A Song of Durin
Being an Account of Durin the Deathless and His Lost Hobbit Consort, Written at the Request of Certain Pestersome Young Dwarf Princes Who Really Need To Stop Worrying About Getting Their Beard
(Honestly, Kili, there are stories Balin could tell you about your Uncle Thorin -- all right, all right, dearest, I'll say no more....)
by Thorin Oakenshield, King Under the Mountain and His Consort, Bilbo Baggins of the Shire
It is said that Durin, named the Deathless by his kin and eldest of the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves, was also the sole Dwarf created without a mate.
His mate is not named in the stories for Durin had loved one of Yavanna’s Children, the Little Folk known as the Halflings or Hobbits. Indeed, Yavanna had thought that the Children of Aule would do well with her own Little Ones, for they love the Earth and tend to the things that grow and Yavanna thought it would be well to remind Aule's Children that this too is as much a part of Arda as rock and stone and bright jewels.
But compared to Dwarves, Hobbits live only a little more than a hundred years and Durin’s sorrow and grief at the loss of his mate, for he would love no other, was great indeed. Thus it was that his mate’s name was lost to time for the Dwarves then learned not to speak of it, lest they incur the wrath of their King.
But his mate's memory lingers amongst their descendants and here it is mentioned that this Hobbit was indeed as fair, if not fairer, than any Elf that walked under the stars and that Durin's Beloved loved music and tales and sunlight. And when they lifted their voice in song, Durin himself would sing with his beloved and the music they made would be fair and sweet. So though their time was brief, in Dwarf-reckoning, there was also great joy and Durin would take comfort in the greatest treasure that his mate would leave him - their children and children's children.
Indeed, it is said that Durin may have been Deathless for he would return to seek out his mate again, who would be reborn into this world as well. And so it was that they would find each other once more, the great Gift that they received from Aule and Yavanna, showing mercy and compassion towards their children who had loved each other so and yet only had the briefest of time to be with each other.
And it is also thus that the Line of Durin grow their beards late, which of course, caused a great many of them to suffer some teasing and mischief from their fellow Dwarves as young lads. While they are of the Dwarven Clan of Longbeards, only time and age eventually allow them to show an appearance to merit the name. The Dwarves descended from Durin’s Line can move with uncommon silence for Dwarves, are sharp-eared and keen-eyed and as young dwarflings, they are as merry, mischievous and as full of cheer as the most rambunctious Took.
In turn, the Tooks speak much of their ancestor who took a fairy wife or husband, the tales are oft confusing and woe to you if you try to ask a Took which story is which, for you’ll only get a smile and a mischievous wink. But they also have a story about a Took ancestor who ran away with a Dwarf King a very, very long time ago, when the world was young indeed.
So these days, the Tooks were among the only Hobbits who were not surprised when their kinsman, Bilbo Baggins, was whisked away by a Dwarf King, who may or may not resemble the ancient Dwarf King described in Tookish family tales and stories. After all, Bilbo was a Took too, on his mother’s side and the Tooks are rather proud that their cousin was an apple who definitely did not fall far from its tree, despite the Baggins influence.
In fact, there were a great many sentimental tears shed during the wedding of Bilbo Baggins to Thorin Oakenshield, mainly from the romantically-inclined Tooks and it was rather fortunate that the more sensible Brandybucks thought to provide their Took kin with extra handkerchiefs.
To be sure, the path towards that wedding had been filled with adventures that no respectable Hobbit would have taken and there was much grief and sorrow ere the coming of this very Happy End. However, the Shire would be telling this particular tale for a great many years. After all, it was not every day that a Dwarf King would walk in the Shire and find his way around as if he'd lived there in years (though perhaps the presence of his beloved Hobbit may have a great deal to do with that, directionally-challenged out of a mountain as he is). And it was not every day that the Hobbits would hear a Dwarf King raise his voice in song and by so doing, courted his beloved so beautifully, winning his heart yet again.
This Hobbit would like to note that his heart was already won, even before the singing commenced, though he'd thought that he'd been a fool to give it away so carelessly and had thought that he would be broken for all time.
This Dwarf would like to note that he is most heartily sorry for his transgressions against his beloved and would swear that he'd do his utmost to ensure that he would not cause his love sorrow in future, else he would shave off his beard in shame.
This Hobbit would like to observe that such dramatic action is not necessary, as he loves his King with his whole heart and soul and would not wish him to abase himself so. A simple apology would suffice.
This Dwarf would like to observe that his Burglar ought to allow him to cherish his Consort as the treasure beyond all treasures that he is and really, he should not exert himself any further in the writing of this chronicle, given his current condition.
This Dwarf and Hobbit's nephews would like to state that while they are quite delighted with the current state of things with their two favorite uncles, they are already drowning in the fluff and they would like to thank Uncle Thorin and Uncle Bilbo for writing out this lovely story.
The Nephews will be happy to share it with their new cousin, when he (or she!) deigns to arrive.
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