Hello again. I hope your happy with the updating. I am trying to get these up as fast as possible. This chapter may be a bit short, but I hope you like it. (Don't ask about the end two views, they may not be that great...)

Chapter 4: Pain

"They will be fine," a kindly, somewhat strained voice told him. Thorin turned to glare at his advisor.

"Really?" he asked with no small amount of frustration, "You are doing this to me Balin? There is no way in Mahal that they could be fine after what those bastards put them through." He turned back to where Oin was stooped over his two nephews towards the back of the cave they had found.

The place was a good hiding spot, far enough away from where they had battled and hidden by some of the reasonably plentiful vegetation in the area, but not so much so that they were more or less trapped inside. They had been forced to move down a bit into the thicker part of the forest that took root on the mountainside but it was something that proved to be usual in the end. It was certainly more healthy to treat his wounded kin here than up in the snowy regions of the mountains over which they had been crossing.

"They will heal, Thorin, one way or another," he heard Balin respond. Thorin shook his head.

"But what if they don't?" he said, allowing his broody and pessimistic side of him to take over, "Even if they survive some of their injuries might not heal properly. Durin forbid what might happen if Kili's wrist doesn't, or if the giant gash on Fili's leg weakens it for life, basically crippling him." Balin raised his eyebrows at his leader's attitude. Never the less, he understood the dwarf's distress and set about reassuring him that none of what he said would come to light.

"The break in Kili's wrist is clean," he said almost soothingly, "And Oin said it should heal fine, though it will take a while. And as to the case of Fili's leg not being able to support his weight, I am sure, if that is the case, some prescribed exercise from Oin will strengthen it up once again. It will take time, but there is no doubt they will heal."

"But they have not yet woken," said Thorin in a quiet despair, neither of the talking pair wanting to disturb the company, most of which were either resting or talking quietly amongst themselves.

"Then that is the first millstone they will have to overcome, and it has only been a day," Balin retorted, refusing to be sucked into his friend's negative outlook, "They are of the line of Durin, and are too stubborn not to survive. You should know this," he finished, sending a reprimanding look towards Thorin.

The exiled king shifted as he stole another glance over at the pair, wanting to believe Balin's words, yet his brain rejecting them at the same time. He had lost too many over the years, too many of his own kin to see the situation in any positive light. There were only two courses that this path his nephews were on could take and he knew very well that the likely hood of their passing from this world was more likely than the likely hood of them not.

He heard Balin sigh and get up to move towards his brother, feeling the old dwarf place a comforting hand on his shoulder before striking up an almost whispered conversation with Dwalin who was stationed at the front of the cave. Thorin ignored them and maintained his vigil upon his two nephews, watching as Oin finished off treating their numbering injuries.

They were in a bad condition; there was no other way to put it. Apart from being unconscious, they had both visibly lost weight, not a significant amount, but now he could seek the faint outline on Kili which was concerning, especially up in the mountains where it could grow as cold as ice in a heartbeat. Their faces were pale and sweaty with fever. With less meat on his bones, and in a poorer condition, it seemed to burn worse on Kili than Fili, if that was at all possible. Both brows felt incredibly hot. And then there was their physical wounds and injuries.

Fili bore multiple lacerations, some deep, some glancing, but all taxing in one way or another and all contributing to the vast amount of blood he had lost. Around half had had to be sown up and altogether he had around sixty to eighty stiches in him; Thorin had lost count after the twenty-fifth. Several of his injuries were particularly concerning, the deep slice in his left leg being one. It had been cut from halfway down the back of his lower leg, continuing up through the fleshy part and stopping just shy of his knee. With a wound like that, it had been amazing that he could run at all. Besides this, another long slash had ripped through his back, though it was thankfully fairly shallow and had missed his spine by a breathtakingly small amount. The company healer was pretty sure several of his fingers were fractured, looking as if though they had been stamped on, and he had also been informed of several bruised ribs and a few cracked ones, though Oin was pretty sure none had punctured the blonde's lungs. None of this did anything to reassure Thorin of Fili's recovery, and the fact that Kili was in much the same state set the dwarfish leader's nerves on edge.

The brunette injuries were just about as bad as his brothers, receiving around the same amount of cuts and bruises to his entire body. Both he and his brother had not succumbed to death through blood loss, Oin had told him, because the wounds had scabbed up and closed over throughout their stay with the orcs, the injuries spread about evenly over the number of days. They had only lost so much blood when they collapsed because the running had reopened them. But right now, to Thorin, an excess amount of blood loss was an excess amount of blood loss no matter the way it had come about. And then there was Kili's other wounds.

The young dwarf, besides having a broken wrist, Kili also had, like his brother, bruised ribs. Several more of his were cracked, two completely broken. It was a miracle none of his had pierced his lungs, with the record that broken ribs had amongst those afflicted with them. As was the case with both of them, their breathing seemed rather shallow. Kili also seemed to have more vicious lacerations than his brother, though his hands had been avoided any injury, save for the broken wrist. Bruising mottled his chest and stomach, and one eye had been swelled shut, blackened by what looked like a harsh blow. His face though, and the expression upon it, spoke of wounds deeper than skin deep. Once again Thorin found himself wishing he had known had happened to them and how much he had been responsible for it.

The darkness in his head was confusing, that was all Kili could say. He had no idea where his brother was, or even where he was. All he could think of were orcs and wargs, bloodied knives and whispered words, and most of all pain upon pain upon pain. It was like he was lost in a sea of agony, with no bearings to help guide his way. The sail of his mid was torn and the wind of his suffering was mighty, as were the waves of his fear and doubt. He was stranded out in an ocean of oblivion, and he was alone. Alone and afraid. What he wouldn't give to have his brother by his side.

Fili could feel the presence of others around him, yet he could not decipher whether they were friend or foe. He assumed they meant well for why else would they be helping to alleviate some of his pain? Still, it was frustrating not being able to really know what was going on. He could just sense something around him, but could not rise himself enough to open his eyes and see what the something was.

The blonde laid there for who knew how long, eyes refusing to open, body refusing to budge. Dark memories stirred on the edges of his mind, but for now they were held back by another darkness clouding his mind and fogging up his thoughts. Still, it seemed to serve as some type of pain relief, and for that, Fili was glad.

"They'll be fine," he could hear someone saying, "The lads are stronger than most give them credit for, especially you." The prince had no idea what the words meant.

There was some more murmuring from a familiar, soothing voice that he could not place.

"Patience," he could hear the first speaker saying again, "They will wake when their bodies allow them." Fili had a feeling that 'they' included him.

Absently he wondered where his brother was, wanting Kili by his side, yet relishing in the sort of peace he felt now. Still, he was confused. The blonde was sure he was not with the orcs, yet he wondered, if he was not with them, who was he with?

Alright, let's get it right this time *Glares at Tweetzone86* No more laughing at me. ;)

Review. Review! REVIEW! There's a button there for a reason.