Author's note: This is more of a bridge chapter comprising two small episodes between Tauriel, Kíli and the people they're close to. The next chapter is almost done though and will be a little more eventful ;) Expect it to be up this coming weekend.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit.

Chapter XXII

The only thing that could make her feel almost as glorious as Kíli's hands on her body was the strain in her muscles as she drew back the string of her bow as far as it would go, that split second of complete calmness before she released her hold onto her arrow, letting it soar through the air. Tauriel had missed this more than she had realized with everything else that had been happening. And even though she knew Kíli always got rather worried whenever they left the security of Elrond's house behind to venture into the lands beyond, she had managed to persuade him to take her on several of these little excursions since he had given her the new bow.

Her own enjoyment of these trips - which were never longer than a day - set aside, Tauriel felt that Kíli needed to get out from time to time at least as much as she did. She sometimes found herself missing the carefree, mischievous dwarf he had been when they had first met, even though she knew that most of the worries that tugged at his heart lately had been caused by her, even if involuntarily. Once they put some distance between themselves and Rivendell without encountering any living being aside from the occasional squirrel, bird, and whatnot, Tauriel could usually watch some of that tension lift itself off Kíli's shoulders. In those hours, the playful competition they engaged in with each other seemed to allow him to forget about his worries for a while and simply enjoy himself.

It was not that Tauriel herself did not worry about what the future might bring, but for the moment she felt that they could not be in any place better suited to their… 'situation.' And all reservations either of them might have had set aside - she felt fine, better than she had for quite a while actually. If you took away the fact that her belly appeared to be growing a little bigger with each passing day which, in turn, hampered her ability to move about as gracefully as she once had, she would have said that she felt almost normal and most certainly up to a little challenge with bow and arrow from time to time.

With a smug smile she now glanced at Kíli next to her out of the corner of her eye when her arrow hit the target he had chosen for her dead center.

He narrowed his eyes and quickly raised his own bow, sending an arrow of his own after hers. It found its mark, even if not as precisely as Tauriel's had. He shrugged. "Fair enough, I suppose." Turning towards her, he grinned. "It appears that we need to find you a greater challenge than this."

Her grin mirrored his. "Do you have anything in particular in mind?"

He let his eyes travel across the valley they had climbed out of, looking for an opportunity to test her skill. Tauriel watched his mischievous smile fade and his eyes narrow as he fixed his gaze on something behind her. "I do not suppose you happen to be in the mood for a living target, are you?" he muttered, stepping closer to her protectively.

Tauriel frowned, turning to glance over her shoulder at whatever it was that had caught Kíli's eye. In her stomach she could already feel a tight knot of fear forming – had they pushed their luck too far? Maybe she should not have argued with Kíli before, when he had tried to dissuade her from venturing any further from Rivendell.

When she saw what it was that caused Kíli to act so strangely, her fear was however dissolved somewhat, even if a certain uneasiness remained. A few yards up the hill they had ascended in search of a good target, partially hidden by the thick undergrowth, stood Legolas, his stance tense and his face stern, as it was so often the case with the Elven prince.

Tauriel released a breath she had not even known she was holding. "You can have a go at it, if you want to," she mumbled in reply to Kíli's question, fully aware that Legolas was able to her what she said.

Her statement provoked a chuckle from Kíli and it did not escape her that Legolas ducked his head for a second in a gesture which Tauriel knew he employed in an effort to hide the onset of a smile.

"I did not come find you for target practice, I fear," Legolas said, cautiously approaching them.

"What a shame," Kíli grumbled from where he had come to stand beside Tauriel, causing her to fake a small cough that masked the laugh that had bubbled up in her chest at his remark and Legolas' responding glare. She had thought she would feel upset when she next saw him after their more than tense encounter several days before, but she figured that in the meantime, both he and she had had some time to cool down and reflect on what had transpired between them. And she, for her part, had come to the conclusion that they both needed to accept that they were not part of each other's lives anymore, not like they used to be. Old friends, maybe, that would in one way or the other always have each other's back, but that would not and could not fully empathize with the feelings of the other, partly due to the fact that neither partook in the life of the other anymore. Tauriel thought that this might be a point of view Legolas would be able to assume as well – eventually. But clearly he was not ready to do so yet, as his next words proved.

"I am not out here for pleasure," Legolas said again, looking at her pointedly. The fact that his gaze drifted down to her rounded stomach for the briefest of moments did not escape her. "To be honest I am wondering if you should be, everything considered," he added.

And there it was again. Tauriel sighed inwardly at the way Legolas would keep insinuating that he knew better what was good for her than she did herself – or than Kíli did, for that matter. And, apparently, where only days before the mere knowledge of the child she carried had appalled him, he was now intent on taking it upon himself to act as her guardian in her somewhat delicate condition.

Whether or not he interpreted Legolas' words the same way that she did, Kíli clearly shared her notion that there was something the Elven prince was saying between the lines. And he did not seem to like that one bit – Tauriel could sense that from the way he bristled at Legolas' statement.

Before the two males could enter into an argument over who actually knew what was best for her, Tauriel intervened. "I am quite fine where I am, thank you," she said, her voice not leaving any room for argument. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kíli stare tersely at Legolas for a few more seconds, but then he relaxed his stance a little. Turning her attention back to her old friend she continued. "If you did not come for sport, then why did you?"

Legolas inclined his head. "To bid you farewell. I will leave with the Dúnedain in two hours' time."

"With Fendir and his men?" Tauriel asked perplexedly, casting another quick glance at Kíli beside her. They had spoken to the Ranger this very morning and were fully aware that he was taking his men back south this afternoon. In fact, today Tauriel's suggestion to go on a little field trip had sprung more from her desire to distract Kíli from this circumstance than from her own need for entertainment. She knew that he had made up his mind to not follow Fendir's invitation to join them on their journey a while ago and while he had never given her any reason to think he regretted this decision, she could nevertheless tell that it was hard for him to watch their friends leave while he stayed behind.

They had both said their goodbyes to Fendir and Finn early this morning – in the conviction that this was not a farewell forever. The bond that they, and especially Kíli, had formed with the men was unusual at the very least, but all the more worth holding onto in the years to come. Tauriel had thought that leaving Rivendell for the day would save Kíli the pain of watching Fendir and Finn leave, but as so very often it seemed not as easy to leave their concerns behind as they thought it would be.

Now Legolas nodded in affirmation of her question. "I have spoken to Elrond about what transpired between the Dúnedain and the Orc population down south. He appeared quite concerned and I share most of his worries."

Tauriel bit her lip, slightly distracted by Kíli's complete silence in response to Legolas' words. "Fendir and his people are honorable men," she muttered after a few moments. "They will be glad to know you at their side."

Legiolas cocked his head to one side, and Tauriel knew he it had not escaped his notice that the topic appeared to be a sensitive one for Kíli. She mustered her most defiant stare, daring him to attempt to provoke Kíli by making him feel the lesser man for staying behind, with her. She was glad, however, when Legolas did no such thing.

Briefly pursing his lips, the Elven prince tore his gaze away to glance at their surroundings. To her confusion, Tauriel saw a small smirk tug at the corners of his mouth. She was just about to ask what it was that amused Legolas so, when, quick as lightning, he drew his bow, firing an arrow into the trees at the far side of the valley.

Looking at her out of the corner of his eye, he smiled smugly. "Your aim used to be even sharper than mine," he said. "Show me if it still is."

And with that he leapt off into the undergrowth, seeking to embed his arrows in the spots most difficult to reach, challenging Tauriel to outdo him in this game that they had used to play a long, long time ago back when Mirkwood had still been the Greenwood of old.

Tauriel, stunned momentarily by this unexpected move of her old friend, curled her lip when she felt a long-forgotten rush of competitiveness. She looked at Kíli with a slight amount of trepidation. He rolled his eyes at her and sighed, before mustering a lopsided grin.

"Go on then," he said, nodding into the direction Legolas had disappeared into. "But if he brings you back with so much as a scratch, I will shoot him."

Tauriel grinned and reached out to draw him against her briefly, leaning down to press a firm kiss to his lips. "I'm quite capable of bringing myself back," she teased. "Unless you would rather have him carry me, that is."

Kíli huffed, his gaze darkening considerably at the image she had just conjured. "You know what I mean."

"I do," she said sincerely and pressed another kiss to his lips before pulling away to assure herself that he really was fine with allowing her and Legolas this brief time that they so clearly needed in their struggle to uphold a friendship that had lost almost all its foundation.

"I know," Kíli replied, appeased for the moment, and squeezed her hand, causing Tauriel to feel as if he was responding not so much to her words as to the thoughts passing through her head. She turned around then and went after Legolas, thinking that if they could not resolve their issues in words then maybe they would at least be able to vent some of their mutual frustration at what they did best – shooting things. She felt Kíli's eyes on her back as she disappeared into the forest and tried to reassure him with her thoughts that he need not worry about her. She would not stray far for him. Not now, not ever.

A little ways off to the side, Tauriel and Sigrid were saying their farewells to one another, speaking in low voices. Tearing his gaze away from his love, Kíli turned to his brother, his heart heavy in his chest.

"And yet another goodbye, little brother," Fíli muttered, his expression wistful.

"Aye," Kíli returned. "And they do not get easier, do they?" Bidding Fendir and Finn farewell a few days ago had stung. Watching Legolas leave had not been that painful, really, but now Kíli found himself faced with the hardest goodbye yet.

"Not exactly." Fíli grimaced, but then smiled. "But then again, it's not forever right? You'll be there for the wedding?"

"We will." Kíli smiled tightly at his older brother despite the fact that his insides clenched slightly at the prospect of returning to Erebor next spring for Fíli's and Sigrid's wedding, as had been agreed between them.

"Good." Fíli clasped his younger brother's shoulder and looked at him carefully. "And you are sure that Thorin should not be appraised of… the news before that?" He glanced over at Tauriel who was still talking to Sigrid.

Kíli followed his gaze and pursed his lips. Then he shook his head decidedly. "No. Do not tell him and make sure that none of the others do." He looked around at the small group of dwarves traveling with his brother and his fiancée. They had not inquired after Tauriel's condition, but, given the fact that the visual evidence was growing very hard to overlook, they had to be aware of what was going on.

"Do not worry about them," Fíli threw in. "They listen to me. And, aside from that, I cannot imagine that anyone would want to be the person to deliver this particular piece of news to Thorin."

Kíli winced, the thought of his often irritable, haughty uncle making him more than a little nervous. "I suppose not. But still, it will be better if he can convince himself that our child is just that – a child. If he learns about it in advance, he will only begin to obsess about it, theorizing how this will be the downfall of the dwarven race and whatnot."

Fíli chuckled. "Let's hope it does not come to that." He sighed. "You might be right, though. Thorin does love his family, after all. And once he overcomes his prejudices…" He trailed off, sounding a little unsure of the likelihood of this himself.

"We'll need to tread carefully," Kíli concluded, trying to push the thought of encountering Thorin away for the moment. He had other things to attend to and, either way, there was nothing to be done about it. He had always known that he would return to Erebor eventually, even if only on a temporary basis. And when he did, his family would be at his side. There was no question about that.

Fíli interrupted his musings. "What about mother, though? She will be furious to be left in the dark about this."

Kíli scoffed. "Ah, don't worry about Dís. She knows."

Fíli arched an eyebrow. "She does?"

"Aye. Knew before we did, even. I'm surprised she never dropped a hint to you, to be honest."

A broad grin spread across Fíli's face. "I've always wondered how she does that. Being one step ahead of us, I mean."

Kíli rolled his eyes, remembering the many times their mother had called him and Fíli out on some kind of mischief before they had even gotten around to actually doing it. "Uncanny, I know."

They smiled tightly at each other for a few moments before Fíli drew Kíli into a brief, but firm embrace. "Take care, little brother," he said, the little sigh that accompanied his words not escaping Kíli's notice.

Kíli returned the hug with equal ardor. "You, too, brother." When they pulled apart he smirked. "And look after that pretty bride of yours. Don't scare her away with your grumpiness."

He watched a shadow pass over his brother's face and immediately felt guilty for his little quip. "I'll bet you there are some who would like for that to happen," Fíli grumbled.

Kíli reached out to grasp his shoulder in a reassuring gesture. "I was merely joking, Fíli. She's a great girl and completely smitten by you, from what I can tell."

Fíli's expression brightened considerably. Chuckling at his brother's lovestruck expression, Kíli clapped him on his shoulder and made his way over to the young woman in question, leaving Fíli to finish strapping his belongings to the saddle of his pony.

Sigrid and Tauriel quickly stepped away from each other as he approached and Kíli eyed them both a little suspiciously. "Everything alright?" he asked, coming to stand next to Tauriel, who smiled sweetly at him.

"Absolutely," she replied, lightly putting her hand against his back.

Sigrid looked at the two of them with a slightly smug smile on her face. She hurried to straighten out her expression, however, when Kíli scowled at her. What had those two been gossiping about, he wondered. "We will see each other again soon?" Sigrid said, keeping her voice carefully neutral.

He relaxed the muscles of his face to give her a genuine smile. "Aye," he said. "Take care of my brother until then for me." Leaning a little closer to be able to lower his voice, he added, "He likes to use my own… mishaps to cover up the fact that he, too, gets himself in trouble quite often." He winked at Sigrid, who laughed.

"You might be right about that," she said. "I'll do my best then, to honor your wish, Master Dwarf."

With a twinkle in his eye, Kíli bowed to her with exaggerated flourish and pressed a quick kiss to her hand in a farewell gesture. "Much obliged, Milady."

Sigrid giggled at his antics and blushed a little.

"Oi!" Fíli called from a few yards away. "Keep your hands where they belong."

Kíli grinned and waved at his brother while Tauriel playfully slapped him on the back. Sigrid rolled her eyes and proceeded to mount her own horse, directing it towards the small party that had assembled just outside of the large stone arch marking the entrance to the Elven dwellings.

Weaving his fingers through Tauriel's, Kíli pulled her with him and they stepped beyond the gate, squinting slightly in the bright light of the sun. Summer was slowly nearing its peak and while the days were growing quite hot, the valley always provided its inhabitants with a refreshing breeze and plenty shady corners to seek refuge from the heat in.

Together they looked after the retreating group, Fíli being the last one to turn his horse around and follow the others. Kíli felt Tauriel's grip on his hand tighten almost imperceptibly at the very moment that the eye-contact between him and his brother was broken and returned the slight pressure.

He sighed. "The last farewell for a while, I should say."

For the briefest of moments he felt a curious sense of loneliness sweep over him, the valley almost completely silent around them. After the bustle of the days since they had come to Rivendell, the thought that everyone had gone now – Finn, Fendir, Fíli, Sigrid, the other dwarves, even Legolas – while he and Tauriel remained where they were, seemed strange and a little saddening.

That feeling was easily brushed away, however, when Tauriel let go of his hand and stepped behind him, wrapping her arms around his upper body while leaning her cheek against the side of his head. He leaned back against her, lifting his own hands to cover hers where they rested against his chest. "What are we going to do with all the time we now have on our hands?" he asked, turning his head slightly to press a kiss to the soft skin just below her earlobe.

She turned her head then and caught his lips in a kiss. Her lips lingered against his for a good long while and when she pulled away, she grinned impishly. "I'm sure we can come up with a thing or two to pass the time."

He chuckled at that, any gloomy thoughts he might have still harbored retreating to the back of his mind to make room for the kind of breathless anticipation only she could make him feel. Turning around with her arms still around him, he pulled her flush against his body with his hands around her waist.

"I think you'll have to show me what you mean by that," he muttered, smiling against her lips before kissing her deeply, slowly.

"As you wish," she whispered, out of breath, when he released her from his hold. Letting her take his hand in hers once more, he followed her back into the depths of the valley, never looking back. In the end, he knew, he would follow her anywhere. Which was as it was supposed to be.

More coming soon... Thanks for staying with me and this story for so long!