Chapter 82

We left Gondor two days later, and making a trip home. All of us were ready to be back at the mountain. Running a kingdom was a never ending job, and Thorin didn't want to leave his nephews alone any longer. Gandalf had promised he would visit, and we held him to it. Making the journey home seemed a little odd. Things were finally over. Sauron was defeated, and we could live in peace. Once home, things returned to normal. No longer did we have to worry about Orcs attacking the mountain, or a great force trying to take our home. While there were still Orcs and other foul creatures out there, evil could no longer hold dominion over Middle Earth.

I stood on our balcony, over looking the valley of Dale, which was once again burned and charred. Battles had ruined the great valley, but we were doing what we could to bring the land back to life. It had done so before. From behind me, Thorin walked out, freshly bathed and dressed. His hands wrapped around my waist, and he pulled me back against him. I hummed at the contact, and turned so that I could kiss his cheek.

"And now...we truly get to heal," he murmured.

"Yes," I agreed. "Now we really get to live our lives, no matter how old we are."

He chuckled softly, and I turned in his arms so that I could face him. Reaching up, I kissed him and let my fingers drift to his bare chest. His skin was warm under my fingers, and alive. We had made it out of this alive. Thorin's chest vibrated with noise, and he pulled back to get a breath of air. The soft expression in his eyes had me laying my head on his chest.

"I love you," I whispered happily.

"And I love you," he rumbled back.

Everything was finally right in the world, and all of our hardships had come to this. The world was safe now, and we were going to finally start living. Our children could grow up in a world that was not threatened by evil. It was something we had dreamed of. All of the sorrow and grief we had endured had not been for nothing. It had brought us to this moment. We could finally rebuild, and not have to worry about the next attack.

Epilogue

Four years after the defeat of Sauron, Middle Earth was slowly rebuilding herself. Erebor had flourished and Gondor had become a beckon of hope for all of the land. Land that had been lost, was reclaimed and the only worries those in the world had now were from each other, or some stray Orcs. While there was still much to do, it was a start. The world was finally turning into a beautiful place again.

The stories of the courageous hobbits and the man who had brought the people together spread through all of Middle Earth. What Aragorn had been able to accomplish was going to be remembered. The great dragon that had given her time and powers was just a side story. While the story was alive and well within the dwarven culture, I tried to keep it as low key as possible. All the credit went to those hobbits and the brave souls who had truly gone on that journey. Thorin said I was just being silly, but I didn't want to take any credit. I didn't need a great story to boost me up, or make me feel special. I had those I loved for that.

We had received word from Rivendell, requesting our presence, so Thorin and I had left late one night. The summer was warm, and there had not been a cloud in the sky that night. Once we had passed the mountains, I landed and we stopped to eat and rest for a little while. There was no danger from Orcs, and if they did come this far they were usually slaughtered. We slept without any worries, even though Thorin had slept as he usually did. Years of molding him into the warrior he was, was not likely to go away.

Once we were well rested, I took us the rest of the way to the elven city. It was as it had always been, but there was only one thing different. It was empty. With the defeat of Sauron, a majority of the elves had chosen to sail West. It was odd, not being greeted by Lindir. Thranduil had chosen not to sail, as had most of the elves in the Woodland Realm. They still had plenty of life in them, to see how this time would turn out.

Turning human, I walked with Thorin through the city and we met with Gandalf who smiled at us. He leaned on his staff a little, and a sigh left his lips. I took in his expression, and for a moment I wasn't sure what to expect. He looked so tired, yet so joyful at the same time.

"This way," he hummed.

I cautiously followed him, my fingers laced with Thorin's. The dwarf beside me kept his expression easy, but I knew he was curious as to what was going on. The wizard took us to the docks, where a ship laid waiting. There with him, was Galadriel, Celeborn, Elrond and the four hobbits. When I glanced again, I noticed Frodo was supporting a very old hobbit, and my breath left me.

"Bilbo," I whispered, and the hobbit looked up.

His old blue eyes brightened as Thorin left my side and walked over to his dear friend. I saw the years fade from his eyes as Bilbo reached up to hug Thorin. They had not been able to see each other until today. It had been many, many years. I tried not to listen to them exchange words, because my eyes strayed to the elves who were quietly waiting. Galadriel smiled at me, so I gathered myself and walked over. She reached out quietly, and took my hands, so I gave them a gentle squeeze.

"I hope you have many, many happy years to come," she murmured. "But...our time here is over."

"You're sailing West," I observed, my heart thumping a little harder.

"You knew the day would come, my dear," Elrond smiled, laying a hand on my shoulder.

I tried to keep the tears from my eyes, and I looked at my hands, which Galadriel still held. Celeborn came to stand behind his wife, and he smiled at me when I looked up. They had been in my life for almost as long as Thorin had. Elrond had spent years, teaching me and guiding me on how to use my powers. He had taught me how to defend myself with every kind of weapon out there. Galadriel had helped sharpen my mind, along with her husband. It was hard to think that they were going to be gone.

"Our time is done here. It's the age of Men," he smiled. "And to those who wish to stay. But, as you always so lovingly put it, we are old. It is time we left and returned home."

I couldn't help the snort that left me, and Elrond chuckled. "I will miss each one of you," I murmured. "You all did so much for me. I will never be able to repay you."

"Oh but you did, dear girl," Galadriel smiled. "You helped save us all."

She leaned down, and hugged me for the first time in years. I was almost too shocked to return the gesture, but I managed it. I squeezed her a little, and watched as she stepped back so that her husband could bid me farewell.

"I will miss your jokes," he mused, pressing a kiss to my cheek. "But you have a whole mountain of dwarves you can torture."

I laughed at him, and watched as he joined Galadriel. Elrond walked forward and came to stand in front of me. He was much more expressive with his emotions, and when he looked down at me, I felt my tears slide down my cheeks. He leaned down and cleared them, but I saw a few in his own eyes.

"Do not be sad," he hummed. "We'll all see each other again one day, I'm sure of it. You are an extraordinary woman, Arina. I'm so happy to have known you for all these years. You are loved, and you get to live. I suggest you do all you can."

I reached up and hugged him, unable to help it. "Thank you," I whispered.

When we parted, he gave me a smile and turned to join the others. I moved aside as Bilbo walked forward, and I let the hobbit reach out and squeeze my fingers.

"May you find your peace, with a little adventure," I whispered, and he smiled.

Gandalf followed him shortly after, and looked down at me. He was a little difficult to say good bye to as well. Reaching down, he tilted my chin up. I smiled sadly at him, ignoring my tears. I knew they were happy to sail West. Gandalf had completed his job, one of the only wizards who had done so. His time here was over as well. I was going to miss his riddles and jokes. His sense of humor was always refreshing.

"I am glad we found you, all those years ago," he rumbled. "Live well, Queen of Erebor."

"Thank you," I murmured.

"May you and your family live on for years to come," he smiled. "I'm sure you will."

After I hugged him tightly, I moved off and retreated to Thorin. He looked at me, his eyes the only thing that showed any of what he was feeling. Yes, he was sad that he had to say good bye to a few of those he had come to know and cherish. Wrapping an arm around me, I watched as Frodo joined the others as they walked onto the boat. It made sense that the hobbit sailed West. I stood in silence as the boat set sail, and watched as Galadriel raised her hand in a final farewell.

Live, my dear Arina. You deserve it.

And so we did.

The End

And there we are. I am sorry to have kept you waiting for this last chapter. I forgot to warn everyone. However, if you are interested, the journey hasn't fully ended. There are still a few characters that need their own adventures, and that calls for another story! Keep a look out for the sequel, The Path of Peace. Told from Thane's point of view. We all love Thane, I think he deserves his own story.

Until next time!

Thank you so much to all my loyal reviewers and readers who stuck with me! I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I hope many of you hop over to the next part of the story!