Born from Stone (A Thorin Oakenshield story)

The blessing

Thorin didn't close his eyes once through the whole night. Dis was unable to tear the baby girl from his arms even when he was dozing off. She lingered close to her brother in order to give him a nudge every now and again so he wouldn't fall asleep with the frail girl in his arms and cause it harm. The psychological fatigue on Thorin was pretty evident and it was taking a far heavier toll on him than any physical exertion had ever taken. This unbearable worry about his newborn daughter was enough to make his body shut down in order to protect itself and Dis knew that feeling. When Kili died, it was the only way her body could protect her mind from all that pain.

Witnessing Thorin, a man who could go days without sleep, battling to stay awake for a single night was all she needed to understand how heavily all this weigh on him. She wanted to reassure him that everything was going to be okay, but was that true? The infant's colour had improved vastly after Thorin wore her and she was not shivering anymore, but her breathing was still difficult. The poor baby didn't release her father's finger at all during the night and neither did Thorin attempt to pull it away. At one point Thorin asked Dis with a diminished voice to bring him over his son and Dis' heart skirted at how broken her brother looked. She picked up Farin carefully and placed him on Thorin's chest.

Only then was the King able to rest his head back to the armchair and close his eyes for a few moments. His arm enfolded his son close to his heart protectively. The baby boy wiggled nervously for a few moments, but as his ear was above his father's heart, he quickly settled down like his little sister. What made Dis' heart melt to a warm puddle of love was when Durin's small hand came out and grasped part of the sling that was holding his sister in place. She smiled and looked up at the tired eyes of her brother.

"They've been in the womb together for so long...look at them. They need each other's presence outside too." She whispered.

Thorin gazed down at them and felt his heart swelling with these unbearable emotions he had never experienced before in his life once again. Every time he looked at his children his heart spilled over with all those congested feelings that he was unable to control. His eyes burned and he closed them tightly. "I didn't know it felt like this..." He spoke in a hushed tone.

Dis frowned. "What do you mean?"

"To hold your own flesh and blood..." he whispered and opened his pained azure eyes to her.

Dis' heart squeezed hard and her eyes pooled with tears. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Too beautiful and ..." -he hesitated and looked at his little girl- "too painful. It hurts so much..."

Dis looked at Rhianaye. "It hurts because you fear for her life." -She reached out and touched his knee- "My love, your baby girl is going to be okay. Your blood runs through this girl and this boy. Your stubbornness and your resilience have passed down to them and if you combine that with the strength of their brave mother, you have in your arms not one, but two warriors. This precious Little Gem will not go out without a fight!"

Thorin's bottom lip began trembling and Dis' heart broke. "Why should she be required to fight so soon after seeing life?"

She pressed her lips. "Life is unfair like that wolf, you know it well. I know how seeing your children for the first time can elevate you to unfathomable heights, and how easily your fear for their life can throw you to the deepest pits. How it can suck out every single thread of courage from your heart. You fathered all of us, me, Frerin and my children, but still you have never felt your own flesh and blood in your arms. You have never been required to pray for their lives. This all must feel overwhelming to you, especially since you never believed you could have your own children."