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Still working on catching up on some of the reviews while on vacation, just depends on what kind of internet service I have each day. Keep them coming though!

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Chapter 11

~X~

Thorin sat in his study, looking over the guest list for the next month. It would appear that everyone was planning a visit to the mountain - all eager to renew ties with the kingdom of Erebor. Thengel, the king of Rohan, was already on his way – having asked to have an audience with Thorin sooner than later. Even Thranduil had sent a message saying he would be visiting, as well as Lord Baldar of the Grey Mountains, much to his surprise. Thorin found himself a bit concerned over the last one, for things with the Dwarf Lord, Baldar, had been a bit strained over the past decades.

"Do you think he still holds a grudge?" Balin asked, recalling the last message they had received from that dwarf clan.

"I would hope not," Thorin sighed. "Yet, you know that our kind often finds it difficult to forgive…or forget."

"Well, it was hardly your fault the dragon attacked," the white bearded dwarf pointed out. "And it was Baldar who sent the message before that, calling off the courtship, not you."

"Yet, with Smaug's attack, we never found out what the reason was behind their breaking the contract," Thorin huffed. "Not that I was upset about it in the least, for the last thing I wanted was to be forced into a political marriage. And I swore that my heirs would never be subjected to such a thing as well. If Fili and Kili wish to wed, it will be because they desire to do so…not to form some alliance."

"Yet, at the time, your grandfather Thrór felt it was important for the stability and prosperity of Erebor that you and the princess of the Grey Mountains enter into a courtship," Balin reminded him. "The fact that they are the largest producers of coal in the area makes them a fine ally. And they still could be, if you can find out why the contract was broken in the first place, and if any hard feelings still remain."

"I know it would be advantageous, but I will not grovel or beg, nor will I consent to any marriage contract to secure the rights for trade," Thorin stated firmly.

"I believe that you have enough assets in the vaults already to be appealing to Lord Baldar and his people," Balin assured him. "No need to worry about him insisting on a marriage alliance. Or at least I hope not."

"Well, I fear that any idea of pairing me up with his daughter this late in our lives would be pointless," Thorin insisted. "And since I never even laid eyes on the lass, it was probably best that they called off the match. Besides, what kind of life could I have offered her once we were set to wandering in exile? The princess probably felt she had managed to slip out just in time."

"Aye, it would have been rather unfortunate had the marriage already been settled upon," the older councilor agreed. "Now, you simply need to smooth things over and see about strengthening ties from here on out. We could still use a trade agreement for their coal. Erebor's forges need to be fueled, and they do have the closest supply."

"I will do my best," Thorin agreed. "But if not, there are other options…unfortunately none as advantageous as the Grey Mountains."

"To be sure, laddie," Balin nodded.

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Fili and Jade continued to spend time together, with all the mountain keeping a close watch on the couple, smiling in their direction whenever they were seen around Erebor. It pleased the dwarrow that their prince had found a potential mate…or at least a consort, with the hopes of her accepting him.

The only one who didn't seem very pleased was Kili, for even after having talked with Fili, he still felt a bit left out. He admittedly had nothing against the lass, but it made him jealous when he saw the two in each other's company, laughing and smiling, while he wished he could have his brother all to himself.

Maybe Bofur was right…maybe it was time he sought out a mate for himself. But where? There were scant few dams that had migrated to the mountain, and most of them he had known since childhood, flirted with, and even kissed a few…but never had he felt anything similar to what Fili had claimed he was experiencing with Jade. No, the only one he had ever felt even remotely interested in was a red-haired elf lass from Mirkwood who had saved his life and then tossed him in a dungeon. Now if that wasn't the oddest way to meet someone, Kili didn't know what was. Still, regardless of their start, he couldn't get the guard-captain out of his mind.

However, he also knew that Thorin would never allow such a pairing, and in truth he didn't even know if she thought of him the same way. He had not seen her since she returned with Thranduil and Legolas to the woodland realm, nor had she made any attempt to contact him since. Did this mean he was destined to be craft-wed? Unable to forget the elf lass but not having his head turned by any other dwarrowdam? And if so…what was his craft? Battle? War? Being a prince? It left him feeling not only lonely…but useless as well.

And the following day, when he was especially down on his situation, Kili came across a sight that proved to be the last straw. There, at the doorway to Thorin's council chambers was Fili and Jade, his brother having the young maid backed against the wall, while he stood in front of her, one palm resting on the stone next to her head, while the other held her hand in his. The two appeared deep in conversation, looking more happy and pleased than he felt they should be. This had all began as a farce, a way of regaining their reputation, but if Fili was to be believed, it was starting to become more than that. At least for his brother. Yet when Fili reached up and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, causing Jade to blush, Kili had seen enough. Spinning on his heel, he marched away, grumbling as he went.

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Jade was just saying farewell to Fili as he headed into the King's council chambers, but out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Kili, who stopped and stared at them with a sour look on his face. She chose not to say anything to Fili, yet when he proceeded inside to meet with his uncle, Jade hurried down the hallway, hoping to have a private talk with the younger prince. She knew the brothers were very close, and the way Fili talked about his naddith non-stop, only proved it more.

"Prince Kili?" she called, looking down one corridor and then another one. Which way had he gone? Jade stood still and listened, at last hearing his faint footsteps to her right and choosing that direction. She was not exactly sure where she was headed, the mountain still being so very vast and all, but she was determined to speak with Kili.

As she continued to follow the sound, Jade was led down several more corridors and over bridges, passing several other dwarrow on her way, yet the farther down she went, the less she encountered. Perhaps it would be best to end her pursuit and attempt to speak to Kili another time. But Jade was not the type to give up easily, so she followed.

At last, when she was thoroughly lost and highly unlikely to ever be able to find her way back alone, she spotted Kili inside a large chamber, standing at the end of a long walkway, staring at a small alcove at the far side. Looking around, Jade could see no one else anywhere, the area completely deserted. She had never been in this part of the mountain before, and had no idea exactly what it was used for.

"Prince Kili?" she called, at last seeming to get his attention. He turned and stared at her, a look of concern on his face.

"What are you doing down here?" he demanded, sounding more upset than she had expected him to be for following him. "Don't you know this area is off limits? It's dangerous and unstable."

"Then what are you doing down here?" she asked, her eyes now darting around as if looking for the danger he had spoken of.

"I wanted to see something," he explained, turning back around and gazing inside the alcove. "I had heard it was here…but had never taken the time to come see it myself."

"But if it isn't safe…why would you want to do so now?" Jade inquired, walking forward, doing her best to remain in the center of the walkway, seeing the long and dangerous drop on either side. Erebor really needed more hand rails.

"They'll be doing demolition on this area soon, and while they do plan on removing all the stone carvings before that, I worried it might get damaged in the move. I wanted to see it for myself, just in case," Kili told her, still staring straight ahead.

"What is it of?" Now Jade was doubly curious.

"It's a relief carved of the last two princes and one princess of Erebor, before the dragon came," he said, gesturing to the half-hidden sculpture within the alcove. "Of my Uncle Thorin, Uncle Frerin, and Amad. They were barely more than children at the time, but I wanted to see it for myself."

Jade was now standing only a few feet behind Kili, and able to see the carving at last. She had no idea if it was a good likeness or not, though she could identify some of Thorin and Dis' traits in the younger versions of themselves. And while she had never seen a drawing of Frerin, she could guess that he looked much as he had as well.

"Whoever crafted it did a fine job," she complimented. "They were a true stone mason."

"Amad told me that she always remembered this carving and thought I reminded her of Thorin, and that Fili looked a lot like Frerin," he said with an almost wistful expression.

"I would have to agree with her," Jade nodded. "Your brother does resemble your uncle Frerin…and you do favor King Thorin."

"My amad always said that Thorin and Frerin were inseparable, just like me and Fili," he continued, now turning around to stare at the dam. "That they did everything together, and nothing could come between them…save death."

Jade could hear the hidden meaning in his story, for Kili's voice cracked just a bit when he spoke about how his two uncles used to be thick as thieves…much the same as he and Fili. And suddenly, Jade understood why the young prince wished to see such a thing now - when his own brother seemed to be busy with other things, like her, and not paying as much attention to him.

"Kili…I think we need to talk," she began, wishing to clear the air between them. She had been enjoying her time with Fili very much, but if it was hurting the younger prince, then something had to change.

She was just about to open her mouth and say more, when a loud boom was heard in the distance, followed by a deep rumble that was felt all around them, shaking the bridge and causing rocks and dust to begin falling from the ceiling.

"Mahal no!" Kili breathed, looking up as he saw a large chuck of stone breaking lose just above them.

Jade apparently saw it as well, and knowing that there was not enough time to run back the way they had come, she chose the only direction left to them…forward! Lunging towards Kili, she shoved him backwards, just as a barrage of stones rained down around them, some small, while others were larger and razor sharp. The huge section of the ceiling that sheered away came crashing upon the walkway, turning the bridge into rubble as it fell into the chasm it had once crossed.

A few more larger stones joined it, forcing Kili and Jade farther and farther into the small alcove, attempting to find shelter from the barrage of dust and rocks. Jade heard Kili cry out in pain, yet with so much debris in their air, it was nearly impossible to see what was going on, leaving her blinking and rubbing her eyes in hopes to clear her vision. She could feel the prince beside her, the two of them now huddled against the farthest wall, attempting to keep out of the way. Yet as more rocks fell, it was soon quite clear that they were trapped, a wall of stones and debris effectively sealing them inside.

"Jade! Are you all right?" Kili asked, coughing over the dust in the air that was now making its way into his lungs. "Speak to me!"

"I…I'm fine," she told him after a quick inspection of all her limbs. "A few scrapes, but I don't think anything serious. You?"

"It feels like I took a shard to the leg," he confessed, the hissing sound he let out telling her it was unfortunately very painful.

"Can you move it?" she questioned, wishing she could see his injury.

"Some," he responded, grunting a bit as he pulled himself into a better position. They remained silent for a few moments, waiting for the dust to settle before they attempted to speak again. In that time, Jade was pleased to see that some of the luminescent rock had been placed in the ceiling of the small alcove, and as their eyes began to adjust, they could make out each other in the darkness.

They were both covered in dust, Kili's hair now looking more grey than dark, and she didn't imagine she faired any better. When Jade could at last see well enough, she began to search for the stone that had pierced his leg, letting her hands do most of the work. When she touched the jagged shard of rock sticking out of his thigh, Kili jerked, making him suck in his breath from pain.

"I'm sorry," she told him, reaching up and pulling off the scarf she wore around her neck. "We need to get that out and wrap it up tightly so you don't bleed to death. Think you can stand it?"

"I'll have to, won't I?" Kili stated, gritting his teeth as he took her hand and guided it slowly to the rock buried in his leg. "On the count of three." He instructed. "One. Two. Three!" And together they yanked it out, causing Kili to cry out very loudly and fall back against the stone floor, his eyes squeezed shut in pain.

As quick as she could, Jade wrapped her scarf around Kili's leg, tying it as tightly as she dared without cutting off his circulation. She hoped the puncture was not too deep, and that it hadn't struck an artery - but without any medical supplies, this was the best she could do. Once it was tied off, she looked at the prince's face, hoping he was still conscious, for she was unsure what she would do if he wasn't. Thankfully, though he appeared to be in a great deal of discomfort, he was alert.

"Thank you," Kili muttered, his eyes still closed and his brow furrowed. "I'm in your debt, Lady Jade, not only for bandaging my leg…but for pushing me out of the way of the rocks as well."

"You would've done the same for me," she assured him. "But you're welcome, nonetheless."

"And now I feel even worse!" he moaned, throwing his arm over his eyes in despair.

"What…why?" Jade was confused.

"Because you're being so nice, and just before all this happened, I was having some rather ungenerous thoughts about you…and for that I'm sorry," he admitted.

"You mean…because you feel as if I'm taking Fili away from you?" Jade wasn't a fool, she had heard every word Kili had said about the carvings he had been looking at. Which gratefully appeared to be undamaged, and still in perfect condition on the wall behind them. "Kili…you know that all of this is only temporary…right? That Fili and I are not seriously courting with a view to marriage. I would never dare to assume this is anything more than the farce your uncle insists upon. And very soon, all of this will be behind us, and you and your brother can go back to how things were."

Kili lifted his arm off his face and stared at the dam in the dim light, seeing that she truly meant what she said. Apparently, in her mind nothing had changed, it was all still a ruse…nothing more. And yet, from what Fili had stated, that may no longer be the case for him. Would it be wise to tell Jade this? Or would doing so scare her away? But if this got him his brother's attention back…would it be worth doing? Kili was torn, unsure if he should do the honorable thing, or the selfish thing. In the end, he knew he could never treat his brother, or the lass, in such a way, and he chose to keep his mouth shut on the subject.

"Well…either way, I'm still grateful to you for saving me like you did," he chose to reply. "Especially after it was all my fault we ended up here in the first place."

"It's not your fault. I could have easily chosen not to follow you," she pointed out, absolving him of any guilt.

"Yet if you had, where would that have left me?" he chuckled. "Buried under a pile of rubble, or laying somewhere in the chasm below, flat as a griddle cake, I can only imagine."

"Then I am glad I did decide to follow you," she said firmly. "I don't think the dams would find a flat prince very appealing."

"Nor would I," he chuckled. "So, thank you, I'm in your debt. Thus, state your price for saving my life."

"I didn't do it for gain!" Jade balked, though she couldn't keep the laughter out of her voice.

"Too bad, I'm pretty influential, being a prince and all," he grinned. "So, what can I grant you? Gold? Silver? My brother's hand in marriage?" Kili watched her closely for any sign that the last offer might be appealing to her.

"I believe you are offering things you don't exactly have the right to," Jade stated, averting her eyes a bit too quickly, telling Kili more than she probably meant to. "And I think your heartfelt gratitude is payment enough." She then turned her eyes to the rock and debris surrounding them. "What happened anyway? Why did the ceiling fall like that? Is this a normal occurrence?"

"No, not at all," Kili assured her, propping himself up on his elbows as he did his best to figure out what had gone wrong. "The area was considered unstable, due to damage brought on by the dragon, but as far as I know they weren't scheduled to do any demolition or repairs until next week."

"Just before the ceiling caved in, I heard a loud booming sound, could that have been the cause?" she asked, not at all familiar with the normal sounds of life inside the mountain just yet.

"I heard it too," Kili nodded. "Could have been an explosion from a nearby mine, and that's what triggered the cave in. I only hope no one was hurt or buried in that explosion…for if so, it might be quite a while before they have a chance to come looking for us."

"No one knows we're down here, do they?" Jade realized, turning to gaze at the pile of stones that blocked any chance of escape.

"I didn't tell anyone I was coming here…did you?" he asked hopefully.

"No. No one," she said with a sad shake of her head.

"Then…I suppose we'll have to wait and hope we're missed before too long," he sighed, laying his head back down on the dusty floor. "And preferably before we run out of air."

Carefully, Jade made it to her feet, heading over to the rock wall and began to feel around, hoping to find a loose boulder or something that might aid in their escape. But there was nothing, not even a wiggle in the stones, proving that they were sealed in with no way out. What she did find however, was a small gust of wind, alerting her to the fact that it wasn't an air-tight seal, assuring them that they would not suffocate at least.

"Well, that's one thing we don't have to worry about," Kili agreed. "But that still leaves four other concerns."

"Four?" Jade questioned.

"Lack of water and food," he began, ticking them off on his fingers. "Never being found…and…well…more personal needs," he finished looking away as if ashamed to make eye contact.

"Oh…right," she nodded, realizing that could become an issue in such close quarters. "Well, let's just hope it doesn't come to that."

"Agreed," he replied.

Oh dear, they are in a pickle for sure! Hope someone figures out they are missing...and don't imagine they ran off together or something! Eeep!

But Poor Kili...he is feeling left out.

Guest Reviews:

Emrfangirl: for chapter 9 - Yes, let the avalanche of love begin! I just hope he doesn't crush her in the process. ha ha. for chapter 10 - Yes, I do love writing those boys in brotherly action. And no Dwalin is NOT in on the hoax. Only the Durins at the moment...and Balin. I do love Dwalin, he is such a love, really. Hmmm, who will figure it out? Hard to say. I will have Nori take bets on it...that's his job after all, right after Spy Master. ha ha. Mothers know everything, but Kili is being fed first hand information...and yes, Thorin is clueless. ha ha. Thanks for the kind reviews!