Adventures Of The Warriors And The Dead

Chapter 37 End

Allie

~~~

Time drug on slowly after the funerals and during the rebuilding of Erebor.

In the month following the abrupt departure of Grace, Thranduil and Natalie made amends and signed treaties with the dwarves and Lakemen. The elves offered support and assistance in the recovery of Dale and Erebor and in return the necklace of former queen Eleni was returned.

Soon after the treaties we few were given cleaned rooms in the mountain and began our lives within the stone walls. Lacy, still in critical condition, was moved to Greenwood with Tauriel.  The men and women of Dale were split up between Greenwood and Erebor until a time comes whence they can inhabit Dale again.

A coronation for Emily is planned upon the return of Dís, the mother of Fili and Kili. My wedding and coronation are on hold in anticipation of a thriving and full Erebor.

And so we live, waiting for a better tomorrow and holding our breath to prevent pain from entering our lungs.

~~~

Emily

~~~

A knock comes at the door and I groan. My stomach is restless and my head aching.

"Emily? Why have you not come to breakfast?" It is the soft voice of Allie, always filled with concern. The door creaks and light steps echo on the floor before she appears beside me.

"Illness has befallen me, Allison," I reply and she coos. "I fear if I eat I will not keep anything down."

"You must eat something. You are a hobbit, Emily, and you know what happens to us when we halt our eating," Allie reminds and I huff.

In the days after Fili's death I barely touched food and it sucked the life from me. Allie described my skin as a dead gray and my eyes as sunken wrecks.

"I yearn for nothing besides blueberries from the Shire to eat."

"I can get you blueberries from Thranduil's garden," Allie offers.

"Deal."

The blonde hobbit pats my cheek and speedily exits the room.

Without a breath I roll onto my side and face the gloomy walls of my room.

The ugly knowledge pertaining to my illness is glaringly obvious in my mind, but I cannot acknowledge it.

Alone I sit in darkness, surrounded by swirling malevolent thoughts, and the tears start again.

I must see him.

The blankets are thrown off by my anxious hands and my feet hit the cold floor in seconds. The flurry of motion makes my head spin, but I do not pause.

I don't pause when I exit my room, nor when I escape Erebor completely unseen.

I only pause when I reach the tomb of my love and my hand is once again resting on his coffin.

"How dare you Fili Durin? How do you leave me like this!" I hiss, half in anger and half in sadness. "You have left behind more than you know, more than I shall see for months and months."

My knees hit the ground before I realize I've fallen and I press my face against the base of his tomb, fully collapsing against it.

"I made a promise and now another lays before me," I whimper. "A promise to the future of the throne of Erebor, a promise for Allie's sake."

It has all gotten so cold, I can hardly feel the fire in my soul anymore. Tilting my head back I open my eyes to the decorated ceiling of the tomb and exhale sharply.

"Why must I bear this burden? Have the gods no mercy for me?"

The silence serves as a reply for me; Allie has suffered enough and she deserves this happy ending.

And so I will bear the only heir to the throne of Erebor to assure the future of the crown and the marriage of my friend.

~~~

Allie

~~~

Thorin sits upon the throne, utterly alone, when I approach him with the heaviest of gifts.

Bard and Thranduil called upon me for advice, but when I met them in Dale I was presented the Arkenstone.

"Thorin, there is a matter to discuss," I start and my soulmate looks up at me with tired eyes. The expression on his face lights up, as it always does when he lays eyes on me.

"Yes Allie-mine?"

Wordlessly I promise the Arkenstone and Thorin stiffens completely.

"I understand this is a necessary tool for your reclaiming of this kingdom," I say blankly. Rage boils in me and my only wish is to destroy the object in my bare hand. This accursed item drove my soulmate to kill me and destroy the lives of all our friends.

"Give it to me," he requests and stands. All at once he is upon me, a stern gaze in his eyes and a firm hand outstretched. Fear demands I hand over the stone to him.

The glowing gem rests in Thorin's hand and it's reflection gleams in his eyes. Worry builds up in my throat and nervously I swallow.

"Thorin," I whisper, almost pleading.

Suddenly Thorin turns away from me and throws the Arkenstone to the gold marble ground. The shatter cracks in my ears and echoes throughout the cavern followed by thinking sounds as each shattered piece clatters to the floor.

I should be startled, I should have jumped back and grabbed my sword, but I stand utterly still.

Thorin bends down and carefully, painstakingly gathers each and every still-glowing shared.

Then he is on his knees before me, holding the pieces in both hands up in a sacrificial manner.

"I need not this pointless rock, but for only making jewels fit for the queen of Erebor. The seven dwarven kingdoms will bow before you and I will bow before you."

It is an odd thing to have a mighty king at your mercy who hath just shattered his most prized possession for your sake.

"Allow me to craft a crown for you out of this jewel that once cursed my mind."

The thought of wearing the broken pieces of an object that once ruled my future husband gives me a feeling of satisfaction and triumph.

"It no longer wields any power over me, only you do."

"Then forge me a crown fit for an angelic queen of the grandest dwarven kingdom in Middle Earth."

~~~

And so life goes on.

This is the ending we get.

It is not happy or joyous or even content.

But it is survivable.