Hello... A short chapter for today. Just because Kili's back doesn't mean the tension is over ;)
Chp 21
She jumped up, still grasping his hand and caressed his face. She couldn't believe he felt warm to the touch now. Still slightly struggling to breath, his long eyelashes fluttered and when they finally did open; he was looking directly into Tauriel's eyes. Golden light from Kili's eyes and silver starlight from Tauriel's met, and mingled together as they beheld each other and joyful smiles came to both of their faces and they both started laughing and crying.
The others noticed now that Kili, their king, was stirring. Balin came over, looked at the four dwarves and when it was Kili that was moving, his heart was glad as he knew he would be a just king, if maybe still needing a little bit of tutelage. He said, "Kili, my lord, how are feeling?" as he and Tauriel helped him sit up. "Balin, is...is that you?" Kili managed to say. "Yes, my lord, it is." "How...how did I get back to the mountain...the last, last I remember..." Kili shook his head trying to clear it because he couldn't remember much at the moment.
Just then he looked over and saw the bodies of Thorin, Fili and Dain and cried out, "No!" His pain of loss so fresh again. Deep down..he knew...knew that they had perished but seeing their bodies laid out like this made it more final to him and he started sobbing. Tauriel helped support him as he almost collapsed in grief. First she helped him over to Fili's body. When Kili got there, he buried his head in Fili's neck and chest, smoothing his hair and crying and apologizing for being the one to survive. Tauriel tried to comfort him but he was inconsolable over the body of his brother. The rest of company came over and helped him try to calm down. Tauriel knew, now that Kili had returned, she should leave the dwarves alone to mourn their kin. She left the chamber and began aimlessly wandering through the long hallways under the mountain, her mind lost in deep thoughts.