A Single Dream is More Powerful Than a Thousand Realities

Fond Thoughts

Oh Mahal help him he was mad!
Absolutely mad.
He couldn't have just heard...
Could he?
Thorin gazed around the dimly lit hallway searching for any sign, any sign at all that the hobbit was near.

The air was as dank as ever, the lighting just as dim. And there was no spot in which she could hide, especially from him or the elves. There was absolutely no sign of the hobbit.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

It didn't make sense. It didn't make any sense.

Yes. He was absolutely mad.

This forsaken little blackened pit beneath the cavernous hideout for the elves had clearly addled his brain. Now he was hallucinating and hearing voices.

But not just any voice.

It was the hobbit's voice. Her light timbre laced with concern and compassion and even a hint of cheer, even in the gloomiest of moments. It matched her smile. It matched her
golden curls. It matched her large hazel eyes framed by long dark lashes...

Thorin shook his head.

Yes, he was clearly going mad.

But he couldn't deny the relief and comfort hearing her voice brought him.

Even if it wasn't real. He was like a drowning man in need of something familiar.

So perhaps...just maybe...if he said her name again...

*****

"Lyla?" Thorin's voice was hesitant, strained, as he spoke her name again.

And then he shook his and muttered lowly, "Mahal what's wrong with me?"

"Thorin," Lyla breathed a quiet reply, a deep sense of relief igniting in her chest as the name passed through her lips.

It was familiar. Comforting.

The dwarf king's eyes widened in surprise as he gazed around.

Lyla almost giggled. She'd never caught the dwarf king off guard before.

"Durin's beard, it really WAS you. But, where are you? How did you...? You really are here, right?"

Oh.

"Yes, yes of course," she replied, "I am most certainly here."

"HOW?" Thorin's confusion was tangible as he ran a hand through the tangled mass of hair on his head, "How?"

Yes.

Well...

About that...

How could she explain what she'd been doing?

"It's...complicated," she finally whispered in reply, "I-I can't really explain."

"Try." Thorin's voice was soft, but commanding.

Lyla sighed. How could she explain this to him? Her magic little ring...

She suddenly felt a need to defend her little secret. There was something decidedly...uncomfortable about the little trinket firmly attached to her finger. And the lot had fallen to
her. It was hers. Hers to protect. As were its secrets. This...thing seemed the type of article that needed to remain hidden away. Never spoken of. No one else needed that burden. Especially Thorin. He had more than enough to contend with.

But perhaps...

Perhaps she could see him face-to-face, freed from the constraints of invisibility.