A little one cried. Brann tried to see through the darkness which surounded her, but she could not. The darkness was around her and inside of her. Desperately she turned around and tried to find light, but there was no light, only the sound of a dwarfling crying. It was her little one, Brann could feel it. Hers and Thorins little one. But why was it crying? Since she could not see anything Brann began to stroke her belly and started singing a lullaby she had learned from her mother. The crying faded and Brann smiled into the dark. As she looked up again - or where she thought up was - she could see something that looked like a star. It was the only light she could see, but it was far away.

Thorin sat down at Branns bed and took his wifes hand into his. He gently kissed her fingers and her knuckles and rubbed her hand against his cheek. He did not want to think about Dorn and Elsa, and their little family. Elsa and Rose had gotten sick a week ago and they had died one day before the caravan had left Bree. Margeret was fighting the decease, but Dorn only had a light fever. He would make it, but the healers worried about his little daughter. She had too high fever for too long now. Even if she would awake, she would have severe brain damage. Thanks to the elven medicine Brann had won over the fever, but she did not wake up. Oin had told Thorin that there was nothing he could do for her anymore, she had to find her way back to the living herself. He asked Thorin to talk to her, because sometimes the ones lost in the dark could be guided back to the world of the living remembering the ones they had left behind. So Thorin talked. He told Brann about his day, about the decease, about Bree...and about Dorn. He begged her to come back to him and let his tears fall down his face freely. Please come back to me.

Dis sat down beside Branns bed after she had shooed Thorin out of the infirmary. Her brother had fallen asleep at his wifes side yet again, but he was needed at the council today. With a deep sigh Dis looked at her sister in law. She looked good, nearly peaceful. Dis smiled and started talking.

'You have no idea what you are missing, my dear.' Dis smirked as she started talking to her sleeping sister law. 'Life under the mountain is pure chaos. The men from Bree will survive, at least the ones who made it here. I have to tell you that little Margeret died this night. A part of her father died with her, but Dorn refuses to give up. I think I would have in his place. I remember how I felt after you all came back from Azanulbizar. If not for Fili and Kili I would have followed Lindin and my grandfather to death. Dorn has nobody left. Brann, you have to come back. I worry for Thorin, he does not eat, does barely sleep and he looks like death himself. He will follow you if you leave this world. I know it.'

Dis needed to take a deep breath. 'The boys are driving me crazy, but they are also so precious. Fili is practically raising Kili by himself, since I am busy with supporting Thorin. If our chambers were not made of stone, I swear, the rooms would have collapsed. Fili and Kili are playing Dwarf and Orc lately, Kili is the orc. He growls and barks - do orcs even bark? - and runs through the rooms like a maniac. Fili plays the dwarf knight who chases the orc and I think he imitates Thorin, which is really sweet. You should see this.'

'Aunt Brann, aunt Brann!' Fili came into the infirmary, with Kili right behind him. 'I killed the orc, I killed the orc!'

Kili jumped onto the bed and laid down beside Brann, grimacing like being dead. As Brann did not move he looked at her worriedly.

'Aunt Brann, why are you still sleeping?' he asked quietly. 'I miss you. Fili misses you, too and Dwana also! Although she spends alot of time with Thorin. Not uncle Thorin - uncle Thorin loves only you - but young Thorin. His parents, uncle Dain and aunt Mya, are still here. They are fun! They always buy us sweets!'

Dis sighed sadly as she listened to her youngest son babble to Brann about everything which crossed his mind. Fili sat at the other side of the bed and looked at Brann in an unreadable expression. Sometimes he was very much like Thorin.

A second star appeared beside the first one, who shone brightly in the dark. Brann heard distant voices in the dark...Thorin...Dis...and Kili...in fact, Kili did not stop talking. Four stars were shining in the dark now, four stars, leading the way. Five, six...

'Come on, girl.' Dwalin grumbled. 'You have to come back to us. Dwana is driving me nuts, she is only talking to this boy, this young Thorin. Your Thorin hates it to be the old Thorin, by the way. I should have been there for my daughter and I should have...you would tell me that I should talk to her and that I should show her that I am there for her, I know you would. Maybe I should start. See you later, girl.'

Grumbling into his beard Dwalin left to look for his daughter and Thrain sat down in his place.

'Hello, my dearest daughter in law.' Thrain took Branns hand as she talked to her. 'I know that you wander in the shadows, I know that feeling. I wandered in the shadows after Azanulbizar. I was lost, but I found my way back. There was this voice whispering in my head, about the Lonely Mountain and about my family.' Lost in his thoughts Thrain played with the ring of power on his right hand. 'This voice led me back to my family and one day it will lead me back to my mountain...and my gold. Listen to the voices, Brann. They will lead you.'

The sixth star shone in a golden light, but it was no warm golden color, it was burning in her eyes and radiated a threatening light...Brann watched in horror as the star turned into a shooting star and disappeared into the dark again.

'Brann! Wake up, you hear me? My father is driving me nuts! He tries to be all fatherly and wants to talk! Talk! He is as good in talking as he is in flirting!' Dwana sat down beside Brann in depair, but she tried to keep some of her humor, because she knew that Brann liked that. 'By the way, lady Mya has some news from Ered Luin. Some really disturbing news, although Daras reaction to your pregnancy must have been really fun to witness, as I was told.'

A seventh star appeared in the darkness surounding Brann. The dwarfling had stopped crying, it was silent and Brann feared for its existence.

'Brann, dear, I do not know if you can hear me, but I will talk to you anyway.' lady Mya sat down at Branns side one evening. 'I´ve been to Ered Luin the past days and I need to tell you that your current state is the subject of talk at all corners. But the good news first. Dara, the little floozy, she had a breakdown as she heard of your pregnancy. She actually locked herself into her room and stayed there, whining and pacing like a crazy dwarf. One of her courtladies, a dear old friend of mine, said that she had looked like a warg spit out of the depths of the earth as she came out of her rooms. Hair in disarray, swollen eyes, greasy skin...awful, I tell you. But now the bad news. The news of your sickness has reached Ered Luin shortly after their lord had returned home. You can imagine that they are delighted to see you weak like this. You have to fight, Brann! You just have to! For Thorin, your little one and for the Blue Mountains. And most important - for yourself.'

Brann could see the stars joining, they were drawn to each other and began swirling in the dark, until they had merged to one big shining star. In awe, Brann reached out for the shining orb above her and moved towards it.

Thorin spent every night at his wifes side. Brann was brought back to their chambers, since the sickness had been defeated. But she had not waken up, yet. The men were better and the ones who had survived prepared to leave the Blue Mountains again. Dorn would stay in the Blue Mountains, he had nothing in Bree to go back to. Thorin had offered him work and Dorn had taken it, albeit with some doubt. He was not sure if his craft would be accepted with the dwarves, but he stayed nevertheless. Nobody could tell why Brann was still unconscious. Oin told Thorin that normaly she would have been dead by now, since the sickness had weakened her badly. But the heartbeat of the dwarfling as well as hers were steady and strong. The little one was growing inside of the queen and since she had lost alot of weight during her struggle against the pest Thorin could already see a tiny little bump. He caressed Branns belly and talked to their unborn if he had told Brann how much he loved her and how his day had been. It had been two months since Durins Day. Slowly Thorin began to lose all hope.

The next day Thorin came into his chambers, slamming the door and furious as a balrog. The council had told him to accept that his queen might not awaken and to focus on the future of the kingdom. One dwarf from Ered Luin had actually told him to rethink their offer of a second marriage, since his dwarfling inside of Brann might share his mothers fate. Thorin had thrown him out of the Blue Mountains himself and only the arms of his father Thrian and Dwalin had kept him from murdering the dwarf on the spot.

'Can you believe this?! This dwarf scum had the nerve! I can´t even tell you what he suggested - you would jump out of bed and kick his dwarven behind all the way to Moria - but I can tell you who came up with this! This thrice damned Mara and his rotten family!' Thorin was so furious that he yelled towards Brann, who was still in their bed.

She had almost reached the light of the huge star. It almost took her whole vision and she could finally see...and hear...Thorin. He was yelling.

'This Mara...I swear by Durin, one day I will rip his head off myself!' Thorin started pacing beside the bed. 'What a dishonorable, disgusting ...excuse for a dwarf! I still cannot believe that Dara and I...'

'I beg you not to finish that sentence...' Brann whispered and weakly turned her head to face her pacing husband.

Thorin stopped and looked at his wife in confusion. 'Right...as I said...' he continued pacing for a moment until he stopped dead in his tracks. He turned around that energetically that his beads nearly took his eyes out. He could see Brann move and he could see her warm brown eyes look at him. Directly at him. And she had talked!

'Say something again...' Thorin whispered and saw Brann smile at his words. 'OIN!' Thorin managed to shout for his healer that loudly that Brann winced and Oin actually heard him two floors down.

'Is that the way to greet your wife?' Brann asked hoarsely. Her voice was nearly gone due to the fact that she had not used it for nearly two months.

'Durins beard, you are awake!' Thorin rushed to his wifes side and cupped her face in his hands. Tears streamed down his face as he looked at her. 'You are awake...I had almost lost all hope...'

'I would never leave you...my bear...my love...my king - melekuh.' Brann smiled at her husband and closed her eyes in pleasure as she felt his lips on hers, expressing all the happiness and relief he felt for her awakening. 'I love you, Thorin.'

'I love you more.' Thorin smiled and let out a happy sob. He was still kissing his wife as Oin came stumbling into their chambers, panic in his eyes.

'My king...I...' Oin stopped at the bed and stared down at the royal couple in disbelief. Then he let out a happy cry which made Brann cover her ears.

'For Durins sake, you two will make me go deaf...and the little one, too.' Brann remarked faintly and leaned back into the pillows. She felt incredibly weak and tired. All she wanted to do was to fall asleep again, but this time to wake up in the arms of her husband the next morning.

'Whats with all the yelling?' Dis came into the room, Fili and Kili right behind her. As she saw that Brann was awake she cried out in joy herself, her high pitched cry echoing in the room and making Brann sigh in despair. Dwarves were crying left, right and front of her. This was too much. Then Fili and Kili came.

'Aunt Brann! You´re awake!' the two rascals came rushing over to Brann and snuggled down left and right of her.

'I´m in a dwarven sandwich...' Brann chuckled and tried to moved her arms around them, but she was still too weak. Oin, who had gotten past his shock, saw that the queen was exhausted and stood up determinately.

'Alright, everybody out!' he commanded. 'But for the king.' he added as he saw Thorins murderous expression. 'The queen needs rest.'

'She had enough rest the last weeks...OW!' Kili rubbed the back of his head where Dis hand had slapped him. 'Alright...see you tomorrow auntie Brann!'

With a last smile towards Thorin Dis walked out of the room and took her boys with her. She would inform the council at once. The queen was back in the world of the living.

Branns recovery went on faster than anyone expected. Oin said that the dwarfling growing inside of her gave her strength and that she was a strong human lady in any case. Only one month after her awakening she was back on her feet all day, walking through the mountain and even stepping outside for some fresh air. Dwana was delighted to see her queen and lord Dain and lady Mya spent alot of time at Branns side while Thorin, Dis and Balin went back to the daily mountain business. Thorin had neglected his duties for as long as Brann had been sick and he needed to show presence again. Nevertheless he strode over the markets with his wife once in a while and spend every night in her arms. He had almost lost her for good and he would not forget the feeling. He would not go on without her, ever.

Brann felt more at home in the Blue Mountains as ever before. She had heard every word of the people who had visited her while she was sick, it had been like a dream, but she had heard them. Brann realised that she was needed as much as she needed them. She was not only the queen, she was a wife, a sister in law, an aunt and a friend. And soon a mother.

Their dwarfling was growing fast and in the meantime Brann was at the end of her first trimester, according to dwarven pregnancies. The fact that a bump was already visible stunned Brann, for she still had at least eight months to go. She asked Mya if her pregnancies had been the same, but the dwarf lady shook her head.

'As I was pregnant with Thorin I did not even realise that I was pregnant until half through the pregnancy. Dain called me fat and after I broke his nose for saying so, I got to thinking. My belly began to grow about four months into the pregnancies. But then again, you are a very petite human being.' Mya smiled at Brann and patted her shoulder. 'Don´t worry. Everything is fine.'

One day Oin listened to the heartbeat of the dwarfling for a longer time and frowned.

'What is it?' Brann asked worriedly. 'Is something wrong?'

'Well, that depends...' Oin murmured and listened again.

'What do you mean?'' Brann covered her belly with her hand, suddenly in worry about the unborn dwarfling.

'I am afraid that you and king Thorin will have to come up with more than one name.' Oin smirked at Brann and let the news kick in.

'Why? I do not like double barrel names...' Brann stated in confusion and frowned as she saw Oin chuckle into his beard. 'Wait? What? Why two names? Oin, come back here this instant!'

But the healer was already on his way out, holding his belly of laughter. Brann was a healer herself, but she was incredibly thick when it came to her own body. Oin was already back in his infirmary as he heard a loud shriek echo through the mountain. A very unqueenly shriek.