The Slave Caravan

Home

    The gates opened for our wagons. Some of the guards came down to greet us back. I didn't stop to greet many of the,m, I just wanted to get back home and sleep in my own bed.

"Uncle, do you think Mom is going to be furious with us," Kili asked me as he pulled the reins of the stubborn mule.

"She will be mad at all three of us as soon as Fili is nurtured back to better health," I replied as I helped Kili pull the mule's reins. Eventually the damn thing began to walk.

"I regret not taking those lashings, I was too weak. I should have taken them," Kili exposed. His words saddened me a bit, but I knew that Kili had no place to speak of those things.

"Just be glad you are home," I replied. He nodded his head in reply. I looked at the hill and at the top of the hill was home. I was anxious to get there. I saw Dis at the top of the hill. Her arms were crossed. At the looks of it, I was in deep trouble. Kili had soon realized that his mother was there and stopped walking. I turned back to find him hiding behind the wagon.

"If I have to face her so do you," I told Kili. I heard a slight laughter come from inside the wagon.

"I don't have to face her until I am healed," Fili humorously said. Now I wish I had received the lashings instead of Fili. Every step we took felt like I was walking into danger. Soon after the long walk up the hill towards Dis we eventually made it there.

"Thorin Dain, what kind of baboon takes my youngest son on the adventure without telling his own mother," Dis asked as she gave me a stern look.

"I wouldn't have taken Kili on the adventure if Fili wasn't captured by slave owners," I replied. Dis uncrossed her arms and looked around to find no Fili. Her face turned into an element of panic.

"Where is he," she questioned me. I looked back at Kili who was still hiding behind the wagon.

"He is in the wagon," I answered her. She ran to the back of the wagon and opened the door. She looked inside to find Fili. I left the mule's side and went to the back of the wagon. Dis had climbed inside to accompany her oldest. Mili my adopted daughter jumped out of the wagon. She was so little, i could see that she could barely even talk. I grabbed her under the arms and picked her up. She sat up on my hip as i looked inside the wagon.

"Mother, I'm fine. I just have heal some more," Fili told his mother. He had sat himself up on the wagon's wall. We needed to change out his bandages since they were a bloody mess.

"What happened," Dis asked trying to soothe him. She put his caring hand over his cheek.

"I was captured by slave traders. I received 30 lashings, and our wagons were overrun by goblins. I was rescued by Thorin," Fili bluntly explained. Dis turned to me with sad eyes.

"Thank you Thorin," was all that she said. I nodded my head.

"Well, let's get home. I'm sure these boys have been dying to be on their own bed," I said. Dis then took notice of Mili.

"Who's she," Dis asked. I fixed Elm on my hip and gave her a little smile.

"This is Mili. She is going to be staying with us. I adopted her," I informed Dis. Dis made her way out of the wagon and examined the little thing.

"Well, I have always wanted a niece," Dis replied. Dis then took Mili into her arms and gave her a nice kiss on the cheek.

"Alright, I have a nice soup waiting for you in the pot. Let's go home before it become cold," Dis said as she made her way up to the house. I turned to Kili who had been covering his wound with his hand. I rolled my eyes at him. He then began to laugh at my reply. I made my way to the mule and began to pull the reins once again. I looked at the house which I had missed for a very long time.

"It's good to be home."