65 years later
I woke to a beautiful spring morning. It would be summer soon, and blossoms were falling from the fruit trees, while the sound of bees buzzing and bird song filled the air outside my window. I headed eagerly out for my patrol, intending to meet a group of men from Gorlond who would be heading our way this morning. They were to pick up a parcel of tools, bringing with them a shipment of food in exchange. The trade agreement we had made all those years ago had allowed both towns to flourish. Another unexpected result was a continued request for my presence in the town to help teach their girls the art of fighting. I would spend days at a time there, chatting with the women I had first met, grown old now over the years as they introduced me to their daughters and granddaughters. Three generations welcomed my arrival on my visits there, filling me with gladness. The men who had once bothered me were long gone, driven out when their actions had come to light. Attitudes had changed, the men showing new respect for their women now that they were able to fight.
I met up with the group mid morning, grinning at the sight of a familiar face. A dark haired man led the group, his somber countenance lightening at the sight of me. Codir, son of Celdor, grandson of Cardor and the newest leader of the town at his father's resignation. He was much like the man I had first met, honorable and easy to work with. Added to that a fantastic sense of humor he had inherited from his mother, and he had become my favorite of the men thus far. He reminded me a little of my old friends, the elven brothers Talon and Taren. A glint of mischief in his eye that for all his seriousness he could not entirely hide. The towns people loved him and he ruled fairly.
"Codir, you old rogue, I didn't know you would be coming! How are you this fine day?" He grinned cheekily, offering me a one-armed hug as we walked along the path at the head of the group.
"Thought I'd surprise you. How have things been? The girls have been asking after you, never mind that you've only seen them last week." I chuckled, thinking fondly of my friends among the women there.
"Tell them I'll doubtless be back in a month or so. Things have been relatively quiet up this way. We just celebrated Fili's birthday. Seventy seven years old, would you believe it? Seems only yesterday he was scampering around with little Kili toddling after."
"And yet you no doubt haven't changed a bit, fair lady," he jested. I snorted in laughter at the back handed compliment.
"Not changed indeed. You flatter me, master flirt." He grinned again, and we continued chatting until we reached the walls of the town before parting ways with a wave. I headed back towards home, looking forward to taking off my patrol armor and putting on something lighter in preparation for training with the two boys. I never made it there, barely catching myself as the young men barreled towards me in enthusiasm.
"Auntie 'lanta! Is it time for training?" Getting my breath back, I smiled at the nick name they had picked for me, thinking back to the first time they had said it more than forty years ago.
I had been walking through the market, just returned from a two week trip to Gorlond. Heading home to unpack just as I always did, I had been hailed from behind by Dis.
"Alanta! You're back." She strode forward to embrace me before looking to see where her boys had gotten to. They came racing around a corner, stopping momentarily at the sight of me. Exchanging a look of silent agreement, they pounced.
"Auntie!" The two exuberant boys cheered to the amusement of their mother. I stood shocked, looking questioningly to Dis.
"It seems they've adopted you," she said grinning. I felt a rush of warmth at the words, returning her smile and embracing my adopted family.
"I'm honored," I gushed. I knew from that moment that no matter what happened, I had a family to protect once again.
Once I had properly greeted my 'nephews', and I had changed attire, we headed to the training yards. Dwalin met us there, along with Thorin who wanted to see how they fared. I was proud to help show off their skills. They had grown into the weapons of a warrior, both deadly fighters, their skills honed through years of rigorous training. Kili was an expert archer to my surprise, inspiring many of the other dwarves to try the unfamiliar weapon. He also excelled with the sword, a skill passed on to him from his uncle. Fili was unstoppable, his twin swords a whirlwind of deadliness. He also possessed a massive amount of knives that I had spent much time teaching him how to use.
Thorin watched from the sidelines as Dwalin and the boys and I mock battled. We had begun a kind of skirmish, the two younger ones against us. I spent many hours working to teach them how to defeat someone with a longer weapon then theirs, wielding my staff with punishing force until they could both get inside my line of defense routinely. They were fast learners, every bruise teaching them a lesson they never forgot. That's not to say they beat me often, but they were skilled enough that I now had to exercise caution when fighting them. Dwalin spent time showing them how to compete against someone wielding a heavier weapon than their own, his large war hammer whirling around with heavy swings. It had the ability to crush anything in its path, so Dwalin was careful to slow his arm if either boy was not fast enough getting out of the way. That was usually followed up by him flipping the weapon around and knocking them over with the handle.
We were covered in sweat by the time we had declared the day's training successful. Heading for home to clean up, I accepted Thorin's request to join them for dinner. I washed up quickly, slipping on a comfortable dress before heading over to join them. They were laughing and joking when I walked in, the boys bragging about their victories in the day's training. Thorin smiled indulgently as Dis heaped praises on them while she finished getting supper to the table. I moved to help her, and we completed the task quickly together. The next little while was spent in silence as we all turned our attention to the wonderful food and good ale. Once done, Dis bade the boys clean up while we talked together. I didn't miss the mischievous glance they threw each other, and turned to watch what they would do.
I was hard pressed not to laugh when they began to toss the plates and bowls through the air to speed up the job, ignoring Dis' yells of surprise and annoyance. I gave her a nudge, breaking out in chuckles at the indignant look on her face.
"Relax, I'm sure they'll be careful. Besides, it's rather entertaining." Even Thorin was grinning at the show, and with this encouragement the boys began to include us in the performance. Clean plates flew back towards the table, and we caught and stacked them neatly to be put away later. Somewhat reassured by their success, Dis relented when they begged to make it a new tradition. I could see that dishes would be an interesting event around here from now on, and wondered how many times they had practiced that without anyone watching to get as good as they were. Putting it aside as a question to ask them later, I sat back and relaxed when Dis called them over to sit with us. They both sank down on the carpet before the fireplace, waiting to hear what she would have to say.
"Your uncle and I have been discussing your birthday present Fili," she began, grinning when Fili perked up in interest. "We have decided that all of us are going to go on a trip to Lake Evendim. We'll spend two weeks there, away from responsibility and just have fun!" Fili and Kili stared for a moment in shock before cheering and jumping to their feet, already planning what they would pack to take along. Dis laughed at their enthusiasm. "We leave in the morning, everything has already been prepared. You two had best get some sleep so you're rested for the walk." They shouted good night before racing for their rooms.
"You know they're not going to sleep a wink right?" I sniggered. All three of us laughed, imagining an exhausted Fili and Kili stumbling out of their room in the morning, still ready to go despite their lack of sleep. It wouldn't be the first time they let excitement get the better of them, and we were well used to the results by now. Parting for the night, I retired to my own home for some rest, already looking forward to the morning.
The morning was fair, still carrying a hint of spring's chill. I met up with the others outside the stable, clad in armor and with pack and weapons in hand. They were all geared similarly, the two younger ones struggling to hold on to their supplies as they gave voice to thick yawns. I frowned slightly when I saw that we would need more than one extra pony to carry all the packs we were bringing. Thorin's expression matched mine as he made a similar observation.
"I don't want to have to take this many with us," he said with a grimace.
"Wait," I called, a thought forming in my head. It was bound to startle them, but it would be the perfect solution. "I have an idea. I'd like you to meet another of my friends."
"Another?" Thorin asked, a little suspiciously. "I thought we had seen them all."
"No, not all. I have many companions that you have not yet been introduced to, for one reason or another. This is a very large friend, and very strong. He will be able to carry all the packs without need of burdening the ponies, and still have room for me besides." When the others nodded agreement, I called out to him. There were startled cries at the sight of the massive mammoth, his tusks alone bigger than them. "Icetusk!" I giggled, wrapping an arm around his trunk as he curled it around my waist in a hug. "This is Icetusk," I said by way of introduction. "He is a mammoth of the snowy north lands where I once traveled. I think he is rather like your oliphaunts," I added, recalling the picture I had seen in one of their books. They nodded, still mute with shock at the size of the beast.
It took us only moments to have the packs fastened by way of ropes across his broad back. The dwarves vanished into the stable for a short time, reemerging on ponies and moving out swiftly. I leaped up to land on Icetusk's back, letting him follow without my guidance. He gave a short trumpet of interest at the sight of the warm lands around him as we left out the gates. I was momentarily worried at the thought of him overheating before I remembered that I had brought him to far harsher climates and he had fared just fine. He seemed quite eager to enjoy the day, hardly noticing the weight on his back.
We traveled throughout the day, making camp just past the crossing for the river Lhun. We were halfway to our destination, now entering lands I had never been to before, and I climbed a tree to see over the forest to the east. I caught sight of a line of small hills, and just past that, a glimpse of water on the horizon. It glinted in the light of the setting sun, reminding me that we needed to be preparing for the night. I clambered down to see Kili expertly building a fire and Fili approaching the mammoth to unpack our bedrolls and some food for the night. He was having a hard time reaching some of the things, and he grunted in surprise when Icetusk lowered himself to the ground to make it easier. I chuckled as he thanked my friend with a bow before unloading the things he needed for the night.
Once the fire was built we cooked a small supper, eating leisurely and relaxing in the warmth of the air. Fili and Thorin pulled out intricately carved pipes, filling them and blowing smoke rings throughout the clearing, the scent a comforting reminder of home. Kili pulled out a block of wood, the half finished carving resembling a fish. He had picked up the skill from Bofur, a toymaker with exceptional abilities. Every now and then Kili would make something in his spare time, donating his works to the dwarf to be sold in his shop. I leaned back and watched the stars begin to come out, Dis joining me shortly and telling me about the constellations that could be seen glimmering overhead. After awhile we went to sleep, Thorin taking watch. He would wake the next person in a couple hours so that we could all get ample rest before continuing our journey.
The second leg of our trip was uneventful, and we made it to the shores of the lake by early evening. Setting up a more permanent camp, I took a moment to stand and gaze out over the large body of water. I felt distinctly uneasy, recalling the last time I had been forced to enter water. That had been the day I almost drowned. Shivering slightly and hoping I would not have to enter this one, I turned back to camp. The others had noticed my discomfort, and to my chagrin I found myself forced to explain.
"What's wrong?" the boys asked curiously, noting the way I twitched when looking at the lake. I hesitated, not sure if I was ready to talk about it even after all this time. I settled for a different question.
"Do either of you know how to swim?" They looked at each other in confusion, Thorin answering for them.
"None of us do, we don't live close enough to water for it to be necessary." I nodded in understanding, my worry only increasing with the proximity of the water. I sighed anxiously, deciding to tell them the tale behind my deepest fear.
"Throughout the years, you have asked me to tell you of my adventures. And while I can honestly say I have told you the truth, I may not have told you all of it. I think you are old enough now to hear what really happened." They leaned forward intently, listening with fascination as I spun a tale far different than the one I had first told them. "About ten years before we met I lost my parents to the dragon. This beast was much different from the one that stole your home. Not content to gather gold and jewels and hide away in a cavern, he had only one goal lodged in his insane mind. The total destruction of my world, and the annihilation of anyone who got in his way. His fury left natural disasters in his wake. Earthquakes tore apart the land, volcanoes caused rampant fires, and tidal waves swamped the coastlines."
"Along with this destruction came the unexpected discovery of new lands. Most specifically an island rich with resources just off the coast of a large kingdom of men. Sailors had reported it to the King, and he sent scouts and spies to confirm these findings. They returned with disturbing news. Our enemy was already there. Orcs, goblins, and the races they allied with had taken half the island. The king wasted no time in gathering a small force of infantry, with guardians to protect them to make our claim. We went by boat, departing from the city wharf in the morning. My sister was with us, as were our two best friends and a new companion they had met along their journey to other parts of the world. The soldiers were confident in our becoming victorious, laughing and joking as we came in sight of an unfamiliar coastline. We never made it there..." My audience was thrilled by the story, waiting in anticipation for what would come next.
"What happened?" Kili whispered.
"We came across an overturned ship, one of our own. A handful of survivors sat clustered in fear on the still floating hull. As we hastened to mount a rescue operation I contemplated what could have caused such an accident. The only thing that came to mind was a horrible storm, and I would have prayed to be right had I known what was coming next. Before we could blink, the massive tentacles of a monster had encircled our ship, plucking terrified sailors off the deck like candy. My sister was lost over the side, and I dove after her. I had almost gotten to her when I was grabbed." Gasps of horror greeted my statement. "The last thing I remember was not having enough air before everything went dark."
"You drowned?" Thorin asked in concern.
"That's what I thought at first. But I came back to consciousness in an air pocket created by the overturned ship, rescued by a powerful ally that had been aboard the other boat. He gave us the ability to breath underwater, bidding us aid him in the battle that raged between the lord of waters and a race of strange creatures that dwelt in the ocean. These beings were half fish, half people, a warped descendant of my own race, driven to the sea through some ancient dispute. We fought hard to defend against them, coming across beautiful and terrifying creatures in the deeps. Glowing fish that spat poison, eels that flickered with the power of a small lightning storm. Worst were the whales. As large as dragons, and very fierce, they would devour anything that came within range. I very nearly got swallowed whole. Needless to say, we won, but I had never been happier to leave a place and I vowed not to return to the water again." Dis looked thoughtful, recalling my first rendition of that story as it was told to a group of tiny dwarf children. Thorin was expressionless, while the boys glanced towards the lake warily.
They retired for the night, leaving me to keep watch rather than face the dreams that would be brought on by my vivid recollection. I pushed bad thoughts from my mind, watching the stars and occasionally glancing over at the sleeping forms of my friends.
The dawn saw me in a better frame of mind, my cheerful disposition returned with the rising of the sun. We spent the morning lounging around under the trees that bordered the lake, taking our time with breakfast and soaking up the warmth of a new day. When I moved towards a tree to do some more climbing, Kili followed after.
"Can you teach me how to climb like you?" he asked, looking up into the branches with interest.
"Of course!" I motioned him over to my side eagerly. Holding my hands out as a step, I gave him a short boost so he could reach the lowest branches, shoving him upward until he had a good grip. I then flipped myself up onto the branch above him, reaching down to pull him the rest of the way up. He wobbled slightly, holding tightly to the trunk and gazing uneasily down at the ground. "The trick," I laughed, noting his expression of unease, "is to not look down." Nodding slightly, he kept his eyes firmly planted forward. "Do you want to go higher?" I asked after a moment. My question was met with mixed reactions from down below. Dis called out cautionary advice, Thorin grumbled worriedly, and Fili shouted insults directed at his brother's sudden lack of grace.
"Let's go," Kili firmly stated, his mouth a determined line. Grinning at the predictable way in which he responded to Fili's taunts, I showed him how to place his hands and use his strength to swing himself upwards. He learned quickly, making short time of the journey to the top of the tree. I had purposely chosen one with strong branches almost all the way up, so he was able to rise above the canopy without fear of them snapping under his weight. He gasped in awe at the sight that greeted him, mesmerized by the long distances brought into view at this new height. We spent the rest of the morning up there before I showed him how to get down safely. The others firmly rejected my offer to teach them, deciding that they would much rather keep both feet on the ground. Thorin went as far as to snort that it was too elvish for his taste before shutting up when Dis punched him in response to the look on my face.
The days fell into a lazy rhythm made up of eating, sleeping late and bathing on the shores of the lake. Dis and I had found our own special place, privately tucked away from the main shoreline. We spent a good amount of time there together, talking about nothing and just enjoying the day. Kili could be found more often than not up in the treetops, his skill rapidly increasing with every hour of practice. I no longer followed him up every time, trusting him to be careful without my aid.
We had been there about a week when it happened. I was lying at the base of a tree in the camp talking with some of the birds when the two boys headed towards the water.
"Don't go in too deep," I reminded them. "I've no wish to be forced into that water to drag you out." They gave rumbles of agreement, wandering off in anticipation of another fun filled day. I turned back to my conversation, occasionally translating something interesting for Thorin and Dis, to their constant amusement. I gradually became distracted from my rest, my ears picking out the distant sound of Fili scolding his brother. Sighing, I got to my feet and motioned for the others to follow so we could see what they had gotten up to this time.
Reaching the lake shore, I spotted Fili a little ways away glaring up into the branches of a particularly large tree that leaned over the water. Kili was perched precariously on a rather thin limb, swinging experimentally from the one above. I heard Dis gasp in worry, and I felt my own stomach swoop as I caught a surge of wrongness from the tree.
"Kili, get down now!" I yelled, my voice risen with panic. He merely grinned at me, turning back towards the ground obligingly.
"Alright, alright, I'm coming. Don't worry auntie." I watched his movements, alarmed when the branch took a sudden dip under his feet and the wrong feeling I had gotten rose even higher. I had no time to react when the branch snapped, sending him plunging with a terrified yell into the cold depths of the lake. Dis screamed, Thorin froze, and Fili looked ready to jump in after his brother. I leaped into action, kicking off my boots and running towards the water as I cast aside my fears.
"Stay there!" I screamed towards the others, sending Fili a pointed glare. Thorin moved forward to capture his nephew in an embrace, preventing him from acting foolishly. I barely registered the sound of Kili somehow managing to break the surface, letting out a panicked gasp for air before disappearing once more. Flinging myself into the air, I assumed the form of a large seal just as I hit the water. I dove cleanly, cutting through the clear waves as I made my way toward the drowning boy. His eyes were closed, one hand held up loosely as if to beckon for help. Seizing the back of his tunic in my teeth I dragged his unmoving form swiftly back to shore. I changed back as soon as I was sure my feet would touch bottom, hefting Kili bodily out of the water. Thorin led the charge towards us, helping me get him to the grass.
I gasped in relief when a few short pumps of his chest had him choking out mouth fulls of water and greedily inhaling the air he had been denied. Dis grabbed him up with a sob, stroking his hair and crying into his shoulder at the close call. I stepped back, allowing Fili to take my place at his side, and jumped slightly when Thorin caught me in a crushing embrace, pulling back to reveal eyes blazing with emotion.
"Thank you," he whispered. "Thank you for saving him." I nodded, choking on the words and brushing away threatening tears.
"My pleasure," I offered with a weak chuckle. We both turned to help as Dis dragged Kili to his feet and began escorting him back to camp, alternately scolding and offering words of love all the while.
The next day I judged Kili sufficiently recovered from his ordeal and stalked towards him purposefully.
"Up," I said sternly, standing over him as he sat resting on the ground and including the others in my stare. "Let's go."
"Where are we going?" he asked nervously.
"To the lake. No excuses," I barked in response to his fearful look. "You all need to learn to swim so we don't have a repeat of that unfortunate episode ever again." Striding in the direction of the water, I smiled in satisfaction when I heard Thorin give the order to follow after. They joined me on the shore, eying the water with varying states of unease. I gave them all a gentle look of reassurance. "Don't worry, you'll be quite safe with me. We will have to do this one at a time as I don't think I can hold two of you up at once. Who would like to go first?" The boys hesitated, Kili looking positively petrified. Even Dis and Thorin seemed rather uneasy.
"Are you sure there are no monsters in that water?" Fili asked finally, his tone laced with worry. I sighed, knowing I probably should have expected that question.
"I will check. You all stay here and out of the water, and no matter what happens do not come in until I tell you." I gave them all a searching glance, hoping they would listen. "I mean it. No heroics. If there is something down there I am the only one who can swim. You will not be doing me any favors by trying to help." They all nodded, so I turned back to the water. Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves I waded in several lengths before assuming the form of a great orca whale. It was much larger than the seal I had previously imitated and left me feeling safer as I dove under the water. It was quite clear, the midday sun shining almost to the bottom. I ranged out a ways, seeing nothing but small schools of fish which fled at my approach. When I had gone about a dozen leagues and had seen nothing I turned back, satisfied that there was no danger in the water. I decided to give them a bit of a show once I got close and used my strong tail to propel myself out of the water, doing an impressive flip and displaying my full size before crashing back to the surface. I could hear their yells of shock followed by delighted laughter at my performance, getting louder as I made for the shore once again.
"It is safe?" Dis asked with a tentative smile. When I gave a grinning nod of assent she walked forward to join me. "I will go first then."
"Alright!" Leading her out until she was floating and I was just touching bottom, I kept a firm grip on her hands. "Let your feet float upwards until it is almost as if you were lying on the water. Don't worry, our bodies are made to float. Just relax, and once you are in position kick your feet." Her grip tightened and she kept her eyes trained on me as she slowly complied. Gently at first, but swiftly gaining force, she found a steady rhythm and kicked out hard as I led her around. When we had made sufficient progress I got ready to move on to the next step. "Good, good. Now, I'm going to let go." Her eyes widened, grip almost crushing my wrists. "No, it's alright! I'm not leaving, I'll be right here. This is just the next step. You need to learn to paddle with your hands. Doing that in combination with your feet will allow you to stay afloat unaided." She offered me a look of suspicion, but let go and copied my movements, just getting the hang of it before she could disappear under the water. "Ok, keep going, and follow me. I'll be here to catch you if you need it." I began creeping backwards, my hands held ready, but she didn't need them. The boys cheered from shore as she successfully swam a few lengths before allowing me to lead her out of the water.
"Your turn next," she said to them smugly. Fili volunteered to go, catching on even faster than his mother. He appeared quite taken with the sensation of floating, and was reluctant to leave the water when his turn was over. It took a few encouraging words from him, but he managed to persuade Kili to go after. He was much more hesitant, unwilling at first to let go of my hands. I gave him the time he needed, and by the time he left the water he was flushed with pride. Fili gave him a clap on the shoulder, happy to see his brother in a better mood.
"Alright Thorin, your turn." I turned to the dwarf, wondering at the strange expression on his face.
"You know I don't think that's really necessary at this point. I'm certain I've got the gist of it from watching the others," he muttered. Dis looked amused about something, but I was annoyed that he thought to delay the inevitable. I scowled.
"Thorin, I just faced and conquered my deepest fear not a hour ago. Now you are going to get in this water and learn what I have to teach you so it does not become yours." I snorted when he made to match my annoyed look, stomping into the water and staring at me in resignation. I reached out towards him to pull him in deeper. "Take my hands." He didn't respond other than to let out a rather strangled noise, leaving me confused and irritated by the wait. I leaned forward and grabbed his hands in mine, startling slightly at the odd sensation that tingled through my fingers at his touch. The scowl had left his face, replaced by contemplation. He was quick to let go, acting as if I had burned him. Our session did not last long, with his strange behavior leaving me uncomfortable.
The rest of our trip was spent relaxing. I practiced swimming with the others every day, except Thorin. He continued to work on his skills as I watched from the shore, and as we maintained a respectable distance the tension that had come between us gradually began to lessen to a bearable level. By the time we were ready to head for home, I had four relatively passable swimmers, and we happily made for Ered Luin.
Author's note: Well, that was a bit of an awkward chapter. It took me more time than I care to admit to get the swimming lesson part just right, with just enough tension between our two oblivious future lovers to make things interesting. I'm sure most of you noticed I shamelessly stole Bilbo's lines for my storytelling, but they are so perfect. Arguably one of my favorite parts of the entire movie, as simple as it was. Two more chapters to go until the beginning of the quest to Erebor, and I can't wait to get started. There are no more large gaps in time from here on in, as we are (time wise) only a few short months away from our journey. Thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoyed!