The halls were quiet as Thorin made his way towards his cousin's chambers. The sight of a few dwarves walking in his direction had his heart skipping with every step. He clenched his jaw tight to keep his chattering teeth still. The dwarves ignored the prince as they had done so in the entrance hall and continued onwards without speaking a word to him.

Do they know?...

The prince swallowed his fears, praying he would escape the Hills before word spread. Dain's chambers were in sight when the door burst open and the doctor from earlier marched off, huffing his way passed Thorin. Thorin's body tensed as he watched the doctor stomp off.

Dain...

His heart raced as he trembled in fear of Dain now knowing his secret. Thorin tried to calm his breathing and muster the strength to move his frozen body.

You must move...

You must face this...

His fists clenched tighter as he forced his limbs to move against their will. The prince stood infront of the haunting doorway, staring straight to his cousin sitting at the back of the room in his desk. Dain didn't see him as his eyes were fixed on his parchment. Gundis was reading aloud to Fili sitting in her lap. He flipped the pages as Gundis finished speaking and began to read the next page ahead of her. Gundis huffed a small laugh through her nose and listened to the boy almost shouting his words.

Fili's words died out as he noticed his uncle standing in the doorway. The little lad leaned over with excitement on his face but stopped himself from speaking to look back to Gundis for permission. The female dwarf flicked a hideous glare towards the prince. Thorin gulped and clenched his fists tighter for encouragement.

"I have come to take Fili back to Erebor..."

Gundis gave Fili a pleasant smile, closing the book and placing it aside.

"It's time to go back to your mother Fili. Would you like that?"

Fili perked up, nodding his head in delight. He jumped off the dwarf's lap and ran to his uncle with his arms spreading wide with expression.

"Uncle, Uncle! Guess what I found!?"

Thorin smiled and stroked the lad's golden curls.

"Just a moment Fili, you can speak of everything on our way home."

The little dwarf's face dropped into a saddened state and nodded his understanding. Thorin turned his gaze to Dain who was busy ignoring his presence, tearing his parchment with his constant scribbling.

"I will take my leave now... Is there news you would have me deliver to King Thror, Lord Dain?"

The quill between Dain's fingers trembled as he held back the urge to break it. Gundis caught Dain's silent hint and walked towards Fili.

"Little Fili, let's prepare your pony while they talk."

Fili nodded and took off without another word, running towards the stables. Gundis snarled a hiss as she passed the tensed dwarf infront of her. A cold chill curled down Thorin's spine as she left, slamming the door behind him. The room was quiet as Thorin stared, waiting for his cousin to speak. Moments passed on until the halls outside were vacant of noise. The prince shifted uncomfortably and leaned to finally speak.

"Dain..."

Dain threw his chair back and charged for the prince, grabbing Thorin's collar and thrusting his forearm against the prince's chest. Thorin choked a cough as his back collided with the door.

"YOU KNEW THE ORCS WERE AFTER YOU!"

Thorin inhaled sharply as he weakly held onto Dain's arm and turned his gaze.

"LOOK AT ME!"

Thorin's eyes squinted an apologetic look back at the lord that caused a surge of anger to flood the dwarf's body. Dain's fist rammed into the iron metal beside Thorin's head, sending a terrifying wave through the prince's body. Thorin's jaw quivered against Dain's arm as he gulped nervously.

"I did not know before the attack..."

"DAMMIT THORIN IS THIS WHY YOU HAVE COME TO MY KINGDOM WITH YOUR BROKEN BODY!"

Dain's voice roared through the room and escaped down the hall, though no one was there to hear it. The lord hissed and pressed his spare hand into the prince's ribcage. Thorin winced as Dain began to squeeze his body. The lord's fingers stuttering to control themselves under his boiling rage. The prince clenched his jaw trying to take in the pain. Thorin's acceptance over the lord's actions only angered him further. Dain snarled and let his fingers taste one last whimper from the weak dwarf before he removed himself back to his desk.

"Leave."

Thorin fell to the floor, grasping his chest and panting with his forehead touching the stone beneath him. He stared at the floor as his cousin dismissed him.

"Worthless dwarf..."

The broken prince stayed in spot trying to find words to speak his regrets but there was no apology he could ever deliver to the lord. Thorin struggled to stand from his broken rib and hand. Dain was infront of his desk standing with his back towards his cousin. Thorin said nothing and bowed his respect before leaving. The walk down the alienating halls with other dwarves seemed less concerning than the now severed bond with his cousin. There may never be another day in the future they would be able to speak to each other as equals, or even as family.

The prince found his way back to the stables where his little nephew was sitting atop their pony waiting for him. Thorin walked passed Gundis with his head low and grabbed onto the saddle, wincing from the sharp pain in his hand. He drew his hand back and propped himself onto the pony by his elbow.

Fili watched in curiosity as his uncle climbed behind him. The scorned look on Gundis' face gave Fili the sense he should stay quiet as the adult dwarves communicated in silence. Thorin grabbed the reins with both hands and winced again. Fili watched in disbelief as his uncle's bound hand recoiled away from the leather strap and shifted under the boy's arm to secure the lad in place. Thorin wrapped the reins around his stronger hand and gave a quick snap. They clopped toward the slowly opening gate, parting with the little heir and the outcast he travelled with.

They were free from the oppressive atmosphere that loomed in the Iron Hills. Thorin stared aimlessly at the vast landscape, barely noticing a pair of amber eyes watching him patiently. A tug of his beard finally drew his thoughts back to the quiet youth. Fili's eyes widened in hope as his uncle smiled kindly to him.

"I'm sorry Fili, speak what you have learned."

Fili took in a deep breath before his voice cracked with a hundred syllables mixing between Westron and Khuzdul. Thorin's ears could barely keep up with the excited youth rambling constantly with quick breaths to keep up with his finally broken silence. Thorin smiled and returned his attention to land around him that still belonged to Dain, reminding him he was no longer welcomed to cross these lands again.