Chp 11

The sun set quickly over the forest the next day. Tauriel and Kili sat side by side in the gathering darkness of the woods and listened to the sounds around them. For the longest time they didn't speak but simply listened.

Tauriel hoped that Kili's plan would be successful. Either Kili would be right, or they would all be dead, and Tauriel didn't want to dwell on the negative. Together they sat near the roots of a giant oak tree. Five other dwarves were in place as well, strategically hidden in the forest around them. Waiting.

The trap was set, and now all they could do was wait. Finally Tauriel broke the silence, "Do you think this will work?"

Kili nodded, "From what I can tell it should," he muttered, "I would go trapping with Fili for many summers when we were young. We hunted everything. The largest was bear. Together we brought down twenty bear."

Tauriel glanced down at the spear that Kili had constructed that morning and the large pile of rope beside them, "This creature isn't a bear, Kili," She muttered.

"I know," Kili answered, "But it's not really a wolf either," He hefted the long spear in his right hand, "It is faster than a bear, but from what I can tell it zeros in on a kill like a bear. If it had been more like a wolf it would have stopped chasing the horse and killed us where we lay on the first night we stayed in the forest."

"What if you're wrong," Tauriel had to ask, doubt was eating at her like a sickness.

"If I'm wrong," Kili said, taking her hand in his own, "Then I'm very sorry and we will all be killed. But at this point it would be him or us eventually. He would pick us off one by one slowly," He glanced around, "Or perhaps one night he would break through the roof and slaughter us while we slept."

Tauriel let out a long sigh, "Right."

Kili squeezed Tauriel's hand in his own, "You need to trust me a little more often," He said, "I get things done differently but it still gets done."

Tauriel met his gaze and smiled, "I trust you, its just hard for me sometimes, but I still trust you."

Kili smiled, "Good."

They fell back into silence, the time slowly passing until the night came on fully. The light of the moon shone down on them, making their faces show out like ghosts in the dark. Tauriel knew the creature was close when the skittering and creeping things of the night were silent and still. "He's coming," she whispered in Kili's ear, "Are we ready?"

Kili sat up and whistled quietly.

A dwarf across from them whistled back.

Tauriel heard the lurking movement through the trees off to her left and she nudged Kili's arm and pointed. Kili nodded, then whistled again, signaling his dwarfish companion in that area.

Tauriel glanced over to where they had left the bait. The dead dear lay on it's side in a small clearing, blood still trickled from its nose to the ground. Kili had asked her to blend sugar and animal lard together in the house of the kitchen and to drip it over the animal. Tauriel had been perplexed but she had done it anyway. Was the beast hungry for venison tonight? Or did it prefer dwarf and elf? Tauriel shuddered. She heard the creature lumbering toward them, crushing vegetation and breaking sticks under it's enormous weight. It was coming.

Together Kili and Tauriel hid in the shadows as they listened to the sound of the monster coming toward the bait. Tauriel's heart beat fast, and she put an arrow to her bow. She glanced at Kili, who's dark eyes flashed at her silently. He held the rope in both hands poised and ready. The creature was close.

SNAP!
That was the signal that the trap had sprung. Kili yanked on the rope which was looped over a low hanging tree branch and was now wrapped around Caran-Cach's right rear leg. The creature screamed in surprise and fury, it instantly lashed out throwing itself forward and against the rope.

Tauriel lept from behind the tree and came face to face with the monster of her nightmares. He swiped at her and she had to take a step back to avoid his dagger-like claws. With whooping war cries the rest of the dwarves converged on the creature, looping ropes around it's hind legs to pull it off it's balance.

"Tauriel, now!" Kili yelled, holding the rope with both hands and trying to tie it off, "Kill it!"

She took aim and loosed her arrow. Her arrow flew steady and lodged itself on the creature's broad side behind the shoulder. The monster yelped with pain and slumped forward motionless.

Tauriel couldn't believe it, had she killed it? The rest of the dwarves were just as shocked, and they stood silent. She took a step forward, another arrow aimed at the creature.

The monster didn't move.

Tauriel lowered her bow, and glanced over at Kili. That was when it hit her. She was thrown against the ground where she rolled, hitting her head against a tree. Dazed, Tauriel jumped to her feet, hearing the sound of snapping rope and snarling. She Looked up and saw teeth and claws coming toward her like a horrible black cloud with red blazing eyes. She turned and tried to climb the tree behind her but she wasn't quick enough, it grabbed her right leg in its jaws and yanked.

She flew through the air again, hitting the ground. This time she rolled with the momentum, desperately trying to get as much space as she could between her and the monster. She heard the dwarves shouting but she couldn't understand them. Trying to jump to her feet she fell, her ankle had been broken. Tauriel crawled on her hands and feet toward the huge oak that she and Kili had sat beneath just minutes before. It wanted her. Just her. If it had been any normal enraged beast it would have lashed out at any of them but it wanted her more than the rest.

It roared, and she looked over her shoulder as the creature lunged forward. Tauriel wasn't fast enough. She saw its open mouth its and red eyes, she felt its horrible breath on her face. Tauriel closed her eyes, covering her head and neck with her arms, waiting for the talons to rip at her flesh.

That was when she heard the horrible sound of crushing bone. Tauriel opened her eyes to see the creature's mouth less than inches away from her face. She scrambled away and glanced around to see Kili beside her laying in the dirt. In his hands he held the spear, having impaled the creature as it had lunged at her. The monster's weight and speed had driven the weapon completely through it. The creature had collapsed on top of him, its blood already beginning to pool out of its body.

Kili hefted the creature off of him, rolling away as he did so. Blood smeared his clothes and face, but he came up to her. "Are you alright?" he asked, his dark eyes full of worry, "Are you hurt?"

Tauriel blinked, "I'm fine," She muttered, still in shock.

Kili touched her face and brought his hand back covered with her blood, "Are you sure, you're cut up pretty bad."

"I'm fine!" Tauriel managed a smile, "I guess it was your turn to save me."

Kili's smile shone out from the grime on his face, "I'm glad I don't disappoint."

Despite herself, Tauriel started to shake, "Lets go home," She said quietly.

Kili looked up to see the other dwarfs crowding around them, and then glanced behind him at the body of the famed Caran-Carach. "Alright," he said taking her hand in his own, "Can you walk?"

Tauriel nodded, "It will be slow going, but I'll make it back to the house fine."

"Okay," Kili said, "Lets go home."

TBC

A.N. Thanks for the reviews everyone! More to come! :)