Hi everyone :) I wasn't able to write much lately, and I'll be busy with work the next couple of weeks. I'm still a few chapters ahead, so hopefully I can get to write some more soon and continue to post a chapter a week.

I hope you enjoy this chapter as our party is still out in the forest, and Kili and Tauriel do get to share a private moment again...hopefully this will be the last tease *wink *wink. Enjoy!

Chp 50

The sunlight was streaming through the dense trees there at the top of the hill in a clearing of about fourty feet wide and birds were gently chirping all around. Grasping hands and walking into the open area, Kili and Tauriel saw there was a small, beautiful sparkling pool, whose clear waters gently tinkled as they ran down the back of the hillside in a thin waterfall. Soft green grasses were all about, in addition to wild flowers of fushcia, lavender purple and lightest pink. The sweetly scented air reached their senses as they stepped closer and they both took a long deep breath in.

Tauriel exhaled slowly, a contented and peaceful smile present on her face. Kili too, felt a sense of warmth and peace such as he had never felt, here in this place. He looked at Tauriel and observed the look of serenity on her face and stood in front of her and she looked into his eyes. Reflected in them were all that they had been through in their short time together and when his warm eyes sparkled with gold, she reached down and embraced this dwarf that had become the center of her world. He wrapped his strong arms around hers and they tasted each other deeply. Kili stopped momentarily enough to sweep Tauriel easily into his arms. He found a small bowl of contoured earth nearby and gently laid her in the soft grass. He laid next to her and cradled her jaw and ear in his hand just observing her beauty. Laying next to him and facing him, she used her free hand to explore his body. She started at his stubbly chin, the hair was coarse there and not soft, but enjoyed the sensation and somehow made her more aroused than she thought it would. She ran her hand down his thick upper arm where she could feel the muscles flexing and twitching at her touch. She deviously smiled and continued moving her hand down that rested arm at his side to his powerful leg; then she slide it down to his firm backside and gave it a gentle squeeze. Then she pulled her arm up and placed it on his chest, feeling the strong pulse pounding she ever so slowly moved down his torso. She got to his waist and stopped briefly, his eyes were ablaze with love and desire, so hesitatingly, she slowly put her hand over his clothed erection, cupping it in her long fingers and it felt blazing hot and as hard as iron and he let out a low moan. As she held him, he pressed his tongue into her mouth and his free hand slowly moved down her curves. When he got to her hips, he could easily slide his hand under her trousers as they were loosely fitted; in there, he cupped his grip so his fingertips were touching her buttocks and pulled her closer to him. Reaching further down his fingers felt her heat and moisture and she parted her legs willingly for him to get closer to that spot.

They stayed like that for a moment, then they both realized for them to go further would mean the removal of their clothes and much more time spent here. They both looked into each other's eyes knowingly and smiled. In each other's arms, they kissed, sweetly sighed, pulled slightly away from each other and then flopped on their backs, looking up at the clear blue sky. Remaining there for a few minutes catching their breath, they both sat up and Tauriel said, "Yes, the others will have been waiting on us to bring something back," Kili nodded and said, "I know," and smiled sadly. "It is so beautiful here with you...I don't want to ever leave." She looked at him and squeezed his hand and said, "Tis true...may we return here one day...and not have to be interrupted again." He looked at her with that toothy grin, nodded and they shared one last sweet kiss.

Hand in hand they made their way back down the hill. Their campsite was not far away so Tauriel set about finding the telltale signs of quarry. She thought she spotted some tracks and motioned for Kili to be absolutely still. He did and within moments her keen hearing picked up on the quiet lippety lipping on the forest floor. In barely a breath she drew her bow and fired an arrow far into the forest. Kili just stood there and marveled at the quickness of her reflexes, then he followed her quickly in the direction she had fired the arrow. There, under a forest shrub, was a large hare pierced in the chest and unmoving. Kili just shook his head at her skill and set about getting a stick and some some twine to carry it back to camp and they made the short journey back, marking in their minds how to get back to their secret spot.

Arriving back at camp, Twain had a relieved look that they both were safe; Bilbo on the other hand, had a relieved look of a different sort, "Ahh, there you two are. Twain was just about to pack us all up and come looking for you. Were you, ahh...able to find something?" Kili showed everyone the large hare and they congratulated him on the catch. He replied, "Nay, twasn't me...we must have been thirty feet away at least, when Tauriel loosed the arrow, for I didn't even hear or see the creature myself." They too marveled at her skill and thanked her. Kili walked the rabbit over to where Coron had his pot over the fire and Tauriel said, "Please Kili, let me do something first." He laid the rabbit on the ground and she came over. She placed her hand over the creature's unmoving eyes, closed hers and quietly said an Elvish incantation, then she ran her hand down the length of the body and placed her hand at her breast and bowed her head. When she opened her eyes, she noticed they were all looking at her so she felt inclined to explain, "We Elves deeply regret taking the life of an innocent creature. But if it for sustenance, or to prevent it from further pain, we will. However we must pause to honor its' life and the sacrifice it has made for us, and to ease its' transition into the next world." Again they all looked at her like they had seen nothing before like that. Sensitive Kili sniffed and would look at his meals differently from now on, he thought.

Coron then set about preparing it for their meal, while the others sat down and talked about what they wanted to do after they ate. Till chimed in, " Yes, I've found a lot of things we needed in the infirmary, but there's still a few things I'd like to collect. I'd like to go to the water's edge and look for some mollusks and cuttlefish that might be there; and I think I saw some growths of beech, poplar and cinchona woods and I'd like to take some cuttings of those. Bilbo added his plans, "I got some sacks from Dori and I'd like to fill them up with as much of this fertile soil as the horses can carry back. So I'll work on that and then I can help you Till, as I'm not a bad fisherman," he winked. And Coron said he wanted to explore over by the bog and see if he could find anything.

After their relaxed conversations, they started smelling the fantastic aroma coming from Coron's pot and were all eager to get some in their bellies. Coron dished out hearty helpings for everyone and they all dug in immediately. Coron blushed when they all told him how tasty it was. They sat in pleasant silence enjoying the rather warm early Spring day and eating their meal. After everyone finished, Coron collected the bowls and went to rinse them in the river. The rest sat and let their food digest for awhile, but as it was getting later in the afternoon, they eventually got up, stretched and wanted to make their way to the rest of the errands so they could return to the mountain before dark.

Twain decided to stay and help Till and Bilbo, so Kili and Tauriel said they would take Coron past the bog as they were familiar with that area. Kili heard some familiar noises at the tree's edge while the rest were getting ready to head out again. He spotted her there on tree branch so he walked over and said to her, " Hi Liac. Did you have any trouble finding us?" She made a few noises that only Kili could understand, and he said, "Okay, just stay near to us, then." She chirped back and he went to join the others. The three of them were ready to depart, so they started off, walking past the pool and then the bog. Coron stopped to check for berries and he did find quite a few plump, deep red ones, he would save a few to give to Bilbo to grow. After his forage, they continued on. A little to the right was where the terrain had started sloping upward, so Kili and Tauriel decided to keep walking straight into the forest.

They kept walking deeper into the forest, and Tauriel started to feel a sense of unease which she couldn't place at the moment. The forest was darker and denser here, with very little sunlight shining through and if it was nighttime, it would be difficult to see at all. Kili placed his hand on his sword and Tauriel fitted an arrow in her bow, ready to shoot at a moment's notice. Coron seemed unaware of the tension, mostly interested in finding his foodstuffs to bring back, wasn't aware of where he was stepping and fell right into a muddy bog spot. Kili immediately tried pulling on his arm, but was having trouble as the ground under his feet was soft and he was sticking in it too.

Tauriel quickly appraised the situation; looking over her shoulder she noticed some fallen young trees. She rushed over and used her boot to snap them free at the trunk; she grabbed a few and hurried them over to where Kili and Coron were. She placed them so they lay across some firmer spots of earth, she deftly walked across them and helped Kili up. It was slow going, as he was stuck and heavier than normal being all wet, plus he was still trying to pull on Coron and get him out too. The two finally drug themselves to firmer ground and Tauriel joined them on the bank, panting a little from her exertions. They all sat there and rested for a moment, Coron said sheepishly, "I'm, ah...sorry about that...I'm a little accident prone." Tauriel replied, "That's alright Coron, I am glad you and Kili are safe." As they were catching their breath, Kili and Coron started to remove their wet items of clothing, as Coron lay his on the ground he saw Tauriel's sword, which she had dropped with her weapons when she came to rescue him and Kili; "Wow Tauriel, I've never seen a sword that glowed blue before...is that some special Elvish bit of magic?" Tauriel and Kili looked down and indeed, enough of her sword was exposed in the scabbard so that they could see it was light up blue from within. They both looked up at each other just in time to see a black arrow slam into the tree next to Coron and they both gulped.