Title: Gemsasekh (Thirteen)
Fandom: The Hobbit
Rating: G
Length: 200
Content notes: N/A
Author notes: Thanks go to Morgynleri for encouragement & sanity-checking.
Summary: Thirteen only seems unlucky

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It would be a mistake to assume that thirteen was an unlucky number among the dwarves. It was a sacred number, with some theological argument attached, having to do with whether or not Mahal had Made a pair-partner for Durin, whom he found and Woke after Waking himself alone, or if Durin had indeed been Made Alone, and they-who-were-named-spouse was someone born of another Clan. (There is a school of thought that Durin's Spouse was not a Dwarf at all, but of some other race or kind. Another school holds that as Durin Returns, having no One Made for him (as the other Fathers and Mothers were Made for each other), he may partner as he is moved in each life. These two schools are not mutually exclusive.) The Longbeards, the most likely to know the answer (though if it was recorded only in Khazad-Dum, it may be lost to them as well), remain silent on the subject. Fourteen is considered the number of completeness, especially for ventures requiring travel under sky in the outer world. To be a 'fourteenth member' is to hold a position of particular importance, likely crucial to success. This has resulted in thirteen seeming unlucky.