A Reprieve

Kili was losing strength. Every step he took towards the darkness and every step deeper into the woods sent stabbing pains throughout his body. Tears were rolling down his face as his childlike mind failed to grasp why he was going through this agony.

"I can't" Kili whispered as he hit the ground for the third time. His knees had buckled underneath him and unlike the twice prior times he fell, this time he was unable to fight the pain and stand back up, this time he had hit his limits. The pain in his stomach was unbearable. It was a fire coursing through his entire body.

The past two times, the pain seemed to be caused by an invisible hand clutching at his insides, for his body bore no marks. This time was different. This time he looked down to see blood soaking through a makeshift bandage. He didn't even know how the damage had gotten there. He didn't know where the blood had come from or where the bandage had come from. He had just been playing on the edge of the forest. He was a child! Who would have done this too him? His breath came in short desperate gasps and he began hyperventilating.

"I can't. I want my Fee. I want ma." Kili was even younger now. When his journey started, he was a dwarfling of twenty years. Now he seemed to be no more than twelve. He was the size of a five year old child of men. He was confused and terrified. He glanced over his shoulder back in the direction he had come from. He wanted to go back and nap in the warm field under the sun. But he also knew he had to try and keep going, his brother needed him to keep going.

"Fee." Kili whimpered, his tiny hands clutched at this stomach.

"Child, you must." The voice whispered, calling him to continue towards the darkness. "You must get up."

"I can't." Kili cried, although he didn't turn back to the field, back to where safety and reprieve waited for him, he didn't move forward either. Already on his knees, the dwarfling fell forward, hands just able to break his fall. "Fili…." he whispered to the darkness.

Ceredion pulled his hands away from Kili's stomach, a small frown on his delicate features.

"Will he make it?" Legolas questioned as the elder healer began applying a thick paste to the wound in Kili's stomach.

"It's hard to say. He wants to come back, but that might not be enough. I've pulled him as far as I can and I think he's gone as far as he can. He's reached an impasse. " The healer spoke as he then wrapped Kili's stomach in clean bandages.

Legolas frowned at this news. "What does that mean?"

"It means he is stuck, and he will remain stuck until he either chooses to leave us and head to the halls of his ancestors or until he can find additional strength to pull him back to the living." The old healer smiled at the prince. "We will make him comfortable. He does want to come back. All he wants his brother."

With those words both the healer and Legolas turned to the unmoving body of the blond. Fili had been placed on a bed next to his brother. Kili's arrow wound and dance with death had taken a priority, but the healer now focused all his attention on the fair haired prince.

"His vitals feel more stable." Ceredion whispered as he began to assess the injuries. "His head injury is actually second to dehydration and exhaustion. The boy was swimming in the river, after all." The healer's optimism changed as he looked at the cuts on Fili's arm.

"Prince Legolas," the ancient healer said with a worried tone, "these are Lycan injuries." The surprise and concern was evident in his voice as he began coating Fili's arms with a salve. "Nendir said you were attacked by the Lycan. These boys were attacked by them before you met them."

Legolas made to answer, but Fili stirred at the cool salve on his arm.

"Kee?" He whispered, turning instinctively towards the comforting touch of the healer. His eyes fluttered open, and he glanced around with clear anxiety and unease in his deep blue orbs.

"Fili, mellon nin, you are at a healing house of the Greenwood. " Legolas said, lowering himself so that he was looking into the dwarf's eyes. "Your brother is here as well. We are trying to care for both of you."

"Kili." Fili whispered again, eyes roaming the room until they locked with the still form of his brother. "Oh no…" Fili could feel his heart skip a beat as he took in Kili's condition. He then immediately made to get out of bed and move to his brother's side. However, as soon as he sat up, he was overcome by a wave of dizziness, and spots began to appear in his vision.

"Easy, mellon nin." Legolas whispered, placing a hand on Fili's shoulder to steady him.

"Is he…" Fili started, only to be interrupted by the healer.

"He is alive, and he needs you, Master Fili. But you must regain your strength if you are to help him." The healer spoke to Fili, before turning to Legolas, "Help support him sitting up for a moment, I'm going to give him a drought to help with the pain, and help him rest."

Legolas made to sit behind Fili and support his upper body, but the dwarf prince protested. "No. My brother needs me."

"You are right, master dwarf. He does need you. But you are going to need to be stronger first." Legolas replied.

Whether it was just exhaustion or Fili had grown to trust the elf prince, Fili stopped fighting and allowed the drought to be poured into his mouth. As he lay back down, he blinked up at Legolas's wearily. "What is it you keep calling me?" Fili asked, exhaustion evident as his eyes became half lidded.

Legolas just stared at him, not sure what Fili was referring too.

"mellon. Mellon nin." Fili clarified. "What does that mean?"

"It means 'my friend.' Now rest master Fili, your brother will be alright until you wake." Legolas said with a soft smile and Fili closed his eyes as he finally let sleep claim him..

"He will sleep for hours. All we can do is make him and his brother as comfortable as possible, and then we can hope that Fili can help bring Kili back to us." The healer spoke to the elf prince.

"What of his arm?"

"The darkness spreads further, corrupting the Lycan. I like it not. Had the boy been bit, he would not be with us right now. As it is, I'm surprised a scratch had not had worse side effects. The scars will plague him for the rest of his life." The healer said sadly.

"Let's hope he has a long life for them to plague him." Legolas said, troubled.

Legolas had left to get his own rest, trusting that the dwarflings would be safe from harm in the healing room. Even though they were not within Thrandruil's walls, the elves still had their ways of keeping evil forces out of their presence.

Hours later, Fili's eyes blinked open. Above him, the room he was in opened right up into the heavens and he could see thousands of stars flickering in the night. For one wild second, Fili could not remember who he was or where he was. For that one second, all Fili could do was stare at the stars. Then it came back to him.

Kili.

He shot up from his bed; almost face planting to get to his brother. His legs were still very weak, and his body had a difficult time catching up with Fili's head.

Kili lay not far from Fili. The younger prince lay on top of dark blue blankets, his tunic having been removed and exposing the expertly wrapped injury on his stomach.

"Oh, Kili." Fili whispered, kneeling down besides his brother and taking his limp hand in his. With great caution not to cause further, Fili lay his head right over where he knew Kili's heart to be, listening to the slow and steady beat in his brother's chest.

"Brother. Come back to me." Fili whispered, brushing the hair from his brother's forehead and kissing his brow. "Please come back to me."

Somewhere, a ten year old dwarfling child was crying, curled into a ball and trying to fight the waves of pain that surrounded him from all sides. He couldn't go any further. He could go back, but he knew that if he went back, he wouldn't see his brother for a good long while.

"Please come back to me."

For the first time since Kili had been in the forest, it was his brother's voice calling for him. The voice before had been a gentle voice, and one he had wanted to listen to, but it was not his brother. Not his Fili.

"Fee?" The child said, tears steaming as his brother spoke to him.

It was the last push he needed. With a shaky deep breath the dwarfling got to his feet. The pain was crippling, but the boy ignored it.

Fili had called. And Kili would answer.

Once the child stood, he took a moment to compose himself. The pain was all consuming, so much so that the child, who was no more than a babe, could barely comprehend it. With another deep breath, Kili closed his eyes and ran blind into the direction from which his brother voice had come.

"Fili?"

The voice shocked Fili, for he did not expect his brother to respond so soon.

"Kili!" Fili practically shouted his face lighting up at his brother's words.

At the look of pure happiness on his brother's face, Kili gave a weak smile. "I guess I'm the damsel in distress again."

Fili starred blankly before he let out a relieved laughter.

"You are going to make me old beyond my years, brother." Fili whispered, putting his forehead to Kili's.

"Isn't that what little brother's are for?" Kili replied with a laugh, before he began struggling to keep his eyes open.

Noticing his brothers exhaustion, Fili spoke, "just rest brother. I'll be here when you wake up."

Kili smiled. "I know."

A/N: Thanks to all the kind messages and reviews I received. For those who may be confused, as Kili clung to life, he became younger and younger. My reason for that was because it was getting more difficult for him to resist the pain (and give into it, and therefore give into death), and I pictured that being shown as him becoming younger and more helpless.

There will be another chapter or two, an epilogue of sorts as the boys try and catch the company.