A/N – Fun chapter ahead – and it's extra long. The river scene is definitely filler, but I couldn't help myself. That scene was just added in the past week, but I think you'll like it.

- xxxx -

"They give her a lower dose during the day," Janis told Kili quickly, when they'd had a moment alone.

Kili nodded to show he understood but said nothing so as not to draw attention. They remained separated during the days, transported in wagons, so there was little time for them to share information.

"I think they don't have enough of the stuff," he continued, his voice low. "They made remarks about how she needs too much."

"Good," Kili replied. If Tauriel had less potion in her system, they had a better chance to escape. "Eat what they give you. Keep up your strength," Kili told him but then the conversation ended, as Arnos returned, giving them a hard shove to warn them to be silent before he handed each one a bowl with their evening meal.

Tauriel was silent, but she held her head high and glared menacingly at the cook as she ate her meal, then took the dreadful elixir under his watchful eye. And, for the third night, as her unwilling sleep overtook her, she leaned heavily against Kili.

For three days they traveled, and each night and morning, Tauriel was forced to take the draught that left her incapacitated. And every night, Kili stayed awake as long as possible, his body wrapped protectively around the elf, to ensure that nobody came near her while she was defenseless. If anyone intended to touch her, they'd have to go through him first, and he fully intended to make it a fight. Though, fortunately, other than Ognar's wretched attempt on the first evening, nobody dared to try.

Had it not been for their predicament, he might have found the nighttime enjoyable – to be so close to her. He found that he loved to watch her unguarded expression as she slept.

But he tried not to dwell on such things. Other women he'd known paled in comparison to this elf. She was deadly perfection and he admired her with every fiber of his being, but she was something well beyond his mere mortal reach. At the moment, she needed his protection, and he wasn't going to take advantage in any way. He wouldn't allow it – not even in his dreams - because to do so would make him little better than their captors.

Perhaps, when this was over and they were safe, he'd allow himself to dream. At least it would be something that might replace the nightmares of his past.

Instead, he looked about the sleeping camp, trying to keep his mind occupied. Two guards were on watch, talking quietly between themselves. The carts and wagons circled around the camp to offer shelter in the open area near the river, snores coming from the interior of the ones that Kili and his companions rode in during the day. The wagon containing their weapons was farthest from him, and sheltering Ognar and two others.

His gaze then moved to the horses, on the far side of the guards, and he identified Agara and her two companions sleeping at the edge of the camp. He could tell the female warrior slept lightly, her weapon by her side, ready for use at the slightest disturbance. Of all Ognar's companions, the exotic woman was the one he most respected and feared.

Finding nothing of use in the camp, he turned to study his bindings in the weak glow of the fire – iron cuffs connected together with a sturdy chain, wide and roughly forged. The chain stretched little more than shoulder width apart, allowing him some movement, but not enough to be very useful- especially when riding in the wagon, when they attached the center of the chain to bolts on the walls, preventing the prisoners from moving about within the moving vehicle.

The lock on each cuff was sturdy. Agara had used a key-like tool to release it, and Kili had been looking about his surroundings for the past two days for something he could use to force it open. He'd had no success.

He slumped in defeat, but then he noticed the hinge on the opposite side.

He understood metalwork, making him wonder if he'd done smithing or forging at some time in his missing past and, as he looked at the item closely, it became clear that the iron was of poor quality – a common problem when simply reshaping random scrap, as these people seemed to do. As he peered more closely at the hinge, he realized that the iron was flawed. A crack had formed near the end and, if pressure could be applied properly, he could possibly break it off completely and remove the pin. He wouldn't need to open the lock because he could pry it open from the other side.

He just needed a simple tool to do so. Simple was possible.

X

They crossed the river the next morning, The waterway was wide, but slow moving and only waist deep, and Kili found himself looking longingly out the small slats of the wagon. It had been days since he'd been able to bathe, and the summer heat inside the wagon was suffocating. He found himself longing for a swim in the cool waters.

At the far bank, he got his wish. The wagons stopped, and he overheard talk of having to fix a wheel. Shortly after, Agara opened the back of his wagon, unlocked his chain from the bolt, and barked a harsh, "Out."

He stepped out into the sun, grateful to take a breath of air and looked at his guard with loathing.

"Move," she ordered, drawing her sword and directing it toward him.

The manacles on his wrists were far enough apart to grant some movement, possibly even enough to use to disarm her but...he paused, quelling the reckless thought as he looked over at the other wagon which contained his two companions. Agara's two female warriors were standing guard next to it and the wagons were in an open area along the river. Even if he did disarm Agara, or kill her in the process, he wouldn't escape far, and the risk of them hurting the others in retribution was great.

Agara grinned wickedly, as if she was able to read his thoughts. "You aren't the first. Don't think us to be stupid."

With a scowl, he trudged out of the wagon, and moved toward where she directed.

"Take off your boots and get in the water. We reach the market tonight and I want you cleaned up."

The market. The place where they were to be sold as slaves. The thought sickened him.

But then, he reminded himself that Tauriel was going to be sent to some king by the sea and his own fate was unknown. If he was sold elsewhere, the three of them would be separated, leaving Tauriel alone and at the mercy of these people. It was not acceptable in his mind, even for only a short time. An opportunity to escape would come, and when it did, he wanted the three of them together.

Agara had said that she was going to deliver Tauriel herself. Therefore, if they couldn't escape before Agara left for the sea kingdom, he needed to find a way to go with them. He needed Agara to either like him or hate him enough to want to bring him along.

"Take off your clothes and wash up," she ordered, tossing him a piece of soap.

Against his will, he smiled at her as she removed his manacles so he could take off his tunic. "My sale price is worth more to you than letting me be miserable, eh?"

"Don't tempt me, Rohan. I could just forgo the sale and kill you right here."

So, hate it would be. He needed her to hate him enough to want to keep him around. "I assure you, there's no desire to tempt you. I prefer women," he said casually as he took off his tunic and dunked it in the water to give it a good rinse, turning his back to her.

"I said clean up," she ordered harshly, not responding to his comment. "That means all of you."

The desire to resist her command was strong, but the need to find relief from the heat and filth overrode his temper. He made sure to move waist deep in the water, pausing long enough to take a few long drinks before removing his trousers beneath the surface, making sure to glare at her the entire time. He was left only in his smallclothes, preserving some amount of dignity as he washed. The water was cool and it felt good to finally rid himself of three days of grime.

He glanced at the other wagon, worrying for his companions in the heat. Surely, they were just as miserable as he had been. He tossed his wet shirt on the bank, surveying the area as unobtrusively as possible. Most of Ognar's company was ahead of them, several working to lift and repair the damaged wagon, although they were shaking their heads. Others were removing goods from the broken wagon to make it easier to repair.

Reluctantly, he tugged on his trousers, knowing his respite in the cool water was coming to an end. That was when Agara motioned to the other wagon.

With relief, he saw that they opened the back and commanded the others out. Any time together out and unshackled was a possible opportunity. Unfortunately, as the guards used long wooden staffs to poke and prod at Janis while he stiffly exited, he could tell that Tauriel was still in no condition to walk, much less defend herself. It tore at Kili to see her stumble as her feet touched the ground, her actions were boneless, almost as if she was extremely drunk.

Just as with Kili, the pair were ordered to remove their boots before going into the river. Kili's eyes darted to Agara and the guards, who were focused on Tauriel's awkward movements. They were happily making cruel jokes at the she-elf's expense, and it made his blood boil.

Janis had to assist the elf with every action, and continued to support her in the water. When they ordered her and Janis to disrobe, Kili could take no more. The younger man's face went pale with embarrassment and shock, and he looked over at Kili for guidance. The guards merely laughed harder.

Kili reached them, putting his hands on Tauriel's waist to steady her. "Turn away and do as they say," he told the blond. "And don't forget to drink as much as you can," he muttered quietly, reminding Janis to try to stay healthy.

The elf heard his words too, and took a shaky drink. "It might help you feel better," he told her, and felt her nod.

"I cannot..." she started to say, her hands at the ties of her garment moving unsteadily as if she were asleep.

"Do you have something underneath?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Can you stand on your own?" he asked.

"No."

It seemed as if she wanted to say more, but her single word answers were slurred, as if it took great effort to say them. It left him with little choice. "Then, let me help you," he said.

She nodded, which left him feeling relieved. He couldn't bear to see her fight and struggle to do this on her own, yet he could tell that accepting help was difficult for her. Her answer, however, made him respect her. Despite her pride, which he knew she had much, she knew when to be practical.

As did he. Unable to resist thinking of what an intimate position they were in, he kept his motions as respectful as possible. Carefully, he undid the fastenings of her tunic, revealing a linen sheath underneath. He turned her to face away from the bank, her back to him to protect her modesty as best he could, as he helped her struggle out of her clothing and then handed her the soap.

He helped her with her hair, keeping his eyes averted, and his thoughts drifted to how, under any other circumstances, the situation would be enjoyable.

He felt more than saw when Janis approached, and handed over Tauriel's clothing. "Can you rinse these?"

"Aye," the lad responded, sounding as uncomfortable as Kili felt.

Just when he was about to help the elf back into her clothing, and began to think that they'd get out of this with a minimum of humiliation, the sounds of Ognar and the others approached. Apparently, the wagon had been repaired, and they found the activity in the river amusing. Kili groaned in dismay as the lude comments and jokes intensified.

"Having all the fun without us, eh?" the seedy leader asked Agara, although the laughter in his voice didn't sound too disappointed.

Agara merely shrugged. "It's not over yet." Then, turning to the three captives, she ordered, "Out. Now."

Kili considered delaying, but the gleam of a dagger in her hand flashed, and she pointed to Janis. Of the three, he was the least valuable, and the hard look in her eyes told Kili that she wouldn't hesitate to harm the lad.

They were deliberately not allowing time for the elf to get back in her clothing. Kili and Janis had donned at least donned their trousers, but Tauriel remained only in her shift, which only fell to mid-thigh, and was quite wet. Kili didn't have to look to know that it likely hid nothing. He stood in front of her, blocking their view, although it didn't stop them from leering anyway.

Tauriel was glaring over her shoulder at the bunch of them, and there was little doubt that she would kill them if she could. But she could barely stand, and there was a significant walk from the relative shelter of the water to the wagon.

Kili turned to her, looking her straight in the eyes, still barely focused, despite the fire that burned behind the green irises.

"Do you trust me?"

The anger dimmed as she diverted her gaze from their captors to him. With utmost conviction, she answered, "Yes."

The affirmation brought a warmth to his body that he couldn't describe, strengthening his resolve. He turned to Janis, noting that the blond still held her wet clothing. "Walk in front of us. Stay close."

Janis nodded, taking a position between Kili and the onlookers. Kili turned, giving her a small, reassuring smile. "I'm sorry," he said, before he reached behind her, placing one hand firmly on her back, and then the other behind her knees. Swiftly, he lifted her out of the water, making sure that the thin sheath she wore covered as much as possible, her long hair dropping back behind her like a curtain. He half expected her to struggle when he picked her up, but she caught on to the plan quickly, turning her body to hide against him and assist as best as she could.

He placed himself behind Janis, putting Tauriel as close between them as possible. "Walk carefully," he said, "I'd rather not trip and give them more entertainment."

Janis nodded, and the three marched out, with Tauriel shielded between the bodies of the two broad men. Initially, there were sounds of laughter and more lude remarks, but then they became sounds of disappointment when the onlookers realized that they'd see nothing of the elf beyond a bare foot and maybe her calf.

It was a huge relief when Kili put her down inside the relative shelter of the wagon.

X

Janis immediately handed Tauriel her clothing inside the wagon, not looking, but still blushing heavily at simply being near a female who was only moderately covered. Despite the circumstances, Kili gave the boy a smile and placed an encouraging hand on his shoulder. The lad had done well. It was a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.

"Put your boots on, Rohan," Agara ordered, and one of her guards and gave him a solid poke in the leg to emphasize the point. "You too," she said, pointing to Janis. "Enough play. You have work to do."

The wagon that had caused their delay had a broken axle, and was not quite fixable. Ognar's people had mended it well enough to continue, but it would break again if the wagon was under any load. They could continue with the broken wagon, and fix it properly when they got to their next destination, but to do so required that the wagon be as light as possible. The cargo inside, a large load of old metal scrap, needed to be moved.

The others sat back, many taking turns to bathe in the river, eat lunch, or simply lounge in the shade of the other wagons while Kili and Janis were forced to move the scrap metal from the broken wagon to the one that Kili had occupied, which had only been partially full.

He took inventory of each item, hoping that he could find something that could be used to break the locks on his manacles. He found several possible items, and made sure to toss them in locations that he could easily find, should the opportunity arise.

By the time they were done, it was late in the afternoon, and Kili was as sweaty and grimy as he'd been before he'd been forced into the river. Agara looked them over with a sneer. "Back in the river," she ordered, her hand on the hilt of her ever-present sword.

Kili needed little encouragement, since the day was hot and the river was a welcome reprieve. This time, however, aside from removing his boots, he refused to take off anything else. Their captors had already had a show for the day, he wasn't about to give them another and he was relieved that they were too hot to want to taunt him.

It was too late to move the caravan far before nightfall so it was decided to camp by the river for the night and continue their travel the next day. To the prisoners, it was a welcome delay.

"We'll ride ahead," Agara told Ognar as Kili and the others were secured by the fire for the evening. "We're a day late. Wulf's people may arrive early, and I want to make sure everything is in order" she said. "If we leave at daybreak and ride hard, we can be there by mid-morning."

"I want to go with you, to see the goods," Ognar replied.

"Of course," Agara agreed, looking over at the captives. "You can take Rohan's horse."

Kili bristled. He liked his horse and wasn't agreeable to it being ridden by any of them but, on a positive note, the female leader had continued to take interest in him, meaning that she might be more interested in taking him along when she departed with Tauriel. Although, if he had any hand in the matter, they'd be free before it came to that.

Ognar nodded, taking the invitation with pride. He looked over at Arnos. "You'll be in charge. No delays," he said sternly. "We want them to arrive in good condition. I expect you to join us by mid-afternoon."

x

Agara, Ognar, and her female warriors left at daybreak.

As the remainder of the camp finished packing up, and were hitching the animals, Arnos arrived to push the three captives into one of the wagons. With the broken wagon, now the three were crammed into a single vehicle, instead of Kili being separated. It was a tight fit, but the change was welcome to Kili – at least he wouldn't be spending the day alone. After they were each chained inside the wagon, Arnos returned with cups of water - one which was clearly meant for the elf. She was awake, but groggy, as he placed the items in the prisoners' hands.

"Water, for the two of you," he said, almost amiably to Kili and Janis. "We can't have you dying of thirst before we reach market."

"And more potion for her?" Kili asked with a snarl, putting his cup down. A moment later, the other two followed, showing a united front. It was a small rebellion, but the three seemed to be of the same mind. It had been a few days, and they'd had enough of being complacent.

Arnos was unperturbed. "So don't drink. I don't care if you die -but she has to finish hers," he said, pointing to Tauriel, although his attention was directed to Kili.

The exchange was small but, as it happened Kili caught a motion out of the corner of his eye. Janis had given him a wink, which Kili immediately understood. The lad was up to something and needed a distraction. Kili took a breath, forcing himself not to look at Janis to give anything away. He shuffled his feet.

"Coward," he said accusingly to the cook, causing the man to focus on Kili angrily. "You have to poison her to keep her quiet– and she's only a tiny female." He could feel Tauriel tense at the words, but he ignored her. He had Arnos's attention, so he kept talking. "I see the way you look at Agara – you're afraid of her too. "

A look of anger flashed in Arnos' eyes, but for only a moment. He leaned close to Kili, his voice lowering menacingly. "I've seen stronger than you fall to Agara. If you keep talking, I may stay around to watch what she does to you."

He didn't know what Janis was up to, but Kili had to make certain that Janis had time, so he kept talking "Agara..." Kili said, his voice dropping low. "An amazing woman. You want her, don't you?"

The large man's eyes flashed and he growled, and Kili knew he'd hit a mark. He gave the man a grin. "How much do you bet that she'd rather have me – a hero of Rohan – before she'd ever give any notice to the likes of you?"

The large man pressed closer, as if ready to strike, but he didn't need to. Kili waited until the large cook was close enough and then he kicked upward, catching the cook in the jaw,spilling half the contents of the water cup, which Kili regretted, but the action was necessary. Arnos was infuriated. His full attention turned to Kili, hitting him across his face.

"Not if we make a mess of that pretty face of yours, boy."

Kili could taste the blood in his mouth and spat at their captor, laughing. He hoped the distraction was enough for Janis, but regardless, it had been worth the pain to irritate one of their captors.

Arnos backed away, sneering. "Drink, all of you, or I'll break the boy's arm – and it won't help him with his new 'employers'," he said to all of them, his focus now turned on Tauriel.

She took the cup, looking over at Janis, who nodded reassuringly and raised his own cup. Both gulped down the liquid, although Janis seemed nervous and dribbled about half down his chin. Kili glared, watching the pair, then did the same with what remained of his water.

Arnos waited a few minutes, until Tauriel began to drowsily close her eyes. Janis, not wanting to watch, curled up in the corner, looking away. Satisfied, the cook left them, readying the wagons for travel.

By the time the wagon lurched forward, leaving the three alone, Kili was nearly spent with unreleased fury and frustration over his helplessness. Then, he felt a foot give a gentle kick to his boot. He looked up, to see Tauriel, looking still off, but hardly incapacitated. She looked over at Janis, and it was clear that the lad was looking rather drunk and fighting to stay awake.

"He switched cups?" Kili whispered.

She nodded, her eyes gleaming with wicked intent. He grinned at her in return. The average man's strength was nothing when matched against the strength, speed and agility of an elf, especially if taken by surprise. Only a moment of her unleashed would overpower any of the inferior beings now guarding them. Now that she was no longer impaired, they had a lethal weapon.

x

It was the opportunity they had been waiting for, with one small problem.

"Why did you drink it?" Kili asked.

"Didn wan 'em ta think 'twas susss-sussss..." Janis replied sloppily, his eyes rolling.

"Suspicious," Kili finished for the younger man, unable to stop himself from giving Janis a reassuring pat on the leg. "Sleep it off. Good thing you spilled half of it down your shirt."

"And good that they failed to check him more closely, or they would have noticed it wasn't water," Tauriel said. Her voice was still slow, but her eyes were becoming increasingly more focused with each minute that passed.

"Well, we'll deal with him when the time comes," Kili stated with determination. "For now..." he said, twisting his leg towards Tauriel's hands. "Take off my boot."

She raised an eyebrow in question.

"Just do it - carefully. I need what's inside."

She reached her hands forward, as far as the chains allowed, tugging the boot off and handing it back to him.

He shook the contents out into his lap - two pieces of iron, both having ends that had broken off, making them look almost like chisels - pieces that he'd found while hauling scrap. He picked them up with a grin. "Hopefully, one of these will work."

The she-elf leaned over to look as he took the smaller of the two pieces, experimentally placing the edge against the flaw in the iron cuff that surrounded his left wrist. "I'll need your help to hold this while I hammer," he said, placing the metal cuff against a solid surface. "Hold the piece against the edge, right here," he said, pointing to the flaw in the metal that he'd noticed earlier.

She did as instructed, although her chains barely allowed her to reach. "Don't let it slip, or it will likely go right into my wrist," he said, as he used the iron cuff on his right wrist as a hammer against the crude tool, hoping that the noise wasn't loud enough to alert the wagon driver that something was amiss. It took three strikes, but the small piece of metal finally twisted away, allowing him to start working out a pin that held the hinge together. "This might take a few minutes..." he muttered, using the small tool to begin prying the pin.

"Will you be able to do the same for mine?" she asked.

He took a glance at her manacles. "I'm not certain," he said, handing her the crude tool. "Mine had a weakness. I doubt we'd be so lucky with both."

She took the piece of metal and stared at her bindings for a moment, then looked at the metal rings that attached their chains to the wall of the wagon. Without a word, she began to drive the small chisel into the wood, near the bolts that attached the rings. Her aim was viciously accurate, and each strike drew chips of wood from the panel.

They each worked furiously, slowly making progress. They had some time, but the sooner they completed their tasks, the better. The caravan typically didn't stop until midday, and their guards would check on the captives at that time. But, if Arnos decided to stop and check early, their efforts would be wasted.

It was mid-morning, and they were only about half done with their respective efforts when the wagon stopped.

Tauriel paused mid-strike - without the creaking and groaning of the wagon in motion, the sound of her hammering would be easily noticed.

Kili looked up from his pin, now halfway out of its slot. "It's too early for lunch," he remarked, lifting to peer out under the canvas cover. "It's barely mid-morning."

She nodded in agreement, also looking out, her sharp ears listening. "Someone has approached. The newcomer is not welcome," she said.

"That's all we need," he grumbled. "With our luck it's someone even worse."

Sounds of the caravan going to arms was heard, causing man and elf to lock gazes in worry. Whatever the outcome of this skirmish, their time was up. Kili turned desperately back to his pin. He couldn't risk this failing. If one of them was free, they had a small chance. If both were free, they had better. If they could get to a weapon, then he pitied their captors.

The pin edged out another fraction, giving him a moment of satisfaction, but it wasn't quite enough.

He could sense the tension from the she-elf as the sounds of shouting and commotion outside the wagon grew. With the surrounding noise now covering her efforts, she continued to dig at the wood, but he could tell from tension in her body that it wasn't going quickly enough.

She impatiently threw the small chisel down, causing Kili to look up from his own task. She wasn't looking at him, but was focused intently on the bolt in front of her.

The wagon rocked as someone bumped against it and the horses began to shift in fear, and Kili saw that she'd come to a conclusion of some sort. A moment later, she turned, twisting the chains so that she was seated facing the iron bolt that held her chain to the wall. She braced her feet against either side of the bolt and leaned back, pulling against the chain and the bolt with her full weight, and Kili could see the bolts straining against the weakened plank. Then, with a look of dire concentration, she drew her feet back, simultaneously yanking on the chain as she kicked the wood on either side of the bolt.

The wood splintered gave way with a crack as the bolt and the chain broke free. Her hands were still manacled together, the chain between them, but now she was free to run.

He wanted to tell her to wait for him, that he'd be free in only another minute or two, but then he heard the voices of their captors outside - not saying anything comprehensible - but it was enough. She heard them too, and he saw a deep fury light in her eyes. She wanted revenge.

She looked down at the chains between her wrists, calculating something. With a quick glance at Kili showing only a small amount of apology, mixed with the fire of fury and retribution, she tore open the canvas covering and leaped out of the wagon.

More shouts, and Kili gritted his teeth trying to move that pin just one more fraction...

Janis let out a loud snore and turned, as if slowly becoming aware that something was amiss.

The sounds of fighting outside increased, and Kili desperately wanted to see what was happening.

It was driving him mad.

It only took him another minute or so to finally work the pin free, but it seemed like an eternity. His elf was out there, alone, still restricted by her chains, and possibly fighting against both a known and an unknown enemy.

He shouted for joy when he pried open the hinge and frreed hand from the binding, quickly slipping the chain free from the bolt on the wall. He still had the chain and manacle attached to his right hand, but now it was a weapon. He glanced at Janis, still snoring, and blissfully unaware of the current commotion. The boy was safe for the moment, so he leaped out after his elf.

Upon hitting the ground, he was forced to crouch as the body of one of Ognar's men flew past, his chest a bloody mess. Kili felt no remorse as seeing the man's death. He followed the direction that the body had come, only to see a red-headed dwarf, swinging a large dwarven axe. Kili barely ducked to avoid the swing in time.

Gimli's eyes widened comically as he realized who he'd nearly beheaded with the strike. "By Nain's hairy arse, lad, I thought you were one of them! You should be more careful! Would have been disappointing if I killed you during a rescue."

Without further comment, the dwarf dashed off to flatten another one of the slavers who was attempting to retreat into the nearby brush. Looking about and finding no other immediate threats, the dwarf turned back to Kili. "I only got four," he said with clear disappointment.

Looking about, Kili caught sight of Tauriel, neatly breaking the neck of Arnos, a look of satisfaction on her beautiful face. It might have been frightening, if he wasn't jealous that she got to do a deed that he had dearly wanted to claim for himself. Next to her, the blond elf, Legolas, was finishing off the last of the party.

The scene was suddenly quiet and Kili looked about and realized that none were left for him to avenge his own dishonor. He drew a heavy breath and sulked. He felt overwhelmingly disappointed.

"Are ya all right, lad?" the dwarf asked.

Kili just nodded in reply, still looking about at the carnage around. It seemed unfair that the others got to have all the fun.

"Here, let me take care of that for ye," Gimli said, and without waiting for affirmation, he placed the manacle on a rock, and with one solid strike from the pointed back of his axe, the cuff broke apart, falling off his wrist.

"How did you find us?" he asked.

The dwarf gave him a pleased grin. "Just lucky. We saw the marks off the main road that too many had gone this way. Seemed suspicious. And the elf is always looking for adventure, so we followed. Then, when we drew up, the elf noticed his lady elf's horse being led along," he explained, pointing to the cream colored horse tied to one of the wagons – a horse that looked just as beautiful and graceful as its owner.

He looked over toward Tauriel, who was talking with the blond elf. The look of concern on the elf's face as he spoke to her was...disconcerting.

"You were following us," Kili stated to the dwarf.

"Not exactly," Gimli replied. "We were traveling south anyway, and heard of the lady elf doing the same, so we thought it might do to catch up to ye."

Kili continued to watch Tauriel converse with her elf friend, and attempted not to feel jealous. He was now lifting her hands to examine the chains still on her slender wrists.

Gimli noticed too and, hefting his axe over his shoulder, he began trudging in their direction. "I better cut her loose. She didn't appear too happy with the fellows who locked her up. I don't want her getting impatient."

Xxx

A/N – so, was the river scene worth it? I think it added quite nicely to Tauriel's desire to destroy them. :)

Also, how do you like the return of Legolas and Gimli? I love writing Gimli.

sorrelkaren – Hopefully Tauriel got some of her payback for you.