Tauriel POV
The days passed quickly as we continued our journey. I was pleased to see Dwalin finally warming up to my assistance after leading them through Mirkwood safely. It was strangely comforting to see the forest again. Since I left Thranduil on good terms, the trees no longer seemed like a prison. We left Beorn the morning after he allowed us to rest in his home. I have been fighting with several conflicting feelings ever since my talk with Fili. I prayed that it did not show, but I sensed that Kili had noticed my strange behavior. The air between us was filled with an awkward sense when I spoke with him and I was tired of it. I was happy to have Fili's blessing on the matter, but he had forced a whole group of feelings forward before I was ready for them.
We had camped at the base of the Misty Mountains for the night before we crossed the mountain path. After a few of the dwarves began to wake, I ventured around the area to allow them time to dress. It felt childish, but I was filled with excitement every path we took. I felt as if I were looking at the world for the first time as I came across new rivers, trees and land. I allowed the beauty of the world to fill my senses and for a moment it washed away the discomfort I have been struggling with. When I felt that I spent too much time away from the group, I turned back to rejoin them.
When I reached our camp, the fire was dwindling and there was no sign of the dwarves. A momentary panic that they had left crossed my mind but then I noticed the ponies were still tied up to the trees surrounding our camp. Shortly after I arrived, Gandalf came walking through the trees.
"Ah, Tauriel," he acknowledged me. "It is a fine morning."
"Yes it is," I agreed. I scouted the area once more. "Where is the rest of the company?"
"I was rather hoping you would know."
I nervously shook my head, feeling that I had failed in my duties to watch out for them. Just then we heard laughter coming from a small pond nearby. After glancing at each other, I followed the wizard to investigate the noise.
"Those dwarves should know better than to wander off, we have much ground to cover before… Oh my!" He stopped so quickly as we reached the pond that I nearly ran into him. I followed his gaze and a gasp escaped my lips. They were bathing. I quickly turned away from the sight but my elven eyes saw far more than I wished.
"What on earth are you doing?" Gandalf scolded the crew. "We must get going, I told you all we would be leaving at sunrise!"
"Lighten up Gandalf, do you really want to deal with the smell any longer?" I could hear Bofur say before they all began laughing. "There's a storm coming, we had to get it done before it hits."
"Bilbo, you are turning blue," Gandalf groaned from beside me.
"I'm alright," I heard the hobbit say but his voice was shaky from the cold water. A twig snapped and I glanced up to find another dwarf walking to the pond. Thankfully, this one was fully clothed. Kili offered me a smile and continued walking towards us.
"Hey, what are you all…. Oh my Lord!" he shouted when he came upon the scene. "What is wrong with you guys!"
"Hey brother! Get your smelly arse over here, we need one more for a game of chicken," Fili shouted from the pond. My eyes remained focused away from the scene in the water.
"I bathed last night, in the privacy of the night!"
"What fun is that?" More laughter erupted. Kili's face was comically uncomfortable. If I had not been so embarrassed, I would have smirked at the stuttering dwarf.
"We have a lady present!" His hands gestured to me.
"She can join in, Bilbo be the elf's partner." Kili's head fell into his hands and he let out a frustrated groan.
"I'm going to make breakfast," he turned to walk away and I was quick to follow. Gandalf remained at the pond to finish scolding the dwarves.
We walked quietly back to the camp, both too embarrassed to speak. Which I found interesting, considering one of the first conversations that he had with me was when he asked for me to search him. He cleared his throat and stuttered through an apology.
"I'm sorry. They, uh, aren't used to, well… feminine company." He threw some logs on the fire.
"And you are?" I raised a brow. I expected him to continue his nervous chatter but instead he smiled wickedly.
"Is that jealousy I hear, milady?" I playfully glared at the dwarf. Gandalf reached us, muttering unflattering words about dwarves.
"Blasted dwarves! Stubborn, pigheaded, irresponsible little…"
"Hey! Dwarf right here, making breakfast!" Kili pointed out. Gandalf ignored him and angrily began preparing his horse for the day. Kili went back to cooking and I kneeled near the fire to assist him. He began chuckling and I tried to find what he found funny.
"Why do you laugh?" I asked him. He then glanced at me with a devilish smile.
"For the record, I am not that hairy."
Kili POV
The day began slowly after the whole bathing incident, but we were on our way through the mountains in no time. Tauriel still hadn't said much but I thought it best to leave her alone for a while. She had already grown distant over the past few days, much to my dismay. After leaving Beorn's home, I had tried starting conversations with the elf numerous times but she always seemed distracted. Then I made matters worst this morning by assuring her that my chest was not as hairy as the others. Although, seeing her comical expression was worth the temporary distance.
The mountain pass was a narrow road. I would have felt safer on the back of a ram, but the ponies tread along faithfully. Unfortunately, the trip was cut short long before the sun fell. The clouds took control of the sky and the mountains began getting blasted with snow. We walked as far as we could until the blizzard became too much for the ponies to handle. The steep cliffs were becoming dangerous so we sought shelter as soon as we could.
"How about there?" Ori shouted from his pony. We all followed his gaze to find a cave up ahead. I became nervous, remembering what happened the last time we took refuge in the caves of these mountains.
"Tread carefully everyone," Gandalf dismounted from his horse. "Fili, Kili, Dwalin. Search the cave, we will stand guard."
Fili and Dwalin were quick to slide off their ponies. I glanced at Tauriel without thinking to find her nervously watching me. I slid down from my pony and turned to follow my brother as we crept to the cave. I was nervous, considering the last time Fili and I were sent to investigate ended with both of us in dire situations. Regardless we followed the wizard's orders and slowly entered the cave. We saw nothing in the entrance, but the cave darkened quickly so we lit a few torches to investigate further.
"Anything?" I heard Dwalin ask as we split to search.
"Nothing but dirt and rock," Fili replied. It wasn't a large cave but our thorough search took several minutes to complete. We were tired of being ambushed and we wouldn't let it happen tonight. "Dwalin, wave them in. There is nothing here."
In no time the others filed in, now covered in snow from waiting outside. Poor little Bilbo was shivering as he guided his pony into the cave. No one had been prepared for the sudden snowfall, especially a blizzard's worth. Tauriel entered with both her horse and my pony following. Luckily the cave was large enough to comfortably fit the large animals. After getting everybody settled in the cave, we all gathered closely around the fire to keep warm. Since the weather had cut our day short, I pulled out some wood from my pack and began carving as the others conversed amongst themselves.
"What are you making?" Bilbo asked from beside me. He was snuggled in a blanket to keep himself warm.
"A bow," I playfully narrowed my eyes at Tauriel. "A certain captain of the Mirkwood guard took my old one."
"Perhaps we can bargain with Thranduil on our way back for the return of your items," she offered.
"No need, this will be done by the time we make it home." I returned to my carving.
"Why don't you just wait until we get to the Blue Mountains and grab one of your old ones?" Fili told me.
"I left those bows for a reason, I outgrew them." I stated simply.
"We are going to the Blue Mountains?" Bilbo asked.
"We are going, after you are safely delivered home." Bofur explained. "The caravan could not carry everything so we must retrieve what was left."
"Wouldn't the Shire be on the way back? Can't I come?" Bilbo nearly begged.
"Here I thought you would be happy to be rid of us!" Bofur chuckled at the hobbit.
We all froze as a wail sounded from outside of the cave. Everyone stiffened and looked to the entrance of the cave. When a second shriek sounded we all reached for our weapons. Fili took the initiative to investigate and slowly crept to the entrance. The rest of us quickly put out the fire and prepared for an attack. Fili made it to the entrance and carefully glanced outside.
"Orcs," Fili growled. "We're surrounded."
Tauriel POV
I drew my daggers and we all prepared for an attack. Fili stood at the head of the cavern to observe the enemy's position. By some miracle, the orcs had not realized we were here.
"There aren't many, we can take them." Dwalin was eager for a fight. I however, have had enough fighting in the past couple months to last me a liftetime. Yet the idea of allowing orcs to roam freely did not sit well with me.
"We are in the mountains, there could be more," the wizard grumbled.
"What are we to do, let them pass unharmed?" The old dwarf argued.
"I simply mean that we must tread carefully."
The cave was dark now that the fire had been extinguished, but I could feel a warm figure sneak beside me. I looked to find Kili, outlined from the light outside. He met my eyes for just a moment, but his expression told me that we would be fighting together. Unsure if it was the sudden adrenaline rising from the anticipation of a fight or if it was the fear of the worst outcome, whatever the reason was I boldly reached for his hand in the dark. He gratefully slipped his fingers around mine as we listened to Fili devise a plan of attack.
"Bilbo you stay with Kili and Tauriel, protect the ponies. When we get in position, light a fire. You'll draw them in and we'll cut them off before they even reach you."
I could feel Kili tense beside me. "Are you sure splitting up is such a good idea?"
"It is a viable plan master Kili," Gandalf whispered. "Come now, let us get rid of the filth quickly and quietly."
One by one, they snuck quietly from the cave. The snowfall was so intense that the orcs did not see any movement. I hoped they would be able to see the fire. Bilbo waited at the entrance and watched them scurry to their positions.
"I think they are ready, shall we start…" he turned to us. His eyes were wide when he saw us. I quickly released Kili's hand when I noticed that was where the hobbit's gaze had fallen. Embarrassed, I turned to begin working on the fire. Bilbo stuttered a few words but thankfully said nothing regarding the contact between Kili and I. They took up a defensive stance beside me as I fed the fire. When I felt it was large enough I stood and together we moved to a dark portion of the cave. If any got through, they would not see us coming. The ponies shifted nervously from the back of the cave but they did not bolt.
Shrieks from the orcs told us that the others had begun their attack. Kili shifted anxiously beside us. I sensed that he was uncomfortable sitting on the side whilst his brother was out there fighting.
"We should help them," he said.
"The weather clouds their vision, we can see better from in here," I explained. "If anything else comes, we'll be able to warn them."
He was reluctant, but he nodded and remained beside me. We could make out the shapes of the dwarves and the wizard as they cut down everything in their path. All seemed to be going well, until behind us came a roar of hooves. We quickly turned to find the ponies had grown too nervous to remain trapped in the cave. We dodged the herd, knowing there would be no stopping the stampede as they rushed outside. Bilbo had fallen down so Kili went to him after the animals were gone to help him to his feet.
"What was that about?" the hobbit grunted. Kili helped him over to the fire so he could check on his wounds.
"I do not know," I replied. I walked to the back to investigate, even though we had gone through the cave several times. As I suspected, there was nothing there. I turned to look at the hobbit. "The battle must have frightened them."
Just then a crash came from behind me and I felt a fierce pain across my side. I shrieked involuntarily and turned to defend myself.
"Tauriel!" I heard Kili's shout, but my focus was upon the orc that had somehow made it into the caverns. I angrily slashed at the beast and within moments he fell to the ground lifeless. How did he get in here? My thoughts were interrupted as my side burned with an unusual pain. I covered it with my palm and when I removed it I found it covered in blood. "You're hurt!"
Kili stood beside me with a wide gaze.
"I am fine," I said through clenched teeth. I could not understand why the pain was so fierce. I have been cut before but never has it felt like this. As the other two began searching the cave once more, I leaned down to pick up the orc's weapon. The blade did not appear unusual but after I ran a finger along the smooth side of the blade I felt a sticky substance coat my skin. I dropped it quickly when I realized the blade was coated with a poison and wiped my finger clean. I decided not to dwell on the matter. Most ordinary poisons would have little to no effect on elvish blood. I suspected the burning that I felt would be the worst.
"We were watching the entrance how did…" Bilbo questioned until we heard growling from above. We glanced up to find the opening of a tunnel directly above us and within it we could hear several heavy footsteps rushing our way.
"Move!" I ordered the hobbit. He hopped out of the way just seconds before bodies of orcs began jumping down to attack. Kili was quick to take down the first couple but more leaped down to our level. I cut one down but the pain in my side was spreading through my entire body. Fighting became more and more difficult with every swipe. I am an elf! I will not be taken by a foolish poison!
We cut every single orc down that leap into the cave. By the time they stopped coming I was entirely exhausted. My legs failed me and I fell to my knees clutching my side. Kili moved to stand beside me.
"Here, let me…" He was cut off as we heard a rumble from within the cave. I looked at Bilbo who looked just as confused as I was. Kili on the other hand, looked utterly terrified. "Run! Cave in!"
He tried to get me to my feet, but before we had time to move, stone began falling everywhere around us. The light from the entrance faded quickly and Kili forced me to my feet.
"We have to go up, Bilbo! Come on," he grabbed the hobbit and pushed him up through the tunnel up above. He then reached for me and before I could argue that he should go first, he lifted me up enough to grab the hobbit's hand. I pulled myself up and we both turned to help Kili.
"Hold my feet," Bilbo ordered. I held him as he reached for the dwarf. Kili took a few steps back to get a running start. The rock was filling the cave below and an unbearable fear crept into my mind that he would not make it. He jumped for the hobbits hands and once I felt the extra weight I began to pull them up. My body screamed with pain but the fear of losing him was fierce enough to get them both up. We all fell backward as the cavern beneath us was no more. The rumbling began to settle and when I was certain of our safety I laid my head back to allow a moments rest. We all breathed heavily in the quiet tunnel.
"What do we do?" The frightened little hobbit asked. "We're trapped!"
Review Replies
Thanwen - Glad you enjoyed the chapter! There was nothing behind Kili's sleepy muttering, just my odd sense of humor that I enjoy throwing in here and there. This is my very first Hobbit story so I've never written Gandalf before but I'm glad to hear that he is sounding good!
Kat – Here you are, thanks for reading!
Awesomebri66 – Lol! That thought did actually cross my mind , thanks for reading!
Oud – Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the adoptive big brother role!
Mfaerie32 – Darn straight! Lol thanks for reading! Review2 – I hear ya, I want to say that there will be Figrid references coming up in approximately 3 chapters but I'm not entirely certain yet :) Regardless, they are coming yay!
MidnightTales357 – Thank you very much, thanks for reading! I will give it a look as soon as I can :)
Art of Words – lol gotta love big brother Fili! Thanks for reading!
Celebrisilweth – The golden lion indeed, thanks for reading!
Hobbitpony1 – Aw thank you!
Woodelfjedi – Lovely, I appreciate you pointing it out! Keep me in line if I go way out of character lol Glad you liked the chapter, thanks very much for the support!
ViViolence – Thanks!
