Alright, this one is not all doom and gloom. It was meant to be but then it sort of turned a few lines in. Consider it a short relief before some of the real angst starts to kick in. Be warned, it will not last.

Chapter 13: Brief calm

It was hard enough not to be able to do anything, but what was harder was the fact that, through his inability to distract himself from the horrors of what had happened, his mind allowed it all to come flooding back. Fili could not bear to have to watch himself mutilating his brother and his brother being forced to mutilate him. So instead he tried to fixate on his brother's face before him, trying to focus on each little detail on the brunette's face as Kili stared back at him for moral support.

The blonde offered the youth a half-hearted smile.

"It's nice to finally have some quiet in the cave," the hobbit not a few feet away from them said mostly to himself.

He was positively glowing with relief and rejuvenation as he made the most of his time at most of the company's departure from the caves for a roam around the part of the mountain they were in. All that were left were Fili, Kili and Bilbo who were stationed inside. Thorin had also ordered Bifur to stay behind and guard the three, and the big dwarf was stationed just outside the mouth of the cave.

The relatively empty atmosphere rubbed off on Fili too; it was not so hard to avoid interacting with the others and Bilbo knew well enough when to leave the pair alone.

"You alright?" the blonde half whispered to his brother. Kili shot him a half-hearted sarcastic smile that did not reach is eyes at all.

"If you call being plagued by nightmares every time you so much as close your eyes alright," he said just as softly, his voice not having the least touch of humour in it. He looked tired despite the sleep he had been getting and there were increasingly darkening circles under his eyes. Still, he looked a whole lot healthier than he had back there.

"The best you can do it to try and forget it," Fili said solemnly, "It's the best we can both do."

"That is something that cannot happen even if we wanted it to for it is a part of us like Bofur's hat is a part of him," laughed Kili bitterly, "Something like this we cannot forget, not matter how hard we try. It will always keep coming back no matter what we do." His voice was laced with a slight hysteria which Fili understood completely.

"That is why we need to try," Fili said, trying to keep his voice level and avoid allowing the small amount of despair show through his words. It was not easy considering what they had been through and how much it had broken his resolve.

There was a silence between the two as Bilbo sat humming a tune to himself, one Fili recognised but could not place. Kili focused on a point above Fili's head, his eyes glazing over as he began to detach from the scene before him. His blonde brother fiddled with the edge of the blanket he was under before looking over to where Bilbo was sitting. The hobbit offered him a small smile.

"The others will be back in a while," Bilbo said, "So we have a while until we need to worry about Bofur's singing voiced again." This humour was lost on the blonde and the hobbit appeared to realise this. He then changed his tactic to try and engage the youth in a conversation. "Do you need anything?" Fili shook his head.

"Kili, you need anything?" he asked, looking towards his brother. The brunette had not appeared to have heard him. "Kili?," he asked again, not liking the way his brother was not responding to him, "Kili, are you alright?"

"What?" the brunette snapped, finally paying attention to the blonde's words.

"Do you need anything?" Fili asked again quietly, unsure of what to make of what just happened. The brunette shook his head.

"I am fine," he said to his brother. Fili turned back to Bilbo and shook his head.

"Thanks for offering though," he said, hoping that would satisfy the hobbit's attempts to draw him, and most likely his brother too, into a conversation. Bilbo, however, only looked disheartened for a moment.

"How about a game then?" he asked. The blonde dwarf eyed him warily, not understanding why Bilbo was being so instant.

"What game?" he asked.

"A guessing game," the company burglar said with enthusiasm, "I will describe a member of the company and you both can try to guess who it is. That is if you want to play," he ended. He sounded so disheartened and unsure of himself at the end that Fili could not say no without further guilt drowning his soul. He had already hurt one being enough to last him a life time, one that he cared deeply about too, he would not cause harm to another if he could help it.

"I will attempt to play," the blonde finally answered. Kili just sat silently next to his brother, hands closed on something in his lap, watching the proceedings with only a small amount of interest. Bilbo looked as though he would burst with optimism.

"Alright then, here is my first challenge," he said, "I am a good cook, and an ever better eater. My beard is braided and I eat cheese by the block." Fili did not hesitate to answer.

"Bombur," the prince said easily, "Next time do not be so obvious." Bilbo smiled.

"Sorry," the hobbit apologised, "But I thought the first one should be easier, but if you want harder, then guess this one. I love a good riddle, and an even better joke. The flute is my instrument, and my hat a-"

"Bofur," Fili answered, "Harder."

"Well, try this one," Bilbo challenged, "I am elderly, but not the eldest of the group. My beard is grey and I am quite queer in my ways."

Fili frowned slightly, thinking. This one was harder and the youth had no idea who the small being was talking about. All the dwarves of the company were queer, or most of them in any case, and more than one supported grey whiskers upon their chin. He thought harder over the words that Bilbo had used, and then it struck him, the main clue was not what the hobbit had said but the actual words themselves.

"Dori," Fili said loudly enough for Kili to wince next to him. "Sorry," he muttered quickly before turning back to the burglar, "It's Dori isn't it?" He was enjoying the challenge slightly, not that he would admit it. It took his mind off the other…things he had both seen and experienced in the past few weeks.

"The answer is indeed Dori," the hobbit said, chuckling slightly at his reaction, "Let's see if you can guess the others."

This continued on for a while, each getting progressively harder. At certain points, Bilbo stopped to ask if Kili wanted to join in, but each time the brunette shook his head, though he continued to watch with a now growing interest. Fili found the answer to Bilbo's final riddle just as the rest of the company walked in.

"Balin," he said with an air of triumph. Bilbo smiled at him, letting him know that he had guessed correctly.

"What's Balin?" Dwalin asked as he wandered past, "Old?" His brother punched him in the side as he smiled at the two younger dwarfs beneath him.

"Good to see you are both up," the white bearded dwarf said sincerely.

Fili withdrew into himself slightly at the attention, now uncomfortable with so many surrounding him. Kili obviously felt the same way, curling in on himself as more and more of the company entered. It was a little more than daunting after he had spent so long with a mass of orcs determined to make his and his brother's life as miserable as possible. And they had done more than just succeed, that was for sure.

And next chapter will be back to normal. Please review.