Light of the Stone (Lord of the Rings Story)

18. The Book of Stones

As furious as she was with the decision made, Reiness couldn't stop herself from finding Thorin shortly after the meeting. He liked her well-enough, or he seemed to on the occasions where she had gone with Thalia back to Erebor.

His once dark locks had begun to turn silver, his significantly short beard almost missing it's usual darkness.

"Thorin!" she called, slowing as he turned to watch her approach.

"Ah, Reiness," he greeted, his voice a low rumble," I am glad to see you are back."

"Thank you," she said, bending down slightly so that they eye-level, as he was a dwarf.

"I must ask," she began.

Thorin gave a sad smile, as if he already knew her question."Thalia."

Reiness nodded," I know she left, but is she still at Erebor?"

Thorin shook his head," As much as I do not like admitting it, your father changed her for the better. She returned for a few days, and I had expected something different from her after you went missing, but she was stronger than I anticipated. She did not weep, but she set off into the wild; she is still searching for you."

"Still," Reiness shook her head," It's been three years, and she still does not give up."

"She is half dwarf," Thorin reminded her," We do not surrender because we are told to."

Reiness nodded," Thank you. And I assure you that after we deal with the Black Witch, I will bring her home."

Thorin nodded solemnly," I know how much you meant to her, I have no doubt of that."

****

Ronan walked into the library, perhaps his favorite area in the kingdom. Suddenly, something hurtled at his head; his reflexes reacted before he did, and he found himself holding a little, black book.

He glanced up to the second level, and wasn't surprised.

"No. No. No. NO!"

After every 'no' there was a clutter and the sound of shuffling papers.

What is she up to? Ronan wondered as he walked up the stairs.

Rein was sitting at one of the long tables, surrounded by books. She flipped through one after another, and them put them aside when they didn't have what she was looking for.

"You seem busy," Ronan noted as he sat across from her.

"Really?" she replied without looking up.

"What exactly are you-" he broke off, as he looked through the books, almost all of them had something to do with stones.

"You are looking for the Luminous Stone!" he frowned at her.

"Yes, I've never heard of it! And I think I should have," Rein replied, pushing another book aside.

"Well, maybe you should try...this," Ronan ran his hand along the spines of the books and grabbed a giant leather-bound book from the shelf.

"What is that?" Rein asked as he put it on the table.

"The Book of Stones," Ronan blew away some of the dust and opened to the first page.

The book was probably one of the oldest books in the kingdom, it had come from Rivendell and who knows how long it could have been there!

Ronan flipped through the page until he found a page with no picture, and a small paragraph of writing.

"Here," he pushed it across the table, and turned it around.

"The Stone of Luminosity," Reiness read," This stone is the only one of it's kind, and has never been seen before. It has the power in the hands of a Caliquendi, it can wipe out as much as a full army of darkness. It's rumored to be hidden in the Forest of Fanghorn, and can only be found by an elf of light. But be warned, in the hands of darkness, there are unspeakable consequences."

Rein looked up, frowning.

"Only a Caliquendi can find the stone?" she said.

"Apparently," Ronan gave her a hard stare.

Her expression became thoughtful, and he felt his stomach drop.

"Absolutely not!" he hissed.

"It's the only way! Do you know how many lives we could spare with that stone?" Reiness insisted.

"Reiness, no!"

"Ronan, I'm the only one who can find that stone! I'm the only Caliquendi on this earth!"

Ronan grimaced, this was true.

"I still don't think-"

"Ronan!"

Ronan sighed,

"You honestly think that Ada is going to let you just run off to Fanghorn!" he said.

"I doubt it, but it's worth a try!"

"And if he says no?"

"Then, I have one option."

Ronan flinched at the idea of his sister sneaking off, and right after she'd returned.

"Reiness, I'm strongly against this," he said.

"I know," she bit her lip.

"But you aren't going to listen, are you?"

She smiled, and shook her head,

"You know me too well," she said.

****

"Ada?" Reiness approached Legolas in the throne room," Do you have a minute?"

"Of course," he said.

He was in his armor again, the one with shoulder armor that resembled leaves.

"Why exactly can't we seek out the Stone of Luminosity?" she asked.

His eyes narrowed, and he frowned at her.

"Why does it matter?" he asked suspiciously.

"Well..." Reiness avoided his eye-contact.

"You looked in that book, didn't you?"

Reiness grimaced.

Legolas pinched the bridge of his nose, and let out a hard sigh.

"Ada, you know I can find it!"

"Reiness, to do that you'd have to go through Fanghorn and you are not going into that forest!" Legolas' voice was final.

Reiness sighed,

It was worth a shot, she thought.

"So, you're honestly going to ride to war?" she asked.

"Yes, and you and Ronan will ride with us," he gave her a hard look as he adjusted the silver leaf-like armor of his shoulder.

"Well, why wouldn't I?" she asked, hiding the effort of the lie.

"You are not going to Fanghorn, Reiness. That's my final word."

Reiness groaned internally.

"I know," she said.

Legolas kept his eyes narrowed as he watched her leave the room, she felt his eyes boring into her.

It looks like I really do only have one option, she thought.