Chapter 3: Revelations
Fíli sat with his despondent brother at their camp as Bofur lead Bard's children on a desperate search for their father and Óin scavenged for supplies. They knew Bard had left the tower, they'd seen his silhouette against the flames. The question remained, had he made it out of Esgaroth.
Kíli lay curled into himself, his nadad stroking his hair, as he stared into nothing. He'd not spoken a word since he'd watched his love consumed by dragon fire. Fíli had fallen silent when his efforts to coax a response were met with nothing. He never thought he'd miss the horrid inarticulate screaming.
Fíli had insisted they camp away from the refugees. He felt they would not be welcome, given dwarves had set Smaug on them, no matter how unintentional. When he heard Tilda happily chattering as footsteps neared, Fíli looked up from his catatonic brother to see Bard standing before him. His children stopped a short distance away with Bofur.
"It is good to see you Bard," Fíli said. "We feared for you when we saw…," he trailed off, unable to speak those words.
Bard nodded, his own face set in a mask. "His fever broke, I see." He nodded at Kíli.
"Tauriel healed him."
"Explains a lot." Bard sighed deeply, he'd wondered how the She-elf knew to find him and she'd come by the black arrow. "Funny thing. I could swear I heard her voice after she fell. I think she wanted this returned." He pulled out the rune stone.
Kíli gasped, his eyes locked on the stone in Bard's hand. He sat up slowly and reached out a shaking hand.
Bard knelt beside him. "This is yours then, Master Dwarf?"
Kíli took it in silence.
Bard looked at the elder brother. "It's best you be on your way. For your safety."
Fíli nodded in agreement. "Thank you," he said quietly.
As Bard left, Fíli saw his brother's head bow in grief, the stone pressed to his heart. "Nadad..." Kíli whispered.
Fíli placed his forehead against his brother's, the raw sound of Kíli's voice tore at his very soul. "I'll have Óin and Bofur help me get the boat ready. Stay here."
Fíli gathered the others and left his brother to his grief and privacy.
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Kíli waited until his brother and the others had left him alone. He watched until they were at the shore, and then looked back to the precious stone in his hand. He heard it again, the name whispered in his mind and then he understood. It wasn't just Tauriel he'd lost, but the new spark of life within his stone. "My dear lassie, I'm so sorry I did not protect you or your mother. I did not know," he whispered and then pressed his forehead down onto the stone as it lay nestled in his hand. He took a deep breath preparing to give her secret name to her, so he could send her to Mahal's care.
"Where is Tauriel, Dwarf?"
Kíli stiffened at the elf's cold question.
"Sh-she's gone." He glared up at the princeling. "She faced down Smaug and fell to him." He wiped a tear.
Legolas' breath caught as he focused on the stone in Kíli's hand. "You," he spat, "dared to lay with her?" His eyes flashed with fury. "Do you even understand what you've done?"
"By loving her? Why do both our peoples think that is a crime?" Kíli surged to his feet in anger, then stopped himself and closed his eyes. "How do you even know that?"
"I can see the spirit of a dead half-elven child in that stone," Legolas hissed.
"Half a child of Aulë," He growled, his eyes fierce. Then his face softened and he looked at the elf, full of loss "Go away. Let me give my daughter her name." He bowed his head. "And then you can come send me with her."
"No." Legolas' word was firm.
Kíli looked up in confusion.
"For whatever her reasons, Tauriel loved you and wanted you to live. I will not dishonor that." He looked Kíli in the eye. "Your love created life-that bound her to you. Better you live with the pain of the broken bond, then for her to have done so when you had aged and died, and left her bereft for eternity."
"Bound?" He shook his head, not understanding.
Legolas leaned in close and spat, "By elven standards she was your Bride. You! You let your wife and child die." His glare was keen. "Live with it!"
Kíli heard footsteps behind him and the hiss of drawn steel.
"Can I help you, elf," Fíli's growl was deep, his sword drawn.
"I am done here." Legolas narrowed his eyes. "You heard?"
"Aye. And this remains between the three of us. Leave."
Legolas nodded. "I agree. It is best." He turned on his heal to leave. "You weren't the only one that loved her, Dwarf. I will try not to hold that against you." As he stalked off he called over his shoulder, "However, I will never forgive you for letting her die."
"He's right, I failed them." Kíli looked with utter despair into his brother's eyes to see only love and sadness. His vision blurred with tears as he looked back at the stone in his hand. "Mahal whispered her name to me when her mother fell," he murmured.
Fíli pulled him into a firm embrace, then pulled back, not quite able to meet his eyes. "When you have finished, we'll leave."
Kíli nodded as his brother left him to his duty-the one any dwarf parent knew was theirs to do.
Alone again he sank to the ground, kneeling. He leaned his head on the stone once more and whispered her name, an honor that would normally be a mother's. It likely would've fallen to him even if she'd been born, as Tauriel was elven. He would never have the privilege to give her outer name. To the world, she never existed.
He cradled the stone in his arms as if he held a babe. "Mahal," he said softly, "keep her safe in your halls. This miracle that never had a chance...and I will hold her close when you call me to join you."
He hissed in pain as he stood, still cradling the rune stone near his heart. Kíli felt the spirit in the stone rise. It brushed his cheek like a warm caress then was gone. He stood still a moment longer, and then swallowed hard against the threatening tears. He clutched the stone to his heart and turned, making his way down to the boat where the others waited. He looked at his brother. "Let's get out of here."
Fíli's steady hand pulled him aboard.
A/N: This chapter was the hardest to edit.
Thank you for the review Summerald. This piece wouldn't exist with out your stories.
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Nenithiel