thesheelfsworld - Tumblr blog

thesheelfsworld · 10 months

Text

A Love Enduring All Of Time

Thorin Oakenshield x Reader

Word Count: 2.2K Warnings: Angst...?

Author's Note: I made myself sad :( BUT IT ENDS HAPPILY SO :)

**********************************************************************

As they gathered around the fire, no one seemed to want to sing or dance. They were cold, tired, some bruised and wounded, but mostly exhausted. They quietly ate and readied for bed, and she couldn’t help but feel discontent at the lack of wind-down from the day. She lay in her bedding, staring up at the night sky; Thorin lay beside her in his own bedding, Fili above Thorin, Kili above her, Bilbo on her other side.

Bilbo was shifting beside her, a telltale sign that he was restless; she gently put her arms behind her head, and asked, “Bilbo, would you like to hear a story?”

A few of the dwarves groaned but she paid them no mind, looking over at Bilbo who blinked and nodded his head. “A good bedtime story would be nice.”

Her smile was bright even in the darkness and before she could even open her mouth, Thorin muttered, “We need rest. A story will have to wait.”

“Oh pish,” she retorted and settled in to tell her story. “Once upon a time, there was a young girl who lived beside an elven castle. And she—”

“Of course, it’s an elven bedtime story,” Dwalin griped and the others chuckled whilst she threw a rock at him.

“Let me tell my story!” she cleared her throat. “Now, where was I? Ah yes, once upon a time!”

***

“Thalaweston,” Colfindaer muttered. “The girl is here again.”

The silver-haired elf looked over towards the gates, seeing the little girl standing there, a hopeful look on her face; the second she saw him see her, she waved wildly at him. He let out a sigh and said, “I’ll be right back.” He could hear his friend chuckling as he walked towards the gates, stopping just before them; he bent down and greeted her with a smile. “Hello Kaeralina.”

The girl blushed and looked at her feet, quietly holding up the flowers she’d picked. “I…I brought these for you.”

He took them through the ivory gates, gazing at the stems that had been hastily plucked and the dirt brushed off. “Thank you, they’re beautiful.” Looking back at her, he asked, “You’ve been coming to give me flowers quite often, Kaeralina.”

“Mhm,” she murmured, swaying slightly. “Mother said elves like flowers.”

“Your mother’s wise, we are connected deeply with nature.” Thalaweston tipped his head to the side. “Kaeralina, does your mother know you come here? It’s awfully dangerous for a little girl to be all alone out here.”

“I’m not little!” she retorted, bringing her eyes back up to his. “I’m ten years of age!” He chuckled and she felt her cheeks warm, dropping her gaze again. “I know how to get here and home safely.”

He let out a sigh. “Kaeralina, it isn’t safe for you to keep coming back and forth. You could be hurt, or worse. There is danger in the forest.”

“I know,” she said, kicking at the ground with her boot. “But…I wanted to give you the flowers.”

Thalaweston looked at the flowers in his hand again. “They’re lovely flowers, Kaeralina. While I thank you for them, you have to stop coming as often as you do. If anything were to happen to you, your family would be very sad.”

Quickly, she turned around, sniffling, and he felt a pang of hurt in his chest for hurting her feelings, but just as fast as she’d begun to cry, she turned back around, a determined look on her face as she declared, “One day, I’m going to marry you!”

His eyes widened in shock and before he could even reply, she nodded her head resolutely and dashed off into the thicket, leaving him to go back to his post where his friend was laughing hysterically and teasing him about the girl.

***

It had been many, many years before Thalaweston ever saw her again. One and a half decades in fact, but a mere fifteen years was but a blink of an eye to elves. He’d been given relief of duty to join a hunting party towards the west of the forest, just on the other side of the human city growing next to the castle.

Splitting up from the rest of the group, he journeyed on his own, quietly stalking a deer he’d seen in the distance. When he’d come upon it, he raised his bow, pointer finger feeling along the steel of the arrowhead, breath leaving his lungs as he began to release it, when the buck suddenly dropped towards him, an arrow in its chest.

He lowered his bow but dove behind a tree for cover in case it wasn’t one of his people; watching cautiously, he waited for the mysterious shooter to come from the trees and when they did, his eyes widened. A mere human girl had shot from hundreds of yards away, a managed a perfect shot.

Thalaweston crept behind them as they pulled the arrow out, pulling a knife to begin cleaning when he stepped on a stick, the crack echoing through the forest. Quick as lightning, they spun, bow raised and ready to fire; he raised his hands in surrender and he caught sight of eyes beneath the red hood, bow slightly wavering as they said, “Thalaweston?”

He cocked his head to the side, stealthily reaching for his dagger. “How do you know me?”

They reached up and plucked the hood off and he let out a breath at the sight of her. “Kaeralina?”

She had grown into a beautiful young woman; her shock gave way to joy as she reached out to hug the elf. “Oh, it’s been so long!” she wrapped her arms around him. “You look well! How have you been!”

He was in shock himself. “I—I am well. Nothing much has changed in my life. How are you?” he pulled back, looking towards the deer then to her. “When did you learn to draw a bow?”

A shadow crossed her face and she said, “My father…he died when I was still a child. My mother and I had to fend for ourselves. I picked up a thing or two watching the hunters in my city. I am leading the hunting parties now, believe it or not!”

“Congratulations.” Thalaweston looked around. “You’re quite a distance away from the city, are you not? More into elven territory.”

He saw the telltale sign of embarrassment come across her as she looked away, suddenly interested in the deer. “Yes, well, the deer favor elven company, so it makes sense to hunt here.”

“Really?” he asked doubtfully. “Are you sure it’s not because you have a fondness for elves?”

She shot him a look. “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Are you sure? Because I have quite a few bouquets of flowers that beg to differ.”

“I can’t believe you remember that,” she muttered. “I was a child.”

“A very sweet, earnest child,” he agreed, kneeling beside her. “I kept them, you know. Pressed them to make them keepsakes.”

She blinked at him. “You did?”

He nodded. “If nothing else, a reminder that humanity was good to us elves once.”

“That’s…very sweet of you, Thalaweston.”

He smiled and looked at her. She really was so beautiful. “You’ve grown since I last saw you.”

Her smile was more bittersweet. “Humans age much faster than elves. It’s been fifteen years, did you know?”

“I do.”

“I can’t believe it’s been so long.”

“Time does fly.”

“That it does.” Exhaling, she gestured to the deer. “I should get this back to the city. I’m sure they’re waiting for me to return.”

Before she could even attempt to lift it, Thalaweston did for her. “Allow me.” He ignored her dissuasions and added, “Think of it as a chance for us to catch up. I’d love to hear about how life has treated you. Nothing ever changes for us elves in the castle. Life is always boring.”

She smiled, looking down at her feet as she kicked at the ground. “Oh…alright, I guess you can.”

“So, tell me, have you promised to marry any of the men in your town or are we still—”

“I WAS A CHILD! LET IT GO!”

***

Thalaweston lay beside her, gently brushing aside the silver hair on her head, caressing the warm skin on her forehead. “How do you feel, melethel?”

Her eyelids fluttered and she looked at him. “Tired, my life. Very tired.”

He couldn’t fight the lump in his throat as he rested his hand on her chest above her heart. “Are you comfortable?”

“I am.”

“Should I get the children? Do you need me to get them? I will go—”

“My life,” she calmed softly, resting a hand atop his. “I have said my goodbyes to my children. This time is for us.”

Tears shone in his eyes as he dug his head into the pillow and whispered, “I am not ready for you to go, melethel.”

She smiled sadly, but there was a warmth there as she reached over with her free hand, swiping a stray tear. “You will never be alone, my life,” she said. “My heart travels with you always. It is in you, in our children, in this life. I am with you through the ages, always.”

Thalaweston gazed at the woman he’d created a life with, from the first moment he saw the little girl in a patchy dress to now, an old woman, his beloved wife, the mother of his beautiful two girls and boy. “I am scared to go on without you.”

“You must.”

“I want you with me. I want to hold your hand. I want to hold you in my arms. I want—”

She caressed his cheek and he fell silent, shutting his eyes against the flood of hot tears. “You must go on until our children no longer need you. Then, and only then will you be allowed to even think of me. They need you, my life. They are your purpose now. Promise me you will not come to me until then.”

He swallowed thickly, inhaling deeply as he nodded his head and whispered, “I promise, melethel.”

Kaeralina let out a low breath and tried to shuffle closer to him, which he saw and immediately shifted to hold her in his arms, his nose pressed against hers; they gazed into each other’s eyes. “Thalaweston,” she murmured. “Some think this was foolish. For a mortal to marry an immortal. But I want you to know, in all our years, I have never regretted a single moment. Not even now.”

Thalaweston smiled widely despite his tears. “I have been blessed by Ilúvatar to have made this life with you. I have loved you and will always love you, Kaeralina. I love you,” he whispered, pressing his lips to the tops of hers. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

“I love you, my life.”

***

“And till this day,” she said, still staring up at the night sky. “It is said that in the heart of the forest lies a single stone encased by a great oak tree. The memorial of a single elf who loved his human wife so greatly, that he planted a great stone and tree. Of course, others say that the stone is his wife’s grave and he, the great tree that has protected and weathered all the centuries. A love enduring time itself.”

Bilbo was in tears as he looked at her from his small pillow. “He brought her the same flowers every day that she picked for him as a girl.”

“Even in her death, he was devoted to his lovely wife, always.”

He wiped his nose and eyes, trying to compose himself. “That was beautiful.”

“Long, is what it was,” someone, probably Bofur retorted, but he sounded weepy.

She merely smiled and Bilbo asked, “Is it a true story?”

Shrugging, she gently slipped a few strands of hair behind her ear, and he caught sight of the slightly pointed tips. “Who knows? But a love like that? Sure is desirable. To be loved and devoted even after death. I hope one day I’m lucky enough to be loved so much as Thalaweston loved Kaeralina.” She looked to the stars and murmured, “They were amazing parents.”

“What was that?”

She blinked. “I said, I bet they were amazing parents. I’m sure their children were loved beyond belief.” She tutted. “Now off to bed with us. Our bedtime story has been given.”

As they all rolled over, most already asleep, she gently turned on her side, looking up at Kili and Fili who were huddled close, snoring quietly, the eldest brother’s arm wrapped around his youngest. It reminded her of her sister and brother.

She smiled and gently reached over, brushing a hand through each’s hair, watching them lean into and make sleepy noises at the soft, mothering touch, before pulling her arm away, only to catch Thorin’s eyes on her; she smiled at him and he gave her one in return, a softness, and love, in his eyes as she laid her head down and shut her eyes.

He waited until her breathing evened out before he reached over and carefully took her smaller hand in his, holding it. Hers twitched in his grip before her fingers curled over his palm and he fell asleep feeling the warmth bleeding into his hand.

244 notes · View notes