13

chapter 13

Cirler Oakrun POV: Laithan cannot believe it! It is actually him! At first glance, he looks different. For one thing, there is no green fire swirling around him. His pale yellow hair is straight and combed back, his skin flawless. Cirler is fascinated by the contrast between his fair complexion and his deep red eyes. There is something else different about him too. He seems taller. He notices other things too. Things he hasn't noticed before.

There is another woman with him. She stands closer than most women do to their husbands. To Cirler, she seems more vulnerable than usual.

"My friend, we're glad you're back," Thorin says to his son. "Now please explain why you look like you've been sleeping under a rock."

"I haven't slept in months," Cirler admits quietly. "Or rather, sleep has been very elusive. All I could do was watch myself age."

Laithan starts crying. "That sounds awful."

Thorin stares at his wife and wonders how many times he will have to tell her this truth. Or, more specifically, how many times he will need to apologize.

"Your mother and I have missed you dearly, dear brother." Bilbo is standing next to Thorin, looking both distressed and proud. "We were worried sick. I'm sorry."

"You didn't even leave me a note or anything." Cirler replies sadly. "It makes me feel as though I never existed at all."

"We didn't want to make you upset." Thorin reminds him. "When you got older, it became apparent that..."

"I'm still upset!" Cirler shouts angrily. "In fact, I'm madder now than ever! What if I'm only some sort of apparition? What if my existence causes nothing but harm? If I was never born, what good did any of this do? Now all those people die!"

"Now you understand why your parents acted the way they did." Balin explains gently. "They had good reasons. You were left to care for the land on your own. Your mother feared that without a strong leader like yourself, the orcs would return