|| DON'T FORGET ME

Askbox Meme V: Welcome to Night Vale Edition, PT. IPrompt | Status: Accepting.

        It is Frerin who is the support, the sure footing upon which his family might set themselves to ensure they do not fall, and yet, her reassurance is followed by a wave of relief that he’s not truly unaccustomed to. Her words soothe the doubt that has been silently eating away at him, silence the whispers in the back of his mind that cry of a defeat they have not met. It is everything he needed to hear, and when the dwarf turns his head to meet his sister’s gaze once more, his eyes are aflame with renewed resolve for their task. 

continued.

      HEAVY was her crown ; a weight which should never have been hers to bear in the first place. she was the spare to the spare heir ; never meant to be any more than that in terms of sitting upon the throne of erebor. a king of ered luin she may have been, & such was fine—pleasant, even. but to rule over a TOMB was far from comfortable. a raven king’s crown upon the brow of a  l i o n ; it did not fit.

but the nudge upon her shoulder called her attention away from where she stared, eyes moving from scanning long-lost stone walls to meeting those of elder brother. the smallest of smiles curved upon her lips, an arm extending to punch his side ( a familiar old gesture. one not done quite so often these days. )  

           ❝ & here I thought you were meant to be the                          POSITIVE one in this family, Frerin. ❞

        There were times when he had not perhaps as observant as he could be — as he should have been. To him, being the pillar of support that others needed was as natural as breathing, but not always had he felt certain that he was capable of knowing when they needed him; Dís was in the habit of trying to conceal how she felt too, after all.

        Frerin could see, however, how heavily her crown weighed upon her fair head. It was a burden she had not been meant to carry, one that had been passed to her through fire and blood, through suffering. The crown itself was the worst scar that marred her being without ever leaving a physical mark, offering little more than the cruel illusion that it might be discarded as easily as the item it appeared to be, though she could never part with it.

        It was a part of her, a constant reminder of what she — what they had lost. Armor and weapons could be forged anew, crumbling cities rebuilt, even kingdoms torn away could be reclaimed, but nothing would ever return to either of them what had been taken from them. You could not remake flesh and blood, nor forget the soft laughter and warm smiles on their faces in memories too fond to be forgotten, yet too painful to be remembered.

        The blow she attempted was half-hearted, and that too saddened him despite the gesture. Often when they had been children had Dís chosen it as a way of expressing her annoyance or affection ( better yet, her annoyance with her affection ) but this was not the same; it was merely a ghost.

      that he did not rage & yell nor accuse ( you should not BE here ! ) as thorin had done soothed her nerves. the reaction was understandable, but once again she found herself grateful for the goodness frerin held within him. but perhaps he did not remember what had happened ? her brow nearly furrowed but she resisted, smoothing a hand over his own & granting him with a welcoming, warm smile. nearly losing him had shaken the girl to her core but he was alive & BREATHING & she could not be more grateful. 

     ❝ I’m here. We are in our tent. Healing tent was too full, but            I am here to help. You… . remember the battle, don’t you ?❞

        Silence fell between them for a moment, by his wish, disturbed only by the gentle rustle of cloth as he shifted. His form protested his sudden movement, but he stilled at the cool touch of Dís’s hand at his brow.

        Perhaps it was wiser to not yet earnestly attempt to sit up.

        “ Yes. I remember. “ The prince’s voice remained quiet, for there was no reason to speak any louder when the one he was speaking to was already close. The smile that pulled at her lips eased the worry following her words, though it was not enough to dispel it entirely; were so many wounded? How much had this cost them, in the end?

        Pale green eyes slid closed, but he was not offered solace from the concern that pulled so strongly at his heart for it. Visions of the battle flashed behind his eyelids, a bright and seemingly nearly tangible recollection of only portions of the events that was too quick for true recognition of details — what had become of those who had fought at his side? He could not tell if their faces were among those in the glimpses offered to him.

    she shifted, uneasy & tired. dís knew well she was not meant to be here, & once frerin awoke she knew not how he would react to her presence. but still she refused to leave him, steadfast by his side she would remain ; this much she had sworn, even through blood & fire, her presence would be a constant one, if he so wished.

skilled fingers worked through his hair with a gentleness preserved only for her brothers, combing through the sandy locks so as to braid them in a moment. yet when his eyes opened, relief flooded through her & she gave him the closest thing to a grin she could muster.

   ❝ Did you enjoy your nap ? ❞

        The dwarf was not aware of much at first as he slowly regained conciousness.

        His injuries produced a dull ache, already an annoyance even in his current state, but he did not choose to focus on it. Instead, his choice was the gentle caress of fingers in his hair, the soothing presence of their owner already known to him. He did not need his eyes to know that it was his sister that tended to him, but the sight of her features was all too welcome when he at last opened them and attempted to respond.