chapter 46

You must be prepared to support and protect this maid who is bearing your children."

Gamli took the limp elf in his arms and nodded. "I will protect her with my life, but we are both far from our homes." Then a thought struck him, "It will be my death if I bring her home, a dwarf and hereditary enemy of her peoples; but I will offer myself gladly as long as I am able."

Beorn nodded, stoking his massive beard. "Well said my brave dwarf. I was going to offer a solution...I have a great carriage I will put at your disposal that has all the comforts of home. You and her will ride in it and I will guide you as far as my northern boundaries. In the meantime I shall send word to my son to negotiate with Melda's family for your safety."

Melda stirred in his arms and her eyes flickered open.

She looked up at Gamli's face and saw that he was as pale as the moon. She shot up in his arms, "are you ok? Where are you hit?" She frantically searched him over but he grabbed her hands.

"When we're you going to tell me?" His hands were on her belly, feeling the gentle swell he hasn't really paid attention to until now. "How long?"

Her eyes widened and her hair flew around her head as she worked toward Beorn and the wizard... "Who told?!?!"

Gamli stuttered, wondering at her sudden vehemence "Beorn and Radagsst told me, but why were you hiding the fact? You have no idea..." She covered his bearded mouth with her gloved hand and glared at the huge bear-like shapechanger and wizard, both now visibly cringing under her fiery anger.

Gamli watched Radagast move behind Beorn, well out of reach of her sword arm. Several ents and their new found females strode over and towered above the tableau unbidden. But it was almost as if they could sense the thoughts and feelings of the four dissimilar beings beneath them and desired to help.

One of the entwives reached out a slender, branchlike arm and stroked the elf maid, whispering soothing sounds. Gamli felt Melda relax in his arms and he let her slip to her feet. She sighed deeply and slowly unbuckled her gore slimed helmet shaking her long blonde hair out.

"You don't understand," she began with a deep sigh.

"I was afraid you wouldn't stay...It's taken me so long to realize what true love is...I didn't want to lose that. And children need both a mother AND a father. I wanted more than anything to tell you but I was just so worried." She got down on her knees in front of him. "Will you raise these children? I want to have a life with you...this just makes it much more perfect..."

Gamli stopped her stammering by pulling her, being mindful of the precious cargo she carried, into his lap and pressing his lips to hers. "I will make you my bride right here in front of all of these beings, I will begin our life together right now. Marry me, elf. I'll not take no for an answer. We shall have much to celebrate tonight and we shall return to your home first thing tomorrow. I know the perfect place to build a home and I must get started to have it done in time." His face radiated pure joy as he held her.

There was a collective sigh of relief from the surrounding crowd, yet Gamli noticed both Beorn and Radagast kept their distance. Leaving Melda in care of the entives, now surrounding her excitedly as bridesmaids to be, he walked to the two magical beings and bowed.

"Gentle sirs, in absence of the elf maid's parents, I formally ask you to grant me her hand in marriage. Will you join us right now both in body and in spirit?"

Beorn nodded, smiling and raising his arms, called out in a booming voice that stilled the swarming crowd now surrounding them. Apparently word had spread like wildfire, and none wanted to miss this incredible mating.

"Fellow beings, join us in a celebration greater than our victory over this dark fortress, greater than our successful returning of the entiwives to their mates. Come join us as we bless this union of the two that brought us here, to this spot and victory."