This is it, the final chapter.

As the pairs of notes echoed through the air, Ruby descended the steps to the royal crypt. Thorin was to be cremated there along with his nephews in plain view of their ancestrals. As Ruby descended the many steps to the crypt, she did not bother hiding her tears. Along with her, leading the long line of Dwarves, was the Company, minus Bilbo. She did not take offense at his absence. She doubted any of them wanted to be there.

Ruby looked down at herself. For this occasion, a long black gown had been hastily sown for her, embroidered with diamonds and silver thread. If she were not so depressed, she might have acknowledged its beauty. She vowed to keep to the mourning colours, until her dying day. She hoped it wouldn't be long, seeing as without her One, she would soon fade. She wasn't scared of dying. Anything was better than this pain in her chest, as if she were underwater, and the cold pressure would not let her breathe.

The company formed a ring around the pyres where the bodies were laid. Ruby was handed a torch by a bowing servant. She was expected to give a speech, and to look the part, Balin had convinced her to wear her crown.

She looked around at the Company, and beyond familiar faces to the armies gathered. Dwarves, Elves and Men awaited her words. But she had none. She stood there, shaking, staring at the ladder to Thorin's pyre. It could have been seconds, or it could have been hours, but the amount of strength she had to muster to climb those rickety wooden steps was beyond her. She couldn't do it.

Coward. Rang a voice in her head.

Taking a deep breath, she climbed the ladder and leaned her thigh against the wood as she looked down at Thorin and his nephews. She swallowed hard and laid a hand on Fili's chest, who was closer to her. She would never again hear him bicker with his brother. Or lose herself in the deep pools of ice when she looked into Thorin's eyes. Or hear them laugh. Or have a family and a home.

She lowered the torch to the dry wood and stepped down and away from the growing flames. As a Dragon, would she burn if she threw herself in the flames? No, she wouldn't dishonour the line of Durin with her cowardice.

The speech she was expected to give remained unspoken. In order to maintain peace and calm, she decided not to speak in Dovahzul, but the Common Tongue, so that all present could understand. In a strong, clear voice, she opened her mouth and began to sing, soon followed by the rest of the company and then the armies present.

"Oh, misty eye of the mountain below

Keep careful watch of my brothers' souls

And should the sky be filled with fire and smoke

Keep watching over Durin's sons

If this is to end in fire

Then we should all burn together

Watch the flames climb high into the night

Calling out father oh

Stand by and we will

Watch the flames burn auburn on

The mountain side

And if we should die tonight

Then we should all die together

Raise a glass of wine for the last time

Calling out father oh

Prepare as we will

Watch the flames burn auburn on

The mountain side

Desolation comes upon the sky

Now I see fire

Inside the mountain

I see fire

Burning the trees

And I see fire

Hollowing souls

I see fire

Blood in the breeze

And I hope that you remember me

Oh, should my people fall

Then surely I'll do the same

Confined in mountain halls

We got too close to the flame

Calling out father oh

Hold fast and we will

Watch the flames burn auburn on

The mountain side

Desolation comes upon the sky

Now I see fire

Inside the mountain

I see fire

Burning the trees

I see fire

Hollowing souls

I see fire

Blood in the breeze

And I hope that you remember me

And if the night is burning

I will cover my eyes

For if the dark returns

Then my brothers will die

And as the sky is falling down

It crashed into this lonely town

And with that shadow upon the ground

I hear my people screaming out

Now I see fire

Inside the mountains

I see fire

Burning the trees

I see fire

Hollowing souls

I see fire

Blood in the breeze"

One last time she looked upon the tall flames licking away at what seemed to be her will to go on. She turned her back on the funeral and walked away. Before she left, as she passed Dain, she looked deep into his eyes. He had blue eyes, as the line of Dûrin was prone to have, but they were nothing like Thorin's. She reached up and took her crown off. His eyes widened. But instead of placing it upon his head, she simply held it out in an offer. A choice he was free to make. He hesitated for a moment, then took the Queen's crown from her hands. She did not let go, and looked him deep in the eyes, red meeting blue.

"I have sworn to protect this kingdom and its people. But I was never Queen. Be a good King. Be just, strong and kind. Do not fall prey to the gold. Pay what is owed justly and spend the rest on restoring Erebor's former glory. If I find you are less than worthy, I will return. You'll wish Smaug had never left." She let go of her crown and watched as Dain suppressed a shiver and bowed low.

"I so swear." His voice echoed through the halls. Satisfied, Ruby turned and left.

In the Queen's quarters, Ruby finished packing. She had a new set of everything. Clothes, boots, weapons, rations, bedroll, blanket, pan and bag. In the stables waited a large Ibex. Ruby ran her hand over the braid behind her ear for the umpteenth time. There were no more tears to shed. She sighed, shouldered her pack and made her way to the stables. The Company had all bid her farewell the evening before, so she walked alone through the halls. Dwarves left and right stopped their work to bow low as she passed. She nodded politely, but could not even quirk her lips up a little for them. It did not seem to make any difference, they all beamed at her, for what, she did not understand.

Finally reaching the stables, she found Dain waiting for her. On his head was a modest iron circlet. It demonstrated his status as King, but did not flaunt it like Thorin's Crown had.

"Dain." She greeted with a raspy, emotionless voice. "Don't you have a mountain to rule?"

"It's all being taken care of, rest assured. Erebor is being rebuilt and cleaned as we speak. Part of the workers were sent to Dale to help reconstruct the city. Soon, old relations will be reinstated." He watched her nod and sighed in relief at her approval. He would be lying if he said that she did not intimidate him. "I am here to ask once more for you to stay." Ruby shook her head silently. "Very well. Then please accept this." He motioned for the stable boy, who pulled her Ibex from its stall. Strapped to him, were two small wooden chests on each of his flanks. They were modest looking to avoid calling too much attention, and Ruby nodded in gratitude, taking the ibex's reigns. "You will always be welcome here. Even if you do not wish for a political position, the library and treasury are at your disposal. W-within reason, of course." He stuttered at the end.

"Worry not, Dain." She strapped her pack to the poor overloaded animal and mounted it. "Remember." She looked down at him. "Any threat to Erebor, be it from the outside, or the inside, and I'll be back." He nodded and bowed lowly once more.

"Safe journey to you...Khazad Athane, Uslukh Baraz Kunzek."

"Tak khaz meliku suz yenetu." Ruby galloped off, not looking back.

Translations:

Khazad Athane, Uslukh Baraz Kunzek. - Queen of Dwarves, Dragon Ruby.

Tak khaz meliku suz yenetu. - Until our travels cross again.

Soon, I'll be posting the sequel. It jumps 70 or so years to the time of the Lord of the Rings. Remember, I'm accompanying the movie-verse. The sequel is already started, and well into the second half of the first movie. I'm not sure if I should write something for Ruby's storyline in those 70+ years, or if I should just fill in the blanks during the story in the form of flashbacks, or her telling tales. I will certainly be adding more of the lore of Skyrim, though not enough for it to be considered a crossover.

Hope to see you there, at the "Fellowship and the Dragon"!