Loyalty, Honor, and a Willing Heart

Chapter 32 - The Tomb Stone

It would be some days before any army could reach Erebor, and so they prepared themselves for the storm that was to come. All kind of weapon and armor to be found was made ready to use, albeit the most probably was that they would be in siege, and then food would be the main problem. Balin and Dwalin were the ones to take charge on the preparations for whatever would come to happen, as Thorin went into the hoard and wouldn’t leave until he found the Arkenstone.

Bombur reminded them that Erebor had its own source of food, even if it could get boring if they had to live a long time on it, but was worth a try to see if it still was there. There was also Mirror Lake, where it could be possible to find fish. He gathered some volunteers and they went through mighty tunnels to an area closer to the east side of the Mountain.

They followed Bombur down in what seemed to Bofur, Nori, Ori, Iris and Lily endless stairs. Lily marveled in every new style of wrought stone pillar or banister she saw, thinking her architecture classes would never show her such works of art and skilled craft. The oldest dwarf amongst them rejoiced in showing them the halls closest to the staircase set that led to Mirror Lake.

“I know well these paths, for they lead also to the mushroom growths. Mushrooms grow in the darkness and can sprout again after many years dormant.” Bombur was proud of showing them what he knew of their retaken realm, and about food. “But Mirror Lake is one of the most amazing things you will see in your whole life, I bet my beard. Its surface is really a mirror, no water is like its water, you can see not an inch bellow its surface; and if you are under its surface, you cannot see what is above. But if you take a handful of water in your hands, it is just plain water. You can drink it, you can swim in it, but you cannot see through it, when it is in the Lake.”

“Really weird!” Stated Iris, to what Ori agreed.

“It must help the lighting system of Erebor, I’m sure.” Lily thought in an urbanist way. “Every light that hits the lake will reflect and go back to the halls.”

Bofur gave his contribution, although he was really young when Smaug came and took his home and his father from him.

“Mother said it was used to bring the children to bathe in the Mirror Lake waters so that they would grow up smarter.”

“And you see it really makes a difference, ladies!” Nori elbowed his younger brother, born in Ered Luin.

“And our Mother says it is a pity that it was only a legend!” Orisupplement, much to everyone’s laughter.

The reached the lake level and headed for it. Probably for the light reflected by it and the moisture it kept, there was the first place they found anything growing inside the Mountain besides the piles of dust. A very light colored moss covered the corners of the path stones, here and there climbing no more than inches on the walls. It felt fresh and alive like an old forest at night.

“If we round the lake by the north side, we will reach the mushroom growth faster, and you can take a good look at the Mirror Lake Tomb Stone, too.” Bombur informed. The girls got curious and a little alarmed.

“Tomb Stone? Are the graveyards here close by, where mothers bathed their children?”

“No, not really! There is only one Tomb Stone adjacent to Mirror Lake, and legends tell it is not even of a dwarf. It is there for so a long time already that none knows exactly who is buried there and why it was allowed that a non-dwarf would have this honor granted.”

“Then how are you sure it is a tomb stone?”

“It has strange writings on it, like only a tomb stone could have, and is shaped like a tomb stone. Why would anyone shape a stone like a tomb stone if it weren’t a tomb stone at all?”