The sun shone brightly in the sky warming the cool winter air. It had been a week since I had been home and I still hadn't adjusted to the cold spell that currently swept over the land. I found myself sitting on the front step of my brother's home staring off into the horizon, my mind drifting back to The Lonely Mountain. Gazing to the north part of me hoped I could see the mountain, even though I knew I was too far away to see it. Ever since returning to my homeland, I hadn't truly felt like I was home. In all actuality, I hadn't felt at home since I had left the dwarves of Erebor, since I had left him.
A sigh escaped me as I stood and turned to go back inside the quaint house, looking to forget my thoughts. The warmth of the fire hit me as soon as I walked through the front door. I smiled as my niece, Brunswith, came running towards me. She wrapped her arms around me as she exclaimed "Auntie Éadwyn!"
"Good morning Brunswith! How's my favorite niece today?"
She smiled at me. "I'm your only niece! I helped Mommy make breakfast. Do you want some?"
"That sounds lovely." I joined them at the table and smiled at my brother's wife. "Good morning Brunil." She greeted me in turn and we sat down to enjoy our breakfast.
As we were clearing our plates, Brunswith came up to me again and stared at me with expectant eyes. I countered her stare with one of my own, wondering what on earth she could want from me. I raised an eyebrow in question at her. "Papa says you lived far away for a very long time and that you are sure to have met many interesting people. He says you went on an adventure! Can you tell me about it? I love stories!"
I was taken back at her sudden question. Truth be told, I wasn't sure if I wanted to tell my tale, least of all to my ten year old niece. I noticed Brunil look at me with her own curiosity. I could tell that she to was interested in my story but she wasn't going to ask me about it. I'm sure my brother had given her the few details I had told him when I showed up on their doorstep. I sat in silence as my niece continued to stare at me. Did I really want to do this? To relive this part of my life? All of the joys? All of the pain and sadness? Just when I decided that I did not indeed wish to relive it, she grabbed a hold of my hand and gave it a squeeze.
"Papa says there was a dragon! Did you really see a dragon? Was it scary?" Her face lit up with a mixture of excitement and fear.
I guess this was happening whether I wanted it to or not. I patted the seat next to mine and she climbed up with eager eyes. "Yes there was a dragon but that's to come much later in this story. It all began in Rivendell, a beautiful elf city hidden in a secret valley…"