"Like hell you are!" Thorin growled and Fili noticed the vein in his uncle's neck pulsate rapidly due to a dangerous increasing level of rage. A vein in his forehead also started to protrude as his eyes grew dark with loathing staring at Dain's pathetic face. The irritating smirk grew in Dain's thin vile lips and ever so slowly brushed them against Dis' cheek.
Her stomach churned and her eyes grew with dread and fear as she stared at her brother. Fili quickly put his sword away; the shock still embedding itself deep inside him. His heart raced as though he was not getting enough oxygen and his main organs had to work twice has hard to keep him alive. He stared from Dain to Thorin, to Roloph and to his mother. An awkward silence fell; the only sound in the room was Thorin's heavy, desperate breathing caused by his anger.
Finally Dain spoke, "Now, now Thorin. There is no need to be so angry of the whole thing. This is a wonderful, exciting thing to come to your family! After everything that has happened-" Dain's eyes fixed on Thorin carefully; almost calculating as he considered his next words, "- considering your involvement in Kili's death for instance."
Dis' head jerked towards Dain and just as fast turned to her brother; her face in shock horror and confusion, "What are you talking about?" she asked in a whisper.
Fili closed his eyes and the pit of hatred he felt for Dain suddenly grew even deeper. Thorin's anger vanished and a panicked look overcame his features when his eyes met his sisters, "He is talking shit Dis, don't listen to a thing he says-!"
"So you are telling me that this extreme guilt you have been feeling all this time for your nephew's death was for nothing?"
Dain walked away from Dis; leaving her to stand alone in a wave of bewilderment. Dain stood closely to Thorin and glared down at him, "Or are you telling me that you only feel this guilt because he died and you didn't? Survivors guilt Thorin?" I doubt that ever much. Dis may have hated you for taking her sons on that quest and only one returning to her, but she doesn't know the truth."
"Thorin" Dis spoke; her voice quiet, full of doubt and weakness.
Thorin did not look at her but bore his hatred further towards Dain. Fili walked up beside his mother and took her hand and squeezed.
"Tell her the truth Thorin."
"Mother" Fili whispered low so she could only hear but her eyes were solely fixed on Thorin.
"Mother just leave" Fili said and pulled her hand slightly but she thrust it away from him.
"No! I will hear this!" she said firmly. Dain chuckled.
"You get your strong heart from your mother Fili."
"Thorin" Dis addressed her brother, "What truth is Dain talking about?"
A despairing look slowly etched itself in Thorin's features as his sister spoke to him. The look on her face was unnerving and his panic level rose. Dain stood out a little from the group and watched as though he were watching a play. His eyes lit up gleefully but Thorin stayed silent.
Impatience was growing in Dain and he clicked his tongue as though this situation was a mere rehearsal of the play and they had to start all over again. He walked back into the group and stood beside Dis.
"I heard the tragic tale back in the Hills when Fili reminded Thorin of his shame" Dain turned to Fili and winked, "I have eyes and ears everywhere" he said and turned back to Thorin, "As I took it, Thorin and your sons got separated during the battle. Once it had calmed somewhat, Fili searched for Kili desperately and alas found the poor soul lying in a pool of his own blood, mud and grime"
Tears fell from Dis' eyes listening to what was being said; but her eyes never left Thorin. Fili looked down and closed his own; it was like Dain was narrating what he saw in his mind. Thorin's eyes fell to the floor.
"Fili, who searched for hours; never giving up and injured himself, eventually found Kili and ran to him; held him and comforted him. Fili quickly searched for Thorin for help and not long after leaving Kili found him and pleaded for his uncle to help him carry Kili to safety."
Tears welled in Fili's eyes and he shut them even tighter to push them away. Thorin willed himself with all he could not to cry but Dain's poisonous words were making it so difficult.
"And what did you do Thorin?" Dain asked and waited.
"What did you do?"
Thorin's head lifted up as his sister's voice sounded suddenly; weak and trembling. Dain smiled at the scene but pasted a fake look of sadness on his face and held Dis' hand in his. Fili's jaw clenched and unclenched furiously as he saw this.
"My dear, my beautiful Lady of Erebor, it really does pain me wholeheartedly to say this to you" her eyes found Dain's and they widened; watery and red, "But your brother abandoned your sons. He cared for his precious gold more than he cared for their fate and left them to seek the gold out in the mountain."
Dain turned his head slowly to Thorin; a looked of amusement in his eyes, "and as a result of this selfish neglect, poor Kili; so young and so much to live for, perished."
Dis' look of bewilderment turned from Dain to Thorin. Fili stared at his mother; waiting for her reaction. He then looked at his uncle and saw the obvious pain and torture this was causing him. He saw his uncle's chest rise and fall heavily and his hands twitch nervously.
"I- I wasn't myself Dis-"
"It is true then?" she asked stepping forward and pulling her hand from Dain's cold grip. Thorin looked into her eyes and saw his father.
"It is true" he admitted
"You abandoned my children to concern yourself with gold?"
"It was a mistake" Thorin breathed desperately; his dark eyebrows arched upwards showing a pained expression, "A terrible, terrible mistake."
Dis took another step. Fili edged closer too, watching his mother.
"A mistake that resulted in my son's death! You promised me you would protect them, you promised me they would come home to me safe and well. You lied!"
"I didn't lie, I-"
"You abandon them!"
"Mother" Fili spoke softly but she either didn't hear him or was blatantly ignoring him.
"Dain was right- I was angry at you for taking them and only blamed you because I had no one else to blame. Now- now I know for sure who to blame!"
"Dis- please-"
Before Thorin could say another word, Dis' hand struck Thorin's fractured cheekbone so hard he almost toppled over to the floor if it hadn't been for Roloph's strong grip on his shoulders. It took him a while to compose himself as his ribs still ached and throbbed. Dis' breathing was sharp and her eyes pierced into Thorin's; full of tears, pain and hate. Her voice trembled as she spoke; on the verge of crying out hard.
"My baby loved you! He loved you like a son would love his father-!"
At those words Thorin's pain got the better of him and he sobbed.
"- he looked to you as a father, as a King and was proud to be able to call himself your nephew! He fought for you and you abandoned him to die!"
"I'm sorry" was all that Thorin could say; his words slurred by the sounds of his cries.
Dain licked his lips excitedly and watched Dis move away from Thorin as though he were a disease.
"I will never forgive you for what you have done, never!" her words were quiet but the strength in them was impregnable.
For the first time since he had arrived Roloph spoke with jest in his voice, "Looks like you'll not be going to the wedding" he laughed and pulled Thorin to his feet. Dain suddenly turned as though he remembered something.
"Oh there'll be no need to even think about that Roloph" his grin slithering wider like a snake, "Thorin will be dead before that and soon."
Fili almost ran to the dungeons; his heart in his throat, his forehead sweating and his hands clammy. The look on his mothers face when Dain stated Thorin's death was near haunted him greatly. She didn't even react; her beautiful features were stone cold and uncaring as she turned away from her brother. This worried Fili and he took longer strides to hurry himself along to get to where he needed to be. Thorin had already been thrown back in his cell, again, separated from everyone else.
Pain erupted in Fili when he thought of Thorin, of how defeated and exhausted his uncle looked. He rounded a corner and almost collided with a guard.
"Watch it!" the guard growled, unaware of whom he was talking to because Fili was going so fast. Finally he reached the cells and stopped just in front of two other guards; out of breath and sweating.
"I need to speak with the prisoner" he panted.
The guards looked at each other then back to Fili, "Lord Dain sent you?"
"No, do I need Lord Dain to wipe my arse? I came here on my own accord, now do as I say and let me speak to the prisoner or I will inform Dain of your inabilities to obey orders."
A flash of fear soared across their faces and quickly the shortest one brought out the keys and unlocked the cell. Fili glared at them both before he entered and closed the cell door behind him.
Balin was chained to the far end of the wall. He was also separated from the others due to his high rank of defending Erebor. Fili looked at him with pity as the old dwarf looked weak and dishevelled. He walked slowly over to Balin to avoid startling him out of his sleep.
"Balin?" Fili whispered and gently shook the old dwarf awake, "Balin, it's me, Fili."
Balin slowly opened his eyes and rested them on Fili. They widened and he shuffled uncomfortably under his chains, "Fili? What- what are you doing here?"
Balin's voice was croaky and hoarse making Fili feel even worse, "I need to talk with you but I must be quick, I don't have much time."
Balin's tired eyes narrowed, "What could I possibly talk with you about?" his words were sharp and it stung Fili. He swallowed and rested his hand on the old dwarfs shoulders.
"Firstly, you must know that I am not with Dain."
Balin's eyes widened .
"I have never left Thorin! Dain only thinks I am with him. I- I had a plan, but now everything has changed. I thought I could buy some time to figure a way for Thorin and the rest of you to escape and call the banners-"
"Everything has changed?"
"Dain is marrying my mother- soon. He has played my mother against Thorin and Dain is going to kill him. We need to act now!"
"What can I do? I'm chained up in here!" Balin said angrily.
"Right now I just need information. Dain has assembled his remaining troops to come to Erebor; obviously he has left enough behind to protect the Iron Hills- he's not stupid. I need to know how many Ereborian troops we have."
Balin looked thoughtful for a moment, "At least 6000."
"And they are all trustworthy, none of them have been tainted by Dain's influence?"
"To the very bone! They would rather die than betray Thorin Oakenshield" Balin announced patriotically. Fili smiled warmly and squeezed the old dwarf's shoulders.
He stood up and turned to walk away.
"Fili" Balin spoke. Fili turned back and looked at Balin expectantly, "How do I know for sure that I can trust you?"
Fili stared at him for a brief second then to the floor. After studying the rugged stone and gravel his eyes met Balin's, "Dwalin is not dead. He is alive and he is coming with an army, I can promise you that."
Balin's mouth dropped, "How-" he whispered. Fili's smile widened.
"We had it all planned."
A/N Eeeeek exciting stuff :) So there you have it, Fili of course was always with Thorin... yay! And Dwalin is ALIVE! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. Review and tell me what you think, I love hearing from my readers.
From now on, I may not be updating as quickly as I have been unfortunately. Uni work is starting the build up and I have a certain essay that will consist of at least 140 pages O.o Last semester I was fit to be tied! So I'll be trying to keep on top of my work. But I will try and hopefully get chapters up as soon as I can.
Again thanks for reading and please, please, please stay tuned for more. Just a heads up... The Battle of Erebor/The Battle of Kins is coming closer :)