Chapter 8
Kíli sat by the fire, watching the flames dance against the logs while they took a rest. They were half a day's journey from Weathertop and against Kíli's wishes, the brothers had insisted that they stop for a rest. As he watched the flames lick the charcoaled logs, Elladan sat next to him to fletch his arrows. "You must really rind that fire fascinating to be watching it so," he commented as he continued to fletch.
Kíli smirked as he turned, his eyes growing wide in fascination as he watched Elladan's task. The Elf noticed and smiled, handing the arrow out for Kíli to take. "You know archery?"
"No," he replied, taking the arrow carefully in his hands, "I haven't started my weapon's training yet and the bow is not a very dwarvish weapon."
Elladan's eyebrow raised up in curiosity. "Would you like to learn?"
Kíli turned and looked at him with wonder. "Really? You would teach me?"
"I don't see why not…but only if you are interested. And, judging by the way you hold that arrow, you seem very interested indeed, mellon-nin."
"What does that mean? Mellon-nin."
Elladan smirked at the young Dwarf's curiosity. "It means my friend."
Kíli nodded, looking at the fire again. "Mellon-nin. I like that."
With a smile, Elladan clapped him on the back. "I'm glad. Now, would you like to learn a true weapon?" he asked, standing up.
With excitement in his eyes, Kíli nodded before standing up and following Elladan. Elrohir, who had been cleaning the connies he had hunted, watched with an amused grin as his brother handed Kíli the bow, which was definitely too large for the young Dwarf to hold. "Ah, this may be a bit harder than I thought…" he muttered as he watched Kíli find a way to hold it. "No matter, I can still show you a few things."
He took the bow from Kíli and held it so Kíli could look it over. He explained how it bended, the mechanics…everything to the small Dwarf, who took it all in with a smile on his face. After showing Kíli how to knock an arrow he took aim at a nearby tree. "Now, when you pull back on the arrow, you want to keep your pulling arm straight, like so. See how everything is kept straight and level?"
Kíli nodded, mimicking Elladan's movements with his imaginary bow. "Keep your eyes on the target and take slow, deep breaths."
Kíli did as he said, pretending he was aiming at the tree. "Then, once you are ready, you release it with your fingers."
Elladan let the arrow loose and watched with a smirk as the arrow hit his target. Kíli stood flabbergasted. "Wow…" he muttered.
"Wow indeed. Perhaps we can take you back to Rivendell and make you your own bow, one for someone as short as you. How does that sound?"
With enthusiasm, Kíli nodded. "I would like that mellon…mellon-nin?"
Elladan laughed, ruffling Kíli's hair. "You are a quick learner. Now, get some rest, young Kíli, we leave at first light."
Kíli nodded and went back to the fire, curling up by the log he had been sitting off and falling asleep almost instantly. When Elladan stood next to his brother, Elrohir asked, "Do you think we should take him back to Rivendell? Wouldn't it be better if we tried to find his own kin?"
"Yes, but I feel that if we do not succeed on finding his brother alive, he may not have anymore kin to return to. We will know more in the morning."
Elrohir nodded as they both watched the young Dwarfling sleep peacefully through the night, both praying to the Valar that all would end well for the him and his lost brother.
Belladonna stood by the Dwarf's bedside as her aunt did another check over his wounds. The ppor thing had been through quite an ordeal and when they first arrived in the hall, she began to fear that perhaps he would not make it. But the look her aunt gave her was that of joyous news. "He will live. He is lucky you found him when you did. I fear any longer and he may have been beyond our reach. For now, he needs rest and a chance to heal."
Belladonna nodded as her aunt left. Of course, with the exit of one Hobbit, two more took her place in the forms of her husband carrying their five year old son. "Your son insisted that he see the Dwarf himself," Bungo said, putting Bilbo down so he could run and take a proper look at the Dwarf.
Belladonna smiled as she watched her son look at him curiously. "Where do you think he came from?" Belladonna asked, looking at her husband.
"I do not know. The nearest Dwarf settlement is in the Blue Mountains but he was found in the opposite direction of them. He could be from anywhere."
"Well, we can't just turn him away, now, can we? He's only child, after all," Belladonna stated, knowing full well that her husband would suggest that they take him to Bree and send him off with the first group of Dwarves they found. "Bella, we can't just take in a Dwarf! It's not natural."
"Would you rather we left him alone and frightened? Imagine if he were Bilbo." At the mention of his name Belladonna turned and saw her young son sitting by the sick Dwarfling, playing with the golden hair around his hair. "Besides, it seems Bilbo has already made a new friend."
"Blast it all, Bella, he needs his own kin to care for him. A lad like him…someone's bound to be looking for him."
"You saw the state he was in, Bungo. Beaten half-to death, starved…what if he lost his family to the Orcs? The Mountains are not exactly the safest places for any settlements." She turned, her eyes falling back on the sleeping Dwarf. "He could be an orphan."
"We can't just take in a Dwarf. What will the other's think of us taking in a strange creature such as him?"
"I do not care what others think, Bungo Baggins. I will not leave a poor Dwarfling to an unknown fate, not after he has already suffered greatly."
Bungo sighed, wrapping his arms around his wife. "There is no swaying you, is there?"
Belladonna shook her head. "You should know that by now."
Bungo smiled, looking at the Dwarf. "Then we shall wait to see how he is when he wakes and we shall go on from there. Is that alright by you?"
With a smile, Belladonna nodded. "Very well, you stubborn Baggins."
"Fool of a Took."
TBC…
Okay, sorry for the lack of updates. This weekend I was in Paris and I got back late Monday night and had to work all day and honestly, it took me ages to write this chapter because basically it is a filler and I'm still not happy. Anyway, enough with my rant, preview!
The dead Orcs lay scattered on the ground at Weathertop as the twins and Kíli searched for the missing prince. Kíli prayed they would find his brother unharmed but something was telling him he would not find him…at least, not here.
His feet came to a stop when he saw knife coated in red blood. His knees gave out as he fell next to it, picking it up and cradling it in his hands. "Fee?" he called weakly, running his finger along the dried up stain.
Elladan came up behind Kíli and placed a hand on his shoulder. "He is not here, mellon-nin. I am sorry."
Kíli stood, keeping the knife in his hands. "No, he's got to be here somewhere. Fíli!" Kíli called out his brother's name, hoping to hear his brother call back, but all he was met with was silence. He continued to shout until his voice went raw and only then did he learn the cold, hard truth…
Fíli wasn't there. He had lost him.
Alright, please tell me what you think!
