AN: Thank you all so much for giving this a shot! And thanks for your reviews and follows! I hope you will stay with me for the long run. I have several ideas for this story that will come into play. I want to say upfront that I will be taking liberties with the movie and the book. I will be changes things to suit my own plot and my direction of this.
This chapter will consist of building the storyline. There is not a lot of Smaug in this chapter, but I do hope you will bear with me as I build this story. Also, I have to say that I am shamelessly in love with Richard Armitage as well as Ben Cumberbatch. So there will be a lot of Thorin in this story as well.
Anyways, I hope that you all will continue to enjoy this story!
Present
Tauriel stirred in her sleep. It had taken a few hours for her to finally give into her exhaustion and fall asleep in her captor's arms. She was no longer shivering, the heat of his naked body wrapped around her had warmed her, but still she stirred. She was mumbling and crying softly in her own language and Smaug could not understand her. He longed to know for whom she was crying. Was it a lover? Her brother? Father or mother?
On a few occasions he had made out the name Legolas as it had escaped her lips during her sleep. He knew the name. It was the name of the elvish Princling, the son of the King of Mirkwood, Thranduill. But she did not call to Legolas as one would a lover. This Legoals was nothing more than a friend, perhaps even one she loved as a brother.
This is what saved Thranduil's Kingdom from being burned to ashes. Had she loved this Legolas as a lover, nothing would have stopped Smaug from tearing the forest apart to find him and turn him to ash where he stood.
Smaug was tired. He tightened his arms around the sleeping she elf and inhaled deeply. Her scent was mouth watering. She smelled of the forest and of lilac. He placed his chin on top of her head and closed his eyes. Dragons rarely dreamed, but this time Smaug did dream. In his sleep, his mind took him back many years before to when he first beheld his most precious possession. And in his sleep he stirred at the memory of her beauty and what he had to do to take her as his own.
160 years ago…
"We must do something to ease the suffering of the people. So much has been lost." Tauriel said
Legolas shook his head. "My father will not allow you to leave the forest to go and help the dwarves." He spat out the last word as if it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"It is not only for the dwarves that we must offer aid, but for men, women, and children. Smaug did not spare anyone in his fire filled rage. We must do something to help ease the suffering!" She said indignantly.
"You would disobey my commands for those who are not your own?" Thranduil asked coming from behind.
Tauriel turned and looked at him with a defiant expression. "It is wrong to not help! Smaug has hidden himself away with his plunder deep within the mountain. What danger is there to your people now my Lord? Why can we not go to those who need help?"
Thranduil looked bored. "What do I care of the lives of men and dwarves? I look to my own kind to keep safe and under my care."
"Then you are wrong my Lord!" Tauriel cried with emotion. "We are a part of this world. We share in its difficulties and joys just as men and dwarves do."
Thranduil smiled warmly at her. A sigh of parental patience escaped from his lips. "And what would you have me to do then Tauriel?"
"I would have you give me your leave my Lord along with a few others of my kin to go into the destroyed villages and bring much needed food and medicine. Perhaps we could help rebuild the many homes that were lost in the fires."
"You are the Captain of my guard. What of my borders?" Thranduil asked.
"My Lord, your son is more than capable of protecting your borders in my stead."
Thranduil chuckled. "My son will wish to follow you, is that not right Legolas?"
Legolas stepped forward. "If by your leave my Lord."
Thranduil sighed again. "Very well." He waved a dismissive hand. "Take no more than ten of my guard along with what supplies you feel you will need. But stay no more than a week's time."
"Thank you." Tauriel said turning to go.
"Tauriel." Thranduil called after her. "Do not forget the promise made to a dying father many years before. I swore to him that I would protect you as my own. Do not think by this small victory that I have lessened my hold on my oath."
"No my Lord." She said quickly and smiled before turning to leave.
"She is so young and knows so little of the world." Thranduil remarked to his son. "She chooses her heart over wisdom too often. Watch her Legolas. Do not let her be blinded by her emotions."
Thorin walked among the many that lay dead and dying on the streets. Smaug had not only taken the Lonely Mountain and left devastation in its wake, but he had destroyed the surveying towns of men as well. Thorin heard the weeping of the women and the cries of the children as he walked solemnly through the littered streets. He felt Balin approach and step in stride beside him.
"Where shall we go?" Balin asked.
"Does it matter? We will go wherever we can scrape out a living." Thorin said. "I suppose we can go to the Blue Mountains and make a home there."
"We will go wherever you lead." Balin said.
Thorin stopped and looked at him for the first time. "Thank you my friend." He paused when he saw that Balin had been wounded across the head. "You must get that seen about."
"Just a scratch my lad. I'll be alright." Balin responded. "Such horror and turmoil everywhere. Even the world of men was not spared Smaug's wrath."
Suddenly, there was a sound that broke through the weeping and pierced through the morning air. Balin turned quickly towards the sound with a puzzled expression. "It cannot be…is that…"
"Elves…"Thorin finished through clenched teeth.
People began to gather around the dwarves whispering and gasping at the approaching sounds of horse steps. The horn pierced through the morning air again and soon the gasps turned to cries of joy.
A townsman appeared from the morning mist running towards the townsfolk. "It's the Elves! They have come with aid! Medicine, food, and supplies."
"A little too late with their aid." Remarked Thorin coldly before turning and walking away.
The elves set to work quickly, offering food, water, and care to those wounded. They brought supplies for rebuilding and other necessities for the devastated townsfolk. But it was Tauriel alone who saw to the needs of the wounded and broken dwarves.
Thorin watched her as she moved among his people, tending to each dwarf with tenderness and care. She washed and wrapped wounds, administering medicine and kindness.
"She is very beautiful." Balin said.
"Is she? I hadn't noticed." Thorin said.
"Even you with all your dislike of the elves cannot deny her loveliness." Balin pressed. "You have not stopped watching her since she first arrived."
"Don't be a fool." Thorin snapped. "I have little time for the beauty of females, much less for a she elf. What good does her beauty do me?"
"So you admit she is lovely." Balin asked.
"Of course she is lovely. She is elf kind." Thorin admitted begrudgingly. "It is too bad that her beauty is only skin deep."
"Skin deep?" Balin said incredulously. "She is here now in this wasteland surrounded by death and the foul stench of burned flesh offering what help she can. I would say those are the actions are of one who is just as lovely on the inside as she out. If you are not careful my boy, your anger and bitterness will fester and rot within you."
The elder dwarf turned and left Thorin alone without another word. Thorin watched him go but turned back when he heard a feminine voice.
"I am sorry if I have caused strife between you and your kinsmen." Tauriel said holding a basket of food out to him. "I have brought you some food."
"Your presence here makes no difference to me." Thorin said not even looking at her. "And I don't need your provisions."
"Even so, I am sorry. I will leave this with you." She said sitting the basket down. She had just turned to go when she felt a strong hand grasp her wrist. She turned to see Thorin looking at her with an expression that showed his shame.
"Forgive me." He said. "I am a moody and often a morose dwarf…especially now after such loss and sadness. I do not mean to take it out on you. You have been very kind."
"Thank you." She paused as he had yet to release her. "You do not like elves."
"No more than elves like dwarves my lady." Thorin said. "But I must confess my strongest dislike is for your King."
"You feel he has betrayed you." She asked.
"He betrayed my father and grandfather when he turned his back on us. He refused to help us when Smaug came and nearly wiped us all of the face of this earth."
"He sends aid now." She argued. "Food, water, medicine, and supplies, all from King Thranduil."
Thorin favored her with a rare smile. "And how long did it take you to convince your King to come to our aid?"
Tauriel felt herself blush at his smile and tugged at her wrist which Thorin still held. When he felt her pull, he realized that he still held her to him and he colored, relishing her abruptly.
"What does it matter who the aid was from, it is here and we are here to do what we can." She said, her hand absentmindedly touching the wrist that he had just held.
Both Throin and Tauriel looked at one another, an uncomfortable silence forming between them.
"Tauriel, come!" The voice of Legolas broke through the awkwardness.
Thorin's expression became hard again and he sneered at Legolas who looked back at him with the same expression. "Your Prince calls for you my lady." Thorin said, lifting the basket of food. "My thanks to you again for this."
Legoals came to stand beside Tauriel as she watched Thorin go. "Why do you watch him so?" Legolas asked.
"I like him." She said still watching Thorin walk away. "I think he is handsome and he is very tall for a dwarf. He has a kingly way about him do you not think?"
"I find him dour and brooding." Legoals responded. "And now I am wondering if your mind has been affected by fever, thinking him handsome. He's as ugly as the next dwarf."
She glanced up ant Legolas and smiled. "There is nothing wrong with my mind Legolas. His handsomeness cannot be hidden away simply because he is a dwarf and by your dislike of him."
"Come, there are others who need our help." Legolas said.
Tauriel turned to follow Legolas, but stopped and looked back once more. She watched Thorin until he disappeared around the corner of a ruined structure.
"Tauriel!" Legolas called out impatiently.
She jumped startled by the tone of Legolas's voice. She turned back to look at him and felt herself flush under the scrutiny of his gaze. She followed after him silently with her face turned towards the ground.
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