Adult-FanFiction.org : Lord of the Rings

Mending the Broken Pieces	By : LadyLaran Category: Lord of the Rings Movies > Het - Male/Female Views: 13613 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own "the Hobbit" nor do I make money from this story. Tolkien and Jackson are the ones who own the characters and world.

Chapter List
- 34
- 35
- 36
Author’s Note - The response to the last chapter was awesome; I cannot thank you guys enough for your amazing support. I hope this chapter continues to please!

Disclaimer – I do not own “the Hobbit” nor do I make money from this story.

Chapter Thirty-five – Covert Meeting

Nori didn’t return to the house until late the following night; the day had passed slowly as Balin worked with the Master’s lackey in regards to the supplies they would need. Hawthorn stayed out of the way, catching up on the sleep she had missed during the company’s captivity and taking the medicine Calon-Tad had put together to help ease the symptoms of the head cold.

He and Gloin had both told her about their time at Astrid’s home, and her heart ached when they spoke of the gratitude from the widow. She’d lost her husband before giving birth to their only child, and the woman had struggled to keep food on the table since his death. She had fallen ill and been unable to work, leaving little food in the home and that had gone to the child.

Hawthorn was glad they’d been able to help and wished she could do more for them and the others of this town. Thorin had agreed with her when he’d heard of the plight of the child and her mother, and he was frustrated about not being able to do anything to help the residents here at this point in time. They could only hope Nori would find someone who would be willing to work with them in regards to rebuilding Dale and moving the people out of Laketown, away from the Master. Ideally, he’d rather work with a descendent of the original king of Dale but at this point, he would take anyone who had the needs of their people first in their priorities.

The missing dwarf arrived after the evening meal, well after the sun had set, and he did not come alone. A man, cloaked and hooded, entered the house after Nori entered, and the company paused in their discussion to hear what the thief had to say.

“I have someone you should meet,” Nori said, nodding to the man standing next to him. “This is Bard, descendent of Girion, the last lord of Dale.”

Bard removed the hood as Thorin rose, extending his hand in greeting to the man.

“Well met, Master Bard,” he greeted, clasping the man’s forearm when the gesture was returned.

“Well met, King Thorin,” Bard replied. “Your dwarf was insistent that you wanted to speak with me and said it was of vital importance.”

“I do, and it’s about a serious matter that concerns all of us a great deal,” Thorin responded, pausing when the man’s eyes fell upon where Hawthorn was sitting.

“You must be young Astrid’s queen,” the man said, smiling softly when the hobbit blushed. “She and her mother are my neighbors, and I overheard her telling my daughters the story about meeting you last night.”

“I am Hawthorn Baggins, daughter of Bungo and Oin,” she greeted, remembering the proper dwarven way of introducing herself. “I had the pleasure of meeting Miss Astrid last night. I’m afraid she quite won my heart with her sweet ways; I just with there was more I could do to help her.”

“Your kindness to her was one of the reasons I agreed to meet with King Thorin,” he told her. “Sending your family to help Nessa was something most people would not have done for a stranger, child involved or no; I had no idea her illness had gotten so bad. She’d told her daughter not to tell me so I am grateful you found Astrid last night.”

“No one should have to suffer from hunger or lack of care,” she said softly. “I wasn’t able to give her much, and the company took me by surprise by sneaking food out of the banquet as well. Calon-Tad said that it would keep them for a few days until Nessa is able to return to work.”

“I added what I could spare to those supplies,” he informed her. “I also told Astrid that the next time her mother gets ill or there’s no food to tell me even if Nessa says not to. She promised to do so, and I know she will keep her promise since she’s a good girl.”

“Thank you for helping her,” Hawthorn told him. “That eases my mind a little bit.”

“Thank you for doing the same,” he answered, taking a seat and looking over at Thorin. “You mean to enter the mountain, don’t you?”

“My people are not doing well,” Thorin answered bluntly. “The place we settled cannot sustain us for much longer, and we are not farmers. Ered Luin is not safe, and I need a home for my people where they will not be vulnerable to attacks and poor weather. A place where they can earn enough money to feed their families.”

“Our situations are similar then, and I am sorry to hear it,” Bard sighed. “We did well enough after Dale burned, but the current master of this town has bled it dry with his taxes and other laws that do not allow our people to flourish as they once did. We are not able to fish as we should because he wants to control everything that comes in or out of this town.”

“What do you think of reclaiming the title your family held and leading them to Dale? I am willing to help in anyway I can,” the king-in-exile told him. “Your people can be prosperous and proud once more, and no child will go to bed cold or hungry ever again.”

“I see the wisdom of what you propose, but I fear what will happen to the people here when you enter the mountain.”

“Only a fool would not be afraid of what sleeps in Erebor,” Thorin assured him. “The plan is to recover the Arkenstone and use it as a means of calling upon the oaths sworn on it to aid the line of Durin. If all goes well, we will engage the beast in the mountain without endangering your people.”

“That is if it goes well,” he objected quietly. “Things have a habit of not going well these days. Yet I am very aware that the dragon will eventually waken and need to feed; Laketown will be his hunting grounds.

“As much as I wish to keep you from going, I know I have no right to do so but I know Smaug will target this town once he is woken by your company.”

“Evacuate all who will listen to you when we leave,” the dwarf lord suggested. “If the worm is enraged, there won’t be as many for him to kill if you remove whoever will follow you.”

“I can do that for those who look to me for guidance, even when I do not wish for them to do so,” he replied. “I also have means of killing the worm should he attack. The story passed down from Girion is that a scale was removed when he shot at Smaug. Another shot could not be made as he had already moved out of range of the wind-lance.”

“If the ravens are there, we can send a message to you confirming the location of the weak point if there is one and it looks as if he will descend upon the town,” Thorin offered.

“I think that will be best,” Bard agreed. “I will do my best to get as many people to evacuate as I can, including my children, and then wait for your news.”

The two rose, grasping each other’s forearms in agreement.

“We will see to it our people become prosperous and flourish as the Valar intended them to,” the king-in-exile stated, making Bard nod.

“We will indeed. I should go; my children are waiting, and I have much to do starting tomorrow. I will wait for your message once you reach Erebor in case Smaug leaves the mountain,” the man stated, drawing his hood back up and leaving.

Once they were alone, Thorin turned his eyes to Nori.

“You’ve done well,” he told him. “What else did you uncover?”

“The Master pretty much bullied his way into power, and he has done everything to ensure he becomes wealthy while tightening the restrictions imposed by every law he can think up,” the thief shared, looking angry as he gave his report. “He’s the only rich man in Laketown. Everyone else is poor and near starving. Farming is discouraged, and I have no idea if anyone even knows how to plant a garden.”

“How do they get food,” Hawthorn asked, sounding appalled.

“Relying heavily on fishing,” Nori replied. “Like Bard said, even that is controlled heavily by the master. All foodstuffs that are imported go through the Master first and is sold at markets controlled by him.”

“Meaning he keeps the better choices of food goods and sells low quality items at too high a cost,” Kili growled. “How has he not been overthrown?”

“He feeds his soldiers well in order to keep them somewhat loyal to him, but most are angry with him because their families do not share in the bounty. It’s how I heard of Bard and knew where to find him. Most of them will follow Bard when he steps up to get his people out of here,” the middle Ri brother shared.

“A person like that would have been overthrown or assassinated in any other place,” Dwalin stated, sounding angry. “Why didn’t they leave and go elsewhere?”

“No money to do so,” Nori told him flatly. “Most of them are not fighters and the risk of taking their families to Rohan or Gondor is too high considering they can’t afford supplies or someone to help protect their children. Bard does what he can to keep his family fed and help those in need, but he’s limited considering there’s little to no opportunity for trade here.”

“He doesn’t have the kind of trade that would allow him to wander for work either,” Thorin commented, looking haunted. “At least I could do that and know Dis would be all right as she kept an eye on our people.”

“So this has to be successful and not just for the dwarrow of Erebor but for the people here,” Hawthorn said softly, feeling the weight of this burden become heavier.

“It will, one way or another,” the king-in-exile promised his betrothed. “If we find the weak point, we’ll ensure Bard is told so Smaug will fall if he leaves the mountain. I just hope he’s successful in getting people to evacuate.”

The company murmured their agreement, not liking the idea of innocents being killed by the dragon. The elder dwarrow had seen what dragon fire could do, and they didn’t want to see it again or have the younger ones experience it. All of the ones who had been alive when Smaug had attacked were haunted by the memories of screams as dwarrow were maimed or killed by the flames the worm had unleashed upon the population of the mountain.

Not liking the tension that had fallen, Hawthorn began humming in hopes of soothing the dwarrow. When the others caught the melody, they joined in and harmonized with her, allowing the music to ease the troubled memories that plagued the older members of their group.

In time, the group had relaxed enough to retire to their beds and the hobbit lass prayed quietly to the Valar as she slipped into bed, asking that the dreams of her loved ones would not be troubled tonight. Too many memories had been pulled out into the light with the discussion Thorin had shared with Bard, and she truly did not want any of them to suffer.

Hawthorn laid in her bed after blowing the candle out, staring into the darkness as her thoughts wound themselves into knots. Finally, she whispered softly to the Valië who had created her people.

“Blessed Green Lady, please watch out for my company and keep them safe. I know they’re children of Your husband, but they are also Yours too and need as much help as they can get. The dragon does not belong here, and too many lives have been destroyed by him. I...I ache inside seeing the little ones starving and know that the younglings back in Ered Luin are not thriving as they should.

“Help me to help them,” she pleaded silently into the darkness. “Their lives have been difficult enough, and they deserve peace and prosperity. I would see them reclaim their homes and ensure no child goes to bed hungry and cold. Please, Lady Yavanna, I beg this of You. Present this to Lord Mahal and ask for His aid too. His children have been homeless and alone for far too long, and they need their father.”

Her voice trailed off, and the hobbit sighed. She laid there for quite a while before drifting off to sleep, her prayer repeating itself in her thoughts as her body gave into the need for rest.

Author’s End Note - I hope everyone enjoyed it; a plan has been formed to help those of Laketown who will listen to Bard and escape before Smaug can do something. We shall see if this plan is successful or not. For those on tumblr, you can find me on there under ladylaran. See everyone next week! ~ Laran
- 34
- 35
- 36
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Mending the Broken Pieces