This chapter combined two requests. Gaia-drea asked for Kate having a fight with Nai and SMCB asked for the story where Thráin and Jack almost drowned. The heat we've had around here provided the final inspiration, so here is the result!

Enjoy!

Chapter 3

Overheated

"My companion did not look too pleased with the way things were going either; if he had directed that scowl at me I think I would have run for the hills without as much as a second thought. And I think Thráin and Jack know exactly how your father looked that day. I swear that he had exactly the same look on his face after we had saved you two from the River Running after you had decided it was so hot that you would go for a swim, even when you didn't know how to swim at all."

The Journal, chapter 35: Shady Business

Erebor, summer 2962 TA

Kate

Once upon a time Queen under the Mountain, Queen Catherine, had believed that she would never get used to living underground. She didn't think she'd like being cut off from any natural source of light and the warmth of the sun. Thorin, bless him, had been understanding and had made sure their quarters were on the southeast end of the Mountain, where they had chambers with windows and a large balcony to sit on. The old royal quarters had been reduced to rubble by the dragon anyway and by the time those were finally inhabitable again, the population had gotten used to the king and queen living where they lived.

Today however the influx of sunlight was a bother to Kate. The region was suffering from a heat wave, which was unusual this far north, but the year as a whole had been warmer than usual. In cases like this, living underground was a blessing, because the Mountain itself was cool and an altogether pleasant place to be these days. Kate's quarters, with all their windows, were boiling. On days like these she hated the dwarven dress code with a passion and she missed the summer dresses she would have worn at home instead of the long-sleeved heavy dresses that made her sweat if she lifted as much as a finger. On days like these she was almost prepared to throw propriety to the wind and have the royal seamstress make one such summer dress anyway, and consequences be damned. But she was a queen now and giving into her whims was not something she could get away with any longer, especially not since she was supposed to be meeting with some men from Dale in an hour to discuss repairs on the road between Erebor and their city.

'Give back! It's mine!' Cathy may be a very shy girl, but when her siblings did something she did not like, she had a good pair of lungs she was not afraid to use.

'I had it first.' When Kate turned around she saw her youngest son clutching Cathy's favourite toy to his chest with an expression that betrayed he was not going to let it go. The owner of said toy stood in front of him with her arms folded over her chest in a manner that reminded Kate a lot of Thorin, because of the facial expression and the downright icy stare she unleashed on her twin brother.

In any other situation Kate might have been amused, but not today. The twins had been bickering all morning over practically nothing and that, in combination with the altogether far too hot weather, had made Kate's patience practically non-existent. Mahal protect me from any more arguing this day. 'Jack, give the toy back to your sister,' she said wearily.

'She wasn't playing with it!' Jack protested, righteous indignity written all over his face.

'We had an agreement,' Kate reminded him sternly, trying to keep her temper in check. This weather was not her son's fault and she should not take her own annoyance with it out on him. Her own father had done that quite enough when she was a child. 'No taking of Cathy's toys, not even when she was not playing with it. You were only to play with them if she allowed it. Did you ask?'

'No, but…' He looked defensive now.

'Then you give it back,' Kate ordered. 'Now, Jack.' Cathy fortunately was not the only one who had mastered Thorin's laser look over the years. Kate now unleashed it on her child to make him obey and thank goodness that it worked. The last thing she could use today was a temper tantrum from one of the twins. She tried to remember if Jacko and she had been that bad when they were children, but she didn't think so.

As always the thought of her brother sent a stab of pain through her. Kate did not regret the choice she'd made, but the feeling of being torn in half never truly faded. It was the price she'd had to pay for the life she lived now. And it certainly did not help that Jack sometimes looked so much like his namesake that, had she not known better, she could have thought she was looking at a younger Jacko instead of the nephew he had never seen, would never even know existed.

She might have lost herself in very unwelcome sentiment if someone had not snapped her out of it by knocking on the door. 'Oh, for Durin's sake,' she muttered under her breath as she turned to let in the visitor. Ten to one it would be someone who wanted Thorin for something, but her husband had taken Thoren on an inspection of a new mining shaft and would probably not be back for ages. She had said the same thing over and over again for most of the past few hours.

It turned out things could be even worse when she opened the door and found herself staring at the dwarf woman who might be now very well called her archenemy, Lady Nai, her biggest headache ever since they had first met. 'Good afternoon,' she forced herself to say.

Nai's face twisted in a smile that was so obviously fake that Kate wondered if the woman expected anyone to believe it at all. 'My lady,' she said. She stubbornly refused to refer to Kate as her queen, because she did not think a daughter of the race of Men was meant to be ruling a far superior race such as her own.

Kate ignored the insult in disguise and repaid her in kind. 'Nai,' she acknowledged, stripping the dwarf lady of her title, so that she was still highest in rank here. She may not be as old as this dwarf woman, would never be that old, but she had been roaming the world of shady politics and verbal backstabbing long enough to have learned a few tricks. 'How can I help you today?'

Judging by the look she got for her troubles, Nai knew exactly what Kate was doing. 'I would have a word with you,' she said haughtily.

Kate suppressed the urge to slam the door in her face. 'I am sure that can be arranged,' she replied with as much fake friendliness as she could muster. 'One minute please.' If she was going to have a catfight with Lady Nai, then not in front of her children. 'Thráin!' she called to her son, who was studying some old maps he had gotten from the library, in the corner of the room. 'Take Jack and Cathy outside. The weather's far too nice to spend your time inside.'

Thráin may be nearly eighteen years old, but he could be as much of a rebelling adolescent as he ever was, scowling at his mother with that look of pure boredom he had perfected ever since puberty had first kicked in. 'I am busy, amad.'

So am I. 'These maps will still be there come evening,' she reminded him. 'Go outside, Thráin.'

Her son was in no mood to obey. 'Can't Duria watch them?' he all but pleaded.

'Duria is out,' Kate said. Probably with Narvi too. 'And I wasn't asking.' She was all too aware that Nai was watching and that she would use everything she thought was wrong with Kate's parenting skills as ammunition in the fight their conversation would doubtlessly end up in. 'Now, Thráin,' she told him.

He may be as stubborn as his father sometimes, but he was blessed with a little common sense. He even listened to it every now and then. Today was either a now or a then fortunately. 'It's Duria's turn next time,' he said, putting up some resistance for the sake of putting up resistance, something he could not have inherited from his father, but that sure was a trait that ran in the family, on mother's side.

'We'll see about that,' Kate said.

Her son knew that was the best he could hope for and so he departed, scooping up Cathy with one arm and taking Jack's hand with the other. They had been wanting to go outside for hours, but had been unable to because their aunt Dís was on a journey to the Iron Hills and Kate herself had been cooped up in here, working her way through a stack of reports she was supposed to have read ages ago. Whoever thought it was fun being royalty, had better think again.

'You are very stern with your children,' Nai observed with an underlying tone of malice the moment the door closed behind Thráin.

'How I raise my children is my concern,' Kate reacted sharply. Yours might certainly benefit from a sterner upbringing, if only half of the stories I've heard about them are true. Dalin and Halin were both several years older than Cathy and Jack, and the Mountain's very own nightmare. Their mother let them get away with everything. They played pranks on everyone and they were not all in good nature. People got hurt and Kate for one couldn't wait till the day they finally came of age, so that the law at least could properly punish them for it, since their mother failed so spectacularly in that duty. 'It is none of your business. What are you here for, if I may be so bold to ask? I'm afraid I have very little time today, as I have very many duties to see to.' And only about three quarters of an hour before I need to go. She may not like such a meeting, but she would choose it over a discussion with Nai any time.

'It is about your daughter Duria,' Nai said and Kate mentally braced herself. 'It has come to my attention that she is spending an awful lot of time around a dwarf of common birth.'

That was what this was about? Kate had thought she'd had this conversation with Thorin one too many times already. She had not believed she would be having it with Nai. 'Narvi, son of Bombur, aye,' she nodded. At least Thorin had not gone on and on about his birth, more about the age difference, because Narvi was a good ten years older than the girl he was courting. 'Again I'd like to emphasise the fact that my personal life or that of my children is of no concern to you. If this is all you came to tell me, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave. There are quite a lot of things that need my urgent attention.'

Nai's eyes narrowed. 'The lad is not of noble birth,' she pointed out venomously.

'Narvi's father was one of the companions who took back Erebor for our people,' Kate shot back. 'While you and your husband were holed up in the Iron Hills until the Mountain was ours again, if my memory serves me correctly. I think the term noble birth may be in desperate need of redefinition.' It was hard not to explode. She was feeling criminally overheated and by now the temperature of her blood started to match it, if for different reasons entirely. The Queen under the Mountain was not quite sure how much more insult she could take. 'Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do.' It was as clear a dismissal as she could give without physically removing the other woman from the room, as her fingers were itching to do. Small wonder her sons were such nightmares; they had a good example of a mother to look up to.

Nai huffed, but if looks could kill, she'd have been arrested for regicide soon. 'Maybe you do not think this a shame, because you yourself have no noble blood in your veins.' All decorum had now been abandoned, as Kate had known it would. 'How could I have expected a farmer's daughter to understand?' she scoffed.

Lawyer's daughter actually. Of course Nai could not know that, as Thorin and she had gone with the story of Kate being from Bree to simplify matters somewhat. The situation was strange and complicated enough as it was and not everyone needed to know the truth of her background, especially not judgemental people like Nai, daughter of Nali.

But this last poisonous remark caused Kate's already very tried temper to snap. 'Out,' she growled in a low voice to which Duria had once referred to as mama's run-and-hide voice. Kate wouldn't mind if Nai did exactly that. 'Now.'

It didn't work. 'Does the truth hurt?' she smirked.

The queen had to remind herself that punching the woman would be very unqueenly behaviour indeed. Instead she pulled herself up to her full length so that she was towering over the dwarf lady. On occasions like these, the height difference was nothing short of a blessing. 'Out,' she repeated, taking deep breaths to get herself back under control. 'Don't make me humiliate you by having to call the guard.' Nai didn't move. Time for threats. 'I believe Lufur is on duty today,' she went on. 'Wasn't it his boy that broke his leg last week because of some practical joke of your sons? None too pleased with it, he was.'

This time Nai's face did show panic rather than condescending disapproval. 'I won't forget this,' she snarled.

'Good,' Kate shot back. 'Neither will I.'

That too was a threat and Nai recognised it as one, if her hurry to get out of the room was any indication. Kate exhaled in relief as the door fell shut behind her. She'd be more relieved if she wasn't sure she would not be having another conversation before the week was out. What a mess.

Thráin

Thráin had to remind himself that he was no longer a child who could get away with throwing a temper tantrum when something was not to his liking. Not that he had ever been able to get away with it. His mother might occasionally overlook it, but his father had always been stern on such matters, lecturing him on how such behaviour was unbecoming of a prince of Durin's line, especially when aforementioned prince was second in line for the throne.

He had no interest in thrones however, which was why it was a good thing he was not the eldest. Thoren was being prepared, had been prepared, for such a role from the moment he could walk and he would be good at it as well, Thráin guessed. He himself couldn't wait until he was old enough to travel on his own so that he could explore the world. This of course was very unbecoming of a dwarf of Durin's line as well, as Lady Nai and her annoying friends never failed to remind his mother. Strangely enough it was his mother who defended him, saying that the king himself had spent many years of his life wandering Middle Earth. Would they perhaps imply that they were condemning his behaviour as well? That at least had made them back off quickly enough.

His mother had not been defending him today however and now he was stuck with the twins. Cathy had tired and had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder, thumb stuck in her mouth, completely unaware of what was going on around her. She could be so easy to watch. She never whined, not with him anyway, because he was her favourite big brother, a title Thráin was secretly proud of, even if it would not impress anyone else very much.

Jack was another matter entirely, far more like Thráin himself. He was jumping with excitement at going outside. As much as a punishment it was to his older brother, it was a reward to him. Their mother insisted he was not to go outside the Mountain on his own, but she almost never had time to go with him and with his father and brother busy inspecting the mines – something he was very glad he didn't need to do – his aunt Dís on travel and Duria having a picnic with Narvi somewhere, the task of babysitting his youngest siblings fell to Thráin.

And he didn't like it. He had promised himself he would spend the day looking at the maps he had found in the library and it was far too hot now to be out here anyway. They had hardly left the Mountain and he felt the sweat trickling down his back already. Jack didn't seem to notice. He was bouncing up and down, smiling so widely it was a miracle his face had not split in half already.

'So, what do you want to do?' he asked, hoping it would not involve spending more time in the very hot sun. Dwarves may have been granted a lot of endurance by Mahal, but Thráin had a lingering suspicion the Maker may have forgotten to add resistance to sunburns to that list. It was either that or his human blood that was to blame for the painful burns he had gotten two summers ago after Thoren and he had accidentally spent a day and a night on the slopes of the Mountain because they had gotten lost and couldn't find the front gate anymore.

'We can fight with sticks?' Jack tilted his head and gave Thráin the full benefits of his best begging puppy look.

'Amad will kill us both if she catches us.' The illegality of such an act added to its allure, but today he was firmly of the opinion that it was just too hot for anything that was physically demanding. Dwarves were used to the heat of fires, which was a dry kind of heat. This was something else entirely. 'And she has a sixth sense for detecting trouble too.' No matter what excuses Thoren and he used to think up, she had never believed any of them, no matter how plausible. And with his mother's patience already at an all-time low, it would be best not to risk it.

Jack's face fell. 'Racing?' he suggested next.

Thráin started to sweat at the mere idea. 'No,' he said.

His eyes wandered over the surroundings, hoping he might get any ideas from that, because he did feel a little bad about dismissing all his younger brother's ideas without a moment's thought. The thing was that it was just too hot for just about any game Thoren and he used to play at that age, because all of them involved jumping and running and he was not about to do that now. His gaze finally fell on the river. There was a strong current and neither of them could swim – dwarves weren't made to be on or in water, after all, although that excuse never worked when their mother tried to make them take a bath – but it wasn't deep here and the water would be cool. Cool sounded just about right to him now.

'We're going into the river,' he announced. There was a nice bush on the shore that provided shade, under which he could lay down his sister. He doubted she'd wake now that she was sleeping so peacefully. That only left Jack to look out for and if he held him at all times, no harm could come to him. And they would at least both cool down a bit.

It had been the right thing to say, because Jack's face lit up instantly. 'Can we?' he asked excitedly.

Thráin nodded. 'Of course.'

Jack frowned. 'Won't amad be mad?'

Quite possibly. But he would get the full benefits of her anger. And it was not as if his parents' anger had ever stopped him from breaking rules. With the sweat covering his entire body, their anger seemed worth it. 'Not as long as I am with you,' he lied. 'But you'll have to listen to me very well and do exactly as I say, do you understand?' He waited for the confirming nod before he continued. 'You will hold my hand and not let go and when I say we're going out again, you will come without protest.'

Jack didn't like that, but he nodded.

'Good,' Thráin said. 'Let's go.'

He laid Cathy on the ground and made a pillow of his tunic. It was not as if he would need that for the next few hours. They laid their clothes there as well and then took off towards the river. Jack was holding Thráin's hand and was smiling and bouncing up and down still. The older brother had a distinct suspicion he might soon be promoted to favourite big brother for him as well.

The water was cold on his feet and legs as he stepped in, but it was a relief as well and he welcomed the cold. It felt like he could finally breathe again after all that stifling heat of the last few weeks. Jack did not seem to mind either. He jumped up and down, thoroughly enjoying the splashes of water he caused. The water was not deep at all and so Thráin sat down so that he got more of his body beneath the surface. Apart from the fact that he was stark naked and being seen like that would be frowned upon, it was also very pleasant. He held on to Jack's hand, but then leaned back until his face was below the surface, to ensure all of his body got to enjoy the water.

When he resurfaced Jack grinned up at him. 'Can I do that too?'

Amad's going to kill me. But he was doing so well and it was obvious that Jack suddenly liked him a whole lot better than he did before. That could come in handy later. And besides, he didn't think there was anyone who could say no to that dazzling smile. 'Of course,' he therefore said. 'But you must come up again soon and you must hold your breath,' he instructed.

His younger brother frowned. 'Why?'

Thráin tried and failed to bite back an amused smile. 'Because dwarves can't breathe under water,' he explained. 'Only fishes can do that.'

Jack processed that information. 'Oh,' he said eventually. 'I see.'

This time he had to let out a bark of laughter. Jack didn't understand at all, but it was always very funny to see him try to act like an adult. 'Of course you do,' he said indulgently. 'Well, do you want to try?'

The boy nodded eagerly.

'Come sit down next to me then,' he said.

Jack made to obey, but he must have slipped, because suddenly he fell. The force of it made Thráin accidentally let go of his brother's hand, which he had been holding only very loosely, because holding on tightly didn't seem all that necessary before. But now the current grabbed his brother and dragged him away from Thráin.

He was on his feet right away. 'Jack!' he shouted. He could see his brother's head, but there was no reply forthcoming and the panic gripped him by the throat. Maker be good, this could not be happening. But it was and he had to do something or else Jack would die. Thráin could not swim, but he could not sit back either and so he did the only thing he could do. He did not allow himself a moment to think and dove into the water.

Thorin

Thorin was glad that he could return to his own quarters after the inspection of the mines. It was one of those things he needed to do and it was good to see the work with his own eyes, so that he knew the facts and progress for himself, but he could do without the inane babbling their guide had treated them with. Garin was very knowledgeable about the mines, no one would deny that, but his mouth didn't stop moving for a single second and the worst thing about it was that Thorin already knew everything he said, or at least almost everything.

Thoren looked no less relieved to be out of there than Thorin felt, even if he did well try to hide it. The King under the Mountain sometimes regretted the need to shape his eldest son into a dwarf that was fit to rule. He remembered a young boy running around Erebor with his brother, making mischief as they went. It was as if with every day that passed, a little of that carefree boy slipped away, leaving a dutiful son and heir in his place and Thorin hated the need for it.

Because Thoren might not have it easy when one day he would become King under the Mountain. The one thing Thorin did not doubt was that he was well suited to the position, because his son was clever, responsible – at least the last few years – and cared for the people he would one day rule. It was mainly the fact that not all those people cared for Thoren that worried his father. It was not too surprising that not everyone wanted a king on the throne of Erebor who was only half a dwarf and had a human woman for a mother. Something like that had never happened and there were quite a few dwarves who would rather see a more distant branch of the Durin line in power than the rightful heir. Thoren had a lot to prove, simply because he existed and Thorin hated it that, although he was the king, it was not within his powers to change this.

'Did you understand all Garin said?' Thorin asked.

His son nodded. 'Aye.' The mask of the dutiful heir slipped for a moment and Thoren's face revealed a boyish grin. 'But he sure does talk an awful lot.'

The king found it impossible to argue with that. 'That he does.' He opened the door to their chambers and stepped inside. The room was deserted except for Kate, who was sitting at her desk, working her way through a stack of parchments with a deep frown etched onto her forehead. 'We're back,' he announced.

The queen looked up, sending him a sarcastic smile, not so very unlike the one their son had just displayed. 'So I noticed,' she commented. 'Garin was his charming self again?'

'How do you know?' Thoren asked.

Kate grinned. 'Because the two of you look absolutely miserable. Besides, it's not as if his mouth ever stops moving. His wife says he even talks in his sleep, so if he can't even stop chattering at night, what makes you think he will do it during daytime?'

Mother and son shared a laugh, while Thorin looked around the room. He had half been expected to be cuddled to death by his youngest daughter, but Cathy and her twin were nowhere in sight. 'Where are the children?'

'Thráin has taken the twins outside,' Kate replied. 'They were bickering all morning already and I needed a bit of peace and quiet to work.'

Thorin smiled. The twins could be a handful, even shy little Cathy from time to time. And they had started causing trouble from even within the womb, so that surely set the tone for the rest of their lives.

He was just about to comment on her remark when a panicked voice came in through the window. 'Jack!' And Thorin had no trouble recognising Thráin's voice.

Kate swore and rushed out to the balcony with Thorin on her heels. They were just in time to see their son dive into the river. Jack was nowhere in sight and neither was Cathy. Thorin's heart stopped and for just a moment the panic overwhelmed him.

'Mahal be good,' Kate whispered in shock. 'None of them can swim.'

He heard the unadulterated terror in her voice and that snapped him out of it. He could not just stand here and watch his children drown. He turned on his heels and broke into a run, using his intimate knowledge of the Mountain and its many shortcuts to navigate his way to the gate. The voice of realism told him that he was most likely going to be too late, but he squashed it, instead pouring every last reserve of energy into running. That may be looking rather unkingly, but his dignity could go to hell, as his wife could phrase it so eloquently phrase it. He wasn't sure whether it was the physical strain he put on his body or the fear for his childrens' life that made his heart beat as frantically as it did, but he could not care. His mind was all too quick to provide him with the images of the three of them lying dead, drowned in the River Running.

He could hear footsteps behind him and suspected his wife and son had followed him, but he did not look back to make sure. He had no time for that. His boys' lives were in danger.

The guards at the gate gave him strange looks, but Thorin paid them no heed. He merely ran for the river, scanning it for any sign of Thráin and the twins as he went. Mahal, please let them live. Mahal, please let them live. The words became a mantra in his head, drowning out any other sound and thought. He did not care that a king should not behave in such a way. If there were consequences, he would face them later.

His heart and hopes sank as he scanned the river and saw no sign of any of his children. Was he already too late?

'Thráin! Jack! Cathy!' Kate cried out. Thorin knew his wife. She tried to keep in control of her voice, but this was a cry from the heart and the panic seeped through.

Thoren and Thorin's voices joined in, but with each time their cries went unanswered, Thorin's hopes were dashed a little further. He ran along the shores of the river, still looking out, still hoping that by some miracle the boys would have found refuge on the other side.

'Father!' When he heard Thráin's voice it was like water to a man dying of thirst, inappropriate though that comparison may be.

Thorin swivelled his head around and spotted his son in the middle of the river, holding on to a lump of rock in the middle of it for dear life with one arm, whilst clinging Jack to him with the other. Jack was not moving, but his eyes were wide open with fear. Thráin was in better control of his facial expression, but Thorin knew his son. He was scared as well and worse than he let on.

But while the relief washed over him, he could not fail to notice that Cathy was not with them and Kate had said that she had sent all three of them outside. A stab of pain went through him. He loved all his children, but Cathy was his youngest, his little girl, who curled up on his lap to fall asleep, who stayed up long past her bedtime when he was late or simply walked all the way to his study to bid him goodnight. The thought of losing her made him almost incapable of moving.

But his sons were still alive and he could rescue them. 'I'm coming for you!' he shouted back over the sound of the rushing water. He banished the thought that this rushing water could carry both his children away in a heartbeat, long before he would be able to get to them. Instead he stripped to tunic and breeches and kicked away his boots. During the years of his exile he had learned to swim, even if he did not particularly like it. He thanked Mahal he had taken the time nonetheless. 'Stay where you are and hold on.' He waited until Thráin had responded with a tentative nod, before he turned to Thoren. 'Run along the river,' he ordered. 'Find your sister.' Find her alive.

Thoren was already running and the king wasted no more time; he dove in and began to make his way to the rock. The current was strong, but he would have to be stronger. He could not afford to lose, not with the boys' lives at stake.

In the end he was almost thrown against the boulder. The breath was knocked from his body, but he had made it. 'Give Jack to me,' he ordered Thráin, his tone of voice curt and snappy as a result of the tension. 'I'll bring him to the shore and then come back for you. Can you hold on for that long?' The concern showed all the same.

Thráin may be young still and foolish too, but he was a fighter. 'I can,' he said, trying to make it convincing. He handed Jack to his father, but held on to the rock tightly as he did so.

Thorin took Jack in his arms. 'You were very brave,' he said, hoping to sound reassuring, even though that was not his strong point. 'Jack, hold on to me, but do not move. Do you understand?'

The boy's lip was trembling, but he managed to nod and he followed the instructions. The king jumped back in again and swam back to shore with strong strokes. Kate was waiting for him there and she took Jack from him the moment they came within reach, clutching him to her chest. 'Thank God you're safe.'

Thorin shared the sentiment, but he did not allow himself to feel relief just yet. Thráin was still out there and Cathy was still missing. The time for relief was not yet, if it ever came, which by now he sincerely started to doubt. He dove back in again and swam back. The current was trying to drag him with it again, but he resisted and kept on going, because there was no other alternative. Thráin was still holding on, but Thorin had seen fatigue in more soldiers than he cared to count and he could surely recognise the signs in his own flesh and blood. He was holding on by sheer strength of will, but not much else.

'I've got you,' he said as his arms slipped around the lad. 'No harm will come to you, I promise. Let go, son.' He knew it sounded like he was talking to Jack instead of his older son, but Thráin was deep down nothing more than a frightened boy and the tone of voice seemed to work.

He swam back again and dragged them both to land. Thráin was trembling and close to crying as well, Thorin suspected, even if he held the tears back bravely. The lad had an iron will, something he may have inherited from both Thorin and Kate.

Kate now knelt down next to him. 'Are you all right?' she all but demanded. 'Where is Cathy?' The worry for her just rescued son and the fear for her still missing daughter were warring for dominance and it showed.

Thráin coughed, expelling some water from his lungs. 'Upstream,' he panted. 'Sleeping under a bush.'

This time he let the relief was over him in waves far more powerful than the ones he had just come through. His children were all alive and relatively well. There was the shock to deal with, but that they could handle. For now he was just glad to have his family back.

Kate was already beyond the relief. Anger was clouding her eyes now. 'What the hell were you thinking?' she scolded. 'Both of you! You can't even swim, for Durin's sake!' Had Thorin not shared the sentiment, he may have been amused at the way his wife mixed curses from both her own world and those of Durin's Folk, but not today. 'Have you lost your mind?'

Thráin was wrapping Thorin's discarded coat around him, as much to warm up as to conceal the fact that he was wearing nothing underneath. 'I thought it was too warm, so we went into the river to cool off,' he explained. 'We were staying to the shallow parts, I swear, but then Jack tripped and…'

But Thorin was not listening any longer. Before now he had hardly spared it a moment's thought how the boys had ended up where they had, because he had been too preoccupied rescuing them to ask any questions, but now the relief turned to anger effortlessly and his face twisted into something Kate referred to as Thorin's laser look. 'You went into a strong-current river while you couldn't even swim?'

He had hoped that Thráin had learned some common sense by now, but it would seem that would not grace the lad for some years. But at least Thorin could lecture him on his behaviour and that was exactly what he did.

Life is going to be pretty chaotic for a few weeks, including holidays and work, so I cannot say when the next update will be, as my main focus will be on The Journal and Operation Wandless. I'll try to squeeze in a chapter when I have the chance though.

In the meantime, please review?