/rises from the abyss
I am so so sorry for the horrible wait between chapters. Please accept TWO chapters as an apology.

Thorin could not sleep.

Truth be told, he hadn't tried, but he was far too tense to lie down, and he had the most horrid headache. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, thoughts of Erebor, his grandfather, the Arkenstone.

The Arkenstone.

He couldn't stop thinking about that damned jewel. Sighing, he rubbed a hand across his eyes and turned to look at his Company. They were all exhausted – he could see it in the set of their shoulders, even as they slept. But it would all be worth it, a million times over, once they had found the hidden door, and made their way into the mountain, and recovered the Arkenstone.

His thoughts had circled back to the Arkenstone, again. He could picture it perfectly in his mind's eye, as if it had been mere days, not decades, since he had seen it last. It glimmered softly in the dark, not reflecting light as other gems did, but emitting its own warm glow. And the colours – such colours as Thorin had never seen before – the purest white and the softest, palest blue, more beautiful even than his sister's eyes, and the slightest hint of yellow, and the barest blush of pink, seeping in between fractals of blue, like ink, or dye, or blood in the water, and there was so much blood, blood on his hands and dripping into his eyes, and Frerin had stopped breathing hours ago but he refused to let go, and–

Thorin jolted awake just in time to stop himself falling. He took a ragged breath, leaning against the window, trying to bury those old, agonising memories. Now was not the time. In an effort to distract himself he twisted to look at the Company once more. Dori was muttering something in his sleep, face creased with worry. Gloín shifted and almost rolled off his cot. It seemed none of them were getting the restful night they needed.

A slurred whisper drew Thorin's attention to the bed where his nephews were sleeping. Kili was tossing and turning awkwardly, his injured leg preventing him from lying comfortably. He mumbled another nonsensical string of words and kicked at the blankets with his good leg. Even from across the room Thorin could see the feverish sheen on his brow.

Sitting propped up on the end of the bed, Fili was quickly shaken awake by his brother's restlessness. Thorin saw his eyes flutter open, taking a moment or two to remember where he was, and why his little brother was in so much pain. Exhaustion, concern and fear flashed across his face in rapid succession. Fili looked so much older than he had only days before. Then he reached across and gave Kili a gentle shake, whispering quiet words of reassurance until he quietened down. Fili sat without moving for a moment, making sure his brother was alright, before letting his head drop back against the wall and quickly drifting back off to sleep.

Thorin felt his heart clench. Kili would have to stay behind in Laketown; Thorin had convinced himself of the necessity of that hours before. He only worried how Fili would react to his decision.

He'll understand, whispered a voice in his head. He's your heir. Thorin looked away from his nephews, back out the window. Erebor loomed in the near distance, like something from a dream. Of course Fili would understand, he told himself.

He adamantly refused to think of Frerin.

Out of the corner of his eye Thorin saw someone moving about on the other side of the room. The burglar. Thorin waited until Bilbo had settled before turning to look at him. The hobbit, too, had changed just as much as the rest of the Company, if not more. And Thorin's opinion of the burglar had changed right along with him. Bilbo still confused him; he was still frustrating, at times. But then, so was every one of his companions. Thorin had grudgingly admitted to himself that the hobbit was invaluable, immediately after Bilbo freed them from the Elvenking's dungeons.

Now Bilbo was curled up on his cot beneath an enormous pile of blankets, face surprisingly peaceful as he slept.

Tomorrow, Thorin thought grimly, he would prove his real usefulness.

Alright folks, the next chapter is the horribly sad chapter, as promised. I hope it lives up to expectation.