Chapter 23
Helping Kili

I sat on the other side of Kili dabbing his forehead with a warm wet washcloth while Fili and Oin were fussing over Kili as he moaned in pain on the bed. I never saw Fili this worried about Kili. Bofur brings over another bowl of hot water for me and I thanked him.

"Can you not do something?" Fili asked, sounding worried and impatient all at once.

"I need herbs, something to bring down his fever." Oin said. Bard was searching through a bag that had medicines.

"I have nightshade, feverfew." Bard said.

"They're no use to me. Do you have any Kingsfoil?" Oin asked.

"No, it's a weed. We feed it to the pigs." Bard said.

"Pigs? Weed? Right." Bofur said. He came up to Kili and pointed at him and I raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't move." Kili just nods because he can't talk with the pain he was in.

"I need to clean the wound." Oin said. Fili held his brother as I helped Oin unwrap the wound. I gasped seeing black ooze leaking out of it. The smell suddenly got to me.

"Excuse me." I said. I hurry out of the house and threw up over the railing. I whipped my mouth. Something was off. This is my third time in a few days I threw up and I've seen wounds bad, but never threw up because of it. I knew if it continued, I would have to talk to Oin before Fili found me.

"Bell?" Fili asked, coming outside. I turn.

"You should be with your brother. I'm alright." I said. Fili pulled me against him and kissed my forehead.

"You ran out in a hurry. I was just worried about you." Fili said.

"I couldn't handle the smell so I left to get some air. Is it cleaned?" I ask.

"It is. Let's go back. Thank you for being here for us." Fili said.

"I didn't want you to go through this alone. Besides. Kili is like a brother I never had." I said. Fili smiled but it was a sad smile as we walked in the house and went back to Kili's side.

Night had fallen and Kili's condition worsened. I rubbed my forehead out of worry and exhaustion. Fili looked worse and he never left Kili's side. Bofur still wasn't back from looking for Kingsfoil. The house suddenly shook and we look up as dust falls from the ceiling. Fili and I look at each other as we realize that it was coming from the mountain. Kili moaned in pain.

"Da?" Sigrid asked.

"It's coming from the mountain." Bain said. Fili quickly left Kili's side and hurried up to Bard. I follow him.

"You should leave us. Take your children, get out of here." Fili said.

"And go where? There is nowhere to go." Bard said.

"And we can't. Not with Kili in the condition he's in." I whisper. Fili looked at me and I saw fear and worry in his eyes. I wrap my arms around him and he held me close, pressing a kiss to my temple.

"Are we going to die, Da?" Tilda asked.

"No, darling." Bard said.

"The dragon, it's going to kill us." Tilda said. Bard looks at his children and then reaches up and pulls a black arrow from a rack of plants. We look at it in amazement and shock.

"Not if I kill it first." Bard said. Bain and Bard left. Fili and I stood in each others arms for awhile until Kili's moaning pulled us back to reality and we return to his side. I felt Kili's head.

"He's burning up. Bofur better hurry back." I said. Bain returned without Bard and I worried.

"He'll find it." Fili said, reaching for my hand and I took it. He smiled at me as he kissed my knuckles. Sigrid stepped outside. I sigh as I lean my head back against the wall and closed my eyes just to rest them.

Sigrid's scream came and I opened my eyes as Sigrid ran back in and closed the door, but it was stopped by an orc blade.

"No." I said, standing up with Fili as Sigrid falls backwards onto a table bench as the door swings opens. She slides under the table and pulls the bench sideways. Fili yelled and ran at the orc shoving him to the wall. I grab Tilda and rush her to the table.

"Get under the table and stay there with your sister." I said. Bain hits an orc that was coming at me with a bench. I cry out as Fili is thrown across the room and the orc comes at me. I hit it with a frying pan across the face. My sword and bow were in a corner and I grabbed the closest thing. Orcs were coming through the roof and one was approaching Kili. I couldn't get to him. I heard the girls scream and turn to see an orc flip the table over. I yell and jump in front of the girls and hit it with a frying pan. It growled.

"You smell like dwarf and something else." The orc said in the common tongue. I held the frying pan in front of me. Another orc appears, but it falls dead.

"Tauriel." I said, seeing Tauriel come in and start killing orcs. I grab the girls and get them to stay down, shielding Tilda with my body as Fili gets Bain down as Legolas jumps through the hole in the roof. The fighting stops. I see Kili on the floor. Fili and I ran over with Oin as Legolas and Tauriel talk. Kili was shaking and crying in pain, more.

"We're loosing him!" Oin said. I saw Fili go white as the moon. I grabbed him and held onto him, crying. I look and see Legolas leave and Tauriel looking back and forth between the door and Kili.

"Please. You have to help him." I said. I knew elvish medicine was the best and it was the only thing that could save him. I saw her leave and look down. Tauriel came back in with a weed and Bofur right behind her.

"Get him on the table." Tauriel ordered. I moved out of the way as Bofur, Oin, and Fili picked up Kili as he screamed in pain and set him on the table. "Hold him down." Tauriel approached us with a bowl. Fili held him down by the shoulders as Oin and I held his injured leg down. Tauriel begins to chant in elvish as she presses the Kingsfoil onto the wound. Kili screams in pain and starts thrashing around.

"Sigrid. Tilda" I call. Sigrid and Tilda grab the other leg and help us hold him down as Tauriel continues to chant. Fili looks at her strangely and Oin looks on in amazement. I smile as Kili calms down and looks at Tauriel with glassy eyes. I knew he was falling for her with the look.

Afterwards. I stood in the kitchen, cleaning up as Tauriel wrapped Kili's leg. I felt strong arms wrap around me and a kiss pressed to my neck. I sighed and leaned back into him.

"Looks like I'm not the only one that fell with another woman from another race." Fili said, watching the two.

"I hope your uncle accepts her." I said.

"I'm sure he will." Fili said.

"The orcs tracked us here. They know the others are at the Mountain. I got a bad feeling something is gonna happen." I said, turning in his arms and burying my face in his chest. Fili holds me close.

"We'll make it through it together and we'll start our life together." Fili said. I stood on my toes and kiss him. We had a moment to kiss when there was a boom and the house shook. We pull apart and Fili pulled me tight against him as the wind picked up and screams came.

"What have they done?" I asked and Fili shook his head.

"Smaug. He's coming." Bofur said. I closed my eyes. We were all in danger now.

AN: There's the end of DOS. Now onto BOTFA. Don't worry. I plan a sequel after this. It won't be the end of Bell and Fili. I promise. Till next time.