A Tale of Time

Chapter 7: Feeling Blue

Chapter 7:

"You seem chirpier than you have been for a while," Dwalin notes. It is the middle of the day, the pair eating lunch together in one of the common room chambers, a few other Dwarves lingering around. Thorin, Kili, and Fili are all in a council with Thranduil and Bard, finalising a new treaty between the three of them.

Gailien nods with a small smile. "Yes," she agrees. "Kili and Fili are truly wonderful. This world doesn't deserve them. I must thank their mother one day. Dis I believe her name is."

Dwalin smiles fondly. "Dis is a remarkable woman, much like Thorin but motherly. She will likely be quite stiff meeting you for the first time, but it won't take long for her to like you."

"I'm glad you think she will," Gailien muses. "I think not being like by Thorin's sister and the boy's mother would be a little hard, but I won't be insulted if she doesn't. I am still an Elf after all."

"And Elf that has helped bring her boys home."

"Actually, on the topic of homes, what is our dear Bilbo up to?"

"Said something about Gandalf escorting him home. I think he's leaving tomorrow," Dwalin says, resting back against the spine of his chair. "Never thought I'd say this, but I'm going to miss our burglar."

"Me too," she hums with a tiny smile. "I know you lot will be terrible at it, but I'll write him letters. Maybe a few of us could visit him some time as well."

"I reckon that if Balin is feeling up to it, he would join you. Kili as well but Fili will likely be helping Thorin and learning how to be king. He won't get much time away from Erebor."

Gailien quietens for a moment, just lost in thought. "Things are already changing," she notes softly. "I'm sure they'll be good – not being chased by Orcs." She laughs to herself, fiddling with a loose thread on her blouse. "But I'm going to miss it just being the company. Our little songs and stories around a fire under the stars."

"I miss when you used to be quiet," Dwalin sighs in reminiscence. "That was my favourite time of the entire quest." Gailien scoffs, pushing his shoulder roughly. Dwalin laughs, tilting in his seat. "But I'll miss it too lass. Except for Mirkwood."

"I don't blame you."

Xx

"I need your help," Gailien declares as soon as Thorin leaves the council chambers. She waves at the brothers as they walk out. Thorin frowns, brushing a strand of her from her face.

"Is everything alright?"

"Perfectly fine if you wish for me to not be wearing anything to the feast tonight," she states hastily. "I have no idea what I should be wearing."

"Whatever you wish to wear," Thorin answers. "Though I must say that I would prefer you in some sort of clothing in front of other people." Gailien rolls her eyes at both remarks. He really isn't being helpful.

"I haven't been to anything of this scale in four hundred years, Thorin. Let alone a Dwarvish one. Should I wear something to fit in, something that stands out? Should I be wearing pants or a dress?" Her head tilts side to side, weighing each option in her head. "Is there going to be dancing? Because that will change what shoes I need to wear. And if I need to wear a certain pair of shoes than that might change what I can wear."

Thorin's mind swirls as she rambles on, not having any previous idea that such a frivolous thing would get her mind going so much. "You didn't worry this much back in Lake-town."

"Because the only thing provided to me was a child's dress," she counters. "Now I have a closet full of different things and I don't know what is appropriate. So, will you please help me?"