Crafted By Your Hands Chapter 1, a hobbit fanfic

Crafted By Your Hands

Chapter 1

He felt heavy in the darkness. His eyelids refused to open even as he heard familiar yells echoing around him. The clash of metal, a cry of pain, a female voice yelling out. There were many footfalls thumping around him. They sounded like a heart beating, but his was beating so slowly. He felt cold, so very cold. As he listened to his failing heart beating, he drifted back into unconsciousness.

He didn't know how long it had been; fifteen minutes, an hour, five hours. There was light shining on his eyelids, still too heavy to open.

"How is he?" a gruff voice asked.

"Not good, his breathing is steady, but far too slow," another voice answered. This one sounded familiar.

"Can he be saved?" the first voice asked.

"It's possible, but doubtful," sighed the familiar voice. "My skills are not advanced enough for a wound this grievous."

"Maybe the elves will help," another voice chirped. "Tauriel is in the next room; surely she could find an Elven healer willing to help."

"That's unlikely, Lad," a sad answer came.

"But worth a try."

"Aye, worth a try."

His chest felt heavy. He tried to take a deeper breath but all that greeted him was a searing pain. He descended back into the darkness. He was plagued by nightmares; armies of orcs and goblins descended upon the Lonely Mountain, Azog leading the foul things. He was searching the broken towers of Ravenhill with his brother. They had gone their separate ways to cover more ground. Before he knew it all his exits were blocked and the orcs converged. They beat him senseless before The Defiler roughly grabbed the back of his coat. He was dragged to the terrace, lifted over the drop. He saw his brother, his uncle watching him with fearful eyes. He could hear his own voice ringing out, telling them to run, but neither of them moved. He felt the sharp pain of a blade piercing his back. He hadn't been able to cry out for the force of the blade pushed all remaining air out of his lungs. He felt himself falling, his legs and back connecting with the cold hard ground, saw a glimpse of his brother's dark hair, a look of anguish in his eyes.

He felt a warmth and light engulf his form. Life was returning to his broken body. Unfamiliar, but beautiful words rang in his ears calling him back to the land of the living. His eyelids didn't feel so heavy now, but his body would not move. He wanted to reach out, to grasp the light he felt around him. He took a shuddering breath and heard a few gasps of anticipation near his head. The pain had lessened when he took a breath, but his throat felt dry and tasted of iron. The warmth spread to every inch of his body, filling him with a lightness that felt foreign to him. He tried willing different parts of his body to move, but they wouldn't comply. Without warning, his eyelids snapped open, the light burning his eyes.

"His eyes!" Dwalin shouted. "He opened his eyes!"

His eyes searched the room. Many familiar faces flooded his sight, but there were two faces missing among the crowd he had hoped to look upon.

"Kili," his voice sounded wrong to his ears. "Where is…my brother?"

"Fili, you're all right," Bofur knelt next to his cot.

"Where is Thorin?" Fili asked.

"Being healed as you are," Bofur answered softly.

Fili took another steadying breath and looked toward the light. He saw now it was a wood elf, a healer he had never seen before. The beautiful words he had been hearing were pouring out of the healer's mouth as various topical items were being rubbed into his wounds. He gritted his teeth finally registering the pain from his wounds. He cried out and his body shook involuntarily.

"Fili, try to lie still," Dwalin ordered.

"I need…" Fili started through gritted teeth. "I need to see Kili!"

"He's in worse shape than you, Lad," Bofur said a serious look clouding his usual grin plastered face.

Fili couldn't help the tears that clouded his eyes. Kili wasn't allowed to die and neither was Thorin. He cried out as a new scoop of medicine was spread on his open wound. Hot tears ran down his face freely from pain, anger, and sadness. He registered Dwalin kneeling on the other side of his cot; the normally stoic warrior ran his hand through Fili's golden locks comfortingly.

"Fili you will heal, and so will your brother," Dwalin told him.

"And-and what about Thorin?" Fili asked his breaths coming in gasps.

Both Dwalin and Bofur were silent. Fili shook with despair as he thought of his uncle having been killed in battle. Dwalin's hand continued to run through Fili's hair trying to soothe the young dwarf.

The Elven healer halted his ministrations and asked the assistant to begin bandaging Fili's wounds.

"He will live through the night," the healer spoke. "And will begin to recover over the course of the next few days. We will be back in the morning to change the bandages and give him more medicine."

"Thank you," Bofur said quietly.

The two elves left the room without another word. Fili stared into Dwalin's face still not comprehending that his uncle was no longer alive.

"But Thorin…he is King," Fili sobbed.

"And he still is," Dwalin smiled. "Thorin has not passed, but refuses any further treatment until you and your brother are safely pulled from death."

Fili exhaled in relief, "He's always been too stubborn for his own good."

"Bofur," Dwalin said to the other dwarf. "Go find Thorin. Tell him Fili is awake and recovering."

Bofur nodded and ran from the room. Fili was left alone with Dwalin, who was still methodically stroking the younger dwarf's hair. It was soothing, but Fili felt a bit embarrassed having to be comforted in such a way.

"You'll be all right now, Fili," Dwalin said softly. "And soon, Kili will begin his recovery as well."

"Thorin won't rest…until Kili is better," Fili managed.

"Maybe you can convince him to receive help sooner," Dwalin smiled. "You have a way with him."

Fili gave a smile that turned into a grimace as he felt a wave of pain. Before Dwalin could check to see if Fili was all right, Thorin came bursting into the room.

"Fili!" he exclaimed, worry filling his eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I took a blade to the back," Fili ground out.

"As you should," Thorin whispered. "You were barely breathing when they found you."

"You are…injured, too," Fili glared at his uncle.

"My wounds can wait," Thorin shuddered with an uneasy breath. "You and your brother come first."

"You are King, Uncle," Fili sighed. "You should let the healers help you."

"Not until you and Kili are feeling better," Thorin said kissing Fili's brow.

"No, Uncle," Fili groaned. "Let them help you. Kili…and I…we need you."

"Rest now," Thorin smiled.

Fili's eyes began to close. It felt as if there were weights pulling on his eye lids. His head was swimming as the darkness began to creep over him again.

"Uncle," Fili whispered. He wanted to ask one more question before sleep took him. "How is Kili?"

Fili never heard the answer. Sleep had descended over him and he was plagued by nightmares. He dreamt of orcs and goblins, darkness descending over mountains. He watched his brother dying and was unable to help. He felt himself cry out before his eyes snapped open. Dwalin was hovering over him while a female dwarf blotted his brow with a damp cloth. His eyes were going in and out of focus. Light surrounded the dwarf tending to him.

"Hush," the female said. "You're all right. Just a bad dream."

Fili knew that voice. Something was so comforting about that voice. It sounded like home and safety.

"Mother," he said his voice gruff with sleep and pain.

"I'm here now, Fili," she said continuing to blot his brow.

"You can't be here now," Fili whispered still not completely awake.

"And why not?" she asked.

"The journey is too long," he told her as his eyes closed again. "You must have run here."

"Fili, you have been asleep for nearly two weeks," she said. "Of course you're confused. Balin sent word with a raven. I came as quickly as I could."

"It took us…so many months to get here," Fili huffed his breath coming in pants.

"Nothing can stop a mother from getting to her sons," she smiled.

Fili smiled. No, nothing could stop his mother from reaching him or Kili when they were in trouble. She may have been a hard-headed stubborn dwarf like her brother, Thorin, but when it was time to be tender, there was no better dwarf to provide comfort. Her warmth and kindness laid over Fili like a woolen blanket.

"Fili," a low voice pleaded with him to stay awake. "Fili, open your eyes."

The young dwarf felt his eyes flutter open. Sunlight poured in through the high windows on the healing halls. An elf performed spells of healing over him. His eyes panned to the right side of his cot and locked eyes with a pair of icy blues that he knew so well.

"Thorin," he shuddered with pain. His limbs felt tight and heavy as if they hadn't moved in a long while.

The older dwarf sighed in relief. Fili noted his uncle looked healthier than when he last saw him. The dark circles were gone and his jaw looked less tight as he no longer gritted his teeth to hide the pain of secret wounds.

"Durin's beard, Fili," Thorin released a great amount of air. "You had us all worried."

"Where is Mother?" Fili asked.

Thorin's brow furrowed with confusion. He looked at the dwarf on the other side of his cot. Fili didn't turn his head to see who it was. "Fili," Thorin spoke. "Your mother isn't here."

"She was just speaking to me," Fili said.

"No, Fili," Thorin spoke. "We've only sent word to your mother two days ago. She won't be here for some time."

"But she was," Fili grunted. "She was tending to me. She spoke to me."

"It was just a dream, Lad," Dwalin's voice came from Fili's left.

Fili gave a short nod understanding he had been dreaming. But she had seemed so real!

"Kili is awake," Thorin spoke.

Fili's eyes widened, "How is he?"

"In a lot of pain, but alive and healing," Thorin smiled. "The red-haired elf wouldn't give up on him."

Fili felt his eyes fill with tears. He couldn't stop the sob that ripped through his throat. The force of air in his chest made his injuries burn but he didn't care. He was so relieved his brother was alive.

"Oh Uncle," Fili sobbed.

"I know, Fili," Thorin smiled, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "I know."