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Thorin, along with the rest of the company knew Eda from before their journey to reclaim their mountain. She had always been there for Thorin through all of his turmoils, ups and downs or running Ered Luin. She was learning to be his advisor by Balin, and she was really good at it. Thorin of course thought it funny at times, especially when she would pick up where Balin had stop and do just as good job at such a young age.
She was there, when King Thror had called the Dwarves to pick up arms and try to take Moria back from the Orcs and Goblins and failed. She, along Princess Dis was there to help with the ones that returned back alive but injured. She was there for him and his family, especially when he returned without his father, grandfather, brother and brother-in-law.
She was an orphan and Prince Thrain had taken her in when she was but a baby. It was almost impossible to not break down as well after the news. Not long after that she would always try even harder to do even more to assist Thorin. But she along with Dis, Balin, Dwalin and his nephews notice Thorin was slowly withdrawing a little more each day. It killed her to see him suffer like this.
Many times she would try to talk to him and make him open up a bit. But it never seemed to work. “Thorin, come on. You can’t keep this up. You are hurting yourself by pushing everyone away. Do not forget, that Dis and the others lost loved ones as well…”
“Do not tell me what to do or how my family feels. I know better than you, and don’t ever forget that.” He all but screamed at her. “Really and how many members of my family are here right now? Or have you forgotten that they were killed when Smaug the Terrible attacked Erebor? I do not even know what they sounded like, or, what they look like,” she said as she walked up to him.
“It was your father that took me in and gave me a family again. So don’t you dare think for an instant that I would never understand what it’s like to feel loss,” she firmly reminded him before she left his house. Thorin of course felt bad about it, but sometimes his own sad emotions would take over, and ending hurting the ones he loved the most without meaning too. He knew he would have to make it up to them.
Not long after this conversation he met Gandalf the Grey in Prancing Pony Inn in Bree. Together they came up with the plan to take back Erebor. Eda was there to support him. She of course without telling anyone but Dis, had sneaked along on this journey to help him and the other out. Of course, she had gotten almost killed a couple of time to Thorins chagrin. But the company seemed to be more than happy to rally on her side, especially a darling little Hobbit Burglar named Bilbo Baggins, to Thorins annoyance.
“You do know this will be dangerous right?” Thorin questioned her, his temper ready to brake. He knew all too well she was not the problem. The problem was that he had taken so much responsibility, so much that his temper was short with everyone, even his own dear nephews. “When did I ever, Thorin? You and I both know how much help I have been through it all. And not only that, but there’s a whole lot of dwarves back in Ered Luin that would agree with me,” she simply reply, and the whole group that have been watching them answered with small hums.
Throughout the journey the stress mounted. There was nothing both Eda and Bilbo could do right. Many times both Thorin and Eda would end up in a big argument, and the fact that many times the company would take her side, really rubbed off on him the wrong way. He knew that they were right, but the thought of losing her drove him over the edge.
If it was up to him she would be safe back in the Blue Mountains. She was his One, and her being in a dangerous situation like this was killing him greatly. “Do not worry Eda he is just worries to much, he is rough with Fili and Kili also,” Dwalin said as he patted her back.
“No, it’s more than that and we both know it. He has not been the same since the battle. I am not sure things will improve by taking the mountain back. We both know it Dwalin that… that I really want to go home as much as you. But thanks anyway,” she merrily said as she went off to find Bilbo. Bilbo was her one comfort above all else during this journey.
It hurt Dwalin to see her so broken, and that she spoke the truth. He just hoped that Thorin did not push her over the edge. He knew what he had to do, and he had to do it fast. He walked off to where Thorin had walked off. He found him near the river they had just passed.
“Care to explain yourself Thorin? I had never pegged you for a coward that would push his biggest supporters and love away over something as ridicules as fear,” Dwalin all but yelled at him. “Watch how you speak to me Dwalin, I am not a lowly dwarf lord. You and I both know this will not be so easy and I have lost too much already. And I…I just can’t just so you know,” he said as he looked into the water.
How had thing gone so wrong so fast? He just couldn’t lose her. He turned to Dwalin with sad eyes and asked. “What will you have me do? If it was up to me Fili, Kili, Eda and Bilbo would be back to their home were they would be safe. I failed our people before and I can’t do it again, not with them.” “You did not fail us Thorin and you won’t now either. But you are pushing her away and I am afraid that if this goes on much further it will be too late for one or both of you,” Dwalin told him as he hugged him tight.
Thorin knew that what he was doing would cause either, one or both of their deaths, but this journey would be his end. So he thought that at list this way, she might be able to go home along with the rest of his people. But less he knew that this was pushing her pass her braking point. Hopefully for her though it would not reach the point of no return.
The journey on, was not to get better. The danger grew as they passed the Misty Mountains. Eda knew what she had to do as she watch Azog the defiler try to kill Thorin. She along with the others charged at the enemy in a last stand to save themselves from certain death at the hands of the enemy. She would not let the monster that took so much from her One, to also take him away from them, from her, as he had tried in the past.
As Bilbo had managed to distract him she charged with her sword and run him throw the heart. And thus ending his horrible existence once and for all, hoping this would bring Thorin some closure for what was taken from him at the hands of this monster. Soon thereafter the Eagles came to take them to safety.
The only reprise they had was when they met Beorn the skin-changer. Of course Thorin was not very happy that Azog was not dead by his own hands, but at least he was content that the Orc would never threaten anyone he ever loved form him again.
Beorn along with the rest of the company, excluding Thorin of course, could see that Eda was becoming a shadow of her former self. And no matter how much they were trying, they could not get through to Thorin; nothing seemed to work at all. Beorn had gone out of his way to show her his gardens and horses, that he had been told by Dwalin and Gloin that she loved so much. He had hope that at least this would ease her heavy heart.
“I do not like this Balin. She does not smile anymore. Even though I offered for her to return with her back to the Blue Mountains or even let her stay with me in the Shire, she had almost she still does not smile. She seems lost. I am genuinely worried,” Bilbo told him. “I know my friend. We all have told him that, but for some reason but his own he won’t see what is right in front of him,” Balin sighed, as he looked at her fixing her pack.
By the time they had reached Erebor, she was all but unrecognisable to almost all the members of the company. She went with Bilbo into the mountain to face the dragon, hoping that at list this would finally prove to Thorin that she was still of use to him. Still the person he had loved, long before he had through himself into looking after his people and forgetting that it was ok to still be your own person and love and be loved in return.
Both she and Bilbo managed to persuade the dragon to let the dwarves return into the mountain in exchange for his protection and continue of living with them. He had warned them that the Orcs would come and the needed to call for arm to aid them in this battle. For even though he was willing to help them the army that marched towards them was still big.
And so Thorin had sent a raven with a summons to arms to his cousin Dain in the Iron Hills. He had also sent out ravens to Laketown and Mirkwood and Beorn along with Radagast the brown. For if Bolg was indeed working for Sauron no one on Middle Earth would see the light of day again.
“He does not see that you will not survive to see him be King under the Mountain again. Are you sure that one of the others can’t be made King? He seems too blind, to those he supposed to rule over. Even the ones the supposedly loves,” Smaug asked as he rested on top of the gold.
“I have long accepted that this is how I will end. I wish I could have stayed, and be more useful to him. He sometimes gets so worked up in giving everything to everyone else that he forgets about himself. At least I got to meet the last dragon on Arda. But thank you for your concern, Oh Smaug the Magnificent,” she told him with a sad smile.
“I wish I could have lived long enough to see him rule. He will look so majestic. Look out for him for me,” she finally said as she walked away. “The wold will be a little darker without her,” he said to himself as he waited for the enemy to arrive at their doorstep.
Unbeknown to them both Thorin had overheard them speaking and was rather shocked at what he was hearing. Had he truly been so blind as to let his One go down the path of no return? Had he really doomed them both? He hoped that he had enough time to repair what he had almost destroyed completely.
He marched himself to the front gate where he knew Eda would be. He had to repair things between them before the battle they were about to face. But alas time was against him in this, as Bolg son of Azog the defiler came to avenge his father and take the mountain for Sauron.
The battle took two days to end, but as it was ending Thorin saw Eda fighting Bolg in a last ditch effort to end it that much quicker. She had hoped to spare them for further losing any more people. Thorin tried hard to reach her fearing that the last time she was lucky and had killed Azog as he was distracted, but this time luck was not necessarily kind to those he loved dearly.
Just before he was able to reach her she and Bolg fell off the edge of Raven Hill. “NOOOOO!!! Eda…,” Thorin was heard by the rest of the company screaming, and it froze them to the core. For they all knew what must have transpired for him to have such a strong reaction.
Balin and Oin understood that she was gone and let their tears fall. For to lose your One, is to be condemned living without your other have of your soul, to never be able to really feel love again in its entirety. Bilbo, Fili, Kili and Ori openly wept for their fallen friend. While the rest just stood near Thorin in silence. All seemed to be there but one, although none seemed to notice.
In the week that came, Humans, Elves and Dwarves buried with honour as they mourned their dead. Even though they had not found her body the company held a memorial in her honour. Gandalf seemed more quiet that usual and that had Bilbo and Dori and Nori rather suspicious, but under the circumstance they remained silent.
After another week past and everyone fell into a routine as they tried to put their lives back in order and rebuild Erebor and Dale. It was not easy for the company to move on after such a huge loss, even though they tried hard. But it seemed that for Thorin it had totally stopped even though he seemed to function and act as a King should.
The morning of the third week Gandalf strode into the throne room, as if nothing had happened and was just visiting an old friend and interrupted the meeting between Thorin and Balin. “What is the meaning of this Tharkun? What is it that you want?” Thorin asked coldly.
“I request your assistant in an urgent matter that could mean life or death for someone very special you see,” Gandalf said with a small smile. Thorin stood up. “You cannot mean…,” “Yes and you are the only one that can help. Unless you want to remain in this darkness you have found yourself in,” he merrily informed him without letting Thorin finish his sentence.
“Balin ask Fili to take over the meetings for the next few days. And tell no one about this until I am certain. Now show me now,” was all that Thorin said as he followed the wizard out of Erebor and to a cave in the base of Raven Hill.
There inside, lay Eda as if asleep. Thorin just stood there for what seemed like an eternity just watching her. “She is barely alive. You are the only one that can give her a reason to remain here and not return to the Halls of Mahal,” was all that Gandalf told him, as he left the cave know all too well that it was up to Thorin to make things right.
Thorin approached her slowly as if she would vanish if he moved faster. He knelt next to her. “E…Eda, oh my Eda please, please come back to us, to me. Please my ghivashel, just please. I cannot live without you my uzfakuh,” he whispered as he picked her up and held her close. But she just slept.
That night as he slept next to her, he dreamed of the trees that were by the front gate of Erebor when they were young. At the beginning he was confused as to why he was seeing this. But then he heard a voice calling him, a voice that had not been free of worry for such a long time.
“Thorin, Thorin come on. We are gonna be late and Frerin will be angry at you again. Thorin come out of hiding now or I won’t give you my dessert,” Eda called out. “I am here and I would always come when you call bunnanue,” he answered with a smile as he walked towards her.
“Eda please do not ever leave me. I am s…so sorry for everything I have put you through. Please, I’ll do anything for you, anything you ask,” he begged her. “Do not push me away then. Please I only meant to be your support,” she told him. She started to fade and everything else with her. “I swear to you. Just do not leave me,” he pleaded.
“Thorin, Thorin just wake up you big lag,” the laughing words penetrated his dream and brought him to full awareness. He jumped looking around, only to have a laugh make him look at the person next to him.
He could not believe it. Eda was sitting next to him laughing her pretty little head off at his confusion. “You, you little chick. You dear laugh at me?” he questions her as he slowly moved closer to her. “No, not at all my lukhudel you know I would never,” she leaned in and kissed him.
After that they both returned back to Erebor to everyone’s surprise. The whole mountain cheered for the return of the future queen Under the Mountain.
“Aunty, we are so happy you are alive. Pease do not ever leave us again, uncle Thorin was unbearable,” Kili whined, as he and Fili hugged her tight, tears streaming rolling down their faces. The rest of the company was no better off. “I will do my best dear nephews. I never really meant to leave any of you, just as Thorin never meant to push any of us away,” she informed them smiling at her dear friends.
The whole mountain celebrated for a month the marriage of Thorin Oakenshield to his One Eda Bright-heart. The wedding was attended by two wizards, a hobbit, a skin-changer and a very pleased dragon to Thorins charcoal. It was told that Middle Earth was the better off since their union. And so life became better even during the war against Sauron.