Raven: An Unexpected Adventure

Thirty-Two

Dís

Bag End, Hobbiton

21 January 2959

For all of her studies, Dís knew relatively little about the Dark Lord Sauron, save that he had fallen. That was the famous battle when men and elves had stood side by side. It had renewed their allegiance—once more leaving the dwarrow out of the history books. Apparently, however, for all their purported strength they'd still managed to muck it up. Dís couldn't say she wasn't at least a little pleased at hearing their failure—but it was a petty triumph at best. Sauron, the very idea that the Dark Lord was back, let alone that he was seeking her sister-in-law, chilled Dís's blood.

As she glared at the grey wizard, however, she knew that he believed the tale that he was weaving. Glancing around the room, she saw Dwalin and Thorin both staring at the wizard. Then, continuing her survey, she registered the serious expressions on the faces of the elves and the ranger. She wished that she could dismiss this as wizardly meddling, but the truth was: she couldn't. Nor could she fail to see just how likely it was that her brother had indeed gone and gotten himself mucked up in some other grand scheme.

"So, I suppose that you are here with this tale intent on having us rush out the door with our children, two pregnant dams, and my son still with critical injuries?" Dís didn't remember deciding to speak, but apparently, she had. She felt the weight of the eyes of the room on her, but as she was born and raised as a daughter of Durin—she would not quail before them.

"Yes, naturally we must run. There is no time!" Gandalf looked around the room—apparently in disbelief that they weren't already running.

"Haven't we heard that before," Dís refused to let her stern facade slip. However, she was not the only one who heard Dwalin's rebellious mutter, and the room filled with soft sounds of amusement and agreement amongst the rest of the company.

"Uzbadnâtha," Dís felt it was an accomplishment that she did not gape in shock at the elf who addressed her in their secret language, but it was a near miss. "Mithrandir speaks the truth, we must depart with all haste." The elf bowing low to her was one of the twins.

"Our father," the other twin continued, "has sent us to bring all of you safely to Rivendell so, if you will show us to your son, we will do our best to help heal him before we journey on. This is not meant to be a suicidal flight, but one that saves all of your lives. There are other edhel coming behind us, we could spare no time in returning here to warn you."

"And we will leave," Bilba interjected, and Dís turned to meet the hobbit's gaze. "We were going to leave anyway, we are nearly prepared, Dís, let them heal Kíli, they are the sons of Elrond, the best healer in Middle Earth." Dís eyed them, still skeptical, but she nodded to the hobbit.

She had always known that the One to capture her brother's heart had to be special. The way that the rest of the Company treated Bilba only served to solidify Dís's sense of respect. Now, when her own loyalty was put to the test, she knew that she too would choose to follow Bilba's lead.

"This way," she acknowledged and nodded down the hall. Fíli turned, moving ahead of her, and she realized he was off to check on Raven as he slipped into a door down the hallway. Behind her, the two elves were silent. She thought could feel their gazes on the back of her neck, but they were so quiet as she marched down the hall that she fought the urge to glance behind her—just to check. Instead, however, she kept her spine rigidly straight, as she went towards Kíli's bedroom. The door opened before she reached the chamber, Tauriel emerging to regard her and the edhel behind her with reverence.

Dís couldn't say she was close to her daughter-in-law, however, she did read the look of respect on the she-elf's face.

"Elladan, Elrohir," the red-haired elf raised her arm over her chest, bowing deeply in an Elvish sign of respect. As she straightened she let out a string of Elvish too fast for Dís to even try to guess at its meaning.