A Tale of Time

Chapter 2: Faults

Chapter 2

Gailien falls back into a light sleep, her legs curled up as she rests on her side, alleviating the pain off both her front and back. It is a nice slumber, one of actual rest rather than induced by pain and injury.

When Bilbo returned to Erebor, Kili was preparing to leave but the Hobbit had pulled him aside, conveying part of what Gailien had told him. Bilbo refrains from the entire truth, just saying what Gailien had told him to – that it is alright for him not to go down.

"But she's awake," Kili had protested with a deep frown. "Why wouldn't I go see her?"

With no good answer, Bilbo only shrugged, repeating what he had been told once more and shuffles along to go find Thorin and tell him of the news as well.

Gailien is still sleeping when he arrives, the outside world almost quiet except for the loud songs of the birds nearby. Kili sits in the chair that Legolas pulled up, resting his chin on his forearms which are on the side of her cot. Bilbo had told them that she was awake, so he knows that she is just in a light sleep. Most of him doesn't want to wake her, but the urge to see her awake and talking once more becomes too great.

He reaches out to her hand, softly squeezing her fingers. Gailien's face twitches, her breathe jolting as she is brought out of her dreaming. Eyes flickering open, she is greeted with Kili's face, a small smile on his lips as his head rests at the same height as her own.

Her mouth is tied shut, only able to stare at the young prince.

"Feeling better?" he asks quietly. Gailien nods numbly, turning her head back into the middle of the pillow so she can look at the roof of the tent instead. Memories of he and Tauriel talking for what had seemed like hours back in Mirkwood's cells flash through her mind. "You sure?" Kili peppers, tilting his head to gauge her face better. Gailien nods again.

Kili sucks his lips, shifting his head onto his open palm. "Do you...want me to get you some food?"

"I had some," Gailien answers with a raspy texture. Kili nods slowly, looking down at the sheets. His mind runs over what Bilbo had told him just before he came, and worry starts to boil in his stomach mixing with insecurity.

"Water?"

"I'm fine, thank you."

"Are they treating you alright?" he asks, trying to rule out the other possibilities. Gailien nods again, eyes floating around the room. "Did...did I do something to upset you?"

Gailien's head snaps back down to the side, her eyes meeting Kili's wide innocent ones. She shakes her head feverishly. "No," she whispers. "No, never."

Kili drops his head off his hand, leaning forward. "Then tell me what's going on. It seemed like Bilbo was trying to convince me not to come down and now you're acting strange. I've obviously done something."

Gailien shakes her head again, sniffling as she looks back to the roof. "I...I..." she closes her eyes, biting her bottom lip. Her stomach gurgles and her cheeks flush with uncomfortable heat. "It's my fault," she confesses. Kili frowns, pulling her hands into both of his under his chin. "Tauriel. I promised you I would keep her safe and I couldn't."

"G-Gailien," Kili breaths. "That's not your fault. It was that creature's, and he's dead. I would never blame you."

Tears streak down her cheeks again, something she is coming to hate since it happens so often now. "But I promised."

Kili sucks on his cheeks for a moment resting his forehead on his hands which are still clasped over hers, deciding what would be best to say. Eventually, he lifts his head back up. "Thorin would have died," he says. "If you hadn't had told me to go after him Azog would have killed him. I only just got there in time. Even if you had gone after him you would have been too late. I had seconds."