"Thorin's Journey: An Unexpected Love", Ch. 14 (End & Epilogue): More Precious than Gold, December 31, 2015 by Gratiana Lovelace (Post #852)

(an original fan fic story, copyrighted by Gratiana Lovelace, 2015; all rights reserved; no copyright infringement intended)   [(1) story cover image]

[From time to time, I will illustrate my story with my dream cast of: Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield, Cate Blanchett/Liv Tyler as Sulisha Weaverdale, Ken Stott as Balin, Graham McTavish as Dwalin, Dean O'Gorman as Prince Fili, Aidan Turner as Prince Kili, Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey, Hugo Weaving as Lord Elrond, Liv Tyler as Lady Arwen, Lee Pace as King Thranduil, and Billy Connolly as King Dain Ironfoot, Julia Ormond as Mistress Ella/Eleanor, Claire Forlani as Lady Constantia, and Henry Cavill as Captain Laurad, and others as noted, etc.]

Author's Content Note: "Thorin's Journey: An Unexpected Love" is a story of romance and intrigue set against the backdrop of JRR Tolkien's Middle Earth. As such there will be some passages in this story involving heartfelt love scenes (S) and some passages involving highly dramatic moments (D). I will label the maturity rating of those chapters accordingly. Otherwise, the general rating for this story is PG or PG-13 due to some tense situations and topics. If you are unable or unwilling to attend a movie with the ratings that I provide, then please do not read the chapters with those labels. This is my disclaimer.

Author's recap of the previous installment: With three Dragonlings hatching and then being nursed by their hoped or adoptive races--the Dwarves, the Elves, and the Humans--there is much at stake for everyone. But interspecies collaboration temporarly takes a backseat to interspecies breeding--in the form of the Dwarven-Human baby Laurel and the Elven-Human baby of the royal house of the Woodland Elves. The birth of King Thranduil's and Queen Constantia's baby girl, the Princess Anna, with the aid of the secretly human Dwarven wet nure Mistess Ella was a blessing beyond compare. And yet, the impending birth of King Thorin's and Queen Sulisha's baby will be a precursor of the resolution of Erebor's possession.

"Thorin's Journey: An Unexpected Love", Ch. 14 (End & Epilogue): More Precious than Gold

When King Thorin and Queen Sulisha return home to the Blue Mountains from their extended wedding trip that concluded with a longer stay than anticipated at the Iron Hills Palace Fortress when the Dragonlings hatched, they bring with them a reluctantly relocated Iron Hills Palace Fortress Dwarven guardian Captain Laurad, his human wife Mistress Eleanor, and their mixed races daughter baby Laurel--ward to King Thorin and Queen Sulisha.

And also traveling home with the royal couple is their other ward, the Dragonling Prima--so renamed from Primo, when its gender was revealed as being female. Prima's training mentor and Uncle Lord Dwalin would rather not dwell upon how he came to learn of her gender. Suffice it to say that the revelation occurred when Lord Dwalin was attempting to teach the then four month old and seven foot tall Dragonling Primo to aim forward into a ditch, and that was not possible--drenching in all directions the nearby level ground and Lord Dwalin's fine leather boots. Thereafter, a deep trench is utilized for elimination--by the Dragonling female now renamed Prima.

The hope in bringing both Captain Laurad to train the displaced Erebor peoples into a disciplined army and having their secret weapon of the Dragonling Prima, is to reclaim their Durin ancestral homeland of the Erebor Mountain Fortress--and its wealth of gold and precious gems that lie within and guarded jealously by the usurper Dragon Drake Smaug.

Captain Laurad views himself to have the easier task of training the Dwarves of Durin. And he does not envy Lord Dwalin his responsibility to mentor and train a new generation Dragonling. But happily, now with Prima starting to hiss fire in small measures, she does so in a mono directional way as instructed--lighting candles, ovens, and campfires, and not indiscriminately torching nearby objects--such as said Uncle Lord Dwalin who is Prima's constant guardian and companion.

As King Thorin and Captain Laurad tour the encampment enclosure specially built to house and contain the now six month old and eight foot tall Dragonling Prima, they watch froma twenty yard distance as she undergoes a lesson with her Uncle Lord Dwalin.

Lord Dwalin: "Prrrrima, Lassie!" He twirls his rrrrs vibratingly. "Arrrre ye listening to me instrrrructions?"

With a breathy high pitched and melodious voice--with eagle like qualities from her Eagle foster mother, but also reflecting the influence of her Uncle Lord Dwalin--Prima responds. And Prima has a lilting tendency found in Dwarven and Human youngsters to raise the vocal pitch of the last sound she makes.

Prima: "Aye, Uncle Lorrrrd Dwa-lin!" Prima bobs her head up and down and smiles agreeably.

Lord Dwalin: Glancing at King Thorin who nods to him to proceed, Lord Dwalin commands. "Prrrrima, Lassie. Ye arrre to burrrn up that hollow log yonderrrr as a demonstration to King Thorin of your prrrrracticing yourrr firrrre."

Prima looks at the hollow log sitting ten feet away from her. Then she looks back at her Uncle Lord Dwalin. Then she looks at the log again. Then Prima carefully waddles forward--since each month's growth spurt puts her off balance until she accustoms herself to it. Lord Dwalin is closely watching her behavior.

Captain Laurad: Whispering to King Thorin, Captain Laurad asks. "What is Prima doing? Does her fire not reach to ten feet yet?"

King Thorin: "You'll see." King Thorin nods.

Then the Dragonling Prima bends down and looks into one end of the log. Inside, she sees something that startles her.

Prima: "Uncle Lorrrd Dwa-lin?"

Lord Dwalin: "Yes?" He asks patiently.

Prima: "It has a ... a ... a snake in it!"

Prima shivers in fear--her long Dragonling tail flicking back and forth similar to the slithering tail of her herpatic cousin in the hollow log, the snake. Prima doesn't like snakes. But she has been taught not to hiss her fire where there might be living flesh and blood creatures. Prima does not kill living things. Yet one day when and if Prima and her brother Dragonlings face the Dragon Drake Smaug with the Dwarves of Erebor, they might have to kill Smaug.

Lord Dwalin: "Alrrright, then blow the snake out of the log with yourrrr puffs--but no firrrre, mind."

Prima nods and puffs. But though jostled, the snake does not budge. Prima looks to her Uncle Lord Dwalin for help. But he merely crosses his arms and does not give her any hints. He wants her to figure out what to do next. Prima puffs more forcefully through the hollow log--to the limit of the threshold of it becoming a fire hiss--and the snake moves a little, but not much.

Then seeing a stick on the ground, Prima picks it up, hisses fire at it so that its end is now flaming, and then she thrusts the flaming stick end into one of the hollow log's knot holes on either side of the snake. Success! The snake decides to vacate the hollow log. Unfortunately, the snake heads right for the Dragonling Prima. Prima jumps back and squeals, which produces a fire hiss directed at the snake.

Prima: "Eeeeee!" Fire hisses out of Prima's mouth and touches the snake's tail just briefly before Prima clamps her mouth shut and covers it with her hands. Prima knows that she did wrong as she looks over and sees the stern countenance of Lord Dwalin. The snake, merely singed but not killed, slithers away.

Uncle Lord Dwalin: "Lassie!" He sighes and shakes his head as he walks over to the Dragonling Prima and pats its droopy head.

Prima: "Sorrrrry!" Prima winces and pouts.

Uncle Lord Dwalin: "Hhhh! Perrrhaps, I set ye toooo harrrd a test." Prima nods up and down. Then he dangles a metaphorical carrot in front of her. "But, if ye want to have yourrr own pet kitten, ye must prrrove that ye can contrrrol yourrr firrre and keep yourrr kitten safe frrrom harrrm. Hmmm?" He smiles encouragingly.

Prima: She nods her head up and down several times. "I will be good with me firrre arrround me kitten! I prrro-mise!"

Uncle Lord Dwalin: "That's me gerrril." He smiles encouragingly. Then he waves over at King Thorin standing at a distance of twenty yards away, who smiles and waves back to them. Prima also waves and smiles at King Thorin.

Then back in the distance observing the Dragonling lesson, Captain Laurad comments to King Thorin.

Captain Laurad: "Most impressive! A Dragonling with a conscience--and a reverence for life." He states with astonishment. And of course, they all know that all three Dragonlings are being raised as vegetarians--except, they do like egg omelets.

King Thorin: "Yes. And Prima is almost to the point of controlling her fire. Then next month, my nephew Prince Fili will return from the Iron Hills Palace Fortress with the male Dragonling Secundo who is already flying. They will teach Prima how to fly." Then King Thorin rolls his eyes, thinking that Prince Fili's young wife, the Princes Bethelwyn will surely come with him--and bring excitement wherever she goes. However, King Thorin could do without the Princess' type of excitement.

Captain Laurad: "But I thought you realized that Prima was afraid of heights when Lord Dwalin took her up into the hills and she looked down and panicked--clinging to Lord Dwalin?"

King Thorin: "Yes. But we will work her up to flying gradually. And please do not repeat that story about Prima clinging to Lord Dwalin. He is sensitive about being seen as so fatherly and caring of the Dragonling Prima."

Captain Laurad: "Of course." He nods his head once in agreement. Warriors like himself and Lord Dwalin must be fierce and not show tenderness or caring in any way. But that is not to say that Captain Laurad does not have tender and caring fatherly feelings.

King Thorin: "By the by, how is baby Laurel's crawling going? My Dear wife Queen Sulisha said that your wife told her that the baby is getting into everything now."

Captain Laurad: Softening in his facial expression and vocal tone, Captain Laurad concurs. "That she is. Laurel crawls so fast some times that we have to scramble to catch her! And she likes to crawl under tables and I have to fetch her out."

King Thorin: "You do?"

Captain Laurad: "Yes, well." He grins sheepishly. "With my wife Eleanor being two months with child again, ..." Captain Laurad stands taller and puffs out his chest pridefully. "... I do not want her over exerting herself."

King Thorin: "Ah! Just so. My own dear wife Queen Sulisha is due to give birth any moment. And she will not rest until she has her section of tapestry woven each day. She is determined to complete it before our baby is born." The scenes and symbols in the tapestry seem unusual to King Thorin--there are scenes of distant lands, eagles, swords of varying designs and sources, gold, and then there is the Erebor Mountain Fortress palace.

The two men exchange a knowing look [(2) right] . Their wives are their delicate loves and helpmates in life. But at home, the men know who really rules their roofs.

***

An Erebor Court in Exile young Dwarven page races from the manor home of King Thorin and Queen Sulisha and out to the Dragonling training grounds a half mile away. Arriving winded from so long a journey, the page takes a moment to collect himself.

Page: Bowing, he says. "My King, You must come!"

King Thorin: "What is it?"

Page: "Mistress Eleanor says that it is Queen Sulisha's time. The baby is coming." He blurts out so there can be no confusion.

King Thorin is startled. They thought that it might be a few weeks yet. But soon, he and Captain Laurad mount their ponies and rush back to the manor. And remembering the difficultly that the Elven but secretly Human Queen Constantia had in giving birth, King Thorin is worried for his beloved wife. He does not wish to see her in pain. But pain in childbirth is inevitable.

Yet, as it happens, King Thorin is too late! When he arrives at his manor home for their Erebor Court in Exile, he finds it eerily quiet and no servants about. So King Thorin races upstairs and he must push his way through the servants and courtiers flooding the halls near the master bed chamber.

King Thorin: "I am here! Let me through!" The people part. Then King Thorin reaches his bed chamber door, only to find Mistress Eleanor opening it.

Mistress Eleanor: Grabbing his arm, she urges. "My King! Queen Sulisha awaits you most urgently!"

King Thorin: "Is she alright? Is the baby alright?" He asks worriedly.

Mistress Eleanor: "She will not allow me to say, My King."

King Thorin races through the small sitting area of the bed chamber and to the bed. He looks down to see a weeping Queen Sulisha holding a swaddled bundle in her arms.

King Thorin: "No!" He wails. "The babe came too soon!"

Queen Sulisha: "He did, My Love." She dries her tears with the back of her hand. "But it is Durin's will."

Queen Sulisha gently transfers the small bundle in her arms to King Thorin. And King Thorin reverently takes the bundle in his arms, tears streaming down his face in sorrow.

Then the bundle moves imperceptibly in King Thorin's arms and he gazes down in wonder at the baby--him now seeing that the baby breathes.

King Thorin: "What?" He asks in hope.

Queen Sulisha: "Now watch the baby's head, Thorin." She admonishes him. "You must support his neck. Even though he is a big boy who needed to come early, he is still a baby, dependent upon us." She smiles and reaches up and touches the baby's foot. "Is he not a beautiful Dwarven baby?" She asks now smiling beatifically.

King Thorin: "Oh! My Love!" King Thorin sits down on the edge of the bed near his wife and kisses his wife's forehead. "I feared the worst when I saw you weeping."

Queen Sulisha: "My weeping is with tears of joy! Our child is born and he will continue Durin's royal legacy!" Queen Sulisha smiles with joy [(3) right]

King Thorin: "Indeed!" Then new father King Thorin gazes down upon his sleeping baby son whose little mouth moves around. "My son!" He says in a hushed voice. "For you and for any sisters or brothers we may give you, I will seek to reclaim Erebor and our ancestral heritage--no matter how long it takes."

Queen Sulisha: "And his name, My Husband? Have you decided upon it?" She asks curiously

King Thorin: "We shall call him Thorsul." Pronounced THOR-zool. King Thorin gazes in hushed awe at his infant son [(4) right].

Smiling broadly for her husband traditionally combining their two names together to create their son's name, Queen Sulisha lies back down against her pillows.

Queen Sulisha: "I shall feed him, then we must each sleep." Queen Sulisha sighs wearily as King Thorin transfers the baby back to her loving arms. Though her birthing ordeal was less than an hour, it was still hard on her.

King Thorin: "And I shall watch over you both while you sleep and when you awaken. For you have given my more joy than I could ever wish for. And you are my treasures more precious than anything--whom I cherish beyond the Erebor hoards of valuable gold and gems. For I will forge a future for my son of what will be, not of what has been. And he will look forward and not back." He smiles happily.

Queen Sulisha: Smiling up at King Thorin with their babe latched onto her breast hungrily suckling, Queen Sulisha sighs. "And Thorsul will be your legacy of goodness and of honor in the world."

King Thorin: "Our legacy, My Love." Then turning to Mistress Eleanor, King Thorin commands. "Let it be proclaimed that Prince Thorsul, son of Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror of the House of Durin is born this day. Durin's legacy will endure."

And as the word spread in the Dwarven lands of Prince Thorsul's birth, and their King Thorin setting aside the quest to reclaim Erebor for now, a peaceful calm settled upon the Dwarves of Erebor in Exile. They have created new lives for themselves and bonded with their new communities. They will look forward to their futures as well.

                                                                       Epilogue:

Twenty five years later, a young but tall for his race Dwarven Prince Thorsul [(5) right] sits regally astride his pony next to his father King Thorin sitting upon his horse--with their army of Dwarves and now the mature Dragons of Prima, Secundo, and Tertius behind them as they face the Erebor Mountain Palace Fortress Gate once last time.

During the last year, observers had noticed the birds and the animals returning to the Erebor Mountain--taking it as a sign of renewal. And it is thought that the Dragon Drake Smaug might be dead somewhere within the bowels of Erebor. The Dwarves and Elves and Humans and such had long ago faced the other Evils of Middle Earth and won that battle--forever securing the lands of Middle Earth for peaceful coexistence for all races. All that remains now, is for the Dwarves of Durin--displaced from Erebor by Smaug hundreds of years ago-- to finally go home.

As an advanced scout team lead by Lord Dwalin and the now General Laurad emerges from the Erebor gate and mount their ponies, a hopefulness spreads throughout the waiting Army of Dwarves. The two warriors canter up to King Thorin.

King Thorin: "What say you, Lord Dwalin? Is Smaug dead or alive?" He waits expectantly, hopefully, for their answer.

Lord Dwalin: "Dead, My King. His dessicated body lies in brittle broken pieces in the treasure room. We will need to remove them, but that should not take more than a few days." And Lord Dwalin will not have his Dragon daughter Prima witness any of it, lest it injure her tender heart. For long ago he became her father, and she his daughter.

King Thorin: Turning to his son Prince Thorsul, King Thorin smiles. "I will show you the Hall of the Guardians with walls encased with lapis lazuli ..." [(6) right]. Thorin is transfixed in remembering his long ago home. "... and the library of our people's history, and we will rebuild the beautiful City of Dale upon the hill."

Prince Thorsul: "And what of the gold and gems of the mountain, Papa?" He had heard many a tale of them growing up.

King Thorin: "Some treasure will be saved for the future of Durin, and some treasure will be apportioned to those who gave us aid over the years--the Elves, the Humans, and our brethren Dwarves in the Iron Hills, etc. Our people who wish to, will take up their skills and arts in mining and fashioning artifacts from what we mine."

Prince Thorsul: "Would that Aunt Princess Dis could have lived to see this wondrous day!"

King Thorin: "Aye! My Sister would have been pleased--as would have my brother Prince Frerin who fell in the battle of Azanulbizar--and my father and grandfather, too. But Dis' sons in Prince Kili and Prince Fili and their families will join us in the celebration."

Prince Thorsul: "And mama? Will she wish to move our family here?" For Queen Sulisha having recently given birth to her and King Thorin's fifth child--their second daughter--she is recuperating at their Durin Manor in Exile in the Blue Mountains.

King Thorin: "We shall ask her upon our return. And she and I will discuss it. Whether we return and move our family here to Erebor permanently--or if we merely visit here from time to time--my life and my love reside with your Mama and our family. I need no Mountain Fortress nor hoards of gold and gems to make my happiness."

And King Thorin thinks of the mystical gem called The Arkenstone, the king's jewel [(7) right] . Since Lord Dwalin did not mention it, King Thorin presumes that they did not see it readily at hand. No matter. If The Arkenstone is found, so be it. And if not, Durin'swill be done.

Prince Thorsul: "And, Papa, if I wish to learn the old traditional ways of mining and of artistry and help to guide our reclaimed Erebor Fortress to life again?"

King Thorin: "Then that will be your choice, My Son." King Thorin reflects sanguinely [(8) right]. For now his son has the choice that he did not--to make a future for himself and for their people, secure. And King Thorin has restored the legacy that once was for the House of Durin.

And the legend of the Dwarven House of Durin's struggle and victory will be told in song and story in future ages in Middle Earth:

The Dwarven Queen Sulisha, a seer of Durin's ruling clan,
On her tapestry, she wove the future, bright and bold.
Of Durin's Dwarven peoples forced into exile to a man,
who quested for the return of the Erebor riches of silver and gold.

But in their search to reclaim the House of Durin's home,
they did not find the future that was so eagerly sought.
For in their zeal to recover the Mountain of Erebor as their own,
their greed almost brought their quest and plans to naught.

Yet in King Thorin's letting go of storied golden wealth
and in the letting go of his sometimes stubborn pride,
did Durin's Leader King Thorin return to health
and rule with honor with his Queenly wife by his side.

And the winds now drifting from the Fortress of Erebor,
carrying with them the brightly burning fire forges smell,
and the sweetness of abundant ripe wine fruits and more.
For the mountain is a homeland again, and all is well.

The End

Dear Readers/Friends,

Thank you for joining me on the journey of my sharing this Thorin fan fic story of mine! I hope that you have enjoyed it. I have long felt that Thorin's burden of having his hoped for future taken away from him--and as he ruminated about the past--was both an inspiring tale of dedication and perseverance, as well as, a tragic tale of loss. And since The Hobbit tale does not have a happy ending for Thorin, I wrote one for him.

Holiday Cheers! Gratiana Lovelace ;->

References for Ch. 14 (End), December 31, 2015 Gratiana Lovelace (Post #852)

1) Revised: My "Thorin's Journey: An Unexpected Love" story cover art I created is comprised of two images:

a) A cropped and masked head shot of a beautiful portrait drawing of Thorin Oakenshield by the talented artist Yanagoya of Thorin holding the Arkenstone found here http://rebloggy.com/post/the-hobbit-yana-art-thorin-arkenstone/41711190148 ; with the Thorin portrait face being in the image (cropped and masked by someone else, unknown) is of the talented actor Richard Armitage who portrayed Thorin in The Hobbit trilogy of films.

b) A cropped section of a screen cap of the Elven cave that I made from the first trailer for THDofS serves as the background image.

c) story cover image link for Wattpad: https://gratianads90.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/thorinsjourneyanunexpectedlove-storycover_oct0815gratianalovelace-256x401.jpg

2) Thorin smiling is Richard Armitage in 2014 THBOFA by TheArkenstone-cktumblr Jun2115viaLauraDay

3) Queen Sulisha image is of Cate Blanchett as Maid Marian in Robin Hood (2010) and was found at http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/05/07/article-1273120-09527871000005DC-346_306x302.jpg

4) Baby Prince Thorsul was found at Anotherslpgbabe Sep2911henrymark2

5) Thorin Oakenshield image is portrayed by Richard Armitage in The Hobbit trilogy of films and was found at http://www.richardarmitagenet.com/images/gallery/Hobbit/HobbitStills/album/12-Thorin-TheHobbitMovie-RABirthdayTwitterpic.jpg

6) Erebor Hall of the Guardians image is a vlcsnap 2013-03-26-19h43m26s162 screen cap and manip by Gratiana Lovelace

7) Arkenstone-vlcsnap-2013-03-26-20h14m40s196GratianaLovelaceCap-crop

8) Older King Thorin image is of Richard Armitage in Video4 Nov0511viaDhana

Blog story link for TJAUL with embedded images, Ch. 14:

https://gratianads90.wordpress.com/2015/12/31/thorins-journey-an-unexpected-love-ch-14-end-epilogue-more-precious-than-gold-december-31-2015-by-gratiana-lovelace-post-852/