It was a cool spring after noon, a gentle wind rustled the trees just enough to make them sway, and dance with each other. Fili and Kili rested by a creek, snaking on dried meat, while listening to the soft sounds of running water. They were out checking traps that fine day, and with them they had two ponies to carry the catch. Kili stretched his arms above him arching his back and let himself fall into the soft thick grass beneath him, while Fili breathed in the freshest air, and continued to aimless watch their surroundings. He wasn't looking for anything in particular, just simply enjoying everything the wild forest had to offer that day.
Kili began to snore quietly, already having fallen asleep in the tempting grass. It called for Fili as well, he resisted it thinking about the traps they still had to check that day, but the day was convincing. A day this nice didn't happen often, he thought of it as a treat, and soon gave in to rest beside his brother. He had only planned on sleeping for a few moments, but when he had just began to close his eyes he heard a rustling in the brushes across the creek.
Thinking it was a deer or animal they could add to their catch, Fili sat up, and woke Kili with a gentle nudge on his shoulder. Kili startled a bit, Fili put a finger to his lips telling Kili to be quiet, and the pointed to where he heard the sounds of the animal. Kili understood, and retrieved his bow from him pony, quietly, and swiftly. He knocked an arrow, and then made his move toward the bushes to find the animal. Moving forward through the creek, Kili disappeared into the Bushes and from Fili's line of site.
Fili made no move to follow him, afraid to scare away Kili's possible kill, and remained where he was. Until, there was more rustling in the same bushes, this time rougher than the last. Something about that particular rustling, shook Fili's nerves, and formed goosebumps all over his body. He longer thought that rustling either time, was caused by an animal. Quickly jumping to his feet and retrieving his swords, he prepared himself to follow Kili. There was more rustling as he began to cross the creek, and then readying himself, he stepped into the bushes.
He was immediately attacked from the right, he blocked it and heard the loud clang echo, as he felt the vibrations from it run down his sword and shake his hand. He tightened his grip slightly, sensing another blow coming at him, he blocked it with both swords, but all happened so quick that he miscalculated his footing, and was thrown off his feet. Rolling back, and readjusting himself, he finally got a look at his attackers, Orcs. He only saw two here, and nothing of his brother. Wanting to quickly rid the land of these intruders he ran to attack them.
He sliced at the closest with one sword, the orc dodged and swung, landed a small cut on Fili's arm, barely tearing through the fabric drawing a bit of blood. Fili ignored it, and spin gracefully landing a blow with both swords on the next orc, who blocked it with his own. He fought the block it a game of strength for a moment, before remembering the other behind him, and breaking off to slice at him once more. Fili caught the orc on the arm, and slide across his chest, and then finished him with a stab from his other blade. Pulling his sword from the orc, Fili didn't even look to see if he fell, but spun back to the remaining orc with both swords once more. His blow was blocked again, and then they became locked in a one on one battle of slicing and blocking, until one of them got tired, or distracted.
Finally a distraction came, "Fili! Ru.." Kili's voice pierced through the fight, Fili made the mistake of looking toward the direction of his voice, and then got a blow to the head, that knocked him unconscious.
Kili took a beating from the two orcs that grabbed him and muffled his voice. His bow broke it the initial attack, leaving him with no weapon, but that didn't stop him from fighting back. Punching, and kicked Kili did everything he could to get away from his captors. All he managed to do was get away from the hand over his mouth, just enough to yell to Fili, before being silenced again. He kept fighting; even feeling like his air was being cut off. Unfortunately, it was useless, with both his arms pinned behind his back the way they were, he was just wasting energy.
He stopped fighting for a moment when he saw another orc carrying Fili's limp body over his shoulder. Kili was horrified, and then began fighting again. He didn't even here the orcs speak of getting rid of him, but he did feel a sudden iciness sharply intrude into his stomach. His body convulsed, and then the pain came spreading throughout his body, he was let go, and he dropped to the ground like a weight. Even as he struggled for a breath, Kili still noticed as the orcs began to take his brother away. By some miracle Kili grabbed hold a thick tree branch, and lifted himself off the ground, ready to fight for his brother.
"Drop him!" He yelled. The three orcs turned and looked at him, they laughed. "I said drop him!" Kili yelled again.
"Get rid of him." One of the Orcs ordered, and another began to walk towards him. Kili swung his tree branch, the orc easily dodged, and then took hold of Kili spinning him around and locking him in a choke hold. Kili struggled against the darkness that began to close in on him in a matter of seconds, but soon it had him, and he knew nothing.
It had been a busy day for Thorin, he was tired, and terribly needed a drink, in which Dwalin and Balin joined him. Along with the drink, they also lifted his spirit as they began to share their best stories of the past. Thorin couldn't help but smile, and share his own; it was good to talk about home, even when it was lost to them. Together they empty their cups, and began to discuss getting another when of all people; a flustered looking Dis came to interrupt them.
He didn't need to ask to know something was wrong, he almost didn't even need to ask what it was. Dis had the typical look of an extremely worried mother, she was wearing traveling clothes, and she was alone. Thorin knew before she even said it, and he stood from his chair as she did.
"Thorin, Fili and Kili are not back yet."
"How long have they been gone?" He probed her for more information.
"Since this morning, they were checking traps, and should have been back hours ago." Dis explained.
"Have they ever been late before?" Thorin asked
"Yes, but Thorin, they have never been this late." Dis replied.
"Alright, so we can start by following those traps." Thorin had begun to plan.
"We can help as well." Dwalin spoke for him and Balin.
"I'll need it." He told them, "Dis stay here and retrieve Oin, if either of them is hurt I want to be prepared. Dwalin, Balin, how soon can you leave?"
The sun was setting, when Kili woke hours later, his body convulsing in pain as he tried to catch a breath. He felt as if he had no control over his body as his stomach muscles abused him with painful spasms. He meagerly attempted to hold the precious blood in his body, despite the large pool of it he was lying in. Kili had a moment to wonder if the massive amount of blood around him was really all his. It no longer felt like liquid, but sticky, as if it was solidifying without a care that he needed it to live.
More convulsions wracked Kili, and he vomited, wasting precious energy. His body was betraying him, the world spun, and even when he closed his eyes he still felt dizzy. Then the cold was an extra torture for him, he couldn't even shiver for warmth, so he tried to curl up, but his body just convulsed. That's when he finally noticed his skin color from a glimpse of his hand, and he couldn't believe it was his hand, he wondered if it was really possible to become that pale. He was dying, he felt it, he knew it, and even through all the pain, he still did not want to die.
Following the traps, Thorin found, was the right thing to do, for he found their ponies tied to a tree by a creek between two of them. "They rested here." He said.
"I don't see any signs of a fight." Balin stated.
"They wouldn't just leave their ponies behind." Dwalin said.
"Something must have drawn them away." Thorin thought, "Split of a check the area, but don't go far."
Kili woke again, it was too dark to see now, but there was light near, and voices. Someone must be near with torches. Unable to do anything, Kili listened for them.
"Thorin! Something happened here!" Dwalin called. Thorin and Balin ran to his location, and saw for themselves the dead orc and the signs of a fight around it.
"There are more tracks this way." Thorin said as he pushed his way past some foliage, Dwalin and Balin following. Thorin's torch revealed blood in the next clearing, and a lot of it, he followed it. Then everything stopped silent for a split second before Thorin launched himself forward, and scooped up his nephew.
"Fe." Kili tried to speak, he tried to Thorin that Fili had been taken by orcs, but nothing else would come.
"Easy there Kili, don't try to speak, we will keep looking for Fili once we take care of you." Thorin told him, all while assessing, and taking notes his condition. He felt Kili's face; he was too cold, and too pale. He looked at his wound, gently removing Kili's hand from it, it came away with sticky, crusty dark blood, it was clearly a stab wound, and it was trying to clot. The clotting was good, but Kili was a horrible shape, he didn't have much time left.
While Thorin was preoccupied with Kili Dwalin had prepared a pony and brought it up, and Balin removed his cloak and handed it to Thorin, who wrapped Kili up it. Kili kept trying to speak, and Thorin kept stopping him with a shh. Kili felt like a limp ragdoll in Thorin's arms, as he put his remaining arm underneath Kili's legs, and lifted him like a child. Dwalin helped Thorin onto the pony, by hold Kili for a moment, and then giving him back to Thorin. Thorin didn't speak a word before he kicked the pony to run back home.
He pushed the pony hard and fast, although he didn't want to jostle he nephew, there simply wasn't time to go slower. There was no telling how long Kili had been there slowing bleeding to death. He rode right up to his sister's house, Dis and Oin were waiting out front, and came running when they saw Thorin's precious package. They rushed Kili in, Thorin gently laid him on his bed, and Oin helped strip him of his clothing, while Dis started a fire, and retrieved Oin's supplies from the living room where he left them.
Oin began his work while Thorin took his sister gentle by the arm, and led her outside. Hesitantly, she followed leaving her son's lift in Oin's hands. Thorin closed the door quietly behind them, and Dis clasped into Thorin in sobs. He just held her, no words could comfort this night, so he just held her, lowering to the floor because sorrow weakened her knees.
A long moment later, Thorin and Dis sat by the fire, still waiting to hear of Kili in the next room. Dis finally gained the courage to ask, "Where is my eldest son?"
"Yet to be found sister, when we found Kili I hurried back here, Dwalin, and Balin stayed behind to continue the search. I'm going to gather more help and rejoin them, but Dis, it doesn't look good." Thorin explained. Dis began to cry again, but pushed back the tears and recomposed herself. They heard the door open; Oin exited and joined Thorin and Dis, who both anxiously stood from their seats to hear him.
"I've done all I can, the rest is up to him now." Oin told them.
"Will he be alright then?" Dis asked.
"I don't know if he will live through it," Oin started, Dis cried, "As I said the rest is up to him, I've seen grown Dwarves die from a wound such as this in battle, Kili is still young. Although, you found him just in time, another hour Thorin and…well he wouldn't be here. I only hope that we have managed to reverse the damage, the next several hours are crucial, if he survives them, then his chances dramatically increase."
"May I have a moment alone with him?" Thorin partly asked both of them. Dis nodded, and Oin stepped out of his way as he entered Kili's room, and closed the door. Oin had cleaned up Kili, raised his feet with a pillow, and placed a cool damp cloth on his forehead. Kili's breathing had become a haunting rattle, one that only happens when a person is dying. Thorin had heard it before, and hearing it come from the chest of his young nephew was especially painful.
Thorin proceeded across the room, and then lifted Kili's upper half to rest upon his upper arm and shoulder. He held Kili tightly, and then began to allow his own quiet sobs drain into Kili's hair, rocking back a forth. It was only a moment and Thorin felt Kili's hand touch his own. "Uncle?" Kili's voice was weak.
"Yes, Kili." Thorin responded.
"I don't want to die." Kili told him.
"Then live Kili." Thorin said as he held him tighter.
"Fili?" Kili croaked.
"I'm going to continue to look for him," Thorin held Kili away from him to look him in the eye. "I will bring him back; make sure your still here when that happens."
"I'll try." Kili promised, Thorin kissed his nephew's forehead, gently lay him down, as he left Kili there to rest he silently said goodbye, not knowing if he would still be alive when he got back.