Author's Note: Once again, all words in bold are in Sindarin (Elvish) and underlined words are in Khuzdul (Dwarvish); I will place translations at the end. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy.
The part of the forest which they entered was pristine. No sickness lingered in the air of the wood, it remained untouched from the foul spiders and treacherous beasts of the night that seemed to be growing bolder. For the time being, none dared to venture so close to the Woodland Realm. The wise ways of the Eldar were known throughout Middle-Earth, and no beast dared push so close to their territory. Peaceful beauty remained in the immediate borders of the Woodland Realm. At least, that is what they believed.
Tauriel wanted to show Kili pure starlight that evening. As it was the Festival of Starlight, it only seemed suitable she expose this dwarf to the ways of the Eldar. Exemplify the ways in which stars granted memory, though distant. Their cold shine was not somber, but warm. Without memory, what world would they thrive in? It was starlight which drove out the dark; Starlight that shone as beacons throughout the abyss. It was present even if the Moon was not. At times, not even the darkest clouds could block out the graceful luminescence. She could not expect a dwarf to understand the customs of the Woodland elves, yet there was something different about this son of Durin. Difference seemed to be what attracted her to him the most.
While Tauriel was accustomed to the pristine, elegant form and cut of an elf, dwarf was quite the contrary. Kili was short and handsomely stout. Not an unhealthy stout, but muscular. As she turned to look back at him, her eyes glazed over his body from head to toe. His black hair shortly cascaded over his shoulders, wavy as the calming seas to the West. His skin was neither pale nor tan. Stubble covered the lower half of his face, from one end to the other. However, it was not quite a beard like his kin which seemed strange to her. His lips were chapped. Having taken his coat off inside of his cell, Kili's arms were prominent through the sleeves of his blue shirt, meaty but toned. He was seemingly thin for a dwarf, not nearly as large as several of his companions, though his youth must have aided his physique. Her eyes were not accustomed to such an appearance, which made her crave it all the more.
"Can you climb trees, dwarf?" A smirk crept onto Tauriel's lips as she mockingly questioned Kili, moving towards a tree with branches lower to the ground. To show him the true justice of the stars, they would need to climb high up into the canopy of the forest. While the elves often travelled the trees, quite the opposite could be said for dwarves. Kili's only real recount of climbing any tree would be of when he and the Company were attempting to escape the monstrous threat of Azog the Defiler.
"I reckon anything a pointy-ear can do; a dwarf can do twice as well." Kili laughed as he followed Tauriel to a tree on their right; thankful the branches hung lower to the ground as if weeping. He grabbed a hold of the bark before propelling himself upwards, unsurely. Hearing the faint mock of a challenge in Kili's voice, Tauriel began to swing through the trees with quick cut movements. She had spent all of her short six hundred years in the forest of Mirkwood, staying within the boundaries of her gracious and forgiving King Thranduil. Her body seemed to move as one with the branches of the trees now. The wind carried her, granting her speed and power as she travelled. Only a matter of moments passed before Kili's eyes caught Tauriel sitting atop a branch at the highest reaches of the Oak tree. He reassured himself that dwarves were meant for short bursts of energy so as not to kill his self-esteem. He would not allow himself the excuse of a physique disadvantage.
After strenuous pushing and pulling, Kili reached the top. He attempted to hide his shortness of breath, though Tauriel was able to pick up on his uneasiness. Kili took a seat on a branch to the immediate right of the elf maiden's, swinging a leg over so he was straddling the branch. "Alae! Look at them and behold!" Her voice rang out loudly in exclamation, rendering him off guard. Turning his attention from her illuminated beauty, Kili's glance turned upwards to the perpetual abyss. The starlight overtook him. Instantly his pupils were filled with silver cascading light. Nothing had ever seemed so beautiful and rare. Never before had he seen the sky such as the way he saw it in this instant. As a dwarf, his eyes were naturally turned toward the ground. His mind was linked to the wondrous mines which lay deep in the foundations of the Earth. No being had ever turned his head towards the sky before; no being had privileged him with this awe.
"Lugûn," Kili whispered as the light cascaded down his face. The view was serene. He could think of no words to describe his awe. Kili simply stared towards the sky, completely agape. Tauriel smiled, leaning closer towards him. Her gaze turned from the abyss to the dwarf. His features seemed more intense, more magnified. It was as if she couldn't turn away. Kili reached his hand without shifting his gaze. His fingers reached for Tauriel's, slowly inching towards her. The movement was cautious, like a hunter trying not to scare away his prey. He was afraid of being too abrupt. Boldness was usually his take with any lady he tried to impress. Yet, this moment was far more serious than any he had before. There was a more profound interest for this elf maiden. His eyes closed, allowing all his concentration to flow to his movements. Tauriel looked down at their hands, drawing in a quick breath as their fingers touched. She wasn't accustomed to this kind of emotion. When elves felt affection, it was slow and cautious. This affection for Kili was happening at a much faster pace. She couldn't help but feel drawn to this dwarf prince.
Tauriel made no movement, simply watching as Kili's large fingers began to fill the spaces between hers. She allowed her hand to relax. Kili shifted his fingers further, intertwining his with hers. She shifted her position forward, forming an arc as their fingers fit comfortably together. His eyes opened in relief and happiness. Turning his head in her direction, his eyes opened, gleaming as they met hers. A clumsy smile formed on his lips, large enough it reached all his features. She returned the smile gently, her expression softening as she gave his fingers a squeeze. As she searched the happiness in his face, a movement behind his figure caught her attention. Alarm filled her features, startling Kili before he turned around. "Kili!" Tauriel yelled, pulling him into her body before jumping down the branches and reaching the ground.
As they descended, Kili caught sight of the wretched arachnids. "It's the spiders again," he whispered hoping not to draw attention. Tauriel knew her duty as captain came before anything else, meaning she had to get rid of the filth. Stealthily, she crept towards the trunk of an older looking tree, scattering the leaves around before finding a wooden bow with complex carvings. A bundle of arrows lay beside the bow, of wooden make as well. Slinging the bundle over her head and around her side, she crept back towards Kili.
"I can handle them, it would be best if you departed back to your cell. There is nothing you can do. I'll come by and lock it once I'm done." It was strange how she trusted the dwarf enough to go back into his cell, but she knew he would not betray her. Her eyes remained vigilant, picking up any movement. Kili simply stared at her, noticing the extreme change in her features. In only a matter of moments Tauriel had gone from gentle and affectionate to alert and uneasy. She crouched in front of him, her right hand reaching behind her head to pluck an arrow from the bundle and place it against the bow.
Suddenly, from the left the trees began to shake. A faint clipping noise could be heard, as if pincers were tearing away at leaves. A large arachnid appeared, gruesome and venomous. Eight eyes covered its head, varying in size. Its body was covered in thick, long hairs. The hairs were spiky at the end, presenting a painful look. Eight long legs extended from all around the spider. Each segment of the leg was colored ebony black. At the end of each leg were sharp segments extending from the final joint. A screech erupted from between the spider's pincers as it sprinted towards the couple, moving with ease through the branches. Tauriel quickly pulled the bow, aligning the arrow with her right eye before quickly drawing in a breath and shooting.
The arrow landed right in one of the spider's eyes towards the center, extending deeply into the head. Tauriel took no time to recover as angrier shrieks could be heard coming from both sides. She glanced back towards Kili, "Leave now; there is nothing you can do." Tauriel pointed to where the entrance back into the safety of the grand halls of the Woodland Realm. She then darted forward, hoping to meet the foul creatures head on rather than awaiting their attacks.
Kili felt useless. He wanted to aid her, fight alongside her. As he was sulking back to the door, his eyes caught a glimmer at the baseline of the tree from which Tauriel collected her bow and arrows. He quickly sprinted towards the pile of leaves, brushing them aside and pulling out a long bow. The long bow was far too large for him to use, even normal length bows hardly ever suited his size. As he brushed through the leaves he found another bundle of wooden arrows. Slinging them across his shoulders, he sprinted towards the area where all the commotion could be heard.
Tauriel was having no trouble with the spiders. The impact of her arrows was quick and precise. The fall of her daggers into the exoskeletons was clean. The spiders came at her from all angles. Above, below, right, left, it seemed as if they would not cease. Tauriel jumped onto the back of one of the arachnids, shooting it right in the middle of its ebony forehead before riding it to the ground. The spiders pursued her, relentlessly attacking. Tauriel placed her bow on her back, withdrawing two silver daggers and slicing at the creatures. As she neared the bottom, she somersaulted off the monster's corpse, landing effortlessly. Her eyes fell on Kili with alarm. As she rushed towards him, a spider silently drooped behind her from a single thread. Kili quickly drew an arrow into his bow, aiming at the spider's large eye, before releasing. The arrow flew past Tauriel, almost slicing her cheek. She came to a halt, looking back as the spider dropped and began to writhe in angry pain. Slowly stepping towards it she quickly severed its head from its body without a second thought.
"There are few left," she said breathless. Breathless at her lack of sensitivity to notice the spider behind her, breathless at Kili's shot despite having a bow too large to accommodate him. Never before had she noticed his preference for archery. A small fondness grew for him since he shared the preferred weapon of her kin.
"Shall we make it a friendly competition?" Kili grinned at Tauriel, winking. He was determined to show off his skills, even with a bow such as his. Tauriel laughed and nodded, raising her bow and shooting a spider.
"That's already one for me." The spiders began to flood to the ground, having been drawn in by Tauriel. Kili grabbed an arrow in his hand, running forward, and stuck it deep into the abdomen of one of the monsters. Turning on his heel, he quickly drew another two arrows, shooting a spider above to his right. Tauriel withdrew a small dagger from her shin and threw it at a spider across from her. The dagger went right through the monster's head to the bark on the tree behind it, the corpse falling to the ground. The two continued like this until fifteen bodies were piled on the ground.
"I believe I've won," Tauriel warmly smiled down at the dwarf, returning the wink he had aimed at her before. "I counted nine bodies." Kili simply laughed as he came to terms with the speed and finesse of his elf friend. Tauriel took a match from underneath her tunic, striking it on a stone near her feet and setting fire to the carcasses. As embers rose from the fire, dawn was beginning to overtake the sky. "We must return," Her voice was filled with urgency as she placed all their weapons back underneath the leaves. Her fingers clasped his wrist, pulling him inside the warm hollow walls of her people's realm.
Quickly she led them back to his cell, listening intently for any footsteps. As she opened the door, her gaze fell onto his face. Kili seemed uneasy, not wanting to enter his cell again but not wanting to upset her either. He knew he should try to snatch the keys and aid his Company's escape, but he could not bring himself to do so. Tauriel placed a hand on his cheek, feeling the bristles brush her hand in a soothing way. Leaning down, she closed her eyes and brushed her lips against his cheek. Her breath was warm against his face, almost reaching his neck. He slightly turned his face, moving his lips towards hers. Instantly, she pulled back. A small laugh escaped her lips, ringing like silver bells, as she moved her fingers onto his lips, tracing their shape smoothly. Abruptly, she opened the door, ushering him inside.
"Losto vae, rest well," She locked his cell and departed from his sight. Kili pressed his face against the bars, savoring every step he could hear her take further away from him.
Translations:
Elvish (Sindarin) Words/Phrases:
"Alae" – Behold
"Losto vae" – Rest well
Dwarvish (Khuzdul) Words/Phrases:
"Lugûn" – The Divines