A story, little one? Very well, a story I shall tell you.

The Battle of Erebor, again? Would you not rather hear of Túrin Turambar, who slew Glaurung the great wyrm? Or of Nimrodel, who in the mountains strayed? Or yet of Lúthien, most loved and most fair? Or of Legolas the King's son, who has sailed over the Sea, and Gimli Elf-friend who went with him?

I could recount for you of Dúrin the Deathless, and the beauty of Khazad-dûm in the days of old when the Dwarves awoke and beheld the stars of Kheled-zarâm. Or yet of Telchar I could tell you, who forged Angrist which cut the Silmarils from the crown of Morgoth, and the Dragon Helm of Dor-lómin which Túrin wore of old. I would speak to you of Azaghâl the valiant, who faced Glaurung in the Battle of Many Tears or of Dáin, the Ironfoot, who slew Azog at Azanulbizar and fell beside Brand son of Bain against the armies of the North…

Erebor again. Very well. Of Erebor then I shall speak. But the tale is long, longer still than you have heard it, and I wonder, do your young ears yet have patience for its telling?

From the beginning? But the beginning you know now well. It is the details that elude you, little one. It is of these I would now speak anew.

It is said now in the later histories of Ennor that this day would be recounted little upon the histories of the Third Age had it not been for the Ring that the Hobbit Bilbo wore. It is said that this Battle, the Battle of Five Armies, was nothing but a beginning skirmish for the War against Sauron to come. And perhaps, as the minds of Men may rememeber, it was and yet will be. But those who were there that day would speak of it differently, and they would tell not only of the heartbreak but the healing between our two peoples, the Elves of Eryn Lasgalen, and the Naugrim of Erebor.

Was I there? Yes, little love. I was there the day that Erebor was won.

Yes, in the end we were victorious. There Bolg was slain by Beorn the Bearskinned, and the orcs of the Misty Mountans laid low and the ruins of Dol Guldor were cleansed of the Enemy for a time. Yet much blood was shed that day, and still needless many lives were lost. There also Thórin fell, and there your father's father and even Fíli were slain beside him, and much that was once good in the world was taken before its time.

Did I love him? But of course, little one. For he was brave and kind and good, how could I not? Yet such a love is indeed forbidden, permitted perhaps not once in a hundred thousand centuries, and only then when the Doom of the Valar wills. How I wish I could have sailed with him into the West, even as Idril and Tuor did so long ago! Would I not have wept before Mandos—before Aulë even, who you know as Mahal—to plead as Lúthien before me? Alas! Alas for the cry of gulls on the shore, and still more so for a babe yet unborn!

Thórin did I name your father, for the love my husband bore him. But you, you I have called Kíli for the love he bore for me. And I would not trade you, little one, not for the Silmaril bound on Eärendil's brow nor the Arkenstone that lies buried with Thórin beneath the Mountain's rest, nor even still for all the days of my long life with your grandfather whom I have loved.

…Who am I?

I am Tauriel i-Dhorndîs, little love, and you are old enough now to know my tale in full.

AN: Elves often take for themselves many names throughout their lives, Legolas is sometimes known by his (Anglicized) Westron name 'Greenleaf' or as Thranduillion, his father's son; and Arwen is called Úndómiel, the Evenstar of her people. It seemed natural to me that Tauriel might take for herself an eponym as well.

i-Dhorndîs/Dorndîs: Sindarin compound of words the+dwarf+bride [i+(soft mutated) dorn+ dîs]. A less literal, more pleasing English translation might read 'the Dwarf-wife'. It can also be rendered in an Anglicized form simply as Dorndîs, so Tauriel 'Dwarf-wife' rather than 'the Dwarf-wife'. But given that she's a native Elvish speaker, I left it as is. It could also be rendered Dornnîs, as the 'ND' cluster in later Sindarin was shortened to 'NN' [See "Endor/Ennor" as an example.]. Personally, I find the repetition of the 'd' to be more pleasing.

KÍLIEL FANS: FEEL FREE TO COPY THIS AND SPREAD IT THROUGHOUT THE FANON!

–love, your übernerdy fellow fangirl (i.e. amateur linguist and Tolkien scholar) friend Lasgalendil

[Note: Hiswelókë's Sindarin English dictionary was used for this original construct. You can find the Strict Analogical English-Sindarin verison here: www. jrrvf hisweloke /sindar /online / sindar/ dict-en-sd-strict. html by removing the spaces]

This is a strange book/movie hybrid, in which Dáin killed Azog at Azanulbizar yet Kíli and Wellwritten!Tauriel are still a couple despite the blatant non-canonicity. Book and/or movie purists, don't even bother: the grey squishy asshole between my ears makes all the rules, not me.

…also, I really hate Kíliel. But this is how an actual Dwarf/Elf relationship *might* appear or effect the canon.