'My dear Lailah,
it's been three weeks now since the day I lost my home; since the day I lost you. And I don't even know why I am writing this letter, but I need to let my feelings break free and I do not want to bother my family or friends with these thoughts.
We are lost and with each passing day I can see the pain in my father's eyes. Most of all I can see it in my grandfather's eyes. He lost the Arkenstone. No doubt, I am relieved that this piece of doom is no longer with us.
Right now we are settling in a small Human village somewhere in the west. I hate to be watched like as if I am a disturber of peace. It is not my fault that the dragon came and took the mountain.
Yes, it might be the fault of our people. We dug too deep; we never thought about the danger we caused by our massive hoards of gold and treasures. But we should have known. My father, my grandfather—I should have known.
I work in the forge these past days and it is the only place right now where I feel at least a bit of peace. I'm writing this letter while I wait for the customer to pick his sword which I just repaired today. It is hot in here, but I enjoy working the steel with the anvil. I can put all my fury and pain in each blow.
Thranduil betrayed us and I will never forgive and never forget. Never will I be able to trust an elf again. He knew you are with me and he just looked. He did nothing to help our people. To help his own kin.
Now you are gone and I will never be able to see you again. My heart aches a lot when I think about that and I wish I could be with you right now. No matter where that might be.
But there are also my siblings. I cannot leave them. They are both still young. Well, Frerin is not that much younger than I am, but Dís needs us the most now. I will protect her, and I hope I will not fail just like I failed to protect you.
I miss you so much! Each night my dreams are filled with all those wonderful moments that we shared together within the past year. One dream returns night after night. It is filled with all the events of our first meeting. You nearly killed me, do you remember? Do you remember it?
Why am I asking you that? You will never be able to answer my questions again.
And so I will cherish our moments; I will remember them forever and always.
It should have been me and you, just us two. And now I am alone, but I will keep you in my heart.
Seasons may change, winter to spring—but I love you until the end of time.
Come what may, I will love you until my dying day.
In Eternal love,
Thorin'
Upon leaving the forge in the late afternoon, Thorin's gaze drifted up towards the sky where the sun already began to set in the west, painting the sky in a deep-red color.
The young dwarf prince ignored the Humans that were looking at him curiously while he wandered along the streets and approached the guesthouse.
"There you are!" his younger brother, Frerin, called and smiled at him as he pushed a tankard of mead towards him. Thorin took it gratefully and lowered down at the table. His gaze drifted along the dwarves that were filling the guesthouse much to the displeasure of the citizens.
He was curious where his father and grandfather might be right now. They had left the village early in the morning and told him they would try and find another village to settle in before they would all make their way further west where they planned to finally settle down in the Ered Luin, the Blue Mountains.
Thorin's task was to lead the rest of their people until they would reach that place. So much responsibility, so much pain and so much grief overwhelmed him and he sighed heavily.
"What's that?" his closest friend Dwalin, a burly warrior with a pitch-black mohawk on his head, asked and snatched the piece of parchment out of the prince's hand.
"Give it back, Dwalin!" he growled and grabbed the letter, but it was already too late. His friend had read the first line and cocked an eyebrow while he handed the letter back to Thorin.
"You wrote a letter to her?"
Thorin remained silent and sipped from his mead while his gaze was fixed on the words of his letter.
"I know it is hard. For all of us. We all loved her, but she is dead. You have to start accepting that," Dwalin said and earned a dark scowl from Frerin as well as Thorin.
"Accept it? How will I ever be able to accept her death?" the elder prince growled bitterly.
Before anyone could reply to that, a sweet voice rang through the room.
"Thorin!"
The little black haired girl ran towards him with a happy smile plastered on her face. He smiled at his young sister and lifted her up to sit on his lap.
"Where have you been the whole day, Dís? You know you shouldn't wander alone through these streets," he chided her and gently pinched her nose.
She giggled, but lowered her head before she replied, "I was in the temple. I prayed," she looked back up at him.
"What for?" Frerin asked curiously.
She grabbed one of Thorin's braids and mumbled quietly, "That Lailah will come back."
Thorin lowered his gaze and nuzzled his nose in her raven-black hair.
"One day we will all be reunited again in the halls of Mahal. And until that day we should memorize the time we spent together."
With teary-wet eyes, Thorin gazed out of the window while his mind wandered back to the day he had met her for the first time.
It was the day his life had changed forever.
