Kili slumped down against the wall outside Fili's room with a frustrated sigh. Things were not going how he had hoped, despite the effort everyone was putting into helping Fili get past this temporary obstacle. He had been so certain that when his brother learned of the plan they had come up with, he would be happy again, like he was before. Instead he had become like a statue, unresponsive and sullen. He ate and drank, but otherwise did not leave his bed or acknowledge anyone that tried to speak with him.

Groaning, Kili dropped his head into his hands, at a loss as to how to proceed. The plan had been so flawless when Thorin presented it to him. Bofur and Bombur had been summoned, and as soon as they heard the situation Thorin hadn't even needed to explain. The brothers were eager to get to work teaching Fili iglishmek (their sign language), just the way Bifur had taught them long ago. Kili had been included in the lessons, not having learned it before. There had been no real need for him to learn when talking to Bifur, as the dwarf had still spoke khuzdul, but for Fili this would be his only means of communication.

It just would have been easier if he were willing to learn. For reasons Kili could not begin to understand, Fili had stubbornly refused to accept this new harsh truth in his life, and he turned away from everyone who came to visit, staring at the wall or even pretending to sleep until they left. Bofur and Bombur had offered him sad smiles before retreating from the room, remembering well when Bifur had acted similarly.

"Give it time," Bofur had recommended. "He'll come around when he's ready."

"What if he's never ready?" Kili muttered to himself, getting to his feet to head out side. He needed to go out in the fresh air, to feel the wind on his face and see the sun. He was unaccustomed to spending so much time cooped up indoors, and a part of him even missed the journey, recalling it as a simpler time, before everything went wrong.

He was surprised upon leaving the shadow of the great gates to see a horse and rider coming slowly closer. The horse picked its way carefully through the debris that still littered the ground, the rider swaying awkwardly, as if they were having trouble balancing. Kili could not yet tell much more than that it was an elf, and he barely dared to hope when a tendril of reddish hair blew out from under the green hood that sheltered the riders face. Nearer still, and now Kili could see that the rider was female, and he rushed to greet her, a strange heat thrumming through his veins at the thought that she had come back.

The rider looked up at his shouted greeting, her hood flying back to her shoulders as she urged the horse to a faster gait. She was smiling in relief when she drew alongside him, leaning down as she brought the chestnut steed to a gentle halt. She swung off the animals back towards the ground, landing less gracefully then she normally would have, and Kili caught her elbow to steady her. Apart from his initial yell of welcome he had yet to say anything, and the silence quickly became awkward when her cloak slipped to uncover her missing arm. Kili was filled with guilt, while Tauriel felt a sudden rise of uncertainty, wondering if his promise had been genuine, or if he had just said it because she was leaving.

"I.."

"I..."

Flushing, they both stopped abruptly, the words they had been trying to say dying away. "You go first," Kili urged at last, offering a smile of encouragement.

Tauriel reached into her pocket, pulling out the stone she had found in her hand when she became lucid enough to notice her surroundings. She had clutched on to it for dear life at the time, feeling as if it were the only breath of air available to tortured lungs. Now she handed it back to him, eyes shining in gratitude even as they pushed back some remembered pain. "I thought I should bring this back to you," she admitted, letting her other reasons for coming remain unsaid. Still, from the look in his eyes she felt he knew, and she was certain by the racing of her heart that she had made the right choice. Now she just had to convince his people of that fact.

"All this way just to hand me a stone?" he asked, teasing her gently. Her mild wince left him no doubt that while it might have been one reason, it was the smallest one. Something bothered her deeply to allow her to show this level of emotion. "Tauriel? What is it?"

For a moment she hesitated, wondering if there was time for her to rethink this and flee back to Mirkwood. She snorted internally. She was not about to take the cowards way out. She had already told the king in no uncertain terms that she was leaving, he in turn had tried to mask his hurt at losing a near-family member by more or less telling her not to let the door hit her on the way out. The mountain was the only obvious choice left to her, though there were likely to be many who would call her insane for considering it at all. "I need to speak to your uncle," she informed him in a steady voice.

Kili gave her a calculating look, not yet able to figure out what she was planning and starting to feel concerned in spite of himself. He hoped she wasn't about to do something as dangerous as declaring feelings for him to the king. Part of him secretly rejoiced at the thought, but a much larger part cringed upon imagining his uncle's reaction. Nobody needed to know about their closeness just yet, not when they were still figuring that out for themselves. Still, he did not have a legitimate reason to deny her request. "Alright, let's go."

They spent the moments walking back into the mountain in idle chatter, trading progress reports from each of their kingdoms and speaking of various other harmless topics. They shortly reached the room that Thorin was using as an office, and they paused outside the door for a brief second before Kili ushered her inside with a nod.

Thorin glanced up at their entrance, brows raising in silent query. "Nephew," he greeted Kili cordially, waiting for the other to declare his purpose.

Kili cleared his throat, putting on the stoic face that he was expected to use while conducting official business. "Uncle, the lady Tauriel has just arrived from Mirkwood, and she would request an audience with you," he announced politely. He then stepped back, allowing Tauriel the floor space in front of the desk. She in turn held her silence, already being well versed in the manner in which to approach royalty.

For a brief time Thorin was tempted to make her wait, or simply send her away until he felt it more convenient, but he remembered the story he had gotten. How she had lost her arm due to protecting Kili, and it made him see her in a slightly more favorable light. Such light being highly dependent on what she was about to say. "Speak," he ordered, his voice carefully void of any emotion.

"My lord, I would like to apply for a position working as a guard in your halls," she announced without preamble, causing Kili to nearly choke in surprise, and Thorin to actually place his writing aside and stare at her unblinkingly. When she was not immediately faced with a rejection she continued. "I was demoted from my place as captain of the guard, due to..." Here she waved vaguely towards her missing limb, a frustrated scowl crossing her face. "I cannot just sit around and do nothing! Thranduil refused to give me work, so I left, hoping you would not turn away a soldier based simply on a slight disadvantage. There must be something I can do, anything!"

Whether it was her impassioned speech, or the pleading look in Kili's eyes behind her, Thorin felt himself unexpectedly moved by her plight. Here was one who was not about to let circumstance get the best of her. He could respect that. He had seen far too many men who would have given up when presented with such a challenge, and here instead the elven king had decided to waste her talents and hand him a useful soldier without a fight.

"I have just the thing," he informed her, standing up and indicating that they were both to follow as he led them towards the armory. "Have you ever seen a crossbow before?" he asked, feeling a surge of smug satisfaction by her confused denial. "It's really quite something..."

Author's note: Aww, look at Thorin being all reasonable and everything. Of course, he wouldn't be doing this to rub it in a certain elf kings face in future, no not at all. As for why Tauriel got demoted? I see it like this. Thranduil is so ashamed of his own scars that he hides them with magic, but it is impossible to hide the fact that Tauriel is missing an entire arm, so I think he may be imprinting his own reactions onto her, and assuming she would wish to be left alone. Naturally, once he makes up his mind he is not going to change it, so her anger at his decision only frustrates him and makes him more obstinate. Anyways, next chapter we return at last to Ered Luin to check on the women folk!