Again, so sorry :( I just saw that I lost two favs, I hope it was not because of the last chapter. I can assure you that I cried as much as you did writing this chapter...Tell me what you think about the following, please!

'I need to speak to your king.' the grey hooded figure told the guards at the gate. The dwarves eyed him suspiciously, but then they caught a glimpse of the persons face and paled.

'The king is with the queen and will not be disturbed.' the head guard informed their guest.

'So, it has happened then.' the grey figure muttered into his long beard and whispered a prayer in favor of the queen. 'Is master Balin here?'

The guard nodded and pointed to the throne room. Balin sat on his chair near the throne and sighed in exhaustion and grief. The news had reached him that the queen had died a few moments ago. Balin suddenly felt older than ever and sat back in his chair. This was bad news. As the grey hooded figure entered the throne room, Balin felt relieved.

'Tharkun, Gandalf!' Balin stood up and walked towards his old friend. 'What brings you here in this sad times?'

'I am here to help the queen.' Gandalf told the kings advisor, who shook his head.

'Then you are too late, my friend.' Balin told him sadly. 'The queen is dead. Mahal save her soul.'

'I know. I could feel the grief wash over this mountain like a powerful dark wave.' Gandalf even had the feeling that the mountain itself mourned the passing of the queen. 'But the queen had concerns about her afterlife and I was informed by a dear friend that she needed my help. It is not too late for this. But we need to hurry. I need a personal item of the queen. Best something she carried with her on a daily basis. Quickly.'

Balin had no idea what Gandalf was planning, but his experience with the wizard told him that he should do as ordered. With a sad nod, Balin left the throne room to the royal chambers. Silently, he entered and saw Thorin and his daughters sitting on the bed at Branns side. Neither of them wanted to leave and Balin felt overwhelmed by the sadness in this room. The old dwarf could see a grey streak in the kings hair and sighed. Grief had struck him hard, it was even worse than after the death of his grandfather, Frerin and the disappearance of his father. With a last glance at Brann, he took her necklace with the forget me nots from the desk in the room and walked back to Gandalf. With a sad nod the wizard took the necklace and smiled.

'Its a beautiful necklace.' Gandalf remarked.

'Thorin...the king made it himself for his wife.' Balin told the wizard.

'Then this is perfect for my cause.' Gandalf muttered.

The Istari walked up to the top of the mountain and looked up at the moon. The necklace laid heavily in his hands. Gandalf closed his eyes and faced to the West towards the Undying Lands. He muttered spells and prayers and the air in his vicinity began to sparkle. Far away, in Rivendell, an elf called Lindir felt a cold shiver run down his spine. He also closed his eyes and faced the West to honor the queen of the Blue Mountains and to support the grey Istari with his own prayers.

Balin and a few dwarven guards watched in amazement as the necklace in Gandalf hand began to glow. They had to cover their eyes as the gleaming became brighter than the sun itself and then, suddenly, the night was dark again. The vicinity of the mountain had become silent as death and even the breathing of the dwarves had become faint and quiet. Balin felt goosebumps spread over his whole body as Gandalf turned around to face them. The wizard was pale and his legs were shaking. As he handed the necklace to Balin he was breathing hard.

'My friend. Give this necklace to the king. I will explain what I did in a letter. Now I have to leave. This procedure is...straining and I have only little strength left.' Gandalf panted.

'You can rest and gather your strength in the Blue Mountains.' Balin offered him. 'I do not know what you just did, but you are welcome to stay, Gandalf.'

Gandalf nodded with a smile, but he would not stay. 'I have an important meeting in the north.' he informed the advisor. 'We will meet again, my old friend.'

And with these words, the wizard was gone, leaving some stunned dwarves behind.

'Lord Balin...what just happened?' one of the guards asked with a shaking voice.

'I have no idea, lad. I have no idea.' Balin shook his head and walked back into the mountain. The necklace in his hands was heavy and warm, but the old dwarf did not notice it. He was still too stunned by the present events. As if trapped in a dream, Balin walked back to the now dark royal chambers. Brann was about to be brought to the infirmary to be prepared for the funeral and Thorin and his daughters went to bed. Thorin would propably snuggle into bed with his youngest daughter to comfort her. Belladonna had taken their mothers death the hardest. With a heavy sigh Balin laid the necklace back onto the desk and hoped that Gandalf would give them a good explanation lateron. Neither of the dwarves in the room saw the necklace glow faintly in the dark for a short moment. The glow vanished as Thorin and his daughters retreated from the bed to allow their wife and mothers body to be taken away.

The funeral was held one week later. Balin had informed Thorin of the visit of the Istari, but the king had only shrugged his shoulders. His wife´s death had numbed him and he was barely interested in anything else than his family. The Blue Mountains mourned the passing of their queen heavily. The funeral chamber was full of dwarves who wanted to pay their respects to the queen. Levek, Dara and Thror were the first to walk up to the tomb. Dara was crying honest tears. Although everything had went well between her and the queen in the past years, the queen and her had not become friends. But in the end, Brann had trusted her with the dwarflings and had trusted her with every task of a courtlady. Of course, the past had always stood between them, but they had arranged themselves. Dara had tailored the dress which the queen wore in her tomb. It was of a dark blue and white diamonds covered the collar, the waist and the hem of her skirt. Diamonds shone in her former dark hair around her crown and the dagger Thorin had made her lay at her side. Branns hands had been folded on her stomach and the queen looked as if she was only sleeping. Dara sniffed as they looked down at her one last time. Every dwarf had brought forget me nots to the tomb and they were placed either inside or around it. It had been the kings wish. Dara laid her forget me nots onto Branns hands and stroked over the queens cold skin to say her goodbyes. She looked at Thorin as she walked by him and smiled sadly. The king looked as if he had died with Brann that day. His eyes were cold and there was no shine in them. He only looked back at her and nodded in gratitude. He did the same to all the dwarves that followed. Thror looked as if he wanted to walk up to Zial and take her in his arms for comfort, but he refrained from doing so. She was the princess and he would not disturb her mourning now. So he waited.

Soon, the tomb and the area around it was covered in a sea of Durin blue flowers. It was simply beautiful. Only Thorin and the royal family stayed behind as the tomb was closed and buried under rock. The flowers and a carved stone marked the spot where the beloved queen would lay for the rest of the mountains existence. The lower hall, where the refugees of the Red Mountains had been taken care off was named after Brann in her honor and the healers of the Blue Mountains began to wear blue flowers in honor and remembrance of their queen. Originally, Thorin had wanted to bury Branns necklace with her, but Balin had given him a letter from Gandalf with the advice to keep the necklace. Now, during the funeral, Thorin wore the necklace himself under his tunic. He would read the letter afterwards. It was a grey and sad day. It was pourring down rain outside, as if the sky also mourned the queens death. Thorin made sure that his daughters were with Dis as he locked himself in his room and opened the letter. Gandalf had only written him a short note.

King Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, king of the Blue Mountains,

I have come to you in times of need and grief. I mourn the death of your wife and queen, although I have never met her in person. I deeply mourn her death, for I have heard that she was a great woman. She will stay immortal in the memory of her people and I am sure that she will also be honored by the dwarves of the Blue Mountain who have cherished her good heart and her strong will. Her name was known beyond the borders of the Blue Mountains and she will not be forgotten.

Your wise advisor, master Balin, gave you your queens necklace. I will tell you what I have done with it during my visit. As you know, queen Brann was worried about her afterlife. I have found a way to capture her soul in the halls of Mandos. She will remain there until you will be reunited again and then, it will be your responsibility to persuade the great Mahal to grant her access to the halls of your fathers at your side.

The necklace, a token of your love to her, will keep her close to you. You will soon understand what I mean by it. Know this, your queen will always be with you. Your love has bound her soul to you. And through the necklace her soul will be able to travel between the halls of Mandos and Middle Earth, to you. See this as my gift to you, dwarven king. If you ever are in need of my help again, I will come.

Your father also came to me in times of need. I regret that I could not support his noble quest, then. But once again I assure you, o king, that I will come to you whenever you call.

Yours sincerely,

Gandalf.

Thorin leaned back in his chair and tried to relax his shoulders. He had sat at his table with strained shoulders while reading this letter and he could feel a headache rise behind his eyes. He did not understand a word. All he knew was that Brann was gone. It would take a while for them to reunite. Thorin had a good hundred years to go until he would die, hopefully in battle. If he was not king, he would follow his wife to the halls of Mandos immediately. But his people needed him.

Think about our daughters, Thorin! Our daughters need you!

Thorin jumped as Branns voice sounded in his head. He turned around and looked into the dark room. Suddenly he felt as if she was here, with him. A warm shiver ran down the side of his face and he felt as if Brann was stroking his beard, like she had loved to do. Thorin thought that he was going insane in his grief.

Thorin...

There it was again. Branns voice, warm and welcoming, like he knew her. The king shook his head and grinded his teeth. Brann was not here, he was clearly going insane. Pinching his nose, Thorin stood up and walked away from their room, leaving the necklace behind on the desk. The cool corridor made him feel better and he made his way to the throne room. Despite the worried glances of his court and the council, Thorin sat down on the throne and asked them to bring up the recent topics for discussion. But towards the evening, Thorin remembered his duties as a father and made dinner for himself and his daughters. Unseasoned soup and bread were the only things he could cook, but Zial, Gwen and Belladonna had not real appetite. Thorin wanted them to eat, but he could not eat more than one bowl himself. The grief about Branns death was too near and he could understand that his daughters did not want to eat.

They have to eat something! Tell them that they have to eat!

Thorin jerked as he heard Branns voice in his mind again. He clenched his eyes closed and shook his head.

'Adad, is everything alright?' Zial asked and looked at her father with worry. 'Have you slept at all since amad...'

No, my gem, our father has not slept since...Thorin, I worry about you...please...

'No.' Thorin exclaimed a little bit too loud. His daughters jumped and Thorin forced himself to calm down. 'No, my gem, I have not slept since your mother...left. I cannot sleep. I need her...'

Thorin felt ashamed the moment he voiced his feelings. He was not the only one missing Brann. His daughters also missed their mother. He had to be strong. For them.

I miss you, too. So much...

Thorin pressed his palms against his eyes. He missed Brann so much that he imagined hearing her voice in his mind. He was going insane, he really was.

'Adad...' Zial asked again.

'I am fine...' Thorin straightened his back and looked at his daughters. He saw grief in their eyes, but also worry. Worry for him. He should be the one carring for them, not the other way around. 'I am fine. Eat your soup.'

Dinner passed silently and torturing slow. Zial glanced at her father now and then and frowned.

'Go to sleep, adad...we will take care of the rest.' Zial stood up and cocked an eyebrow at her sisters. Gwen and Belladonna started to clean up the table and Thorin wanted to protest. But Zial did not let him. 'You cooked for us, let us clean up.'

Zial smiled faintly and the small move of her lips warmed Thorins heart. His daughters smile meant the world to him.

Thorin...how long do you want to ignore me? Thorin?!

Thorin did his best to ignore the voice in his head and grabbed a pint from the cupboard. A barrel of fresh ale stood in the kitchen and Thorin filled his pint with the delicious brew. He drank in deep gulps, needing to shut up Branns voice.

Thorin, my bear, don't so this...Thorin! Listen to me...

Branns voice grew more faint the more ale Thorin was drinking. Soon, the king feel asleep in his bed, fully clothed and with an empty pint in his hand. As the pint rolled to the floor and broke apart, only Brann heard it. Even if she was far away.

Thorin! Thorin, wake up! You stupid dwarf! Wake up!

Thorin sat up violently and instantly regretted it. Nausea made him fall back onto his bed and the world turned. The yelling in his head echoed loudly in his mind and made him groan loudly.

'Brann, for Mahals sake, are you mad, woman?' he asked and only slowly realised that Brann was not there. She was not with him anymore. But who had spoken to him? He had been sure that it had been Branns voice.

I thought you would never wake up! What if our daughters find you like this? Thorin!

Thorin did not take it anymore. He pressed his palms to his forehead and growled. This had to stop. He feared for his mental health. He heard Branns voice everytime he was in their rooms. Slowly and on wobbling knees, Thorin walked to Dis chambers. He needed his sister.

The kings sister quickly opened the door at the thunderous knocking. There was only one person who dared to knock at her door as if he wanted to break it down.

'Thorin...' Dis opened the door with a frown, but her brothers expression made her worry. 'You loook terrible...have you slept at all?'

'How am I supposed to sleep without her?' Thorin growled deeply. 'Our bed is empty and reminds me of what I lost every single moment. I cannot find any sleep there. And that voice...'

'Voice? What voice?' nor Dis was really worried. 'Please, come in before somebody hears you.'

The kings sister closed the door behind her brother. She frowned again as she adressed him. 'I know how you feel, brother. Believe me, I know how it feels to lose a love. Maybe the one love. It is the most painful thing in the world and I know what I am talking about - I pressed the two blockheads you call nephews out of me. Your heart is shattered into a million pieces and you welcome the pain because it is the only thing which reminds you that you have not died with her. But you cannot let grief be victorious over you. You cannot yield to death. Brann would not want to see you suffer.'

Brann...Thorin did not hear her voice here. He was alone again. He sighed and looked at his sister. The look of desperation and sadness in his eyes nearly broke Dis' heart. Dis took Thorins hand and squeezed it.

'You have to be brave, brother. Brave enough to face the world without her by your side.' Dis remembered the feeling. If it would not have been for Fili and Kili, she would have given up on life after Lindins death. 'We are brave. For our little ones.'

Thorin took a deep breath and nodded slowly. Dis was right, as usual. But it was hard.

'Now, what voice were you talking about?'

I will not write from Branns point of view from now on. She is in the halls of Mandos and waits for her family to follow. This afterlife is different for everyone (in my imagination) and I want everyone to imagine his own favorite way of afterlife. Therefore I will not tell what Brann sees or how her surroundings look like. All we get to now from her is what she tells Thorin. I hope that you guys understand my motives.