Hello! So, college is back; therefore, my life is gone.

I did get this new idea for a story, and I've got some of it worked out. I'm thinking about rewriting and making a new plot though. But, anyway, here's chapter one!

I have so many crazy ideas going on in my head and just not enough time to write them out. College is frustrating. Awesome, but frustrating.

I do not have a set schedule for updates, but I promise, they will be coming! Until then, please read and leave me any comments you feel the need to make! And please, please, please have the patience and follow the story :)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything, except for a few characters and ideas that are my own. Everything else belongs to the awesome J.R.R. Tolkien.

Kili watched as the white cloud of breath disappeared in the night air. The late January air was growing colder and the sky was getting darker. A snowstorm was definitely blowing in and quickly. The breeze increased and he shivered beneath his furs. He rubbed his hands together, hoping to bring at least a little warmth to his nearly frozen fingers. What good were numb fingers when using a bow anyway?

He listened for any noise indicating his prey was nearby. He had been hunting the same doe for two days now. Normally, Fili would have accompanied him on the hunting trip, but circumstances had stopped him from joining him. And those circumstances had included a trip into a half frozen lake three days earlier and now a bad chest cold. Oin had stopped by and assured everyone that it would develop into nothing worse, like pneumonia. Kili was grateful for that, having had suffered the consequences of the deadly illness twice in his short sixty years.

A soft rustling of fallen leaves sounded from Kili's left. He slowly turned his head and after checking the forest floor for a clear path, he took an equally slow step forward. He walked three feet before hearing a branch snap and a low, frustrated snort. There, not ten feet away, stood the doe. She was healthy and sturdy. Surely, she would offer a good amount of meat for the winter.

Kili reached behind him and retrieved an arrow from his quiver. The slight scraping noise of the arrow sliding against the quiver quickly grabbed the keen deer's attention. Kili froze in place, not making a move, barely breathing. After a few unsettling seconds, the doe sniffed the air and began munching on the small patch of grass she had found.

Kili resumed his movement, being extra careful and precise with his actions. He knocked the arrow to the bowstring and pulled back, using his mouth as an anchor.

There was a soft thud as the arrow made its mark.

There was another soft thud as the doe fell heavily onto her right side.

And there was another soft thud as Kili fell to the ground.

Thorin opened the door to his home. Another long day in the forge was done and he was more than ready to be home.

A steady fire was blazing in the fireplace. Its heat was warming the area considerably. He hung his furs and coat on the proper hook beside the door and removed his gloves. He looked around for any sign of his eldest nephew as he rubbed the feeling back into his frozen fingers. Not seeing him in the small living room or the dining room, Thorin walked down the hall toward the boy's room.

He was greeted by a congested "Come in" upon knocking softly on the door. Fili was seated on the floor in front of the fireplace. A thick quilt was wrapped around his strong frame and a steaming mug of what smelled like coffee was grasped in one hand. A mound of used tissues laid beside him.

"How are you feeling?" Thorin asked, approaching his nephew.

"Better, actually." Fili stopped to sneeze and grabbed another tissue.

Thorin looked at his nephew's face, and noticed that there was a little more natural color in his face than there had been that morning. "I'm going to make some stew. Do you need anything?"

Fili shook his head no and sneezed again. He grabbed the coffee and took a drink. Thorin watched as his nephew seemed to find comfort in the warm liquid. Fili pulled the quilt tighter around his shoulders and looked up at Thorin.

"I'm fine. Get out of here. I'm hungry."

Normally, Thorin would have been angry if those words had been said to him. He was a king, after all, and he did not do well with commands from others. More than once, his temper had gotten the better of him when words were said with the wrong tone. But, Fili had kept all sound of anger from his tone. In fact, there was a hint of jest.

"Yes, my prince," Thorin bowed slightly and hit his nephew softly on the back of his head at the sound of Fili's congested laughter.

At home with his small family, he was a different person. The hard, strong-willed, often angry king lost his mask and became the kind, over-protective uncle his nephews loved. After his sister died of an infection when his nephews were still small dwarflings, he had taken them in as his own. Sometimes it was hard. Thorin did well to take care of himself and his kingdom. Raising two young dwarflings was an adventure and chore in itself, but he wouldn't have it any other way. He just prayed each day that he was making his sister proud.

Thorin closed the door behind him and made his way back down the hall. He passed by Kili's room and almost walked inside, but stopped when he remembered that his youngest nephew was currently on his hunting trip and would not be back until the next evening. The house was eerily quiet without Kili's presence. His young, reckless, mischievous ways and constant laughter and happiness added something to each day. There were days when Thorin would question how Kili would ever be able to ground himself and lead a kingdom if the time ever came. But, Thorin knew, that deep down, Kili would be a serious warrior and a great king if the time ever came.

But, thankfully, Fili was first choice. Just in case.

Thorin entered the kitchen and pulled out all the ingredients and utensils that he would need for the stew. An hour later, Fili and he sat at the small table and ate their stew. Fili quietly finished about half of his and made no effort to remove his bowl from the table. So, he quietly waited for Thorin to finish.

His thoughts were elsewhere, centered on his little brother who was miles away somewhere in the woods probably making camp for the night. He hated having Kili out of his sight because Fili was the only person who could keep him out of trouble. Kili was so unpredictable sometimes. He would probably show up tomorrow with some fresh kills and that stupid grin on his face and no doubt some stupid comment about how amazing he is. Fili laughed at the thought.

"Care to share?" Thorin asked, breaking through Fili's thoughts and bringing him back to the present.

"I miss him."

Thorin stood and retrieved both of the bowls from the table. "It's too quiet."

"Aye," Fili agreed. "I'll feel better when he's in my line of sight again."

Thorin laughed as he began to wash the dishes.

Since the day Kili was born, the two brothers had been inseparable. When they were forced to go longer than two days without each other, they would get a little crazy. They were polar opposites, but they balanced each other out. Sometimes their actions and words were so similar that Thorin would question if they were actually doppelgängers. Separate, they were dangerous. But together, they were lethal.

The quiet was broken by Fili sneezing, not once, but three times.

"Have you taken some of the draught Oin left?"

Fili blew his nose on a tissue. "Yeah, a few hours ago. I should probably take another dose soon."

Thorin quietly continued to clean up the mess from dinner. When he finished, he turned to see Fili still sitting in the chair at the table. His chin was resting on his chest, eyes closed, and lightly snoring. Thorin searched through some of the cabinets until he found the draught. He poured the correct dosage and walked over to the table.

"Fili." He said, gently shaking his nephew's shoulder. Fili lifted his head and mumbled something about not sleeping. Thorin shoved the draught into his nephew's hand and watched as Fili swallowed the disgusting concoction.

"Go to bed."

Fili yawned and stretched his arms. "Ok."

Thorin watched him walk down the hall. When Fili's door closed, Thorin grabbed his pipe and made his way to his favorite chair. There he sat, smoking his pipe by the warm fire, and thinking about the return of his young nephew. It couldn't come soon enough.

Kili didn't know how long he had laid there on the ground.

He didn't even know why he was laying there. He was only aware of three things.

One- his head was pounding. It felt as if someone was bashing his skull against the side of a boulder. The constant thumping was making his eyes hurt, and his vision was beginning to blur. Or maybe that was a concussion.

Two- he was freezing. Sure enough, the clouds had opened up and snowflakes were falling around him. His head rolled slowly to the left. He was startled to see that the ground was already covered. Apparently, he had been laying there for quite a while.

And three- he didn't know why he was laying there. He remembered tracking the doe. He remembered shooting. But then, he woke up on the ground.

Kili listened to the silence surrounding him. After determining that there was nothing around that may bring immediate danger, he slowly began to push himself up into a sitting position. As soon as he was upright, his head began to swim. He dragged himself over to a tree about three feet away, and leaned heavily against the trunk for support.

The forest spun around him and he was tired. So very tired. But, he forced himself to keep his eyes open. He knew without a doubt that he had a concussion, and by the way he was feeling, it was a fairly bad one. Sleeping with a concussion was never a safe idea.

He leaned his head against the trunk and took in a few deep breaths. The cold air made him cough harshly, which did nothing to aid the throbbing in his head. He couldn't fight back the nausea any longer and leaned over to the side, just in time to rid himself of his meager lunch of dried jerky and bread. When he finished vomiting, the pounding in his head seemed even more violent. He felt his eyes beginning to drift shut and jerked himself awake.

"No," he told himself.

He moved his arms to either side of him and counted to three before he pushed himself to his knees. He rested a moment and then slowly bent one knee. Once he was standing, he lost his balance as the forest began to spin even faster around him. He leaned against the tree and waited until the spinning slowed down considerably before he moved any further.

He couldn't remember which direction the deer was in, so he began to search the area. He finally saw the doe, laying about twelve feet to his right. He pushed himself away from the tree and forced his feet to move, one step at a time. When he finally reached the deer, he nearly collapsed but managed to somewhat gracefully lower himself to the ground. He reached for the sheath on his belt for his knife and stopped at his new discovery.

He reached his sheath only to find that his knife wasn't in its usual place. Kili tried to think back to earlier that morning. He had left camp, everything intact, including his knife which never left his belt for a period of time lasting longer than thirty seconds. Something suddenly didn't feel right, and it had nothing to do with his concussion.

Kili slowly lowered himself to lay against the doe's back, concealing much of his body from view. He positioned his bow, now loaded with an arrow, into his shooting stance and listened to the woods around him. He could feel something watching him but saw nothing.

Then he heard it. A low snort that sounded like it belonged to a horse. The sound of hooves making their way across the forest floor was muffled by the layers of snow, but not completely silenced. Kili listened carefully as the sound grew closer. He held his breath and gripped his bow, ready to shoot, when he heard the soft thud of feet hitting the ground.

"Ho, there! Please, I mean you no harm." A deep voice called out.

Kili slowly uncurled from his position and raised himself to his knees, never lowering his bow. He knew that he could kill the new intruder with immediate accuracy, and as much as he hated the thought, if he had to defend himself, he would.

"Who are you?" Kili asked, still not lowering his bow.

"Forgive me. My name is Drago. I was on my way to the Blue Mountains when I got lost. Somehow I ended up here in the middle of a forest in a snowstorm. I heard noises and followed, hoping to find directions."

Kili looked at the man. He did not look dangerous, but his instincts told him to keep his bow at the ready. "And what business do you have in the Blue Mountains?"

Drago offered a friendly smile. "I was hoping for work. Times are hard, my friend."

Kili nodded his head in acknowledgment. His uncle may be the king, but since his rightful kingdom was being held hostage by a dragon, they had no treasure, which forced them to partake in the everyday struggle of working long hours and making mild wages.

"Would you, perhaps, be able to lead me to the Blue Mountains?" Drago asked.

Kili considered the question for a moment. He could say no because he honestly did not know if he completely trusted this newcomer. Something about him just did not make any sense. Kili knew he should ask him more questions, but the pounding in his head was growing again because he had been upright for far too long. But, all he really wanted was to get home and curl up in his bed and sleep.

"I am actually headed that way. You can travel with me, if you like." Kili offered. His inner conscience screamed at him for his choice.

Drago hugged his coat closer as the wind picked up. "I would not want to impose. I am sure I can follow the path if you would just point me in the right direction."

"No, it's fine. Besides, I might like the company. Three days all by myself is doing things to my head." Kili smiled softly and slowly lowered his bow.

"I can understand your reasoning." Drago laughed softly. "Well, if you are sure about this, I would greatly appreciate your assistance."

Kili restocked his quiver with his unused arrow and swung his bow onto his back. He tried to stand up, but his knees buckled at his full weight.

"Whoa! Let me help, lad." Drago rushed forward and gently pulled Kili upright.

"Thanks," Kili huffed out, trying to keep his eyes open and ward off the pounding of his head at the same time.

"You don't look so good. I only have the one horse, but if need be, I can lead." Kili tried to protest at the offer, thinking it would be unnecessary, but Drago cut him off. "No, really, I insist. You are allowing me to tag along on this journey, it is only right that I offer my noble steed to your disposal."

He led Kili over to the large pony and helped him mount. Kili leaned forward and buried his face in the pony's chestnut mane. He mumbled a soft thank you and told the dwarf to head northeast. He did not sleep though. His senses told him that he did not know this man well enough to trust him with his life. So, he fought the sleep that was beckoning him to oblivion, and kept his eyes opened and trained ahead.

They went about like this until they reached the edge of the forest. The snow was an inch deeper here in the open, whereas the trees in the forest had been blocking a lot of the snow by collecting it on their branches high above the ground.

"Now, it's just a straight shot up that mountain. I live at the top, but dwarf settlements begin about halfway up. You can start looking there and make your way up the mountain." Kili told Drago. The slow trek out of the forest had helped clear his mind and replenished some of his energy.

"Thank you… I don't think you gave me your name." Drago said politely.

"My apologies. My name is Kili." Kili swung his leg over the side of the pony and lowered himself to the ground.

He offered his hand and Drago gave it a firm shake. "Pleasure to meet you. Thank you again for your help."

"Thank you for the ride. I didn't realize how badly I needed it." Kili said.

"It was no problem at all." Drago looked around, taking in the dark sky and the hidden moon. The snow had stopped, but the clouds were still overhead. "I hate to stop, but we should probably make camp for the night. We can conquer the mountain tomorrow."

Kili nodded his head slowly. "Aye, you are correct." Kili reached for the pouch on his belt and opened it, only to find it empty. "I'm sorry. It seems I have no more food."

"No worries. I have some jerky in one of my saddlebags." Drago said and walked over to his pony.

Kili walked over and found a somewhat dry log and gratefully lowered himself onto it. He was going to offer to keep first watch, but the pain in his head was becoming overwhelming. He didn't know if he could fight the pain and sleep off for much longer.

Drago walked over to the log Kili was sitting on and offered him a handful of jerky. Kili accepted the jerky and began to slowly chew on it. His bow and quiver were leaning against the log beside his feet. He watched as Drago situated himself on a log to his right. His eyes caught the soft glint of silver from the man's side.

Drago followed Kili's gaze and looked down to his side. He smiled and chewed his remaining jerky before he reached to his side and removed the knife.

Kili stared in disbelief at the hilt of the knife. It was blue and bared his insignia. "That's my knife."

"I know." Drago said standing.

Kili was too stunned to move and watched in fear as Drago casually made his way toward him.

"Say goodnight, sweet prince," Drago said with a polite smile on his face as he buried the knife into Kili's side.

Kili's eyes opened wide, as well as his mouth, but no sound came forth. He simply stared as the knife- his knife- was slowly twisted and then removed from his side. His eyes were glued to the growing maroon spot on his tunic. He slowly moved an arm to grab at his side, but the arm was gently pushed away.

Drago, still smiling kindly, pushed Kili's arms down, pinning them to the ground. "Now, I wish I could stay, but I have work to do. Thank you for the help. You really don't know how much I appreciate it."

Kili watched as the sadistic man rose, still holding Kili's knife in one hand. Drago suddenly planted one booted foot firmly onto Kili's stomach. The pressure caused the blood to flow faster from Kili's side. He bucked under the pressure and tried to yell out, but all that escaped his throat was a hoarse whisper.

Then a heavy boot connected with the side of his head and the world went black.