Jeweled dolls of Durin

revelations and beginnings [pg]

" Tia ..are you hurt..what happened?" All she could do was shake her head and cry . When he suddenly grabbed her to check her over for wounds or anything she started to scream in rage.

" Bastard! Why!..why didn't he tell me this..why did it have to be a letter!" Grieg looked worried at seeing her like this. Upon hearing mention of letter he demanded to see it.." as your master I demand to see it ..anything that concerns with my apprentice is my business. So hand it over now" the stern look on his face brooked no argument from her and as she sat there seething over what she read he scanned the letter. His expression upon reading it was all it took to calm her anger down..his face became red and his eyes shown with fury." How dare he do this. I swear here and now ..He's no father to you! " his voice rose in volume till it boomed thru the forest scaring birds in its wake. After a few moments of breathing he finally calmed down enough and saw Tias arms wrapped around her waist and tears falling unhindered down her cheeks. Last of his anger evaporated at the sight and he gathered the young girl into his arms as she sobbed all her grief and sorrow into his shoulder . " shh..it will be ok lass...don't you cry anymore. Think on this..were starting a new life now. No need to look back anymore." He tried to give her strength with his words but as he started his mount forward he barely heard her say one word " Bofur" a whisper torn from her heart. He took her reins to help guide her mount with his towards their new home. As evening approached he found the inn they would stay at for the evening and got them room and meal.

It was the middle of night, master grieg was snoring ..very loudly..and tia found she couldn't sleep thru it so her mind replayed the words from the letter over again. Suddenly she remembered there was more written down..maybe he would explain why he did it. She quietly went over to her pack , retrieved the letter and went over to the window to read by the light of the moon so as not to disturb her master.

" I know you probly will not forgive me but I hope you will (never she thought) in time. If you want to know the truth then open the letter labeled DAY 2" tia moved over to her pack and pulled out the letters sifting till she found the second one and taking a deep breath she began reading.

"It was 20 years ago , Durins Day, when I found you and tohlm. I was traveling back home to the blue mountains from gondamon in Ered Luin where I had just lost my beloved wife Adi and child to childbirthing complications. I wanted to return home to where I could mourn with my family over my loss of someone who was my one love and I didn't want to wait till after Durins day. I was walking thru the forest near duillond when I heard a womans scream and a child cry out mama. As I ran towards the screaming I heard the roar of goblins and the clashing of metal..I knew whoever she was she was fighting for her and her childs life so I hurried to her. That's when I saw her..a tall dwarven woman who was heavy with child standing over a boy fighting the goblins with a sword ,that were circling her. She was already wounded greatly and yet she kept fighting. I rushed to her side and fought off the goblins, but it was already too late..the goblin she was battling stabbed her thru and she fell dying before me. I killed him before he could finish her or the boy off and when I turned to her she grabbed my hand and begged me to save her baby. I had to cut you out of her to save you and as she laid there dying she made me promise to watch over you both and protect you. She asked me to take this ring ,that I have enclosed in this letter, and find her family to bring you both to them. " Tia looked in the envelope that the letter was in and found a silver ring with a dwarven rune upon it . Tia went back to reading the letter. "Instead I took both you and the boy to a healer ,truely meaning to take you both to find your family, but he was too wounded and was in need of a healer desperately which was in Duillond near the shire. I took you both there and showed the ring to the healer..he didn't know anything about it..no one seemed to. So I decided to take you both home with me to the blue mountains. My family thought you were my daughter since she died in childbirth and Tohlm was my son that I never told them about. I took the easy road and let them believe this and I raised you both as my own from then on. Tia ..having you both in my life gave me a reason to keep going ..to keep living. While I may have saved you both from the orcs ..you saved me and showed me how to face each day with a smile. Thank you." Suddenly the words started to blur before her and when she touched her cheeks they were wet from tears that she didn't realize were falling.