A Thousand Miles[Thorin Oakenshield Love Story]

[Chapter Thirty Eight]

Alyndra stared wide-eyed at the woman in front of her. This was her mother's older sister. She had disappeared not long after her mother had died and she was never seen again...until now. " Alyndra. Look at you. You look so much like your mother Klarendra." The older woman praised as she come towards her, but Alyndra backed away.

"Don't you dare, talk about my mother." The skin-changer snapped. " I want to know. How could you just disappear that day she died?!"

"Alyndra. I don't think now is the time to talk about this." Celestia pressed.

"Why are you even here? You disappeared all this time and now out of nowhere you show up and my father's now missing!"

"Alyndra the eagles came and found me. When you never sent word that you were alright and the dragon was defeated, and they lost anyway of communicating with you. It meant only two things: you were dead...or you are with child. And since you are standing before us, your with child aren't you?"

The skin-changer looked at her aunt baffled. How did she know all of this. How was it possible for her to communicate with the other eagles, when she wasn't one herself? Ignoring the older woman's assumptions, she decided to ask her own questions. " How do you know all this? My father told me, before me, my mother was the only one in her family that could speak with the eagles and other animals. How are you able to speak and understand them?" The skin-changer demanded, her arms folded across her chest as Noah continued to hid behind his sister.

"My family has always been able to communicate with the eagles through our minds. Your mother was the first though to be able to change into one and that is how she became their leader and now you" Alyndra looked at her unconvinced by all this, it still didn't explain why she had disappeared for over a hundred years. " Here.....I found this in some of your mother's things. She wrote down everything in this journal...you might find something in there about what your going through." The older woman handed the skin changer the journal. " I'll be back. I'm going to speak with the eagles to discuss where we should look next for your father. I promise, we will find your father."

Celestia left the area. Alyndra looked down at her brother as he let out a yawn. She picked him up and carried him to his room and tucked him into his bed. She hummed a little melody to him until he was sound asleep and she placed a kiss on top of his head. The young woman soon left the room and wandered to her own room and closed the door. She lit a candle and sat in the chair to read her mothers journal.

For hours Alyndra read through the journal. Most of it was about how hard it was at first for her to control the abilities and shifting on command. Alyndra found she couldn't help but form a smile and shed a few tears when she read a section about when her mother had first met her father and how in love she was with him. The skin-changers mind instantly thought of the one she loved and hoped he would find his way back to her soon.

The next few pages of the journal were her mothers thoughts and emotions when she was with child. Alyndra's eyes widen. It was like she could have written these words herself. Everything her mother had gone through when she was carrying her, Alyndra was now going through herself. According the journal. The constant blackouts she had, were normal and she wasn't sure if she should feel relieved or worried. She knew skin-changers were quick to bring their children into the world, compared to most of the races of middle-earth. But she had no idea that only in their final week before the child was born would they show any signs that they were carrying a child. Alyndra stood up and closed the journal and placed it on the side table. She looked down at her stomach and placed a hand on it. Right now she was still at the point that if someone were to look at her and guess, they wouldn't even suspect her with child.

The young woman also learned that her mother only carried her for two months before she was born. It has already been two months and her stomach hadn't even began to show any signs, which made her wonder if she was carrying more then one? or had something terrible happen? Her mother and father never had anymore children after her, so she knew she wouldn't find anything of use to give her an answer. Alyndra found herself unable to keep her eyes open any longer and climbed into bed and closed her eyes.

Days went by. The eagles had been searching day and night for any signs of where the enemy could have taken her father prisoner. Alyndra knew she couldn't lose hope, but it was getting harder and harder when it was sounding clear that her father was most likely dead.

The woman had just finished making something to eat for her brother. Alyndra wanted to get some fresh air to clear her mind from all this doubt she was feeling and she made for the back door, barely making it out of the room before collapsing to floor. Noah jumped off his chair and ran to his sisters side, shaking and calling out to her to wake up.