Ri walked slowly towards the tight circle of people surrounding the stone slab where the body lay. The crowd around the stone was growing as Ri watched from the shadows, trying to make out who was alive rather than the opposite. As she drew closer she saw the blonde mane that was a tell tale sign of Fili on the outer edge of the crowd. Quickening her pace she made her way towards him, nervously fidgeting with her sling and tightly wrapped bandages that kept her shoulder in place.

Before she reached him he turned around and beckoned her over. "Have you seen Kili?" they both asked each other at the same time. "Oh no." said Fili, running his hands through his hair.

"You mean to say you don't know who is dead!?" Ri cried, "You, one of the princes, should really be right up the front!" she waved her good arm in the direction of the crowd.

"Dwarves are really stubborn. Even if I said I was a god they wouldn't let me through. OW!" grunted Fili.

"Whet's wrong with you!?" exclaimed Ri. Fili turned around and she saw the shaft of an arrow protruding from the back of his shoulder, the head wasn't in very deeply but it was right under his shoulder blade. Half of the arrow had snapped off leaving what was left full of splinters. "I'll get Dwalin to pull it out later, in the meantime we have to get to the front to the pack."

"Wait, how have you not seen Kili? Aren't you two joined at the hip?"

"I have seen him once after the battle. He was going on about having to protect this girl, then he walked off towards the mountain to look for Thorin I think. He seemed really distracted, I was worried about him but I couldn't follow, I was helping the wounded into the tent."

"It occurs to me now I haven't introduced myself, I'm Merrithrin but everyone calls me Ri."

"You're the girl! I remember your name and your face but not together. I'm Fili nephew of-"

"I know who you are, we need to get to the front since neither of us are fit for climbing on shoulders."

"How about you try and get to the front, you're smaller than most of us dwarves, I don't know how you did it but you are."

"OK, I'll try my best but I can't guarantee I'll be able to see anything. Me being shorter than Dwarves and all." Said Ri. She walked away from Fili and towards the tight pack of Dwarves, Ri squeezed between them with difficulty until she could see the top of the rock, where she was unable to get any closer. Sqinting at the part of the stone she could see, she made out a mess of dark brown hair full of dry blood. Ri ran back to Fili and breathlessly told him what she has seen. His face fell, "Both Thorin and Kili have brown hair, damn Durin's line hair colour."

Fili and Ri sat on the outskirts of the field for an hour until Ri cried, "I can see someone in the Distance!"

"I can't tell who it is, definitely brown hair and they seem to be limping."

"LIMPING!" Ri screamed.

"What is the significance of a limp, Merrithrin?"

"KILI HURT HIS FOOT IN BATTLE AND WAS LIMPING!" yelled Ri with relief, waving her good arm around like a maniac.

The figure had quickened its pace and Ri could make out a lot of blood on the left shoulder of his mail, she was now sure it was Kili and started jumping about with glee. Fili had now stood up and was running towards Kili at full pelt. Fili reached Kili and they embraced, Fili grabbed Kili's face and head-butted him square in the forehead. Ri winced as she remembered the mace wound on Kili's temple, he stumbled backwards and put a hand to his, now bleeding again, would. Fili was still apologising when they got back to Ri. Although she was overjoyed to see Kili, she remembered the brown hair on the stone, which Fili had told her was called the Deathstone. (The Deathstone was where the royal dead were placed after battle until their tombs were ready). When the Brothers reached Ri, Kili unwrapped his arm from around his brother's shoulders and gathered her into a giant hug, he cradled her head and she buried her face into his uninjured shoulder. "Is your face ok?" he asked into her ear. She pulled out of the hug and said, "Ori fixed me up." She said and grabbed his hand and towed him towards the tent. Fili laughed but attempted to turn it into a cough as he covered his mouth with his hand, Ri smiled as she entered the tent that was much emptier now that the wounded had died or been treated. "BALIN, ORI" she yelled as she sat Kili down on a bench and pulled off his chainmail and shirt that was soaked with blood and sweat. Balin came from around a curtain, "Ri, ye found the lad. Good job."

Ri laughed and said, "He's broken, can you fix him?"

"Aye, I can, lass, I can." He said, "Lie down Kili."

"His brother isn't that well off either." She heard a groan from Fili, "He has an arrow in his back."

"Ye can't go walking 'round in that state lad, I thought yer uncle taught you better."

"Well… I was going to get Dwalin to pull it out later but…" stammered Fili

"Dwalin!?" Balin asked, "I'druther a blind Orc treating me, the brother is better at other things."

Balin reached under the bench Kili was lying on for some bandages and started to wrap up Kili's head as Ori walked into the tent. "I know who is on the Deathstone." He said solemnly.

"Someone is on the Deathstone!?" Kili cried and sat up, bursting the stitches on his chest.

"Settle down lad, yer headed in the right direction for a worse wound." Said Balin as he pushed Kili back down on the bench then started unpicking his stitches.

"Sorry we didn't tell you, Kili. We thought you had enough to deal with already." Said Fili.

"We were so happy to see you it also slipped our minds." Put in Ri, rubbing Kili's arm.

"Who is it lad?" Balin asked Ori. Just as Ori was opening his mouth to answer, Thorin, covered in blood and sweat with 3 arrows coming out of his arm, walked in and said; "Dain of the Iron Hills is dead." then collapsed on the ground.