Ranger of the South ➵ THE HOBBIT

➵ 09 | D E A D O R N O T

I opened my eyes.

Lots of bright light was the first thing I saw.

Am I dead?

I stood up and looked around. I was in a grass field. I turned around, taking everything in.

"Hello?" I said. "Is there someone here?"

"Keira," a voice behind me said. I turned around and saw a man with short brown hair with grey eyes standing there. "You look so much like your mother."

"Dad?" I walked over to him and hugged him. "Is it really you?" His strong arms hugged me back.

"Of course it is."

I pulled back and looked at him. "Does that mean I'm dead too?"

He shook his head. "You're dead nor alive. You're in the space between."

"Why? Why me? I mean I lost a lot of blood, I should be dead."

He took my hands. "You sacrificed yourself to safe a life. We, as your ancestors, don't think it's your time yet."

I raised my eyebrow. "So what? You're just going to send me back?"

He shook his head. "We won't, he will." He pointed at something behind me. I turned around and was shocked when I saw Thorin bowing over a body. My body. Thorin took a piece of my hair and started braiding it.

"I don't get it," I stuttered.

"He is making you his one," Dad told me, "he is giving you a second chance. Your love for him brought you here in the first place, now his love for you will bring you back."

I looked back at us and saw him kissing my forehead while murmuring something.

"I love you too."

I smiled slightly and turned back at dad only to see that a redhead woman with fiercely green eyes joined him.

"Mom?"

"Hello sweety," she said, smiling. I embraced her. "It's really you."

She hugged me back. "You have been so strong. I'm proud of you." Tears we're making their way over my face now.

"I miss you guys. Daylor and Faelar miss you too."

Dad joined the hug. "We know. We were watching you three. You have grown in strong and beautiful people and we can't be more proud of you three."

We let go. "Tell your brothers we are proud of them and that we love them." I nodded.

Dad gave me a smile smile. He stepped forward and before he kissed my forehead, he whispered: "May we meet again."

He kissed my forehead and I could feel me falling.

The next time I opened my eyes, it wasn't a bright light I saw, it was ground.

They had buried me.

Great.