Prologue
I once ruled over the Iron Hills, home to over a kingdom of 20,000 dwarves. Now I am the ling to the Lonely mountain but will come back to that later. A king can only trust a handful of people, ones he is proud call his loyal kin, even if blood isn't shared. The oldest friend and confidant I hold to me is Kale. He's the brother I never had, Thorin was my cousin, but he never held a candle to Kale. By my side through training and schooling for my future kingly acts. As siblings I was to see him have some good ol fun once in a blue moon. On a mid-spring evening I dragged his dwarven ars to tavern call the fiddling cat, there the iron pints flowed with the golden drink and little hairy women pranced around in their finest attire with beautiful, jeweled beards. As you enter the sound of music played jaunty tones as the candle lanterns filled the large space it a warm coloring. Laughter spread like hiccups, from one to another in the ring of an ear. Sitting at the table I was eyeing all the dwarf-lasses that twiddled a finger at me with a wink of their naughty eyes, like they were undressing me from my royal attire. Kale eyes had been set on the one who stood behind the bar cleaning out mugs. Her long raven hair braided along her back laying on the purple fabric. Tan skin the glowed from the lighting, complimenting a well-kept beard neatly braided with little jewels woven in. That had to be a good week pay to be done right, and them eyes oh what a shade of brown that in the light little sparkles of gold shimmered. She turned heads all night but stole the heart of only one dwarf.
"You stare any harder Yer eyes gonna pop out yer head." I laughed wiping the cold foam from me beard.
"Dain, she deserves more than this, cleaning up after half drunken miners. Look at that three gold for a tip, might as well spit on her shoe." Kale mumbled under his breath as she walked over to clean the table.
"Then go on over there and talk to her, before I swoop, her off to be my future queen." I went shoving him off his seat; Kale toppled off the chair onto the floor spilling the drink across the wooden planks. "Kale! you alright?" going to help him my eye saw the lass heading over. "Stay down. Don't move you dafty."
"Everything okay, I saw him tumble down. Is he hurt?" She asked getting to her knees looking over his temple.
"No, I mean yes that I'm fine, really just a little tumble." Kale tried to assure them, but Dain gripped his face with a meaty hand shoving him back. "Dain-"
"Look there, see it that bug lump on his head, I heard him say it felt like a stone dropped right from the sky. See kale does have a thick skull, so must have been a boulder. He needs a tender touch of a good dwarven- lass, mind helping with that miss?"
"Shira, my name is Shira." She said helping Kale sit up giving him a soft smile.
"Well, I'll leave ya too it. Take care and have yourselves a good evening." Two dwarves in love become inseparable, seeing one another day in and day out. The days turned ta weeks, weeks ta months, and by the next snow fall the two were wed by yers truly. As dwarves the next things for us to do is make wee babes, and them two did. Kale fathered four lads, the most strapping sons any dwarf could want. The first born was Sage, the wisest, he starved for knowledge of not only our history but of others too. He became the youngest ambassador in my court, keeping me levelheaded when talking about them pointy eared thin as twig elves. Second was Krig talk about a beefy baby, you though he be born a full dwarf. Strong, sturdy, and a natural born huntsman, lad could shoot a buck ten yards away. The third born Len became a till counter for the merchants of Dale; the boy could add numbers faster than a abacus. He seemed to think Dale couldn't thrive without his skills. Speak of Dale he was the last boy, and skilled miner. No dwarf could carve out a tunnel faster than him; you'd think he was part were-worm. Shira had wished for one more child, and she was blessed with one that winter. Life can be given by one but taken from another.
"Doing well, now I need one last big push ma'am." The doctor said as he got a grip pulling the child from under the covers. A babies cries echoed throughout the king's halls. Kale swung opened the bedroom doors with a smile across his face, "It a girl, you boys have a little sister!" He cheered hugging each son as they got up from their seats.
I ran down the hall quick as me short legs could go, "Where is the lad!? Let me see that strapping boy!"
"More like a little lass, she a beauty Dain." Kale answered as the nurse stepped out with the crying babe. The tiny beardless baby was swaddled in a hefty blanket, to keep warm from brisk cold air. "Will you say hello to the newest member of our and your kin, if you'd allow it?"
"I'd have it no other way." I said taking the babe into my arms, she was so tiny. "Oh she perfect, as if Durrin himself chiseled her from the smoothest of stone. Hello little one, as your kin I'll be spoiling you every moment of the day. You'll wear only the finest of clothing, ride in your own sheep drawn carriage, and no lad will ever wed you because they have to get my approval and I'm stubborn as a boar. Aint that right boys?" He laughed as the brothers gathered around. The doctor called out for the nurse, her and Kale went rushing back to the bedroom. Shira had lost too much blood from the birthing, by sunset she was gone traveled into the next world. The last thing she'd left was a daughter she named Shail. We held a proper funeral, that was the day Kale had lost all life in his eyes. Once a proud and joyful man turned into a hollowed husk, like armor being displayed. For years on end his kin rarely saw him, making the youngest think he never existed. All she knew of was I, her brothers, and the monster who lived in the backroom. Muttered cries as the sound of sloshing came between wails.