Dear Readers,
Dodhiee and I didn't know what to write in this note.
What was the last update ended up as a long trip to the pub for us. The last update. Oh my days!
I don't know what to do with myself now.
Oh my. I don't even know what to say.
I suppose, thankyou. Just completely thankyou for giving me the confidence to write and weave a story that I've been dreaming about since I first read the Hobbit. I really did not dare to dream that you would be so nice but you are, and for that I just...
Ha! After nearly 100k, its now that words fail me.
Sorry for the lack of grammar in epilogue, we had some technical difficulties and I was crying to hard to see the computer.
Some fun facts you may or may not have noticed.
- Thorin and Bow/Branwen share similar actions like dragging hands through their thick hair and in swear at the same time
- Thorin only pales when Bow/Branwen does something that reminds him of Lif {see Fateful past}Such as her long rants e.g at Beorn's or her cute behaviour with Estel/ Aragorn
- Branwen/Bow inherited her Sight from Thror and her insomnia from Thorin
- During the Sands of Time chapter where Girl and Smike attack the Homestead in Rohan- the couple who welcome her into the house talk about travelling dwarves and the leader: that was Thorin. So the irony is, if she had gone with them, she would have found Thorin quicker.
- She gets her claustrophobia from hiding in the rabbit's burrow after Lif's death.
- Thorin used to hum Durin's song to her when she was a Dwarrow but as she added her own words to it, Thorin was in denial when he heard the tune at Beorn's
- Thrandruil was the one who offered Thorin and Branwen a place to the Undying lands for their service to the Greenwood.
- Himinmagni was made by Aule who mixed Branwen's blood and the blood of Durin forefather. He went on to marry a Hobbit- Poppy Gamgee.
Okay.
So, I'm going to sob into my Jack Daniels now.
Goodbyes are only painful when there final, so I shall just say; see you till next time.
Ha! I should probably explain that when writing the above author's note, I was in such an emotional state that I could barely remember my own name- BADPENNY- obviously.
But I had planned a very special thankyou to some of my RRs who have been with since the begining. So thankyou to...
- ObakeAri- who writes the funniest goddamn reviews in the world and who is also a FANTASTIC writer in her own right!
-UKReader- for being a member of the Armitage appreciation society.
- Dodhiee- my wonderful and patient beta and best friend
- And last but so not least, Chunkiness, who created an account specially to read this.
Now for you - "cough" hint hint Reread Exhile- the letter from Lifthrasir to Branwen that was pinned to the Mithril box in Rook Hall.
The blue envelope lay scrunched on Branwen's bedside in Durin Hall for many months before she payed it much attention. After being rammed into her pocket and forgotten about until Branwen had allowed herself time to rest and bathe, and even then she had discarded it without much thought for the mysterious matchstick writing.
But now things were different. She was different. A small voice calling to her in the back of her mind told her that the letter with its curious familiar fragrance was important. Like it tapped at a memory that she couldn't quite access.
So, the letter had sat in Branwen's bedroom until one day, just after Thorin and Branwen had moved back into the mountain, that Branwen found that letter in her hand as she walked to the Durin library or Lif's library as Thorin called it.
Thorin still in an awful lot of pain but, praise Aule, he was healing and healing well. Though he was much too stubborn to complain or be seen as showing any weakness. Oin came and went in the wake of Thrandruil's departure, and tending to Thorin's wounds in the King's favorite chair by the fireplace.
"Thorin..." Branwen began tentatively, standing just in front of the fireplace as Thorin glanced up from his book.
"If you're going to try and make me drink that disgusting concoction you call medicine again, you can forget it!" He snapped with revuslion, cringing at the memory of the deadwood bark tea that Thrandruil had left him to drink twice a day.
Branwen started to chuckle but it was half hearted and hollow, instead she worried at the corner of the blue letter and pushed it into Thorin's hands.
A small pained breath escaped from Thorin's throat as he remembered to breathe again. The blue letter was like a cold breeze bringing a warm memory, so long...so lost had these memories been that it took him several moments to register that Branwen was still in the room. A painful lump in his throat threatened to choke him into a sob, but glancing at the slight tremble of Branwen's hand; he smiled and with a gentle tug on her wrist urged her to sit in front of the fire.
"The mithril that you found in Rook was given to Lif and I by your great grandfather Thror and was meant to be a coming of age present from us to you, but...well, so we put it away safe until you were to turn sixty five." Thorin began slowly, smoothing down the wrinkles on the envelope with coarse fingers while his mind swam through the wonderful memories those six years of marriage had given him. He broke into a gusty laugh, cutting through the tension of the librbay and making Branwen jump. "Lif said that if you turned out to be anything like her, you would have found the box when you were still a Dwarrow. The letter was just in case we weren't there or... if anything were to happen," Thorin's face fell and was still, a coldness radiating from him that made Branwen quake.
"Would you read it to me?" Branwen asked in a hushed voice when she finally found her voice. Thorin's face snapped up from the letter and his brilliant blue eyes dancing with fire light met hers, silencely he nodded and ran his fingers through her hair until he cupped her chin.
With a painful numbness spreading through him, Thorin flipped the letter and read the back before breaking open the seal.
"To Princess Branwen of Erebor, Daughter of Ma' Liffy and Father Tor.
DO NOT OPEN UNTIL DURIN'S DAY- 2915,"
"Tor was your Mother's pet name for me," Thorin explained with a glint in his eye before turning to the main letter. It was written in two hands with two different colours, blue and curly for Lif's and green and small for Thorin's.
"My beautiful Dwarrow!
If you are reading this, as you rightly should be, on your sixty six birthday. Then congratulations! For today you are all grown up and are free to make adventures as you see fit to find.
If you go on any adventures let me know first and take Dwalin with you. And avoid elves. And men. And your distant cousin Dain too, actually just stay in Erebor.
As I was saying,I hope that me and your father have done all we can in helping you make your way in the world. Though now when we are writing you are still a Dwarrow, let me tell you that we will try our best and I will try and be the best Mother I can possibly be. I know you will be wonderful, I just know! I will teach you all I can do, and together we will discover the world.
My beautiful girl don't ever be afraid, me and Father will always be near and our hands will forever be their to catch you if you fall.
I hope you love and fight and live fiercely. Be brave as Father and clever as your Grandfather Mimir, and wise as Grandpapa Thror and beautiful as...
Careful Lif, don't want t give her a big ego.
Good point, then she'd have to compete with yours.
My love, whatever you do, no matter whether we approve or not...
Unless he's an elf
No matter whether we approve or not, Thorin! Family is family and me and Thorin shall be in your heart forever.
Until the stars turn cold, my beautiful girl - until the stars turn cold.
Now, be wonderful and know that we are proud of you.
All your parents love,
Lifthrasir wife to Thorin Durinson and proud Mother of Princess Branwen and Thorin husband to Lifthrasir and devoted Father to Princess Branwen, heir to the Durin throne. "
"She sounds like quite a woman," Branwen breathed after a long still silence had fallen when Thorin's deep voice had disappeared.
"That she was, indeed, no one has ever held a flame to her until now," Thorin smiled through the silent tears that ran down his rosy tear as he leaned down as kissed Branwen's brow.
