All's Far in Love and War

Chapter 8: Lake-Town Craze Part One

Third Person POV:

Bolg and his orcs spy on the gate to the Woodland Realm.

"The gates are guarded." an orc reports.

"Shugi golgai. Tud-dad nu! (Not all of them. Follow me!)" Bolg hissed. Bolg and his orcs stride away down the river.

In his cell, Kili inspects a shiny black stone with an engraving in his hand. He flips it in the air and catches it on the back of his hand. Tauriel is checking on all the prisoners; she pauses at Kili's cell.

"The stone in your hand, what is it?"Tauriel asked.

"It is a talisman. A powerful spell lies upon it. If any but a dwarf reads the runes on this stone, they will be forever cursed." Kili stated. Kili quickly holds up the stone toward Tauriel, and she steps back slightly. She begins to walk away, but stops when Kili speaks again, in a laughing manner. "Or not, depending on whether you believe that kind of thing. It's just a token." Kili smiles, and Tauriel smiles as well.

"A runestone. My mother gave it to me so I'd remember my promise." Kili added.

"What promise?" Tauriel asked.

"That I will come back to her." Kili said softly as Tauriel looks down.

"She worries. She thinks I'm reckless." Kili laughs slightly.

"Are you?" Tauriel asks.

"Yes!" Flora whispered to herself. She was up and walking after the healers said she was good to go. She walked down towards Dwalin's cell.

"Nah." Kili smiles and tosses up his stone. He misses when he tries to catch it, and it rolls out of his cell, but Tauriel stops it with her foot before it can roll into the deep pit outside the cells. She picks it up and inspects it. Kili goes up to the bars of his cell, then hears elves laughing in the distance.

"Sounds like quite a party you're having up there." Kili adds.

"It is Mereth-en-Gilith, the Feast of Starlight." Tauriel smiles as she steps slightly away. "All light is sacred to the Eldar, but Wood Elves love best the light of the stars."

"I always thought it is a cold light, remote and far away." Kili sliently laughed.

Tauriel, who had walked a few steps away while speaking, approaches Kili again and speaks earnestly."It is memory, precious and pure. Like your promise." Tauriel smiles and hands Kili back his stone. "I have walked there sometimes, beyond the forest and up into the night. I have seen the world fall away and the white light forever fill the air."

"I saw a fire moon once. It rose over the pass near Dunland, huge; red and gold it was, filled the sky. We were an escort for some merchants from Ered Luin, they were trading in Silverbuck for furs. We took the Greenway south, keeping the mountain to our left, and then, this huge fire moon, right in our path. I wish I could show you..." Kili stated. They continue talking; Tauriel sits down on the stairs by Kili's cell to listen. Unseen by them, Legolas watches from the distance, his face a blank mask.

"Flora?" Dwalin sighed with a smile on his face. Flora waved and a smile was plastered on her face. "Are you okay?"

"I will be. Have you seen Bilbo?" Flora asked, whispering the last part.

"No." Dwalin answers. "I am sorry about making this even more complicated. You do not have to choose between us."

"I love you both to much to chose one over the other. I do not want to hurt you nor Thorin. I would not be able to stand seeing either of you hurt." Flora says. She lightly touches his hand and leans her head against the bars.