Heart Like Yours

Chapter 33: Tauriel

The night was young with the afterglow of a battle that left countless dead or wounded. The dwarrows had been the ones to suffer the most, whereas most of their kin from the Blue Mountains had fallen during the battle. The elves, once the battle had ceased, lended as many elves as they could with medical training to the dwarrows and men.

Tauriel was one of the few to volunteer her hands to save the lives outside of her kin.
Hours went into the healing process with a number of injured, even with her excessive power and training she was giving energy out to others that she physically didn't have to spare. She didn't like death, not when it was avoidable and she had the power to prevent it. The Dwarf she was helping left their world moments later, letting out a nasty groan, his body was soon taken out and placed with his other dead kin. Too many were dying and wounded to properly take care of the dead, it was all going so fast for Tauriel. When Kili was laid before her, his body looking so pale and lifeless, no muscles were moving as his chest barely rose to breathe, she too was left breathless.

She towered her body over his, which wasn't very hard, and softly traced her hand over his right cheek. Her other hand lowered to his chest to gently feel the gash received on his body. "Tauriel," Kili let out a sickening voice, one that did not belong to him, it was more hoarse with little emotion placed in volume. Tauriel was silent for a moment as she thought she was imagining things. "Yes Kili, it is I." She cooed with a more gentle tongue, both of her hands now preparing to heal the major injury on his chest. Her hands could feel the ever growing presence of death as she became more aware of her surroundings and Kili's cries. Tauriel, as she controlled the bleeding, became more angry at Kili as much as she feared for his life. "You're reckless," Tauriel murmured to herself, feeling less anxious as Kili's lively glow came back slowly to his face. "I already...," Kili's voice was soon filled with raspy breathing, "...already told you that I was...reckless." Kili's tired and wary eyes moved up to be mirrored by Tauriel's ever knowing eyes.

He raised a shaking hand to her face, which she leaned into and allowed it to pull her down. His cold, rough lips brushed against her soft, rosey ones. They kissed for just a moment then both slowly pushed back, breathing in the same air. "You said your mother called you reckless," Tauriel finally responded with a slow smile spreading across her face. Kili threaded his fingers between Tauriel's before saying, "But aren't mothers always right?" His voice was still harsh on the ears, his body was still cold as it slowly regained heat, but Tauriel was just pleased to have him living and beside her.

"I'm delighted to see you alive Kili," she whispered as she rose from her towering form and looked over all of his wounds that were now all bandaged. "Please rest now, I will accompany you once you have woken and properly have eaten." Kili simply nodded and began to relax in his small cot while a warm blanket was draped over him. "Before you go may I ask you of something?" Kili spoke softly, sounding afraid of his own words, or frightened of raising the dead. "Of course." The elf became silent and looked over at the Dwarf. "Will you stay?" Kili's soft spoken voice seemed surreal accompanied by his hoarse voice.

Tauriel looked bewild, her voice seemingly left her at the question. "If you deny me I shall not be upset, but I would like to know of your intentions." Kili looked down at his hands then back up to Tauriel, "I can not give you riches like my uncle, or the throne like my brother, or an elven life like Legolas, but what I can give you is my loyalty and devotion." Kili was still young, still very impulsive, but his kind words were those of a dwarf who knew what he wanted in life. Tauriel knew if she stayed she would not get the full life of a proper elf, or even the honor of her kin, but she too knew what she wanted. And she wanted to stay by Kili as well as he did her.

...

Red hair blowing in the wind, Tauriel waited amid the remains of Laketown. It wasn't the most pleasant place to meet but it was certainly quiet and private. Not a lot of folk, be that dwarf, man, elf or otherwise ventured here. "Tauriel!" Finally. Emerging from the newly fallen snow was the brown haired prince of Erebor. "Sorry, Tauriel." He laughed, nervously and scratched through his scruff of a beard, "I may just be second heir but that doesn't mean my uncle is slack with me. It's just as important for me to know how to run a Kingdom as Fili, he says."

Allowing a light smile to cross her lips, the elf woman remarked "Your Uncle is far wiser than he's given credit for." While her interactions with the Dwarf King had been limited, once the Gold Sickness had passed, he seemed a creature of high honour, at least by her standards. Chuckling a bit and pushing the hair from his eyes, Kili agreed. "Yeah, he is. I've learned a lot but that doesn't mean I don't miss you!" The truth of that sentiment burned through his eyes like a flame.

Her heart sank again. "Kili, that's why I wanted to meet with you." She gave him a smile. "I understand your busy schedule now. Reclaiming a homeland has more work within it than most imagine." While she had never reclaimed a kingdom, she knew that it took a great deal of work to run one. She was often busy simply being Captain of the Guard or she had been. "I'm almost glad to be relieved of my position as leader of the guard. For all its benefits, the amount of work involved never faltered." Allowing another smile at the dwarf, she added, "I'm sure you and your brother have been finding that the title of 'prince' is not free."

Laughing a little, Kili remarked "I think it's been worth it so far though! I've never seen my uncle so happy and come spring, more of our people will be coming from the Blue Mountains! You'll get to see my mother." Tauriel smiled, "And I'd love to see her."