Heeeeeeey, long time no see. I feel like I should duck and hide, it's been so long. The reason I haven't updated is because I started a new job in December that basically left me with zero free time to write or do much of anything really. Not fun. I could have posted the ending to the original story but I always hated it and wanted to write a better send off. It has taken me literal months to finally sit down and write something. But good news, I quit that other job and got a new one lol. This one is part time and should give me actual time to write. The last chapter should not take anywhere near as long as this one did xx

To avoid confusion, just note that there are time skips in this chapter.

Leah

My hands were covered.

Painted.

Tainted.

Awash in a sea of red.

So cold I could feel it in my bones and hot enough to burn my skin.

The blood refused to stop.

Flowing faster, never slowing, never stopping.

Stop.

Stop.

STOP.

Please just stop.

Thorin's pale face slackened.

I pushed harder into the wound, willing it to close, to seal, to stop existing.

The wound widened.

My hands slipped inside.

Fingers twined around the coiled ropes of Thorin's exposed intestines, piercing, tearing like the skin of rotten fruit.

And still, I pushed and dug and clawed.

Up to my elbows and further.

Giving more and more of myself.

I was supposed to save him.

Supposed to save him.

Supposed to.

The light flickered in his eyes. Guttering, leaving, vanishing, fading.

Gone. Gone. Gone.

Not enough.

Not enough.

NOT ENOUGH.

I awoke with the choked and mangled gasp of a drowned man clinging to life. The air ricocheted down my throat with enough force to send me into a coughing fit. Violent hacks filled with tears, pain and a suffocating lack of oxygen.

When breath returned to me, I was an inconsolable, blubbering mess, rocking back and forth like a scared child.

I refused to look down, knowing I would find blood there. Warm and wet. Dried and blackened. Still fresh and long since cooled. A contradiction yet a certainty. Thorin's blood was on my hands. Dead, dead, dead.

I crossed my arms over my chest, nails biting into the skin of my shoulder. The imprints of them created a pattern of half moons along my skin, and the stinging pinpricks brought my panicked, stuttering inhales to a sharp stop. I inhaled deeply and wetly, my chest expanding until I no longer felt like I was suffocating. My eyes squeezed shut of their own accord, and I forced myself to drink down a gulping breath. And then another.

The image of Thorin's blood, plastered all over me, tried to wriggle its way to the forefront of my mind again, threatening to send me back down my spiral.

I snapped my eyes open and forced myself to concentrate on something else.

What could I feel?

Fabric brushed against my legs, soft and dry. The fibers so well-weaved that nothing snagged as I shifted. A mattress lay below that, stuffed high with down. A luxury fit for royalty. I was in a bed, warm and comfortable.

What could I see?

My hands reluctantly uncurled, and I stared down at them. Pale. Unblemished. They shook noticeably yet otherwise remained unchanged. No blood coated my skin. Not even hidden under the nails. All that blood just gone.

Never there , the more logical side of my brain chimed in, finally making an appearance.

I looked up and scanned my surroundings. The darkness of the room parted enough for me to recognise the shape of the walls, the pattern on the rug, the smoldering ashes in the fireplace.

Home.

"I'm home," I wheezed, voice still tired from crying. "I'm home. The battle is over. Thorin is alive. Kili is alive. Fili is alive. Everyone survived. I'm home."

The words were spoken in an almost monotone huff. After repeating them so much recently, I was starting to get annoyed. Mostly at myself and my stupid brain. I groaned and swiped at my face, smearing the tears across my cheeks.

When I looked up to the ceiling, I found no hint of sunlight coming through the mirror contraption that allows light to penetrate this deep into the Elven Halls. Once again, I hadn't even made it through the night before waking from some nightmare. One would think after several weeks I would see some progress.

My hand drifted to my right shoulder, tracing the line of raised scar tissue I found there. It was a new habit I had found myself with. A way to remind me of the true events - the healing wounds - rather than the bleeding nightmares.

I never saw the end of the battle. I spent four days unconscious, with my loved ones waiting with bated breath. When I finally woke my mind was cloudy and disoriented.

"Leah, do you remember what happened?" Kili asked. His tone was incredibly gentle as if he thought I was very fragile.

What happened?

My mind conjured images of its own accord.

A line of orcs.

A clash of swords.

Stone ruins towering above me.

My breathing and heart rate picked up rapidly as my mind finally caught up with itself. Oh my god the battle!

"Thorin!...is he?...I tried to," I was very quickly on my way to hyperventilating.

The fight with Azog flooded my mind.

Azog looming over Thorin.

Me jumping in between the two of them.

The sickening pain of his knife as it cut through my shoulder.

The sound of Thorin collapsing onto the ground.

He was bleeding so badly. He was going to die.

There was so much blood. I tried to heal him. I was giving everything but there was so much blood.

Kili was instantly next to me. He bundled me up into his arms, cradling my head to his chest. His pulse was strong and steady compared to mine. I clung to the sleeve of his shirt with a fierce grip.

"Shh shh. Breathe, Leah. Just breathe," His hand rubbed soothing circles onto my back.

I tried to calm my breathing but they came out as sort of half sobs. Did Thorin make it? I didn't think I would be able to cope if he was gone. He couldn't be gone. We couldn't have failed.

Kili pulled back so that I could see his face. His eyes were wide but there was also a brightness in them. "Thorin is alive."

"He's alive?" The words were a strangled sob.

He nodded. A tear of his own slipped down his cheek.

"A–and Fili?" There was a new burgeoning hope in my voice.

"And Fili," Kili breathed.

The wind was knocked out of me. I was breathless and weightless. My limbs were still heavy and sluggish but I don't think I had ever felt lighter. Like a huge, crushing weight, that I never even noticed before, had disappeared.

The pressure. It was the weight of all their lives–those ridiculous, amazing sons of Durin–that I had thrust upon my own shoulders. I'd piled so much responsibility on myself. To keep them safe. To keep them alive.

Only once the pressure was gone, did I realise how much it was weighing me down. That constant fear that the worst could happen. That we would get this far and we would still lose them. It wouldn't be enough. I wouldn't be enough.

But we did it.

They're alive. Oh my god they're alive!

I would have collapsed if I wasn't already sitting. My whole body sagged against Kili and he tightened his grip around me. I could have been sobbing or I could have been laughing. It was probably somewhere between the two.

Every emotion I had felt on this journey–be it fear, anger, relief or happiness–I poured all of them out of me. Right onto Kili's shirt.

"We did it. We did it,"

"We did it," I repeated to myself, feeling my pulse slowly return back to normal.

A pulse of warmth spread through my chest and I knew I had woken Kili up again. I would have felt bad, only the calming presence of his Fëa next to mine was the reassurance I desperately needed to know that things were truly okay.

I pulled back on the bond to let him know I was thankful.

"I love you too, Kili."

"Are you going to stop staring forlornly out of the window, Tithien ven?" Adar said "Your food is going cold."

Food? I turned back to the table, surprised to find it piled high. I hadn't even heard the servant come in. When all I did was stare at the unexpected arrival, Adar reached over and filled my plate for me. Some kind of potato hash, eggs, and cured meat. It smelled divine but my stomach clenched painfully. Appetite still not fully returning after the battle. It was getting there, slowly but surely, but each meal felt like a fight of its own.

I took the offered fork and scooped a small amount of potato into my mouth. It was soft, well seasoned and okay enough for my stomach to allow another bite. And another. I got about half way through the plate before I started flagging again and placed my fork down for a break.

"You are faring better than yesterday," Adar remarked, indicating towards the food.

"Well that's probably because someone tried to serve me liver yesterday," I said, pointedly.

"Liver is a delicacy," he said, around a bite of his own meal.

"In what world is it ever a delicacy," a small smile grew on my face. "I can't believe you like liver. You're like an old man."

Adar gasped, affronted "How dare you compare me to such a pedestrian race. I'm clearly superior to any old man ."

"Of course, my apologies," I said, risking a bite of egg. The way it slid down my throat had me grimacing so I turned back to my potato.

"How have you been sleeping?" he asked, concern lacing through his voice with a fine stitch.

"If I say well, we both know I would be lying," I said.

Last night was not a one off. Every night, the horrors I witnessed visited my tired mind, contorting into dark shadows and nightmares. None of it was conducive to good sleep. It did not help that Kili was so far away. I had an inkling the nightmares would not be as strong if I had his solid warmth next to me.

That's not to say that it hadn't been improving. My recovery in the Elven Halls was slow going but steady. Each staggered, sharp instance of sleep had been growing of late. I was spending longer at rest before the nightmares pulled me back out. It felt like a step in the right direction, only the journey was miles long and there was still so much to go.

"I understand the burden of war on a soul. It is the last thing I wished for you, tithien ven. But give it time. You are resilient. With enough time and love from those around you, you will recover."

Recovery felt far away, but not unreachable. I would get there with the support of my family. My elven one and my dwarven one. My eyes returned to the window, searching for a glimpse of the lonely mountain through the trees. They were all rebuilding over there. Dain's army had chosen to stay to help pick up the pieces and remould Erebor into the great Kingdom it once was. Kili had chosen to stay too, as a prince he felt it was his responsibility to handle. He could not leave the dwarves so soon after the battle, especially his uncle and brother. It broke our hearts to be separated, but Kili was determined to see me better at the hands of the elves and I could not begrudge his need to stay with the dwarves.

Weeks had passed like this. With my health improving under the healers careful eyes and Erebor being rebuilt from the ground up. We passed letters between us as often as we could. It started off almost daily but the ravens grew tired of our lovesick facade and started to refuse their services. It was reduced to a letter every few days after that. As far I could tell, things were going smoothly, if not for the occasional hiccup, like one of the staircases collapsing.

It felt strange not to be a part of it all, but my body desperately needed the rest. It was hard to reconcile the two sides of me that wanted to be involved but also wanted to lie in bed for hours and hope my energy returned to me.

"You will see them again, Liriel. You will only be separated for a short time," Adar said, his hand covering my own.

"Is that a normal short time or an elven one?" I asked "One could be two weeks and the other could be two years."

"Two years is not that long."

" Adar ,"

A smile ticked up at the corners of his mouth. "I kid. If you continue as you are doing, your physical health shall return to its former strength within a month."

I groaned. That was still so far away, I was sick of feeling weak and tired all the time. I could barely climb a set of stairs without needing a considerable break at the top. But apparently, using as much power as I did, in such a short amount of time, drains the body significantly. Add to that a brutal wound to my side and you have a recipe for a bedridden and grumpy elf. At least now I could walk unaided, it made getting clean a less embarrassing ordeal.

"It will return even quicker if you eat your breakfast," Adar said, spearing a potato with my fork and hovering it in front of my face.

I gave him an irritated pout before conceding and taking the fork off him.

Signs of spring were seeping in through the clutch of winter's hand. Delicate green shoots braved the cold, yet thawing soil and air sweetened by new leaves felt less biting against the skin.

Mum walked alongside me as we strolled through the gardens. Most of the gardens were still empty, as of yet, except for the towering monstrosities in the corner that bloomed all year round.

Mum walked up and plucked an apple from one of the trees. It gave a crisp sound as she bit into it.

I fidgeted with my skirt, swishing it this way and that, before I looked up at Mum. "So when do you think I can go to Erebor?"

Mum smirked. "I knew you had an ulterior motive for asking me to walk with you."

"No," I scoffed. "Can a daughter not enjoy a nice relaxing walk with her mother without you questioning her motives?"

Mum raised an eyebrow and I surrendered.

"Okay maybe just this once," I said "I've been declared fit and well by at least three healers now. I'm strong enough to go back."

These past two and a half months without seeing Kili, or any of the company for that matter, had been incredibly hard. It was the longest period of time we had been separated since we reunited with one another. There were only so many letters and so many tugs on the bond I could take before growing exceptionally lonely.

"You do look a lot better these days. You've actually got colour in your cheeks," she said with a gentle prod.

"Exactly. I'm even sleeping through the night now."

I hated how much the words made me sound like a newborn adjusting to the world for the first time but they were true nonetheless.

"I've already discussed it with your adar actually," Mum said.

"Really?" I asked, hopeful.

"Yes. As loathe as your adar is to see you leave so soon, he also knows that your heart lies with the dwarves as well as here. He has agreed that you are well enough to go."

"Yes!"

"Only once your brother returns that is."

"Argh," I groaned. Legolas had been, surprisingly, spending his time in the shadows of Erebor. Positioned with the elves helping the humans restore Dale to its former glory, as well as being a general bother to the dwarves. He seemed to think me being betrothed to one gave him the right to annoy them with his presence. "That could be ages away."

"Well you must be accompanied by someone and we were under the assumption that you would prefer your brother," Mum said, leading us back to the halls.

"If you start talking about chaperones I'm going to gag."

Mum laughed and patted my arm. "It is a fact of life in this world unfortunately. As royalty on both sides there are expectations to be met and rules to follow. Especially considering this will be the first marriage between a dwarf and an elf, we need to be more stringent."

I frowned. "Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"You should have seen what I had to put up with when marrying your adar. All the formalities and etiquette. The 100 year courtship–"

"100 years!" I slammed to a stop.

"That is standard amongst elves, darling," Mum said with an amused sparkle in her eyes.

"Well forgive me if I politely decline. I may be an elf but I will always have a human's patience."

The idea of waiting even one year felt like a monumental task. I may have only been with Kili for a relatively short time but going through trauma together tends to add a few figurative years on. I already knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him, waiting just felt unnecessary and grating.

And spending 100 years before I could be with Kili felt like its own kind of torture. A girl had needs, you know.

Mum mock gasped "What will your Adar say?"

"Well you can tell Adar that–"

"Tell me what, Liriel," Adar's voice appeared from the doorway back into the elven halls, making me jump a mile.

"That you look very nice this morning. That colour robe really brings out your eyes," I said, thinking on my feet.

Adar gave me a level look before turning to Mum. "Should I ask?"

"Best not."

"Well then, I was just coming to tell you that Legolas has returned, and if you wish it–"

"I do wish it. Thank you, Adar," I said, throwing my arms around him and catching him off guard.

"You didn't even let me finish my sentence. You could be agreeing to anything."

"I have already discussed it with her, meleth nin," Mum said.

"Well, in that case we shall prepare for your departure on the morrow then," he said.

"Tomorrow?" I jumped back from Adar's arms, "I need to pack. I don't even know what to take."

Without even saying goodbye, I turned into the halls and bolted down the corridor, to the sound of my parents' laughter.

The peak of Erebor drew so close I could no longer see the top of it. I was practically bouncing in my saddle with each loping trot of my horse, vibrating out of my seat.

"The mountain is not going to disappear, you know. You can stop edging forward," Legolas said from his own horse.

"I don't know what you mean, Lassie. I'm doing nothing of the sort," I said, while doing the opposite.

I could feel the scowl at my back from the nickname. "You could at least take the chance to look at all the wonderful work I've done. Dale is coming along nicely."

In my bid to get to Kili as fast as physically possible I had neglected to take in my surroundings. No longer the crumbling ruin it once was, Dale stood tall. Scaffolding ran up the sides of the biggest buildings, with work men and elves carting stone to the top. A fair few houses were already finished, with warm yellow glows peeking through slatted windows. Reconstruction work had to stop during the worst of the winter but it was getting back up and running again. The life it now breathed was nothing short of marvellous.

"Not too bad at all," I said, turning to find Legolas grinning.

"So how much of this is your doing then?" I asked.

His grin faltered slightly at the corners "Well, all sorts. I put the roof on that building," he said, pointing to one of the completed houses.

"One house? You've been here for over two months. What have you actually been doing?"

"A prince's job is to delegate tasks. Which is a very important role."

"Uh huh. You've just been annoying the dwarves, haven't you? Kili told me you keep getting kicked out of the mountain for overstaying your welcome."

"I may have been paying them the odd visit," Legolas conceded. "They're very quick to spar with me."

"I'm sure they are."

The front gate loomed overhead. As one of the first things to be repaired it stood in all its former glory, flanked by dwarven statues. The sight of them made my heart stutter in my chest and I had to slow the horse to catch my breath. As magnificent as they were, the crumbled carcass of the statue Azog lured us all into would always weigh heavy on my thoughts and my soul.

I cast my eyes to the ground and pushed my horse forwards once more. Due to my momentary lapse, Legolas was the first to Erebor. Which annoyed me immeasurably. He trotted off ahead with a smirk, eyes on a particular dwarf.

"I thought I told you to piss off, princeling," Dain said. "I've seen enough of your face for a lifetime."

"Are you saying you don't want a rematch?" Legolas said, jumping from his horse with unnecessary flare.

"Not after you damn near broke my nose. I've got a reputation and dashing good looks to uphold you know."

"Oh, I'm sure," Legolas said with unbridled confidence and strolled towards the door. His journey was hindered by a large hand on his chest.

"What makes you think you're allowed to stroll in here? I have half a mind to arrest you for trespassing."

Just how much had Legolas managed to get under the dwarves' skin? He must have a natural knack for it. With a roll of my eyes, I climbed off my horse and handed the reins to one of the handlers. They must have recognised my face somehow because instead of questioning me, they just winked and guided the horse away. I turned back to my brother and Dain, both still not noticing my arrival.

"We both know that arresting me will go down like a boulder over a cliff. Also–"Legolas reached into his tunic and withdrew a folded piece of parchment. "I'm here by royal decree."

"We'll see about that," Dain snatched the parchment from his hand. He opened it up with a rough snap and scanned the words on the page. His eyes widened as he read on and his face shot upwards. When they landed on me his mouth split into a huge grin.

"Himrûna! How've you been?" he said, shoving my brother aside and making his way over to me.

"I'm good," I said, almost wheezing with how hard Dain slapped me on the back. "I'm better."

"That you are. You no longer look like a walking corpse."

"Surely, I wasn't that bad."

"You certainly didn't look good in any case."

"Thanks?"

Dain laughed goodnaturedly. "Well I'm glad to see your crazy face again. And maybe you can get your fella to stop moping about like a kicked puppy."

"Has he been bad?"

"If he's anything like you, he has probably been staring lovesick out the windows and lamenting to the wind," Legolas came to stand next to me.

I elbowed him in the ribs. "You weren't even there, you arse."

"I have a strong imagination," he said, rubbing his side with mirth in his eyes.

"He's actually not far off," Dain interjected. "If I had to hear one more 'Leah would have liked this' I was gonna wind him."

My chest warmed. It was nice to know he had been thinking about me.

"Anyway," Dain said with a clap. "I best take you to Thorin first. Then we can drag your betrothed out of his pit of despair."

Dain guided us through the mountain and my head was on a swivel the whole time. The change inside of Erebor was even more drastic than the rebuild in Dale. All the gold had been moved back down to the treasury, unearthing an entire kingdom below it. The city inside rested on dividing levels, towering high and burrowing low. It would take a lifetime to explore everything.

The looks on the faces of the dwarves we passed varied from, irritated, curious and gleeful. I smiled and waved at the few I recognised, but I did not see anyone from the company. They must have been doing something else.

Dain moved into one of the lit hallways and we followed closely behind. There weren't any dwarves loitering along this one. Once I heard the voices emanating from behind a closed door I realised why.

"I'm not so sure about the crown, Thorin. It's too much."

"It is a gift, ghivashel."

"I–I know, I'm just not sure it suits me. Hobbits don't usually wear fancy jewellery."

"Nonsense, you look good."

Dain barged his way into the room, throwing the door to one side with little caution. "Sorry to interrupt your lovers meeting but you have guests."

Thorin looked so much better than the last time I saw him.

Thorin was resting in a tent of his own. His wounds were completely healed, but his body was still weakened. His teeth were gritted as he used his abdominal muscles to sit. I could only imagine how much it must hurt with a stomach wound.

He was surrounded by many dwarves. Which had apparently been a near constant thing. The joys of being King, you'll never be left on your own.

Thorin's eyes shot to mine and widened. He turned to the people in the room. "You can leave us."

There were a few protests from the dwarves, fretting about the state of Thorin's health. He looked about ready to roll his eyes at the whole affair.

"I'll be fine for 5 minutes," he grumbled.

The dwarves reluctantly filed out of the tent. As soon as they left, Thorin made to stand. His jaw tightened as he did so but he managed it.

He was alive.

Injured but alive.

What I felt when I finally saw him was beyond words. "It's good to see you, Thorin," I said, voice shaking.

"Oh Leah," he said before stepping forwards and enveloping me in a hug. "I can't believe what you did."

He pulled back so that I could see him. "Taking a blade for me. Healing me. It was incredible and courageous and so so idiotic. It nearly cost you your life. I am not worth that price"

"Oh don't be stupid. Of course you're worth it, Thorin." I urged "I think of you as family now too and I would do anything for my family."

There was no longer a sheen of sweat clinging to Thorin's brow, his skin held a healthy glow, and his hair was neatly braided and combed. He held himself strong and upright, no longer bent double clutching his stomach in pain. The clothes he wore were opulent without being too garish.

Bilbo was also dressed to the nines next to him, with a blue velvet doublet stitched in gold. He had a circlet balanced on top of his curls that he fidgeted with. His cheeks deepened in colour at the sound of Dain's intrusion.

"What have I said about barging into places unannounced, Dain?" Thorin glared, arms crossed.

"I wouldn't call it barging," Dain said.

"Well I wouldn't call it knocking either," Thorin finally turned to acknowledge us standing behind Dain's broad frame, his posture relaxed and he offered me a smile. "Leah, it's so good to see yo–"

He was cut off by a grunt as I threw myself at him. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Leah. It has been strange not to see you around after spending so long in your company," Thorin laughed.

"Speaking of company," I said, extricating myself from his arms. "Where are they all? They will not escape my affections."

I turned to Bilbo and nearly swept him off his feet as I hugged him. Thorin placed a gentle hand on my arm and had me return the hobbit to standing. Bilbo was a little ruffled but no worse for wear.

"Worry not. You will get your chance to see all of them I am sure," Thorin looked at Legolas over my shoulder and his smile tightened. "I see you brought your brother along with you."

"I needed chaperoning apparently," I lowered my voice to a stage whisper "Has he been a menace?"

"Menace is a strong word. But he has irritated a great many with his presence as of late."

"It's all part of his charm," I said, smirking at Legolas.

"I am an excellent envoy of our people, dear sister."

"I will admit, you're more fun than some of the other boring bastards in your ranks," Dain said.

"High praise, Lord Dain," Legolas said with the air of a dignitary.

"Still an annoying prick, though."

"Right," Thorin said, a hand on my shoulder guiding me out of the room. "Let us go and find Kili before things start escalating, shall we?"

Thorin led us down into the depths of Erebor. Past construction, past sculptors, past excavators, tailors and chefs. All of them looked up and greeted Thorin with fierce excitement, the mere sight of him beneath the mountain lifting their joy. A few dwarves from the iron hills had made the journey here through the snow to help in the rebuild. They brought their families and hope with them, giving the mountain an optimistic atmosphere.

We found ourselves in a training pit of some kind. Flat, large and covered in a fine layer of sand. Weapons racks sprung up throughout, with each weapon having its own dedicated space within the arena. Stadium seats line the edges for spectators to watch on.

In a section towards the back a small group of dwarves were practising their hand to hand combat. I saw a flash of blonde and brunette as two of them collided and tried to get the upper hand on the other. My face split into a grin when I recognised Fili and Kili, and I began inching around people on the stairs to push my way to the front.

Fili saw me first, from his position trapped in a headlock beneath Kili's arm. His eyes widened and he momentarily stopped fighting against the hold.

"Good morning, Leah," he said, loudly.

"I'm not falling for that again, Fili. You need to try some new tricks," Kili said, his back still facing me.

"Good morning, Fili. Lovely seeing you here," I said.

Kili dropped his brother instantly and wheeled around. Fili landed with a grunt and a pained laugh. Seeing Kili felt like a rush of relief. A quiet sigh and a sense of home. I knew I had missed him, but now that I was here I realised just how much. The bond was a shimmering line between us, seemingly brighter now we were back together.

Kili broke into a smile of astonishment. "You're here. You're finally her–"

Kili was interrupted by a sweep to the legs, sending him flat on his back with a wheeze. Fili stood up triumphant.

"I think I won that one brother," he said, stepping over Kili and making his way to me. "Now, where's my hug?"

I leaned into Fili's arms happily, squeezing him tighter than strictly necessary.

Still whole. Still Alive. Good to note.

"You're such an arse," Kili said, climbing to his feet and dusting sand from his legs. Then he shoved his brother out of the way and lifted me into the air, holding me close and spinning me in a circle. A giggle burst out at the sudden motion. Kili placed me back on my feet and kissed me. A slow, lingering kiss that made all other thoughts disappear in a rush. I had missed him so much and I just wanted more.

But that was not to be, and I felt an odd pressure against my forehead pulling me backwards. My lips left Kili's with an audible popping sound as my head was tilted up and I was greeted with the upside-down face of my brother.

"I think that is enough of that, don't you?" Legolas said with a smirk.

I felt Kili step backwards and my hand closed around his shirt in a fist so he wouldn't move far.

"It was only a kiss."

"Yes and something a chaperone is supposed to stop you from doing."

"I hate you so much right now."

"Noted," he said, amusement in his eyes.

Next chapter Dis arrives from the blue mountains and we finally say goodbye to this fic.