Comes Around Again (Gigolas & Bagginshield)

Marking Time

Tauriel found him in the top boughs of a tree, eyes up to the night sky. "Too fast," Legolas said, and she stopped. "The darkness is growing far too swiftly. I fear we are already running out of time."

Tauriel looked at him, and cocked her head. "You think it is related to you and your husband," she observed.

"I know it is," Legolas said, and sighed. "Among other things, I fear time lost, and yet know that we must wait to begin. The dwarves cannot enter the mountain before Durin's Day, and it is just past midsummer. What might the Enemy can gather in these next few months I dread to guess." He shook his head. "We were supposed to be an advantage, and I fear that, without knowing, we have changed things for the worse."

"You cannot know that for sure," Tauriel said, and swung up higher, at last, to sit next to him. "Legolas, you cannot know."

After a long moment, Legolas looked at her. "Aye," he said. "You are right, of course. I can not know, and so I must hope."

Tauriel smiled at him, and looked up at the stars that had captured his attention. Still they shone brightly in the sky. What darkness had taken his attention?

The others were still on the forest floor, preparing their dinner. Hopefully, the cook was Meludir; his brother was too easily distracted and more often burned the food, and Legolas never knew what Calen did, but nothing ever came out right. They would be busy for some time and they could not hear up this high.

"So," Tauriel said, and Legolas stiffened. "That is your husband."

"Aye," Legolas said, warily. "He is."

Tauriel nodded. "He is...shorter, than I imagined." Legolas raised an eyebrow at her, and she hurried on. "I mean, his cousin. The Prince. He's rather tall...for a dwarf," she hastened to add.

Legolas was grinning, but his eyes were kind. "Tauriel," he teased. "I could ask Gimli to put in a good word with Kíli, if you wish."

"What?" Tauriel asked, flustered. "I do not know what you mean."

"Yes, you do," Legolas said, and Tauriel flushed.

"I do," she admitted, and sighed. "I do not understand it. "I have seen him not but twice, and yet each time, my heart raced." She looked away. "He seems...kind"

"He is," Legolas said, softly. "If also young and headstrong. Gimli would tell me tales," he trailed off. "I think he would do you good," he said.

Tauriel sniffed. "I know not what you are implying."

Legolas simply laughed, and they watched the stars until they were called down to camp.

~*~

Time passed slowly in the cells. There was no sign to tell the day from night, but dwarves never needed that to pass the hours. They knew every minute, every second of time slipping away. There was little enough to do to pass the time, however, so the days were long and the nights longer.

Bombur was returned to the cells the day after Gimli. Apparently, there had been more spider poison in his system, and the healer had wanted to keep him an extra night.

Three days later, they were taken in shifts to an empty elven bath and made to wash. Most went gratefully, though some, like Dwalin, put up a fight out of principle. He ended up washing via bucket, as two guards held him still and a third doused him with water.

Still, when they returned from the baths, wrapped in thin robes, they found their under clothes washed and waiting for them. Gimli even found his boots returned, and dressed gratefully in his warmer underthings.