Chapter 21

Rushing through the tangle of bodies as quickly as she could, Tauriel forced herself on through the battle, killing mercilessly every enemy in her path. Her one thought was for the horrendous scene she had just witnessed. She could barely allow herself to believe that Fili was dead. He had been such a warm soul, strong and loyal to his very core. And so very alive… it was almost unthinkable for Tauriel that such a bright light of goodness had been snuffed out by Azog but she knew in her heart that her eyes had not deceived her.

Her horror at Fili's fate combined with her love for Kili in her chest and she pushed herself on. The last thing Tauriel had seen was Kili engaging Azog in battle and as she approached the scene of the fight countless images of Kili lying beside his brother, beaten, coursed through her skull. She had no idea how Kili was faring and her worst fears erupted to the surface and brought her new energy to speed on.

Around her the last dregs of the battle were wasting away as word passed through the orc camp that their commander had fallen. Many orcs were attempting to escape and Tauriel noted that a large number of them were succeeding. Promising herself that these mutants were not long for this world and would not escape death for long, she focused her mind.

Slowing, Tauriel calmly took in the scene of devastation before her. Thorin was lying awkwardly, broken yet still clearly alive as tears flowed down his bloodied face. Beside him was Bilbo, who was shaking and clearly in shock, yet words of encouragement flowed from his mouth like a never ending sea as he tried to keep Thorin clinging to consciousness.

Not far from Bilbo lay Kili who was sobbing violently, stretching his left arm out with all his remaining strength in an attempt to reach his brothers severed head. Recognising her lovers wishes immediately, Tauriel quickly sped to Fili's head and brushed her fingers gently against his face, closing his eyes.

Kili's struggling arm went limp but his chest was still heaving. Crawling to his side Tauriel tried to assess his wounds. There was a great many of cuts and bruises but by far the most worrying of his injuries was a life threatening cut to his side which left him holding his vital organs in with his right hand.

Tauriel pressed her hand to his side, quickly recognising the need for pressure to the wound as Kili himself had lost his last remaining strength and was unable himself to apply the necessary pressure.

"You're going to be fine. I can heal you and make everything better. Do not be afraid. I am here. Kili, please you have to stay awake!" Desperation edged into Tauriel's voice as Kili's eyelids dropped and his panting sobs began to slow.

"Thorin..." Kili whispered, his eyes roving slowly beneath his thick lids.

"He's here Kili, Bilbo's with him. It'll all be fine you'll both be ok." Tauriel promised, trying to fight the rising hysteria that was growing inside her.

"Tauriel please, he won't make it." Bilbo's voiced floated softly along the breeze to her and she twisted her head to look pleadingly at the young hobbit.

"Kili won't last; I have to help him first." Tauriel positioned herself closer to Kili's side and glanced anxiously at his paling face, noting deaths grip tightening on his young, crumpled body.

"Thorin will die if you don't do something." Bilbo said harshly, emotion colouring his tone and strengthening his words. "Will you let that happen?"

Tauriel's head whipped round, searching for anyone who could help. Gandalf… Bard… Thranduil… Oin… none of them were anywhere to be seen. She was on her own.

"I cannot treat them both at once. I must help Kili, do you not see?" Panic seemed to have taken over and Tauriel could think of nothing other than every second she spent arguing with the hobbit was another second Kili and Thorin slipped away. Did he not understand she had to act quickly.

"Kili is still conscious. He has the best chance. Thorin cannot wait. He is the king, he must be helped." Bilbo has stopped begging and was now ordering her. Tauriel's independence flared and for a second she was furious; how dare this insignificant little life form be presumptuous enough to tell her what she must do and when?

"Tauriel please… I… I can't lose someone else. Please." The softest whisper that was ever uttered in Middle Earth seemed to echo throughout Tauriel's being as she looked down at Kili's broken face and tried to understand exactly what he had just asked of her. Did he not understand he was asking her to watch him die for the sake of a selfish, arrogant and frankly ridiculous excuse for a being? She had originally been indifferent to Thorin Oakenshield, putting aside her prejudices as Kili showed her that not all dwarves were as she had at first assumed. But after his conduct after Legolas' revelation she had seen him for what he truly was. And despite his acceptance of their presence in Dain's army she had still mistrusted and, in all truthfulness, hated him for what he had done to Kili. For the choice he had forced up both Kili and Fili.

Tauriel felt as if the ground was swallowing her up, burying her alive and suffocating her with blood-soaked dirt, forever closing the heavens and shutting out light and love. Wrestling with this sensation, Tauriel ordered Bilbo to come to Kili and put pressure on Kili's wound.

Although every single inch of her body was telling her to help Kili and ignore Thorin, that he was dead anyway, Tauriel could not ignore Kili's wishes. Not having felt his agony at the sight of his decapitated brother. Their emotions seemed to have joined and made them one and although she may not understand or share his passionate adoration and familial love of his uncle she understood that she could not simply sit by and watch him die. It would drive a rift through them that even the strength of their feelings would not be able to repair.

"Talk to him." She commanded, barely even looking at Bilbo as she set about doing what she could to ease his pain and breathing. She cleaned his wounds and did what she could to repair the damage to his lungs, causing Thorin's breathing to become easier and more relaxed.

As his lungs filled with oxygen Thorin began to come around slowly, his eyes flicking up to see Tauriel leaning over him grimly.

"What are you doing?" He whispered his voice raspy from a blow to his throat that should have left him unable to speak for some time.

'Pity.' Tauriel thought bitterly, all too aware that at present Kili's breathing had become so shallow and raspy she had to concentrate to hear it.

"I'm healing you." She said brusquely, eager to do what she could for Thorin to stabilize him so she could go back to helping Kili.

"Fili? Is he really…?"

Tauriel hung her head and tried to control her grief as the horror of the fate of the kind prince swept over her. For a brief second she felt sorry for the broken dwarf King lying before her.

"I'm so sorry; he died bravely and with honour."

Thorin began sobbing loudly which worried Tauriel deeply as with each heave of his chest he brought his broken and cracked ribs down into his fragile lungs with more and more force.

"Stop! You must calm yourself. I cannot treat Kili until you are no longer in danger of death which will take even longer if you persist in damaging your organs in such a way."

"Kili?" Thorin rasped, his breath flecked with the blood that was quickly filling his damaged lungs. "Where is he? Is he well?"

"No, he is dying. Now lay still." Tauriel tried to keep the emotion out of her voice as she had trained herself to do all those years ago. But she was struggling now, with the weight of her emotions on her shoulders threatening to crush her with every second.

"Save him. Leave me to die just save him. Now. Please Tauriel."

Tauriel bit her lip and cursed herself for ever getting involved with these dwarves.

"He asked me to save you. He could not bear to lose another member of his family."

"I swore his mother an oath that I would keep them safe. I have failed. Fili… I cannot allow them both to die knowing that I could have saved them. What comfort would that be to Dis, knowing that her son died refusing help so I could live? She would detest me… her hatred for me would be second only to that I would have for myself. Please, I have wronged you greatly, but do not let Kili die for me. I am not worth even a drop of his blood, especially if it is the last." With every breath and every word Thorin's state became worse and worse. He was dying and unless Tauriel made her choice now, she would lose both of them.

It wasn't much of a choice when it came down to it.

"Come sit with him, even he does not deserve to die alone. I have done all I can for him."

This time Bilbo did not argue and instead went and sat beside the mountain King, clutching his hand and repeating over and over again like a prayer that he was not alone, that it was all going to be alright.

Tauriel rushed to Kili's side and began to use every ounce of her strength and knowledge to heal him. She used all the herbs and elfish medicines in her possession to repair the damage done to Kili's insides and put them back where they should be safely, closing the wound and making sure it was clean and would not be infected. Stabilising his condition, Tauriel cleaned all his wounds and eased his pain.

Opening his eyes, Kili looked into Tauriel's face and smiled, as if he wasn't even seeing her at all, but something magical a long way away far beyond her.

Stroking his sweaty forehead, Tauriel whispered words of calming to him in an effort to ease his pain as much as possible, cradling his head in her lap as she did so.

"Tauriel… why do we always end up like this?" He coughed out softly, attempting to smile at her and thereby show her that he was feeling better.

"I don't know dearest, but shall we agree to not make a habit of it?" Tauriel murmured, her heart filling with joy at the colour returning to Kili's cheeks.

"Next time I will be the one to save you." He promised weakly, shifting slightly into a more comfortable position.

"What makes you think I'd need saving?" Tauriel teased, tears of relief spilling out of her eyes and dropping onto Kili's bloody and dirty face.

Laughing quietly, Kili inclined his head to her, knowing that Tauriel would never be the damsel in distress type, which had attracted him to her in the first place.

"How's Thorin?" Kili breathed, looking at Tauriel with complete trust and innocence.

Guilt washed over her and Tauriel looked over to where Bilbo was staring open mouthed and exhausted at the two of them. Thorin was cuddled up in Bilbo's arms, not in a dissimilar position to Kili was in Tauriel's. But the main difference between the two pairs was that Kili was craning his neck to try and see his uncle whilst Thorin was completely still.

A look of peace appeared to have settled calmly on the King's face and the only sign that his soul had only recently departed was the ghost of a smile on his face.

"The last thing he heard was Kili's voice. He's at peace now." Bilbo said softly, stroking Thorin's matted hair out of his face.