Chapter Six
Ris woke up when she was gently laid down on a bed, she had loved riding on the horse with her Daddy, but she had gotten tired and fallen asleep against him. She smiled softly deciding not to tell whoever was in the room with her that she was awake. She had promised not to run away again, or go somewhere without telling her parents, but that didn't mean she hadn't promised not to explore. She felt his lips touch her head and pretended to be asleep still.
"Goodnight little one." Her Daddy's voice murmured in her ear and she felt him standing over her, watching her as he thought she slept. He gently moved a curl out of her face and turned, leaving her in the silence of the room. She heard the door close and got out of bed and went over to her closet. She pulled out a cloak and pants, before putting both on. She then wrote a letter to her Daddy and Papa.
I'm not running away again, I'm just going to the market, I'll be back soon I promise." Ris then opened the doors and stared at several guards.
"Trying to escape again little princess?" One of the guards asked and Ris shook her head.
"I'm not sleepy and want to go to the market."
"Its too late for little girls to be going to the market by themselves, its the fourth hour before dawn, much too late for little girls to be up at all. At any rate all the markets are close at the moment" Another guard said and smiled down at Ris. "Why don't we have some warm milk in the kitchens and I'll tell you a story, before you go back to your nice warm bed."
"I'm not tired!" Ris said and the guard chuckled.
"You are just like my children, never want to go to bed."
"You gots children?"
"I have two daughters and a son." The guard replied. "King Thorin wanted people who have children to guard you, because we know what little ones are like. The guard winked at her. "If you'd like to meet them sometime and if your good, your Daddy says you can play with them sometime."
"Really?"
"Of course and with mine as well, though I just have the one and he's a boy that's several years older than you."
"Mine are quite a bit older then you are and Jorir's little girl is just teething."
"I love babies." Ris said and Jorir smiled at her.
"Well then you can see my daughter too, but no mischief alright."
"But that's no fun." Ris said and Jorir laughed.
"You are a little scamp, that's what you are." He said and Ris laughed, before taking the other guard's hand.
"What's your name?"
"Gir son of Jor, Jorir is my cousin and Gar is my brother, we are at your service."
"At yours and your families." Ris said and the guards smiled, as they walked to the kitchen together. "So we rode through the night? I fell asleep on Daddy's horse."
"Yes, you just got home, but you must still be pretty tired, riding wears people out."
"I'm not, Daddy was funny he told me a bunch of stories and showed me the rocks along the path. I was tired then, but I'm not now."
"But everyone else is, can you be quiet in the corridors? We can play a game of it." Gir said and Ris nodded, they stared as the little girl moved silently, down the corridors. They found the kitchens and Ris grinned at some of the staff.
"Can I help make some bread?" She asked making bread was fun, but cooking was boring.
"Of course Princess, we'll make some together." One of the kitchen maids said with a smile, Ris grinned and washed her hands, before sitting on a stool and kneading the dough, forming it into loaves.
"Can we make orange scones now?"
"If you tell me how to make them." The kitchen maid said and Ris nodded, her Papa used baking as a lure to get her to do other things she hated, because she liked making things out of dough. She instructed the nice lady how to make the orange scones and measured things with her, before making them and putting them on the pans. "Now you want to make something else, or have some nice warm milk and try to get some more rest."
"I can take a nap later, if I need to." Ris replied. "I'm not sleepy now."
"Alright little one, but afterwards, your going to have some warm milk and try to sleep again alright?" The kitchen maid asked and Ris nodded. "So what else do you want to make?"
"Lemon seed cakes!" Ris said and the cook smiled at the little girl, as again she was instructed in how to prepare them. The scones came out when they were half way done with the seed cakes and Ris had to have one. "A cook gets to sample what they make." She said and the kitchen maid laughed.
"That's true little one, but perhaps we should offer some to your guards first?"
"Alright, you want a scone?" Ris asked Jorir and he took one.
"We'll eat in turns lass, thank you." Jorir said and bit into the scone, making a show of enjoying it.
"That looks really good Jorir." Jor said and tried to steal a bite, making Ris laugh.
"You don't gots to do that, we made a bunch." Ris said and Jor smiled at Ris, Ris went back to eating her own scone, as a cup of warm milk was placed in front of her. She dunked the scone into it, and ate it, before sipping at the milk. Soon she was yawning and walked with her guards back to her room.
"Wait I need to check for creatures." One of the guards said and Ris nodded. "Is there anything hiding under that chair?" The gaurd asked and stuck his face under the chair, making Ris giggle. "Or under the bed?" He stuck his head under the bed, getting cobwebs in his hair and making Ris laugh. "Or in the closet?" He checked the closet and the bathroom before returning to Ris. "Your room is creature free, I scared them all away, have good dreams mi lady." He said and bowed to her, Ris laughed and kissed his hand.
"Thank you Jor, I don't believe in night crawlers anymore that's for babies."
"Still all the same, I will check for night crawlers for you and creepy crawlies." Jor said and Ris giggled.
"Spiders don't scare me." Ris said and the guard smiled, as the other guards that had been guarding the empty quarters smiled at the scene. "So when do you sleep?" She asked.
"We will be here from sundown to sunup, but you will have seven other guards, from sunup to sundown."
"But I like you and my bedtime is at sundown." Ris pouted and Jor chuckled.
"We will watch your dreams princess and you will like your other guards too. I should know, they are my good sister's husband's kin and know about many things. They will also be your tutors for some of the day, but not all."
"Promise it won't be all." Ris said and Jor smiled.
"You will be with them from the second hour of day to the sixth, with breaks, after the celebrations."
"What celebrations?"
"Why the celebrations for you, of course. We always hold celebrations for when a baby is born to the line of Durin they will start in four days time and last a week."
"Will Daddy go back to work before that?"
"Yes he will be working, but if your quiet your Daddy said that you can stay in the council hall and listen to their meetings."
"Can I bring my bead box?" Ris asked and the guards nodded. Ris smiled then and got on her nightshirt. "Can you tuck me in?" She asked and her three guards tucked her into bed.
"Pleasant dreams." Gor said and Ris closed her eyes, she heard the door close softly and smiled thinking about new friends and how fun her night guards were, before drifting into sleep.
Ris woke several hours later and yawned, before getting up and taking out her braids, she then put on a pretty dress and stepped outside. She was greeted by seven guards this time and smiled at them.
"Hi I'm Rose Ris Baggins, but call me Ris." She said. "You are my teacher guards right?"
"Yes little one, I am your history teacher Birin, Barlin will be your khudzul teacher, Bolin will teach you dwarven diplomacy, Korvin is your weapons teacher, Virik will teach you metal crafting, Vorik will teach you gem crafting and finally last but not least Varlis will teach you womanly arts."
"Womanly arts, but I'm not a woman."
"You will be one day though and don't you want to learn how to make a man trip over his words?"
"That would be funny." Ris agreed and all seven laughed. "So you related like my other guards?"
"We are all fairly close kin, Virik and Vorik are my brothers, Korvin is our cousin and Birin is my husband and Barlin and Bolin are his brothers. Families like to fight together in dwarven culture. My mother was from a family of makers and my father from a family of warriors, we were all taught both crafts as children and Burin's mother is a famous fighter, while his father is well known for his verses. When the time came for us to choose at our coming of age, both families decided independently to continue to study skills from both their parents."
"Cool what's your weapon?"
"Can't you tell we have them on us."
"You're an archer Virik, Vorik wields a hammer, you like swords Birin, You have a lot of weapons Korvin. The rest of you like hammers, except for you, cause you don't have a weapon."
"Oh don't I, feminine whiles can always be used as a weapon, if you know how to do it correctly. Also I have blades in my hair sticks, more blades at my fingertips, a sheath to either side of my arms, and two boot daggers."
"She's fond of daggers, if you didn't get that before child."Birin said.
"Do you have kids too, like my night guards?"
"Virik is the only one of us that doesn't have any kids, they span in ages from five months, to seventy nine. Some that are close to your age will be taking lessons with you as well, if you don't mind that."
"Really ? I get to take lessons with your kids?"
"Of course you can, now how about you break your fast, then we can decide what to do for today, your lessons won't start for eleven days."
"alright." Ris said and walked with her seven guards to the dining room, she grinned when she saw her Daddy sitting at the table, gulping down a flagon of either tea or coffee, Ris couldn't see from where she was. She ran over to him, before the guards could tell her to slow her pace and wrapped her arms around him. He stiffened a moment before relaxing.
"Hello Ris, you have a good sleep?" He asked and Ris nodded.
"I woke up when you set me down on the bed and wanted to go to the market, but my guards wouldn't let me, so I made scones instead and went to sleep again."
"Did you now, you like your night guards?"
"Yes! They are really nice! What are you drinking?"
"Coffee, would you like some uncaffinated tea?"
"Papa lets me drink some coffee, just with a lot of steamed milk.""Alright, if your Papa allows you to drink it, I don't see the harm. Still child, only give yourself what your Papa would give you, alright?"
"Alright." Ris said. "You have to pour it though, Papa always pours it for me."
"Tell me when you want me to stop Ris." Thorin said and poured some tea for his daughter, before adding milk and sugar to it. She smiled and drank the cup, eating off the same plate as him, as she did so, she loved being in her Daddy's lap, even though she knew that it wasn't good manners to do so. She finished and settled back against him, as he continued to eat, yawning occasionally." You tired Daddy?"
"A little bit, but not too bad." Thorin reassured. "I'm being naughty and making a late start of it." He added and Ris giggled.
"I'm glad I got to see you, before you had to go to council." Ris said and Thorin smiled at her.
"I'm glad I got to see you too, now where are you going today, enjoy the free time, because soon you'll be busy every day, except Durin's day."
"Aw do I have to?"
"Yes, you do, but lessons can be fun, though you might like some more than others, I did as a dwarfing."
"What were you like at my age?"
"Adventurous, he was always climbing up trees and exploring outside the mountain. He and his brother were also quite fond of pranks, particularly on their favorite cousin and tutor."
"We weren't that bad."
"Lad you were that bad and worse, serves you right to have a daughter just like you." Balin said and winked at Ris who giggled.
"We need to get together some supplies and figure out what you may have skill with, when it comes to weapons." Korvin said and Ris nodded.
"Sounds like fun." She said. "I'm gonna go to the weapons hall now Daddy."
"Be safe alright?"
"Alright, love you Daddy." Ris said and kissed him on the cheek, before getting out of his lap and going over to her tutors. They walked to her room where she changed into a tunic and breeches, before getting one of the tutors to help her with her padding.
They then walked to the weapons hall and she went over to the bow. "I like the bow!" She said and shot an arrow that nearly struck someone who was sparring.
"But the bow doesn't like you child."
"I was really good at it before." Ris pouted. "Legolas said."
"Well we're looking for weapons you could be great at today, you could make a good archer but not a great one day."
"Why does that matter, if I like to shoot?"
"Because in life sometimes we need to choose and you need to choose what you like to fight with best and stick with it."
"Oh okay." Ris said and tossed some knives at a target next, she didn't like the feel of them and told her instructor so.
"Next try the axes, these should be small enough for you."
"Okay." Ris said and was given two axes. "They are heavy!"
"They are supposed to be, axes are thrown by the handle, never pick a practice axe up by the points, alright?"
"Alright." Ris said and smiled at her tutor. "So I got to throw them, or fight with em?"
"These are throwing axes, though they are also used for fighting, lets try you with throwing them first and then we can try a bit of fighting."
"Okay." Ris said and threw the axes at the target she grinned when they both struck dead on.
"Very good, now lets try some fighting and blocking, I want you to attack that dummy with one axe, while defending against attack with the other and use your helmet alright?"
"Alright." Ris said and put on the helmet, before attacking the dummy with the axe. The dummy spun around and tried to hit her, when she didn't hit it strait on, so it was harder than she thought it would be. She started laughing and just sidestepping the dummy when it started to swing. She liked the axes and she liked the sword, she hoped the sword would be next.
"Now for the spoon, it's easy to maneuver in tight spots and can deliver..."
"Not interested, I don't want to fight with a spoon, swords next please?" Ris asked and Korvin laughed
"Alright lass, but I think you've already decided on either the sword or the axes, right?" He asked and Ris nodded. "We'll get you a practice set for both and you can decide later which one you want to take up. Dwarflings often train with several weapons they are skilled with, until they are about forty when they choose a specialty."
"That's really old!"
"We can wait until you start developing hair on your face."
"I might never have hair on my face."
"Then once you start to flower into womanhood."
"Okay." Ris said and smiled at her instructor. "Can we get em now, I already have a sword in my room, I just need the axes."
"And to wash up." Varlis said and Ris nodded.
"Alright, can you braid my hair Varlis, after we wash up, or teach me how to. I'm not good at the hobbit braids Papa showed me yet and I don't know any dwarf ones."
"Of course little one, will you need help in the bath too?"
"Can you help me with my hair, I like it when Gera helped me with my hair. I'm old enough to wash myself besides that."
"Alright, I'll help you with your hair."
"Thank you." Ris said and smiled at her, before taking Korvin's hand. "So can I get a shield, I don't think I have a shield."
"We won't start with shields for a while yet, you need to learn to block with a sword first, before you learn to block with a shield."
"Oh okay." Ris said and smiled up at the dwarf, they walked together back to her room and she got into the bath. She washed herself and felt Varlis washing her hair, noticing which bottles Valris used at what time. She was surprised at how long it took, before Varlis was done. She stepped out of the bath and Varlis helped her to put on her dress, before combing out her hair.
"Now we're going to practice with horse hair and I'll teach you some basic patterns, does that sound like fun?" Varlis asked and Ris nodded. "Hair can be used as a means of communication, women of Durin's line wear a different style than other dwarves, as do those of the other seven lines and the different crafters guild. We'll start with hair and go onto the feminine form of the unspoken tongue.
"What's that?"
"A way of speaking without speaking, you will be learning the common form with your other tutor, but women have a unspoken tongue of their own, if used right boys will want to play with you and you can talk to your female friends without any man over hearing."
"Really?"
"Yes really." Varis said and smiled at Ris. "Now lets go to the market, maybe you should show Vorik some of your beads."
"Alright." Ris said and smiled at her teacher, before going and getting her bead box and wire. She sat down on a chair and opened a box.
"These are lovely river stones." Vorik said and Ris grinned. "Would you like more beads?"
"Yes I would and to learn how to make earrings and clasps, string works good, but clasps would be better."
"Alright we will start with identifying different stones and go onto beading."
"Why do I need to identify stones?"
"Because stones have their own language too, onyx for example is a sign that someone will care for you."
"Oh alright, can we go to the market now?"
"Of course." Vorik said and Ris grinned taking his hand and walking with him down to the market.
Ris grinned when she saw the different stones and Vorik told her their names. Barlin bought a large box with khudzul runes and showed Ris what was inside. "These stones have both a common name and a name in khudzul, you can pick out your own stones though." Ris smiled when she heard that and looked at the stones in the set, before finding ones that felt right to her and switching out the ones that had originally been in the set, putting them back into the right place. She loved the cool feeling of the stone in her fingers.
On the way to get her practice weapons, she saw large chunks of stone. "Can I have one please?" She asked her teachers and they nodded, they didn't expect to spend the next hour, standing there as Ris listened to each of the stones.
"I like this one the best, how much for it Mr. Merchant?" She asked and the merchant laughed.
"Five silvers, but you are unlikely to find anything other than more uncut stone."
"That's okay if I don't find anything, it still sounds pretty, can I get this one too?"
"I thought you said you wanted one."
"Yes, but I want to smash one and I want to hear the voice of the other one." Ris said and her teachers and the merchant smiled.
"So we have a young stone speaker on our hands now, most dwarves can hear stone to some extent. Its it faint or loud for you little one?" Vorik asked and Ris frowned.
"It sounds pretty, I don't have anything to compare it to, so I don't know if its loud or not." Ris replied and smiled, as the merchant handed her a pic and she tapped at the stone. She felt the way the pickaxe should move, around the stone and followed the pattern, tapping in time with the stone's song. She grinned when she saw a pretty green stone the size of her Daddy's fist and laughed at her tutor's astonished faces. "I like it, it has a pretty sound." She said and tapped the stone free, before continuing on through the other side of the block, this time her fingers found a small blue stone, which closed easily around her palm. She listened and tapped two more times, freeing a small red stone and a white stone. She then listened to the rock and frowned as the pretty songs it made weren't as beautiful as before.
"It sounds different now, with the stones outside of it, I think it's sad." Ris said. "I hurt its feelings." She said and her guards smiled, Vorik laid a hand on her shoulder.
"Stone is forgiving and I don't think you hurt its feelings child, gems are meant to be admired. Now lets go to the rock polishers and get these nice and shiny, I'll explain how it works." He said and Ris nodded, the process the rock polisher used to polish her gems fascinated her. She stared as they became all shiny and sparkly and thanked the dwarf for making them pretty. He had chuckled good-naturedly and assured her that it was a honor to polish the queens gems.
Ris smiled at the gem layer good naturedly, before staring at a thin little dwarfing, she could see his ribs. "Hello I'm Ris, what's your name."
"Kalin at your service, can I have some food?" Ris heard the boy say, before her guards snapped something out her and the boy replied. She hated being unable to understand Khudzul it wasn't fair when people spoke it.
"Why can't we get him some bread?""
"Because if you feed one dwarf that is having a poor time of it, the next day more dwarves will come and more and more until you can't feed yourself. We look out for our kin, but no one expects us to help those beyond that."
"But that's mean, the hobbits were mean to me, but they would never let Papa and I starve, that's even meaner." Ris said and started to cry, she hated the idea of someone not having enough to eat.
"The world is harsh little one."
"But why doesn't Daddy help him and his family?"
"Your Daddy does, but dwarves pride ourselves on not having to rely on the aide of others. It would hurt a dwarf's pride to be given something he doesn't earn."
"Wouldn't they earn it by being in the community, what about the children they don't need to earn anything do they?" Ris asked.
"Most dwarflings are educated in their parents trade from an early age, once they turn eighty, they are expected to provide for themselves, but until then they help the family in other ways." He replied and Ris frowned.
"I'm not sure how old I'll be at eighty, do I have to wait till then to be considered an adult?"
"We'll see little one, you don't have to worry about that for a few years yet. Aren't you the same little girl that complained that forty seemed like forever away only a short while ago?" He asked and Ris nodded. "Good now lets go and finish shopping, then we can have some sweet beer and visit your Daddy."
"What's sweet beer?"
"Its beer that we allow children to drink as a treat." Varlis replied and Ris nodded, they gathered further supplies before going to a alehouse.
"One sweet beer for the child." Korvin said and a glass with a foamy amber liquid was placed in front of Ris. She took a swallow and frowned before smiling, the drink tasted of slightly bitter honey. She drank more, until she drained the cup and belched loudly, before covering her hand with her mouth. "Excuse me." She noticed that several people in the alehouse were staring at her and one ventured a question.
"Don't understand Khudzul yet, but Barlin is teaching me."
"How did you like your first taste of ale Princess?"
"It was very good, though it put bubbles in my tummy and they wanted to escape." She said and the man laughed before saying something to the crowd and they joined in the laughter.
"Can I buy the little Princess another?" The man asked and her guards looked at each other.
"We don't want her to get drunk and we don't know what her tolerance is for sweet beer."
"She's a Durin, let me buy her one drink." The man asked and the guards nodded.
"But one more only." They said and Ris was given a second mug, which she drank and smiled.
"So what's your favorite song little Princess?"
"Don't know any dwarven ones, other than the misty song Papa sings to me at bedtime." Ris said.
"How does that one go then?"
Far over the Misty Mountains cold,
To dungeons deep and caverns old,
We must away ere break of day,
To seek the pale enchanted gold,
The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,
While hammers fell like ringing bells,
In places deep, where dark thing sleep,
In hollow halls beneath the fells,
For ancient king and elvish lord,
There many a gleaming hoard,
They shaped and wrought,and light they caught,
To hide in gems in hilt of sword,
On silver necklaces they strung,
The flowering stars,on crowns they hung,
The dragon-fire,in twisted wire,
There meshed the light of moon and sun,
Far over the Misty Mountains cold,
To dungeons deep and caverns old,
We must away ere break of day,
To claim our long-forgotten gold.
Goblets they carved for themselves,
And harps to gold;where no man delves,
There lay they long,and many a song,
Was song unheard by men and elves,
The pines were roaring on the height,
The winds were moaning in the night
The fire was red,;it flaming spread,
The tree's like torches blazed with light,
The bells were ringing in the dale,
And men looked up with faces pale,
The dragon's ire more fierce than fire,
Laid low their towers and houses frail.
The mountain smoked beneath the moon,
The dwarves,they heard the tramp of doom,
They fled their hall to dying fall,
Beneath his feet,beneath the moon.
Far over the Misty Mountains cold,
To dungeons deep and caverns old,
We must away ere break of day,
To win our harps and gold from him!
We went over the misty Mountains cold,
through dungeons deep and caverns old
We fought a dragon and won, then our quest was done.
But you my child to me are more precious than
Any treasure of which has been told,
my little girl to love and to hold."
Ris smiled at the end of the song. "Papa says Daddy sang it on the first night he met him." She said.
"Its a very pretty song, I'm surprised you know all of it."
"Papa always sings it to me, or he used to, I think I made him mad." She said. "I don't want to go back to the Shire."
"No one wants you to go back to the Shire, either, maybe we can convince him to stay."
"How Papa is stubborn and I'm only fourteen."
"Well age is only a barrier if you let it be little one." The nice man said and smiled. "What harm could it do to make the child a little tipsy?"
"And loose our jobs for it, no thanks." Varlis said.
"Oh come now it will be fun and she deserves a bit of fun." He added.
"I'm allowed ale now on festival days." Ris said. "Papa lets me because the others get to and its not fair that I don't just because I don't grow as fast."
"There you see, if the girl's own Papa lets her drink, why can't she have another glass, its not like its all that strong."
"Alright, if your going to have another, don't complain if you start feeling sick, okay Ris?" Varlis said and Ris nodded, she was given one last mug and drank it, as the man told her stories about his travels. She laughed when he mentioned some of the trouble he got into in his travels. She finished the tankard. "We should go now."
"Okay bye mishta." She said and frowned. "Mitrah, Mhes, you know." She said and the dwarf laughed.
"It is I that should be thanking you little Princess, why I'll be the envy of Erebor to be the first person to get the little princess drunk." He said and she laughed, though she didn't know what was so funny/. The world kept spinning and her feet weren't working right.
One of her guards scoped her up and she sat in his arms, laughing as the world bounced around her. The guards couldn't help but smile as well, at her happiness. She found her Papa waiting outside the halls.
"Phut meah dhon.' She said and the guard did so, she patted his knee. "Shank yooush." She said and Bilbo stared at her.
"Ris are you drunk?"
"Ohnly a lhatal." She replied and Bilbo groaned.
"You let my little girl drink?"
"She was having fun, we didn't know it would effect her."
"While dwarves are well known for their tolerance, hobbits drink just as much, but its slower to hit. How much did she have?"
"Some diluted honey mead is all."
"I can't believe you gave my child honey mead."
"She said it was alright, that you let her have some yourself."
"Yes but it wasn't near the amount you gave her and it was mostly seltzer." Bilbo complained. "She's only a baby, she shouldn't be drinking this young."
"Dwarflings are allowed to drink sweet beer at ten." Korvin said.
"But she's my daughter too and if I don't want her to drink, I should be allowed my say."
"I Lheksh ieet, isht fu-fuhnay." Ris said and laughed, before belching.
"We're going to get you into bed and you are going to sleep it off."
"Nhaths shelehy."
"I don't care if your not sleepy, the sooner your tucked into bed the better."
"Bhuh Ihe don' wanna." She said. "Wanna sheehs Dahh."
"Daddy is busy right now, you can see him after your nap."
"Whan ta shee em now."
"Little one please, just do what your Papa says okay? You can see Daddy after he's done for the day, I'll wake you I promise." Bilbo said.
"Ohhaky." Ris said and lifted her arms. Bilbo scooped up his daughter and she laid her head on his shoulder. She was asleep within moments and snoring loudly.
"I can take her."
"I can carry my own daughter, but thank you for offering." Bilbo said and walked with the little girl to her bedroom. "Though if you could turn back the covers." He added and another guard did it for him. He gently settled Ris into bed, as he did so the little girl woke up.
"Pah." She said.
"I'm here little one, do you want the Misty song?" He asked and she nodded, he tucked her doll against her and covered her with a blanket, before starting to sing, gently stroking her hair. He stopped part way through the song when she started to snore again and kissed her forehead. He left the room and turned towards the guard's "Don't ever give my daughter ale without my permission again, dwarves might find it funny when their children are piss drunk, but I don't and she'll be hurting tomorrow. Did you even think of what a little girl who has a hangover will be like, before you let her get drunk?" Bilbo demanded and the guard looked anywhere but at the irate hobbit.
"I've handled it well enough with my own kids."
"Well she wont be asking for her guards when she's throwing up and her head hurts, she'll be asking for her parents. Which means that I'll be the one taking care of her, because Thorin is busy from dawn to dark running this place and its not like I have a life at all!" Bilbo glared at his daughter's tutors. "Against my better judgment I trusted you with my daughter, you dwarves might care for treasure, but to me that little girl is the most precious thing in my life and you hurt her!" He stormed off away from the guards after that to give Thorin a piece of his mind, hang the council.
"THORIN OAKENSHIELD, I WAS AGAINST YOU ASSIGNING TUTORS FOR OUR DAUGHTER, BUT I TRUSTED YOUR JUDGEMENT AND THEY GOT HER BLIND DRUNK." He shouted and glared at Thorin, who stared agape at the furious hobbit. "HOW COULD YOU LEAVE MY CHILD WITH PEOPLE THAT THINK ITS FUNNY TO MAKE HER SO DRUNK SHE CAN'T EVEN WALK?"
"Bilbo what's the meaning of this, what's happened?"
"JUST BECAUSE YOUR CHILDREN START BOOZING BEFORE THEY ARE OUT OF DIAPERS DOESN'T MEAN I'LL LET MY DAUGHTER DO SO."
"She's our child Bilbo."
"NO SHE'S NOT, TO MY MIND YOU LOST ALL CLAIM ON HER WHEN YOU THEATENED TO DROP ME AND MY CHILD DOWN A MOUNTAIN." He glared at Thorin. "I'VE TOLD YOU BEFORE THAT I DON'T WANT YOU ALONE WITH HER, BUT SHE HAS OTHER IDEAS AND NOW I'VE GOT TO KEEP MY WORD TO HER, BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT A THRISE DAMMED WAR WITH ELVES. TELL ME HOW ANY OF THIS IS FAIR TO ME, HOW IS IT FAIR THAT I CAN'T EVEN GO HOME, BECAUSE OF THE WHIMS OF A BABY."
"HOW WAS SEPERATING US FAIR TO EITHER OF US?" Thorin shouted back.
"OH LIKE YOU'VE DONE SUCH A FINE JOB OF TANKING CARE OF HER, YOU NEED ONLY CALL AND SHE COMES RUNNING TO YOU, BUT HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO STOP HER FROM CLIMBING THE CABINATES? OR WHATEVER ELSE SHE COMES UP WITH? SHE DOESN'T LIKE WHAT I HAVE TO TEACH HER, WHAT I HAVE TO OFFER HER SO SHE RUNS AWAY TO YOU. YOU ARE LIKE A HERO TO HER, IF DADDY EVER DID IT CHANCES ARE SHE'LL WANT TO DO IT TOO, DESPITE HOW OLD SHE IS AND THE DANGER! I'M NOT HAVING MY BABY BEING RAISED BY SOME STANGERS THAT DON'T SEE THE PROBLEM IN GETTING HER BLIND DRUNK."
"RIS ISN'T A BABY, SHE'S A YOUNG GIRL BUT SHE'S ALLOWED HER OWN OPINIONS."
"OH LIKE ANYONE COULD STOP HER FROM HAVING AN OPINION, THOSE GUARDS HURT MY CHILD, I WANT THEM DISMISSED."
"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF HOW HARD IT WAS TO FIND TUTORS IN THE FIRST PLACE? TUTORS THAT COULD SPEAK COMMON FLUENTLY AND KNEW ALL THE SUBJECTS RIS NEEDS TO LEARN?"
"AND WHAT OF MY TRADITONS, DON'T THEY MATTER?"
"RIS IS MY HEIR AND SHE'S OF THE LINE OF DURIN, SHE'LL BE RAISED ACCORDINGLY."
"SHE'S ALSO MY DAUGHTER AND I HAVE A RIGHT TO SOME SAY IN HOW SHE'S RAISED."
"DO YOU NOW, YOU NEVER GAVE ANY OF US ANY RIGHT IN HOW SHE WAS RAISED BEFORE, WHY SHOULD I?"
"I'LL DISSAPEAR WITH HER AND YOU WILL NEVER FIND US."
"I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY, YOU WOULD ALWAYS BE RUNNING, I'D SEARCH EVERY INCH OF MIDDLE EARTH FOR YOU AND NO PLACE WOULD BE SAFE."
"DON'T YOU DARE THEATEN ME THORIN!" Bilbo roared.
"THEN DON'T YOU THREATEN ME!" Thorin said. "THIS IS ALL ONE BIG CULTURAL MISUNDERSTANDING, IF YOU HAD ANY NOTION OF DWARVES..."
"RIGHT LIKE YOU KNOW ABOUT HOBBITS?" Bilbo demanded. "I CAN'T BELIEVE I LOV-ED YOU!
"I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT DESPITE EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE TO ME, I STILL LOVE YOU." Thorin said.
"EVERYTHING I'VE DONE TO YOU, THAT'S RICH! WHATEVER HAVE I DONE TO YOU, THAT WASN'T FOR THE SAFTEY OF MYSELF AND MY CHILD?"
"YOU LEFT AND YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO, YOU KEPT OUR DAUGHTER FROM ME, YOU BETRAYED ME."
"I SAVED YOUR THICK SKIN FROM ELVISH ARROWS, UNLESS YOU THINK FIVE HUNDRED TO ONE ARE SOUND ODDS, THEN I HAD THE STUPIDITIY OF STICKING MY NECK OUT AND GOING BACK TO YOU. WHERE UPON YOU PROMPTLY THREATENED TO KILL ME."
"I WAS GOLD MAD!"
"OH RIGHT THATS' A GRAND EXCUSE, EXCUSE ME I'VE GONE CRAZY FROM COUNTING MY RICHES, NOW I CAN CLAIM ALL MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY ARE OUT TO GET ME AND THREATEN THE LIFE OF MY LOVER WITH IMPUNITY. THEN OF COURSE ALL IS FORGIVEN BECAUSE I WAS GOLD MAD." Thorin growled and lunged at Bilbo, as Bilbo glared at him. "TRY IT, GO AHEAD, BUT IF OUR DAUGHTER ASKS WHY HER PAPA HAS BRUISES, I WILL TELL HER EVERYTHING, INCLUDING WHAT YOU DID AND WHAT I DID. I HAVE NO PROBLEM LETTING HER KNOW I STOLE A GEM TO SAVE THOSE I CARE ABOUT, NONE WHATSOEVER, CAN YOU SAY THE SAME ABOUT YOUR OWN ACTIONS."
"THEN WHY HAVEN'T YOU TOLD HER?" Thorin demanded.
"BECAUSE LITTLE GIRLS DESERVE TO BELIEVE THE WORLD OF THEIR PARENTS, BEFORE THEY REALIZE THAT ONE OF THEM IS A MONSTER AND ANOTHER A THIEF."
"SO YOU ADMIT THAT YOU ARE A THIEF?"
"I'LL ADMIT THAT, WHEN YOU ADMIT THAT YOU BECOME A VIOLENT PSYCHOPATH AROUND ANYTHING SHINY! AND YOU WONDER WHY I DON'T WANT MY CHILD NEAR ANY PRECIOUS STONES? I WON'T LOOSE HER LIKE..."
"LIKE WHAT?"
"LIKE I LOST YOU!" Bilbo said and dissolved into tears. "She-she's mine, she's the oh-only thing in the world tha-that matters to me. Please don't let her come to harm."
"I would never harm her, I don't see what you are so angry about, but if her not drinking is this important to you then I'll tell her guards to make sure she isn't given any drink." Thorin promised and hesitated for a moment before wrapping his arms around Bilbo, to his shock Bilbo didn't brush him away. Instead the hobbit clung to him as he sobbed.
Thorin stroked Bilbo's back soothingly as one of the guards passed him some brandy. "Here have some of this, it will settle your nerves." He said and Bilbo took the cup draining it. "Would you like to stay, it will be in Khudzul, but you can stay if you like?" Bilbo wanted to stay, but he couldn't bring himself to trust Thorin again. Thorin had broken his heart once before and if he did so again, Bilbo was afraid it would shatter beyond repair.
"Just hold me a moment longer." Bilbo said and Thorin nodded, he held Bilbo as he cried and felt the warmth of his body pressed against Bilbo's for the first time in fourteen years. A king could never admit that he was wrong, for to do so would be to challenge his very authority, but mad or no Thorin had regretted what he had almost done to Bilbo every day since. To live without the love of your One was the worst fate for any dwarf. He was lucky in that his one even allowed him to hold him. Thorin pressed his face against Bilbo's so they could not see his tears. Bilbo felt Thorin shutter and saw that he was crying, with his face buried in Bilbo's hair. Bilbo pretended that he didn't know and continued to wail and have hysterics. Ever since Bilbo was a fauntling, he had been submissive, his parents taught him how to use his tears and other more traditionally female ways of getting his way in certain areas. He knew crying like he was made people feel uncomfortable, but he didn't care about what the council felt about it. "Cha-Can ya-you leave for a mo-moment?" He stuttered.
"Of course lad, take all the time you need." Balin said and stood, the rest of the council followed and Bilbo buried his face into Thorin's shirt, pretending to cry now, as Thorin's own tears fell on his head.
"I'm sa-sorry I stole the stone." Bilbo murmured against Thorin's jacket
"And I'm sorry I ever hurt you." Thorin said. "I can't admit I was wrong though Bilbo, ever."
"I understand." And Bilbo did, his own family had been the chosen rulers of his own people for generations and before that they had been kings in their own right. He knew the responsibility inherent in leadership, all those of Took blood did, whether or not the people called upon them to serve the Shire. "Its alright." In that moment it felt alright, he hesitantly reached his arm up and stroked Thorin's hair, Thorin stiffened and then relaxed at the touch. Bilbo was surprised when he found a small acorn hidden among Thorin's braids. "You kept it all this time?"
"I will keep it always, no matter what you might think of me, you are my One Bilbo and I could never harm you or my child. I think a part of me knew that, even in my madness." Thorin said and continued to cry and the constant ache around Bilbo's heart eased.
"Its alright Thorin, I forgive you, you weren't yourself, but if you ever."
"Having lost you once, I will do everything in my power to ensure I never loose you again." Thorin said and then broke down completely, Bilbo stroked his hair as Thorin cried, murmuring softly to him. He settled into Thorin's lap, wrapping his feet around the dwarf king's hips and pressing his lips softly to Thorin's. Thorin deepened the kiss, it tasted both salty and sweet to both of them, as they feasted on one another lips for the first time in fifteen years.
It all happened quickly after that, Bilbo unbuttoned his waistcoat and Thorin's shirt. "Why would you want to..." Thorin trailed off as Bilbo licked his ear.
"Because you aren't the monster I dream of anymore, I didn't want to get close and see a stranger staring at me out of the eyes of the person I love. I couldn't bear to see that again.
"You love me?"
"I couldn't stop loving you, no matter how hard I tried. I might have said that I was protecting Ris and I was, but I was protecting my own heart as well."
"Oh Bilbo." Thorin said softly.
"Promise me that you won't get sick again, that there is some hope for our love."
"As soon as you were gone, I locked up the treasure and I don't go to the crafters side of the markets. I keep a few simple stones around, because metal has always effected me more than gems and it soothes me. Other than that I live an assure life for a dwarf, so much so that my people are baffled by it." Thorin kissed Bilbo again. "I want to take it slow, but at the same time, I want you pressed up against me, crying out my name, as I give you pleasure and take my own."
"I want that too, just don't hurt me."
"I can't promise not to hurt you, anymore than you can promise not to hurt me. No matter what however, I will always love you."
"And I you." Bilbo said and Thorin smiled, he unlaced his trousers and Bilbo's before entering Bilbo and slowly rocking against him. Bilbo let out a little mewl like a cat and clung to the council hall rug.
"You have no idea of how many boyhood fantasies featured this rug, beloved."
"What did you call me?"
"Beloved." Thorin replied and Bilbo smiled.
"I thought of you often myself beloved." Bilbo said and Thorin went wild, soon they were both spent. "Oh dear the carpet."
"It will show all my council my prowess in bed sport."
"I'm sure that's a very lovely dwarven tradition, but can't we make it a bit erm less noticeable?"
"You my wonderful hobbit aren't exactly quiet in bed sport, I have a feeling they know precisely what we were up to." He said and Bilbo turned several shades of red and groaned.
"Not Fili and Kili, I don't think I could look them in the eye afterwards." Bilbo said and Thorin howled with laughter.
"My sister sons are men grown and know better then to quibble over the needs of a man. I think they are glad that their old Uncle is getting some."
"You aren't old."
"Ah but to them I'm ancient." Thorin replied with a wink and Bilbo laughed. "We could clean up the mess, or..." Thorin thrust his hips suggestively and Bilbo moaned. "We could go again." He whispered into Bilbo's ear and Bilbo shivered, before nodding. Thorin entered him seven more times, before collapsing and starting to snore loudly in Bilbo's ear. Bilbo chuckled softly, before gently moving Thorin off of him. Thorin was a light sleeper, except after their marathons, then he slept like the dead. Bilbo put Thorin's pants on him and pulled on his shirt and waistcoat, pleasantly sleepy and sore in all the right places, he felt like he could take on the world and the odd looks he might receive from his friends. He covered Thorin with a coat, before quietly exiting the hall, coming face to face with a guard.
"Can you continue to watch the hall, I don't think the king will stir for some time yet." Bilbo told the wide-eyed guard.
"How are you upright?" The guard demanded and Bilbo blushed.
"Well hobbits have stamina for all of life's pleasures, eating and bedroom relations being chief among them." Bilbo said and the dwarf continued to stare at him in wonder, as he made his way to the dining hall.
"I'm surprised your here at all Bilbo, what with Uncle keeping you occupied."
"I wouldn't go back to the council, until its been cleaned and Thorin's woken."
"You mean Uncle is asleep?" Kili demanded his eyes wide.
"He usually goes to sleep after the seventh round or so, mind I'm tired too, but I feel like I could eat a dragon." Bilbo said and Fili laughed, though his eyes were wide.
"Dragon tastes like chicken." Fili said and Bilbo shuddered. "We feasted on it, after the battle."
"I didn't need to know what it tasted like and I don't actually wish to eat one." He said and Kili laughed.
"You can go seven rounds?" Kili asked. "The most I've ever managed was six."
"With your own hand I warrant." Fili said.
"It was not!" Kili pouted and Bilbo laughed.
"Lads by the valar I missed you."
"Why did you stay away so long?" Kili asked
"If you remember I was banished."
"Uncle is a fool." Fili said.
"What did you call your uncle?"
"A fool." Fili replied. "As crown prince I'm the only one in Erebor who can call him such, with out treason, but that doesn't mean everyone else doesn't think it. You have no many times I tried to convince him to send a letter and had I been a bit younger, I'd have forged one. Uncle is so annoying when he's mopey." He said and several people chuckled.
"He might be a fool, but he is a beloved one."
"You know Khudzul?"
"I know two words of it." Bilbo said with a grin, as someone deposited a plate of meat and some ale in front of him. Bilbo realized then that he hadn't take herbs. "by the mother I forgot my herbs."
"What herbs?"
"Well as much as I love Thorin and Ris, I don't think we need another child at the moment."
"Hobbits kill their children, by use of herbs?" Fili demanded aghast and the rest of the table was equally shocked.
"What dwarves don't, what if you don't want children?"
"Ever dwarf wants children, they are a blessing from Mahuel." Fili said.
"Its not even a child, it just prevents the seed from taking root so to speak." Bilbo said and blushed deeply.
"Don't you want another child?"
"I'm not sure I could love another child, as much as I love Ris."
"The heart opens up Bilbo, you don't loose your love for a first child, if you are blessed with a second." Dis said and Bilbo stared at her. "Please if there is a babe, don't kill it before it has a chance to be born. If you don't want another child, we would be happy to care for it."
"I would want to be a part of my child's life and I want to make sure things work with Thorin, before having another baby, its my body it should be my right to choose if I want to spend another seven months carrying it."
"Seven months" Fili demanded. "You only carried for seven months?
"Yes and the healers thought there was something wrong with me, but RissyRose rolled like a little thumpin pumpkin."
"What's a thumpin Pumpkin?" Kili asked.
"A pumpkin used for rolling games, you start up a hill...Why did you say only seven months?"
"Dwarven pregnancies usually last sixteen months. Was Ris small at all for a baby?"
"No despite being four months late." Bilbo said and his friends gaped again as he ate a bite of meat.
"You mean you only carry for three months typically?"
"Yes, I guess that our birthing cycle is a bit quick for most races, its because hobbits are generally poor at defending themselves. Beorn wasn't wrong when he compared me to a rabbit, but I find the comparison a bit insulting."
"You have as many babes as rabbits?" Fili demanded and Bilbo spilled ale from his mouth as he laughed, covering up his bad manners with a napkin.
"No, the most I ever heard of anyone having is twenty six."
"TWENTY SIX?" The table demanded.
"You can see now why the herb isn't just a whim, its a necessity, as much as I love Ris, I don't want to have more than eight children and eight would be stretching it."
"EIGHT?" The table demanded.
"Well my parents only ever had the one, but that was by choice, I wouldn't want to have any past my eighties of course, I want them to actually enjoy having their Papa for a while."
"Jus how long do you live."
"Kili!" Dis snapped. "I'm sorry Bilbo."
"Its alright, no where near as long as dwarves, gave me a shock when you said you were in your seventies. I think the oldest hobbit lived to be one hundred and forty four, but most die before they are a hundred."
"A HUNDRED?" The table demanded again and Bilbo grinned.
"Well we can't all have as long of lifespan as you or the elves enjoy." Bilbo said and took a sip of his ale. "You won't have to worry about my dying on you for about another fifty years or so."
"Just how old are you Bilbo?" Balin asked.
"I was of age, when I joined the company, just but I was of age." Bilbo said. "I age faster than you do and I'll thank you to treat me like my actually age, rather than the age I would be if I was a dwarf."
"Of course we would, I'm just curious."
"I'm forty eight."
"Cradle robber." Dis muttered and everyone laughed.
"What did she say?"
"Its not important lad."
"Oh no, you don't get to call me lad." Bilbo huffed. "I'm fully grown for a hobbit." He said, before turning green and then white and running to the nearest bathroom, as people moved out of his way. He vomited the ale and little meat he had eaten and groaned, of course he would be pregnant. Well at least his friends Ris and Thorin would be happy.
"We didn't mean to make you sick." Balin said and Bilbo smiled at him.
"Its quite alright, I don't think dwarven ale agrees with me."
"The ale at the Shire was lighter, perhaps you'd like a lighter brew?" He asked and Bilbo's stomach flipped unpleasantly at the thought.
"No that's quite alright, think I'll just stick to meat and water, once my stomach settles.
"Need a hand up?" Balin asked and Bilbo nodded, taking Balin's hand and shakily getting to his feet. He wished he could have a drink, or a smoke, but the mother made pregnant hobbits horribly sick if they enjoyed a bit of life's pleasures. He ate more of the meat, stuffing himself, before standing and yawning.
"Going to bed?" Balin asked and Bilbo nodded, before going back to the council chambers and cleaning up the mess he had made, before getting Thorin to wake up.
"Ilbo, a dream?" He asked dazedly and Bilbo smiled.
"We agreed to try to make it work remember, part of that is making sure you don't spend the night on the hard floor and get something to eat before going to bed."
"Mmm food and ale sounds good, so has word of my prowess spread across the kingdom?" Thorin asked and Bilbo chuckled.
"What is it with dwarves and having to outdo one another?" Bilbo demanded, before helping Thorin up and walking with him to the dining table as the king laughed.
"I'm surprised your up at all Uncle, I'd hate to see the state of the chambers now."
"Bilbo cleaned afterwards, my fastidious hobbit." He said and kissed Bilbo's ear, Bilbo blushed several shades of red, and beamed. He'd never gotten quite used to how dwarves were so demonstrative in public, but he liked being able to kiss Thorin in public, without anyone batting an eye.
Thorin helped himself to Bilbo's mostly full mug of ale as someone brought him a plate of meat with a large helping of potatoes.
"Do you truly eat no vegetables at all?" Bilbo asked and the table laughed.
"We don't like vegetables as much as the elves or hobbits seem to, I could try to get you some lettuces if you like."
"That would be appreciated, and I'd like several bushels of fresh fruit too."
"How much fruit do you eat?"
"I prefer the hobbit method for making jam." Bilbo said and smiled at Thorin. "I think Ris does too, though she'll eat about anything as long as it isn't moving." He smiled as his friends laughed.
"Alright, you can see what's in the markets tomorrow, or I can send to Dale, whatever you prefer."
"I'd like to check the markets first and then go to Dale if they don't have what I want there."
"All right." Thorin said and smiled at Bilbo. "I look forward to tasting your jam."
"You may have to fight me for it." Bilbo said and Thorin laughed, Bilbo chuckled too, poor dwarf had no idea what he was getting into, if Bilbo truly had a babe in him. They asked or rather insisted for it and well Bilbo didn't want to deny his friends the opportunity to dote on his and Thorin's baby. They finished eating and then Thorin proceeded to have a drinking contest with Dwalin, as the others laughed and cheered. Bilbo helped his extremely drunk and victorious husband to bed that night.