Lady Red Cloak

We Meet Again

A few days later

"It would seem the dwarrowdam have returned to us" my body flinched slightly as Thorin's voice boomed throughout the great hall causing everyone to look in our direction, my father was the first to stand and stride over with the biggest smile I'd ever seen! His arms stretched wide as those heavy footsteps approached – all those times of wanting nothing but a warm embrace and to hear his voice crush my fears suddenly came rushing back in such a wave, my arms flung themselves around his neck as I pulled his body close to mine...this was the home I was supposed to find

Dwalin pulled back and examined my face pushing strands of hair out of view as if he was going to find hidden wounds under each one but the dwarf never did – I was just as he remembered, only a year older and proof of maturity in his eyes. The small dwarfling he'd once found in the mountains had flourished under his touch, and matured into someone he could rely on. For not a single moment had it felt like eight decades had passed, there was just 'yesterday' and 'today' where the child was discovered then grown into someone he barely recognised yet bore the same heart that he once held agaisnt his chest at night at
S wails filled the small cabin they'd once called home

Balin's POV
"Who's the lad hugging so tight? The lass might break soon" I hadn't realised the company were watching our friend so closely until Bofur spoke up with confusion, there were less than a handful of the company that were wed and as we'd planned – very few knew of her relation, if anyone knew of her heritage, the secure embrace of Erebor could quickly become that of violence and danger towards her. It wasn't that we were ashamed, we were filled to the brim with pride that she'd become the woman she was, but the world could be so full of fire and anguish - especially in dwarven minds

"Oh I wouldn't worry, Bofur. That's his wee lass, and my niece. She was among those of the dwarrowdam who were deceived on the road" the hatted dwarf tilted his head trying to spot any physical resemblance but the red cloak she'd clung to had once again come in handy, shading her features from all prying eyes but her father's. The grin on her face was among one of the brightest in the room as his arms clutched her forearms as Dwalin's forehead gently pressed against her own, she was among her own once again where she'd told me so many times  that she longed to be.

Dwalin swung the girl around in pure joy "Myrnis, that's her name" a few of the other company members mumbled the word under their breath as if to learn it, though I doubt they'd ever get the chance to have a real conversation with her - she was a distanced fellow who preferred her own company or all the company in the world, no in between. Dwalin would be heartbroken the day he found a courting braid amongst her locks but it was bound to occur one day, perhaps soon or not...as much as she spoke against it, there was a look in her eye that wasn't there when we fled the mountains

My brother didn't dare let go of the girl just in case she slipped through his grasps once again. Nothing could change while he had her in his arms, she couldn't grow older or meet her 'one', Dwalin had his little girl where she was safe and sound, where she wasn't near death...she was untouchable. Bombur continued to munch on the sausage in his hand while picking up another unaware of everyone else's eyes being on the fair maiden's entrance into the room - it made clearing the plates of others so easy when they weren't focused on their own situation

Myrnis' POV
It was almost impossible not to notice the watching eyes as we got the other caught up on what had happened since we'd last spoke, it was fair to say there wasn't exactly much  on my end. There had been many dinners where Dwalin would invite his friends round and they'd spent the nights roaring of laughter...but though the room was always clean by sunrise, we'd never interacted much. It was doubtful that they remembered me at all, especially as I got older and worked in the tavern - thinking about it properly, we'd never met officially so unless certain dwarves were incredibly observant and could put two and two together, I remained an unknown bystander

Once all the greeting was done, I was invited to join their section of the table, but refused and chose a little one by the glorious double doors - as much as I wanted to leap right into the festivities, not one part of me was ready to move that fast now that I was here. There was so much to take in that lacked in the chambers; lights, music, an overwhelming body warmth radiating through the hall and fading away out into the rest of Erebor, it was like dropping a small boxed fish into an ocean without any mental preparation...and the corner table was the only safe space

My hands swept my hair onto my left shoulder as an ale was placed down on my table while the rest of my kin celebrated late into the night. Dwalin had mentioned requesting my own suite and chambers as an eightieth birthday present, apparently while I saw her - my belongings were being transferred throughout the mountain. Apparently Balin and he had agreed it was due time I had my own space and that a rowdy messy set of three rooms stacked to the brim with weapons was 'no place for a maiden' - it was sweet how they believed my own space would be any different...

But at least it was home...