Dornessiti (Hobbit Short Story)

Chapter 9

A/N: I'm so sorry for the really long hiatus, I've had so much going on I haven't had chance to do much writing. Here we are anyway, thanks to all the readers that have stuck with me so far, I hope you like it and I should be  updating a lot more regularly. Enjoy!
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"Hazel! Slow down sweetie!" Laughed Dis, having to pick up her skirts to follow the running child. Hazel was ahead but still in sight, giggling as she chased after a running squirrel.
"C-Come o-on A-Auntie!" She giggled. The squirrel ran up a tree and she pouted, flopping on the floor among the remaining flowers. Dis chuckled when she saw her niece, collapsing down beside her exhaustedly.
"I'd forgotten what it was like to run after you little ones," she smiled. Hazel just giggled, before reaching forward timidly and beginning to braid three of Dis' curls together. Once she'd finished she laid her little head on Dis' chest, allowing her auntie to play with her hair with gentle, skilled fingers.
"C-Can we make d-daddy a flower c-crown, a-auntie?" Hazel asked quietly. Dis smiled at her softly.
"Of course we can, we'll have to see what flowers we can find," she encouraged.
"Y-Yay, what f-flowers a-are there a-auntie?" Hazel asked curiously.
"Oh, there's stonecrop, lilac, lemon queens, autumn joys and many more I can't remember the names of," recited Dis from memory "Which could you like to use?"
"A-All of th-them," Hazel grinned "Th-The bright o-ones e-especially." Her smile was infectious and brought an identical one to Dis' face.
"Well then, we'd better get started."
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Looking up at the clock, Thorin set down his hammer. He'd continued working since Dwalin had left, harnessing his fury and channelling it into his work. It was fast approaching twelve, and he'd promised his little girl he'd be home for lunch. Thorin picked up a cloth and wiped the sweat from his brow, picking up his shirt which he'd cast aside and tying it around his waist. There was a familiar giggling from a distance, but Thorin ignored it, knowing it was the same group of dwarrowdams who came to watch him work on a regular basis. He left his coat on the peg at the forge, knowing he'd be back after lunch.
"Off already?" Asked James, the human boy that worked with him. He was seventeen, tall even for a human, with wiry strong arms and shoulders. His grey eyes stared down at the dwarf with rare intelligence. Thorin often thought it was a shame that such a bright lad was being wasted at a blacksmith's forge.
"I have to go, I promised I'd be back by twelve on the dot," Thorin explained. James nodded, picking up the hammer the dwarf had left on the anvil.
"Go on then, you'd better get back," he smiled. Thorin nodded his head to the boy and headed towards home.
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"D-Daddy!" Squealed Hazel, running to meet him as he came walking along the garden path. Thorin picked her up and swung her round, the frown that had been on his face all morning turning to a smile at the sound of her giggles.
"S-Stop d-daddy," laughed Hazel "I-I'll drop y-your f-flowers."
"Flowers, for me princess?" Asked Thorin, pulling her close. His little girl giggled softly, putting a flower crown on his head. It was made out of every flower she and Dis had been able to find, all plaited and weaved and tied together to form a brightly coloured circlet.
"Thank you princess," Thorin smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"I-It's o-okay d-daddy."
Hazel leant against her father's shoulder, hoping to feel the soft fur of his coat but instead meeting bare skin.
"W-Why aren't y-you wearing a sh-shirt d-daddy?" She asked curiously.
"He's been working hard in the forge sweetie, he'll put it back on for lunch," said Dis as she walked over.
"Will I?" Challenged Thorin playfully. Dis gave him a glare identical to his own.
"Yes, you will, or you can go back to work without lunch. I suspect you had those girls all falling over one another at the sight of you."
"G-Girls?" Asked Hazel worriedly, looking up at her daddy. Thorin kissed his daughter's forehead reassuringly.
"Nothing for you to worry about princess. Now, where's this lunch I've been hearing so much about?"
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As promised, Thorin went into his office the next morning to find four large books on his desk.
"The birth records," grunted Dwalin's voice behind him.
"A man of your word as always," Thorin responded, sitting down at his desk and immediately beginning to flick through to find Hazel's date of birth. His eyes scanned the page quickly, or as quickly as his mind would allow him to. The records were written in the common tongue and although the dwarf King had no trouble speaking it, the written form had always been difficult for him.
"Anything?" asked Dwalin after a long silence. Thorin sighed and put the book down, rubbing his eyes a little.
"Nothing."
"She's not on the record?" Frowned the other dwarf, going over to Thorin and peering over his shoulder.
"According to this, she doesn't exist. No birth date, no midwives observations, no physician's visits. Nothing," he sighed. Thorin glanced up at the stack of books on his desk, each of them about seven inches thick and leather bound. He could practically feel the headache he would have by the evening.
"Enjoy," grunted Dwalin "I've got soldiers to train."
The door swung shut with a hollow thunk, silence falling on the small, stuffy office room with nothing but the soft crackling of the fire and the turning of pages filling the air. Sighing softly, Thorin began to search through the never ending lines of dates and names. He would find Hazel's parents. But it was going to be a long day...
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"A-Auntie Dis, where's d-daddy?" The tiny girl asked, tugging on Dis's skirt timidly. The dwarrowdam smiled fondly down at her niece.
"He'll be home soon sweetie, he's working hard at the moment," she comforted.
"B-But it's nearly b-bedtime..." Hazel whimpered, tears filling her little blue eyes. Dis glanced at the clock. She was right.
"Can I pick you up Hazel?" She asked. The tiny girl answered with a nod, allowing herself to be swept up by her aunt and held close. She sniffled pitifully, squeezing her blue teddy tight in her hands.
"I-I want d-daddy," Hazel wept, laying her head on Dis's shoulder.
"I know sweetie, I know," hushed Dis. Kili came into the kitchen to see what the fuss was about, frowning when he saw his little cousin in tears.
"What's wrong Hazel?" He asked innocently, going over so he could see her face.
"W-want d-daddy..." She repeated, still sniffling. Kili gave her a comfortingly soft smile. He reached up and wiped her tears from her cheeks, finding the hand that wasn't holding the teddy bear and holding it gently.
"Don't you worry Hazel, I'll go get him."
"Kee it's getting late," warned Dis.
"I'll be okay mum," he shrugged "It's not that far and I'll come straight home after."
Dis nodded but sighed, knowing it was the only way to calm down the now sobbing four year old. With a kiss to his mother's cheek and a fumbling of boot straps, Kili left to find his uncle.
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