A One-Shot Collection: "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit"

Two: Thorin

For @chloe_11399

Two: Thorin

Waiting for Thorin's arrival is like waiting for the return of my light and my life. Around me, the people of Ered Luin mass as the front gates of the establishment, pushing each other in frenzies to see the shortly arriving "king." And yet, I am hidden in the shadows of a nearby building, never having had the desire for mass communication with the people, even if they are, theoretically, my own subjects. It's surely not a strength of mine.

The gates, with the shock that only Thorin Oakenshield can evoke, slam open to lay sight upon the man of our whole intention. He looks travel worn, hair matted to the sides of his head, and yet, a large smile characterizes his face, rare and far between. Thorin grins at his people, eyes ghosting over the crowds in search of his target persona, and if I know anything, he is looking for me. And since he knows me better than anyone, his eyes catch upon my form in the shadows of the houses, an even larger smile mirroring my own. His arms open wide as I rush into him, warm and firm, but homely to its every meaning. Thorin's departure of two months has been especially cruel on my heart, and trying to my last whim.

"I missed you so much," I remark, nuzzling my nose into the thick fur coat around his neck, and prompting him to do the same in my own hair.

"I missed you as well, my love. Come, let's go talk in private," he replies, grabbing me about my waist before pulling us into the closest home, which just happens to be ours.

"Tell me, did you discover anything about his whereabouts? Were the rumors true?" I ask, leading him by his hand through our average sized cabin and into the bedroom where I continue my chores from earlier.

"The rumors were exactly what they are...rumors. Nothing but lies, and I fear with each passing day that Thrain is dead and I am fatherless in certainty," Thorin responds, his eyes closing in pain as he collapses into his leather chair near our fireplace.

"Do not lose hope, my love. As long as we have hope, we will survive," I respond, jumping into his lap and pulling him into a hug as silence overcomes our breathing forms.

"But I did run into an old acquaintance of Thror along the way...in Bree," Thorin furthers, moving his head so as to look me firmly in the eye.

"Who was it?" I respond, eyebrows furrowing in curiousity.

"Gandalf--" Thorin remarks before I cut in from my surprise.

"The Grey wizard? My, I haven't heard of him in a great many moons," I quip, shaking my head at the notion of this wizard's "unexpected" arrival in Bree.

"Indeed, he was quite surprising," Thorin responds, his eyes relapsing back into memory.

"Well what did he have to say?" I ask, moving closer to my One as I am practically jumping in curiosity.

"Nothing--" Thorin tries to deny, and yet fails miserably, as always.

"Don't bother lying, Thorin, I can read right through it. Now tell me," I command, having sole power over the King Under the Mountain. He looks hesitant to respond, but a hard look on my part evokes the truth.

"He urged me to take on an adventure," Thorin responds vaguely, and in a way much like himself.

"To?" I ask, prying for more information on this intended adventure.

"...To take back Erebor...for the nephews and our people," he finally relents, sending me into sudden shock and anger. Who is he to take on a dragon, especially one nicknamed "the Terrible?"

"That's madness! You surely cannot defeat a dragon, even with Gandalf's help," I rant, knowing my words to be true. Indeed, no being in Middle Earth can defeat a flawless dragon.

"It's my duty, love, and I must undertake the journey," Thorin responds, pushing a hair behind my ear in a gesture of comfort and love. My cheek presses into the palm of his hand, only naturally, as our eyes battle out the choice of events.

"Valar-damned wizard, I fear this day would come. But all the same, I'm with you to the end," I gripe, only relenting with the fact that I must go with him. Thorin is known to be reckless and rash, and I'd far rather undertake the journey than hear of his death from far away.

"No, no, no....you're not coming with!" Thorin exerts, shaking his head in a strong denial of the prospect.

"Of course I am! I am your wife, your main supporter, your rock in this changing time. You need me," I emphasize, grabbing his jerking chin within my two hands so as to emphasize my firm resolve on this matter.

"I will deny none of those things...but I cannot risk you getting hurt. You're the light of my life and I'd surely be nothing without you," Thorin responds, need overcoming his stubbornness, as he look heartily into my eyes and rests a hand on my own.

"And I'd be little without you...why must you be so stubborn?" I ask, and though it sounds rhetorical, I do hold great confusion in this dwarfs' stubbornness.

"Love, I'm a dwarf...it's what we do," Thorin responds, prompting me to roll my eyes. I am a dwarf myself and never have I felt the need to be pigheaded in my decisions and in life.

"Very well, I'll heed your wishes, just not gratefully. You'd better come back to me, or I swear you'll be haunted in the afterlife," I accept his desire to keep me home, though a plan is already forming in my mind. I may be a simple dwarrowdam, but males seem to forget that I can be intelligent and mischievous. Where do you think Kili and Fili got it from?

"Anything for you," Thorin responds before swooping in with a kiss to my mouth and hands tangling in my long red hair. If this is the last time we are to be together (at least in Thorin's mind) no regrets should be exchanged, and none are, to be certain.

Of course, in due sequence of time, I ended up with the company of Thorin Oakenshield, taking on both Azog and Smaug. Upon my arrival to Bag End, Thorin was infuriated to see me, but none of the others were surprised in the least. In their minds, I always held the spot as the fourteenth dwarf of the company. But Thorin did not see it this way, attempting to ship me back to Ered Luin, and with a renewed fervor once he heard that I was expecting. However, as my role goes, he made little progress in this juncture, allowing me a spot to his right as we traversed Middle Earth.

In the end, I do believe Thorin was grateful for my presence on the journey, seeing as I saved both him and the nephews from a cruel fate in the Battle of the Five Armies. The power I showed that day held little surprise for me, given my new role as a mother, and my intention to keep a father and cousins for my child. Indeed, Teli was born three days before the battle, with fiery red hair and bright blue eyes.

To this day, I reign over the Kingdom of Erebor with Thorin at my side and another child on the way. They call me the calm to Thorin's storm and light of the Lonely Mountain. And though I pride myself on humility, I accept these titles gladly.