Thank you everyone who is reading and who so kindly reviewed this last week. Special thanks to Oakensheild's Star who is kindly betaing this story as well as my reviewers, MissCallaLilly, theflower20, Griffind, chione. I hope that you all continue to enjoy this story and will continue to let me know what you think as we go along.

So please sit back, enjoy and leave a review!

Thanks, Taernith

C4

Tauriel pushed them hard the next few days. Aranel had separated from the main group and hadn't been seen for the first eight hours, but had arrived back when they had been resting. The game she had caught, cooked with news of another band of dwarves searching for them.

Mithrandir had been quiet, sitting cross-legged next to the picket line they had tied their animals to, chewing on the mouthpiece of his pipe. She gave her friend and her mount an hour's rest before mounting them and pushing them as far as she felt the animals could take them again.

In the plains that separated the mountains from the Anduin, they were afforded no natural cover and once again, the elleth implemented her no fire rule at night. Not that she gave more than two or three hours rest at a time. Tauriel would send Aranel off at different times, trying to keep an eye on their pursuers, but much to her concern, they seemed to have been able to do what she herself wished she could make her small group do, disappear.

"You can't continue to push them like this. Even the wizard is showing signs of tiredness." Aranel had gotten up from her bed roll when it was her turn to take watch. She stood next to Tauriel, her eyes scanning the rolling hills and waving grass they were in the middle off.

"I am open to suggestions."

Tauriel looked back at their camp and the dark bundles that the others made on the ground. One of the horses shifted lazily, cocking a back leg and besides normal night sounds, all she could hear were Mithrandir's light snores.

"Let them sleep until dawn. We will all walk on foot through the morning, to give the animals more of a rest and ride for part of the afternoon. Another full night's sleep by the banks of the Anduin and we should only be a day from the old forest through Mirkwood," The younger elf suggested. "We let the hawks fly, they will warn us of anything amiss."

"Or we lose what little lead we have." Tauriel frowned.

"Tauriel, there is no ideal plan moving forward. We have made good time, but we are all exhausted. You as well, despite what you would have us believe and the animals are doing little better. Even your Amrâlimê is beginning to show signs of fatigue." Aranel pushed. They observed each other for a moment, before the elder sighed and nodded. "Sleep. The dawn comes quickly."

"Watch well, our very lives may depend on it." Tauriel moved to where she had laid out her bedroll, willing her body to rest as she took in the night's sounds. The horses and ponies were quiet, breathing as deep and evenly as her slumbering companions.

The wind moved lazily through the tall grass, crickets played their simple song without disturbance and the creek was far enough away to be a background noise that wouldn't stop them hearing the approach of any attackers. Tauriel took a deep breath, closing her eyes to give her body the best chance of rest as willed her muscles to loosen.

o0o

She had fought and killed orc before but this one was different. His mutilated body was implanted with crudely constructed iron plating but rather than slow him down as it should, he was fast, faster than she had anticipated and a cold shiver of fear rippled down her spine when she realized she was most likely looking into the face of her own death. Everywhere her blades struck was met with metal, there seemed to be no way to meet with unprotected flesh and for every blow of his she managed to avoid she seemed to move right into the path of the next.

Kneeling before the damned creature after a particularly aggressive attack that had divested her of her weapons she realized that her whole body felt aflame with pain before his meaty hand wrapped around her throat and lifted her so she was face to face with him. His foul breath wafted over her as she choked in a breath and he licked damaged lips tight in a grotesque smirk.

She would not die this way, a plaything for a monster!

Despite protest from aching joints and with black dots beginning to dance in front of her eyes she gathered her strength, wrapped her own hand around the wrist of the orc and used what leverage she had to strike at his knees. A well-aimed kick forced her release but weaponless she found herself overpowered and thrown through the air.

The impact of her body hitting solid stone rattled her bones. Her breath escaped her lungs in a thin cry and in that moment with the beast looming over her readjusting his bladed mace she knew she was about to die.

He moved purposefully toward her, taking his time as he watched her realize that the hour of her death was upon her. Tauriel stared him down, determined that if Ilúvatar wished for her to join him that day she would leave middle earth as boldly as she had tried to live in it.

Then he was there.

Flying through the air, dressed in dwarven mail suitable for the heir of a King, sword in a two handed grip above his head as he roared out his rage. Her moment of triumphant relief was quickly overshadowed by a fear unlike any she had felt before as even from the shoulders of the creature Kili's sword found no more purchase in his flesh than her own blades had and he too was sent soaring through the air.

He was on his feet again in a flash, dwarven steel clashing with orc but his renewed assault was for naught. His advance was used against him and before her eyes he was stripped of his blade and his strong body bent over the leg of the beast.

"No!" Tauriel flung herself at him, arms wrapped around the top of the mace in a desperate attempt to disarm him that had her thrown to the ground once more.

Pain paralyzed her limbs. The world seemed to slow as she fought to rise, prayers not for her own salvation but for the salvation of the one she had been too afraid to admit out loud that she truly loved flying through her mind as she watched the bladed end of the mace sink toward his torso.

Quickly his hand moved to his boot pulling out a dagger, he stabbed below the last piece of iron plating on the orcs abdomen making the orc rear back in pain. The vambrace on his other arm deflecting the bladed mace's downward trajectory from his chest to his abdomen with the sickening crack of a broken bone.

Green eyes met brown.

His eyes closed as he gasped for breath and her whole world felt like it shattered. The orc looked down at his prey as she staggered to her feet once more and without thinking further leapt into his grotesque arms. One of her feet found purchase on his knee unbalancing him while the other rolled Kili's body away from them. He tried to throw her away again but this time she was ready, her arms wrapped around his thick neck as she flung her legs out to catch stone. She pushed off, the orc stumbled, teetering on the open ledge for only a moment before they were both soaring through the air after which she knew nothing more but darkness and pain…

Strong hands gripped her arms and her body was already moving on instinct, before her mind had caught up with her waking. Tauriel blinked down at the dark haired dwarf, a blade pressed to the shocked dwarf's throat as she rapidly pulled air into her lungs. Green eyes locked with brown as she hastily pulled the dagger away and scrambled backwards

The entire encampment was completely still and quiet, despite the fact that the whole company was on their feet and staring wide eyed at where she stood. Tauriel couldn't seem to take her eyes off Dis, who was looking back at her for the first time with understanding and compassion, instead of frustration and contempt.

"You were with him at Ravenhill." Dis broke the silence.

Tauriel said nothing, just stared at Kili's mother without words to explain what she had been unable to stop.

"You cried out for some you called Kili." There was a thousand question behind Aranel's statement. "You were begging Ilúvatar-,"

"I know what I begged!" Tauriel snapped, cutting the other elleth off as she gritted her teeth.

If she had woken her companions, there was a good chance she had given away the position of their encampment.

"Quickly, gather your things! We must away. I may have given away our location." Tauriel looked around quickly. "Send up the hawks Aranel. Mitheandir, lead on to the Anduin and make haste, I'll make sure your tracks aren't followed."

"We don't know where they are and you only woke the princess. She alerted the rest of us because of your distress." The younger elleth protested and the two dwarves were still staring at Tauriel, like she had grown two new heads.

"Humor me and call me paranoid later when we are all safe. Tauriel hissed.

With purpose, she rolled her bedroll tightly together, as Aranel released the hawks and the others began to gather their own things. All except the Princess Dis.

"You were there, at Ravenhill with Kili."

She flinched as she placed her unnecessary gear in the small pile that would go on the pack horse as Dis addressed her again.

Tauriel didn't respond. She didn't know what she could say to the older dwarf. She had failed to save the only individual she had ever loved. That failure didn't only affected her life, but it had affected so many others and she had no excuse to give to why she had lived when it should have been him. Instead she saddled her mare, loaded up her weapons and turned to the wizard.

"Mithrandir, lead them straight to Mirkwood. Do not stay on the old forest road, cut north-east. On the easternmost side of the first hill you come to, is a small way station. If you find no help there, you will at least be safe and able to resupply. Wait two days for me, no longer. If I do not come, tell my king of my fate."

"This course of action is not necessary." He said sharply.

"I am tired of being chased by the unknown." Tauriel tightened the girth and checked the buckles on the breastplate one last time.

"Tauriel?" Aranel frowned.

"I shall act as rearguard and then I am going hunting, Boe i 'waen." She answered, her friend as she mounted and Amrâlimê shifted under her and she looked down at the princess. "I went to Ravenhill to save him. Instead he saved me. It is not a debt I hold lightly."

Without waiting for a reply, she turned her mare back the way they had come.

"Galu!" Aranel shouted from behind her.

o0o

Kili had been in Dale for a week and a half and thankfully there had been no summons for his return to Erebor. Instead he had spent his days with King Bard assisting with suggestions for repairs for another part of the city and his evenings nursing ale at a quiet brew house run by a couple enterprising dwarrow near the quarters he had been given to stay in. The food there was good, the drink even better and for the most part, the clientele left him alone. It was a good thing too, he wasn't the best of company anyway.

Tauriel occupied his thoughts more often than not. The expression of haughty assurance on her face, as she practically threw the dagger that had killed the spider advancing on him without looking. How fear had shown in her eyes as she witnessed his pain in the bowman's humble home. The way she had looked standing on the banks on the long lake, her fist closed tightly around the rune stone he had given her as she watched him disappear into the fog. The despair in her eyes as she watched helpless from where she lay as Blog ran him through, not aware that he was glad it was him and not her.

Kili had never told anyone about what happened at Ravenhill, with the help of another elf, Tauriel had somehow gotten him to the medic's tent on the field still alive, no one had ever cared beyond that.

Tauriel was an elf and that was enough to have gotten her thrown out of Erebor. Fili had told him often enough that she hadn't left his side until Dain forced her to leave, but what had happened after, was somewhat of a mystery still. How the signal fire had gone out, her flight from Dale and where the long roads led her, were still unanswered questions. Even after ten years. His uncle wished he would get over his obsession with elves and his brother was more concerned over the disappearance of his betrothed.

Sada had wanted to know everything about Tauriel. Every moment, every look and conversation, but they never spoke about the battle or that she had been forcibly removed from the mountain or that she had fled when she thought him dead.

Tauriel...

Some days it felt like his very soul missed her, like the ache transcended his physical body and extended to the ethereal. Some days Kili was glad that at the very least, he knew she was most likely alive. Others he envied the fact he was sure she didn't know he was alive. He had to believe that if she thought otherwise that she would have returned to him.

"With a scowl like that you'd chase the best of company away." Dwalin sat down across from Kili, a tankard of ale held firmly in one hand.

"Who said I wanted company?" The younger dwarrow replied, his frown only deepening.

"I don't care if you want it or not," The elder answered, after a deep drink from his pint. "Your uncle sent me. He's let you lick your wounds long enough and has a task for you."

"If the king has need of me, of course I will come." Kili sighed.

He wasn't ready to go back to Erebor. He wasn't ready to make nice with brother or go back to reading ancient legislation or trying to sort through years old records of trade to work out what deals had been fulfilled before the damned dragon took over the mountain and what, as a matter of honor, was still to be delivered upon. Ready or not, his uncle had need of him and he would go where he was needed, it was his duty.

"Aye and a fine job you'll do too with an attitude like that. You'll end up offending those pointy eared bastards rather than acting as a very good liaison." Dwalin snapped.

"Elves? In Erebor?" Kili sat up a little straighter, unsure what to make of the news.

"Turns out the king of the pointy eared bastards agreed with the king under the mountain that an ambassador living in our halls was a good idea." Dwalin drained his tankard in two big gulps and belched loudly, waving his hand at a nearby barmaid who nodded to him and headed back for the row of taps behind the counter. "The interim ambassador arrived this morning. King Bard will be sending his with us in the morning and you are to be their official liaison."

"Why only interim?" Kili accepted another tankard of ale from the barmaid when she brought Dwalin's.

"That's the big news now isn't it and the king isn't sure he's going to agree yet." The elder dwarrow looked far too pleased with himself and the knowledge he held.

"I'm not in the mood for games Dwalin." Kili growled.

"You never are anymore lad." He shrugged in the way he often did when he cared less. "Seems high and mighty king of the pointy ears has chosen an ambassador not currently at his court and is unsure of when she will arrive back. Sent his own son to hunt her down on his way west a couple of months ago."

"Tauriel." He whispered her name as though it was a prayer. A prayer that what Dwalin said was true, a prayer that she would be found well and delivered to the mountain, a prayer that she had left because she believed him dead rather than out of desire to escape him.

"Aye lad, the pointy eared lass you pine for. No one seems to know where she actually is or when we might expect her to arrive but her king seems to think she is the best choice for the job." Dwalin was halfway through his second pint. "Lord Círon, the temporary ambassador is less than enthusiastic about his post but your uncle isn't sure he wants an exiled guard captain for an ambassador."

"Then I'll just have to convince him otherwise." Kili said hoping that he hadn't just set himself an impossible task.

o0o

The fear on his retainer's face pleased him. His men had failed their master too many times now and someone had to be made example of. How one dwarrowdam had become impossible to do away with was beyond his understanding.

"She travels with a wizard and two elves my Lord." He tried to explain to his master from where he knelt in the middle of the room with his head bowed over the written message he had brought to his master. "They are following the old roads, not taking the dwarven ways. Two scouting parties have been killed and the main group scattered. They won't be able to catch up with the dwarrowdams before they reach Mirkwood and without the elf king's permission they dare not enter the forest as it is now."

"So you bring me no good news?" He snapped, throwing the goblet of wine he had been sipping across the room "You have failed me again!" He roared, stalking toward his retainer "Give me one good reason not to have you run through now?" He grabbed him by the back of his shirt and partially drug him to his feet and into the point of his dagger not letting it break skin yet.

"I have people between Mirkwood and the Lonely Mountain and if they are unsuccessful than I have an agent within the Mountain itself just waiting to be activated." He replied quickly without so much as a tremor in his voice even if his eyes betrayed his fear.

"Move to intercept and activate your agent. I want the Firebeard dead and as a matter of honor that damned elf as well!"

Boe i 'waen - I must go

Galu - Good Luck