Calm The Fire

47

"Would you like a history lesson?" Thorin asked with a smile. There was one thing which he had learned years ago and that was that Náriel seemed to love to learn.

"Oh, personal history lesson from King Thorin? How could I pass this up?" She asked with a laugh only to suffer a blank look to be shot at her. "I would love one, please," she gestured to a nearby bench. These stone benches were darted about within the Mountain, so they walked over and sat down, Náriel shifted and looked at him curiously.

"Durin the Deathless was the eldest of the Seven Fathers who were created by Mahal in the beginning of time. He along with the other dwarves slumbered for a long time until the rising of the elves had taken place. Each of them were the founders of the great houses, or clans of the dwarves." Thorin paused to see Náriel intently listening, she nodded. Smiling, he leaned back against the wall and stretched his legs out. "Do you know the clan names, Náriel?"

"That's cruel...does it look like I would?" Náriel replied.

"You read a lot." Thorin simply countered with a smile.

Náriel looked up at the ceiling and sighed. Sitting in silence for a moment, she nodded and held up her hand. "The Longbeards, the Broadbeams, Firebeards, Ironfists, Stiffbeards, Blacklocks...and...and...the Stonefoots?" She said curiously with an even more curious expression.

Thorin nodded and she smiled. "Durin was the founder of the Longbeards." He explained, he doubted Náriel knew this.

"What happened next?" Náriel asked while managing to tuck her feet underneath herself and turn and look at him.

Thorin smiled, he was happy to see her so engrossed in something. "So, when Durin awoke from his deep slumber he travelled the world until he came upon Mirrormere, or as my kin know it: Kheled-zâram." He raised an eyebrow when Náriel lifted up her hand. "Yes?"

"I know this part." She seemed to take a small amount of pride in saying this.

"You can tell this part of history then." Thorin shifted and leaned more against the wall, turning his head, he looked to her.

"So, it is known amongst your kin that when Durin looked at his reflection in the water, he saw seven stars shining above his head forming a crown." Pausing, she pushed a piece of stray hair over her ear and continued. "He reached into the water and pulled them out and they formed a helmet, the one which I do believe he's wearing in the painting." She cast a quick look to the painting and then back at Thorin.

"The stars became a part of his sigil." Thorin finished for a moment to let a comfortable silence surround them. All that could be heard was the flickering of flames from the nearby torches.

"What did he do next?" Náriel's curious voice piped up.

Thorin looked at her, "He wanted to establish his own kingdom in the land nearest to the lake in the Misty Mountains." He said with a slow nod, "He built his kingdom and named it Khazad-dûm."

"Moria."

"Yes," Thorin nodded, "And it became one of the greatest dwarf kingdoms in all the history of Middle-earth." He crossed his arms slowly and looked to the painting hanging from the wall opposite to them.

Náriel smiled and shifted, swinging her legs over the bench, she rested her feet against the floor silently. She enjoyed listening to her little history lesson. Anything that involved Thorin showing knowledge that he had never previously shown before caused her to enjoy with a smile. It was quite useful information to have, considering she was to live here now it'd be incredibly useful to know of the dwarf who was his ancestor.

"You're going to look at me like I'm speaking Sindarin...but why is he called Durin the Deathless, and why exactly does he have a day named after him?" Náriel questioned, she couldn't help it. Those two questions were niggling away at her. Sure, she had lived through one Durin's Day that she openly knew of, but even still she wanted to know. Looking to the side she laughed, "Stop it!" She reached up and put a hand over his eyes so she wouldn't be subjected to the look she knew she'd receive.