Kiliel story recommendations:Under a Sky Full of Stars by ishkaqwiaidurugnul, an epic story with a lot of humor, and A Path That's Already Known (complete) by Ireth Melwasul, a heart-wrenchingly gorgeous story with great writing.

Enjoy!


Chapter 7

Now

You cannot be her…

She dances through the starry skies, the starlight lacing through her being as she twirls and twirls endlessly in the canopy of black.

She is far away, far, far away from me…

Through her closed eyes she sees him holding out his hand to her, but the moment she takes it, they burn.

She walks in starlight in another world.

A white, blinding glow— the stars are burning them. She sees him yell, fall from the heavens, a torch of blazing light… burning the way their hearts burn for each other…

It was just a dream...

A scream rips at her throat but she cannot move. She can just watch him burn in agony, dying… dying… dead.

Do you think she could have loved me?

"Kili!" Tauriel's eyes snap open, the echo of his name resounding throughout the dark woods. It takes her a moment to remember where she is, to take heed that it was just a dream.

She stands up shakily, making haste to the stream nearby. She splashes water onto her face, wiping away the rivulets of caked tears on her cheeks. She concentrates on the feeling of freshness, and the rays of the moon lighting up the forest. But she does not look up at the stars. At least not tonight.

It is a long while before she finally looks up at them again.

It goes on and on, the nightmares refuse to give her any relief. The sunlight of the days seems colder than the glow of the stars. Her tears are pushed roughly away, but no comfort reaches her heart.

At night she sees him dying, over and over again: reviving the battle of Ravenhill, seeing him burn like a moon of fire. In the days, delirium seems to take over her, and she sees him in the shadows beneath the trees, out of her reach. But despite her shattered heart, she is still Tauriel, daughter of the forest, and she knows better than to follow a vision conjured up by her grieving mind.

Would it be too sinful, to wish for her own death?

On the seventh day, when the pain is far too much to be able to stand it, she makes her decision. Instead of heading back to Mirkwood, the elven maid gathers up her things and mounts Allyssae, hitching up her reins and galloping day and night without rest.

She arrives at the forest before dawn. Remembering the quote, the night is darkest right before dawn, a slimmer, a spark of a feeling she dares not say in case it fades, lights up in her breast. Leaving her horse tied up, she ventures into the dark, quiet forest— so very different from the woods near her home of Mirkwood.

Almost upon entering the foliage, she sees the silver radiance in the distance. Her pace automatically speeds up, the light serving as a guidance. Intensifying each second, that unnamed feeling in her chest expands considerably with every step, dominating all of her fear, anxiety, and concern.

She finally halts to a stop as Lady Galadriel comes properly into view.

Glowing like the daylight, golden hair spilling towards her waist, Tauriel feels her resolve draining. Hidden in the dark of a towering tree, she clutches her dwarf prince's last gift in an instinctive gesture, her thumb caressing the smooth, marble surface.

"I know you are there, Tauriel. You do not need to hide from me."

The elf maiden gives a sharp intake of breath, hastily stowing the blue rock in her pocket.

"Come out, young one, do not linger in the shadows." Sweet, melodious, enticing even; the tone seems to enchant Tauriel into obeying. Her feet move of their own accord, stepping away from the thick foliage to face the surreal woman, her lips speaking before she can stop them.

"How did you do it?"

"Do what, dear one?" Galadriel asks, surveying her with the same compassion she showed on their first encounter.

Tauriel closes her eyes, making an effort to remain calm. She took the decision to go looking for the Lady of the Forest, backing down is not a possibility now.

"How did you get over it? Over the death of your beloved?" She says, her voice faltering.

"Time." Comes the replies with a kind smile.

"Time?"

"Yes, time."

"What do you mean?"

"We are elves, Tauriel. We have plenty of time; just let it pass, and the pain will diminish."

At these words, the impulse to throw herself at the woman's feet and cry her heart out becomes too great; fearing this, she does not allow herself to reply.

"You are still young, my dear. Give time, time."

She has to say it. "Please, milady, I cannot." She must say it. She must.

Tauriel takes a deep breath, pushing the question out of her lips. "Have I been so evil as to love a dwarf that I have to live the rest of my days alone? Did I really commit a crime in following my feelings for him?"

"I said it on our last conversation, and I will say it again: the affairs of the heart are not something we are in control of."

"Then can I not get one more chance?" Her green eyes fill with that same emotion, small but strong, pleading to be called by its name. Hope.

"Is it not possible?"

The great lady steps closer, brushing her hand against Tauriel's cheek in a feathery caress.

"I wish it could be that way. But it is not." As she speaks, the younger elf maid feels her heart sink horribly; it takes all of her resolve to steady her voice and control her composure.

"But you are the Lady of the Forest—"

"Tauriel, you must believe when I tell you I cannot bring him back. If I had the means to do so, I would have died eons ago, trading my immortality for the love of a mortal man."

"Please milady, I will do anything to get him back." The maiden replies, refusing to let her voice tremble.

"I am sorry Tauriel. But those are boundaries my magic cannot cross. And even if they could, I would not let you do it. The price of it is too steep."

Those are boundaries my magic cannot cross

The words resonate in her mind endlessly as they plant a seed inside of her. It grows roots, flourishes and thrives and melds slowly into a solution. Truly, the elf maiden is prepared to do anything to see Kili's intense eyes, the smirk on his face, his lips reaching to her— at least one more time. Her next words are spoken without meeting the other woman's gaze.

"Thank you milady, for your time. I hope you are right and this pain will pass soon." With a low courtesy, Tauriel turns away, her pace slow until she reaches the outside of the forest.

There was a time when she treated the story of Beren and Luthien with distaste and even aversion, thinking it ridiculous. How could Luthien let her beloved Beren risk his life simply because her father did not think him worthy? And how could Beren have accepted the almost impossible task so he could marry Luthien?

Kili once told her that it was because there would not be a story to tell, a legend to remember, had it happened differently. But now Tauriel realizes how powerful the story actually is. She now understands why Beren had accepted the task that was sure to take his life.

Love is, indeed, a cruel thing. Beautiful, yes, but incredibly cruel. Maybe that cruelty is what makes it beautiful. It drives you mad, insane, controls your thoughts and action. But once you are in it, you cannot go back.

"Why does it hurt so much?" She had cried.

"Because it was real." Was the answer.

It was real. It still is. And she is going to do everything in her power to change the past tense to the present tense. She knows that Middle Earth holds secrets that nobody has yet found out about. And she knows it also holds magic that most do not dare evoke. But sometimes, it is worth it.

She knows what to do.


Author's note: What do you think she will do? I know it was not very good, but it was a necessary chapter. It will be the last boring Now chapter! The next one will finally pick up the pace… Love it? Hate it? Please tell me, hearing from all of you is amazing!

Shoutouts. A million thanks and cupcakes and brownies to my lovely, beautiful, amazing reviewers: HighGuardian, LadyKestrelTrajan, The Wild West Pyro, LadyBardock, KessiKat89, Celebrisilweth, Takokusha, Skye, degrassigirlchic, and all of the guests!

You make my day!