Light of the Stone (Lord of the Rings Story)

26. Return of the Mountain Princess

Thalia shouldered her knapsack, standing straighter as she strode through Erebor. She thought that coming here would be better, would help her return to her prior self, but that person had left when Rein had. She hadn't slept or eaten since she'd returned to the mountain, and she had finally decided that she could no longer stay.

Dressed in a brown tunic, the shoulders furry and her leather boots thick and durable, Orcrist strapped across her back along with a quiver of arrows. She knew that several people were giving her strange looks, not that she could blame them, most dwarf women weren't accustomed to battle and the outside of their kingdom.

"Thalia!"

She stopped as Kili sprinted up to her, his warm brown eyes concerned.

"Where are you going, you've just returned!" he said, his eyes searching her face.

"I cannot stay Kili," she said sadly," Not now."

"Thalia, Rein would want you to be happy! To live your life!"

"She is not dead!" Thalia snapped, giving him a venomous glare.

"Perhaps not," Kili said slowly," but-"

"But nothing. I'm going out, besides," she sighed," I'm not really needed here anymore."

That much was true, in the past years she'd trained under Legolas, she'd realized that she could not live as she wanted if she was next in line for the throne, so she had given it up and passed it on to Fili, the rightful King. Her father had not been ashamed, if anything, he'd been proud, much more so than she expected.

"Thalia, you will always have a place here," Kili placed a hand on her shoulder," You must know that."

"And she does."

They turned to find Erenda, Thalia's mother, the Queen, standing there. Thalia had somehow inherited her mother's beauty, her fair, satin skin and her slim figure (which was incredibly odd for someone of dwarf heritage). Erenda was remarkably short for a human, even shorter than Thorin, making Thalia only slightly taller than her mother. Erenda wore a beautiful blue dress of satin, her crown embedded with colorful jems and her green eyes bright.

"I do," Thalia replied," but I cannot stay, Mother."

Erenda nodded, smiling sadly," I know, dear."

Thalia looked to Kili, who stared in disbelief as he realized there was no stopping her.

"Well, promise you me you'll be safe," he said urgently," Please."

She took his rough hands in her own," I will. Send Fili my best." She looked to her mother, who took her hands from Fili's into her own satin-like ones.

"Stay off the roads and keep your chin up," she said.

Thalia nodded," Always do. Tell Father I'm sorry, I do not think I can face him."

Thorin had left that morning for a meeting with Dain, but he had been happy that she had returned. She didn't like to think of what he might feel when he learned that she had gone again, and this time even she didn't know where she was going.

Her mother nodded, and Thalia pulled away. Wherever she was going, she hoped it would lead her back to her true home.

-

****

Reiness stared, her eyes wide as she lowered her bow.

"Rein." Thalia stared, her blue eyes bright against her tanned complexion. She had become strangely more beautiful than Reiness could have ever thought, perhaps a little taller too. Her crinkly hair a long dark mane that reached to her waist, she wore a faun-colored riding tunic with thick chalky brown pants tucked into dark leather boots. She looked so much like Thorin, Orcrist in her right hand and a look of proud defiance in her eyes.