As Thorin and Brann entered the warmth of their home Brann immediately looked after Dwana. The young dwarf girl was still unconscious, but her headwound had stopped bleeding. Nevertheless Brann had to take a look at it and cleaned it. Thankfully Dwana was still unconscious, because Brann had to shave a part of her hair off to get better access to the wound. When she finished she turned to Dwalin had patted the dwarfs shoulder.

'She´ll be alright.' she assured the pale looking father. 'She should awaken any minute now.'

Dwalin could only nod and stared at his daughter. Brann could see a mixture of worry and anger in his eyes and sighed.

'Listen, Dwalin, I am sorry that this happened. Maybe I should have been more careful.' she murmured and jumped as Dwalin jerked his head to look her in the eyes.

'You have no fault, girl. Dwana was the one who ran away without thinking and who brought you in danger. My daughter was the one who acted irresponsible.' he sighed. 'I should ask your forgiveness, not the other way around.'

Brann smiled and took the dwarfs hand. 'She is but a child, Dwalin. Don´t be too hard on her. I should have thought about my choice of words as I talked to her. It is not easy when you lose your family.'

'My Father died in Moria. You lost your entire family and you were only barely older than her. Dis has lost almost all her older male relatives. None of us reacts that way.' Dwalin sounded bitter. 'Her mother spoiled her.'

'Don´t tell her that.' Brann asked the dwarf. 'For Dwana her mother was her only family. If you talk ill about her or her education you will lose your daughter.'

Thorin watched his wife and his friend. His heart warmed even more for the good heart of his wife and her wisdom. He then remembered that Dwalin was quite right as far as Branns age was concerned. Brann had come to Moria at the age of nineteen. For human standards she had been a young adult, but she had been naive, untouched by the worlds harshness and innocent. She had struggled alot during her first weeks in the Blue Mountains, she just had another way to mourn and suffer than Dwana. Suddenly Thorin remembered that men had a shorter lifespan than dwarves, a tremendous shorter one. Thorin paled as reality hit him and he had to sit down at the fireplace. His sister had just brought Fili and Kili to bed and sat down beside her brother with a frown.

'What´s with you, brother. You are pale like death. Everything turned out well. The ranger scum is dead and he will never threaten Brann ever again.' she placed a hand on Thorins arms and jumped as he winced.

'I nearly lost her today, Dis.' Thorin whispered. 'And I will lose her again.'

Dis shook her head. 'What do you mean?'

'She is from the race of men. She will die of age far sooner than I will.' Thorin physically hurt as he spoke those words.

'Oh.' Dis had of course know that men had a shorter lifespan than dwarves, but she had never really thought about it. She did not know how to comfort her brother in this moment, for there was nothing she could have said to ease the pain Thorin felt at the thought of losing Brann. 'Don´t think about that now. She is here now, with you, with us. You both will have a long and happy life. Don´t ruin your present because of an unknown future.'

Thorin gave his sister a warm smile. She was right, as usual.

Brann was deadbeat as she went to bed that evening. She only wanted to cuddle up in the soft mattress and sleep. But as she closed the door behind her she could see that Thorin had other plans. He had brought a tray with tea and food and had prepared a warm bath. Brann then realised that she still wore the dress with the rangers blood all over it. Thorin saw his wifes distress and walked over to her, taking her chin into his hands and forcing her to look him in the eyes. With his other hand he slowly undressed her, making her smile lightly. As Brann stepped into the tub Thorin took the bloody dress and threw it into the corner by the door. As he came back he scanned his wifes body for injuries. As he saw the bruises and scratches his face reddened with fury.

'Don´t.' Brann looked at him pleadingly and took his hand to pull him down to her. 'I am fine. Its all his blood...and these..' she pointed to the bruises and scratches. 'These will go away soon.'

'He hurt you.' Thorins voice shook as he looked at his wife. 'He touched you and Durin knows what he would have done if...and I was not there to protect you.'

At that Brann smiled. 'You have protected me. I had your dagger with me, the dagger you made me and made me promise to keep in my coat when I went out.'

Brann cupped Thorins cheeks with her hands and kissed him softly, trying to forget the rangers lips on hers. But as soon as Thorin pulled her close and kissed her back passionately the ranger was forgotten. They parted only hesitantly and Brann heard her stomach mumble as she looked at the food on the tray. She hastily cleaned herself while Thorin watched in amusement as his wife stumbled out of the tub and grabbed the food.

'What?' Brann looked at Thorin with big eyes and a full mouth, chewing carefully.

'Nothing.' Thorin smirked at her. 'You are sitting there, starknaked, and eat like a little squirrel.' He ducked as Brann threw a pillow at him.

Brann was too hungry to reply anything, so she continued chewing and tried to cover herself with the sheet until Thorin stopped her.

'I wasn´t complaining.' Thorin sat down beside his wife and kissed her bare shoulder. They sat together silently while Brann was finishing her meal and her tea, relishing in each others presence. As soon as Brann was finished Thorin put the tray down, blew out the candles and lay down at her side, taking her into his arms and never wanting to let go.

'Thorin?' Brann whispered half asleep.

'Hmmm?' Thorin had almost drifted asleep himself.

'I can´t breath if you squeeze me like that. I´m a teeny tiny little woman.' Brann smirked against his chest and took a deep breath as Thorin immediately released his death grip on her.

'Sorry.' he mumbled against her hair and sighed heavily as she cuddled up at his side, resting her head on his chest. 'I will never let go of you again.'

Chuckling, Brann looked up at Thorin. 'I won´t complain.'

The next morning Dwalin was already up making tea and breakfast and Brann saw after Dwana. The girl was awake, but she was naucious and had a massive headache. Of course she had already noticed that a big streak of hair was missing at the side of her head and complained, even if weakly. Brann looked at Dwalin and smirked. She had an idea, she would just have to ask Dwana for her permission. The young dwarf and the healer needed no words to get along since their assault. The ranger had repaired the rift between them and Dwana had been deeply impressed by the way Brann had fought for her and had protected her. Dwalin saw Brann whisper into Dwanas ear and saw his daughter grin from the kitchen. He turned to Thorin with a perplexed expression, but his king only shrugged his shoulders. He had not really forgiven Dwana to have brought Brann into danger, but Brann had asked him to let go of the matter. The ranger had been their enemy, not Dwana.

They would have enough problems explaining the rangers death to the towns council. They hoped that the council would believe the dwarves and the carpenters family. Thorin and Dwalin would go to the council with Dorn, the three males speaking for their wives and daughter as well. Brann had asked Thorin to accompany him, but Thorin wanted Brann to rest and stay safe for the time being. Elsa joined the women at Branns and Thorins house while the males were gone. Fili and Kili had noticed that something was wrong, but in their childish naivity and their unconcerned nature they managed to distract the adults from their dark thoughts and fears.

Brann and Dwana disappeared into the bedroom after a while and Dis, her sons, Elsa and her daughters made lunch. The door to the bedroom opened in the same moment the main door did and as the three men entered they only heard Dis shriek of excitement. Alarmed they stepped into the house and followed Dis gaze. Dwalin let out a vey unmanly shriek himself while Thorin and Dorn smirked as they saw what had attracted Dis attention.

'You look like uncle Dwalin!' Fili exclaimed as he looked at Dwana, who looked at her father sheepishly.

'What do you think?' she asked him carefully.

Dwalin could not stop staring at his daughter and walked over to her slowly. 'Oh my daughter! You look lovely!' he exclaimed and rushed over to her to scoop her up in his arms.

Thorin could not help but watch two dwarves with mohawks swirl around in each others arms and smile.

'That was a wonderful idea, my love.' Thorin whispered to Brann as they closed the door to their bedroom for a few moments of privacy. 'The family resemblance is stunning.'

Brann grinned. Dwana looked great with the new mohawk and she proudly showed her headwound from the assault. Typical dwarf.

'How did the council react?' Brann asked and saw a shadow spread over her husbands face. 'That good?'

'No, they believed us.' Thorin assured her. 'Its just...they want you to speak before the council and tell them what the man did to you and Dwana.'

'Why?' Brann did not want to remember.

'It seems that the ranger did force himself upon many women.' Thorin told Brann. 'The council needs to hear what happened from you.'

Brann nodded and sighed. 'Will you come with me?'

'Of course.' Thorin kissed her forehead. He knew that it would be hard for Brann. She had stirred in her sleep, having a nightmare. The moment he had took her in his arms again she had slept more peacefully. He would not let her go to the council alone.

'The ranger made advances to me since we came to Bree.' Brann told the council of five men. She felt cold and the mens stares made her feel insecure. But Thorins presence gave her courage. He was seated behind his wife and tried not to wince at her words. 'At first it was just harmless flirting, but then it became more. He started insulting my relationship to my husband, there I first fought him. As the council gave my husband the appointment to forge the weapons for the city guard he threatened me that he would take the appointment away from us...'

'That was never his choice to make!' one of the older councilmen roared. As he saw Brann wince he smiled warmly. 'Please continue, my dear.'

'He even came to our house with the intention of...taking what he wanted. Our neighbours and master Dwalin overheard his comrades talk about it various times. The arrival of my sister in law and our nephews prevented him from doing what he wanted.' Brann continued. 'As the ranger was injured in an orc attack a few weeks later he was brought to our home because the medical house was full...'

Thorin sat there silently and cursed himself for not having taken care of his wife properly. As Brann told the council what happened he saw all of it flash before his mind again. The looks the ranger had given Brann and the desire in his eyes. As he heard how the ranger had forced Brann onto the forest floor and had kissed her skin he nearly stormed off. But he had promised Brann to support her and so he stayed, his hands wrenched into fists. Thankfully the councilmen only nodded in understanding as Brann told them how and why she had killed the ranger.

'You have been very brave, Brann, wife of Thorin the blacksmith. We apologise for the peril that was inflicted upon you and your family through one of our guards and we hope that we will not lose your husbands craftmanship and your healing services in our town because of this unfortunate incident.' the oldest councilman spoke warmly.

'Unfortunate incident?!' Thorin growled and stood up, but was stopped by Branns icy hands on his chest. Her pleading look calmed him down and he sat back down again.

'May we leave now?' she asked the council. 'We have a family to take care off.'

'Of course. Thank you for witnessing, blacksmiths wife. You may leave.'

Brann took a deep breath as she and Thorin emerged from the council. It was over, it was finally over. She felt Thorins hand on her lower back and leaned into her husbands touch. Brann had felt his emotions boil as she had told the council who the ranger had tried to defile her. She had seen the rage in his eyes and felt the fury in his heart.

'It is over, Thorin. Everything is fine.' she tried to assure him, but Thorin looked at her with a pained expression.

'He touched you. He bruised you.' Thorin muttered. Of course he had already seen the bruises on Branns skin, but the fact that they were a result from the rangers hands on his wife had hit Thorin with brutality during the councils questioning. 'I am so sorry.'

'Why are you sorry, you did not do anything to me.' Brann moved closer to her husband. 'And you did everything to protect me, you can't watch over me all day.'

'Who says that I can't?' Thorin growled and made his wife smirk.

'You, my dear husband, have work to do. And I think that Dwana will volunteer as my personal bodyguard.' Brann chuckled.

'The brat has done enough already.' Thorin was very unforgiving. It was the daughter of his captain of the guard who had brought chaos and trouble into his home.

'The girl will do fine.' Brann told her husband and gave him a scolding look. 'Forgive her. Please? For me.'

Thorin looked at his wife and into her big brown eyes and cursed. Brann was the only person besides his nephews who could make him melt with a simple look. As he nodded Brann laid her arms around his neck.

'And when we are back maybe could could make me forget this dreadful incidents?' she whispered and send shivers down Thorins spine.

'Our house is full of my kin.' Thorin groaned. 'And I want to hear you when I claim you.'

Brann bit her lip and felt her abdomen twitch and burn at his words. The dwarf pulled her close, nibbled the soft skin of her neck and whispered in her ear in Khuzdul. Brann loved the secret language of the dwarves. During her stay in the Blue Mountains she had learned a few words, but she was far from understanding all of it. But the tone of Thorins voice when he spoke Khuzdul to her made her heart race.

'We can go to the forge?' Brann suggested and grinned widely as Thorin eyes grew dark of passion. As Thorin lifted her up and marched back to their home in a quick speed Brann chuckled. 'After everyone is asleep, of course.'

Thorin gave a grunt at her suggestion. 'I was thinking about a visit to the forge before and after everyone is asleep?'

Brann was about to object as Thorin sealed her lips with a kiss. She felt her brain melt away and smirked as she felt the door of the forge in her back. They stumbled into the smithy and heard a chocked cry and the sound of metal clanging to the ground.

'For Durins sake! You two wanna kill me?!' Dwalin had let go of the forging hammer as the two had intruded his work. 'Oh please, I don't wanna see that!'

The huge dwarf with the mohawk covered his eyes with a tattoed hand. Thorin and Brann looked down at each other and blushed. Thorins hands were still on Branns behind and her dress was pushed up over her knees. Sighing Thorin let go of his wife and tried to stand behind her so that Dwalin could not see the bulge in his trousers. Brann chuckled and straightened her dress.

'Sorry.' Brann murmured and tried to look nonchalant. Dwalin only grumbled in his beard and cocked an eyebrow at Thorin who was trying to think about something to lose his arousal.

'A cold bath would do, laddie.' Dwalin suggested gruffly and enjoyed Thorin flinch. He decided to tease Thorin a bit more. 'I worked on the swords most of the day. The weapons should be ready at the end of the week if we both work at them.'

Thorin glared at daggers at his old friend and Brann cleared her throat. 'I should leave you two to your work.' she stated quietly and walked back to the house with a last loving glance at Thorin.

'Great.' Thorin heard Dwalin mutter. 'Now he's gonna hit his thumb and toes again.'