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Title<\/b>: Dares All Things<\/span><\/p>\n Author: <\/b>Sibyl Moon<\/span><\/p>\n Fandom<\/b>: The Hobbit\/LotR<\/span><\/p>\n Genre:<\/b> Fix-it\/Canon Divergence<\/span><\/p>\n Relationship<\/b>: Thrain\/Eir (OC), Thorin\/Bilbo (Future)<\/span><\/p>\n Word Count: <\/b>4577<\/span><\/p>\n Warnings\/Rating<\/b>: Political Intrigue, Discussion-Murder, Murder, Canon-typical-Violence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Summary<\/b>: When Thror\u2019s madness threatens not just the kingdom, but the safety of her children, Eir prays to Mahal. When that doesn\u2019t seem to be enough, she prays to his wife and begins to enact a plan to protect her children, no matter the consequences to herself.<\/span><\/p>\n Authors Note: <\/b>This is LotR\/Hobbit fanfic and it’s an idea I was going to work on for a moxie fic challenge, but it got too big and ran away with me. There is a lot here I am playing with, but I am having fun and enjoying it so far. Both Keira Marcos<\/a> & Jilly James<\/a> helped me get over a hurdle at one point that I will be incredibly thankful for, even while this fic isn’t finished yet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Eir entered the sitting room, already removing her heavy jewels from around her neck. Today\u2019s court session solidified how far the king had fallen in the last season alone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis can not be allowed to continue,\u201d She muttered, crossing the room and entering her dressing room to drop her jewels onto their stands. She reached up to unpin her crown with deft fingers. \u201cHe\u2019s already setting us against other kingdoms for no discernable reason.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAmad?\u201d Thorin called from her sitting room.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be just moment,\u201d She replied, taking a deep breath, pulling on the calm she\u2019d forcibly cultivated over the years. \u201cHave the kitchen send up something to eat, we\u2019ve missed luncheon.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n True or not, the dwarrow were often known for their passions, for the volatile emotions as disruptive to the world around them as their discordant note in the song of life. Eir had determined long ago that she would choose when and where to display her emotions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n She\u2019d become the scalpel to Thrain\u2019s axe and hammer over time. When she\u2019d chosen the craft of healing, she hadn\u2019t known where her life would lead, but she didn\u2019t regret her choice. Her craft did more than bind wounds and cure ailments. It had been a boon when dealing with recalcitrant council members and others of the court more than once over the years.<\/span><\/p>\n Eir brushed her hands down her braids, watching in the mirror as the glittering beads danced in the candlelight like sparks in her red hair.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n She unhooked the loops that held her ceremonial beard in place and, shaking it out gently, set it on the headstand, ready to be brushed out and rebraided later. She gathered a dollop of creme and smoothed it along her cheeks and chin to soothe any irritation. She combed the soft downy hair trailing half down her jawline, quickly twisting a few simple beads into it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAmad, luncheon is here,\u201d Thorin said from the doorway. \u201cAdad will be here soon. Grandfather wanted to speak with him after court was released.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHmm.\u201d Eir turned and met her son\u2019s gaze.<\/span><\/p>\n Thorin was twenty-four this year. He was a child and should be nowhere near these court sessions yet, but here they were. Yes, the boy had to learn these things, but Eir had no desire to see her son poisoned by the miasma surrounding Thror and that she could see beginning to seep into her husband.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s sit down and get something to eat,\u201d She said, gesturing. \u201cHe\u2019ll be along when he can, then.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The meal had been set out on the small table set out near the doors to her garden balcony. It was one of her favorite spots. She smiled at Thorin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI thought it would make your smile,\u201d Thorin said, pulling out her chair.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThank you mizimith.\u201d She sat and let him slide her chair in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Apparently, he <\/span>was<\/span><\/i> paying attention in his etiquette classes. Eir would have to think of a suitable reward. He was growing so quickly; it seemed not so long ago that she\u2019d been untangling his fingers from her braids, and now here they were.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAmad,\u201d Thorin said, sitting down and picking up his fork. He didn\u2019t look up from his plate, though.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it Thorin?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened in court today that made you so upset?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAh,\u201d Eir sighed and reached for a drink of the hot mulled cider that had come with the roast duck. \u201cThat\u2019s a difficult subject to talk about.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s Grandfather, isn\u2019t it?\u201d Thorin lifted his head and met her gaze, his jaw set stubbornly. So like his father.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe is the king.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIs he right?\u201d Thorin was looking back down at his plate again. He pushed the food around with his fork before looking back at Eir. \u201cAre the guilds hiding profits from him? Are they hiding away what should be rightfully his out of their own greed?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think?\u201d Eir took a careful bite of the bird while she watched Thorin think it over.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Thorin replied, drawing out the words. He turned his gaze to the glazed panes set in the balcony doors. \u201cThey didn\u2019t seem to want to give Grandfather this quarter\u2019s tithe, even though it\u2019s rightfully his.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIs it though?\u201d Eir tilted her head and arched her brow at Thorin. \u201cTithing to the king has always been the tradition, true. Of course now its a written contract between the ruling family and the guilds, but it wasn\u2019t always.\u201d She raised her hand when Thorin went to speak. \u201cThe tithe was originally voluntary on the part of the guilds to the royal family in times of prosperity and even when it was first written into contracts, it was a trivial amount meant more to show loyalty and respect to the throne and crown than to fill the coffers. Now\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe contract isn\u2019t like that now. It changes every quarter. Grandfather demands more and more. Tithing on top of the taxes.\u201d Thorin frowned, his fork scraping across his plate, and flashed an apologetic look at Eir. \u201cSorry, Amad.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBe aware of yourself and what you do, even while your mind works on the issues at hand,\u201d She said, softening the rebuke with a smile. \u201cYou will learn to keep your thoughts to yourself in all you do one day, mizimith. That is part of what these meals are about.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d Thorin said, sighing and setting down his fork. \u201cSometimes it just feels like too much to learn, and I\u2019ll never be able to learn it all. I just want to be able to do what\u2019s right for Erebor and our family when it\u2019s my turn.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Eir nodded, taking another drink of her cider. She knew Thorin wouldn\u2019t be so free with his speech if Thrain or anyone else was in the room with them, but she\u2019d cultivated just this relationship with her son.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re doing fine, and you\u2019ll become more proficient with time,\u201d She said, reaching over and taking his hand in hers. \u201cStatecraft isn\u2019t just a title given to what you are learning. This is a true craft that you\u2019ll get mastery of one day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSo you keep telling me,\u201d Thorin replied, sighing, but the corner of his mouth curled up a little.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNow continue with your thoughts,\u201d She said, sitting back. She waved him back to his dinner and the conversation that had been interrupted.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d Thorin began before pausing and reaching for a drink. After swallowing, he continued. \u201cHe keeps raising the tithes every quarter, but not just that. He\u2019s been raising the taxes and the tariffs every time the opportunity comes up.\u201d He tilted his head, closing his eyes. \u201cSometimes I think he\u2019s making those opportunities.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps,\u201d Eir acknowledged. \u201cWhat does this mean?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Thorin said, opening his eyes and staring at her. \u201cHe\u2019s the king, isn\u2019t this his right? Isn\u2019t it all his anyway?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIs it?\u201d Eir raised her brows at her son. \u201cNo, don\u2019t answer that. Just think on this, but speak no more of it. How does what the king is doing benefit the people of Erebor? How does it benefit anyone? Does it benefit anyone?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAmad?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOne final question to think on, mizimith,\u201d Eir said, reaching over and smoothing a hand over his hair. \u201cIs this how a true king who loves his people and kingdom should behave?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEir!\u201d Thrain shut the door behind him, throwing the lock. His eyes were wide with disbelief and no little fear. \u201cYou can\u2019t speak like that, if someone were to hear.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI will speak my mind in my own rooms, Thrain,\u201d Eir replied, ignoring how her heart thundered in her chest. She hadn\u2019t heard her husband come in at all.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re going to end at the end of a sword if you continue,\u201d Thrain muttered, stalking forward and throwing himself into a chair. \u201cAdad won\u2019t allow that kind of treasonous talk, not even from family.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe no longer allows even those of us who call him family to call him by name in person, so I\u2019m not surprised.\u201d Eir served her husband his meal and poured his cider. \u201cYou need to try and talk with him Thrain. He\u2019s reaching the threshold and you know it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere isn\u2019t anything I can do,\u201d Thrain said, emptying his tankard in one go and reaching for the pitcher to refill it. \u201cWe\u2019ve been warned by the elves, Thark\u00fbn, and the others about the dragons, but he won\u2019t\u2026\u201d He sighed and set his tankard down, and shook his head.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s that damnable jewel, and you know it,\u201d Eir said, even knowing that this part of her argument would be ignored. Just like Thark\u00fbn had been before he\u2019d been told to leave the mountain.<\/span> \u201cIt began to turn his mind and poison him with greed almost as soon as he touched it. Who knows what else it has done to him, to those of us in the mountain forced into its presence.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere is nothing wrong with the Arkenstone; it is a blessing from Mahal,\u201d Thrain said, slapping a hand onto the table. \u201cI\u2019ve told you this. It is proof of our right to rule over all the clans of dwarrow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou are Durins of the line of Durin,\u201d Eir scoffed, throwing her hands up in the air. \u201cYou\u2019ve proven yourselves in battle and in your ability to govern before this, what need have you of a cursed jewel to prove your worth. We are dwarrow. We aren\u2019t the dark lord with his ring needed to prove his dominion over all middle earth.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou dare!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOf course I do,\u201d Eir said, standing, her chair toppling behind her. She tried to rein in her temper, but this had been building for some time. \u201cThe King and this jewel threatens Erebor and worse, it threatens my children. Do something about this Thrain or I will take it to the Valar myself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEir, you can\u2019t be serious.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve waited long enough for the situation to right itself on its own, for the council or the guilds to stand up and speak.\u201d Eir paced, hands gesturing with her words. \u201cToday shows that he\u2019ll not stop on his own.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cVery well,\u201d Thrain said, sounding defeated. \u201cI\u2019ll speak with Adad again about the gold and goods based on the warnings about the dragon,\u201d He continued, shaking his head when Eir turned to stare at him. \u201cI won\u2019t mention the Arkenstone, amr\u00e2lim\u00ea. No one who has seen it has felt any foulness from it and Thark\u00fbn was there at the installation ceremony.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe isn\u2019t the all seeing and all knowing one,\u201d Eir said, frowning at her husband. \u201cThe Arkenstone is dangerous.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI won\u2019t hear another word against it,\u201d Thrain said, pounding a fist on the table, his eyes flaring with anger.<\/span><\/p>\n Eir felt her heart crack; she\u2019d seen that look in Thror\u2019s eyes in the beginning. Before, he\u2019d completely been lost to whatever power the Arkenstone held. She wondered if it was too late for her husband already.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cVery well,\u201d She said, pursing her lips unhappily. \u201cI\u2019m going to sit in the garden for a bit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAmad,\u201d Thorin said, following her out. He glanced over his shoulder, and they both watched Thrain eat through the glass windows. \u201cDo you really think something is wrong with the Arkenstone?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Eir replied. She looked at Thorin briefly before taking his hands in hers and staring into his eyes. He was so young, six years from being battle ready and nowhere near adulthood. \u201cHeed me in this Thorin, be wary of that jewel. Guard your mind and your heart as well as you may from it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Thorin opened his mouth, and Eir braced herself for what he might say in defense of the thing that was fast corrupting the line of Durin, one Dwarrow at a time.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThorin,\u201d Thrain called from the door. \u201cCome along. You\u2019ll come to see the king with me now, I\u2019ve received a request for our presence and now is as good as time as any to discuss this with him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThrain?\u201d Eir turned to her husband and saw the madness swirling just a little stronger in his eyes. Fear turned to stone in her stomach. She swallowed down her first response and nodded. \u201cOf course, we\u2019ll be right out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019ll just be Thorin and myself, amr\u00e2lim\u00ea,\u201d Thrain replied, stepping forward and taking her hands. The madness in his eyes had subsided once again. \u201cThis conversation will be difficult enough, and I don\u2019t want to draw his eye to you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYet Thorin will go with you?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAdad requested for his presence for this audience,\u201d Thrain said, the skin around his eyes tightening. \u201cYou know I can\u2019t deny that, especially not now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis has gone on too long,\u201d Eir said, sighing, her heart aching. She turned from her husband and gazed upon her son. \u201cRemember my words and watch where you step in there. I don\u2019t know why you\u2019ve been called for with your Adad, but be wary, Thorin.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou worry too much, Eir,\u201d Thrain said, pulling her back around. \u201cAdad is not someone Thorin needs to fear so long as he\u2019s as loyal as a true Durin should be.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAs you say, but you remember that just because he\u2019s in line, he\u2019s still a child Thrain,\u201d Eir said, seeing the snap of madness beginning to rise and knowing better than to argue against it before sending her son out at Thrain\u2019s side. \u201cUse my rooms to freshen up and then you should both hurry to Thror. He won\u2019t be happy if he\u2019s kept waiting long.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Eir drew Thorin into her arms as he went past her, \u201cRemember my words son and be wary.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYes Amad.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Eir didn\u2019t know if Thorin would take her words to heart, but he\u2019d listened earlier when they\u2019d spoken, so she held onto hope as Thrain and Thorin left her rooms.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n ***<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019ll heal Your Highness,\u201d Fundin said from the doorway.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m aware of that, better than you.\u201d Eir flicked him a glance before resuming her examination of Thrain, where he lay unconscious on the bed before her. \u201cTell me again what happened, and leave nothing out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThrain sent word that he wanted to speak with His Majesty, so I went to arrange it, but King Thror was already sending for an audience with Prince Thrain and Prince Thorin. King Thror was in a good mood, despite how the audience went. His only command was that Prince Thorin accompany his father.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Eir frowned at that as she smoothed the bed covers over Thrain\u2019s too-still body and glanced at her son. He sat on the other side of the bed staring at his Adad, but he\u2019d said little since they\u2019d returned; Thrain with stab wounds to his shoulder and side. He\u2019d come in on a stretcher between two guards, and Thorin rushing in after with a bruised cheek that he refused to have her look at until Thrain was healed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGo on,\u201d She said as the silence continued, and she turned her attention to Thorin now that Thrain had been bandaged and poulticed. \u201cAnd make sure to cover the part about why a healer wasn\u2019t sent for. And stop with the ridiculous formalities, Fundin.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou are a great healer, Lady Eir,\u201d Fundin said, nodding his head in Thrain\u2019s direction. \u201cNo one else could have done better.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFundin,\u201d Eir said, standing straight and facing the man head-on. \u201cI\u2019m not sure who you think you\u2019re fooling, but you\u2019ve known me for too long now to play that game with me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t let it get out that King Thror did this to the prince, or at least the exact manner in which it was done,\u201d Fundin sighed. \u201cWe don\u2019t know what the repercussions would be, for the king or for Thrain.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The light from the lanterns in the room caused shadows to drift about, hanging over Thrain and Thorin in such a way that she had the oddest desire to call for more light. She shook off her unease but turned up the light closest to Thorin anyway.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou know as well as I do that it\u2019s already out of hand,\u201d Eir said; she tilted Thorin\u2019s chin up. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, mizimith. Are you harmed anywhere else?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo, Amad,\u201d Thorin said; he met her gaze with eyes full of pain and shock. Eir was aware that the majority of that pain wasn\u2019t physical, though, and her heart ached fiercely for her son. \u201cI\u2019m fine. Adad didn\u2019t let Grandfather turn on me when the talking became fighting. It was almost like they didn\u2019t even notice me. They knocked me back when they lunged for the stone at the same time. I was just in the way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve still been bruised.\u201d She smoothed some balm over the discoloration on his face. She kept her rage under wraps at the thought of grown dwarrow knocking her son out of their way to get to a pretty bauble.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI tried to get Adad out,\u201d Thorin glanced toward the bed and then toward the door where Fundin was. \u201cI thought Grandfather was going to kill him and nobody was coming to help. I think if Adad hadn\u2019t fallen and looked like he was dead, Grandfather would have made sure of it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf anyone had entered that room before the king left it wouldn\u2019t have been to help your Adad, young prince. They would have seen your Adad as the one committing and attack on the throne and King Thror,\u201d Fundin said. Eir could hear him stroking his hand down his beard by the sound of the beads. \u201cLuckily, the rooms are soundproofed from most of the entryways. I did what I could by keeping them out from my office until King Thror came stomping through my office and I knew you were alone in there. Then I called for those I trust for help in getting you back to your Amad where your Adad could get the healing he needed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou were right Amad,\u201d Thorin said, obviously dismissing Fundin and looking back at her. \u201cI heard it Amad.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean Thorin?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt spoke in my head,\u201d Thorin said, and he leaned forward, reaching up and gripping her arm, his eyes going wide as he continued. \u201cI swear I heard it whispering to me Amad, promising me all sorts of things. When Grandfather met us in the treasury rooms he took it out of the chest and it was even louder.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Eir nodded; she\u2019d expected they\u2019d go to the treasury vaults. Thror didn\u2019t leave that part of the mountain much anymore except for court or profit these days. That he\u2019d insisted on both Thrain and Thorin for an audience had led her to believe it would also have something to do with that damnable stone.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe King had the Arkenstone out of its chest? He hasn\u2019t taken it out in the presence of anyone since he packed it away nearly a decade ago.\u201d Fundin shut the door with a thud as he finally entered the room.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGrandfather started talking about our legacy and a new beginning for the line of Durin. I couldn\u2019t pay attention to him very much because the stone was so noisy.\u201d He looked at Eir and frowned. \u201cI don\u2019t remember it being noisy before.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cNo, but I do not believe you were ever this close to it before.\u201d Eir leaned against the side of the bed, feeling bile rise in her throat. What was that stone, and what was it doing to her family? \u201cFundin, where is Thror now?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe headed towards his rooms from what I could tell.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDo we know where the Arkenstone is?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe took it with him,\u201d Thorin said, swallowing audibly. \u201cGrandfather told Adad that he would never be worthy of it and then he took it with him when he left. He didn\u2019t even look at me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThank Mahal for that much, at least,\u201d Eir murmured, closing her eyes as she let out a heavy breath.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAdad will be alright, won\u2019t he?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe wound to his shoulder isn\u2019t too bad, it\u2019s glancing at the worst, and if he\u2019d been wearing more than his leathers, it would have been nothing,\u201d Eir said, torn between wanting to reassure Thorin and not wanting to lie to him. \u201cThe one in his side seems to have missed anything vital, so I don\u2019t believe it will go bad. Thrain will have to take it easy once he wakes, but I believe he\u2019ll recover from his wounds well enough.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhy isn\u2019t he awake yet?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what has me concerned,\u201d Eir admitted, reaching over and smoothing a hand over Thorin\u2019s hair. \u201cYou say you were shoved out of the way and that\u2019s how you hit your cheek. I imagine that your Adad and Grandfather were doing a bit of that with each other, but dwarrow heads are tough and that shouldn\u2019t have been enough to keep Thrain out this long. I\u2019m not worried about it yet, but\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI wish I was older,\u201d Thorin said, standing. He fidgeted for a moment, and his gaze cut to Fundin for a second.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll see what I can find out about what the King is doing about this incident,\u201d Fundin said.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf you have to,\u201d Eir replied, sighing again. \u201cCall it a sparring accident. Thrain can take the hit to his pride, especially if it comes at the hand of his Adad. You can say they were showing off for Thorin, recreating a battle for him or something. Just let us know the details so that Thorin will know what to say if he\u2019s asked.\u201d She glanced across the bed she was still leaning on. \u201cAnd Thrain as well when he wakes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cUnless or until King Thror contradicts it, that sounds like the best plan,\u201d Fundin said before bowing and exiting the room.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCome here Mizimith,\u201d Eir said as soon as the door to Thrain\u2019s room was shut.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAmad,\u201d Thorin breathed out and flung himself into her arms, finally acting the child he still was. \u201cI thought he was going to kill us and I don\u2019t even know why.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMy little gem.\u201d Eir pressed her cheek to Thorin\u2019s head, sorrow filling her. This was not the life she wanted for her son. He already had different duties and responsibilities at this age because of his place in the family, but he shouldn\u2019t know the pain of betrayal like this. Not from his own blood, not from his king. \u201cWe\u2019ll figure it out my little love, we will.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHow?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Thorin didn\u2019t wail the word, but Eir could feel his tears soaking through the top of her dress. She pulled back enough to look at his face and meet his reddened gaze.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re dwarrow, and Mahal made us to endure, and he gave us the ability to see what is beyond the surface. I believe we\u2019ll use both those skills here,\u201d She said softly, smoothing the loose wisps of hair back off his face. \u201cI\u2019ll take care of this, Thorin. This should not have gone on for so long, but it had an insidious creep, and now\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nChapter One<\/strong><\/h1>\n