justjbeboriginalo - Tumblr blog

[justjbeboriginalo]

Don't Die This Time

Kili Fanfic

Kili meets a girl who has to go along on their quest on Gandalf's request. The girl captures his attention from the first time they meet and they grow to love each other over the course of the quest.

Pairing: Kili x OC female who can control natural elements

Chapter 5: Pain Part 2

Warnings: Death (orcs)

Gaia walks behind Dwalin with the town’s people surrounding them. Her eyes dart to Kili who is limping behind her with Fili short on his heels.

How are they going to reclaim Erebor when Kili can barely walk on his own?

She hears a soft groan from Kili and reaches her hand out to his. She feels around for his hand and takes his hand, walking slower in order for Kili to catch up. The hidden flower attached to his pants causes her to avert her gaze quickly.

The blackened flower does nothing to ease her worries.

The cheers of the crowd boom in her ears, but she keeps her attention on Kili’s pale features. She never noticed his eyes were such a dark brown, but it could perhaps be the paleness that accentuated them.

“Kili, are you sure?” Gaia asks, her voice mostly muffled by the cheering of the crowd. Kili gives a nod, but she knows he is in a lot of pain.

When they were together in the barrel, she felt his cold hands in her own. It was then that she knew how much trouble he truly was in.

She tried everything to get the poison from his blood, but she needs more time. It takes all her energy and strength when she performs her healing ritual which she picked up from the elves.

Kili did not want to risk her depleting her powers as they might still have to face Smaug. Gaia can only hope that Thorin does not allow Kili to continue with the quest. Fili would most likely also stay behind.

As the company makes their way onto the boat, Thorin stops Kili from getting on the boat. Some hope flickers across Gaia’s features as she knows that she will be able to help Kili once he can rest.

“Not you,“ Thorin says with his hand blocking Kili from getting into the boat. “We must travel at speed. You will slow us down.” Kili’s hand slips from Gaia’s. She can feel Kili’s heart breaking at Thorin’s words, aware of the importance of this quest to the King’s nephews.

“What are you talking about? I’m coming with you,” Kili argues back, an oblivious smile decorating his features.

“Not now.”

The realization hits Kili and the smile fades. How can he not continue this quest? This is what he has trained for his whole life. This is what he had lived for.

“I’m going to be there when that door is opened.” Kili’s voice is filled with despair. “When we first look upon the Halls of our Fathers, Thorin.”

Gaia steps forward with her eyes trained on Thorin. Thorin gives her a knowing look before he turns his attention back to his nephew.

“Kili, stay here. Rest,” Thorin says with sympathy, his hand cupping the back of Kili’s head. Anguish flickers across Kili’s eyes while he looks into Thorin’s eyes.

Kili hesitates a moment before he trudges back to where the company waited for the boat. Oin gets out of the boat and walks to Kili.

“My duty lays with the wounded,” he says with honor and Gaia bows her head to him when he passes her. Perhaps he can be of assistance when she heals Kili.

Gaia starts backward towards Kili, watching Fili arguing with his uncle. After a short discussion, Fili walks to them to be with his brother.

“You should go,” Kili’s voice is low, the pain evident in his tone. His eyes bore into Gaia’s, pleading for her to leave. “I do not want you to see me like this.”

Gaia takes his hand again and her free hand moves to his cheek. She rubs her thumb soothingly in circles on his cheek, a warm smile appearing on her face.

“I am not going anywhere.” Gaia gives his hand a gentle squeeze before she turns to the front to watch the company sail to the mountain. She feels Kili’s hand trying to give her hand a comforting squeeze, but he is too weak. His hand almost slips from hers again.

The Master of Lake Town starts bidding his goodbye to the company as the trumpets play and the people cheer. Gaia glances at Kili and notices the sorrow as he watches the boat leave him behind. At least Fili stayed behind with his brother.

“Ah. So you missed the boat as well?” Bofur asks. Gaia furrows her brows at him. Bilbo had asked where Bofur was, but she assumed he was amongst the company. It seems he overslept.

Gaia lets out a laugh, but Fili’s panicked calls to Kili force her to focus on Kili instead.

Oh no.

Kili is unable to stay upright and Oin along with Fili holds him up. Gaia did not think that it was possible, but Kili appears to be even paler than before. He is in dire need of help.

Bofur and Fili support Kili, looking around at someone who might be of assistance.

“The Master,” Gaia says, gesturing for them to follow her. She hurries to where he resides, making a path along the way to ease the journey of Bofur and Fili with Kili.

“There.” Gaia dodges a few people and finally emerges from the crowd.

“Please wait,” Fili shouts, forcing the Master to turn to them. “Please. We need your help,” Fili pleads. “My brother is sick.”

“Sick? Is it infectious? Get back,” the Master demands, waving his hand for them to move as far away from his as possible.

Gaia stares in disbelief at the revolting man at the top of the stairs. How can Man be like this? They do not care for anyone other than themselves. Nothing new, she supposes.

“Please, we need medicine,” Oin says, stepping forward. His tone is desperate and Gaia is aware that Kili needs immediate intervention. Or else he might not make it.

Alfrid tells them to leave the Master alone before they head back into the Hall. How are they supposed to heal Kili without any medicine?

Gaia needs certain herbs and plants to be able to perform her healing, but without them, she fears she might not be successful.

The guards push them, forcing them away from the only help there might be in this forsaken town.

Gaia chews the inside of her cheek, trying to think of any other person who might be able to help them.

“Bard,” she says to Bofur, her tone without hope. Will he be able to help them?

Gaia fights off the Orcs, using a wooden stick. She focuses on the tricks Kili taught her during their journey together and manages to sweep an orc off his feet. She turns and kicks an oncoming orc, causing the orc to fall backward.

A shout from Kili catches her attention and she spins around, trying to locate him. She runs to where Kili was before Orcs attacked them.

An Orc charges at her and nearly knocks her off her feet. She uses the wooden stick with all her strength to impale the orc. The orc coughs black ooze out, sinking to his knees before falling to the ground.

“Kili,” Gaia shouts, trying to find him. She hears a pained moan and follows the sound. “Kili.” She crouches down next to Kili as her hands move to the open wound. The poison has caused the flesh to turn black around the wound on his thigh.

“Kili, stay with me,” she whispers, forcing him up. His shouts pierce her heart and she feels a tear sting her cheek.

The Orcs retreat and Oin hurriedly makes his way over to Kili. Fili helps Bard’s children out of their hiding spots before he also walks to where Kili is laying on the table.

“We’re losing him.” Oin’s voice is panicked. Gaia cups Kili’s face, feeling the life leaving him. Gaia racks her brain, trying to remember a plant that she might find here. Her eyes shoot to the door as she remembers.

“Atholos.” Gaia gets up as fast as she is able before she swiftly runs out of the house. She guides the stairs to move with her and she lands on a platform below the house. Her feet search for the vibrations of livestock and it leads her to a nearby coop.

Pigs.

Of course. The humans see it as a weed.

Gaia grabs a handful of the plant and uses the wood to carry her back to Bard’s house. She falls through the window, rolling to break her fall. She forces her body to stand up and rushes to Kili.

“Ah, yes. Of course,” Oin says, giving her a quick smile. She places the plant on Kili’s wound which only worsens Kili’s pain. He cries out in agony and Gaia knows that she needs to save him. It might be too late. Damn those Orcs.

Gaia closes her eyes, shutting out all the noise. Especially Kili’s shouts of anguish. She goes back to her days when she lived with the Elves after she escaped Sauron.

They took her in after the war between Sauron and Elves, Men, and Dwarves. Everyone came together to prevent Sauron from taking over Middle Earth. She was created to destroy the enemy.

Sauron created her.

She cannot remember much from her early days, but she knows that she could never kill anyone. Except for the Orcs.

The words start flowing out of her heart. Her hands tighten around Kili’s thigh while her healing incantation courses through the air, embracing Kili.

Evil was used to bring her to this world and she thought that she would never escape its grip on her.

She managed to escape Sauron’s hold on her and fled. The Elves found her and decided to grant her shelter. They found out about her origins and threatened to kill her, but Elrond saved her from that cruel fate. He taught her how to use her powers and how to control the elements. He knew how powerful she truly was when she knew of nothing.

Gaia feels the energy of Earth rushing through her into Kili’s wound. The house trembles at the power of the healing chant and this causes the children to scream.

After Elrond had taught her the fundamentals of her power and where she came from, Gandalf showed up. Gandalf helped her to remember how she came into this world.

She was trained to kill the Elves and Men since they were the biggest threat to Sauron. Thus, Sauron made her smaller than humans to cause confusion. How can something so much smaller than Men and Elves cause such destruction? Still taller than dwarves.

She trained by killing the Orcs who were the weakest of them all and slowly moved up the ranks. It was always easy to kill Orcs.

When she was assigned her first mission, she had to kill a group of men who had managed to sneak past their defenses.

After she had killed the first man, she thought she was dying. She did not know what was wrong with her, but it felt as if her soul was ripped from her.

That was when she realized that Sauron was evil and that she had to get away. So she fled.

Kili stares at Gaia, watching as she transforms into another being. A being of pure energy. There is a dark glow emanating from her.

He cannot help but gawk at the strange and almost intoxicating beauty of Gaia. He has never seen such a being. She is ethereal.

The glow only darkens and he notices her veins turning black. It seems like she is absorbing the poison from him.

Gaia inhales deeply, allowing the poison to travel through her. She was made from malevolence, so she is able to absorb pure evil energy.

When she traveled with Gandalf throughout Middle Earth, she learned everything about the forests and lands. She knew what her true purpose was.

She needed to heal the lands after the war.

Gaia slightly opens her eyes to look at Kili, who seems to be in some sort of a trance. He is looking at her and she tries to smile at him, but the poison traveling through her does not allow her.

She closes her eyes again and exhales slowly. She cannot mess this up. She cannot lose Kili.

Kili continues to watch Gaia and realizes that the pain is gone. Or perhaps he is dead. Perhaps she came to accompany him into the afterlife. He cannot tell.

All he knows is that she has become much more important to him than he wants to admit. He never felt these feelings before. They only become worse when he is separated from Gaia. And the feelings are stronger when he is with her.

Do not look for something that might not be there.

The way his heart clenches at the thought forces him to close his eyes. Perhaps he is not dead yet. Only time will tell.

Gaia feels Kili relaxing under her touch and she opens her eyes. She inspects him to see whether he passed out or whether he is still awake. His eyes are closed and his breathing is even. It might be better for him to have passed out.

She finishes her incantation and rests her hands on Kili’s thigh. She feels her strength leaving her and her knees almost buckle beneath her. She stumbles to a nearby chair and falls into it, allowing herself to rest.

“Are you all right, lass?” Oin asks, placing his hand against her forehead. She lets out a tired chuckle and waves her hand dismissively.

“I will be.” Oin bows his head to her before he turns his attention to Kili. Fili crouches next to Gaia, his hand on her shoulder.

“Thank you,” he says, his voice quivering. “You saved my brother’s life. I am forever indebted to you.” Fili inclines his head and Gaia notices a tear sliding down his cheek. She places her hand over his on her shoulder.

“No, Fili. You don’t owe me anything. I’m just relieved we were able to save Kili in time,” Gaia says with a soft smile. Fili nods, humming in agreement.

“He should be fine,” Oin states. Gai flashes a smile at Fili who pulls her in for a hug. She laughs into the embrace, flooded with relief.

Fili lets go of her and heads to his brother. He taps Kili’s chest with a smile before he heads to the kitchen.

“We should get some rest. We leave in the morning.” The other dwarves mutter in agreement as they head to their makeshift beds.

Gaia glances at Kili and decides to rather stay awake. She can rest by his side. She moves her chair closer to Kili before she sits down again. Her hand trails over his wet locks and she lets out a relieved sigh.

She healed him.

She did not lose him.

Gaia takes a strand of Kili’s hair and starts to braid it absentmindedly. She remembers how Gandalf told her about loss and she thought she understood what he meant. The searing pain that she feels every time she sees an animal or man dies. But that was not what Gandalf meant. He meant this.

Losing people you care about more than anything else.

Gaia rests her head on Kili’s arm, sighing. He must know loss. The dwarves of Erebor lost their home. They lost so many to Smaug. They lost everything.

Kili mumbles something and she lifts her head. She sees Kili’s eyes opening, waiting for him to recognize where he is. He continues to mumble, his eyes glued to her.

“Kili, you’re all right. I got the poison out of you. And your wound is closing up. How do you feel?” Gaia asks, her hand cupping his cheek.

Kili mutters something under his breath, but she cannot figure out what he is saying.

“You’re fine,” she whispers to him while she plays with his hair.

Kili’s eyes close again, a soft groan leaving his lips.

Gaia smiles at the peace that settles over the home. She missed this. This calmness. Except for the snoring of the dwarves, but she got used to that.

She stands up and replaces the walnuts that served as a pillow with Bofur’s jacket that was laying around.

“There you go,” she whispers, placing Kili’s head on the jacket. “Night.”

Gaia sits next to Kili, resting her head on her arms. Just one more day, then they will reach Erebor. Then she can . . .

Gaia sighs.

Then what?

[justjbeboriginalo]

Don't Die This Time

Kili Fanfic

Kili meets a girl who has to go along on their quest on Gandalf's request. The girl captures his attention from the first time they meet and they grow to love each other over the course of the quest.

Pairing: Kili x OC female who can control nature

Chapter 5: Pain Part 1

Warnings: Death (Orcs)

Gaia stumbles around, unable to stay upright. A heavy fog pushes down on her and she struggles to breathe. As she falls to her knees, her hands shoot out to the ground. She searches for something to hold onto. A disgruntled voice booms through her ears and her head snaps up. A familiar figure floats to her, surrounded by a darkness that follows it.

Sauron.

Gaia jerks awake which causes her to slip down the rock she was seated on. She rubs her face and lets out a groan. She hates being in the Mirkwoods. The sickness that lies upon this forest is similar to one she is already familiar with.

The Necromancer at Dol Guldur might be more than what she is prepared for at the moment.

“I already told you- “

“Shut up, I already told you that we need to go around. The road will be there. Not here,” Ori shouts at Dwalin, “you daft dwarf.”

“Don’t you dare- “

Gaia pushes her hands to her ears, cutting off the foul comments of the fighting dwarves. They have been at each other’s throats since they lost the road.

She told them that she could locate the road, but none of them listened to her. They have been shouting and cursing at each other for who knows how long.

Her eyes search for Thorin in the fighting crowd, but he is not part of the crowd. He is standing a few steps away from them, staring at nothing in the distance. Why has he not put a stop to this fighting?

Sauron.

Gaia shakes her head, trying to rid the memories from her thoughts. Why, of all places, does she have to remember her past in this forsaken place?

She turns her attention to the dwarves and catches Bilbo trying to break up the fight, but he fails to succeed.

An elbow shoots out which hits Bilbo’s head and he falls to the ground. The dwarves continue their fighting, sending trampling feet in Bilbo’s direction.

She shoots up and hurries to stop them from squashing Bilbo.

“Oi, stop it,” she shouts, making her way hurriedly to Bilbo. They ignore her and this causes her blood to boil.

“Stop it,” she shouts again. This time, her words are accompanied by a strong wind which sends the dwarves flying in different directions.

She crouches next to Bilbo, inspecting whether he got hurt in the process. Bilbo gestures that he is fine and she stands up.

The dwarves are spread out on the forest floor, groaning and grunting.

Gaia grabs a loose vine from a nearby tree and rushes to the closest dwarf, Dwalin. She wraps the vine around his middle while she helps him up.

“What was that for?” Bifur asks, trying to stand up. Gaia kicks his legs from under him when she passes him, making her way to Balin.

“This forest has you lot fighting. This is exactly what Gandalf warned us about, but do you listen? Do you ever listen?” Gaia asks, more of a rhetorical question.

She wraps the vine around Dori, Nori, and Ori before stopping next to Bifur.

“We- “

“No, shut up. I do not care about your silly excuses. Save me from the stubbornness of dwarves,” she mutters as she wraps Bofur and Bombur. “You have lost a lot of time in this cursed forest. I will not stand by and watch you fail this quest because you act like children.” She wraps the vine around Dwalin and Balin.

“Gaia is right,” Thorin interjects, “We have been wasting our time here. You all know we only have one chance.”

Gaia stops from wrapping the vine around Fili and Kili, bowing her head to Thorin to show her support.

“So, get in line,” Thorin orders the remaining dwarves. They all scramble to get in line behind Fili and Kili.

“You know how to get back on the road, right?” Kili asks in a whisper. Gaia nods, finishing wrapping him. “Do you need any support?”

“No, but thank you. Just keep them under control,” she whispers with a wink to Kili. He flashes a smile and bows his head.

After Gaia has finished wrapping the vine around the remaining company, she guides Thorin to the front where she also wraps the vine around him. She lets the vine wrap around her arm before she thickens the vine.

There is no way they will be able to escape from these restraints.

Gaia removes her shoes and throws them into her bag before relishing the feeling of life beneath her feet. She closes her eyes at the vibrations of the forest.

With a determined huff, she feels for the different vibrations. The trail has a different feel to it than the soil and grass they were stuck on.

She easily finds the trail they lost and leads the dwarves on the trail.

After a while, the dwarves start to converse and some even break out into song. She glances over her shoulder at the company and notices Kili singing along with the rest.

A smile ghosts over her features.

She turns her head to the front and listens to them as they sing and joke around. The sickness of the forest does not seem to have an effect on these dwarves anymore.

The river comes into Gaia’s view and she hurries to the river, wanting to escape the darkness of the forest.

She leads the company out of the Mirkwood and stops them next to the roaring river. The vine slips from her arm, letting go of the rest of the company. The company starts to celebrate and Gaia laughs softly at their antics.

Dwarves.

“Thank you.” Thorin’s voice is deep next to her. Gaia turns to him and inclines her head at him.

“We got out,” Kili shouts as he runs over to them. He throws his arms around Gaia, pulling her in for a hug. She lets out a laugh into the embrace.

He slowly lets go of her, his hands coming to a rest on her arms.

“Thank you. For getting us out,” he says with a small smile. His hands squeeze her arms and she smiles warmly at Kili.

“You are welcome.” Kili lets her arms go before he turns around, rushing to tackle Fili to the ground. Gaia laughs at them.

A familiar vibration catches her attention. How did THEY make it through Mirkwood? With the help of none other than the one who placed the sickness on that forest.

“Orcs!” she shouts while she runs to the company, trying to get their attention. “Run!”

Balin is the first to start running with Fili short on his heels.

Kili spins around while his eyes search for Gaia.

“Kili, run,” she shouts, gesturing for him to go.

As Kili starts to turn to run, an arrow flies past Gaia. It pierces the flesh of Kili’s thigh. He stumbles a bit before he falls to the ground, groaning when the pain registers.

Gaia crouches down next to him and quickly throws her arm around him to support him. She helps him up and they make their way to the rest of the company.

“You will be fine,” Gaia mutters repeatedly, dragging Kili with her.

Kili’s leg gives out from underneath him and he hits the ground with a thud. Fili runs back to them to assist Gaia in getting Kili back up, but Kili’s leg is a bad condition.

Gaia looks around and her eyes fall on the running water next to them. She has never managed to control water, but that is their only escape.

She lets out a shaky breath when she reaches the water, her hand stretched out to the water.

As soon as her hand touches the water, a large ice block forms.

She gasps, unable to believe that she had done that. She turned water to ice?

“Get on,” she shouts to the rest of the company, jumping on the block.

Fili throws Kili on the ice and she prevents him from sliding off. Fili follows along with the rest of the company.

The block of ice is large enough for the whole company if they squeeze against each other. Gaia helps to keep them from slipping off the ice by forming something that resembles a border around the edges of the ice block.

The stream of the river is strong and it moves the block with ease.

The Orcs are quite a way behind the company, but they continue to shoot arrows at the ice.

Gaia deflects the course of the arrows as it is made of wood.

A few Orcs managed to catch up and they are jumping from the riverbed to get onto the ice block. Between Thorin, Fili, Dwalin, and Balin, their lifeless bodies fall into the treacherous water.

Gaia glances at Kili and the dread settles in. They need to get some shelter, away from the Orcs. Hopefully, she can heal him.

Hopefully.

“We are making progress,” Oin says, wiping his forehead. Gaia hums, keeping her eyes on the water. They need to get to land.

After they made their way through the worst parts of the river, the water became calmer. As the water slows, the ice block starts to melt.

Gaia tries her best to keep the ice from melting until they get to the bedrock, but it would seem fate is not on her side anymore.

“Swim, get to the shore,” Thorin calls while he sinks into the water. Gaia jumps from the block to help Fili with Kili, struggling to get to the bedrock.

The company gets to the shore which is accompanied by groans and some rushed arguments.

Kili takes a few steps, but he sinks to the ground with a groan.

Gaia rushes over to him, her hand on his shoulder.

She sees him trying to cover his wound, but she recognizes the blackness that is evident in his wound. A Morgul shaft.

“We have to keep moving,” Thorin coughs out. Bofur has joined Gaia and Kili, the worry evident in his features.

“I’m fine. It’s nothing,” Kili says, but neither Gaia nor Bofur believes him.

”On your feet,” Thorin commands Kili, but Gaia prevents Kili from standing up. He frowns at her, but she shakes her head at him.

“Kili’s wounded,” Bofur starts, “His leg needs binding.” Fili comes rushing to aid, helping his brother onto his feet.

Gaia feels the tears stinging her eyes, but she blinks them away. Why does she always jump to the worst conclusions?

Thorin starts about the Orcs. Gaia hears Bilbo contributing his opinion with Balin and Dwalin also talking, but she focuses on Kili.

His leg is only going to get worse. They need to stop. The more time they spend not extracting the poison, the more time it has to spread throughout his whole body.

She has seen what the poison can do and she does not want Kili to suffer such a fate. She has grown quite accustomed to him and she would not let him die like that.

He needs to rest.

“Bind his leg, quickly. You have two minutes,” Thorin interrupts the current conversation, looking at Kili and Bofur. Fili helps his brother back to the ground.

They watch as Bofur and Oin start to bind Kili’s leg. He lets out a few pained groans, his body writhing on the cold rock.

“Kili,” Gaia calls softly. He turns his head to her, trying to smile at her. She reaches her hand to his cheek. Her thumb moves in circles on his cheek, soothing him. “You’ll be all right.”

Gaia hears Ori dumping the water from his boots into the river. She supposes she should do the same. Her head turns to Kili.

“I am going to try to get the water from my clothes and shoes. I will be back to help you,” she says with a weak smile, standing up.

Gaia follows Fili and they sit next to the river, dumping the water from their boots and squeezing the water from their clothes.

“He will be fine, won’t he?” Fili asks with a quiet voice. Gaia snaps her head to Fili, hiding her concern.

“Yes,” she says, but she realizes that she did not sound convincing. “He just needs to rest.” Fili gives a quick nod, his eyes fixated on his boots.

An unfamiliar presence catches Gaia’s attention and she turns her head to the stranger.

Everyone readies themselves for a fight, but the man is quick to warn them with his bow. He might be an even better archer than Kili.

“Do that again and you’re dead,” the man warns.

Gaia relaxes slightly. This man could perhaps be of assistance to them.

Fili has made his way to Kili in the meantime, defending his brother from the stranger.

Balin is the first to approach the man, recognizing the barge from Lake Town.

Gaia smiles to herself as she steadily walks back to Kili. She hands him his boots and some of his clothes which she dried.

“Here,” she whispers while Balin is still busy talking with the man from Lake Town. She wraps a light red and green plant around Kili’s leg, just above his bandaged wound.

“I know that one. An Airuxux,” Kili says hoarsely. Gaia smiles brightly at him and nods.

“Look at you. You even remembered the name,” she jokes. “We just call it “the sucker”,’ she says with a wink. Kili’s brows furrow.

“Why do you call it that?” Gaia ensures that the plant is tucked away from Kili’s eyes so that he cannot see the plant drawing the poison from his blood.

“No idea,” she lies. Kili chuckles lightly, shaking his head.

“It is a strange name.” She hums in agreement when she notices the rest of the company following the stranger.

Fili helps Kili up and supports him with Gaia walking behind them.

Kili rests against the rocks as the man and Balin continue to converse.

Gaia catches that he has children and that his wife has died. She looks at the man with the dark hair while he loads the barrels onto his barge. Something about him seems familiar. She cannot place it.

A soft groan escapes Kili’s lips and she turns her attention to him. Fili also focuses his attention on Kili, but Kili tries to tell them that he is okay.

Kili looks at Gaia and sees her tired eyes, mixed with something else he cannot place. He had thought she could not control water, but she just turned water into ice. He cannot hide his amusement at her skills. Who is she? How did she come to be?

His leg sends a burning pain throughout his whole body and he bites back a groan. He does not want to worry Gaia or Fili. He will survive. He has survived worse.

When his eyes catch the glossed-over ones of Gaia, his heart pains. He does not like to see her like this. She deserves to be always happy, smiling.

His hand moves to hers and he takes her hand in his. He squeezes her hand, to tell her that he will survive. Her grip tightens on his hand.

Gaia focuses on Balin who has offered to pay the man double for smuggling them into Lake Town. She does not have anything of value on her. Perhaps, if she searches through the pockets of the clothes on her, she can find something.

But how is the man going to smuggle them all into Lake Town?

[justjbeboriginalo]

Don't Die This Time

Kili Fanfic

Kili meets a girl who has to go along on their quest on Gandalf's request. The girl captures his attention from the first time they meet and they grow to love each other over the course of the quest.

Pairing: Kili x OC female who can control nature

Chapter 4: Calm Before The Storm

Warnings: none

Kili throws an acorn at Gaia which she dodges with ease, laughing loudly. He narrowly misses a shot against his arm from an acorn.

“You have terrible aim,” he says with a chuckle, slightly out of breath. Gaia pretends to be offended and sticks her tongue out at him.

He shakes his head with a smile before he throws another acorn in her direction, hitting her leg. She pretends to be wounded, flailing as she falls to the ground.

She lies on the ground and fakes a pained groan. Kili rushes over to her, laughing at her act.

“No, don’t die on me. Don’t you dare,” he shouts, crouching next to her. He puts his hand on the leg he had hit, pretending to stop the bleeding. Gaia lets out a loud laugh which turns into a wheeze.

“Wrong leg,” she says in between laughter. Kili bursts out laughing and throws himself backward on the soft grass.

Gaia lifts herself onto her elbows, giggling at the sight of Kili on the grass.

Kili is laying on the soft green grass, his chest moving up and down while he tries to catch his breath. His hair is sticking to his forehead and neck from the sweat.

He turns his head to look at her, a wide smile catching her eyes. She gives him a small smile before she sits upright. Kili copies her and also sits up, his hands resting behind him.

”Can’t you use the wind to improve your aim?” Kili asks jokingly. Gaia lets out a laugh, shaking her head.

“I can barely manage to control the breeze. How do you expect me to use the wind to move something?” Kili shrugs which earns a smile from Gaia.

“So, you can just control grass?” Gaia giggles at his oversimplification.

“Yes, and trees,” she hums as she moves the tall grass over Kili’s arms, tickling him. He shudders at the grass when it tickles his ears. He rolls away from the grass that threatens to encase him.

“And water?” he asks, his eyes filled with wonder at her. Gaia blushes at his interest. This is the first time someone has shown this much interest in her strengths.

“No success so far, but I keep trying.” She moves the grass back to its original space before she looks up at the morning sky. There are almost no clouds in the blue sky. She inhales the fresh scent of the grass which causes a tightening in her chest. She misses her forest. Her trees and their scent.

When she looks back at Kili, she catches him staring at her. She smiles slightly when he turns his head to the side, pretending to notice something in the distance. A redness creeps into his ears and she bites back a laugh.

“Oi, you two still need to get dinner,” Fili calls when he notices them playing around. Gaia and Kili look at each other, frowning at Fili’s statement.

“Why do we need to hunt? There are enough cows for a proper breakfast,” Kili says and looks at Fili. “And there is bound to be cheese and milk. We do not have to get food.” Fili raises his brows at Kili.

“Do not pretend to be smart, Ki. Just go, before Uncle scolds you two. You will both be put on night watch,” Fili warns them, a smile playing on his lips.

Gaia gets up with a soft groan and wipes the grass from her clothes. Kili lets out a huff before he also stands from the grass. They watch Fili enter the house.

“Where are we going to find meat without running into Orcs?” Kili asks as they start toward the forest. Gaia feels for any vibrations that could give her an indication of nearby Orcs.

“I think we will be fine during the day. It is still early morning, so we might catch some stray deer,” she says, hopeful.

Kili turns his eyes to her and sees the early light reflecting off her. Her pale slender fingers trace the trees whenever she passes one while her black hair dances behind her in the morning breeze. He has to avert his gaze when the familiar warmth spreads through his body, his heart racing. He has never seen anything so hauntingly beautiful.

Do not look for something that might be a mere illusion.

Fili’s words flash through his mind and he sighs in frustration. Gaia does not seem to have any ulterior motives besides assisting them to reclaim their homeland. She has been nothing but helpful throughout their quest, always doing the most.

“Are you all right?” Her enchanting voice pulls him from his thoughts. He gives a quick nod accompanied by a smile. She smiles back at him before continuing the search for meat.

Gaia suddenly stops, her brows furrowing. Kili rushes to her side. He places his hand on her arm while she keeps her hands on the tree, his eyes scanning for any danger.

“What is wrong?” he asks in a whisper. She looks at him, biting her bottom lip. Kili forces his eyes from her lips to look into her eyes.

“I think it is best to head back. I think Beorn might be back,” she says. Her hand wraps around his and she leads him back to the house in the middle of the open field.

They enter the house and notice a large man, a very hairy one, talking with Gandalf. A part of the company is sitting around the large table in the kitchen while the rest are still sleeping. Gaia notices Thorin sitting against the pillar in the kitchen, staring at his hands.

“Ah, Gaia and Kili. Meet Beorn,” Gandalf says, gesturing to the tall man. Beorn inclines his head, greeting them. Gaia gives a slight bow while Kili mimics Beorn’s movement.

“Where were you?” Gandalf asks while he busies himself with his pipe.

“We were looking for some meat,” Gaia answers. Kili sits down next to Fili and Gaia follows him, sliding in next to him.

“Here is more than enough.” Beorn’s voice is deep, almost a growl. Kili glares at Fili who puts his hands up in defense. Gaia has a tight smile as she bows her head.

The rest of the company has joined them around the table and Beorn hands mugs out to everyone, except Gandalf who is taking a puff from his pipe, and Thorin who is still seated against the pillar.

Beorn fills the mugs with milk as he addresses Thorin, asking him about Azog.

Kili downs the milk next to Gaia and spills some on her pants. She slaps Kili’s arm and he stops drinking to frown at her. She points to the milk on her pants and Kili mumbles an apology, wiping the milk from her pants with his sleeve. She shakes her head with a small smile.

Dwarves.

“The Defiler killed most of my family, but some he enslaved.” Gaia jerks her head to Beorn, the topic of conversation catching her attention. She had heard of the fate of skin-changers, but she had never met one before. This is the first time she has come this close to one.

Beorn warns them about the Orcs that can be found in the mountains. This catches the attention of the whole company, including Kili’s. His mouth stops chewing. Everyone is looking at Beorn, hoping he can be of assistance to them.

“I don’t like dwarves. They’re greedy. And blind. Blind to the lives of those they deem lesser than their own.” Kili slightly turns his head to Gaia, uncertainty clear in his eyes. She places her hand on his leg, giving an encouraging squeeze. It is not entirely untrue. They are greedy. They are blind. But they are loyal once they deem you worthy.

“But Orcs I hate more,” Beorn continues, which eases the tension in the atmosphere. Gaia lets out a relieved huff. This could have gone badly.

Kili visibly relaxes at Beorn’s words and gives Gaia a satisfied grin. He returns his attention to the food in front of him, stuffing his mouth and swatting Fili’s preying hand away from his plate.

“What do you need?” Beorn asks Thorin. Gaia inhales slowly, readying herself for the Mirkwoods that still lie before them. That is still a whole adventure on its own.

Here they go.

[justjbeboriginalo]

Don't Die This Time

Kili Fanfic

Kili meets a girl who has to go along on their quest on Gandalf's request. The girl captures his attention from the first time they meet and they grow to love each other over the course of the quest.

Pairing: Kili x OC female who can control nature

Chapter 3: Trying to survive

Warnings: Death (bad guys)

The rain is pouring down onto the company. Everything is wet and cold with the wind nearly blasting the lighter dwarves from the narrow path.

Gaia wipes the rain from her eyelids as she struggles to see anything around her. It is times like these that she wishes she could control the weather. Or at least water, then she would have been able to keep the rain from their clothes and eyes.

There is a familiar shout and she looks up, noticing the dwarves pointing to the moving rocks.

Stone giants.

She has not seen them for quite a while. They are fighting and throwing nearby stones at each other. Terrible timing. The company is in the crossfire and a rock hits the mountain above their heads.

Kili’s hand shoots out from next to her to pull her back against the mountain. Fili behind her is shouting something, but the wind is blowing the sound away along with the rain splattering against the mountain.

There is a rumble that comes from beneath their feet and suddenly the path begins to move. Gaia realizes that they are on one of the stone giants who has been in slumber.

How are they going to survive this?

The ground next to Kili starts to split open and Kili steps to Gaia’s side, his hand still holding her against the wet rock behind her.

Kili and Fili are unfortunately pulled apart and Fili looks worriedly at Kili.

Kili turns his attention to Gaia and removes his hand from her stomach which was holding her against the mountain. His hand moves to her arm and he holds her arm with an iron grip.

The giant walks to one of the other giants and joins the fight. Gaia tries to see what is going on so that she can try to get them off this giant, but the rain does not allow her the opportunity.

The dwarves on the other knee of the giant manage to make it to solid ground. Gaia holds onto Kili’s hand with her other hand, clinging onto him.

The giant’s head is knocked off his body and the rest of the body starts to fall. They all scream as they fall toward the solid mountain, about to hit the mountain. Gaia tries to move the rock to prevent them from smashing into the mountain but to no avail.

They hit the mountain.

Fortunately for them, they do not smash into the mountain and land on the narrow path of the mountain. Gaia looks around frantically, hoping Kili made the fall.

Kili turns on his back and she lets out a relieved breath. She moves to him and checks him for any injuries.

“I am good,” he shouts over the noise from the rain and wind. Gaia gives him a warm smile and holds her hand out for him. He takes her hand and she helps him up.

Thorin has made his way over to them in the meantime along with the rest of the company and he is saving Bilbo from falling from the mountain pass. They manage to get Bilbo up, but Thorin almost falls and Kili jumps to help him up.

When everyone is safe, Thorin snaps at Bilbo and the atmosphere changes. The reality sinks in and the moods immediately are dampened.

“We need shelter,” someone shouts and Thorin leads the way into a cave. The company piles into the cave, trying to get relief from the pounding rain and freezing wind.

Gaia watches Thorin prevent Bombur from making a fire in the cave as something might find us here.

Gaia falls onto the cold cave floor and shudders. Without fire, there is no way she will be able to generate her own heat. And she is still soaking wet from the rain.

Kili and Fili sit down next to her, their mood apparent on their frowning faces. They take off their boots to pour the water from them and they squeeze the water from their clothes.

Gaia tries to guide the wind to get the water from her hair and clothes, but the wind stays outside. Why does it never work when she wants it to?

With a tired huff, she follows Kili and Fili by trying to rid her clothes and shoes of as much water as possible. Thorin instructs them to get some rest and that they leave at first light. Gaia frowns, turning slightly to Kili next to her.

“Aren’t we supposed to wait for Gandalf?” she asks, barely even a whisper. Kili shrugs before he continues to ready his bed. Balin seems to be concerned about the plan, but Thorin ignores him.

Gaia purses her lips together, trying to calm herself. The stubbornness of dwarves always finds a way to surprise her.

Everyone is lying in their beds with Bofur taking the first watch. There are no food, ale, or songs tonight. Gaia rests her hands on the cold cave floor, trying to feel for vibrations. She furrows her brows, adjusting her hands.

“What is wrong?” Kili asks, watching her closely. Gaia shakes her head.

“That is strange. I feel vibrations from the floor, but I cannot tell where they are coming from. Something is not right,” she whispers. Kili also furrows his brows and places his hands on the cold floor.

“I do not feel anything,” he says, which causes Gaia to laugh. This earns her an angered shush from Thorin and so she puts her hand over her mouth, still laughing at Kili.

Kili smiles brightly at her as she giggles.

“You are in a good mood, considering the circumstances we are in.” Kili smiles again and adjusts his position, getting ready to sleep.

“It is not that bad,” he admits, and Gaia just shakes her head. She wishes she had his optimism.

“Well, thank you for the laugh. I needed it,” she says with the bow of her head and tucking herself in for the night. “Night.”

“Night,” Kili whispers before he passes out. Gaia smiles to herself when she hears the soft snores from the other dwarves. She supposes she could try to get some sleep since Bofur is watching them. She will take the second watch.

Gaia watches Bilbo as he gets up and packs his stuff. She wonders where the hobbit is off to. Perhaps Thorin finally got to the hobbit and he wants to go back to the Shire. She would not blame him. She hears Bofur trying to persuade Bilbo.

Thorin stirs from his sleep and she turns her head slightly to look at Thorin who is staring at Bilbo. She cannot read the emotions on his face.

Gaia has been trying to figure out where the vibrations are coming from but to no avail. There are too many and the mountain is larger than she anticipated. She is well aware that the vibrations are becoming stronger which means that whatever is causing them, is approaching them. They need to move if they do not want to face whatever moves in these mountains.

Bilbo’s sword glows blue and Gaia snaps her head to Thorin, her eyes wide.

Goblins.

“Wake up!” Thorin shouts at the rest of the company as the ground splits open. Suddenly the floor gives away beneath them and sends them plummeting downwards.

Kili and Fili are both awake, confused. They look around at the other dwarves as the company falls and Kili reaches his hand out toward Gaia, but she is not close enough for his dwarf arms.

The company finally comes to a stop when they hit the ground. Gaia’s breath was knocked from her and she tries to recover her breath.

Kili hurries over to her to check on her, but they are interrupted by horrid creatures – goblins – grabbing them and dragging them out of the cage.

The company tries to fight back but the goblins are too many and there is no escape.

Gaia looks down at the dark space that lies between them and the floor of the mountain. They will not survive that fall.

A goblin pushes her and she stumbles, almost falling onto Oin. Everyone is squashed together, unable to move properly or even attempt an attack on the goblin pack. Where are they taking them?

When the pushing and shoving finally stops, Gaia recognizes the Goblin King. She shudders at his features and has to avert her gaze. How is that thing still alive after all these years?

Kili is next to Gaia and his hand shoots out to her arm. He grips her arm to ensure she is safe within his reach. He tries to look for a way out, but there are too many goblins.

The ugly Goblin King speaks and insults them, especially Thorin. The Goblin King calls himself king under the mountain which makes Kili’s blood boil and he glances at Fili, who has the same murderous stare.

When Bofur fails to convey his lie to the Goblin King, the rest of the goblins are ordered to bring forth torture devices. Gaia lets out a tired huff.

This will not be her first time in torture but she fears the goblins are not after their answers. This would be more of a preparation for a feast for these creatures.

Kili’s hand slides from her arm down to her hand, taking her hand in his. He gives it a tight squeeze to give her some reassurance. Gaia tries to smile at Kili, but she is too concerned with their current situation. She grips his hand tight in her own.

The goblins discover the sword of Thorin which is known as the “Goblin Cleaver” and this sends them into a frenzy. They attack the company and Gaia gets hit with one of their whips. She clutches her neck, trying to keep her composure.

The company is forced to the ground and the beatings continue.

A sudden white light accompanied by a strong force sends the goblins flying from them and Gaia lets out a relieved sigh. Gandalf.

Gandalf urges them to get up and the whole company hurries away from the hoards of goblins. Gaia notices that her surroundings are made out of wood which she may be able to control.

She moves her hand and one of the planks on a wooden platform moves toward her. She swings the plank toward the group of goblins behind them and manages to hit them, sending them into the abyss.

She maneuvers the planks and keeps most of the goblins at bay while the rest of the company fights the goblins attacking them from the front.

Kili has his bow and takes down each goblin he aims at. Fili is with him and slashes the goblins, also letting them fall from the platforms.

Another goblin shoots an arrow at Kili and Gaia throws a plank in front of Kili, preventing the arrow from hitting Kili. He shouts a “thanks” and shoots the goblin before it can reload to shoot again. Gaia follows Kili and they take out the goblins that appear from the side.

Gandalf leads them to what seems like an exit from this foul place and everyone hurries. Thorin instructs some of the dwarves and they keep the goblins at bay.

Just as they make their way to the exit, the Goblin King shows up in front of them. He taunts Gandalf but Gandalf kills him with ease. The wooden bridge breaks and Gaia grabs Kili to prevent him from falling off the side of the platform which is descending into the abyss.

The platform lands with a loud thud on the bottom of the mountain and Gaia groans at the impact along with the rest of the company.

“Well, that could’ve been worse,” one of them remarks. Gaia wants to smack whoever said that, but the weight of the Goblin King falling on the company beats her to it. They all moan and groan at the added weight.

Gaia struggles to get out from the pile of wood. Kili helps her out and supports her until she finds her balance. She gives him a small smile, but his gaze is fixed on the wall behind her. She follows his gaze.

“Gandalf!” A panicked Kili stumbles backward and Gandalf looks up at the swarm of goblins approaching. There are too many. They will never make it out of here.

“Only one thing will save us; daylight,” Gandalf says, his eyes shooting at Gaia. I give an understanding nod. I help the rest of the company out from the pile and hurry them to follow Gandalf.

Kili stops and turns to Gaia.

“Go, I will follow you,” he says, but she shakes her head.

“I need to be behind all of you. And do not look back,” she says, ushering Kili along with Fili to follow Gandalf. Kili frowns but does as she says and follows the rest of the company out.

Gaia runs after them, her hands searching for her necklace. She finds the small pendant between all the layers of clothing and pulls it out. She yanks it from her neck and takes a deep breath.

Galadriel gave this to her once, promising her the light whenever Gaia found herself in dark times.

She crushes the pendant in her palms and feels the surge of energy pumping through her, her body becoming a vessel for the sunlight. She opens her eyes and squints her eyes, looking at her hands which are glowing with the light of the sun.

The goblins shout and hiss as the sun’s light burns them, turning them to stone. They fall to the ground and shatter into thin dust.

Kili hears the commotion behind him, but he follows Gaia’s instructions. The pathway lights up and he has a relieved smile. They are almost out of this cursed mountain.

As they take a turn, he notices that the light is not coming from the exit, but rather from behind him. He has to force his eyes to keep to the front.

Gandalf leads the company out of the Misty Mountains and they come to a stop at the bottom of the mountain, underneath the trees. Everyone is panting, out of breath, and exhausted from the fighting.

Gandalf turns around and sees Gaia finally emerging from the mountains, still glowing faintly. Her light disappears as she approaches the company and comes to a slow halt when she reaches Gandalf.

He places his hand on her shoulder and gives it a tight squeeze. She smiles at him before turning her gaze to the rest of the company.

“Where is Bilbo?” Gaia turns around, looking behind her. He did not follow them? She saw him slipping away from the company when the goblins were herding them to the Goblin King. Where could he be?

She hears Thorin badmouthing Bilbo and she has to bite her tongue to prevent herself from defending Bilbo. If it were not for Thorin, perhaps Bilbo would not have felt alienated from the company.

Thorin has made him feel unwelcome at every turn. He has done the same with her, but Bilbo has been treated worse by Thorin than Gaia. She could at least provide them with food and an extra pair of fighting hands. Bilbo is their burglar. A hobbit. He cannot and does not have to fight.

Kili inspects the wound on her neck and she waves her hand to dismiss his worries. He takes her hand when he notices that there is glass in her palms. He gently removes the pieces of glass and tears a small piece from his shirt under his jacket. He wraps it around her hand and ensures that it is wrapped tightly.

“Thank you, Kili,” Gaia says with a warm smile. Kili flashes her a tired smile.

“What did you do back there?” he asks in a whisper. Gaia chuckles and shakes her head.

“I will tell you later.” She winks at him and Kili laughs softly at her, shaking his head.

Bilbo appears out of thin air and informs Thorin of the reason for coming back. Gaia’s gaze moves to Gandalf. Something seems off about the appearance of Bilbo. How could he show up without either of them seeing him?

Based on Gandalf’s reaction, he also seems to be suspicious. She will ask Bilbo in private how he managed to escape from the goblins unseen.

The answer that Bilbo gives is heartwarming and Gaia smiles softly at the hobbit’s words. He is indeed a kind soul, trying to win back the home of the dwarves even when he has no business doing that. Bilbo indeed continues to surprise her every time.

Gaia goes to sit down when she feels the familiar vibrations through her fingers. Orcs.

The howling of the Wargs catches the company’s attention and Kili helps her up. They cannot catch a break, can they?

A face that Gaia has not seen for quite some time, appears at the top of a nearby hill.

Azog, the defiler.

She heard how he had captured skin-changers to torture for sports. He was also responsible for the death of Thorin’s grandfather and thousands of dwarves. Thorin defended his people bravely and inured Azog, but it was not enough to stop this monster. Now, Azog is hunting Thorin, wanting to end the line of Durin.

“Out of the frying pan,” Thorin starts.

“And into the fire,” Gandalf finishes, “Run!”

Everyone starts running as fast as their tired bodies can. Unfortunately, they are trapped when they realize that they are on a cliff. Gaia searches the area and counts a few trees she can use to fend off the Wargs, but it will not be enough to take on Azog.

“Climb!” The dwarves easily climbs into the trees and Kili pulls Gaia with him into the tree. They are out of breath, watching the Wargs descend from the hill to them.

Gaia takes a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself to be able to work with the trees.

Bilbo is the last to get into the trees with the Wargs on his heels. Gaia guides the roots of a tree to stomp two Wargs, killing them. A few Wargs escape the root and make their way to the first tree with dwarves.

The Wargs jump while trying to grab hold of a branch or to snatch a dwarf from the trees.

Gaia swiftly directs the branch to launch at the Wargs attacking the tree, throwing the Wargs from the cliff. There are too many of them and too few trees.

Wargs attack their tree and they manage to uproot one of the trees, causing the trees to fall against the other. Everyone jumps from one tree to the next, avoiding the falling trees.

Gaia realizes that they are stuck in the last tree, the one on the edge of the cliff. She cannot uproot this tree without risking their safety. And it is a long way down.

Azog comes riding on his white Warg, smirking at them as they have nowhere to go. Gaia glances at Gandalf and notices the butterfly. They will help them, they have to.

Azog converses in his language and Gaia looks to Thorin, hoping he does not understand the Orc language. It does not seem like Thorin understands what Azog is saying but he does catch the mention of his father and grandfather. Gaia feels her blood boiling at the words of the Orc.

Thorin is taken by surprise since he thought that Azog succumbed to his wounds, but here Azog is. The Goblin King was the first to inform Thorin that Azog was still alive and hunting the Durin line.

Kili and Fili have the hate same hatred expression as Thorin when Azog orders his subordinates to kill them and to taste their blood.

Gaia manages to wipe some of the Wargs from the cliff along with a couple of Orcs, but it barely makes an impact on the attack. The last tree starts to unroot and she focuses all her attention on keeping the roots intact in the ground.

She has to mentally support the weight of the tree filled with the company and withstand the attacks of the Wargs.

“You got this, just keep on focusing,” Kili says, his voice filled with panic. He focuses with her, almost like he supports the tree along with her. She has a skew smile as she focuses to keep the tree from falling. She is exhausted from the light that she had to channel and now she has to keep the tree upright.

She shakes her head slightly, avoiding herself to think about how exhausted she is. She cannot fail the company.

Flames surround them when Gandalf starts to throw the burning pinecones. Gaia has to fight the feeling of the burning sensation that moves through her veins, burning the trees and grass. Her hands start to shake and she feels herself losing her grip on the tree, but she does not let the tree fall. They will die if she gives up this easily.

The tree tilts slightly to the side and she asserts her remaining mental strength to keep the tree from hitting the ground, which will lead to the company hanging over the edge of the cliff.

Azog is enjoying the sight of the struggling company and Gaia scrambling to prevent the tree from falling off the cliff.

When Gaia is about to pass out from the mental exhaustion she has been through, Thorin rises from the flames. Armored with his sword and a piece of thick bark, he charges to Azog.

Everything goes silent as the company watches Thorin running to Azog, on the back of the pale Warg. The Warg lunges at Thorin and knocks him to the ground.

Gaia holds her breath, waiting for Thorin to get up, but Azog uses the Warg to fight for him. The Warg bites Thorin and Gaia loses her grip on the tree, which causes the tree to hit the ground.

Some of the dwarves lose their grips on the trees. Luckily Gandalf holds his staff out for them to grab ahold of.

Thorin’s pained cries numb the company and they watch in horror as Thorin is about to beheaded. Gaia reaches for the roots of the unrooted trees.

Just as she is about to grab the Orc that wants to behead Thorin, Bilbo tackles the Orc from his feet and kills him.

This brings the whole company back to reality and everyone charges toward the pack of Orcs and Wargs.

Gaia uses the roots to grab a few Orcs and throw them from the cliff, along with their disgusting Wargs.

The sound of wings catches her attention and Gaia falls to her knees, relief flooding her as adrenaline leaves her.

The Eagles save them by throwing the remaining Orcs and Wargs from the cliff and burning the rest.

An Eagle takes Thorin and Gaia runs to the rest of the company to help them onto the eagles. Fili and Kili are taken by an Eagle and Gaia jumps onto the back of another Eagle. She watches Gandalf getting onto the last Eagle.

With an exhausted sigh, she rests her head on the soft feathers of the Eagle. She groans at the pain that throbs through her body and she inspects her palms. The bandage that Kili made for her is soaked in blood.

She will ask Oin to have a look at her hands when they land. For now, she needs to get some rest.

[justjbeboriginalo]

Don't Die This Time

Kili Fanfic

Kili meets a girl who has to go along on their quest on Gandalf's request. The girl captures his attention from the first time they meet and they grow to love each other over the course of the quest.

Pairing: Kili x OC female who can control nature

Note 1: Kili stays alive in this fic, along with Fili and Thorin.

Note 2: English is not my first language, so excuse any mistakes

Chapter 2: Long travels

Warnings: none

Gaia follows the heavy footsteps of the company in front of her, sighs leaving them as they make their way to their next destination. They have been traveling for the past three days and they have barely stopped to rest or to eat. This has not really had an effect on Gaia since she is used to her long ventures through forests and woodlands, but the company has been struggling. They are more irritable than usual and they are constantly bickering over silly nonsense.

“How,” Kili heaves out next to her, “are you not tired? You have been more on the outlook than the rest of us, getting even less sleep than us, but you have still more energy than the whole company combined.” Kili almost slips while he talks to her, but she catches him. He mumbles a thank you before he turns his eyes to the ground in front of him.

“I suppose I have been doing this longer than you. I enjoy long walks,” Gaia says in a joking manner which causes Kili to let out a chuckle. He turns his head to look at Gaia and she gives him a small smile. He smiles back at her before he continues with his eyes to the front.

They are walking at the back of the company. Gaia is looking out for the group from behind and she also covers their backs.

Occasionally, she will guide the trees or leaves to cover them from the weather, providing some relief from the burning rays of the sun. It rained the previous night and she provided them with shelter by weaving together broad, large leaves and keeping the woven leaves above their beds.

Kili has also been her partner for conversation since they left her forest. She suspects that Thorin has ordered Kili to keep an eye on her so that she does not sabotage the quest. She cannot complain. He has been good company so far and they share the same sense of humor.

“Is that the one you said dwarves cannot eat?” Kili points to a nearby plant decorated with white flowers. Gaia squints her eyes at the plant. She gives a nod.

“Yes, well done, Kili. You are getting really good.” Kili has a proud smile and he straightens his shoulders. He strides further with confidence and Gaia giggles at his antics.

Kili had asked her to teach him the different types of plants for him to identify what he could eat and what he should stay clear of. This has been the topic of most of the conversations and she enjoys sharing her knowledge. Kili is also a quick learner, so he has made a lot of progress since she started her teachings.

“All right. I think we can make camp here for the night. Take a bath in pairs to look out for any trouble. Gaia and Kili, you are responsible for the food along with Bofur. The rest, get a fire going and get settled. We will not be stopping until we pass through the Misty Mountains,” Thorin commands and the company nearly falls down right where they are with a chorus of groans.

Gaia softly laughs at them as she places the bags from the company down. Kili plunges down next to her, letting out a loud yawn. His head leans back, his eyes closed.

“You can get some rest after we get the food. Come on, or else you are going to fall asleep.” Gaia taps his shoulder, but Kili groans in protest. She laughs lightly and taps him again.

Kili’s eyes remain closed and she shakes her head. He is also exhausted from the travels of the past few days. She does not blame him.

“I will go. You can take a bath in the river and get some rest,” Gaia says, turning on her heels. She needs to have a proper look at her surroundings. She does not know where they are and what food there might or might not be.

She hears a shuffle behind and turns her head slightly, noticing Kili standing up. Gaia comes to a stop and waits for him to catch up.

“I said that you can get some rest.”

“I cannot let you go on your own. Thorin would not be happy. And, he also instructed me to- “ Kili catches himself before he reveals what Gaia already knew, “He said that I was also on food duty. I need to fulfill my role.” He gives Gaia a wide grin and hurries out before Gaia.

She follows him with a smile and they walk to the nearby tree line. There is a small woodland near their camp. It is quite small, but there is bound to be some life in there somewhere.

Kili lifts his bow from his shoulder and gestures for Gaia to be quiet. She purses her lips to prevent a laugh from escaping. He keeps on forgetting she can feel the vibrations of the animals. Well, with these shoes it makes it impossible to feel the vibrations.

Thorin gave her shoes to wear and her clothing is made out of spare clothing that the rest of the company had. He thinks that she will attract too much attention if she wears her usual white dress with flowers and vines. Who is she to argue?

“Quickly,” Kili urges her on, hiding behind a bush. Gaia swiftly makes her way to the bush and stops next to Kili, ensuring she does not make a sound.

A few stray bucks are roaming around, unaware of their presence. Kili readies his bow, the arrow pointing to the largest buck when the wind turns. The herd catches their scent and scatters away, leaving Kili with a disappointed groan.

“I am too exhausted to track them. Is there enough plants here to get some fruits and other . . . stuff from,” Kili says with a defeated sigh. Gaia puts her hand on his arm, squeezing slightly.

“You give up too easily,” she says, winking at him. Kili raises a brow, confused at her. Gaia closes her eyes, focusing all her attention on the wind.

She has never truly mastered the air, but she knows she can bring the herd back here with their scent.

Gaia’s hands move slowly in the air, and Kili feels the wind becoming stronger. The wind suddenly changes direction and a few strands of his hair whips into his face.

The sound of the bucks returning causes Gaia to snap her eyes open. She cannot believe she did not mess it up. Usually, it would take her a few tries.

She turns her head to look at Kili, who is staring mesmerized at her.

Heat rushes to her cheeks and she laughs silently at his intense gaze. Her fingers reach out to the loose strands in his face. She removes his hair from his face, tucking it behind his ear. His eyes are glued to hers and she smiles slightly.

“You can take your shot,” Gaia whispers, barely audible. This snaps Kili from his trance and he gives a quick nod before he turns himself to face the herd.

Again, he readies his bow with the arrow to the largest of the herd. The arrow hits the buck and Gaia inhales sharply.

“Are you all right?” Kili asks, his hand on her shoulder. She nods quickly with a weak smile.

“I will get some herbs for the meat. Along with some other plants,” she says, standing up. Kili follows her and also stands up. “Get the buck and head on out. I will meet you at the tree line.” Kili gives a thumbs-up and heads to his prey.

Gaia hurries while searching for something to eat. She finds some herbs and a few fruits, but the company probably would not like that. It can be sour this time of the year. Perhaps some . . . Ah, yes. She bends down, picking a few berries from the small bush that seems to have appeared out of nowhere. These are always delicious.

With her hands and pockets full of plants, she walks back to the tree line where Kili is patiently waiting for her. She joins him and they head back to the company.

They dump the buck and plants at Bofur’s feet. Bofur rubs his hands together with a satisfied smile.

“We will be having a feast tonight,” he says to them and grabs a handful of the herbs. Kili gestures with his head for Gaia to follow him and they walk back to where they left their stuff. Fili has already set up their beds and is waiting for them, lying on the top of his bed.

“Ah, Ki. We have to take a bath before it gets dark. You done hunting?” Fili asks as he sits up. He stretches himself out, hiding a yawn.

“Yes. We found quite a big one tonight.” Fili gets up with a smile and turns to Gaia.

“Since you have joined our company, we have managed to get meat with every meal. Thank you,” Fili says with a sincere smile. Gaia bows slightly.

“Hey, I am still the one who hunts the deer,” Kili says, crossing his arms across his chest with an angry pout.

“You have been struggling to find any meat.” Fili nudges his brother with his elbow. “Thanks to her, you have been able to find the meat. You needed a spotter,” Fili says and claps Kili’s back. Kili snorts at Fili.

“You are more than welcome to join us. We will behave,” Fili says, looking at Gaia. She laughs softly. “Unless you would want to join Dwalin and Balin.” He gestures to the dwarves who are arguing about something before Thorin manages to break it up. Gaia snaps her eyes to Fili and Kili.

“I would love to join you guys.” Fili hums and goes to retrieve his stuff. Gaia gets her small bag from the pile of bags and follows Fili and Kili to the river. She listens to them talking about the journey and what might await them at the Misty Mountains.

They are interrupted by the loud roaring of the stream of water from the river. The river is quite deep compared to the streams in Gaia’s forest. It is not too strong, surprisingly, for its depth and the way it sounds.

Fili comes to a stop and puts his stuff on the bedrock before he turns to Gaia.

“You can bathe first. We will keep watch. You can keep watch when it is our turn.” Gaia gives a quick nod and the two dwarves turn their back on her, keeping their gaze on the surrounding area.

She slips out of the layers of clothing until she is free from the rags. She tiptoes to the water and feels the temperature of the water. It is not too cold. Quite refreshing, actually.

With a deep breath, she jumps into the water and the water enfolds her body. She surfaces with closed eyes, feeling the rushed vibrations of the river. Her body shivers at the feeling.

Water has always excited her, but she has never succeeded at working with water. It is extremely unpredictable, just like fire.

All she ever could work with were mostly plants, trees, and things like that. She has found a way to work with the air, but water has been largely unsuccessful. Rocks also has been giving her headaches. They never want to move.

“Are you still alive?” Kili shouts over his shoulder which brings Gaia back to the present.

“Yes, I am almost done,” she says, rubbing her skin under the water. She pulls her fingers through her hair, untangling it as she works through the knots.

On the bedrock, Kili and Fili have decided to rather sit down. They are still able to see their surroundings and this way they can rest their legs from the long walk. Kili’s eyes are zoned out, his hands playing with the runestone his mother gave him.

“Ki,” Fili calls him, but he does not hear him at first. When his brother calls again, louder this time, Kili jerks his head to his brother. “Are you all right? You have been acting strange.” Kili tries to force a smile, but he fails.

“Yes,” Kili lies, but his brother looks unamused.

“You can tell me.” Kili takes a deep breath, turning his eyes to the stone in his hand.

“I- I think . . . “ Kili trials off, not knowing how to put it. He has not really thought about saying it out loud, especially not now. Not this soon. What can he say?

“I think I might, uh, like Gaia,” he mumbles the last part, hoping Fili did not hear him. The chuckle that comes from Fili signifies that he did in fact hear Kili.

“Ah, so that is what is bothering you. I thought it was something serious,” Fili jokes. Kili glares at Fili which only causes Fili to laugh. “I am kidding. Are you sure?” Kili furrows his brows, unsure what Fili means by that.

“Am I sure that I like her?” he tries to clarify. Fili adjusts his sitting position, resting on his hands behind him.

“Yes. We have been busy with this quest for quite some time. We have not really had the chance to focus on anything other than the quest. Then the first lass comes along and you like her. I am asking whether you like her for her, or just because she is, you know, a woman. You flirted with the elven maid and then thought one of the male elves was attractive.” Kili hits his brother with the back of his hand, a huff leaving his lips. Fili laughs again. “Come on, Ki. You might just like her because she is the first lass you have spent time with in a long time. Granted, she is a lively character, much like you. But that does not mean you truly have the feelings you think you might have. It might just be a crush.”

Fili’s words crush Kili and he has to hide his disappointment. Everything registers and he realizes that Fili might be correct. He merely has a crush on Gaia. Or might it be more?

Fili has always known Kili almost better than Kili knows himself.

Kili sighs softly as he glances over his shoulder at Gaia. Her long black hair clings to her pale back, her slender fingers working through the locks.

Fili notices the inner turmoil that Kili experiences and he places his hand on his brother’s shoulder. Kili looks at his brother.

“Just give it some time. See what happens. But do not look for something that might be a mere illusion. We still do not know the true intentions of her presence in this quest. Do not get too involved,” Fili says with a sympathetic smile. Kili nods hesitantly.

Do not look for something that might be a mere illusion.

He swallows another sigh that wants to escape him. Fili might be right. He also liked the elven maid from Rivendell. Gaia has the complexion of an Elf, but there is something else. A light that emanates from her whenever she smiles or speaks, unlike that elven maid. Almost more alluring than the Elves.

“I am done,” Gaia’s voice rips him from his thoughts. He hides the blush that covers his face and quickly stands up. He makes his way to the river while he ignores Gaia’s eyes, hoping for some relief from the cold water.

Fili hands Gaia his sword and she takes it, the sword heavy in her hands. He hurries after Kili to the river and they hurry to get in.

Gaia mimics the way they waited for her and sits down with her back to them, the sword next to them. Her hair is still wet from the wash and she tries to maneuver the water out of her hair, but to no avail. Wind is the next best option.

With a determined huff, she focuses on the air that surrounds her and her hands move to create a small breeze. Her hair moves along in the slight wind and she cannot stop a smile from forming. She is starting to get the hang of the wind.

She takes strands of her hair and decides to loosely braid them, just to keep them from flying astray in the breeze.

A loud laughter comes from above the roaring of the river and she glances over her shoulder at the brothers. Fili is dodging water attacks from Kili, who is soaking from the water. They laugh as they splatter water in each other’s direction.

Gaia smiles at their ability to still find something fun to do while they are on such a serious quest.

Strands of Kili’s hair cling to his face and neck, his broad shoulders sparkling in the setting sun. Gaia’s eyes travel from his broad shoulders down his well-toned chest. The thin brown hairs cover his chest and travel down his stomach.

Gaia snaps her head to the front, forcing herself to give him the privacy he gave her. She does not want to invade his privacy.

Her hands cover her face, the heat warm against her cold hands. She cannot believe she stared at a dwarf. An attractive one, but nonetheless. Oh, what has she gotten herself into?

She moves her hands from her face down to her neck, letting her head fall back. She shakes her head slightly, trying to rid them of the images of Kili.

Unfortunately, the images are engrained into her memory.

“You are supposed to be looking out for any danger. What if something attacked us while you were sleeping?” Fili asks when he stops next to her. This startles Gaia and she snaps her eyes to look at Fili.

“You guys are done?” She stands up and hands the sword to Fili before she wipes her hands against her pants. “Good. You were taking forever,” she says, jokingly. Fili smiles at her and sheathes his sword.

Gaia’s eyes turn to Kili, but he is looking at the ground while he squeezes water from his brown locks.

“It is getting darker. We should head back. Uncle might worry about us,” Fili says, breaking the silence. Gaia nods and follows them back to the camp.

At the camp, Bofur is singing again while the rest of the dwarves are also singing and eating. They started without them.

Kili and Fili hurry to join the company, leaving Gaia behind. She watches them with a smile, heading to get something to eat. She is starved.

The company’s spirits seem to be better after a good meal and some singing. They all sit around the fire, listening to Balin recalling the glory days of Erebor. Thorin adds in whenever he remembers something of importance. Kili and Fili seem to be hanging on Balin’s lips along with Ori.

Gaia takes small bites from a yellow fruit, listening to them reminiscing about the good old days. She remembers the short period she spent at Erebor with Gandalf.

They were called for advice and Gandalf wanted someone to accompany him to the King under the mountain - Thror. They left shortly before he got Dragon sickness. They might have been able to prevent him from obtaining all that gold.

Gaia lets out a silent sigh. There is no cure for Dragon sickness, but they could have tried. Surely, between all the wizards and her knowledge of plants, they could have come up with something.

“Gaia, have you ever visited Erebor?” Bilbo asks, trying to bring her into the conversation. She looks at the hobbit with a sad smile. The dwarves wait for her to answer and she gives a quick nod.

“Once. I met Thror. He was a kind host,” she says, inclining her head slightly at Thorin. He also has a sad look in his eyes as he seems to remember his grandfather.

“Have you been there since the dragon . . . “ Oin trails off, not sure how to describe what happened to Erebor. Gaia shakes her head.

“No, this will be my first time.” The company hums in agreement, all seemingly lost in their own thoughts at what Erebor might be like. Gaia plays with a loose strand of hair, thinking about how things might have been different for the dwarves if she went to assist them when Smaug attacked. She has never fought a dragon before, but she has the confidence that she could have prevented thousands, perhaps even more, from dying. But she was too fragile. The possibility of her turning was still high back then.

Gaia stands up and heads to her small bag. She cannot dwell in the past. She supposes she will take the first watch tonight. Or even all the watches. The rest are too tired and she fears they might fall asleep.

She searches through her bag and finally retrieves a few leaves to weave during her watch tonight.

“Who will take the first watch tonight?” Dwalin asks and the dwarves groan in unison. Thorin steps toward the end large rock under which they have made their camp.

“I will take the first watch. Fili will follow me, with Gloin next and lastly Dori.” Thorin walks out from the shelter of the large rocks to take his place for the first watch. The rest of the company silently settles in for the night.

Gaia watches Kili make his way over to her, where his bed is located next to Fili’s. Kili mumbles a good night to her when he passes her and she frowns at him.

Why is he acting all strange suddenly? Perhaps he is just exhausted from the journey, but something else seems off. She wonders what it could be.

“Kili,” Gaia calls softly. He turns his head to her, readying his bed for himself. Gaia shuffles closer to him and places her hand on his arm. Kili averts his gaze to his bed but Gaia turns him to her. 

“Kili, what is the matter?” she asks with a whisper. Kili quickly looks at her, giving her a smile.

“Nothing. I am just tired, that is all,” he says before he returns his attention to his bed. Gaia keeps her hand on his arm, forcing him back to her.

“You know you can talk to me. About anything.” Kili flashes her a smile accompanied by a nod. Gaia notices that his smile does not reach his eyes. Perhaps he needs some space. And a good night’s rest.

“All right,” she says, “good night then.” Kili bows his head and she hears a good night from Fili.

With the leaves in her hands, she heads to Thorin. She does not want to pry, but Kili has been acting strange since they came back from the river. What could have happened?

Gaia sees Thorin leaning against another large stone and she softly makes her way to him. He seems deep in thought and does not notice her presence next to him. 

Gaia looks at the large mountains that lay before them. The Misty Mountains.

“Oh, I did not hear your arrival. Do you need anything?” Thorin asks with a tired voice. Gaia looks at him and notices the dark circles under his eyes. The quest has also taken a toll on Thorin, even if he tries to hide it.

“I can keep watch. I’m not tired,” Gaia says with a small smile. Thorin furrows his brows together.

“You have been keeping watch each time we have stopped for rest. You cannot continue- “

“I do not need a lot of sleep,” she interrupts him. “Go, get some rest.” Thorin lets out a defeated sigh.

“Wake Fili for the next watch,” Thorin states over his shoulder as he heads back to the camp for rest. He comes to a halt before turning back to Gaia.

“I do not remember ever seeing you at Erebor. When did you visit my grandfather?” 

Gaia has a small smile on her face as she looks at Thorin.

“I visited your grandfather before you were born,” she says, turning to face the mountains. Thorin hesitates, trying to piece together the information.

“But that would make you- “ Thorin stops as he comes to the realization. “How old are you?”

Gaia chuckles and shakes her head. She waves her hand dismissively over her shoulder at Thorin. She does not know.

“I have stopped counting ages ago,” she states before she gives Thorin, who is dumbfounded, a warm smile. “Good night.” She returns her gaze to the mountains and starts weaving the old leaves and vines. She hears Thorin walking back to the camp.

She will take the shift for the night. The others seemed too eager for a proper full night of rest. They will need it if they want to get through those mountains in one piece

[justjbeboriginalo]

Don't Die This Time

Kili fanfic where Kili meets a girl who has to go along on their quest on Gandalf's request. The girl captures his attention from the first time they meet and they grow to love each other over the course of the quest.

Pairing: Kili x OC female who can control nature

Note 1: Kili stays alive in this fic, along with Fili and Thorin.

Note 2: English is not my first language, so excuse any mistakes

Chapter 1: Introductions

Warnings: Death (ugly creatures), nothing yet ;)

Her bare feet walk on the soft, damp grass of the forest. The breeze moves through her long black curls and she closes her eyes, enjoying the warmness on her face. Her eyes open when she hears a strange noise coming from afar. The ground vibrates beneath her feet. Something is wrong.

With a deep inhale, she tries to pick up any unfamiliar scents floating around the forest. The vibrations under her feet are becoming more evident. Her eyes snap open when she recognizes the scent.

Orcs.

She scans the forest surrounding her, her eyes searching for those foul creatures. What are they doing this close to her forest? Something must have drawn them here. 

Not waiting for them to discover her first, she hurries back to her hiding spot. The grass beneath her feet supports her as she makes her way to the middle of the forest. There she finds the ancient tree, towering above the rest of the trees in the forest. She reaches her hand out toward the tree.

The branches snap as they start moving toward her outreached hand. The branch is rough in her hand, holding on while it lifts her off the ground. A few vines intertwine around her body to support her.

The branch places her on the platform she built for herself. She lies down on the old leaves that usually act as her bed. Her eyes search rapidly, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

They would not know where to find her, right? She has kept herself hidden for the last two ages. They were probably drawn here for some other reason. Hopefully.

A commotion erupts from nearby and she places her hand on the wooden platform, feeling the vibrations. There is a group of 15 making their way to her tree with a pack of Orcs not far behind them. Chasing them on the backs of those vile Warg creatures. 

The group emerges from the trees on her right side and hurries to the tree. 

“Quickly, climb,” one of the men calls, and she holds her breath. There is no way they can climb this tree. There is nothing to support yourself on.

She watches as they attempt to get a grip, but they all fall after a few climbs. She lets out a relieved breath. 

A tree tumbles down near them and a dull pain tears through her body. She closes her eyes, knowing that the Orcs are responsible for all this destruction. She hates them.

“We have to fight,” another says, panic evident in his tone.

“Gandalf, why did you lead us here?” Gandalf? Her eyes shoot open and she looks at the group, gathered at the base of the tree. The grey clothes seem all too familiar. Gandalf. 

The Orcs approach them, forming a circle around the tree. These men stand no chance against the whole pack of Orcs with Wargs. She will have to be quick and effective. None can be left alive.

A Warg lunges at Gandalf, but before Gandalf can strike back, a branch grabs the Warg and flings it into a nearby tree. The group looks around, confused.

“Gandalf? Was that you?” another asks. Gandalf shakes his head. 

The leader of the orc pack gestures for the rest to attack. They run toward the small group, but the ground opens up beneath their feet. They are swallowed by the earth and the earth closes as fast as it opened. The orc leader stops the remaining members from attacking before he yells something in his language. With the help of the vines, she leaps down from her hiding spot and lands in front of the group of defenseless men.

The cursed eyes of the orc look into hers and she waits for him to attack.

Two Wargs attack from the side. Her arms move swiftly to guide the branches to the Wargs. They are captured in the branches, growling at her. She moves her arms again and this leads to the pained yelps of the captured Wargs as they are ripped apart by the branches.

There are few Orcs left and they start to retreat, but she traps them between the trees. They cannot get away.

The trees unroot themselves and start to trample the remaining Orcs and Wargs. There is a moment of terror-filled screeches filling the air before the atmosphere becomes peaceful once again. The trees step back into their positions and it almost seems like they are returning to slumber. She knows they never sleep though.

A small smile spreads on her face, satisfied that none of the Orcs got away. That could have been disastrous. 

“Gaia, my old friend.” Gandalf’s voice reminds her of the existence of the company behind her. She turns on her heel to face them, her smile growing.

“Gandalf,” Gaia says with excitement, hurrying to him. He crouches down as she pulls him in for a hug. He chuckles into the embrace and Gaia tightens her embrace. She never thought she would see Gandalf here. How did he know where to find her? She knows better than to assume this was a coincidence.

“I was wondering whether you were still here,” Gandalf says as she steps back. She frowns slightly.

“You seem to always know where I am.” Gandalf has a warm smile. “You sneaky wizard. You know too much,” Gaia says with a wink which causes Gandalf to hum in agreement. Her gaze moves from Gandalf to the rest of the company behind him. 

“Ah, yes. Gaia, this is Thorin Oakenshield, the . . . “

“King under the mountain.” Gaia stares momentarily at the dwarf who steps forward. He looks exactly like Thror, who she supposes was his grandfather. She heard about Smaug taking what was once the dwarves’ home for his own, selfish needs. 

Gaia bows properly to the dwarf before she comes up, meeting his surprised gaze.

“You know of me?” he asks, his voice deep and rough.

“I knew your grandfather. You look quite alike,” Gaia says with a warm smile. Thorin gives a slight bow of his head, a barely noticeable smile appearing. 

“This is his nephews, Fili and Kili,” Gandalf says, gesturing another two dwarves to the front. A blond dwarf steps to the front first, followed by a dark-haired one. They bow in unison.

“Fili,” the blonde dwarf says.

“And Kili,” the dark-haired dwarf follows before they bow in unison again.

“At your service,” Fili finishes. Gaia cannot help the giggle that escapes her lips. Dwarves sometimes have the strangest names. Then again, they would view her name as strange as well.

“Gaia.” She bows slightly to them. Kili smiles brightly at her before following his brother back to where they stand.

A few of the other dwarves come to introduce them and Gaia has to bite back the laughter. They truly have the strangest names. Oin, Gloin . . . What were the others? And she has never met a hobbit before. They are quite adorable.

“This is all well, but why have we come here?” Thorin asks roughly, his eyes on Gandalf. He is less friendly than his grandfather.

“We needed the assistance. I will explain everything, but first,” Gandalf turns to Gaia. Gaia purses her lips as she already knows why Gandalf is here. This is not the first time he has come to her for assistance. Gaia almost died the last time she decided to help the wizard. 

“Gaia,” Gandalf says, turning to her, “may I speak to you in private?” She nods and leads Gandalf away from the company. 

She comes to a stop a few steps away from the ears of the dwarves and hobbit. They should not be able to hear them here. 

“Gandalf, you cannot ask that of me. Especially not with the forces that are involved in this quest. I am too vulnerable,” Gaia says in a soft voice. Gandalf squints his eyes at her, knowing what she is capable of.

“I would not ask you if I were not forced to.” Gaia lets out a tired sigh. “And you have never been vulnerable to the evil that is present. You fight it every day when you go out to look after nature. We are in need of your skills for this quest to be successful. Do you not want the dwarves to claim back their home? Which has been lost for so long.” Gandalf’s eyes are pleading.

Gaia looks back to the company, who has decided to sit down. They must be exhausted from being hunted by the Orcs. And more are sure to follow. The Orcs have always been greedy for that gold, along with the Elves. 

“I am not sure, Gandalf. What if- “

“I will be with you every step. You will not lose control,” he says, his hand reaching out to her shoulder to give her an encouraging squeeze. 

“Well, I obviously cannot say no. Why not? I have nothing else of importance to do.��� Gandalf gives a warm laugh and bows his head in response.

“I knew you would agree.” Gaia shakes her head with a slight smile. He knows too much.

They make their way back to the company which is complaining about their food supply, which is apparently dangerously low. 

“I can get you food. If you want meat, you will need to send a hunter with me. I do not kill animals,” Gaia says, stopping next to Bilbo. The company goes quiet, all eyes moving to Thorin. Gaia also fixes her eyes on him, waiting for an answer.

“What is the purpose of her?” Thorin asks, ignoring her as he looks to Gandalf. 

“She will be useful to your quest, Thorin. Do not be stubborn,” Gandalf warns, but this does not seem to have an effect on Thorin. Dwarves are known to be stubborn. Before Thorin can open his mouth, Gaia interrupts him.

“I can provide food. I know plants are poisonous and which can be used for healing.” Gaia decides to rather refrain from exposing all her skills. She does not want to sound boastful. Thorin seems to be considering her offer when another dwarf, the fattest of the company, decides to contribute his opinion.

“I say we should keep her. I’m starved. If she can provide food, she is part of the company,” he says, followed by a few agreeing hums from some of the other dwarves. Thorin looks around the company, letting out a silent sigh. He turns to Gaia.

“Provide food first. We will decide on the matter after a proper meal.” Gaia bows her head. She takes a breath before she focuses on the rest of the company.

“Anyone want to join me as the hunter?” The company argues amongst themselves before Kili’s hand shoots up.

“I’m the best with a bow,” he says with confidence. Gaia gestures for him to follow her. She starts to the rest of the forest with a smile. 

His footsteps follow her as they make their way deeper into the forest. Gaia picks plenty of fruit and plants as they make their way to where the rabbits are. There should also be a few deer from the vibrations she felt.

“Are you also a wizard?” Kili’s voice comes from next to her and she turns her head to him, continuing to walk softly. 

“Something like that,” she says with a smile. Kili frowns at her statement, but she shushes him before he can ask another question. He is going to chase all the animals away.

Gaia makes her way to a nearby tree and Kili follows her. They stop behind the tree and she points to the deer roaming nearby. Kili readies his bow and aims at the deer. Gaia closes her eyes, waiting for the pain. She understands that they have to eat meat and she also eats it, but she can never bring herself to do the killing herself.

The arrow flies through the air and hits a deer, the pain tightening her chest. Killi runs to the dead deer that lies in the grass. He hoists the deer over his shoulders and walks back to Gaia.  

“Is that all you are going to hunt?” she asks him. Kili furrows his brows at her.

“No,” he says, almost offended. Gaia turns to lead him to the rabbits, but he stops her. He lifts the deer off his shoulders and holds it out to her. 

“What?” She stares at him in confusion. He places the deer in her arms and she groans under the weight. How could he carry this much weight so easily?

“I’m going to follow the other deer. I cannot shoot with that on my shoulders.” He starts to where the deer ran off to and Gaia swallows the groan that wants to escape her. How is she supposed to keep up with a whole deer in her arms?

Kili has made it farther from her as she still struggles with the deer. She was aware that dwarves were strong, but it would seem she had underestimated their strength.

The same pain suddenly hits her and she stumbles with the deer, almost hitting the ground. She reaches her hand out for vines to hold onto and she drops the deer onto the grass. The vines hold her up until she finds her balance. Kili must have made another kill.

Gaia waits for Kili to emerge from where he had disappeared into the thicker part of the trees, but he does not show up. She picks up the deer, groaning in the process.

When she has balanced the deer in her arms, the worry starts to seep in when Kili still does not emerge. Her heart stops for a moment and she drops the deer again, rushing to where Kili disappeared to.

She quickly moves through the trees and comes to a halt when she sees Kili. She lets out a relieved sigh, her heart returning to normal. He is alive.

Kili notices her and gives her a confused smile when he realizes she is staring at him.

“I thought something might have happened to you. Why are you taking so long?” Gaia asks when Kili reaches her with the deer over his shoulders.

“I did not get a clear shot and had to take two shots. These trees seem to move on their own accord.” Kili leads Gaia back to the other deer. “And why do you leave this unattended? Anything could have taken this,” Kili scolds. Gaia laughs softly.

“Nothing has lived in this forest that ate meat since I started to live here, so you have to be worried about.” Kili nods before he gestures for her to place the other deer on his shoulders. Gaia frowns at him, unsure whether he will be able to take the weight of another deer.

“Come on, it is getting darker,” Kili urges her on and she struggles to lift the deer from the ground, earning a soft chuckle from Kili. She manages to get the deer onto his shoulders, but she keeps her hands out to catch him in case he falls. She also moves any obstacles from his path on their way back to the tree.

Kili tries to tell her that he can manage the weight, but she does not believe him. Her hands are not far from Kili’s back, her fingers occasionally brushing against his back. She is focusing on keeping him upright and to keep anything from tripping him.

“Gaia, I will survive. Would you lead me back to the rest of my company? I am afraid I do not remember the way back.” Gaia steps to the front and leads Kili back to the ancient tree.

Kili drops the deer next to the circle that has formed from the company, a fire already started for the meat. Fili and Bofur, she thinks, help Kili to skin the deer and to gut it.

Gaia pulls the plants and fruits from her pockets and places them next to the fire. They can use some of the herbs to add more flavor to the meat and there are some sweet fruit to accompany the meat.

“Well, from here, we have to make our way to the Misty Mountains. It is not ideal, but it is the fastest way to Erebor,” Thorin informs Dwalin and Balin who sit on either side of him. Gandalf and Bilbo are smoking their pipes and Gaia decides that it would be wiser to sit with them. Thorin does not seem fond of her presence. His father was like that. He must have gotten his personality from Thrain.

Gaia falls down on the grass next to Gandalf, her eyes on Kili and Fili. Kili seems nothing like Thorin. She does not know anything about him, except that he is the best shooter in the group and he has a kind smile. Little arrogant, but so are most dwarves.

“Gaia, from what race are you? Are you a wizard, like Gandalf?” Bilbo asks from next to Gandalf and she turns her head to him. Gandalf takes a puff from his pipe, waiting for her to answer.

“Uh, well, not exactly. I was created to,” Gaia interrupts herself to think of the right phrasing, “control natural elements. So, I am not a wizard and I do not belong to any race, like Elves or Hobbits. I am . . . one of a kind,” Gaia says with a laugh. Bilbo inhales from his pipe, looking at her with confusion in his eyes.

“Ah,” he states simply, not seeming to want to pry. She smiles to herself. Gandalf gives her a sly smile and she winks at him.

“Are these safe to eat?” Bombur asks while he eyes the fruits next to the fire. Gaia nods and grabs a few different fruits. Thorin’s hand shoots out to stop Bombur from taking a bite which earns Thorin a glare from Bombur.

“How do we know she does not want to poison us?” Thorin asks. Gaia inhales the tired sigh that wants to escape. She does not have the strength to prove herself to Thorin. He is a dwarf, so naturally he is going to question everything and doubt everyone. She is starting to regret agreeing to go on this quest.

“Uncle, come on. She has no reason,” Kili defends Gaia. Gaia’s eyes snap to Kili’s and he has a determined look on his face. This dwarf has just been surprising her since he arrived.

“Kili is right, Thorin,” Gandalf adds. Thorin goes to protest their argument when Gaia takes a fruit from Bombur’s grip and bites into it. The sweetness fills her mouth and a little bit of the juice rolls down her chin. She chews the fruit and swallows it visibly. Bombur lets out a huff, glaring at Gaia.

“Safe, I promise. I know what is safe and what is poisonous. I would not want to poison you or else I will have to face the wrath of your people. You can eat it,” Gaia says, taking her seat next to Gandalf. Bombur puts two fruits in his mouth at the same time, enjoying the taste as he loudly chews them. Gaia shakes her head with a smile. Dwarves also have no table manners.

Bofur is cooking the meat over the fire, and everyone talking about something else. Kili and Fili are sitting next to each other, also caught up in their conversation. Gaia enjoys the chatty atmosphere.

It has been so long since she was amidst these many voices. The last time she had company with something other than animals and trees, was with Gandalf on their own quest.

Gaia shakes her head at the memories. This quest will hopefully turn out better than the last one.

The meat is ready and everyone lines up to get their portion of the food. Gaia stays back. She can get herself some fruit and plants later. She does not want to eat the dwarves’ food. They are starving.

Gandalf has disappeared to who knows where and Bilbo has decided to join the conversation of Thorin and a few of the other dwarves, leaving Gaia alone. She rests against the tree and keeps her gaze toward the forest. Usually, there is never any trouble, but today has made up for the past hundred years of peace.

Her hands find the grass next to her and she feels for the vibrations that are unusual. There is only that from the dwarves and then the animals and trees from the forest.

The dwarves start to sing and Gaia laughs at their loudness. Bofur sings the loudest and dances around the fire. Gaia keeps her eyes on him, just to ensure nothing happens, like him falling into the fire. She has never been able to fully control flames and she would not want to start tonight. The dwarves dance together while singing and she notices Bilbo sitting on an uncovered root from the tree.

The dwarves continue for a good while, only getting louder and spilling their food all over the place. They end their song with a loud cheer and Gaia claps for them, laughing heartily at their antics. This has been the most fun she had in a while.

“Lass, come here. We need to talk about your role in the company,” Balin says and gestures for her to come over to them. She gets up and walks over to Balin. He pats the open spot next to him and she sits down, her eyes on the grass.

“I have already said what I can offer. I can also protect you from Orcs and any other threats,” she admits. Balin hums while he looks at Thorin. Her eyes follow Balin’s and land on Thorin’s stare.

His eyes stay on her, considering whether she is worthy to be part of the company. Thorin’s eyes flicker to Bilbo who is sitting not far from him. He shrugs his shoulder slightly before he looks into Gaia's eyes.

“All right. You may travel with us. As long as you provide food and protection,” Thorin says, his hand reached out to Gaia. Gaia stands up and shakes his hand. Thorin gives a tight nod. “Get some rest. We travel at the first dawn. Dwalin, you take the first watch.”

“Oh, I can take the watch. I do not need a lot of sleep.” Gaia waits for Thorin to give her an answer. He shakes his head.

“You will be needing sleep. Good night.” Gaia watches the dwarves make their beds and settle in for the night. She supposes she should try to get some sleep. Not that it would last long.

Gaia turns to the tree and the branches move to pick her up to the tree. As she is lifted off the ground, she looks back down at the company. Her eyes catch Kili already looking at her as she rises higher from the ground. He quickly averts his gaze and climbs under his covers.

Gaia bites back a smile at his reaction. It must be strange to see her hanging from branches and vines.

She sits on the old leaves, staring at the forest surrounding her. Dread fills her when she realizes she will leave the forest behind. It will be all right. It has always survived without her before she arrived.

Dwalin takes his position on a root next to the tree and hums to himself. Gaia decides that she would rather not sleep tonight. What if something followed the company into her forest? She will at least be able to take care of the problem without waking them.

With a determined breath, she leans against a branch and keeps watch with Dwalin, without the latter’s knowledge.

[justjbeboriginalo]

Sometimes those who doesn't socialise much aren't actually anti-social. They just have no tolerance for DRAMA, STUPIDITY and FAKE PEOPLE.