The days passed slowly. Rhonwen threw herself into the work that seemed to appear around every corner. With spring now underway, the dwarven women all helped to tidy up the city a wee bit. And there was a lot that needed to be done. Rhonwen discovered that with many of the jobs it required all of her attention, leaving no room to think which she liked. Not that she didn't want to think, but her thoughts often turned towards the three dwarves travling in the wild...

"Rhonwen," a voice broke into her thoughts. Rhonwen started, nearly spilling the bucket of soapy water that stood next to her foot. She looked up at Dís who stood in front of her. Another dwarf nearby looked at Rhonwen disapprovingly.

"I'm sorry," Rhonwen apologized, staring again at the stone floor in front of her. "I know I've promised to pay more attention to my work and again I've failed you. I'm sorry," she said again, bitterly. Bitterly because it was the tenth time now that she had been caught not doing her work, but instead staring in front of her.

"Luned," Dís called over her shoulder. "You may go now and clean your apartments." The dwarf who had scowled at Rhonwen left. Then Dís knelt in front of Rhonwen and laid a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright," she said comfortingly. "You're not the only one who thinks of them." She smiled and then got up and walked away.

Rhonwen stared at the floor thinking for a few moments. Then she blinked and started scrubbing the cold stone floor that stretched from end of the long hallway to the other.

When she finished, she placed the wooden bucket and brush she had used for scrubbing back on the shelf in one of the small rooms where such utensils were kept. She walked back up from the room and saw Dís standing there, an enormous pile of clothing in her hands. Rhonwen looked at her in surprise. "Here," said Dís, placing the whole stack in Rhonwen's hands. "I thought that maybe you would like mending better than the other work we've been doing." Then she added, "It's all of my children's clothing that I've never been able to find the time to mend. Would you mind taking care of it?"

Rhonwen nodded and then carefully made her way to her room. Once there, she dropped the whole pile onto the floor. Then she got out her box and started on the pile.

Several hours later, Rhonwen looked up from her mending. A good part of the pile had already been done, but there was still a lot more to go. The sky had darkened considerably since she had last looked up. She laid aside the tunic she was working on and put away her needle and thread. Then she picked up the small pile of mended clothes and left her room in search of Dís.

Rhonwen found her on her way to the Feasting Hall. Dís looked in surprise at the pile Rhonwen carried. "What's that?" she asked.

"It's the clothes that I've finished mending."

"You've gotten that far?" Dís asked in amazement. 

"Aye. They didn't have very many rents or tears in them."

"Alright, give them to me. I'll take care of them," Dís said with a smile.

Rhonwen nodded and handed the stack to her before continuing on her way down the hall.

That evening when most of the other dwarves made their way to the Singing Hall, Rhonwen left for her room. It was cold and dark so she lit one of the lanterns in there. The room brightened somewhat, but freakish shadows danced with the flame along the walls and corners. Rhonwen lit the small fireplace opposite her bed. The light flickered along the walls. Satisfied, Rhonwen sat near the light and picked up the mending.

Sometime later she looked up and blinked. The light had died down considerably and the small threads were getting harder to see. Rhonwen put some more wood on the fire and the light flared up again. She heard a knocking on the door and opened it to see who it was. Dís was there. Rhonwen looked puzzled. "What is it?" she asked. 

Dís smiled and said softly, "Rhonwen, do you know what time it is?"

Rhonwen's brows crinkled in confusion. "Nay, I don't."

Dís laughed. "I thought so. Rhonwen, dear, it's past Second Watch. (1) Don't you think you should be in bed now?"

Rhonwen looked surprised and said, "I had no idea it was that late. I'm sorry," she finished getting up and putting her needle away. Dís smiled, walked over to Rhonwen, who hurriedly was putting the mending in a neat pile, placing a few finished clothes in another, and placed her hand on her shoulder. Rhonwen turned her head.

"They will be back soon," Dís said softly before leaving the room. 

Several days later, Rhonwen sat leaning against the footboard of her bed. She shifted her position slightly for the hard wood was not gentle on her shoulders. She stared ahead and laid down the cloak. It was Coriann's and had an enormous rent right in the middle of it. Dís had said that it was there because of Fíli. One day, when the two were very young, (Kíli hadn't even been born yet) they had been playing and Fíli had thrown his dagger at his sister in a fit of rage. It created a large hole in the cloak and Dís had never gotten around to fixing it. Coriann had no harm though, but Fíli had been in big trouble. Rhonwen laid aside the cloak. "That's finished," she said. Then she got up and went to the very small pile of things to be mended. Only a few tunics remained, and Rhonwen carelessly picked a couple up, but then stopped, staring at what lay beneath. She knelt down, the tunics falling to the floor beside her. She stared at the bright blue woven cloth that had small squares of red with black letters on it. She picked it up and carefully studied it. As she looked closer, she realized that the black letters were names. She knewn instantly what this was. She had seen its like before in Lake Town.

Suddenly she was a little girl again, hand-in-hand with her father walking the quays of Lake Town. The day was cold and wet and the grey skies threatened of snow. They stopped in front of a small shop where a family wove cloth for a living. She remembered her father talking with the merchant and she, left alone, searched uninterested through some old tapestries. She had come across a bright blue one with red boxes that contained black letters. She had asked her father what was in them and he told her that it was the family tree of the descendents of Durin.

This one was slightly different though because while the one she remembered was a finished piece, this one wasn't. It ended abruptly at the bottom. Also it was mostly Thorin's family tree including Dís and her sons and daughter. She looked at it puzzled. Many loose threads hang down it as well. Rhonwen stood up and started off looking for Dís.

Finally she found her and walked faster. Dís started walking in the opposite direction. Rhonwen started to run. Dís turned at the sound of running feet. "Dís," Rhonwen said when she reached her. "Can you explain these loose threads and the unfinished tapestry?"

Dís took the tapestry from her and stared at it. "I did not remember that this was saved from Erebor," she said very softly so that Rhonwen hardly caught the words.

"What was?" Rhonwen asked almost as softly.

Dís looked up. "This family tree. A great piece of work. Has been in our family for many generations." Rhonwen looked puzzled. It wasn't like Dís to speak in short sentences like this. Then Dís said, "Come with me and I'll explain it to you."

Rhonwen followed Dís into her room. Dís closed the door and motioned to the bed that stood in the middle of the room. Rhonwen sat down and Dís sat next to her. Dís spread out the great piece of fabric and lovingly her fingers brushed the edges. Then she began, "As I have said, this has been in our family for many generations. It is our custom to embroider the names onto this. But in many cases," she gestured to the various styles of embroidered names on the piece "The names were embroidered by the ones to whom they belonged too." She pointed to Thorin's name. "He did that one."

"He did?" Rhonwen asked incredulously. She could not imagine the great, thick fingers capable of threading a slender needle or having the patience to embroider his name on this. 

Dís must have known what she was thinking for she said, "But that was when he was a great deal younger." Then she pointed to Kíli and Fíli's names. "They did their own as well." Rhonwen stared at the names and noticed that they were a little wiggly-looking. Dís smiled. "I remember when they did it. Fíli sat there quietly sewing his on while when it was  Kíli's turn," she started laughing, "he couldn't seem to understand the whole process.  It took him about ten tries to finally get it right." Rhonwen smiled for she could totally see that happening.

Dís studied some other names on the tapestry. "It is our custom," she continued, "that whenever another joins the family either through marriage or birth that we will add their names as well." She looked up at Rhonwen. "Perhaps someday your name will be added." She winked at Rhonwen who had blushed uncontrollably at the last words. Dís smiled and laid her hand on Rhonwen's shoulder. "Don't think I haven't noticed," she said softly with a twinkle in her eyes.

Rhonwen nodded and then looked closely at the tapestry. "Dís, if you don't mind me asking..."

She looked up. "Nay, its alright."

"You said earlier that you didn't remember that you saved this from Erebor, right?" Dís nodded. "But I though that your children were born many years after the desolation of Erebor, so why are their names on there?"

Dís smiled. "I had forgotten. My mind has been preoccupied of late, so I didn't remember. That is fine though, thank you for asking." Rhonwen smiled. "Now," Dís continued, "Why don't you go finish the mending?" Rhonwen nodded and left, leaving the tapestry with Dís.

The next morning dawned bright and early. Rhonwen got up and fixed up the room. She had finished all the sewing last night so there was nothing else to do. Suddenly, she felt a slight tingle on the back of her neck. But the feeling passed as soon as it had come so Rhonwen thought no more about it.

On her way down the hall, Rhonwen was startled at the loud bustle that could be heard from the hall. Not that that didn't happen often, but it was a little louder than usual. Rhonwen supposed an accident had happened which did often. Then when she came to the edge of the great doorway, she stopped in utter surprise and amazement.

"Kíli," Rhonwen whispered. Dís had thrown her arms around his neck and he around hers. They were both laughing and Dís had traces of tears down her cheeks. They were completely oblivious to the person standing in the doorway. Then Kíli lifted Dís off of her feet and spun her around, causing many of the dwarves who watched to laugh.

Kíli stopped and put Dís down, who immediately started to scold him. Yet he paid no heed for his eyes lit upon the character standing in the doorway and all else was oblivion for a few moments. 

"Rhonwen," he called. Rhonwen paused and started running. She was caught up and spun around just like Dís had been a few minutes before. When he put her down, she flung her arms around his neck and held on tight. Kíli  did much of the same though he threatened to crush her. When she released him, they looked at each other for a minute causing a few of the others watching them to chortle. Then he pulled her to him again and kissed her cheek right in front of everyone. Thorin, who had joined them, raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

Then Thorin asked Dís, "Where's Fíli?" The other two heard the question and stopped. Rhonwen looked at Dís. 

"Oh, he's down there with Coriann." But her words were lost to Rhonwen and Kíli for he pulled her to the table and they sat down, Rhonwen asking him questions, and he answering them.

When they had finished with the main business of eating and catching up on all of the news, Kíli whispered in her ear, "I want to talk to you tonight. Alone." Rhonwen stared at him, but his expression didn't give a hint.

(1) The watches were a division of time at night. First watch was from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Second watch was from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., Third was from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m., and Fourth was from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m.