I passed out on the back of the eagle. I don't think it was for long, but I definitely blacked out for a little while. Miraculously, I did not roll off the back and fall to my untimely death. Though I was unexpectedly awoken when the bird banked hard, and my stomach flipped. My hands gripped hard onto the feathers in a bid to remain seated. The eagle curved around an outcrop before levelling out. Only then did I allow myself to breathe again.
"I'm not hurting you, am I?" I said, voice barely audible over the wind.
I didn't want to be rude to my saviour by yanking out some of his feathers. "No, little elfling. It would take a lot more than that to hurt me," Its voice was surprising. Regal and strong.
"What is your name?"
"My name is Lythor. What is your's elfling?"
"My name is Leah. Or Liriel. Both really," I muttered "Thank you for saving me, Lythor. I owe you my life."
"You are most welcome, Leah or Liriel."
We settled back into silence as Lythor flew on, majestically carving a path through the sky. More eagles flew around me. The one holding Thorin was leading the flock. He was still unconscious within the bird's talons. Which was probably a blessing. Waking up 10,000 ft in the air was not my idea of a good time.
I willed the bond visible, glittering in my mind's eye and followed its direction. To my left, nearer the front, Kili was on the back of an eagle with his brother. Both cut up but okay. I pulled slightly on the bond and watched as his face whipped around. He sighed in relief and smiled at me.
Knowing that everyone was safe, even if just for a moment, was like a thorn being removed from my side. The sweet relief nearly made me giddy. Then again, that might have been the tiredness seeping into my bones and clouding my mind. The first thing I wanted to do when we landed was to sleep for 24 hours.
Time seemed to cease all meaning as we flew. All I knew was that the orcs were far behind us and the sun was very high in the sky. Its warm rays were most welcome after the cold of the misty mountains.
In the distance, a rocky peak jutted out against the surrounding forest. The eagles seemed to be aiming for it. Lythor confirmed this when he banked forwards, dropping towards the carrock.
Thorin was placed onto the ground first, surprisingly gently considering the size of the bird, and the rest followed. Lythor landed gracefully on the rock. He leaned one of his wings down so that I could slide off. My legs nearly gave out underneath me but thankfully, Lythor's wing pushed me back up, and Ori appeared on my other side to balance me.
"Thank you again, Lythor," I said before he could fly off.
"You are welcome, elfling," Lythor nodded before vaulting into the air.
Ori let me lean heavily against him as we turned to where Thorin lay. Everyone rushed over to their fallen leader, desperate to see him well. Gandalf got to Thorin first. His staff ghosted over Thorin's body, and he muttered near-inaudible spells. It was a different power than the one I possessed, wilder. Whereas mine was from within me, his was channelled from nature. You could feel it building in the air.
Fili and Kili stood to the side and looked on in fear for their uncle. It was eerily similar to the way Thorin had looked next to Kili when he had been attacked. The comparison did nothing to ease my nerves. But once Gandalf stopped chanting, Thorin awoke with a gasp.
"The halfling? Where is Bilbo?" Thorin tried to get up.
Gandalf held a hand to Thorin's chest to stop him from moving too fast. "Bilbo is here. He is quite safe."
Thorin scrambled up to his feet with the help of the people around him. He searched frantically until his eyes landed on Bilbo. They softened as soon as they saw him. His face changed as if he was seeing Bilbo in a whole new light.
"What were you doing? You could have gotten yourself killed," said Thorin.
"I couldn't just leave you, Thorin. He was going to take your head," Bilbo's voice cracked slightly on the last word.
"But he didn't," Thorin's eyes flickered around Bilbo's face. "Because of you," he said, voice softer.
Thorin strode forward with purpose and wrapped his arms around Bilbo's small frame. Bilbo was incredibly surprised at first but then returned the hug in kind, burying his head in Thorin's fur coat.
"I doubted you at every turn, and for that, I am sorry. I have never been more wrong," Thorin said.
The hug broke off, and Bilbo smiled at Thorin "Don't worry, I would have doubted me too."
Thorin held Bilbo's shoulder, still staring deeply into Bilbo's face. "Never again will I underestimate you, Bilbo Baggins."
Bilbo had never looked happier. Even after everything we'd just been through. Bilbo's gaze drifted over Thorin's shoulder, and he gasped.
"Is that…?" he said, pointing to something in the far distance.
"It is, in fact, Mister Baggins," Gandalf clarified. "The Lonely Mountain. One of the last great dwarven kingdoms."
A single, solitary peak rose dramatically from the ground. A shadow against the burgeoning morning light. The dwarves looked upon it with awe and admiration. It was their home. A place they had not even laid their eyes upon in many years. It felt good to bask in the beautiful view.
Ori very kindly led me over to a flat rock.
"Thank you, Ori," I said as he lowered me down.
"You're welcome, Leah," he said, sinking down next to me. He looked like the world weighed heavy on his shoulders as he picked at a thread on his gloves. "I'm glad you're okay. I was terrified when you and Gloin fell. So many awful things have happened, and we haven't even faced a dragon yet."
His voice was thick, and it probably took a lot of courage to be vulnerable. I covered his hand so he would stop picking at his glove.
"Yes, bad things have happened." Understatement of the century "And it's been hard. Really fucking hard. But we made it this far because we had each other. We are going to make it through this, Ori, I promise."
Ori gave me a small smile, "I guess I have to listen to a lady that knows the future."
I gave Ori a smile of my own and surprised him with a hug. He made a squeaking sound and looked terribly red when I pulled back, he was still a shy dwarf at heart. Ori shot up after that to go help his brothers and was quickly replaced by Kili, all but dragging a bewildered wizard behind him.
"Kili said something about my services being necessary but did not elaborate," Gandalf said, straightening his robe and not taking the manhandling to heart.
"Oh yeah!" I had been so busy being concerned about other people's healing I forgot about my own needs. "I think I broke something in my ankle when I fell."
"Ah," Gandalf said, kneeling down "That would explain your somewhat non-traditional exit from goblin town on the shoulders of the dwarves."
"Can you help her?" Kili knelt down too.
"We shall see. If you may," he said, indicating to my boot.
My mouth twisted at the idea of removing it. Once was enough pain for me. But I knew it needed to be done, so with great reluctance, I tugged. It took careful manoeuvring, but I eventually slipped the infernal thing off. Kili cradled my ankle in his lap and helped to remove the bandages. The poultice had long since dried, but you could still see the angry bruises through the powder. Kili swore under his breath.
"Ah yes, I think I can see the problem," Gandalf said. He raised his staff until it hovered over the affected area and began to chant. I could feel the tinge of his magic condensing around my ankle. It had the cold bite of fog and the zing of the air after lightning strikes. I felt something shift beneath the surface of my skin, moving on its own accord before I heard a distinct click of bones melding back together. Then the deep colour of the bruises began to lighten, going from dark purple to yellow, to pale unblemished skin.
I wiggled my toes experimentally and cheered out when the movement went unhindered. The sudden lack of pain brought a strange mixture of euphoria and crippling tiredness. Any adrenaline I had left dissipated in a blink of an eye, and I blinked heavily.
"Thank you so much, Gandalf," I said, almost slurring my words. I swayed, head feeling like it weighed a ton. Kili caught me before I could slump forwards.
"Hey, hey, you're okay. I've got you," Kili said. The warmth of his chest against my cheek was a solace I wanted to burrow in. It was safe. It was home.
"You are most welcome, my dear. Though I think sleep would be best for now," Gandalf said.
I hummed in acknowledgement, accepting the permission to sleep in a heartbeat. I fell asleep to the soft sound of Kili's breath and the feel of his hands in my hair.
My dreams were a twisted kaleidoscope of traumas old and new, barely healed and achingly fresh. The twist of a blade through my stomach. The flash of a knife at my throat. An arrow sprouting from the neck of my horse. A different arrow piercing Kili's heart. A hand over my mouth. Blood seeping through closed fingers.
I nosedived through each one, a free fall without end. I was trapped. Forever falling. Forever watching the people I loved die.
I awoke to a gentle rocking. "Hey, shh, it's okay."
It took me a disorienting moment to realise that I wasn't dreaming anymore and another to notice the silent tears on my cheeks and the cry lodged in my throat. Kili stroked his thumb across my cheekbone in slow, soothing motions. I could just about make out the lines of his face in the dark as he lay next to me. His look of concern only made me want to cry harder.
"Come here," he said, bringing me to lay my head on his chest.
I didn't want to cry. The idea of waking up the rest of the company was mortifying, but embarrassingly, I could not stop. I tried to keep the sound in, to muffle each panicked inhale, but it was hard.
Kili pressed me closer to him and ran his fingers through my hair. He whispered words of comfort, of safety, and when that didn't work, he started to softly hum the words of a song. It was this, paired with his warm presence, that finally snapped me out of it, and I felt like I could think clearly again.
" Yeah, you and me, we can light up the sky. If you stay by my side, we can rule the world," Kili continued singing, his voice deep and calming.
"Are you singing a Take That song?" I whispered.
I felt him smile against my forehead "Yes, I remember you liking this one."
"I do," I said, love for him blooming in my chest.
"Do you feel any better?"
"A little," I said, snuggling into him.
"Was it a nightmare?"
"Yes. About a million of them all at once."
"Do you want to talk about them?"
I shook my head. Not here. Not yet. I wanted to be somewhere comfortable and not surrounded by a dozen well-intentioned eavesdroppers when I had my next breakdown.
So many awful things have happened during my time in Middle Earth, even with my foreknowledge. There was no way of predicting what other horrors might befall us all before the quest was over.
The unknown was too terrifying to deal with, so I pushed it as far from my mind as I could.
"So what happened after I passed out on you?"
Kili placed a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering. "Well, we decided to stay at the top of the outcrop for the time being. It felt safer than the forest floor, and no one was in a fit enough state for climbing." Kili's hand traced a line down to my jaw. "The eagles were kind enough to hunt for us, so there's fresh meat if you're hungry."
I couldn't remember the last time I ate, and after only eating dried fruit and jerky for several days, the idea of fresh meat was a godsend.
"That does sound good," I said "But do you know what I'm craving right now."
"What's that?"
"Chocolate."
"Oh, don't torture me with what I cannot have," Kili smiled. It made me want to kiss him.
"I love you," I whispered.
"I love you too" his smile melted, and his jaw tightened "I'm so scared to lose you again. I'm sorry you had to go through any of this, Leah."
I leaned forward until our noses were almost touching. "I'm not going anywhere, Kili. We've gotten through it now. We're all alive."
"But what about what's to come?" said Kili "I would not have you in a battle. I think my heart would explode."
"Don't do that. I've only just healed it," I joked.
Kili laughed weakly, though I knew his thoughts still lay heavy on his mind. But right now, I wanted to concentrate on something nicer. With a soft gentleness, I leaned in and placed my lips over his own. I lingered for a second before pulling back. The kiss was chaste, but it was full of love. Kili gave me a genuine smile and his eyes crinkled at the corners.
The descent from the carrock was gruelling. Steep drops and razor-sharp rocks lined the whole outcrop. We had to find ways to manoeuvre the whole company downwards. It involved a lot of catching, throwing and jumping. Bombur managed to crush three people below him when he slipped down one particular slope. Poor Bilbo was one of them and had to be pulled free. I'm surprised he didn't break a rib.
By the time we made it to the bottom, most of the day had been lost. The light of early evening painted everything with an orange hue. We collectively decided that the best course of action was to use the remaining amount of daylight to search for a place to camp. The immediate vicinity was too rocky and not suitable for sleeping so Gandalf led us onwards through the trees.
We forged a path for a little while until the group came to an abrupt halt, congesting everyone behind and colliding with one another.
"What? What is it?" Fili inquired from next to me.
I craned my neck but could not see from my vantage point. All I could note was that the dwarves at the front were alarmed by something. Gloin even withdrew his axe.
"What great beast is that?"
"I've never seen anything like it."
"Don't move. It could be dangerous."
The only images that formed in my mind at their words were Beorn's bear form. But that didn't make sense. Surely we would have heard something if he was patrolling the area. Curious to see the source of the commotion, I shouldered my way towards the front. Kili was close at my heels.
"Careful, lass," Bofur's hand shot out to block me, but I had already frozen stock still.
It can't be.
"Leah, is that…?" Kili started.
"My car!"
The silver body was coated in a layer of green grime. Its front bumper had been caved in from where it must have crashed into a tree. The tyres were burst, and the windscreen was cracked, but it was undeniably my car.
Seeing a piece of my old world smashed into this one was almost disturbing. Like an uncanny valley, it did not fit. However, I did not care. The only thought blaring a siren through my head was, Mum!
She had been here. This was proof. It was the first sign I had found about her whereabouts. A fierce, stinging hope that had me throwing off Bofur's arm and charging towards the car.
The driver's side door was stiff but not locked, and I used all my strength to heave the thing open. It creaked on rusting hinges and revealed the interior. The inside was still dry, with only a hint of a musty scent. Rust-coloured stains dotted the driver's seat, with a significant patch stuck to the steering wheel.
Mum had been bleeding, I realised with revulsion. Though the stains were clearly weeks old, and the area hadn't been touched since. She must have been okay. She must have climbed out of the car and gone in search of safety. The more I said it, the more I could convince myself it was true.
"There are signs of someone coming through here," Kili said at my shoulder.
"Really?"
"It's old, and the trail goes cold when they enter the forest, but someone definitely climbed out of this car, Leah."
I closed my eyes. A cool feeling of relief spread through me. Small and contained for now, but I knew that I was one step closer to finding her. When I opened my eyes once more I gave the interior a quick scan. There was a tie-dye hoodie in the back, a historical romance novel tucked into the pocket of the seat, and a galaxy print umbrella. All of which I was determined to take with me. If only to have the comfort of home. Then I leaned forward and pressed the mechanical switch that unlocked the trunk of the car. It released with a click, and I heard Ori stumble back in surprise.
When I circled the car to get to the boot, I was happy to note that Mum's bag was gone, as well as one of the sleeping bags and the emergency car blanket. It was a good sign that she was okay. My green sleeping bag was still nestled into the corner. Waterproof, insulated and a blessing I never thought I'd get. I leaned forward to grab it.
"So what's this then?" The voice came from very close to me, and I was surprised to find Fili's head stuffed into the car next to me.
"The sleeping bag or the car?"
"Both, I guess."
"Well, this is like a bed roll, and the car is like a horseless carriage," I said, leaning back out.
"How fascinating," he said.
I could see a few more brave dwarves venturing closer, curiosity stronger than fear. Nori was one of the first, and I saw him looking in the side mirror. With a twist and a crack of hard plastic, he ripped the whole thing off. I don't know why I was still baffled by his brazenness. When he noticed me looking, he held up the mirror.
"Mind if I have this?" he said.
I blinked "Sure."
Shaking my head, I moved my focus to the other bags taking up space in the trunk. One of them held gardening tools which were all but useless. Another just held more bags, but they would probably be good for keeping some of our stuff dry. And the final one held the holy grail.
"Holy shit. Kili!" I held the bag up triumphantly "There's chocolate in here!"
It was the junk food bag I insisted on bringing. Filled with sweets, chocolate, cookies and crisps. A veritable smorgasbord of unhealthy deliciousness. It was a treat that all of us deserved after our turbulent journey so far.
We made camp not too far away on a relatively flat patch of land, and the dwarves discovered the delicacies that Earth had to offer. Kili managed to save me some chocolate buttons, and I let each one melt on my tongue, savouring the flavour.
I let everyone else divide the spoils equally between them and watched in amusement from the fire. Gandalf sat next to me with his purloined bag of sour gummy worms and chuckled good-heartedly at the arguments. "It is good seeing you in better spirits, my dear. You were looking dreadfully pale yesterday."
"Yeah, yesterday was bad. But finding a clue about my mum and these snacks are definitely helping," I said, stealing a sour worm.
Gandalf took a big inhale from his pipe. When he exhaled, a perfect butterfly emerged and flew off. "Your magic seems to be developing quite well," he said, "I noticed that Bifur is no longer sporting his axe headpiece. I assume that was your doing."
"Yes, it was," I beamed at him.
"Very Impressive, my dear. Very impressive indeed," he said.
The mood of the camp was almost jovial. As if, for a moment, we allowed ourselves to forget about any impending danger. A sugar high was just the pick-me-up that everyone needed as well as a wash in the stream nearby. By the time it came to turn in for the night, I was washed, fed and content.
It would have been a perfect evening, but the boys decided to relentlessly bully me instead.
"But you look like a worm," Fili's head fell back in laughter.
"It's warm!"
"No, I think it's still pronounced worm, " Kili joined in.
I would have hit him if my arms weren't trapped within the confines of my sleeping bag.
"It's practical," I said, flopping onto my bed roll, not helping with the worm imagery.
"What does this do?" Fili asked before pulling on the drawstring attached to the hood. The whole thing scrunched up and covered my face completely. Only my nose broke through the small gap in the middle.
The two of them practically howled with laughter, and by the time I managed to break free again, I could see tears in their eyes. I rolled over, intent on ignoring them, but they only laughed harder.
We spent the next week haltingly making our way through thick forests. The foliage was thick, and there was no clear path through the trees. Sometimes we'd have to circle back the way we came when the path we were on ventured into hazardous drops. I don't know how the dwarves navigated when we were under the canopy of the trees, but I trusted their sense of direction.
All the while, I searched for signs of Mum. Any hint that she had come this way. But I was no tracker, and any clues she might have left were hidden from me.
Distant screeches and howls got closer each and every day. Even though we had gotten quite a head start from the eagles, they were gaining on us quite quickly. It didn't help that they had wargs to ride and we had to walk. What I would give to have Mithiel back. She was a good horse.
Evening was fast approaching, and it would have usually been a time to set up camp. However, the sound of howls had gotten dangerously close. We couldn't stop, or they would certainly catch our scent and give chase. I just hoped that Beorn was around to scare them off, or we would be overrun in no time.
We huddled in the midst of a collection of boulders. Using their height to shroud us from our enemy. Bilbo ended up being our scout. He was nimble and would be the least likely to be seen.
The sound of a howl reverberated through the air. It was so close it set my nerves on end. I reached out to Kili, grabbing onto his arm. Having him near made me feel somewhat better.
The howls suddenly changed into whines. Then a deeper, bassy growl of a much larger animal took its place. I felt the hairs on my neck stand up. Good god, let that be Beorn . I couldn't deal with some other mutant orc creature right now. Then again, Beorn, in his bear form, wasn't particularly friendly either.
None of the other dwarves seemed to have heard the new creature. Instead, they peppered Bilbo with questions about the orcs. Not giving him a chance to explain anything. He would open his mouth only for people to interrupt him again.
"Just listen, for goodness sake," Bilbo whispered forcefully "There's something else out there."
Gandalf didn't seem too surprised by the circumstances. "What form did the creature take?"
"A bear," said Bilbo. "Only much, much bigger."
Gandalf nodded to himself, "Yes, yes, I suspected as much."
"You know this creature, Gandalf?" asked Bofur, his eyebrows shooting past the brim of his hat. "Should we turn back?"
"No," said Thorin. "We'd only be run down by an orc pack."
My sensitive ears picked up the sound of shifting feet somewhere close by. Then the sound of sniffing, getting ever closer. I swung my head around quickly, trying to determine its location.
"Uh, Gandalf," The other dwarves noticed my now panicked expression. "I think now would be a good time to start running to Beorn's house."
Gandalf nodded "Yes, yes, that is the only place of refuge around here. Though he will either welcome us or kill us," then his eyebrows screwed up, and he looked as if he had just noticed something he overlooked. "But why would we need to run?"
The roar of a very angry bear from right behind him was enough of an answer.
With an incredibly large bear resolutely on our tail, no one wasted any time bolting out of there. The sound of its gnashing teeth hit against an evolutionarily innate fear deep within me, and I pushed my feet to run harder. The man may be reasoned with, but the thing roaring at our backs most certainly couldn't.
The forest soon gave way to green, open pastures, but none of us had the chance to marvel at its beauty as we ran for our life. Beorn's halls sat at the far end of the field, and we charged for the door, causing a mad crush as they tried to push a locked door. I caught a few elbows to the ribs as I tried to make my way forwards. Thorin, thankfully, had the brains to lift the outside lock up off the door and shove the thing open. We all barrelled inside, nearly tripping over each other in the process. The last dwarf got through just as the face of a bear pressed at the entryway. Bofur fell backwards away from the creature's mouth. The rest of the dwarves rallied behind the door and fought to get it closed. When they finally did, they collapsed against the wood with tired sighs.
"Wh-what was that?" asked Ori, visibly shaken.
"That, my dear Ori was our host," said Gandalf, he didn't seem as ruffled as the rest of us "And as Leah has already stated, his name is Beorn. He's a skin-changer."
I put my hand over my chest, willing my heart to stop racing. It didn't help that Kili's own was running a mile a minute. I took several deep breaths to try and steady myself. A nervous laugh was bubbling up now that I knew we were safe. I guess I can cross 'get chased by a bear' off the bucket list now.
Some of the dwarves started arguing about the morality of a man that could turn into a bear. I decided not to get involved in that particular debate. In all honesty, I thought Beorn was super cool. The dude was like 9 ft tall, could shapeshift and loved all animals. I mean, what a guy.
"You lot don't half make a racket," a new voice cut through the air, effectively silencing everyone.
The dwarves spun around, weapons at the ready. Whereas I nearly started crying at the sound. I clapped a hand over my mouth and spun to see the speaker. They leaned against an archway with their arms crossed over their chest. An oversized maroon shirt hung off their slight frame, and their hair was in a long fishtail braid. She looked almost exactly the same as when I last saw her. Except for the delicate points of her ears.
"Mum!" I cried.
"Leah!" The relief in her voice was palpable.
I nearly barreled her over with how fast I ran to her. She enveloped me in her arms, and I buried my face in her neck. Mum was here. She was safe. Her familiar embrace and the smell of her skin made me more emotional than I thought possible. So much had happened since I last saw her. I'd been so scared. But now she was here, truly here.
"Oh, Leah, I've been so worried," her hand laced into my hair. Then she leaned back to see my face. Her hands cupped my cheeks, wiping tears away with her thumbs. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking straight, and then we got separated–"
"It's not your fault," I whispered, looking up into mum's eyes. Any ill feelings I felt about being left without her vanished. The relief at seeing her face was staggering. Everything suddenly felt like it would be okay. My mum was here, of course, I'd be safe.
"Ellen," Kili breathed next to me "It's good to see you again."
Mum turned to Kili with a smile. "Oh, Kili, it's good to see you too." Then she enveloped him in a quick hug too. He seemed a bit surprised but accepted the hug in kind.
I was too busy feeling elated and having a huge smile stretched across my face that I didn't immediately see Gandalf's awestruck expression. It was only after he spoke that I noticed it.
"Elinneth," he gasped, walking towards my mum. "Elrond told his suspicions, but I did not dare hope."
Gandalf reached out a hand and mum took it, smiling up at him. The familiarity of her smile and the fact that Mum didn't even blink when Gandalf called her Elinneth had me thinking that she had gotten more memories back than I had. "Mithrandir, it has been a long time," then she added, "For you at least."
"Yes, yes it has," Gandalf looked at Mum as if she were a miracle. Then he looked down at me as if seeing me in a new light.
Introductions were made between the company and Mum. Some were a bit wary of her because she was an elf. I think they often forgot that I was one too. But thankfully, they remained respectful. If only because she was my mother and they didn't want to offend me.
Thorin was one of the few dwarves that approached my mum properly. He stood as tall as he could, looking every bit as regal as he was. Then he inclined his head in a deep bow.
"Lady Ellen, Kili has told me of you and your actions in defending him. If you were not there when he left our world, I do not know what would have become of him. You have my gratitude."
Mum looked touched at Thorin's words. When he looked back up at her, she replied. "You do not have to thank me, Master Thorin. I did what I had to in order to help. I'm sure you would have done the same thing for my Leah."
"Yes," Thorin said, then he turned to look at me "In fact, I already have."
Mum's eyes widened slightly, fear breaking through her happy face. She looked towards me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "I think there is much you need to tell me to bring me up to speed."
Mum was not best pleased to say the least. At times during our explanation, she looked like she wanted to laugh, to cry and to kill something. Sometimes all three.
"Saura deleb uuan. Im gamp nín donn dad le lanc rista hûn!" Mum spat when I explained about my potential kidnappers.
"Mum?" I said, slightly amazed by her outburst. This time I noticed the change to Sindarin.
"Wh-what did she say?" said a confused Ori from a place near the fire.
A bemused smile came across my face "Uh, stuff about putrid monsters and ripping out hearts from their throats" It was one of the most badass things I had ever heard her say, and I 100% believed that she was capable of it.
"There will be no need for that," said Thorin, something in Thorin's eye suggested that he liked the way my mother reacted. "I already sent a sword through their gut."
"Good," Mum said, levelling a look at Thorin. Anger still brimmed in her eyes but there was also immense gratitude "Thank you so much. If you had not been there–" Mum broke off.
She shook her head as if to dispel her thoughts and then sighed deeply. Composing herself once more. "It seems we are even Master Thorin. I protected Kili, and you protected my daughter."
"That it does, my lady," said Thorin.
Then I moved on to the rest of the tale. She was not surprised to learn of my emerging powers, though once I explained what I had used them for she looked like she was going to throw up. Her gaze shifted down to the centre of my chest. For a second, it seemed like she was looking through me and then she gasped, following the bond with her eyes.
"Eru above Leah. I can't believe it," She covered her mouth with her hand. "But this means that your lives are tied together."
I bowed my head sheepishly. "Yes, Lord Elrond told me."
Mum huffed out a laugh. It sounded more like a helpless laugh. When the situation is so far beyond your control, you can't do anything else. "I leave you for one minute, and you end up binding your soul to someone."
"I didn't mean to," I said.
"Oh, I know, darling," she said, sighing and covering her face "It's just a lot to take in."
Night fell quickly as we finished up the story. Mum stood up and showed the dwarves where they could stay. There were blankets and pillows already out for people to use. Which Mum must have prepared.
Mum told me that there was a real bed with my name on it if I wanted it, and I agreed readily. The thought of a mattress to sleep on made me sigh with happiness. I winked at Kili, who was sleeping on the ground and followed mum to where we would be sleeping.
The bed was huge. Like a super king size. Miles big enough for us both to share. It seemed that Beorn did not know how to make beds for normal-sized people. The sight of it made me grin, and I immediately launched myself at it, burying my face in the thick blanket. I heard Mum giggle from somewhere behind me and pull on my boot.
"You are not wearing your shoes in this bed, missy," she said, taking the other one off.
Once they were off I climbed up to the top of the bed and crawled under the covers. Mum followed suit and climbed in after me. She hugged me close to her, not wanting to let me go. I could hear the steady beat of her heart as I lay my head on her chest. Mum hugs made everything better. The past few months had been a whirlwind, and it felt so good to have the stability of my mum in front of me.
"How did you wind up staying with Beorn?" I asked. They must have been some interesting circumstances.
"Well I woke up with the car wrapped around a tree, you torn away to Eru knows where, and a bleeding cut on my forehead," she tightened her hold on me. "Then there was the confusing mixture of memories clashing for dominance in my head. It nearly floored me, but I knew I had to move. I gathered what I could carry on my back and left the rest. Then I spent the next few days wandering through the forest with no destination in mind, just hoping I would find some kind of civilisation. But while I did not find a town, I did find a very friendly dog who led me to this farmstead."
"Are you a Disney Princess, following random animals in the woods?"
"Something like that," she chuckled. "Beorn was a little stern to begin with, but he's a big softie under all of it, I think. He sympathised with my very strange situation and said I could stay for as long as I needed."
Beorn sounded like a good man. I am glad that Mum had been here, in relative safety, than lost somewhere unknown.
Mum leaned back so that she could see my face. She reached up with her hand, and I thought she was going to cup my face. Instead, she moved to the braid on the side of my head. She lifted it up with a grin and a question in her eyes.
"So are you going to tell me what this is?" she tickled my nose with the end of the braid.
"Kili asked me to court him," I said with a cheesy grin. It felt like I was on a sleepover talking about the boy I liked.
"I knew there was something between you two," she smiled.
"And you didn't think to tell me," I laughed "I spent ages trying to figure it out."
I told her how Kili had asked me to court him. Mum oohed and aahed accordingly.
"Now the important question is, is he a good kisser?"
I felt my cheeks go red "Yes, he rather is," we both giggled like school girls.
"You know, in elven culture, he's supposed to ask the parents first," Mum said "It's more of a sign of respect, really, because it's frowned upon to actually forbid a courting. But he didn't ask me first, how scandalous," Mum mock gasped.
The mention of elven culture made me curious. My face became serious again as I asked her, "Mum, how much do you remember of your first life? I can't really remember much of mine, and the only way I found out I was from here is because of Elrond."
Mum's face turned serious, too, and her eyes were sympathetic. "I think I can remember all of it, darling. Probably because I'm quite a bit older than you. You were only 25 years old when you left here. Your mind hadn't fully developed yet. That's probably why you've been struggling to recall much. I lived for thousands of years as an elf, and my memories came back nearly straight away."
"Lady Galadriel tried to show me my past," I whispered
"She did?"
"Yes, it was mainly you and dad that I saw. But I also saw how we...died," pain flashed in Mum's eyes, and her mouth tightened.
"I saw the way that dad broke when you died," my throat felt tight. Mum's eyes turned glassy. "It was because we left. Your Fëa wasn't in Middle Earth anymore. You were ripped apart. That's why you were in pain when the portal opened, wasn't it?"
Mum nodded, a tear spilling down her cheek. "Are you still in pain?" I asked
"I am," she conceded, but then a hopeful glint shone in her eye, "But this time, I know that it won't last forever. I know that we will see your father again. And my little boy. "
"They're alive," I don't know if I asked it as a question or said it as a statement, but a torrent of emotion bubbled up in me. My family was alive, and they were out there somewhere. The thought of seeing them again was nearly overwhelming. Would I even be able to recognise my own twin brother? Are we even considered twins anymore? He was now a lot older than I was. Once, he was the older one by 15 minutes now it was more like 1500 years.
"Yes, they are," Mum gave me a watery smile.
"I'm still not sure who they are in this world, though," I confessed. I felt awful that after all this time, I was still none the wiser. Even with all my new memories, I'd somehow managed not to glean their names. "I only know them as Theodore and Lachlan."
Mum seemed shocked for a moment, and then she smiled. Her hand caressed my cheek "Oh, my sweet girl," she breathed, "You are Liriel Thranduiliel, and your brother is Legolas Thranduilion."
My heart skipped a beat.
"And your father is Thranduil Oropherion, King of the woodland realm."
