A Collection of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Stories.

Lesson Number One (Dwalin x reader) (song from Mulan 2)

You sighed in relief as the company finally reached Beorn's hall, and safety. You were so glad that for once you wouldn't have to worry about orcs sneaking up to the camp in the middle of the night and could rest calmly. 

Your time with the company of Thorin Oakenshield had not been easy. Gandalf had asked you to join the company, knowing that you had gotten superb training from a warrior master that he was good friends with. He had known that that you would not be one to quake in front of any dangers, and that your techniques could not be compared with those of any of the dwarves. Yet convincing the company had been a different story, and it was not until they first saw you fight that they started to respect and value you as part of the company. After that you had seen many dangers and had fought many fights. You had found yourself facing great danger many times, and yet there was nothing that your training with the great warrior master had not prepared you for. You fought with a pair of long, thin, swords and had a perfect sense of balance in a fight. 

Now, as everyone settled down in Beorn's halls, eating and resting, you pulled out your swords, ruinë (fire) and helcë (ice). They were your treasures, your pride and joy, which you had earned when you were merely twelve years old and still had. While you were good in other types of combat, this was your preferred weapon, and when you fought with your two swords you became one with them.

You took out a rag and some polish from your pack and started working on cleaning your swords. One of the most important parts of being a warrior was respecting your weapons and armor and taking proper care of them. The warrior master had taught you that if you respected your weapons, they would respect you as well and serve you well. 

You suddenly felt as if you were being watched and turned to see Dwalin staring at you. 

"Is something wrong Dwalin?" you asked of the dwarf. You thought you saw his cheeks redden slightly as you spoke to him.

"Oh no, nothin' at all lass. I was just admirin' yer swords. I've never seen anythin' like 'em before, nor someone who fights the way ya do".

"Yes, the schooling of the warrior master is hard to complete, and there are very few out there that are able to properly wield the skills he teaches".

"Ya always seem so graceful too," Dwalin continued. "All fluid motions and such. Makes me think my own fightin' to be choppy".

"Oh, do not say that. You fight very well, but your fighting style is different from mine. They cannot be compared. Only two warriors that fight in the same style can be compared, and even then it is hard, for each warrior fights a little bit differently than the one next to him".

"I reckon I could fight like you," Kili said, popping into the conversation. "All you have to do is swing the blades around. How hard can it be?". You chuckled.

"Much harder than you think Kili. I have been training with the warrior master since I was seven years old, and it took me five years of training to earn my swords. And even then my training was not done. A warrior's training never is, there is always more to learn and improve on. Even as I travel and fight with you, I am learning and training".

"Five years of training?" Fili asked. "What could you possibly need five years for?".

"Aye, if you would not mind tellin' us, we have all been curious about your trainin' with the warrior master," Dwalin added.

"Of course," you nodded. "Much of my training in the first five years was about balance, strength, flexibility, how to weave all of those together, how to move, think, walk, turn, jump, run, hit. It might seem like a petty thing to you, but in reality it is the basis of a warrior's success, and is filled with many details that need to be mastered before one can take on a weapon".