Authors note: This story will pretty much be entirely based around Kiliel (Kili X Tauriel). Expect fluff, romance, and some turmoil. Maybe even some twists to crush your happiness, you know, the uge. Oh and it's probably just going to be an ongoing thing for whenever I feel the urge to express my feels or the urge to write. And this is my first story I've put on the internet so DO NOT HOLD BACK. Tell me if you hate it, tell me if you love it, correct me, and make me feel like crap because next time hopefully I'll be able to make it better. Maybe I'll even add a little elvish, I guess we shall see.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters or part of the dialogue. These characters belong to the amazing J. R. R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson (Tauriel)
Chapter one: The Promise
Of Fire Moons and Starlight
Kili dreamt of fiery hair and deep green eyes that night. The colour of a forest after a fierce rain, so different from those of his kind. They represented something that was so foreign to him, so intriguing. Though intriguing seemed a word too cold to describe the warmth that fluttered through his slumbering form.
Kili slowly opened his eyes to the dim light. Perhaps his mind knew he should not dream of such things, but after all, he had only dreamt of she elf because she had saved his life. Kili rose to a sitting position and felt his body beat with life. He was grateful for that feeling and felt warm thinking of the she elf who had saved his life the day before. But he was a dwarven Prince and she was an elf, they should be enemies. He knew this, but still, Kili couldn't stop a lazy grin forming on his face thinking back to his comment; "aren't you going to search me? I could have anything down my trousers." But more so for her response. "Or nothing" Her expression had suggested a hint of a smirk that let him know somewhere inside, she knew how to laugh and smile. And deep down inside Kili, a fleeting thought wished him to be the cause of that smile.
Kili pulled a small stone from his pocket. It was a deep blue colour that reminded him of the night sky, engraved with the runes of his promise. A sky he had not seen since his imprisonment. He knew this should anger him, but he could not bring himself to feel contempt towards the she-elf. Curious, he thought. But a moment in her presence and he felt…. What did he feel? Certainly he thought she was beautiful, and was fierce yet graceful in the heat of battle, but in all actuality, he had no idea what he really felt. He only knew the pull he felt towards her. He imagined seeing her once again, and he felt a flutter resonate through his stocky frame. But the silent battle raging inside him was decided, and he convinced himself to believe he was just grateful towards the she elf for saving his life. Nothing more. He knew he should not feel any friendliness towards an elf, but Kili did, she had saved his life! He tossed the small stone in the dim light of his confines, and watched it spin and gleam like the moon before returning to his waiting palm.
Kili ran his thumb over the polished blue rock in his hands, thinking of home, or rather the home he dreamt of belonging to. The lonely mountain; the true home of the dwarves. His thoughts sad as he remembered nothing of the mountain, only what his mother and uncle had described to him. They're eyes had been lost in a memory as they described their home to him with a wonder he longed to realize. Kili had wanted to prove himself worthy on this quest. To his mother, his uncle and to all of middle earth. And still, despite his imprisonment, Kili was determined he would.
A glimpse of auburn rouses Kili from his thoughts, and he glances up at the she elf for a second before returning his eyes to his hands. She stops, and looks to him
"The stone in your hand. What is it?" He glances up at his captor once again and decides to tell her.
"It is a talisman." Her curious expression plays on his mischievous side. He looks down at the stone.
"A powerful spell lies upon it. If any but a dwarf reads the runes on this stone," he shakes his head slightly, barely able to repress the grin tugging at his lips, "they will be forever cursed."
He thrusts the stone towards her. Holding her startled gaze for a second longer before she turns to walk away.
"Or not." She abruptly stops and looks back to him.
"Depending on whether you believe in that kind of thing, it's just a token." Kili releases a playful grin.
She looks at him, intrigued, a slow curious smile dances across her lovely features.
"A rune stone." He stares down at it. "My mother gave it to me so I would remember my promise." He glances up at her to read her expression.
She steps forward, a timid smile still alive on her lips. "What promise?"
"That I would come back to her." Sadness lingers in his deep brown eyes as he stares at her, and after a moment of silent he continues.
"She worries." Kili tosses the stone into the air, mischief coming back into his expression. "She thinks I'm reckless."
Looking down to the floor, her expression is full of warmth.
"Are you?" She meets his eyes.
"Nah." He grins, tossing the rune stone into the air. When it comes down to meet him, the stone slips from his grip, and rolls through the bars of his cell door. The elf's quick battle reflexes react immediately and her foot instantly darts out to stop the stone from rolling over the edge of the stone walkway.
She reaches to pick it up and he stands at the door of his cell. She lifts the deep blue rune stone in her hand to the light; examining it, her back to Kili.
"Sounds like quite a party they're having up there." He remarks
"It is Mereth and Gillien," She turns to him before walking the edge of the narrow stone walkway, with her back to him once again, "the feast of starlight. All light is sacred to the Eldar." She switches the rune stone to her other hand, and for a second her voice is somewhere else. "What wood elves love best is the light of the stars."
"I always thought it is a cold light. Remote… and far away." She looks back and walks towards him.
"It is memory." Her eyes full of feeling "Precious and pure"
He stares up at her with those deep brown eyes, full of wonder.
"Like your promise." She decides, opening her hand to give him back the rune stone, a thoughtful smile curling on her lips. He reaches through the bars and grasps it from her waiting palm. Looking into her eyes, than staring down at it in thought.
"I have walked there sometimes." Her expression, of excitement and wonder. "Beyond the forest and up into the night." She turns towards the walkway once more, and once again she is somewhere far away. "I have seen the world fall away." her voice full of emotion, she pauses; "and the white light forever fill the air."
Kili can't seem to take his eyes off her, his stare full of awe and complete attention.
"I saw a fire moon once." She turns back to him in amazement and slowly advances towards his cell. "It rose over the pass near Dublin. Huge. Red and gold it was. It filled the sky." His words capture her complete attention and she absentmindedly sits on the steps of the small set of stairs near the walkway of his cell. He smiles as he speaks.
"We were an escort for some merchants in (meretlivin?). They were…" His brow burrows in thought "trading in silverware for furs." His dark brown eyes meet her green ones, her eyes deep in focus. "We took the greenway south, keeping the mountain to our left. And then appeared, this huge fire moon lighting our path." A huge grin light up his rough handsome features "It was the most amazing sight I had ever set eyes upon! I wish I could have shown it to you. You would have loved it."
Kili continues on with his wild tales, beaming when she gives a smile or perhaps the beautiful sing song of her laugh. He could have gone on all night just to see her smile. Hell, he would have made up stories just to keep her there with him. Though through all of this, Kili realized that he did not yet know her name.
In the middle of his sentence about mountain trolls and his experience being stuffed in a smelly sack Kili stops abruptly.
The elf's brow furrows in confusion. "Why have you stopped?"
"I must not tell you anymore of my stories." Kili puts on his best imitation of a haughty expression.
"And why not?" She asks, confounded.
"Because, as a wee little dwarf, I promised myself that I would only share my stories about my experiences with being stuffed in smelly sacks with elf maids of whom I knew the name." Kili made his best attempt to sound teasingly like an elf and flashed a playful grin
She looks to the floor and attempts to supress the grin that threatened her composure.
"My name…" she looks at him, a mischievous grin settling on her lips "is…."
After a few moments of silence, Kili realizes that she is teasing him. He chuckles "You would not have me beg, would you? I don't think my ego could stand it if I must lower myself to my knees and begged. I could not afford the height difference; you already have near a foot on me!"
"My name is T-" The sound of footsteps rang through the dim cavern cutting her sentence short.
Immediately, Tauriel snaps to attention, all senses heightened; waiting to see if they had been caught. Kili rises in the exact same moment from his seated position on his stone bed. Both on high alert for more footsteps. None came but as Kili relaxed once more, the she elf whose name Kili knew started with a T, did not. She stood taught as a bowstring.
"I must go." She said, and Kili wanted to protest but held back; he had already kept her to himself for the past several hours, and didn't want to risk not seeing her again.
"I shall see you when I can." He beamed at that and she began to walk swiftly and gracefully away. But Kili still did not know her name.
"But what is your name!?" He called after her and she stopped in her tracks.
"Tauriel," she paused "my name is Tauriel." And with that she walked out of his sight.
Tauriel. Her name was the last thing on his lips before he fell into a deep slumber filled with images of fire moons and starlight and the elf who walked among them.