Disclaimer: I claim or own nothing. It all belongs to J.R.R Tolkien.

Eerie songs sung by the wind followed the company as they moved through the forest. The tortured wind of the cold night seemed to follow them at every turn that they took, just like the small sounds that followed them. The crackling of a twig, a rustling of the leaves, or an occasional whisper from one worried dwarf to another.

They had been unlucky so far, and had found no traces of Kíli or Fíli. This only caused their worries to grow, for surely if they had been out here there would have been a sign. Thorin continued to lead the way, but it was obvious to the company that he could not think as clearly as he once did. His mind was clouded with thoughts of his nephews. It was undoubtedly also filled with worries, and a hundred different ideas about what happened to them.

Dwalin tried to speak with Thorin, to suggest that perhaps they take a different path, but Thorin wouldn't hear it. He would glance at Dwalin briefly, before he continued to lead the way down another winding path that didn't lead anywhere.

The quiet words between the members of the company became more frequent as they continued their journey. There had been no sign of Gandalf in the forest either, and so far they had been lucky enough to not encounter any beasts of the night. There was a small chance that Gandalf had found Fíli and Kíli, and had taken them back to their resting ground. But there was also a chance that they had not been found yet, and Thorin couldn't risk returning and leaving them out here.

Inescapable feelings sunk deep into Thorin. Anger. Disappointment. But he felt something far stronger than those two combined; Thorin was worried. There was a dark feeling inside of him that he could not forget, or ignore. This dark feeling was telling him that something was wrong, something bad had happened to his nephews.

They were adventurous, and sometimes their adventures led them into danger, but Thorin couldn't believe that Fíli would even consider letting Kíli walk the fields in the state he was in, let alone a forest with unseen and unknown dangerous.

Kíli was not well. Gandalf had only one request for him, and it was rest. Kíli was supposed to rest until his body was healed, for even though the wound had been healed over his body was still injured.

When Thorin had last looked upon Kíli, he had still held the last traces of a fever. It had been fading, but it was still there and that posed a threat. Running the grounds of a forest with a fever, and a weakened body would not be good for him.

Perhaps, Kíli had been hurt and so they had stopped somewhere for rest. The idea that his nephews were waiting for him somewhere, clutching each other and waiting to be found, sparked something inside of Thorin and he begun to move a little faster.

Thorin glanced to his side, and found that Dwalin had rejoined his side.

"Perhaps, we should go back and try another path."

"They could be down here, Dwalin." Thorin answered, and looked in his eyes. "What if they are only ahead of us, and we turn back now?"

"What if they are not here at all?"

Thorin turned away, and kept leading the way forward.

"We must move forward."

Dwalin breathed out a small sigh, and glanced back at Balin for a moment. The two shared a silent understanding; Thorin was caught up in his worry and pain. It was blinding him. They had spent far too long on this path, that held no traces or signs of Kíli or Fíli. Dwalin also believed that it held little interest for them, for they were adventurous and a simple path would not be likely to catch their attention.

But then a sound came from the darkness, somewhere further down the path. It was a rustling of grass, and the swashing of branches. All of the company froze upon hearing these sounds, and even Thorin became still. He shared a look with Dwalin, and gave a slight nod of his head.

Thorin drew his sword, and the company followed his movement. They had to be safe, and certain that this was Kíli and Fíli, and not a beast.

It wasn't Kíli or Fíli, or a beast of the night. Although, Gandalf could certainly be mistaken for a beast of sorts as he stepped out onto the path and into the fragment of moonlight that slipped through the trees.

He appeared disfigured at first, for there was a large lump on his shoulder. But it soon became clear, as Gandalf stepped closer, that this was not a lump and he was not some sort of wild beast. This was the great grey wizard, and on his shoulder hung the limp body of a young prince.

"Fíli." Thorin's breathing hitched noticeably.

Waves of panic swept over him, and for a second he was frozen. Thorin lowered his sword and ran to Gandalf, followed closely by all behind him.

"What-How is he? Is he injured?" Thorin asked quickly.

Gandalf knelt down slowly, and settled Fíli's body down on the ground. It all became clearer in the moonlight.

Thorin dropped to his knees by Fíli's knees, released his sword and clutched his nephew. Blood ran down Fíli's face. It clung to his hair, sunk into his skin, and covered his neck. Thorin's hands shook as he tried to find the wound.

"Careful." Gandalf said softly, and stopped him.

With wide eyes, Thorin watched on as Gandalf gently brushed back Fíli's golden hair to reveal a long, jagged cut to the side of his head. There were murmurs from the company as they formed a circle. Óin broke through and knelt down by Fíli's side. He pressed his fingers against the young dwarfs skin, and breathed out a tiny sigh of relief. But he only felt a little relief, for the injury to his head could be more serious than it seemed, and Kíli was still out there somewhere.

"He is alive." Óin announced. "But I must see to him immediately. The wound could have caused serious damage."

Thorin seemed incapable of moving, or releasing his nephew. Instead, he settled his hands down against Fíli's chest. He stared down at Fíli for a second, and even considered lying down next to him. Thorin was beyond tired, but sleep could not cure this weariness.

This was the kind of weariness that was incurable, that kind came from constant worrying and pain. It would always be with him, and there were times when Thorin had accepted that. But there were times like now when he couldn't accept it. Now, all that Thorin wanted was to have both of his nephews by his side, and he wanted to rest with them.

"Where did you find him, Gandalf?"

Balin's voice returned Thorin to reality.

"Not very far from here. I can show you, if you like."

"And Kíli?" Dwalin asked.

Gandalf looked up at the dwarf and gave a solemn shake of his head. He had found no signs of Kíli in the forest.

"It seems his arm has been hurt." Óin spoke up. "I must see to his wounds now."

No words were spoken, but Thorin understood what had to be done. Óin had to care for Fíli somewhere safe. He had to take him back to where they had set up camp, to where Bilbo and Bofur waited, and he could not do it alone.

"Dori and Nori, you will accompany Óin and..." Thorin stopped, and his eyes fell back to his nephew. "Take Fíli and care for him."

With that, Thorin stood abruptly from the ground and looked to Gandalf.

"Take me to where you found him."

Gandalf stood silently and turned away. He begun to lead the way, with Thorin by his side. Dori and Nori assisted Óin in lifting Fíli's limp, unconscious body from the ground.

After a second, Thorin halted and turned back. He peered past the dwarves behind him, and was able to catch sight of Fíli's golden hair fading from his view.

Those behind him stopped and looked to him, but Thorin didn't notice immediately. He stared at the fragment of gold until it had disappeared entirely, before he turned away and continued to follow Gandalf's lead.

Gandalf led them to blood. He took them down a small path, and through untamed bushes and tall, looming trees until he stopped suddenly.

"Here." Gandalf announced, and gestured around him.

The moonlight that slipped through the leaves of the giant trees revealed the blood. It was scattered on the ground, but remained around one area. They dwarves begun to search their surroundings, some even called out quietly to Kíli, but they found nothing and heard no voices but the wind, which continued to sing a song that made their skin crawl.

"He's not here." Thorin whispered, and he sounded utterly defeated.

Thorin was defeated. Fíli was injured, his wounds could be serious, and Thorin could not return to him without finding Kíli, for he couldn't forgive himself for leaving him out here. A great wave of sadness swept over the king, and he lowered his head.

"We will find him." Dwalin begun to reassure his friend.

But, unable to hear another word, Thorin snapped. Perhaps, it was the darkness that seeped inside of him and slowly flowed through his body that caused him to snap. It could have been the desperation, or the perpetual pain that led him to this.

"How will we find him, Dwalin?" Thorin shouted, and his voice echoed through the forest. "How shall we find him in this darkness? He is lost to us! We have no idea of the danger which may have found him. And Fíli, we must return to him if his wounds are serious."

"Thorin." Balin's calm voice was the first to rise up.

"No, Balin." Thorin backed away. "You will not stand there, and tell me-"

Fíli, a voice called out into the silence.

Everything in existence stopped; their breathing, the words that had flowed through Thorin's lips, and the tired sighs disappeared. Even the wind seemed to calm, and become quieter.

Thorin seemed to be made of stone, as he slowly turned to the direction of the voice. The voice couldn't be in his head if the members of the company had also heard it. There was a rustling up a head, and the company moved forward carefully, so sure that Kíli called to them and was nearby.

After struggling with the low, shaggy branches that hung down from the old trees, Bilbo broke through and breathed out a sigh. Pieces of twig and leaf were scattered throughout his hair, and his skin was covered with dirt, but he didn't mind so much.

The frustration he felt after being attacked by the trees branches was nothing compared to the pit of worry that grew in his stomach. Bofur shot Bilbo a glance when he finally joined his side, and Bilbo was glad that he had his friend here with him. Although, it did not seem like they would encounter much trouble, for they had been out here for quite some time and had only dealt with a small, furry animal that had chased Bilbo for a mile or so, in some sort of attempt to get at Bilbo's feet.

Bofur had laughed a small laugh, and had said it had simply wanted to curl up on his feet. Bilbo had pushed the animal firmly away, and they had continued moving forward. The only other trouble they had face were the branches of the tree, which had hit Bilbo in the face a couple of times. Both Bilbo and Bofur's spirits had worsened, for on their journey that had found no signs of Kíli or Fíli.

Wherever their eyes led them, and their feet took them, they only found more emptiness. More darkness. They didn't want any more of it, but it would seem that it was not their choice.

"Where do you think they are?"

"Who? The lads? Or the company?" Bofur responded a moment later.

Bilbo sighed wearily. "Both."

"They could be anywhere."

"That's reassuring."

"It's not meant to be, lad. I don't have the answers, and therefore I cannot reassure you without it being a lie. However, I can tell you this: they are all fighters. Each and every member of the company. Including you. And Gandalf. They'll be right, you'll see, Bilbo."

Bilbo stopped suddenly, his ears catching a nearby sound.

"Do you hear that?"

"Aye, it's the wind." Bofur nodded, and kept moving forward.

Quickly, Bilbo reached out and pulled Bofur to a halt. The sound of the dwarfs heavy boots hitting the ground was loud, and almost stopped Bilbo from hearing it.

"What is it?" Bofur whispered, taking note of his friend's alert appearance.

Bofur then looked carefully around their surroundings, his hand instinctively reaching for his weapon.

"No, no. Don't you hear it?" Bilbo asked, and his voice was still quiet.

And then Bofur heard what Bilbo had almost heard. They both heard it at the same time.

Fili, a voice called out.

It belonged to Kíli, and it should have been a reassuring sound, it should have sent waves of relief and peace over them. But it didn't bring them any relief, and they could not claim their peace yet. Instead, their worries were deepened.

Why was Kíli calling out to Fíli? They were supposed to be together. Fíli had promised that he wouldn't leave his brother's side and, from the looks that Kíli had thrown his brother's way, it was clear he had no intention of leaving either.

"Kíli?" Bofur breathed out, and turned to Bilbo.

His forehead was knitted in yet another frown, and his eyes swirled with the confusion that Bilbo felt. It didn't make sense. They wouldn't have separated, not voluntarily, and yet he was certain it was Kíli's voice ringing out into the dark of the forest.

Bilbo and Bofur shared one more look, before they rushed forward. They stopped caring about what dangers might lurk in the forest, because they were close. Bofur called out to Kíli, as they ran forward. Side by side. They ran wherever they believed the voice would lead them to, because it was Kíli, because they had to find them.

"Kíli?" Bofur shouted, and they burst through tall bushes and trees.

Suddenly, the voices sounded so close that they were certain they couldn't be far away. Bofur and Bilbo turned in the direction, and began to run as fast as they possibly could.

What happened next was a blur of dirt, blood and grass.

Bofur tripped over a log, and as he staggered upwards he tripped and was flung forward. He broke through a large row of bushes, and let out a groan. Despite having seen the dwarfs accident, somehow Bilbo couldn't avoid it. His feet slipped on the dirt, and he too went flying through the bushes. Bilbo went flying, and his body crashed against something strong. His first thought was he had hit a rock, or a tree stump. But he hadn't.

When Bilbo's eyes opened, he peered up and found several faces staring down at him. Their eyes were wide; some were filled with disbelief, and some with anger. Bilbo recognised each of the faces, and each of the eyes. The company.

The sound of Bofur groaning caused Bilbo to search for him, and he felt the sweat running down his forehead as he found Bofur on the ground. He stared at Bilbo with wide eyes, and didn't say a word. Finally, Bilbo looked down to see what he had crashed into.

On the ground beneath him, covered with dirt and blood, staring right back at him, was the severely unimpressed Thorin Oakenshield. With a great deal of anger surging in his eyes, Thorin stared at Bilbo, who scrambled off of him and to his feet,

"We-We can explain." Bofur said, and rushed to Bilbo's side.

"Can you?" Thorin asked, and his voice was worryingly low.

Balin looked disappointed. Bilbo only glanced up at Gandalf briefly, but he could swear he almost caught the hint of a smile on the wizard's face. A smile of pride almost.

"You. What are you doing?" Thorin's voice was nearly a growl.

He stood quickly from the ground, brushing away the hands of Dwalin and Balin, who had tried to offer him their help. Thorin refused it and stood up, his darkened eyes set on Bofur and Bilbo.

"I told you to stay behind." Thorin's anger grew, and his voice became louder. "Did I not give you orders to stay?"

Bofur nodded quickly. "Yes, but we can explain."

"It was my idea." Bilbo blurted out.

"But it was not a very good one, Master Baggins." Thorin snapped back. "You have made as little progress as we have, and have risked your lives-"

"They are our lives to risk." Bilbo spoke quickly. "It is our choice what to do with them. Isn't it? I mean, that's why we're all out here, because Kíli and Fíli made a choice-"

"So long as you are a member of my company, Master Baggins, you would be wise to listen to my orders, for it could mean the difference between life and death."

Dwalin took a step forward. "Thorin."

"No." Thorin shook his head. "I won't hear it."

"They were trying to help you, Thorin Oakenshield-" Gandalf begun.

Thorin raised his hand in the air, and all felt silent – except for the distant echo of a voice, shouting out to Fíli.

It was Kíli. The conversation was quickly forgotten, as Thorin gestured forward and led the way. He led the company at a steady, swift pace. The voice grew nearer, and louder, and when it soon became clear to Thorin that Kíli was alone he shouted back.

"Kíli!" Thorin's voice thundered through the air, and he still ran forward. "Kíli, where are you?"

Kíli answered, but he didn't call out for his uncle. He called out for his brother.

"Fíli!" he shouted, and sounded distressed.

Dwalin turned to Balin, and they shared yet another look. Kíli should have heard Thorin, for his voice was loud and unmistakable in the silence, yet he didn't respond at all. This caused Balin worry, and seeing the look of worry upon his brother's face led Dwalin to worry.

"Did I not tell you to let him rest, Thorin Oakenshield?" Gandalf asked. "Did I not say he should not be left alone?"

"Did you not say you could heal him? That you had done so successfully?" Thorin nearly growled.

"Thorin." Balin sighed wearily.

"If you healed him, why does he not hear us?" Thorin stepped closer. "Why does he not return our calls?"

"The wound was closed, but he was not healed entirely. I am not a healer, Master Dwarf." Gandalf said. "I did all that I could do."

"Are you saying I did not?" Thorin glanced back.

"That is not-"

Kíli's voice broke the silence once more.

"Fíli?" he called out again.

Thorin removed himself from the conversation once more, and pushed forward with the company following closely. He caught sight of a figure moving in the darkness ahead, and was still until the moonlight revealed all.

Kíli ran forward, a vacant look in his eyes and blood on his skin.

A/N: 10 days for the Desolation of Smaug! (nearly 9 now) I don't know how much longer I can wait! If you've seen the movie, please don't spoil anything for me or anyone else who has to wait until the 26th! I'm sure we all want to go in there without any spoilers. Ahh, I'm growing so impatient waiting but I know it'll be worth all the waiting!

Thanks for reading my story, I hope you like the new chapter and the next one will be on shortly. If you have any thoughts about my story, let me know because I'd love to hear them and I wasn't really sure how much I liked this chapter or how well it flowed...I know there's no explanation AT all about what happened to Kíli or Fíli in this chapter but I can promise flashbacks in the next, which will explain everything.

Just a little note in here saying to please keep in mind that there might be people who haven't read the book. So, it would be great to take that into considering if/when posting reviews as you might leave an unwanted spoiler for someone else and I wouldn't want that.

Special thanks to; silvermoongirl10, GregsMadHatter, Lennelle, Oblivian03, So-Sings-Nightingales, StormKyrellFosten 14 and MzzMarie for their kind reviews of chapter nine.

Thanks again for reading, and enjoy.

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