"Malvo and Emin are certainly part of the group, but it's very hard to pin anything on them solid." Nori whispered to Thorin. They stood on the highest ramparts carved into the Lonely Mountain looking down at the miniscule figures of men and dwarves that bustled about in Dale and along the main road that connected the two. "There are two more here as well, Berg and Bori. "
"That is most disappointing," Thorin stared out into the horizon as the sun began to rise in the east. Borg and Bori were Aida's closest nephews and in truth more like sons to her. "And somewhat unexpected -"
"Och surely not Thorin! They've always been sneaky bastards!" Dwalin grumbled from beside the dwarf king. "And I told ya - that old bat was here for no good reason. Ye cannae deny that now surely?!"
"Aida may have no idea of any involvement." Thorin attempted to defend her but it was increasingly hard to ignore these suspicions.
"I am not so sure about that laddie." Balin weighed in more delicately. "Aida has always been very savvy of most goings on - perhaps even sooner than the powers that be were aware. That is how she gained such power and status in the Iron Hills. Her husband was never ambitious, although very wealthy. And that is why later your mother fell out with her..."
Thorin listened silently and stony faced.
"Tell me baheluh, has Aida's presence been good for yer marriage to the princess? Eh?" Dwalin spat out attempting to control his clear anger. "I can tell ye the answer well. Donnae think I have turned a blind eye ter how she whispers snide remarks in yer ear about yer wife when ye join her on walks at times. And she plays on yer memories of yer mother..."
"Aye, brother, she has always been good at saying something without nothing. Tis the way she works -"
"Ye mean the way she spreads her poisonous venom!" Dwalin replied. "Our mother wanted nothing to do with her and didn't hide her feelings about it either. She kept her well away from our father, and yer mother agreed with ours on many things including that witch."
"I have to agree with my brother on this matter Thorin." Balin conceded quietly. "And there is no honour lost in accepting Aida's faults."
"And what would you have me do then? Ignore her altogether? An elderly matriarch of my family?!" Thorin snapped. "There is no choice in this for me..."
"Fine yer donnae have to ignore her, but yer donnae need ter fraternise with Lana and the company Aida keeps: All social climbers and advantage seekers themselves and ye know it." Dwalin bristled again at Thorins apparent blinkered view. "I can see it drives a wedge between ye and the Princess...even if she is too gracious to have a go at ya for it."
Thorin contemplated silently. He had noticed a change in Shobha's behaviour, although he had never been intuitive enough to connect the two. But in truth, she had stopped visiting him in his office when he worked late now, something which she once would do. He wondered what, if anything at all, had made her stop.
"In truth I did not even think she had noticed my invitation to Lana's lad to join us in our training." Thorin muttered. It had not been far off the truth. He had imagined she hadn't cared sufficiently for these matters: Where they had once spent all their free time together, they had drifted apart as each of their responsibilities had exponentially grown and he had buried his head in the sand about it. "I mean, Shobha has the hardest task of juggling her work, her duties as my consort and rasing our children. I have often asked whether she might limit her work in the infirmary but she hates it when I suggest it -"
"Sir, the truth is, I couldn't think of a more exemplary Queen. And her gift for healing is remarkable..." Nori finally chipped in from where he stood beside Thorin. "It would indeed be a true travesty should her talents be kept from our people for it is what they have all fallen in love with about her - and I can think of many whose own lives and that of their children have been saved for her work."
Thorin finally tore his eyes away from the horizon to give his spy a quick glance. Nori rarely offered his own opinion on matters, usually standing on the fence so he was ready to claim the winning side Of any argument.
"That is high praise coming from you Master Nori." Thorin quirked an eyebrow.
"It is praise for one who is worthy of it, Sir."
Dwalin grinned at Thorin, with only the smugness of one who was rubbing in a moral victory under the guise of alleged 'good-sportsmanship'. He didn't need a song and dance about it - it was clear as day!
"Well, I thank you for your time and the hard work of your shadows." Thorin tilted his head in acknowledgement at the spy. "There is something else I must also ask; who is Lord Thorongil? My Consort says she knows him, but made no mention of him before... And I must know why."
"And have ye thought to ask the Princess herself?" Dwalin frowned at his friend.
But Thorin stood silently gazing into the horizon once more, hands crossed behind his back. The truth was he had hoped she would have confided in him by now, and yet, he barely gave her much opportunity last night! He didn't want to ask, for coming across like a jealous husband - even if that was exactly what he was.
"Do you suspect he is an old suitor, Sir?" Nori hesitated before adding quietly. "Or even an old love..."
"I doubt that very much laddie." Balin spoke with confidence, hoping he didn't have a potential scandal on his hands. "Our Queen would let us know if so. No, I do not believe there is any impropriety in whatever relationship they share."
"To be fair he looks more like an elf than a man - too tall... Probably not her type eh?" Dwalin shook his head scowling as if smelling something foul. "Either way yer right - I donnae like it. Not one bit."
"Say no more. I shall find out more." Nori concluded.
"But please be discreet. I want none of this getting out." Thorin crossed his hands behind his back, gazing out into the horizon pensively.
"Och I really don't know. I don't think tis a good idea." Balin reproached.
"Well, he is a guest in my kingdom, and in close association with my consort. So my decision is final." Thorin turned to Nori. "Do it."
"Or course, Sir." Nori answered with a bow of his head before quietly slinking away leaving the other three dwarves standing there deep in thought.
...
She hurried along the corridor towards the infirmary, her two sons raced ahead of her. It was a Saturday, but that meant she had to juggle the two boys along with doing her rounds on her patients in the morning followed by inspecting the stores after winter.
Usually Fili, Dwalin or Thorin would have taken the boys for an outing either to the stream a short walk from Erebor, or to the markets of Dale. But Fili was still limping around and, today Dwalin and Thorin allegedly had a last minute meeting - for which Thorin had left her in bed very early in the morning, after his sudden sex-crazed attack on her last night! Of course it was not before he gave her two orgasms, so she couldn't really complain. He had even left Dis and Lola to wash and dress the children in the morning, which meant that she was able to have a naked lay-in.
Her only consolation was that ever since she took on the traditional 'Queenly' duty of ensuring the winter stores for Erebor were stocked, she had usually bought over and above what was needed. This meant each subsequent year required little in the way of specific stocking up.
"Slow down boys!" She hurried along.
"I bet you can't catch us Mama! Last one to the infirmary is a stinky orc!" Arun shouted out as he was quite clearly in the lead.
"Right! You two! I'm gonna get you!" Shobha laughed out loud as she gathered up the heavy skirts of her more formal dress and began to chase after her sons down the fairly empty corridor.
Thrain and Arun both screamed with delight as they ran on. The boys suddenly rounded the corner racing down a different corridor.
"That's the long way! Hey!" She called out, annoyed with her heavy dress, so she paused to gather up the skirts again. "Hey! Stop for a second!"
"Maaamaaaa!" Thrain taunted from further along.
"Caaaant catch uuuuussssss!" Arun called back.
"Grrrrrr!" She feigned an angry growl as she picked up her skirts even higher so her legs were bare right up to the thighs. "Mama's going to turn into a bear now!"
Without warning she set off again In pursuit, this time the twins set off a little later themselves to give her a sporting chance.
Racing along, the boys scuttled up another set of steps.
She was so close to them now, she too followed, two steps at a time. And then suddenly they all broke out into a run along the next empty corridor turning another corner which led them through the training halls.
It was a detour, but it would wear out the boys hopefully and they would be quieter while she checked on her patients. And the infirmary was only two floors below.
What they hadn't expected was there to be anyone in the training halls, particularly not so early on a Saturday.
But instead they all turned to spot Thorin who stood next to Lana, positioning her hand up higher, before positioning Eli's sword up in counter attack, while Dwalin angrily pummelled a mannequin stood in a corner, with a training sword and axe.
All three of them had become so distracted by the unexpected sight despite continuing their chase that they didn't notice the group of dwarves who were entering from the other doorway towards which they ran.
The boys landed on one rotund nobleman, while Shobha, landed on the other, bringing his pudgy form down to the ground with her taller height, and ending up straddling his chest with her bare legs right up to her thighs.
The dwarf looked up at her still quite dazed, blinking in surprise as she just barely stopped herself from landing with her chest in his face by mere inches with her outstretched hands.
A mixture of sniggers, chuckles and gasps erupted from the few who had witnessed the scene behind them as the noble-dwarrow she landed on began to blush profusely, particularly given than he too had placed his hands on her bare thighs in an attempt to stop her hurtling forwards.
It had been like experiencing a train-wreck in slow, painful and humiliating slow motion.
As they both finally realised the compromising position they found themselves in and the shock wore off, they both untangled themselves from one another.
Unfortunately it was not before she unwittingly flashed her knickers at everyone as she slid off him, her crotch practically straddling his bright red face, in the only way possible given the heavy velvet dress she wore with ample skirts.
Now these were not the usual bloomers that everyone wore, because frankly for a woman from the twenty-first century used to wearing much less material about her southern parts, the traditional bloomers were rather more stuffy and cumbersome.
Instead she had requested the seamstress to sew her a custom, shorter, thinner variety of undergarments more akin to modern knickers. It wasn't just herself that had become a fan of her particular variety of bloomers, but rather the King himself enjoyed the easier access they provided, particularly when they found themselves on occasion in the odd cupboard or when she visited him in his study late at night, and they inevitably ended up taking full advantage of what he still considered her 'kinkier' side.
Of course the dwarf who had begun to sit up off the floor, and expected full bloomers under their Queens skirts was most shocked to see far more revealing undergarments, which would have still been considered fairly sensible in accordance with modern standards.
He turned an even brighter shade of red, as did the dwarves that stood behind him.
Suddenly she found a pair of strong hands lifting her off the ground and helping her back onto her feet, as the other four dwarves that had arrived continued to stare, all blushing profusely and their jaws hung open.
"What are ye looking at eh? Bow ter yer Queen, or should I do it fer ye?" Dwalins voice boomed from beside her as all the dwarves that arrived fell into a low bow.
"I am so sorry." She finally managed helping the dwarrow up off the ground. "Are you alright?"
She looked at the short dwarf with his greying blonde hair and still startled blue eyes.
"I'm... I... Think I'm..." He stammered.
"Ach shut yer pie hole before ye gather flies." Dwalin growled. "Are yer here ter be inappropriate ter the Queen or train Bori?"
His warning sent the dwarves all scattering towards the seats that were dotted around the arena with their bags and weapons.
"Princess..." Dwalin offered softly but she ignored him adjusting her dress, as the boys who had now picked themselves us ran over to their mother to do the same.
"Uncle Dwalin? I thought you were too busy to take us this morning?" Arun too sounded clearly hurt. Every Saturday morning they had enjoyed spending time with their father and his closest friend. It had been an unbeaten run until today.
"Och laddie... We had an early meeting... And then..."
"My lady?" Thorin interrupted too. "Boys?"
"Adad? I thought you had to go down the mines..?" Thrain too sounded hurt.
"Come on boys." Shobha held her hands out to their sons, trying her best to hide her anger. "I have a surprise for you once we finish up our jobs this morning... We had better get going."
She ignored Thorin too as they began to walk out.
"My lady?" He was quick to follow them into the now quiet corridor. "Shobha? Please..?"
"No Thorin. You are clearly too busy to spend time with our sons this weekend, it's fine." She kept her tone as neutral as possible, but was beginning to sound clearly sarcastic. "Come on boys, I want you to meet someone this morning - he is one of the coolest people you will meet..."
"My lady, we had an early meeting, and we are due to go down the mines in another half an hour..." Thorin explained but she only stopped briefly to give him a glare over her shoulder. "You are embarrassing me..."
"Right boys stay here." She stood the boys in the corridor before turning to Thorin and lowering her voice. "I am embarrassing YOU? You have hurt our sons. They think you have chosen to spend time with someone else's child rather than them - can you not see this?"
"We merely stopped for half an hour to train before going to the mines. They happened to be here practicing which you could have done too but you have been EXPLICIT in your wishes not to train... The mines are far too dangerous for younglings." He grew irate by the second at having to explain himself when he felt he had done nothing wrong. "And you are introducing our sons to a man you have told me nothing about, and running around baring your legs to all and sundry? What sort of decorum is that for a Queen?"
"You could have altered your mine inspection to another day Thorin. YOU are King. In the same way you could have chosen to pick our children up even for a short time." She concluded, glancing over at their sons and lowering her voice again. "I don't have time to talk now. I TOO have responsibilities. But the bottom line is that I am not a dwarrowdam to be locked away in some mountain, or one that is okay being treated like your... Sex slave... And your baby factory. I made it clear from the start WHO I was."
And with that she walked over to where Arun and Thrain stood patiently before taking their hands and carrying on.
"Mama... Is Adad angry with us?" Arun asked.
"No baby. He is going to into the mines soon."
"No we mean is he angry that we made you trip over?" Thrain cleared up.
"You didn't trip me up. I didn't look where I was running properly." She added. "Now listen, your Adad is not upset with you, he just didn't have time to take you training. But he promises to make it up to you soon. But like I said, I have a surprise for the two of you today..."
"Is this the person we are going to meet?"
"Oh! No! In that case you have TWO surprises today! But you have to be good."
Both boys cheered as they carried on.
...
"My Lady," her newest patient bowed his head, wincing through the pain. "Forgive me if I placed you in a bad position..."
Shobha quietly changed his bandage. She should have been excited to have met him at this point, but she found herself a little distracted over her growing distance from her husband.
"I should have stopped in Dale. But, when I met Gandalf.."
"Gandalf." Shobha repeated understanding more now.
"Yes well, he mentioned that should I ever find myself in the North... That I should seek out an audience with King Thorin's Consort." Thorongil winced again as she removed the packing she had placed inside the wound. "I simply did not think I would find myself here as your patient...".
"Then I suppose this was fate." She replied cleaning the deep wound from which she had pulled the arrow head yesterday. "Your wound looks cleaner. And your temperature is down. But you will need to stay and recover. You are in no state to ride, let alone all the way to Rohan..."
"Very well my lady." He wondered what she knew of him, just in the same way that Gandalf had spoken of her. But it was clear she was not a mere woman. To have won the heart of the Dwarf King, and journeyed on a quest that only male folk of their world ever did was extraordinary in itself. But there was something else about her that made her very different.
"Ambush is quite sophisticated for wild men isn't it..?"
"That is what I said. Their raids have been more strategic of late, and yet King Thengel refuses to see this as beyond coincidence." He sat up observing her with greater interest now.
"And you have served Ecthelion too?"
"I have met with him on occasion with King Thengel..." He admitted watching her suspicion. How could she be privy to all this information?
"Perhaps you can influence him. Giving the keys of Orthanc to Saruman is not a good idea..." She suggested.
"I have urged this too. But Ecthelion is still considering it." Thorongil looked at her in amazement. "How is it that you know all this?"
"Let's say I know who you really are." She whispered as she finished bandaging him. "Don't worry, your secret is safe..."
She sighed, feeling more hopeless now. There was no way she could influence anything or stop the war of the rings. Bilbo had the ring on him somewhere in the shire, and she was barely able to keep her own life and marriage together here in Erebor.
"Then you know my Lord Elrond?"
"Well... Sort of I suppose... But I have met the beautiful Lady Arwen..." She smiled watching his blue eyes light up for a moment at the mention of her name. "I just feel like sometimes there is so much that feels out of our control. All this illusion that we have a choice or free will is just a lie, you know. In the end, we have a role to play and we might take a different path, but we end up exactly where we were always meant to be..."
He looked at her carefully, understanding flashed across his face, as he thought of how he had left his life in Imladris. The life he had thought of as ordinary, only to be told of his lineage.
"Is this not the life you imagined then, my lady?" He suddenly asked.
"I guess that's just the problem, you see, I joined Thorins quest, only to help him," she realised her intention had only ever been to prevent his death, and save Fili and Kili too. She hadn't considered what would happen afterwards. Becoming 'Queen Consort' to the King under the Mountain and all the politics that went with it was more of a nasty side effect of a life with Thorin, rather than an end game.
Thorongil remained silently watching her as she tidied away the bloodied dressings and her instruments before washing her hands.
"My lady...?" He asked again, hoping he had not offended her by prying too much, but all the same he wanted to know.
"I guess that's just it..." She sighed setting a small vial of liquid by his beside with a silver spoon. "I don't think I imagined any of this when I was once foolish enough to imagine my future.."
The thought suddenly crossed her mind, what if Mike had never been such an awful man? What if they had been good together and got married like they had planned? What if she had just led an ordinary life without any of this back home in London?
"I think imagining something that might have been in some other hypothetical life is madness though isn't it?" She glanced at Thrain and Arun who laughed at Oin as he fooled around with his ear trumpet for their comic entertainment. She wouldn't trade any of their beautiful children for all the trouble in Erebor.
"We are here now, as things are. And this is exactly where we are meant to be. We just haven't figured it out yet, but time will reveal all..."
She then waved at her boys who looked over expectantly.
"I hope you don't mind... My son's want to meet you..."
Arun and Thrain came running over before coming to stand shyly at their mother's side, in an attempt to look more grown up.
"These are our boys, Thrain and Arun..." Shobha introduced. "This is Lord Thorongil. He is a great warrior and one day will be a great King.."
"Prince Thrain and Prince Arun," he bowed low, wincing in pain again. "It is my honour to meet the famous Princes of Erebor..."
Both boys giggled shyly as they too bowed.
"At your service, Lord Thorongil." They both chimed together.
...
Their day had gone fairly smoothly despite the mornings disaster. And the twins had even behaved while she surveyed Erebors winter stores, even being helpful at times.
It appeared that word of her fall had already spread amongst Erebors nobility, as there were hushed whispers whenever she came across their little gaggles in the corridor.
So it came as a huge relief when she finally found herself at the great Gates waiting.
"Oh! Mama, I can't wait anymore -" Arun complained impatiently jiggling on the spot, when out of the crowd emerged two familiar faces that led to huge smiles all round.
"Kili!" Thrain shouted in excitement running over to his cousin.
"Tauriel!" Arun smiled shyly as he ran after his big brother.
"My little prince," she greeted him crouching down to give him a gentle hug.
"So... Shall we get going then?" Kili grinned at them all.
"Where are we going Mama?"
"Well that's the surprise, but I thought we could go for a boat ride?"
"A boat ride?!" Arun squealed in excitement. "We have never been in one of those!"
"Aye, little man. That is why we thought you two might like it." Kili stood up and rubbed his hands together.
"Don't forget your picnic basket..." Dis called out as she seemed to suddenly appear. "You haven't had a proper lunch - any of you."
"Amad!" Kili shot her an innocent smile. "We were going to visit you once we got back -"
"Aye, my child. I might have been upset with you if Shobha hadn't let me know." Dis handed the basket over to Tauriel, bowing her head to the elleth. "Now I expect you all back in time for supper. You two are to stay here for a night or two please. Your brother misses you. I miss you."
"And no other visits -" Kili gave his bride a sidelong glance.
"Aye. Just me and Fili." Dis nodded. "And Shobha, the babe is well, Lola and I are looking after her. She will want for nothing. You go and get some fresh air."
Shobha watched as the others began to walk out of the mountain lingering a little.
"You hesitate, why..?" Dis spoke quietly as they both watched the other four walking across the stone bridge. "Surely it's not because of the incident this morning in the training halls?"
"Oh God! They stare everywhere I go..."
"Well, the gossip is rather flattering actually. Lord Bori reports 'staring into your pert bosom' and accidentally 'touching your soft thighs'... And Berg said you wore the most 'racy bloomers ever imaginable in all or Arda'..." Dis chuckled. "I can tell you now, the nobility all think my brother is luckiest dwarf alive. Some even say it comes as no surprise that you have borne him so many children. And Denin your seamstress has had no end of customers offering to pay handsomely for 'the Queens bloomers'..."
She grimaced, not caring for any of it. The truth was that things were not okay with Thorin - and he had never cared for her having no decorum before. These were the sorts of things that Aida had said. And now she wondered whether Thorin was beginning to see things her way too.
"If I told you would you keep it to yourself? Can I trust you Dis?"
"Of course.." Dis frowned glancing over at her worried but finding that her sister-in-law only continued to look ahead.
"The truth is Dis, I would love to go home again even for a visit; With the children, you know? I said that once a long time ago. But... So much has happened since..." She smiled and waved as the others turned back to her from the stone bridge and began to beckon. "I guess I just got caught up. But I wanted to know that if I did, you would be able to take over some of my work? And even keep an eye on Thorin - you know, make sure he's okay -"
"Where is this coming from Shobha? Your home IS here!" Dis looked at her worried again. "And I am sorry I didn't make you feel that way from the day we first met."
"Mama!" Arun, Thrain and Kili all shouted out to her from the bridge, grinning and gesturing wildly, while Tauriel waved the basket.
"Okay! I'm coming!" Shobha called out laughing.
"Promise me you will not make any rash decisions?" Dis grabbed her hand. While their relationship had been terrible at the start, she owed her both her sons ' lives to her. And everyday as she watched this woman work hard, she found herself respecting her more. She could only hope it wasn't too late. "Erebor would not be the same without you..."
Dis kept Shobha's hand in hers as she began to walk out of the entrance.
"I havent made any decisions yet. But perhaps my decision will be made FOR me one day," she thought of what Aida had said openly about Thorin taking a mistress, and wondered whether that had always been her plan when she arrived here. Besides there was still her confession about Ulmo. "And I have to be ready, because there are three lives that matter in all of this."
Dis looked at her, now terribly worried.
"Don't be so worried. Its nothing really... I guess just me feeling a little homesick maybe..." She lied before letting go and running out to join the rest of the group.
...
"Your sindarin is coming along well, Shobha." Tauriel smiled, perhaps more pleased of herself as tutor. "it is certainly far better than Kili who gets more lessons."
They both chuckled watching Kili and his two younger cousins in the boat as he taught the boys to row. They had all decided to have their picnic on the River bank and then take the boat, but since the boys had become so obsessed with learning to row and steer, the elleth and the woman had decided it safest to sit it out.
"How does Kili find it living in Greenwood?" Shobha wondered.
"He is ignored much of the time, but it is hard for most not to fall for his charms. And besides which, he is not married to one of the royal family so it keeps us both out of the way of politics." Tauriel replied honestly understanding Shobha's sentiments behind the question. "It is certain far less hostile than the treatment I receive from many of the nobility when I come to visit or stay in Erebor. Perhaps you should come and stay with us a little while...?"
"Why do you say that?" Shobha sat up and watched the elleth. All the elves were so controlled over how much emotion they expressed if made it hard to read their feelings, although, Tauriel was more open than the others.
"Well you seem less happy each time I see you. Although you look happy, I can see a change." She said in a matter of fact manner. "I thought perhaps you would do well to have a change of scenery from the so called Noble-dwarves of Erebor, without being a guest of our King. I mean he would probably try to keep you permanently, and rub it in Thorins face. And then a war would most likely break out between the kingdoms and..."
Tauriel smiled lightly, having tried to make a joke, and received a chuckle from Shobha.
"Thank you for listening to me when we last spoke..." Shobha pulled her knees up under her chin, letting her heavy velvet skirts fall around her. "I haven't told Thorin, and I am certain now that he wouldn't take it well. So I may have to take you up on that offer to come and stay. "
"Well, in all honesty, the conception of Arun was not a true one. You need not feel guilty, and Thorin need not see the child as belonging to any other than himself either." The red haired elleth wore her hair in an alebourate braid today. It was clearly Kili's work, but it suited her well. "He is a jealous dwarf, but I think he cannot be faulted in guarding a treasure far greater than any that might come out of Erebors mines. You gave him so much more than saving his life... You gave him a family of his own."
"Wouldn't any well chosen dam have done the same?"
"No. I do not think he would have taken a wife if not for you." Tauriel smiled fondly as she watched Kili. "We too have discussed a family. But Kili is growing more fond of returning to the Blue Mountains so we might raise a family in peace."
"We would all miss you both if you did. But after these last few years in Erebor I think I understand."
She sighed. "Then again, it would also give us a reason to travel. And I am getting a bit tired of this."
"But Thorin protects you..."
"I guess so. There's just been so much I haven't shared with him recently..." She sighed. "The truth is, I finally miss my home, my parents, my family..."
"What about your festival, which we have been planning recently. It's very soon isn't it?" Tauriel asked hopefully.
"Yes! But it is a messy one. So we have planned a day outside on the road to Dale, weather permitting..." She smiled again thinking of it all. They had pushed it back a few weeks further so that Fili and Imli could join in too. "And the Gulal arrived yesterday. So we are kind of ready..."
"Well I look forward to it."
"And you said something when we spoke last time... You worried about your lifespan?"
"Yes, I would have to chose to live my days out here long after Kili is dead..." Tauriel turned to Shobha, her green eyes filled with sadness. "But all that I love would be gone...?"
"Well... Not all that you love... Because you would have children." Shobha tried to reassure her. "If you live here and now and enjoy all the time you have together, you will have nothing to regret. Besides Kili is still young, you have lots of time together... Look I have got you down too now!"
"No - not at all!" Tauriel laughed sincerely finding some comfort in being able to share her own worries with another. "I guess we both find ourselves in a pickle right now..."
...
They had enjoyed the spring sunshine for a while before their thoughts had turned to returning home.
And so as the sun set behind the Lonely Mountain, they had trudged back.
Thorin had stood at the end of the stone bridge, awaiting their return, with a stern look on his face, arms crossed over his chest, and apparently much less busy now.
"Kili! How good of you to bring everyone back just in time." He barked out as soon as they were within earshot. "You realise, that you have all been on an unsanctioned trip outside our kingdom, with no guard? And yet you return too close to nightfall. How would you have managed should you have been raised by stray orc? Or wild men?"
"N'adad, a few stray orc would be nothing to a Prince of Durin and a Captain of the Elven Guard!" Kili grinned as the twins pretended to fight off imaginary orc with the training swords they had brought along with them. "Not to mention two crowne princes of Erebor - lion-hearted themselves and with excellent skills already. Isn't that right lads?"
"Aye Kili! We practiced our sparring with Kee today!" Arun beamed proudly.
"And practiced our archery with Tauriel!" Thrain added.
"And the young princes learned how to row a boat." Tauriel patted the boys on the back. "They also have their cousins talent with the bow."
"And should the worst have befallen you all, Erebor would have lost their second, third, and fourth in line to the throne all in one day." Thorin glowered.
"Besides it was not unsanctioned." Shobha added, watching his ire rise further as she walked past keeping a straight face. She could practically see the steam shooting out of his ears as she said the words. "I sanctioned it."
They walked in silence across the bridge, the twins ahead skipping merrily, Tauriel and Kili hand in hand, and Shobha who kept her pace a little ahead of Thorin. She could hear him huffing and puffing grumpily behind as he followed, enjoying every bit of pushing his buttons today.
Suddenly a commotion up ahead drew their attention and they all hurried on ahead towards the group of dwarves gathering about.
"What is going on here?" Thorin called out moving through the group fast.
"The lad fell into the river -" a guard shouted.
"Blankets!" Thorin shouted back as another guard ran forward carrying a pile. He knelt down to take a better look. "Shobha! He's not breathing!"
She too hurried to kneel by Thorin's side and began to check him for breathing and a pulse when Arun crept through several dwarves.
"He has water filling his lungs, Mama," he spoke in a calm soft voice that seemed to make all the other dwarves fall silent, stilling their panic. "I can help..."
"Baby...?" She whispered, watching the firm concentration fixed on his face.
Stepping forward he held his hands out over the body of the dwarf boy, and then suddenly water, like liquid droplets of a fountain began to emerge from his mouth.
They flew into the air like a fountain of liquid crystals shimmering in the last of the amber setting sun.
Arun, unphased by the many eyes upon him still carried on, a frown on his brow as he fathomed the importance of his actions on the young boy. The young prince lifted his hands as though in silent conducting of the water, his eyes were now a clear turquoise, like a clear ocean. Like the eyes of his true father.
The water carried on leaving the boys lungs, for what seemed like an eternity to everyone who watched in stunned silence, until suddenly with a gasp, the boy began to breath. His breath as first shaky and ragged began to steady quickly after gasping his fill of air.
"My... Lord...?" He looked at Thorin, apparently surprised by his presence, although still shivering and cold.
"Good lad," Thorin wrapped the boy in another blanket before ordering all the guardsman surrounding. "Get him to Oin, and inform his parents and then immediately report to my study - all of you."
"You did it Arun!" Thrain shouted triumphant in what he perceived as his brothers victory, while Kili and Tauriel looked on in awe.
"Arun...?" Thorin looked at his youngest son, gently bringing his attention back, watching his eyes return to normal. And then looking at his eldest child, realised this was clearly not the first time Arun had manipulated water in this manner, his attentions now immediately turning to his wife. "My lady...?"
Shobha held his gaze for a moment, as if they were having some sort of secret conversation. His cold, blue eyes, made her feel as though he had delved into her very soul.
"Shobha..?" He asked again gently, when she remained silent.
But she quickly turned to her son feeling his cheeks and head.
"You are freezing cold baby." She quickly took off her thick shawl and wrapped him up. "We need to get him inside..."
"Shobha? I need to know what is going on." Thorin took a step closer to her. "Right away."
"Let me take him in, I will give him a warm bath." Tauriel gently guided the boy on, but he paused to look back at his mother.
"I didn't do something wrong did I Mama?"
"Oh no baby!" Shobha gave her youngest son a kiss. He had always been a sensitive soul. "You and your brother have both been really good today - and I couldn't be more proud of you. Now go in, have a warm bath and I will be there soon okay..."
She kissed Arun first, followed by Thrain, who looked from her to his father, worried.
"Go on, lad, we will be there soon enough." Thorin reassured Thrain and then Arun.
"Come on Thrain..." Kili gently urged on his cousin, leaving Shobha facing Thorin alone on the stone bridge, in the last light of the dying sun.
...