Thank you for sticking with my story for so long and for all your reviews, favorites, and follows. It's been a joy walking this road with you this far. Only a little way to go now.

Chapter 50

About a week after Dwalin recovered from his "Disease of Desperation," as it came to be known, Dain prepared to return to the Iron Hills with Frain and Bemma. All attempts at lightening the moment failed as brother and sister prepared to leave each other for what was really the first time ever. Never before had they chosen to be apart and never had they been apart for so long or across such distance. Relianna busied herself packing various items that Frain and Bemma had no earthly use for until Thorin put his hands over hers.

"I know, love, I know," he said. She stopped then, and her mouth quivered. Despite everything positive thing she'd listed, none of them stacked up to equal what she was losing.

"I don't know why I'm so upset, Thorin," she said after pulling her hands away and dashing the tears from her eyes. "I'm happy for him, so happy for them both, and I know we'll visit, yet I'm acting like …."

"Someone losing one they love to time and distance." She put her hands over her face then, burst into tears, and turned in on Thorin's neck. "I don't know how to live without him. I've never needed to. We're …"

"Halves of a whole, I know, love," he said. "If it makes you feel any better, I think he's having just as hard a time."

It was true. Frain went about his business packing everything he needed while setting aside thoughtful tokens for Relianna. In the week he had left, he had assembled with Bemma's help a number of gifts. His greatest gift would be his journal that he always carried with him. In it he recorded his life's journey, feelings, thoughts, and memories of his family. Encouraged by Queen Relia's example, he painted and drew his own portraits and pictures, although he had only crude supplies to use. His life's remembrance would be for Relianna. He knew she would need it someday.

"I'll make another one for us, Plum," he said with a wan smile. Far from being upset at his difficulty in leaving, she took it as one more sign of his steadfast love and loyalty, something she knew firsthand, and she loved him all the more for it.

"She'll treasure it, Frain."

"You don't mind my giving it to her?" he asked wistfully as he turned its pages, pausing now and again to recall cherished moments.

"I'm glad you are." He smiled softly, placed the book carefully on his packed bags, and gathered her in his arms.

"Forgive me, I should be rejoicing."

"At losing the other half of yourself?"

"You're the other half of myself now, as Thorin is for Relianna. I hope he's not upset with her."

"Of course not, Frain. He understands as I do. You're family and you're bonded in a way brothers and sisters rarely are. She will always be part of your heart, and I'm glad of it. She's my best friend, my true sister as well, and I'm glad you love her so well."

"Oh, Plum, I praise Mahal for putting you in my life. I promise I'll be happy about our life together. I am happy."

"I know, and I know Thorin feels the same."

He did. Despite his never experiencing it, Thorin tried to imagine what it would be like to leave Relianna, never to be in her life again day to day, and he felt his heart turn to lead. He took his wife's hands and pressed kisses on them.

"We'll visit often, love, I promise."

"Yes, yes, we will." She gathered herself and smoothed her skirts. "It's time to say goodbye, isn't it?"

"Yes," and he cupped her cheek. "He needs you to be strong now." She smiled a tight smile.

"I know. I'll try."

Together they walked outside where the guards and others had assembled. Fili and Kili called Frain over, and he took several deep breaths to buck up. His cousins handed him a package.

"This is from all of us," Fili said as he pushed the wrapped object in Frain's hands. It was a book, and in it were pictures drawn of his and Relianna's time at Erebor. He opened it to see an over-the-top watercolor of an enraged Dain stabbing a scowling Zozer and standing guard over his children. The perspective was off, and the painting was more of a caricature than a true likeness, but it was dramatic all the same.

"Impressive," Frain observed as he turned the drawing to see from every angle. "Thank you. It's a good omen to get a book of memories the day I give mine away.

"I did that one," Kili said, "but Ori did the best ones." Frain turned page after page to see Relianna facing down the council, Lord Kerba and Lady Carba working in the sick rooms, and Fili and Kili with their gleeful band of conspirators among others. Pictures of Onkra were mercifully absent. One picture had him laughing so hard he could scarce breathe. Capturing every detail of the two weddings, Nori had drawn the Lord of the Iron Hills with tears dripping off his beard and a sodden handkerchief trying and failing to mop up a red, runny nose. Tears had gathered into a wide puddle up to his knees, and Lord Kerba and others were trying to toss him handkerchiefs from the sides.

"He's gotten quite the reputation," Fili said with a jaunty grin.

"He'll never live this down!" Frain said amid hearty chuckles. "Has he seen it?" The last pages were finer portraits of Frain and Bemma with Thorin and Relianna posed in front of a blooming garden, the two couples separately, and a final one of Frain and Relianna together in triumph. Ori had outdone himself.

"Get him a handkerchief," Fili said out of the side of his mouth, and Kili fished a crumpled one out of his pocket.

"Like father like son," he said before handing it over.

"Just wait 'til it's your turn, cousin," Frain said through sniffles. After a loud blow in the handkerchief, he said, "Thank Ori for me please. They're spectacular."

"You can thank him yourself," Fili said. "You're getting a proper send-off," and he flicked his hand in the direction of the main gate where Relianna was walking out with Thorin. She had been weeping, and her brother opened his arms to her. With a cry, she flew into them without hesitation, and they pressed tight against one another.

"We'll see each other soon," he said as a solemn promise. Looking over her shoulder, he saw Thorin nod. The two shared an understanding, and Frain visibly relaxed.

"One way or another," Thorin said, "we'll make sure the distance doesn't feel so great."

After kissing his sister on the forehead, Frain walked over to take Thorin's hand, and the two shook and gripped each other's wrists. Thorin made to step back, but Frain grabbed him into a bear hug and slapped his back before pulling back and holding him by the shoulders.

"I can't thank you enough for what you've done. It's too much, too much, Thorin, but you have my undying loyalty and respect. I'll always answer when you call for any reason." Stepping back, he gave his lowest and most respectful bow, holding it for several beats to honor the King of Erebor. Thorin dipped his head in return and bowed with his arm across his middle to honor the Crown Prince of the Iron Hills.

No one would call Thorin overtly sentimental where masculine matters were concerned, but his sister-sons swore for years afterward that the suspicious shine in his eyes was in fact tears. Dain, on the other hand, sobbed like a babe and kept snatching cloth after cloth out of Lord Kerba's hands while Fili and Kili snickered. The newest members of the family stepped forward with gifts of their own for Frain and Relianna.

"We thought these might be appropriate for the occasion, and your expert craftsmen were able to make them in time," Lord Kerba said with his own bow toward Frain and Relianna.

"We hope you like them," Lady Carba said, and she handed Frain and Relianna small packages. "We thought these might lessen the distance by a few miles. Relianna opened hers first and found a fine gold chain with a small pendant of a golden bear with sapphire eyes.

"It's perfect, thank you!" she said. "Open yours now, Frain." Needing no encouragement, he opened his to find a heavier gold chain with a pendant of a copper-haired woman riding flames. He put it on at once.

"Thanks to our new uncle and cousin, I'm taking you with me after all."

"And I'm keeping you here," she replied. Both turned and hugged their new relations hard.

"Being between Erebor and the Iron Hills," Lord Kerba said with a smile, "my keep is always open to break your journeys. I expect to see you all coming and going."

"We wouldn't have it otherwise, would we, Reli?"

"Not at all."

"Thorin," Dain said with an attempt at stemming the tide, "I'll expect a raven at the first hint there's a wee one on the way."

"I'll send my fastest," he said smiling. Everyone's good cheer dimmed though when Onkra came out guarded by four of Dain's most trustworthy. Onkra's own guards were in shackles. The princess had so many heavy folds of flesh that she looked like she was melting. They had nearly forgotten about her, but their smiles dropped at her mocking face. Thorin put his hand on Relianna's shoulder and Bemma stepped in with Frain.

"What a charming picture," she said sneering. "Nobles breeding with mongrels. You'd be better off with dogs. Of course, one can only hope for miscarriages or bleeders to die young."

A general gasp met her words, and she smiled with a malicious gleam in her eyes, but her gloating didn't last long. Yanking off his belt, Dain stepped forward with a gleam of his own.

"I meant what I said, Onkra," he said advancing on her, "and now your rear is going to pay for your mouth." She scoffed at his threat, but her mouth opened wide and stayed open to emit the first of many shrieks as Dain whipped her slightly less bulbous behind all the way to the wagon she was to ride in. She tried to dodge her father's blows, but he was far nimbler and more determined. "I should have done this years ago," he said, getting in a few extra whacks. After he was done, he sent her away with twenty dwarves charged with delivering her to the outer reaches of her clan's lands. "Let me know she's been met, and come back at once."

"You're not my father!" she screamed.

"As you wish," he replied and turned his back on her insults. It cost him a heavy sigh and sad shake of his head, but he soon brightened with thoughts of his son with him and grandchildren not far behind.

"Keep Frain safe, Bem," Relianna whispered, and Bemma nodded. Nothing more need be said. Both knew what was at stake and that he would chafe against any obvious attempts to shield him.

"I will," Bemma replied. "Just as you did, so I will. It's my job to meet his needs now."

"And meet them you will," Relianna said warmly. "I've never seen him so happy."

They turned to see Frain waiting with his journal. He shifted his feet back and forth, trying not to make the moment any more sorrowful than he knew it would be. The likelihood of an early death was a subject Relianna steadfastly refused to discuss beyond what he needed in the moment, and he knew she would struggle to face it now.

"This is for you, sister," he said shyly and without fanfare. "I want you to have it."

She looked down at what was in his arms and gasped. She knew too well what it was and tried to refuse. He was giving her their life together, and she didn't want him to give it up so soon.

"No," she said, "you don't need to do this. We'll see each other often. Besides, there are more pages that need adding to. We can talk about this another time." Shaking his head, he placed the book in her arms and gently pressed her hands to it.

"One day you'll need this," he said. "Now don't cry, but when I go for good, I want you to have this to remember me by."

"You won't," she said fiercely. "I won't let you! You're talking nonsense."

"You have no control over that, dearest, although I know you'd face Mahal, himself, to argue your case, but even so, I need to know you'll always have part of me, so it's yours. I always meant you to have it one day."

Shaking her head back and forth, she struggled to accept it and turned to her husband for help. He slowly inclined his head toward Frain, and buoyed by his silent encouragement she finally took it with grace and kissed her brother's cheek.

"I expect you to add to this every time I see you," she said, attempting to tease away her heartache. "I hope you know how much I love you, Frain."

"I do," he said with a stroke of her cheek. "I've always known."

"Er, we must be off now," Dain said with an attempt at hearty cheer. He'd run out of handkerchiefs, and his sleeves were damp. After a call from Thorin, the company and others came out for final farewells while well-wishers filed out and lined the gates and battlements above to wave the party on. Wrists grew sore and throats hoarse as they called to each until they could hear each other no more.

"So that's it then?" Relianna said. She was pale but composed, and Thorin wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"For now, but we have our own life waiting for us, as do they."

"Yes," she said, looping her arm through his, and it's time to live it."

So, dear readers, do you want this to be the end, or do you want to hear about wee bairns on the way? The story is winding down of its own accord, and I don't want to string it along, but if you want to hear about what happens throughout the years, I can write another chapter or two to wrap things up.