RavenThrush

A Fierce and Jealous Love

A Fierce and Jealous Love

Rating: T

Warnings: N/A

Status: In-progress (1/9)

Collab with @raventhrush

For @fantasyinallforms (HAPPY BIRTHDAY!)

Tags: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies | Alternate Universe - Bilbo Baggins Remains in Erebor | The Lonely Mountain | Mutual Pining | Jealousy | courting gifts | Miscommunication | Dwarf Culture & Customs | Oblivious Bilbo Baggins | Dwarf Pirates

Summary: Thorin has been struggling between rebuilding the home he fought so hard to reclaim and dealing with the hardships the war had wrought upon him physically and mentally. However, he is sure about one thing: his desire to court the hobbit of his heart. Of course, nothing can ever be simple for the newly established dwarf king as an old friend from the past returns, and while Thorin wants to help him, watching Marlok grow closer to Bilbo threatens to sour any rekindling of their friendship.

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New Chapter: Chapter 1- A Fierce Ship Arrives

“Thorin!” Dwalin’s voice called out.

Thorin spun around, his brows raised when he caught sight of the grimness of Dwalin’s face. 

“What’s wrong?” Thorin demanded.

“There’s a dwarven warship in Dale’s harbor.”

Thorin’s foot gave a twinge, causing him to falter for a step before he was able to right himself. This would not be like last time, he would be better, he would be wiser. He maintained a facade of calm as he motioned for Dwalin to follow him, trying and failing to keep from limping as they headed down to their own docks. Thorin had thought it was a possibility. The gold of Erebor too tempting to some of the other clans that had scorned Thorin for his quest in the first place, and while they were vastly improved defensively since the battle, he wouldn’t say they could hold off an invasion.

“Did you see a flag?”

“Aye, they fly two. One declaring themselves independent of any kingdom, and the other declaring they come with peaceful intentions.”

Thorin’s brows furrowed together. That didn’t make any sense. The flag of independence was seen as the pirate’s flag. Used for cutthroats and plunderers who had been exiled from any and all corners of the world where a dwarf would normally be welcomed. And if it were a warship, Thorin would think it would be Stiffbeard pirates. Why would they come to Erebor though? Especially under the guise of peaceful intentions? They couldn’t possibly think Thorin was stupid enough to trust them and let them in anyways.

“We will welcome them into Erebor’s docks, but with a host of eighty at the ready. I don’t want to take any chances. Find Fili and have him send a raven both to Bard and Kili who should still be in the Greenwoods. Tell them to be ready for Erebor’s signal should the worst happen.”

Dwalin nodded, walking off to carry out Thorin’s orders. Thorin made a beeline to his rooms. He always took to carrying Orcrist out of habit anyways, but he thought he should at least put on some armor just in case. He had just stepped inside when he froze, a horrible realization hitting him. The warship was in Dale where Bilbo had gone to do his shopping. What were the chances the hobbit would stay far away from it?

None. There was a zero chance trouble would not find him.

We're getting closer to the launch date! So @raventhrush and I decided we would give you guys another little teaser. Our last teaser will drop the summary and the title, and then the fic will be here in May!! I hope you all enjoy!

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“Hurry up, Thorin!” A tinny voice teased as they raced through the halls.

“Wait up! You don’t know where you’re going!” The dwarf prince hissed back, a scowl on his face.

The dwarflings ducked around corners, avoiding servants who shook their heads at them before running through the entryway to the western courtyard. Thorin blinked his eyes, trying to adjust to the light as his companion continued to race ahead down the stairs. He paused at the bottom, looking around.

“Where are we going again?” The red head asked.

Thorin pointed to the crossed barred gate leading back deeper into the mountain, raised just high enough for a couple of dwarflings to squeeze through. Thorin’s friend gave a gleeful laugh before ducking underneath the gate.

“Marlok.” Thorin hissed. “We’re going to get in trouble again.” 

“So.” The red head snorted. “When has that ever stopped us?”

Thorin shifted on his feet, weighing out the consequences in his mind before he followed the other dwarf under the gate. Marlok gave him a triumphant smirk before leading the way once more. Thorin sighed, his curiosity had certainly been piqued by his find, but he hadn’t expected Marlok to latch onto the idea so thoroughly. Especially considering they had just gotten a tongue lashing over their escapades in the raven roost the day before.

They continued on down the dark tunnel before Thorin finally pointed out the crawl space he had discovered behind one of the stone sentinels. Too narrow for a dwarf in his prime, Thorin and Marlok were more than small enough to wiggle their way in the rocky tunnel. Thorin had no idea where it led, and it had only taken a single mention of the curious space to have Marlok racing to discover where it led. They had barely gone more than twenty feet in when Marlok’s boot slipped on the incline, hitting Thorin in the head.

“Hey!” He complained.

“Sorry.” Marlok grumbled. 

They continued climbing through the dark before it finally started to level out. Thorin figured they were at least a level or two up from where they started which was close to the jeweler’s guild. 

“We’ve gone a long way…” Thorin pointed out.

“Will you quit being such a-WOAH!”

Thorin didn’t get the chance to ask what happened as he crawled forward only to experience the ground give out beneath him as well. Thorin screamed, unable to stop himself from falling face first down a steep rock slide. His palms getting roughed up before he became weightless for a terrifying moment. Then he landed in a freezing cold pool of water. 

Thorin kicked his way back up to the top, taking a deep breath of air as soon as he broke the surface. He surveyed the subterranean lake filled with more tunnels than just the one they fell through. Thorin looked over at Marlok who was treading water next to him with his own look of uncertainty before bursting out into laughter. Thorin immediately joined him with his own relieved giggles that echoed around them as their glee grew in volume. 

“What do you think this is?” Thorin asked.

His eyes drifted down one of the tunnels closest to him catching light filtering down on something glittering before Marlok pulled his attention away.

“Could be a smugglers’ tunnel.” Marlok stated casually.

Thorin furrowed his brows. “There are no smugglers in Erebor! My sigin'adad (grandfather) wouldn’t allow it!”

Marlok scoffed. “There are smugglers and pirates everywhere. Erebor isn’t special.”

Thorin lifted his chin as much as he could while still bobbing in the freezing water.

“Erebor is the jewel of the north, and I wouldn’t expect for you to…”

Thorin was cut off abruptly by a splash of water hitting him right in the face. Thorin sputtered, wiping his face, only to see Marlok giving him a raised brow and an impish smirk. There was only one thing to do at this point.

Thorin slapped the water, sending a splash across to the other dwarfling who quickly started paddling away before the blow could hit. The next twenty minutes were spent with splashes, shrieks, and laughter as the two chased each, dunked each other, and played in the subterranean lake. Worn from their play, they swam to shore where they lay on the slick rocks to catch their breath.

“Hey Marlok?” Thorin asked.

“Yeah?” The red head answered.

“Do you remember which of these tunnels we fell into?”

Marlok suddenly sat up straight, looking around at the various holes surrounding them.

“Um?”

***

It was nearly nightfall by the time the two exhausted and hungry dwarflings were able to come across a guard patrol that had incidentally been out looking for them. They were dragged before Thorin’s parents and Marlok’s father, still sopping wet, to endure quite the scolding. Thorin snuck a look over at Marlok who rolled his eyes at him which made Thorin fight to hide a smirk. He could tell from the twinkling in his friend’s eyes, he saw it all the same.

Thorin was sent to bed without dinner that night after he had a bath to warm up, and he would be following his adad (father) and sigin'adad (grandfather) through their duties for the next two days. Thorin accepted the punishment graciously and with as much decorum as a prince could. It wasn’t until breakfast that Thorin felt a note being pressed into his hands.

Wanna go back and explore the rest of those tunnels when I come back next summer?