A Lesson Learnt
Tauriel returned to the camp on the edge of Bindbole Wood with two braces of rabbits and one of pheasant. Enough that along with the vegetables they'd brought from Hobbiton there was ample for Bombur to make a stew as well as a few pies and pasties for the menfolk when they returned from clearing loose stone within the caves proper.
She dropped the cleaned game near the fire and looked around the camp. It was a clean and very practical space, tents and a low platform in a huge oak tree. There were many signs of occupation in the clearing, from boots hanging on tent-poles, to a line of laundry drying in the sun… But one thing that should have been there was missing.
Kíli.
Kíli was supposed to be working with Bombur around the camp, cutting vegetables, hanging laundry, collecting firewood. That type of thing, but the pile of wood near the fire was good and tall, the fire well fed already.
But no Kíli in sight.
With a sigh Tauriel made her way around the camp until Bombur caught sight of her, he started and flushed. He knew what she was asking without words and she was answered by flush creeping across his face, his hands trembled and he stuttered.
"T-T-Tauriel, I-I, I'm sorry lass. He…"
"Never mind, Bombur. I'll go fetch him back." Tauriel headed in the direction of the caves, intent on bringing her stubborn dwarf back to camp.
She had barely taken three steps away from camp when Nori came running back to camp. He grabbed a string of waterbags without slowing down and as he rounded the camp, he yelled.
"Kíli! Kíli hurt hisself again! Hurry up Bedaku-Kíli *!"
"Eitha-ed*!" She swung her medical pack down off one of the beams of the platform as she went past. "I'm going to belth-hon* when I get my hands on him!" she cursed as she ran.
"That's a girl, Bedak*. You tell him."
They were only a few yards from the cave entrance when Kíli was brought out into the sunlight. He was on his own feet at least, but Tauriel could see the effort it was costing him to stay upright. Dwalin and Dori, being the strongest of the dwarrow had hold of Kíli by the arms and were supporting most of his weight. Oín looked at her and said.
"Lass, I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"This." And proceeded to cut Kíli's shirt right up the middle of the front.
"Oi! That's my shirt." Kíli swatted at Oín's hands.
"Kíli! Stop that! Now, mel nin*. Let Oín do his job. Talking of jobs. Why are you in the caves?! You said you would wait, you said you would help Bombur, nothing was said about you going into the caves." Tauriel's voice was calm, the calm of deep, fast-running water, but the clenching of her fingers around the bow she hadn't had a chance to put down, told a different story. She was mad.
"Tauriel, my love. Don't be angry. I didn't mean to. Bombur asked me to let the men know it was time for lunch and Dwalin said Bifur and Bofur were deeper in the caves. When I found them they were looking at a column of Red Sapphire and as we came back I bumped my shoulder on another pillar, when I felt it start to crumble I grabbed it and it was White Gems like the Gems of Lasgalen, of Thranduil's. It was fragile. So fragile, but it was supporting the roof of that tunnel."
Here he had to stop, due to Oín's manhandling. Bofur took up the telling.
"He had hold of the pillar, but it was collapsin', it jus' weren't gonna stay up. He yelled at us ter run. And as soon as we were near the tunnel mouth, he leggo and came runnin' too. But a large gem cluster came loose and clonked 'im on the shoulder and down 'e went jus' inside the mouth of the tunnel. Me 'n Bifur went back for 'im, we grabbed 'im up and ran, but parts of the ceiling come down and one of 'em hit 'im before we got 'im back on 'is feet."
"We got 'im to the main chamber and sent Nori for Oín, who sent Nori for the waterbags. Oín says that-" Bifur took up the tale before being cut off by Oín.
"He's re-cracked a couple o' ribs and strained some muscles holdin' that pillar up. But, lass, I was in that tunnel just a few minutes earlier and I gotta say if 'e hadn't held that pillar and pushed it in the direction 'e did, then the three of 'em would be dead 'n buried."
"Push? I didn't push it any direction… did I?"
"Ya did laddie, ya did. Iffin' ya'd pushed it directly away from the tunnel mouth or towards it, it woulda be done and dusted, lad. But cause ya pushed it to the side of the tunnel, only one section of the ceiling could collapse at a time, gave us time ter get out, it did. Well done, well done." Bifur looked ready to clap poor Kíli on the back until Oín and Tauriel glared at him.
"Now we know that tunnel is unstable we'll stay outa it until we gets some more 'elp. We was thinkin' it might good fer a livin' area, but not now. Now we'll go down one of the other tunnels. It was the last tunnel we were checking out. The others are all stable, not sure yet why that one ain't, but it ain't. So, it can wait. We've got more important things ter work on than that tunnel jus' yet." Bofur continued.
"I couldn't let go. No while Bofur and Bifur were still in the tunnel. Please, amrâlu, don't be mad. I wasn't doing anything I said I wouldn't." Kíli reached at hand towards Tauriel, almost begging her. She stepped forward and took hold of his hand, a moment later she turned his hand over and opened his fingers. There in his hand were a small cluster of raw gemstones, White Gems, just like the Gems of Lasgalen. He looked at them.
"I don't remember picking anything up." He said puzzledly. He brought his other hand up and opened it and there in it was another cluster of gems. The clear bright white glow as the sun hit Kíli's hands, was breathtaking.
"I can understand why Thranduil wanted to give a crown of these to Ellerian. She shone just as brightly with love for him and Legolas as these stones. And these are raw stones, how bright they would be, cut and polished." Tauriel said, awe strong in the voice.
Dori stepped forward while Oín continued to treat the cuts and scrapes that covered Kíli's back and arms.
"I will cut them for you, Kíli. You've given Tauriel a Courting Bead, but you've yet to make her a Marriage Bead. I'll cut your White Gems and you already have some Mithril from your last trip sneaking into the caves. Thorin's forge will be ready to fire up inside a week. It won't take long to season the forge ready to work metal. You can give your Bedak a Marriage Bead worthy of a bride of a Durin."
"He can think about that later. Keeping this nadnul* out of the caves, even when he is doing the right thing, is not going to work. He didn't do anything wrong and he still got hurt. We can't risk it, not until you're fully healed, laddie, I'm sorry. Ori. Saddle a pony. You head for Bag End, tell Thorin, Kíli's not badly hurt but we – I – won't risk him in the caves until I'm sure his ribs are right. Gloín, Bofur, Nori make a stretcher, we going to have to carry him to Bilbo's."
"I can walk. No stretcher, Oín."
Oín just ignored Kíli and kept firing orders about.
"Bifur, go tell Bombur what happened and see if we can git some-it to eat on the march. Balin you go with Tauriel and help her pack up hers and Kíli's things, they'll be staying with Thorin and Fíli for at least a month, maybe more. Dwalin, Dori put him down here, no, here on the log. Dori can up go get some bandages from me kit, I'm going to have to strap his ribs."
"Oín! No. No strapping. Please?"
"I'll make you a deal laddie. I strap you for the trip back to Bilbo's and if you swear not to lift anything heavier than a plate of food for two weeks, I'll let you go without bandages once we get to Bag End. Deal?"
"Deal. Damn it." Kíli groaned. "Thorin's going to kill me."
"I don't think it Thorin you need to worry about. That Bedak of yours was swearing up a treat when Dwalin and Dori were bringing you out, lad. I've no idea what she was saying but it sounded vicious. Personally, I'd be more worried about her than Thorin." Said Nori from where he was stripping the branches off of a strong sapling.
"Aye, laddie. Never git yer womenfolk mad at yer. They'll hide it and hide it and then jus' when you least expect it they'll dish it back at yer. Nasty, lovely things. Tauriel's a good strong lass, inventive and fearless. If it weren't fer her height and them ears, she'd make a fine dwarrowdam. Yer'll never regret asking her ter be yer bride, laddie. Never" Gloín chuckled as he cut canvass to length to use as the bed of the stretcher.
It was clear that just getting Kíli down onto the stretcher was going to be a painful exercise, so Oín was glad he had given Kíli a small draught of a pain potion. By the time he had finished treating all Kíli's cuts and strapped his ribs, it had taken effect. Thankfully. He kept the potion ready-made now, just in case it was needed, Kíli wasn't the only one to need it, though, pulled muscles were common until the dwarrow became accustomed to manual labour again. That and rocks dropped on feet were the most frequent injuries at present.
Ori met them on his way back to camp.
"Thorin is ready and waiting. He's had two ravens from Elrond, Bilbo left Rivendell yesterday. Elrond estimates that he should be here in a little over two weeks. Gandalf didn't handle the news real well. He was very upset. He's left Bilbo with the Twins and has gone back to see the head of the Wizard's Order. Elrond said Bilbo doesn't look good, nightmares, not eating and not getting enough rest. He thinks Bilbo will be much better when he get home and see's everyone is alive and on the way to well. He sent Legolas to bring a letter from Gandalf for Bilbo for later, he should be here in a few days and wants to know if he can stay for a week or so until he can meet up with some rangers. Oh and Missus Gamgee is sending her eldest lad, Hamfast, along with some baked goods, a ham and some mutton in exchange for some game." Ori pulled his pony to the side of the path to let the stretcher, now carried by Gloín and Bifur go past.
"There's a brace of pheasants and two brace of rabbits back at camp. You might be lucky and Bombur may not have cooked them yet. Tell young Hamfast to drop in at Bag End and let me know what was there, I'm happy to hunt down a few more of either for Missus Gamgee." Directed Tauriel as she paused beside the pony. She gently touched Ori's leg in thanks as she moved off to follow the other dwarrow.
As she walked she listened to the dwarrow talking, occasionally commenting. She reflected on the change in her life since meeting a certain raven-headed dwarf. Once Thorin announced that she and Kíli were Courting and welcomed her to the family, the rest of the Company accepted her in a way that the elves of Mirkwood never really did. The Company had in a strange way become more of a family to her than those of her own kind that she had lived with for centuries. How strange.
Thorin was waiting for them as the stretcher, now carried by Dwalin and Dori, rounded the last bend before Bag End.
"Lets get the lulkhá* inside. Before I decide to thump him. Missus Bracegirdle traded a post of stew and some baking for a set of rings for her eldest son, he's getting married this Stenday*. Fíli, show them which room, please. I want to have a word with Oín first."
"Right you are, Uncle." Fíli held the door open for the dwarrow to make their way through.
"Oín. How is he? Really?"
"Not too bad. He re-cracked some ribs, not seriously though, but the worst is the strained muscles in his back. Too much pressure on those muscles could cause cramping and spasms, so I don't want to strap his ribs. He doesn't know that though. We made a deal that he won't lift anything heavier than a plate of food and I'll leave the strapping off. I've given Tauriel some of my valerian-arnica-peppermint pain potion, just in case he needs it. And he may, for the first day or two. He should be back on his feet by tomorrow, definitely on Trewsday. Expect him to be fragile for at least a week, but he's not to come back to the caves for two weeks and then only on day trips for another two weeks. Got it? Can I see to my patient now?" Oín stomped past Thorin only to come to a stop when Nori reminded him to take his boots off at the door.
Tauriel stopped with Thorin as the rest of the dwarrow removed their boots and made their way inside.
"He will be alright, Thorin. He did nothing wrong this time, was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." She said resting a hand on Thorin's shoulder. The dwarf had become almost as important to her as he was to his nephews, she felt the need to reassure him time and again, that the two younger dwarrow would be fine with enough time.
"I know, Tauriel, I know. Ori told us. Doesn't make it any easier to see them in pain." Thorin's shoulders slumped.
"He's a true dwarf, Thorin. These were clasped in his fists, he wasn't even aware of picking anything up in one hand let alone with both hands." Tauriel handed Thorin a folded piece of cloth.
"Oh, Mahal. White Gems." He whispered once he'd opened the cloth.
"Yes. Dori offered to cut them for him for a Marriage Bead. I'd Like to talk to you about that. I would like to make a Marriage Bead for him myself, but… I've no experience with beads or metalwork. Can you help me?"
"I can, lass. But Dori and Nori are far better at bead and jewellery than I am, If you want the best then its definitely the Ri family you want."
"I want to marry Kíli. The rest is unimportant. But I do think that to show the true depth of my feelings for him I should do the very best that I can. If you would not take offense at my approaching the Ri brothers, Thorin, then I would like the best skilled help I can get."
"Nay, Tauriel. I'll not take offense. As long as the bead is made by your hand, it matter not who guides you. Traditionally, a family member, or someone you see as a chosen family, stays with you when you make you Marriage Bead. You've no family here, but the dwarrow of my Company like you, so I doubt that any would refuse to guide you. However, Legolas will be here in less than a week. I can have the forge ready for use by then. Once he arrives, we can get Dori or Nori to come and give you a few lessons on bead-making. That way you can have more than one person you consider to be family present when you make Kíli's Bead. Think about it for a bit. For now, lets head inside before the lads eat all Missus Bracegirdle's stew."
Thorin held the gate for Tauriel and once it was closed behind her, he offered her his hand as she climbed the few steps to the familiar round green door that still showed Gandalf's softly glowing mark.
A dwarf and an elf living in a Hobbit smial. How far they – he – had come. Gandalf was right when he said Thorin needed that particular hobbit. He did, he needed his hobbit so much.
Two weeks, a little more and his One would be home.
Bedaku-Kíli = Arrow of Kíli
Eitha-ed = Stuff it! (given elves don't swear much, this was the closest I could get to 'damn it!')
Bedak= Arrow
belth-hon= kill him
mel nin = my love
nadnul= child like
lulkhá= idiot
Stenday = Saturday
Sunday = Sunday
Monday = Monday
Trewsday = Tuesday
Hevensday = Wednesday
Mersday = Thursday
Highday = Friday