His Amorem

Stone Giants

Outfit above :p

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Keerla woke early and bathed before getting dressed. New clothing had appeared over night, but just by the colours she knew they had come from Lady Galadriel. Only the Lady of Lorien would dress Keerla in blue. Her weapons were finely polished and sharpened, her quiver full with arrows. Unsure on the clothes as she preferred her chainmail (though she trusted Lady Galadriel's choices), she tugged the material on to get a better look.

It wasn't too bad, she decided. A black and blue corset made of thick but moveable material that covered everything needing to be hidden and no more, with slots in the back for two throwing knives. Tight black pants to her ankles with holsters on either thigh for her fighting knives, knee high black boots, and a long black cloak.

She tucked the cloak in her bag, keeping it for the cooler, wetter days and loaded herself with her weapons. She tied her hair up in a half-up-half-down style decorated with her golden beads, and as promised, wore her circlet along with the matching bracelet and her ear cuff.

The new clothes were certainly eye catching, she realised as she snuck her way out to the courtyard. The dwarfs had all caught sight of her on her approach and now stared as she joined them, clearly not sure what to look at first. Kili just smirked at her, enjoying the sight.

"Let's go," Thorin grumbled, leading them out of Rivendell. "Be on your guard; we're about to step over the edge of the Wild. Balin, you know these paths; lead on."

"Aye," Balin agreed taking over and the others fell in behind him, Fili, Kili and Keerla coming last, other than Bilbo who stared wistfully back into the elven valley.

"Master Baggins, I suggest you keep up," Thorin called.

"You look nice," Kili mumbled, brushing his hand against hers, "I never knew elves liked to show skin."

"Very few do," she replied with a smile, "But i like the wind on my skin, it makes it easier to understand. I've never worn something so revealing before, but i find i quite like the movability it gives me."

"I like it too, but for different reasons," the dwarf cheekily winked, "I take it the circlet was Estel's gift?" Keerla nodded. Giving her a sad smile, Kili took her hand and said, "You'll miss him."

Nodding again, this time with her own smile she murmured, "Very much."

They spent forty days hiking through the wilderness of Middle-earth, over ranges, mountains, and plains. Very seldom did Kili and Keerla have a chance to sneak off together, and when they did, it was for no more than an hour and usually involved hunting or collecting firewood. On the nights when Kili or Keerla were on watch they were able to curl up together while the others slept, which often lead to a lot of kissing and touching rather than talking.

The weather stayed nice up until the first day of August, during the start of their crossing the Misty Mountains. The wind howled and attempted to rip them from the small cliff path that they followed for four days without a possibility of a rest. The rain poured down making the rock dangerously slippy, and thunder boomed overhead. Even with her cloak on, Keerla was soaked through and the wind forced her hood back every time she pulled it up.

"Hold on!" Thorin yelled over another strong gust of wind, and the company clung to the rock behind them.

Under Bilbo's feet, the path crumbled but before he could cry out, Dwalin and Keerla grabbed a shoulder each and pulled him back to safety. He yelled his thanks over the noise, and Keerla edged forward around him, putting herself with Kili and Fili.

"Thorin!" she yelled, only just being heard, "Thorin we need to find shelter! I can't hear or see anything over this weather! We shouldn't have gone on this long! We're tired and we can't fight in this! We're vulnerable!

"Watch out!" Dwalin yelled, stopping any reply.

The company watched in horror as a massive boulder hurtled through the air toward them. It hit the mountain side a few feet above, causing rocks to fall around them. Kili wrapped his arms around Keerla's waist and held her tight as he backed them against the mountain.

"This is no thunderstorm; it's a thunder battle!" Balin yelled, pointing further ahead, "Look!"

Out of the dark, a stone giant reared up and ripped a massive clump of rock from the top of a different mountain.

"Well bless me, the legends are true. Giants; Stone Giants!" Bofur exclaimed, holding his hat tightly as he edged forward to get a better look.

The giant turned and threw the boulder in their general direction, only for it to hit a second giant that had come out from behind the section of mountain they were clinging to.

"Take cover, you'll fall!" Thorin yelled, and Fili pulled the idiot back.

The second giant was hit across the head and it stumbled, causing the rock beneath the feet of the company to crumble.

"What's happening?" Kili demanded.

Keerla could feel him shaking as her back was still pressed against his chest. She wasn't faring any better, give her orcs and wargs and a dragon any day. But Rocky Mountains fighting each other, and the chance of falling into a dark pit surrounded by goblin-infested caves? No thank you.

"Brace yourselves and hold on tight!" she yelled, turning in Kili's arms to hold him better as another rock smashed above them. "I don't like this," she spoke into his ear, "I'm scared."

"Don't be," he told her in as confident a tone as possible, kissing her cheek.

She pulled back slightly, only to jerk forward as the ground between the two of them, and Fili started to split apart.

"Kili! Keerla!" Fili cried in panic, and reached back for his brother. Keerla knew they were both terrified as they had never been separated more than a foot or two while in danger, "Grab my hand! Kee!"

Kili and Keerla both reached for him, but the rock they were on started moving further away and Keerla yelped as the ground beneath her foot crumbled. She slipped, nearly plummeting into the chasm but Kili managed to get an arm around her first. He pulled her back, the two falling away from the edge and they watched in horror as Fili, Thorin and a few of the others moved further away from them.

Looking down, Keerla gasped. They were standing on the knees of a third stone giant, which was now entering the fight only to be head butted by one of the other two. They held on for their lives as the giant they were on threw a boulder at one of the other two, knocking its head clean off. Keerla's eyes darted around, trying to from a plan and briefly caught sight of Thorin, Fili and their half of the company jump to safety.

She was jerked back by Kili pulling her tight against him, and she realised why as the knee they were on headed straight for the mountainside. 

"Kili!" she cried, burying her face in his neck seconds before they collided with the cliff face.

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