The battle for Erebor was long and gruesome to say the least, but in the end it was won by the Dwarves, Mirkwood Elves and Humans of Dale with little loss of life to all except for the orcs and goblins. The line of Durin made it through the battle and lived with scars as reminders of that fateful day on the icy slopes of the Lonely Mountain, the grandest Dwarven home in all of Middle Earth. The people of Dale also pulled through the devastating battle to come out safe and sound on the other side with little casualty to their home...that sly weasel Alfrid being one of the few to give his life in protection of the city, by catapulting himself straight into a trolls mouth and choking the life out of him. Now , several years later both cities were rebuilt and flourishing under the guidance of the King Under the Mountain, Thorin, and the Dale King, Bard...both ruling over their kingdoms with benevolence and understanding with their heirs standing at their sides. In Erebor , the Heir Princes Fili and Kili , were growing stronger everyday from their injuries and growing more in love with the two women who had captured their hearts from the moment they laid eyes on them. Kili fell in love with the elvish Mirkwood captain Tauriel while Fili feel in love with none other than the Princess of Dale, Sigrid who seemed to invoke Fili's protective side like no other had before.

Everytime he looked upon her he saw her sweet gentle nature shining through her blue eyes filled with innocence of this world...her every action verifying that as she took care of her family. From the moment he began to court her he tried to show her that he was strong...he was able to take care of her by cosseting as if she was a porcelain doll. He even went so far as to take over her chores of cutting the firewood...stopping her before she got started.

"Sigrid...amralime (my love)...I'll do the firewood...you go inside and relax. This is a job for a prince...not a princess." he took the axe she was about to swing in chopping firewood and took one of her hands into his own...gently stroking the soft flesh within his own rough calloused ones...she bit her tongue and allowed him to take over this task for her...going into her home where she huffed in annoyance. This was just one of many events that took place...each time she was protected from any kind of harm or having to break a sweat in labor. Sigrid knew he loved her and only sought to pamper her because he loved her so much...so she overlooked it all until one day he made the mistake of saying the one thing that got to her...the day she asked to be taught how to handle a knife.

"Fili. I am perfectly capable in doing this. I can't just depend on everyone to guard me all the time. I need to be able to protect my own self. I can not depend on someone being with me at all times to keep me safe from harm...cant expect someone to always be there." she tried to reason with him but saw it was no use.

"Sigrid...I'm supposed to be your Prince Charming. I'm supposed to save from all that can bring you harm...be it an orc or even a splinter...It is my duty and privilege to keep you safe." he took her hands in his own and stared in earnest into her eyes...she knew he meant what he said, so she decided in secret to get training in the use of the blade by none other than Tauriel. Fili never knew about her training until one day it was called upon...it was a day that Fili wised up about what makes a true prince..or princess of Middle Earth.

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https://youtu.be/5LffamnK3XQ

The sound of pounding hooves upon the hard earth herald the approaching riders who were racing for the Grey Mountain range where a war party of Orcs was heading...with the two Erebor Princes in their clutches. Earlier this morning , Fili and Kili, had snuck out of the mountain to do a spot of hunting and other things...both felt a need to get away from their royal duties to relax for the day. It had been a stressful month for Fili , since Thorin had taken a small holiday to go and visit an old friend back in the Shire...leaving Fili as the acting King until he came back. Kili saw the toll the crown was taking on his elder brother..having to attend meeting after meeting with all the nobles in the region who were seeking to take advantage of him being so young. Each of them kept dismissing him by saying " when your older...your so young you don't know any better...are you sure the King would want that..."and so forth...questioning everything he did and said to the point it was wearing him down to nothing. Seeing this, Kili concocted a plan to ease his elder brothers stress...they had secretly asked for Sigrid and Tauriel to join them in sneaking away, saying "Today, let's throw all our duties..our responsibilities to the wind and relax from it all." which both women readily agreed ...both feeling the same way.

Last night Tauriel had come over to visit Sigrid for a bit with the note and decided to stay the night so they could creep out through her window and into the pre-dawn darkness.It was just before dawn when Sigrid and Tauriel were able to make it out of Dale to join both men on the outskirts of the city, both giggling at their daring in the pearly dawned streets. They were just cresting over the rise , heading towards the meeting spot when upon the wind they heard the clashing of weapons in the distance...slowing both of their mounts down they listened closer and heard shouts...Fili and Kilis...and orcs. Spurring their horses forward they raced to get to the mens sides to help them out, but it was already to late. By the time they got to the spot, there was nothing there except for a few orc bodies upon the ground and no princes in sight. Tauriel dismounted to look around and scanned the ground for any evidence of what happened there...using the toe of her boot to nudge the dead bodies a bit. It was Sigrid who spotted the twin swords and quiver of arrows off to the side..half way hidden under the corpse of one of the orcs.

"Tauriel! Look! It's Fili and Kilis weapons."Sigrid's voice quavered as she pointed towards the ground..dismounting swiftly to gather the mens lost articles to her. Tauriel kept scanning the ground and after a few moments she looked to Sigrid...a blazing fire in her eyes.

"It looks like they were taken by surprise..they fought back but their numbers were to great. The good news..or maybe bad since it's orcs...they are still alive and have been taken captive..at least by the looks of it, they are only a bit ahead of us. If we hurry we may be able to catch up and save them..." the red haired elf looked to the blond woman clutching the swords to her bosom...fear evident in her eyes with a touch of fire blooming within as she ran to her horse and began to mount it...stuffing the discarded weapons into the saddle bags as she settled in her saddle. Tauriel saw something in her friends eyes.. determination within those blue depths that she recognized. "Sigrid? Are you sure you want to do this? We can ride back and get help..or head for Erebor to tell them? We don't have to do this.." she trailed off , seeing the look her friend was giving her...Tauriel sighed knowing it was pointless to argue. "Ok. You still remember those weapon lessons I've been giving you?" Sigrid nodded at the memory of the last two years of rigorous weapons training Tauriel had been putting her through" Alright...lets go and pray we catch them in time." spurring their horses into motion they galloped off in the direction the orcs, who held their loved ones captive, ran off in. So now here both women were..driving their mounts faster and faster, following the path that led towards the two men who held their hearts...praying that when they finally caught up both men would be still alive...near a place called the Withered Heath nestled within the Grey Mountain range.

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The sun's rays glared down on the foothills of the grey mountains range, outside of a large cave where a group of dark shadows moved within..their baleful glares directed at the offending light outside their hidden spot. Off to the side deep in the cavern laid two dwarven men, one dark and the other fair of hair...hands bound behind their backs and cloth gags over their mouths to keep them silent...their eyes narrowed upon their bruised faces ,in rage at the beasts who had imprisoned them for some purpose. One of the creatures came closer to poke the dark haired man with his grotesquely filthy foot...laughing as the dwarf recoiled from the disgusted appendage all while glaring up at him through his one eye not swollen shut. The fair haired dwarf next to him snarled through his clothed constraint at the orc laughing cruelly at his brother...it only made the beast laugh harder as it walked a short distance away.

Fili glared at the retreating orcs back for a moment then he looked at Kili...a silent message passed between them as it had done all their lives.

~You ok?~

~Yeah...I'm fine. You?~

~I'm good.~ Fili glanced over to the bright entrance and then his eyes moved back to Kili. ~We need to find a way out of here, otherwise...~ there was no need for words...everything was understood perfectly. If they couldn't find a way out of this then they weren't ever going to see their home or the women ,who had captured their hearts several years ago, ever again. Both men sunk into their thoughts as they tried to figure out a way out of this mess they found themselves in. Kili began to tug on the leather straps binding his wrists behind his back...seeking for a weakness within their enslaving hold...finding it not giving an inch...Kili not realizing that his efforts being noticed by one of his captors, until it was to late. Kili pulled on those leather straps when suddenly a shadow fell across his seated form...jerking his brown eyes up to see the ugly sneering mug of one the orcs looming above him. Fear swirling around him as he realized he was caught ...seeing the grotesque hand slowly reaching for his front of his shirt and pulling him close to that monstrous visage...its foul breath washing over him, making him want to gag and his eyes to tear up.

"Hey, little rat. You tryin to escape." its cold laugh filled Kili and Fili's ears...Kili's eyes going wide in fear as Fili began to struggle in earnest against his bonds. "Its no use...we tied you up real good. Ain't no way you getting away from us...not till we done with you." there was a barking laugh behind the orc who held Kili in its grasp.

"Ha ha...yeah when we're done...more like good and dead. Once that dwarf rat you call King pays for you...." he trailed off as another piped up with its grunting voice.

"You mean we give these two back? I thought we kill them as he watched...after we capture him too." there was a round of grunting laughter in side the darkened cave. As Fili and Kili listened to their plans a wave of cold grew inside as fear encompassed their hearts at these vile monsters plans for them and their uncle Thorin....suddenly the sound of a stomach rumbling bouncing off the stony walls.

"Ugghh...I'm hungry! I say we eat the scrawny one now. He only needs to see one of them to fall in our trap." the one holding Kili began to lick his lips...eyeing the Archer prince up and down as if he could gauge how much meat was on his bones. Hearing the words and agreement of the other orcs made Fili's blood run cold and he struggled in earnest against his restraints..trying to save his brother from them. "Hey! Stop that you runt...or I'll stop it for you." Fili kept struggling...uncaring about anything except saving Kili. The orc quickly threw Kili from him where he smacked into the cave's wall with a resounding thump and slide down the wall into a heap, motionless upon the ground. Fili screamed into his gag at the sight of his brother lying there...not seeing the meaty hand arcing towards his head until a blast of pain shot through his head, knocking him to the ground to lay there in agony...feeling darkness descending upon his consciousness..but not before he saw a shadow creeping behind an orc that was laughing loudly...then blackness consumed him.

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As Tauriel and Sigrid drew closer to the Withered Heath where the orc packs tracks led to...slowing their mounts down and dismounting at a safe enough distance so not to be detected by the orcs that they knew were close by, judging by Tauriels sharp elvish hearing. They both slowly crept along the rocks where the grunting voices of orcs could be heard coming from within a rocky opening that obviously led to a cave. Tauriel eased her head carefully around a large rock that her and Sigrid were hiding behind, to glance inside...seeing 5 orcs inside in different locations...her eyes widened as she saw further inside against the far wall sat the two men they had come to rescue. Fili and Kili were leaning against the furthest wall from where they hid, both men bound at the wrists with arms behind their backs and cloth gags wrapped across their mouths to keep them silent. Tauriel's green eyes scanned over both mens bodies, looking for any obvious injuries upon them...only seeing some bruises on their faces and Kili's eye was swollen closed...she wanted to snarl at the sight of her loves injuries, but she held it in. Turning her head she looked at her partner, Sigrid, and nodded for them to continue on...both almost soundlessly inching their way closer into the cave...using the large rocks to shield their movements from the vile creatures inside.

As Sigrid crept along in Tauriel's wake, her blue eyes kept glancing over at Fili who sat there glaring at the orcs...her eyes caught Kili squirming about , trying to free himself, at the same time as orc took notice also....the orc then walked over to lift Kili up in his hand by the front of the archers shirt. She saw him cringe in disgust as it brought him close to its face and laughed as it spoke in their gutteral language that Sigrid didn't understand, at the men's attempts to get free. Several other laughed at whatever the orc holding Kili said and there was some words volleyed back and forth...until in one moment the main one spoke in words she did understand and it sent a chill through her.

"Ugghhh..I'm hungry." Sigrid gave Tauriel a worried look who placed a finger across her own lips for silence... the fire of rage gleamed in her green eyes...a silent message could be seen in those emerald depths.

~We must do this now. There isn't much time for them. You ready?~ Sigrid nodded her head and silently drew her weapon...a knife that she had learned to wield with deft efficiency. Suddenly the orcs voice rose in anger as he threw Kili against the rocky wall...Tauriel jerked...wanting to rush to her loves side but was stayed by Sigrids hand on her arm to calm her....there was a acknowledgement between them at what they would have to do...it was now or never. They heard Fili screaming then all went silent as the orc swiped at him with its large heavy hand, across his head...knocking the golden prince unconscious onto the ground. Without any further ado both women launched into battle mode as they slashed and swung with all their might and agility they possessed at the surprised vermin.

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Fili groggily opened his eyes...the pounding in his head was agonizing as he tried to focus on his surroundings..there was sounds of a battle then something large hitting the ground short distance away. Fili blearily focused his eyes and saw laying next to him the nightmarish visage of one of their captures...dead. He quickly jerked up into a seated position and stared at the body in shock next to him....it was the ringing laughter a bit away from him that brought him out of shock..only for him to fall once agin at the sight before him. There a short distance away from where him and Kili who was groaning awake from where he laid, stood Sigrid, tapping her knife against her shoulder while she rested a foot on the back of one of the deceased orcs.

"Oh look Tauriel...one of the sleeping beauties has finally awoken." her blue eyes twinkled in merriment at his stunned face....her smile was filled with mischief as she just stared back at him. Off a little ways Tauriel stood poised as she cleaned her blade of the foul black blood off of it....her musical voice ringing out in laughter also.

"So it seems...though a bit late. You gentlemen have missed the party. Luckily for you two Sigrid and I did not." Fili sat there staring in wonderment at his love who had fought to save him...mesmerized by Sigrid there...knowing he was blessed by Mahal in giving him such a amazing woman to share his life with. Fili was so entranced by her that he didn't even notice Tauriel slipping to Kili's side to check on him and tend to him...his azure eyes were focused only on the stunning golden beauty of his warrior love as she gracefully picked her way over to him to release him from his bindings...but not before she made one last comment that she couldn't seem to help.

"See...sometimes it is the princess who saves the day and not the prince." her eyes sparkled as she chirped with a smile. The moment Fili's hands were free he grabbed both sides of her face...his lips quirked up into a smile to mirror hers.

"Yes. I stand corrected my love...my lovely princess charming who has saved her prince from the beast" with that he sealed his lips to hers and kissed her with such passion that it stole both of their breaths...neither hearing the groan of disgust from Kili and Tauriel.

"You have got to be kidding...how can they snog with such a headache..or that smell." he heard Tauriel laughing at him as she helped him up...both making their way out into the clean air.