Hi Everyone! This is my first Hobbit fanfic. I'm not a complete Middle Earth nerd, so I've made a few things up as I have gone along.
Journey through Starlight.
It had been months since the battle.
Yet, Kili hadn't seen Tauriel since the end of the battle. She was there one moment and gone the next. He last saw her being carried off by Legolas while he too was being carried off by his brother towards the medics back in Erebor.
Her beautiful body was being carried away broken, bloody and bruised. She had taken a beating by Azog, if she was alive Kili couldn't tell. For too long she was too still on the snow covered ground not a few metres from where he had too had fallen. From that moment on, a sense of dread grew in him. She was dead, and he would be alone in the world. The light was gone from his life, her light.
Without Mithril, he wouldn't had lived. None of them would, the last Dwarves of the Durin line had much to be appreciative for. They lived, now able to carry on the noble line of Durin in the place of their forefathers.
His uncle Thorin Oakenshield, now King under the mountain only received minor injuries from being stabbed in the foot and a few crushing injuries from being nearly impaled by Azog.
His brother Fili lived, now that was a miracle. Yet no one saw how he survived. Let alone how he survived the fall from the tower. He does not remember it himself, and with no one to account for him during the battle it will remain a mystery for time to come.
Kili, wearing the brilliant armor of Mithril under his armour received injuries that fested quickly was nearly unconscious for the first month of the recovery due to a horrid fever that surely nearly claimed his life.
From the moment he awoke to the months after, his only thought was the Elf Maid Tauriel whom he had given his heart to. He looked out from Erebor over the town of Dale each night to look at the stars. Was she looking at the stars too? Was she thinking of him?
Was she walking among them? Had her life being claimed by the battle. He didn't know and he had received no answer from the Woodland Elves. The eleven King Thranduil was given the jewels he had been promised and barely an elf had been seen since.
Erebor seemed old and stuffy; the older Dwarves still were too attached to the gold hoard that was recovered. But Kili had no interest in the gold, or learning to run Erebor. That was for his brother the 1st in line to become king after their Uncle. He was just like a spare part, not useful until you lose the other part.
Kili much preferred to be out in Dale, using the skills he had learnt in the Blue Mountains to help rebuild for the Humans who had lost their homes in Lake Town. A sense of guilt always loomed over him, since it was his companions fault that they awoke Smaug… and the firestorm that claimed so many after. So he had a sense of Duty to help those who had lost everything in their quest to reclaim their homeland.
But he still caught himself occasionally riding up to the forest and waiting on its borders. He dared not go in, he had a powerful fear of receiving the news that Tauriel had died during the battle. Without hearing that news, there was a small amount of hope that the Elf that he had come to love still lived.
Fili grew worried about his younger brother; he wasn't the childish reckless dwarf he once was. He now kept to himself when he was home. Fili started to sense his brother preferred to be out and about in Dale, he was the first to grab a horse in the morning and the last to come back.
It had been going on for nearly a year; Kili wasn't bothered by the up and coming celebration to once again celebrate reclaiming Erebor. Usually he would've been drinking most of the dwarf's beer and cider just to make sure it tastes just right for the big party.
He saw his brother busy with the Lord Bards children. Helping everyone, making sure the human builders were doing a decent job.
But it was watching him with the younger children, the orphans were always surrounding Killi playing with him while he was rebuilding the main gate. He laughed and gave them treats.
It broke Fili's heart. He knew the great loss that had consumed his brother. Fili had seen the small and intimate moments shared between Killi and the beautiful Elf named Tauriel. At first it was a strange sensation to watch a dwarf charm an elf, but to Filli's surprise Tauriel returned his brothers feelings and the pair was inseparable for a time.
Fili had found the side of humour in the pair, here was a dwarf who even though was quite tall for his kind and was almost the normal height of a man somehow managed to charm a woodland elf. Kili's head barely reached her shoulder.
But the pair somehow worked out the mechanics of it, he remembered the cheeky smile his brother had after disappearing in Laketown with the she elf. The pair was truly inseparable, not all over each other like a new childhood love. But it was the small moments that Fili saw that made his heart melt.
Sadly, the battle arrived. Everyone was everywhere and Tauriel was lost. Fili had no recollection of the battle; the last thing he remembered was heading to Erebor on the boat after Smaug had turned Laketown to ash.
Kili had found himself staring at the wall after one of the children threw a rock at his head. Day dreaming again of another life with the elf he worshiped.
He has finished building the new school for all children of Dale, the younglings had been pestering him for months. He was a source of entertainment for them. He wasn't mean enough to turn the children away, so they were a type of group that helped him along the way doing odd jobs around the city that Kili was too busy to do.
Busy Kili certainly was, he was expected to have the city of Dale looking pristine within the month. Dale was alarmingly busy due to the rush of visitors and travelers who had come from all around Middle Earth to mark the first year since the defeat of Smaug and the Dwarves returning to Erebor.
Kili was expected to attend and maintain all his royal duties, as second in line for the throne he was forgotten at most times of the year. But not at this event. A raven informed him that his own mother was to attend the week long festival…
And that she was bringing six dwarf woman to persuade her own two sons to continue the Durin line.
Kili and continuing the Durin line had long been a forbidden topic of conversation. So when his mother was coming and had no idea that her son was in mourning, everyone knew that this may cause the young prince to either move on or destroy him.
Fili on the other hand couldn't wait, being first in line for the throne meant that he was given riches that he couldn't even dream of. So to find a woman and bringing new life had been a great importance to him, he wanted to die old in his bed surrounded by many children and their own children so that the Durin Line will live on and never nearly cease to exist like it did on the mountain top almost a year ago.
Kili was enjoying the first day of the festival, his mother had yet to arrive and he was no longer surrounded by children who often got in the way. All sorts of riches flooded Dale. Silks from the east, food from the west, Gems from the north. The town was bursting with life and colour.
Music was playing all over town, barely covering the children's laughter as they play in the streets.
It was a joyous sight.
He walked through the streets just as he would've done years ago, unnoticed and seen as just another dwarf. He ate his fill of Plum marinated Pork and cider. He sat on side of street completely content with his work he was admiring. The city was gorgeous.
He was sitting atop of the city gates enjoying how the sunrise turned the entire city to a beautiful earthy orange. A smile crept on his face, one could have sworn it made his face crack it had been that long since the prince had a smile upon his face.
He sighed looking out towards the beautiful country side that surrounded the city.
The festival marked the year that had passed. It felt more like centuries more than one entire year, he felt old and sour. He still looked like the young handsome dwarf still unable to grow a beard like his older brother and uncle.
But he couldn't shake off the grief that had let him consume his heart and soul. If he had closure would he be able to move on? To be even better than he was?
He didn't know.
"Young Master Kili one would hope you are not going to jump of the ledge, any young dwarf such as yourself should be sick with drink at this hour in the afternoon?"
Kili knew that voice could only belong to a certain Grey Wizard who keeps returning from wherever he goes just to check on them.
"No Gandalf, I wouldn't dare risk the wrath of my mother in the next life if I were to die before her. She's one scary woman" Kili laughed, but for some reason Gandalf didn't receive his humour.
"I suggest you should go home quickly young Kili, your king and family awaits you."
Kili looked down into the wizards expressions and he felt that something was wrong. Then he saw it, a flicker of silver banners down the path.
Elves of Mirkwood were coming.
"Go now young prince, I will see you soon enough" Gandalf said as he had noted the young prince had frozen siting the Elves in the distance. Luckily Kili did as he was instructed and made haste back to Erabor on some overweight pony.
Kili galloped back as fast as his pony would take him.
But when he got back, Thorin and Fili were awaiting him already. The smile and small sparkle in his eye had vanished as he saw their faces. Grim and grey as the day the battle had ended.
Kili unmounted his pony and approached his king
"Kili, go have a bath and dressed. We will meet in the war room within an hour, there is much to discuss" Thorin stepped down and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
This was going to a night Kili would never forget.