Author's Notes – Well, here's the next chapter. I'm not sure what to make of this and am hoping you all you like it! I can't Happy reading!

Disclaimer – I do not own "the Hobbit" nor do I make money from this story. I just like playing with the characters!

Chapter Twenty-Three – Conversations and Stories

Kili returned to where the company was staying to find his uncle and cousin waiting for him, smoking while conversing quietly; the others seemed to be missing for the moment, and he was curious as to what had drawn them away. It was rare for the company to part during the evenings while in elvish territory even though they had been given a warm welcome from their host.

"Welcome back," Balin greeted after taking a puff of his pipe. "I take it you did nothing to irritate the Lady of Lórien?"

"No, Balin, I held true to the teachings and was very polite while speaking with her," he answered, feeling mildly upset with the question.

"Did you get the answers you sought," Thorin asked, watching his sister-son take a seat beside him.

"I did," Kili answered, getting comfortable and pulling his own pipe out. He packed it, accepting a spark from his uncle's pipe to get his own going. After taking a lung full of dwarvish pipe-weed, he slowly exhaled and began the explanations he knew the two older dwarrow were waiting for.

For Balin's sake, the young dwarf shared what he and Fili had shared with Bilbo. He looked concerned at the paleness of the advisor's skin when he'd finished sharing that, and Thorin was quick to notice it too.

"Balin?"

The advisor took several deep drags off of his pipe before he managed to calm himself enough to answer. Kili could detect the shakiness in the older dwarf's voice and realized that his teacher was more shaken by this than he'd suspected. A glance to his uncle verified that the other had come to that same fact himself.

"It's difficult to know that one small being is so important to all of us," he said softly. "Granted, I like Master Baggins-Took and he seems to be a fine upstanding hobbit. We don't know much about him, and I am not sure I am comfortable that so much rests upon his shoulders in regards to how successful we will be."

"We all bear the burden, Balin," Thorin reminded him. "However, we knew he would be important when we heard our Maker say such a thing before we left the Shire. I just never thought he would be Fili's One."

"Aye, nor did I but it matches something that has long been suspected by scholars," Balin said softly.

"What do you mean," Kili asked, blowing a smoke ring afterwards.

"As you know, when the Seven Fathers were created, Mahal only crafted six wives instead of seven. Durin was not given a bride crafted by our Maker just for him," the scholar began, knowing he was repeating information that both of his companions were very familiar with. "However, there is mention in the ancient texts that Durin found his bride while he wandered Middle Earth. There were hidden references to a people similar in stature to our kind who were the children of our Maker's Wife, and that one was especially crafted for Durin himself."

Both Thorin and Kili stared at him for several long moments, and then the elder of the pair spoke. His voice was soft and held a note of shock in the deep tones.

"Are you saying the father of our line married a hobbit?"

"The scholars think so, and I have to agree with them," Balin answered. "It makes sense honestly. Dwarrow have never been the most fertile of beings, but Durin had quite a number of them."

"And judging from all the little ones we saw while in the Shire, a hobbit wife would certainly explain why he was given so many pebbles," Thorin mused. "If we could get some form of confirmation on this, it would make it easier for Fili and his One."

"More like make it easier for Fili to accept," Kili muttered, shaking his head. "You know that he'll try to object since he thinks he has to provide an heir for the next generation. Having this told to him about Durin might make it easier to show him that this is all right."

"Lad is stubborn," the king said, frowning. "He knows we would accept a One from any race."

"He's a Durin," Balin reminded him. "Of course he's stubborn. We'll have to handle this carefully as I don't want to see him with a bond broken before it can form, and I don't know how hobbits take rejection from their Ones."

Kili was quiet for a moment, contemplating all of this. He tapped his pipe idly against his teeth for a moment before looking at his two companions.

"I have a feeling Bilbo may know more about the story of Durin's wife," he proposed. "I think it might make for a conversation after dinner one night since we tend to gather here before we head to our rest. It wouldn't hurt to ask him, would it?"

"No, it's a good idea, sister-son," Thorin said, affectionately squeezing his nephew's shoulder. "I have a question for you; has Fili spoken of having the dreams yet?"

"No, he hasn't," Kili said, frowning a bit. "I don't think he'd hide it from me; I didn't when I started to have my dreams of Jóhild."

"I imagine that he will be having them soon since Irmo sent this last vision," Balin said quietly. "We'll have to keep an eye on him and do our best to help guide him without breaking our Maker's rules regarding these things."

Both uncle and nephew nodded, knowing Balin was right. They would have to do their best to keep an eye on Fili and hope that he wouldn't be too stubborn about what Mahal was trying to tell him. Though, knowing how their family was, it would be a miracle if the eldest son of Dis would be anything but stubborn.

"In the meantime," Thorin suggested. "Let's head to the Hall of Fire and see if the company is there. If they are, maybe we can see if Master Baggins-Took does know the story and can fill in some blanks for us."

"If he does know it, I'm having him sit with Ori to record all of it," the advisor grumbled as he rose to his feet. "It's past time the Longbeards had the truth of it outside of vague mentions in the records stored in Erebor's library."

"Our ancestors brought what they could when we lost Khazad-dûm," Thorin said softly. "This would be a boon to our clan if he does have this answer."

The trio headed to the Hall of Fire, finding their company exchanging stories with their elvish hosts. It warmed Kili's heart to see the distrust between both races slowly starting to fade. He knew it would take time, but he was proud of his uncle for starting this and for their friends for continuing it. He just hoped that they could keep on with this once Erebor was theirs once more and their people home.

"Bilbo," he chirped, heading to his friend.

Bilbo, who had been nibbling on some pastries, gave his friend a smile. He'd been sitting with Fili and Bofur, sharing the treats while listening to the stories. The Tèarmunn had been hoping it would ease the frown on his blond haired friend's face, and it hadn't done what he had hoped. Fili was still tense and looking worried about something.

"Hello Kili," he greeted, offering some of the treats to the dark haired prince. "Balin, Thorin," he greeted as well, spying them sitting beside some of the other company members. "You're in time to hear more stories."

"Actually, Master Baggins-Took, we were talking about our history and wonder how much of history hobbits remember," Balin began.

"Oh, we do our best to keep the oral traditions alive even though we write everything down now," Bilbo answered, sipping his wine. "One never knows if our people might be displaced again so every fauntling is required to learn the songs before reading them."

"Wise decision," Thorin said softly.

"Our elders decided it long ago," he told him, then tilted his head. "Why do you ask?"

"A lot of our histories were lost when we had to flee Khazad-dûm," the monarch said to him. "What we had in Erebor was based on what little we could bring as well as what was gifted to us from the Iron Hills along with what our scholars remembered. There are hints about the founder of our line and that his life might have a tie with your people."

Bilbo thought for a moment, a small frown on his face, and then he smiled and nodded when he'd realized who they were talking about.

"I hadn't thought about that story in years," he admitted. "Truthfully, we probably should have given my own situation as being the seventh Tèarmunn in my generation! I'll have to write Grandfather and remind him of it."

Fili gave a soft huff of laughter, then shook his head as the other's antics pulled him out of his darker thoughts. Bilbo's distraction was rather amusing, and he reached out to lightly poke his friend.

"I think we'd all like to hear the story, Bilbo," he teased, grinning when the hobbit's ears turned red with embarrassment.

"Sorry, I tend to get distracted when a thought occurs to me," he admitted. "I'm translating from my native language so if it seems rough, I apologize. In the time when the world was new, Hobbits had been created and the first Tèarmunn were being taught by Mahal to protect the children He and our Green Lady had created together. However, despite the decree by the loving parents, seven were born of that first generation and no one knew the reason why. Our parents were quiet on it, and the Stone Father only smiled whenever asked.

"Time passed and the Tèarmunn were of age when a stranger entered their small community. He was welcome but considered an interesting oddity as only the Stone Father had hair on his face," he said with a laugh, causing the company members and elves who were listening to chuckle as well.

"That's when the hobbits learned that he was a dwarf, and he was exploring the world. Apparently, he had not been traveling for very long when he had stumbled across their community. When he shared he was a child of Mahal, the hobbits welcomed their brother and offered him food and shelter. He called himself Durin, and he stayed with the hobbits for nearly two years.

"During that time, he fell in love with one of the Tèarmunn, a clever maiden named Sage," he continued. "He trained with her, teaching the seven more tricks and learning things from Mahal at the same time. When he felt the urge to keep moving, he went to her father and to Mahal to ask to marry her. That was when Mother told him that the reason the seventh Tèarmunn had been born was because she had been grown to be Durin's beloved cariad. It was also the reason why he had not had a wife carved for him at the time of the dwarrow's creation."

Everyone went quiet for a moment, elves and dwarrow alike, as the answer to the question about Durin was finally answered.

Kili turned, giving his uncle and Balin a significant look. Not only was a gap in their history answered, but they now had precedent to convince Fili if he tried to be stubborn about all of this.

Author's End Notes – I'm not sure about this chapter. The idea of Durin's wife being a Tèarmunn just wrote itself, and I was pretty much going "where did this come from?" I liked it though so I hope everyone does. Thanks for all who have been reading so far and reviewing. I'm meeting incredible people through the reviews! Let me know what you think. See you all next chapter! ~ Laran