Honour For Bastards

Chapter 24 - Moral Grounds and Counting Stars

Thorin paced in the entrance of the mountain as the Dwarves piled stone and rubble where the gates once stood. "I want this fortress made safe by sunup. This mountain was hard won - I will not see it taken again." The Dwarf King sneered. 

Kili dropped the wheelbarrow he and Bilbo had been shifting and looked up at his Uncle with empathy in his eyes,"The people of Laketown have nothing. They came to us in need. They have lost everything."

"Do not tell me what they have lost. I know well enough their hardship. Those who have lived through dragonfire should rejoice. They have much to be grateful for." Thorin stared out at the dim fires that littered the ruins on the horizon, a bitter and suspicious expression etched upon his face.

"If ye have truly known their hardship, then why do you not offer them the help the need? The help ye were once denied. I had thought ye of all folk would be empathetic." 

Thorin rounded on the Ranger with vicious eyes, "You do not presume to know my feelings, Ranger!" 

"I presume nothin', I merely thought ye held the honour of your promise to them in higher regard. Did ye not promise them compensation? Do they not deserve it after all they have suffered?" 

"The people of Laketown would have bartered my birthright as if it was theirs to offer. What honour did they hold until the promise of riches?" Thorin swaggered forward until he stood face to face with the Ranger, not at all swayed by the little height she held over him, "You will do well to keep such thoughts to yourself, and remember your place, Bastard." 

The air fell silent as the title dripped like acid from his tongue. Laire held her resolve as the sting jabbed at her heart. Many times had her dishonourable birth been used to insult and wound her, but not in many years had broken through her thickened skin as it did just now. The Dwarves and Bilbo watched with anxiety as Laire and Thorin stared each other down, their steely glares never wavered as Laire relaxed her clenched fist.

"Yer pride would make enemies when ye are in desperate need of allies. Ye would do well to remember that before ye are left alone, Thorin." 

"Get out of my sight, whore!" Thorin hissed through his teeth, venom laced in every syllable.

The thump of Laire's fist across Thorin's cheek echoed like a drum in the still halls. The Dwarves and Bilbo gasped as the scene played out before them, no one quite sure how to act, but ready to put a stop to things before they escalated. 

"Ye can call me a Bastard, and a Half-breed, but don't ye dare call me a whore." The Ranger snarled, her teeth bared as she kept her fists clenched.

Thorin clutched his already bruised jaw in his ringed hand as he staggered upright from the hard blow. His disorientation lessen as he stretch to full height once more and stalked towards Laire.

 "How dare you! I will have your head for that, wench!" 

"Uncle!" Fili pleaded. He and a few of the others stepped forward, prepared to pull them apart if Thorin tried anything.

"Silence!" Thorin gripped the collar of Laire's tunic and pulled her close. "The only reason I do not kill you were you stand, is because you saved Kili's life. Consider this your debt paid. I banish you from the Halls of Erebor! If you ever dare show your face here again I will kill you myself. Now get out of my Kingdom, Bastard!" Thorin shoved Laire towards the entrance of the Mountain, but she barely staggered from the force.

Laire hardly spared a glance back as she pushed her shoulders back and strode out of Erebor. She ignore Fili's calls for her and snatched her hand away as he tried to reach for her. Fili tried to reason with Thorin, and begged him to relent his sentence, but the King would not be swayed. He brushed his nephew's pleads aside and turned his back as the Company watched a dear friend walk from the Kingdom with her head held high.