Chp 3

Tauriel stood up in the dark and saw a light in the distance, "Over here!" She yelled, "I'm over here!"

The voice was familiar.

"I'm over here!" She yelled back, "Hurry!"

Finally the light drew closer and Tauriel could make out the form of a white horse and rider. But as the rider drew closer, Tauriel recognized him. "Legolas?"

"Tauriel!" Legolas got down from his horse, holding onto a torch in his left hand, "Orc parties are still running loose, we have to leave before we're ambushed."

"You have to help me, Legolas," Tauriel walked back to where Kili lay, "We have to get him back to the healers."

Legolas knelt beside Kili, "Are you sure he's alive?"

Tauriel reached down and searched for Kili's pulse and found it, "Yes, he's alive. We have to hurry."

Legolas' bright blue eyes took in the sight of the mortally wounded dwarf, "He's not going to last until we get there, and he's going to slow us down."

Tauriel tried to keep her anger in check, "He is the last of the line of Durin. He's the heir to the throne of the Lonely Mountain. The last prince. We have to save him!"

Legolas looked at her, his face conveying a combination of sadness and mistrust.

She paused, knowing why he had followed her out of his father's palace in the first place. Not because of her ideals or her sense of justice. He had done it all for her.

Tauriel sighed, "I'm sorry, Legolas. I'm sorry I didn't tell you how I felt. But I need your help now. Please."

Legolas froze, and the left side of his lips twitched, "You choose him."

Tauriel glanced at Kili's limp form at her feet, "Yes."

Legolas' grip on the horses' reigns tightened, and his eyes hardened to ice. He took in a deep breath and exhaled. "So be it." He handed the torch to her, his face turning to stone as he did so. He knelt down and gathered Kili's limp body in his arms. "Get on the horse."

Tauriel swung herself up to the white horses' saddle, taking the reins.

Letting out a small grunt, Legolas heaved Kili up to sit in front of Tauriel in the saddle.

"Hand me the satchel," Tauriel pointed to the leather bag beside Kili's brother, "He wanted me to take it with me."

Legolas took the leather bag and handed it to her, "Do you need me to rope him to the horse?" Legolas watched as Tauriel struggled to keep Kili upright in the saddle.

Tauriel glanced around, her keen elf ears picking up the sounds of rustling creatures in the gathering darkness. These creatures would would overtake them quickly and rip them to shreds. "Yes."

With quick resolve, Legolas bound Kili's arms to the saddle. It was then that he heard a rustling in the dark. "You must go now, go!"

"What about you?" Tauriel asked, hearing the same noises in the dark.

"I'll be alright," Legolas muttered, "But you need to go. Go!"

Tauriel dug her heels into the horses' sides, and the stallion jumped forward in a run. The clouds above them were clearing and a full moon shone down on them. The horse wasn't running completely blind in the dark, but he was nearly blind.

The horses' strides were jolting and Tauriel desperately tried to keep Kili in the saddle. Finally, Tauriel spotted the warm lights of the healing elves. The horse knew where they were headed, and as they rode into the camp at the base of the mountain a half dozen elves rushed to them.

"Take him to the healers!" Tauriel yelled, getting off of the horse, "Quickly! Quickly!"

Moments later Tauriel sat in the dim healing tent beside Kili's bed. His breathing was quick and shallow, and his face was ashen white. It was then that Lord Elrond and two helper healers walked into the tent.

"Lord Elrond!" Tauriel bowed, "He's drowning in blood and his legs are crushed. I beg of you to help him."

Lord Elrond frowned, his lips turning into a fine line. He motioned for one of his helpers to come forward, peeling back Kili's blood soaked shirt. "The last king under the mountain," Lord Elrond muttered, "So young." He looked at Tauriel, "There is nothing you can do, you should rest."

Tauriel glanced around and then nodded, "I would like to stay here if that's alright."

Lord Elrond nodded, "If that is your wish. Just stay out of our way."

She nodded, "Yes my lord." Tauriel sat back on the stool and watched in resolute silence. The hours passed by one after another. Once she heard Kili cry out, and it took everything inside her to stay seated in her chair. She was no master healer like Lord Elrond. Whatever the Rivendell elves did, they did it in Kili's best interest.

Finally the sun rose on the tent, and the Healers bathed Kili's wounds and covered him in warm blankets. They had done all that was possible. Lord Elrond glanced at Tauriel as he washed Kili's blood from his hands in a silver water basin. "If he is strong enough he will survive," he said, "I have done all I can." With that, Lord Elrond and his company left.

Tauriel sat forward on her stool and took Kili's hand in her own. His hands were still cold to the touch. Now she had to wait even more. Waiting was the hardest part. Waiting for the resolution that couldn't be rushed. Waiting to see if he would ever open his eyes again, or waiting to watch him fall even deeper to an eternal sleep.

TBC

-Thank you to all the reviews! I wanted to write something different. I love the Kili-Tauriel pairing because i can relate to it with my own personal relationships. So i wanted to write about it, but i wanted to write something different as well. Please review!