Written by Lucinda :)

She didn't love him at first. He intrigued her. He spoke of wondrous things. His talk of stars captivated her and the closeness he had to his brethren mystified her.

She saved him in the process of subduing the spiders. She refused to give him a dagger and then he was put in the dungeons. He was over confident and brash. She didn't know why she went down there during the feast at first but she definitely knew why she couldn't leave. His talk of fire moons made her want to listen to him forever. There was a certain wistfulness in his voice that none of the Elven folk possessed. The party above them celebrating the starlight made Tauriel feel closer to her race but honestly she felt different to them. She knew that it was only her that walks so far to see only the white light of the stars. But here, in the dungeons, she had found a kindred spirit; someone who wasn't afraid to tease her and share stories of his life.

When she heard of their escape she rushed out only to hear Legolas order the shutting of the gates. With that she took off, knowing that she had to save him. She made it to the rise of the hill before the river-gate when she heard the anguished cry of one of Kili's fellow dwarves. She put on a last burst of speed and took in the scene before her. Orcs. Orcs everywhere. Now it wasn't just Kili she had to protect; it was now Kili, his dwarves, herself and Mirkwood. Scanning the area for Kili she spotted him immediately and saw him with an arrow in his leg about to be stabbed by another Orc. Without thinking of the consequences she fired her arrow which pierced the Orc and took him out. Suddenly, she was surrounded by Orcs all aiming to kill her but fortunately she was a trained member of the Elven Guard. She could hold her own.

All the same, she was extremely glad to see Legolas emerge from the bushes fighting with her to protect their home, although Tauriel feared she would not be welcomed back after this. The gates were opened by Kili and they floated off down the river chased, of course, by the Orcs. However, she was distracted from fighting at Kili's anguished cry of pain as he jumped into a barrel and the arrow in his leg dislodged. Later, when she was taunted by the fact he would die she knew she could no longer return to Mirkwood and that she must save Kili. When she was banished she was distraught that her suspicions had come true and that she was no longer welcome in the place she had once called home but it meant she could follow and save Kili without being questioned.

When she found him at Laketown, dying and weak, but still somehow attractive to her, she knew that she had to reveal Elven medicine to humans and dwarves. Whatever it took to save him she would do. She couldn't lose him. She nearly cried seeing him in so much pain and hearing him talk of her walking in starlight. It appeared their conversation had affected him as much as it had her. When he took her hand and asked that question, loving him was the only thing she could do.

Whilst she was walking around the rubble that was all that remained of Laketown she found herself desperately hoping that he was okay. When he appeared behind her with her name lilting from his lips, she turned and behind his eyes which held her gaze, reflecting love and hope back at her. It was too much for her and she knew that he must go with his own people. She began to walk off when he asked her to join him and then told her something in Dwarfish. She knew what he meant but refused to acknowledge it for both their sakes. His parting words and the smooth, cold surface of his rune stone against her palm were the things she would cherish on her journey with Legolas. He looked back at her and she nearly broke down only composing herself before turning around to face Legolas.

The ride to Gundabad gave her a lot of time to mull over her feelings towards Kili. By this point she knew she loved him and on the ride back she was entirely focused on saving him again. When she blocked Thranduil's path and nearly died, despite being told that what she felt wasn't real, she was determined to tell him how she felt.

The Battle of the Five Armies very nearly destroyed her. She watched as the love of her life was stabbed in front of her very eyes. She heard herself scream and then used all her rage to pushed Bolg off the cliff with her. After the battle she went back to the broken body of Kili and cradled him whilst sobbing. She cursed and cried and when her King emerged from the rocks she was just staring at the face of the man she longed to spend her life with. She begged Thranduil to take away her pain, knowing what she was asking of him. "Why does it hurt so much?" she cried.

"Because it was real." Was the reply from her King who finally acknowledged that his race could truly love another creature. She kissed Kili on the lips before smiling gently and holding his hand, staying with him for as long as she was able. They took him away for burial but even then she stayed until Legolas forced her away but the memory of him, his lilting voice, his gorgeous laugh, his incredible, soul-searching eyes, never left her. He was her Dwarf and she would love him for all of eternity only wishing, as his rune stone – which she kept secretly with her at all times – said, that he would return to her.

Please leave a review! xx