Earlier…

Dori and Nori returned from a scouting mission to Bree and were speaking with Thorin in hushed tones.

"I swear, by Mahal, it's the lad's coat," Nori told Thorin. "I'd recognize it anywhere."

"Aye," Dori echoed. "Hanging in a tree outside a stable, as if to dry. Along with his bracers, gloves and other garments."

"The stable's on the east side of town," Nori's voice was nearly inaudible. "On the road heading towards the Midgewater Crossing."

"The site is fairly secluded. What should we do, Thorin?" Dori wondered.

Kili had heard enough. He slipped away from his hiding place, behind a tree near the conversing trio. He already knew what he was going to do, as soon as darkness fell.

And now…

Kili had slipped Ori's slingshot out of his belt when he'd patted his friend on the back after dinner. He'd collected a handful of good-sized stones at the stream when he washed up for bed. He'd taken a few test shots with the weapon, which offered much less resistance than his bow. Although it did cause his wrist pain to use it, it was manageable.

He feigned sleep while all the others drifted off, bellies full of roast venison. Oin, on watch, but deaf for all intents and purposes, didn't hear Kili slip away with his weapons to where the ponies were grazing.

"Good boy," Kili whispered softly, saddling up his brother's pony. "That's a good boy, Jasper," he lay his forehead against Jasper's grey one. "Let's go get Fili back," he soothingly rubbed Jasper's neck, offering him an apple from Bombur's fruit bag. "You and me." He slowly led the pony away from the camp, not hopping up on his back until he was far enough away that the others wouldn't hear Jasper's hoof beats.

Kili had spent enough time studying Thorin's map to know exactly where he was headed. Straight east out of Bree along the main road was where he'd find the stable where his brother was being held captive. His heart was thudding in time with Jasper's hooves as he walked the steed out the Great East Road. He didn't want to ride now that he'd gotten so close; there was too much margin for error. His caution served him well. Ahead, on the road, he saw a human walking with a torch. As he drew a bit closer, he realized that it was one of his attackers—one of the men holding his brother hostage. The man even had his club in one hand as he walked purposefully eastward.

Seizing the opportunity, he hurried Jasper off to the side of the road and secured him to a low hanging tree branch for safe-keeping. He crept lightly but hastily to within shooting range of the kidnapper and readied Ori's slingshot. Ignoring the pain in his left wrist, he let the rock fly with a prayer to the Maker. He was rewarded when the stone hurtled directly towards the back of the man's head, knocking him out cold. Kili hurried to drag the unconscious kidnapper into the woods at the side of the road. Fortunately, Eönwë's pack held a length of rope. Kili made short work of tying him to a tree using inescapable knots taught to him by Dwalin. By torchlight, he rifled quickly through the man's belongings, finding nothing else of use. He tore off a piece of the man's shirt to use as a crude gag.

Once the kidnapper was thoroughly incapacitated, Kili gathered Jasper and kept going. His wrist and shoulder were throbbing from his exertions. Already one quarter of the way to freeing Fili, he would stop for nothing. He knew he was headed in the right direction.

"Blasted careless whelp!" Thorin bellowed, causing poor Ori to shrink away from his leader in fear.

Thorin did not react well to the news that Kili had gone off on his own. When Oin woke Ori for watch, the youngster noticed Kili's bedroll was empty, Ori woke Thorin, who quickly woke the others. Not wanting to cause alarm in Bree, Thorin asked only Dwalin, Bofur, Gloin and Gandalf to ride along with him.

"I know exactly where he's going," Thorin told them. "Saddle up quickly. Bofur, bring the chest!"

Fili was seething with anger, yet at the same time taking slow deep breaths so that he appeared asleep. He lay on his side, facing Vaemyr, who'd returned to reading by the light of the oil lamp after telling Fili what had happened between Connyn and Kili that day in the fishing hole. Though Fili could by no means read minds, he couldn't help but think that something similar had happened to Vaemyr. Fili was taking the news of his brother's assault poorly. Fun-loving, headstrong, sweet, sometimes careless Kili. This new wrinkle to his little brother's personality both pleased and terrified Fili. The idea of Connyn's rough hands touching Kili, when he could have fought back, but did not— but he couldn't allow himself to pursue that line of thought. Connyn would be there soon, and he needed to keep his wits about him.

The stable was actually quite nice, as was the expansive farmhouse across the road from it. Warm golden light glowed from the windows of the house and the smells of good home cooking wafted to Kili as he hid in the tree line. A sign, announcing Midgewater Pond Stables, hung along the road near the stables. Kili had expected something more sordid and run-down, not a cozy little home and business.

He tethered Jasper and comforted the pony with long, sure strokes to his flank as he surveyed the area. Soon, a young man exited the stable, leading Kili's own beloved Clover by her bridle. He recognized the dark-haired youth as another of his brother's abductors, the one who had so skillfully wielded the bolas. He watched as the man proceeded to brush and curry Clover with practiced hands. The very act confounded Kili, and he found himself conflicted, if only momentarily.

He needed to lure the youth in his direction in order to take him out of the equation. Kili cinched his left bracer tighter than before. He crept to an outcropping of brush closest to the stable and shook one of the thorny plants, slightly, then harder. A family of quail scurried out, their alarmed cries causing the stableman to look up from his work. Kili readied the slingshot, and was rewarded when the kidnapper came towards the brush to investigate, his bolas drawn. Kili reacted first, however, and released a stone that careened off Aetheorin's temple. He fell to the ground, dazed, and tried to pull himself away from danger, weakly scrabbling backwards. Kili quickly tackled him and put a hand over his mouth. Aetheorin's eyes grew wide as he recognized the dwarf who sat astride his chest.

"Foremost," Kili said softly in the youth's ear, "I want to thank you for taking care of my pony. I hope to find you have afforded my brother the same courtesy." He knocked Aetheorin out with one punch to the injured area and dragged him into the cover of the trees. By the time he'd secured the youth next to Jasper, Kili's wrist was screaming in pain. Halfway there, he told himself. Halfway to Fili.

He returned to his vigil in the tree line just in time to see Connyn enter the front door of the stable. Kili swore.

"Time to take a break, Vaemyr," Connyn greeted, entered the stable. Vaemyr's head shot up from his book. Fili observed through slitted lashes as Connyn crouched next to Vaemyr and canted his head towards Fili, questioningly.

"He's asleep," Vaemyr told the leader of the kidnappers, putting his book into his pack. "Has been for awhile. He's tired and hungry." Vaemyr stood.

"In twenty four hours, he'll no longer have to worry about that, nor will we," Connyn assured the blonde, clapping him on the shoulder. "Where's your brother?"

"He should have been here by now. Maybe the doctor needed him," Vaemyr offered, pulling away from Connyn's grip.

"Go home, grumpy," Connyn smiled. "I'll take care of our guest."

Vaemyr turned his eyes to Fili in parting and picked up his bag. "All right, Connyn. I'll see you in the morning." Fili noticed that Vaemyr did leave the stall, but he never heard the stable door open or close.

"Now, Fili my friend," Connyn approached Fili and knelt next to him. "Let's see how tired you really are—" he was reaching to touch Fili's hair when the dwarf attacked him.

Fili lunged at Connyn with a grunt and rolled him onto his back, straddling his chest and arms and locking his strong hands around Connyn's throat. "I am not your friend!" Fili breathed, squeezing off Connyn's air supply and leaning in, rage in his eyes. Connyn tried to buck him off, using the strength of his legs, but failed. Fili hung on tenaciously and Connyn began to see black spots in his field of vision. Then, Connyn noticed something far more troubling. Vaemyr stood in the open stall door watching, a twisted grin on his face. "H-help me, Vae," Connyn gasped out. Vaemyr's eyes were cold and the youth didn't move to his aid.

Losing consciousness, and as a last ditch effort, Connyn bent up his legs and pushed Fili forward. With the extra freedom in his arms, he was able to grab a handful of Fili's hair and pull him savagely to the right. Fili's injured temple hit the wooden manger with a resounding crack and he felt the dwarf's grip loosen, then fall away. He pushed Fili off of him.

Connyn drew in a hungry breath, then another, crawling towards Fili who lay nearby on his back, groaning, fighting for consciousness. "Fili, Fili, Fili…" Connyn scolded him. "By the gods, did you really think I would let you overpower me?" a coil of rope lay nearby and Connyn reached for it. Straddling Fili's hips, he pulled the blonde's hands together in front of him and bound them tightly. He stood, kicking Fili in the side for good measure. Fili rolled with the blow, gasping in pain. Connyn leaned over and pulled a dagger from his boot.

"No!" Vaemyr finally broke his silence and charged at Connyn. He'd pulled the brass knuckles from his sack and aimed a blow at Connyn's face. It was hard to say which of the men was more surprised at the crunching sound as Connyn's nose broke. Vaemyr punched Connyn hard in the ribs and was rearing back for a third blow when Connyn slid the dagger roughly into his chest.

Vaemyr fell back with a pained, surprised gasp, hand clenching around the protruding weapon. From his vantage point on the floor, Fili could see the dagger had entered Vaemyr's heart—or close enough to kill him nonetheless. Vaemyr slid down the wall of the stall, eyes fixed on Connyn's face. When he reached the bottom, Vaemyr's eyes closed.

Vaemyr's impact with the wall knocked over the oil lamp, and its contents spilled over the dry straw coating the floor. Fire sprung up immediately in its wake. Connyn, panicking, ran to another stall to grab a water bucket.

He splashed the water over the rapidly spreading fire. A good bit of it was extinguished, but the flames untouched by the water continued to spread.

Fili used this window to push himself to his feet, but Connyn was too quick. Angrily, Connyn grabbed Fili, shoving him against a support post and lifting him slightly, securing his bound hands over hooks used for hanging tack. The hooks were just far enough off the ground that Fili couldn't gain footing. He dangled, injured ribs protesting the position, pushing himself up on his toes weakly.

"Aren't you two a pair?" Connyn stood defiantly between them, wiping blood away from beneath his gushing nose, eyeing the spreading flames. "Well, I suppose it's only fitting I let you two die together." He cast a stricken glance at Vaemyr, who appeared dead, or nearly so. "I won't lie to you, Fili," Connyn said, voice breaking. "It hurts that you turned my friend against me. But I assure you, burning to death will be much more painful."

Connyn strode out of the stall. As he left the stable, Fili could hear him opening the stalls of the stock being boarded, and even then, he marveled at the enigma Connyn presented. He pushed himself up on his toes again, trying to see a way to lift his bound hands over the deep hooks above him. He reached with one foot for the overturned bucket, but it was too far away. He pulled frantically, but the knots would not give. He didn't want to breathe, but eventually, he had to, and the smoke set him to coughing.

Great Aulë, Fili thought to himself. I'm going to die here!