The chapters keep getting longer and longer... Clearly the muse is eating well.

Fili had not known dread until that moment.

He had lost his brother before, yes; since childhood Kili had a habit of tumbling into rivers, getting stuck in trees and falling asleep in the woods whilst hunting for creatures of legend, but Fili had never come this close to losing his brother. Forever.

Kili's eyes drifted languidly to his own, blinking owlishly in a futile attempt to obey what his big brother had told him to do and remain alert.

The light in his eyes was dying.

Like a candle flickering bravely in a gust of wind, as though the final sparks were spiriting to life in last act of rebellion before dissapating into cold charcoal.

"No, no, you're not leaving me, not like this," Fili whispered, an icy hand of foreboding clenching his heart as he watched his little brother fade before his eyes. "Stay with me, Kili, you've got to ..."

His words faltered and Fili shook his head frantically, refusing to accept what he was witnessing. He cried out in alarm as Kili's faint, hitched breathing stuttered, then failed to continue. As though bewildered about the commotion being made Kili's gaze drifted towards him, seemingly unfazed about the fact that he was dying right there in his brother's arms.

"Gandalf!" Fili shouted for the wizard's help. "Gandalf, he is not breathing!"

In an instant Gandalf and Thorin ceased their argument and whirled to face him. If at any point in his life Fili had accused his uncle of bearing a heart of stone, he repented of his words a thousand times over.

The blood had drained from Thorin's face, an expression of such unfathomable despair and regret captured in his eyes that Fili could have sworn he caught a flitting glimpse of a broken man, stricken by loss and a responsibility too great for his shoulders alone, standing face to face with the death of another placed under his care. His own sister's son... her youngest... the one he had sworn upon his very life to protect.

In that brief instant the guard slammed back over Thorin's gaze and he strode forward with the urgency of a man possessed. The small throng of dwarves instantly cleared the path, even Gandalf hastily stepping aside to let him pass. Thorin's gaze was steeled and determined, such as Fili had never seen in his lifetime. An involuntary shiver ran down his spine and he instinctively tightened his grip on his brother.

The madness vanished as a shadow of guilt clouded Thorin's features. Clapping a hand reassuringly on Fili's shoulder he commanded gently but with no room for argument,

"I will take him."

"I will take him."

Fili shook his head violently, short braids whipping around him. If possible he clutched Kili even closer to himself, elicting a whimper from the injured young dwarf. An inner voice told him there was something wrong with his head, stabbing pain infering with his judgement (not to mention his emotions, as he felt like bawling his head off right now), yet he was unwilling to relinquish his brother to his uncle.

Fili knew he should have been there sooner. He had sworn to protect Kili, had he not? He should have stayed close by, keeping guard so that the moment he heard his little brother's screams he could be at his side. No, even that was not enough. He should not have allowed this to happen in the first place.

They had been playing around, Kili practicing with his new bow while proclaiming the entire forest to be an orc fortress. Their day had been so carefree, so normal. How could Fili have predicted the outcome?

He had been "scouting ahead," Kili's prattling fading into the distance as he shot at imaginary wargs. Fili was not far enough away that he could not be there should he be needed, but it was distance enough to catch a glimpse of their home. He had clambered up a weathered oak tree, scanning the small village and grinning in anticipation as he saw smoke rising from their chimney. Supper time already; time to drag his rambunctious little brother home and call it a day.

The snap of metal against bone and the blood curdling scream that followed would haunt his nightmares for months to come.

Fili did not comprehend moving; he had the brief sensation of falling, of striking his head on the ground, but past that all he could recall was that one moment he was standing in a tree and the next he was sliding into the clearing, all color draining from his face as he witnessed his brother thrashing on the ground, his leg ensared in the deadly teeth of a hunter's trap.

Kili's eyes, stricken with bewildered pain, snapped to his own and broke Fili from his trance. Within moments the young teen was at his brother's side, holding him still, hushing him with whispers of endearment, trying to keep him from looking at the grisly metal encased around his ankle.

"F-Fili..." Kili stammered, his body shaking convulsively as shock rapidly overtook him. "H-h-hurtsss..."

The torment in his eyes, the confusion as to how a perfect day could suddenly result in such misery, the trust that his big brother would get him out of this mess just like always; such emotions flooded Kili's expression, tearing at Fili's heart as he realized he did not know what to do.

"It will be all... You will be ..." How could he lie and pretend everything was fine when Kili's leg was stretched out before him, blood oozing past metal teeth and the white of bone glinting in the crimson flood? Fili gagged as a wave of nausea threatened to overwhelm him and stumbled to his feet. "I - I'll get help!"

"No!" The panic in Kili's voice struck him like a physical blow. His little brother grabbed his sleeve, utter desolation lacing his voice as he whispered frantically, "Please don't leave me here alone Fili, please, please don't go..."

Fili was at a loss for what to do. He had to get someone to help; he had no knowledge of what to do with an injury like this. At the same time, how could he desert Kili, injured, frightened and alone, as night was swiftly approaching?

There was no room for argument. He could not leave.

Sinking to his knees Fili drew Kili closer so that his brother's head was pillowed on his lap, wrenching off his own cloak and bunching it under the younger dwarf's head. Kili whimpered tearfully, trying to be brave and failing miserably, and Fili wrapped his arms tighter around him in response.

"I'm here, Kili. I promised I would take care of you, remember? I will not leave you... not now, nor ever."

Kili snuffled and buried his face in the cloak, attempting to hide the streaks of salt water trickling down his face. Fili pretended not to notice the tears; his brother was suffering enough as it was without the added blow to his dignity.

"Fili, I want to go home," Kili murmured, his voice so clogged with longing and supplication for his brother to 'fix it!' that Fili had to swallow against the growing lump in his throat that threatened to choke him.

"You will, Kili," he tried to be reassuring. "Mum will send someone to look for us... you'll see."

"How l-long, Fili?" Kili pressed, teeth beginning to chatter as shivers wracked his body.

Fili's mouth went dry and he fumbled for a response. How could he explain to his little brother that it might be hours before Mummy got worried enough to request that Uncle Thorin or someone else go and fetch them? Hours? All night? How long would Kili be able to hold on?

Again Fili considered leaving on his own to find an adult. Home was only a few miles distance from here. He could be there and back before darkness fell completely.

Kili, ever perceptional despite his age, immediately sensed Fili's intent. "Don't go, Fili!" he whined pitifully, grappling a fistful of his brother's tunic as though to hold him in place.

"I have to, Kili," Fili argued with remorse. "I cannot get you out on my own. I would only be a few minutes..."

Another sniff before dark, petulant eyes captured his own and held him rooted to the spot. "P-please!"

With a sigh of defeat, Fili's shoulders slumped and he nodded reluctantly. The decision had been made for him; he could not forsake his brother.

Hours crept past. Kili's sharp keening dying down into muted whimpers, garbled nonsense lisping past cracked and dry lips as delirium took hold. Fili startled at every rustle in the trees, every chatter of small beasts scampering close by, every twig that snapped in the underbrush.

"It will be all right, I'm here, you'll be fine," he whispered, the litany becoming more of an attempt to keep himself sane rather than a source of comfort for his brother.

Evening drew near, darkness creeping into the woods with fingers of shadow that clawed at his throat, threatening to drag him and Kili into the merciless dread of the unknown. Sleep eluded Fili, something which the self-imposed guardian might have been grateful for had he not been overwhelmed with terror.

He had to protect Kili. He promised. It was his fault, always his fault. He promised Mummy he would look after him. Kili was hurt now, and it had been his responsibility to ensure his safety. His baby brother was depending on him.

It was growing dark. Kili was afraid of the dark. No, that was wrong. Kili was afraid of heights. That was it. Heights and cats, after Mewy had nearly taken his eyes out for spying on her kittens.

The darkness was alive. It would devour them in moments, separating him from his brother, dooming them never to return home again. Had not father warned him long ago that evil lurked within the forest at night?

A series of heavy crackling and the thud of heavy boots trodding through the brush caused Fili to straighten abruptly, Kili letting out a raspy cry as the sudden movement shook him from the warm cocoon of semi-consciousness he had slid into. Instinctively Fili pulled him even closer - if that were possible - yanking his dagger from its sheath and brandishing it towards the approaching threat.

It was coming for them. It sought only to devour and destroy, just like the dragons in the warriors' stories. Alone, Kili would never have escaped with his life, but this time, Fili was here to protect him from further harm. He was the only barrier between his baby brother and imminent death. He would not fail him again.

"Fili? Kili?"

Broad shoulders blocked Fili's line of vision and a shuddering breath he did not realize he had been holding escaped him in a rush as a familiar tall figure stepped into the coven.

"U-Uncle Thorin...?"

Relief at his uncle's appearance spiked through Fili's head like a tent peg being driven into his skull. It was as though pain had been biding its time until he was no longer needed to be the strong one, as the moment he relaxed his stance a blinding headache crashed upon him like a wave sweeping over sand, dragging away with it all manner of common sense and reasoning.

In a single glance Thorin took in the scarlet painted metal and his two nephews, one barely clinging to consciousness and the other wielding a dagger in a wavering grip, looking for all the world as though he had been facing down a ghost. Instantly Thorin moved to kneel in front of Fili, carefully moving his nephew's arm to the side so that the dagger was not pointed at his face before scrutinizing him briefly to ensure he was not severely injured.

"Fili? Fili, look at me."

Fingers were snapping in his face. Since when did Uncle Thorin have an identical twin brother? Fili shook his head and blinked stars out of his vision, Thorin's blurred image splitting apart into three.

"Fili, I need you to tell me what happened."

Thorin quickly surmized that nothing sensible would be gained from his eldest nephew. Instead he turned his attention to the crude metal contraption that had become Kili's personal torture device. His fingers skimmed over mutliated flesh, assessing the damage, and a frown creased his brow. Even with so light a touch Kili hissed at the contact, his eyes rolling back in his head as he slumped against his brother. Fili cried out as Kili fell limp against him, frantically checking for a pulse.

No, no, he cannot be gone! Kili, I'm sorry! I'll never let you be hurt again, I promise! Just wake up for me, little brother! Please, just open your eyes for me!

Don't leave me here all alone...

Then Thorin's hands were grabbing his shoulders and shaking him out of his panic, the worried yet reassuring words of his uncle drifting through the haze of terror seizing him.

"Fili! He is fine! He is merely unconscious."

With a visible effort Fili calmed down, his breath coming in rapid bursts. Thorin spared him another cursory glance to ensure he before would not launch into a second panic attack before grasping the chain of the death trap and yanking it from the ground in one swift pull. The movement jostled Kili's leg and Fili knew his brother should be screaming in agony, yet the young dwarf did not stir.

In his entire young life Fili had never witnessed such an expression of fear in his uncle's eyes. As fleeting as it was, he knew he never wanted to see it again.

Thorin reached for Kili, a shield Fili never knew had existed locking away any display of emotion once more. "I will take him."

It took a moment for the words to register before Fili shook his head wildly, ignoring the lancing agony assaulting his head as the forest tilted. He was supposed to be Kili's protector; he could not let him go now.

"Fili."

Somehow that simple, soft command broke through Fili's daze. He may as well have been underwater, so sluggishly was his mind reacting to his surroundings. As though realizing for the first time that his uncle was present, Fili's eyes snapped to Thorin's face and he begged hoarsely,

"P-please... can you help him?"

With tender gentleness so opposite to his great strength Thorin lifted Kili from his brother's arms, cradling him as though handling a fragile butterfly wing as he rose swiftly, his face grey and troubled as he recognized how fleeting was the tiny life cradled in his hands.

"On your feet, now," he nodded at Fili, not requiring a response as he knew his nephew would follow.

The events which unfolded next passed by in a blur. Fili vaguely remembered trudging alongside Thorin as the lights of the village drew closer, his feet sore and aching and his head spinning like one of Kili's toy whirlers. He faintly recalled his mother's cry of horror as Thorin bellowed for a healer, the warm glow of their home bustling with noise as Kili was rushed to a quieter room while Fili was left forgotten in the corner.

The next thing he knew he was being shaken awake, his uncle's concerned features blurring in his vision as he was carried to his room. The healer poured something vile down his throat and he heard snatches of conversation such as, "Keep him quiet a few days..." and "Nothing time cannot heal... head as hard as stone, that one..."

He recalled calling out for Kili, searching for his brother through one nightmare after another, each ending in the same harrowing shriek that dragged a scream from his own lips as he saw the cliff face crumbling under Kili's feet, the searing flames devouring him before Fili's eyes, the orc tearing his baby brother to pieces. Each time Kili's gaze fastened on him with a childlike faith Fili knew he could never live up to, and he was dragged from his delirium just before the light winked out of his brother's eyes for eternity.

Whenever Fili awoke there was someone close by, whispering encouragement and assuring him that Kili was safe, that Thorin had found them in time, that as soon as he was well enough he could go and see him. Sometimes it was mother, with her soft voice and feather light hands pressing a cool compress against his burning forehead. Sometimes it was a friend or neighbor, looking after him while his mother tended to Kili so that she would know that Fili would never wake up and be frightened to find himself alone.

Sometimes it was the shadow of his uncle that Fili recognized, standing off to the side, never speaking, watching with a torn expression that he thought no one could see, putting aside his responsibility as leader to assure himself his nephews would live to see morning.

Fili discovered later that his fever lasted nearly a week before he woke fully, and he and Kili gave literally everyone in their community quite the scare. It had been touch and go for a while for the youngest dwarf, and Fili had not been far behind.

The first thing Fili had done the moment he was lucid enough to tumble out of bed on his own was to weave his way haphazardly through the house until he found Kili's room, where his little brother was already awake and bored and complaining that Uncle Thorin was being bossy by making him stay in his room. Leave it to Kili to have the greater injury and yet still spring up with a new grand list of plans two days later.

Too occupied by the knowledge that Kili would be all right, and still suffering the effects of his concussion, Fili looked back to that moment with no further thought than his relief that Kili had lived to trip over his feet another day, and the understanding that he clearly needed more practice in the art of keeping little brother out of trouble.

On a number of occasions in the past, Fili had recognized Thorin's vexation that one or the other of his nephews would kill themselves by sheer stupidity before they reached adulthood. It was not until this moment, however, that Fili recognized a mirror visage of the terror he had glimpsed behind the gruff, stern personage of his uncle that night so many years ago, when Kili had nearly been lost forever.

This time, when Thorin reached for Kili there was no reason to hesitate. Even so, it was with grim reluctance that Fili relinquished his brother to Thorin's care. He could read nothing in Thorin's features as the warrior gravely wrapped his arms around Kili's limp body and pulled him away, but there was a certain resolution in his bearing, a weighted tension that screamed of inner torment.

It was a clear indication of what desperate measures Thorin was willing to resort to for the sake of his kin, as he carried his precious burden with the utmost care and sprang forth from their hiding place into the throng of the enemy.

I was going to leave Kili wallowing in misery in the caverns overnight, but the muse appears to have the impression that this offers more drama.

Considering that the muse is currently holding hostage the imaginary cardboard cutout of Kili that I pretend to own, I am inclined to agree.

Hungry muses chew on plushies and ignore me. Feed the muse so that it will be inspired once more.