Hello! Well, I'm back from my holiday and fresh with inspiration, both for this and a couple of other ideas (I totally blame ThornyHedge for the AU I'm currently tapping away at ^^)
I hope you enjoy this chapter; it's where the action really starts!
Onwards….
The morning came about too soon for Kili's liking- the sun had only just peeped from behind misty clouds when Thorin had roused them. As he got dressed and put his things together, however, the excited atmosphere of the others getting ready had made him smile once more. It was finally happening.
As he walked down the dark corridor with the others, making their way to the front door and outside, he caught a glimpse of a closed door to his left. Bilbo's bedroom door, he supposed.
He slowed a bit, biting his lip- should he tell them they were off, and wouldn't bother him again?
'What are you doing?' Fili said, making him jump a little.
'Nothing, just…' he motioned the door, shrugging a bit. Fili looked at the door too, before shrugging with him and shaking his head. 'He's made his choice- come on, lets go.' Together the two of them walked to the front part of the house where Oin and Balin were stood, rifling through their packs to make sure they had everything they needed. 'No chance of the Hobbit coming?' Balin asked, looking hopefully over Kili's shoulder. 'I don't think so, no.' Kili replied, before catching Thorin's eye at the door. 'He's made his choice,' he finished, before walking with Fili to join their Uncle.
'Fresh morning.' Fili observed, squinting a little in the dawn light.
'Aye, a good time to make a move.' Thorin nodded.
'Which should be any time now, I gather?' Gandalf's voice floated through from outside- Fili looked past his uncle to see him sitting on Bilbo's bench, smoking.
'Yes, we'll go now.' Thorin nodded, a determined edge to his voice as he looked after the horizon.
The boys and their uncle stood back as the others traipsed out the door, before Kili shut it with a small snap, not wanting to awaken the slumbering occupant. He once again hovered a little more than he should have, but he gave himself a little shake before turning away, smiling at his kin.
'We ride till nightfall, we should cover some good ground with weather like this,' Thorin said to the group, before he led them to a small field where everyone had paddocked their ponies.
After everyone was settled upon their respective steed, with all their equipment safely stowed about them, Thorin gave the order to move off.
They had ridden for around ten miles, and the sun had risen steadily, giving off nice warmth on the dwarves' backs as they rode along, happy and content in their journey. Most of them were talking about themselves, leaning backwards and forwards on their ponies to talk to their neighbours on either side of them- Kili prodded Fili, who was riding behind him, and nodded his head to the front; Thorin was riding with Gandalf, and they were both riding in what seemed to be a strained silence.
Fili grinned to himself, shaking his head. Thorin never was a good travelling companion.
They had ambled past the last of Hobbiton a couple of miles back, with their little holes dotted here and there, as well as their inns and taverns; Kili had given Fili a look as they passed the one they had gone in the previous night. Everything seemed calm again, with the people coming and going quite pleasantly. He relaxed in his saddle after that, reassured that nothing was going to happen.
They reached a forest soon after, densely populated with thick trees and bushes. Thorin stopped everyone to convalesce and gather their surroundings.
Kili stretched atop his pony, scratching his back before looking behind them, at the rolling hills of the Shire spreading out as far as he could see.
He squinted into one particular part, using his hand to shade his eyes- there was a group of people walking in their direction, quite far back, but definitely coming towards them. Probably a hunting party or something, he mused to himself, before turning back and pushing it from his mind. Fili pushed his canteen of water into hands with a smile, and he drank some of the cool water, wiping his face and stowing the canteen in his pack- trust Fili to remember it, where he had forgotten.
He made his pony trot forwards and made his way to his uncle, who was talking to Gandalf in hushed tones. 'Gandalf says there is a further clearing about five miles ahead- it is well covered and big enough for us to camp the night. We shall make for it for nightfall- I want you and your brother to scout ahead and locate it for us.' He instructed, looking to both his nephews as Fili joined them. 'It isn't too far,' Gandalf said, puffing on his pipe. 'just a little way straight ahead, then bear left through a small thicket of trees, and if I remember correctly, its just around the corner from that.'
'If you remember?' Thorin growled, looking to the Wizard with dark eyes. 'I thought you knew where you were going?'
'My memory sometimes fails me, Thorin Oakenshield, is that a crime?' Gandalf retorted, rolling his eyes. 'Besides, we cannot get too lost, we're still in range of the Shire- nothing dangerous out here, I can assure you.'
'No one can give that assurance- danger can lurk around the most unexpected corners.' Thorin argued, but he gave Kili a smile as he and his brother readied their ponies once more.
'Come on then,' Fili said, grinning over at his brother. 'Let us start our adventure!'
'After you!' Kili allowed, grinning as Fili bowed low on his pony and cantered forwards onto the woodland trail. The two of them rode in silence as the forest settled around them; the smells of earth and greenery rose to their noses, as did the sounds of chirruping birds that hit their ears.
'This is nice, isn't it?' Kili said after a while, looking about them with a smile on his face.
'Bit quiet for me.' Fili replied, eyeing the clearing suspiciously. Kili wrinkled his nose at his back, shaking his head. 'You can be so paranoid sometimes…' he muttered.
'Better paranoid than dead, brother- remember that.' Came his reply.
They rode in a contented silence after that, occasional broken by Fili pointing out a bird breed or telling Kili to control his pony better. Kili was starting to get bored when he suddenly heard a crack of a branch. He sat upright and looked about; nothing. 'Did you hear that?' he asked Fili. Fili shook his head and slowed his pony, listening intently. 'Probably a deer or something.' He said after a while of hearing nothing. Kili nodded at that assumption, and they continued- suddenly they heard it again, louder, closer.
'A deer?' Kili questioned, quirking an eyebrow at his brother.
'What, then?'
'I don't know….badger?' Kili said, pouting as Fili snorted, shaking his head. Fili was just about to tease his brother mercilessly when he gave a cry as he saw movement behind him- a man had run out of the bushes behind them brandishing a length of thick rope. 'Kili!' Fili could only warn him before the man ran at his brother, pulling the rope across his chest and wrenching him off his pony with a cry of alarm and pain.
'Hey!' Fili yelled, scrambling off his own pony and reaching for his knife- the man who held his brother looked up at him at Fili advanced on him; he held up his own knife- a large hunting knife- and pressed it against a struggling Kili's neck. 'I wouldn't do that if I were you, savage.' He said, eyes flashing.
'Savage…' Fili muttered, feeling his heart sink in his chest. This couldn't be happening…
'Let him go, and I'll let you go on your way, nothing more said.' He bargained, one palm outstretched, the other still holding his blade.
The man pressed the knife still harder to Kili's neck- Fili saw his brother wince, every movement making him angrier. 'Let him go now!' he shouted, hoping Thorin and the others weren't too far behind.
'Or what?' the man said, grinning sardonically. 'You come anywhere near- and I'll gut him like a fish!' he threatened, changing arms so he had Kili in a headlock now, with the blade now across his stomach, the steel glinting in the sunlight.
'No, wait! What do you want?' Fili said, eyes widening as he saw this man was deadly serious.
'Fili…' Kili said, attempting to shake his head at him before the man tightened his grip, making him gag a little.
'We want a word with you.' Another voice sounded behind him, but before Fili could turn he felt a sickening pain in the back of his head- he fell to the ground in front of Kili, who gave a strangled cry as his brother hit the floor, unmoving.
'NO! Fili!' he yelped, kicking and struggling against the man who still held him tight. The man hit him in the face with his elbow, but this time it didn't seem to have an effect on him. 'Leave him be!' he called to the man who was now advancing on his fallen brother. 'Take me in his place! Let him go!'
'Oh no, we're not interested in you- this is the savage that crossed us.' He said, grabbing Fili by the shoulders and pulling him upwards. 'Let him go and we can sort this out between us!' Kili argued, growling as the man pulled him upwards as well as he stood up. 'I did as much as him!' he added, eyes angry as he faced the man.
'Maybe we should take him too- he could go for help.' The man behind him said, an edge of concern in his voice.
'No- Bein only wanted the fair one. Tie the other to the tree and leave him to rot.' The man said, turning away from Kili as he began to drag Fili along the ground to the other side of the clearing.
'No! Fili! Wait!' Kili yelled, shaking his head as he watched his brother get taken away. He turned and began punching and kicking the man holding him, anything to get free and get to his brother, before he lost sight of him completely… the punch sent him spinning to the clearing floor, sprawled on his back- the kick that followed was the blow than turned his world to darkness.
Oh no, poor boys- what's going to happen next? Find out in the next chapter….it will hopefully arrive at least by Sunday, don't worry!
Thanks for reading, and please review!
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