"To Bilbo": Thorin's letter to Bilbo by NEKO, trans. by Sooty ― 2014/12/28 22:45
Come to think of it,
to me really nothing much has ever been lost.
My beloved Clarita, who I thought had long gone,
the Stone, which belongs to the King but disappointingly was not in my possession,
the trust and loyalty of my folks,
and the friendship with you, Bilbo.
I still do have all these after all.
Now I thoroughly understand
the reason why the halfling would not hand me the Stone.
He was never going to, while I was not being my own self.
Bilbo,
forgive me.
You have risked your own life to save mine.
Why did I ever doubt your friendship?
Let us survive this great war,
so that I may welcome you as my best friend
to the banquet hall of our new Kingdom of Erebor.
Though it makes me smile
to think that you would rather go back to your own home.
Fine.
Go home,
plant the acorn,
and live happily ever after with the growing tree in your garden.
Do expect to find me standing outside your door, alone,
any evening soon.
No need to serve me tea,
but remember to save some tasty cheese
and beer for me, please, my friend.
「ビルボよ」:トーリンのビルボへの手紙 by NEKOさん ― 2014/12/28 22:40
思えばいつも共にあった
喪ったと思っていた愛しいクラリタも
我が手には入らぬかと落胆した王の石も
一族の信頼も忠誠も
そしてビルボの友情も
あれが私に石を渡さなかった理由が
今ではとくと解った
ビルボは
私でない私に石を渡したくはなかったのだ
ビルボ
すまなかった
命がけで私を守ってくれたおまえの友情を
疑うなどあってはならぬことだった
この大戦を生きのびたら
おまえを無二の友として
エレボールの新しい広間に迎えたい
おまえは家に帰りたがるだろうな(笑)
いいとも
帰るがいい
そしてどんぐりを庭に植え、
育つ木と共にいつまでも息災に暮らせ
ある晩きっと私はひとりでおまえの戸口に立つぞ
茶は要らぬ
うまいビールとチーズは切らさず置いておけ
"The Maiden of the Fountain" by NEKO, trans. by Sooty ― 2014/12/27 00:12
The Maiden of the Fountain
by NEKO; translated from Japanese by Sooty
Thorin casually withdrew himself from the dwarves, to walk staggeringly down the stairs into the underground great hall, where the
odour of the dragon breath would still linger in the air. Because of what he said and did a while ago,
his Company (including Balin, who was his retainer) felt deeply disappointed by
Thorin. There was nobody amongst them
that would come after him now.
Is this true? But
how can it be? Thought Thorin. The burglar took the chance and snatched the
Arkenstone, the Heart of the Mountain, from the snout of Smaug the dragon! This explains why the hobbit would not really answer the questions at all, when asked.
Why did we not hang him upside down and give him a good shake? The gem would have popped down out of his
pocket.
Now that he knew the Arkenstone was not there anymore, it
seemed unlikely that the worm, who used to lie in this bed of gold, would ever
return. Thorin gazed into the hall,
which was still filled with the remaining gold and jewels.
“ ----- Never will I give this to anyone.”
After a long while, the words came out of his mouth dryly. “Never, ever.
For all this belongs to the Kingdom under the Mountain. It could have been shared with those of
Esgaroth, as promised. But no, it will
never be, so long as they are on the side of Thranduil.
For I am never
going to forgive him.”
“And Bilbo,” he thought, “the dirty little thief!”
As he said this, it brought back memories of the eagles airlifting the dwarves, and also of the scene happening in front of the secret door of the
Lonely Mountain. Thorin felt the feel he had on gladly
holding the halfling in his arms. But he
was bitter now. In fact, recently he had
never been hurt as badly as this. The
friendship that he had with someone outside of the community of dwarves ended
in such betrayal (or to Thorin at least, that is what seemed to have happened).
Layers of various types of treasure, which filled the
very large hall, started to look as though it were heaps of junk. Still, there was some indescribable power in
the glow that these piles of gold gave out.
Combined with the evil force of the dragon, who was very greedy for this
and had spent a long time in the space, the power had very much increased its
menace. It ate into Thorin’s heart,
ruined his thoughts, and made a hole in his soul. And the hole was rapidly filled with
anger. There was nobody who could save
him from this now. The voice that next
came out of his mouth was neither words of Westron nor the dwarves’ own
Khuzdul. What seemed to sound similar to
some heavy breathing, or groaning, gradually turned into the noise of steam
hissing, while his body grew larger and quickly transformed into some giant
worm. There stood a dark, towering
dragon, covered in bristling, steely scales with blazing fire in his belly.
If someone saw this huge, Smaug-like worm he had turned
into, they would never know that it was Thorin.
In the shape of the dragon, he spat out fire as crimson as blood, and
made some terrible noise while scratching the surrounding objects with sharp
claws. Fire and smoke filled the hall as
he swirled his bat-like wings. He burnt
himself in fiery air. Yet he went on and
on, roaring in helpless anger and despair.
Then, to the hall that was starting to resemble an
inferno, a little white figure appeared.
It did not emerge from the outside of the palace through the hall
entrance, but the room of the throne in the furthest part of the hall, as
though a stream of water came flowing in.
It was a slim and fair-skinned little maiden, clad in white. Her hair was thick, wavy long and golden, and
eyes as blue as early morning sky were keenly focused on Thorin the
dragon. Unafraid, she came towards him. Fire and smoke disappeared in the path she
walked. The roaring dragon quickly
turned back into the small dwarf, who crouched down on the pile of gold.
She stretched her white hands that softly touched
Thorin’s back, as she called him. “My
lord.”
Slowly raising his head, Thorin muttered as though he were still in a nightmare. “ ----- What
happened? What is it that I have
done?” “You lost your mind with terrible
anger, which turned you into a dragon.”
She said quietly, her hands still placed on his back. Not until hearing her voice did Thorin notice
there was somebody behind him. But he immediately
knew who it was. He was startled. He turned round, slowly looked up on her face
and said, “Clarita. Is it you? Is this where you have always been? I mean, since we last saw each other.”
Deep into the back of the underground palace of Erebor,
there was a gushing fountain at the base of a tree. And its clear water, reflecting the
surrounding lights and the fences decorated with mithril, was shining freshly
silver. For this, the dwarf kings were
called “the master of the silver fountain” as well as the lord of Erebor. There were also priestesses who would attend
the fountain: the position traditionally given to fair-skinned maidens in the
kingdom. The day Erebor fell, when the
dragon arrived it was this Clarita who guarded the fountain. Her hair was golden, and eyes were blue like
the clear sky at dawn. She was the one
and only that Thorin, still a young prince, had truly loved.
The day the dragon struck, Thorin saw it coming and was
busy taking command of defense forces with Balin, who was the king’s chief
retainer and his own aide. The palace
however was destroyed in fire caused by the dragon, which was
overwhelming. They eventually fled
carrying the wounded over their shoulders.
A great number of dwarves failed to escape the palace on fire, and many
more lost their lives while on the road after losing their homeland. During all this Thorin did not forget Clarita
for a second, but she had gone missing.
Nobody accounted for her fate, except those who claimed to have seen her
heading for the hall of the fountain.
Days went by.
Thorin kept thinking about the woman whose life he thought he could have
saved. He also thought about his dead
grandfather, and his father who had also gone missing. Thorin cut off his beard under his chin, and
would never let it grow so long again.
It was indeed Clarita who had now appeared in front of
him. Thorin touched her cheek with his
fingers, stroked her golden hair and said in his quiet voice. “You have not changed your appearance. Not in the slightest, since both our lives
were still happy and full of hopes. But
it goes back to a long time before the day of devastation. Therefore am I talking in a dream? I do not believe you are still alive.” He whispered the last set of words in a
painfully shaky voice, as though he were already in tears. Since he was young, the king had had a
tendency to talk like this in time of distress.
Knowing him well, Clarita only had a gentle smile on her face, wanting
not to tell him that she had been dead for many years. “If this really is a dream, fine. It is good to see you again, as I can finally
ask for your pardon. That day I could
not manage to come for your rescue, thereby failing to save your life. Forgive me.”
“You did all that you had to. Why apologise? I, too, tried to do what I needed to.” Clarita said.
“That day there was someone who saw you head for the hall
of the fountain. Did you try to cut off
the torrents of water?” The water veins
of Erebor, which led to the silver fountain, run freely inside of the
mountain. While dwarves used the
resource in many different ways, water exited the mountain as it cascaded down
beside the city gate of Erebor, halfway to the top of the mountain, before
running through Dale of the valley and into the Long Lake. By saying the torrents of water, Thorin meant
a floodgate, which had been built in order to control the water veins within
Erebor. “Yes.” Clarita replied. “I thought surely the water must be used to
stop the dragon and the heat. But.” Thorin understood all. It was exactly the case that he feared it
might have been. “You did not want to
involve us, did you? You were going to
wait in the hall of the fountain, looking for the chance to do whatever you
thought you needed to.”
Thorin did not even want to hear what had happened next. The dragon, as though he had known
that many dwarves were there, went into the hall of the throne and spat fire in
every direction. The heat pierced
through the walls, as all was burnt in fire.
The dragon poked his ugly nose into the hall of the fountain as well,
saying, “How did I not know where the guardian of water would be? Stupid dwarf.
You cannot throw any water over me.
Now sleep well, the maiden of the fountain. Only, I doubt whether you could still dream
after charred.”
Thorin held Clarita, as he began to weep. “You went through it all alone? How frightening it must have been for
you. I am sorry.” His voice was much shakier than it had been a
few moments before. Being unable to take
revenge for her in any way, he felt very ashamed and had no idea what to
do. But though she was supposed to be
only an illusion, Clarita said, gently stroking his back. “All this happened such a long time ago that
by now fear has completely gone. So
please, my young lord, stop it. There is
no need for you to suffer.” “Do you
still call me so? I am no longer in my
youth.” While saying this, however,
Thorin wondered how she made him feel as though he had gone back in time. He started to remember his own carefree,
younger self with his long beard still tied into braids. It also seemed the burning pains he had felt
inside him for a while were being washed away.
He recalled the fact that after all the maiden of the fountain was
always an expert in healing by water.
Then, Thorin saw the image of Clarita start to blur suddenly. He eased his hold of her. So
far he had had a very clear vision of her golden hair, fair skin and white, mithril-studded garment. But it all
became gradually transparent, while giving off a celestial radiance. He thought he had seen this light before, for
it reminded him of the Arkenstone in every way.
“That is right.” Clarita said. “I
borrowed the power of the Arkenstone, so that you could see me. This way the Arkenstone is still helping the
King under the Mountain, no matter who physically possesses it. Never can anyone interfere with this. And likewise, never can anyone make me part
with you. My dear lord, you have lost
nothing and still have everything. Stop
making yourself suffer. And please keep
your heart at peace.” After saying this,
Clarita gave the gentle smile to Thorin once more. Then she slowly turned into particles of
light in his arms, and began to fade.
Afterwards she completely disappeared from his
sight. But Thorin had no more pain in
his heart. Because he knew for sure that
Clarita was never going to leave, but be with him forever. He quietly smiled before he stood up. The hall full of treasures would no longer be
of any interest to him. “I shall reclaim
the One Stone in exchange for all this gold.
The Stone wants to be with me. Or
the Stone being the Heart of the Mountain, it wants to return and to reside in
Erebor.” Having firmly made this
decision, he slowly began to climb up the stairs in order to exit the underground palace.
NEKOさまのトーリンfanfic(日本語版) ― 2014/12/27 00:03
「泉のおとめ」
by NEKO
トーリンは仲間たちの間からつと離れて
まだ悪竜スマウグの息の生臭さが残る地下の大広間へと
よろめく足で階段を下って行きました。
先刻のトーリンの言動は仲間たちを(家宰のバーリンをさえ)心底失望させていましたから
誰も彼のあとをついて行こうとはしませんでした。
まさか、まさかほんとうにあの忍びの者が、山の精髄たるアーケン石をあのおりスマウグの鼻先から拾い出してきていたとは!
あやつは、だからあのとき言葉を濁したのだ。 あのときあやつをしめあげて、逆さに持ってふるいだしたら
かの大切な宝はそのふところから転げ出たかもしれぬものを・・・!
そこにアーケン石がないことが分かった今となって、
黄金を寝床にしていた長虫もまた二度とそこには戻らないこともはっきりしたわけで
トーリンは怒りと混乱を抱えたままおびただしい黄金と宝石に埋め尽くされた広間をしばらく呆然と見つめていました。
「・・・わたさぬ。」
彼の口から乾いたひとことがこぼれ落ちました。
「わたさぬぞ。これは山の下の王国のもの。
エスガロスのものどもには約束通り分け与えてやってもよかったが
スランドゥイルの肩を持つというなら話は別だ。
私はあの者をけっして許さぬ。」
「それから、ビルボだ。」と彼はまた思いました。
「あのきたないちびの盗っ人めが!」
そう口にしてしまってから、鷲に運ばれたあの時の事が、それからはなれ山の秘密の入り口の前でのことがその胸によみがえりました。
あの小さい人を感謝をこめて抱きしめた手触りが、苦い思いとともにこみあげてきました。
ドワーフ以外の者と交わした友情がかくも手ひどい裏切りによって終わりを告げた(少なくとも、トーリンにとってはそう思われました)ことに、
彼はここしばらくはなかったほどに傷ついていたのです。
広間を幾重にも埋め尽くし敷き詰められた財宝の数々は今や空しいがらくたの山とも見えました。
けれどもそれほどに寄せ固められた黄金がはなつ光は言い知れぬ力を持っており、
それにおびき寄せられて長くここにとどまっていた竜の邪悪な瘴気を浴びてますます禍々しい力を増しておりました。
それらがトーリンの心をむしばみ、気持ちを荒ませ、魂をくり抜いてそこによこしまな怒りを詰め込もうとしていました。
いまや誰一人、彼の味方は居ませんでした。
次に彼の口から漏れたのはもはや西方語でもドワーフの言葉でもありませんでした。
荒い息遣いともうめきとも似た音はしだいにしゅうしゅうという蒸気の噴き出る音に変わってゆき、
その身はむくむくと膨れ上がって見上げるような巨体となり、
全身に逆立つ鋼鉄のうろこをまとった黒々とした竜が、腹の中に赤々とした火床を抱えて立ち上がりました。
スマウグと見まがうばかりの巨大な長虫と化したさまは、もしも誰かがこれを見たとしてもそれがトーリンであるとはけっして気づかぬであろう姿でした。
竜の姿で、トーリンは血のように赤い炎を吐き散らし、鋭い爪であたりをすさまじい音を立ててかきむしり、炎と煙霧はこうもりのような翼のはためきで広間中に吹きすさびました。
みずからが起こす熱風に身を焼きながら、怒りと絶望をこめた咆哮をとどろかせ、トーリンの竜は暴れて暴れて暴れ続けました。
そのとき、この地獄のような広間に、白い小さな人影が姿を現しました。
それは外界へと続く広間の入り口からではなく、最奥の玉座のあたりにまるで水が流れ込むようにいつのまにか現れたのです。
それは抜けるように白い肌を白い衣に包んだほっそりと小柄なおとめでした。
黄金の髪は長くゆたかに波うち、夜明けの空のごとく深い青の瞳をひたとトーリンの竜にあてたまま
おとめは恐れる様子もなく竜へと近づいていきました。
かのじょが歩むその周りからは火も煙霧も消え去り、吼えながらのたうっていた竜はたちまち小さく、もとのドワーフに立ち戻って黄金の上にうずくまりました。
おとめは白い手をのべてトーリンの背にそっと触れ、呼びかけました。
「若殿。」
トーリンはゆっくりと頭をもたげ、夢うつつのままつぶやきました。
「・・・私は、どうした? 何をしていたのだ?」
おとめはその背に手を置いたまま、
「怒りに我を忘れておいででした。さながら、竜のごとくに。」と静かな声で言いました。
トーリンは、その声に初めてそこに誰かがいることに気づき、同時にその声の主が誰であるのか思い当ってはっとしたようでした。
彼はふり向き、まじまじとおとめを見上げて言いました。
「そなたなのか? クラリタ。
ずっとここに居たのか? あのときからずっと」
エレボールの地下宮殿の深奥には、山の根からこんこんと湧き出でる泉があって、
澄んだその水は燈火とミスリル細工の囲いのきらめきを反射して白く輝きわたり、
ためにエレボールの領主たるドワーフの王は「白銀の泉のあるじ」とも呼びならわされていました。
泉には巫女たる守り手がいて、それは代々白き肌のおとめが担う役割でありました。
エレボール陥落のあの日、竜が襲い来ったあの折に、泉を守っていたのが黄金の髪に夜明けの空のごとく青い瞳の、クラリタでした。
そしてそのクラリタこそ、若王子であったあの頃トーリンがこころを込めて愛したただ一人のおとめでありました。
あの日、竜の襲来の予兆を見抜いたトーリンは、王の側近であり自らの守り役であったバーリンとともに慌ただしく防衛戦の先頭に立ち
圧倒的な竜の炎に焼き尽くされ破壊された宮殿から負傷者に肩を貸しながら必死に落ち延びました。
多くの同胞が炎の中から逃げ延びることかなわず、故郷を失ってさまよう月日の間にも多くの者が命を落としました。
そうしたことの間じゅう、トーリンのこころからは行方の知れないクラリタのことが片時も離れることはありませんでしたが
宮殿の奥の泉の間へと向かう彼女を見たという者があるほかは、誰もその消息を知る者はおりませんでした。
歳月が過ぎ去るなかで、トーリンは救い出すことのできなかった彼女を思い、また亡き祖父とこれも行方の知れない父を思って
ひげをあご下で短く断ち落とし、それを長く伸ばすことはありませんでした。
そのクラリタが、今ここにトーリンの目の前に現れ出でたのです。
トーリンは彼女の頬に指をふれ、黄金の髪を撫でながら静かな声で言いました。
「あの頃のままの姿だな。あの日がやってくる前、我らがともに幸せな希望に満ちていたあの頃のままの。
ではこれは夢か? そなたはもはやこの世に生きてはいないのだな。」
最後の一言は、まるで泣いているかのように震える声音で囁かれました。
この王は、耐え難いほどつらいことがあるとこうして声音を震わせるのが若いころからのくせなのです。
クラリタはそれをよくよく知っていました。
それで、彼女はただやさしく微笑むだけで、自分の命がとうに亡いことをはっきりと口にはしませんでした。
「夢でもよい。そなたにまた会えて嬉しいぞ。
わたしはようやく、そなたに詫びることができる。
あの日そなたのもとに駆けつけることができなかった。
そなたを救い出せなかった。
ゆるしてくれ。」
「あなた様はなすべきことをなさいました。なにを詫びることなどありましょう。
そしてわたくしもまた、なすべきことをなそうとしたのです。」
「あの日そなたが泉の間へ向かうのを見た者がいる。
滝の口を切ろうとしたのか?」
白銀の泉につらなるエレボールの地下水脈は山の内部を縦横に走り、ドワーフ王国の水源としてさまざまに利用されており
山を出るときにはエレボールの城門の脇、山の中腹から滝つ瀬となって流れ落ち、谷間の国デイルを走り抜けてたての湖へと流れ下ってゆきます。
滝の口とは、エレボールの内部の水路をあやつる水門のことでした。
「はい。」クラリタは答えました。「火竜の熱を伏せるのは水に違いないと思いました。けれど」
トーリンにはすべてが飲み込めました。おそらくそうであろうと思っていた通りでした。
「われらを巻き込みたくなかったのだろう? 泉の間で機会を待つつもりだったのだな。」
そこから先のむごい顛末は聞きたくもない話でした。
竜は、そこに誰かがいることを知っていたかのように、玉座の間に入り込むと八方に火を噴き壁の向こうまで届く熱ですべてを焼き尽くしたのです。
それから、竜は泉の間にもその醜い鼻先を突き入れてそこにも火を噴きかけました。
「ここに、水の使いがおることをわしが知らぬとでも思ったか? おろかなドワーフめ。
このわしに水を浴びせることなどできぬわ。
ではゆっくりおやすみ、泉のおとめ。黒焦げではもはや夢も見られぬだろうがな。」
トーリンはクラリタを抱きしめて涙をこぼしました。
「一人きりで、そんな目に遭ったのか。恐ろしかっただろう。すまぬ。」その声は先ほどにもまして震えていました。
彼女の復讐すら果たしてやることができぬ仕儀に、身のおきどころもない思いでした。
「なにもかも遠い昔のことです。恐怖は過ぎ去りました。どうかお心を痛められますな、若殿」
今は幻にすぎぬはずのクラリタがやさしくトーリンの背をさすりました。
「まだ私をそう呼ぶのか。もう若くはないぞ。」
そう言いながらも、こうしていると時が戻り、長いひげを三つ編みにしていたころの屈託のない自分に戻るような気がしてくるのが不思議でした。
じりじりと胸の内を焼くいくつもの苦しみが水の流れに洗われていくように感じられました。
泉の巫女は水の癒しのわざに長けた癒し手であったことが、今更のように思い出されました。
クラリタの姿が急におぼろげになったような気がしてトーリンは抱きしめていた腕を緩めました。
これまではっきりと見えていた黄金の髪も白い肌もミスリルの銀をちりばめた白い衣装も、しだいに透き通って光り輝き始めていました。
その輝きには見覚えがありました。
それはアーケンの石の輝きにうりふたつでした。
「その通りです。
わたくしはいま、アーケン石の力を借りてここにいるのです。
あなた様を離れても、アーケン石は山の下の王のためこうして力を貸してくれています。
なんびとも、それをとどめることはできませぬ。
わたくしが、あなた様のこころをけっして離れぬのと同じでございます。
あなた様は、なにも失ってはおられませぬ。
嘆かれますな。
お心を安んじられませ。」
そう言い終えると、ふたたびクラリタはトーリンに向かってやさしのほほえみをおくり、
それからゆっくりと光の粒となってその腕の中から消えてゆきました。
彼女の姿がすっかり消えてしまっても、トーリンの心はもう痛みませんでした。
クラリタがどこへも去らず、自分とともに在ってくれることがはっきりと解ったからでした。
トーリンはしずかに微笑むと、立ち上がりました。
広間を覆い尽くす黄金はもはや彼の目には入りませんでした。
「この黄金のすべてをもってかのひとつ石を買い戻そう。
あれは、わがもとに在りたがっているのだ。
あるいは、この山の精髄として、エレボールの中に帰りたがっているのだ。」
ゆるぎなくそう決意すると、
彼は地下宮殿から出る階段をゆっくりと上りはじめました。
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