We are getting soooo close to them being together! It's the next chapter~~ but first...we need to find out where Kili has taken Tauriel so they can be together! I hope you like it, although it is short, I know :) Remember, my degree is in interior design so fine design and beautiful home mean a lot to me. I've had this image in my mind for a long time. So glad to finally present it to all my lovely readers 3 Hope you enjoy! Please don't forget to leave a review, if you can.

Chp 76

Tauriel had an inkling that Kili was whisking her away so that they could be together, but she was very surprised when he lead her to the entrance of the Mountain, and not the Royal Chambers. Once outside, at the end of the bridge, she saw about 6 dwarves on horses. Dwalin was there, Turin the chamber guard and Twain of course. There was a few dwarves she did not recognize, but they all greeted her favorably as she walked by them. There were two additional horses, the ones she and Kili had rode out to the wilderness, not so long ago. She patted and stroked his mane and he neighed happily. Kili had been quiet, but smug, the entire trip to outside of the Mountain. He turned to her, smiling, and said, "After you, Amralime." She swiftly jumped onto the horses back, the thrill of not knowing where she was being led to, but that fact that it was out in nature, she found exhilarating. This matched the rising passion she felt at being so close to finally getting to be with her love. Kili, not as adeptly, got onto his horse. He looked at Dwalin and nodded they were ready. With that, they all rode off.

Her horse snorted happily as he got to jaunt off and really stretch his legs, while Tauriel enjoyed the feeling of the wind and all the smells of nature passing by them so fast. Dwalin being in the front, and not really too happy to be on a horse it seemed, had to steer Tauriel back to get in the middle of the pack. She did so happily, because Kili was in the middle and she slowed down to keep pace with him and his horse. Kili just smiled and enjoyed seeing her so rapturously happy at being out in nature, knowing...he would finally be with her soon.

Not knowing exactly where they were going, but Tauriel did get a sense she had been this way before. She started to remember familiar ridges and hills as they rode along. She of course recognized this was in the general direction when they went on their forage for plants. They had only been riding for awhile, when Dwalin steered them away from the river and more into the forest. Tauriel again, with her far seeing eyes, recognized bits and pieces of being here before, but a few changes had obviously been made. Instead of virgin forestland, there were a few structures that had been built at the base of a hill. There was a small stable, a shed like building and then a larger stone structure with a high fence that seemed to encircle the entire hill.

Tauriel's excitement was mounting with each closing step towards the structure. They finally reached the stable. Kili and the others got off their horses. She jumped off hers, to which she patted his backside and he gladly trotted over to the water trough and he and the other horses stuck their heads in for hearty drinks. Tauriel noticed only now that each rider had some gear and supplies they were offloading as the horses drank. They started to carry these to the largest building. One of the younger dwarves who had made the trip, was laden with a trunk and came and stood next to Kili and Tauriel. Kili's smile was exhalted and he again said, "Amralime, after you." She saw that within the fenced area, behind the large building, that stone steps had been inlaid into the rise of the hill. This seemed to be where Kili was indicating she go. She grabbed his hand and made sure they went together. The young dwarf, not terribly burdened by his load, followed after them.

She could not see what was at the top of the hill, even with her keen eyesight, as the rise of the slope was somewhat steep. She looked around and supremely enjoyed every sight and smell she could take in. After all that had happened recently, her memory seemed to return to her and she noticed a familiar thing here and there and she finally understood where he had brought her to. This was the hill that she and Kili escaped to, for a brief bit of time, on their group's foray into the wilderland. Again her excitement mounted with each step they climbed and finally she was able to see as they rounded the crest of the hill. At the top of the hill a cottage had been built in that wide clearing. There were trees of beech, maple and oak at the edges all around where the hill slopes down and she remembered the small stream that was there. At the top of the hill, it was a small pool that the cottage was built next too. There were beautiful water plants at the shore's edge; lily pads, pretty green grasses tipped with reddish-purple swathes and bright pink lotuses floating at the surface. She could see the water was still there, but as it got closer to the edge of the hill, she could hear the torrent as it rushed down the backside. Tauriel could scarce believe her eyes as many emotions at once seem to overcome her.

Kili squeezed her hand and smiled and said, "Come, my love." Tauriel was taken out of her wonderous stupor of taking in every sound, sight and smell of this place. She smiled back at Kili and let him lead her towards the cabin. Kili indicated the young dwarf enter first and he carried the trunk inside. He headed off to a side room as Kili picked Tauriel up and carried her inside. Firmly set in his strong arms, who had no problems whatsoever holding her long frame, she scanned the room and saw the loveliest and coziest of interiors. The main room had a high ceiling which there must be an opening or some type of window up there because the mid afternoon light was streaming in, lighting up the newly-laid stone floor. There was a large, comfortable place to sit placed in front of a stone mantled fireplace. There were two smaller windows on either side of the fireplace, also letting in the warmth and sunlight. She noticed a table and chairs in the corner and looked all around. Kili sensed she wanted to look around a little more, so he gently set her feet aground and Tauriel happily grabbed his hand and took him with her to explore. Off the main room, she could see the young dwarf busying himself with unloading the items from his trunk. It looked like plates of food and tankards of liquid he was putting in a big wooden box. There was a smaller fireplace in here, in addition to some cupboards and a table and bench. She escorted Kili on, him still smiling all the way. There was a hallway off the main room, so she eagerly ventured that way. In turn, she opened the doors of these rooms and could see that each were small rooms, not furnished yet, but comfortable and well-lit with at least one window in each of them.

At the end of the hallway, there was a smaller door on the left. On the right was a set of double doors, heavy wood ones with iron braces and a lock and big, chunky iron handles. She decided to open the smaller door first. Looking inside, at the end of this large room, there were two sink basins, made of a shiny metal. They were set at her waist level and had some sort of handles coming off the wall. She could hardly miss the neatest feature though. It was in the middle of room and there were steps leading down into a large pool. At the moment there was no water in it, but she recognized it as something similar that she had back in her woodland realm home; it was a bathing pond. There was an opening in the ceiling, above the pond, but there also was a large spout next to the pond with a lever next to it. Sunlight was streaming in through the opening and cast a golden glow over everything. The pool was a beautiful work of craftsmanship, as there were sparkling and inlaid stones in the bottom of the pool and up the sides. There was a small fireplace in one corner of this room and where the ceiling was lower, because it seems like this part of the cottage was built into the side of a large tree, was a naturally recessed and darker area, there was a seated bench with a hole in the wooden seat. She smirked as she knew exactly what that was for. He squeezed her and whispered in her ear, "One last door to open, my love." Again, she was delighted by everything she had seen so far, she forget there was the last double door to check out. They walked back out of the smaller room, crossed the hallway and he eagerly pushed open the heavy double doors. Tauriel gasped as she saw where the small cottage held it's most beautiful secret.