-General-
"Yes, it belongs to Thorin Oakenshield," Thranduil reaffirmed. "But there's a problem."
He closed the chest quickly, for a malevolent presence had begun to whisper in both their ears.
"The ring is tainted with dark magic," Aldril added. The whispers did not affect him; his high resistance, combined with his recent level-up in mentality, made him a steel wall against the corruption of dark magic.
Frowning, Aldril brought a hand to his chin, pondering what to do with the ring.
"I can purify it with Anguirel," he said after a few seconds of silence.
"That would be complicated," interjected Thalwen, who at some point had entered Thranduil's tent. With graceful, delicate movements, she positioned herself beside the Elven king, offering Aldril a smile as a greeting.
"Lady Thalwen," Aldril greeted her with a nod, then asked, "Why do you say it would be complicated? We've already purified part of Mirkwood, couldn't the same be done with the Dwarven ring?"
Shaking her head, Thalwen gestured to the elves stationed at the entrance. Soon after, they brought in a skeleton that, at first glance, appeared to belong to a dwarf.
"To purify objects like these, you need the blood or bones of the lineage to which they're bound," she explained calmly. "We found this skeleton in one of the prisons of Dol Guldur, so I deduce it to be the body of Thorin Oakenshield's father."
"Thorin's father?" Aldril murmured, his gaze fixed on the dwarf's skeletal remains. "But how do you know it's Thorin's father, Lady Thalwen?"
"Oh, dear… withered roots whisper from time to time. Perhaps one of them told me who this body belonged to," she replied with an enigmatic smile.
Thalwen was an elf who, over the centuries, had refined the full extent of her blessing. She may not have been the strongest among Galadriel and Tindomiel, but she was certainly the most creative. Her ability to use her gift in unconventional ways had earned her both respect… and fear.
A clear example of this were the enchanted flowers that projected a force field capable of greatly repelling dark magic. Another, perhaps even more unique, was her ability to communicate with all forms of vegetation, whether teeming with life… or withered.
"In that case… how will the ring be purified using Thorin's father's bones?" Aldril asked, curious about Thalwen's vast knowledge of the art of purification.
"It's simple," Thalwen began calmly. "The bone will act as a conduit, allowing you to reach deep within the object where the dark energy hides. For that, you'll need Anguirel to fracture it and grind it into dust. Once it's turned to dust, sprinkle it over the ring… and then strike it with your purification power."
Nodding, Aldril stood and walked toward the pile of bones, but was stopped by Thalwen, who, with an ironic smile, held out a hand in front of him.
"It's best you speak to Thorin first and explain all of this. We can't pulverize his father's remains without his consent."
Aldril, a little embarrassed by his impulsive behavior, stepped back and nodded.
"Yes, you're right… I rushed things."
He then bid farewell to Thalwen and Thranduil with a slight bow and summoned the raven Thorin had given him for urgent messages.
Once outside the tent, he walked toward the place where Shadow Star was resting. The great steed was, at that moment, mating with Tauriel's mare. Apparently, the proud stallion had marked her as his mate.
The scene struck him as ironic… perhaps even prophetic. Maybe, someday, he and Tauriel were meant to be joined in the same way.
As he approached Shadow Star, who was still mounting the mare (which, in this case, was a miracle she wasn't already pregnant) Aldril looked for the raven that usually slept nestled in the horse's thick mane.
Not seeing it nearby, he whistled.
That whistle was so pure and full of calm that the elven horses, upon hearing it, closed their eyes, as if surrendering to the beauty of the sound. The melody drifted through the camp like a gentle breeze, stirring in more than one soul a profound sense of peace.
After a few seconds, a caw came from one of the tents. A raven approached and happily landed on Aldril's shoulder. It adored this human who fed it at all hours, proof of that was its plump body, which had grown considerably in just a few months.
"Hello, little one," Aldril greeted warmly, gently stroking the raven's round form. "I need you to take a message to Thorin."
---
-Erebor-
The once-desolate halls now brimmed with life. Dwarves bustled back and forth; it hadn't been long since the families expelled by Smaug had returned. Among them were elders, women, and children… and among the latter, a young Gimli, son of Glóin, who followed closely behind his father on the way to Erebor's forge.
"I've told you everything, Gimli," Glóin said with exasperation.
"You say that, father… but I've heard some dwarves whisper they'll never forget what you did when the war ended." He paused, a mischievous grin lighting up his face.
"Who said that?!" Glóin burst out, startled.
He couldn't possibly tell his son that, due to a lost bet, he'd had to strip and dance in front of all the dwarves of Erebor.
…
Elsewhere, Thorin was reclining on his throne, reviewing reports of trade transactions with the people of Dale. It must be said—Bard had proven to be an excellent ruler, swiftly establishing a trade network between the three neighboring peoples.
As Thorin focused intently on the documents, the great door suddenly burst open, and his nephew Kili came running in, carrying an obviously overweight raven in his arms.
"Is that the raven I gave Aldril?" Thorin thought, frowning slightly at the round little messenger. But he shook his head, brushing the thought aside. Now was not the time for such concerns.
"Uncle!" Kili cried, his face filled with distress, prompting Thorin to immediately rise to his feet.
"What is it, Kili?" he asked, growing more concerned by the second.
"It's a message from Aldril," she said quickly. "He claims to have found the body of our grandfather.... Thráin."
"My father's body?!" Thorin exclaimed, standing tall, disbelief written all over his face.
***
Here you have a second chapter, since I feel that I abandoned you for a long time.
"[email protected]/Mrnevercry"