As with everything that I write, I once again have no idea what I'm doing. I just write until an idea springs up and then I tailor it. But I did get this idea from smileyfacebabe, and it seems only right that I dedicate this to my very talented boo. Go read her stuff or I won't love you anymore.
Disclaimer: Don't own anything. Still. Again. Verily.
Kili is bored.
Really, really bored.
Ever since his uncle went swanning off to the Lonely Mountain without him.
Rude.
Fili has been trying to occupy him, and Bofur has invented a card game which involves fish, and alcohol, but despite this, and despite the fact that Tauriel is still here, he is bored stiff.
It doesn't help that he can't move around much, due to his wound. Although it is healing faster than expected, due to Tauriel's elvish magic, it is still sore, and could be re-opened if he strains it too much, so for the time being, he is trapped inside, or at least sitting down.
He is sulking, whittling a shard of wood into a small arrow, when Fili pokes him in the side.
"What, brother?" He grumbles, manipulating the knife carefully.
"Kee, you've been moping for days now. Cheer up, will you?" Fili shoots him a small grin, and he sighs and stops whittling.
"Fee, I've been stuck inside for almost a week now, and I'm bored of it. There's only so much carving I can stomach." He gestures to the pile of wooden sculptures on the table. Fili sighs, and pats him on the shoulder.
"Sorry, Kee. If I think of anything, I'll spring you from your prison." His elder brother grins mischievously and leaves, presumably to bother someone else.
Kili proceeds to swear like a sailor for a good few minutes. His mother would kill him if she heard him, but she isn't here now, is she?
He throws the knife, smiling viciously when the tip sinks deeply into the door jamb, quivering from the impact.
Then he swears loudly in Kahzdul.
He can't move to retrieve it.
He sinks into the pile of pillows behind him, glowering at the dagger, which is almost mocking him with its frenzied motion.
Hours later, several wooden models, and a whole lot of profanity later, the door flies open to reveal Bard, holding a stool in one hand, and Kili's bow and arrows in the other. Legolas is behind him, glaring slightly.
"I hear you find yourself idle, master dwarf."
Kili squints at him.
"You hear right." Bard grins at him.
"Up and at 'em, Durin'sson. I've got a game for you." Kili perks up a little. He likes games. Who doesn't like games? Well, he thinks, looking at the scowling elf, Legolas, probably.
"Really? What sort of game?"
Legolas answers this time, marginally more cheerful.
"Archery."
Kili hauls himself up, balancing against a table as he pulls his furs on. There is ice on the lake, and it wouldn't do to get a chill on top of a great hole in his leg would it? He can almost hear his mother's scolding voice, gruff and warm. He pushes the homesickness down.
Once safely ensconced in thick furs, he limps slowly to the door, and eyes the stairs with trepidation.
Smirking, Legolas grasps him by the neck of his clothes, and scampers, there is no other word for it, scampers, down the stairs, depositing the disgruntled dwarf at the base of them.
"I am quite capable, master elf." He gripes. The tall blonde elf eyes Kili with amusement.
"I am merely aiding you, princeling." The elf smirks, and wanders in the direction of the middle of Laketown. Kili follows gradually, grimacing, using buildings and stalls to stay upright. Eventually, preceded by Bard, he arrives in a large square, where Legolas has set up what looks like a complex archery target.
"How exactly does this game work?" He asks.
"We each fire an arrow individually, and the other two fire at it to try and knock it off target. If someone reaches the target unhindered, they receive a point. If it is knocked from its flight, the archer who hit it receives two points. Whoever loses buys the winner a pint of mead." Bard shrugs and rolls his shoulders.
"Is there a time limit?" Kili asks.
"We shall keep going as long as we wish." Is the elf's reply. Kili grins, and plops himself down on the stool, stretching his leg out, and massaging around the injury, rubbing the stiffness from his thigh.
"Let's get started, then." Bard tosses his long overcoat down by the stool, and, finally unencumbered by it, picks up his longbow, and draws an arrow. Setting it to his bowstring, he flings a careless, cocky grin at the other two males.
"Ready, boys?" Legolas nocks an arrow faster than Kili can blink, and he follows suit, albeit much slower. Swinging himself around on the stool, he draws, and holds the tension easily, training the tip of the arrow on the sky, waiting patiently for Bard to fire.
They wait, breath slow and even, and all of a sudden, Bard looses his arrow, and Legolas shoots it down, his own arrow splitting the shaft of Bard's easily.
Legolas crows loudly, acting quite unlike the aloof elven prince Kili has become used to.
They play for forty minutes, giggling like children, and nudging each other when they are about to shoot.
In short, acting like schoolboys.
Mid snort, mid draw, Kili suddenly notices a shadow, hovering around the corner of the area. He stills almost immediately, tensing up.
But the shadow shifts into the waning light, revealing Tauriel. She is smiling fondly at their antics, red hair glinting in the low light of sunset.
He grins, and looses his arrow, knocking Legolas's out of the air. He laughs, a booming, triumphant sound, and sticks his tongue out at the pouting elf.
The elf curses fluidly, grinning the entire time.
"Doesn't this put Kili in first?" Bard queries innocently.
Legolas curses again.
"Now now, my prince, that is hardly fitting behaviour for a royal." Tauriel's melodic voice sounds teasingly from directly behind Legolas. The elf jumps, spinning around. "Did I startle you, my lord?" She bows low, and only Kili, from his position atop the stool, can see her smirk.
"Tauriel. Where have you been?" Legolas asks, ignoring her question.
"I was climbing trees on the shore." Came the surprising response.
"Climbing trees?"
"Yes." Tauriel changes the subject. "What game are you playing?"
They explain.
"Would you like to join us?" Kili impulsively asks. Tauriel directs a glorious smile at him. He can't help but grin back.
"Thank you, Master dwarf. I believe I shall partake in your offer." She hefts her yew bow, and nocks an arrow gracefully. Kili follows suit, and Legolas and Bard do the same.
It doesn't take long before Bard has to bow out, and return to his children. They bid him farewell, with an offer to join them tomorrow for a drink.
Tauriel knocks arrow after arrow from the sky, gaining ground rapidly on Legolas, who is sitting pretty in second. Until suddenly he isn't, and he swears merrily as he tries to shoot Kili's arrow down.
It gets to the point where Tauriel and Kili are neck and neck, and Legolas won't catch up any time soon.
Tauriel takes over the lead, then Kili takes it back from her, and then she steals it again. An hour later and they are cheerful, but tired, and the boys concede defeat, congratulating the redhead on her victory and promising to buy her pints of ale the following evening.
"Well played, my lady." Kili smiles at her.
"It was no easy victory, my lord." She returns swiftly. Legolas butts in, bids them goodnight, dropping an uncharacteristic kiss on Tauriel's forehead, and clapping Kili on the back.
As he walks away, they can hear his soft voice singing in elvish, the syllables drifting through the quiet town. They wander slowly back to where Kili is staying, grinning and quizzing each other on their skills as archers, chattering animatedly, and receiving more than one irritated curse from sleepy residents of the small town, shouted from shuttered windows.
Reaching the door, Tauriel smiles, and bends down.
"I must say farewell for now, my lord."
"Please. Call me Kili." He says. She smiles wider.
"Goodnight, Kili." She kisses him on the cheek, and rises gracefully, descending the stairs and waving.
"Goodnight!" He calls after her. She grins, and vanishes around the corner. He opens the door to the place he is staying, whistling happily.
"What are you so happy about?" Fili asks, frowning.
"Tauriel beat me in an archery contest." His brother laughs incredulously.
"What do you owe her, then?" The blonde dwarf waggles his eyebrows dramatically. Kili laughs.
"Ale."
Settling down onto his borrowed bed, he grins at his sibling and lays down.
"Night, Fee." Fili raises his eyebrows at the archer.
"Night, Kee." He returns, bemused.
It is the best night of sleep the injured dwarf has had in months.