The Valar Child: The Desolation of Smaug

Chapter 13 - Restless Nights

Hildar

I curled up on my bed and thought about Beren. His strong hands touching me. I had never felt a thrill like that in all my life. It awakened new emotions and stormy feelings inside me. I wanted more! More of what? I did not know. I soon felt a hand stroking my forehead and I opened my eyes. Thorin smiled down on me. Once he had gotten rid of Beren, he pulled up a chair, and began to try to lull me to sleep. I asked him to stay with me all night. "I don't trust the Master, or his secretary. They give me looks," I told him. Thorin raised his eyebrow and his lip twisted up.

"I know. I don't like them either. But, Fili and Kili are in the room next to you, Dwalin and Balin are across from you, and I'm in the room on the other side of you," Thorin told me. "There is nothing they can do."

"I'm still afraid. They make my skin crawl," I said to Thorin. Thorin smiled and pressed his lips to my forehead.

"I feel the same way. Just think of this. When we retake the mountain, we won't have to see them again. When they ask why not, I'll tell them they made the Princess of Erebor uncomfortable," Thorin responded. I smiled and closed my eyes, allowing Thorin to continue massaging my forehead. I do not know when sleep claimed me.

I was ten-years-old. Running down the stairs at full speed, my bare feet making pitter patter noises on the wood. Fili and Kili were training with Dwalin in the yard, and I wanted to join them. I was dragging one Fili's short swords behind me, and it clattered across the floor. It was still a little heavy for me. When I reached the front door, I pushed it open and found my brothers training with Dwalin. Fili swung wide at him, and Dwalin tripped him up. Kili came in with his sword, but Dwalin blocked it and head butted him. Kili hit the dirt hard. Dwalin muttered a curse before he put his hands on his hips. "You both are fighting like a bunch of sorry milkmaids! You're sons of Durin! Where's your fire?!" Dwalin asked. That was when I came swinging in. Not a sound escaped my lips. I was not a noisy child, by nature. Luckily, I lost control on the blade, and only succeeded in hitting Dwalin with the flat part. Dwalin jumped and turned around. Seeing me standing there with the sword, hanging limply in my hands, Dwalin cocked his head to one side, a hint of amusement on his face. "And what are you trying to do?" Dwalin asked.

"I'm trying to fight! I'm a daughter of Durin! It is my right!" I said heatedly. Dwalin laughed and took the sword from me. I turned to Fili and drew his dagger. Before he could stop me, I lashed out at Dwalin, but he parried me easily. I fell on my backside and glared up at him.

"You are a girl. As such, you will trained to be a lady," Dwalin told me. I shook my head and jumped up, tossing the sword to the side and leaping onto Dwalin. He was surprised by this and tried to shake me off. Instead, I made my way up to his shoulders, wrapped my legs around his neck and put his head in a hold. Dwalin tried to dislodge me, but it was not working. Fili and Kili started laughing as Dwalin was becoming frustrated with my antics. Finally, he reached up, grabbed the back of my collar, and hauled me off of him. I swung a little fist out at him, and hit him in the jaw. Dwalin's eyes narrowed drastically as he looked at me. I folded my arms across my chest and glared back.

"What is going on here?!" asked an outraged voice, and we all looked up to see Thorin coming out of the house with Balin right behind him. Dwalin put me down and I gave Thorin one of my sweetest smiles. He glanced down at me, and quickly noted the red marks on my hands from swinging the heavy sword. Thorin took my hands in his and his large fingers stroked the scrapes on my skin. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow and shook his head. "You are going to be a lady. A princess one day, Hildar. This is not acceptable behavior," Thorin told me. I grabbed onto him and he smiled, brushing a few strands of hair from my face.