He found his horse among group of animals grazing behind the wagons, and felt relief that his long trusted mount had not been harmed in the recent mayhem.

"Tauriel says that I don't speak to you enough," he said, approaching the horse and giving it a gentle scratch behind the ears. "I'm sure you don't understand a word I'm saying anyway, but I'm glad to see you again."

The animal seemed to prick his ears to listen, as he quickly checked it for any sign of injury or mistreatment, gently speaking to the animal as he went along, finding the companionship a welcome relief from the day's stressful events. In a way, he felt foolish, but kept talking as he placed the saddle on its broad back, thinking that now he'll probably have to come up with a name for the creature. "After spending the last few days in the back of a cart, I'm thinking that I'll appreciate you more than ever."

"That is a very good way to begin."

He jumped and turned quickly to see Tauriel smiling, her eyes sparkling with humor as she approached.

"He likes me whether or not we can converse," he said with no small amount of belligerence, although the horse apparently disagreed, by stamping his front foot and reaching down to take another mouthful of grass.

There was no denying the elf's superior smirk as she mockingly agreed. "Of course."

"Ignore her," he said to the horse, placing the saddle on and rubbing it's neck reassuringly. "She's only jealous of how much time I spend with you," he said, giving the she-elf a cheeky glance out of the corner of his eye.

He was rewarded with her lips lifting into a quiet smile as she looked down, indicating that she was amused but embarrassed to openly show the emotion. It encouraged him to continue.

"I assure you," he said to the elf, motioning to the horse. "There's nothing between he and I, except a saddle." The horse chose that moment to shift its weight and give a heavy sigh, as if mocking him. He then turned to the horse. "Don't take it personally," he told the animal.

The light laugh that came from her was music to his ears. He turned back to her with a grin. "You see, he and I understand each other well enough."

"Perhaps," she replied, her smile now warm and focused on him.

He wanted to say so much more, but in the silence that hung between them, he could hear the sounds of the company hurrying to collect their things. The weight of responsibility settled on him.

"They want me to lead them until they reach a safe settlement," he informed her.

"I am not surprised. You are a worthy leader."

He shrugged, trying to appear modest, although he internally felt a surge of pride at her words. "Callid's injured. They have no one else." But, he found himself enjoying that she looked at him with respect. "I was thinking of taking them to the northeast, to ranger territory. There we can find proper escort back to South Downs or Bree."

She contemplated the plan. "You would follow the river?"

"On the north side, yes," he told her. "It would be two or three weeks, over rough terrain for wagons but safer than taking the route back to the Greenway."

She thought about it for a moment, and then gave an approving nod. "When the Dunland buyers arrive and find this camp, they will assume their captives retreated back to the main roads to the west and will search there first."

"Yes, and if we go west, we risk running into them, with almost no protection." He sighed, his mind running through all that could go wrong, regardless of where he chose to go. Finally, after a long pause, he felt shy as he asked, "Would you come with us?"

She looked at him as if he'd asked something absurd. "Why would I not?"

He looked down and kicked a clod of dirt, causing his horse to give an annoyed groan and shift slightly away from him. "I wasn't sure..." he said awkwardly. "I thought that maybe, since your elf-friend was here now that you might prefer to travel with him."

She took a deep breath, and Kili had the distinct feeling that she was going to chastise him, although the words she uttered were not said unkindly. "Am I not still a member of your company?" she asked. "I have chosen to travel with you. That is unchanged."

He tried to hide the elated grin that threatened to light his face. Instead, he fought it down to a small smile and he looked down, not wanting to give away how happy he felt that she wanted remain with him. "Good," he said, looking down at the ground and kicking the dirt again. "Good."

"I will ask if Legolas and his dwarven friend would like to accompany us. The group will need as much protection as can be provided."

He tried not to let his disappointment show, although she was correct to ask the newcomers. He, Tauriel and Janis could not manage such a group alone, especially if an attack came.

"How is Janis?" he asked, changing the subject.

Her eyes lit with affection as her thoughts turned to the tall, blond young man. "He fares well. His movements are still awkward, but he is well enough to assist in light duties. He is helping the children of your fallen friend."

"Good," he said, thinking of the determined lad. and feeling more at ease as his thoughts moved toward the duties required of him. "We still have an hour or two of useful light. I'm going to check the road to the south to see if the Dunland buyers are in sight. Tell the others that we work through the night to prepare. Leave anything we don't need. I'm hoping that if we leave enough, the buyers may be distracted by taking it."

She nodded, her face once again serious as she focused on her duties. "Any delay we can offer them will be an advantage."

"And we can't afford to delay. We leave at first light."

x

It took them almost the full day to reach and cross the river, their travel slowed because of the wounded, and the shifting contents of their hastily packed loads.

There had been no sleep the night after the rescue. After the wounded were tended, Kili had ordered the dead to be buried in a shallow grave – except for Tanager. For his children's sake, he refused to leave the body in hostile territory.

By dusk, they'd traveled far enough to finally rest, although it was nearly dark before they found a secluded area with good ground and Kili ordered to make camp. Had the moon been bright, he might have been tempted to continue farther, but the skies were dark and clouded and his people were exhausted. The rest was needed and it gave the group a chance to bury Tanager and properly take stock of their belongings before they moved on.

Janis worked harder than the rest, making sure to move from wagon to wagon, helping each family until he was physically exhausted.

When Kili finally convinced the lad to sit still long enough to eat, Janis sulked.

"Eat," Kili ordered again as the lad emptily looked over toward Tanager's grave, where his children now camped with Baynid's family, grieving.

"How can I? I should have been fighting with you. If I had, then maybe..."

"Then maybe you'd be dead too. You were in no condition..."

"I could have been a distraction. I could have done something!" he shouted – uncharacteristically agitated and looking at Kili earnestly, hoping for an explanation which would explain the unexplainable.

Kili sighed not knowing what to say to comfort his friend. Somewhere, deep in his soul, Kili understood the feeling of helplessness, and knew that he'd once felt the same as Janis, but the memory of when and where was just out of his memory's reach. "You did what was right. You helped us escape. Would it have been better if Tauriel had been unable to fight?"

Janis looked at his friend, his eyes filling with tears. "You could have waited..."

"And they would have been suspicious and expected something was amiss. Or we might have had more to fight. They were expecting more of their kind to arrive at any time," Kili said, his voice gentle as he laid a hand on Janis's shoulder. "And even if we'd waited, it might have happened anyway."

His eyes lifted to see Tauriel, clearly listening and sympathetic. "We made the best choice we could at the time," she said, stepping closer as she spoke to reassure the young man. "Sometimes, even the best choice in such a situation cannot account for all outcomes." Her eyes lowered, and her expression became unreadable – making Kili guess that she'd regretted choices in her own past. He longed to ask her about it, although now was not the time.

Janis nodded, although his cheek was now wet with tears. "I worry for them," he said motioning. "For Aligrine and the boy. They've lost everything."

"She's stronger than you think," Kili replied, placing a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "Let's get them all to safety and then we'll worry about what comes next."

Janis took a deep breath and nodded.

"Now," Kili said, "Get some rest. I'll need you in the morning."

xx

It rained heavily that night. A blessing really, because it erased the most obvious evidence of their trail. With a little luck, if the remaining Dunlandings chose to pursue - for revenge, or just to recapture prisoners - they would make the assumption that the group had turned west - back toward the Greenway. If anything, that would buy them a day or two for the slow-moving wagons to get to safe territory.

Aside from himself and the two elves on watch, the rest of the camp was asleep. He checked on the elves, then checked on the wounded, then checked the perimeter of the camp, He was beyond tired, but couldn't bring himself to rest. He paced again, and finally sat down by the fire in a relatively dry spot near the elves.

The elves seemed content with the silence, each seeming calm yet alert as they took turns scanning the surrounding terrain. It was a sparse area, rough with rocks, small hills and scrub holly, but little else. To occupy himself, he took out his sword and began to clean and inspect it after the previous day's fight.

Eventually, Legolas rose, giving each of them a courteous nod before moving to wander the perimeter. It didn't make the silence seem any less odd, and it wasn't long before the need to speak overcame him. "I'm grateful that you are helping escort."

"It is nothing," Tauriel replied, with a slight shrug. "We are part of this world, as are you."

He shrugged. "I'd much rather be headed south, now that I have information."

She looked at the sword. "You are certain that your answers lie in Rohan."

Her words hit the mark of what had been troubling him and keeping him from sleep. Although he was worried about the safety of the company, the topic that weighed most heavily on his mind was his quest for answers- and how circumstances were now pulling him away from that. "Possibly. I don't know if what Agara said was true, but it's all I have."

"If there is no answer there?"

"Then, I keep looking," he said.

"You will find them," she said with conviction. "But not tonight. You must rest. Legolas and I will maintain watch."

He felt a small wave of jealousy, leaving her alone with the handsome elf. "I want you to rest also," he said, hoping to dissuade her from spending more time with her elven admirer.

She appeared to be oblivious of his disapproval. "We will rest, but in our own way. Elves can forego sleep for longer periods, if necessary." She paused, then added, "Besides, I have slept far too much these past days. It is more important that you and your people do not become ill from lack of rest."

He couldn't deny her words and, reluctantly, bid her good night and left to find his bedroll.

With rain falling, he had the option of sleeping under one of the wagons, but had no desire to share the space with his fellow travelers, so he found a sheltered spot near the horses, created a tent for himself with a tarp, and crawled in.

Just as he lay down, he heard a footstep. He looked up to see Aligrine, bundled under a shawl, her eyes so swollen and red from crying that it was obvious even in the dim and distant firelight.

"Is everything all right?" he asked, seeing that it obviously was not.

"I'm sorry. I can't sleep, not with my father gone," she said softly. "I saw that you were the only one still awake."

He thought of mentioning the elves were awake as well, but then thought of how focused they were while on watch. He'd found the silence odd, and he at least knew one of the elves. Aligrine knew nothing of either of them.

It didn't make talking to the girl any easier however. He was tired, and wasn't exactly skilled at comforting someone. "How does your brother fare?" he asked.

"He's so young, I'm not sure he fully understands. He's with Baynid and his family. They've been a great help."

"They are good people," he said, by way of agreement. The rain dripped off her shawl and he realized he was being inconsiderate. "Please, come in, sit down."

She did, the warmth of the firelight creeping into the entrance of the tent to light her face. "Once again, I feel I need to thank you for your kindness."

He drew a nervous breath.

"Not like the last time," she said, giving a small smile at the awkwardness brought about by the remark. Instead, she leaned forward, giving him a kiss on the cheek, her arms on his shoulders for balance. She stumbled forward, and he chuckled as he caught her.

They sat in silence, next to each other, watching the flames of the fire, although they were too far away to feel its warmth – not that it was needed on the warm summer evening. He was exhausted, and knew that she was as well. Before long, her eyes began to close and her head dropped forward. He put an arm around her, letting her slump against his shoulder.

Once again, he was in an uncomfortable position, but waking her seemed far too cruel. Too tired to set up another sleeping area for himself, he soon found his own eyes dropping closed.

X

He woke at first light, Aligrine curled up next to him, sleeping soundly. She seemed content, and he had to admit that he was as well. Her desire to be near him fed a need deep within him and he stroked her soft cheek, glad to see her smile in her sleep. The entire situation had been nothing but innocent, but he feared the damage he might do to her reputation. Quickly, he exited the tent, leaving the area to check the perimeter. The camp would be waking soon.

He found the elves, near the fire, both seated, but at attention, still scanning the darkened trees, listening for any unusual disturbances. They looked... comfortable together. It bothered Kili greatly.

"Quiet night?" he asked.

Legolas replied, "It was uneventful, but we should make haste. Things could change quickly and the further we are from Dunland, the better."

"Agreed," Kili said, stoking the fire and placing a pot on for tea. At least by being so near the river, they didn't have far to get water. "But the closer we get to the mountains, the greater chance of goblins and other foul creatures."

Legolas rose, not looking the slightest bit tired or cramped from a long night's watch. "I will ride ahead and check our path. It may not be accommodating for the wagons."

Kili nodded, surprisingly grateful for the elf's assistance. "We should be starting out within the hour." Then, feeling a moment of uncertainty, Kili asked the elf, who likely had far more experience than he, "Do you think we've covered our tracks well enough?"

The elf shook his head. "It is my experience that they will merely assume that we've returned to the common path in the west and may delay them. However, to an experienced tracker, our path will be easily found."

"I thought so. I'm hoping that we have a few days, maybe a week if we're lucky."

"I agree. They will not risk going too far north. They fear the elves and the rangers that patrol the Angle. If we reach there, your people should be safe."

"I look forward to your report," Kili said, by way of granting leave.

The tall elf departed swiftly, and Kili couldn't help feeling envious at the creature's natural grace.

He sighed, wondering if the elves had noticed that Aligrine had fallen asleep next to him, although he was certain that nothing had escaped their attention. It made him feel uncharacteristically awkward.

He turned to Tauriel. "Do you need to rest? We have an hour," he said, noting that the friendly demeanor that they'd shared in the past few days was missing.

"I am fine, I assure you," she said, almost formally.

He cringed at her stiff tone. Yes, he thought to himself, she had taken notice of where Aligrine had slept, although it was too much to hope that her obvious disapproval might be tied to jealousy.

Kili knew his thoughts of the elf-maid were nothing more than a dream and, now, after observing her friend Legolas, Kili knew he was no comparison to the blond elf, and never would be. There was little chance that Tauriel would even consider him.

An idea came to mind, hoping to clarify the situation, in an indirect way. "I would like if you could talk to her," Kili said, motioning to Aligrine. "She's grieving badly and needs support – and I shouldn't be the one she turns to. Perhaps speaking with another female might help her with her loss."

She considered his words for a moment, then looked over to the girl and back to Kili. "Elves do not have much experience in such matters."

"Yet, you have lost someone," he said, hoping to bring up the topic of the person she'd lost – the one he resembled. Something in him needed to know more.

But she gave him a brief sideways glance. She was no fool and would not be led into a topic she was not willing to discuss. "I lost my parents when I was very young," she said, deliberately avoiding his hint.

"I'm sorry," he replied, his voice dropping. "I didn't know that."

"It was over six hundred years ago," she said, her voice cool, as if it was a closed matter.

"Oh," he said, at a loss for words. Six hundred years. She looked so young that he couldn't quite fathom her age. Everyone knew of the longevity of elves, but somehow, it wasn't something that was easy to comprehend. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Finally, the stiff set to her shoulders relaxed, and Kili felt relieved that he'd alleviated the situation. She looked at him with a sad smile. "I am a poor choice. Elves do not deal well with loss of those that we love. If you recall, you found me ready to sail out of Arda."

He gave her his most charming smile. "But you didn't. You're still here. Perhaps you cope better than you give yourself credit."

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, a small smile lifting her lips. "Yes."

Unable to resist pushing further, he added. "Admit it, you're starting to like me."

"You are kind. You care about your people."

"I care about you, as well."

She stood, looking down at him, and her eyes flicked toward the tent where Aligrine still slept, her posture straightening again, and Kili knew that he'd pushed too far. Her next words hurt. "You have your own kind, Kilian of South Downs, as I have mine. It is best to keep that in mind."

The dawn broke just as she strode away, leaving Kili alone by the fire, the sounds of the waking camp around him, yet he felt totally alone. He kicked at the fire, watching the sparks fly into the air. Things had been going so well between himself and the elf-maid and, now, inadvertently, he'd ruined everything.

He closed his eyes tightly and sucked in a deep breath. Then, without warning, an image came to his mind, of her, the elf-maid, looking back at him as she stood in the bow of a boat, flames of a burning town behind her.

He opened his eyes, breathing heavily, once again wondering if what he'd just seen was a memory, a fantasy, or just an indication that he was going mad. He desperately looked for her, only to see her back, as she marched away from him with rigid determination.

He kicked at the fire again.

A/N – The problem with writing in pieces is that I have so many awesome pieces that I can't use. I've written this a dozen times, and have wonderful lines and quotes that don't work – and sooo many for Gimli, although he will become more prominent in later chapters.

I do hope that the turn at the end doesn't scare anyone away. Happier chapters are upcoming.