Chapter XXVII

13th Narabeleth 3002 T.A

Kili was her father.

Her father was a dwarf.

Eliel did not want to admit it but she was a dwelf. A species very rare in Middle Earth. She debated with herself over the night that she was not some half breed elvish dwarf but came to this ridiculous conclusion after she had sufficient evidence that supported it. First Dwarves were small and if Tauriel slept with a human male surely Eliel would have been taller. Second the stone which she was told was given to her mother by someone called Kili was in Khuzdul, Dwarvish language. She remembered the conversations she had with Gandalf about how she should speak with dwarves of Erebor, Eliel did not take the wizard for a fool and he knew her father was still alive. The evidence was small but put together they were something that meant a lot to her.

It has been three days since Eliel was arrested and she had been beaten, threaten and almost raped. What she had experience in here made her promise to never do anything illegal so that she would not have the familiarity of this again. Over the days and night she had spent in here she had found a weak area in the back wall. When Eliel was not being thrashed with questions by the ruthless guards she was carefully pushing out blocks that would be big enough to get through but small enough not to be followed. She knew the dwarf she believed to be her father would return but then again she could not stay in this cell and be abused anymore. It was early morning from what she could tell and the guards would be making their first scan very soon which gave Eliel an hour until the next round.

The rather large man walked passed throwing in a loaf of bread which Eliel refused to eat, he quickly passed and Eliel made her to the wall. Through the other side she could see a tunnel, who knows where it would lead her but she had to take the only chance. Her body ached as it adapted new positions through the wall, the stone ripping at her skin as she went head first. Eliel had trouble pushing her hips through as they were stocky and the largest part of her body, once she had done her legs were the easiest to get through. Eliel's back hit the damp ground and she looked around dim lit chamber, which must have an ending because of the breeze blowing the cobwebs in the corners. Eliel quickly got onto her feet and started a light jog towards whatever was at the end of this tunnel, what caught her eye as she continued was an opening in the wall to her left and inside she could see the guard room as well as the open chest that held all of her belongings. This was pure luck. Eliel grabbed her journal, her hood and her bow that laid upon the table all the rest she had left behind to make it seem nothing was out of the ordinary until it was truly observed. She quickly adjusted herself and continued down the corridor until a ladder was all that stood in front of her. The ladder let to a wooden hatch which sunlight could be seen shining through, opening it could be freedom or a death sentence. Eliel could not hear anything on the other side and climbed out of the hole to be blinded by the sun. Her eyes adjusted and she looked around and realized that she was on top of some ledge that looked like it had not seen presence in some time. Eliel looked down to see a secluded alley below, just prepared her body and jumped down, pain shooting from her ankles to her hips. "I swear this adventure is killing me."

Eliel put her hood around her and started to run towards the street, she got to the corner before her footing disappeared and she collided with another person. Her head hit the bricks but before the pain hit her she had an arrow aimed between her eyes, an arrow that was being hold by a dwarf but not any dwarf, however the dwarf she believed to be her father. "You were not released."

"Kili, Please." Eliel decided to be informal to catch his attention "My mother's name is Tauriel, did you know her?" If he knew the name of the elf, it would confirm Eliel's question of her parentage.

"It is impossible." Kili still had his arrow pointed at her refusing to drop it.

"Please listen to me." Eliel had crawled back into the shadows "My mother was an elf named Tauriel and I believe-." She stopped herself unaware of how to put this "I believe you might be my father." Kili subconsciously lowered his weapon and his brow scrunched together. "Tauriel died and I have not fathered any children."

"Please just please" Eliel had lost count of how many times she had begged for anyone to listen to her "Tauriel thought you died and she was banished. I was stolen away from her along with the rune stone, I was born 60 years ago I was told Kili was my father. Return to me, that's what it says does it not? Please believe me." She did not realize that her cheeks were wet and her hands were shaking until she stopped talking and waited for whatever response he had. Eliel had clenched her fists tightly, until her nails dug into her palm but she barely noticed. The only thing she was aware of was the sound of her heart throbbing against the cage of her heart over the silence.

A sudden bell rang off the top of the Citadel which both Eliel and Kili turned to look at, an alarm most likely to signal the guards of an escaped prisoner. "Make your way to Erebor, stay to the back streets and do not make yourself look suspicious. No one will be looking for something traveling there. I will make my way back later, inform my brother Fili and my brother only. Give this to him" he reached into his pocket and pulled out the stone and placed it into Eliel's slightly larger but slender hand.

Eliel finally exhaled with a sob and thanked the dwarf. She prepared herself and brushed past him before his hand grabbed her forearm. "If you have lied to me I will not hesitate to have you killed." His threatening brown eyes met appreciative green. She nodded her head and broke into the fastest run her damaged body could take her, Eliel hid her face every time guards ran past towards the marketplace. Kili was right no one would suspect her as soon as she was on the road to Erebor.

It was about noon when Eliel had reached the dark emerald structure that shielded the dwarven kingdom, the gates were huge and towered over anything that stood beside it. "Eliel Nirn?" A dwarf asked from above, obviously a watchmen.

"Yes?"

"I have been informed to take a young girl by that name to the royal wing." He turned out of sight and a few moments later the heavy doors creaked open and Eliel was allowed passage into the great dwarven kingdom of Erebor.