AU: Here's another chapter for you guys! By the way the poll is still open and it's currently 9 for the dwarflings going tree climbing, and 6 for the one that includes the elves (lotrlover2931 hasn't been able to vote because she can't log on, but she has told me her vote in other ways) and I'd love if some more people went and voted for the next story I should start writing!
Unsure what was happening, Bofur had been quick to suck in a breath and struggle up to the cabin. Glancing inside, his jaw dropped for it was a most peculiar scene.
The shout R mo had emitted was most obviously one of worry, for his friend was pinned to the ground by Dwalin as Thorin stood protectively by his nephews who were both unconscious on the ground.
"Don't come any closer!" Dwalin was growling, "Stay away from the dwarflings."
"Dwalin, Thorin!" Bofur gasped, "What is going on in here?"
"That is Thorin Oakenshield?" R mo frowned, muttering under his breath, "Gracious, no wonder the woodland elves have expressed complaints."
Thorin's eyes flicked uneasily from R mo to Bofur, searching for the meaning of the other dwarf's sudden appearance.
"Thorin, Dwalin," Bofur repeated, "What are you doing? That's a blue wizard, and that there's his friend!"
"A blue wizard?" Thorin's hands dropped to his sides, his face visibly deflating, "What is going on here? As far as I know, wizards do not keep the company of thieves or bandits."
"That is true, Thorin Oakensheild, and I don't know why you would ever associate us with each other in the first place," R mo nodded raising one eyebrow curiously.
"He called me a thief!" Radagast suddenly spoke up, pointing to Fili, "But I don't hurt, I help!"
R mo's expression suddenly changed, as Thorin and Dwalin both nodded.
"My nephew," Thorin growled, his expression still more than a bit wary, "Claimed this little man to have used dark magic on him and to be holding him and his brother captive. These accusations must have sprung from somewhere, for my oldest nephew is not prone to storytelling."
"It did spring from somewhere, it sprang from his fever. He and his brother are very ill. If you are indeed their uncle, there is much you must know."
Thorin's expression changed to one of worry, his expressions of anger dropping away to reveal a fear for his nephews well being. He noticed Ori appear at the door, and he wondered why Bofur hadn't brought the lad home, yet he figured that was a discussion for some other time, and he let that subject go. Instead he asked, "What has happened? And Dwalin, let the wizard's friend go!"
Dwalin, half ashamedly, quickly let Radagast go, who shook himself off and approached R mo's side, giving both dwarves a wide berth.
Bofur came closer, paling when he saw the shape of the dwarflings.
"What's happened to them? They look quite pale! And they look about half frozen!"
"If you were to touch them, Bofur, you would be to find them with very high temperatures," R mo approached Thorin and Dwalin carefully, now understanding their aggression towards Radagast. Thorin flicked his eyes about nervously.
"What has happened?" He asked again.
"Thorin Oakensheild, please sit. Much has happened."
And so R mo told how his brother had found the dwarflings and how Radagast had cared for them.
"How'd they end up on the wrong side of the river in the first place?" Thorin demanded, remembering the freezing water he and Dwalin had crossed.
R mo was hesitant, thorough finally he spoke, "I sensed that something was wrong not long after my brother left, yet no matter how quickly I traveled, I did not seem to be able to catch up with him. It was sheer luck that he found your nephews in time. He said that Fili was already wet before he jumped into the river after his brother. I believe that something drastic occurred, but I can tell you no more on this subject. Thorin, please, do not ask me. Kili may wake soon and perhaps you can ask him. Fili may sleep for a while considering the medicine that my friend gave him. When he wakes, he should be much better."
"Fili's temperate is already decreasing!" Radagast smiled. "He may wake sooner than we thought."
"What about Kili?"
Radagast paused, his brow furrowing.
"He remains asleep! I do not know when he will open eyes."
"Can't you give him some of the same stuff you gave Fili? Their mother is worrying, I must get them home soon."
"Oh, that medicine is so very rare!" Radagast frowned, "Do not think I can get more quick enough!"
Thorin's thoughts then drifted to Ori, his brothers would be worrying as well.
"Bofur, could you take Ori home since you somehow showed up here instead of at the village."
"Oh, of course! It's just that we saw these folks and we thought..."
"It's alright, just get him home now."
Bofur nodded, turning to Ori with a, 'come on, lad,' and then the two dwarves left the cottage.
The cottage was quiet for some time, Thorin keeping an eye on his nephews every moment, watching for when either would show signs of waking. It was Fili whose eyes fluttered first.
"Where?" Fili moaned, "Why do I feel so... Kili!"
Fili's eyes suddenly snapped open, searching frantically for his brother. With a struggle, Fili sat up, Thorin rushing to his side.
"Lay back down, you'll only hurt yourself. You brother is right here."
Fili's eyes came to rest on his brother's sleeping form, and immediately he clutched his brother close.
"Kili, I had the most terrible dream, and you and I were hurt, and we were lost, and uncle didn't know where we were, but he's here, and you're here! Kili? Kili!"
Fili then realized that Kili wouldn't wake, and he finally took in his surroundings. Fili's face immediately dropped, his clutch on his brother tightening desperately
"It wasn't a dream... Oh Kili, wake up, you'll be okay, please wake up!"
"Fili!" Thorin's authoritative voice stopped Fili's ramblings, and he looked up at his uncle with wide, worried eyes. "Fili, what's happened?"
Fili blinked, taking a deep breath.
"We were ice skating, and we checked the ice, we really did, but then, just as we were about to leave, it started creaking. I told Kili to stop moving, and he did, but the ice broke and..."
"And Kili fell in?" Thorin's eyes widened with horror, "Tell me it isn't so!"
"I fell in..." Fili gulped, "Yet somehow he saved me and we got to shore, but it was the wrong shore. He said he was going to get help, I think. I wasn't thinking clearly, I'm sorry Uncle, or I would have stopped him! He tried to go across the stream, but then he fell in! And now he won't wake! If only I'd stopped him earlier!"
"You fell in the frozen lake?" Thorin's voice exposed his raw horror. He remembered the freezing water from the stream, but falling in a frozen lake? Suddenly, Thorin felt very grateful towards Radagast and whatever strange, wonderful medicine he used on Fili, for it must have been very powerful to have cured the after effects of falling in a frozen lake, or near curing them.
"I should have stopped him, I'm sorry!" Fili continued, and perhaps at another time, Thorin would have been angry. Now, however, he simply shook his head.
"You could have done nothing to stop him. You needed help, and nothing would have stopped him from trying to bring you help. I know that nothing can stop a little brother from saving his older from whatever ails him."
Not even death, crossed his mind, but Thorin pushed the unwanted thoughts and unneeded memories away.
"You have nothing to be sorry for," Thorin finished. "Your mum must be very worried, I will take you home when Kili wakes."
"How'd you find us?"
Thorin hesitated, that seemed like a long story to give, and eventually he settled on saying that Bofur found them.
"Dwalin and I thought we saw Ori and Bofur across the stream, so we came over here and found the cabin." The simplified version seemed to suit Fili, and he turned from Thorin to Kili.
Fili held his brother close, and was forced to simply wait; and wait he did. He waited long into the night, long after all but he, Thorin, and R mo had fallen asleep; and still he waited.
"Is there nothing we can do?" Fili begged the wizard, but R mo could only shake his head.
"He needs his rest, Fili. He will wake when he is ready."
Kili didn't seem to ever be ready to wake. In fact, it was after Thorin's snores were just beginning to fill the air when Kili's eyes blinked.
"Fili?"
Fili nearly jumped with excitement, his eyes meeting those of his little brother.
"Kili? Are you alright?"
"Are you alright?" Kili asked, receiving a frown.
"I'm fine! Don't worry about me, your temperature's gone down!"
"I think yours has too," Kili's voice still creaked and croaked, "You seem okay again. Fili, you weren't okay before. You... Oh, never mind, you were just... You couldn't have really meant anything... I'm glad you're okay."
Fili, confused, nodded slowly, a frown creasing his face when Kili muttered to himself more than anyone else, "Please, I hope it never happens again."
And then Fili remembered, and his face fell, and a sob caught in his throat.
"Oh Kili, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it! It'll never happen again! I'll never let it happen again!"
Kili's eyes shown bright in the firelight. They blinked several times, and slowly he let himself fall asleep, nodding to Fili. He had absolute trust in his big brother. It would never happen again. None of it would happen again.
AU: Well, things are looking up now, and we're reaching the end, but we aren't done quite yet! There will still probably 1-2 chapters left (approximately)
Anywho, thanks so much to all of you who have been commenting, favoriting, and following! More comments are so much appreciated and help me decide how and how much I'm going to write! ;)
