A/N: One day ahead to compensate the week I posted one day late. I hope this is fair for you, wonderful readers!
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Wind on his face and freedom in his mind. Tripsy's mane would be whipping his face but for a set of braids he plaited during their first long rest. A pity, Kíli deemed, such a fiery mane subdued in tresses when his own feeling was that everyone and every part of everyone should be free from any restraint. Yet, this didn't occur to him all the way from the Blue Mountains, nor along the previous three years he owned that pony. Maybe because he never hasted the mare as much as the last day long, never urged her to a full gallop for such a long time, so her mane never troubled him.
The eaves of Mirkwood were getting closer, more distinct each passing hour. Obviously, no usual equine could gallop for hours with no rest and remain unscathed, so he set a pace interspersing some free gallops with a good steady march and short rests. It worked well enough before, on trips to the villages of Men to negotiate commercial treaties, to the Shire to visit Bilbo when his mother was in the mood and they could find an excuse, and during caravans when he was younger, before the quest. Incredible how his life was simpler before the quest, and a part of him longed for that simplicity. Well, he never got comfortable with pompous things, anyway. Wherever he was going to, court schemes would not be his focus. Then Tripsy could wear her mane free and graze in peace. Probably, all Kíli wanted for himself was to have no braids in his own hair, and all they meant in dwarrow tradition.
A small creek ran from the forest, allowing exuberant bushes to grow in the late summer weather. A nice place to stop, let Tripsy graze, and refresh himself. He could endure for hours yet without pause, but the pony had to be spared. So, he spent a while stretching, another while drinking water and replenishing his canteen, and another while yet relieving himself. He was halfway done with his business when a neigh drew his attention. That was not Tripsy, if he ever heard the mare neigh. No, it was not possible that anyone had followed him from Erebor, no searching party would be so fast in tracking him, he was sure. Road robbers, maybe? Most probably. No way he would let anyone mess with his plan, not so easily…
"Freeze!"
His shout was accompanied by action, bow tense with an arrow pointed to the source of sound, ready to shoot anyone with funny ideas right between the eyes.
"Ah!"
The woman in front of him cried, hands in the air and turning her face away, as if it could prevent her from being shot. A tall brown horse took the chance to rear and bolt, leaving an astounded Kíli behind. Seeing his target for what she was, he lowered the bow and withdrew the arrow, confused.
"Who are you?"
"Look what you did!" Cried the woman as soon as she noticed the menacing arrow wasn't there anymore. "You spooked my horse! Broda! Broda!"
The brunette shouted in the general direction the brown stallion ran, following it with a low toned whistle.
"'ma sorry, madam, it wasn't my inten…"
"Of course it wasn't, who'd be so stupid as to spook someone's horses on purpose in the middle of nowhere? Brodaaa!"
Kíli blinked at the lecture the young woman just gifted him, torn between ashamed and amused. Luckily, a neigh answered her last whistle, and her glare softened. Risking his chances, the dwarf stepped forward with an extended hand, greeting her in the manner of Man.
"Please accept my apologies, milady. I'm at your service." He hesitated to name himself as would be proper, unaware if she was to be trusted with his connections.
Yet, realisation downed on her like the setting sun on her face, surprising him.
"Kíli?" She smiled, rightly connecting the name to its owner. "Really, Kíli, after all this years?"
"Do I know you?" He frowned.
"Of course!" She squealed, excited. "I mean, I expect you remember me? From Lake Town? You stayed at our house, remember?"
"Wait!" For all he tried to forget things that hurt, some things were unforgettable, the sweet between the bitter. "You're one of Bard's daughters? Really?"
"You remember!"
"Sure I remember! You took care of me and my brother when…"
The words died on his lips. When he couldn't care if the Mountain crumbled to dust. When his tears were spent but not his pain. When he lost the will to live.
Noticing the shadow crossing his face, Tilda was fast in acknowledging its source.
"I'm so sorry about your loss, Kíli. I knew lady Tauriel meant so much for you, but everybody kept telling me and Sigrid not to mention her name because it would upset you, and upsetting you would be bad for your healing and…" She heaved a sigh, finishing the phrase without words. Kíli understood what went unsaid.
"Thank you, Tilda."
There wasn't much to say on the subject without touching deep scars, but he was glad her mention of Sigrid helped him to identify which of the sisters the woman was, having not seen her since those days in the Healing House. He was also touched by her remembering Tauriel and acknowledging his mourning, even after all that time, unlike certain members of his own family.
Broda chose the awkward moment to come back, neighing softly on Tilda's shoulder. Tripsy answered in kind, from her own grazing spot several bushes away.
"So, you…"
"Going to Lake Town?"
They chuckled at the simultaneous attempt of conversation. Tilda realized she'd have to find an excuse for being so far from home, alone.
"Erm, well, aye, New Lake Town, actually…"
Kíli noticed her voice was a bit unsteady, and misunderstood.
"Problems? Why did Bard send you alone?"
"Well, erm…"
Now she was stuck. Holding Broda's reins, Tilda bit her lip, looking for a convincing lie. Nothing came to her mind.
"No problem, I understand confidential issues." Kíli came to her aid. Not pressing her meant he could keep to himself if she asked the same of him.
"Oh, aye, that's it, confidential matters." Relieved to have her lie set, she gave in to curiosity. "And you? I didn't know you were back to this side of the Misty Mountains. Every time I ask, they say you're in the Blue Mountains, far from here."
So, now it was his turn to find an alibi. At least he could try to diverge.
"I was. I arrived hither just some days ago, and am on my way already. Things to solve west of the forest, I'm taking the Old Forest Road."
That would send her away from his route, as Lake Town, Old or New, was east of where they stood, and he hoped their encounter could pass unnoticed by the Bardlings. As he had not decided his real destination yet, planting information on a path he was not likely to take could be useful.
"I see…"
Tilda tried to disguise her anxiety by guiding Broda to where she heard Kíli's pony neigh. Her lie about heading to Lake Town would become obvious when they reached a point where she should ride east instead of west, as her intended path was exactly what the dwarf just said was his intended path.
She'd have to think about it some other moment, as Kíli was talking to her again.
"Erm, I don't know how this sounds, please don't take offense…"
"Aye?"
"Well, I don't know how much you're used to travel, but it'll get dark soon. I was considering to camp for the night when you scared me…"
"Wait. I scared you?"
"You know what I mean…"
She laughed as an answer to his sheepish smile and Kíli continued.
"So, I'd offer for us to camp together. It might be safer, you know."
She did, and sighed in relief.
"Aye, I'll take your offer, master dwarf, no offense taken. Actually, I was about to ask you the same thing."
It was his turn to laugh.
"So, brilliant minds think alike, people say!"
Tilda accepted Kíli's help to unsaddle Broda, left her stuff beside a tree trunk and started to cleanse a patch of ground from leaves and twigs. Kíli was right, she wasn't very used to camp, but it didn't take a genius to know fire could spread if not isolated. Some stones found its place lining the hearth area, and Sigrid's camp gear held a small pot with water by the time Kíli came back with firewood. He looked at the contraption with curiosity whilst kindling the fire.
"Nice camp kitchen." He mentioned.
"Thank you." She answered, absently, mixing dried rations to the water.
Sigrid had shown her the camp kitchen before she mounted Broda to depart, in the wee hours of morning, and it was really clever. The lower part, above which a pot could be hung up, was a fifteen per fifteen inches square iron structure, connected to a higher part at one side, measuring the same area but with a broiler instead of the empty space that allowed the pot to hang clearly over the fire. On the broiler she could grill meat or vegetables directly on the iron grate, or use a skillet, if she had one. An iron rod crossed over both parts, so she could hang a pot or a kettle over the lower part, directly over the fire, whilst hooking meat to dry and smoke over the higher part. The trickiest and nicest part was that it could be folded by clever articulations, resulting in a small pack easy to store in any saddlebag, or tied outside of it.
"Bread?" He offered her a loaf from his own rations. She accepted with a smile and they ate in the silent contentment of tired limbs.
"So… Is the forest road good to travel?" Tilda asked, trying to sound uninterested.
"It was when I came through it some days ago." Kíli answered, putting another stick in the fire. "It's been more used since the Retake. Seems the evil that lurked in Dol Guldur lingers there no more."
"Wow. That's great." She had completely left Dol Guldur out of her accounts.
Kíli chuckled.
"I assumed you should know, living closer than me."
"Well…" Tilda bit her tongue, angry at herself for being so easily caught. "I just wanted to hear it first hand, you know. They say it's the road of the dwarves."
"Aye, it was made by my people, log ago."
The conversation died again, Tilda wringing the fingers of her mind in search for questions that wouldn't give away she was a runaway, yet grant more information, and Kíli trying to figure out how to ask the woman to keep silence on his whereabouts.
"Almost done." Said Tilda, stirring the soup.
"I'm glad to have someone to share this meal." Remarked the dwarf, handling her a slice of cheese. "Albeit, I must ask you a favour."
"Aye?" She lifted her eyebrows, curious on what the prince might request.
"My… journey… needs secrecy, too. It would be especially helpful if you don't mention it to anyone when you reach New Lake Town, or even when you're back to Dale."
"I won't go…" She bit her tongue and tried again. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Not my business, anyway."
"Thanks."
Tilda scooped some soup to her bowl and handled the ladle to Kíli.
"Erm. I'm really not so well packed for traveling as you. I'm prepared only for dried rations or game."
"Oh, I'm sorry! You don't have a bowl?"
"Nope."
"Maybe you can use the cooking pot? It's hot, though, but we can cool it in the creek…"
"Don't worry, I'm used to deal with hot stuff."
"Certainly not a pot of boiling broth straight from the fire with bare hands?" She dared.
"Close enough!" He laughed, using the ladle to take the pot off the fire by the handle and down on the ground next to him, helping with the side of his gloved hand. "It'll cool enough to handle in a jiffy. Tools get hotter than this in a forge."
"You don't eat tools, you silly!"
He tasted the soup from the tip of the ladle and smiled.
"Now you have a point. Hmm, tasty!"
Tilda giggled, feeling a light heart after several hours of tension.
"So, now we draw straws?"
"What?"
"To choose who's keeping watch first."
"Oh, so." Kíli considered it for a while. "I should keep watch, I'm used to spend nights outside. Patrols, escorts, you know." It would be shameful to allow a woman to keep watch whilst he slept, and he would have none of it. "You sleep."
"But you can't stay the whole night awake. It's unhealthy." She reasoned. "We take shifts."
"No way. What would you do if something happened?"
"I'd wake you."
"You'll be tired tomorrow."
"So will you if you don't sleep."
"I'm used to it."
"Doesn't mean it's healthy."
"Why do you care about healthy?"
"I'm a healer. If you get sick, I'll have more work to do."
"You're selfish!"
"Maybe. But look, if we didn't meet I'd keep awake most of the night to keep watch by myself. If we take shifts I'll sleep half of the night and I'll be better off."
Kíli weighed the offer. He didn't sleep at all the previous night. The night before that, they slept at New Lake Town, and Dwalin made little to no effort to stay discrete next room. To sleep half of the night would be a blessing. Yet…
"No, it wouldn't be honourable."
"Bullshit!"
"What?"
He didn't expect such language, really.
"Excrements of a bovine." She enlightened him, to his blinking surprise. "There's a lot of ways to say the same thing to over sensible ears, you know. Yet, actually, bullshit is really precise to express my opinion on this honourable stuff of yours. On the matter of taking shifts to watch, I mean."
"Oh, so. What a relief. It means you're allowing me to be honourable in other aspects of life, at least."
"Probably."
Kíli shook his head, defeated. The woman could be a pain in the ass to what his good manners prompted him, but she was pragmatic.
"Right, you won. We don't need to draw straws if there's a shift you'd prefer, though."
Tilda almost clapped her hands, delighted, a broad smile adorning her face.
"A reasonable dwarf, at last! I'd prefer to take last shift. I'm a morning person, mostly."
"Really? I'm a night owl, mostly. Maybe for being used to night patrols since I was a wee lad."
He remembered well that time, what felt an age ago. To be on night patrols made him fell so grown up, he didn't figure out that him being allowed such dangerous task meant there were too few adult dwarves to grant safety for the settlement. Which made him curious.
"And what draws you to the morning?"
"Fever."
"Sorry?"
The woman was never tired of surprising him.
"Wee morning is not an unusual time for fever to break. Babies also seem to love to be born before sunrise, just to keep their mothers busy the whole night."
"I'm sure they don't do it on purpose!"
"Let me guess, that's what you did, huh?"
"Humpf. Who was it, Mom or Fíli who told you?"
She laughed outright.
"No, none of them gave you out, silly. I just guessed, that's all."
"I see…" He nodded, figuring out the kind of company he had found for the night. "Well, you go to sleep, then. I'll do the dishes."
"How kind of you. Thanks!"
"Never mention it. You cooked the meal, I do the dishes, it's only fair."
"Not much cooking, really. Just dried rations in a pot of water."
"Not much dishes, really. Just a pot, a bowl and a couple of tableware. We're even."
Tilda smiled and went to get her sleeping roll whilst Kíli washed the gear in the creek. Feeling muscles she didn't even know existed, the woman closed her eyes and slept like a stone, if ever stones slept.