The morning sun shone down upon Ered Luin, waking the sleeping birds within their warm nests...with a shaking and fluffing of feathers their sweet song floated on the breeze...filling the wintery air with lovely music. Outside of a home, way up in a tall oak tree, a small dove cooed at the window as the occupant of that room began to awaken. The little dove watched as a dark haired woman sat up in her bed, spreading her arms out in a refreshing stretch upon a invigorating sigh.

Tia heard the soft coo of the dove outside her window and she peered at the lovely bird...remembering an old saying that Beryl once had told her. ~If you see a white dove in your window, then you will have good luck all day long.~ Tia laughed at the notion of a simple bird being a harbinger of good luck. Shaking her head she slowly shuffled herself out of the bed..grunting and groaning as she maneuvered her engorged stomach in front of her...pausing for a moment as her back twinged with an ache in the lower part of it, but her bladder was far more insistent , so she shimmied off the large comfy bed. She was almost to the bathroom, waddling as carefully as she could across the wooden floorboards , when there was a jerking movement inside her womb then a large rush of warm fluid flooding onto the floor beneath her feet. Tia stood there in shock , staring at the large puddle on the floor..until finally her brain caught up to what had just happened.

"Momma!" she screamed loudly...not moving because she was afraid to slip on the slippery mess under her. Suddenly her door burst open as a barely awake Beryl came running in her eyes moved from Tias panicked face..to the puddle on the floor...then back to Tia. She saw Tia holding out her hand towards her and she swiftly went to the young womans side as she hollered out to her husband who was sleeping in the next room.

"Rawfur! Come quick..an bring towels!"  with care Beryl began to help Tia move safely out of the wetness beneath her...briefly noticing Rawfur, with his bed tousled dark hair and sleep rumpled clothes, as he entered the room with a handful of rags in hand. "Love...can yeh please clean this up fer me while I help Tia here?" she saw him nod and kneeling down as he cleaned while she helped Tia into the bathing room. "Easy sweetie. Lets get yeh cleaned up and we will get yeh settled ." with an assured manner they got everything prepared for the soon to be new arrivals...excitement was in the air.

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It was after the dinner hour when two riders entered Thorins Halls Homestead...one upon a dark grey wolf and the other upon a shaggy brown pony that carried two on it. They paused to gaze down at the many  homes with small lights illuminating the window of these snow clad dwellings. The one on the pony smiled and gestured to his companions at the sight  before them.

"May i welcome yeh teh Ered Luin...me home." the smile upon Bofurs face was heartwarming as his hazel eyes gazed upon the place that held his heart safely within its comforting grasp...his wife, Tia. It had been nearly 10 months since he had left her behind in Ered Luin to go on this insane quest to take back Erebor..there had been many times he believed he would never set eyes upon this place again. Now here he sat  gazing down at the tranquil town with snow covering the ground...smoke spiraling up from the chimneys  to catch upon the gentle blowing wind to be whisked away in the clear starry night sky. Suddenly Bofur felt a deep pull within him to be down there..an urgency to move on..to get home.

"Lets hurry. Me home is not far and I do wanna get home and get warm once more." he looked at his companion upon the wolf, inclining his head as he clicked for his mount to move on. As their mounts wearily walked down the road towards the heart of town, he pondered in excitement about finally getting to see his beloved again...his voice when he spoke reflected his eagerness to see her. "Wait till we get there. Ah, Laicee, me wife...me most sweetest and beautiful wife, will greet yeh like yall have been long lost friends. Her heart is so kind and gentle like that...full of life, love, and joy. I cant wait fer yeh teh meet her. " he heard his blond companion chuckling next to him.

"I hope so Bofur. I truly can not wait to meet this woman you talk about...she sounds absolutely amazing." her blue eyes caught the blush sweeping across his cheeks as his hazel eyes sparkled over thoughts of his wife. Over the past month since they had left Erebor, their friendship deepened greatly..to the point where Bofur felt like a brother that she never had, being an only child. They had been blessed during this journey in staying a bit ahead of the worst of the snows...able to find food each day in filling their bellies between her and Mischa...Bofurs uncanny ability to make fire without fail and Mischa allowing them all to snuggle up to her kept them warm every night, so the biting snowy wind didn't effect them as much. There was one moment as they were crossing over the Misty Mountains that they did encounter a few goblins, but Bofurs skill with his mattock, Mischas teeth and Laicee's bow had it settled swiftly without a scratch on any of them.

Laicee's thoughts of the past month was interrupted as they stopped at a large 2-story stone building with obvious shops below that were closed at this time. She looked up and saw lights on in the upstairs of the building and she realized it must be a residence above the shops...it must be where Bofur/s family was waiting for him.

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Tia laid panting upon her bed as her black hair matted to her head from all the sweat that poured from her body...seeing Dis or Beryl periodically lean over her to mop her brow. She had been in labor for what felt like an eternity now..each labor spasm gaining in intensity through the hours until eventually she had to stay in bed writhing with each contraction that seemed to last longer and longer. Out in the hallway Rawfur, Tohlm, and little Griegur were pacing the floor..pausing to stare at the door with worried looks at each scream that was heard from inside. Tia began to believe the next contraction would tear her apart from the inside out...it did not help that the babies  were pushing against her sides with a vengeance , but each time a spasm came on Dis or Beryl would whisper encouragements to her.

"Yer doin so good, love. Just breathe....that's right...breathe. Yeh can do this. Yer so strong." Beryl cooed and kissed Tias head as she held tightly onto her hand...doing short breathes until the pain eased up. This last one was a doozy for Tia...she yearned to sleep, she was so tired...she wasn't sure anymore how much she could take of this and a tear slipped down her cheek.

"Momma...I...I can't do it any more." dis wiped the tear from Tias face as Beryl tried to console her daughter.

"Of course yeh can. Yer strong...Yer goin...." Tia for the first time ever interrupted Beryl.

"I'm not strong momma...and it's not going to be fine!" she paused for a moment then on a loud wail as a contraction hit, she screamed. "I Want My ...BOFURRRR!"

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Bofur smiled as he gazed with love at his home...holding his son in his arms.

"Look...we're home son. We've finally made it h..."suddenly there was a loud scream piercing the night air...jerking Bofurs head up towards its direction.

"BOFURRR!" Tia screaming his name out, shattering the peaceful calm night sent a lance of fear coursing through him and he made a split decision.

"Laicee.. Mischa...watch Kennan. Ill be back." he handed his son to Laicee, knowing she would protect him without question and he raced into his home...heading for the stairs that led to the upper living area. As Bofur ran with his weapon in hand, he fully expected to encounter Orcs, goblins, or just some kind of monster that was threatening his Tia Rose. What he saw as he burst through the doors wasn't what he ever expected at all. There stood his father, who he had not seen in almost a year, holding a little child in his arms, while behind him stood his brother-in-law Tohlm...all starring in surprise at Bofurs sudden appearance. It was Rawfur who came out of his stupor as he stepped forward to explain what was going on...but at that moment Tia let out another scream that sounded particularly loud and pain filled.

"AHHHGGGHHH! I WANT BOFURRR!"

At that point Bofur could not hear anything anyone had to say..he only knew he had to get to her...feeling his dreams in Erebor coming to life on that sound. He swiftly stormed into the room where Tia was screaming and for a second time in the past few minutes, he came to a halt...his mind stuttering as he tried to process what he was seeing. There upon their bed laid Tia...looking exhausted, sweaty, and very...pregnant?  Next to her was his mother who was holding her hand as she whispered encouragements into her ear. At the foot of the bed with her hands under the sheets, was Dis, looking a bit flustered. The moment he burst into that room all eyes flew to him...surprise and shock written all over their faces ...then Tias lit up with joy as her free hand stretched out towards her husband.

"Bofur." she whimpered out..tears in her eyes as she beckoned to him. Suddenly another contraction hit and she arched up as a scream tore from her throat...snapping him out of his confoundment and propelled him to his wife's side, taking her small hand into his own.

"I'm here Tia..me sweet rose i'm a here now." his touch..his very presence helped her to focus on the task before her and gave her the strength to push her child out of her. With a gut wrenching scream she began to push with all her might...veins popping out as she forced something the size of a melon out of her small body and into the world...wailing with indignation. The moment Bofur heard those cries , tears came to his eyes at the beautiful sound as he gazed with wonder at the sight of the child...then his heart filled to bursting at hearing Dis cry ~It's A Girl!~. His eyes flew to Tias as naked joy flooded his face...seeing her exhausted smile and weary eyes focused in his direction.

"Oh, me Tia Rose, yeh did it love..its a little girl...she's so beautiful." he saw Tia give him a small smile...barely noticing Beryl cleaning his daughter up and wrapping her in a clean cloth to keep her warm...then suddenly Tia began to groan and whimper. Quickly Dis placed her hands back under the sheets...a worried look upon his face as a slice of fear wrapped itself around Bofur. "Dis? Whats wrong? Whats happining?" it was Tia who answered on a growl.

"Your other child! That's whats happening...AARRGGHHH!" Bofur could only stare at her in shock as his hand was squeezed in her painful grip. The idea of a second child , short circuited his bewildered brain and only the sound of the newborn wailing and Dis voice snapped him out of it. 

"It's a....girl." there was surprise in Dis voice since girls were so rare and twin girls even rarer. Bofur felt faint hearing those words for a second time...but his giddy joy was short lived as both children were shoved into his hands and Dis tone became frantic...his eyes seeing Tias face become very pale.

"Beryl...hurry..shes losing blood...we need to stop it or we will lose her." Bofurs eyes widened in fear as the last thing he saw before being shoved out the door with his two daughters in hand...was Tias pale face and the women rushing around her body..then nothing as the door shut in his face with a resounding and final....

*CLICK*