There were few people that Thorin Oakenshield trusted. He trusted his kin, but that was it. After losing the Lonely Mountain, the dwarves of Erebor were looked down upon by many races of Middle Earth and elves had a special place of distrust in Thor...
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The sound of metal hitting metal rang out. To most familiar with life in the mountain, they would assume that the sound came from the forges. They would not, however, expect to find two elves dueling at the training grounds. Vedis and Oreliell were exchanging blows, their swords clashing hard against one another.
Since coming to Erebor, they had spent several days a week training together. It had begun as a way to help Oreliell regain her movement during her recovery. Now that she had fully recovered, they continued to spar.
Vedis liked the familiarity of sparring with her sister. They had trained together since they were children, and they continued to do so as they grew older and after their home had been destroyed. They knew each other's movements, strategies, and skills. They matched each other well. Their fights were a work out, but only slightly challenging.
The training grounds of Erebor were spacious. There was an armory close by, filled with swords, spears, and armor for practice. It was perfect for large groups, like the newly formed Ereborian guard. Many dwarves were anxious to serve their home and their king. Dwalin had been in charge of overseeing their training, and took great pride in what the dwarrows had accomplished. The space was also the perfect place for the sisters to hold their own sparring sessions while still being out of the way of the dwarves.
The openness of the space also allowed for Vedis to hear when someone was approaching. She took a step back from the fight to glance at the entrance. Thorin stepped onto the grounds, a smile on his face.
"Evening," he greeted. He kept his distance from the two in case they resumed their fight.
Oreliell smiled back at him while Vedis merely nodded.
Several weeks had passed since Oreliell and Thorin announced their engagement to the council and to the people of Erebor. Many seemed pleased that Thorin had found his One and that they would have a queen, even if Oreliell was an elf. Most dwarves seemed unbothered by the elven presence in the mountain, thankful for the help that they provided in rebuilding.
Vedis was slowly coming around to the idea of her sister's relationship. Initially, she had not been happy that Oreliell had given her the slip at the banquet to speak to Thorin all those weeks ago. She was protective of her younger sister, just as she had always been. She was angry that Thorin had treated her so horribly before the Battle of the Five Armies. When Oreliell had come to Dale, close to tears and with blood dripping from her forehead, Vedis had wanted to march up to the mountain and throttle Thorin.
But Oreliell had explained to her what she and Thorin had discussed, how they were going to take their time and renew their relationship. And while Vedis wasn't entirely thrilled about giving Thorin a second chance, she knew that she needed to. Elves love once, and Thorin was Oreliell's one. Besides, Vedis couldn't remember the last time she had seen her sister smile so much.
