Maybe if get some reviews *wink wink* after this post then I'll strive to continue with this story more. I've hop scotched around with ideas and have written a fair bit but figured the first chapter would be a good start to test the waters but also a good stopping point where i don't feel guilty for saying this story is complete (even though in my head it isn't lol). My story but not my characters :)

Chap. 1

Waking Up

It was dark, very dark. Maybe he was dead but if that was the case Kili was sure his head wouldn't be hurting so much. Mahal what was that foul smell in the air. Definitely not dead but between the dizziness, pain, and putrid air maybe he wanted to be. Throat dry and feeling very parched, he slowly turned his head to the left. He could not tell what but there was some shape forming in front of him. Deciding to move his head back to the middle he looked up and waited for his eyes to slowly adjust to the dim light. He saw a decorated canopy of greens and golds come before his eyes and concluded he was probably in a tent. Feeling the cool fabric encased around him he also decided that he was in some kind of bed. It was very small though. He could feel the edges near his side. Where was he?

He vision became clearer after a couple of moments had passed by. So, turning his gaze to the right he saw two more figures. The one furthest away was shrouded from his view but Kili could tell that they were on a medical cot. That must be what he was on too. Seemed to make the most sense, considering the amount of pain he was in, that he probably needed medical attention. The other figure sat in between, incased within a large oversized, blue velvet cushioned chair. Their feet, one he noticed bandaged, resting on a matching stool. Kili looked over the sleeping figure. Clad in dark trousers and a loose-fitting shirt that was untucked, their right arm was heavily bandaged and even then, red still managed to seep through the wrapping and the white linen shirt. It looked painful but the heaviness cloaked by long dark hair covered a face that looked even more. Like the whole world rested on one's shoulders. Kili made to say something but no words came out. It took a few tries, but he finally managed to croak out "Thorin."

His uncle woke up immediately. The elation on his face could not be hidden as he saw that his youngest nephew had comeback from the land of deep sleep. His smile remained and grew as Kili continued to talk.

"What is that smell?"

"That, my dear nephew, is the wonderous odor of burning orc flesh." Kili peered at his uncle the best he could and slowly shook his head.

"Uncle, I feel your views may be diluted. That is not a wonderous smell in any regard and I thought them to smell bad alive." His uncle laughed harder at that and Kili wanted to laugh with him, but it hurt to much. Kili had a vague idea where he was as his eyes began to adjust more but asked for better confirmation.

"Are we in some kind of tent?" He voiced his thoughts once his uncle had composed himself. Thorin reached into the blue satin robe that lay next to him and pulled out his pipe. Kili was amazed that of all things his Uncle had salvaged from the quest it would be his beloved pipe. It was a little worse for wear but to his amazement it still worked. Kili sniffed the air as Thorin lit the Longbottom leaf within. Thorin took a few puffs and then answered,

"We are just outside of Dale. Guests in Lord Elrond's royal tent. He arrived near the end of the fight. Many tents have been set up to house the injured or displaced." Kili nodded in understanding. Though thankful for the elf's generosity, Kili became aware that he had no knowledge of his brothers' fate, "Where's Fili?"

"Next to us and resting," Thorin answered. Kili looked over to the right where Thorin gestured to and was now able to see his kin's blonde hair peak out from under the covers of the cot. Kili's eyes widened slightly and knew his uncle could see the worry in them when he immediately answered Kili's unspoken questions.

"He has some broken ribs and his right leg is fractured. He will also bare a nasty scar on his side but thank Mahal it was not a fatal blow. Other than that, he is healthy and alive. Both of you are and I can't ask for more than that." Thorin shook his head and chuckled, "He is upset to be bed ridden and even more so to be indebted to an elf. That elf, however, has honor and I am grateful for him. He managed to return Orcrist back to me so I could defeat Azog and I heard he took down that filths spawn Bolg."

Kili, too was grateful for the elf. He not only helped to save his brother, but he had helped his uncle? Then, in a way, he also managed to help him and Tauriel as well. Without thinking Kili whispered her name. It was loud enough for his uncle to hear but Kili saw no anger in Thorin's eyes. Thorin smiled and surprised Kili as he answered his unspoken question again, "She is to your left," Kili's head turned as quickly as it could and Thorin continued, "Yet another elf I am grateful for." Kili looked over the figure to his left. He could now see the proof of her being as red hair pooled out from the bedding of the larger cot. "She's, I mean, is she" Kili started, not sure what to ask but Thorin knew.

"The left of her face is quite bruised with a deep cut on the temple. That has been stitched up. She also sprained her right wrist, dislocated her right shoulder and broke her collar bone but she's a fighter. However, she's in a deep sleep for now. From the first moment she was brought here, she was having night terrors so one of Elrond's healers gave her a powerful sleeping drought. She has yet to wake." Kili did his best to process everything that Thorin told him. Thorin expressed his gratitude towards Tauriel and even her blonde elf friend but what perplexed him was Thorin's open generosity for a race he did not care for. Kili looked from Tauriel then to his uncle. He tried to keep his relief, joy and concern out of his voice best he could when he asked his next question, "Why is she in our tent?" but Thorin saw right through him as he gave Kili a knowing smile and answered in a kind and passionate voice,

"I would have her nowhere else. Her king has shown her no love," Thorin said this part with contempt. An angry look upon his face. For dwarves it was a dishonor to abandon warriors who ran towards a fight to end a wrong, "I heard he even has banished her from his halls. She has proven herself a warrior among us. Fili said he saw her fall from a ledge on top of Ravenhill bringing an Orc down with her, only to climb her way back up, probably to you. I was told after you both were found that she had been guarding you till the end. So, we shall guard her to the end," Thorin paused and gave Kili a pointed look, "Besides, rumor has it you are quite attached to this elf-maid." Kili felt his face go red, glad the light was dim, but what was there to gain to deny how he felt. He looked his Uncle square in the eyes as he responded.

"I know it won't be taken well but I can't deny my feelings. She is my one, my men andr torok. If I cannot be with her then I feel there will be no other." Thorin shook his head and responded,

"As your King I cannot encourage such attachments but as your kin, knowing what it's like to lose "your one", I can't in good conscious refuse you either. She is unique for an elf. Fili also told me she saved your life over a fortnight ago in lake town." He gave a great sign, "I wonder if at times I should have been harder on you like your brother. Though the nature of it is different from yours, I would be a hypocrite to say I didn't make my own unique bonds on this venture becoming great friends with a half-ling." Thorin then mumbled quietly to himself but Kili heard it clear as day.

"An elf-maid. Dis is going to kill me." Kili couldn't help but laugh and responded in kind.

"No uncle, amad will blame me and only me. I am the reckless one, remember?" Thorin laughed harder at this comment than about the orc smell. The harsh movement of laughter pulled at his injured shoulder and he cringed with pain. Kili looked to his uncle with worry.

"Irak' nadad! Are you ok?"

"Just my arm. I will live to laugh at you for many days to come." Thorin replied. Kili gave him a bemused look and asked, "How did you defeat him?" Thorin looked to his nephew, having heard mighty stories of war from him before. He was not sure it was worthy of a tale to be praised but knew as king it would become so.

"Yes. I would like to hear this as well," said a sleepy voice to his right. Fili had woken up, a bright yet tired smile on his face seeing his brother awake and his own curiosity mirrored in his eyes like his brother. Thorin decided that now was as good a time as any to tell his tale. He would have preferred to say it all at once, at least to the whole company but for now his two Irak'maukk would suffice. Thorin touched on what they all knew. The trap that almost cost Fili his life if it wasn't for the elf's interference. Getting caught on the ice with Azog and his band of orcs. How he was thrown the Orcrist blade and barely out maneuvered Azog spear at one point. He then went into detail about the dance on the broken ice sheet where after dodging and ducking Azog's stone flail, the flail became stuck in front of him. Thorin told his nephews that he picked up the flail, tossed it at Azog who caught it, and then stepped off the ice to have the pale orc fall into the water below. "You defeated him then! How did you get hurt though Uncle?" Kili asked after listening to Thorin's tale. Thorin shook his head.

"He was not defeated yet. I tracked him under the ice. His eyes were closed and I let down my guard. They suddenly opened surprising me, Azog then stabbed my foot through the ice and managed to break his way free to the surface." Thorin stopped and Kili could see Thorin working on how to explain what happened next, "He had me pinned. His spear hovering between me and my blade. There was a moment where I thought maybe the only way was to let him take my life and in turn I would take his. Then the screech of the eagles could be heard from afar and in a brief moment it distracted him to look. Not enough to escape but enough of a chance where I might survive. I was able to move myself enough to the right where his blade pierced my shoulder instead. With what strength I had left in me I was able to stab him though his armor into his heart. I rolled him over and pushed Orcrist through the rest of that filthy orc until it went into the ice." Thorin's voice was raw with emotion as he finished his tale to Kili and Fili, "Bilbo showed up shortly after to help stem the bleeding in my arm. It was not an immediate blow to be fatal but it was not a survivable wound if not tended to. Let's just say I'm glad that hobbit showed up when he did." Kili was now grateful for Bilbo too and even more grateful that his uncle survived.

"We are glad you are still here uncle," Fili said agreeing with Kili's own thoughts. A strong breeze came though the tent bringing with it the strong scent of burning orc. Kili paled at the stench but then wondered what else was happening outside as he was sleeping so he voiced this question to Thorin.

"For the moment the focus is clean up and repair. Lord Elrond brought a lot of his own from Rivendell. They are primarily helping to assist the sick and injured or are removing orcs, wrags and trolls to be burned. This way Bard and Dain can focus on burring our own people and then start the process to rebuild the kingdoms."

"You speaking to Bard then?" Kili asked.

"Yes. I met with him yesterday to apologize. He greatly appreciated it and has agreed to let me stay in Dale temporarily to insure the dragon sickness fully passes. I told him once you, Fili and I recover more, we will hold a formal meeting to discuss treaties and how we want to distribute the wealth that lays in Erabor."

"We are to stay in Dale?" Kili asked shocked, "Who is looking over Erebor then?"

"For now, but you and your brother are free to visit Erebor for me when you are well enough, make sure Dain isn't going overboard with ruling in my stead. I see that look and before you ask, no I'm not giving up my crown. I met with both Balin and Dain yesterday," Thorin paused to relight his pipe and shift in his chair to get more comfortable, "For the next several weeks they are to handle clean up matters, start rebuilding the royal chambers and main halls. Luckily, most of damage to Erebor was in the corridors and the high hall chamber where all the gold was housed. There is more dust and grime to deal with than anything else. Well, maybe there is the mess we might have made from fighting the dragon," Thorin laughed mentioning this then finished speaking, "They are to start sorting through the gold, then start putting shares in various vaults for easy storage and distribution. They are to also put the Arkenstone back into the mountain. Once that is all done we will return, have my official coronation at Balin's insistence and I want to host a celebration for all three kingdoms for our victory over evil and to honor the dead."

"Uncle, what do you mean by 'put the Arkenstone' back?"

"Balin, Dain and I all agreed. It's the heart of the mountain. It belongs there, not above a king's throne. We all feel it was the source of the madness in my family. I will not have you nor Fili fall victim to its poison." Thorin gave his nephew a reassuring smile seeing the relief in Kili's eyes that the stone was to be buried back into the mountain, "It will be incased in an iron box and Bofur said he would make sure to bury it deep. There was another agreement that while forging will resume at some point, there is to be an indefinite hold on mining. There is plenty of gold for us to use for years to come."

"I am truly glad to hear that. How is everyone else?"

"They are all good. Most are in Erebor at the moment helping with the most needed repairs. The halls, kitchens, markets, places that will need to be functioning when our kin from Ered Luin return. I will send them a raven tomorrow. They will be glad to hear you are awake."

Kili noticed that Fili fell back to sleep once they had started talking about things of not so exciting nature but moaning to his left brought his attention back to Tauriel. She was starting to twist in her sleep and understood why she was given the potion to help her rest more soundly. Thorin got up as she began to move even more, hobbling his way over. She started to mumble louder and Kili could make out his name tumbling from her lips in fear. Thorin reached her side, tenderly placing a hand on her head, and then whispered quietly in her ear. Kili was not only surprised by the affection in Thorin's voice but also the use of their language as he said, "He's ok. Be calm." Kili looked her over in concern and asked,

"Do we need to get a healer?"

"No," Thorin replied, "The potion she was given is only to be drunk once. It will do her no good to stay in a deep sleep. She needs to wake for food and water soon."

"But the night terrors Thorin? They seem to be still there. Couldn't she reinjure her wounds?" Kili couldn't help the desperation that came from his voice. Thorin looked at him with kind, understanding eyes. He went to Kili's side and placed a calming hand on his good shoulder.

"That is one reason I make sure myself or Fili is in the room with her at all times. For some reason she responds best to our voices and also to the words of Khuzdul. Interesting, really, that she likes the sound of our language. It's almost like she has heard it before." Kili went red remembering his passionate confession to her by the lake. He didn't really break any rules. He didn't tell her what he said but he knew, in a way, she understood. Thorin startled Kili out of his thoughts and asked, "Dose she know how you feel?"

"More or less," Kili answered, "What is to happen once she is healed?" Thorin gave Kili a gentle smile.

"That will be up to her." He said then laughed, "Much to Dain and Balin's surprise, I have granted her asylum with us. She is welcomed in our halls for as long as she likes. I am hoping, once she has the strength, that she can assist me in negotiations with Thranduil. He will not be so easy to speak with like Bard. Especially after the dragon sickness. He won't be so forgiving but I'm hoping with her presence and maybe even Lord Elrond we can get through it without any issues." Kili smiled back and was just as shocked. What happened to his uncle? Never thought he would see a time that such a hard, stubborn dwarf would bend so easily to take in an elf as one of his own. Nor accept the fact that one of his own kin had feelings for that said elf. Thorin had walked back over to Tauriel to check on her. Again, Kili spoke without thinking,

"I wish I could take your place and watch over her myself." Thorin turned to him, smiled and shook his head in amusement.

"Soon and I'm sure she will want to do the same for you. Rest more and I'll have Oin look you over in the morning. Maybe we will feed you too." Thorin teased him. Kili rolled his eyes but couldn't help to look over at Tauriel once more. She had turned and he could see her face now. She looked peaceful and of course as beautiful as ever, though he might have been biased on that aspect. "Rest, Kili. She will wake soon I swear. We will talk more tomorrow." Thorin then mumbled something and slowly went back over to his chair. Kili just watched Tauriel as she slept and after some time he fell back into his own peaceful slumber.

Tauriel woke up to bright light and a foul smell in the air. Her whole body screamed at her in pain and she did her best not to move. Only problem was that she needed to move a little. At least to see where she was. She managed to turn her head to the left. Her vision was somewhat blurry from sleep but she made out a small iron stove near the entrance of what seemed to be a tent. Next to where she rested was a blue chair and it looked like it had just been vacated. A cream blanket had been carelessly thrown on the back of it. She let out a few swear words in Sindarin and openly complained about the smell in the air. An amused voiced came from the right.

"Funny. That was the first thing my brother asked about when he woke up." Tauriel startled at the sound, wincing in pain as she tried to see who was speaking.

"Mahal! I'm sorry Tauriel! I'm supposed to be watching you, not scaring you!" The voice said as Tauriel gingerly moved her body from the left to the right. Was that Kili? It kind of sounded like his voice but as the figure started to come into focus the name did not match the dwarf.

"Kili…" Tauriel tried to ask.

"I'm Fili," The older prince responded with amusement in his voice. Tauriel began to recognize the blonde darrow as one of the few who were in the humans' home the day she healed Kili. The golden blonde hair was unmistakable, along with the braids of his mustache. "Kili is out with our uncle at the moment and the smell would be burning orcs, trolls and wrags." Fili stated. He got up from his propped-up position in the medical cot next to her. Adjusting the thick, red cotton robe he wore around him along with blue linen trousers, Fili went to reach for a wooden crutch resting next to the cot. She could see that his right leg was splinted. He made his way over to a round, oak table on the opposite side of the them. Picking up an ornamental pitcher, he poured a dutiful amount of amber liquid into a large mug. With the drink in one hand and his crutch in the other, Fili carefully made his way back over to her.

"Are you able to sit up on your own?" Tauriel considered the question and realized her previous aches may be due to inactive muscle use.

"Yes," she responded and slowly lifted herself up into a sitting position. She was sorer than she thought and a sharp pain came from her collar bone but managed none the less. Once she was fully upright, propped up best she could, as Fili passed her the mug.

"Lord Elrond asked me to give this to you when you woke up. Said it will help with the sleep distortion and lack of nutrients in your system. Said he would have someone bring you some kind of bread later."

"Probably lembas bread. It is a simple food but it fills one up when need be." She replied.

"Sounds like what Kili had earlier. He was not impressed. He liked the drink though." Fili laughed as he hobbled over to grab a chair from the table. He dragged it close to the end of her cot and sat down. Tauriel smiled and lifted the drink to take a sip. The aroma was soothing, like fresh berries, and sweet to the taste. She did struggle a bit to swallow at first but managed to get the delicious brew down.

"You said Kili was out?" Fili nodded his head yes.

"Thorin said some fresh air and a small walk would be good for him. Even if it does reek of burning orcs." He laughed at this and Tauriel smiled in kind, taking another sip of her drink. "We are trying to limit how much he sleeps. Oin said he really hit his head hard. You, however, can sleep as much as you want!" The mention of Kili's head injury made her wonder about his other ailments.

"How is his arm and his leg?"

"Both will take time to heal. He was lucky neither wounds were too deep or hit anything vital. The leg we were worried about because it was in the same spot where the morgul shard struck from the arrow. Lord Elrond looked it over for us. Says you did a fine job removing the poison. He put some kind of fancy ointment on it before he stitched it up to help it heal faster. While he'll still have an impressive scar, Kili won't need to worry about losing his leg!" Tauriel felt relieved to hear Kili was on the mend but then turned her inquiry on the blonde dwarf near her.

"What happened to your leg?" Fili shrugged as he answered in a semi joking manner.

"Not blaming him, but maybe I am." Fili briefly paused to adjust his leg where he sat so it was propped on Tauriel's cot and Tauriel didn't hear any resentment in his voice as he continued, "When your elf friend pushed me onto an unbelievably tiny ledge as I plummeted to my potential death, I don't think he aimed well. Broke it on the edge when we landed. Of course, not a scratch on him."

"Legolas? Do you know where he is?"

"I have only seen him once sense he saved me. He came to check on you shortly after the battle and left you this" Fili pulled out a letter from the inside of his robe and passed it to her. Tauriel opened it and saw Legolas handwriting on the parchment. Taking a breath, she began to read the penned words.

Tauriel,

I hope this letter finds you well. I had wished to see you when you awoke but I could not linger. Not with knowing you are still banished from our home. I told father this as much. I doubt he understands but I feel my path has changed as has yours. I know he will not change his mind. It is not in his nature to, no matter how honorable a person performs. You have shown courage and bravery over the last few weeks and I am sorry he is blind to that. As much as I wish I could, and I assumed you would have tried to convince me to stay with you, I cannot follow on the path that lays ahead for you. Your path, I can now see, follows the same as your dwarf prince. Do not worry for me Mellon Nin. My father has spoken of a boy. One of the Dunedain and suggested for me to go find him. He says this child will be of great importance one day. So, I will head west to Arnor. If you ever need me do not hesitate to send word. I will always be there for you.

Na lû e-govaded 'wîn,

Legolas

Tauriel wasn't sure how to feel. Mostly sad that she did not get to say goodbye to her childhood friend, honored that that he chooses to support her when his father all but abandoned her, but then sad again that her friend chose exile because of it. She would have to find the time to see him again. The thought of time made her realize something else she had not yet asked Fili.

"How long have I been asleep?" Fili made to answer but another voice overshadowed his.

"Five nights sense the battle." A smile spread across her face as she watched Kili slowly walk in, being supported by his uncle who continued to talk. "It is good to see you awake my dear. We hoped it wouldn't be too much longer. Kili's been getting anxious and thus driving us insane with his worry." Kili's grin was just as wide as hers as his uncle continued to help him walk over to the chair next to her. Tauriel was not sure what to make of the King Under the Mountain's demeanor towards her. He seemed to actually like her. She had to think hard to remember his name. She wanted him to continue to like her if that was the case. She also did not want to be hindered by this cot. Feeling it would be permissible to try and stand, she motioned for Fili to come over to help her. Once Fili reached her side, Tauriel slowly swung her legs to the side.

"Child, what in Mahal's name are you doing?" Thorin, she finally remembered, grumbled at her.

"Testing my legs out and making sure your youngest kin is healing to my liking." Even though Fili just went over the injuries in detail with her and the fact that she trusted Lord Elrond's healing capabilities to the fullest, Tauriel knew she would only feel better if she could look over them herself. What she really wanted to do was, as fast as she could, fall into his arms and hug him. Never let him leave her side no matter how silly that seemed. As she approached him, Kili gave her a cheeky grin. Despite others being in the room he decided to tease her.

"Offer still stands for you to search me. I can assure you there is something down my trousers." Thorin and Fili laughed outright while Tauriel went beat red, remembering their first encounter from a couple months ago. This was to be the first thing he says to her now? In front of his uncle and brother. She was not going to let him get the upper hand. She made it over to where he sat and perched herself on the matching stool. She waited a moment to respond, then as she lifted his leg onto her lap she quipped back a teasing retort.

"Searching implies I am looking for something in particular. I would hate to be disappointed and embarrass you in front of your family." Fili barely made it back to his chair as he roared out in laughter while Thorin bent his head down on the top of the chair, trying but failing to hide his laughter. The tips of Kili's ears turned red but he was smiling and replied in kind.

"Then might I suggest we request for them to leave?" Oh, how she wanted to say yes. To be alone with this dwarf would be grand but at the moment the energy it took for her to just stand and walk a few steps was draining. Kili himself looked exhausted from the walk he just came from. She chose not to answer, instead she took to rolling up the bottom of his pant leg to inspect his injury.

"Thorin, are you able to get some fresh bandages?"

"Not even awake for a day and you are already dotting over him?" It was a kind tease as he saw that the walk put some strain on his nephews' leg. There was a pink stain seeping through the wrappings. Thorin went over to a set of shelves that housed medical supplies while Tauriel unwrapped the soiled bandages.

"Did we push too hard today? Does he need ointment? I can have Oin re-stitch the leg if need be." Tauriel accepted a warm, wet cloth that Fili went to get as soon as he saw his brothers wound was bleeding. Cleaning the area, she looked it over and then replied back.

"Some ointment would suffice but no, it looks to be just a slight bleed. None of the stitches are torn but it is irritated. You will need to forgo walks for a day or two." Tauriel proceeded to apply the ointment Thorin handed her liberally and then wrapped Kili's leg back up. He hissed a little as she added some pressure to the wrappings but did not complain.

"I will look at you arm later," Tauriel stated then teased "when I can fully search you over." Her comment lighted the mood in the room back up and she took the moment to enjoy the look of mirth in Kili's face.

"Dwalin wanted to speak with me on some trivial matters. Fili, you up for a visit with the loon?" Thorin asked. Fili agreed to go, making sure Tauriel felt well enough to make it back to her cot alone. He also decided to move her cot closer to the chair so they were almost side by side. With one last smile, he and Thorin left the tent.

"Mahal, I am so happy you are awake!" Kili all but exclaimed once his brother and uncle had left.

"I am so happy you are alive!" Tauriel replied back, "I do not know what I would have done if you were lost to me."

"But I wasn't and you returned to me." Kili's comment reminded her of the ruin stone and the promise he requested of her. The stone had been in an inner pocket of the tunic she wore but where was the garment now? Valar she hoped the stone hadn't been lost.

"Kili, where are my things?"

"Over by the table in the basket. Dori had them cleaned for you but they do not look in the best of shape." Tauriel looked down to see that she was in a typical white elvish medical gown and assumed Lord Elrond provided it for her. She would look at her cloths later to see if anything could be salvaged but for now only two items really mattered.

"Where is my necklace and the ruin stone?"

"Both are in a box on the table," Kili answered, "Elrond said the necklace seems of great importance. Is it?" Tauriel smiled but felt she could not sit on the stool any longer. Carefully holding onto the arm of the chair, she pushed herself up and slid back onto the cot. Once she was comfortable laying back down she tuned onto her side to face Kili.

"The necklace was once my mothers. Given to me before I lost her. My father gave it to her ages ago as it represents the star Borgil. To show her that his love was steadfast and true. That is as much as I know about them but for me it is enough." There was a look of affection in his eyes as she explained the meaning behind her necklace. He got up from the chair and came over to sit by her side. Gently, so to not irritate her bruises, he ran his fingers across her face. He brushed the pads of his thumb along her lower lip before tracing her cheek bone up to the outer shell of her right ear.

"Your necklace is truly important then." His hand stopped at the base of her neck and the way he was looking at her almost seemed like he was trying to see into her soul. He didn't have to say anything. The tension between them was palpable. Pent up emotion from the last several weeks tumbling out like a raging river. Kili slowly bent down and captured Tauriel's lips in his. It was a soft kiss at first. Something like a question but he needn't have to ask. Tauriel responded in kind and in equal passion as he deepened the kiss. He tasted of earth, sweat and salt. It was glorious to feel his rough lips pressed against hers and she relished the attention he gave her own soft lips. Soon though he trailed off in the same direction as his thumb did prior to. Peppering soft kisses along her jawline and then placing nibbles along her ear. She let out a puff of air, forgetting to breathe for a moment, and then hummed in delight.

"Meleth nin," she sighed out and Kili echoed her comment from the lake shore weeks ago.

"I do not know what that means" He continued to trail kisses, now focusing his attention on her neck. She hummed in pleasure and replied back just as he did then,

"I think you do." Kili stopped and leaned up enough to look her in the face. His smile was bright as a star, shining bright as her own personal Borgil, and it was the most glorious thing she had ever seen.

"Amarlime," he whispered and then pressed his lips to hers once more.

Translations:

Amarlime- My love

Amad- Mother

irak'nadad- Uncle

irak'makk- Nephew

Men andr torok- My soul mate

Mellon nin – my friend

Meleth nin- my love

Na lû e-govaded 'wîn- Until next we meet