Hello everybody,
Well here is the tragic ending to the my story. Just to be clear the 'actual ending is the one still being posted in the Shadowed Companion story. This one shot is not the actual ending, just an alternate for those that prefer sticking to the books and movies more.
That being said, please enjoy.
"I will enjoy making her suffer." Azog said making Thorin cringe before the dwarf got a determined look in his eyes. 'You are not touching her!' Thorin thought as he slide Orcrist out from the blade-lock. He cried out in pain as Azog stabbed him through the chest, but if he was to die this day he would take Azog with him. Orcrist came up stabbing the orc through the chest. The pale orc was surprised to say the least as he stumbled back. The blow deliver was fatal enough, but with Azog's last bit of strength he raised his blade above his head to finish Thorin off.
Veirra could not get her feet to move her fast enough and she was took weak as she stumbled again watching the scene unfold before her and being powerless to stop it. It was from one of her many stumbles that she knelt on the ice. She saw Azog raise the sword above his head, and knew Thorin was about to die. Looking down at the blade still embedded in her, Veirra knew of only one thing left to do. She gripped the blade handle and with a pained cry pulled the blade out then threw it. Drops of her blood splattered across the ice as it flew right into the back of Azog's head. The orc's arms dropped as he stared blankly in shock before falling to the ground dead.
Blood flowed freely over her hand as Veirra tried to stop the flow of blood from escaping. She vaguely heard the eagles flying and after a moment looked to Thorin. The dwarf lord in obvious shock as he moved towards the edge to better see the battlefield below. Had he seen her? He did not seem to or was too shocked. Either way, he fell to the ground before he could move anywhere else. Slowly she gritted her teeth and stood, she was going to die nothing could stop that now. "Very well, if that is your wish. Then I promise you will never see me again, King under the mountain." Her own words now mocked her, these could not be the last words spoken to Thorin. Promise be damned, so she took slow agonising steps towards the dwarf lord. As she neared she heard voices and looked up Bilbo was by Thorin as the dwarf lord asked for forgiveness, and was pretty much saying goodbye to him.
She must have made a noise for the hobbit looked to Veirra helplessly. "Veirra we need to get him to Gandalf."
The words were easily said, but not so easily done as she stumbled and nearly fell next to Thorin. It was then Veirra noticed his injury and a few tears came to her eyes. She had not saved him as she had thought only delayed the inevitable. "Veirra..." Thorin breathed, "I had feared I would never see you again. That you would keep your promise."
"I was never far from you Thorin." Veirra said softly.
"Forgive me I did not mean what I said and did to you. I know I hurt you and nothing I say or do will ever-"
"Shhh Thorin time is short," Veirra said pressing a finger to his lips, "I would not waste them on apologies when all is already forgiven. Instead I would hear you say how you feel, so many things can be said with three words." Veirra said softly and Thorin gave a faint smile up at her.
"I l-love you my queen." Thorin whispered.
"I love you too my king." Tears slipped down her cheeks as Thorin exhaled for the last time, and she leaned in kissing his lips, "I will right behind you."
"No no no no! You cannot go." Bilbo said, "Too many have been lost today. Please!" Bilbo looked up at the Eagles. "Just please wait the Eagles are coming."
"Bilbo..."
"I will go get Gandalf you both will be alright." Bilbo made to get up, but Veirra caught his hand.
"Bilbo please understand that Gandalf can not fix this. Please just stay with us for a while." The hobbit remained knelt by Thorin across from Veirra. "Talk to me Bilbo, tell me—tell me what you will do when you get home?"
The hobbit straightened a little, he did not really want to talk of home not when his friends were dead or dying. Yet the hobbit released a shaky breath before speaking "I will plant the acorn I got from Beorn's garden. Sit back with some tea and smoke my pipe. Maybe see how the flowers are..."
Veirra had rested her head alongside Thorin's and felt the last of her blood drain away. She listened to the comforting sound of Bilbo's voice, but eventually everything slipped away. "You would love it they have this large feast and dancing and..."
Bilbo stopped as he noticed Veirra lay still beside Thorin. "Veirra?" The hobbit reached over and gently nudged her arm, but received no response. "Veirra?"
Sitting back the hobbit started crying by his two friends now lost.
Back in Rivendell
Lord Elrond had brought the Lady Galdriel back to Rivendell to heal before she would return home. After their run in with Sauron, it left both wise elves shaken, Gandalf had been right. It was not an easy thing to accept, for too long they had grown complacent in believing the danger over. The pair sat in a drawing room in the house of healing, both sipping tea. They remained silent both deep in thought until Mythrian rushed in. "My lord! You must come quick!"
"Mythrian? What is the matter?" Elrond asked, as he took in her panicked expression.
"It is Atrice my lord!" The elf lord was on his feet, and whether he knew it or not Galdariel followed not far behind.
"I was bringing her food to the gardens and I never expected this. At first I thought one of the other maids moved her to make her more comfortable, but..." Mythrian continued, as they rushed into the gardens. The trio stopped short when they saw the blonde woman in question as she sat by the fountain. However this was not the disturbing part, it was the fact that she was taking in her surroundings. No longer did she hum some eerie tune or play with her hair.
"Lady Atrice?" Elrond asked, as he slowly moved closer. The young woman actually responded to her name for her head turned as she took in the three elves before her.
"Hello, I do not suppose you can tell me where I am. The last thing I remember was I was with my friend, Veirra. Have you seen her? Is she okay?"
Elrond stared at the blonde maiden stunned, nothing he had tried had worked to restore her mind. How was this possible? Her madness was steadily getting worse, heck her entire condition was getting worse and she was not expected to survive it for much longer! Then the only logical explanation came and Elrond felt like he would be ill. Veirra had fallen, and in her death Atrice had been released from whatever evil that held her.
Sadly Thorin and Veirra were not the only casualties that day. Not far away lay Fili who had died shortly after from blood loss caused by the warg, his brother Kili lay in the arms of Tauriel who cried as she placed the stone he once gave her in his hand. Gandalf and the others of the company arrived too late as did the three rangers that had followed Veirra. The grey wizard knelt by the ranger and dwarf he had tried to save and failed. How had things gone so wrong? In trying to fix things he had lost much in a short span of time. He went to rest his hand on Veirra and offer up a prayer for them. However the vision he saw and the voice he heard was not what he expected.
The lidless eye appeared violently in his head and he heard the voice that could only be Sauron's voice. "Cursed! A thousand lives and a thousand deaths you and all you hold dear will suffer!"
Immediately Gandalf released Veirra as if burnt. "No..." Gandalf said softly, "What have I done?"
The grey wizard never meant for Veirra to suffer, and now she would. Rising Gandalf went and sat by Bilbo the wizard felt today was a tragedy as he tried to light up his pipe and think of a way to avert what was done to the ranger and any that had earned a place in her heart. Instead he ended up cleaning out his pipe. The wizard frowned down at the instrument, had he not been told days before he had to keep it clean by Veirra no less? Part of him wished she would come take it off of him and clean it out like before.
Instead he made scratching noises that disturbed the silence and got Bilbo looking at him. Both looked on each other wishing their friends had survived. Eventually the group prepared to carry their dead back down to Erebor and Dale. The journey was long and slow as Thorin, Fili, Kili, and Veirra were set down on the makeshift stretchers and laid at Dain's feet. The newly appointed king hardly wanted to rule Erebor, but called for a feast to honour the fallen. "Now ahhh who is this lady?"
"Veirra Stormshadow, my lord. Thorin's chosen queen." Balin replied on a shaky breath, and Dain looked down at the dead woman more carefully. Then looked to the remaining company before sighing.
"Prepare her for burial as well. Thorin chose her as his queen she will be buried as his queen." Then Dain looked at those gathered. "Any of you lot have objections?!" When he got no answer he nodded. "Good cause I probably would have ignored you anyway."
Dain tried not to look at Bard who held his eldest as she cried softly, or Tauriel who stood by Thranduil. Instead he added in a softer voice. "If ahh it is all the same to you. Could we postpone any further fighting till the dead are given their proper rights, and a feast to honour them?"
Bard nodded as he hugged Sigrid tightly, if there was one way to kick the fighting out of the bowman it was his eldest in pain. Not to mention the pain he felt as he looked at the beautiful ranger that now looked to be asleep. "Yes."
Thranduil looked to Tauriel as she stared down at Kili. The elf king found he had been dead wrong when he had told her what she felt had not been real. While he could not undo his earlier decree he could at least respect the one she loved. "Of course."
"Thanks, you ahhh are welcome to join us." Dain said for once trying to be a reasonable person. As he turned away however Gandalf spoke up.
"I request an audience with you Dain. There is something you need to know." Gandalf said softly, the hobbit beside him looked up at the wizard puzzled.
"Very well we will meet in the throne room." Dain said. Calling the remaining company and the leaders into the throne room Dain looked at the throne and sighed. "I think I will stand. Now what is it?"
Gandalf explained more about the ranger that had won Thorin's heart while Dain listened calmly. Dain glanced at Thranduil, Tauriel, Bard, and Sigrid then looked at the others that joined them. "Do ya have a point Gandalf?!" Dain said losing patience.
"Yes, when I was saying goodbye I felt the presence of the enemy. Sauron has cursed Veirra." Gandalf said troubled.
"Explain yourself wizard! I have already decree that she is to be buried as Erebor's queen now you tell me she is cursed?!" Dain asked angry.
"No not that kind of curse!" Gandalf said, then sighed, "She and all she held dear will be meant to relive their lives over and over again. Never being allowed to know peace."
"All she holds dear? Gandalf does.." Balin asked but trailed off.
"It means that Thorin, Fili, and Kili will share her fate. Including those of us in this room most likely."
"And what would you have done about it?" Dain asked.
"The curse cannot be removed, but perhaps it need not be a bad thing. It will allow for a second chance, and if we can defeat Sauron one day the curse will be lifted." Gandalf said getting the others thinking.
"Mithrandir?" Gandalf turned to Tauriel, "You are saying that they may not be lost?"
"Yes, that is what I am saying." Gandalf said giving Tauriel a small glimmer of hope in an otherwise darkened world. Then he looked back to Dain, "I request the necklace Veirra wears, it can be specially enchanted to return to it's original owner. The Lady Galadriel can do this, and the necklace will find it's way back to the reincarnation of Veirra. Hopefully this will lead us to the others."
Dain regarded Gandalf with a wary uncertain eye then looked to the others. "What do you lads think?"
"I think if it helps us to see them again, then do it." Balin said and the others were quick to agree with him.
"Very well Gandalf take the necklace to your elf maid." Dain said, after a moment and sent one of his men to get the protection stone. After the meeting the group slowly left Erebor for the hobbit did not care to remain for the feast. Tauriel was leaving as well as she packed her horse and was surprised by those that watched her.
"Where will you go?" Thranduil asked her.
"If Veirra and the others are to be reborn, I will wait and search for them until I find Kili again." Tauriel said softly. Sigrid wanted to go too, but her family were still here and so she remained silent by her father.
"Sigrid do you wish to go with her?" Bard asked trying to be supportive.
"Yes, but what good would I be da? I will age while she will not. By the time they are reborn and I find Fili I will probably be an old lady." The young woman said, disheartened until Gandalf stepped forward.
"My dear even if Tauriel finds Kili he will not know her anymore than Fili would know you." Gandalf paused, "But if you chose it. There is a way to slow the process of age down to where it almost stands still. It means your family will age while you remain young."
Sigrid looked down wondering if it would be worth the risk. Could she be that selfish as to abandon her family. "Sigrid." Bard turned his daughter to face him, "It is past time I let you make your own decisions in life. You cannot keep looking after us, and I would not want you to suffer like this. The decision is yours alone but if you wish it, then know that I support you."
"Thank you da." Sigrid hugged her father tightly before turning to Gandalf. "I will go, if it helps me to see Fili again."
Together the wizard, hobbit, elf, and girl travelled to Rivendell after saying goodbye to those they loved. Tauriel and Sigrid remained in Rivendell, after Gandalf brought the necklace to Galadriel, and Sigrid with the aid of elven magic effectively slowed her ageing down to a crawl. Both Sigrid and Tauriel vowed to find their lost loves as Gandalf guided the hobbit back to the Shire. It was on the path home at the edge of the Shire that Gandalf prepared to say goodbye.
"Do you think I will see them again?" Bilbo asked.
"Only time will tell dear Bilbo. All we can do is wait and hope to see them once more..."
70 years later...
Somewhere in the wilds of Gondor a light rain had settled in. The ground sloshed beneath the booted feet of a trio of travellers. Each had their hoods up as they moved, obscuring the view of their faces. The trio kept moving as they headed for a much dryer location, not to mention safer. The Orcs presence had grown in the region, and they had to keep moving to avoid being caught. Eventually they found the hidden cave that rangers used in their travels. It was obscured by a small waterfall, and the trio each slipped into the vacant cave as the base of the waterfall. Once inside they set about lighting the torches and starting a fire. When done with the jobs two of the figures pulled back their hoods revealing Tauriel and a barely aged Sigrid. Both took seats on the rocks and looked out at the waterfall glad to finally be able to catch their breathes.
Sigrid looked only a couple of years older her face more defined and radiant. The blessing of the elves had slowed her ageing leaving the maiden young and now more experienced as she had trained those seventy long years alongside Tauriel. She was dressed much like an ranger armed with a bow and blades. Looking to Tauriel the elf maiden had remained as she always had a beautiful red haired maiden still clad in green armour with her own bow and swords. Both shared a look before looking to their third new companion who pulled back her hood slowly revealing very familiar blood red hair. She looked up at Tauriel and Sigrid with sharp silver coloured eyes that could only have belonged to Veirra Stormshadow. The maiden was the spitting image of their long dead friend even dressed and armed just as she had been.
Sighing the woman that was a doppelgänger of Veirra finally spoke. "Now that we are safe for the moment. Who are you and why did you help me?"
Author's Notes:
Alright I know not exactly an overly sad ending, but the dwarves did die as did my OC character. So it was mostly tragic, okay so I hate tragic endings. What can I say? I remember hinting that both endings for this story had the potential to continue onwards. So that is what I meant by this, this story has the potential to be done, but for now I will wait and see how it reviews.
Anyway I hope you enjoyed this one shot.
Lesliezin