Chapter 8:

Sighing, Kili watched the others with a small smirk. Dori was fussing over Ori whilst Nori rolled his eyes theatrically, Gloin and Bofur were inspecting a small chest full of goodies whilst Bifur shook a golden rattle and Bombur, Dwalin and Balin surveyed the huge pile of treasure with mixed expressions of weariness and excitement. Turning his head, Kili saw Oin snoozing a few metres away, leaning against the cavern wall, snoring happily. Thorin and Bilbo were the only ones who were still working to find the Arkenstone, searching feverously. Bilbo had a relaxed expression and flicked his eyes up every so often, looking at Thorin with an anxious expression. Thorin didn't notice as his searching became more and more panicked.

"It's not here!" He called out desperately, turning frantically with despair.

"It is, I had it earlier. We'll find it." Bilbo said soothingly, attempting to smile at Thorin reassuringly.

"But it's not here." Thorin seemed to have aged years, his face looked old and haggard in the low light and Kili stepped forward involuntarily, concern flooding him at his uncle's visible distress.

Opening his mouth to comfort him, Kili felt a sudden pressure on his shoulder and turned, staring at Tauriel in confusion.

"Can you hear that?" She asked in a low voice, standing still as she craned her neck and listened to the silence of the cavern.

The dwarves turned their heads and listened intently. Dori opened his mouth to say something but Dwalin interrupted him.

"It's a storm outside, nothing more elf. You'll be safe and dry in here." He grunted, peering upwards into the darkness.

Kili froze, every inch of his body seemed to tighten and his stomach clenched.

"Fili."

He whispered, turned and sprinting towards the door, forcing his limbs to move as quickly as he was able. He'd noticed his brother had been shaking earlier,
but he had attributed it his anger. But now, Fili had failed to return for over an hour and if this was truly due to any sickness left over from his efforts in
the lake then this storm could worsen his condition considerably. Kili could hear the pounding of feet behind him as the others followed him but he ignored
them. His only worry was his brother and although he felt anxious about his safety Kili could not help but be comforted by the blur beside him that he knew
was Tauriel.

Traditionally, elves were much faster than dwarves but in that instance, such was the fear and panic flooding through Kili's system that his adrenaline propelled him forward beyond Tauriel, through the empty, echoing caverns and out into the dark night.

Watching the company race after Kili and Tauriel, Bilbo dropped the golden candlesticks he had been holding and examining, sure they reminded him of something he saw near the Arkenstone earlier before Smaug's flight. He began to hurry after the others when he realised there was a distinct lack of footsteps behind him. Slowing to a halt, Bilbo felt disgust rise in him like bile. Clenching his fists, Bilbo turned to glare at Thorin who was stood, oblivious, his eyes roving over the treasures on the floor by his feet. His gaze was startled, his eyes wide open and his chest was heaving.

Striding back towards Thorin, Bilbo raised his fist and threw it forward as hard as he could, hitting Thorin square in the jaw. Caught off guard, Thorin fell backwards and landed hard on his backside, gold coins spraying everywhere with the force of his fall.

"How dare you…" He began, dragging himself out of the mentality of his frantic search and staring at the hobbit with madness and hatred in his eyes.

"I dare because you are a ridiculous and pathetic excuse for a King. Your nephew is outside, missing, possibly dead and you're stood there looking for that damn stone. Family is more important. How dare you sit there and lecture me on how I dare, on my place, when you don't even care. FILI IS MISSING. Do you not care about him? You practically raised him as your own son and you can't even be bothered to look for him. Kili is scared, Fili is missing and the boys need their leader. Now is not the time to turn into your father. Damnit Thorin they need you. I need you. Please…" Bilbo trailed off, his heart aching.

Blinking, Thorin shook his head as if waking from a daze. Standing tall, Thorin squared his shoulders and smirked.

"You're right of course Mr Baggins." He strode forwards, jogging with Bilbo at his side after the others.

"Oh and Mr Baggins…" Thorin called out casually to his side, "the next time you raise your hand to me will be the last time you have hands."

Bilbo grinned.

"Fili! Fili?" Calling his brother's name frantically, Kili followed Tauriel in the dark, trusting her senses over his own. The wind was howling and the cold was biting at his skin like angry wargs. Trying to block out the calls of his kin behind him, Kili searched frantically, attempting to stretch his senses to the breaking point for any sound of his brother's voice. Fili's laughter was the first sound Kili could remember, his earliest memory being Fili cuddling him and giggling, he knew he would recognise the sound of Fili's voice in a heartbeat.

Gasping with the effort, Kili stopped and began to look to the sky, hoping beyond hope that his brother would come stumbling towards them healthy and happy. Tauriel was stood on a boulder, searching through the torrential rain for any movement.

Shouts erupted from behind him and Kili whirled round and managed to squint through the weather and recognised the shape of his uncle coming towards him. In Thorin's arms Kili recognised the shape of a large bundle.

Recognising his brother's form, Kili ran forwards and helped to shield his brother's body from the
elements.

"I didn't think you were coming!" He shouted at Thorin, his eyes stinging and tears mixing with rain and freezing on his face.

"We need to get him inside, he's barely breathing!" Thorin screamed back, turning and leading the others back inside the mountain.

Thorin walked into the mountain as far as the forges where he put Fili down gently on the floor and covered him with his own cloak. Oin and Tauriel set to work, checking Fili's pulse and fiddling around with various items in Oins medicine bag.

Kili sat next to his brother, holding his hand tightly and whispering words of encouragement. He knew he was babbling but he didn't care, he was hoping against all the odds that the sound of his voice would wake his brother up. It always had in the past. When Kili had been young Fili had fallen in an attempt to climb up to where Kili had gotten himself stuck. Kili had been so scared he had screamed out for his brother repeatedly, causing his brother to wake up. No matter what, Fili had always put his brother first, no matter what state his own health was in.

Once again it worked as Kili saw Fili open his eyes, staring upwards as if he was looking at someone behind Kili.

"Everything's going to be ok Fee, I'm here. We're all here and we're all safe. We're home Fee."

"How did you find me?" Fili croaked, shuddering violently.

"Uncle did. It's ok, you're safe now, we're going to look after you. I'm going to look after you."

"I know you are Kee. It's alright."

Smiling, Kili couldn't help but laugh with relief; even now his brother was trying to comfort him.

Kili looked across his brother and smiled at Tauriel who was now opposite him. Her red hair draped down and brushed against Fili's chest as she checked his breathing.

Thorin glanced at the couple and frowned, curiosity filling him. He knew Kili would never be stupid enough to consider the elf that way but the way his nephew was
gazing at her worried him slightly.

"How did you find the lad so quickly?" Balin asked, looking at Thorin proudly.

"I just followed the path we took to get here; I knew he'd walk as far as he could to get away from me." Thorin gulped, taking a deep breath and trying to ignore the pains in his heart. His nephew had nearly died because he'd been such a selfish ass. Dis would have murdered him if she'd have been there. Thorin felt a stab of guilt as he remembered his promise to his baby sister, that he'd bring himself and her two son's home safely. He'd been neglecting his duty as of late, thanks to his worries about the Arkenstone.

Thorin resolved to take better care of his nephews; he would no longer sit by and watch as they faced danger after danger. He knew now that he should have put his family before the quest, but that was done and all he could do now was to take care of his nephews… his sons.

Hearing a small groan, Thorin turned and assessed Fili's condition. His nephew was shifting, groaning with the immense effort of moving his exhausted limbs.

"Stay still." Tauriel said kindly, attempting to gently force Fili back onto the ground.

But Fili seemed adamant that he had to move and was reaching one arm underneath himself, his face screwed up in a distortion of concentration and agony.

Suddenly, Fili's face seemed to shine radiantly as relief coloured his features. Jerking a filthy bundle out from under his coat, Fili weakly tossed it along the floor where it stopped near Thorin's foot. Thorin frowned and looked into his nephew's eyes, his confusion clear. But Fili was not capable of doing anything else. His strength sapped by the effort of retrieving the strange bundle, Fili slumped into his brothers arms and his head lolled.

Dragging his eyes from his nephew's weak and unconscious form, Thorin bent down and picked up the mysterious package Fili had spent the last of his strength trying to give him. Unfolding the dark cloth that was bound so tightly around whatever was inside, Thorin slowly unwrapped it.

His eyes widening, Thorin looked down at the glinting dragon claw that was resting in the palm of his hand. It was huge and glinted a dark, blood red in the low light. It seemed to be warm in his hand and he couldn't help but notice it reeked of salt water. Turning it over in his hands, Thorin realised that Fili must have cut it off the beasts corpse for him when he had been diving in the lake to retrieve Tauriel. Thorin gulped with shame as he considered how much effort it must have taken for Fili to get this for him when he had been so deep in the lake. 'His lungs must have been screaming for air' Thorin thought bitterly, 'and still all he thought was of me. That this is the proof I need to convince the dwarves of the Iron Hills that the beast is truly dead.'

Struck by his nephew's forethought, Thorin looked wordlessly at Balin and Dwalin, incapable of coherent thought or speech.

Shaking his head, Thorin tried to force back the tears that threatened to spill over as he looked at his poor, broken nephew lying on the cavern floor.

'Oh Fili, you silly little boy. I love you as if you were my own son. I love you son.'