Hummingbird Heartbeat

Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Maranda stretched slightly and shifted, the soft ground moving against her. It was warm and smooth against her skin. Safe and comforting. Sstay it said to her sstay here in ssafe ssoft happinesss. But something was bothering her. What was it? Why couldn't she remember? She couldn't remember...anything. Amnesia? No she was just tired. She had been dreaming. Dreaming yes of a story. Her story. She shifted again and her back ached slightly. She had been flying and had been flying above a world of wonder and beauty. Adventure. That was it. She had been inside an adventure.

Who was she? What was she...Maranda? Yes Maranda but her friends called her Mara because Maranda was an Elf name...That made Mara a Dwarf name...so what was she? A human? No...maybe once, long ago, but not anymore. she was something smaller. A Halfling? No. Yes. Sort of. No. A...a Fairy. Yes that sounded right. With beautiful green and blue hummingbird wings. She had a guitar and magic and Fairy lights. She was powerful too. Why just the other day she sent a dragon to sleep. And hadn't she beaten up all those Orcs a few minutes ago? Yes she had. Just before she had-

Maranda sat up with a jolt, white sand spilling from her shoulders. She leapt to her feet and shook her wings, buzzing them frantically to dislodge the sand. She tried to take off, but all her wings did was buzz-buzz-zzs. She looked around. White shores and a soft silver sea. She glanced at the water and saw light dancing and fog on the horizon. She shook the sand from her hair and hugged herself. She was cold. Her white slip did nothing for her here.

She started walking, following the water and thinking. Where could she be? She had been fighting Azog...why would she do that? He was ten times stronger than her and three times as tall! And she went and got herself killed. Geez. Thorin was right. She was so worried about other people she went and got herself killed. Wait a minute.

"Thorin!" she cried in fear and span around. She was in the Undying Lands, and she needed to get back. She buzzed her wings again, but she seemed glued to the ground.

"So worried about the ones she loves," said a soft voice. She span, heart pounding and saw a beautiful woman in a long green dress approaching her on the beach. She had hair that seemed to change with every moment. Blonde and red and black and brown and auburn and strawberry...but she was beautiful. Where she walked flowers sprung from the ground, small bunches of lavender or blue bells or dandelions.

"She is brave, yes," came a deeper voice. Behind her strode a man. He didn't touch the earth, but the ground rose up to meet him, stone coming up in steps so that when he touched them golden boulders were left behind. Maranda could never quite describe what he looked like at first, light and sound and beauty and fear. But as he stepped next to Yavana and touched the ground, he took on the form of a man with rusty colored hair and a firm face. His eyes were kind though and the hammer at his belt was for building not battle.

Maranda was speechless. She knew without being told she was in the presence of Gods. The Gods. Valar, Maiar. This was so wrong. No man was meant to lay eyes on these beings. Yet here she was. She dropped to her knees and closed her eyes. There was musical laughter and a rough chuckle.

"Come now, my dear one. Up you come." Gentle hands lifted her from her knees and brushed over her eyelids. She opened them and stared. "My name is Yavana and this...This is my husband Mahal. Or Aule. Whichever he decides." She laughed then, beautiful and magical and it made Maranda smile. She was dazzling.

"You fought well today and all the days since you came," Mahal said with a kind smile. "You are  a true warrior if ever I saw one. I must say, I didn't expect that from you. Interfering, perhaps, brave, absolutely, but a warrior. That was a surprise."

"Just like your arrival," Yavana sighed. Maranda frowned slightly.

"You...you didn't bring me here?" she said, voice rough from surprise.

"No my dear. We do not control the Lost Road. It controls itself and will take whom it wishes when it sees fit. If the time is right," Yavana said gently. "But, we have the same power. We can send you home, my dear."

"Home?" Maranda said, eyes wet.

"Back to your mother and brothers and all the world has to offer a young girl such as yourself," Mahal said gently.

"You have done magnificently and you are so brave. You can go home now. It's time to rest," Yavana said with a tender smile. "You've done what I thought was impossible. Softened the heart of stone Dwarf. You gave him love and life, my dear." Maranda was lost.

"Who did?" she asked in confusion.

"My son Thorin," Mahal said proudly. "He is of my folk and we are a sturdy bunch, Thorin more than most. You opened his heart to emotion and made him a better person. For this I am thankful and can send you home." He inclined his head slightly. Maranda blinked. Thorin...the name sounded so familiar...why couldn't she think, her head was filled with fog...Thorin...Thorin Oakenshield? Her friend? Yes. That was right. He was her friend and he had given her something. She looked down and saw a glint of metal on her hand. She lifted it up and the light caught the silver ring on her thumb. The light flashed in her eyes and her mind cleared.

"Thorin," she said in realization. "Is he okay, is he going to be alright? I mean...I know he was supposed to die, him and Kili and Fili...did I do enough to save them?" she said seriously, heart pounding. Mahal and Yavana exchanged worried looks.

"No, dear one, you did not...their fate is still bound in stone," Yavan breathed out in woe.

"There is nothing we can do," Mahal said gently.

"No. There is always something you can do. You say you can send me back to my world. So send me back to theirs. I can't just let them die!" she said begging. Mahal and Yavan looked at one another and Yavana smiled.

"Oh, let's let her. She doesn't even really understand yet. Love is so beautiful under the stars," she said. Maranda didn't understand the last comment. Mahal sighed.

"You act like it's all one big game, sometimes. But you're right. She deserves the chance to do it right." He turned to Maranda who straightened. "We can send you back to Raven Hill, but a soul must be spent by your hand in exchange." Maranda clenched her jaw. "Kill the beast Azog," Mahal said and Maranda nodded.

"My lord, it will be my extreme pleasure," she vowed. Yavana nodded once and extended her foot. She touched the ground with one toe and a plant began to grow. It grew and grew until a mighty oak tree stood before Maranda. An acorn fell and she caught it. The tree shrunk until it was a lily and then grew down into itself, leaving a shimmering flower seed that she picked up as well. A great wave came up around her feet and a single pearl nudged her toes. She picked it up as well, the same instinct telling her to pick it up. She gazed at Yavana as the goddess held out a cord of light. She passed it through the three tokens in Maranda's hands and they clung to the chain which Yavana fastened around Maranda's neck.

"These will heal their owners. There are three for the three you must save," she instructed lightly and Maranda clutched them tightly.

"Which ones?" she said, tears coming to her eyes.

"You will know," Yavana said softly, but Maranda's eyes were overflowing with tears now.

"Yavana, I'm scared," she wept and the goddess extended her arms. Maranda ran to her embrace and wept, tears falling freely for the first time in months. She wept from fear and pain and relief and strife and longing and shock and horror and every little thing she had felt since she arrived in Middle Earth nearly a year ago. She wept her pent up emotions into the shoulder of the Lady of Earthbound Beings until it was all gone. Until it was all gone and the only thing left was her resolve. Her resolve, and her courage.

"Now go. And save my sons," Mahal commanded as she stood tall and the light grew around her. "Save them from the last farewell! Go my child! Go and save the Durin Sons! Save them all!"