Author's note: I'm so sorry for the delay! This chapter was a little difficult to write, but slowly but surely I have my characters where I want them to be, so I think the next few chapters should not cause too much trouble. Hope you enjoy, despite the long wait.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or any of its characters.

Chapter IV

"So," the Ranger, who had made good use of the time Kíli and Tauriel had taken to get dressed and had built a fire over which he was currently roasting what looked to be a rabbit, drawled. "An heir of Durin. Things have been quiet when it comes to your line. Last I heard where rumors of- your grandfather, I suppose? -wandering the lands, not quite right in his mind."

Kíli did not answer immediately and took the piece of meat that the Ranger offered him, sitting down on the other side of the small campfire. Tauriel reciprocated his gesture, although Kíli watched her eye the meat suspiciously from the corner of his eye. "I believe that might change soon," he finally said in reply to the Ranger's words. Biting into the meat, he took great care to sound matter-of-factly when he continued. "The Dwarves of my line have reclaimed Erebor. My uncle Thorin now rules as King under the Mountain."

If the Ranger was surprised by this, he did not let it on. "So it is true what I have heard whispered at Bree. The dragon has been unleashed and defeated subsequently. Taking many innocent lives in the process, I assume."

Kíli tried not to wince at that, remembering the destruction that Smaug had brought upon the people of Laketown, remembering fire, remembering death. Even though, strictly speaking, he himself had not been among those who had allowed the dragon to escape the Lonely Mountain and had instead been one of the few who had escaped the dragon's wreath by a mere inch and had even personally aided in the destruction of the beast, he felt the need to justify himself. But Tauriel beat him to it.

"It is true indeed," she spoke lowly, the flames of the small campfire reflecting in her eyes as she stared into it, causing a shiver to run down Kíli's spine. They rarely spoke of those days at Laketown, but the terrors were still lodged deeply in their souls. "But that is not all," she continued, tearing her gaze away from the fire. "Things did not end with the defeat of the dragon. There was battle at the foot of the mountain of Erebor. A battle of a size which this world has not seen for a long time…"

She went on to recount some of the circumstances leading up to the battle and Kíli found himself listening to her talk, completely mesmerized by her voice, almost forgetting that he had fought in that battle himself while she, in fact, had not. Shaking himself out of his reverie, he suppressed a smile when he realized that she seemed to have a similar effect upon their companion who was staring at her intently.

"My people could not fight this battle on their own," Kíli added when Tauriel was done speaking, drawing the Ranger's attention back to him. "So they joined forces with the people of Laketown and the wood elves under Thranduil's reign."

The Ranger's eyebrows shot up in surprise. So far, Kíli had found it difficult to judge how much he knew of the history of the Dwarves of Erebor, but his reaction betrayed at least some knowledge. "Yes, I know. No one would have thought that possible not too long ago." At this he exchanged a small smile with Tauriel, remembering the circumstances of their first encounter in the forest.

The Ranger watched their exchange with curiosity. "If what you say is true, then what are the two of you doing out here, so far from your homes? What made you leave so shortly after restoring Erebor to some of its former glory?"

Kíli looked into the fire once more, sensing suspicion in the Ranger's words. "The reasons why we left and why we are here are two separate things, I'm afraid. We have come because there are many who believe that the great battle we spoke of was by far not the last one and that all peoples of Middle Earth should prepare for a darkness that is gathering in strength."

The man narrowed his eyes at both of them. "Who sent you?" he asked, sounding slightly agitated all of a sudden.

Kíli thought it best to simply tell the truth – it would do them no good if they started this conversation with a lie. And who knew, maybe their source would even lend them more credibility in the eyes of the Ranger. "Gandalf, the grey wizard."

"You might also know him as Mithrandir," Tauriel added when the Ranger did not show any sign of recognition.

"Yes, I know who you speak of," he replied, frowning. "I simply cannot fathom why he would send you here of all places."

Kíli shot a glance at Tauriel who gave a small shrug. Turning back to the Ranger, he spoke. "Gandalf seems to believe that your people will factor greatly in whatever battles we might have to fight in the future. That your people should seek alliances beyond the borders of Eriador, as should the Dwarves of Erebor and the Elves of Mirkwood. He believes that, eventually, none of us can stand on our own. And so do we."

The Ranger looked at him for a long moment, before turning his gaze towards the fire. "There is not much that we can offer in an alliance," he said, sounding slightly haunted. "We are but few, and those that there are, are scattered across the lands, with not much to unite us anymore. I find it hard to believe that my people would come together to stand against a threat that does not even have a name."

"So you are on your own?" Kíli asked, feeling his hope that their encounter with this one Ranger might lead to the discovery of a whole settlement of the Rangers of the North dwindle. Now, more than ever, he was curious to meet others of his kin, to see how they lived and find out what it was about them that made Gandalf so certain that the Rangers were the ones they should pay most attention to in their quest.

Their companion frowned at him, obviously in an attempt to determine whether he could trust him and Tauriel. They must have passed the test because he sighed and replied, "No, not quite. We have a small camp a few miles from here. Merely a few men and their families."

"Can you speak for those people of yours?" Kili asked.

This was met with a chuckle of the Ranger. "They can speak for themselves, I believe."

Tauriel jumped in. "Then do you not have a leader? A king?"

The Ranger frowned once more. "As I said before, we do not have much to unite us these days," he said vaguely.

Kíli exchanged a glance with Tauriel, confused by the sudden secretiveness. While the Ranger seemed neither hostile nor disinterested it did not look as if he would be helping them after all.

Looking back at the Ranger, he found him staring back at him intently, making Kíli a tiny bit nervous. "So the two of you," he finally said, gesturing between him and Tauriel, "came here because you are ambassadors of your respective people?"

Surprised by the sudden change in topic, Kíli hesitated. Also, he did not really know how to answer this question. "Well, maybe not exactly ambassadors…" he said, looking to Tauriel for help, but she merely bit her lip and looked down.

When Kíli did not continue, the Ranger spoke up again, not taking his eyes off of him. "Outcasts, then?"

Kíli opened his mouth to answer, but closed it again, still not knowing what to answer in order to not give the wrong impression.

"A little bit of both, maybe," Tauriel suddenly said in a very low voice.

Upon hearing the remnants of an old sadness in her voice, Kíli instinctively scooted a little closer to her, but restrained himself from reaching out to touch her. Instead he looked back at the Ranger. "We are merely trying to help our peoples' cause - in our own way."

The Ranger nodded to himself and then got up, moving to extinguish the fire.

"What are you doing?" Kíli asked.

"I am taking you to my people," the Ranger answered. "I do not promise that anything will come of it and I am not even sure whether I wish that it does, but I will give you this chance to speak to the other men and tell them what you just told me."

Completely surprised by this sudden turn of events, Kíli and Tauriel hurried to gather their things. "Thank you for your trust," Kíli, stopping in his tracks, said to their companion who was waiting for them to get ready.

He inclined his head. "I know a thing or two about being out there on your own. Sometimes you have to rely on some stranger's kindness."

"In that case, may I ask for that stranger's name?" Kíli said, realizing only now that he did not even know how the Ranger was called.

"That seems only fair," he replied, "since I know yours, too. Fendir is what they call me."

Kíli bowed his head. "Again, thank you for doing this for us, Fendir. You are doing us a great favor."

Fendir nodded and looked over Kíli's shoulder at Tauriel. "Are you prepared to leave?"

"We will be right behind you," she replied, handing Kíli the last of his things. Taking them from her, he briefly squeezed her hand before turning around to follow their new acquaintance who was leading them away from the river at a brisk pace.

Leaning back against the table behind him, Kíli took a long drag from the pipe he had been so generously supplied with, smiling to himself. This was not the worst of all places they could have come to. Hearing Fendir speak of his people with such reluctance, Kíli had expected to find them living a grim life, devoid of all pleasures. Upon reaching the small settlement, they had however found that it was a relatively warm and cheerful place, a curious mixture of permanent structures such as small, wooden buildings and other, less permanent, tent-like shelters. The whole camp exuded an air of settling down and being on the move at the same time, a feeling that Kíli could relate to quite well.

On their arrival, they had learned that several of the men had departed earlier that same day to look for a pack of orcs that was rumored to have been spotted west, which was why the camp was currently mostly populated by women and children. Between the three of them, Fendir, Kíli and Tauriel had decided that under those circumstances it would be best if they waited for the return of the hunting party to discuss what Kíli and Tauriel had come for and the two of them had gladly accepted the invitation to stay with the Dúnedain until that happened.

A decision which Kíli did not regret – food and drink were good and so far the people were unobtrusive and friendly, not seeming to question the presence of a dwarf and an elf among them. Sure, he had earned himself a few curious glances, especially when he had walked right into the tent that Tauriel had been offered as her quarters, dropping his things beside hers on the low bed, but aside from that, Fendir's people did not seem to be particularly prejudiced against a dwarf in their midst.

As for Tauriel… Kíli grinned to himself. Especially by the younger children, she had been greeted with great enthusiasm. The Dúnedain, as they had learned in the meantime, were very friendly with the Elves of Rivendell, and the children were completely enraptured by meeting an elf in person, regardless of the fact that Tauriel, as she had tried to explain, was not from Rivendell. If anything, her being a wood elf made her even more fascinating in the eyes of the children, who demanded to hear stories of this mysterious forest she came from.

Kíli watched her in the light of one of the fires that had been lit in the camp's common area, surrounded by a group of young ones who eagerly drank up every word she said, always asking for more when she finished one story. From her shy smiles, Kíli could tell that she was quite overwhelmed by so much attention, but also touched by the warmth and admiration with which she was received. As Kíli looked on, a small boy, maybe two in human years, crawled onto Tauriel's lap, causing her to stiffen and pause in her narration. As she looked down at the child curled up in her lap, Kíli watched her expression gradually change from unease to a hesitant tenderness and he felt his own heart quicken its beat when she lifted her hand to gently caress the infant's cheek, before smiling at the other children and continuing her story like nothing had happened.

Completely taken in by the sight of Tauriel with the young child in her lap, suddenly so comfortable, so natural, Kíli flinched when a voice suddenly spoke up next to him.

"The life that we lead is not the safest for children." It was Fendir who now lowered himself onto the bench beside Kíli, following his gaze. "For this reason most of us only have few. A child is a very precious gift and we do everything in our power to keep the little ones safe."

Kíli glanced at him, aware that by bringing him and Tauriel here, Fendir was taking a risk that might come at the expense of his people. Not even to speak of what might happen if the Rangers decided to become more involved in what was currently happening far away from where they were now. What Fendir did not know, of course, was that Kíli could relate to his fears quite well.

"But what if that is not enough? What if you fail and a child suffers because of that?" he asked the Ranger, his throat suddenly tight. How would he ever be able to protect a child from the evils of this world? Mahal, he was barely able to look after himself, always getting himself in trouble. That last year had held a few too many close encounters with death even for his liking.

Fendir frowned at him, clearly surprised by his words. He once more looked over at Tauriel who was still cradling the little boy and then back at Kíli who averted his gaze, not wanting to let on how personal this matter truly was for him.

"Failing is simply not an option in this matter," the Ranger finally replied, his voice very serious.

Kíli nodded, not really having expected a different answer. As he looked at Tauriel she caught his gaze and sent him a happy, slightly sheepish smile which he returned while his heart was a little heavy in his chest.

Fendir leaned a little closer. "It is not so hard, however." Kíli looked up at him. "Protecting your children, I mean. It is not something that you have to learn, not a particular accomplishment. It is instinct. Every parent inherently excels at protecting their child."

Kíli gave him a half-smile, unsure if Fendir was making a general statement or if this was a piece of advice directed at him in particular. Suddenly feeling a little lightheaded from the heat of the fire and the tobacco he had been smoking in combination with the slight feeling of panic that would overcome him from time to time, Kíli pushed himself off the bench. "I need to stretch my legs a little."

Fendir inclined his head, signaling that he had not meant to pry. "I will see you in the morning then."

Glancing at Tauriel beside the fire, Kíli slipped away into the coolness of the night, knowing that she would find him in a short while.

Originally he had intended to walk around a little, but as he passed the tent he and Tauriel shared, he was suddenly overcome with a very strong desire to simply lie down for a moment and draw the blankets over his head, shutting out the world. It had, over all, been a good day, but a very long one too. He had not spent a night in the comfort of knowing that there were others watching out for them for many days, and the promise of deep sleep seemed very enticing.

He did not know if only a few minutes had passed or more, but he had to have fallen asleep because his eyes felt tired and his limbs were warm and heavy when another body joined his under the large, warm blankets.

Tauriel curled up beside him, pressing her cool face against his warm cheek. She sighed contently when he lifted his arm, allowing her to scoot even closer and embracing her.

"What are you doing under all these blankets?" she whispered, giggling a little. "I almost did not see you when I came in."

He rolled onto his side, rubbing his nose against hers. She smelled of wood and smoke and the cool air of the night. "Just enjoying the comforts that we were so unexpectedly presented with."

"And do you mind sharing?" she asked.

"As if you didn't know that without you I would enjoy this not even half as much." He felt her smile against his lips as he shifted forward a little, kissing her lightly.

Deepening their kiss, Tauriel shifted again on the mattress, climbing on top of him. With the blanket still covering both of them, Kíli could not see a thing in the darkness, but he did not have to, his hands finding their way on their own accord. Sliding them up her firm thighs, his breath hitched a little when he realized that she had apparently removed part of her clothing before climbing in bed with him and was now wearing only a loose tunic.

Pressing one hand against her lower back under the garment, he slowly slid his other hand further up her thigh, delighting in her small gasp when his fingers made contact with the delicate flesh between her legs. Holding her firmly in place, he increased his pressure against her most sensitive spot, massaging her in slow circular movements that had her trembling above him within a few moments.

Just when he was sure that she was about to come undone any second, she surprised him by sitting up, reaching between their bodies to unfasten his pants, barely taking the time to push them down his legs and pull her own tunic over her head before lowering herself on top of him, taking him inside her in one swift motion.

Now it was his turn to let out a gasp and he sat up, reaching around her waist with one arm to pull her more firmly against him, burying himself inside of her, while bracing his upper body with his other arm behind him. The blankets had slid off them when she had sat up and the light entering through the fabric of the tent from outside was just enough to make out the color of her eyes as she gazed down into his when they began to move slowly together, never taking their eyes of each other until Kíli felt his muscles tremble, his powerful release taking him by surprise. He fell back against the mattress with a gasp and pulled her with him, lifting up his hips as she rode out her final waves of pleasure.

Holding her firmly against him while he felt her heartbeat slow down where their bodies were pressed together, he reached down to pull one of the blankets back over them, nuzzling her neck once they were once more enclosed by the soft, warm fabric. She turned her head to kiss him before rolling off him, coming to lie in the exact same position that they had lain in before. Minus some of their clothes.

He turned his head and buried his face in her hair, feeling sleep slowly coming back to claim him after this very welcome interruption. "You were quite the attraction today," he murmured.

She laughed a little, her breath tickling his neck. "I suppose that is true. But to be honest, it was a nice change not to be met with reluctance and distrust for once."

He tightened his arm around her, knowing that she referred to the hostility she had been met with more than once in the last few months, by his people but also by her own. Knowing that sometimes this still hurt her. "Anyone who does not see the fantastic and beautiful person that you are, is a complete fool," he said, completely serious.

"Then it is a good thing that you did, right from the start," she relied, teasingly.

"Aye, it is, isn't it," he mumbled, feeling himself drift off. As sleep overcame him once more, a couple more words tumbled from his lips before he could stop them. "You were great tonight. With the little ones. Beautiful. It suited you."

He could not be sure if he was dreaming already, but he thought that after a few seconds of stunned silence he felt her press a kiss against his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered.

Thank you for reading, reviewing, following... :) Knowing that someone actually reads this, makes me so happy.

One little remark at the end: I really wish the Ranger could be Aragorn - but in the year that my story is set, he was only a young boy being raised in Rivendell. I hope those of you hoping for an appearance by him were not disappointed and I was able to make up for it with a little Kiliel fluff.