A/N: Hello dear readers, I'm really sad about Thorin's death, but I'm sorry, it was Tolkien who killed him, not me! Anyway, I'm providing a full time bodyguard service, just in case...
I really thank you for all kind reviews and suport along this 36 days, you helped a lot to improve the story, albeit the body of it was already written I must send special thanks to:
- LalithElerrina, for the suggestions right at the beginning, it made a difference;
- Katschaba and Artemis Faery, your curiosity and suport meant everything to me!
- MadameZou, I'm still sorry for the keyboard!
- 123PetMaster, thanks to you the "lies" scene was written;
- IfBooksWereFood, thanks to you the "memory of the forge" scene was written;
- PurpleFairy11, you are what loyalty means!
- Erutan, you had me shedding tears of laughter, you made my day!
Tomorrow there will be an Epilogue. And then... it is in the hands of Mahal!
It took a while to burn the orcs and wargs corpses, and to provide proper burials for all the fallen ones, and first of all was the mending and healing of the wounded ones. The horseleech healer from Lake-Town proved himself a fast and diligent sewer, and he worked along with Óin bringing relief to many a dwarf and men. Lily was too pain struck to help, and spent her time with glazed eyes beside Thorin's body, unable to eat or to drink.
She barely breathed.
Iris was torn, too, barely leaving Lily's side, as along with Thorin lay the body of Fili, her dear Little Brother. After Ellen's insight on how to deal with kingship matters, Kili went into a dark mood also, as everything that gave meaning to his life until then lay dead on the cold stone.
Ellen and Wolfram sat together, as albeit the sorrow of the hour they had to elucidate some points before he went back to his world. His, no more hers.
"What is all that Klingon stuff? What did you find out, Wolf?"
"Ellen, this Gate was found by a man of our world in the sixties. If you find his real tomb, you may find inside it his writings in a more common language than Klingon. He made the inscriptions in the stone close to Mirror Lake only to leave instructions of how to use the Gate."
"But why in Klingon?"
"As a NerdNet guy, or whatever our group called itself by then, he wanted to be sure no creature from here would easily find the way to get there. You can imagine that our world would not know how to deal with orcs or dragons, or yet darker forces. That's what the NerdNet does, we keep the Gates safe, or at least try to. By writing in Klingon he made sure only a nerd from our world would be able to find and use the Gate."
"All right, I'm getting used to the idea that I'm not nerd enough!"
"Thankfully, he left instructions on the other side too, else I would not be able to find this Gate. There are others, but this was the first Middle-Earth Gate NerdNet guys found for me, and I went for it at once. Even so it took a while to reach it, and it was not easy to get last hour air tickets to Indonesia."
"Indonesia?"
"Yes, the other side of this Gate is in a small lake close to Kelimutu mountain, in the Isle of Flores. Do no mistake it for the Kelimutu lakes that change their color, that ones are poisonous with volcano fumes."
"Be sure I really wont mistake them, brother!" She shook her head, helpless.
"Well, and then there is the timing problem. It only opens when the summer solstice in the south hemisphere occurs along the new moon, in our world; then it stays open the whole week of the new moon, on our world's side, and seven times this long here in Erebor, forty nine days around dwarven New Years Day. We have a couple of days, yet, but then it will take twenty eight Middle-Earth years for it to open again.
"Hmm, but only four years in your world. You may be able to visit me then!" The elf was smiling.
"It is not a very smooth transition, fast changing Gates are quite… nauseous, I'd describe it, but I guess yes, as it will be the only way for us three to see you again."
"Lily is going with you too, then. I thought as much."
"It was hard to talk to her, she is too hurt inside, but she agreed that staying here would only bring her more pain. We hope back at home her heart may heal, may be human again and heal."
"I hope so. And Iris, is she willing to go home without complain?"
"Actually, no, but this choice is mine, not hers."
Ellen teased him just a bit, to be sure her brother shared her own thoughts.
"She fought fiercely in the battle..."
"I know. If she fought math and geography as fiercely as she fights orcs and goblins, I'd let her stay with the blink of and eye. When she shows herself mature enough to take her own decisions' consequences, we may talk about Bilbo and the Shire again."
They went quiet for a while, thinking of what would mean to be worlds apart.
"Will you be able to stay for Thorin's funeral?"
"I don't think so. The Gate is about to close, I don't want to risk. And it may be better for Lily to keep the memory of him as she knew him, not inside a tomb."
"You are wise, brother. Yavanna chose well."
"Ahm, I still have to find out what this Yavanna thing means, but I noticed my walking stick turned into a staff. I imagine it will turn back to a walking stick when I pass through the Gate again."
"Hey, and don't you forget that you can always 'fall' here using the map!"
She handled him the enchanted map, smiling.
"It is too unstable. I don't know if I would have the courage to use it, not knowing where I would fall to."
Sister and brother embraced warmly, eyes shut for a while, and then let it go. It was a though departure, for they knew now the passages could only be opened in a short while every twenty eight years, as time passed at a different pace in each world. So, after closed this time, it was not sure they would be able to see each other again in this life. In a way, it was like death was coming upon them. Wolfram asked her once more:
"Are you sure? The Gate will be open for some while, yet. We are your family, you have your job, friends, your whole life to leave behind. Are you really sure?"
Ellen sighed.
"I am, my brother, I am. Now, that I know you know this world, I know you will understand. My real friends are those crazy boffering players who would give anything to live in a world like this. I love my job, but I feel no guilt in leaving it behind, there are lots of people who can do what I do, no one really needs me, they only need what I am able to do. And you…" She sighed once more. "You and the girls are my only family, and you know where I am now, and that I am happy here, more happy than I have been in so many years. Would you not want me to be happy as I am?"
His eyes got wet.
"You know all I want is to know you are happy! Since the snowboard accident…"
"So, you got it. Where in our world will I find again a man who doesn't fear me? I have found boys to whom I could be a friend, or a mother, and play with them for a while, but it would never satisfy me, it has never satisfied me; and I found some men who could have lightened and kept alive the fire within, but then I found out they were just kids, too, for they never had the nerve to stand as I stay, to fight for life the way I fought all my life time. And I don't mean boffering at all." She bit her lips. "You don't know what it is like to really stand back to back with someone and fight one for each other's life, do you? When it would be so easy just to duck and let the enemy's arrow get into the others back, and you don't do it?"
It was his turn to sight. He had seen so much junk pass through his sister's life, and there was nothing he could do about it then. Now she found someone worthy to die for. Maybe now the best he could do was… to do nothing at all, and respect her wish.
"I'll tell the police there was no trace of you. The girls will keep your secret, too, rest assured."
"How will you explain that they disappeared in our country and reappeared in Indonesia?"
"NerdNet guys will help me."
"I'll try to find a way to send you news whenever it is possible, ok? Just keep your library where it is."
"I'll will."
The parting was bound to be full of tears. Bilbo knew his place was in the Shire, but that his heart would always be with Iris, wherever she might be. They walked hand in hand for a while, none of them daring to break the silence for fear it would break their already cracked hearts. They sat on a boulder near the lake in front of Dale, the chill wind almost unable to stir the water, where the stars were reflected along with their sad faces. He took a deep breath, unsure of what to say.
"It is almost time for you to go."
Her eyes closed.
"I know. But I don't want to."
They embraced, and he held her wishing he could never let her go.
"I know."
"Why must I go? Why can't I stay here like Aunt, to live the love I found? Why can't I choose my own life?"
Now she was getting rebel and frustrated. He really had to be firm with her, although it hurt him the same. He reasoned.
"Iris, you can't choose right now because you are a youngling with lots of life ahead, it is too early to take so a decision you may regret in some few years. I know, I know, don't punch me so hard, I myself don't believe you will change your mind, nor that you are too young to make hard choices, but there are other reasons you should consider."
She stopped to hit his chest with her closed fists and heard.
"You must fulfill your dreams. It is not here that your dreams reside, they are on the other side of that Gate. That is why you must go."
"You are my dream, can't you understand?"
He shook his head, looking down at her wet angry eyes, caressing gently her cheeks.
"No, I'm not. All this short time we are together, I see your eyes glistening when you talk about your choir classes, about your high school friends, about the college you want to go to, about the rock show you went to, about how much you miss your electrical shower bath, your internet and microwave oven, about learning to drive an automobile, and all this mad things I don't even have a clue of what they are!"
"But you could learn, you could go with us and…"
"No, I could not, and you know it! I am shire-folk, and that means too simple a being to be in your dreams for long if I had to be your daily reality. What would you do in your world with an almost middle-aged Halfling? How long would it take for you to be bored of me?"
"I would never…"
"But yes, you would! Your high school friends would laugh at me, you would be embarrassed. I would fear to use your microwave oven, and I really don't know what on goodness would make go somewhere to see rocks being showed at me."
She closed her eyes and sighed, her feelings in turmoil. She was, after all, only sixteen in her world, and not always very responsible, what could make her believe she could stand everything Bilbo just mentioned?
"You don't love me. You said you wanted to marry me, now you want me to go."
"Iris, look at me. If I ever found love on this blessed Middle-Earth, it was you to bring it to me. Always remember this. I..." The hobbit took in a deep breath and closed his eyes, swallowing hard. I was not easy. "I may have been turned into a burglar, but I'm not a liar. I love you. And I want to marry you. I know what love is because I knew you, and I will never forget you, and you will be always in my heart."
"Then, why can't I stay?"
The hobbit-lass was crying again, and Bilbo had an idea and made up a plan. "Sweetie, this decision is not ours to take, yet. You will be allowed to make your own decisions after you come of age, I presume, isn't it so?"
"Yes, I hope so."
"Then, when you come of age, you can decide. You will have had time to go to your rock shows with your highschool friends and pop corns in your microwave oven, and to think if the Shire is really where you want to live the rest of your live. The Gate will be there, whatever your decision might be. And I will be in the Shire, waiting for you."
She didn't quite believe what she was hearing. It was true, there was hope!
"Will you really wait for me?"
"Forever and a day." And he meant it.
"This love is like a dream to me!"
"And to me!" They were happy again, a new light in their eyes. She would grow up her betweens, Bilbo hoped, and blossom into a wonderful woman, and he would skip her chatter age in the calmness of Bag End. Then, if she decided for Middle-Earth, he would be there for her; if not, he would not be the one to blame for getting her stuck in his world when her heart was in her former life style. Bilbo broke the silent embrace.
"And, I really must say, Ellen promised that if you don't get your college grade because of me she will pull out my heart with a soup spoon."
Iris laughed.
"Yes, she would be capable of this, you are right."
Iris kissed him lightly, just to bring his warmth and his taste to the depths of her, so she could carry this memory with her.
They walked slowly back to Erebor's Front Gate, hand in hand. Then Iris reminded herself of something and pulled a hard thing from her pocket.
"Bilbo I need you to make me a favor. Please!"
"Yes, Iris, whatever is in my reach!"
"I will not be here for Fili's funeral. I want you to put this with him when... when he is lowered down... you know..."
Bilbo took the tuna can from Iris's hands, confused.
"What...?"
"Thorin will be sent down with the Arkenstone in his hands, I've been told. I got this from my father's backpack, I know he wouldn't mind. This... this was one of our best jokes, ever. I... Fili really would be happy to know he has a tuna can all of his own."
The two hobbits embraced with the tuna can in their hands, shedding tears for the sorrowful end of the Mischievous Company.
The remainders of the Company of Thorin Oakenshield accompanied Wolfram and his daughters down to Mirror Lake. Lily was in almost catatonic state, and Iris was unable to stop her tears. The parting ones embraced the staying ones, not all able to utter a word of farewell, as they were brokenhearted too. Kili dropped to his knees to embrace Iris, mingling their tears.
"Be good to your Father, so he allows you to come visit us!"
"I will make more than this, you will see, Little Brother! You will see!"
Dwalin and Balin were the last ones to shake hands with Wolfram, tapping his shoulder.
"We must thank you for the Jewel you delivered in our world, even if for a little while. If she had not cured Thorin from the Gold Sickness, it would have been an even darker end to our quest."
"I don't know what she has done, but I'm glad she has."
"And thank you for leaving your sister to us as well. She is a pride to Fundin's line."
"I bet a tuna can I would have no other choice!"
Wolfram turned at last to his pointy-eared sister.
"Wolf, my brother, I must ask you a last favor before you go."
"Anything, Ellen."
"When you are back to our city, please go to my office..."
"Yes?"
"And tell the Human Resources Director that I quit!"
The tall man nodded, smiling; then he took his daughters hands in his and jumped into the silver shining waters.