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Sorry for any mistakes in this chapter, not much else to say…

Oh, also sorry to anyone who doesn't like Tauriel. Like I said before, there will be no romance :)

Read. Enjoy. Review.

Chapter Twenty Two # The Sunless Prison #

Bilbo's head was spinning as he stumbled after the elves that were dragging his friends away.

Bofur had the ring? How had Bofur had the ring? Did he still it?

No, no, no, Bilbo thought, that's not like Bofur. He must have found it after the river…

Then why did he not give it back? A sly voice in Bilbo's head whispered.

He probably didn't know it was mine… the hobbit reasoned. But it is, it is mine!

That's right, it's mine. Mine, mine, mine! The sly voice sang.

A sudden exclamation drew Bilbo's attention and he looked up in time to see Kíli stumble over a log and smash into the back of the elf in front of him. The ring lost all importance in the hobbit's mind as the elf whirled around and glared at Kíli, who cowered a little, though his eyes remained hard.

"Watch your footing, dwarf!" the brunette elf snarled, and Kíli pushed himself off of the floor with chained hands.

Bilbo counted his lucky stars when Kíli restrained from making a sarcastic retort, and the hobbit crept closer to the company. He was little more than an arm's length away from his son when a strange worry dawned in Kíli's eyes and his head whipped around. Bilbo frowned slightly as Kíli craned his neck to search the entire company between their elven captors, the worry augmenting into horror when he did not see what he was looking for.

Oh… Realisation dawned in Bilbo's mind as it became clear that once again Kíli was searching for him. If the elves were made aware that a member of the company was missing, it would be all but impossible to hide!

Unfortunately, Bilbo had never told Kíli of the ring, and if he tried to alert Kíli to his presence, the young dwarf's reaction would undoubtedly bring the attention of the elves.

Up ahead, a bridge came into view, and at the end of the bridge was a tall slim door.

The entrance to the Kingdom of Mirkwood.

Kíli noticed the doorway and looked around one last time before calling out over the clamour of the dwarves' shouted obscenities. "Bilbo? Bilbo!"

As Bilbo feared, the elves turned their attention to the young dwarf.

"Which one of you is Bilbo?" the blond leader Bilbo had heard referred to as Legolas called over the company.

To Bilbo's great relief, Bofur came to the rescue. "Seriously, lad? We're being taken prisoner and you're worried about your damned dog?"

Kíli painted an abashed look on his face that covered the worry Bilbo could see lingering in his eyes and shrugged. "He's all alone, and those spiders-"

"Are all dead." The fiery haired elf that had saved Kíli's life gave the young dwarf a pointed look.

Kíli stared at the she-elf for a moment before nodding slowly and looking over his shoulder one last time as he was led through the door, completely unaware that Bilbo was slipping in behind him.

Almost immediately, Thorin was dragged away to much protesting (though the dwarf king himself made no sound – Bilbo supposed that he was far too majestic to complain) while the others were taken down to Thranduil's dungeons.

Well, these elves certainly seemed to fill Thorin's expectations more than Bilbo's.

The hobbit lingered at the top of the stairs to the dungeons long enough to watch Kíli being thrown into a cell on his own before turning and running back up the stairs. He would work out later how he was going to get the dwarves out of their cells, but first he would have to find out if there was a way to get out of Mirkwood…

Meanwhile, Kíli decided that his kin may well be right about the dwarves of Mirkwood as the fiery haired elf locked him into a cell all alone.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked far more calmly than he felt. "What have we done that warrants throwing us in jail?"

The elf raised her eyebrow at him and flounced away.

Kíli snorted, speaking in Sindarin. "And they say that dwarves are rude."

She whirled back around narrowed her eyes at him. "What did you say?"

"And they say that dwarves are rude." Kíli repeated firmly.

"You speak Sindarin?" The elf woman stared at him blankly.

"I do." Kíli said calmly.

"Where did you learn?" She asked with guarded curiosity.

"My father taught me." Kíli replied civilly.

"Is your father here?" The woman looked towards the other cells.

Kíli decided that selective honesty would be the best policing here. "No, he isn't."

She paused. "Do your companions speak it?"

"No. They hate elves and everything to do with them."

The elf raised a delicate eyebrow. "And you do not?"

"I have nothing against elves. I do have something against being taken prisoner without cause, chained like a common criminal and dragged away from my family, though." Kíli fixed her in a steely gaze, though he could not help the wry smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth.

The elf took a small step towards him as she looked at him with inquisitive eyes. "Indeed… What is your name, dwarf?"

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours." Kíli replied, expertly balancing the cheek and the courtesy in his voice. He was almost enjoying this…

She smiled with carefully hidden curiosity. "My name is Tauriel."

"Mine is Kíli Baggins."

"That is not a dwarven name..." She shifted her weight a fraction.

"It is my father's name..." Kíli said with an innocent smile, knowing that he had already captured the elf's curiosity. Now, if he could interest her enough with his tale he might actually find out what in the world was going on. "My father is not a dwarf."

"Well what is he then?" Tauriel frowned, stepping closer to Kíli's cell.

"He is a halfling of the Shire." Kíli replied honestly.

"But you are no halfling…" Her frown deepened.

"No, I am not." Kíli leant against the side of the cell casually. "As a child I…got lost, you could say. My father found me in a river and dragged me out. He took me in."

Tauriel opened her mouth to speak but the self-righteous looking elf called out to her.

"Tauriel, come."

Damn… Kíli thought, though he just smiled wryly at Tauriel and shrugged in a 'what can you do?' motion.

The she-elf nodded at Kíli and turned away, and Kíli's keen ears picked up on the other elf's words. "Why does the dwarf stare at you, Tauriel?"

"Because she fights with incredible grace," Kíli called, enjoying the look of shock on the rude elf's face. "And because she is the only one of your people to listen to me."

"And what did you say to her?" The elf asked dangerously, swooping over to loom over the door of the cell with impressive speed.

Kíli put on his best diplomatic voice. "I want to know why we are being detained without any cause. We were only passing through, we caused no harm."

"You trespassed on our lands – who knows what harm you planned to cause." The elf said coldly.

"No, we were just passing through." Kíli repeated firmly. "Believe me, sir, the only thing we want to do to this forest is get out of it."

The elf narrowed his eyes at Kíli before prancing away. Tauriel met his gaze with a small smile before turning away and following the other elf away from the prison cells.

"Kíli?" a familiar voice called loudly from what sounded like the next cell.

"Fee?" Kíli called back hopefully, his hands pressing up against the rocky walls of the cell.

"I'm here… Kíli, what did you say to that elf?"

"Nothing important." Kíli sighed, kicking the side of the cell. "Nothing at all..."

"Are you alright?" Fíli's disembodied voice was tinted with concern.

"I'm fine... Did anyone see Bilbo?" Kíli could not help the question slip from his lips.

Once again, Bofur was the one to reply. "Kíli, I told yah, we've got more important things to worry about than a scruffy little mutt. Last I saw him he was scarpering from the spiders."

"He's so small..." Kíli protested weakly. "And alone..."

"He will be fine," Fíli said strongly. "He's a resourceful little thing."

Kíli laughed tightly. "I suppose you're right..."

"Of course I am." Fíli scoffed. "I'm always right."

"Sure you are," Kíli rolled his eyes, before slowly sinking against the back of the cave like cell.

It took about five minutes for boredom to set in. Kíli began to twitch first, shifting and fidgeting in the gloom.

Honestly, he thought that elves loved the light. Why was it so dark in here?

Whistling quietly to himself, Kíli pulled his wooden medallion out from around his neck. He ran his finger over Merry's carvings with a sad little smile.

"He's growing so quickly!" Kíli laughed as he sat down in Saradoc and Esme's living room. "When you left he was still crawling!"

"We were only gone for two weeks, Kíli." Esme reminded him with a smile.

"Exactly!" Kíli beamed as little Merry toddled towards him. The dwarf held out his arms. "Hello, Trouble!"

Merry laughed, but the babe was still unsteady on his feet and he toppled over with a wail.

"Whoa there!" Kíli cried, catching the hobbit child before he could smash to the floor. "There we go, Merry. We don't want you hurting yourself, do we?"

The baby continued to cry until Kíli pulled him up into his lap and pressed a kiss onto his already curly hair. "I've got you, Merry, Kíli's got you…"

The toddler quietened as he settled himself in Kíli's lap and locked one arm around the dwarf's neck, putting his thumb in his mouth.

"There we go, little one…" Kíli cooed, ruffling the baby's curls. Merry sniffed, leaning against Kíli's chest and babbling irritably. "Aw, don't be angry…Merry!"

"Kíli, there's something we want to ask you..." Saradoc's serious tone contrasted with his easy smile.

"We were wondering if you wanted to be Merry's Guardian." Esme's excited smile was as large as the sky and Kíli's mouth dropped open.

"Guardian? With a capital G?" Kíli gaped.

"Yes, Kíli, with a capital G."

Kíli felt overwhelmed. Guardians in the Shire were similar to godparents in towns of men, held in high regard as individuals who would house and care for children in the absence of their parents, as well as often being the best friend and confidants of the children they cared for. Unlike godparents, few hobbit children had Guardians, with most people having enough relatives to ensure their children's safety and security so the position was one of great honour. "I...I..."

"One word answer is all you need, Kíli." Saradoc teased.

Kíli opened his mouth and laughed. "Yes! Of course I will!"

"Brilliant!" Esme beamed.

"Kíli!" A little voice giggled, and all three adults looked down to the baby now removing his thumb from his mouth. "Kíli, Kíli, Kíli!"

"He's speaking! Why didn't you tell me?" Kíli gasped, and Saradoc grinned.

"We…we didn't know…I mean he says Mama and Dada... You're his first word, Kíli!" the boy's father grinned.

"Ha ha!" Kíli laughed loudly, bouncing Merry up and down in his lap. "That's brilliant."

"Kíli!" Merry laughed, hugging the dwarf tightly.

Kíli swallowed, and his mind flashed forward.

Merry gasped. "You thought Kíli was dead for twenty one whole years?"

"Yes." Fíli nodded.

"That would be horrible." Merry tightened his grip around Kíli's neck and the dwarf choked.

Loosening Merry's little hands, Kíli smiled down at the child sadly.

"It was." Fíli murmured.

"Promise you'll be less than twenty one years?" Merry pulled Kíli's chin down to look at him.

"I promise that I will try." Kíli nodded with a smile, poking Merry's nose.

Kíli was sure that he had never made a promise with such certainty as the promise he had made to Merry that day.

"Don't go!" the little boy begged hopelessly.

"I've got to go, but I'll see you soon enough, alright?" Kíli's heartstrings tugged.

"How soon?" Merry's demand was weakened by his yawn.

"As soon as I can, and I shall write to you if I get a chance. Merry, will you look after something for me?" Kíli asked gently.

Wiping his nose on his sleeve, Merry sniffed and nodded.

Kíli pulled the tiny bow he had possessed his whole life out of his pocket. "Will you look after this until I get back?"

"I will, I promise!" The child clung to Kíli desperately for a moment, before releasing his grip slightly. "I have something for you, too. It's waterproof and it's not too heavy, in case you fall into more rivers. I made it last night."

Kíli took the tiny, leather wrapped package with surprise, and hugged Merry even tighter. "Thank you, Merry."

"Open it later." Merry ordered, before turning his solemn gaze to Thorin. "Look after my Kíli."

Kíli smiled in surprise as Thorin bowed at Merry. "I will, Master Meriadoc."

Merry nodded soberly, before giving

Kíli one last squeeze. "I love you, Kíli. Don't forget me! Promise you won't!"

Kíli pressed a kiss onto the child's curly head. "I promise. And I love you too."

Kíli unstuck his throat. "Fíli?"

"Yeah?"

"How long do you think that we'll be here?"

"I'm not sure…It could be a while…."

"Do you think it could be more than twenty one years?" Kíli asked in a deceivingly casual tone.

Fíli fell silent for so long that Kíli almost began to worry.

"Fee?"

"I don't know, Kíli…" Fíli sighed. "I hope not."

Kíli hummed in agreement. "Me too…"

It was half an hour later when Kíli spoke again.

"Fee?"

"What?"

"Is it possible to die of boredom?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Fee?"

"Yes?"

"I'm bored…"

"That makes twelve of us…" Fíli sighed.

The sound of many footsteps coming closer interrupted Kíli's thoughts and he flew to his feet, gripping the bars of his cell as he pressed his face against the cold metal in an attempt to see what was going on.

"Thorin!" he called in relief as he recognised his uncle.

Thorin looked towards him, his slightly smug look melting to pure rage when he noticed his nephews imprisoned like common criminals. "Kíli – are you alright?"

"Yes…have you seen my dog, did they find him?"

The beginnings of a smile twitched across Thorin's face as he was pushed into a cell about a hundred meters away from Kíli's. "No, he's still out there somewhere."

Thorin's call made Kíli's heart both swell and contract at the same time, and he strained to listen to the significantly quieter conversation going on between Balin and Thorin.

"Did he offer you a deal?" Balin asked, and Kíli had to stick his ears out of the cell to hear Thorin's reply.

"He did… I told him…." Thorin then jeered several Khuzdul words that Kíli did not understand. "… Him and all his kin!"

Kíli heard Fíli snort so he guessed that it was an insult, but Balin's next words frightened him more than he dared to admit. "Well, that's that then. A deal was our only hope."

Kíli swallowed and leant against the wall. He did not hear Thorin's reply, though unbeknownst to him he was still thinking along the same lines as his uncle.

We have hope in Bilbo… Bilbo will get us out…

For twenty one years, Bilbo, his father had been everything to him, and there was not a soul Kíli trusted more in the entire world.

"Kíli?"

Kíli looked up at the quiet voice and smiled at Tauriel. "Afternoon. Or is it evening now?"

"The sun has just set."

Kíli sighed, looking out past her towards the sky. "I miss the sun… How do you know that it has set when your forest smothers every slither of it?"

Tauriel smiled at him. "If you look for the light, you can find it in the darkest of places. And believe me, child, this is not the darkest of places."

Kíli laughed despite himself. "Child? I'll have you know I'm seventy seven years old and most certainly not a child."

"Seventy seven?" her eyebrows raised. "You most certainly are a child."

"Oh? How old are you?"

"Six hundred and twelve."

Not one to miss a beat, Kíli retorted quickly. "Well then, you're not that old either, are you?"

She smiled. "No, I am not. Though even by the eyes of my people I am an adult."

"That makes one of us." Kíli smiled, before sobering up. "Tauriel, may I ask you a question?"

"You may, though I may not answer."

"Why are we here? We pose no threat to you, why don't you let us go?"

"Your leader has now offended ours. Besides, your mission is a fool's errand anyway." Tauriel's voice was filled with conviction. "Like most mortals you and your company seek fame and glory and gold."

"You are wrong." Kíli said quietly. "I do not seek fame, or glory. I don't even seek gold. Come closer, I want to show you something."

Cautiously, Tauriel approached Kíli's cell, and he leant against the bars to show her Merry's little carving. "What is that?"

"It is a gift from… from my best friends' son. He's eight years old….He's scared I won't come home, or that I'll forget about him… In fact he made me promise to take less than twenty one years…"

"Twenty one years?"

"The time I spent in the Shire. The length of time for which my family believed me to be dead." Kíli elaborated calmly. "I'm not looking for the things you accuse me of… I just want to go home. I want to go home and I want a place for my people to call home. Everyone deserves a home…"

Tauriel stared at the wooden medal. "I suppose you're right. Still, it is not in my power to do anything really. I am sorry, Kíli. I do hope, though, that you are reunited with the child."

"Me too…" Kíli sighed.

Tauriel paused. "I thought dwarves cared little for the sun…"

"Some dwarves. Like I said, I was raised in the Shire, under the sun and in the hills…"

"Tell me?" Tauriel asked. "About your home?"

Kíli smiled. "Well, I've got nothing better to do…"

I hope you enjoyed another little filler, the action will return next chapter.

Yes, Kíli told quite a lot to Tauriel, but he grew up trusting people far more easily than the others and he doesn't think it would do any harm. Besides, he's bored :P Like I said, there's going to be mutual platonic interest between the two which will be very important later on :)

Leave a review if you fancy, thank you for reading in the first place :)