Slowly, Elsa began to become aware of her own self again, though the world continued to be dark. Her body was enveloped in a soft warm feeling which, upon further investigation, turned out to be the result of a thin blanket spread over her. She felt something rough and paper-like squeeze her body every time she breathed; was it bandages? It had to be; there was also a slight pain that accompanied it, causing her to moan.
"Easy, now," a voice said.
She recognized the voice instantly. "…Gandalf," she groaned, "What happened?"
"You were struck from behind and fainted from the loss of blood for several hours," the wizard's voice replied, "But you've made quite the recovery. You'll still need to rest for a while, but the worst you'll walk away with is a prominent scar on your back."
Elsa blinked her eyes open, and as her vision cleared, she saw Gandalf sitting across from her, his arm in a sling. Turning her head, she saw that they both were in a large tent with several other soldiers in casts and bandages, with nurses running to and fro and tending to the wounded.
"The battle," she whispered, "Did we…?"
"Yes," Gandalf replied, "We have won the battle. The orcs have been defeated and driven off. But not without great cost, as surely any battle has and will."
Elsa sighed, partly out of relief that the chaos had been dealt with, and partly out of despair for those who had fallen. Then the thought struck her. "Gandalf," she asked, "What about your business in Dol Guldur? What happened there?"
"I'm sorry for worrying you all, my dear," Gandalf replied, "I was delayed. But fortunately the evil that dwells there has been driven off, and now Mirkwood will become Greenwood again, as in days of old."
"I still wouldn't step foot in there again, though," she said.
"And why is that?"
"Let's just say I'm not as comfortable around spiders as I once was."
"From what I've heard, I don't blame you," Gandalf chuckled.
No more words were spoken for a while as Elsa laid there in her bed; eventually they gave to her a strange tasting water to drink, and she found the strength to stand up on her own two feet again, much to her relief. She headed straight for the exit, with Gandalf following close behind.
She stepped outside the tent into a chill grey winter evening and discovered she stood the area between the front gate of Erebor and the city ruins; up beyond, she could see that the wall in front of the gate had been thrown down and now lay in pieces of rock and ice, further evidence of Thorin's change of heart, and it made her feel much better than she had before. But then she saw everything else; the survivors of the original three armies nursing injuries and the dead, of dwarves, elves, men, and orcs alike, scattered everywhere across the landscape, their ravaged carcasses being picked and pecked at by crows and vultures. She even saw piles of snow lying in random places with spears and swords jabbed into them, a testament to the bravery of her own soldiers. All in all, it was a terrible sight to see.
"I hoped that we could avoid this," Elsa said to Gandalf, "It's so awful…must it always be this way?"
"At least the battle wasn't between those who had once been friends," Gandalf replied, "That would have been the true tragedy. Yes, war and miserable death will exist so long as hatred exists. But for now, we have achieved hope for a brighter future."
"Perhaps…" she said quietly, and then she asked, "Wait, have you seen Bilbo?"
"I'm afraid I haven't," Gandalf said, "Not since the battle ended."
She started to get worried. What happened to him after she ran to the front lines? Had he ran to the safety of the city? Had he joined the battle as well? And if so, had he…no, she didn't dare to think of it. But what if he did? What then?
Leaving Gandalf behind (who quietly returned to the main concentration of tents), she ran to and wandered across the miserable panorama, wondering if the hobbit's body was being stripped apart by buzzards as well. There had to be some way to find him, but how? The battlefield stretched as far as the eye could see, and could she bring herself to search the dead?
But this time she noticed something coming towards them in the distance. At first she thought it to be another of the Lake Town Soldiers, seeing how the figure wore similar armor and garb, but as it drew closer, she could tell that it was far too short to be a human, or even a dwarf…
"Bilbo?" she whispered.
On drawing closer, the figure suddenly looked up, and started shouting and waving his hand wildly at the sight of her, then burst into a run up the hill.
"Bilbo!" she shouted, and started running towards him. Before too long, they had both met, and she caught him in her embrace, laughing out loud and tears flooding down her face.
"What happened?" she asked, "I thought you were dead!"
"Nope!" Bilbo replied gladly as he knocked on the steel helmet he wore upon his crown, "Just got conked on the head with a rock; been out for hours. Terrible luck, really, if you ask me. From what I could tell, I missed the important parts of the battle."
"Well then," Elsa said, "I'm just glad to see you alive, again!"
Gandalf came up from behind and concurred, saying, "Indeed, so am I! I was beginning to be afraid that your luck would run out, but truly there is more to you two than meets the eye!" But then the cheery glimmer in his eyes faded away, and his countenance became sad and mournful. "But we have other business to attend to. The two of you have been called for; Thorin is waiting for us."
"He's alive?" Elsa asked.
"…Hopefully," came the wizard's reply as he turned back to camp. Bilbo and Elsa looked at each other worriedly; she, for one, was afraid that she knew what Gandalf had implied.
They followed Gandalf through the camp in a slow procession, passing by the other soldiers, some of whom looked up at Elsa with admiration, when once before they had looked upon her with a mixture of fear and wonder. After some time, they came upon a large red tent where there were gathered together a great number of dwarves and a few men and elves just outside the entrance. Elsa immediately picked out Dwalin, Balin, Dori, Nori, Ori, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, and Glóin from the crowd, and they recognized her and Bilbo as well. Some glimmer of relief and joy showed in their eyes at the sight of the two of them, along with a flicker of a smile. However, dread and grief overshadowed it, and they said nothing as Gandalf pulled aside the tent door, and allowed them to step inside.
There, they found a terrible sight; there lay Thorin, wrapped up in bandages and linen clothe, his body beaten, bruised and riddled with cuts and wounds, and his face turned a deathly pale. But still he breathed—though barely, and with a great deal of effort. Next to the bed there lay his beaten and dented armor, along with his damaged sword and cracked shield. Óin stood next to the bed, dabbing the Dwarf King's brow with a wet cloth, but looking as though he had given up hope. He turned to see the three of them with much surprise, but much sorrow as well; departing Thorin's side, he came up to them.
"He hasn't got much longer," he said softly, "The damage is too great; there's nothing more I can do."
"But Gandalf," Elsa said, "can't you…?"
"I'm sorry, Elsa," the wizard whispered, "but not even magic can save him now; he is too close to death's door." As Óin stepped out, Gandalf stepped towards Thorin, saying, "I have brought them."
At his motion, Bilbo and Elsa came close enough for them to hear the rasps of Thorin's voice as he spoke to them.
"Bilbo…Elsa," he said, "I'm glad you're here. Now…I can do good and set some things right between us, before I go. I have been a stubborn old fool; I believed that I could undo what my grandfather's greed had brought upon him and all around the mountain and rule Erebor anew. I believed that I was immune to his avarice. I thought that the only ones worthy of my respect were the most hardened and skilled of warriors, and that I could never forgive those who I had thought wronged me. But I was wrong, in all respects. You two are the most honorable and valiant warriors I have ever met, not because of skill, but because of your heart, and the friendship we shared is worth more than all the gold and silver in Erebor. I would take back what I said and what I did at the gate, and ask that we part as friends. Bilbo, good thief, that mithril skirt I gave you is indeed a prized gift, but now you can have as much treasure and gold as you desire."
"Farewell, King Under the Mountain," Bilbo said, his voice wavering and tears welling up in his eyes, "This is more than I, or any Baggins, deserves."
"No, Bilbo," Thorin said, "There is more good in you than you know, kindly child of the west. You have shown greater bravery than I could ever imagine, and I only wish that I could reward you more." He then spoke to Elsa, saying, "And Elsa, daughter of the winter storm, I have left you a gift as well; I intended to give it to you sooner, but we both know what has happened. In the throne room, you will find a chest with your name on it; you may take any other treasure that you please as well, but I beg you to take that chest with you; it, along with the rest of the treasure, is of no worth where I go now."
"Thorin, please," she said, "I'm sorry for what I…"
"Don't be," he replied, "You were right all along, and I was blind to everything. I was the monster. I should never have doubted either of you two in the slightest." He then turned his head upwards, and sighed, "Oh, if more of us valued food, cheer, song, and the companionship of others above hoarded gold, it would be a happier world. But whatever it must be, I must leave it now."
And with that, Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King Under the Mountain, sighed his last breath. Then he was gone, and Elsa could almost feel the strength and power of his soul departing the once proud and noble warrior.
The funeral was held shortly afterwards; it was only there that Elsa discovered that Fili and Kili had died as well, fighting to protect their uncle. She wondered if Kili had ever fully admitted to Thorin his feelings for Tauriel, and if it had any effect on him afterwards. She wondered this because at the funeral, she noticed that at the burial, Thranduil himself had spoken both great and kind words concerning Thorin Oakenshield, whereas once she had heard contempt in his voice in regards to him. But then again, that very well could have easily been because of what happened at the battle.
The funeral for the King Under the Mountain was, as one might've expected, quite lavish and solemn, even in the aftermath of war; Bard himself placed the Arkenstone upon Thorin's chest, and once the lid on the vault was placed over the body of its occupant, Elsa felt some amount of satisfaction, now that the cursed jewel was gone, never to afflict the living again. Then, in a rather touching moment, Thranduil came forth and placed the sword Orcrist upon the tomb, where it would stay forever more. The two brothers, meanwhile, were with their uncle buried side by side, but before the lid of the coffin closed upon him forever, she saw Legolas come forward and place Tauriel's bow inside Kili's cold hand.
With that, Thorin and his nephews were buried alongside their forefathers, at long last within their rightful home, never to be driven out again.
A grand feast was held later that night in Erebor's very own banquet halls, in honor of those who had fallen in defense of their respective peoples. There was of course much celebrating, feasting, congratulating, and especially drinking and joking amongst the dwarves, but even the elves got in a good laugh or two along the way. While there, Elsa was surprised to find that Beorn himself was at the feast, though at a fair enough distance away from the dwarves, still quiet and intimidating as usual; she learned from Dwalin that Beorn, as a bear, arrived with the Eagles during the battle and helped to turn the tide away from the orc's favor. He had even slain Bolg when the fierce orc had nearly beaten Thorin, and was the one who rescued the wounded Dwarf King, carrying him away in his massive paws. During that time, seeing how Thorin had left no heirs, it was announced that Dain would be crowned king of Erebor in his place, seeing how he was Thorin's closest relation, an announcement that brought forth a huge burst of merriment and applause from the audience.
However, that was all that Elsa heard before she quietly snuck away to the Throne Room, with hardly anyone noticing her. Though she was greeted by many men and dwarves showering her with praise along the way, Elsa managed to get through the halls and find her way to the massive doors efficiently enough, as no one dared question where she went. That was good enough for her; all she needed to do was to see what was in that chest that Thorin spoke of before.
Briefly turning to make sure that no one was watching, which they weren't, Elsa pulled open the enormous doors as carefully as she could, and stepped inside an enormous hall where, flanked by a row of huge dwarf soldier statues on either side, a long narrow bridge (without any handrails, by the way; didn't anyone in this world believe in those?) trailed towards a massive stalactite with a seam of gold snaking through it, the tip of which connected to a throne made of the same stone as everything else around it, the back embedded with a curious golden symbol.
Upon its seat was a small wooden chest. Realizing that it had to be the one Thorin spoke of, she hurried her way up to the throne. Kneeling down, she laid her hand upon the lid, and slowly lifted up, realizing that it was unlocked.
Almost immediately, a great light burst forth from the chest and, nearly blinding her and forcing her to shield her eyes for a moment. After that, she lowered her arm and saw the contents; white jewels that glowed with their own power filled the chest, the largest of which sat on top. Curious, she plucked one of these jewels in her fingers and held it close to her eyes…and couldn't believe what the saw. In each individual facet, she saw visions of people dressed in strange clothing that she had never seen before and riding around in horseless carriages, huge reptiles that resembled but weren't quite dragons, ships made of metal that soared past huge worlds, and countless other things that she couldn't possibly comprehend or understand.
Then it dawned on her; these were the Star Gems, which meant that Elrond, Thranduil, and Smaug had been right all along, which meant that there were other worlds out there…which meant that she could go home.
It also dawned on her that she had no idea how to do that, which meant that she would have to speak to Thranduil himself.
That alone made her quite nervous, seeing how well her last encounter with him had gone. But even then, it had to be done; her kingdom needed her, and it needed her now.
Placing the gem back inside, she closed the chest tightly, and holding it under her arm, ran back to the exit, her footsteps propelled by the thought of how wonderful it would be to see Anna again. But just as she was a few paces away, the door opened, and in stepped Legolas. She stopped in her tracks, the chill of fear gripping her heart.
"There you are, Elsa," Legolas said, "They've proposed a toast for you down in the banquet…" He paused, seeing the chest in her arm. At the sight of it, his eyes grew wide with recognition. "The Star Gems…how did you…?"
"I—I found them," she stammered, "I'm going to return them to your father."
The Elf Prince stepped towards her, his hands reaching for the chest. "Why don't I just save you the trouble?" he asked, but as he attempted to take it, she yanked it away from his reach. At first he was surprised at her reaction, but then he began to glare. "You thief!" he whispered.
"No, please," she said, "I need them!"
"So you can sell them for a higher price?" Legolas questioned, "You have no idea what sort of power lies within those gems…"
"Yes I do," she answered, "I need them to get back home!"
This stopped him in his tracks. "What?" he whispered.
"Yes, it's true," she admitted, "I'm from another world, and my homeland there is in danger. I'm the only one who can do anything about it. Legolas, I promise you, I am going to take these to your father, because he's the only one who knows how to use them. Just please, let me go. You have my word."
At first, Legolas seemed hesitant to believe her, still staring into her soul with those piercing blue eyes. But to her great relief, he relaxed. "From another world, you say? Truly? My father spoke very little of this…but it explains a great deal" he said, and then added, "Very well then, go."
"You believe me?" she asked.
"There is no falsehood in your eyes," he explained, "And I respect the word of a warrior as great as you are…besides, it matters not what I do for my father, anyways."
This caught her by surprise. She asked, "Why not? What happened?"
"I cannot return to my homeland," He replied, "I have lost my honor."
"Where will you go?"
"To the north," he explained, "There is someone I must meet; a Ranger of the Dunedain my father calls Strider."
"Well," she replied, "I hope your journey goes well…and I'm sorry for any trouble I've caused."
"No apology is needed," he said as he stepped out of her way, "Go now."
She thanked him and went on her way down the stairs and through the halls, hardly believing how well that went and thanking goodness that things had worked out as well as they had. Now all she had to do was find Thranduil himself and she would be home free.
But then a voice stopped her in the dark. "So, you're really going home, now?"
She turned around and saw Bilbo standing there, looking quite despondent. "You're just going to walk away…without saying goodbye," he went on, "Is that it?"
Guilt and anguish struck her, and struck her hard. He was right; how could she walk away without saying something at all, and without any warning?
"I'm so sorry, Bilbo," she sighed, "Truly I am. But I really do need to return to Arendelle."'
"Oh no, I do, I do understand," he said, "It's just that…I didn't think it would be so soon. I thought that…"
She walked up to him, and knelt down onto the ground so that they were both at eyelevel. "Bilbo," she started, "When you asked me to come with you to Bag End, I really meant it when I said yes. I would love to visit the Shire, maybe stay there. I would love to see everything you've told me about, and so much more…but it just can't be. I've helped to save one kingdom; now I have to save my own…somehow."
"Will I ever see you again?" he asked.
"I don't know," she replied.
"Thought not," he said quietly, "I'll tell the others you said farewell."
With a heavy heart, Elsa thanked him, stood back up onto her feet, and started to walk away. But before she took a third step…
"Elsa, wait," the hobbit said.
She turned around in surprise. "What is it?" she asked.
"A couple of nights ago," Bilbo started, "you asked me something…something that I wasn't able to answer at the time-not correctly, anyway."
"Yes?" Elsa concurred, "And?"
Bilbo then lifted his hand, lowered it into his pocket, and with seemingly great effort lifted it out again, clutching something within his fist. His whole arm trembling, he lifted his hand palm upwards, and uncurled his fingers, saying, "This is what I found in the Goblin Tunnels. This is what I had in my pocket."
She stepped forward to take a closer look. In the palm of his hand was a small, plain gold ring.
"Is that it?" she asked.
"Yes," he answered, and then almost immediately deposited the ring back into his pocket. "It, erm, makes me invisible."
"Well then," she smiled, "that explains a lot! But why didn't you show me sooner?"
"Yes, it is rather silly of me…and yet the thing is that, I don't know. It's really very strange…but I will say this, I'm glad to get it off of my chest. Anyway, I guess it doesn't matter, now. No more burglaring for this hobbit, no thank you! I'll just put it on my mantelpiece as a nice souvenir." He then sighed, and then said, "I'm going to miss you, you know. I mean, it's not every day that I meet someone…you know, someone like you."
"Me too," she said.
Then they embraced, holding each other closely and enjoying the feel of each other's body for what seemed like the longest time.
Once they separated, Elsa put her hands together, and with her powers she fashioned a small snowflake medallion and necklace of ice. She gave it to Bilbo, saying, "Here's something to remember me by. It won't melt; I made that sure of that."
"Thank you…your majesty," Bilbo said, "Oh, and if, on the off chance you ever happen to stop by at Bag End, teatime's at four, and don't bother to knock."
"Thank you," she said, smiling.
And with that, they parted ways, holding the memory of their time together forever in their hearts.
Peering through the door into the banquet hall, Elsa saw that King Thranduil was absent at the feast. Fortunately, she knew very well of where his tent laid, so she started walking her way there, stepping out of the dark kingdom halls and into the cold night air, making sure not to trip over any chunks of ice and rock as she made her way.
Middle Earth, she thought as she walked, she had traveled over so much of it, and yet somehow she still hadn't gotten to know it quite as well as she probably should have. She felt that there was so much more to this world that she hadn't known, so many other peoples, and so many dangers as well…but even then, she had to accept the fact that priorities were priorities. Besides, she had had enough adventuring…for now.
Approaching the city gate, she saw Gandalf standing there. "Elsa!" he said, "I've been looking for you all evening. And I see that you have found Thorin's gift!"
"Yes," she said, "Could you point me to King Thranduil? I need to speak with him about something."
"First, though," Gandalf said, "Could I speak with you somewhere in private?"
"Um…sure," she said, and followed the wizard past the gate, through the winding streets, up the stairs, and finally to a small dwelling set against a tower. The soft glow of firelight could be seen in the window.
"Come on inside," the wizard beckoned as he opened the wooden door, "There's someone that I would like you to meet."
At first she felt nervous, but relenting, she stepped inside, letting the warmth wash over her. The place itself was a mess, clearly having been abandoned for a long time, though largely free of scorch marks, but what caught Elsa's attention was the Elven Woman standing in the corner; she had long, flowing hair of gold, eyes of sapphire that looked upon her with warmth and kindness, an elegant yet strong face, and smooth, unflawed skin. She bore a small crown upon her head, and wore a dress that seemed to Elsa as if it were sown from water. Overall, she carried an ethereal grace about her, and Elsa was convinced that if any elf were an angel, this one had to be.
"Queen Elsa," Gandalf said, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him, "Allow me to introduce Lady Galadriel of Lothlorien."
Realizing her status, Elsa was forced to recall a large amount of etiquette and manners in a short amount of time; standing up straight and dusting herself off, she asked, "And to what do I owe the pleasure of meeting such an esteemed person?"
"Your world, Elsa," Galadriel said in a deep, soothing voice, "it calls you home."
At first Elsa was surprised. "You know?" she asked, and then turning to Gandalf, "You knew this whole time?"
"Of course we did," Gandalf replied, "Like I said, such magic as you possess is not found in Middle Earth. By the way, so does Elrond."
"Then you know that I need to speak with Thranduil," Elsa replied, "He's the only one who knows how to use these."
"Actually, no, he isn't alone. But we have spoken with Thranduil," Gandalf explained, "And he has agreed to relinquish the Star Gems."
"Why?" Elsa asked, growing more confused, "Why is that?"
"There is a shadow growing, Elsa" Galadriel explained, "It had taken root in Dol Guldur for some time, going under the name of 'The Necromancer'. At first we of the White Council were under the impression that it was nothing more than a human sorcerer. But things turned out differently; in reality, this shadow's true name is Sauron, the Dark Lord."
Sauron…for some reason, the name filled her with dread.
"That army of orcs that we had fought was sent under his bidding," Gandalf continued, "Had those forces defeated the armies of men, elves, and dwarves, it would have crippled the north, and weakened the defenses of the free peoples of Middle Earth. And had Smaug not been slain, Sauron surely would have used him to terrible effect."
"What does this have to do with me?" Elsa asked.
"For thousands of years, the existence of the Star Gems and their powers was kept a secret from the forces of evil," Galadriel explained, "We have driven the Shadow out of Mirkwood, but even then the world remains in danger. If Sauron and his allies were to become fully aware of you, where you came from, and of how you arrived here, he would attempt to obtain the Star Gems, and use them to spread his evil across many worlds. For that reason, we must return you home at once, and you must take the Star Gems with you, to keep them safe."
"You mean I can never come back again?" Elsa asked, thinking of Bilbo.
"I'm afraid that is the way that it has to be," Gandalf said, "Do not misunderstand; you have been a great and marvelous friend and ally, and I for one am thankful for the time I have gotten to know you. But what must be done…"
"Has to be done," Elsa finished for him, "I understand…but Gandalf, my home, it's in terrible danger—danger that I put it in. How can I go back after what I've done? How can I face my people again? I don't even know how I can fix it…how I can face my sister…"
Galadriel stepped forward, almost gliding rather than walking, and held her hands in her own. "Do not fear, Elsa of Arendelle," she said, "The answer may lie within; the love you have within you has lead you this far; let it continue to do so, and it will thaw the fear that hinders you, as it has done so."
Elsa wasn't quite sure of what that meant, but she politely thanked Galadriel anyway.
"Oh, yes, there's one more item that needs to be addressed, "Gandalf said. He then opened the door behind him again, and said, "Come on in, now!"
In walked a very small snowman that for a moment was distracted by the glowing fireplace, but then looked up at Elsa with large, beaming eyes of polished ice and a wide smile. "Hi!" he said, "I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs! You built me…remember that?"
"Of course I do," Elsa said.
"It's lucky that we were able to find him," Gandalf explained, "before anything terrible happened to him; you won't believe how many people were running terrified at the sight of this fellow. You'll have to take him with you, too."
"Take me where?" Olaf asked.
"Home," Elsa replied.
"Where's that?" the little snowman asked.
"You'll see in a moment." Elsa then handed Gandalf the chest she had been holding. He then unlatched it, exposing the bright light within, and plucked out two of the Star Gems.
"Now, you hold these in your hand," Gandalf explained, "and focus on Arendelle as much as you can. We will do the rest." He then instructed Olaf to hold on to Elsa tightly, while he and Galadriel stepped backward, raising their hands and breathed deeply.
But then, another thought came to Elsa. "Wait," she said, "Gandalf, could you promise me something, before I go?"
"Of course, Elsa."
"Watch over Bilbo for me," she asked, "I'm…I'm worried about him. He's been acting strange, lately."
Gandalf at first seemed quite confused, but then smiled and said, "Of course, Elsa. I'll keep in touch with him."
"Thank you," she smiled, content with the promise, and then closed her eyes, listening to the sound of Elvish being spoken by the two of them. Sooner than she could acknowledge it, the world suddenly seemed to dissolve away. Elsa opened her eyes again, and found herself in a flurry of what looked like broken pieces of glass that spun faster and faster around her in a whirlwind. She closed her eyes again, and held on for dear life, not knowing what would happen to her…
But then the winds died away, and where once Elsa had felt the warmth of fire, now she felt cold dry air again—along with Olaf's wooden arms latched on to her leg. Except, this air seemed to be familiar…
She opened her eyes again, and found herself and Olaf standing in a forest of pines covered in deep snow in the dead of night. For some reason, she didn't feel any pain in her body; as far as she could tell, the cuts and scars were gone. Though she couldn't explain how, she even felt younger, too.
"Elsa?" a voice said.
Slowly, Elsa turned around, almost hesitant to look. But her heart leapt within her at the sight of her sister. "You did it!" Anna cheered, "You really did it! I mean, I knew you could, there was never any doubt, but man! These have got to be the longest four months I've ever been through! This is fantastic!"
Four months? Elsa thought, it hadn't been four months, it had to have been…but what did it matter? She was home!
The two of them ran to each other through the deep snow, Elsa dropping the chest along the way. As soon as they could, they wrapped each other in her arms, and for the first time in forever, Elsa couldn't have felt happier to see her sister again.
The End