spent the morning training the older children in staffs only to be waylaid by these ones afterwards." She grinned good naturedly, enduring the ribbing at her ability to charm young ones wherever she went. Talking amongst themselves, they headed for the guest house to get a restful night.
Asleep in my own room, I felt myself startled awake by a slight noise outside the door. It looked to be the middle of the night, and I could hear the soft snores of my male friends in the other room. Counting them, I easily detected four slumbering dwarves, and turned my attention once again to the almost silent footsteps in the hall. I had a feeling I knew who it would be, so I silently called for one of my more unusual animals. The hulking black bear appeared without a noise, following the hand gestured command to move into a dark corner and wait. Slowly the door nob turned, and I feigned sleep, one eye slightly cracked to identify the five men sneaking into the room. Three were my previous 'admirers', the other two I did not recognize. When they got closer, shutting the door behind them and barring it, I sat up casually.
"Can I help you?" I asked in a bland voice, making sure to look politely disinterested like before.
"That remains to be seen, eh sweet lady. Don't got your kitty friend with you now do ya?" They laughed softly, mocking me. I gave them a sweet smile.
"Oh? Don't be so sure." Giving a command, my bear friend stepped out of the shadows, growling menacingly behind them. This time though, the men were prepared, whipping around with swords in their hands. I yelled in fear for my friend, prompting him to vanish, leaving nothing but smoke behind. They turned to me again, advancing with identical malicious smirks. Narrowing my eyes in focus, I called on my power to blend with the shadows. They yelled in confusion at my disappearance, swearing when I reappeared beside the closest one, dagger to his neck. Silence forgotten in their rage, they had manged to wake my friends. The door burst off its hinges to reveal a furious Thorin, clad in nothing but trousers and sword in hand. The others were behind him, similarly attired.
"What is going on?" he roared. The idiot men sneered at them, standing tall and pointing weapons in their direction while they ignored the plight of the one I had captured.
"Just showing the lady a good time," Thelgen grinned. The dwarves snarled, Thorin's eyes darkening almost to black in a murderous rage. I called the mens attention to me quickly to try and prevent bloodshed. Pressing the dagger hard enough to draw a trickle of blood, my captive squawked loudly for help. I waited until they turned, and seeing his position, paused.
"Do I have your attention then?" They all nodded. "Good, because I'm only going to say this once. Attempt to make your advances upon me again, and I will remove your manhood from between your miserable legs." Calling then on some of my more predatory bird friends, I sent them on the attack, letting go my captive and allowing the birds to chase them from the building. They returned to me while the men were still running, preening in satisfaction.
"Why didn't you call for help?" Thorin snarled.
"I had it in hand. Besides, I was bored anyhow." The others laughed at my nonchalant attitude, Thorin simmering down when he was forced to admit I was right.
"You still should have called," he muttered.
"Careful," I teased, "someone might think you care." I was surprised when he appeared to redden slightly before stalking out of the room. Balin watched after him, looking between us for a moment. Whatever he saw must have satisfied him, because he left with a smile, the others following behind. Putting the matter aside, I moved to the bed to finish my sleep.
Author's note: Sorry this one is a bit longer than I had planned. A lot of this was rather unintended, but I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I think it is good that Alanta has finally been introduced to a race other than dwarves, and is getting out into the world a bit. Thorin and her are still just friends, and will be for a while yet, but things are slowly changing for them. With this chapter over, we are going to make a large time jump again, moving forward to approximately half a year before the beginning of the quest for Erebor. Up until now Fili and Kili were about 7 and 12 years old. When we rejoin them next chapter they will be about 72 and 77. The reason for the jump is not so much that I'm trying to hurry to the quest, but that I needed them to be much older for the events I have in mind next. Alanta's age would have been about 65 when she first met the Durin's, so at this point she will be about 135. Thorin I am going to say is about 150 (I don't really remember if that is his canon age, I'm just making it up). This puts them close enough to be a comfortable gap. Next chapter we will have a couple events to look forward to, including an accident and the return of some old fears. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!