Author's Note: Um? I have nothing to say? It's a chapter, and I'm posting it…

Chapter 42-The Letter

Far below her on the plain, a lone, hunched figure made its way towards the gates of Erebor.

Karra smoothed her hair and dress and made her way down to the front gate. It swung open just as she entered the giant room, and the old dwarf entered. He was hunched over with age and his beard hung almost to the ground. Karra dropped a curtsy.

"Welcome to Erebor, kind sir."

The old dwarf smiled an absent smile. He leaned heavily on a walking stick and the pack on his back looked too heavy for him. Karra reached forward.

"May I help you with your pack, sir?"

He held up a hand and his old eyes focused on her for the first time. "No, no, no," he chuckled, "no need to burden a lady with such a little thing as this. And who may you be?"

"I'm Karra."

"Ah, Karra! The lady who is soon to marry our most honored king?" He patted her on the back with another smile. "I wish you all the happiness in the world."

Karra smiled. "Thank you," she said. The old dwarf patted her on the back again and tilted his head to the side. His grey eyes stared intently out of his wrinkled face. Karra edged away from him. "C—can I help you?" she stammered.

"I knew your father."

Karra backed away. "What?"

"I knew your father."

"Ragnar?"

The dwarf nodded. "Yes, yes, that was his name." His peered at her face again. "So you are his daughter. Aye, I can see it." He patted her on the shoulder. "He told me much about you."

Karra jumped. "He—what?"

"I said, he told me much about you. I knew of your lively imagination…" His eyes glazed over and he seemed to be remembering something. "Your beautiful mother…"

Karra turned the key over in her fingers. For a moment, she was tempted to think that the old dwarf had become senile. "You mean he—he came back?" she said. "Are you sure?"

His grey eyes suddenly became piercing. "Aye, lass. You didn't know?"

"No—I didn't." She wished she could hide her face. This old dwarf was anything but senile. "So—so he lives here then. He's here." She approached the question carefully, trying not to assume the air of superiority that one so often assumes around the elderly.

He nodded. "Aye."

She felt a sudden, wild hope rising up in her. "So you know him!"

"Aye. I knew him."

"Knew?"

"Aye. I did." He patted her arm. "He was killed in an orc raid just a few years after he arrived."

Karra took a deep breath. "Dead? He's—dead?" Her throat constricted and suddenly she couldn't speak. She swallowed and tried to smile. "Why—why did he come back?" she said softly. "Why did he come back here to get killed?"

The old dwarf put a shaky arm around her shoulder. "He meant to go back," he said softly. "Something went wrong, I believe—I do remember him saying that he had intended that you discover your heritage someday, and he was glad that the—key, was it? Ah yes. The key. He was glad that the key was with you."

Karra wormed out of his embrace. "Th—thank you," she said, and her voice shook. "Thank you for telling me. I needed to know." She swallowed again. "I—I need to go." She took his hand and squeezed it hastily, then turned. She tried to walk steadily as she left the giant room.

She fled as soon as she was around the corner. Down the hallway, past storage rooms and libraries and homes. She sank back against the wall and slid to the floor, clutching the key so hard it hurt. She had never expected to meet her dad—and yet, for only a moment, she had dreamed that she could. If she had just come earlier, she could have known him—really known him. And now he was dead.

Dead. Gone forever, killed by orcs.

The faces of a thousand orcs rushed at her, and she jumped backwards. Her head hit the wall. She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. She clutched the key and tried not to think, but the thoughts just kept coming. Did her father have a grave? Or had he been dragged off by orcs, his body torn to pieces and thrown aside in shame?

She shivered.

She stood, and slowly, made her way back towards her chamber. Little pieces of thoughts and emotions whirled through her head. She didn't know what to think, how to feel. All these years, she had never known where her father was, and now—now she knew. And what she knew was the most horrible thing she could imagine.

She found her steps directing themselves, not to her chamber, but to Fili's. She stopped just outside his door, hesitating. Voices echoed through the slightly-open door and into the hallway.

"I'm fine, I really am." It was Kili's voice. "Don't worry about me, brother. Worry about yourself."

"You miss her, don't you?"

"Her?"

"Her. The elf maid."

"Tauriel." There was a pause. "Yes. Yes I do. But Fili…" Karra could hear the tears in his voice. "Fili, I'll never leave you, even if it means that I'll never see her again. You know that. At least…" His voice was strained. "I hope you do."

Karra turned.

She could tell Fili later—if she told him at all.

She made her say slowly back to her chamber. She lay on her bed, staring at the wall. Everything she remembered about her father came back to her in a rush. She remembered sitting on his knee, asking what the key was. She remembered asking him why no one had a name like him. She remembered him ruffling her hair and calling her his little melhekh nathith. Her eyes fell on the journal that sat on her bedside table. Would she ever be able to read it?

Laying her head down, she wept for what could have been.

Voices hummed around the feast table. "I've heard tell," one of the woman said, her voice rising above the others, "that the king is almost finished with the home for his bride."

Karra felt all eyes at the table turned to her, and a deep flush rose in her cheeks. "I—I've heard that too," she stammered.

The women laughed. "And we all know what that means!" said another.

"It means," said Enna, putting a hand on Karra's and smiling, "that our Lady Karra will be married soon!"

Karra took a deep breath and tried to smile. "Thank you all," she said. "I—I'm so glad you're happy for me." No, that wasn't right. She forced another smile. "I only hope you'll be just as happy for me when you see my finished robes!" She giggled, and little ripples of laughter spread around the table. Enna patted her arm.

"Karra insists she isn't good at anything, but I think everything's coming along quite nicely," she said.

One of the women, an older dwarf who always wore elaborate makeup, leaned forward. "You mean you're not finished with them yet? The robes?"

Karra dropped her gaze and stared at her empty plate. "No," she mumbled.

Enna laughed. "Everything is fine, Karra," she said loudly. "Now come, it looks as if we're both finished." She stood, and Karra stood followed her lead. Enna looped her arm through hers and they left the women behind them.

In the hallway outside the banquet hall, Karra leaned back against the wall and sighed. "Thank you, Enna."

Enna squeezed Karra's arm. "It's nothing," she said. "Some of the older women can be…judgmental. Don't worry, Karra. Not all of them are like that."

Footsteps echoed down the hallway and they both looked up. Ori came around the corner and skidded to a stop.

"Oh!" He bowed. "I'm sorry. Terribly sorry." As he walked by, he touched Enna's hand. "Tomorrow, Enna?"

Enna smiled back. "Tomorrow."

As soon as his footsteps had disappeared around the corner, Karra grabbed Enna by the hand and giggled. "Enna! What was that about?"

Enna smiled a dismissive smile. "Oh, I expressed interest in seeing some of the old records of this kingdom, and he's taken it upon himself to show them to me. It's quite interesting, really."

Karra grinned. "I approve," she said.

Enna furrowed her brow. "What—oh! Well, I—Karra, what are you saying?"

Karra giggled. "You're stumbling, Enna! I've never known you to stumble over your words like that."

"Karra! You know me, I wouldn't just—jump into something as important as choosing a husband so quickly. Why, I've only lived here for a few months!"

"A few months! Enna, it's been nearly a year!"

Enna looked away. "He gave me a journal a few days ago," she said, quietly. "It was empty, he told me he hoped I'd write in it."

Karra pulled Enna into an embrace. "Oh, Enna! It's perfect!" She pulled back, her hands on her friend's shoulders. "Just make sure you tell me everything, okay?"

Enna looked slightly uncomfortable. "You're assuming there's going to be anything to tell," she said. A slight smile found its way onto her lips. "Although—I wouldn't be—averse to the idea," she said softly. "Only, I'd need a few more months..."

"Balin." Karra entered softly and stood just inside the door. He looked up from the large, leather bound volume in his lap and smiled.

"What is it, lass?"

"I'm going to be married soon," Karra said. "Everything's so crazy and confusing and I want to ask you something." She perched on the edge of a chair and looked at her feet.

Balin smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Certainly, lass. Anything."

The words tumbled out in a rush. "Did my father have a grave?"

Balin shook his head. "I don't know, lassie. No one knows—not even Benrin, and he remembers much." Karra smiled at the name of the old dwarf she had met weeks before.

She looked away and swallowed. "I need to honor him somehow," she said. She turned the key over in her fingers. "I don't want him to be nameless and forgotten."

"No dwarf is ever nameless until he is forgotten by those who loved him," Balin said. "You must keep his memory alive. Tell your children of him. Do you still have his journal?"

Karra managed a shaky smile. "Yes," she said, and her voice wavered. "I do. I see it every morning when I wake up." She swallowed back a lump in her throat. "So much of it is still so unfamiliar, Balin. I want to read it."

Balin put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. "Ah, Karra. You have so much to learn." He shook his head. "As did you father. But I can help you—or," and now he smiled, "why don't you ask Fili to help you?"

Karra tried to smile. "I only wish I could."

"Ah, well." He smiled and she thought she saw him toss her a slight wink. "You'll be seeing much more of him quite soon."

She giggled. "Yeah…I guess you're right." She bit her lip and took a deep breath. "Balin…I want you to show me how to use the key."

He blinked. "What?"

"I want you to show me how to use the key!"

He furrowed his brow. "Karra…" he began.

"No, no!" she cried. "It's not what you think! I…I have a reason for this. I just…need to know. Is there any way to send the key back to earth while I remain here?"

"Ahem. Well." Balin shrugged. "I suppose there is. Let me see it…"

"The wedding of King Fili and his lady, the honorable Lady Karra, will commence a week henceforth. The wedding of King Fili and his lady…" The crier journeyed throughout the halls, blowing a large trumpet and repeating the words of the announcement over and over again. It seemed all of Erebor was on the move, and even some places outside of Erebor, as well. Karra heard rumors and whispers of dwarves coming from many faraway lands to celebrate the first royal wedding that had been seen among them in generations.

Karra was to be taken away for a week, she was told. She was not to see Fili or any of the other men, and she would be surrounded, entirely, by women.

She wasn't sure what she thought of that, but it was tradition. And, as everyone knew, tradition must be followed.

Still, she did regret not being able to say goodbye to her future husband.

She was whisked away and settled in her royal chamber without having to do a bit of work. Her room was large, larger than any room she had ever seen, and richly furnished in the style of the dwarves. She was outfitted with a large wardrobe, a bed softer than any she had yet slept on in Erebor, and a posse of servant girls and women to do her every bidding. A giant feast was held in her honor that first day, and she was prepared for it by her attendants, who, thankfully, included Enna. She wasn't exactly sure what she looked like, but she was sure she looked quite silly.

And finally, at the end of the day, she found herself alone for the first time in weeks.

She flopped into an ornately designed chair in the corner and stared at the wall, her eyes tracing the designs carved there. The bed looked comfortable, but she was almost afraid to disturb it. And besides, there was one thing she needed to do yet. She sighed, and fingered the key.

She stood, walked to her desk, and rang the little silver bell that sat there. It echoed off the walls and into the hallway, and within moments, a young lady appeared in the doorway with a curtsy.

"What do you desire, my lady?"

"Paper and something to write with, please."

"Yes, my lady." She dropped a curtsy and disappeared. Karra stared after her. How she hated ordering people around like this! She hoped she didn't have to do it for the rest of her life.

Moments later, the young woman appeared again with a stack of paper, ink, and a pen, set them on her desk, and left with a bow. Karra shook her head and sat down. She picked up the pen and turned it over in her fingers, choking back a lump in her throat before setting it to the paper.

Dear mom.

She hesitated, letting the pen hover just above the paper. What could she say to a mother she hadn't seen in a year? A mother she hadn't called one last time? How could she sum up in a few pages everything that had happened to her, how tragic and bittersweet and beautiful her life had become? How could she fit more than a year's worth of phone calls and missed visits into one letter alone?

I have much to tell you. I am to be married a week from today. I am sending this letter, and dad's key, to you so you will always remember me.

She blinked back tears at the words 'dad'. It was such an earth-like, common-sounding word, something she would never say here.

She forced herself to write again, and then suddenly the words were flowing. All the memories flooded back with such ferocity that she had to stop, and close her eyes for a moment, just letting them all wash over her. She wrote in jumbled sentences of all of her adventures. Of the battles, the orcs, the elves, the happiness, the sadness. Of the dwarves, every one of them, friends and comrades forever. Of Fili. Of her upcoming wedding. The memories crowded onto the paper in a mess of ink and words. Everything she had wanted to tell her mother and never could. All those times she had cried over her home.

Everything.

The torches had long been snuffed out when she finally set the pen down and looked at her letter. This was the last chance she would ever have to say anything to her mom—and she hoped she had done right by it. A small smile spread across her face, and she picked up the pen again.

P.S. Tell my friend Kat the news—she'll be ecstatic. I've found a wonderful man, and he's not the kind of guy you'd ever find on a college campus.

She set the pen back down and took a deep breath. She unhooked the key from around her neck and laid it on the letter. It felt so final. She had made her choice long ago. She knew she could never go back. And yet—the minute the key disappeared, she knew she could never again have any communication with what had once been her home.

Silence hung heavy in the air. She looked at the key, sitting there on her jumbled, emotional mess of a letter, the key that had been her constant companion for over a year. When that key was around her neck, she knew she could always go back.

And when it was gone, she could never go back.

But it wasn't as if she could go back anyway, was it? With all that she had seen and experienced, earth wasn't her home anymore, and never would be.

She squared her shoulders, passed her hand over the key, and spoke the ancient dwarvish words. She stepped back quickly as the key began to glow. The glow intensified, and spread throughout the room, and then there was a flash. Karra closed her eyes.

When she opened them, the desk was empty.

Welp. One more chapter left. *Sniff*

Okay, okay, I'll save my emotionalness for the next chapter. :P