Hello everyone! There it is (finally)! The second chapter! I thought I could post it on Monday, but I wasn't able to, sorry about that :(

Disclaimer: I am not Tolkien or Peter Jackson, and I do not own anything, except my OC. I do not earn any money with this work.

Anyways, I am now letting you read this chapter!

Chapter 2: Recovery

The elf was astonished by the dwarf's anger. She just wanted him to know she truly was sorry for his loss. And he just snapped back at her!

The next day, she hesitated before coming back to him. She knew it wasn't fair of her, she was aware that he needed her, but she couldn't help but feeling... betrayed, maybe? Was this the right word? Probably not. It was not like they were friends in any way. He had just apologized to her for "mistreating" her, and he did it again minutes later! She didn't understand him. In fact, she was beginning to think that she didn't understand anyone in this mountain, she realized as she walked by the corridors, heading towards Kili's room.

She now knew her way very well, she could make it eyes closed. She let her thoughts overwhelm her. Now that Kili had been this impolite with her, she felt uncomfortable here. It made her realize that she kind of missed her home back in Mirkwood. She didn't have a family anymore, but at least, she was surrounded by her kin there. And the elves respected her, because she had helped a lot of them, being their best healer.

She blinked, locking away her disturbing thoughts. She looked around her and found herself two hallways from the dwarf's room. She suddenly heard a scream, and she rushed for him, forgetting in an instant her rancor. What was happening?!

When she burst into his room, she saw him shaking, his eyes firmly closed. And she understood. He only had one night of calm sleep before the nightmares came rushing down on him. She hesitated. She didn't know how to wake him up. After all, he was a warrior. He could attack her just because she had awoken him too abruptly. No, he couldn't, not in his actual state, she tried to reason herself. But if she awoke him too brusquely, he could panick and it could make everything go wrong...

Another scream, more audible this time, made her reach for his shoulder. She touched it slightly, but he didn't wake up. She flinched when he desperately moaned again. And she finally understood what he was saying. "Fili." She asked herself if it would harm him to shake him, and she finally decided it would be far better if he was finally awaken. She then slightly shook him, grabbing his shoulder even more firmly.

Kili suddenly opened his eyes, gasping for air. He tried to sit up, but she forced him to lay back on the mattress.

"Fili," he murmured again.

She lowered her gaze to look at him. And then she told him, as cruel as it could seem, "He is not here, Kili. And you know it." She still wanted to help him, despite the way he had treated her.

He looked at her with confused eyes, and finally calmed down. Sadness didn't leave his eyes, though.

"Lady Aredhel," he slowly told her. "Do you know you just sounded quite cruel?"

She just raised an eyebrow at him. He had to be joking! Was he really telling her that she had sounded cruel? Did he hear himself speak the day before?

He seemed to realize the hypocritical side of his question, and lowered his gaze, looking quite ashamed.

"I did not want to snap at you, Lady Aredhel," he continued.

"And I should not have talked about... them," she finally conceded. "Yet, you did sound just as hypocritical as I sounded cruel." She let a small smile play on her lips. A smile that he did not return.

"I had a nightmare," he spoke up again.

"I noticed, Kili."

"Did I..."

"You did talk," she quickly answered before he could even finish his question.

"And what did I say?"

"I think you perfectly know that."

A sad grin came playing on his lips, and he looked right into her eyes.

"Aye, I guess I do." He briefly paused, before he asked her in his most innocent tone, "Could I sit up, my Lady? My wounds don't hurt me anymore, and..."

"They do not hurt you because you are staying still. If you move, you will feel the pain again."

"I think I can handle it, Miss."

He then noticed the smile that was playing on her lips again.

"Oh, don't be so sure of that, my dashshat!" He slowly looked behind the tall elf, and saw his mother standing there, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Amad..." he sighed, before turning back to Aredhel. "You knew she was there, right?"

"I did indeed."

"Amad, I am fine," he tried to convince Dis.

"No, you are not fine. As Lady Aredhel said, if you sit up, you will faint again because of the pain." This was a new voice, but one he perfectly knew.

"Bilbo!" he exclaimed. Even though he did not smile, he still felt relieved to see him. He knew every dwarf from the Company, beside his brother and his Uncle, were fine. Dwalïn had told him so. But if more of his friends had died during the battle, it would have been unbearable!

"My friend," the hobbit greeted him with a little smile. Not a wide grin like the one he used to adress him, but a little, sad one. He guessed that Bilbo was affected by their deaths too...

"How did you make it?" Kili asked, a slight frown on his face. If his family didn't live, how could he have? He wasn't a warrior, and...

"I don't really know."

"Master Dwarf, try to relax a little," Aredhel commanded.

"But..." he tried to speak.

"Kili, do as she says," his mother added.

He was aware that when Dis was speaking as firmly as she just had, he should obey her. His mother could be quite... scary sometimes. So he tried to relax his features and forced a smile on his lips.

"That's better," she told him. "When will he be able to move again?" she asked the tall elf.

"I do not know. Probably in a few days, if you stay still," she added, turning her head towards him. "If you do not, your wounds could reopen, and I might be unable to help at that moment."

"I seriously doubt that," he said quietly.

"Me too, for if you are not able to help him, you are quite useless here..."

They all turned towards Dis, who had just spoken. The she-elf did not seem affected by her words, but everyone else looked at her with bewilderment.

"Amad?" Kili was just as astonished as everyone else. "Why did you say that to her? She helped me, and..."

"And if she can't help you anymore, then she is useless here. Her people need her, after all. She is apparently the best healer of Mirkwood. She should be there, helping her kin."

"Are you not glad I was able to save him?" the elf questionned in a low tone.

"Of course we are," Bilbo exclaimed before the other dam could speak her mind. Dis simply nodded to show that she agreed with Bilbo. She was aware she had just been quite harsh, but Kili was her son, and if the she-elf let him die, she would command her to leave Erebor in the next few hours!

A little smile appeared on the she-elf's face, and she quickly bowed herself to thank the hobbit.

"Thank you, Master Hobbit." Her voice was so calm, Kili noticed. It was like she didn't care at all about what his mother had just said.

Aredhel turned towards the dwarrowdam and the hobbit, and asked them, "Do you have anything particular to say to Master Dwarf here?"

"Yes."

The elf and Dis did not lower their gazes and finally, the taller dam quickly nodded and turned to leave the room. Yet, she heard Kili's voice calling for her, and she stopped, without looking at him though.

"I am sorry, for yesterday."

She was glad he didn't see her smile. And she left the room without saying more words.

Aredhel was sitting on the chair before her desk, in her apartments. She was thinking about Kili's words. She had hoped that yesterday, the dwarf would have hold her back, and he hadn't. But he had now truly apologize to her, and even if she wished she had a stronger will, it had just taken a few words from him for her to forgive him.

She finally took one parchment and her quill, and began to write to one of her closest friends, Celadriel, another elf of Mirkwood.

My dear Celadriel,

I just want to tell you that I have finally succeeded: I have healed Kili, the last heir of Durin. If everything goes like it is meant to happen, he will soon become the king of Erebor. And I know he will agree to help our own kingdom. With his help, we might be able to defeat the Orcs reuniting in Dol Guldur.

Yet, I do not know how I should convince him to take the crown of the dwarf kingdom. He still has to grieve the death of his brother and Uncle, and even if I do not wish to remind you of your losses, could you tell me something that will help him?

What is happening in Mirkwood right now? I hope you do not need my help when I am far away...

Your friend, Aredhel

She slightly frowned. Was she doing the right thing by telling her friend these things about Kili? Besides, she was quite sure she shouldn't remind her of how Celadriel's brother had died during an attack of the Spiders... She sighed and put down the parchment on the desk. No. She shouldn't ask her anything but some news from her kingdom. She would figure out on her own how to convince Kili.

She walked out of her room. She was tired of being locked inside the mountain. She wanted to get out, to see the sun again, or the light of the stars! She hadn't gotten out in more than a month, staying by Kili's side for all that time. And she was tired of this constant darkness!

Her long white dress was flitting around her thin legs, and every dwarf she crossed paths with stared at her suspiciously. She could easily understand them: she was almost running down the dark corridors! Until someone stopped her, holding her wrist in a firm grip. She quickly turned around, thinking that the person behind her should be glad that she didn't have a weapon right now, because if she did, she would have reacted way more violently than that. She calmed down when she saw who had stopped her so brusquely: it was one of the dwarves she appreciated the most.

"Master Bofur," she greeted him with a tense smile.

"Lady Aredhel. Where were ye running to?"

"Outside. I am tired of being locked here."

"You were not locked, you could have run out a long time ago!" he exclaimed, clearly misunderstanding her words.

"No, I didn't mean it that way! I know I was not a prisoner, but Ki-Master Kili needed my help quite permanently. Now that he is awake, I can finally have more time alone. I simply want to see the light of the sun again, or that of the stars." She smiled at the memories that overwhelmed her. Such happy ones! She quickly refocused on Bofur, who was now smiling at her.

"Well, will you allow me to go with you then, Miss?"

"Of course!" The dwarf's smile was contagious, and she found herself grinning too. "Do you like those lights, Master Bofur?"

"I like the sun's light. The stars are far too distant for me."

"But they are memories."

The hatted dwarf looked up at her, slightly frowning.

"Memories of..." he began, but she cut him off.

"Memories of my family." She didn't continue. Bofur didn't need to know anything of her former life. Even if she liked him, he was still not supposed to be a friend of hers. Their people had always disliked each other.

"Do you think your family is happy, whereever she is?"

She lowered her gaze to look at him better. She knew what he meant. He didn't want to know about her family, but more about Thorïn and Fili. She then realized the bonds that must have been forged on their Quest. She didn't have the chance to see them when they were locked away in Mirkwood's dungeons, but she wished she had. Seeing people as united as them... She wanted to have such a strong relationship with someone again.

"I am sure they are happy. They have joined their ancestors, and they must be glad to see them again."

He nodded, gratitude written all over his face, and she returned his smile.

"When will Kili walk again?" the dwarf asked her again.

"In a week, if he stops trying to get on his feet. He is too weak for now."

"And... What did you do to him, my Lady?"

She frowned and tensed. She would not reveal her secrets to a dwarf, even if he was kind with her!

"It is a secret, Master Bofur," she responded. "A secret that I cannot reveal for now."

And then, she saw the light. A bright light, which could only mean...

"I can already feel the sun on my face!" she exclaimed, a wide grin playing on her lips. "I missed this feeling!"

She then realized that it was kind of impolite to say that in front of the dwarf, who probably liked the darkness very much, maybe even more than the sun's light. She tensed, but was reassured when she saw him smile a little.

"Me too," Bofur said. "I'm quite sure Kili misses it even more."

"One more week, and he will be able to see it again. Just one more week," she whispered quietly, her eyes fixed on the horizon.

One week later, she was paying her daily visit to Kili when he suddenly told her, "You know, the more I'm staying in this bed, the more bored I become. So could I at least try to get up, please?"

She hesitated, gauging him for a long time before she finally answered, "You should rest a little more. Maybe you could try tom-"

"No!" he exclaimed, before apologizing, "Sorry. It's just... I am so tired of staying in this bed! I feel so... useless here, so..." He quickly paused, realizing what he was about to say. He felt so alone here. And the elf didn't need to know that.

"Fine. You can try to stand, but if the pain comes back, you must promise me to lie down."

"Agreed," he smiled.

Aredhel realized this was the first time she had seen him smile a real smile. She tried to ignore it, and held out her hand. He took it and slowly sat up. He immediately felt dizzy, and he stopped himself. He took a deep breath, and tightened his grip on the elf's hand. She slightly squeezed his in return, and smiled.

He moved again and stood up, only to find himself faltering. Aredhel helped him steadying himself, and after a few minutes, he finally was able to take a first step, the she-elf walking along with him.

"Are you fine, Kili? Or do you want to sit down for a few moments?" she asked him.

"I'm fine." And he was telling her the truth. The pain in his chest had not come back when he had taken this step. "I think I can try to walk alone."

"And I thin you cannot."

She seemed serious...

"Why not?" he demanded, frowning slightly.

"Because if you fall, your wounds will..."

"If I fall, I know you'll catch me," he retorted.

She looked at him, and finally let go of his hand. He started to falter again, and her brows furrowed, but he quickly steadied himself on his own. Until the door opened and he heard an exclamation. He turned around and saw his mother standing at the door. And he felt his knees becoming suddenly weak. He began to fall, but Aredhel caught him before he could hit the ground.

"I told you you would catch me," he smiled.

She shook her head, but couldn't help the little twist of her lips. "You really are incredible, Master Dwarf," she retorted.

"Yes, he is," Dis intervened. She didn't seem worried and walked towards her son, before she told the elf, "Can I stay with him?"

"Of course. He is your son, Lady Dis."

The dwarrowdam nodded with gratitude, and the elf left the room again. But before she could open the door, she heard the dwarf calling after her again, "Lady Aredhel?"

She didn't turn towards him, but she listened to him anyway.

"Thank you for healing me. Really. I wish you could have healed them too," he added.

This was the first time he talked about them voluntarily since he had woken up. She bowed her head, her long blonde hair slightly waving on her back, before she escaped the room, which was now filled with sorrow.

Translation:

Amad = mother (Khuzdul)

Dashshat = son (Khuzdul)

Tell me what you thought of the characters in this chapter. Did you like Aredhel's story?

Anyways, I hope you liked that chapter, and I am sorry if you found any mistakes in it!

Sorry for the delay too (again), I hope I will be able to post on next Monday :) See you soon!