Ashes of Dragon Fire (A Kili x Tauriel one shot)

The flames of the roaring fire glinted wildly off of the diamond on the redheaded elf's ring. She twisted it nervously around her left ring finger as she sat in the darkened room, knowing that it wasn't long until she'd be making her journey. She was nervous to say the least. As she sat there, she listened to the crackling fire, struggling to keep calm.

"Far over

The misty mountains cold

Through dungeons deep

And caverns old

The pines were roaring

On the height

The winds were moaning

In the night

The fire was red

The flaming spread

The trees like torches

Blazed with light..."

Tauriel whispered the words beneath her breath, twisting her ring as she sang quietly. The ancient words of the song had given her peace ever since she'd grown close to the dwarves. They were words that provided this strange sense of hope, this wonderful sense of hope. The words gave her peace, even when she was terrified. But she'd not been terrified in a very long time, not since the last time she'd seen dragon fire.

It had been seventeen years since Smaug. Seventeen years since the King Under the Mountain had taken back his throne. Seventeen years since Bilbo Baggins had returned to the Shire. Seventeen years since the little hobbit had gone on countless more adventures with Gandalf the gray... It'd been seventeen years of peace.

It had been seventeen years since she'd chosen Kili.

Kili had been there with her through all of those 17 years. And he'd been perfect. He'd been a friend, sharing countless secrets and stories of past adventures. He had loved her, cherished her like she was priceless gold instead of just a warrior. He had always seen beauty in her and that was what she loved about him. So, after about 14 years of this peace, he'd finally worked up the nerve to propose to her. And the wedding was just a few hours away.

The two of them had agreed that they wouldn't get married where he lived or where she lived, since the elves and dwarves weren't always too terribly fond of each other. They were going somewhere lovely, somewhere neutral, the place that had brought them together in the end. They were going to the Shire. Very few were going to be attending, just Thorin and the other dwarves that had helped take down Smaug. Bilbo would be there too. So would Gandalf. None of Tauriel's family had wanted to come, cared enough to make the trip. But that was alright. She was about to be accepted into a new family. A better family.

As she sat there, nervously twisting her ring, she heard footsteps. She didn't look up, knowing that it was just Legolas. The two of them had been making the journey to the Shire for a few days and they were just a few hours outside of it. They were going to have to start riding out again soon, but for a few moments Tauriel wanted just to sit there, savoring these last few moments as an independent woman. 

"Are you ready to go, Tauriel?" Legolas asked.

"Just a few more moments." She replied, speaking for the first time in hours.

Legolas walked over toward her as she sat next to fire. She looked up at him as he sat down next to her, the two of them just sitting there as friends for awhile. After she'd chosen Kili, things had grown strained between them. He'd grown angry that she'd chosen a dwarf to love over him. But after awhile he'd become accustomed to the idea and they'd become friends again.