Chapter 5

Tauriel stood on the battlements, watching as the dwarrow and men that had gone to Dale trudged their way back into the cover of the mountain, leaning into the driving wind and snow as they went. She'd thought about going to greet them, walking out in the storm to help guide them home. Though she knew the men would not care and might even be grateful to know they were almost back within Erebor's sheltering walls, she doubted the dwarrow would view it in a similar light, Kili excluded of course.

Now, as the small gate that had been rigged up in the lower portion of the wall closed behind the last horse, she descended from her perch, avoiding patrolling dwarrow as she did. When she reached the ground floor, she headed straight for the stables.

The air within the stables was warm and humid, turned that way by the breathing of the large horses, rams, and boars that resided there. It smelt strongly of hay and the almost sweet smell that lingered around such animals. The hay strewn across the floor absorbed the snow and slush dripping off those that had just returned.

Tauriel scanned them, searching for Kili amongst the battle rams. Finally, she found him when he stepped away from a ram, handing its reins over to another dwarf who took it to care for its needs.

A small bubble of laughter worked its way out of her mouth when Kili finally looked up at her. His expedition to Dale had been cut short when a late winter storm rolled in, forcing them to return to Erebor in a last harsh, bitter blizzard. His normally dark hair was frozen in places, snow clinging, ice crusting, and meltwater dripping from the strands. Ice and snow clung to the scanty beard on his face. Despite how cold he must have been feeling, he grinned at Tauriel. Some of the snow flaked away from his mustache and beard when he did, dripping onto his already soaking wet coat.

"Amrâlimê!" he cried and moved forward quickly with his arms outstretched, obviously intent on a rather damp hug.

Tauriel danced out of his reach with another laugh. "Go put on dry clothes! I'm warm and intend to stay that way."

Kili's grin widened and his eyes narrowed. He prowled toward her, head tilting down while keeping his eyes fixed on hers.

"Oh no! Don't even think about it!" She stepped back. Her eyes widened and she fought against the nervous laughter that threatened to encourage him.

Kili darted forward with a shout. Instead of pulling her to him in a wet embrace, he grabbed her arms, leaned over, and shook his head. Water, snow, and ice sprayed out in all directions, splattering across her face and clothing and anyone or anything close enough to be caught in the mess.

"Kili!" she cried and tried to push away from him. He kept shaking, shouting wordlessly as he did.

Finally, he stopped and stepped back, letting go of her arms.

Tauriel glared at him, holding her arms away from her sides as snow and ice dripped off her face and hair. Some of it ran down the collar of her tunic and she suppressed the freezing shudder the tried to ripple its way down her spine.

"I missed you," Kili said. He stretched up on to the tips of his toes to kiss her cheek.

Shaking freezing slush off her hands, she glared at him. "I'm going to take a bath," she grumbled and turned to leave without further comment. Kili's joyful laugh followed her. An answering smile tugged at her lips and she moved to make sure Kili never saw it.

Tauriel took the time to indulge in a long, hot bath. No one had scheduled her for any patrols that night and Oin all but ordered her out of the infirmary after he found out she spent over twenty-nine hours mixing tinctures, grinding dried herbs, and cleaning and rolling bandages three days before.

"Elf you may be, but I'll not have anyone in my domain overexerting themselves. Go! Read a book or something! I don't want to see you for a week."

She'd been a bit stung by his comment about not seeing her for a week but shook it off. Surely he'd banished her only out of concern for her welfare. They'd been getting along so well.

With a sigh, Tauriel shoved her doubts aside. She could deal with Oin and his actual intentions. For now, she needed to get dressed.

She walked into her bedroom, toweling her long hair dry. She stopped her progress toward the dressing room off to the side of her bedroom. There was something on her bed wrapped in plain paper. Something that hadn't been there before.

There weren't many that had access to the royal wing and thus her rooms. Even fewer would ever even bother to come inside. So who had dared?

She approached her bed cautiously. As she passed the little desk she kept, she picked up one of the knives stashed on it, prepared for any sort of treachery.

When she reached the bed, she carefully shifted the paper aside and examined the contents. A small smile tugged at her lips as she lifted a beautiful dress (and where on earth had it come from? No one had time to make one and there was no reason for something so fine to be within Erebor in the first place). A small piece of paper sat beneath it. She picked it up and flipped it over.

"'A ant an cin,'" she read. "A gift for me, is it?" She ran a finger along the deep purple fabric cut in a distinctly dwarfish style with its layers of fabric and metallic threads worked into it. It felt familiar, something created by her own people. But where had it come from and why would something crafted by an elf and obviously for an elf be made in the dwarfish style? "And who would write it in Sindarin?" she murmured to herself, looking at the paper again. Bilbo knew Sindarin, but he had little cause to give her something like this. And she knew his handwriting. This wasn't it. His flowed smoothly, almost as fine as any elf's. This was blockier with sharper edges, despite Sindarin not lending itself to such penmanship. If she didn't know better, she would say it looked almost like cirth.

Curiosity piqued, she lifted the dress and examined it closer. It slid across her palms, its weight less than what it looked. Glimmers of silver threads sparked in the light from her lamps and fireplace. She found delicate, white and blue-purple flowers and silver stars embroidered around the hem and edges. The flowers reminded her of some sort of lily she'd seen in late summer and early fall. She'd always thought they were beautiful, often picking them and bringing them back to her quarters to lend a little color to her sparse accommodations.

It really was lovely, she decided. Unable to find anything nefarious about the dress, she pulled it on instead of her usual greens and browns. She took a little extra time with her hair, being sure her usual style was neat and tidy. She left her weapons behind, except the knives she tucked into the tops of her boots. Once finished, she took a moment to examine herself in the tarnished silver mirror.

It had been a long time since she'd bothered to wear any sort of finery. The Captain of the Greenwood's guard rarely had reason to dress nicely. She'd almost always been on duty, serving her king and her people. It hadn't ever bothered her before.

It still didn't, but she could admit to herself that she enjoyed wearing the occasional dress, even if they weren't practical. It wasn't often she actually felt feminine.

Would Kili like it?

She hoped he would. Taking a deep breath, she went to her door, ready to leave her rooms and go find her own dinner. No one ever really talked to her other than Bilbo, Kili, sometimes his brother Fili, and some of the humans, such as Lord Bard and his children. The youngest daughter Tilda had taken a shine to her in particular.

She opened her door.

And stopped moving.

Little crystal lights sat on the ground, leading down the hallway in the opposite direction she planned to go.

"Odd…" Tauriel murmured. She glanced back into her room, wondering if she should change back into her usual clothing before following the lights. She had no desire to try to fight in the lovely dress.

"Paranoid," she grumbled to herself. Still, just because she was paranoid didn't mean there wasn't an assassin waiting to kill her at the end of the lit path before her. She ducked back into her rooms and grabbed her sword, strapping it onto her belt before once again leaving her rooms. She locked her door behind her and followed the little crystals into the depths of the mountain.

They led her out of the royal wing in a direction she hadn't gone before. She followed them down the hallway and up a spiraling staircase that rose high into the mountain. A little blue light shone from each and every step. Higher and higher she climbed the steep stairs until she finally reached the door. Absently, she wondered just how high in the mountain she was.

She nudged the door open.

Cold air rushed at her, stirring the hem of her dress a moment and lifting her hair away from her shoulders before settling again. More soft blue light illuminated the room with the soft blue light. The little crystals lined the walls in little nooks and crannies. More lights lined the floor, leading across the room to an open doorway. Another breeze stirred around her, coming from the doorway. She followed the lights.

"Meleth nín."

Tauriel blinked in surprise, a small smile curling at the corners of her lips. "Amrâlimê," she said and took the hands Kili held out to her, allowing him to pull her close. "What are you up to?" she asked in Westron.

He smiled at her and turned a bit, releasing one of her hands. In slightly broken Sindarin, he explained. "I thought we could have a private dinner, just the two of us for once. I feel like we haven't seen much of each other lately."

"You're learning Sindarin," she said. Something seemed to tighten in her chest and she felt pressure behind her eyes. She swallowed back the delighted tears and bent to kiss him. He stood on his toes to happily return her kiss.

"I'm trying to learn," he confessed. "It's slow going at times."

"You're doing wonderfully," she said as he led her over to the edge of what she now saw was a small balcony. "Where are we?"

He opened his mouth to reply and then paused, frowning. "I can't remember it in Sindarin," he confessed. "It's the royal rookery. The ravens that served Durin's Line before Erebor fell lived here. There's a larger rookery lower on the mountainside where the ravens live now. We have plans to renovate this one a bit before they take up residence again."

"It's a wonderful place," Tauriel said and tipped her head back. He must have shoveled all the snow off the balcony. Even though it was cold, there wasn't any physical evidence of the season anywhere around them.

"Come," he said, returning to his heavily accented Sindarin as he tugged her gently to the side. A couple of braziers burned near a pile of blankets and soft furs he'd laid out. A simple basket sat next to them, a fine supper filled it. He helped her sit on the soft pile and draped a fur-lined cloak over her shoulders before taking his seat beside her. He pulled the basket over and started divvying out its contents between them.

They talked as they eat, Kili trying to use Sindarin as much as he can but having to ask Tauriel for translations when he either forgets a word or never learned it in the first place. She laughed at his accent, telling him he sounds like some snobby, posh lord or something.

"I learned from Bilbo," he said. "He probably learned it from books with proper phonetics marked in or from his mother who probably learned from Lord Elrond of Rivendell."

She agreed with him and they sat back to relax once their meal was all but finished. As they enjoyed the last of the ale, the sound of a distant violin being tuned reached them.

Tauriel straightened and looked back at the stone wall behind them. Kili, she noticed, perked up too and climbed to his feet. He walked over to the railing and peered over it. Setting her mug aside, she moved to join him.

Far below them, a light shines through one of the few windows on the mountainside. From there, the beginnings of a simple, sweet song started floating on the air.

"Fili," Kili said with a grin. "He still plays sometimes, when he's had a long day in meetings and such. I really should play with him more, like we did before we left Ered Luin."

"You play?" Tauriel asked as she leaned against the rail. It was low for her, but she planted her feet a good distance behind the balustrade to make it easier.

"Sometimes," Kili said. "Not as often as Fi. He's better. I did more of the singing. We made more money when we played the taverns that way."

The music changed from something commonly heard in taverns and town squares, becoming something more complicated, slow, and flowing.

"He also learned more traditional, high society stuff. I never enjoyed it enough to learn it all."

They stayed where they were for a time, just listening. The song drew to a close before another began. It wasn't one she knew but Kili stepped away from the railing and pivots. Tauriel stood straighter as she followed his movements.

"Seems a shame to waste such an opportunity," Kili said, once again using Sindarin as he extended a hand to her. "Dance with me?"

It had been a long time since she'd felt any sort of timidity, but there, on that balcony, with the handsome and charming dwarf asking her to share a dance in her own language, she couldn't help but feel a bit shy as she accepted his hand and let him pull her into a slow, swaying dance she didn't know. She followed his lead as best she could and relied on her reflexes to keep from stepping on him.

As they circle slowly around the balcony in a simple pattern. Kili occasionally threw in a simple spin or turn. Each time, Tauriel's dress flared out and caught the firelight from the braziers and creating an effect that mirrored the stars above them.

After a time, Kili slowly drew them to a stop. "I have something for you," he said and went over to the basket they'd abandoned. He waved at her to stay put when she took a step to follow him. He returned shortly with a small wooden box. He opened it, showing her a set of plain silvery beads.

"I can't ask to officially court you until Fili marries or declares he won't, but I can give you a promise," he said as she took the box he offered her. "No matter how long Fi takes to make up his own mind on the matter, I will never change my mind. You are my One and you are the only One I will ever want, have ever wanted by my side."

"They're lovely," Tauriel said as she lifted a bead from the box to examine it closely.

"I'll make you something finer when I'm allowed to pay court to you officially," he said.

Tauriel set the bead back in the box. "I need nothing more than these," she said. "I need nothing more than you."

Kili grinned at her and surged up onto his toes, wrapping a hand around the back of her neck and pulling her into a delighted, heated kiss. She responded in kind, tracing her fingers along his jaw and burying them in his hair.

When they finally parted, Kili pulled her back over to the blanket. She sat at his urging and he pulled a brush and comb out of the depths of his seemingly endless basket. "May I put them in your hair?" he asked. "It's customary for my people."

Tauriel leaned back and kissed him over her shoulder. "Please," she said and settled in to allow him to do just that.

He made quick work of taking out the braids she'd been wearing before reverently brushing her hair, letting it run across his hands as he worked. They remained silent while he brushed. She watched curiously when he sectioned out some of her hair and started braiding.

"That looks like yours," she said, eyes flickering to one of the braids he wore next to his ear. He didn't wear them often, usually leaving his hair loose except for the single clasp at the back of his head that kept some of it out of his face. "Do they have meaning?"

"They define us," he said. "Normally, I don't wear mine. I prefer to go unnoticed in crowds. Wearing braids that declare me as one of Thorin's heirs can get a bit awkward or irritating, so I leave my hair loose most of the time."

Tauriel hummed. Finally, he finished the braid and placed a bead at the end. He sectioned out more hair and started a new pattern. "What's that?" she asked.

"How I see you," he said. "We can work together at another time to make it more comprehensive if you like."

"Tell me?" she asked as she watched his fingers work their way down her hair.

So he did, listing qualities she wouldn't have thought of for herself as well as others she would have. Brave, strong, beautiful, warrior, dwarf-friend, and so on. When he finally finished, he capped that braid with a bead as well. He then took the two braids and started looping them together in a third braid. When he finally finished, he pulled the largest of the beads out and used it to clasp the entire thing together. Tauriel reached up to feel the finished result.

"I have no beads to braid into your hair," she said as she ran her fingers on the slim braid.

"That's all right," Kili said. "I'll make a set when we can actually start courting. I'll just borrow a pair from the treasury when I need to have it up, at official events and the like. Unless you'd like me to wear it all the time, of course?"

She smiled at him. "There's no reason," she said. "I've always felt that we should be able to make our own decisions in regards to how we dress and what we wear. I feel no compulsion to tell you to wear my braids in your hair when you don't even wear ones for yourself."

"I have said it before, and I'll say it again. I am a damn lucky dwarf," Kili said and leaned over to kiss her firmly. "Feel free to take that out any time you want," he said. "I'll teach you to do it so you can wear it anytime you feel like it."

She ran a hand across it again. "I quite like it," she said, "though I may find a way to incorporate it into my usual hairstyle. I'd hate to get hit in the face with one of these beads in a fight."

"And that's the other reason why I typically don't wear them," Kili said with a smile.

The sun melted away the last of the snows. Driving snowstorms gave way to spring showers. The desolate area around Erebor turned green with new life. Dale's new citizens left Erebor for their own city, along with rotating contingents of dwarrow soldiers and workers. Kili often went with them.

Tauriel stayed behind and worked in the infirmary or walked patrols. She heard plots on occasion, mutterings against King Thorin but more often against his consort Bilbo. She took each and every report to Nori. One such report couldn't wait. She dragged the dwarf to the guardhouse and handed him over to Dwalin to take care of the matter.

She worked hard in the infirmary to follow all of Oin's instructions but to also expand his knowledge with some of her own, limited though it was. She also tried to remain inconspicuous as much as possible, especially where the royal family is involved, excluding Kili. It was rare that they all met together, usually at Bilbo's insistence and almost each time he did he invited the entire Company as well. At such gatherings, she tended to find a quiet corner to observe those around her. More often than not, Kili joined her, soon followed by Fili.

Kili bounced his way up to her one morning late in the summer.

"My mum's almost here!" he said joyfully and took her hands, squeezing them slightly.

"Your mother?" Tauriel said and something inside her dropped heavily toward her boots but somehow stayed firmly rooted in her torso.

"Yes! Will you ride out with us to greet her and the caravan?"

Tauriel swallowed back the sudden panic and tried for a reasonable, light tone. "I think I'll stay behind. I'd imagine she would want to greet her two sons without any more audience than necessary."

Kili frowned and hesitated.

Tauriel touched his cheek gently, just the barest graze of her fingertips. "You should greet your mother without me there. Let her enjoy your reunion together before we meet and complicate things."

He seemed to war with himself before his shoulders slumped. "If you're sure?"

"Yes, Kili. Go. I'm sure she'll be ecstatic to see you."

He smiled, a bit sadly, she thought and gave her hands another squeeze before leaving, heading toward the main gates.

Tauriel avoided the caravan when Dis finally arrived in the mountain with the royal family and the Company leading the way. She watched them enter the mountain from a distance, unsure of her welcome.

The next few weeks were an exercise in stealth. For all Tauriel had promised Kili she would meet his mother, she did everything she could to avoid the situation entirely. She made sure she left her rooms early in the mornings before anyone else woke and found places to be busy within the mountain and without. She joined exploration groups that delved deep into the mountains, carrying supplies for them and reaching areas they couldn't. She joined hunting parties or went out on her own. When Princess Dis and Kili walked near where Tauriel leaned against a pillar eating an apple in her spare time, Tauriel abandoned her snack and clambered up the massive stone structure before Dis realized she was there, watching from her perch until the dwarrowdam moved out of sight.

"You'll have to meet her eventually," Kili laughed when he found her still sitting high above his head half an hour later. He'd noticed her half-eaten apple on the floor when he'd first passed.

"Not today," Tauriel said as she jumped down. He shook his head and they went to practice their archery in the nearest training rooms.

Tauriel walked down the hall towards her rooms, her nose buried in the book Kili had recommended to her. It captivated her so well that she didn't realize there was someone in front of her until she'd almost run directly into them. Once their footsteps registered in her hearing, she stopped and peeked over the top of her book, intent on looking just long enough to find the easiest way around whomever it is.

Princess Dis stared at her, her lips parted slightly as she clutched a book in one hand as well.

Tauriel's mind ground to a halt, her hands dropping closer to her waist, leaving her face open to Princess Dis' scrutiny.

Princess Dis.

Kili's mother.

The dwarrowdam Tauriel had been actively avoiding for over a month.

Was standing in front of her with eyebrows raised.

Expectantly?

Probably.

Tauriel had a feeling facing down another dragon would be less nerve-wracking than talking to her (hopefully) future mother-in-law by herself for the first time. By all the Valar, where was a dragon bent on overtaking the mountain again when an elf needed one?

She needed to pull herself together. She was Captain of the Greenwood's Guard for Eru's sake.

Former captain, a nasty voice in her head sneered. It sounded far too much like King Thranduil on one of his worse days for her comfort. She was the former captain of Greenwood's guard.

She rebelled. Former captain she may be, but only because she'd threatened her former king's life on behalf of this dwarrowdam's youngest son. The son Tauriel loved with all her heart.

The venomous voice gave her the irritation she needed to pull herself out of her panicked stupor. She took the anger and used it to break through the idiotic babling consuming her thoughts.

She dropped to one knee and bowed her head. "Your Highness," she murmured.

The leather-booted feet in Tauriel's vision shifted slightly. "I fail to see a cause for such genuflection."

Tauriel froze. Perfect. She'd already irritated Dis. Not exactly the first impression she'd hoped to make. Then again, she'd hoped to never have to make an impression. Avoiding Dis for the rest of her days had seemed like such a good idea too.

"Stand up. I'd have thought by now you'd have realized we don't stand on such ceremony here."

Tauriel rose to her feet but kept her eyes downcast.

"There, that's better," Dis said and stepped closer. Tauriel resisted the urge to lurch back and away from her, even as Dis moved into her line of sight, peering up at her with a familiar glint in her dark eyes. Kili's eyes. Or rather, Kili had her eyes. "I've been hoping to meet you."

"You… have?" Tauriel asked and mentally berated herself. In all her years, nothing had come close to preparing her to meet her dwarfish love's royal mother. She scrambled to find purchase in her own thoughts and position in the conversation.

Dis' lips tipped up at the corners. "Indeed. Walk with me?" she asked. "I'd like to speak to you."

Tauriel nodded once and turned to fall in step with Dis. They moved in silence for a time until they reached the rooms Kili now shared with his brother and mother. Dis led the way inside.

The brothers weren't there and Tauriel steeled herself against the urge to bolt like a startled deer. Dis set her book down on the dining room table and motioned for Tauriel to join her by the unlit fireplace. Cautiously, Tauriel did so, sitting on the edge of the low chair Dis indicated and tucking her legs beneath it, digging her the toes of her boots against the stone in case she needed to make a hasty retreat.

"I've heard of the things you did," Dis said.

Things like imprisoning her sons and brother for weeks.

"You saved my sons- Kili on more than one occasion- I hear. I owe you a great debt."

Tauriel shifted uncomfortably. "It was not my intention to-"

"No, of course not," Dis said, "but I still owe it. And for my son's sake, I will put aside my grievances with your kind in regards to you. Would you allow me to get to know you?"

Something loosened in Tauriel's chest. "I would like that very much," she said with a relieved smile.