Where she is right - The story of Dís, daughter of kings.

28

The next day Dan reached the Erebor on his completely exhausted pony and the day after Kan and his parents arrived. Alwa's condition had not changed. Thorin was grateful for Dwin's help because Ama seemed to become increasingly frail by her grief and despair. Dwin changed Alwa's bed sheets and underlay, washed her conscientiously and gently combed her hair. She kept the damp sheets wet in the room, anointed Alwa's chapped lips and stood ready in the background if anything was needed.

Dís, too, had come yesterday and today to take turns at Alwa's bedside and talk or read to her. And Thorin spent the nights besides his wife and tried to distract himself during the day. He could hardly endure the ever more desperate mood at her sickbed. On the evening of the second day he caught up with his sister on her way to the gate.

"Dís! May I talk to you briefly?", he asked.

"Of course."

They walked out together onto the forecourt that lay still in the golden light of the last evening sun.

"What is it I have to forgive you? Your brilliant performance with the gold dust? I almost forgot about that already", he said.

"She did not say precisely. Just hinted at it. The burden of a guild I'd carry for a long time already secretly. Everything should be revealed. And... there is actually something else. Something that lays way back", she confessed, lowering her gaze.

"Just why does that not surprise me?", Thorin said with a crooked grin, "So? What have you done? Is it Kirin's death that is on your conscience? That I would not only forgive but explicitly support."

"No, it is not that easy, I'm afraid. And I do not even know whether I am ready to tell you at all", his sister replied evasively.

"And how am I supposed to forgive you then?", he muttered gruffly.

She moaned.

"Come on, Dís! What can it be? Did you cheat on me with Nori?", he began to guess.

She snorted contemptuously.

"You've got to be kidding! Nothing like that", she replied.

"Dís, I want to do everything I can. Somehow I think it might be important for Alwa right now", he said firmly.

"You grew fond of her, didn't you?", Dís asked softly.

Thorin nodded.

"I am glad to hear that. Honestly", Dís said seriously and sighed, "I have feared and expected your question, Thorin. And when I talked to Bard about it, he suggested to write it down for you. Parchment is more patient than you are, he said."

She pulled a sealed envelope out of her coat.

"To Bard you did talk about it?", her brother asked irritably, reaching for the envelope.

She held it out of his reach.

"Yes, I did. About everything. Promise me to read this not before I returned home", she said.

He muttered annoyed:

"All right. I will open it when I am back in my room. Will that do now?"

She gave him the envelope and he pocketed it. Together they went to the stables, where Dís's Pony and her guards were already waiting. She swung herself into the saddle and rode on.

"Oh, wait. One more thing you can put on that list there. I wrote to Thranduil and asked for advice about Alwa."

With that she kicked her pony into the sides and galloped away. Thorin looked after her angrily. He had actually thought about that too but could not bring himself to do so.