Four Dwarves in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Elf)

The boat advances steadily on the calm waters of the lake, the weak current barely hindering its progress. The five travelers have divided the workload and agreed on doing shifts in order to be as efficient as possible. They don't have a lot of supplies so they need to find Thorin and the company fast.

Currently Oin is on the prow, directing the way between large ice chunks, Kili and Bofur are rowing and Fili is resting on the stern next to the elf. The two are involved in a quiet conversation. Curious, Bofur listens carefully. He is closer to the conversation participants than anyone else so he can make out most of their words.

Fili is asking the elf a lot of personal questions.

So far he (and Bofur who is eavesdropping) found out that the elf – Tauriel – was born in Mirkwood about six hundred years ago. Her parents perished in an orc raid when she was barely twelve – a very young age by elven standards - and since then the King of Mirkwood took her on as his ward.

"So are you like a princess or something?" Fili seeks to clarify.

"Me?" Tauriel chuckles dryly. "No. I was just raised at the King's court. It is sort of a tradition. Elves don't have children that often nowadays so any elven child is precious to our kind. Families take great care of them and if there is no family left to step up the orphans become the responsibility of the royals."

"Dwarfish families also tend to take care of their kin. Kili and me were raised by our mother," Fili offer by way of a response. "But uncle cared for us a lot, too. He wasn't around much because he was always fighting, scheming, trying to re-conquer and all that… But when he was staying with us in Ered Luin he was telling us of Erebor and teaching us how to fight. We liked having him around even though he was always a bit grumpy."

"So far he doesn't sound like a guy who I am going to hate after having spent but two minutes in his company," Tauriel points out.

Fili explains. "Yes, he was nice to us. But he never married and never raised children. Kili and I are his only nephews. If the dragon didn't kill him and he found…" here he quickly shuts his mouth, presumably not willing to tell the elf about Arkenstone. Probably a wise idea as far as Bofur is concerned. "Never mind. Basically, if he is alive then he is King Beneath the Mountain and we are his only heirs. Forgive me for being blunt but he is not going to like Kili being involved with your kind."

Tauriel takes it surprisingly well. "Yes, I thought so, too. But your brother has a way of… persuasion."

Kili probably doesn't hear this (since they speak in quiet voices). At any rate, no reply comes from him.

"I somewhat envy you," Tauriel admits quietly. "You have a brother. You two seem close. You also have friends."

"Surely you must have someone."

She thinks long and hard and it's a good two minutes before she gives a reply. "No, not really. I suppose Legolas was always around but he didn't understand me that well. No one did."

Suddenly Bofur gets it – why she fell for Kili in a short few weeks, why she left her home, why she is following them now. The elf is lonely. Kili is probably her first friend. First person who listened. First person who said they felt the same.

This is a little too sad to be thinking of.

Bofur tunes out from the conversation and eyes the silhouette of the Lonely Mountain instead. It is beautiful – tall and highlighted by the setting sun, looking more like a volcano dressed in golden fire. Many of their kind would give a lot to see the sight.

His thoughts wander back to Tauriel nevertheless.

Sucks to be immortal if you are alone.

When the current becomes a force to be reckoned with the travelers decide to abandon the boat and continue on foot. Their load is light – limited selection of weapons and some lambas which Tauriel still has – so they should be able to cover the distance in a day even though Kili still limps as he walks.

There is a half an hour break before they set off. Fili ventures into the thick bushes and Bofur follows, impatient to clarify a few things he witnessed on the boat.

"What was that?" he asks without much introduction.

"What was what?" a puzzled Fili retorts.

"What are you doing with the elf, being all nice to her, asking her question?" clarifies Bofur. "You said she shouldn't come with us. Why a change of heart?"

"Well, she did come in the end. And Kili seems pretty serious about her. Look, I'm just trying to get to know her. She seems decent, even for an elf. And you never know – she might be my sister-in-law one day."

Fili is visibly uncomfortable with this idea although bless him – he is trying his best.

Bofur chokes on this. "Are you kidding me? They just met!"

"But did you hear the whole she walks in starlight in another world nonsense?" Bofur nods. "I'm telling you, he is smitten! And if she will have him he will definitely have her."

Bofur raises one eyebrow. "I get that she saved him a lot. But marriage? To an elf, of all things..."

Fili shrugs his shoulders. "Aye, this is Kili we are talking about. He is full of surprises. I think he thrives on it."

"But surely Thorin and your mother would object and he'd have to drop it. Kili adores Thorin!"

"Yes, Thorin is quite a father-figure in his eyes, but you don't know Kili like I do. If he wants something, he gets it," Fili says with conviction. "You know he wanted to be on this quest but mother wouldn't let him join? Said he was too young and reckless and would definitely get killed."

"Well, your mother wasn't far from the truth," Bofur mutters, "he did nearly get himself killed three times in a row. So how come he is here with us if Dis wanted him to stay home?"

"He pretended that that he had been persuaded and said he would stay. Mother was of course happy. The night before I left to join with the others the three of us had farewell dinner and he behaved so naturally. Gave me a big bear-hug and said he'd miss me a lot. I set off…" Fili sighs, "I set off and three hours later he caught up with me, all equipped for a long journey. Said he had left mother a note with an apology. Apparently also wrote that it was "time to be a man" or something."

"And Dis let it slide?"

Fili snorts. "My mother? Let it slide? You don't know my mother. She caught up with us, gave Kili a good beating and urged him to come home. But still he would not listen. Then she cried, made him promise to return to her and gave him the runestone."

Bofur is a little shocked and doesn't quite know what to say to this. So he reverts to the original topic at hand.

"But either way, the elf would not have him," he proclaims with conviction.

Fili furrows his eyebrows. "Well, I'm not so sure."

Bofur gives him a quizzical look. "Why? Did she tell you something?"

"No," Fili admits, "But she seems to like my brother enough to have left Mirkwood and chase a pack of orcs for miles. And where can she go anyway? She deserted her King, she will not be able to live with the woodland elves anymore."

"But it's weird!"

"Things happen, elves marry humans…" Fili points out. "Don't see why they can't marry us."

To that Bofur has nothing to say. Dwarves are better than humans, let alone elves. Everyone knows that. Really, any elf would be lucky to catch a dwarf.

Tauriel should be proud.

The walk through the woods is not easy. There is no clear path and one has to climb over fallen trees a bit too much for Bofur's liking. On the bright side, there are no spiders and so he doesn't complain. Nevertheless, everyone is relieved when they finally make it into the open country.

There are ridges to climb over but the Lonely Mountain has never been closer. Bofur would swear it draws them nearer, calls them home. They should be tired but his feet feel remarkably light.

Tauriel, on the other hand, is not inspired by the sight of Erebor. In fact, she no longer seems so sure of herself. Kili and her walk just behind Bofur and again he can make out the conversation.

"What if your uncle doesn't let me stay?" asks the elf.

"He will," Kili couldn't sound more confident even if he tried. "He would rather gain a niece then lose a nephew."

But his fair lady is not convinced. And neither is Bofur.

"Nevertheless, what if he doesn't let me stay?" she says, this time more forcefully.

"Well then I don't stay either."

Sometimes Bofur wonders if it is Kili's simplicity that makes the others call him reckless. With Kili, life is always straightforward and there is an obvious solution. We need to kill a dragon? – Well, Gandalf will do it for us, he must have killed many. I need to win a girl over? – Let me invite her to search my pants. Thorin Oakenshield hates elves and will kick my elf lover out (if not shoot her on sight)? – I will just go with her, it will be romantic.

Tauriel responds to that with a curt "Hnn". She is probably thinking similarly to Bofur. At least she is the sensible one in their relationship.

On the other hand…

Some prisoner just made a sexual joke to me? – Let me respond in kind. I am a well-respected captain of the guards and I have the Elven King's trust and respect? – Let me leave it all behind and follow some handsome dwarven lad I barely know. Fili has thoughtfully warned me about Torin and his temper? - I'm not scared of Thorin, into the viper's nest we go.

Bofur smiles into his mustache. Perhaps they are meant to be together.

They don't know where the entrance is but this proves to be unnecessary. A patrol – led by Thorin himself – discovers them before they can attempt a proper search.

The dwarves are happy to see their friends alive and so are Dwalin and Nori, but King under the Mountain is an entirely different matter. Something akin to a smile shines on his lips for a split second as he looks at Fili and Kili but his mouth presses into a thin line when he looks at Tauriel. The poor elf attempt to return his intense gaze and she holds rather well, the poor girl, but her natural advantage of being taller is somewhat negated by the intensity of disdain in Thorin's eyes.

"She is with me," Kili says pointedly. "She is on our side. She let us escape, remember?"

Kind under the Mountain looks darker and darker with every word. But he doesn't chase the elf away.

"Birds brought me the most distressing news," he says, finally taking his gaze off Tauriel. "People will come after our gold. So will elves."

Oin gasps.

"You came right on time. I've sent for Dain and his army but soon enough I will need every sword. Those freeloaders will not take what's ours. I count on your loyalty like I have always counted on it and I know I'm not mistaken in doing so."

"We are with you, uncle," says Fili.

"We are with you," Bofur repeats, "and so are our swords."

Thorin seems to lighten up at that. "Glad to see you well," he even says to Kili and places his big hand on his nephew's shoulder. "Come, all of you," he adds as he begins to walk away.

No one tells Thorin who made Kili well again. It is neither the time, nor the place.

Bofur walks with everyone towards the once majestic gates of Erebor, wondering how long it will take Thorin to explode.

Things are about to get interesting, if a little dangerous.

Author's notes:

Guess who is back from the holiday… and right into exam prep time Eh, updates will be slower but they will happen. Thorin's reaction coming in the next chapter. I'm looking forward to it but Tauriel isn't. Big thanks to everyone sticking around!