I'M BAAAACK! :D
It's been way too long! I've been so busy and actually been spending more of my time and attention on a novel I've been writing that I put fanfiction off for a while. But recently I got the urge to get back to fanfiction, even though my novel isn't finished yet, and I've already got more chapters for this story and my other ones in the works, so expect some more updates from me in the near future, hopefully :)
Since you guys have been so patient, here's a longer chapter for you! :)
There are two songs in this one. Here is the link if you wanna listen to the first one (remember to add youtube's website before it)
( watch?v=x2zcwuuVdhA)
Here is the link for the second, which should be pretty familiar to most of you! One of two words in this one have been changed to kind of match up with the story, but it works!
( watch?v=xmckBT-IUeE)
Enjoy!
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As fast as she could, Aelin cantered through the hall of the Master of Laketown's house until she could hear the Dwarves' laughter nearby. She went until she came to a big, brightly-lit room where the company was being offered food and drink aplenty by the Master.
She caught sight of Nori right away and marched over to him, tapping on his shoulder once she got over to him. "I need to speak with you in private. Now," she said quietly in his ear, conveying her urgency right upfront.
"All right, I'm coming," he replied, getting up from his chair. He followed her out of the room and into the empty hallway. They kept walking until they were a good distance away from the room.
Aelin turned to face Nori. "Has Thorin happened to mention when we will be leaving for the mountain?" she asked him.
"Tomorrow," he answered.
"Oh, thank Mahal…!" she gasped, putting a hand over her heart in relief.
"Aelin, what is going on?" he asked, concerned.
Her throat tightened, dreading having to give her half-brother the news because she didn't know how he would take it. She curled her hands into fists, trying to keep herself from getting angry just thinking about it.
Finally, she just spat it out, "He's here...Norin is here."
Nori's eyes grew huge in total shock. He looked around, took a step closer to her and asked in a whisper, "What are you talking about? How do you know?"
"I just spoke to him," Aelin answered. She explained to him, "A young boy came to me with a note from someone and it just said to meet them behind the Master's house. I didn't know who it was from and neither did the boy. I went out and found a hooded stranger, so I could not tell who it was. Then he told me I was the spitting image of my mother...except that I had my father's eyes and then he corrected it by saying, 'You have my eyes.' That was when he revealed himself."
Nori still looked completely astonished, but then his face slowly turned to a look of anger. "Where is that filth? I'll kill him with my bare hands!" he cried, starting to march away.
"Nori, no," said Aelin, grabbing his wrist and holding him back. "We've already drawn enough attention to ourselves and the company; we don't need anymore...at least, not tonight. If we see Norin tomorrow, then by all means, take a swing at him. I'll be right there beside you, believe me."
He didn't look at all satisfied being told not to go after Norin, but after a moment, he finally conceded.
"Did he do anything to you?" he asked, darkly.
Aelin could tell he was getting angry at the mere thought of Norin being near her. She quickly reassured him, "No, he never laid a hand on me."
"What did he say to you?" he then inquired, still looking mad.
"Well, for starters, he told me he lives here, serving as the head spy for the Master and that he is heading the spies who have been keeping watch over Bard and his family."
"You've got to be joking…!"
"I wish I was."
"Unbelievable...that old con is still up to no good even after all these years!"
"My thoughts exactly."
"What else did he say to you?"
"I didn't let him speak very much; he only said a few things. Mainly, though, he tried telling me, by associating with Thorin, I would ruin him because of my reputation and-"
"See, what you just said: that is exactly what he does! He says things like that to make you feel guilty or miserable and to just mess with your mind. He excels at playing mind games and making you question yourself or your actions. Pay no heed to anything he said, Aelin. He is a horrible monster if ever there was one."
Aelin nodded in agreement. "I told him to stay away from me...however, I fear he may not listen...or that he might go after you, too."
Nori then shook his head. "He can try...but he's not going to get that far. Last I saw him, I swore if ever I saw him again, I wouldn't hesitate to kill him and I meant it. If he wants to take that risk, then on his head be it...but he is never going to get anywhere near me or you! I promised I'd protect you from him and I will, despite my failure to do so here."
"Nori…neither of us could have known he was here," she said. "Just because he happened to be here when we were and was able to talk to me does not make it a failure on your part."
"I know...but the fact that he was able to get to you without either of us knowing beforehand just makes my blood boil," Nori replied, tightening his fists together.
Aelin took Nori's clenched hands gently in her own. "Do not blame yourself, brother," she told him softly. "I told Norin the same thing you did: that if I ever lay eyes on him again, he's going to get what's coming to him."
Nori lightly chuckled. "You would," he said.
"We just need to both be on our guard tonight," said Aelin. "Once we leave tomorrow, we will be free of him."
Then Nori's expression turned somber. "Aye...but will we really be free of him?"
Aelin tilted her head and asked him, confused, "What do you mean? Of course, we will be."
"But think about it:" he said, "he now knows where we are and where we're going. And the thought of him living so close to us...it makes me incredibly uneasy. I have a strong feeling he won't stay away, no matter what we do...therefore we wouldn't really be free of him. I felt better back when we had no idea where he was."
She then could see where he was coming from. Even though they'd be leaving Norin behind the next day, he still knew where they'd be and he would be a short distance away. Now that he knew where both of his estranged children were, there was no way he'd leave them alone, especially knowing that Aelin was with Thorin and would most likely be Queen one day. He would continue to terrorize them as long as they were there...and they would never be rid of him.
"You're right," she admitted. "So what are we going to do?"
"We'll figure it out," he replied. "Right now, we need to focus on just tonight and getting away from this place tomorrow morning." He stepped forward and gripped her shoulders. "Are you all right?' he then asked her.
She nodded. "After the initial shock of seeing my father who left me and whom I've never met, I'm as well as I can be," she answered.
"Don't worry, I felt the same way after I first met him, too," said Nori.
"Can we keep this between us for now?" asked Aelin. "I don't want anyone to know about Norin while we're here; I want to wait until we're gone before anyone finds out."
Nori bowed his head. "It'll be our secret," he told her.
Aelin then said to him, "Well...I don't know if I'm much in a celebratory mood like the rest of you, so I think I'm going to go find a room and just relax for a while."
"The Master said there are some spare rooms upstairs," he told her. Then he grinned. "I'll let Thorin know where you are. I'm sure he will come find you eventually."
She gave her brother a pat on the shoulder and the two of them parted ways. Nori went back to the large room where the rest of the company was and Aelin went upstairs, found an empty room and closed the door.
A little while later, Aelin was standing by the window of her room, looking out at the still and silent town, the light of the moon illuminating her and the area of the room around her. She couldn't help but wonder where in the town Norin was staying...and she hoped that he wouldn't try and come for her in the middle of the night. She wouldn't put it past him to do that. All in all, she still couldn't believe that he was actually there in Laketown. Nori had told her he had seen him in the Iron Hills all those years ago. How did their father end up in a town of fisherman on a lake? Knowing he was out there somewhere in the town made her uneasy.
His words, however, kept coming back to her mind:
"You see, while it is ultimately Oakenshield's decision of who his Queen will be...it is also his people who help sustain him...you are a master thief, which must mean you have quite the reputation in the Blue Mountains. When the Dwarves of Erebor who live there return and find out who their Queen is and that she was once a thief...do you truly think they will be pleased? They will begin to question Oakenshield's choice and his judgment...his people will begin to doubt him and when there is doubt among your followers, trouble soon follows. Doubt leads to fear and fear…will lead to rebellion. Do you really want that for your precious King? Do you really want his people to not trust him and rebel against him because of you; because he chose you, a lowlife thief, to rule the kingdom by his side?"
Was there a chance he was right? Was she really putting Thorin's chance at being King at risk by being with him and giving him the opportunity to make her Queen? She knew what she once was did not mean anything to him anymore, but would his people think the same?
Was she truly going to be Thorin's downfall?
Her mind then began to feel conflicted again as she thought to herself:
"Maybe Norin is right...what if my reputation in the Blue Mountains has ruined my chances at being with Thorin? His people would never accept me...but why does that matter? Thorin loves me and it's his opinion of me that matters! Surely, his people will come to see just who I am and will grow to accept me. The Dwarves of his company did."
"That was just lucky. Fili and Kili are young and easily persuaded. Balin and Dwalin trust Thorin blindly, so if Thorin approves of you, then they will without hesitation. As for the others, they probably know that if they disagree with their King, they'll be punished in some way, so they say they accept you just to appease Thorin."
"That is not true and you know it!"
"It is true and you can't bring yourself to accept it!"
"I do not believe it! I will not! The Dwarves love me, they consider me a friend, they are loyal to me and they have accepted me for who I am! I refuse to believe anything else and nothing you say will change my mind!"
Aelin's thoughts were halted abruptly when she heard a knock at her door. "Come in," she called, having a feeling she knew who was on the other side.
Her suspicions were confirmed as Thorin came in through the door.
She grinned at him and said, "Let me guess: did Nori send you up here?"
Thorin replied, a sheepish expression on his face, "He told me you were up here and he may have hinted that you and I needed some, as he put it, 'alone time'."
Aelin smirked and rolled her eyes. Then she sighed loudly. "I should've known," she said. Then she looked back at Thorin and told him, "He's been pressing for something to happen between us since the Trollshaws, you know."
"Did he now?" Thorin asked in reply.
She nodded. "Oh yes...he caught me coming out of the forest, saw I had leaves in my hair and, before I could make a good enough excuse, he saw you emerging from the trees in the same state. Didn't take him long to put two and two together. Since then, he was adamant that I felt something for you, even when I he knew I hated you at the time. Then he was even more so when I told him I really was falling for you."
He chuckled. "You two really are close," he pointed out, slowly coming towards her.
At that, she folded her arms, shrugged and responded, "Well, we are brother and sister, after all."
He smiled at her, a sight that Aelin loved to see. "Amazing how life works," he said, "and how it still managed to bring you two together."
She smiled back and her gaze drifted away in thought as she said back, "He may only be my half-brother, but I consider myself very lucky to have a half-sibling who actually wanted to find me, get to know me and take care of me."
"And protect me from our monster of a father," she added in her head.
"He told me you share a father," he said. "Did you not tell me once that he abandoned you?"
She hesitated for a moment, debating on whether or not she should tell Thorin that her father was actually in Laketown. But then she decided she didn't want to think about that, so she replied, "He did. He met Nori's mother first, but then she left him before she found out she was pregnant with Nori. Then he met my mother and left her when he found out she was carrying me." She then looked out the window. "It's because of me that he left her because he wanted nothing to do with me...although I'm sure he would've done the same thing even if my mother wasn't pregnant. He would've left her eventually."
"I am very sorry," said Thorin. "He may have helped bring you and Nori into the world, but he is no father and does not deserve to be called as such."
"That's basically what I told him," Aelin thought to herself. "It's because of Norin, our father, that Nori found me," she told Thorin. "Nori learned of him from his mother and went looking for him to make him pay for leaving them. When he found Norin, he confronted him and later learned that Norin had another child...whom had been left with her uncle and he suddenly took an interest in." She lifted her head and turned to look at Thorin. "He wanted to find me and raise me to be a spy or assassin; things that no father should want for their daughter. Nori learned this and knew he had to find me and protect me from our horrible father." Then her lips turned up into a small smile. "Nori was looking out for me and protecting me even before he ever knew me."
"And may Durin continue to bless him for that," Thorin replied gladly. "I shall be forever be in his debt, because if it weren't for him, you would not have come on this quest...and I would not have fallen in love with you."
Aelin chuckled at him. "No, instead, you would be left hating me for the rest of your life and I would more than likely still be stuck in that jail," she said tauntingly.
"I thought that was behind us?" Thorin jeered.
Then Aelin smiled. "It is behind us," she said, "but what fun would it be if I didn't bring it up to tease you every now and then?"
He shook his head and said to her, "You cheeky girl."
With a mischievous snicker, Aelin then swiftly moved forward and pressed her lips firmly to Thorin's, just feeling so happy to have him there with her.
Her sudden action took Thorin a bit by surprise, but he was still nonetheless pleased. With a grin, he asked her, "Where did that come from?"
She shrugged and smiled back. "I'm just…happy...that I no longer have to hide my feelings from you. And I'm even more happy that you feel the same about me when all this time I never imagined you would."
"You worry too much, Aelin," he said to her, brushing some hair from her eyes. "There is no one more deserving of love than you and nothing brings me more joy knowing I can be the one to show you such love."
"If anyone had told me years ago that you would be the one I would fall for, I would have punched them in the face and told them not to play such a cruel joke on me," said Aelin with a snicker.
"Of that, I have no doubt," Thorin replied.
Then Aelin lowered her head. "And if anyone had told me...that I would find others who would become like family to me...I would have thought they were lying."
Thorin reached out and gently touched Aelin's cheek, tilting her head up. "All things are possible, even if you don't believe it," he said. "You found a family when you thought it would never happen. You have a place with us and you always will."
She smiled at him and leaned into his hand. "I love you, Thorin," she said to him gladly. Then she chuckled. "I can't believe I'm really saying that out loud to you."
He hummed in response, traced her cheek with his thumb gently and replied, "And I love you, Aelin."
The next morning, the company was ready to depart for Erebor. The Master had bestowed upon them lavish clothing and armor for them to wear, which they graciously accepted, along with new sets of weapons and a boat large enough for all of them to sail to the mountain.
As they made their way to the docks, Aelin, as she listened to the others mention that Bofur was actually missing, was slightly paranoid; she kept looking around and over her shoulder to see if Norin was anywhere to be seen. Almost the entire town had convened to see the company off and Aelin hoped that Norin wouldn't be among them. She didn't want to draw unwanted attention, but she knew that if she saw him, she would lodge an arrow into his head or a knife into his chest without hesitation and Nori, for sure, would join her.
They started loading their supplies into the boat and Aelin approached Nori, saying, "You haven't seen him anywhere, have you?"
Knowing exactly who she was talking about, he answered, "No, I haven't. Let's hope it stays that way. I don't want to see that filth."
"I feel like I have to keep looking over my shoulder for him," she told him.
"Don't worry, Aelin. I'm here to protect you along with thirteen other Dwarves," he reassured her. "He won't get to you. Forget him and everything he said to you. He's not worth it."
However, Aelin couldn't seem to get the things that Norin had said to her out of her mind. During the night, those thoughts kept plaguing her and her rest had been restless. Would Thorin's rule really be in danger because of her? Would he be resented because his choice of companion was not royalty? Numerous questions like these wouldn't leave her mind alone. It seemed that Norin's words were starting to root themselves into her head no matter how hard she tried pushing them away.
Just then, Aelin noticed Fili getting out of the boat and Thorin stopped him. They exchanged words and then Fili pulled himself out of Thorin's grasp, going over to Kili, who was sitting on a crate, looking as pale as a ghost, with Oin trying to look at him. What was going on? Why was Kili just sitting there? Why had Fili left the boat? What did Thorin say to him?
She approached Thorin and inquired, "What's going on? What did you say to Fili?"
He turned around and answered solemnly, "Kili will not be accompanying us. I have told him to stay behind so that he can rest and heal before joining us in Erebor. Oin is staying with him to tend to him and Fili has elected to remain with him, as well."
Aelin felt her heart drop inside her. Fili and Kili would not be going with them? She felt so sorry for them. She knew how much going to Erebor; the land of their fathers meant to them. Now, they had to stay in Laketown instead.
"They must be heartbroken over this…," she thought to herself.
She couldn't imagine going the rest of the way without the two young Princes. Over the journey, Aelin had grown so close to them and had grown to love them dearly. The two brothers had taken a liking to her from the beginning and they had been her friends all the way. They helped her feel happy after she had been injured outside of Rivendell; they had helped look after her and saw that she was tended to. They made her laugh and smile and feel more full of joy than she had ever been in her life. They loved her and she felt the same. Now, Aelin had to leave them behind and it hurt to even think of it, even though she knew it was for Kili's own good. Leaving Fili and Kili felt like she was leaving behind her own sons.
Without hesitation, Aelin jogged over to where Kili sat with Fili kneeling beside him. She dropped to her knees and pulled Kili into her arms, slightly startling him.
"I'm sorry, Kili. Thorin just told me…," she said to him.
Kili hugged her back and asked in reply, "Could you do something, Aelin? Could you say something to Thorin to change his mind?"
"You know I would if I could," she said back as she pulled away, "but you know your uncle...he's stubborn, as am I. We would just argue again. If he feels that you need to stay, then I doubt even I can sway his decision. Believe me, I want you two to be with us more than anything!"
She brushed a stray lock of hair out of Kili's eyes and tucked it behind his ear. His skin was so white, she almost thought she could see the veins in his face. His eyes were sunken with dark circles underneath them. He looked terrible and it made her heart ache to see him like this. Perhaps it would be for the better if he stayed behind to rest. The climb up the mountain would surely defeat him.
"Everything will be fine, Kili, I promise," she assured him. "You will be better before you know it and you will join us in Erebor soon enough." She smiled and added, "I will even be there to greet you at the gate personally."
Kili mustered up a half-hearted grin in response and said, "Thank you, Aelin."
Aelin took Kili's head gently in her hands, leaned forward and tenderly kissed him on his brow. "Durin be with you, lad," she said to him.
"Durin be with you, too," he replied.
She then stood up to face Fili, who looked somber himself. They said nothing at first, but simply hugged each other tightly.
"Look after him," she whispered in his ear.
"You know I will," he replied.
"Come back to us soon," she said. "I think I will get depressed without you two around."
Fili chuckled and said as he pulled back, "Well, we cannot have that."
Aelin gave him a smile and then did the same thing to Fili as she had to his brother: she took his head, leaned forward, gently kissed his forehead and said, "Durin be with you, lad."
"Durin be with you," he replied.
Aelin then clapped Oin on the shoulder and told him, "You better heal our boy quick, Oin, you hear me?"
"Aye, I'll do everything in my power," Oin answered.
Now feeling an emptiness growing in her heart, Aelin turned and walked away from the two young Dwarves that were near and dear to her, hoping that it would indeed be soon when she would see them again.
Thorin helped her climb into the boat as the Master, who had just arrived, began to say a few parting words, which Aelin ignored. She was in no mood to listen to a fat, crooked man who had hired her estranged father as a spy. Something about the Master didn't sit right with her since learning that bit of information. He was suspicious of Bard for really no reason and she couldn't find a reason why other than Bard didn't agree with him while everyone else did. She remembered how changeable the people seemed to be when they had been brought before the Master the previous night. It was as if they had to be told what to think or believe and they believed whoever was speaking at the time. They stood with Thorin, at first, and then turned against him when Bard said something. Then they sided with the Master when he reminded them that Bard's ancestor failed to kill the dragon. Then they suddenly loved the Dwarves after Thorin had promised them a share of the Dwarves' treasure and the Master agreed to his terms. They seemed to be under his influence, yet Bard seemed to be the only one who wasn't brainwashed by him. Aelin didn't like the Master; everything about him made her uneasy, especially his association with Norin.
Aelin waved sadly at Fili, Kili and Oin as the boat started sailing out of the harbor and she watched them until they were out of sight.
However, shortly after the rest of the company had departed, Kili had begun to collapse and Fili, Oin, and Bofur, who had showed up just after the company left, all knew they had to get help right away. They tried asking a few people, who simply turned away and acted like they never heard them. They tried catching the Master as he was going back into his house, but the Master acted appalled that they would even come near him when told that Kili was sick and the Master's weasley assistant, Alfrid, told them they were busy and to clear off.
Dejected and crestfallen, Bofur declared, "We're never going to find help. No one will help us."
"I will help you."
They heard a voice behind them and they all turned around to find a hooded figure behind them. Surprisingly, the figure was short in stature, similar to them. The person lifted their hood to reveal themselves.
Seeing the long brown beard, Fili cried out, "You are a Dwarf!"
"Indeed, I am, young lad," the stranger replied.
"Who are you? Can you help us?" asked Fili desperately.
A grin slid up across the Dwarf's face as he replied coyly, "Aye, I can help you...and my name is Norin."
Meanwhile, the rest of the company had sailed all the way across the Long Lake, beholding the majestic Lonely Mountain before them on the other side. Very soon, they would make the climb up the mountain, find the hidden door and would be able to enter the mountain once more.
Aelin walked with Nori as they made their way up the side of the mountain. She wanted to walk by Thorin...but Norin's words to her about Thorin were still eating away at her and she felt she had to distance herself from him. She couldn't figure out what she wanted or what she wanted to think. She didn't want to believe what Norin had been telling her, yet something in her mind was saying, "Believe it." Inside, she was being torn apart.
"Something on your mind, sister?" she heard Nori ask her.
She hesitated for a second, wondering if telling him what was truly on her mind was a wise choice. "It's nothing," she answered calmly.
Nori didn't push her for anything else and just left it at that.
"So quiet…," they heard Bilbo comment ahead of them.
"It wasn't always like this," said Balin, coming up beside him. He pointed to the horizon and said, "Once, these slopes were lined with woodlands and the trees were filled with birdsong."
"That sounds so lovely," said Aelin.
Thorin just then came up behind them and said to Bilbo, "Relax, Master Baggins. We have food, we have tools and we are making good time."
He then looked over to Aelin with an encouraging smile and she gave him a half-grin back, still feeling unsure about what she wanted with him since Norin's words had begun to affect her so.
Thorin noticed this and was concerned. "Is anything wrong, my love?" he asked her.
She quickly shook her head and answered, "I am simply tired." She turned away and looked out ahead of them and suddenly, something caught her attention. "Over there!" she cried, breaking into a canter over to a hillside nearby. Out in the distance was the ruins of a city, broken and burnt and desolate.
"What is this place?" she asked.
"It was once the city of Dale. Now it is a ruin...the desolation of Smaug," answered Balin, coming up by her.
Thorin looked up to the sky and informed them, "The sun will soon reach midday. We must find the hidden door into the mountain before it sets. This way!" He began to walk off.
Aelin turned to Balin then and asked, "This was the city that Smaug attacked before he came for Erebor?"
"Aye, it was," he answered. "The poor souls of Dale never stood a chance against the dragon. He came so suddenly; they were unprepared, as were we. Bard's ancestor, Girion, tried to take down the beast, but to no avail."
"That's awful," Aelin commented sadly as the two of them started following the others.
"Unfortunately, our sorrows cannot bring back the dead," Balin solemnly said back. "If it could, then this city would be fully alive again."
"As would Erebor, I'm sure," said Aelin.
Balin nodded. "Aye...as would Erebor." He turned to look at her and a lovely smile formed underneath his white beard. "You know, I think Thorin's parents, brother and grandfather would have loved you. 'Tis a shame that you will never know them."
Aelin felt a sense of gloom come over her. Why did that keep happening? Why is it now that every time she looked at Thorin, thought of Thorin or even heard his name, she felt sad? She just couldn't shake it.
She disguised what she was feeling by smiling back and saying to him, "I am...honored to hear that."
Still grinning, he added, "I am proud to see you two together. Thorin has made an excellent choice in his companion."
"I wouldn't be too sure about that…," she thought to herself dismally.
"Anything?" they then heard Thorin cry out to the others, who had all scattered about to look for any way to get up the mountain.
"Nothing!" Dwalin answered back.
Thorin pulled out the map of Erebor, looked it over for a moment and then said out loud, "If the map is true...then the hidden door lies directly above us."
"Up here!" came Bilbo's voice a short distance away. The others made their way to him to see what he had found. It was a large staircase carved into the side of the mountain. It was perfect! That was their way to get up to the hidden door!
"You have keen eyes, Master Baggins," Thorin told him, a pleased smile on his face.
Immediately, they all set out to make their way up the stairs, which switchbacked every so often up the mountain. It was a bit of a climb, but the Dwarves' were sturdily built and could make the climb with ease. Bilbo seemed to hold his own quite well, also.
Finally, they came up to a large ledge with flat stone walls and they pulled themselves up onto it. A sense of relief started to come over the company. Surely, this had to be the place.
"This must be it...the hidden door!" Thorin gasped out, a tiny hint of excitement in his voice. He reached up to his neck and lifted from beneath his shirt the stone key of Erebor. His fingertips traced it briefly before he tugged on the leather cord and snapped it. He turned to his companions and declared, holding the key in the air, "Let all those who doubted us...rue this day!"
While the others cheered with joy, Aelin turned around and moved near the edge of the mountain, looking out at the sunset now on the horizon that was bathing the mountain in glorious golden-orange. It was perhaps one of the most beautiful sunsets she had ever seen. She was actually there; on the slopes of Erebor, the Lonely Mountain; the greatest Dwarf kingdom in all of Middle-Earth.
There was movement in the corner of her eye and she looked to see Thorin beside her, looking contemplatively out to the horizon, as well. "The last light of Durin's Day...will shine upon the keyhole," he said out loud to her, turning his gaze to her.
"You are finally here, Thorin," she said back. "You're home."
He stepped forward, placed his hands on her arms and corrected her, "We are home."
Home...Aelin wanted to take comfort in that and believed that Erebor would be her home one day after Thorin had made such a promise to her...but now, she wasn't sure just where home was anymore.
Dwalin was searching the wall for a keyhole and the others waited for the light of the sun to show them where it was. However, the sun kept getting lower and lower, but nothing was happening. Getting a little anxious, Thorin told Nori to help Dwalin look for the keyhole. Nori obeyed and went by the wall, putting a metal horn to his ear and tapping the stone with a spoon. Dwalin started getting impatient and pounded his hands against the wall.
"Be quiet! I can't hear when you're thumping!" Nori chided him.
"It's not here!" Dwalin cried out in despair.
By this time, the sun was nearly gone. The members of the company began to worry. They were running out of time.
"Break it down!" Thorin ordered, sounding desperate.
A few of the other Dwarves took up their weapons and slammed them repeatedly into the wall while Thorin bellowed more at them to break it. But no matter how much or how hard they were hitting it, the wall still stood firm.
Finally, Balin cried, "It's no good! The door is sealed! It can't be opened by force!"
"There's a powerful magic on it," added Aelin.
Now, the sun had disappeared behind the distant foothills. They're time had run out.
"No!" grunted Thorin. He moved forward, taking the map out and staring at it again. Then he said in a trembling voice, "The last light of Durin's Day...will shine upon the keyhole. That's what it says." He looked despairingly to the others and then to Balin. "What did we miss? What did we miss...Balin…?"
With a sorry look in his eyes, Balin answered him, "We've lost the light...there's no more to be done. We had but one chance."
There was solemn silence amongst the company. They had tried so hard and had been through so much to get to this point...and they had failed.
"Come away, lads...it's over," said Balin, walking back to the stairs.
With shame at their failure, the others followed Balin back to the staircase.
"You can't give up now!" Bilbo told them.
Aelin watched at that moment as Thorin proceeded to drop the key to the ground and then walked away with his head hung low and his eyes reflecting deep sorrow.
Her heart felt heavy for her fellow Dwarves. They had been looking forward to this day for so long. This had been a great dream for most of them and it had just been taken away from them. She knew what it was like to lose something so important.
She came up behind Thorin who decided to sit himself down on a larger step. His head still hung low in sadness.
"Thorin...I am so sorry," she said softly.
"We came all this way...only to fail…why does Mahal mock me like this…?" he asked in a low voice.
"He does not mock you," she countered. "Maybe...maybe reclaiming Erebor is just not what you were meant to do."
He turned around to face her and stated, "Reclaiming Erebor was everything I was meant to do! It was to be my legacy; it was to be the greatest gift I could ever give back to my people." He then stood up and added, his voice softening, "It was to be a home for you...a place for us to live out our lives together."
Once again, the feeling of uneasiness at him talking about their future arose within Aelin. Was there actually a future for them?
Just as she was going to answer, Bilbo's voice rang out from somewhere above them, "Come back! Come back! It's the light of the moon! The last moon of autumn!"
At first, Aelin didn't understand what Bilbo was talking about, She didn't even realize that he was still up there. But then it dawned on her: he was talking about the last light of Durin's Day. She looked up to the moon, which had emerged from behind the clouds and was illuminating the sky with its bright lunar rays. It was bright enough to light the mountain...and possibly reveal the keyhole!
"Bilbo found it…! I think Bilbo found the keyhole!" she exclaimed to Thorin, taking off back up the steps behind her.
She and Thorin dashed as quickly as they could up the stairs with newfound hope. Just as they reached the top, they got there in time to see Bilbo looking for the key on the ground where Thorin had dropped it and he bumped it with his foot, sending it flying towards the edge of the mountain.
"No!" Aelin cried out.
Thorin was swift and stomped his foot down where the key had landed, preventing it from falling. He looked to Bilbo with a look that seemed to ask, "Is it true? Did you find the keyhole?"
Bilbo saw this look and affirmed everything with a simple nod of the head.
Thorin bent down and picked the key back up off the ground, a new light in his eyes at knowing his dream was about to come true. The rest of the company came up beside him, ready for him to put the key in its rightful place. Without any second thoughts, Thorin moved to the wall where the light was shining and, sure enough, he saw the keyhole. He carefully slid the key into place and it fit perfectly. He turned it until he heard a rumble inside the door. Then, with all his strength, he pushed on the stone...and the hidden door swung inwards.
There was complete and reverent silence in that moment.
The door to Erebor had been opened.
"Erebor…!" gasped Thorin in wonder, gazing into the depths of the corridor before him.
Aelin, who stood behind the group, took a few steps back away from the wall as the Dwarves filed inside. She felt that she couldn't be so near the door. She had no right to be there; she felt out of place. She turned away, fighting back her tears...for she knew what this all meant.
It was time for her to leave.
On the trip up the mountain, she had remembered Thorin's words to her in Bag-End:
"Your services will only be required until we reach the mountain and we find a way inside."
They had reached the mountain and the way inside had just been revealed...which meant that, by Thorin's prior terms, her work there was done. While she had a feeling he no longer honored that agreement, she felt it would serve as a good excuse for her to go.
In truth...while they had been climbing the mountain, she had come to terms with what Norin had told her.
Who was she trying to fool? There wasn't a chance in the world that the Dwarves of Erebor and Ered Luin would accept her. She was a known thief; they wouldn't deem her worthy of Thorin and of the rulership of Erebor. That would ruin Thorin, as well. They would judge him, oppose him and possibly threaten him, which in turn could lead to the same things being done to the rest of the company who would defend either of them. She wouldn't let that happen to Thorin or to any of them. She wouldn't have their lives be ruined because of her.
She was doing this for them. In order to protect them, she had to leave. She just couldn't bring herself to deny it any longer that she was a liability to the company. This was her chance and she had to take it...for her friends.
"Aelin...what are you doing out here?" came Thorin's voice behind her. This was what she was afraid would happen: that she would get caught by Thorin before she could slip away unnoticed. She turned to face him, her inner misery evident in her face and her eyes.
Thorin caught sight of this right away. "What is wrong?"
Aelin saw no point in beating around the bush, so she answered, "I can't go in there."
Confused, he asked, "Why ever not?"
"I've told you before: Erebor is not my home," she said back bluntly.
"What do you mean? It is your home," he replied, now even more confused at why she was talking that way. "I promised you that it could be a home for you. We are here now and soon, Erebor will be ours again.
However, Aelin shook her head. "I don't belong here, Thorin, and I never will. I have never belonged anywhere; I have never known a true home. If I didn't belong in a place like Ered Luin, then there is no possible way that a kingdom as great as Erebor could ever hold a place for me."
"Why is she saying this?" Thorin wondered. He didn't understand what was going on with her and why she was suddenly back to believing that she had no place in the world. "You do belong here, Aelin. You belong with me," he declared.
Aelin could tell that Thorin wasn't going to be easily convinced, so she told him, "Even so...you told me at the start of this that my services would only be required until we reached the mountain and found a way inside...so now, I must go."
Thorin couldn't believe what he was hearing. She actually thought he was still holding to that agreement, after everything that had happened between them? "Do you honestly think...after everything we have been through on this journey...that I still cared about what I said at the beginning?" he inquired in astonishment. "Aelin, I love you with all my heart and when I realized that, everything I ever said before no longer mattered to me! I wanted you with me all of the way! I want you with me always...and, when this is over, I want you to rule with me at my side."
Hearing these things from him was making everything so much harder for her. She knew staying with him would jeopardize his leadership and standing with his people, but hearing him say he wanted her at his side made her feel so loved. She was being torn apart inside and tears began to fall from her eyes.
"Thorin, we are only fooling ourselves. We can never be together," she stated to try and push him away.
"What are you talking about?" he asked, his heart breaking inside him.
"You have your future to think about," she responded.
"Yes, and my future includes you!" he said back, his tone getting louder as he tried to get through to her.
"It shouldn't!" she cried back. "You are a King; a descendant of great and noble blood. I am nothing. I am a simple, orphaned lowlife; a thief. Your people would never accept me ruling at your side. They would question your judgment and doubt you...and in time, they would rebel against you. I cannot risk jeopardizing that for you. I will not let your reign as King be tarnished because of me." She paused, letting herself calm down and to let what she was saying sink in with Thorin. Then she said, "You deserve...so much more. You deserve better than me."
Thorin was having difficulty understanding what was happening and why Aelin was trying to push him away. Where did these thoughts even come from? He felt hurt that she was trying to leave him and convince him that it was for the better when he loved her so much.
"Aelin, you are what I desire; you are what I deserve!" he responded. "I will show my people that you are a worthy Queen and make them believe it. There is no one better! Why do you say this?"
"We just cannot be, Thorin! I don't belong here and there is just no chance for us that won't come with serious consequences! Your future is more important than mine...and you'll have to accept that I can't be a part of it." She turned her back to him, her body trembling as she was fighting the urge to cry. "I cannot stay here...you have to let me go."
"Aelin...no…," he pleaded, his heart breaking.
Aelin moved around to face Thorin again, stepped forward and gently placed a hand on his cheek, tracing his beard. "This is where you need to be…," she said softly, "You have so much in store for you...but there would be nothing for me here."
Thorin reached up and took her hand that was on his face. "No...Aelin, we have come so far...please, don't do this!" he begged her.
"I have to...you must let me go," she replied.
He couldn't believe this was happening. She couldn't leave him; not now! "I can't do this without you. Please...I love you…."
"I love you and that is why I am doing this. You are brave and strong. I know you will be able go on without me."
"No...don't leave me…."
With her heart tearing itself to shreds inside her, Aelin knew she had to end this before she broke down. She leaned forward and touched her forehead to his, still battling her tears. She took in the moment as much as she could...seeing as this was the last moment she would ever share with him.
"Farewell, Thorin Oakenshield," she finally stated. "Know that I love you with all my heart and I will for the rest of my life." Aelin stepped back a couple steps towards the stairs, keeping her eyes on Thorin, who looked completely heartbroken, which increased her guilt even more. "May Mahal guide you and guard you always," she said in conclusion.
Before Thorin could say anything else, Aelin turned away and started descending the stairs as quickly and carefully as she could.
Of all the things she'd done in her life, this, by far, was the hardest thing she ever had to do. She had finally found true and real love and now she had to leave it behind for that very cause. Because she loved Thorin, she had to leave him for his sake. She hoped that he wouldn't hate her for this and that perhaps-if not now, but someday-he would understand her reasons.
Once she was a ways away down the mountain where she figured she was out of earshot of the company, Aelin began to openly weep as she kept going. The pain she now felt didn't compare to any other physical or emotional pain she had ever endured. Having to force the Dwarf she loved away for his own good created a hole in her heart that she feared would never heal. She was finally happy...but Thorin's happiness and wellbeing was more important than hers. He was going to be King again one day and his reign wouldn't be tarnished by her presence. She knew they wouldn't last anyway. She had always known that. She was just fooling herself thinking that this would be different and it was better that she ended things herself.
As she kept walking down the mountain and eventually got back to the shores of the Long Lake, Aelin just wished the world would just take her away; far away from Erebor, where the reminder of leaving her love, her brother and other Dwarves she adored would no longer be there to haunt her. Right then, she felt an urge rising within her to let out what she felt inside. She picked up a flat stone, tossed it out to the water where it skipped four times, and then a song suddenly sounded from her lips:
Stop the world from spinning around.
Feels like the sky is falling down.
Can't breathe in, I can't breathe out,
I'm afraid that I might drown.
Can't stay afloat, I'm just…
Skipping stones,
An echo on the water,
I'm letting go,
Surrender to the battle.
Another rising tide, another storm to fight.
Come and take me, I'm just a skipping stone.
Is this just a wicked game?
Will it wash with the next rain?
Can't give in, I can't give up,
I'm trying hard, it's not enough.
Throw myself to the unknown…
Like a skipping stone,
An echo on the water,
I'm letting go,
Surrender to the battle.
Another rising tide, another storm to fight.
Come and take me, I'm just a skipping stone.
Forever is a long time
To be walking on a fine line.
Chasing out the sunlight,
Burning out fake smiles.
Skipping stone,
An echo on the water,
Letting go,
Surrender to the battle...
Skipping stone,
An echo on the water,
I'm letting go,
Surrender to the battle.
Another rising tide, another storm to fight.
Come and take me, I'm just a skipping stone.
Another rising tide, another storm to fight.
Come and take me, I'm just a skipping stone.
Another rising tide, another storm to fight.
Come and take me, I'm just a skipping stone.
I'm just a skipping stone.
As her song ended, Aelin collapsed to her knees and sobbed harder than she ever had before in her life.
Back up at the top of the mountain, Thorin stood frozen in place, heartbroken and shocked that Aelin had just left him. His head was reeling, trying to understand or figure out exactly why. Why had Aelin changed and why had she decided he would be better off without her? He was hurt, lost and almost a little betrayed. He knew she was a good match for him; he knew she would make a fine Queen one day. Why would she think that her being Queen would ruin him and his reputation in the eyes of his people? It was not up to his people to decide who his Queen would be. That decision was his and his alone and his subject would have to accept who he chose. That and he believed that Aelin would be loved by his people. The others in their company either loved her from the start, like his nephews or the Ri brothers, or they would grow to love her, just as Dwalin had. What had gotten into her head to make her think that the people wouldn't accept her?
"Where's Aelin?" asked Nori's voice behind him.
Thorin dreaded having to tell Nori that Aelin had left. He didn't know how he would take it or what his reaction would be, but he owed it to Nori to tell him.
"Aelin is gone," he answered in a low voice.
Nori was taken aback. "What? What do you mean she's gone?" he questioned.
"She left...and she's not coming back," Thorin replied.
Now both anxious and worried, Nori practically stomped up beside Thorin and demanded, "What happened, Thorin? Tell me!"
Thorin clenched his fists to control his emotion as he told Nori, "She told me she believed Erebor would have no place for her...and that she would jeopardize my standing as a King if she were Queen and my people would rebel against me."
That statement sounded a little familiar to Nori...and he knew exactly why once he heard it and he was furious.
"That bastard!" he cried out in anger.
Thorin was startled to hear such an outburst. He whipped around, his eyes wide with shock and then they narrowed in confusion. "What are you on about?" he asked Nori.
"I know why she left," Nori informed him.
"How? Tell me," Thorin immediately said.
"Firstly, our father, Norin, was in Laketown," Nori told him.
That wasn't what Thorin was expecting. "Your father? The one who abandoned the two of you?"
"Aye, the very one…," said Nori, the disdain he held for Norin clear in his voice. "He apparently lives in Laketown now and he found Aelin last night after the rest of us had gone into the Master's house. He told her the very things that she told you: that her being your choice of Queen would make your people question your judgment and could potentially ruin you. She didn't believe it at first and I told her not to give any heed to what Norin had said...but that piece of filth must have said some other things that messed with her mind and eventually she believed everything else he said."
Thorin was surprised to hear that Aelin's father had been among the townspeople of Laketown and even more surprised that he had spoken with Aelin and she didn't tell him. He had a hunch Nori was right: Norin must have said something that finally convinced Aelin that he was right. But it appeared that that was what she wanted. She had argued with him that what she was doing was for the better...which proved her mind was too corrupted by Norin's twisted words.
"She seemed so certain of everything she said…," he said, sadly turning away.
"We have to go after her and bring her back," stated Nori, going towards the stairs.
However, Thorin put an arm out in front of Nori and held him back. "No, Nori...she has made her choice."
Surprised by Thorin's actions, Nori replied, "You cannot be serious. You're not going to fight for her?"
"Believe me, I tried!" Thorin snapped back. "I tried...I begged, I pleaded for her to stay here, but she would not be swayed! She is already too far by now. We would never catch her." His sorrowful eyes lowered to the ground. "I...I have to let her go."
Nori didn't know how he should feel in that moment: sad at Aelin for leaving and believing what Norin had told her or mad at Thorin for not wanting to go after her. He had a mix of emotions inside him that he just decided he would go back inside the mountain to think.
As he walked away, he said to Thorin, "You may think you need to let her go, but I do not. She needs you as much as you need her and she will come to realize that...and when she does, I know she'll come back. Just you wait; you will see, Thorin. I'm not giving up on her."
Thorin watched Nori go back through the hidden door and he turned his gaze back to the dark horizon. He wanted to have the same hope Nori did, but his heart was too broken and he felt so helpless that he felt that what hope he would've had was lost.
"I don't want to give up on her...but she has given up on me…," Thorin thought dejectedly. "It doesn't matter...because no matter what, my feelings will not change. She will always be in my mind and my heart."
His eyes drifted up to the bright moon and he wondered if Aelin was looking up there, too. Then he felt the sensation to do something he hadn't done since Bag-End. He took a breath, opened his mouth and started singing the song of his melancholy:
I was the one who had it all.
I was the master of my fate.
I never needed anybody in my life.
I learned the truth too late.
I'll never shake away the pain.
I close my eyes, but she's still there.
I let her steal into my melancholy heart...
It's more than I can bear.
Now I know she'll never leave me,
Even as she runs away.
She will still torment me, calm me, hurt me,
Move me, come what may.
Wasting in my lonely mountain,
Waiting by an open door.
I'll fool myself she'll walk right in
And be with me
For evermore.
I rage against the trials of love.
I curse the fading of the light.
Though, she's already flown so far beyond my reach,
She's never out of sight.
Now I know she'll never leave me,
Even as she fades from view.
She will still inspire me, be a part
Of everything I do.
Wasting in my lonely mountain,
Waiting by an open door.
I'll fool myself she'll walk right in
And as the long, long nights begin,
I'll think of all that might have been
Waiting here
For evermore!
.
I said it was longer...I didn't, however, say it was going to be an entirely happy one :/
Now, things are falling apart...Aelin has left the company. What do you think is going to happen? I'm curious to see what you think!
Again, sorry for the long wait! Leave me a review or send me a PM with your thoughts or questions!
Love you all! Until next time!