The Sons of Durin

The Error of Dáin Ironfoot

When the time came that all the fallen women, children, and elderly folk among the displaced people of Laketown had been restored by the enchantments of Thranduil, and when the Men began to bring forth their dead warriors to the Elvenking, Kíli could not bear to wait any longer to have the life of his uncle Thorin Oakenshield renewed. So it was that when the first soldier was brought for healing, Kíli resolved to bring Thorin to Dale as quickly as possible, for he had decided that he would not wait until it fit Thranduil's whim to return the magic stone. But as he was just leaving the town, ready to make his way across the battlefield and back to Ravenhill to bring back Thorin's body, Balin stopped him.

"Kíli, lad, where are you off to?" Balin asked.

"To find Thorin and bring him here, of course!" replied Kíli passionately. "I cannot wait for the Elvenking to give the stone back—what if he never does? But he is healing the fallen warriors now, and a fallen warrior Thorin is if he is nothing else! I won't wait any longer!"

Balin shook his head slowly, thinking. "My lad," he said, "it may be that the Elvenking will refuse to heal your uncle, due to their longstanding enmity and strife."

"He will," said Kíli. "He has to!"

"And if he refuses?" said Balin.

"He has not that authority!" Kíli burst out, pumping his fist in the air. "The stone is mine!"

"But do you know how to use it?" asked Balin gently.

"Are you saying that I shouldn't bring him here for healing?" Kíli demanded. "Just for fear that the wretch of an Elf-king might refuse to heal him?"

For a moment, Balin said nothing. When he spoke, his voice was quiet and had a hint of apprehension in it, as though he wished he could withhold the information that he was now choosing to bestow upon Kíli, but knew that he could not in good conscience do so. "You hope that your uncle and brother may be brought to life," he said, "and that is all very well. But for now, they are indeed dead." Kíli was about to object, to insist that it need not be that way, but Balin continued: "Which makes you king."

"That does not matter," Kíli said impatiently. "I won't have to be king for long! Now let me go, I have got to find Thorin."

"Kíli, what I am saying is this: it will be up to you to persuade the elvish lord Thranduil to aid your uncle. It will be for you to negotiate the price of his healing, and for others to fetch his body. My brother and I shall see to that, if you should desire it."

"Price!" Kíli exclaimed. For a moment his eyes widened, and then they narrowed furiously. "Price? As if any price could be put on Uncle Thorin's life! And what would the elf-king demand in return for it? He's already taken the Arkenstone itself, what more can he have?"

"His white gems, perhaps," Balin suggested. "But, truly, you are right, for there can be no price put on the life of our king. Therefore, you must agree to give whatever the Elvenking demands, and you must give it before Thorin is restored to life."

"But..."

"No time for butting, lad. There's nothing else for it. You've got to just swallow your pride, I'm afraid, and give him whatever he—"

"No!" Kíli interrupted, clenching and unclenching his fists in a repeated gesture of agitation. "I'll promise him whatever he wants, and I'll give it to him, too, but it will not be given until after Thranduil has performed his task of restoration! I'm not going to risk paying him all the gold in Erebor, just to let him walk off with his pockets lined and leave Thorin dead and stiff and ready for the grave! No, I won't let him cheat us! I'll give anything to see Thorin brought back to life, but not until the job's been done!"