Disclaimer: I do not own The Hobbit.

At First Sight

Chapter 3

"I'll care for the horses and see about chopping more wood," Kili offered as he tightened his cloak around his shoulders after placing Saura on her feet in the cabin.

The child raced to her mother's bedside, blonde hair flying behind her. "Are you well now, Mother?" she asked tearfully.

"Not yet, my darling Saura," Dehra sighed. "It's time for the new baby to join our family."

"When will it come, Mother?" the little girl asked fretfully, her fingers worrying the tattered fur that covered her mother.

Kili slipped outside then and didn't hear Saura's mother's answer. He quickly settled both ponies in the three-sided pole barn. It was a tight fit, but he made it work. It was too terribly cold to leave the ponies outside in the weather.

Shivering now, he hurried to the woodpile that sat near the tree line and picked up the ax. He needed to split as many logs as he could before the ground became treacherous with ice. As he worked, his fingers became so cold in his gloves that they went numb.

When the ground became too slippery to work, he skidded and slid until all of the logs were stacked just outside the cabin door. His numb fingers fumbled with the doorknob until a wide-eyed Saura wrenched the door open. Kili stumbled inside on feet that felt like lead and knelt before the fire. He had to warm himself up before he could bring in the wood.

Saura moved back to Thorin's side after shutting the door where she hovered anxiously beside her mother. "Are you okay, Mother?" she whispered, her little face pinched with worry.

Dehra's only answer was a grunt as she gripped Thorin's hand, caught in the throes of a contraction. She bit her lip until it bled to keep from crying out. She knew her daughter was terrified and hearing more of her mother's cries would only make things worse.

When Kili could feel his hands again, he pushed to his feet stiffly. "Saura," he called, "can you come open the door for me so I can bring in a load of wood?"

The child scurried to Kili's side after a longing glance at her mother. Thorin gave his nephew a nod of thanks for distracting the child.

Kili managed to carry in two loads of wood and stack them next to the fireplace before too much cold air filled the cabin. Then he helped Saura sweep up the snow he had tracked in on his feet.

In the bed in the corner, Dehra became even more restless as her pain increased. "I think something is wrong," she gasped, arching her back off of the bed, unable to stop her cry of pain.

Saura ran to Kili and threw her arms around his waist, burying her face in his stomach. "I'm scared," she sobbed.

Thorin met Kili's gaze over the child's head and his expression was grave.

"Come." Kili lifted the girl into his arms and carried her to the rug in front of the fire. "Do you know any of the ancient songs?" he asked her as he sat down, tucked her in front of him, and began finger-combing her hair. She nodded, so Kili started to sing a well-known song of the riches of Erebor. Saura joined in, her childish voice rising high and sweet as Kili braided her hair with quick, nimble fingers.

A scream tore from Dehra's mouth when she could no longer contain it. Saura whimpered and turned to hide her face against Kili's chest. He held her close and stroked her blonde hair, feeling unsure of himself. He'd never had to care for a child before. A part of him wished Fili was here. His brother seemed to be a natural at so many things. Fili would know what to do for Saura.

Thorin wiped Dehra's forehead with a cool cloth. She was wearing out quickly. He didn't know how much more she could take.

"I need you to check me," she murmured.

Thorin stared at her in confusion.

She glanced toward her belly. "Down there. I need you to tell me what you see."

Thorin's mouth opened, but no sound came out. He realized he was gaping, and snapped it shut. His heart sped up, and he was certain there was a tremor in his hands. Yet, he was a seasoned warrior, tried and true. Surely he could deliver a baby.

In the background, the dwarf king was aware of Kili's and Saura's voices blending in song. Carefully, he followed Dehra's instructions, extremely uncomfortable with the situation.

"Do you see a head?" the mother-to-be ground out through clenched teeth as her hands twisted in the blanket beneath her.

Thorin squinted in the dim light of the cabin and then grasped the lantern that hung nearby, bringing it closer. "No. No, I see feet."

A sob of anguish tore from the mother's mouth. "It's breech."

Thorin nodded, knowing now that this was going to be a difficult delivery for the young mother.

"You need to heat water and warm a blanket for the baby," she choked out as the next contraction took hold of her body.

"Kili," Thorin barked, "build up the fire and heat some water. Saura, find a blanket we can wrap the baby in. Place it by the fire to warm."

The child scurried out of Kili's lap and ran to a wooden chest in the corner where she pulled out a yellow blanket. It had been mended in places, but it was clean. She dragged a chair over in front of the fireplace and hung the blanket over it to warm.

Kili found the water pitcher and carefully poured water into the iron kettle. He swung the metal arm over the fire so that the water could heat. Then Kili glanced over at Thorin to ask what else needed to be done.

Before he could speak, Dehra cried out in agony. Saura leaped up from her place by the fire, but Kili caught her before she could run to her mother. She fought him at first before her body became limp and she clung to him, sobbing pitifully.

Thorin was relieved when both of the baby's feet emerged as Dehra pushed. She strained harder, and a sudden coldness spread throughout Thorin as blood began to seep from the young mother. "Kili, I need your help, but keep Saura away," he ordered.

Kili knew immediately from the tone of his uncle's voice that something was very wrong. Dehra moaned, and he watched as Saura winced. A sudden idea struck him. He knelt on the fur before the fire and stood the child in front of him.

"Saura, I want you to put your fingers in your ears and sing your favorite song. Do it until I tell you to stop. Do you understand?"

She stared at him wide-eyed for a moment before plugging her fingers in her ears. Soon her sweet voice filled the small cabin as she sang a song about hobbits and fairies.

Kili hurried to Thorin's side, and his stomach plummeted when he saw the blood. He realized how dire the situation was becoming.

"I will need you to take the babe while I try to stop the bleeding," Thorin murmured.

Kili nodded and thought that they would need more than one blanket. He scrambled to grab whatever he could find as he glanced over at Saura. She was curled in a ball by the fire with her eyes scrunched shut as she sang with all her might.

Kili hurried back to Dehra as the woman screamed. Thorin grasped the baby's feet, but the infant was still lodged in the birth canal. Blood pooled beneath Dehra at an alarming rate.

"Dehra, you need to push this baby out now," Thorin roared. He knew they were running out of time. It wouldn't be long before both mother and baby were dead with the amount of blood that poured out of her.

Rapidly losing strength, Dehra managed another push. With Thorin's gentle tugging, more of the baby had emerged.

Kili watched in amazement, a towel ready in his hands. Had it been like this when he and Fili were born?

"You need to get the shoulders out, Dehra," Thorin barked.

"I can't," she whimpered. Her face was deathly pale, and her lips trembled uncontrollably.

"Yes, you can," Kili found himself saying as he snatched up the rag that Thorin had abandoned earlier and wiped her face. "Saura is counting on you to give her that brother or sister."

His words seemed to work. Dehra gathered up every last ounce of strength she had and pushed.

Thorin grabbed the baby's slippery body and pulled. Suddenly, with a rush of blood and fluid, a baby boy rested between his mother's legs.

"Take him," Thorin commanded his nephew. Blood was everywhere as Kili reached down and cautiously took the baby in the towel. It was still rushing from between Dehra's legs. Only on the battlefield had Thorin seen this much blood. Dehra was dying and there was nothing he could do to stop it from happening – nothing at all.

To Be Continued…

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