It's here~! The FINAL chapter, now it does seem a bit meh but I don't know any other way to sugarcoat this so...YEP! Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me through this; it meant a lot to me and I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. I'll probably go back over this and edit it so there is that.
Disclaimer:I do not own the Hobbit or any of it's characters, I do however own my own and the artwork I do for the series.
Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Last Days
It's been over fifty-nine years since Lian and Thorin were wed that day and within the next year she was pregnant with their first born son. In the span of four years she went on to give birth to a daughter and another son, bringing their total of children up to four. Rowan adored her younger siblings and there were hardly ever problems between them. Sadly though Rowan grew faster than the other children and before they knew it she was a grown woman ready to go and explore the world on her own. Four years later she was married to a wizards apprentice and lives near Lorien.
Lvaire remarried five years after his daughter to a local widow; there were many mixed feelings over this but it in the end it's what made him happy. He passed the year of his seventy-fifth year and his wife followed two years after. Darius, their youngest son was the one to take over Forchel after his grandfathers passing with Luke and Nellia's son, Gabriel as his Advisor though he was pushing his 50's.
Marie, their daughter lived in Ered Luin with her fiancé and was due to be married in three months. The man she was to marry owned several collections of books and a store to go with it; ironic since Marie was never one to read much.
Fili and Kili lived in the Blue Mountains now, Fili with his family and Kili with Tauriel; in the early stages of their marriage they found that dwarves and elves could not have children together. It was something that tore them apart but that didn't tear them apart as they still live the years together.
Lian and Thorin themselves had lived a rather…fulfilling life; they had their ups and downs and in their early years there was certainly a lot of downs but through the years they'd learned the other like a book. Neither would trade the lives they've lived for any other despite the tragedies they've faced.
"Lian."
Lian was jostled from her slumber by Thorin's firm shake to her shoulder, foggy green orbs cracking open and she expected to see her husbands own but it was pitch dark. The hearth was ashen cold and no lantern was lit in their bed chambers.
"What is it?" Lian asked, her frail voice cracking as she sat up, her old bones creaking and popping as she moved.
"Something's wrong." Thorin rasped from the darkness and she felt him moving beside her though her loss of hearing prevented her from getting a clear picture as to what he was doing. Finally the smell of flint filled her nostrils and the orange glare of a lantern temporarily blinded her sensitive eyes. She could now see Thorin beside her as he sat on his side of the bed, brow furrowed in concentration. His long hair had turned to near pure silver over the last fifty-nine years and his tanned skin was thinned and now creased in several wrinkles. Lian too had lost her youthful appearance and her once athletic form to give way to sagging flesh and a small pot belly.
"Did you hear that?" Thorin asked.
She strained to hear what it was he was hearing but the years had taken a great portion of her hearing. "I don't hear anything." Lian explained.
"Get dressed." He barked suddenly, jumping out of the bed like he was still a youngling but Lian had to take a lot more time to get up. He lit a few odd torches so the room was lit enough to move about; the dwarf pulling on his trousers, shirt, and chest plate in the time it took her to pull on her socks and boots.
"Just grab a coat; there isn't enough time for you to get fully dressed." He said, fully dressed as he grabbed his sword. Lian stood from the bed, her back hunched over and she attempted to straighten it with a loud crack. Thorin snatched up one of his fur coats and helped her into it before practically dragging her from their bedchambers and down the corridors. It didn't take long for several screams to reach her ears and soon they came to a stop on a balcony overlooking the Entry Hall. Nearly every dwarf was bustling about down there; passing armor and weapons about in a hurry; the Main Gate closed and barricaded heavily.
Lian and Thorin rushed down the several flights of stairs until they reached the main level and approached their oldest son, Haldor, as he barked orders. Haldor was about 5'4 and was tall for a dwarf though this is mainly because of his human heritage. He had a mop of dark short curls on his head and a thick beard to go with it; he was fifty-seven years old but still looked to be in his late twenties. All of their children aged faster than dwarves but slower than Men; Rowan being an acceptation.
"Haldor, what is going on here?!" Thorin demanded, obviously angry that he was not informed of anything.
"Orcs, a whole army of them are on their way. The Men of Dale sent us word of this and are in the process of evacuating into Mirkwood before they reach the Lake." He explained breathlessly; adrenaline was pumping through his veins heavily, his blue eyes looking almost wild and he foolishly anticipated the enemy.
"Why was I not informed of this first?!" Thorin bellowed, causing several heads to turn towards the seething king.
"I can handle this easily-." He began but the older dwarf was having none of it.
"Have the dwarrowdams and children been evacuated to the escape tunnels? Has everyone been informed of the situation?" He ground out.
"No, but-."
"So you were prepared to lead our forces into a battle without at least evacuating the kingdom beforehand? Are you really that arrogant that you'd think that we could face them down without the risk of a breech? Our people's lives are not yours to gamble away!" Thorin spat; appalled by the idiocracy of his son as he shoved past him.
"You, get together a party to escort the dwarrodams, children and elders to the evacuation tunnels and take the horses and wagons all the way to the Iron Hills. Do not stop and do not turn back; that is an order." The dwarf said to a random guard before turning back to face Lian. "Go with the others to the Iron Hills."
"Have these past odd years not been enough for ya to know that I'm not going a damn place without ya?" Lian huffed, her age doing little to mellow out her attitude as she attempted to hobble past her husband but he held her in place with a firm grip around her upper arm.
"Lian, I'm not asking you; you're not in your youth anymore so stop trying to act like you are." Thorin growled but this did little good as she set her jaw stubbornly.
"I refuse and if ya dare try and force me to then I'll be damn sure to show ya just how spry I can be. Head my words, if a King shall fall then the Queen shall fall with him." She warned.
"Stubborn woman." Thorin hissed, tightening his grip on her but eventually let go with a scowl twisting his wrinkled features.
Suddenly a large crack resounded throughout the Hall, shaking the very stone under their feet and all froze. A few seconds passed and another came, this time shaking the main gates; sending everyone into a panic as they scrambled to their posts.
"They aren't supposed to be here for at least another hour!" Haldor exclaimed, this time terror flashing through his eyes as he grabbed a weapon up from a stack on the floor.
Lian grabbed a axe from one of the piles and stood amongst the dwarves as they awaited the enemy; archers lined the balconies with their bows notched back. Everyone was waiting for the moment when all hell would brake loose as the gates began to splinter. Finally the gates barricade post over the gate splintered along with part of the gate and they came flooding inside in swarms.
Two day have passed since the orcs attacked and for two days they've fought them off, retreating deeper into the mountain as more and more of the died. It was now the final hours of this battle and only about forty dwarves still remained and amongst them where Lian, Thorin and Haldor. They'd managed to survive but they all had little to no strength left; Lian had broken her right arm, Thorin had a large gash on his back and Haldor had lost his left eye. The were hiding near the evacuation tunnels but not it was still out of reach and it was a slim chance that they'd be able to make out of the mountain alive. It was in the mid-morning now and the orcs had taken residence in the mountain already with parties roaming the halls in search of surviving dwarves. This was no longer their home; they were in the lion's den now.
"They're gone." Goro, a guard, hissed after peaking through a peeping hole; the plan was to sneak past the orc parties to the tunnels and make it out undetected. This was difficult due to the size of them and it would be risky if they split up and evacuated due to the possibility of getting caught; at this point there was only one chance and it was limited.
"Are you okay, mother?" Haldor whispered to Lian as she cradled her broken arm to her chest.
"I'm fine, yer father is running a fever though; I fear that his wound is infected." Lian responded, sending a worrying look over to Thorin who was sweating profusely beside her.
"I'm fine." He rasped but his pale complexion said other wise.
"Set aside yer pride and admit it, maybe Haldor should carry ya the rest of the way." Lian suggested but he simply gave her a nasty glare before standing; Haldor helped her stand and with a quick look out they began a mad dash towards the Potions Quarters where the tunnel was hidden behind a bookcase. Halfway there Lian happened to look back and see that Thorin was falling behind; she slowed and hooked her good arm around his waist before she started along again. Haldor stayed behind to help Lain with Thorin and by the time they reached the Potions Quarters the others had moved the bookshelf so they could open the tunnel.
The door to the tunnel was protected by a complicated magic and only a select few knew how to open it. Thorin was panting as he stepped up to the seemingly normal stone wall; he placed a hand on the cool rock and murmured the needed words. The rock disappeared under his hand to reveal a tunnel with torches still lit inside; everyone rushed in quickly and Haldor, Lian and Thorin were about to when suddenly orc cries sounded from the distance.
"Hurry!" Goro cried but Thorin had collapsed, sweat drenching his pale hair to his face as he panted. Lian was attempting to help pick him up with her son but they were both injured and the orcs were too close. Suddenly Lian shoved Haldor into the tunnel with a grunt and he let out a cry of shock; before he could do anything though she whispered the sealing words and solid stone separated them.
Lian knelt beside Thorin's fallen form and brushed a damp lock from his worn features, many thoughts ran through her head along with many emotions as tears filled her eyes. Thorin's eyes cracked open to look up at her, taking a moment before they could fully focus.
"I'm sorry; I've led you to this." He wheezed.
"Oh shut it, I chose this as much as ya did." She rasped, cupping his sweaty cheek in her left palm.
"I hope…you don't regret marrying me." He breathed, taking her frail hand into his and she pursed her thinned lips.
"If I had to do it over again I wouldn't change a damn thing." She scoffed past tears just as the orcs kicked in the door and she leaned over Thorin's body protectively. They were surrounded in seconds and with that their fates were sealed and their story was over.
"Good." He whispered.
Thorin and Lian be like: X.X
Tell me in the reviews if you'd like a sequel to this story which would be Rowan's story as she explores Middle Earth.