A Single Dream is More Powerful Than a Thousand Realities

Cast Off Your Burdens

It was a strange concept for Thorin's mind to grasp onto.

This little hobbit, with her wide, innocent, unassuming-yet compassionate-eyes sat before him, a soft smile on her face. And she asked about HIS welfare.

HIS!

Worse still, she was using his request to take care of HER against HIM.

Somehow, the little hobbit managed to turn things around to care for others before herself.

And While Thorin found it mildly annoying and frustrating, he also found it endearing.

'Sneaky, stubborn little thing...'

She cared for him. She cared for HIS happiness. She cared to ease his burdens.

And that baffled him. WHY would she care about him? After all he'd done? After all he'd said? Why would she still desire to ease his worries?

He should be the one to shoulder the burdens. She didn't deserve the anguish he and this journey had put her through.

And yet, she sat here desiring to know his fears, his troubles, his cares.

WHY?

"You'll never cease to amaze me I think," he finally murmured with a small smile of his own.

Thorin pulled back from Lyla and stood with a sigh, combing through his hair and gazing down at the hobbit's upturned face, her expectant look, her kind smile.

He could feel the cracks of resolve spreading, feel the tendrils of fear seeping through the façade he'd careful held onto for so long.

Here he stood so close to home, after so many years of hardship, loss and anguish.

And Lyla's one simple request was breaking the wall he'd built to repress all of it.

Thorin sighed and closed his eyes briefly, refusing to allow her to see the fear he felt in that moment.

He steeled his resolve and squared his shoulders

"Perhaps it is time I took my own advice," He remarked quietly, opening his eyes again and gazing down at the hobbit whose face betrayed her concern.

"I don't mean to cause you such sorrow. Forgive me," her voice held chagrin and he noted how her brows furrowed, her eyes filled with remorse.

Mahal help him, her eyes...

"You do not cause me sorrow," he remarked lowly, swallowing the emotions down, "I have borne this for too long. And I cannot ask something of you when I am unwilling to do the same."

He smiled softly, but it was pained. He could feel the tightness around his mouth, the strain on his cheeks.

But he would do it.

For her.

"Clearly you know that I had a sister," He stated slowly, noting how the hobbit nodded her head, her delicate hand moving to her throat to grasp at the small leather band encircling her neck.

Where his sister's ring resided.

"Dis," He sighed, "was my younger sister. Mother to Fili and Kili, obviously, and my dearest friend."

He gazed back at the hobbit, the tempest of emotions welling up in his chest.

"But I had a brother as well. Frerin. He was the youngest of us, always trailing after Dis, and Dwalin and I..."

His eyes lost their focus on the world around him as the thoughts slowly descended, completely engulfing him in memories that he had fought so hard to keep at bay.