Author's Note: Wow! I'm so giddy and excited about how much you guys love this story so far. Thank you so much for your outpouring of love and support.
One reviewer brought up the question of Lina knowing the royal family was trapped inside. I guess I hadn't really thought much about it not being really obvious. I was going off the movie a bit with Thorin dragging Thror away from his treasure to escape the dragon. I made the assumption when I was writing that Lina, as many other dwarves might, knew about the king's "gold sickness." A combination of her knowledge of the king's love for his gold and the lack of royal presence directing those fleeing would have tipped her off to the king's whereabouts. Hope that answers your question.
A sharp and unpleasant odor woke Lina from her slumber. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was the moss covered stone above her head. Moss? There was no moss in her room. The continued unpleasant odor was not familiar in the slightest. She closed her eyes again in an attempt to fight down the panic rising within her. Nothing was familiar. Not the sounds. Not the smells. Not the sights.
"Ah, she's awake," a calm voice observed.
"Lina!" That cry was familiar and helped quell the fear in the young dwarf's heart. Lina opened her eyes in time to see her mother throw herself down beside her.
"You've been asleep so long!" Lorina whispered, tears welling up in her eyes as she stroked her daughter's hair.
"What happened? Where am I?" Lina croaked as she pushed herself upright from the pallet she had been lying on.
Her mother told her what she knew. A dragon, Smaug they called him, had been drawn to Erebor by the "gold sickness" of King Thror. As he had come, Dale had been destroyed and Erebor abandoned. If any dwarves were still alive within the city, they soon would not be. Those who had not escaped the city before the massive gates were shut were now trapped inside to die. Among those presumed dead or trapped were many of the craftspeople Lina had known, including the old dwarf who had passed on her knowledge of metal and stone to Lina. Lorina also spoke of Lina's father, but Lina had known he was dead when she saw her home crushed. The dwarves were now taking shelter beneath the rocky outcroppings in the plains to the north of Erebor.
Lina learned that she had been unconscious for several days now, causing some to fear that she would die from the smoke which had poisoned her lungs. Her long blonde hair had been badly burned by the embers. Most of it had been cut off, leaving it hanging barely past her shoulders.
At that news, Lina nearly sobbed. That blow hurt nearly as much as the loss of her mentor. To lose her hair was unspeakable. The men took great pride in their beards and their own hair. A woman's hair was her crowning glory as far as physical appearances went. Having one's hair cut was reserved as punishment for dwarven women.
Lorina did her best to soothe her daughter, to assure her that none would see her cut hair as a sign of disgrace, not right now. She accepted the pile of fresh clothing from the healer who had been tending her daughter.
"Get dressed, my child," she urged. Lina numbly followed her mother's instructions, pulling on the unfamiliar clothing. She carefully bound back what hair remained to her with the leather thong presented to her.
She wondered as she dressed what she would do now. Surely there would be no need for a maker of jewelry and ornaments. And without her father, as utterly useless as she had been, she and her mother had no standing among the dwarves. Without a husband, a son, or even a brother, Lorina had no clan to settle among. When the dwellings were allotted, she would be left until last. This left Lina in the same situation. Some dwarf might be willing to take them in. But at what cost?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a dwarf of the King's Guard appearing at the entrance of the small alcove. He motioned to the healer and they began to converse in hushed tones.
Lina watched the two males apprehensively as she cinched her leather belt tight around her waist, her fingers brushing tenderly over her buckle. The buckle was one of the few objects she had left to her name as it had been the only article she had worn that was not ruin by dragon fire. The buckle had been the first item she'd made when she received her own workshop. It was round, in the shape of a warrior's wooden shield. The shield was broken up into three concentric circles. The center circle was a blood red stone, meant to give courage and to symbolize survival. The next circle, or ring as it was, was filled with an intricate knot designed in the metal, meant more for beauty than anything. The outermost ring was filled with dwarven script, blessing the wearer with skill, imagination, and intelligence. Her fingertips nervously traced the familiar knot as she watched the King's Guard dwarf look in her direction. The healer nodded and the dwarf approached the two dwarven women.
"Prince Thrain desires to speak with you, young one." There was no sign in his voice or expression as to what the prince wanted Lina for. He simply motioned for the girl to follow him out of the alcove.
Lorina gave her daughter's hand a tight squeeze before turning to gather what few belongings they had left, as well as the money she had so fiercely defended in fleeing Dale.
The guard led the young girl across the sprawling dwarven encampment. Most of the dwarves were living under makeshift tents. The shelters like the alcove Lina had been in were left to the sick and injured. Now that she was no longer considered to be either, Lina and her mother would move out into a makeshift shelter of their own.
The royal guard caught the eyes of everyone they passed. Those eyes in turn fell upon Lina. Then the whispers began.
Lina's face turned crimson as she heard the whispers. The people wondered what she had done. What could she have done to deserve her hair being chopped short? What crime had she committed? The questions quickly turned to rumors. Lina had stolen from the King's Treasure when the rest were fleeing. She had murdered one of the guards helping the king while she was attempting to escape Erebor.
The rumors grew worse the further across the camp Lina followed the guard. The rumors seemed to move faster than the rapid pace the guard had set. By the time they had reached the ring of remaining royal guards surrounding the slightly larger outcropping the royal family was residing beneath, the common dwarves were actively stepping out of their path and turning their backs on Lina. The young dwarven girl was humiliated and being shunned for some imagined crime. Her face was flushed red with embarrassment, but she kept her chin up and her shoulders squared. She had done nothing wrong, and would not allow these people who knew nothing about her actions that day to bring her down.
The royal guards nodded to Lina's escort as they opened ranks to allow the pair through. Then they closed the opening once more. Lina felt slightly panicked the further they progressed toward the royal residence. They had passed through three ranks of guards already and were just reaching a fourth when the guard halted. The King's Seneschal stepped forward form behind the rank of guards. He gestured to Lina and dismissed her escort.
Her mouth went dry as this high ranking dwarf led her past the final guards and into the center of the king's camp. She was guided to the entrance of one of three overhanging rock ledges. The king's was obviously the larger of the three a few strides away. This overhang was the residence of Prince Thrain.
"The Dwarf Lina has arrived, My Lord," the Seneschal announced with a low bow. Lina quickly dropped into a low curtsy, keeping her eyes downcast as she had been taught was proper when greeting royalty.
"You may rise," the prince answered. He waved the Seneschal out of the alcove. Lina stood quietly before the heir.
For several long minutes, Thrain simply examined her. Then he motioned with one finger for her to turn in place. She did so, uncertain as to what he was looking for.
"They told me your hair had to be cut due to the amount of it burned," he said softly, as if to himself rather than Lina. Lina said nothing for she was not sure the prince's comment demanded a response.
"Your father is listed among the dead and you have no male kin. Is this correct?" Thrain inquired.
"That is correct, My Lord," Lina responded. She held herself stiffly, keeping her shoulders straight and her head high. It would not do for the prince to think she was helpless or looking for pity. After all, the only difference between her status then and now was her inability to name a male protector. Though her father had not been much of a protector, he had at least given his wife and daughter rank above the poorest wretches in Erebor. They could at least claim a lineage through him. That status was now gone.
"You saved my life. For that I am in your debt." Thrain rose from his chair a lifted a medallion from the small table beside him.
"For your actions during the attack, I am placing you at the head of your own family. Though you cannot claim any lineage of your own, you shall be free to operate independent of any male relative. You, who have no clan and can only marry into one, are free to do as you choose with your skills and your body. Your name will be called when spoils and lands are divided along with the others. Does this satisfy you?" Thrain finished speaking and paused a few steps away from Lina.
Lina could barely contain her surprise and joy. To be named the head of her family! It gave her freedom not allowed to many women of her kin. Dwarven women could only do what their male kin or husband allowed them to do. As the head of her own family, even once she was married, no male would have dominion over her as her father had. She was free!
"It does, My Lord," she whispered, sudden tears of joy pricking at the corners of her eyes.
A smile lit up the prince's face as he observed the reaction of the young dwarf before him. Those still in her minority, she would make a fine head of her house. If the scars on her faces and body were any indication, she was far more experienced in life than many much older than she.
"Take this medallion and wear it always," Thrain intoned as he placed the silver chain around Lina's neck. "It will let all who see it know that you have earned my favor. It will proclaim to all that your cut hair is not a curse or punishment, but a mark of honor for your bravery on the day Smaug attacked."
"Thank you, My Lord," Lina breathed, dropping into a low curtsy before him.
"You may return to your mother," Thrain told her, "One of my guards will escort you both to the place reserved for you."
Lina curtsied again and backed out of the presence of the prince. Once he had turned away from her, Lina turned and hurried back to her mother. Those who had whispered such malicious falsehoods were startled when they saw Lina returning from the royal camp bearing the mark of Prince Thrain's favor around her neck. Lina kept her eyes focused straight ahead of her. Her pride had been wounded, and she would not look at those who had accused her of such terrible crimes.
Lorina clapped her hands to her mouth when she saw the prince's mark around her daughter's neck. Only the heads of family had mark of the royal family. Marks were passed from one generation to another. New families were created only by performing some great deed in the service of the royal family. For most dwarven men this was easily achieved through battle. For women . . . well that had never happened in the history of the dwarves.
Lina gave her mother a tiny smile that promised to tell her everything later. The guard escorted them to the plot of land upon which they were to camp for the night. Once he had left them, Lina told her mother everything as they set up their small camp.
"I need to find a skill beyond that of a simple craftswoman," she confided to her mother. "Something that can support us and be of value to our people."
Lorina thought long and hard. Her hands deftly tied the corner of the roof to the stake she had driven into the earth. She had, over the past few days, been able to find out which dwarves had lived and which had died. A number of the masters of their crafts were dead, but their apprentices had survived. There was one ancient dwarf that might be willing to help them. With the mark of the royal family, he had to accept Lina on her own merits as he might any male dwarf.
"The armorer, Tion, is growing old and approaching death. His apprentices and sons were all killed in Erebor, and there is no other so skilled in the art of making armor as he. You, my daughter, have had some experience in forging metal. Perhaps he would be willing to take you as his new apprentice." Lorina looked over her shoulder at her daughter. Lina had paused in laying out their beds to listen to her mother.
Slowly she nodded. There was sense in her mother's words. The people needed someone to make armor. With the only surviving armorer rapidly approaching the grave, the people would need someone trained in that art quickly. She already had a head start when compared to other young dwarves looking for apprenticeship in smithing. After all, she had learned a great many secrets about smelting metals under her earlier mentor. That knowledge of metals alone put her nearly five years farther along than anyone else.
"I will visit him once our dwelling is set up," she told her mother. Lina now had a plan to go along with her newfound freedom. Things were beginning to look up.