Work Text:
The world had turned into a fearsome place. Once the whispers of leaves upon trees had been songs and laughter echoed within her mind and heart; yet now the shades hidden amongst greenery grew large and consumed the light within her with every bird's song and every sparkling morning dew. Each step taken towards home, was another step away from Erebor, from the Lonely Mountain clad in grey, and white -- another step away from him.
They had buried him. Beneath stone and dirt he lay now, his eyes forever shut to the world about her, to the cacophony of colours and noise greeting her every waking moment of every day. The warmth of him forever lost, his lips -- even as she had kissed them had turned already cold. None would meet her gaze, her kin and people would turn away, slim lithe figures against marble walls, sitting upon engraved chairs, playing flutes, and harps with elegance, yet their eyes cut deep as daggers. The humans she would oft' meet, but most knew not of her suffering, and mayhaps those who did had already forgotten. Mortal, fragile men, with lives so fleeting, would always choose to forget so easily, as the mayfly shall always choose to keep flying thought it knows its end is near. She had never though laid eyes upon a dwarf again.
The nights had been the hardest, she walked now as she had often did upon the battlements, bow in hand, a slow walk to her step, and with grieving eyes cast to the stone floor. The stars would appear, embracing the forest with their warm silver light. "It is a cold and distant light," his voice remained alive within her thoughts, even now she could hear it. Abruptly she turned glancing below, estimating the height of a possible fall. The sentries would not be able to stop her once she would leap. Yet what if she would? Desperate she remained staring the gloom of the jagged ground below, for even in death it seemed they were doomed to never meet again.
Carelessly, she tuned once more, a fleeting glimpse of the night sky leaning her breathless. Silently, she placed her bow against the dusted stone beside her booted feet, and took a step towards the horizon. There, wrapped amongst the pale starlight, the crimson rays of a crescent stood imposing above all living creatures. And all things seemed to seize, all sounds had fallen silent, the wetness of her cheeks stung against a cold whisper of a wind, yet she did not care. A Blood Moon, she thought, a hand clasped in surprise about her lips. Suddenly a gentle smile formed beneath her slender fingers.
"He watches over me."