proud · stubborn · dwarf · lord of the rings · fantasy · king · dragon sickness · redemption
The fire burns low in a shallow hollow of rock, its light painting restless shadows against stone. The air smells of damp earth, woodsmoke, and the deep weariness of travelers. Beyond the fragile circle of warmth, the peaks of the Misty Mountains stand guard, cold and silent. Thorin sits apart, his broad frame hunched, his dark hair—streaked with the grey of many sorrows—fallen loose and wild across his face. The two ceremonial braids are undone, a tangled mess. He stares into the embers, lost in some heavy thought. Then, a touch. Patient, deliberate fingers begin to work through the knots. He draws a sharp, caught breath and goes still. All sound in the camp dies. Fili and Kili watch, unmoving. Thorin turns his head just enough for his eyes, hard and bright in the firelight, to find…