They had just climbed down the rock those giant eagles had put them on. But on the way down not eight feet off the ground did Kili slip off the rocks he had been holding onto. He fell to the ground with a sickening crack, where he laid motionless.
"Kili!" Fili shouted running to his brother's side having already been on the ground.
Grabbing his brother Fili pulled him close in a tight embrace. Fili check and thank fully there was a pulse, a strong one in fact.
"Kili, please be okay, please open your eyes." Fili whispered into Kili's ear.
Strong hands grasped his shoulders and then pulled him away from his brother, his Kili.
"Kili. Kili!" he yelled as he was pulled away, he reached out to take his brother back to keep him safe.
Fili struggled against the pull of his uncle but he was no match even with Thorin being injured. Finally giving up Fili allowed himself to be pulled away.
"Fili, Kili will be fine. Oin is tending to him now." Thorin said kneeling down in front of Fili, blocking his view of Kili.
With tears streaming down his face Fili wanted; needed to be comforted like he use too be as a child. Fili jumped into Thorin's chest, wrapping himself around his uncle hot tears falling fast down his face. Thorin surprised by the childish move, but he found his arms wrapping instinctively around Fili. They held each other in that tight embrace until a third set of arms wrapped around them both.
"What's with the hugging? I thought we didn't do that anymore."
"Kili." Fili shouted recognizing that sarcasm anywhere.
He brought his right arm around Kili and tightens his hold on Thorin, as he goes to stand up; he is not letting him out of the hug that easy. Thorin looked up for some help to see Gloin walking away to explore with Bofur and Nori, and Balin heading around the rocks the other way with Dori and Bifur. The entire company had smiles plastered on their faces; looks like he would be get no help today. The brothers finally let Thorin go after a few minute, but they continued hugging as their uncle stretched.
"Will we be camping here tonight?" Dwalin asked coming up behind the newly freed Thorin.
"Yes, those two will be awhile and Kili will be off balance with that bump on his head." Thorin stated but could not hide his concern from his longtime friend.
"Alright I tell everyone." Dwalin said and Thorin nodded.
"I can go hunting if you like." Thorin turned, as Dwalin walked back to the rest of group, to see Fili standing behind him.
"What about Kili?" Thorin asked surprised that Fili would offer to leave his little brother especially when his hurt.
"His asleep and he will be safe with the company." Fili said looking around for a good hunting spot.
"Asleep, how is he asleep?" Thorin asked.
"I think Oin gave him a sleeping draught or maybe it's from the huge bump on top of his head. You will have to ask Oin." Fili said "So do you want me to go hunting."
"Okay, sure that would be great." Thorin said pleased that Fili was so sure that Kili would be safe with them. "Why don't you take Ori." He said seeing Ori sitting down on the rocks looking sad.
"Okay, I would love the company, and he looks a little sad. It will cheer him up to have someone to talk to." Fili said, he always acting like the older brother, and then started over to where Ori sat feeling useless.
"Hey Ori do you want to come hunting with me." Fili asked coming up in front of him shaking him from his thoughts.
"Sure sounds like fun."
Within ten minutes of their hunt they had three rabbits and a squirrel.
"Do you think this is enough?" Ori asked looking at their pile with pride.
"I-" Fili broke off upon spotting the fattest rabbit he has ever seen.
"What is it?" Ori asked concerned.
Fili reached over and move Ori's head to where he can see the rabbit. "Wow" is all he said. Fili motioned for them to split up like they did every time; one would block the escape, the other would go for the kill. It was Ori's turn and he killed the rabbit swift with a rock before it knew what hit it. Then he heard thrashing in the bushes that Fili had took cover in, he crept up to the bush and went through to find Fili fighting with three orcs.
"Ori get out of here." Fili shouted seeing him start to shake upon remembering last time they had met orcs.
Ori didn't need to be told twice he made a break for it, grapping the bag that held the four rabbits and the squirrel. Ori bursts from the forest and into the camp.
"Ori what's wrong?" Dori said seeing his little brother shaking.
"Fili, orcs, blood." Where the only understandable words but it got every body's attention.
"And you left him alone!" Kili yelled walking over to Ori their faces an inch apart.
"He told me to run." Ori said backing away behind his brother visible scared.
Kili said nothing more though he really wanted to, but he went into the woods that Ori had just ran out from.
"Ori how many orcs were there?" Thorin asked calm and slowly so to not frighten the lad further.
"Th-th-th-th-three." Ori stammered.
"Then Kili can handle them by himself, if Fili hasn't already." Thorin said visible relaxing.
"Here" Ori said thrusting the bag of freshly kill mammals into Bombur's arms as he calmed down. Bombur started on the stew as they waited for Kili and Fili.
Kili entered the woods fuming. He followed Ori's tracks to where Fili and Ori spotted and killed the fat rabbit. Kili search around but came up with nothing. He decided to head back when he stepped and heard the splash of his boot hitting water.
"Well that's just great, now I have to walk in a wet boot thanks to you-" Kili looked down "-red water" Kili followed the trail of blood into a bush and then "No!" He screamed so loud that he was sure they could here back at camp.
He ran diving to his knees beside his fallen brother. Picking up Fili and bringing him into an embrace. "Fili please come back to me, please." Kili closed his eyes this can't be possible, and it wasn't because in that very same moment Kili felt his brother take in a breath, exhale, then repeat, but it was faint extremely faint. "Don't worry Fili I'll get you help." Kili gathered Fili's weapons. Then picked up Fili himself and ran as fast as he dares to go back to camp, not wanting any of this to be real.
"Oh-no" the company heard Bilbo say grief stricken.
"What-" Thorin stopped when turned around to see Kili's head bowed with Fili in his arms. Thorin ran over to his nephews "What happened?"
"I-I don't know I-I found him in a-a huge puddle of blood." Kili said looking up with red eyes and tears streaming.
"What about the orcs?" Thorin asked.
"Fili killed two and took down the third as it tried to kill him." Kili with a little smirk in remembrance of how he saw the dead orcs, one with Fili's blade stuck between its eyes. Fili took a breath that ended in a coughing fit that left him gasping; new tears had sprung into Kili's eyes during the fit.
"It's okay, he will be fine, we'll get him to Oin." Thorin said and Kili just nodded his head, not real listening.
Thorin lead Kili back to the group; he was about to call for Oin, but the medic was already heading towards them. Kili put Fili down regrettably. Oin looked Fili over, but when he was done checking him over he bowed his head in defeat.
"I'm sorry their nothing I can do." Oin sighed, and Kili world came crashing down.
A sob escaped his libs as fresh tears trickled down his cheeks. Nobody noticed, caught up in their own grief, the one thing everybody wanted to happen, Fili opened his eyes.
Fili saw his brother crying so he did the one thing he knew would work to cheer him up. He jumped up and tackled his brother with an embrace. Kili was shocked, so was everybody else, but he didn't care he gave his brothers embrace one of his own.
"How is this possible you were on the border of death?" Oin asked in astonishment.
"My brother needed me." Fili said breaking the embrace to look sternly into Oin's eyes. "And I will always be by his side when he needs me there." He said this time looking at Kili, truth of his words shining in his eyes.
The brothers continued their embrace with the company watching them with smiles. They continued to the Lonely Mountain the next day, Fili and Kili feeling better, when their together, and ready to take down Smaug.
And everyone in the company finally knew the power of a brother's love.