I woke to the soothing sound of water gently lapping upon the shore - the Long Lake perhaps? It surely would be the quickest way to reach Thranduil's elven healers if my condition was worsening, and yet I felt no pain or discomfort, no burden as I had the past month, only a strange sense of freedom, and a deep warmth radiating upwards from where I lay on my back. I took a few full deep breaths, uninhibited by the weight of my future child, and the air was thick with cool moisture, as it often was in the wake of a heavy summer storm. It contrasted wondrously with the warmth beneath me and left me more clear-headed than I felt I had been in months.

Either I was drugged with some sort of miracle potion that took away all my aches, or I had given birth already, or this was some magic I had not experienced before. With my eyes still shut, my hands trailed across the smooth flat stones of the beach I reasoned I must be on, luxuriously hot to the touch, to trail across my stomach and confirm that I was, in fact, still pregnant. En route to a healer then? But why was I, an unconscious pregnant woman, abandoned on the shoreline?

I returned my hands to the stones and picked one up. It was dry, despite the air suggesting a recent, or possibly oncoming downpour. I brought it to my face and cracked an eye open to examine it curiously, and forced my other open upon seeing it - stark white against a clouded and brooding sky. Not the Long Lake, to be sure.

"Where then…" I asked no one in particular, and my voice sounded as empty in the still air as on a morning after heavy snowfall, absorbed into the void of silence.

The Sea of Rhun was my next guess, and I pushed myself ungracefully to my knees to look down the shore towards the water. The world was bathed in twilight, the luminescence of the ivory white sheet of clouds above me fading with each passing heartbeat. I saw that despite the sound of water washing upon the stone, there was nary a ripple on the lake, or rather sea, as it was too vast to make out any far shore. More concerning was that in its stillness, the horizon disappeared into the mirror-like reflection of the pale white clouds above, giving me the impression of being drawn into all-consuming silver glass as far as my eyes could see. It was unsettling, and I found that I couldn't look for long before a sense of vertigo overcame me and I had to look away for fear of making myself sick.

I turned to get my bearings on land instead, but found it was no more helpful - only dim rolling gray-green hills stretching off into the distance. I frowned, and completed my scan of the beach in the direction I had not yet looked, only to spot a campfire a ways down the beach. It was still a long walk, but I had no other choice if someone had decided to leave me so far away, assuming the firestarters were in fact the ones who brought me here.

"Maybe we capsized…?" I tried to reason, but couldn't come to any reasonable conclusion to that thought.

As I walked my body began to ache, and what renewed vigour I had been feeling wore away with each passing step. The fire was so far away, and the beach so uneven, that whatever painkiller I had been given would be long since worn off by the time I reached my destination, but I had to forge on. I was panting by the time I staggered to the edge of the firelight, exhausted now.

"Hello?" I managed to call out, fighting back a grimace to present a less threatening face at least. "Hall?"

"What are you doing here?" The nearest figure asked in shock, his hooded face whirling on me as he did so.

"I… need help." I stammered, taken aback by the urgency of his reaction, but before I could process the apparition my fatigued mind had just surely conjured, I was forced to confront it in earnest as the figure still tending the fire turned to loom up at me, chastising in an all too familiar voice.

"You don't belong here." stated Thorin Oakenshield with the oh-so-familiar, deep and dripping tones of accusation. My mouth fell agape, and I was lost for words.

"Are you lost, little girl?" Kili jested, breaking the silence and lowering his hood as he stepped out from behind the figure who had greeted me initially. I choked back a cry and flung myself into a fierce hug, catching the dwarf off guard.

I held him for an eternity, and once again all my aches and pains faded away.

"You know, you really aren't supposed to be here…" Kili murmured in amusement after catching his breath.

I only hugged him tighter and half sobbed "Neither are you!"

He returned the embrace tenderly, and after what felt like another lifetime I unburied my face from his shoulder and looked up to the third dwarf, and while I knew full well it would be Fili beneath the third hood, meeting his eyes brought on a whole new wave of sorrow that threatened to overcome me.

It was only the building turmoil of the sky beyond Fili that shook me from my reverie - the storm I had predicted upon waking was taking shape, and let loose a thunderous roar into the heavens that shook me to my very core. Kili steadied me, and when my trembling stopped I put words to a few new theories that were starting to develop in my mind.

"Is this a dream?" I ventured as I pulled away from the dwarf and looked around. Kili scoffed and then cracked a grin.

"If it's a dream, then it's not a very good one; abandoned on a beach only to wind up sore and tired and stuck with this sorry lot."

"Am I… dead, then?"

"I thought I taught you better than to give up." Fili teased, sauntering up alongside his brother and clasping me on the shoulder.

"Oh come now," Kili countered. "She's been through so much. Surely she should stay and rest awhile?"

True enough, whatever magic lingered here seemed to fade whenever I questioned my being here, and if it was truly death, perhaps it was a portent of drawing myself back from the brink - back towards the realm of the living… but rest sounded so…restful.

"Enough." Thorin cut in, straightening up to full height - he was taller than I remembered him in his life. "The choice is hers, and hers alone." He strode towards me, sizing me up with dark eyes that seemed to be judging my very soul. He stopped before me, and in an uncharacteristically reserved, private voice that stressed the seriousness of his words, he asked me the very question I was now asking myself. "Well, what will it be, barmaid?" His old fallback insult, but the way in which he said it suggested it was meant to do more - challenge me, perhaps, as he cast a sidelong glance and a fond smirk my way . "…linger here, and risk losing more than one love this day… Or fight? Not just for the bairn, but for his father, and for everything your child will stand for?"

"Thorin. I-" my mouth was dry. He looked at me urgently. "I don't know if I can." I whispered, frustrated tears filling my eyes. I was almost spent. I could not carry on much longer.

"You can, because you have to."

His words echoed in my mind, duplicating over and over upon themselves as the faint sounds of battle rose from all around me and began escalating to a crescendo. Was this a memory, or a dream? I was having trouble focusing, and looked to Kili for support only to find myself alone on the silver beach once again, in silence, staring out into the mind numbing stillness. I felt a moment of puzzlement, desperately tried to piece together all I had just witnessed, and then my vision blurred and I fell into darkness before I even hit the stones.


I regained consciousness somewhat dizzyingly, grimacing at the cacophony of raised voices - which I quite thought had no place around my bedside, shouldn't a labouring woman at least be afforded some peace and quiet?

I groaned and peered my eyes open, squinting at the light, for my curtains had been fully drawn, letting in the beginning rays of dawn, and additional candles had also been lit about my room as well.

Suddenly a face unfamiliar to me leaned into my field vision.

"She's awake." the unknown middle-aged woman pronounced, before coming in close to feel my forehead.

"Who-" I croaked, my voice sounding foreign to my own ears.

"This is the midwife, dear." Flora explained, suddenly stepping up to my side as well. Her expression was rather drawn compared to the gentleness in her voice.

Before I could sit up, or question the time, another contraction raked through my entire body, causing me to cry out and attempt to curl in on myself. It lasted a tortuously long time and left me trembling and breathless. The midwife then lifted my blankets and inspected me. Since she drew attention to the area, I suddenly became aware of a wetness about my thighs. Drawing back and covering me back up, she shook her head at Flora.

"Adelaide, please fetch some fresh water." Flora requested, looking towards her daughter. It was only then I finally noticed that Hall's eldest sisters were present in the room with us as well. "And Rosalin, please go check in with the city watch, see if your brother is on his way back yet."

They both wordlessly ducked out with a small dip of their heads, and then I was momentarily paralyzed by another teeth-grinding contraction.

When it was finally through, I took a few moment's rest to catch my breath, then looked towards the midwife pleadingly, waiting for instruction of some kind, hoping she'd coach me through this agony as fast as possible. She sighed and looked at me with an alarming measure of sympathy.

"Your waters have broken, but your body is not yet open enough to try to push… there is also some bleeding, which concerns me."

Despite being absolutely flushed and soaked through with sweat, her words put ice in my veins and my hands began to tremble.

"How - how much longer? Until I can push?" I stammered, trying to adjust myself more upright. Flora came to my assistance and helped prop up a pillow behind me.

The midwife shook her head. "I can't yet say. You've been laboring for hours, the contractions are quite close now… usually there would be more progress than this."

I had to blink a few times, trying to clear some unbidden tears that were beginning to flood them. "So what do I do?" I asked, my voice begging her to tell me a solution, to banish the fear that was now slowly squeezing the air out of my lungs.

Before she could answer, the pain returned.


Rosalin had just reached the front door, taking her cloak from Quinton with a curt nod of thanks, when the door in question nearly barreled her over had she not been caught by the manservant. She hardly had enough time to stand upright before Hall marched in with the very dwarf he had been seeking - Bofur. Quinton took their coats with practiced grace, and Rosalin was about to follow the pair when the Princess of Erebor entered, though it took both Rosain and the butler a moment to recognize her, dressed like a pauper as she was.

Bofur ascended the stairs at once, drawn by the pained yelling from his wife, and Hall followed hot on his heels. Méra took a moment to compose herself before bobbing her head politely to Rosalin, meanwhile another even older dwarrowdam, dressed nearly as drab as Méra in a simple robe, entered without so much as a how-do-you-do and, catching sight of the two men, passed Méra and followed them upstairs without a word to anyone else, and if Rosalin wasn't already feeling more than a little flustered by the events of the evening prior, she most certainly was now.

What would mother do? She asked herself, and then with as much stoicism as she could muster, she conjured up the most polite smile she could manage without cracking her composure and beckoned the Princess towards the drawing room.

"Tea?" she squeaked, and was immediately embarrassed with her own lack of resolve - so she was overwhelmingly grateful when Méra, who seemed just as unsure of herself, accepted.


I lay my head back against the pillow, the memory of the contraction still causing my breath to come in shallow gasps, my body tense and shaking, my strength all but spent and a hopelessness settling over what little thoughts I could muster. I allowed my eyes to close, tears falling over my cheeks as they did so. I knew I only had moments, a few sacred minutes, before I would be in the throes of utter torment once more. I wondered exactly how long I would have to suffer as such before I died. Or perhaps someone could help speed along the process, surely there must be some sort of poison that could offer a more peaceful end. Would this unknown midwife of the newly formed Dale be privy to such knowledge? I wistfully hoped so, for soon I might be begging for it.

I didn't notice the footfalls thundering up the stairs, or hear the door to my room fly open, but the sound of my name being spoken in an anguished but oh-so-familiar voice made my eyes snap open and settle on what surely was an apparition.

"Bofur?" I whispered with a small smile, reaching my hand slightly towards him, wondering if I'd fallen into another dream. But then he was there, his fingers curling around my own, his other hand cupping my face. I could feel him, hear him, smell him. He was real, and despite hardly having the strength or energy to do so, I began to cry.

"I'm here. I'm here, love." he murmured soothingly, but then whatever I may have wanted to say to him and any further comforts on his part, were cut short as I suddenly lurched back in agony, another contraction tearing through me.

"Everybody get back." A commanding, familiar voice suddenly rang out and the room's inhabitants shrunk back from my tear-blurred vision, all except Bofur, who pressed nearer. The Acolyte materialized at my other side and I clamored for her hand as well, begging her for her aid. She took my own in hers, leaning in close while speaking something in Khuzdul to Bofur across from me before nodding down at me.

"Calm yourself, child. Let's make it past this contraction and then we'll see what's to be done. Now, I need you to let go of my hand for a moment."

I released her and then she quickly pulled down the blankets. She then placed both of her hands firmly on my stomach, feeling over the expanse of it even as I writhed beneath her in pain. As the contraction came to an end, I tried to lay more still as she continued to examine me. She pushed on certain areas harder than others, an uncomfortable sensation, but then she stepped back and took stock of the other occupants of the room, sizing each of them up at a glance and addressing them all in turn.

"I take it this is your residence." she stated, fixing her gaze upon Flora. "You and your family have done a suitable job no doubt. I would speak with you in private presently, but until that time there's no more help you can give."

Flora took the half-compliment with grace and no small amount of relief. "I will take my leave then, and await you in the corridor." she promised, beckoning to Adelaide, who had just returned with a tray bearing both a kettle of hot water and a pitcher of cold. The pair of them then retreated out the door.

The Acolyte turned on the poor midwife next.

"We might as well put you to some actual use. First, let's not waste time explaining why she is lying in soiled sheets - honestly, I would have expected better from a midwife. Bring up dry linens at once before she gets chilled! See if they have any old blankets too, and clean rags, as many as you can track down!"

The chastised midwife hurried off at once, and as grateful as I was to be in the care of someone much more experienced, I couldn't help but feel pity for the poor woman. The Acolyte then stepped out herself to speak with Flora, shutting the door behind her as she went and giving Bofur and I a precious moment of privacy.

I realized I was still gripping his hand, in somewhat of a vice, as I anxiously awaited another contraction. I lessened my hold slightly and shifted to face him, my eyes meeting his. I had so much I wanted to, needed to say to him, but now I had no time. I wasn't sure if I'd ever get a chance to voice what was heavy on my heart, or if I'd soon be parted from him, my words left forever unsaid.

Bofur, seeming to sense my thoughts, reached up and brushed back some of my dank hair from my face. "Don't be afraid." he told me softly.

I sighed and closed my eyes, shaking my head for fear of becoming an incoherent mess if my tears began again in earnest, barely managing to whisper out "Bofur… I'm so far beyond afraid."

"Me too, lass," He cupped my hand between his own and raised it to his lips to place a gentle kiss upon it, his own eyes turning away to shield their own vulnerability. "Me too…"


We had no chance to exchange further words as I was forced to withdraw inwards, involuntarily groaning, trying to brace against the onslaught of worsening pain.

"I'm going to prepare a few brews for you." The Acolyte announced as she abruptly returned to the room, shutting the door again behind her. "Do you have a clean nightgown?" she suddenly asked.

I vaguely pointed towards the dresser, panting with exhaustion as the contraction finally abated.

The dwarrowdam nodded and went to rustle through my drawers until she found one to pull out. "Let's get you changed. I know this won't stay clean for long either but I'm sure it'll feel nicer to be out of that one. Can you help her stand up?" Her last comment was aimed at Bofur, who nodded and began to shift his arm behind my back.

Becoming exceedingly nervous another contraction would soon cripple me, I tried to hasten to the side of the bed and to my feet. My muscles were all so sore, however, that I had a difficult time adjusting to holding my own weight up again. Bofur supported me heavily and the Acolyte came over and began quickly striping off the bedsheets. I only caught a glimpse of the bloodstain before she had pulled them off and piled them up by the door, but the sight was enough to further quicken my fear.

"Here, let me help, keep her steady." The Acolyte approached with the fresh gown and set it on the mattress. She gripped the bottom of the old one and began easing it up my body. It was so saturated with sweat and birthing waters that it tried to cling to me as she pulled it up over my head. I was glad to be out of it, but was suddenly a bit self conscious to be standing naked in my current state in front of two dwarves. Thankfully she was prompt in helping me pull on the new one, and not a moment too soon as my body once again tensed as the pain returned with a fury.

I gasped, my knees buckling, and could only think to quickly toss my arms up around Bofur's shoulders to prevent myself from fully collapsing onto the floor. His arms came around my back, helping me to stay somewhat upright, as I tried to stifle my cries into moans so that I wouldn't be yelling directly into his ear. I felt a bit of new liquid trickle down my leg, I hoped it wasn't blood but was too afraid to check. As the contraction subsided he began rubbing my back while I continued to cling to him. I barely registered the midwife's return with a load of supplies.

"Put the spare blankets down first, then the sheets, save one blanket for the top." The Acolyte ordered from the other side of the room. I glanced towards her and saw her sorting through a few dried herbs from a collection she had unpacked on the small serving table.

I allowed my eyes to drift close, feeling I could almost fall asleep on my feet if only the contractions would quit.

"You can lay back down now, miss." The midwife said, her voice holding no trace of resentment or scorn despite being rather bossed around by the dwarven healer. In fact, she sounded downright relieved, which led me to wonder if she hadn't earned the title of 'midwife' by simply being witness to the most births amongst her friends and family. Nevertheless, I nodded, and Bofur helped ease my back down. It did feel quite a lot nicer to be in dry, warm bedding once again, though I was still sweating so much I doubted it would last long.

The midwife withdrew to a safe distance and observed as the Acolyte returned to my bedside and then did a quick exam of my progress, making no comment of what she saw, or didn't see, but simply nodding before returning to her makeshift workstation. She then brought over two mugs of steaming liquid. She set one on the bedside table and handed the other to me, ensuring I had a steady grip on it before releasing it to my care. "Sip on this one right now. Let the other cool, and then drink it as fast as you are able. Bofur, watch her so she doesn't spill when the next contraction comes."

She then rang the calling bell and within a minute someone was gently knocking on the door. She opened it a crack, spoke a few low words I couldn't make out, and then carried on mixing what looked like another herbal concoction in a small mortar she had brought.

Bofur pulled up a chair to the bedside and sat in silence while I worked on my tea. I got through most of the first brew before I had to quickly hand him the cup. It seemed that no position offered any relief while a contraction was occurring so I simply shrank into my pillow, tossing and turning and groaning until it lessened. Bofur informed the Acolyte when I finished both drinks and she returned with a small bowl containing a rather unremarkable looking clump of wet herbs.

"I'm going to put these up inside you." she explained clippingly. "They will help to soften your cervix."

My eyes widened slightly and I didn't quite know what she meant, but I could only nod in agreement, trusting her wisdom. I grit my teeth as she inserted the bundle, pointedly not looking at anyone, but she was efficient and kept most of my dignity intact, not even needing to lift my gown up to do so.

A few moments later there was a knock on the door. The midwife opened it up and retrieved a tray from Quinton.

"Ah good." The Acolyte said. "Bring that to her. She must eat." She then turned to face the bed and directly addressed me as the midwife brought the tray to my bedside table. "This next part is going to be difficult… I think we can get you through this, child, but a lot will depend on you. Eat. You're going to need all your remaining strength."

The midwife handed me a plate, which contained a pile of steamed, scrambled eggs and a few slices of gently seared liver. I truly didn't have an appetite, but the Acolyte's words, her warning, forced me to pick up the fork and try to have a few bites of egg. The food was thick in my mouth, I struggled to swallow it so I reached for the mug that was also brought in on the tray. Taking a sip, I was thankful to discover it was simply a warm broth, and it greatly helped in making the rest of the food palatable.

I was eventually able to finish the whole meal, stopping only once for a contraction. The Acolyte then dismissed the other midwife for the time being and brought over another herbal brew, this one in a smaller cup.

"Take a few moments to rest and collect yourself." she said, placing the cup on the bedside and looking at me critically. "After the next contraction I'm going to try to manually shift the bairn into the most favorable position. Then you'll drink this and it should speed things up. The baby needs to come out, it will be in some distress if we do not get things moving."

I nodded and then looked at Bofur, who nodded in understanding as well as he reached for my hand to give it a squeeze.

As the next contraction began to roll in, the Acolyte pulled down the blanket and began feeling my stomach once again. Once it was through, she began applying steady pressure with both hands, rolling and pushing and adjusting. Just as it was becoming rather painful, she stopped and stood back.

"I think that's the best we'll get it. When the contractions get stronger and you start to push, I may have you get up into a squatting position. We shall see what seems to work best at the time though." She then bid me to drink up the next concoction, after which she said she'd give us a few minutes to ourselves before the medicine would start to take effect.

As the door clicked shut and we were left alone once more, I looked to Bofur, unsure quite what to do or say with our last few moments of peace and privacy. It seemed almost surreal to have had him beside me during the past hour or so, and yet with the chaos and pain, we really had not had any proper chance to converse or hardly interact at all. I also felt so remarkably exhausted that I barely had the energy to muster any words of substance, but I felt it to be quite important that I should at least try.

"Bofur," I began, my voice quiet, weak, slightly hoarse, "if the baby survives, but I don't-"

Bofur gently cut me off. "Shhh. Don't speak of such things. That won't happen."

I shook my head, and found his arm with my hand. I gripped onto it, trying to portray my urgency. "Please. Listen, we both know there's a possibility. Let's not pretend."

My gaze found his and his anguished eyes bore into mine, but he remained silent, allowing me to continue.

"If the babe lives…" I choked, unable to prevent myself from tearing up, "I need to know you'll be there for it. You'll raise it with love, and that you'll share both worlds with your son or daughter, my world and yours… because this child is yours Bofur… It- it won't have anyone else."

I expected to see some doubt, some trace of lingering suspicion flash across his face, but I did not. Instead he managed to utter the words "I know," before his free hand came up to hide his face as he broke down in tears himself.

Any further words I might have wanted to speak were now lost in grief and I could only manage to guide him up and shift forward slightly to embrace him. We pressed our cheeks together as our arms circled around each other, and together we wept.

"Forgive me." he whispered hoarsely.

I was about to reply, but instead of words, a cry broke forth from my lips as a contraction began, stronger than ever.

It was time.


My thoughts became nearly non-existent as the contractions increased in both frequency and duration. I could only live in the moment, surviving through the pain and then resting in numb weariness during the fleeting moments of slight relief. I could no longer devote any capacity for thought towards my fears, I could not reflect on my situation or even pay Bofur much heed. I could only struggle through each passing moment, losing all real sense of time and self.

I had a hard time focusing on anything said to me, often missing orders or instruction and needing to be further promoted or physically moved to do the Acolyte's bidding.

After another exam she finally told me to start to push with the contractions. I tried as best I could, but found it difficult as my body seemed to betray my wishes, every limb, muscle and joint just felt so very weak.

The Acolyte kept checking me through the next few contractions, yelling at me to keep pushing. I then vaguely heard her switch to Khuzdul and bark something at Bofur.

As one contraction ended, Bofur suddenly grabbed my shoulders and turned me to face him.

"My love, listen." he urged, his eyes seeking mine. Something in his countenance forced me to take a breath and try to bring myself back into focus. "You must push." he told me. "As hard as you can. This is important now. You can do this, I know you can. I'm here for you. You must push now or else the child will be lost, and you with it. Please, love. Try."

"Get her up a bit. Go behind her, support her." The Acolyte then ordered, and so Bofur clamored on the bed, he helped me shift forward closer to the bottom edge and assisted as I shakily got up into more of a squat position, with him acting as a brace behind my back and for my arms so I would not lose my balance.

The Acolyte moved to the end of the bed and reached up to grab hold of my chin, forcing me to heed her next words. "Give it your all, child, when this next contraction starts. Push as if your life depends on it. Push until it feels you shall split in two. Whatever happens, just don't stop pushing."

I nodded, trying to steel myself, trying to muster what little remained of my energy and constitution. I leaned back slightly into Bofur and he spoke into my ear.

"You can do this, I believe in you. You're stronger than you know. I can't lose you now… either of you."

I realized then that, although I no longer had much fear left of my own demise - in fact I might welcome it, my body was utterly spent and I could scarce remember not feeling pain - I decided I needed to try, to give Bofur his child, I had to try for the baby's sake, and for Bofur's. Feeling assured that he would care for it, I knew I needed to do anything, even at the expense of my own life, to bring forth his child. It would be selfish of me to let us both perish because of my own weakness. I needed to do this. For them.

With resolve steadying my body and drawing strength from the dwarf behind me, I bore down as I felt the contraction begin. I pushed with my entire weight, a scream tearing through my throat, drowning out the words and yells of encouragement from the Acolyte and Bofur. I pushed until I was at the very limits of my physical endurance, and still I kept pushing. I felt an immense pressure grow along with a searing hot pain begin between my legs and felt I surely must be tearing myself in half.

The contraction ended and I slumped back, nearly losing consciousness from exhaustion and the new strain I had placed on my body.

"No. No stay with us. One or two more like that and you'll be done, girl." The Acolyte said, reaching forward to tap me gently on the cheek, trying to rouse me.

"I can't." I told her breathlessly.

"You can, because you have to."

The words resonated with something inside me, though I could not recollect quite why. Still, I somehow managed to get back into position and push again as the pain washed over me. Finally, through the blazing, ripping sensation, the pressure that had been pushing against it finally broke through, though the hot pain did not abate. The Acolyte, who had taken up a position close between my legs, and had hiked up my nightdress around my bent knees, let out a yell of exclamation herself.

"There's the head! One more big push now!" she prompted loudly, flashing me a quick smile which, had I been more clear-minded, I would have thought to be wildly out of character for her.

Using the very last reserves of my waning strength, I somehow managed to follow through with her order, perhaps partially because I could not bear another moment enduring the stretching, tearing ache I now felt and wished to do anything to resolve it. Using my entire body's weight, I bore down in a push that I thought surely might crack some bones and rip apart my skin. All at once, through another sensation of blinding, searing pain, I felt the baby come out, along with an alarming gush of liquid. I didn't look down, not wanting to see if it was the rest of my lifeblood leaving my body, but instead fell back against Bofur, who quickly adjusted to sit back on the bed, allowing me to settle in a more reclined position lying against his chest. The alleviation of my discomfort was immediate, even if I were dying, I at least felt some relief in my final moments.

Suddenly I heard a small, slightly raspy cry and then felt something warm and wet being placed on my own chest. I opened my eyes and saw a baby, my baby, and instinctively I carefully wrapped my hands protectively over it, a great sensation of awe spreading through me.

The Acolyte bustled over with a fresh blanket and placed it over both of us.

"It's alive. Thank Durin." she said with a happy sigh.

I looked down again, and at my angle could only make out a small round head smattered with a fair amount of brown hair, still smeared this way and that, slick with some afterbirth. I couldn't seem to articulate anything, I was cold and trembling slightly, as well as fatigued beyond repair, but I wanted to try to enjoy what time I had, with my family around me.

My euphoria was short-lived, however, as my stomach contracted painfully once more. My sharp intake of breath drew the Acolyte near.

"Push one more time. It is just the placenta now, but it also needs to come out."

Fortunately it felt like zero effort to pass compared to what I had already accomplished. The dwarrowdam pulled it aside and seemed to examine it for a moment. She then returned to my side and suddenly bid me to open my mouth, to which she placed something in my cheek and told me to hold it there for a few moments. It tasted metallic and unpleasant and had a very strange texture, I couldn't imagine what it was and was glad when she eventually held up a small bowl for me to spit it into. She set that aside and then brought over a small cup.

"Here, I need you to drink this. I'll help you. Careful now." The Acolyte held the edge of the cup to my lips and let me slowly take in the slightly bitter liquid. She then shifted things a bit so she could access my abdomen and started gently massaging it. I gasped in pain and she looked at me sympathetically. "It'll help slow the bleeding." she explained.

When she was through, she straightened up and clapped her hands. "We'll redo the bed a bit again and then you should try to put the bairn to your breast."

"Wait… so I'm not going to die?" I questioned weakly.

The Acolyte chuckled and shook her head. "Not on my watch at least. I still need to get your bleeding a bit more under control, but the herbs I gave you will soon help, and I have a few other tricks up my sleeve if needed. I don't think you're in any serious danger at the moment though." she added, stepping forward and giving my upper arm a comforting squeeze. "You did well."

Slightly in a daze, I allowed her to scoop the infant back up. As she went to wrap it in a clean swaddle, the other midwife, who must have reentered the room at some point during the later stages of my labour, bustled around cleaning and making a bundle of soiled linens. Bofur gently extracted himself and then the two of them helped me slowly to my feet. My knees shook and I felt more blood gush down my legs but the midwife seemed unconcerned and simply threw a towel beneath me while she stripped the soiled blankets off the bed and then quickly placed new ones down. I had a fleeting thought of how large a pile of disgusting laundry I had created in a very short amount of time for Hall's household, and briefly wondered who would be responsible for cleaning it all. After being dressed in a new nightgown and also being given some rather large, thickly padded undergarments to don, I was ushered back into bed and propped up slightly with pillows. It then seemed that my room had finally returned to being one of peace and sanctuary as opposed to the utter chaos it hosted earlier.

The Acolyte then brought over the baby and placed it gently in my arms, and I was finally able to gaze down upon the face of my child, still somewhat in a state of disbelief. It was so delicate and small and perfect. I felt something within me irrevocably shift, and a connection so strong instantly form within my heart, I knew suddenly that this was now the most important, most precious thing in my entire life, and always would be. I almost began weeping, the sheer intensity of my new love was simply overwhelming.

"Congratulations. You have a daughter." she said gently.

I finally pried my eyes away from her and glanced up at Bofur who had taken a position standing up by my side. He was gazing down at her with the same ardor and wondrous amazement that I had been. He noticed me watching him and so met my eyes, and I noticed that his own were also glistening. We both seemed at a rather loss for words. I reached a hand up towards him and he grasped it, leaning down to kiss the back of my fingers, and I found myself smiling even as tears streamed down my cheeks.

The dwarven healer then approached to help me unbutton the front of my gown and position the baby to nurse. She had been dozing rather contentedly but then seemed to rouse as I shifted her about and put her nose up against my breast.

"Oh!" I exclaimed quietly as she discovered how to latch. It was a strange and abrupt sensation, but soon the babe was nursing contentedly - if not somewhat noisily - and the Acolyte nodded in satisfaction.

"How about we give the new parents a few minutes of privacy?" she said, looking towards the other midwife who nodded and scooped up the heap of laundry.

"I won't be far, if you should need me." The dwarrowdam assured as she held the door open for the midwife and then followed her out.

Bofur, who had been standing up near my shoulders went to fetch his chair again and then placed it beside the bed where he could sit slightly more in front of me so I no longer had to tilt my head up to see him. Again I had to pointedly force my eyes away from my feeding infant - I felt I could simply look at her forever - in order to meet Bofur's gaze.

He was uncharacteristically quiet; hesitant and unsure. But then, he had been a stranger these past five months, nearly half a year, after knowing each other for only a year before that… really, he'd been gone for almost as long as we had been together.

Still, he was here now, and that counted for something. I struggled for the right words, only for him to beat me to them.

"There'll be time for talk later, lass. I'm not going anywhere…" he promised, then nodded towards the babe, who had broken off her pursuit after filling her belly, and who was now resting a cheek on my chest with wide, dark eyes looking out at the world.

"Such a wee, precious lass…" His gentle, crooning voice caused her deep auburn eyes - dwarven eyes - to seek out those of her father, and I could see his breath hitch in his throat. "Hello nâthamê," he choked out, his own eyes growing damp. "Ah, ghivashel, your da's been a bit late getting to know you, but if your ma will allow it… well… better late than never."

His hopeful gaze lifted up to mine, and when I smiled and nodded he held out his arms to accept his newborn daughter - our daughter, as he murmured his khuzdul affections for her once again, repeating a phrase I thought I recognized, one that spread a tingling warmth through my weary heart.

Ghivashel.

His treasure of all treasures.


A/N:

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