A Willing Heart

Twenty-One

Outside the door, I heard the laughter of children and I sat up, recognizing Arna's voice calling for Kili and Fili to come back to her that instant.  Poor woman, I thought.  Somehow she had ended up with the task of having to rein in Thorin's nephews - though by marriage, they were my nephews now.  I got up and washed myself, grateful that Thorin had refilled the pitcher by the washbasin with water before he left.

His coat now lay on the arm chair and I picked it up, bringing it close to my face so I could feel the soft pelt against my cheeks and smell the scent of him that lingered there. I slipped the pouch of jewels and coins into his coat pocket, not wanting to have all of it with me as I went about the day.   I was such a fool in love, I thought as I returned the coat back onto the arm rest and quickly got dressed.  Oh Mahal, I groaned.  I needed to snap out of this stupor and get to work.

Just as I had thought, except for the king and the prince, most of the dwarf-men had gone to work. Some to the mines, others to the forge, and yet others to Fennhill's great library to work as scribes, like Balin. The dwarf-women, I discovered, were busy getting the supplies ready for the journey south. Salted and cured meats were to be loaded onto the wagons, and leather bladders were filled with water. There were flat breads to be wrapped and stored,  as well as honey cakes, dried fruit, cheeses and more.

I found Lady Mani with the women watching the dwarf-children. Along with Kili and Fili, there were four other dwarf-children along this journey, half the number that had left Erebor. She was braiding a dwarf-girl's hair into neat plaits when she told me that her father was leaving for the Iron Hills the next morning, and along with him were half of Erebor's own folk.

"They cannot withstand the journey south," Lady Mani said. Resentment colored her voice as she watched some dwarves in the courtyard load up their own ponies with supplies.  "Most of them are older dwarves, and though they are loyal to the king, even their loyalty has met its limits out here in the wilderness."

"Do not fault them, child," Arna said. She was helping two dwarf-women store food in a food wagon pulled by two ponies. "With winter approaching, it will be a hard journey for even the hardiest of dwarves like us. I hear we set out tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Lady Mani and I exclaimed.  "Isn't that too soon?"

Arna cocked an eyebrow at us, her expression as if chastising us for our naivete.  "I'd almost forgotten all about you two young brides," she said, here expression softening. "But yes, the king has decided that tomorrow we start our journey south. Hence the rushed preparations today."

"Does Thorin know?" I asked.  If he had known, he wouldn't have suggested that we go visit my mother's grave tomorrow, instead of today.

"He left for the forge before the king made his decision," Arna replied. "But I doubt the prince will object. Already the journey south has been delayed by certain...situations," she said, arching her eyebrow at us.

"I wanted to say good-bye to my mother one last time," I said but Arna only shook her head.

"She will understand, child," she said as she placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

I learned that half of the group traveling with the king had gone ahead two days earlier. It would make for more manageable groups traveling through the wilderness, Arna said, posing less of a strain on the landscape at any given time. The line of Durin remained intact, with the king traveling with his son and grandchildren, which included Thorin, Frerin and his great-grandchildren through Dis, Fili and Kili. And now with Lady Mani and myself, the line of Durin had grown by two.

An urgency had taken over the dwarves that day. Gone was the merriment of last night, the celebration of two unions rejoiced in food, drink and song. Instead, it was replaced by the necessity of being prepared for a long winter ahead of us.