Notes- I loved writing this chapter!
"And as warmth came
so did patience and love
It stood still waiting
hoping
shielding from the cold
As endless possibilities sat still
with the promise of everything dear"
*flashback*
Morning came in a blink of an eye. Some rays of light from the sun managed to break through the thick barrier of clouds above. The wind was cold and dry. It came to playfully stir clothing and swirl hair. It shook bare trees and bothered the surface of the lake water. It left as fast as it came only to reappear once again.
The ashes had finally stopped falling around the shores of the destroyed lake town. Bodies had been accumulated and mourned throughout the night. Some had been quickly buried before the ground became too frozen to dig up. The desolation of Smaug could still be felt and heard even as he laid lifeless at the bottom of the lake.
Kili stood there at the shore, waiting for her. His eyes were to the mountain that reigned over the sky as it was so close now. Their journey had felt like an eternity. All those days of looking over to the horizon hoping to see the mountain had come to an end. He had hoped that once the dragon was dead, their problems would also flee. But now, he couldn't find peace. He could not walk away from her. However, he could not walk away from his brother either… his kin.
The runestone felt heavy in his palm as he caressed the runes engraved on it with his finger. He wanted to ask his mother for advice. What should he do?
He couldn't bear to leave Tauriel. He was in love with her and there was no way he could walk away. His mind raced with alternatives trying to find a solution until he finally found one. A simple one.
"We should get moving" Bofur announced, breaking Kili's concentration. "The Laketown folk are also going to head to the mountain"
Kili shook his head.
"Please. A few more minutes. Could you stall my brother?"
Bofur sighed at the frustration in the young prince's eyes.
"Lad, your uncle will murder me if I do not return you to him"
"I will go with you. But I'm waiting for her. Please, just a few more minutes"
Bofur smiled kindly.
"Of course, lad" he assured, coming to him and placing his hand on his shoulder. "Let me tell you something. If you would allow me. Sometimes we must let go of the things that we most love for the sake of a greater good"
Kili's eyes fell to the cobblestones below that were being hit and turned over from the lake water.
"I saw her and I knew I would fall under her enchantment. I can't leave her"
Bofur stood silent as people around them started to wake. The residents from the destroyed town got busy with packing up as most of their belongings as they could. If they even had anything left.
"She's right there" Bofur quickly announced as he turned and made his way to their boat. His footsteps were quick. He did not want to disturb any moments that were about to take place.
Kili held his breath. He had felt her before her arrival had been noticed by Bofur.
"Tauriel" he called, turning to face her. He could not help but smile. She had come to meet after all. Yet her eyes were sad and filled with everything bad that he yearned to brush away.
"Are you alright?" he quickly asked. He looked at the way her long red hair blew in the wind. He was stricken by her beauty every time his eyes landed on her. She was breathtaking.
But as he took his time to appreciate the way her green eyes reminded him of a spring day, Fili called to him. His company was quickly putting their boat back in the water. Bofur could not stall any longer it seemed.
"Kili. We're leaving" Fili ordered. His eyes were narrowed as if leaving no room for arguments. He would not leave without his brother.
Kili's chest heaved in urgency but Tauriel shook her head.
"They are your people" she said, keeping her voice leveled. "You must go"
But Kili's heartbeat accelerated. The idea that had been planted in his mind could not leave him.
"Come with me!" he blurted, trying to sound collected but failed miserably. The idea of leaving her made his heart ache terribly.
She suddenly turned around at his words.
"I know how I feel" he declared. His brown, warm eyes melted her at the intensity of his declaration.
"And I am not going to let you forget everything that has happened between us. You make me feel alive!"
Her breath caught at her throat and every noise around her seized as only he existed in front of her. But as soon as the sentiment came crashing into her, it left her. She had thought about it for hours and found that there was no room for discussion.
"I can't" she murmured, closing her eyes. "I have to go with Legolas"
Having him close was melting her resolve away. She could hear his love for her in every breath he took. She wanted to reach forward and wrap her arms around him.
"Tauriel" he whispered, holding her back softly. "Amralime"
There it was: the thousandth time that he had made her forget how to breathe but this time she knew it was different. Her eyes widened as he looked at her so intently that she had to force herself to remember how to take a breath.
"I do not know what that means"
She tried to keep her voice from shaking but she gloriously failed. He gave her a soft grin as he chuckled. His fingers caressed her left cheek as they yearned to touch her skin again.
"I think you do"
Tauriel felt herself take a step forward; she finally gave in to the invisible pull and tension between them. She could go with him. It could be done. It could!
But then she stopped. She had felt his presence and it pulled her back at once.
Kili saw as she called to the elf who had walked over to them. Legolas was his name. At seeing this elf, his eyes instantly wore a glare. The way he looked at Tauriel made his blood boil. Jealousy was forced to silently flow within him and his fists closed in anger.
Both elves shared some more conversation and it looked as Tauriel took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Kili knew of her answer to his declaration before she spoke. She looked at him, sadly and with devastation but still she shook her head.
"Kili" she murmured. "I can't"
The arrow that was shot into his leg hours ago, had been nothing compared to this pain. The venom that tried to kill him, had hurt less. However, he forced himself to give her a nod. He needed to respect her wishes, so he turned around in defeat.
But he could not give up! Never. His breath shook as determination washed upon him. That redhead maiden had stolen his heart and still held it captive. How could he give up on such emotion?
He quickly turned around and ignored Legolas' stare and only focused on the silent elf in front of him. He could see her eyes that battled the urge to cry.
Kili walked to her and without a word, he grabbed her hand. She gasped at the warmth, as she hadn't yet grown accustomed to it.
She felt him press something cold into her palm and with a second thought she knew what it was.
"Keep it" he said. His hands enveloped hers and he brought her closer. He did not care who saw them now.
"As a promise"
Tauriel closed her eyes then as his words made her skin shiver like the cold could never manage to do.
She did not say anything as she could only give him a small smile. He then brought her down lower and pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead.
With that he turned around and left.
Her eyes never left him, until she opened her hand and looked at the stone he had placed there. The runes engraved on it faced her. It yelled a promise that he had just made to her. The same promise that he had made to his mother. Her eyes filled with tears and her breath trembled out of her. He had given her something he surely valued more than treasure. She could see that he could not look away from her either as he rowed the small boat along with his kin.
His promise repeated over and over in her head.
"Tauriel"
She heard Legolas call to her but her eyes refused to leave sight of Kili until he was so far away that even her elven eyes could not distinguish the boat anymore.
"What has he given you?" Legolas asked, coming to her side. Her right hand closed quickly and tightened around the runestone as if it was a precious gem.
She wiped her tears away and with determination, she held her head up high.
"Where am I needed?" she asked, ignoring his question. Legolas straightened his back and cleared his throat.
Her eyes were full of something he had never seen in her before. A light, although fading, surrounded her eyes. She had fallen for the dwarf. There was no reason to ask for her truth as he saw it so clearly.
"Come" he ordered, leading her away from the shoreline.
"A what?" Thorin asked as he could not believe his ears.
"A father, Thorin" Gandalf repeated, shifting on his feet. "Kili is to be a father"
He was nervously awaiting the reaction from the newly awakened King. The entire chamber was quiet even as it was full of dwarves.
Thorin's eyes travelled around the room just in case Gandalf was trying to play a joke on him. His kin nodded and stayed silent. It had been a tremendous surprise to them all as well when they had heard the news.
"My nephew!" he began with anger rising. "Impregnated an elf?"
His voice echoed around the chamber. He tried to throw his feet over the bed but both Balin and Dwalin pushed him back down.
"Calm down Thorin!" Gandalf soothed even though he would have reacted the same way if he had been in his shoes.
"He is so reckless!" Thorin cried as he proceeded to take his face in his hands. "That lad is going to be the reason for my white hairs! He already is that reason! I thought I taught him well to keep it in his pants at least until marriage!"
Galadriel could not help but chuckle as the dwarven king fought about being held down in his bed.
"Your anger will do nothing towards this manner" she then said. Her serene voice, although quiet, demanded attention. Thorin finally seized his huffing as he took a deep breath.
"Where is she?" he asked as his eyes darkened.
"Thorin" Bilbo began. "We will not allow you to frightened the poor lass"
"She needs care and comfort during this time" Galadriel pressed, narrowing her blue eyes at Thorin.
"But" she continued, looking at her dear wizard. "I could take her with me if you wish. If you do not want to offer her sanctuary here"
Thorin's eyes quickly shifted to the glowing elf in front of him. Gandalf took a deep breath in thought.
"No" Thorin then said. His eyes wore a slight shade of authority. "She carries an heir of Erebor"
"Indeed" Balin was next to add. He was proud to see the change in Thorin.
"If my nephew loves her as I am being told then I cannot take her away from him. She has saved his life and I do not plan in being the one to take his happiness from him"
His eyes filled with determination then. "He will wake. But I will still give that lad my fury!"
Everyone laughed then as Thorin shook his head but finally smiled.
"I want to see her" he then stated, looking at Galadriel. It appeared that it was her permission that was to be requested.
Galadriel was hesitant towards his request but a look from Gandalf calmed her thoughts. She gave a single nod.
"Very well" Gandalf said.
A soft knock at her door disturbed her thoughts. The burning pain still echoed around her body but it came in softer waves.
"Yes?" she called.
"May I come in?"
It was the Lady of Light who asked for her permission. Tauriel quickly replied.
"Of course"
"Is he awake?" she quickly asked as her head lifted from the pillow.
Galadriel shook her head with a sad smile. "He has not. But they are both expected to wake. It won't take much longer"
Tauriel sighed but she forced herself to hang on to the hope that she was being given.
"How are you?" she then asked. Her eyes wore real concern for her well being.
"I feel more rested, thank you" Tauriel affirmed. "But the pain and the burning does not seize in magnitude"
Galadriel reached forward and caressed the redhead's cheek.
"The courage you carry is admirable" she declared. "Though I do have to ask you something that might take courage as well"
Tauriel listened intently with furrowed brows.
"Thorin has asked to see you"
At this, Tauriel's breath faltered. She played with a strand of her hair for a few seconds as fear made its way into her. She did not know why she was afraid of having to talk to Kili's uncle and the king of the kingdom she resided in, but nevertheless, it left her in a puddle of nerves.
"Is he angry?" she then asked. Her hand fell to her stomach and caressed it.
Galadriel came to sit by her side.
"We wouldn't allow him to yell at you or insult you" she assured. "He is not entirely happy with the situation but I have seen within him that he does not wish you ill will"
Tauriel took a deep breath then. "I trust you. I agree. If he wishes to speak with me then he is welcomed to"
"I will wait outside" Galadriel then stated and made her way out the door.
Tauriel splashed some water on her face, combed her hair, and braided it. Her kin had provided her with fresh clothes and a new pair of boots, which she quickly changed into. Everything that was given to her was black in color. She was also glad that she was given a new coat with a hood.
Tauriel took a deep breath to steady herself as she tightened her belt and placed her daggers at her side. She also quickly grabbed Kili's bead and the runestone and placed them safely inside her coat pocket.
The pain that she and Kili shared was strong as she walked Erebor's halls and climbed its countless stairs. However, she tried to force the pain out of her mind as she stood in front of the door which she could suddenly not dare to open. Another type of pain hit her at full force and knocked the breath out of her.
"What is the matter?" Gandalf then asked as Galadriel knew of the problem before she spoke.
Tauriel took a deep, lingering breath. They looked so alike. Unlike his older brother, he looked so much like his uncle.
"His eyes" she whispered with a hand over her heart. "He has his eyes"
"You can take as long as you need" Gandalf assured.
He looked at the shorter elf with a soft gaze. But she suddenly straightened her back and pulled the door open. Nothing well was ever done without determination.
Galadriel smiled reassuringly and followed her inside as Gandalf walked in last.
Notes- Thank you for reading.
