Kili

Kili had been in battles before. He was a dwarf. It came with the territory. There was always some danger that lay beyond their mountain home. Whether they were human bandits or a pack of wolves, Kili was no stranger to a fight.

But this battle was something else.

It was like all the training ingrained into him fled out the window. There was no reasoning with these creatures. Most of them barely listened to their commanders. They charged and spun, stabbed and crushed, whenever and wherever they felt like. It made them unpredictable. It made them dangerous.

Dwalin had always said that he had to know his enemy. Anticipate their next moves. But when the enemy themselves did not know what they were going to do next, Kili could not plan ahead. He just had to act and react and hope it would be enough.

Usually, during a battle, Kili would calm his mind. It helped him to stay focused and not lose his head. If he concentrated too hard on his movements, he would stumble. If he thought too hard about his situation, he would panic. He couldn't afford to do either. One slip could mean disaster.

But he was struggling.

The calm he usually tried to descend to was getting further and further from his reach. He would look into the eyes of an orc and see his own death reflected back at him. The ghost of a phantom arrow protruded from his chest. He'd already lost against these creatures once, and had almost paid the ultimate price. The doubt niggled at the back of his mind as he swung his sword.

Who could say they wouldn't do so again if they had got him once?

And it wasn't just him on the line.

The past year had been gearing up for this moment. It would make or break him. He had thrown himself into extra training. Pushed himself further. All so he would be enough when the time came. Enough to save his Uncle. Enough to save his brother. If he failed now, it would have all been for nothing.

If he lost them, he didn't think he would ever be able to stop falling.

And it wasn't just Thorin and Fili either.

There was Leah too.

His One. His Amrâlimê.

She charged with him. Right into that warzone. His chest nearly seized with the panic of seeing her out there. She should be somewhere safe, somewhere protected. But he knew he would have never been able to convince her. They were in this together or not at all. That's what they had said, and they were both sticking by that.

When they got separated, he tried with all his might to get back to her. The orcs just kept coming like a never-ending tide. Dispatch one and another would take its place. The torrent just kept coming.

There were many moments when he lost sight of her. The terror caused him to miss a swing, and the orcs would push him back even further.

When he caught his name on the breeze, he nearly allowed himself a quick moment of relief. It shattered when he saw the look on Leah's face. The frantic fear that he never wished to see on her face again. She slammed into him with a surprising force. It sent him careening to the side, almost into another dwarf.

He felt rather than saw the impact. It was like a sickening jolt that went through his own body. He spun to see Leah crashing to her knees. A cry on her lips. The mace had destroyed part of her armour. It lay crumpled and useless.

He screamed her name, but he didn't think she heard him. His sword was already in his hand, and he aimed to strike. But he need not have.

He managed to squeeze his eyelids closed at just the right moment. The power that burst out of her was like an immense wave. He could feel the heat of it from where he stood. It wasn't just one orc she destroyed, either. There had been at least three in that vicinity.

Blood and putrid flesh rained down. For a second, Kili was frozen, staring at the patch of ground. He wasn't the only one to take notice, and several people backed away. Including the orcs.

Kili was broken from his reverie when Leah began to fall. Her head nearly smashed against the hard ground, but Kili managed to catch her in time. Her eyes were unfocused and unseeing. She was almost completely limp in his arms. She wouldn't last another second like this.

He dragged her to her feet. Almost like a ragdoll. Now was not the time to be gentle with her. It took several moments for Leah to get her feet under her, but Kili was already moving, pushing and Shoving, almost clawing his way back towards the mountain. Back towards safety.

She at least seemed mostly coherent by the time he sat her down on a rock. The whole while, he just kept telling her to breathe. When she finally replied to him, he let himself loose the breath he was holding.

His relief lasted all of a second when he caught sight of Azog standing proudly on top of the ridge. He froze. All his muscles contracted to the point of pain. When his eyes were drawn to the figures of Thorin and Fili making their way up the hill, his knees nearly gave out. It felt like his blood was replaced with ice, and he couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.

He couldn't leave them.

Leah knew this too. Her acquiescence to his leaving was almost painful. The bond between them seemed to pull tighter as if it was refusing to let them part.

But he did it. Despite how much it hurt him. He left Leah in one of the safest places he could think of. It was one of the only reasons he had managed to convince himself to leave her. As long as she was safe.

Kili ran.

He pushed his legs until they burned and then pushed some more.

He hardly felt the stone beneath him as he hauled himself up. Even as the sharp edges dug painfully into his palms, to the point that some of them drew blood. But his mind was elsewhere. His pain didn't matter as long as he found his family.

As long as they lived.

When he first caught sight of that stone labyrinth, his heart sank. But for a brief second, he thought that he saw something glinting on the left of him. It could have been his eyes playing tricks on him, but it also could have been his family.

He didn't let himself deliberate and charged straight for it. In some places, the stone boulders created immovable barriers. He had to circle back or climb over them. But he didn't stop moving. Eventually, he was rewarded by the sound of his brother's voice. At that moment, it was like a beacon of hope.

That was until he came across Fili battling a huge Gundabad orc.

Alone.

The shouts of others fighting rang through the air. Thorin, Fili and Dwalin. They had all been separated.

The orc sliced down at Fili's legs. Fili tried to jump out of the way but was hindered by the stone wall. It cleaved against the side of his leg, and Fili crippled under it. There was nowhere to back up, and the orc had him cornered.

Kili charged in. The only thought on his mind was that he had to save his brother.

The orc had not been expecting anyone else. It half turned towards him in surprise as Kili swung his sword. The blade sliced a thick groove across the orc's side. But it didn't do as much damage as it would have done if it had left its back undefended.

The orc stumbled back and yelled something in black speech. It was enough time for Fili to clamber to his feet and retrieve his dual swords.

The orc was no match for the two of them. Now that Kili had caught it by surprise, it was on its back foot. Defending rather than attacking. He must have cut something that hindered its ability to swing a sword because the creature couldn't put as much power into them anymore.

Fili and Kili fought together as if they were one person. This was how they had always trained. Using the skills of one another to take down an enemy. When Kili swung high, Fili swung low. Until they caught their enemy.

It was Kili's blade that sliced through the bastard's throat. Followed by a swift sword to the stomach from Fili. They both kicked it away from them like the worthless thing it was.

"Fili, I'm so glad you're okay," there were already tears in Kili's eyes.

Was this it? Had he done enough?

"I admit that it was a bit closer than I had wanted, but I don't think the tears are necessary, brother," Fili laughed goodnaturedly.

Kili ignored his brother's jibe and crushed him into a hug. He dared not allow himself to hope. Lest his brother be ripped from him. But he couldn't help the spark of hope that ignited deep within him.

"Where's Thorin?" Kili asked suddenly, reality catching up with him. They weren't out of the woods yet.

"He went right, and I went left, so he should be–"

Fili was cut off by the worst sound Kili had ever heard. A heart-wrenching scream filled with unimaginable pain rang through the air. It echoed and reverberated back off the stones. Kili felt all the air rush out of him, and he couldn't breathe. He knew that voice. Even in the depths of despair, he knew that voice.

Leah.

She had followed him, and now…

"No, no, no, NO!" Kili was already moving.

She was hurt. Oh, Mahal, where was she? What if she was bleeding out?

He crashed into the rocks with how fast he was running. But he didn't feel them. He screamed for her. Begged her to answer him.

He spilled out into a large opening. Thorin was lying across the ground, a puddle of blood pooling under him. Leah lay on top of him, a jagged bloody wound in her shoulder, with Bilbo desperately trying to pull her away. A weakened light pooled out of her hands. She was trying to save Thorin, but he could see that she was giving too much. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she no longer reacted to things around her.

Kili raced to take a step and collapsed. As if the weight of the whole sky had settled around his shoulders and pushed. He fell into a pile of unresponsive limbs, his breath ragged and heaving.

"Leah, stop!" Kili tried to shout.

He tried to get up and realised that he couldn't. The world spun around him, and his body could no longer keep him up. Energy leached out of him with every second. The most he could do was try to drag himself towards them.

Kili had to stop her.

He knew what was happening. Something similar had happened when Leah had fallen from that tower. He had almost collapsed when she did. At the time, he thought that it was just his fear. But later on, he realised it was because she was injured. They were linked together. Both of their life forces were tied with a rope. If one was to fall, then so would the other.

And Leah was falling.

The bond between them flickered and dimmed like a guttering flame.

She was giving too much to save Thorin, and she was going to lose herself in the process.

The more power she poured into Thorin, the more he couldn't breathe. The world darkened at the edges.

Fili ran over to her, joining Bilbo's fight and dragging her away from Thorin. As soon as her hands were no longer making contact with Thorin, she slumped forward. Completely unconscious.

Kili tried to take some deep breaths and found he could breathe a little easier. The world swam back into focus in lurching jolts. He managed to haul himself up. Enough to drag himself towards them.

Fili laid Leah down gently. Being careful to avoid her bad shoulder. She was paler than she had ever seen her. More like a ghost than anything. Even her lips had turned blue. Kili's blood turned cold at the sight, and it took everything not to vomit. With great effort, he hooked his arms under her body and brought her into his lap. Her body didn't so much as flinch. Her pulse fluttered next to his. But it was weak, like the beating of a butterfly's wing.

Kili's hand raked into her hair, and he brought his lips to her forehead. "It's okay. You'll be okay. You'll be okay," he repeated, like a mantra.

Dwalin appeared at some point, but Kili could not recall the exact moment. One second he wasn't there, and the next, he was. He crashed down next to Thorin's side.

"No. Thorin. Please!"

Kili didn't think he had ever seen the dwarf so vulnerable. So hurt. His voice sounded so broken as he called to his fallen friend.

"Thorin. Thorin, can you hear me?" Bilbo found his way over to Thorin's side. He held onto Thorin's hand with bloodless fingers.

"Yes…" Thorin coughed. It was a deep and wet sound. His body spasmed as he did it.

Thorin turned towards Leah, and something in his eyes broke. "No…No. What did she do?"

"She tried to heal you, Thorin," said Bilbo.

Bilbo looked down at the wound in Thorin's stomach. It was only half closed, and blood still trickled out. Only at a more sedate pace.

"I don't think it was enough," Bilbo cried, shaking his head. "If we don't get him somewhere soon, he's going to die."

"No! You can't say that," Dwalin bellowed.

No.

No. He couldn't die. Not Thorin. Not after they came this far.

But time was against them. How could they ever traverse this maze and bring him to safety? He would surely perish before they ever made it out.

"What was that?" said Bilbo. He stood up and looked towards the sky.

Kili couldn't bring himself to care. His uncle was dying, and there was nothing they could do. Leah lay limp in his arms, and he didn't think he had ever felt so helpless.

The spark of hope from earlier was now burning him instead. Searing him from the inside, punishing him for daring to hope that he would be enough. He could barely breathe around it. Each heaving breath blistered with pain. He couldn't even begin to control the torrent of tears flowing from his eyes.

Not enough.

He was not enough.

"It's the Eagles!" Bilbo exclaimed. "The Eagles are here."

The pure hope in Bilbo's voice had Kili's head shooting up. He could barely comprehend what he saw. High above them were massive forms in the sky. They cast shadows upon them as they floated. It took a moment for Kili to realise that they were the same Eagles that had saved them before.

He was already shouting for help before his brain caught up with what he was saying.

If the Eagles were here, then they had a chance.

For one heartbreaking beat, he thought that they could not hear him. That they were too high above and that they would be too late.

Until one of them swooped down. It banked in a circle around them before landing in the last remaining empty space. It looked upon them all with a noble air. Definitely a creature you should never insult.

Now a dwarf never begged. It was a great source of pride. But Kili cast his pride aside and stumbled to his feet, legs nearly buckling as he held on tightly to Leah. He wobbled over to the Eagle and bowed his head.

"Please!" He pleaded. "Please help them. They need a healer."

The Eagle tilted his head. The bird's eyes seemed to stare directly into Kili's soul. Weighing and assessing.

"Bring me your injured Master Dwarf," The Eagle said. "I will bring them to safety."

Kili nearly sagged to the ground.

Leah was placed gently across the bird's back, and Kili lay next to her to keep her from falling. Thorin was grabbed between the Eagle's mighty talons. Something that he was not very pleased about at all. The last time this had happened, he had been out cold. Now he was vaguely lucid and hated the entire experience.

Kili just hoped that If Thorin was complaining, it meant that he would be okay.

Having a bird's eye view only seemed to highlight the destruction. The battlefield stretched on for miles. So many lay dead or injured. The only solace for Kili was that the battle was clearly drawing to an end. The orcs were no match for an aerial attack from the Eagles. Dain's army rallied together and pushed them all back. Thranduil's elves had trapped the retreating orcs. With both soldiers from above and on the ground.

They had won.

They had won, but he still would not allow himself to breathe. Not when the lives of the people he loved still hung in the balance.

The Eagle began to circle down. Close to the edge of Dale's border. Where Kili could make out a line of large tents. They were makeshift healing quarters, if he was remembering correctly.

The place was nearly overrun. With a near-constant flow of people in and out of it. The elves, with the gift of healing, nearly run off their feet.

The eagle placed Thorin down as gently as it could. He had fallen unconscious on the journey and barely made a sound as he made contact with the ground. Immediately, people were running over. Dwarves that recognised their king cried in dismay. Even though they carried their own injuries, they cried out for their King. Several of them volunteered to carry him inside. Quite a few even refused treatment so that Thorin could be seen first. Thorin was off the ground and into a bed before Kili even touched down.

He was gentle with Leah as he helped her off the back of the Eagle. The great bird helped him to slide off by tilting its wing down.

Kili was bone tired. There was a faint tremor in his limbs, but he held fast. He clung to Leah's body and refused to drop her. No matter how tired he was, she was safe in his arms.

"Thank you!" He had never said a more heartfelt thank you before. "Without you, he would have died."

"You are most welcome, Master Dwarf," The Eagle bowed his head.

"What can I call you? When they speak of this day, they will want to know the name of the Eagle that saved their King," Kili said.

"You may call me Lythor." The Eagle said, "I carried this young elleth once before."

Lythor must have been one of the Eagles that flew them all away from the misty mountains. He couldn't thank this Eagle enough.

When Lythor took off into the air, the people around could do nothing but stare. Kili started towards the healing tents. The healers were so focused on Thorin's arrival that none of them had seen Kili climb down from the back of Lythor.

"Help! Please!" Kili cried. "It's the princess!"

He knew that would get them to listen. So many heads turned towards him. He was all but swarmed. They took her from his arms and began to lead her away. At first, he protested. Not willing to let her go. Before he realised that she was better in their hands. It was indescribably painful to hand her over.

A space was cleared for her very quickly. At least three elves began to work on her. Their first port of call was to remove her armour. Only then did Kili see the true extent of her injury. It made his stomach seize.

Azog's blade had not been smooth. It was jagged and rusted. The wound was not clean. The skin was torn, broken and irregular. Her wound was still leaking blood, and the surrounding area was painted with purple-black bruises.

The healers worked tirelessly until the injury was sealed up. Her lips were no longer blue, but she was still deathly pale. It reached a point where they said that they could do no more for her. They just had to wait and see if she woke up.

Kili sat beside her cot and held her hand in both of his. He held it to his lips. Every moment that she didn't wake up, Kili wanted to scream louder. But he kept it all bottled up.

They had managed to get Thorin to the healers just in time. Any longer, and he would have succumbed to his wounds. The healers informed him that he was stable and that he could see him if he wanted to.

He did. He truly did.

But the fear of leaving Leah's side stopped him. An illogical part of him felt that if he left her side, then something awful would happen. He couldn't bear to part from her.

Thorin was swarmed by people anyway. Kili would probably not get a word in edgeways. Thrain stood resolute by his son's side, refusing to leave, just as Kili was doing with Leah.

"WHERE IS SHE?"

Thranduil stormed into the tent with a purpose. His eyes were wild and searching. Ellen was not far behind. The only other time Kili had seen her so fearful was the last time Leah had been brought back unconscious.

When they caught sight of Kili and Leah, they visibly sagged. Thranduil shot forward at an almost frightening speed. He fell to his knees before his daughter and reached up to cradle her head in his hands. He leaned his forehead down onto hers.

"Tithien ven," he whispered.

"She's okay. She's okay," he kept repeating. Another mantra.

Ellen came around to Kili's side. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and brought him into her embrace. "Oh, Kili. I'm so glad you're okay, too," She held onto him while Thranduil held onto Leah.

Kili let out a stuttery breath. After what must have been hours of his head being a chaotic storm, the hug had the effect of grounding him.

"They're all alive, Kili. Including you," Ellen whispered to him. Her tone was deeply maternal. "You did it. You did it."

He had done it.

The battle was over, and his family was alive.

He felt a sob bubble up once more as his emotions got the better of him. But instead of being embarrassed, he just let himself be held.