More Than Meets the Eye

Chapter Five

Thorin tried to ignore the dull ache in his right shoulder as he went up to the Great Hall, where he usually joined the others for meals. He spotted Dis in her usual spot, over by Balin and his brother Dwalin. For a while, he thought there might be something between Dwalin and his sister, and he wasn't exactly certain how he felt about that. But then, Dwalin left Ered Luin to join Thorin on his quest to retake Erebor and now? Now, Thorin neither knew nor cared much, really. He had too many other things on his mind these days. If Dis wanted to take up with Dwalin, she had Thorin's blessing. As for Dwalin? Well, he was on his own now...

"Thorin?" Dis looked up, her eyes filled with concern. "Are you all right? You look pale."

"I'm fine. As I told Elen, I did not sleep well." He kept quiet about his shoulder. He didn't need Dis nagging him the way Elen seemed to, nor did he want anyone else knowing about it. He nodded at the other two. "Good morning, Balin, Dwalin."

Dwalin looked up. "She's right, ye know. Ye do look pale."

"Thank you for noticing," Thorin growled back, fighting off the urge to roll his eyes as he sank onto the long, narrow bench. "I'm fine. Merely tired, is all."

She pushed her cup of tea toward him. "Drink this. You look as if you need it far more than I do."

He pushed it back. "I'm fine, Dis. What did you come see me about?"

She looked over at the other two. "Come and take a walk with me, Thorin."

Dwalin let out a snort. "She's got yer wife all picked out for ye, don't ye?"

She glared at him. "You have a big mouth, has anyone ever told you that?"

Balin chuckled. "Only everyone who's ever met him, I'm afraid."

Thorin glared at his sister. "Dis, we already talked about this—"

"Just walk with me."

Since she was already getting to her feet, and he knew he'd never hear the end of it if he attempted to ignore her request, so he also grudgingly rose. The Great Hall was beginning to get busy as the dwarves readied themselves to descend into the mines. The forges had been restarted, equipment was slowly being repaired, and operations, which resumed not quite a month ago, were moving at a steady pace. Erebor was slowly, but steadily, climbing back to the position it held before Smaug the Terrible staked his claim on it.

He wove his way through the throngs. In the beginning, it was only the thirteen of them—the original company. Thirteen dwarves and a halfling named Bilbo Baggins, who'd been responsible for finding the Arkenstone, among other things, both good and bad. He'd returned to the Shire after the Battle of the Five Armies, once Thorin and his nephews received the all-clear to leave Rivendell. But since his return, the dwarves of Ered Luin had made their way to Erebor as well—for some it was a homecoming, but for others, it was the opportunity to see the city their parents reminisced about for nearly a century.

Thorin thought about the Hobbit from time to time—Bilbo had betrayed him, but had done so  for the right reasons, even if Thorin didn't think he would ever be able to trust him again. He'd been sick, suffered from dragon sickness, and Bilbo had done what he did for Thorin's own good, but that didn't mean such a betrayal didn't leave its mark, because it most certainly did.

Dis came up alongside him and slipped her arm through his. He and Dwalin were two of the tallest dwarves in Erebor, while Dis only barely reached his shoulder. She leaned her head against his arm as they strolled out onto the ramparts, high above the plains stretching between Erebor and Dale, the city of Men.

It was a beautiful spring day—blue sky, puffy white clouds, a hint of warmth on the steady breeze, and in the distance, he could see Dale's streets were alive with the hustle and bustle of the life that resumed shortly after his return to Erebor.