Here's the next chapter, hope you like it. And if you do have a chance please post a review~ it helps me know how you'd like to see the direction of the story take.

Chp 30

Tauriel really had no need for sleep. Being an elf, one sunset to the next sunrise is really like the blink of an eye. They may, at times, go into a state of semi consciousness, where their hyper attuned senses slow; but Tauriel did not feel like that in the slightest, now. Finally, her and Kili were able to spend some meaningful time together and she was ecstatic. When she got back to her room, she drifted over to the window and stood there looking up at her beloved stars. The position she was viewing them now from was different than when she used to look at them from her home in Mirkwood, it took awhile to orient herself to see her favorite ones.

Looking at them, she reflected on how so much has happened in such a short time. She could not believe she was here, in Erebor, the home of dwarves. Before they came to her forest, her thoughts did sometimes think of the outside world, other races and cultures and she had longed for adventure and to make a difference. She smiled, and now she had, she thought. Still, the intense emotions she had felt recently was like some of her life, her grace ebbing away from her body. She felt so different now from that simple, sylvan elf who was Captain of the Guard and had just dreamed of a life away from her forest. Now that it had happened, she didn't have any regrets, but just still amazed at the path her life was on now. Finding her one love, so improbable their pairing and the life that may be waiting for them. Now more than ever before, so many things were unknown to her and it made her anxious, because...her life and her life with him, mattered now.

A soft knock at her door roused her from her deep contemplation and she realized it was now morning. She didn't hear Kili's sweet voice following the knocking, so it must be someone else. She went over to the door of her modest room and opened it. Ori was standing there sheepishly and holding a box. "Hi Tauriel," he said. She waited for him to start talking again but he didn't, he just kind of stood there nervously shifting from one foot to the other. "Hello...Ori...what can I do for you?" Tauriel asked. "Kili wanted me to get this to you," Ori said. "Oh...I see. Thank you," Tauriel replied, as she took the box from him and put her hand on the door to close it. But Ori had not left yet, as if he had more to say. "Ori, was there something else you needed?" she asked. "Well...umm, I was just wondering if you wanted to accompany me and Bilbo as we explore the mountain? "

Tauriel didn't need much time to think, "sure I'd love to! Let me just get my clothes," she replied. "Well, you might, er...want to check the box first," he smiled. "Plus also don't forget your breakfast, it must have been sitting here for awhile. I'll wait outside. Bilbo will be along shortly," he said. Tauriel took the tray of food and the box into her room. She set the tray of sweet breads, fruit and juice on her table and put the large box on her bed. She grabbed some fruit to munch on and went over to the bed where she opened the lid and was surprised by the contents. Inside were many fine garments. Not elvish made, but of softer and finer materials than her current attire. She got them out and laid them on the bed. There were pants, comfortable shirts, soft shoes, undergarments (she blushed, wondering who picked these out for her) and even a tunic-like dress.

She looked over them and picked out a nice shirt that was of white linen with seams that crossed over her chest, slighty giving it a v neck appearance. She put it on and it actually fit her pretty well. The brown pants were a little short in length and baggy in the waist. Tauriel smiled and thought, well elves do have some unique proportions compared to other races. Further looking in the box she found some stockings, they were made of soft material so she stretched it out and tied it around the pants which seemed to hold them up well. There wasn't anything she could do about the length so she just shrugged. She pulled the stockings on and then added the soft shoes. She walked over to the small mirror Kili had had placed in her room. One of he things she had actually kept from her pack was her elvish hairbrush, so she set about brushing her long hair. She placed it in a simple high ponytail and looked at herself in the mirror and she thought she looked...and felt, a little like her old self. She finished a few of the breads and the fruit and took a mighty swig of the juice, all were very tasty.

Then she opened her door and, sure enough, Ori was sitting on a small bench in the corridor and was waiting for her. When she came into the corridor he stood up, dumbfounded. He couldn't speak, but just looked at the floor, sheepishly, but kept looking up and stealing glances at her as they started walking. The long corridor had many doors coming off of it. Tauriel guessed these were other personal chambers, but no one was in the hallway at the moment. Also she noted that the corridor, in fact most of the places she had visited in the mountain, had been lit by an intricate torch system with tubing connecting all the torches together. The lack of much light of course was not a problem for her, being an elf, as they inherited their ancestors' ability to see when there was only starlight. The dwarves, she thought, also used to living underground, probably could see well too, in the low light conditions. As they turned another corner and started down another long hallway, she was curious, so she asked Ori.

Glad to have something inconsequential to chat about, Ori relaxed a little bit. "Yes, I have never known a dwarf who had trouble seeing underground. Although being in open air I found the night sky, especially on very cloudy night, was difficult to see. Like our eyes were made for being mostly underground," he chuckled. "That is interesting," said Tauriel. "How about out in the bright sunshine? Do you find it difficult to see?" Ori replied, "Yes, when we were on our way to Erebor and were being chased by a pack of orcs, we were running through this low lying valley with rocks all around and it was so bright, I'm surprised not one of us ran right into a rock!" he again laughed out loud. "I don't know how Kili was able to see that Orc mounted on the warg enough to get him with an arrow!" Tauriel smiled at the mention of her prince, "hmm...I'd love to hear more stories about him, someday." Ori smiled, "I'm sure you would, but I don't know many though. I didn't grow up in the Blue Mountains, as they did. We are distant cousins though." Ori stood up straight and proud with the last statement. "I daresay his mother has tons of stories she can tell you soon," he smirked. Tauriel stopped all of sudden. Ori kept smiling, "oh...had you not heard? Princess Dis will be coming from the Blue Mountains to live in Erebor and she will be arriving in a few days." Tauriel swallowed hard, she didn't ever remember being more nervous.

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