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Thorin limped his way to the pony holding his side. The bleeding had slowed down, but he could still feel it leaking out of his wound and soaking his fingers. Yelling in pain he lifted himself onto his pony. He sat on the saddle for a moment breathing heavily; his vision fading in and out. He could feel himself loosing consciousness; a darkness was creeping in the back of his mind telling him to give up and rest. Thorin kicked his pony and it started off towards his village. Thorin's head bopped with the movements of the animal; his head growing fuzzy. He could feel himself slipping away.

Thorin closed his eyes for a moment. He couldn't give up. His nephews needed him, he let their father die, but he wasn't going to let them die. They were his responsibility, his family, his whole world; if anything happened to them. If they died…Thorin bit down on his lip. No, he couldn't think like that. He was going to save them; he was going to keep them safe.

He wasn't sure how much time passed as he rode the pony. It felt like years or maybe just seconds. Thorin had no sense of time. Everything was moving so slowly, yet everything seemed to be happening in the blink of an eye. Looking up he saw he was at the trading post at the bottom of the mountain. It was on fire. He kept riding hearing the men of the town yelling and running around screaming about how orcs had been in their village. He heard one man say how the orcs had moved up the mountain and something about how they were after dwarf. Thorin cursed, they were going after his kind. They were attacking because he got caught in the woods.

His pony started up the mountain side. He could see the destruction of the orcs before he even made it to the village edge. Their monstrous feet made a clear path to follow and drops of dwarf blood, probably from the blade that stuck Thorin, covered the ground. The pain from his injury receded as thoughts of what the orcs could be doing to his town filled Thorin's mind. Screams filled his ears and the bright light and heat from a fire touched his beard. Looking up he saw that the town was burning. A large group of men, a few Thorin recognized as Lycyn's guards, were trying to put it out. On the ground there laid a few bodies, some covered in blood and burn marks. He kept riding. He had to find Kili, Fili, and Dis.

As he continued up the mountain he spotted a small shape hunched over on the ground covered in ash. Thorin was still having a hard time seeing straight, but he could swear the body lying on the ground looked familiar. Thorin gasped, "BALIN!" He yelled. He jumped off his horse ignoring the pain completely. The king ran up to his old friend pushing the elder dwarf onto his back. Thorin didn't notice any major injuries, only a few scratches and a burn mark on his arm. "Balin?" He asked his voice and hands shaking.

Balin's eyes fluttered open, "T-Thorin?" Balin sat up and Thorin places his hand on the elders back to make sure he didn't fall over. "Orcs!" Balin said a little panicked. "They at-attacked out of nowhere Thorin. There were too many for me to fight alone Thorin, I was out numbered. I…I told the boys to run."

Thorin swallowed down his fears, "where are they?"

Balin shook his head. "I don't know. I don't know how long I was out." Balin looked around. He saw a few people running around trying to put out the massive fire that was spreading through the whole village. "Most everyone was heading for Lycyn's house. Kili and Fili would have gone there with the others. But, the orcs probably followed."

Thorin nodded, "thank you Balin. Find somewhere safe to rest and heal. I must find my sister and her sons. If they were headed for the house and the orcs were in pursuit I must get to them first, Balin." Thorin helped his friend up off the ground, putting his free hand on his wound, which was starting to hurt again. He noticed Balin wasn't as hurt as Thorin thought and Balin said he wanted to help him find his family. "No, if you are up to it help put out the fire. See if you can find Dwalin. He must be running around killed orcs somewhere." Thorin didn't know why he was telling a joke a moment like this, but it seemed like the best thing to do. "Good luck my friend," he said.

"Thorin!" Balin yelled. "You're hurt!" Balin put his hands on the wound. "Oh Thorin, you're losing a lot of blood! What happened!?"

"It's nothing Balin, help with the fire. I need to find the boys."

Balin shook his head, "Thorin you're in no condition to-"

Thorin put his hand on Balin's shoulder. "I can't let anything happen to them Balin. I'm fine. Help with fire. I'll be alright, now go." Not wanting to fight with Balin anymore Thorin pushed by his friend and headed up the mountain to where Lycyn lived at the very top. His sister could handle herself in an orc attack and was probably off fighting with Dwalin somewhere. he could hear a battle going on in the distance to his left, but he kept going forward hoping his nephews were smart enough to go to the house where it was safer.

He passed the forge to see an orc battling two of Lycyn's men. They quickly took the monster down as two more came out at them. As he watched the two men fight he heard a loud scream. He knew who belong to right away: Kili.

Thorin spun around to see his two nephews holding onto each other backed up into a corner between two houses and an orc walking up to them. Fili's arms were around Kili, holding him tight. They tried to back up more, away from the creature, but they were trapped by a wooden wall. Kili dropped to his knees screaming, Fili kept holding onto him glaring at the orc, even though he had tears in his eyes. The orc pulled out a blade, laughed, said something in black speech and raised the blade above the two younglings. Fili pulled his little brother in even closer and closed his eyes turning his head away into Kili's hair.

"NO!" Thorin screamed charging at the monster. He whipped out his sword and chopped the orc's head clean off. He fell to one knee, the pain in his side growing too much to bear. He held the wound panting heavily and closed his eyes trying to will the pain away.

"U-un…uncle?" Fili's little voice peeps out. Thorin opened his eyes to see his two nephews, still holding onto each for dear life, looking straight at him. Thorin gave them a weak smile.

"Uncle!" They yelled happily and ran at him. They threw their arms around him giving him the tightest most loving hug they ever gave. Thorin dropped his sword, let go of his wound and hugged them back.

"It's alright now…it's going to be alright. I'm here," Thorin said softly rubbing his hands on their backs. "I'm right here. You're safe." The two let go of him and stepped back.

"Thorin, you're hurt!" Kili yelled.

Thorin patted him on the head, "it's nothing. I need to get you to Lycyn's house. It'll be safe there."

"What about Ma?" Fili asked.

"She'll be fine…she's with D-Dwalin," Thorin lied. "We have to hurry…before any more orcs show…up," Thorin used his sword to push himself back up off his knees. He felt blood in his mouth and he could barely see straight. He felt Fili and Kili grab his jacket. "C-come on," Thorin struggled to get out.

They only made it a few feet (meters if you're not in the colonies) when Thorin fell to his knees again. Fili and Kili rushed to his aid trying to help him from falling completely to the ground. He knew they were talking to him but he couldn't hear them. "…Go…," he managed to say. "G-get…to safety…," Thorin collapsed to the ground.

"Uncle!" the two boys screamed. The flipped him over on his back to see that he covered in blood. Fili placed his hand over his uncle's mouth, he was breathing…barley. Thorin's eyes flutter, he tired to say something, he tried to tell to him leave him, but no words came out. He closed his eyes again and noises of the battle his nephew's pleads faded away. He heard a new sound now, it almost sounded elfish, but it also sounded like a song of some sort. He starting giving into to the new sound, letting it take him away when he heard Kili yell out again.

Snapping his eyes open Thorin saw a new orc by his nephews. Fili was standing in front of Kili guard him and Thorin from the monster. Thorin could barely make out the sound of Fili threatening the orc. Thorin tried to move, to do something, anything, but he couldn't. Thorin felt his mind going dark. He blinked and the next thing he knew Fili was holding his black sword. It was much too large for him, but Fili was still managing to point it at the orc. The creature attacked and Fili stabbed it, pulled the blade out and stabbed it again.

When the orc was dead Fili dropped the sword, fell to his knees and cried. That was the first time he truly killed a being. An orc was a creature yes, but it wasn't a rabbit, or a bird. Orc spoke, they thought, they were conscious beings and Fili just killed one. Thorin, unable to will himself awake, closed his eyes and let everything go dark, the sound of his nephews yelling for him being the last thing he heard.

Thorin woke up on a bed. A white sheet pulled over him and small candle was burning on a table next to him. "Where am I?" he softly spoke.

"Among friends," a familiar voice called out. It was Lycyn, the leader of the village, sitting on a chair at Thorin's bed side. He looked severely beaten, covered in black and blue, and sling around his right arm. "My men found you and brought you to my home to be healed with the others. You should be perfectly alright in a few days."

"The orcs?" Thorin asked.

"Taken care of; we killed them all."

Thorin nodded, "good. Do you know…if my nephews are…?"

"They are well. They are in the other room with their mother. She is fine as well." Lycyn stood up; Thorin could tell he was in pain, but hiding it. "Rest now. I'll send in a healer later to check on you." Lycyn gave the dwarf a smile and walked away.

"Lycyn," Thorin called out. The man stood and turned to face Thorin. "Fili…killed an orc. It was first time he killed something that wasn't an animal."

Lycyn thought for a moment. "Do you want me to talk to him, or fetch him so you may talk with him?"

"No, Fili has to come to turns with this on his own." Thorin gave the man a nod and closed his eyes. He saved their lives, that's all the mattered. He kept them safe; they were alive. Thorin let himself smile in relief. He promised their father, he promised himself, he would never let anything happen to them. And that was a promise he never planned to break.

I'm no doctor, but I'm pretty sure losing a lot of blood means death. I don't know that's what I've heard. Hurray for fiction where people can just survive massive internal injuries! Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please Rate and Review! See you next time!