The next morning, Kili opened his eyes and tried to make sense of his surroundings. He was immediately aware of the crushing pain in his chest. He tried to shift on the hard table where he slept beside his brother. But the pain was overwhelming and he found that breathing was very painful. He tried to stay quiet but when he tried to take in a breath, he let out a small yelp in spite of himself.

"Easy, Laddie," Came Balin's calm voice. Kili moved his head to his right to see Balin sitting in a wooden chair in front of him, "That lung of yours is still healing. Take slow, easy breaths."

"Balin…" Kili breathed, the words coming out in barely a whisper, "Where am I?"

"You are in a small farmhouse on the north shores of Long Lake," Balin answered. Kili let that answer sink in. Long Lake. He remembered bits and parts of the night before. But most of all, he remembered pain. That pain was still with him. He wanted Fili. He always sought comfort from his older brother when he was hurting. But Fili was hurting too.

"Hurts, Balin..." Kili said, wincing hard at the pain in his chest. He tried hard to push the pain aside. He didn't want to appear weak in front of Balin. He wasn't a child anymore, after all. But the pain was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. It was all he could do not to scream out.

"I know, Lad," Balin replied, "There's no shame in admitting that. You and your brother had us all very worried."

"Fili…" Kili felt worried at the mention of his brother. Slowly he moved his head to the other side and saw Fili sleeping beside him. He tried to lift his head to get a better look at him, but the pain pushed him back down. He moved his hand over slowly until he felt Fili's hand.

"He'll be in a great deal of pain when he wakes, I'm afraid," Balin said, "Let your brother sleep, Laddie."

"But he's okay?" Kili asked, watching his sleeping brother with concern.

Balin hesitated to answer. Kili didn't like that and winced as he rolled back over to face the old dwarf, "Balin? He's going to be alright, isn't he?" he repeated.

"He's no more worse off than you are right now," Balin explained, "But he isn't any better either."

Kili didn't like that answer. He tried to clear his foggy head and tried to think. Turning back to Balin, he gasped out a little, "Balin," He said, "What happened to Erebor?"

Again, Balin hesitated and when Kili glanced towards him, he sighed, a look of sadness in his eyes, "We didn't make it, I'm afraid," he responded, "We didn't get to the mountain in time." His answer resonated inside Kili's head. They didn't make it. They were so close and they failed. Kili had been in awe when he had first glimpsed the Lonely Mountain for the first time when he stood on the Carrock with the company. Thorin, Balin, and Dwalin had filled his childhood with stories of the mountain and he could hardly believe he was finally going to get to see it for himself. But now, all of his dreams had been shattered. And he felt immense guilt when he thought of why they had failed.

"It's our fault," Kili said sadly, looking to Balin and feeling full of regret, "The quest failed because of us."

"It failed because of an orc archer," Balin told him firmly, "And don't you go thinking otherwise. If you want someone to blame, blame the filth that did this to you."

Kili wanted to argue, but he knew better. He'd never contradict an elder like Balin regardless of what he thought to be true.

"Kili," came Fili's weak voice from beside him. Kili's mood brightened at the sound of his brother. He turned to see Fili looking at him.

"Fili!" Kili exclaimed loudly, "You're alright!"

"So are you, Brother," Fili said weakly, smiling a bit. But his expression suddenly turned to alarm as he winced and grabbed at his stomach. Balin recognized that look right away and rushed around the table to move the bucket they had brought over before Fili rolled over and got sick into the bucket.

Kili frowned as he watched in concern as his brother's body lurched and heaved as he threw up. With every heave, Fili moaned in pain. Kili scooted up, wincing as his own injury protested and reached over to grab at Fili's dirty matted hair, pulling it back for him.

Behind them, the noise had woken Thorin who hurried off the bench he had been sleeping on to help Fili lay back down.

"Dwalin went to see if he could catch us something to eat," Balin said, putting the bucket back onto the floor while Thorin placed a hand on Fili's forehead and then on Kili's.

"They're both a little warm," Thorin commented, glancing at Balin. Kili did feel a little feverish but his uncle's large hand on his face felt comforting. He recalled those big hands holding him and soothing him last night when he was hurting.

"I am glad to see the both of you awake," Thorin said in his usual deep voice. Kili gazed up at him, worried about seeing a look of disappointment in his blue eyes. A look he felt he deserved, despite what Balin had said. They should have not been so weak. They had come on this quest to help take back Erebor, and not only had they lost the mountain, they had become burdens for everyone in the company.

"I'm sorry, Uncle," he started, coughing a bit as he tried to take a deeper breath than what his wounded lung would allow, "For being weak."

Thorin looked at him sternly for a few minutes and Kili braced himself for harsh words he thought would be coming any moment. Beside him, Fili gazed up at their Uncle as well, trying to suppress a whimper of pain.

"And why would I believe you weak?" Thorin asked, raising a brow at them both.

"We didn't mean to be such a burden to you," Fili spoke up, "We lost you the mountain because we didn't fight well enough."

Thorin sighed and his expression softened as he glanced over at Balin before turning back to his nephews. Then he did something Kili never would have expected the hardened old dwarf to do. He bent down and kissed both of them on their foreheads and held their heads against his for a few brief minutes.

"You have never been a burden to me," he said softly to them, "And you have never been weak. Even the most battle hardy warriors would have succumb to the injuries you two had sustained last night, yet you have survived."

"We all thought you would be on your way to Mahal by now after such severe injuries," Balin added, "You young lads have some strength in you."

"The light of Durin's day was lost," Thorin continued, standing back up again, "But we have come all this way and I refuse to give up on this quest. We will find another way into the mountain and we will not leave here until we do."

Kili felt renewed by his uncle's words. They weren't leaving the sight of the mountain. He glanced over to Fili who gave him a small smile. They'd find another way. And as the two brothers gazed at one another, they both saw renewed determination in each other's eyes. Kili would not give up on his childhood dream of seeing Erebor for himself, and neither would Fili.

Just then, Dwalin came into the house followed by Oin who carried bandages and supplies. Dwalin held up two large rodents, "This was all I could find," he said, apologetically, "I doubt they will be very appetizing."

"They will have to do," Thorin said as Balin hurried over to help his brother clean and skin the rodents. Kili frowned a little. Roasted rodent wasn't what he was hoping for.

"Ah you lads made it through the night," Oin said happily, walking up to the table and putting his supplies down, "Sorry I'm a bit late, I'm afraid Lady Bringa has taken a turn for the worst."

"What do you mean?" Fili asked, "What happened to her?"

"Caught a bit of a fever and her wound is a bit infected," Oin explained, I've been up with her most of the night... It doesn't look good I'm afraid."

Kili felt sad to learn that bit of news, "What about Brenna and Asphodel?" he asked, remembering the young hobbit and gnome, "Are they alright?"

"They're with Master Baggins," Oin told him as he came over and began unwrapping Kili's bandaging, "I didn't want young Brenna catching whatever her mother had."

Kili winced as his chest wound protested Oin's touch, but the skilled healer worked quickly and gently. The area around the wound was red and swollen and Kili cried out a bit when Oin touched it.

"Oh Laddie..." Oin breathed as he inspected the wound, "I was afraid of this."

"Infection?" Thorin guessed. Kili felt like his entire chest would cave in. He felt a crushing pain as if someone had put an iron anvil on his chest. It was difficult and painful to breathe. While Oin cleaned the infection out, he felt Fili grab his hand and squeeze it. Kili had to bite his lower lip to keep from screaming at every painful touch.

"There, I cleaned out much of it," Oin said as he re bandaged Kili's chest, "We need to change the bandages often and hope that will be enough. Now I need you to rest as much as you can, Lad. Don't do anything that will get you worked up, this lung needs to heal."

"Okay..." Kili gasped, feeling Thorin's hand on his head once more. He began to smell the aroma of the rodent soup Balin and Dwalin were busy preparing at the other end of the room.

"That smells horrid" Fili spoke up as Oin made his way over to him and began unwrapping his bandages.

Kili was about to make a witty retort when he heard Fili gasp suddenly. He quickly squeezed Fili's hand as the blonde squirmed at Oin's treatment of his wound, "Yours is showing signs of infection too" Oin said to Fili, "But the stomach wound is beginning to close, I think you ought to wait another day before you eat or drink anything and after then, liquids only for a good long while."

"You won't get an argument from me, Oin," Fili said with a moan, "I don't think I ever want to look at food again."

Kili felt bad. Fili loved food. For Fili to deny food, he must really be hurting. He sighed as he looked over and watched Dwalin and Balin continuing their cooking, "I'm not hungry either," he said, though he was lying. If Fili couldn't eat, neither would he.

"No, Kee..." Fili groaned as Oin finished up with him, "You should eat something."

"No," Kili said firmly, ignoring the look he received from Thorin.

"Don't be a fool, Boy," Thorin warned firmly as Dwalin and Balin brought forward a few bowls of broth, "You need to keep up your strength."

"So does Fili," Kili remarked angrily.

"Fili's stomach has been injured," Oin explained, "If he eats anything before it heals, it could kill him. He has to wait."

Kili swallowed, grimly. He didn't want his brother to die. He winced as Thorin helped them both sit up and Dwalin placed a hot bowl of rodent soup in his lap. He winced as he sat up and received his bowl.

"Eat it, Lad," Balin insisted as he took a sip of his own bowl, "Its not much but you need to eat. Come on now, don't be difficult."

"It's alright, Brother," Fili said, watching Kili's expression, "It… doesn't look very appetizing. and the smell is making me a little sick. No offense, Dwalin."

Kili sighed and gave in. He wrinkled his nose a bit when he saw the liquid with pieces of rodent meat floating in it and Dwalin chuckled a bit as Kili took a cautious sip of his soup. He could barely get it down. The rodent was gamey and dry.

Beside him, Fili chuckled a little. Kili smiled back at him, "Maybe I'll save some for you tomorrow," he said, "So you can suffer through this too."

"I think we ought to go into town," Dwalin was saying to Thorin as they all finished their unappetizing meal, "We can't live off of rodents."

"We can't!" Kili insisted.

Thorin smiled a bit at Kili as Oin finished packing up his medical supplies, "When will it be safe to move them?" he asked the healer, "I'd like to get them into the room, they'll be more comfortable in a bed than on top of this table."

"Later, perhaps," Oin said, "I'm concerned about the infection returning. They most certainly should stay inside, the chill of winter will make them ill."

"We'll be okay if you need to go, Uncle," Fili said. Thorin shook his head at that idea.

"No, I don't want to leave you two alone right now," he said, "Balin, you and Dwalin should get some sleep, you've been up all night."

"I'd like nothing better," Balin said with a yawn, "Come, Brother. We'll check up on you later, Thorin."

With that, Balin and Dwalin left the cabin.

"I'm going back to check on Bringa," Oin said, "I'll be back later to check on them."

Thorin nodded as the healer departed. Kili watched him as he moved across the room to stoke the fire. Beside him, Fili groaned in pain. The three of them sat in silence for most of the day, not knowing what to say to one another.