Hey, sorry for taking a while to update, and my co-writer and I are having a bit of writers block. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Kaia became conscious very slowly, the pain of each injury coming to settle in her nerves as she woke. Along with the sting and bite of every cut and bruise on her body, she became painfully aware of a constant heat that seemed to cover every inch of her body. She felt her face twist in discomfort, and she turned her head ever so slightly.

"Kaia?" She heard Kili's voice.

She half-opened her eyes, seeing the blurry image of her brothers leaned over her, concern on their faces.

"Mahal, Kaia, are you alright?" He asked, worried by the way his sister's eyes were glazed.

He touched her forehead, then pulled it away, cursing. Kaia hissed at the heat from his hand and turned away again, closing her eyes.

"Fili, get Oin." She heard Kili say.

She heard the tent flap open, and she reveled in the few moments of cold air as it fell on her from the frosty weather outside. Although she didn't know it, Kaia began to whimper at the awful warmth that kept her away from any sort of comfort.

"Shh, it's alright." She heard Kili say as his hand brushed across her brow again.

Kaia hated the way she sounded, so pitiful and helpless. But the pain and heat combined tore away any pride she had, making her feel weaker than she'd ever felt before.

She pressed her head further into the pillows, turning as she tried to find oblivion once more.

The tent opened again and she heard Oin curse.

"Fili, quickly, help me with these." He said as Kaia felt the blankets on her lower half lift away.

She managed to hear Oin bustling about as he fussed around with his herbs as she opened her eyes again.

Both her brothers took up her vision, each one of their expressions riddled with worry.

Oin turned back to her, looking her over again as his expression darkened.

"Fili, go find Thorin."

"Wh-"

"Now!" Oin pressed, sending FIli off once again in the cool air that kaia longed for.

"Oin, what's wrong?" Kili said.

"Lad, as I feared, her arrow wound is infected."

"But you can fix it, right?" Kili asked.

Oin sighed.

"Kili, lad, you must remember how difficult it was to help you in lake town. And even then, you did not have near as many wounds as she does."

The tent once again opened as Thorin hurried in followed by Fili.

"Mahal, Oin, what's happened?" He said as he hurried over to his Kaia.

"Her arrow wound is infected."

"How did it happen?"

"Thorin, I don't know, but it matters not!"

Thorin sighed, taking in the appearance of his niece.

She was pale, a grayish tone settled in her skin, which was beaded with sweat. Her eyes were sunken and closed as she writhed on the bed. Thorin took her good hand and held it in his.

"Hush now, it's alright Kaia, you'll be alright."

Kaia merely opened her eyes, unable to form words. He gently ran his hand over her forehead, realizing just how high her fever had grown. Kaia turned away from his hand, doing everything she could to escape the heat.

Soon, the tent began to spin, and she was unable to focus on anything.

A hand slipped behind her head, and something flowed into her mouth, helping push the sickening warmth away. But it was still there.

A wet cloth was placed on her forward as she began to grow still, too tired to keep fighting the heat.

She managed to hear words around here, speaking to her but she couldn't piece them together. She finally found sweet darkness and she sank into nothing.

Thorin sighed as Kaia finally fell limp again, leaving the discomforted frown on her face.

"Oin, how did this happen? I thought you said you had taken care of her."

"I had, but infection has set in. She was hit with a morgul shaft, Thorin. The same kind of arrow that Kili had been wounded with in mirkwood. I did my best but it appears that it is still infected."

Thorin sighed sadly as he took the already warm cloth from Kaia's forehead and dipped it in the cold water again. As he returned it to her brow, her pushed a hair off her face.

How did it come to this?

"Thorin, I'm sorry but I can't do anything more."

Thorin nodded as Oin left, leaving the King under the mountain with his niece and nephews. Once again, he looked over Kaia.

Her entire body was pale, nearly matching the bandages that covered her. Her (left/right) leg was wrapped in white up to her knee, with wooden splints on either side of it, held tightly by more bandages. Her other ankle was also covered in white, bruises all round it. His eyes trailed upward, spotting the tightly wound gauze around her stomach under her shirt. Her (left) wrist was also held tightly in splints, bruises peaking out from behind the white bandages. The worst was her arrow wound, the dark color seeping through the newly applied bangaing. The fabric covered her entire shoulder, and cut across her collarbone, wound underneath her other arm.

Thorin sighed again, hoping for some sort of way for his niece to be alright again.

Thorin had stayed awake an entire night watching over Kaia. She had whimpered and turned her head once or twice, but other than that, all had been silent. Once the moon had risen, he'd sent his nephews to sleep on the other cots in the tent.

The cold air of early morning fell on him as he looked up to see Balin and Dwalin there with the saddest of faces.

"Oh the little lass." Dwalin said, his voice shaking.

"Thorin, you must sleep. You cannot run a kingdom on little to no sleep." Balin said gently.

"I will not leave her, Balin." Thorin said.

"Thorin-"

"No." He said, standing.

"I will not leave her alone. Not again."

"She won't be alone." A familiar voice said from the opening of the tent.

"I'll stay with her, Thorin." Said the hobbit as he stepped forward.

"Master Baggins." Thorin said.

Bilbo offered a small smile as he walked over to the chair next to the bed.

"Thorin, I know you wish to stay with her all day, but you must rest yourself." Bilbo said.

Thorin sighed, caving into what his friends were saying. He turned to Kaia, leaning down as if she could hear him.

"I will be back soon."

With that, the King left, followed by Dwalin and Balin.

Thorin sighed as he walked along the line of tents. He'd been in meetings all day now and was exhausted.

His thoughts were suddenly disrupted by a single shout that stopped him in his tracks.

"Kaia."

Thorin ran to the tent, tearing through the opening.

Kili stood over Kaia, his brow creased with concern as he tried to calm his sister. Kaia writhed on the bed, mumbling a single word as she did. Fili stood on the other side, trying to keep her from worsening her injuries.

"Oin, what is happening?"

"It's the fever, Thorin. It's creating terrors in her mind. I cannot fix this, I'm sorry."

Thorin turned and stood by the bed, listening to the word his niece repeated over and over.

"No."

"What is she seeing?"

Fili and Kili glanced at each other for a moment.

"Thorin," fili said, "when she woke a few days ago… she said- she said that we had died."

Thorin turned to his niece again, seeing the tears that leaked from her closed eyes as she turned her head back and forth.

"Thorin." Oin said solemnly. "I think… I'm afraid that the lass won't make it. She's far too ill, and there's nothing more I can do."

"Uncle." Kili said quietly. "In Laketown," He said, Fili seeing where his brother was going.

"An elf maiden helped me… I don't know how but-" he said, watching his sister.

"Uncle, she could save Kaia."

Thorin sighed, knowing that there really was no other way or choice.

"So be it." He said, "Find the she elf."

Kili stood, hurrying out to find possibly the only way to save his sister.

A few hours later, Bofur had come into the tent, sighing sadly when he saw just how awful Kaia looked. He always saw the she-dwarf laughing with her brothers, or hunting, but now she looked like she might never do those things again.

Despite everyone's hope, she had become much worse. She constantly squirmed around in her sleep her once quiet mutters now shouts and screams. Her dreams were riddled with the deaths of her brothers and her uncle. Her face was even paler now, tears constantly leaking out of her closed eyes.

Kili and Tauriel shared one last look before he hurried to his sister's side, trying to hold her still to keep her from worsening her injuries. His head was next to hers, as it once was in Laketown, only this time, the rolls were reversed. He attempted to calm her, but she heard none of it.

He looked up to see Tauriel with the kingsfoil, standing on the other side of Kaia. He watched as the elf-maiden ground the plant in her hands, and pressed it against the now open wound.

To his horror, Kaia's screams only intensified as she attempted to escape the pressure on her collarbone.

Both brothers held her still, as Thorin watched from the corner, unable to help any further. Tauriel pressed the kingsfoil harder against the wound as she chanted her elven spells. As she did, time seemed to last for eternity until Kaia began to slowly still. The screams became softer, until they were only the weak mutters she had managed days ago. More time passed until Kaia stopped writhing, and the mutters had ceased. For a moment, all was silent, until Kaia's eyes flinched, and then opened the smallest amount possible.

"You're alive." She said hardly loud enough to be heard.

Fili laughed and kissed his sister's brow as Kili pulled a few strands of hair out of her eyes.

"She will be alright now." Tauriel said.

"Here, help her drink this." Oin said, handing Fili a cup of water.

Fili carefully helped his half-conscious sister drink the water as Oin bandaged her shoulder again.

"Fee..." She croaked, trying to open her eyes further.

"It's alright Kai, you're alright." He said as he laid her head back down, Oin finishing the bandaging.

She turned her head, trying to make out more than the fuzzy images she saw.

She barely made out Kili at the opening of the tent, speaking with someone that stood outside.

"Kaia," She turned back again, seeing Thorin. "rest."

She opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off.

"No arguments, go to sleep." He said.

Kaia sighed, letting her eyes close as she waited for sleep.

She laid there, floating in and out of sleep as she listened to the small occasional movements.

Minutes ticked by as she laid there, reveling in the moments she had in which she felt no pain. She felt someone's hand start running through her hair and she let herself relax into the touch.

"She'll be asleep a while longer, you might have to leave to return to your father."

Kaia listened more intently as she heard Bain's voice enter the conversation.

"He won't mind… Is she alright now?"

"She will be. She's strong."

Kaia opened her eyes again, seeing Bain sitting next to the bed, Kili standing next to him.

Kili noticed her, smirking, "Did you get any sleep?"

Kai gave a tired smile as Bain turned to her as well.

For a moment, they sat in silence until Kili spoke,

"I need to go speak with Uncle for a moment," He said, giving Kaia's hand a squeeze "I'll be back."

Kaia watched as Kili left, leaving the two in silence.

For a moment, they stayed that way, both unsure of what to say.

"Are- are you alright?" He asked.

"I will be." She replied.

He nodded.

"Kaia-" He started, "I.. am so sorry." He said.

"Bain, you cannot think this is your fault." She said.

"Kaia, I should've come to you, I- I should've helped you." He said.

"Bain." She said, bringing his attention back to her.

"This is not your fault. This is no one's fault but my own."

"No, Kaia." He sighed, "It isn't your fault either." He said, "The fault belongs to the orcs."

Kaia sighed.

"Bain!"

Both heard the far off voice calling for Bain as he stood.

"I have to go." He said sadly.

Kaia nodded, as Bain bent down almost hesitantly, kissing her on the cheek for the second time.

Kaia smiled as Bain stood again.

"I'll come see you again." He said, as he turned and left.

Well, that happened. Hopefully I'll be back with another update soon. Love ya! R&R