Silence was something Tauriel was thoroughly accustomed to. Growing up as an outsider in Mirkwood she had spent many hours on her own, having Thranduil as a guardian meant quite a lot was communicated through looks and glares. Even having Legolas as her only friend meant a lot of conversations was mostly filled with stillness. This silence however was a different breed to any shed encountered before. This silence was meant to be filled. Not by the two women moving slowly round the room, but internally by them separately. They were meant to put all their love and farewells into this heavy silence.

She ran a finger over the neat threading on the top shirt in the pile and looked back up at Dis. There was a new understanding between them since their shared soul baring in her room. The news of the child had given them an opportunity to really show how they were feeling behind all the politeness and correctness. They had cried till there was no more tears to shed, then both spoke of the pain in their hearts, Dis dismissing every time Tauriel tried to belittle her own aching in front of the maternal dwarf. A new level of acceptance had been found in those hours.

"I want you to prepare Kili yourself. I will guide you." Dis said gesturing towards the third pile on the table they had, had brought in.

"I can…"

"When will you learn not to argue? A son eventually leaves his mother to create a family of his own, that child growing within you is Kili's family now. You need to do this for him. You are his wife."

Tauriel looked over Dis' shoulder directly into Kili's brown eyes. A smile rose the corner of her mouth as a tear formed in the opposite corner of her eye. She just nodded and stepped towards his body once more.

"What am I to do?"

"We will wash and dress them, braid their hair and polish their weapons ready for burial. Start with washing his wounds and putting a new undershirt on."

Tauriel started the job, slowly working her way over his skin, feeling oddly uncomfortable. She had only ever seen his skin on that one night in Laketown, now she was taking the role of wife treating his skin with sponges and oils like she'd spent a lifetime with him.

"You don't have to do this." She heard Kili's voice coming from beside her, she didn't look up from the wound in his chest as she gently washed it down. Behind her she could hear Dis working away on her son and brother, the urge to reply to Kili was incredibly strong. "Tell her you can't and walk away. I don't expect you to do this."

"I want to do this." Tauriel said firmly. Dis looked up at her but stayed silent, taking the statement as one to steady herself. She took a deep breath and turned back to her brother. Kili had moved in front of her now.

"I'm telling you, you don't have to. We were not married I can't…" her head shot up and their eyes locked.

"I love you." She whispered. "I'm going to have to say goodbye somehow." His face softened.

"I love you too, with all my being."

"Then let me get through this."

/ / / / / / / / / / / /

She buckled the last strap on his breast plate and rested her hand on his shoulder, rubbing a thumb across the smooth metal. She had taken her time, making sure everything was perfect, and it had taken hours. He was dressed from head to toe in the finest battle gear, looking every inch the brave warrior she knew he was.

Turning to Dis she saw that Thorin was the same, and Fili was almost done too. She hadn't noticed her working so fast. Dis stopped what she was doing and walked around to the table, picking something up she handed it to Tauriel.

"Good luck." The dwarf said simply before returning to her son.

Tauriel looked down and smiled. A golden comb. She picked up a silver dish as she had seen Dis do and laid it beside his head.

"Don't do it!" Kili said from the corner where he'd been sitting silently. "Just leave it."

Tauriel smiled and again and lifted his head to take out the string she'd seen holding some of his hair back off his face.

She started taking strands and running the comb through each strand with as much attention as she could. It wasn't long before she felt the comb hitting something else metal. Putting it down a second she teased the hair through her fingers and unearthed a small silver bead.

"You won't get them out" Kili said watching her closely. She shut her eyes and flicked in his direction. He took the hint backing away slightly. She carefully took the bead out and put it into the tray.

It wasn't long until she had four identical beads sitting side by side and a mane of dark hair she could run her fingers through.

"His hair has not been so tamed since he was small enough for me to hold onto." Dis said from beside her.

"I probably would have let you brush it for me…" Kili said quietly.

"We wont do anything elaborate with it. He would not like that. Simple braids to hold it back and to sit his crown on." Dis continued, a hand reaching out to stroke his face.

"Clearly he did not care too much for his hair, so why did he wear these." Tauriel asked holding up the silver pan.

"They were a gift from Thorin, when he came of age." She said picking one up. "Sentimentality defeats stubbornness apparently. I didn't even know he'd kept them.

"Shall I tie off his braids with them?" she asked Dis, though directed her gaze at her beloved, who's face had grown solemn. He simply nodded.

"Two of them anyway. Keep two back. They would have been for his moustache." The matriarch said before walking away.

As she braided she could feel Kili moving towards her again.

"You know to my people, braiding is of incredible significance. It is one of the most intimate of acts." He whispered, though she didn't know why he bothered. She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand to attention with each word he spoke. "It is something almost as precious as laying with someone." He continued as the fingers ran through her hair.

"I'm sorry then it is so simple." She muttered.

"It is perfect." He replied and leant down to kiss her hand. A shiver ran through her and she stilled.

"wait…" she said frowning. "… you braided my hair in Laketown." She said praying Dis would not hear her, though Kili as so close she was barely making a sound.

"Yes I did."

"Though you knew the connotation."

"Your hair had come undone." He shrugged. "…and I knew then you were the only one I would ever allow braid my hair ever again."

Tears were falling down her cheeks again before she knew it.

/ / / / / / /

This was all followed by great stillness. The women sat at the feet of their loved ones in complete muteness as the night passed. She watched from the corner of her eye as Kili stood with a hand hovering over his mother's shoulder. She closed her eyes as his own face contorted in pain. She frowned as he started talking to someone at the side of the room, so quietly that she couldn't hear. Fili.

She had lost all concept of time when Dis rose.

"I am going to step outside a while my dear and allow you a final goodbye." Dis said walking over to her. "Take as long as you need."

Tauriel stood slowly, hands automatically going to her tiny bump. She watched as Kili followed his mother out. And then she was left all alone with them. She muttered a few elven blessings to the silent room, not sure how she remembered them. Then she felt the room change and she turned around. Kili had returned.

"You are doing so well my dear." He said walking towards her.

"I am going to say my goodbyes now. We don't know how long you'll be with me do we?" she said, voicing a realisation that had come to her hours before.

"I don't know how any of this works." She turned to the awaiting bodies.

"Ok then…" she nodded. "… firstly Throin, I truly believe you would have made the finest King we would have ever seen, Erebor would have prospered under you I feel and I hope someday you could have grown to accept me." She said looking at the resting King, bowing low to him. "Fili…" she stepped towards the golden haired dwarf, her throat beginning to tighten. "… I would have been so proud to call you brother. I know it would have taken time and you would have been incredibly protective of Kili but I would have done everything I could to show you how much I love him. Rest in peace dear prince." She bowed to him as well. Her breath hitched and her knees shook as she turned slowly to walk back to the final slab. Kili was waiting for her at his own head, he stayed silent. "Kili. Amrálimé." She smiled. "I cannot explain it, I doubt anyone ever could. But from the very beginning something connected us. Something that had been missing from my life until I met you. I am so grateful for all you gave… all you gave me. You changed my life in such a short time. You opened my heart and broke all my walls down." It took every ounce of strength she possessed to get through what was on her mind. But looking deep into his eyes while holding his ice cold hand she knew she had no other choice. "I don't want to live without you now, but I vow I will try. This child shall know all about their father and the dwarf he was. They will know all about his fiery spirit and his endless heart. They shall be the best of both of us I promise you that. And they will know just how desperately I loved you. The world shall know. Until we meet again." her hands shook as she rose them up for him to take. He walked to her quickly and wrapped his own around her, kissing her with everything he had. He had no words after that. They stood for another age holding each other, his hand resting on her stomach. "Goodbye." She whispered.

Her stomach lurched as she fell forward, catching herself she looked around. "Kili!"