A/N: I'm seriously unhappy with myself for abandoning this story for such a long time. I accidentally deleted this chapter months ago and somehow I was never quite able to get it right again afterwards. However, there are still places that I want to take this story to and I refuse to give up before I have done so. That being said, I've decided to jump ahead a little with this chapter and to directly send Kíli and Tauriel on that journey to Lothlorien which Legolas suggested in the previous chapter. If there's anyone still reading this - hope you enjoy!

Chapter 25

With that particular mixture of utter admiration and slight anxiety in which only one lover can behold the other, Tauriel watched Kíli's descend from one of the large trees that was perched on the bank of the small stream they had chosen as today's campsite. Since neither of them felt that the journey they had set out on a few days back required them to be in any real hurry, they usually chose a spot where they would spend the night at some point during the afternoon and used what remained of the light of day to train or work on their weapons. When traveling inside Mirkwood, Tauriel knew all too well, it could be quite dangerous to become negligent of one's defenses for even a little while.

During the weeks they had remained at Tuilimbar after the king's surprising recommendation to seek out the Galadhrim, Tauriel and Kíli had taken several trips into the forest – sometimes accompanied by Elhadron and his men, sometimes on their own – in order to resolve the situation with the spiders. They had, however, been unsuccessful in so far that they had not managed to determine a pattern behind the sightings of the eight-legged beasts.

They had come across smaller clusters from time to time, but those were too far apart in a geographical sense to say that the spiders were traveling into any common direction. Thus, they had been forced to assume that whatever had happened at Dol Guldur had left the spiders without any particular driving force behind their actions and that they were now randomly populating areas of Mirkwood.

No one was entirely satisfied with this theory, but since no other explanation seemed to be in sight, Kíli and Tauriel had eventually decided that there was no point in them delaying their journey to Lothlórien any longer. If anything, their voyage southward might give them more chances at taking out further spider nests. And so they had left the homeliness of Tuilimbar with slightly heavy hearts and a bit of excitement for new adventures, the threat that the spiders posed always on the periphery of their thoughts, keeping them on their toes at almost every minute.

Today, however, Tauriel was allowed a little bit of laziness while Kíli practiced some of the skills she had taught him over the past few months. As she watched him come down the tree he had previously climbed, alternating between swinging from branches and gliding down portions of the trunk on the soles of his feet, she could not but admire the progress he had made in such a short time. While he would always lack the grace and nimbleness of the Elves, his movements were precise and efficient, allowing him to quickly master almost every challenge he himself or Tauriel picked during their training units.

In addition to his quick progress, Tauriel was struck by how he had changed physically. Not only had he grown accustomed to the Elvish style of clothing, finally even abandoning his clumsy boots in favour of the Elvish ones that were suited so much better for the uneven ground in the forest. Tauriel also thought that he had grown leaner since their arrival in Mirkwood even while his body remained as strong and muscular as she remembered it from when they had first met. His hair had grown longer as well and he now usually wore it tied back, several unruly strands of dark hair escaping the clasp he used to do so. Tauriel loved watching him push them out of his face impatiently whenever he really concentrated on a task, the movement of his hand one of those little unconscious habits she was beginning to notice only now that she knew him rather well.

Now that he neared the ground, his brow was furrowed in concentration as well, even though his hands had more important things to do than dealing with stray locks of hair. Tauriel winced when it briefly looked as if he might lose control over his descend and tumble to the ground, but then he regained control over his body and managed to swing from the lowest set of branches, landing on one of the tree's gigantic roots where it bulged from the earth at the edge of the water.

He wobbled slightly while he fought for balance. When he was sure that he had found secure footing, he looked over his shoulder and sent Tauriel his most cocky grin. She hid the fact that she really was quite proud of him behind a roll of her eyes. Then, following a sudden mischievous impulse, she reached into her bag and tossed him an apple.

"Catch!" she called, feeling laughter bubble up inside her at his baffled expression.

As she had known they would, Kíli's reflexes made him reach out and catch the apple in his right hand. This, however, caused him to lose his precarious balance and he fell into the river behind him with a loud splash.

Tauriel clasped her hands over her mouth to stifle her giggle while Kili coughed and spluttered and then sat up to fix her with a very dark glare.

"What, are you trying to drown me?" he asked, wet strands of hair clinging to his forehead.

Now Tauriel really did laugh. "That would be a feat indeed, given that the water barely reaches past your knees."

Kíli huffed in mock indignation. "Taller men than me have drowned in waters more shallow."

Tauriel smiled. "I am sure they did." She took in his disheveled state. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's gotten into me."

Kíli threw back his wet hair with as much dignity as possible in his current predicament. "Don't fret," he said. His smile turned into a sly grin. "Actually, the water is quite nice. Why don't you join me for a swim?"

The droplets of water that ran down the side of his neck as well as the way in which his soaked shirt clung to his upper body almost tempted Tauriel to accept his offer. However, she was not fooled so easily. It might have been a rather nice day, the taste of spring in the air impossible to deny. Still, winter had yet to leave completely and Tauriel would have bet her nicest set of arrows that the water in the little river was hardly anything else but freezing.

"No, thank you," she thus said, her accompanying grin telling Kíli that she saw through his ploy.

He appeared to sulk for a moment before his grin turned mischievous once more. "Fine," he drawled while he began to wade out of the water, "if you won't come to me, then I'll have to come get you myself."

And with that he launched himself out of the stream and came towards her with impressive speed for someone who was slowed down by several dripping wet items of clothing. Tauriel gave an actual squeal and was on her feet in an instant, trying to escape the very wet and, more importantly, very cold embrace of her lover. She let him chase her up and down the riverbank for a couple of minutes and when he finally did get a hold of her, his arms encircling her narrow waist, she did not resist and allowed him to pull her to the ground, icy droplets of water falling off his body and onto hers, causing her skin to tingle.

His lips were cool when he pressed them to her neck, her throat, her collarbone and she let her head fall back against the soft, mossy ground to allow him better access to those sensitive regions of her body. The sky visible through the foliage above was blue and as Tauriel inhaled the fragrant air of early spring she thought that she had never felt this alive.

She arched her back when Kíli began trailing kisses along the neckline of her dress, her small sighs encouraging him to continue. And continue he did. His practiced hands slid underneath her knee-length dress, fingers sliding into the waistband of her leggings to tug them down her long legs. Swiftly he removed both them and her boots, pausing only to press a couple of soft kisses against the inside of her thigh just above her knee because he knew by now that this always made her giggle.

In breathless surprise Tauriel lifted her head from its mossy pillow when Kíli did not come to lie on top of her afterwards, but let his fingers retrace the path her pants had just taken and let them travel up her legs once more, his mouth following in their wake.

"What are you doing?" she asked when he pushed up her dress, bunching up the fabric in his palms. His lips never left her skin and when, after reaching the apex of her thigh, she felt the warmth of his breath against the sensitive flesh between her legs, she let her head drop back to the ground with a trembling sigh.

"Oh. That," she got out, her fingers digging into the soft earth as Kíli's lips continued their administrations to her body, every nip, every small flick of his tongue causing ripples of pleasure to shoot through her.

When his fingers joined his lips in order to reach places his mouth could not, Tauriel nearly let go, abandoning herself entirely to those waves of pure lust. In a movement that surprised herself - and Kíli for that matter - she however reached for him and pulled him up, so that he came to lie on top of her.

"Won't you let me finish?" he asked, his eyelids heavy with his desire.

"I will," she got out while her fingers began to fiddle with his belt, "but not like this."

Kíli did not need to be told twice and once their fumbling hands had managed to push his trousers down far enough, he joined his body to hers swiftly, urgently.

His hair was still dripping and the wetness of his shirt was beginning to soak through the front of her dress, but Tauriel did not care. If anything, the fact that they were both still wearing most of their clothes excited her even further and she found her hands closing around fistfuls of fabric, bringing Kíli even closer to her as they moved together.

It did not take long for her to reach her peak – given Kíli's excellent groundwork – and as she did Kíli was right there with her, holding her close as they were each consumed with their passion for the other.

Afterwards they lay on the ground, staring up into the trees and the sky beyond while their breathing became gradually calmer. Tauriel felt so relaxed, so utterly at ease, that she felt herself drift into a light sleep. And she knew that it was alright for her to do so, since Kíli was there to watch over her.

She could not exactly tell how much time had passed when she became fully aware of her surroundings once more – it was still light though, so it could not have been more than an hour.

Kíli lay on his stomach next to her, his body propped up on his elbows so that he might gaze at a book resting on the ground before him. Tauriel noticed that he had put on his spare shirt and trousers, his wet clothes drying on a low branch above a small fire he had built. They were careful when it came to open fires in the dark because of the unwanted visitors they might attract. Since there was still plenty of daylight left, however, Tauriel deemed it safe enough and enjoyed the warmth radiating from the flames.

Sitting up she peered over Kíli's shoulder at the pages he was studying. The book was one of her own volumes, one that she had received from Faerveren during the earlier days of her training. It was a comprehensive account of plants with healing properties, complete with instructions on how to use them and where to find them.

Ever since Kíli had asked her to pass some of her knowledge on to him, they had used books such as this as starting points for his studies. They had scribbled translations of the elvish writings in the margins, so that Kili would also be able to read them on his own. Although by now Tauriel was beginning to suspect that his grasp of Sindarin was increasing day by day – he was a quick learner, even though he was very reluctant to accept such praise from her.

"I'm not exactly known as the scholarly type," he had told her once when she had remarked on his excellent progress, "nor would you find anyone who'd call me particularly bright."

"Then maybe they just do not know you very well," Tauriel had returned gently. "Not like I do."

Kíli had blushed then and attempted another joke, but Tauriel had seen that her words had touched him. It was a mystery to her how anyone could not see how sharp a mind the young dwarf possessed, but apparently that was more or less how he viewed himself in the eyes of others.

Now, as she leaned in a little closer to be able to press a light kiss to Kíli's neck, his hand reached up to cover hers where it rested on his shoulder, his eyes not leaving the page before him. Tauriel, too, studied the drawing and the accompanying inscriptions.

"Elderberry," she commented. "Do you remember what it is used for?"

"Pain and infections," Kíli replied immediately, "particularly when occurring together with swelling."

"Correct." Tauriel smiled proudly. "And do you remember the incantation that can be used with it?"

Kíli was silent for a couple of moments. "I cannot," he then said, the frown on his face clearly mirrored in his voice. "But I —no, this is going to sound very silly."

"Tell me anyway," Tauriel said gently.

Kíli sighed. "I can't remember the words, but... but when I think about what they are to be used for I feel something, I suppose." He turned his head to look at her. "I'm aware that that sounds terribly foolish."

"It does not." Tauriel held his gaze. "What you feel is your gift calling to you, guiding you." When Kíli frowned in disbelief she went on. "Anyone can memorize the words of a spell or learn to identify a plant. But only those with a true calling can use both to their full effect."

The frown on Kíli's face remained although the lines on his forehead grew a little less pronounced. "But what if I don't learn fast enough? Or if I cannot remember what to do if worse comes to worst?"

Tauriel knew what worried him of course. That something might happen to her, again, and that this time it would be too late to save her. She knew because she feared the same for him, the knowledge that the happiness they had found with each other could so easily be destroyed always threatening to overwhelm her in her darker moments.

"When the time comes you will be ready," she now said to Kíli, forcing herself to cast aside her own doubts for his sake. "You will know what to do – have a little faith in yourself. Like I do."

He turned his head to place a soft kiss on her fingers then, a gentle smile playing around his lips. He did not say anything in reply, but Tauriel was able to tell that, for now, she had eased his fears a little.

She squeezed his shoulder before rising to her feet, leaving him to his studies. Stretching, she tried to catch the last few rays of sunlight on her skin – at least the few that made their way through the branches above. Following a sudden impulse, she strolled down to the small stream. Her legs and feet were still bare and after a brief moment of hesitation she stepped into the water.

As she had guessed before, the water was quite cold indeed. Lifting up her skirt, she took a few steps, enjoying the prickly feeling on her skin. With the water reaching up to just below her knees, she stood there, her toes digging into the sandy riverbed. It had been a long time since she had felt as connected to the forest as she did in that moment, her soul and the world around her in complete balance for the time being.

She inhaled, deeply, and allowed herself to enjoy this rare time of blissful peace. As it was usually the case with such things, though, it did not last very long. She could not say if it was something in the air that shifted or just a feeling deep inside of her, but all of a sudden she knew that something terrible was about to happen.

Her head whipped around and she gazed upstream, trying to determine the source of what she had just felt. She was so focused that she did not even notice Kíli approaching her from behind.

"What's the matter?" he asked, his fingers reaching out to brush against her arm. As it was so often the case these days he seemed to know that something was troubling her even though she had not said anything, had barely moved in fact.

"I'm not sure," she muttered while she inclined her head, straining all her senses. There. There it was again. Tauriel shook herself out of her reverie and turned around, her fingers grasping those of the young dwarf. "We should gather our things," she said, her tone calm but urgent. "I fear that there is something at work close by and whatever it is, I'm afraid it's bad news."

Kíli frowned. "Spiders?" he asked, his annoyance with that stubbornly persistent race more than obvious.

"It might be," Tauriel said vaguely for she was still unable to exactly identify the feeling which had overcome her a few moments ago. "We will know for certain in a short while."

Kíli raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Because they're coming for us?" He stared upstream, clearly looking for signs of an impending attack.

"They could be, but it won't make any difference," Tauriel replied, "because we will not sit tight and wait for them to do so."

Kíli smirked. "So I'll finally get to use all that training?"

The prospect of a fight did not make Tauriel particularly happy, but still Kíli's excitement was slightly infectious. "Let's not be reckless though," she cautioned. "If a fight can be avoided we should not provoke it."

"Ah, recklessness is not a common habit of mine," Kíli returned. "Don't you know me at all?"

Tauriel rolled her eyes and hid her fond smile by stepping around him in order to head for their belongings. "I know you a little too well, I'm afraid."

As they gathered their things and hid everything but their weapons between the roots of a large oak, Tauriel was unable to shake the slightly unpleasant tickling at the back of her neck, that queasy feeling of being about to come face to face with an unknown danger. Even while the warrior inside of her was practically begging her to take out whatever it was that was lurking in the shadows, she hoped that by confronting their enemies instead of running from them, they were not getting themselves into more trouble than they were able to handle.

Checking her weapons one last time, she straightened up and turned to look at Kíli. As their eyes locked, she felt a powerful wave of calm wash over her. She knew that they had no time to lose, but still she took the few steps necessary to be able to reach for his hands. Bringing their joined hands up between their bodies, she pressed a kiss to his knuckles.

"Amrâlimê," she said, her eyes never leaving his.

Kíli pulled one of his hands free in order to cup her cheek in it. "I promise to be careful," he said, his voice more serious than before, "if you promise to do the same."

There it was again. They were both so terrified of the other getting hurt, their protectiveness over each other stronger than any instinct of self-preservation. In a relationship this might be a strength, but Tauriel was well aware that in battle it could easily become a weakness. However, there was nothing to be done about it, except hope that fate would spare them from having to make the kind of choices that loving someone more than yourself sometimes entailed.

She pressed her lips to his, firmly, trying to pour into her kiss all those things for which there was now no time to say. There will be plenty of time to do so, later, she told herself, willing those awful feelings of impending doom to subside.

"Are you ready?" she asked when she finally pulled away, not quite able to suppress a tiny tremor in her voice.

Kíli's responding gaze was earnest and reassuring, and Tauriel instantly felt calmer, the warmth in his eyes soothing to her in this moment of insecurity. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be," he said and in her heart she knew that it was true.

"Let's be done with it, then," she returned, allowing the strategic warrior to take over. It felt good to do so and she felt some of her anxiety fall away as she slipped into that familiar role.

With a final glance at the remnants of their campsite she turned to head upstream, Kíli falling into step behind her. What they were headed for exactly she had no way of knowing, but at least there was one thing she could always be certain of - he would have her back, no matter what.

TBC