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Thorin looked out over the small herd of ponies that were to take him and his Company from the Blue Mountains and onward onto their quest. He was trying to ignore Dís' glare that was boring into the back of his head. He had no answer he could give her, or at least none that would not make her think he was as mad as their grandfather had been before he'd passed.
“Thorin.”
He kept his head down as he fussed with his saddle and the packs attached to the back.
“Thorin.”
His shoulders sagged as he turned around. Dis was a step behind him. He glanced around to see that Nori's boys had cleared the area, leaving the little stables in their settlement empty but for them. “Dís.”
“What is going on?”
Thorin looked away. It was on the tip of his tongue to lie to her.
“Do not,” she raised a hand. He looked back to see tears in her eyes. Whatever in the world... “It's taking you, isn't it? The same madness that took Grandfather, that took Father...it's taking you and now you're going to take my boys and –”
“Dís...Dís, no .” Thorin grabbed her hand, horrified to see the helpless rage in her eyes. “I am not struck with the gold sickness.” Not anymore a nasty voice whispered in the back of his mind. He pushed it aside.
“Then what are you doing? What is going on? Why are you leaving?”
Thorin hesitated and then glanced around, pulling her to the side of the stables so they were tucked into a small nook. Dís gaped at him but let him move her, until they were side by side, like they used to be in Erebor's great halls, hiding under the windows in the Royal Wing when their Grandfather was having a bad day.
“Thorin, what...”
“Do you remember how the holy ones came to Grandfather, almost a year before Smaug came?” Thorin pressed his palms together, stilling the tremor in his hands.
“...Yes.”
“Do you remember how they spoke of dreams?”
“Yes. But why...no. Thorin, no.”
He did not want to lie to his sister but the dreams of their holy people were something all their kind knew. Their holy people were their conduits to their Maker, would pass along messages and dreams, sometimes guiding their people out of chaos and misery, sometimes not. Most often it was the kings, too mad with power or gold sickness, who ignored their warnings and led their people into ruin and not the fault of the holy ones themselves.
“There are things happening in the world that are greater than us. Greater than retaking Erebor, even.” He saw her mouth open in shock before she snapped it closed. “I have to go. We have to go. But I swear to you, both Fíli and Kíli will be alright, even if I have to tie them up and ship them off to Lord Elrond himself to keep them that way.”
She blinked at him and then made a face. “Elves? Since when would you trust elves with my boys?”
He made a face right back at her. “Better get used to them,” he muttered. He had no idea if Kíli was going to fall for that elven archer again and tried not to think about it on principle. Then he shook that thought off. “Either way, I must go. Dwalin and I...our One is in danger,” he finished on a whisper, causing Dís to go still at his side. “We must go.”
“But...I thought Dwalin was...you're both...”
“I know,” he ducked his head. “I have a chance – we have a chance – to have our One in our lives. He's not even a dwarf,” Thorin rubbed a shaking hand over his face. “I will hold the title until we retake Erebor and then Fíli will take my place. I will not lose him, Dís. I can't. We can't.”
“You...”
“Dís, please.”
She let out a heavy breath. “He's not one of us?”
“That is what you're focusing on?” Then he had to yelp because she was hitting him. “Stop it! Dís – Dís, would you stop?”
“Are you two done being children?”
Thorin ducked his head at the same time his sister did. Then he looked up to see Balin standing in front of them, arms crossed over his chest, and a heavy frown on his face.
“Is it true?” Dís said before he Thorin could say a word. “The dreams from the holy ones...it is true you must go?”
Thorin closed his eyes for a moment and then looked up at Balin. His old friend, bless him, did not even blink.
“Yes,” Balin said. “They were quite insistent.”
“I had no idea,” Dís finally sagged, all fight going out of her. “I thought...I thought they would come to me, first, before...”
That was, technically, what was supposed to happen.
“Dori was in the chambers when the dreams came through,” Balin said. Thorin squinted up at him. “Dori came to me and I went to Thorin. We must go, my lady. I am sorry.”
Dís bowed her head for a moment before turning back to Thorin. “And I am to rule in your place?”
Thorin winced. His sister had never wanted the responsibility of the rule of their people. It made her nervous, anxious, and had in the past made her physically sick.
Balin surprised him though, with how he went to one knee in front of Dís and took one of her hands in his. “Glóin's wife, and Bombur's, will be at your side through all of this. You will not be alone.”
“Amli and Syrn are both guild masters in their own rights,” Thorin added when it looked as though Dís would hesitate. “Both of them have faced down their opponents in the rings, should you need a second.”
“Thorin! I'm not going to need to fight anyone.” Then she stopped and narrowed her eyes at him. “Thorin. Am I going to need to fight anyone?”
“No,” he said. Perhaps a bit too quick.
“Thorin.”
“My lady,” Balin took her attention back. “There are a few others who would like to be introduced to you –”
Thorin saw Nori slip out from the shadows and suddenly had a very bad feeling about the next words coming out of Balin's mouth.
“They are some of Nori's trusted...gentlefolk, shall we say, and they will keep you safe when Amli and Syrn cannot.”
“Balin,” Thorin began.
“The lady needs her own shadows too,” Nori was the one to say. Thorin took one look at the once-thief's face and knew he was beat. He had gotten vague answers from Nori over the last week about just what had gone on afterwards, as everyone had taken to calling it, for all of his Company and in particularly Nori and Thorin had liked none of it. From what Thorin could also put together Nori was perhaps the first of them to come back in time, for reasons no one knew, but Nori himself seemed rather smug about it. Either way by the time their Company had come back together Nori had taken over the shadows of their little settlement in the Blue Mountains and held it all with an iron fist. Nori's dominion as royal Spymaster had started early and Thorin still wasn't sure if he was proud or concerned over this.
Dís, however, seemed to be delighted with the dwarves Nori had assigned to her and by the time they got mounted his sister was far more cheerful and bright eyed. She gave both Fíli and Kíli a long embrace, thumped Thorin on the shoulder and told them all to keep her informed of their whereabouts. They all agreed – though Thorin was absolutely going to send the message that he and Dwalin were on their way to Mordor about a week after they returned from that Black Land – and with little fanfare they were on their way, as was planned.
Their first stop was the Shire, where Thorin and Dwalin would introduce themselves to the Thain and try to see if they could find out any more information relating to Bilbo's disappearance. Then they would head to Rivendell and hopefully catch up to Bilbo there, before he disappeared into the mountains to find the Ring. None of them wanted their Burglar to face those dangers alone. Not again.
So they set off from the Blue Mountains at a fast trot, their hopes high that they would be able to catch up with Bilbo somewhere on the road. They never knew that as they left the Blue Mountains Bilbo was already leaving Rivendell, with more than two tall shadows to guard his back.