Ori ran as fast as he could back to the settlement. The snow had begun to fall around him and the wind howled and night had descended around him.
"Help!" he cried as he banged on every door, "Someone help!" No answer. None of the Dwarves had returned from their day at work yet. Ori was trying not to panic, he needed to think straight. He tried not to think of Kili alone in that hole and hoped he wasn't to terribly hurt.
Ori was only a few years older than Thorin's nephews and he had grown up with them and Gimli in Ered Luin. He considered them his closest, and only real friends. He had been terrified of losing them when they had been injured by the Orcs and now he feared for them again. He couldn't help but feel guilty for their situation. He knew Fili and Kili were still recovering from their injuries and he knew there was a storm coming in. But he hadn't seen the harm in a little exploration, he had been very bored living here in this settlement while his brothers and the other Dwarves worked. He had given in to his youthful curiosity. And now this storm was getting harsher by the second. Snow whirled around the young Dwarf even as he ran.
"Ori?" came a voice. Ori whirled to see Bilbo peeking out from one of the house door, "Everything alright?"
"Bilbo!" Ori cried, "You have to help, Fili and Kili are in the forest. Kili fell, he's trapped!"
"Why were you three out in this weather!" Bilbo exclaimed , "Are you mad! Just wait till your brothers and Thorin-"
"Thorin!" Ori exclaimed, "We have to tell him. Bilbo we don't have time, Kili is in serious trouble!"
Bilbo ducked back into his house, "Asphodel! Brenna!" he called and the two young hobbit and gnome quickly appeared by his side.
"I'm going to go with Ori," Bilbo explained, "Stay here until I return and keep a look out for Thorin. When he returns from town, tell him what has happened.
"Thorin should be told of this right away," Brenna countered, "We may need his help. I can go with Ori."
"I'll not send you out in this storm," Bilbo replied firmly, "It's perfectly out of the question."
"But Uncle, Fili and Kili need help," Asphodel said, standing beside Brenna, "I'll go with her."
"Oh no," Bilbo repeated fervently, "I'll not risk my kin out there."
"Uncle, I spent a long time in an orc dungeon," Asphodel reminded him, "And so did Brenna. We know how to handle ourselves."
"We don't have time to argue!" Ori exclaimed as Bilbo opened his mouth to protest, "Kili could be hurt seriously!"
"Alright," Bilbo said, reluctantly, wincing at the idea, "I'll go get Thorin myself. You girls go with Ori, then. We'll meet you."
"We were a few hundred yards into the forest," Ori explained as Bilbo grabbed his coat and Brenna and Asphodel did the same, "Behind a blueberry bush."
Bilbo nodded before he hurried out of his house. Ori turned around and ran back to the forest, Asphodel and Brenna in tow.
"Kili please..." Fili pleaded for his brother to wake up. Tears streamed down his face as he lay in the snow. His feet and hands had long since gone numb as the snow and wind assaulted him. But he didn't care. Kili hadn't moved an inch since he had fallen. Fili wanted nothing more than to jump down that hole and join him, but then he'd never find away to get his brother out. So he lay peering into the hole, yelling for his brother to wake up.
"Kili..." he called again, "You have to wake up. Please, for me!"
Finally his brother stirred. Fili strained to see him in the dark of the blizzard, but in the brief flashes of lightning, he saw Kili shift a bit.
"Ugh..." Kili groaned. His voice was weak and the howling wind was noisy, but his brother's cry of pain was the loudest thing in the world to Fili.
"Kili!" Fili cried, shivering despite himself as a strong gust of wind and snow assaulted his body, "Brother!"
Kili winced and slowly rolled over onto his back, his brown eyes gazing up at his brother. Fili winced when he saw the large gash just above Kili's left eyebrow. Blood oozed down his brother's cheek like red tears, "Fili..." he gasped. He winced hard and tried to lift his head to look at his clearly broken leg, "Hurts..."
"Don't worry, Brother, It's going to be okay," Fili assured him, "We just have to wait for Ori to bring help."
"So... cold..." Kili shivered, his teeth chattering.
Fili struggled to keep calm. He felt so helpless from up here. His brother was far out of his reach and he didn't know what to do.
"Don't try to move, Brother," Fili called as he watched Kili scream out in pain after squirming about.
"I was just trying to get some mushrooms," Kili complained, glancing down at the pile of smashed mushrooms laying beside him, "I just wanted to help..."
"I know," Fili assured him, "Don't worry, Little brother, I'll get us out of this."
Fili hoped he sounded more reassuring than he felt. He had no idea how he was going to get them out of this.
And that was when he heard it. At first he almost didn't hear anything. The fury of the storm blotted out the sounds of the forest, but he was sure he heard some kind of low deep moaning sound. He gazed ahead, trying hard to see anything through the fury of snow flowing around him and the darkness of the night.
"W-what is it..." Kili gasped out from below. Fili glanced down at him. That stutter in his voice was disconcerting. But not as disconcerting as the noise coming from the darkness. It seemed to surround them.
"Something's out there..." Fili breathed, his breath freezing in his throat as he stared ahead. He desperately wished he had a weapon now. With eyes locked on the trees, Fili moved to get up, but found he had no feeling in his legs.
Fili muffled a few curses in Khuzdul as he tried to get his frozen legs to work. He had laid in the snow for hours, taking the brunt of the storm around him. The temperature was below freezing. But in his worry for his brother, he hadn't been concerned with his own comfort. But now, his clothes were wet with melted snow. His whole body felt numb. He shivered as he gathered the strength to try to stand.
"F-fili..." Kili's concerned voice floated up to him and he glanced down at his brother. Kili coughed and shivered as he gazed up from where he lay some 30 feet down in that hole. In the darkness, Fili had trouble seeing his brother, but when lightning flashed, it illuminated the area and he could see Kili's pale, colorless face staring up at him. The deep red blood trickling down his face and the darkness of his wet hair made his skin almost glow white.
His brother needed him to protect him. Fili took a breath before mustering his strength again. He felt so cold. So tired. All he really wanted to do was to sleep and forget everything. But he couldn't. He heard it again. This time, louder. Some kind of growl and as he looked into the forest again he saw... what could only be red eyes glowing in the darkness. Fear made his breath stick in his throat as it drove him finally to his feet. He stood, shaking, shivering, ready to face whatever was coming.
But he didn't get the chance. He heard an ear piercing roar. He whirled around. His eyes widened. He screamed and barely had the chance to put up his arms in defense.
And then suddenly, Fili found himself flying through the air, spiraling downwards down into the hole with his brother. He heard his brother scream out for him. And then, everything went dark...