Life in Exile

Chapter 19: A Plan

"Did I not just leave you to your dinner?" Thorin questioned them.

Fili and Kili nodded, "But we ate quickly," Kili admitted.

Thorin rose from his chair, "Then it is time for you two to sleep," he said.

"Now hold on, Thorin," Balin interjected, making Thorin glance a him, "Perhaps your nephews would like to join us tonight." Thorin frowned, "They have not touched an instrument in their lives," he argued, "We cannot possibly teach them in one night!" Balin went to a crate near the corner of the room, picked it up, and brought it to Fili and Kili, "I think you underestimate them, Thorin. Young minds learn best and quicker than old ones."

Dwalin chuckled quietly at Balin's statement.

Fili and Kili looked down at the crate, which harboured two full-sized fiddles. There were a few sheets of music inside the box, including a string chart, which Balin took out. Kili looked up at the sheets of music in Balin's arms, and then looked around the room to see that everyone else had a similar page.

"What do all the spots mean?" Kili asked.

"They are not spots, Kili, they are dots," Fili corrected him.

Balin smiled, "Actually, lads, they are called notes. Not the kind of notes that I make you write down during your lessons, these notes help you play a song."

Gloin grumbled, "Are we gonna sit here all night until—"

Balin hushed him loudly, making Bombur and Ori flinch. Balin instructed Bofur, who knew most about music, to go with Fili and Kili and teach them in the hallway. Though the group had now lost their best flautist, Dori took his place as the leading soprano. Bifur sighed, and said that he was relieved that they could finally start playing. Gloin gave him a nod in agreement. Balin returned to his place, "Well, lads, shall we begin with Misty Mountains Cold?" Everyone except Thorin was inclined, Bombur had long finished his second biscuit and he hurried to his drum. Thorin's own song began to haunt him, every time he heard it he would be reminded of how so long ago his life, along with others', had been altered drastically...and to this day nothing had changed; the dragon still occupied his homeland; he was still far from home; and there was a throne and a once mighty kingdom left abandoned to die into the past like a carcass deteriorating into bone and dust. Long had the Lonely Mountain been on his mind, and long had he planned in secret of a way to take back what rightfully belonged to his people. What use was a song of hope and promise if there was nothing being done to make that promise to ring true? Thorin had hoped his grand of the Seven Kingdoms had left his previous plan to fail, as he had originally intended to have all Seven armies march for Erebor; but now they could only come together and take up their oath with the wielding of the Arkenstone. Though, Thorin was not short of plans and was very skilled at quickly conjuring up plans. He glanced at Bombur suspiciously, he wondered if Ms. Gulla knew that Bombur had taken her biscuits.

That night, Misty Mountains Cold was in fact played first, along with Bofur's cheerful yet outlandish song about a cat playing a fiddle and a man in the moon, and finally a robust piece in D major about the success of the War of Dwarves and Orcs, but Thorin always played this piece in D-sharp minor.

The next day, Nori, Dori's younger brother, was dragged in by a fuming silver-maker who lived in Ered Luin. The fuming silver-maker was a Firebeard named Ormr, who had a poor attitude and greed that only Thorin could silence with his authority. He snatched a brown rag-sack from Nori's hands and tossed them onto the floor in front of Thorin's throne, spoons and forks (both dinner and desert) spilled out of the sack onto the stone floor.