It has been three weeks since Erebor left the last port. The sailor gazed at the sky and let the sun caress his skin. The mass of water danced with the ship as wind sharply punished the sails. It felt as if the sea had a mind of its own, a capricious goddess without pity or mercy. As the sun was setting down, the water became more agitated and armies of black clouds were marching towards the ship.

Kili listened to the loud waves and sighed. It was going to be a long night, he knew it. Storms always made his days unbearable. The young sailor faced many sleepless nights since he joined the crew of Erebor.

He checked his pocket and took out his lucky charm, a stone that his mother gave him on his departure. A promise of return. On late hours of the nights he thought of his mother and his old life. He wondered if she was still working at Two Wales tavern. That was the place where his destiny changed.

On a cold day of spring, Erebor anchored in the port. It was like no other ship, bigger than most with huge white sails. It stopped in the town to get fresh supplies and to recruit new sailors. They were looking for brave sailors that would risk their lives for taking part in the quest of obtaining the biggest treasure they have ever imagined. Kili, at that time just 17 years old, decided that he had to help his mother as much is his hard working older brother.

At first, captain Oakenshield didn't even threw a second glace to the young lad but after some attempts, other crew members stepped into the matter. They said that he was the burglar that they were looking for and to his surprise; the captain soon changed his decision and welcomed Kili to the board.

His mother cried a lot, begging him to stay and his brother called Kili mad, but didn't stop him as he was fully aware in what a great need a of money they were.

Life on ship was challenging. As Kili came from a fishermen family, he was somehow familiar with how everything worked but he had still a lot to learn. And he also discovered that not only captain Oakenshield was after the gold, but many other pirates that didn't miss a chance to cross their paths.

After two years of sailing, he realized in what he had gotten himself into. The crew consisted of dedicated people that became his friends and the captain had the strongest fire in his eyes. He spoke to him often about the Arkenstone, the most precious gem of them all, which was stolen from him by the pirate Smaug.

Even though Kili loved the adventures brought by the quest, he still missed his family dearly. In the last two years he sent money home but never actually returned there because they were still searching for Smaug.

He had only heard stories about Smaug, the feared pirate. Many said he was immortal and came to surface with The Dragon ship only during storms to claim more lives. Kili wasn't excited to meet him. Since he was "the burglar", he would have to sneak into The Dragon and steal the Arkenstone. Everybody that listened to their plans said that the sea maddened them. Kili was only sure of one thing, as time passed, Thorin Oakenshield's desire for the stone grew even more. Some whispered that it corrupted him. Kili didn't want to think about it. He had to feed his family home so he would follow his captain to the very end.

As time seemed to sleep through Kili's fingers, a thunder brought him back. He looked over the sky and saw the murky clouds gather. Another ferocious roar chilled the atmosphere and the raven-haired decided to go down the deck. He was feeling uneasy.

As he was getting closer to the cabin door, he saw Balin hunched over a map. As the sailing master of the ship, he was in charge of navigation, instruments and directed the course. He was a likable old man that took Kili under his wing as soon as he set got on the ship. He taught the young lad to read, write and little from other useful subjects.

"The storm is getting closer." Kili said as he stopped near the white haired man.

"Aye. We cannot bypass it."

Balin looked at the map quite troubled. Kili leaned closer and studied the map also. It was one the strangest maps he had ever seen. Balin referred to it as the most prized map of all charts. It used meridian arcs, equatorial divisions, geographic landmarks and magic keys to guide passengers. At first Kili didn't believe in magic but soon as his journey started he changed his mind. These navigational charts were comprised of several rings upon which a map of the world was etched. By rotating the rings and lining one up with another, a reader could use the chart to find any number of locations.

"We are navigating through a special place. Many legendary creatures inhabit these waters. But this storm will make it more difficult… Bring me some tea later."

Kili nodded and went under the deck to the kitchen to eat. Bombur, the chief, was almost done with the food and several members of the crew were sitting across to table playing cards.

"Tonight we dance with lady storm. "Chuckled Bofur as he showed is cards.

"It's going to be big. I can feel it in my bones. "Continued Gloin.

The thunders roared as the ship crossed another big wave. "Big storm" was an underestimation. Erebor was the victim of a cyclone. The sun got covered by the curtain of black clouds and a harsh rain started. Erebor trembled under the huge waves and it was a battle over the deck to keep it in place.

All the sailors were wet to the bone as fought with the angry sea goddess. Thorin Oakenshield was roaring orders from the steering wheel.

Kili was chaining some barrels together as the catastrophe happened. A lightning bolted from the sky and struck one of the ship masts. The impact was so powerful that it shattered it to pieces. A huge wave hit the ship and made it tilt dangerously to the left.

At that moment, Kili felt a sharp pain as he was hit by a piece of wood originated from the shattered mast, and felt the ground disappearing from under his feet.

Another wave hit the ship and Kili was thrown overboard. His screams were sharply cut as he hit the water.

He was drowning fast and tried to calm himself. This wasn't the first time when he fell from the ship but it never felt so hard to reach to surface. He realized he was severely injured as saw his blood coloring all the water around him and it made the teen panicked even more.

After what it felt to him as an eternity, he got to the surface and took a big mouth of air. The rain was still powerful and made the visibility low. As he turned around, he saw the ship. As he started screaming for help, a wave struck him and sent him back to the deep.

As Kili was desperately trying to reach the surface again and again, waves keep hitting him with their powerful forces. Each attempt was getting harder and harder as the freezing temperature of the water started getting deep into his bones.

After what it seemed like an eternity of struggling to remain to the surface, Kili looked deep into the water. It looked to calm, the complete opposite of what it was outside. As he tried to swim up, he realized he was so disoriented and tired that he didn't know which way he was swimming. Water started creeping into his lungs and made a last desperate attempt.

Kili never imagined he was going to die like this. What was his family going to do without him? They couldn't even see him as his body would be eaten by sharks. What a horrible fate.

As his surroundings started to darken, he felt something grab him by the waist. Scarred by the possibility of sharks biting him, Kili tried to kick. His chest was aching in pain and the darkness conquered him.

Kili felt numb as he was drifting into the darkness. He wondered if he was dead this was the afterlife. He could not see anything even though he felt that his eyes were wide open. After some time a sharp pain struck his shoulder and he cried. As he looked around he saw a small light that looked like a flicker of a candle flame.

Determined to do something, he tried to run to the light. As he was getting closer, the pain grew even worse. When he tried to touch the white light, he screamed in agonizing pain.

Suddenly Kili was struck by hundreds of sensations all over his body. He felt the wet sandy ground and frowned. He was in the middle of the sea, it was not possible. Even though his eyes were wide open, his image was too blurry. The light was painful and minutes had passed until his eyes could handle the surroundings.

Gradually the pain from his eyes disappeared and when he blinked, he saw a young women looking at him. She had long fiery red hair that was framing her beautiful flawless pale skin. She had a concerned expression on her face and her rosy small lips were slightly open. He met her emerald eyes and gasped at her beauty.

"Is…Is this heaven? Are…you an angel?" he asked in a raspy and tired voice.

The young women smiled sweetly and stroked his hair.

"No…But you nearly died. Do you remember what happened?"

Kili listened mesmerized by her melodious voice and his heart flutter. She must be an angel.

"The storm… and the ship… Do you remember?"She continued as she touched his cheek with a little frown on her delicate face.

Kili closed his eyes for a moment and tried to recall what she asked. A storm…a ship… Suddenly the memories of struggling hit him and he had a panic attack. The redhead tried to calm him as he stroked his arms and whispered nonsense. Her sweet voice made his heart jump again as he studied her. He had never seen someone as pretty as her. Was this real life?

As he tried to get on his elbows, a sharp pain made him scream.

"Please don't force yourself. Lay still and relax!"

Kili obeyed and sighed. He opened his eyes again and looked around. He saw the blue clear sky and felt the warm waves and wet sand around him.

"Where am I? What happened to the storm? "

"The storm passed. Four days ago exactly. You are on a shore of a small island."

"W-what? How did I get her? I mean I was drowning... How come I am still alive? Are you sure you are not an angel? Or is this hell? It is not that bad…especially with you around."

"Stop babbling nonsense, sailor!"The woman said as he greeted him with an amused smile. "You are as alive as I am. I brought you here after I found you in the storm. For four days you battled with your destiny and when I was losing hope, you opened your eyes!"

"M-my angel…"he mumbled as he smiled happily.

With a shaking hand he tried to touch her cheek. At first she frowned a little surprised but she gave in to the cares. As he studied her, he saw that she has pointy ears. Do woman have ears like that? He tried to touch them with his fingers but she shook his hand away.

"You should rest a little more. Sleep tight, brave sailor."

"Wait! What is your name?"

"Tauriel…"

That was an unusual name, thought Kili. He said it a few times until he got it right and Tauriel gifted him again with her sweet smile that warmed his hearth.

The raven-haired man wanted to look around a little more but he felt his lids so heavy. He sighed and closed his eyes. To his surprise he heard loud splashing noises but he was too tired to check them out so he left himself drift to sleep.

When he woke up he discovered he was feeling a lot better. We could get up without causing too much pain on his weakened body. The first thing he did was to look at his surroundings. As Tauriel said, they were on a small island; he could see from here he was sitting the other end. The sky was clear with puffy clouds that sometimes hid the bright sun.

He looked after Tauriel but he saw no trace of other human being on the island. Frowning he asked himself if she was real. A sudden pain and disappointment hit him as he tried to recall his savior.

A delicious smell of food spread in the air and made him drool. Near him on two big oysters shell sat a roasted fish and some water. He wondered how he didn't notice it from the beginning. He hungrily grabbed the fish and started eating, enjoying the delicious taste.

After he finished the food, he decided to do a little exploring on the island. Tauriel must be hiding somewhere as fish do not cook themselves unfortunately.

The island was very small. It had a sandy beach and some greenery in with small bushes and maybe a dozen of trees and some big rocks at the other side.

As Kili approached the shore he saw Tauriel sitting on a stone. She looked quite lost in thoughts and didn't notice him. She didn't seem to wear any clothes, her red long hair simply covering her chest as she looked far away. Her braids were adorned with small colored shells near her pointy ears. She looked so lovely that it made his heart flutter.

As his eyes travelled lower, he gasped in surprise. A long green tail splashed lazily in the water. Kili couldn't believe his eyes. He blinked for several times waiting for the legs to appear but nothing changed.

She's a…a mermaid… I can't believe it.

Kili stepped on a shell crushing it under his feet and Tauriel turned her gaze to him.

"You…you have a tail! You are a mermaid!" Kili said still shocked and the redhead smiled amused.

Now everything made sense in Kili's head. She was the one that caught him in the water and brought him to the island.

"Have you never seen a mermaid before?"

"No. I have only heard stories."

"Lucky you…" she said on a darker tone and jumped into the water.

"Wait, don't go! This doesn't change anything."

"I am not what you think I am sailor. "

"It doesn't matter to me if my angel has a fish tail instead of wings…"

Tauriel seemed to blush as she leaned back on the rock. Kili stepped into the water and he carefully got closer to her. The redhead studied him closely and got back on her rock. The water wasn't very deep, reaching just above Kili's middle. He looked at the scaly tail with curious eyes. In the sun it looked as it shimmered. Shyly he touched it. The scales were quite hard but they also felt like the ones you would find on big fish.

"You truly are a magical creature. Such beauty…" he whispered as his hand traveled up and down the tail.

Tauriel's tail twitched slightly but she remained quite. She seemed to have a gloomy expression on her face that confused Kili.

"I have heard many tales of mermaids when I was a child. I never thought they existed. But you saved my life, how can I repay you?"

Kili was rather confused. The stories he had heard were certainly not happy fairytales. According to them, mermaids were evil creatures that sank ships and used their magical singing to hypnotize sailors. Tauriel seemed to be the kindest and prettiest person he had ever met.

Maybe she has a hidden reason…

"Do not thank me yet, silly sailor. Your journey has only started. How are you going to leave this island? It was the closest one I could bring you without dying. You certainly can't swim to the nearest port. "

"Now that you mention it… Well I will figure something out. Are you going to leave me here alone?"

"Do you want me to?"

Kili grinned and laughed and it seemed it made the redhead more cheerful also.

"Are you not curious to hear this sailor's name?"He asked chuckling. "I am Kili. "

" Kiilii…Kili….Kiliii." she mumbled as she was playing with his name.

Soon from that she began to sing a soft happy song and Kili's heart squeaked again. Her voice was the sweetest and the most pleasant thing he had ever heard, even though he did not understand in what language she was singing.

"Is this the language of your people?"He asked curious as he got out of the water on the same rock.

"Yes. We call it Sindarin." Tauriel said smiling but as she looked at the sky, her good mood disappeared. "I have to go, Kiilii…. I don't know when I can return, I will try as soon as possible to bring you some fish and water. Farewell, Kili…"

Tauriel jumped into the water and disappeared in the deep. Kili remained there longer trying to figure out what just happened that day. From surviving a cyclone by luck to finding out you were saved by a mermaid was a lot to assimilate.

It took Kili two days of thinking to figure out some possible plans.

He could build a raft from the trees, but he didn't have any tools. The wood was too thick to be broken by hand. He could also use to bushes to lighten a big fire that would be seen from hundreds of miles away. But for this plan to work, he needed the variable "ship" that had to see the signal.

The craziest idea involved the same "way of escape". He figured out that if he could not swim back to a port, he could wait for a ship to find him. And since he knew he wasn't very lucky, he needed Tauriel to manipulate the odds. If he recalled correctly the tales, mermaid used their singing to lure sailors. If the plan worked, she could theoretically lure a ship that would save him.

He was quite ashamed when he talked with the mermaid about the plans but to his surprise she was serious.

"Actually these are brilliant plans. You should make the fire and leave the ship to me. I suppose I could find something in a few days…"

"But why are you helping me? You have done enough already…"

He met her emerald eyes and left a slight aching in his chest. Why was he feeling so strange?

"I don't know… You intrigue me."

Tauriel was absent for three days and Kili busied himself until late in the evenings. Sometimes he wondered if the mermaid left him there to die, but every evening and morning he found fresh cooked food and water waiting for him.

He gathered as many branches and pieces of wood as possible for the fire and the raft. He wondered what was his family doing and checked his pocket tentatively. He was relieved to find out his amulet still there. Maybe it really brought him luck. Kili also thought of Erebor that day. Was everyone from the crew safe? He lost them for good now.

The raven-haired sailor looked up as he relaxed. He tried to sleep but the heat did not grant him that wish.

The big moon ruled the night sky with shiny little stars. The only sounds you could hear were the gentle waves they hit the stones.

He went to the rocky shore and found Tauriel watching the sky with a dreamy expression. She looked so happy and relieved, it made Kili's hearth jump.

"Do you look often at the sky?"He asked breaking the silence.

Tauriel turned her head and smiled warmly. Kili felt himself redden as he watched the sea goddess in front of him. Her hair was beautifully braided and was falling around her shoulders like a fire waterfall. She wore a pearl necklace that shined in the moon light.

"Stars are wonderful. Sometimes when the sea is calm, you can see them from the deep… When I was a child, I used to think that if I swim to the surface, I could touch the stars…"

"And when you came up here?"He asked quietly as he sat down on the sand.

"I was mesmerized by this world. Nights like this feel magical…"

"Yes…They truly are."

Kili got into the chilly water and swam to the redhead. He felt a pleasant heat embracing him and he let his head rest in the crook of her neck. He wondered if he was dreaming but didn't dare to say a word. Time seemed to slip through Kili's fingers and forgot every concern. It felt so natural to embrace the lovely angel and to feel her body against his.

"Can you read the stars? I have heard that humans can read in the sky…"she said in a soft voice as she let him go.

"Only a little. We call them constellations… Let me show you."

Kili started naming some and pointed to them. Tauriel watched amazed and listened as he told her about them. For a change Kili was regretting not paying attention to Balin's astronomy lessons. He loved to impress the sea maiden.

"I want to hear you singing…"he said as he took her hand in his.

Tauriel smiled Kili listened to her sweet voice. Even though he didn't understand a word, her language seemed so beautiful and melodious. Her song had a cheerful tone that made the sailor cherish the moment even more.

She met his dreamy eyes and caressed his cheek. Kili felt as he was drunk, dizziness making his mind wander in unexpected places. He embraced her tightly and inhaled her mesmerizing sea scent. Tauriel continued to sing but in a quieter voice, until it ended as whispers in his ears.

His hands travelled up and down her back as he kissed her softly on her neck. She shivered under his touch and met Kili's lust filled eyes.

Kili felt the wanton need in him. His angel was shifting lightly in his arms and brushing not so innocently against his body.

"My sailor..." Tauriel moaned as he squeezed gently her breasts.

She put her hands around his neck and joined their lips together. Kili felt a thousand sensations pass trough him as he kissed his mermaid. A fiery need had been awakened and he eagerly joined the fiercely battle of their tongues. He felt as he was dreaming, not left on a secluded island, not far away from his family. He felt so right to be with his beloved sea angel.

Soon they broke the heated kiss to breath and Tauriel whispered words in her language in a sweet tone.

"My Kili… I have to go… I will think of you when I look at the sky…"she said on a melancholic tone as she tried to break from their embrace.

"Wait! Don't go… Don't leave me, my angel. "He whined feeling pain in his heart.

"I am sorry, Meleth nin(my love)."

Tauriel started singing again but this time a sad and heartbreaking melody. She shivered and braced herself as Kili tried to reach her. He felt so wrong. Why was she leaving? With every step closer, he felt sleepier. How could his body betray him like this? As he reached out to take her hand, he fell in darkness.

As soon as Kili opened his eyes, he felt a painful headache.

Where I am? What happened?

He looked around confused and observed that he was sitting in a bed in a wooden cabin. The bed felt soft and it was a welcomed feeling by his tired body.

At least I am not dead… Or am I?

He tried to recall his memories searching for an answer for this situation. He was in a foreign place and stood in a bed without any bandages on his body.

The door made a loud noise as it opened and Kili jumped surprised. Two old men dressed as sailors entered in the cabin and greeted him.

"Where am I? What happened to me? I don't remember." Kili asked confused as he studied the strangers.

"You are on ship. Queen Merry. We found you passed out on the beach of a small desolated island." Said one of them.

Kili frowned trying to understand the information. After some time the events cleared inside his head and gasped.

"Where is Tauriel?"

"Who?"

" Tauriel! She was with me on the island."

"Nobody was there except you, mate. "

"She…she is a mermaid. "

They started laughing and shook his shoulders.

"You must be still sick. There were no women or mermaids on the island when we got there. "

"She saved me from drowning in the sea…" he whispered heartbroken as he lowered his eyes.

"A mermaid? Those evil beings sink ships and put spells on sailor's minds! They wicked singing controls your mind. Never mention them. "

"Anyway lad, we are soon reaching the port where we will drop you. You sure are a lucky bastard. Rest now. "

They left Kili in his own misery. He was sure that he met Tauriel, she felt so real. He could still recall her slender body pressed in his arms. As he lowered himself back in the bed, he sighed. Was he getting mad? Where was Tauriel? Why did she leave him there?

As time passed Kili started to question his sanity even more. He got up on the deck and watched the calm sea. What if everything was a dream? Maybe he really got on that island by himself and was found by the ship…

"Hey mate, you got some coins there for a bet? Pay you later" an old voice came.

Kili turned to the sailor and frowned. He checked his pockets, firmly believing them to be empty because of his adventures but…they were not.

His amulet was still in its usual place but there was something more. He took it out with reluctance and widened his eyes. He was holding a pearl necklace. As he brushed his fingers over the jewelry he felt melancholy. Tauriel gave him the necklace with a reason. Maybe as a reminder? Or as a gift? He was not sure but his heart was aching as he recalled his angel.

"The necklace works as well!" the old man said as he tried to grab it but Kili kicked his hands.

"Get lost!"

Kili turned to the sea and listened to the waves. He squeezed the necklace in his hands and tried to achieve a peaceful state of mind. As he watched some seagulls fly in the open sky, he sighed.

Will I meet you again, Tauriel? Is this necklace a promise of return? You took my heart with you.

Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed this fic! Let me know ! :)