The stars were clearer in the ocean- he noticed. In the forests, the only way one could see stars is by climbing a tree; but out on the water, he simply had to look up to see the glimmering white lights in the sky, winking at him as the ship sailed further west.
He stretched his arms out before him. The nights were significantly less crowded at sea. The lack of trees and hills made him anxious, but not in a way he could explain. Seeing only waves in each direction made him want to go below deck. He needed walls, he needed boundaries. He needed the foliage of the forests and the buildings to sleep in. The thought that the waves went on forever, meeting only each other on an endless journey, made him nervous in a way he could not comprehend.
"My Lord," A low voice started out, he turned.
"Tauriel," he greeted with a nod. "You are aware that my name is Legolas, and you may call me by it?"
"Yes, my Lord." She said with a small smirk, and he returned it.
"Why are you awake at this time?" he asked, though he felt as if he knew the answer already.
Tauriel wrested her elbows on the railing, staring up at the not-so-black sky. She smiled. "The starlight."
The elf prince nodded to himself, returning his gaze to the water before him.
"We only have a few weeks left at sea," she said.
"I know," Legolas responded. "And I am gladdened by it, though you are not."
"Perhaps it's time I become a sailor," she said. "Your father could always build a navy."
"You will be the one to take that up with him," he responded, "I would much rather defend the forest."
She smiled softly. "I know you would."
A quietness occurred between them as one stared at the sky and the other at the sea. Legolas enjoyed his meetings with Tauriel. She was the closest thing he had ever had to a friend. There would always be a distance between them, her being in a significantly lower position than him, but he knew that regardless of this they could remain together- if only as comrades.
"Sir," a voice behind them interrupted his thoughts. He turned to see the ship's captain, Alosrin, staring at him with his remarkably brown eyes.
"What is it?" Legolas asked.
"The passenger that Mithrandir left with us- the dwarf- he's awoken."
The Company was a well-built ship, if even a little clunky. The sails were large and steady against the wind, and the dark wood that supported them was very pleasing to the eye. It was a little known fact that dwarves valued aesthetics just as much as elves.
The waves were calm that day, making the crew sluggish and tired for seemingly no reason. Oin napped below deck as Ori read to himself. Bofur smoked without a word as he leaned against the wheel. Nori's snores from the lookout could be heard all the way from the deck. Thorin was nowhere to be seen, though Belle suspected he was in his cabin, likely counseling with Balin as he usually did when the days were slow.
It must have been as hot as any summer she had witnessed that day, and the crew showed it with their reddened faces and slow movements. Belle had discarded her skirt long ago, favoring the undergarments she wore beneath. The chestnut trousers were much easier to move about in than her previous attire, and to her relief, the dwarves didn't look twice at her, either not noticing or too tired to care. Belle was grateful for it; her aunt would have clobbered her for going out in her underclothes.
Fili was sharpening a dagger near the bow, looking sweaty but relaxed in the midday sun. She decided to join him, having little else to do, and with a hesitant grin she greeted him, coming to sit at his side.
"It certainly is quiet today," she remarked, watching as Fili's arm moved back and forth with every drag of the sharpening stone.
"There are always days like this," he said, "A life at sea is a good one, but not for the impatient. "
That was true at least, Belle thought, pushing her hair away from her eyes and heaving a deep sigh.
"I'm terribly excited to reach the island," she said.
He gave her a raised eyebrow, "Did you not hear what I just said?"
She laughed, feeling her heart lighten when he laughed with her. The sun seemed to dance in their eyes, and in that moment she determined that she would help him find peace before she left.
It was the least she could do.
Ori felt the corners of his lips turn up at the sound of Belle and Fili's laughter. It was good to see the mood lighten on the ship. The tension had been so heavy and the air so thick that he wondered if things would ever return to normal, even after Belle left. Who could have guessed that on a day as monotonous as this that life would take a turn for the better?
His quill began to outline the rounded features of Belle's face, and then the mellow curls that framed it. He sighed as he continued to draw. It was good to have a new face to model, and one without a beard would be exceptionally challenging.
The quill fell into the spine of the book as he heard someone call his name- likely Dori. With the shake of a head he packed it away, promising himself to finish another day.
Kili did not know what to expect when he woke up. Thorin? Mahal? He wasn't sure which one he preferred over the other.
What he didn't expect was a thin, pointed face with peculiarly arched eyebrows, and auburn colored eyes beneath them. He heard a deep voice mutter something at his left, and craned to see another face, this one pale and chiseled, with thick eyebrows and pasty blue eyes.
"What-" he started, but someone cut him off in an unfamiliar tongue. It was the darker eyed elf-
He swallowed. Elf.
Laying still, he watched as the two exchanged words he did not know, before looking at him skeptically. He said nothing, keeping a straight face through it all. Meanwhile, his mind raced, looking for any avenue of escape.
But he couldn't, not yet. He still didn't know where he was.
"Tauriel, come." Said the blonde, and the two left him and began up the stairs towards the edge of the room. Kili laid still as another elf came to put water at the table beside his bed. A plate of various breads and fruits accompanied it. The dwarf said nothing, waiting until the elf left and the room was silent to eat, all the while hatching his plan of escape.
Tauriel was a light sleeper, something she would thank herself for later as she heard footsteps above deck. These were not familiar though, as they carried a specific balance to them, a heavy weight that she could not place with any other elf on this ship.
Glancing at Legolas, who was fast asleep in the bed opposite of hers, she made her way onto the deck, being sure to skip the step that squeaked.
Her eyes scanned each direction, looking for the strangers who those steps belonged to. A movement caught her eye towards the bow as someone slipped behind a stack of crates. Moving quickly, yet keeping her steps silent, she soon found herself staring at something peculiar.
It was the dwarf from earlier, he still wore the same rags and his hair was still a mess. She watched as he looked out over the expanse of the waves, rubbing the back of his head. He stood then, and was just about to lean over the railing when she grabbed him by the collar and flung him back violently.
He let out a curse. "What do you think you're doing, elf?" he questioned, dark eyes meeting hers.
"You were about to leave the ship," she said, "And not in a particularly intelligent way."
"I had it under control," he spat, getting to his feet.
"Where would you have gone?" she asked, hand on hip.
"Anywhere to get away from your people," he sneered, before dusting off his trousers. "Why am I here?"
"We are taking you to Mirkwood."
He lowered his gaze, "If this is a cruel trick-"
"It is not." Legolas's voice rose from their left; and both turned. "We know of your dealings with Thorin Oakenshield, and we know of your crimes against our kingdom. You will be going to trial."
Immediately he took off running, dodging the arm the Legolas shot out to grab him. Sprinting up the stairs to the captain's deck, Tauriel caught him from the right, and with a knee to his chest and a hand on each wrist, successfully pinned the dwarf down.
"Tie him up," Legolas ordered. By now several elves had emerged on deck.
The dwarf glared at her. There was a hate which she had never seen before that flared in his eyes as the others pulled him away. Something was off.
Legolas put a hand on her arm, perhaps feeling the strangeness as well. Tauriel could not tell what it was however.
She looked down at her hands, they were shaking.
Belle found it difficult to sleep at night, what with the snoring dwarves and the uncomfortable heat that burdened those below deck. She decided to wander again that night, and upon arriving into the midnight air, she found herself face to face with the ship's captain.
"It's rather late," he said, his eyebrows pulled down towards each other.
"It is," she agreed, side stepping so as to have more room behind her.
"Is there any particular reason you're awake?" he asked.
"Your crew snores," she said without much forethought.
Thorin paused, and then the tension in his features lessened. He looked up at her, a silent apology for his suspicion in his eyes. "Did you expect anything else, Miss Belle?"
"I would be mad to do so," she said, a small, apprehensive smile gracing her features.
His eyes remained in hers for the moment, and Belle felt something strange, as if her heart had twitched.
"Y-you cannot sleep either, I presume?" she questioned, hating the nervous tone her voice held.
"I rarely can, of late." he said. His gaze left hers and traveled to the floor. An overwhelming sense of guilt overflowed in her as memories of a stormy sea, a dark haired dwarf, and an older, pensive one came over her.
"Would-" she stopped. No, she should not ask it.
"What?" the captain asked quietly.
Belle hesitated. "Would you talk of it with me?" she knew the answer, he most certainly would refuse.
Thorin rubbed one hand over the other, and for several moments he said nothing.
The hobbit nodded to herself. She should have known as much.
"Goodnight, sir." she said, going back to the stairs to head below deck, where she was sure would be much more comfortable than her current setting.
"Miss Belle," he started, and she turned.
His mouth hung open for a long moment before he said: "Goodnight."
Belle nodded to him before venturing down the stairs.
A/N
For those of you who guessed… Kili is still alive! Pat yourselves on the back!
Still a little unsure of whether to do Thorin/Belle or Fili/Belle. Any input?
Oh yes, and a little disclaimer! If you're a Kiliel fan…forgive me…
I am a huge Tolkien fan, I've read every bit of Tolkien I could get my hands on. I strongly support canon, even in AU's. It was extremely difficult for me to accept Tauriel's character at all, as well as all of the changes Jackson implemented. I understand why they were put in for movies sake, but since this is a fic, some things will be altered.
I'm going to write Tauriel as I felt she should have been in the Hobbit. This means:
-If there is a romance with Kili, it will be EXTREMELY slow building. It's just a fact that elves hate dwarves and vice versa (I could totally go into a Middle-earth history rant to explain why, if anyone wants). It took Legolas and Gimli years to become bffs, so any relationship between Kili and Tauriel would take a loooong while to develop into anything more than a grudging friendship.
-There will not be any "betray my own people to help a dwarf I just met" nonsense.
-There will be no "here's my mom's stone that she gave me even though I've only known you for two days tops"
That being said, I think that Tauriel had a lot of potential, ruined by a fast paced unnecessary romance. If she had fallen for Legolas- who she had most likely known for years- it would be different. I just felt like they ruined her by having her fall for a dwarf, at least to the extent that she went back on her own people after only knowing him for a week.
Please don't flame me for this, it's just my opinion. If you want to discuss Tolkien in more depth, feel free to message me. I'd love to answer questions or simply talk!
Let me know how you liked this chapter. Anything I need to put in? Have any ideas for future plot? Should there be any romance with Tauriel? Any advice would be grand.
Also- if you get the chance, go see Avengers: Age of Ultron. It's fantastic.
Until next week!
-Infinityscripts