Chapter Two - Communication

Fíli had been unable to sleep since his mother left his side and ignoring the muffled conversation outside the door had deemed to be a difficult task. However, exiled to his bed by the thumping headache, he had managed to discover the monstrous lump on the back of his skull which seemed to be the epicenter of the pain. Fíli found it to be situated on the lower, right side of his head. The egg throbbed viciously, causing Fíli to wince every so often when the pain and light combination got too much. His eyes drooped as he blinked past the light however sleep did not take him again. Now that he knew of the lump,

He let out a moan and buried his head into the fur pillow that lay next to him on his bed. He took deep breaths of the fumes that was his mother's washing soap and a faint linger of pipe weed, letting out a large sigh. He needed his pipe.

The fur tickled his neck slightly and to his surprise, the sensation actually brought comfort instead of the usual annoyance. It felt like having another presence with him however not having to talk to them or them making any noise. It was like having a sleeping Kíli with him. Kíli.

His eyes fell closed at the thought of his brother. Reconstructing his brother's face in his mind, Fíli smiled as the stabbing pain in his head seemed to lessen slightly before,

The door of the room reopened with a creak that caused Fíli to groan with the slight but painful noise hit his head. Once again the sound of flat shoes crossed the wooden floor boards but now it seemed louder. No. There was more than one person this time. Three. There was three people.

Fíli rolled over, his face now towards the door. Prying his eyelids away from each other seemed more difficult than he remembered it ever being and his eyes were once again out of focus and blurry. He blinked rapidly and quickly the shapes turned to figures and the figures turned to people.

''Welcome back.'' A gruff voice sounded above him and Fíli realized he was staring at the chest of his visitor. Moving his gaze up, he saw a large Dwarf in front of him. The familiar dark hair, a slight smile on his lips that seemed out of place for some reason.

''...Ada?'' (Da?)

''Fíli,'' His mother's voice now rang, and Fíli twisted his head to find her. ''It's Thorin, Fíli. Your uncle.''

''Fíli?'' Another dark haired figure appeared.

''Kíli just stay there for a second.''

''Kíli?'' Fíli said, a small smile appearing on his face. He moved to sit up, but found him self back on the pillows when pain stabbed through his head again. He winced and closed his eyes in an attempt to stop the room spinning and the sudden nausea rising in his stomach.

''Fíli, I'm here.'' Kíli sounded, pushing gently past his mother to reach his brother's side. ''You look awful.'' He commented, though a smile sat comfortably on his lips. He looked down at his brother. Three days of lying in bed did him no favors. The normally neat braids were falling out and bits of golden hair latched on to each other, knotting in tight clumps that would take a while of furious combing to relieve him of.

''Desha uum llie, toror.'' (So do you, brother) The smile on Kíli's lips wavered as his mother's had and Fíli raised an eye brow. ''Mani naa raika, Kíli?'' (What's wrong, Kíli?) Kíli turned his gaze to Dís who answered his look with a shrug.

''I have no idea.''

''Mani naa raika?'' Kíli shook his head, his smile dropping. Now all hope of his mother's miss hearing had been thrown out of the window. It sounded exactly like the way Elladan and Elrohir had spoken to one and other. The tone. The flow of the words. This was Elvish all right and the prospect of his brother only speaking it. It terrified him.

''Atara...amin dol'' (Ma...my head) Dís' ears pricked up. She recognized this as something her eldest had mumbled early and moved to sit onto the bed, placing a comforting hand on her child's forehead.

''It might be his head.'' Thorin said, softly. Point to the look of comfort that his mother's touch had brought him. ''He did have his head smashed so it must hurt.''

''Do we have any more salve in the cupboard?'' Thorin shrugged.

''I'll go check.''

With that the tallest figure left the blond's sight and he turned his attention to his brother and mother who sat next to him. Moments of silence past as both Kíli and Dís struggled to find anything to say. Obviously the amount of questions they had were uncountable however both were lost for words as they milled over their last conversation.

''We should get Óin.'' Dís said, her voice almost a whisper but still feeling out of place in the silent room. She sighed, running a hand threw her hair. Óin would know what was going on. And if he didn't. Mahal help them, she thought.

''Well,'' Óin said, frowning. ''I won't pretend to be an expert but from what I can hear. It's Elvish.'' The grey Dwarf said as he placed a finger under the sleeping Fíli's chin and gently turned his head, muttering to himself quietly.

Dís had left not too much later after her final statement as the silence in the room had become to much for her to bear - her being used to both of her boys never being quiet. The sudden drop in decibel levels from them was a little too much for her to handle. Though Kíli had looked as uncomfortable as she did, her eldest son was completely content with not making any noise or anyone making a sound around him either. It was most unnerving. Hence the reason she had run from the room as quickly as was acceptable. She had gone to the house of Óin and brought him back, sent him into the shared room that was Fíli and Kíli's bedroom and had excused herself to go and help make tea for their guest. Leaving a rather bored Kíli with the half deaf Óin.

''Yes. It's Elvish.'' Kíli said, rolling his eyes. They had told him that. They didn't need a healer to tell them what language it was. They need him to tell them why, and how to cure him.

''Curious. You say he fell of his horse?''

''We said that last time. It's what we thought had happened. But we don't know for sure yet. We,'' Kíli dropped his gaze. ''We were waiting for him to wake up.'' The elder Dwarf nodded.

''Curious.'' He said again, turning his attention back to his patient. ''He can understand common, I assume.'' Kíli shrugged.

''I guess so. He answered me before but I don't know what he said. It might had been something completely unrelated.''

''Maybe.''

Óin gave a small smile then turned to his bag, fumbling through the equipment shoved in the small leather shoulder bag. The brunet sighed inwardly. Why did Óin feel like he had to move so slowly? He watched in growing annoyance as his elder examined what seemed like every single bottle and vile in what Kíli assumed was a purposely slow, and purposely irritating speed.

''Ah,'' Óin said finally as he brandished a small bottle filled with some sort of translucent liquid. ''This should stop the headache.''

''Uncle already-''

''I know laddie, but it won't harm him to take this too. Do him good in fact. I'll give him this when he wakes , then we'll leave him be for a time. But make sure that he puts on the salve on that egg before he sleeps. It'll do him wonders.''

''And if he doesn't understand?'' The grey Dwarf shrugged.

''Ah, you two'll find a way to communicate. There's no stopping brothers.'' Óin said as placed the bottle on the wooden bedside cabinet and began loading his removed equipment back into his healers bag.

Kíli swallowed. The prospect of not being understood by his brother was horrifying. Though - he had to admit- not talking to him completely was worse. Even during their worst argument, Kíli had only ever managed to go a few hours with out talking to his brother. But now. Not only was there a chance that Fíli wouldn't understand him but what about the Elvish? Kíli could speak about as much Elvish as his uncle. Meaning none. While his brother had been learning the language, what had he been doing? Talking about how to cause trouble. He'd never even used any of the tips that the Elf had given him. It had been a complete waste of an evening. He tried to ignore the guilt rising in his stomach. If he had only be more sensible as his brother, he could talk to his brother. Then maybe, he could find out what Fíli needed to be back to normal.

''Is it permanent?''

''What was that laddie?''

''Is it permanent? Fíli speaking Elvish?''

''I would say it was some kind of amnesia. We should keep an eye on him.''

That didn't answer my question, thought Kíli. Though before he could ask another question, Óin stood, stretching his arms and lifting the bag.

''I wonder if your mother has finished making that tea?'' Kíli gave a weak smile, standing too and walking around the wooden bed to the door. He opened it for the elder Dwarf and followed him out, giving one last look behind him at where his sleeping brother lay. He would get his brother back.

He had to.

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