Bilbo, You're Worrying Us...
"Lady Galadriel regrets not being here to formally welcome you, she is in the middle of a difficult healing." A regally dressed elf informed the newly arrived Thanduril.
"I see, of course I completely understand." He gave a mock smile, giving a graceful bow to the other. "We will rest until the lady is ready for a formal greeting." The Mirkwood ruler informed the other, gliding past with the intent of finding out where the dwarfs were located.
Half of his troops went to mingle among the other elves, the other half was ordered to split up, and search about the city for signs of dwarfs. Thanduril was alone as he searched, wanting the chance, should it occur, to greet his son when unaccompanied. Somewhere around this place, his son was sure to be. He had more than the dwarf conflict to worry over, his son was still a major concern as well.
His searching brought him to a dining hall, where he took notice of two dwarfs eating and drinking amongst his race. Not wanting to reveal his presence just yet, and when he did it'd be to Thorin Oakenshield himself, the king walked away from the area. Two dwarfs counted for, now how many others were there?
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"He's certainly walking about every which way. Sort of like he's searching for something specific." Fili commented to his brother.
"Maybe he has to take a tinkle." Kili joked, giggling at the image while his brother kept oddly quiet.
"Kili, won't your girlfriend get into trouble if her elf ruler finds out she came with us?" Fili asked, the two were still carefully following the king without being noticed.
"You're right! I'd better go warn her. Can you follow him for a while till I get back?" He questioned, not wanting to leave Fili alone if his kin needed him.
"I'll be fine. Go find your lass before things get ugly around here." Fili insisted, his brother hurriedly wandered off, beginning his search for the elf maiden.
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"You know, I like other things than just battle. I enjoy horseback riding, granted I mostly do it while in pursuit of something that needs killing, but I still enjoy the task. I didn't enjoy our journey here for obvious reasons. Now, had I my own normal sized mount, I might have at least enjoyed the ride." Legolas rambled on, Tauriel listening half heartedly.
The female elf was now beginning to worry about Kili, she hadn't given her love a heads up about her need to hide. Would he be worried, when he couldn't find her anywhere? Would it cause a small dwarf search party, her absence?
"Tauriel, I may not show it often, but I do care for you. Sure, we mostly work as a team battling foes that cross our paths, but I also trusted you off the battlefield..."
"What do you mean by trusted? Am I unworthy of trust anymore?" Tauriel frowned, not seeing his obvious reasoning.
"You ran off with a dwarf, Tauriel, of course I've lost my faith and trust in you!" He argued, looking at her as if she were thick headed. Had the dwarfs rubbed off on her so much that she was suddenly so dense?
"Following my heart was distrustful to you? Well, Legolas, you and I have different ideas on what breaks a mutual trust." She huffed, crouching down to sit on the floor, tired of standing next to the blonde.
Legolas was oddly silent, no curt rebuttal or snide remark coming out of his mouth, the typical response she had become use to during their travel with the dwarfs.
"You feel I've been...unfair?" He cautiously inquired, making Tauriel tilt up he head to look directly at the elf prince.
"Unfair is the polite term, I'd say you have been an Orc turd." She watched him twitch, not finding the phrase attractive.
"I would have supported you, if the shoe had been on the other foot. That's the saddest part, Legolas." She turned away, staring at the bark wall, letting her words sink in.
"Tauriel, do you know why it was hard for me to accept your...decision?" He spoke after another moment of silence.
"It's because...I wanted to be in Kili's shoes. I wanted you to see me as you do him." Tauriel looked over to see her companion kneel beside her, very close to her proximity.
"Tell me, have you never seen me in a way beyond friendship?" He was very close, his breath on her face as he spoke, looking at her with patient, quiet eyes, making the she elf very uncomfortable.
"I...There was a time..." She only began to speak when he leaned in, cupping her face with his palm, placing a kiss on her surprised lips.
That's when everything went terribly wrong. Kili had been searching all over for his love when he had walked by the alcove, voices informing him that his beloved was inside. As his head peeked inside, his heart snapped in thousands of pieces. Tauriel was kissing Legolas!
Legolas was pushed off, Tauriel turning her head just in time to see Kili's hurt, broken hearted face.
"Kili, let me explain!" Tauriel began, widening her eyes as the dwarf shook his mop of hair, whining sounds bubbling out of his mouth.
"Uncle!" He cried out his father figures title, rushing away from the two, blubbering and crying like a little girl, wailing the word 'Uncle' as he ran away from the hurtful scene.
"Damn it!" The she elf cursed, going to rush after him, getting pulled back by Legolas.
"Wait, Tauriel. My father is out there, would you risk him catching you for the sake of that dwarfs feelings?" He scoffed, feeling confident that she'd stay with him.
"Your father can suck Orc ears for all I care, Kili needs an explanation!" She growled at her blonde companion, jerking away to leave him alone, left in the dust.
"Tauriel! I'm telling him! I swear I'll tell him all about your dwarf affair!" He threatened her back as she ran.
A rude hand gesture was made as she ran, hearing him but not caring.
"Fine!" he pouted, crossing his arms like a bratty child, marching out of the alcove to find his father. 'Daddy I hate dwarfs!' He mentally pouted as he brushed past peaceful elves that lived in this city. The elves giving curious glances his way as the princely Legolas plodded by.
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The Lady of Light and the grey wizard worked together, concentrating hard on the pained hobbit. The lovely elf queen gave a soft gasp, pulling her hand away from Bilbo's stomach. Thorin and Gandalf looked her way, the elf opening her palm to expose a small, berry sized, black ball.
"He is free from the evil." She smiled, her eyes holding a light tiredness in them.
"That dingle berry is all that's left?" Thorin eyed the object with contempt. "Let me fetch a hammer, I'll smash it completely." The dwarf offered.
"A hammer would do you no good. I will place it where no harm can ever come to anyone." The lady assured her guest.
"How about that wine, my lady?" Gandalf asked, his wrinkled face extra saggy, his body weary.
"Of course, old friend, I'll have some sent up. I must excuse myself, it appears I have another guest to greet." She gave a small bow of her head before leaving wizard and dwarf alone with their resting hobbit.
"He will be fine, Thorin. Rest is Bilbo's best medicine at this time." The wizard assured the kingly dwarf. Thorin was running a hand through Bilbo's damp locks, feeling of his forehead now and then.
"He is so pale, Gandalf." Thorin spoke worriedly, never had he seen the little fellow so very vulnerable.
"It was a harsh, internal battle. Bilbo is strong, he will be well again." Gandalf patted the dwarf on the shoulder comfortingly. "Now, what we both need is a bit of wine to cool our own minds." He chuckled, trying to ease the tension within the dwarf.
Outside the doors, the awake companions heard footsteps coming hurriedly.
"Ah, wonderful timing!" Gandalf smiled, assuming it was an elf delivering wine.
"Uncle Thorin!" A loud wail came, the doors flying open to deposit Kili in tears. The young nephew flew to his uncle, clinging to the surprised king as he sobbed into Thorins mane of hair.
"Uncle...Tauriel...Legolas...Kissing...Why?!" He was hard to understand, blubbering in a manner that was quickly irritating the easily bothered Thorin.
"Kili, speak clearly and tell me what's wrong." He tried staying cool headed, watching as his kin sniffed and huffed, slowly regaining composure.
"It's terrible uncle! My heart has been torn from my very chest!" He blinked at tears as he spoke to his neutral faced kin.
"Kili, last time you came crying and running to me, it was about your horse dying, and then when I go to see for myself, the animals fine. Is this going to be exactly like that?"
"That was different!" Kili began to argue, Thorin lifting up a hand to silence his nephew.
"Alright, what has got you so upset this time? Be quick about it, Bilbo doesn't need you being loud and whiny while he's resting." Thorin awaited his young nephews response, Gandalf in the background was peeking out the doors, probably hoping that the wine would arrive shortly.
"Tauriel, I found her alone with that blonde elf, Legolas. She was ...kissing him!" At that last word, he began to blubber more, whimpering and crying like a lost wolf pup.
"Ah, then let her have him. More fish in the sea, my lad." He casually spoke, only hurting Kili's feelings more with his aloofness.
"I love her uncle!" Kili cried, wanting to hear better advice than he'd been given.
"She's a tramp, find a nice hobbit like I did and settle down if that's what you want." Thorin shrugged, ever the insensitive fellow.
"Uncle!" A different voice entered the room, it belonged to Fili. The older nephew hurried to his leaders side, worried look on his face.
"Oh Smaug's balls! What is this complaint about?!" Thorin grumbled, tired of the interruptions when he just wanted to tend to Bilbo.
"It's the elf king, he's chained up the female elf we've been traveling with, he's had her put in a room guarded by five elf warriors." Fili reported, Kili's tears momentarily pausing, his eyes filled with worry.
"What do you want me to do about it? She's not our kin, she's an elf who belongs to old caterpillar brows. Kili doesn't want her anymore, the hussy was sucking face with Legless, or what ever the Hell his name is. Either way, she's not our problem anymore. Right, Kili?" He eyed the dark haired dwarf, seeing a resolved look in Kili's eyes.
"Uncle, she broke my heart kissing that elf, but I never want her harmed. We have to help." He stared down his elder for a moment, Thorin giving in and sighing tiredly.
"Fili? Never fall in love." Thorin ordered, the other chuckling at such an request.
"Gandalf, what say you to all this scuttlebutt going on?" Thorin asked, wishing to hear a second opinion.
"I suppose I could make mention to the lady about Thanduril's actions. He is the she elf's king though, I am uncertain how we could alter her fate." Gandalf was still looking out the opened doors, dreaming of wine.
"You could talk with him uncle! Make a deal with the greedy elf." Kili piped in, his uncle frowning at that idea.
"How many gems and gold pieces is that elf worth to you? She is not worth a cent in my mind." Thorin openly expressed his feelings on the matter.
"I am of the Durin line, I have gems at home to trade for her freedom." Kili argued, disliking his uncles cheap nature.
"I will speak with him, but one of you must stay here with Bilbo. If he awakens, assure him I am fine." The king rose, gesturing for Kili to come along, it was his elf after all, let him be apart of this foolish meeting with the elf king.
"Fili, where was the last place you saw him?" Thorin asked.
"He was headed to the dining area." Fili offered his information, taking a seat next to sleeping Bilbo.
"Alright. If we do not come back after an hour, send in reinforcements." Thorin ordered, turning to the door with Kili in tow. How would negotiations go with that unpredictable elf king?
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The Hobbit belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien