Coming Of Age – Chapter 40
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Thorin was walking in the clearing, the grass was the deepest green and he could smell the fresh spring air. The sun was over the horizon above the Lonely Mountains, soft wisp of clouds blowing across the clear blue sky.
"Thorin!" He turned around and smiled as saw her running to him.
As she neared, he held his arms out wide to catch her, she was grinning wide. Her long brown hair billowing behind her, she was wearing her golden Nogrod crown above her brow. But she paid it no heed as she jumped into his arms, laughing like a girl.
Suddenly, her laughter turned into shrieks as Thorin saw arrows piercing her body! He looked about her and saw dozens of orcs shooting black arrows! They were raining down upon them! But they were all missing him and fell on her!
"NO! NO! NO! Take me! Please! Take me, not her…"
Thorin woke up with a hard jerk from leaning against the wall of the Great Halls.
"Thorin?" Balin touched his shoulder and looked at him in query.
Thorin shook his head, "I'm fine," he said moodily and tiredly; he had not slept much of late.
Balin frowned as he removed his hand.
It had been three days since that fateful day. They were standing near a pedestal they had erected; it was made of green stone that came up to the waist. On the pedestal lay ThoraLee. She was dressed in her wedding gown of green and amber with sapphire and gold lining. Upon her brow was a gold crown. JoraLee had made the crown himself in their father's workshop two days ago. It was entwined with the Nogrod and Durin Runes words together. On her hands which were crossed on her chest was her favorite dagger. By her side, Gloin had place a long sword she had used to behead the orc. Balin had placed a bow and a quiver of arrows he had made for her. He wanted to give them to her when they were to leave for Mount Dolmed. Oin had placed a short sword he made a long time ago and wanted to gift her, also when she left for her kingdom.
Dwalin's gift was not a weapon but an instrument. It was a flute. Lee saw Dwalin played the flute one eve and was fascinated by it and had asked him to teach her. She had proven to be a quick learner and Dwalin had carved a flute for her in secret, he wanted to present it to her on her birthing day. Now he would never get the chance to give her the simple flute. He swallowed hard when he placed it near her body, next to the long sword.
He tried to play a song for her last eve when everyone was gone to bed but he couldn't, his throat had gotten too thick and he became too distraught with sadness and anger that he broke his flute in two and threw them into the fireplace and left the great halls, swearing that he would never touch the flute or play an instrument ever again.
Thorin who had stood in the shadows nearby shook his head sadly when he saw his cousin left in tears. How his wife's death had affected everyone.
He walked up to her and looked on, he touched the wooden flute and shook his head again and told himself, maybe one day he would get Dwalin to play music again.
They never talked about music but she had heard Dwalin played and had liked it. He would honor her memories and wishes with music…but not at the moment. He looked at her, he couldn't bring himself to do anything yet. But there was something he wanted to do that would take time…
"Thorin?"
He turned around and saw his father standing before him.
"Father," he nodded his acknowledgement.
"How are you doing, son?" Thrain asked gently as he looked at his daughter in law lying on the pedestal so still, so beautiful.
"As well as can be expected," his voice broken but Thorin shrugged.
"What can I do to ease your pain?"
Thorin shook his head, "Nothing sire, you cannot bring her back alive." He swallowed hard, keeping his tears in check.
"I am sorry."
"As am I."
Thrain placed his hand on his son's shoulder and pulled him in and hugged him hard. The younger man couldn't contain himself any longer as he cried again in his father's arms.
"I missed her so much, father!"
Thrain's tears were flowing as well, "I know, I miss her too. She meant a lot to us all."
For a long time, they held on to each other. Drawing upon each other for support and strength.
Then Thorin pulled away from his father's arms as he wiped his tears and said, "I have a request father."
"Go ahead, what is it?"
"I won't be accompanying you to Mount Dolmed when you leave with Jor."
"Why?"
"I wish to take Lee to the Lonely Mountains."
Thrain frowned at his son, "I don't understand Thorin."
"Before she…she…passed, I made an oath to take her to the big forge in the mines in the Lonely Mountains, to show her how Mithril was made and I had wanted to make her a wedded gift. I never got the chance to do so. And there was something I wanted to do for her. It was something she wanted when she passed."
"May I ask what it is?"
"She wanted a glass covering to cover over her. I wanted to honor her wishes."
Thrain arched his brow at his son, "How long will you be away?"
"I don't know, as long as it takes to fulfill these wishes, father." Thorin looked at him.
Thrain gazed at his son and thought hard, "I needed you by my side, Thorin. Especially now when we make for Mount Dolmed, I don't know what to expect when we arrive but I understand the oath you made to Lee. I know you will not rest until you fulfill her wishes."
Thorin nodded.
Thrain sighed hard. "Very well, go with my blessing, my son. Will you take your cousins?"
Thorin shook his head, "Nay, this is for my wife. I go alone, sir."
"Then be safe."
"If I am done and you're not back, I will ride to meet you." Thorin promised.
Thrain put his hand on his son's shoulder again and nodded, "Good, I'm counting on you. But take care of my daughter in law first. She is most important."
Thorin put his hand on his father's shoulder and gave him a small smile, "Thank you father, I will. Take care of JoraLee."
The older dwarf nodded as they release their hands and separated.
….
The next morn, mourners from Dale came to pay their last respect to Lee.
They all could not get over the terrible shock of her death.
It was just a week ago they had celebrated her wedded day! Now they were mourning her passing life to Aulë!
What tragedy!
Their beloved ThoraLee!
Bels was beside herself! She could not be consoled. When she heard about her passing, she cried and cried all day and night! Not even her faithful friend Nuin could console her.
Her savior was gone, her savior could not be saved from those hideous orcs! How she had fought bravely!
Yes, news of how she had fought the orcs and protected Dis spread quickly throughout the city of Dale quickly.
They had protected the citizens from a horrendous orc attack that day. Many servants were killed as well but ThoraLee's death had affected them much more because she was loved by everyone in the city of Dale.
The cousins stood by her side as the citizens filed by to pay their respect to her. JoraLee was standing by her shoulder he did not say a word, nor was he seeing people walking by her. He wanted this over and done with. He was ready to scream out loud.
Suddenly, he heard singing and looked ahead and saw Eluin and the elves. They had come to see Lee and they were now singing a song of Lament for Lee.
The elves were holding a small green flower each in their hand. When they came upon her on her stone pedestal, the elves placed the flowers around Lee.
Eluin came to stand before Jor, "JoraLee," Eluin said in his light but sorrowful voice. "I am saddened to hear the passing of your sister ThoraLee. She is now with your great Aulë in the passing life."
Jor nodded as he cast his eyes down.
Eluin looked at ThoraLee's body, "She was our elf friend, as are you JoraLee. She fought bravely against the orcs. These flowers are now called Thora; we found them blooming this morn by the woods near the clearing. We have never seen them before till this morn. They are green like her eye, and yet there is a little amber color in the petals, like her other eye, so unusual, yet so like you and her." Eluin gazed at Jor closely and said, "There will never be eyes like yours and ThoraLee again. You will be a good King, JoraLee. Namárie." Then he straightened and placed the flower on her hand.
He stood before Thorin and placed his hand on his shoulder, "Young Prince Thorin of Erebor, fear not, she will always love you as you will always love her. You will be together soon. Namárie my friend." Thorin nodded to him, he couldn't reply to him as his throat was thick with emotion.
Then to his cousins, Eluin bade them farewell too and turned away as he walked out of Erebor, never to be seen again.
The sun had set when the last of the mourners from Dale left. Frerin and the cousins had gone to the dining halls for supper while Jor had returned to his room, the mourners and their weeping were too much for him and Eluin's visit had left him perplexed. Jor was holding one of the flowers when he left for his room.
Thorin was once again left alone with his Lee. He also picked up one of the flowers and looked closely; Eluin was right, the green was like Lee's left green eye when she was in her happiest mood and in the center of the flower, the color had changed to amber, just like her right eye. Amazing, he had never beheld a flower of this kind before, then again he had never paid much attention to flowers at all. Thora, Eluin had named it, in honor of his Lee. He thought it was nice of the elf to do that for his beloved. Once again, she had touched another life, or lives.
"Excuse us your Highness?" a male voice called out.
Thorin turned around to see two guards standing before him…not guard but something else.
"You are?" Thorin asked.
The two bowed low, "I am Atum and he is Hilliem, your Highness. We are from the dungeons sire."
Thorin arched a brow at them; from the dungeons? What is this about now?
"We heard that you're to go to the Lonely Mountains with her Highness by yourself." Atum began.
Thorin frowned; words traveled fast! He had just asked his father last eve! "Go on," he prompted them.
"Well, being that we don't have any prisoners here to guard, and nothing to do and we are saddened about the little lady's passing…"Arum said sadly as he shook his head.
"Little lady?" Thorin asked.
The two almost cowered, "Beggin' your pardon! That was what we called her Highness before she was her highness. It was when you put her into the dungeons all those weeks ago, and she spent the night in there."
Thorin remembered that time; it had seem so long ago! That was the first time they had met and she had hit him. He smiled fondly as he recalled how angry he was at her and yet, that was how it had all began…how he had fallen in love with her and her mesmerizing eyes and her ill temper!
"Your highness?" Hilliem called to him when he saw Thorin was smiling softly.
"Oh! Yes, do go on."
"Ah, well, as Atum was saying, you were going to the Lonely Mountains all by yourself with her Highness. We were wondering, and it would be our utmost honor, if you would permit us to accompany her, to escort her to the Lonely Mountains, Your Highness."
Thorin looked at them as if they were hit by a big boulder. He was about to say no, that he wanted to do this himself when something urged him otherwise.
He certainly would need help with her body; he would need to put her in a case and preserve her. And he knew he could not do it by himself.
Let them help you, Thorin. He heard a voice urging him.
He startled himself as he looked about him in the cavernous halls, and then he looked at Lee. She had not moved and there was no one about except for him and the two dungeon guards who were looking at him expectantly.
"It would certainly be my and Lee's honor to have you accompany us." Thorin said.
Atum smiled, "Thank you your Highness. She was a brave Princess …well a Queen. We knew her first and we thought it would be appropriate that we would be the last to be there for her."
Thorin nodded his head, "Yes, she would be glad of your company to the Mountains."
"Aye, we heard she fought bravely against them orcs! Killed two on her own." Hilliem said proudly as if she were his daughter.
"And her riding on that nasty warg! I have never ridden on a warg…not that I would want to, mind you." Atum shivered as he tried to imagine doing so.
"You would faint right away, Atum. Your old bones would shrivel up and …oh!" They just recalled being in front of Thorin but he didn't mind.
He smiled softly and said, "Very well, I'm sure she would want you two to go with her on this journey to the mountains. We will leave for tomorrow morn. Can you be ready?"
They bobbed their heads readily. "Yes sire!"
"Then I will see you at dawn in the courtyard." Thorin said.
"Thank you, your Highness, Thank you!" They bowed as they retreated in a hurry to pack.
Thorin shook his head and turned to gaze at his wife, "Well, my dear, it looks like we will not be alone after all."
You will not be alone in your journey, Thorin love.
He thought he heard her voice whispered to him.
….
In the courtyard; Grakarbor was harnessed to pull a wagon. In the wagon was a long wooden box its content wrapped in soft white linen.
Thorin was saddled and ready on a pony. He was leading Grakarbor while Atum and Hilliem riding behind the wagon, waiting for the signal to go forth.
Thrain, Nur who was holding Dis, Frerin, and JoraLee was standing beside Thorin.
Balin, Dwalin, Gloin and Oin alongside the wagon, their eyes were red-rimmed with sorrow as they reluctantly stood and watch; they had wanted to accompany Thorin to the Lonely Mountains but Thorin had steadfastly refused them, telling them that Thrain and Nur needed them. And this task was his and his alone to fulfill.
The journey to the mines of Lonely Mountains was but a day and one night and it would take longer to go deep within the mines where it was cooler. Thorin knew there was a huge underground ice cavern where it was a perfect place to place Lee while he worked on her glass case. He didn't know how long it was to take him to make it as he had never work on glass before. But there were plenty of miners within the mountains and forge, there were bound to be someone there that knew how. If it took him years to learn, so be it. And he also could work on the Mithril she was so interested in knowing when she was alive. He could work on them as well.
Bidding his family farewell, and giving Atum and Hilliem a nod, they set forth with the precious cargo to the mines of the Lonely Mountains.
As they rode on, Thorin looked up and stare at the peaks;
Do you see it Lee? I'm taking you to my mountains. You once call it Thorin's mountains. I don't know why, it should be ours and soon I'll be able to show you deep within the mines. You'll be amazed by the size of the mines! And the gold, there will be lots of gold within, we have miners constantly working, mining, and forging. Yes, Lonely Mountains belonged to the Durin family.
He thought he heard her giggled and said, I know that, Khazad-zukin, remember I read the script?
Thorin smiled at the sky, Ah rúzín, you are the smartest of all and the most beautiful! How I love you!
And how I love you, my Khazad-zukin! Remember…for eternal…
Thorin's eyes were wet as he let his tears flowed down his cheeks freely, "Yes ThoraLee, for all eternal until the sun stops shining…that is my vow to you. I love you."
And I love you… He could hear her voice trailing forever as it faded into the Lonely Mountains and then a soft breeze blew along as he closed his eyes; he imagined her hand brushing his face. He smiled as he raised his hand and touched his cheek, he could feel her soft touch.
My ThoraLee.
I'll be waiting for you…my Thorin.
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THE END
There it is! It's completed! I hoped you like this story.
J.