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Chapter 2: Sacrifice

The rest of the day passed in silence, with nervous glances out the window every time the mountain shook. Kíli kept close to Tauriel; the brothers watching each other with sadness.

Then it happened. The rush of wind as the dragon descended on the town, blasting a path of destruction in his wake. Tauriel turned from where she stood pouring a cup of tea. "It is time." She looked to Fíli. "Get him up; get Bard's children to safety."

Fíli pulled Kíli to his feet, "Come, brother."

Kíli shrugged his brother off. "I can walk." He limped over to Tauriel.

Tauriel looked into Kíli's eyes. "Go. Help keep Bard's children safe. I will take the black arrow and free Bard."

"Tauriel, no. I'm going with you."

She shook her head and looked over her lover's head at his brother. "Stay with your people. Your leg is still healing, you cannot travel over rooftops."

Kíli reached into a pouch and then grabbed her hand turning it up right. He then placed something in her hand as he closed her fingers around it, engulfing her hand in both of his. "Keep it, as a promise."

He looked up into her eyes with such pain it made her gasp. She opened her hand as he let go and followed the others as they led the children down the stairs to the boat. In it lie his rune stone. Oh, Kíli… There were many things she should've said to him. Be safe Melleth nin…I will find you.

He was gone. The panicked screams outside drew her back to her senses. She slipped the stone into her bodice close to her heart and then left on her task, the black arrow in hand.

###

It wasn't easy threading her way through the burning walk ways with an angry dragon strafing the town, laying down more fire in his wake.

She knew in her heart that Kíli was still safe; how the connection was possible, she did not know. At last she stood on the windlass tower alongside Bard; she knew they needed to draw the dragon their way. Tauriel hopped lightly on to the rail and fired her own bow at Smaug, knowing full well it was only an annoyance to him, but hoping it would draw him near. After she had fired several arrows at the great dragon, he finally landed on a building across from the tower. "Foolisshhh sheee-elf. Your arrows can not harm me."

"Not mine, true." She smiled as her sharp eyes caught sight of the missing scale. She looked down to where Bard waited with the black arrow. She smiled. "Aim to your left-missing scale on his chest," she mouthed.

She turned back to face the dragon as she heard Bard make his way to the windlass. "You will meet your death today wyrm; no more will you harm the peoples of Arda."

Smaug laughed and then smelled the air. "Interessting, elf. You stink of dwarf, and something elssse." The dragon looked into her. She had not known he could do that. "You've lain with a whelp of Durin, one touched by Morgul poison." He chuffled deep in his throat. "Where iss your lover now sheee-elf? No matter, I can usse you to find him."

Tauriel could hear Bard aiming the windlass as Smaug taunted her, one eye fixed on her position.

"I would die first." Tauriel drew herself up in defiance, drawing his ire.

"As you wisshhh..." Smaug swung his great head to face her fully. His body tensed as he inhaled sharply, his scales outlined by an intense glow as he fanned his inner fire. He reared up and roared with a great a blast of flame.

Tauriel heard the windlass release as the wall of flame hit her. She closed her eyes as the blast of searing, stinking heat stole her scream away. She heard Kíli's rune stone fall and clatter on the platform. A vision of her young, brave love as he had looked up at her filled her mind. Her heart ached in regret that he would go on alone. I am sorry Kíli.

Tauriel felt her shell fall to ash around her spirit; she looked behind her. Kíli's stone flared and then glowed with a spirit light, somewhere between the brightness of the Eldar and the lesser of mortals. She felt her link to him dull, but not break as the light nestled into the stone. Please, take it. Return it for me.

She watched Bard startle at the voice in his head as he started down the ladder. As if on impulse, he grabbed the rune stone as it slid to him, and he ducked through the trap door to escape the flames.

Tauriel smiled, content that her child, no, their child would be carried to her father. How had she not known she'd conceived? She looked up into the stars as she prepared to fly to Mandos' halls, where their child could not go, being also a child of Aulë.

Darkness Then engulfed her in a steel-hard vice.

"NO!" The word reverberated in her thoughts. "You, for your part in my body's death, will serve me!" The stars dimmed as an inky blackness obscured her vision. "That whelp of a dwarf… You only saved him from becoming a wraith. You did not cleanse him of the curse." She felt his malevolence around her. "And then you foolishly bound yourself to him."

"You cannot have him!" Tauriel braced herself to defy the dragon, but in despair she knew even if she forced her spirit free, while she still had the strength, that Smaug would claim Kíli with or without her connection to him. She felt the love she had not been able to verbally acknowledge well up inside of her.

"Eru Ilúvatar!" She reached towards the veiled stars as she called out, "Grant me this: I give my fëa to bind this wraith for eternity to his bones."

And she felt her prayer answered; her final gift to her love, herself as a shield against the wraith that sought his death and dominion.

Amrâlimê...

###

Kíli kept watch on the windlass as they made their escape. He watched, his heart swelling with pride at the sight of his warrior love as his insides churned in fear for her. She stood, balanced on the rail taunting Smaug-facing him down.

Then his gut went hollow. He could see what was about to happen...what she was really doing...the word for it unformed in his thoughts even as he realized it in his heart. Sacrifice...

He screamed and lunged for the side of the boat as he watched the flames engulf her, his eyes wide open and the horror too much to take in. For a moment he thought he heard her, a simple apology whispered in his mind. He felt strong arms pulling him back from the edge of the water.

"Kíli!" It was his brother's panicked voice. "Kíli," He said again in anguish, "There's nothing you can do for her, she's gone."

He stared, saw the inferno consuming the tower, and knew she was lost. He felt emptiness deep inside. No. He turned into his brother's embrace as Fíli held him like a dwarfling pressing kisses on top his head. "Mahal, Nadadith. She will walk in the great halls..."

Despite his Nadad's strong arms around him and the soothing words, Kíli screamed in grief until his voice was gone and he wept into Fíli's neck until he fell into uneasy sleep. As he felt his consciousness leave him, a voice whispered a single name in Khuzdul.

A/N: Again a big thank you to Summerald for wonderful edit suggestions. For anyone that finds this story. Please do check out Erebor 3022: Cursebarers Story 1, if you aren't already familiar with the Erebor 3022 stories.

There are two more chapters after this one, and an epilogue.

Nenithiel