Eclipse of Hearts ✔

Chapter 96. [Tauriel]

Three days had passed since the battle. Tauriel was still in Erebor, but no matter how happy she had felt about it, she still felt confused. Not only because Kíli seemed to be someone else since he had lost Alyssae, his best friend, while the dead of his brother and his mother were still on his mind, but also because of Raphael's statement that he was her brother. She couldn't remember him, even though she had to admit all her memories of her youth were not clear. She was an orphan, her parents were murdered by a pack of orcs and Thranduil had put her up by a family of elves. 
She avoided Raphael as much as possible, even though she knew it was wrong. The problem however was that she couldn't bear much more and a mysterious brother was not easy to deal with. 
At the instance of Kíli she had decided to meet him this afternoon. The men knew each other already because he turned out to be Alyssae's brother-in-law and Kíli indicated that Alyssae's dead affected him too, and that he had no one to hold on to. He believed she had to listen to his story at least.

Therefore they met at a small streamlet that flew to the great lake, where they sat down in the grass. After he had declared to be her brother, she had only stared at him, walking away confused in the end. 
"Did you give it some thought?"
Tauriel sighed and looked at the wet branches of a tree, from which fell heavy drops into the water. "I can't remember anything. If Thranduil has wiped my memory, he has done it very thoroughly."
"Your memories aren't lost," Raphael answered. "They are locked up in an emerald-green gem. As soon as you will hang that necklace around your neck, your memories will return. At least, that is was Thranduil promised us."

Tauriel looked at him from the corners of her eyes. Her memories were locked up in a stone. Things couldn't get stranger. "And where is that stone now?"
"My brother has it."
In silence she shook her had. Another brother? "And where is he?"

"I don't know. I expect him to be here any moment."
Tauriel didn't know what to believe. Raphael looked like an honest person, but his story was very strange, her brains just couldn't process it. "Why has Thranduil wiped my memory?"
"He sent us on a mission," Raphael explained. "We had to steal a scepter from the lord of Chyndall."

"Your father-in-law?" she asked with raised eyebrows. 
Raphael didn't answer, but looked the other way. Thus far his honesty. She didn't believe Alyssae had known this.
"After handing over the scepter we would get you back, but I guess Thranduil gave a new assignment to my brother."
Tauriel intertwined her fingers. "And my memory?"
"He had to keep you in Mirkwood, so that he could stick to the deal. If you knew we were gone, you probably would have gone looking for us."
She had to agree. Finally she understood why she never had the permission to leave the forests, and why Thranduil forbid her to go to Erebor.

A long silence fell. There were so many things she wanted to ask, but at the same time no question seemed important enough and the moment they had together, was soon disturbed by Kíli coming to them. His eyes gleamed, he had cried, and Tauriel came upright in a hurry. 
"Thorin received a letter in which Dwalin's dwelling is described." A smile changed his whole appearance and reminded her of the man she had fallen in love with. "The letter was sent by your brother and he wrote he had brought Alyssae to a safe place as well." He wrapped his arms around her. "They are alive."
Tauriel kissed him, glad it had been tears of joy. "What a wonderful news."
She noticed Raphael said nothing, looking in the distance, as if the message did nothing to him.
"What is it?" she asked suspiciously. 
"I have the feeling he hasn't brought her to a safe place at all."