There were few people that Thorin Oakenshield trusted. He trusted his kin, but that was it. After losing the Lonely Mountain, the dwarves of Erebor were looked down upon by many races of Middle Earth and elves had a special place of distrust in Thor...
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It has been so long since we have seen you. I hope that all is well and that you are enjoying a quiet life in your little hole in the ground. There was once a time where I could not understand how you could enjoy living so peacefully, but after all this time, I believe that I understand your contentment. Thorin mentioned once that you carried an acorn with you while we were on our quest. I do hope that it has turned into the most amazing tree by now.
I suppose that I should explain the reason for my writing, especially after so long.
I'm sorry to tell you that Thorin and Oreliell have both passed. We wanted you to know as you are our dear friend.
They passed on together, peacefully in their sleep in the year 3008. Thorin was nearing the age of 262. I could not begin to tell you how old Oreliell was. As you know, elves live quite a long time.
While the news is hard on all of us and we greatly mourn the loss of Erebor's king and queen, we have so much to remember them by as we celebrate their lives in this world. There is so much I want to tell you about them, as much has happened since we reclaimed the mountain all those years ago. I shall start at the beginning.
Thorin and Oreliell married in the summer after we reclaimed the mountain. There had been much work to do in order to restore the mountain to its former glory, so that became their focus. There had been some stumbling blocks along the way, but they knocked those blocks down with no problems.
(The Arkenstone did go missing for a brief period, but don't worry! Everything and everyone was fine. We found it and it was safely returned to the throne.)
Not even a year into their marriage, Oreliell became pregnant. I cannot begin to tell you how excited everyone was at the news, Thorin most of all. He completely doted on Oreliell all throughout her pregnancy. Dwarf and elven pregnancies both last quite a long time compared to humans or hobbits. In fact, they can last a couple of years. I know, that may seem insane to you. That being said, no one really knew what to expect with the baby.
Turns out, the pregnancy was about twenty-seven months, and Erebor welcomed its newest heir: Erthor Durin. The healers had worried about his health since Oreliell's pregnancy wasn't dwarven length, but Erthor was perfectly healthy. He looks so much like Thorin it's hard to believe, but he has his mother's eyes.
They waited a couple of years before trying for another child and when Oreliell became pregnant again, it was with twins! There had been a great deal of concern this time, as twins were rare among both dwarves and elves. Thorin and Oreliell had sent letters to Lord Elrond - you remember him from Rivendell, don't you? Apparently he has twins himself. Well he was able to give some advice, but recommended that Oreliell take things easier than before.
The pregnancy itself was smooth, just a little longer than before. The birth had been the challenging part. We thought we had almost lost Oreliell, but she was a strong woman and pulled through. And the twins - a girl and a boy - were healthy as well. Their names are Tirneth and Varin, who are each a near perfect mix of their parents.
