Chapter summary: In the aftermath of the Battle of Five Armies, two brothers recover from their wounds in the Healing House of Erebor. The wounds to the heart, though, are bound to hurt deep and long.

=^.^=

"And so it was that our burglar was upside down, suspended by his shins by that monstrous troll and threatened to have his big feet burnt. Fíli had gone to get the others and wasn't back yet, but I couldn't just stay hidden and watch Bilbo be tortured. So, I unsheathed my sword and sprang at them, hacking a gash in a leg as thick as a tree trunk and commanding them to drop him!"

"Wow! And did they drop him?"

Her eyes were wide in the excitement of the story, and to imagine that it was a true adventure, not a fairytale made up by a bard or someone. Kíli shook his head lightly, with a forlorn look in his face.

"Well, actually, they did, but…"

"But they threw Bilbo atop of my little brother and this made him a most honourable mattress!"

The girl giggled, both from Fíli's description of the scene and from Kíli's indignant reaction, throwing a pillow at his brother on the bed beside him. The laughter was cut short by the creak of the door being opened.

"Tilda! What are you doing here? Da told you not to bother the dwarves!" Sigrid turned to the convalescent brothers, an iron grip on her sister's arm. "I'm really sorry, my princes, it won't happen again, I promise."

Kíli turned to the older girl with pleading eyes.

"No, please! Tilda doesn't bother me, she makes me company while my sluggish brother sleeps!"

A joyful pillow flew back to Kíli's bed.

"I'm not sluggish, I'm just on stronger medicines than you!"

Sigrid stepped between the beds to prevent a battle from happening, grabbing one pillow in each hand.

"My princes, please, if you move too much your wounds might reopen and you'll have to be stitched again!"

The idea of being in the hands of the healers again made them stop instantly, but the younger dwarf got more implications from what she said. Fíli was fast in explaining other issues.

"Milady Sigrid, please, no need to call us 'princes' all the time. You didn't call us that when we were hosted at your father's home."

The human girl nodded and Kíli took the chance to make his point too.

"Then please, Milady Sigrid, allow your sister to come and tend us again. To be bed ridden is so very, very boring, and Tilda is such a…"

Kíli looked at the ceiling and twitched his fingers while picking the right word.

"Distraction?"

"Fíli, no!" Now his face was earnest. "She is good company. A very gracious company."

The smile on both sisters' faces was of deserved pride.

Kíli spoke softly to his brother after the girls got out of sight, a daydreaming look in his face.

"Children of Men are so amusing. I wish our own people had more children."

Fíli smiled and nodded, agreeing.

"When our people comes from the Blue Mountain to repopulate Erebor I'm sure more dwarflings will be born. The years in exile were harsh, you know. Now there will be plenty again, and our people will grow."

The younger dwarf gave a bitter smile.

"May Mahal heed your words, brother. I'll love to be an uncle."

"Why just an uncle? You have so much life in you, Kee, you should spread this life around. And I would love to be an uncle, too."

At this statement the Kíli's face went somber, and his eyes lost part of the shine they used to show.

"Nay, brother. Since Tauriel is no more, this path is closed to me."

"Kee… You didn't even marry. Is not as if you were bound. You…'"

"Shut up!" Kíli shout, angry. "You know nothing! You…"

"Kee…"

With the same speed the outburst of anger came it was gone, leaving sadness in its wake and tears in Kíli's eyes.

"…S-sorry, Fee, I…"

The blond swallowed his own sadness at the sight of his brother's crying. He would gladly give up his right hand if only Kíli coped with his mourning.

"It's all right, Kee. I really don't know how it is to fall in love, yet. But I hope I'll find out, someday. As I hope you'll find cure for your heart. Someday."

"Someday… The day I find Tauriel again, my brother, beyond the western seas…"

=^.^=

Important Author's Note on age: First few short chapters mentioning the past are to show how some things happened. The main story happens when Tilda is already 21 years old, adult and a healer. Probably, taking care of injured warriors awoke in her the will to relieve suffering from people.