A Tale of Time

A Little Bit More

A Little Bit More

This is more of an alternate ending/happy ending epilogue. 

Gailien breathes as slowly as she can, tuning in to her own heartbeat as the drawstring of her bow rests against her chin. The large stag has no idea, upwind of the Dwarf pair. Its head was stretched down, munching lazily at the summer grass that poked between the roots of the forest trees. She had a perfect aim – a long fought for thing.

"Boo."

Gailien releases the arrow – more so out of shock than intention. The black-feathered arrow soars through the air, finding its mark only a few inches away from her intended point. "I hate you so much." Her right arm launches forward, giving her companion a rough shove on the chest. "You're carrying it back for that."

Kili smirks broadly, walking in step with the Elf as they march over to the fallen stag. "Completely worth it. You jumped higher than when I caught Maira and Fili together behind the old forge."

Gailien's mouth drops slightly, glancing at the dark-haired Dwarf. "Were they really? You'd think he'd know to find somewhere you wouldn't know of. Like behind locked doors perhaps."

Kili hums, glancing up at the sun rays that filter through the canopy of the sparse forest. "I do remember you trying to tell him that. I think he likes the risk of being caught, to be honest. Only problem is that it's me that keeps walking in on them."

Gailien smirked as Kili dropped to his knees in front of the stag, pulling out a hunting knife. "Better you than your mother. Or Thorin. Oh, imagine if Dori walked in on that." She laughs loudly to herself, leaning against a tree. "Poor thing would be scarred."

"And you think I'm not? Honestly, I have no intention of seeing anybody in that position and my brother..." he trails off with a shiver. Gailien snorts, flicking a fallen leaf off her shoulder. "And they're married! It's not like they're in a secret relationship. They have a bed for Durin's sake."

Gailien shows her humour through a wide smile as Kili continues to rant to mostly himself about his brother's activities. As promised, the pair are out hunting – just the two of them. It was a promise that she fulfilled as soon as she could and it turned into a monthly event, except for winter when most of the animals hid away until spring. But right now, it was the middle of summer and their pair were in light travelling clothes, shed of every layer but what is modest.

Her brows pinched together as she got a whiff of a peculiar smell. Leaning down she smelt her own clothes and her face revolts almost immediately. "I need a bath," she announces. There is a stream right next to their camp that she is already daydreaming about, envisioning the entire waterway turning a murky brown as soon as she stepped into it. "And so do you. Hurry up Kee."

"Patience little one," Kili says softly, giving her an eye over his shoulder that is filled with mirth. Gailien raises a brow as his own words distract him and he cuts through one of the animal's arteries. Though no longer alive, there is still much more blood than a vein and it spills onto his hands and the middle of his pants. He sighs, glaring down at the now soaked trousers.

Gailien saunters over, crouching down behind him. She places her hands on his shoulders, resting her chin on her fingers. "Patience little one, or it might be your own artery next." Kili head turns over his shoulder, giving her a threatening glare and she takes it with an innocent smile. "Now you really need a bath." In a childish manner, Kili reaches up with a bloodied hand, wiping it over her cheek. His glare morphs into a smile that matches the one that suddenly drops from her own.

"You're right, I do need a bath."

They stare at each other for a while, testing to see who will give in first and eventually Gailien's glare drops first. "I'll get everything ready for dinner to be cooked. But I'm bathing before dinner." With a last ruffle to his hair, Gailien begins to make her way back to their small camp, taking her bow and arrows with her. Kili's eyes stay trained on her until she passes out of sight. Sighing once more, he returns to their dinner that he's preparing.