At that moment, pain like molten iron spread through my veins and I screamed, arching my back in an attempt to escape it. I thrashed, falling to the floor, tears pouring from my eyes as I screamed so loudly that I thought my throat would tear.

"Legolas, help her!" Tauriel commanded, rushing to boil the Athelas so that she might save Kili and I.

I felt someone's hands cover mine. Someone was holding me down—I screamed and screamed even though I could barely hear the sound. I struck out with my fists, my feet; I clawed with my nails—trying as best my scrambled mind knew how to save myself. Myself? What about Kili?

"No," I moaned, my voice raspy and barely a whisper. "Kili—"

His screams nearly brought an end to my sanity then and there. Something inside me snapped, and the next thing I knew, there was no one on top of me; I had thrown them off.

I was rising to my feet, unhindered. My vision had changed; no longer did I see the world in color: all was made of shadow. Faces shone like moons, darkness swirling around them. A voice touched my ears, sounding as if I was hearing it from underwater.

"I'm sorry."

A sharp pain exploded in the back of my head, and I collapsed into nothingness, a dream engulfing me.

"'Aeyera, fall back! Find Fili and Kili!' Thorin's desperate voice leaves no room for argument, but Dwalin steps forward anyway.

'Are you sure about this?'

'Go,' the king commands. King? Was he really the king now? 'We live to fight another day.'

I nod and turn, ready to fly over the ice to save my friends, but a nightmarish scene stops me in my tracks. Azog emerges from the shadows ahead, dragging Kili behind him. Fili and Thorin stand beside me now, one on either side, staring at me.

'Choose,' they tell me, tears running down their cheeks. Their identical blue eyes bore into me. 'Choose.'

Bilbo and Dwalin have vanished. My mouth opens in a scream, but no sound comes out. Azog lifts Kili up, holding him over an endless drop.

My voice begins to work again. 'No!' I scream. 'Take me, please! Kill me instead!' He laughs. Suddenly he stabs forward, embedding an arrow in Kili's leg and snapping off the shaft, leaving the head buried in his flesh. The prince shouts in pain, and the orc tosses Kili forward. I can hear his screams. I begin running—flying forward. Suddenly my feet no longer touch the ice; I have reached the abyss. Darkness swirls beneath my feet, but I leap forward anyway. Something holds me up, and I rush to him. My arms wrap around Kili, holding him tight.

'Don't you let go,' I tell him, struggling to keep him in the air. I realize now how we are still alive: I have wings; I really am flying. A sudden pain makes me drop several feet. I look down to see blood spurting from the wound in my side, soaking through my armor. 'Don't let go,' I murmur, tears slipping down my cheeks. 'Don't leave me.'

'Aeyera,' he whispers, meeting my gaze. His eyes are wild; panicked. I have never seen someone so afraid. I pour all my strength into making it to the ice; I have to. I have to save Kili. My wings begin to move down, propelling me forward. I make it to the side of the ice wall before their strength gives out. I look down to reassure Kili, to let him know that everything will be okay, but he is gone; his body has disappeared. I am alone.

'Kili? Kili!' I am crying now, gripping the ice as tightly as I can. My arms shake; I have no strength left. The darkness below me seems to swirl faster, calling to me. Give in, it seemed to say. Just give up.

'No,' I grunt, reaching up and grabbing a spit of ice above me. I haul myself upwards, shouting as my muscles scream in pain. I ignore it. I ignore the voices, ignore the pain, and focus on getting myself out of here. 'I will not die. Not like this. I will die… on my own terms. I will not die without saying goodbye.' When I am almost at the top, the darkness seems to thicken. A sudden pain shoots through me, such that I have never felt before. I cry out, tears running down my cheeks. I reach up and grab at the ice, digging my nails into the slick surface. I manage to pull myself up, rolling onto the ice on my back. I have never felt so tired; so utterly exhausted.

'Well done, Princess.'

I look up. Legolas stands there, Maladernil by his side. Fili and Thorin flank them.

'Where is Kili?' I breathe, my heart seizing.

'He is fighting his own battle,' Thorin says softly. 'But you did help him a bit.'

'You saved him from falling,' Fili tells me. 'And gave him something to fight for.'

'Can I…' I cough, my mouth dry. 'Can I save him?'

'No,' Legolas says, smiling softly. He kneels down to look me in the eye. 'He must save himself.'

'What do I do now?' I ask, lying back on the ice.

'Let me see your wound, child.'

I lift my head, new tears brimming in my eyes. 'Mother?' I whisper. I can't believe it. My mother stands beside me, one hand on Legolas's arm, the other on Maladernil's. They nod and lead the others away; I cannot see where they go. She looks just as I remembered—her green eyes sparkle, her dark curls spill over her shoulders and down her back in shimmering waves. As she moves, I catch her familiar scent: pine needles and the scent of rain.

She smiles. 'Yes, my love.' She kneels down beside me, smoothing my hair back.

'What—? How—?' I can't seem to speak. I can only stare in awe.

'Hush, my dear,' she says, pushing me down gently. She removes my armor, casting it aside. She pulls up my tunic to reveal the wound. 'Oh, Aeyera,' she says, touching my face gently with her hand. 'I am so sorry. I only wish…' She catches herself and pauses, shaking her head sadly. 'No, I cannot wish that.' She gazes at me fondly, tears sparkling like stars in her eyes. 'I am so proud of the lady you have become,' she told me.

"Why did you leave me?" I ask, eyes filling with tears. "Did you know what father would do to me? What he would become?"

Sorrow fills her eyes, and she shakes her head. "I had no choice, my daughter. I did not know what path your father would take, and I am angry that he chose the one he did. It will lead only to darkness, I am sure."

'Are you really here?' I ask her.

'No,' she sighs. 'I am not. You are dreaming, dear one.'

'So… so none of this is real?' I say, feeling very small. She takes out a handful of Athelas and crushes it. Its sharp scent reaches my nose, and she presses it to the bleeding wound. The blood is tainted black, as if poisoned. She begins singing softly, and the pain ebbs slowly. My mother begins to shine, glimmering like the night sky. As the pain and the scar fades, so does she.

'Mother—' I say, sitting up. She is almost gone. 'Wait!'

'I love you,' she says, smiling sadly as a tear falls down her cheek.

'But… you're not here!' I say, weeping. 'None of this is real!'

Her hand cups my cheek gently. 'I am not here,' she agreed. 'But why does that make any of this less real?'

I catch her hand as she disappears. 'Please,' I beg, my voice a whimper. 'Please don't leave me.'

'I have never left you,' she whispers. A moment later she adds, 'I love you, my dear. Take care of Legolas and Maladernil; tell them I love them as well.'"

I opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was the ceiling; there was a large hole in it directly above where I lay, and thatch hung down from it. Several pieces lay on my chest. The second thing I noticed was my brother, who was even paler than usual. Legolas stood above me, gripping my hands tightly in his own. He smiled wearily down at me, and I realized that my pain was completely gone. I sat up. "How long?" I asked.

"Only a few minutes."

I pressed my hand to my side. Nothing happened. Elation began to bubble up within me, and I looked to my brother. I was sure I looked overjoyed, for his eyes shone as he smiled. I could only manage one word. "How?"

He shook his head in wonder. "I do not know," he answered, smiling brightly. I pulled up my tunic and stared at the old wound: the scar looked like any other might, and the veins surrounding it no longer poisoned my blood.

Poison… I looked around. "Where is Kili?" I asked. I remembered my dream, how I tried to carry him out of the abyss but was unable to; how he had to fight that battle on his own. Legolas nodded towards the next room, and I climbed out of the bed, shoving the blankets on top of me to the side. I was strong; my steps were unwavering. I entered the room where Fili and Oin stood against one wall. Fili looked terrible, nearly as bad as his brother. His face was pale and drawn, but his sickness was from worry instead of injury.

Tauriel was preparing to begin healing Kili. His head rested on a wag of walnuts. I presumed it was because of his fever; they needed to prop his head up without him overheating. She pulled the Athelas from a pot of steaming water as I stepped over to her side.

"Let me," I told her. She opened her mouth to argue, but something in my expression must have convinced her otherwise. "Please."

She handed the Athelas to me and stepped back to my brother's side. They stood like sentinels in the corner, watching me. I took a deep breath and pressed the soggy plant against the now blackened wound, praying to the Valar with all the strength in my heart. "Save him," I said softly in elvish. "I need him. Remove the poison from his blood; cleanse his body of this evil. Let not his mind become overcome by darkness, but allow him to return to the light."

As I spoke, I became aware that there was no shadow in my mind. No longer were my thoughts controlled by darkness; no longer would madness lurk in the corners of my mind. My heart lifted: I was free. I continued praying, alternatively thanking and begging the Valar. "You healed me," I reminded them, quite certain that they remembered their actions from moments before. "And therefore you must have a plan for me. I swore on my life that I would protect the line of Durin; you cannot change my decision, and you sang that I would honor my word. If it is in your song that he die," I said, my voice rising in earnest, "Then do not let it be now. Let him live longer than this. If it is your will to heal him, do it quickly!" Kili yelled in pain, his eyes glazed over. Desperation seized my heart, and I poured all my love, my fear, my uncertainty, into healing him. I drew upon my own energy. I could feel it sapping my strength, but I didn't care. "Eru," I called upon the One and the Valar by name. "Manwe, Mandos, Lorien, Varda, Este, Nienna—please," my voice broke. "I watched him die, and this was not how—you must have a plan for him."

His struggles began to weaken, and I placed my free hand at his neck to feel his pulse. My hand shook as I touched his skin. He burned with fever so much that I nearly tore my hand away with a scream at the heat. Kili's eyes moved beneath their lids as if he was trapped in a nightmare. His pulse was faint, but steady. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, but it hitched suddenly, because he stopped moving. My heart leapt into my throat as I pressed my fingers against his neck, searching frantically for a pulse. I couldn't find one. His heart wasn't beating.

"This is not an honorable death," I screamed out, making most everyone in the room jump. I saw Fili start forward, but Oin and Bofur held him back. I could tell he didn't know what was going on, but I was too focused, too terrified, to tell him. Legolas watched me sadly from the edge of the room but made no move to interfere. "Please, you must spare him. PLEASE! Heal him!" I cried out, letting all my frustration and terror and pain out in the one breath. I yelled at the Valar, anger and determination singing through my veins. "Bring—him—back!"

Kili gasped, his eyes flying open. Something was wrong; there was a film over his eyes, almost as though cobwebs were blanketed over them. He gasped for breath, and his pulse began to race. I began reciting an old incantation, pressing the Athelas on the wound with as much pressure as I dared to use.

He screamed in pain, squeezing his eyes shut, and the sound tore at my heart. He thrashed, desperately trying to get away. Sigrid rushed over, holding his left arm and leg down. "Tilda!" Her younger sister ran over to help, putting all her weight on his right arm.

I continued the incantation, feeling the life flowing through my fingers into his body. Slowly, he began to calm down. His eyes were open now, watching me with something akin to wonder. I continued on until he had fully relaxed. The wound had closed up beneath my fingertips, leaving a scar that matched my own.

I fell back, exhausted. Legolas came to me, his eyes kind. He hugged me, holding me tight to his chest. "You frightened me," he said softly, his breath ruffling my hair. I trembled in his grasp, the terror of the last few minutes finally reaching me. "When you began to fade, I thought—"

"Fade?" I repeated, pulling away from him. I still shook, but I was distracted now. "When did this happen?" My heart began to race. When I dreamed, was I really dying? Was I passing into the Shadow Realm? Was I… becoming a wraith? Surely not, elves fought harder, we couldn't be taken in… could we?

"Right after Tauriel said she would help save you both, you collapsed. When the dwarf began shouting…" he trailed off, but I could see the rest in his eyes: his fear, confusion, and uncertainty. He continued on anyway. "It was as if you were possessed. You threw me off somehow and stood up, but you… you weren't…" he frowned in frustration, searching for the right words. "It was as if you had become the opposite of who you really were," he said finally. "Your eyes were black. Not just your irises, but also your entire eye. You weren't in pain anymore, but the expression on your face…"

A horrible thought appeared. "Did it—" I licked my lips, afraid to ask. "Did I remind you of… of a wraith?"

He stared at me wordlessly for several seconds, and it was enough confirmation for me. I moved to turn away, but he stopped me. "No," he said, although his voice sounded panicked. "No, you didn't—"

"Do not lie to me, Legolas," I said, feeling as though my voice was detached from my body. "I know you. I reminded you of a wraith, didn't I?"

He didn't answer me. He couldn't. I knew the truth. I understood now, elves could be changed. At one point, we were corrupted—perhaps during the Valar's song to Eru, when Morgoth twisted some of the first of us with his magic; twisted us into orcs. I rested against my brother, feeling a tear slip down my face. "Legolas?" I said, remembering my dream and smiling a bit. His arm rested on my shoulders, protective and comforting.

"Yes, Aeyera?"

"Mother says that she loves you." He pulled away, shocked. I explained as best I could, and at the end his eyes shone with tears.

He nodded as I concluded with my waking up with a healed wound and no more darkness in my mind. "I see," he said. He didn't, of course, but I decided to agree.

"Legolas," Tauriel said softly, making her way to us. Her golden eyes shone as she inclined her head to me respectfully. "We must go. The orcs have made their way east, we must follow."

He nodded and followed her to the door. "I will see you soon, little sister," he said. Without another word, or waiting for my response, the two elves took their leave, leaving the rest of us alone.

Oin watched me carefully from across the room. "I've heard tale of the wonders of elvish medicine. That was a privilege to witness."

I smiled softly and pressed a cool rag on Kili's forehead. He was sweating now; his fever had finally broken. His clothing had become drenched in sweat in seconds; he looked as though he had just taken a swim in the lake.

When I looked at his face, my heart leapt within me. His eyes were open, and they were the same deep brown orbs I had fallen in love with, along with the rest of him, of course. He was whole again. He spoke, looking up at me deliriously. Well, almost whole. "Aeyera?"

I smiled softly, smoothing his hair back from his face. I wanted nothing more than to hug him, kiss him, tell him everything was going to be alright; but I had to restrain myself until he was better. "Lie still."

His heart beat steadily against my fingers, mirroring my own. I drank him in, taking in the warmth of his skin, the sound of his voice. He stared up at the ceiling, a tear slipping down his face. His skin still was pale, but color had returned to his cheeks. His eyes were clear of the cobwebs of madness, but he still was confused. "You cannot be her. She is far away. She... she is far, far away from me. She walks in starlight in another world. It was just a dream." He touched my hand lightly, his fingertips burning against my own. His brown eyes bored into mine. "Do you think she could have loved me?"

I stared at him, unsure of how to answer. My heart pounded against my chest as if it were trying to escape it. Didn't he know I loved him already? Fili watched me closely; I could feel his blue eyes burning into me from across the room.

"Yes," I told him, a tear slipping down my face. I wiped it away quickly, sniffing, and smiled to cover it up. "Yes, I do. I think she loves you very, very much."

He smiled up at me, staring into my eyes. The next question he asked shocked me so that I stood speechless. "Do you think she would have married me?"

My mouth dropped open, and suddenly it became very hard to breathe. I knew the answer; of course I knew the answer, but I could not say it. He fell asleep before I could find my tongue, his hand dropping from mine. Fili came over and covered him with a blanket, then wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"Are you alright?" he asked, saying nothing about what had just transpired between his brother and I.

I shook my head frantically. "No, no, Fili, I'm not alright, I'm not… I'm not alright—" He lead me to the fire and made me sit down in a chair by it, and I buried by face in my hands as horror flooded through me. I felt him sit down beside me, and I could feel his gaze upon me as he waited for me to continue. It was nearly ten minutes before I could speak again. We sat in silence, and he waited patiently for me to calm down enough to speak. "Fili, his—his heart st-stopped."

"What?" his voice was horrified, and I looked up in time to see my own terror reflected back at me through his eyes. I could feel my grip on sanity slipping—this time for another reason—and I fought to keep my emotions under control. "What do you mean?"

I tried to explain, not sure how many meanings my previous explanation actually had. "While I was healing him, h-his heart stopped beating, and he stopped breathing. He was dead, b-but he came back—" I began sobbing in earnest, burying my face in Fili's coat. I could feel him shaking. It was a long time before either of us spoke. He held onto me, holding me as I wept.

"That's why you screamed," he clarified after a whilt. He took my silence as confirmation. I felt him take a shuddering breath, his heart beating quickly against his chest. "What were you saying while you healed him?"

It took several minutes, but I finally regained my composure enough to speak. I pulled away from Fili, rubbing my eyes. "I was praying," I told him. "And as I prayed, I was asking Eru and the Valar to heal him. They sang the universe into existence, and they sang of everything that would happen, and I know that Kili is in their plan somewhere, so I begged them to heal him."

"But then why did you scream?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing together.

I took a deep breath. "Because his heart stopped beating," I told him. "And he stopped breathing. I told the Valar—I yelled that his was not an honorable death. I screamed at them to bring him back." I lifted my gaze to meet Fili's intense blue one. "And they did."

He looked rather impressed. He took my hand and kissed it, his braided mustache tickling my fingers. "I am very, very thankful to have known you, Princess," he said, "and I am in your debt. I do not know what I would do if I lost my brother—thank you for making sure I do not have to."

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I lay back against the chair and let my eyes flutter closed. A sudden noise startled me, and I jumped, jerking awake. It was later in the night; I had been asleep for several hours. I stood and moved to the window. The base of the mountain was glowing, and I felt the blood drain from my face.

I heard a roar, and I yelled for everyone to be silent. They did as I bade them, and as I listened, I heard six words that froze my heart. Even though I knew that no one else could hear them yet, I was still terrified, knowing that a terrible monster was coming, such that few here had ever seen, save me. I gripped the doorframe tightly, my knuckles turning white. "I am fire. I am… death."

End of Book 2