On the short side, I know.


Kili had passed out in Fili's lap after his seizure and nothing his brother did could rouse him. "No, Kili!" Fili shook his head desperately. He checked his wrist to find a weak pulse. He cradled his brother to his chest. Kili's normally robust frame felt so limp in his arms. "Kili, just hang on! Just hang on, do you hear me?" Fili scolded him. "Stay with me!" Uncle, please find us! You must. Kili is fading and I can't seem to bring him back!

Thranduil heard the dwarf's fearful cries but kept his gaze away. He was wallowing in his own turmoil. According to his captors, his daughter was gone! He didn't want to believe them, but she was not a warrior like her big brother. She was only a child. If by some miracle of Eru she had escaped, he could not imagine how!

The door burst open. Devlin, Rajiv, and Malcolm entered. They jeered down at the dwarves. Rajiv roughly grabbed Kili's face. "What's the matter, dwarf scum? Can't stand on your own two feet?" He chided. Kili did not respond. "Answer me, you filthy piece of dog's mange!" He shook Kili's face, but his head lolled to the side. "Playing dead, huh?" Rajiv smiled. He slapped Kili, hard. He was about to kick him when Fili lowered himself forward and tripped the elf with his chained feet. Rajiv growled, his rear sore and he glowered at Fili. "Tough nut to crack eh?" With that, he slugged Fili across the face, stunning him, making his nose and lip bleed. Fili blinked, trying to regain his focus.

"Enough of the dwarf sty. Let's onto the real fun!" Malcolm cheered. They all turned their greedy eyes on Thranduil. He pretended to not hear them.

"Well, I believe the great, high and mighty Elven king has finally broken." Devlin smiled, leaning down closely to the king's face. Without warning, Thranduil whipped his elbow back and jabbed Devlin in the face. Devlin stumbled, rubbing his bruised nose and jaw. "Ohh, you just don't know when to quit, do you?" He narrowed his eyes. Thranduil only answered him with a killer glare. "Hold him back, boys!" Devlin commanded. Malcolm and Rajiv each took one of Thranduil's arms and held him against the wall. If it weren't for these blasted chains, he could whale the tar out of these wolves in a moment! Less than a moment.

"Get your hands off me!" Thranduil yelled.

"Ohh, this is gonna be fun..." Devlin licked his lips.


Elrohir had begrudgingly treated Bryceson's wolf bite, with Elladan staring him down. Oin had refused to help the scoundrel, seeing as he had been a party to the disappearance of his friends. Dori had gladly bound the elf's hands and he was pushed to the front of the line with Legolas and Thorin at each of sides, ready to nab him if he so much as attempted to escape. Not to mention that Fluffy was directly behind him! Bryceson could hear the wolf's low growls in his throat, and he remembered the searing pain in his arm as the creature had crunched his fangs into his flesh. Well, he certainly didn't want to go through that again!

"M-my lord Legolas?" He stammered.

"What?" Legolas scowled.

"Y-y-you do have the jewels, do you not?" Bryceson gulped.

"That only concerns your master, Devlin. As for you..."

"Please, my master will be furious if you do not have them! And when he gets angry, he's dangerous!"

"Not as dangerous as my father will be when he deals with you and the rest of your lot!" Legolas narrowed his eyes.

"He will kill me!" Bryceson attempted again. Thorin and Legolas both arched their eyebrows scornfully, as if to say, "And"? "And what are you doing, allying with dwarves?"

"You have a problem with that?" Thorin asked dangerously, holding Orcrist to his throat.

"None of your business." Legolas said.

"I could kill you right now if I wanted to, wood elf," Thorin snarled, "but if I did, I would be no matter than the scumbag master of yours who took my nephews. Believe me, you will pay!"

"I would shut up if I were you." Legolas warned Bryceson.


For the rest of the trip Bryceson said nothing, except to point out directions. They were heading deeper and deeper into the mountains. "We are nearly there." Bryceson said, when the daylight had reached early evening.

Gandalf was cocking his head back and forth, scanning the area keenly. He squinted at spotted two lean figures upon a ledge around the next ridge. He could not make out their features, but when they saw the approaching party, they fled. Gandalf glowered. He marched to Legolas and then Thorin whispering, "It is most definitely a trap." He warned them.