I'm just going to get right to it.
"Anything?"
"Yes."
Dain thought for a while. Thorin kept staring at Fili's unmoving form afraid of what Dain would say. He needed to get Fili out of here and to a healer. That was if he was still alive. There was large puddle of blood under Fili and it scared Thorin to his core. He couldn't lose Fili. He couldn't watch him die.
"Very well, I will stop on one condition," Dain said. "I want you to destroy the race of men."
"What?" Thorin questioned taking his eyes off Fili to look at Dain.
"I want you to order your army to destroy Lake-Town. As I said before, these dwarves are loyal to you, if you order it done they will do it without question. When I ordered them to end the men of the lake they hesitated did it out of duty. Yet, if you tell them you want that town sunk under the lake they will do it gladly," Dain patted Thorin on the shoulder.
Thorin growled. "I will not help you kill innocent people."
Dain sighed, "Fine then. Grart, start on the youngest."
"No! Leave them alone!" Thorin screamed.
Dain grabbed Thorin's face with his hands forcing them to look each other in the eyes. "Don't you understand Thorin? I will keep hurting them. I will kill Fili right in front of you, nice and slowly, if you do not do what I say. And, if you still do not see my way after I kill Fili, I will torture Kili right before your eyes. I will beat both of them within an inch of their lives. And they will not be the only ones. Continue to disobey me and I'll have to bring your dear sister in this."
"Stay away from her!" Thorin yelled in Dain's face. "You will not hurt her!"
"That depends on you, Thorin." Dain let go of Thorin's face pushing it away. "I told you before, I want you to be king. I want you to sit on your throne and make the decisions for the kingdom. Yet every one of your words and choices will be mine. You will do everything I say, when I say it, or they die. Everyone may see you as king, showing you that great loyalty, but everything that happens from now on and everything that you do will be because I told you. I control you now Thorin."
Thorin pulled on the chains. "I will not be your puppet!"
Dain stepped aside holding his hand towards Fili's mangled body. Thorin could see Fili moving slightly as he breathed. He was alive. "Shall I order another whip or will you declare war on the men of the lake for me? It's your choice."
Thorin lowered his head. What could he do? Fili was barely hanging onto life. One more whip would kill him, Thorin knew it. Fili would be dead and he would have to watch the same thing happen to Kili. There was no choice.
"I'll do it," Thorin said under his breath. "I'll do it, just let them go."
Dain narrowed his eyes. He ordered one of his guards to call a meeting in the great hall. "Please, let me go to Fili," Thorin begged. Dain glared at him. "Please, I'll declare your war; just let me go to him."
"Try anything and Grart starts on Kili," Dain said and Thorin nodded in argument. One of the guards unlocked his shackles and Thorin sprinted to Fili.
Thorin dropped to his knees in front of his nephew. He cupped Fili's face in his hands holding it up. "Fili…Fili…I'm here," Thorin felt tears in his eyes again. Fili's eyes were closed and his breathing was almost non-existent Thorin pulled Fili into his chest. He reached around and placed a hand on Fili's back. It was burning hot and oozing blood.
"Th…th...r…," Fili weakly breathed.
Thorin pulled Fili off his chest to hold his head in his hands. His eyes were still closed, but Thorn could tell Fili was trying to say his name. "It's okay I'm here. I'm right here, you're okay," Thorin rubbed his thumbs on the side of Fili's face hoping it would comfort him. "You're okay. You're going to be okay," Thorin glanced up at Kili who was still visibly crying. "I'm going to keep you safe, I promise. Just hold on Fili, I know it's hard but hold on."
"Thorin," Dain called out. "It is time." Thorin did not move. "I thought I told you what would happen if you disobeyed me." Dain said and Thorin could hear the dwarf with the whip clear his throat loudly. Thorin pressed his forehead against Fili's quickly, stood up, and walked over towards Dain.
"Now what?" Thorin asked with a glare.
"Now, you and I go to the great hall and you declare war on Lake-Town. In the mean time, my guards will take the little ones to a safe place, a place only I know the location of. If you try to do anything to me Thorin, I will make sure you will never find them. Also, if you try to warn that company of yours or show any sign that attack on the men of the lake isn't what you want I will finished what I started here," Dain told Thorin. "You will do as I say Thorin, or you will never see them again."
"Fili needs a healer," Thorin said not moving. "He will die without one."
Dain smiled. "Tell you what, if you convince me that you really want war, then maybe I'll get him a healer. There cannot be a doubt in anyone's mind that you are not in favor of this war. Perhaps you can play up that gold madness you and your grandfather so easily fell too." Dain smiled at Thorin finally getting everything he ever wanted. "Clean off your face, you won't convince anyone you want war if it looks like you have been crying."
The two left the room, Thorin glancing back to see a guard lifting up Fili to take him to wherever Dain had ordered. Thorin turned away. He hated himself. He hated himself for letting his heir get hurt and for being too weak to help him. He had to do what Dain said. It was the only way to keep Fili and Kili safe. No matter what Dain would say Thorin would do it in order to keep his nephews, his sons, from getting hurt.
It pained Thorin, but he declared war on the men of the lake. He avoided looking at members of the company while he spoke, unable to face them with the shame he felt. He acted like he had the gold sickness, like Dain had suggested. He hoped it would be enough to convince Dain. He hoped it would be enough to get a healer to Fili before he died. Thorin thought only of Fili and Kili as he ordered his army. He had to do this for them. He had no choice.
When he was done with his speech he watched as his army march out to prepare to kill the men of the lake. He thought of Bard, briefly. Thorin turned to leave only to hear the Halfling yelling out his name. Thorin stopped hearing Bilbo's frantic voice calling for him. He hated hearing Bilbo's voice. Bilbo, who helped pull from the sickness now thought he had it again. Thorin wanted to look at Bilbo and tell him the truth. He wanted to show the hobbit he wasn't mad. Yet, if he did that Dain would kill Fili and Kili. Thorin would not let that happen. He kept walking.
He and Dain talked for a while till he led Thorin down the dungeons. Thorin kicked himself. Of course Dain put them in the dungeons. Dain and a few guards brought Thorin to a cell far in the back. Fili was lying prone on a bed in the middle of the cell, his back still bloody and raw. His breathing was heavy, choking on each breath. Kili was standing next to him sobbing.
The guards opened the bars, pushed Thorin inside, and closed the doors behind him. Thorin grabbed the bars. "Where is a healer!?" He yelled at Dain.
Dain shrugged and began to walk away.
"Dain!" Thorin screamed. "He needs bandages and medicine! He'll die!"
"Yes, I suppose he will," Dain said and Kili began to cry louder.
Thorin panicked, which he rarely did. He needed to think of a way out of this. "Dain, if he dies then you will no longer be able to use his safety as a means to control me!" Thorin pointed out. He didn't care if Dain kept using him, just as long as Fili made it out of this alive.
Dain shrugged. "It matters not. If he dies I still have little Kili to torture and the others, once they arrive."
"Others?"
"Yes, as we speak my guards are getting your sister and the Halfling to join you in the cell. So, even if he dies I can still have your other nephew, only living sibling, and little pet to control you with." Dain smiled and walked away. Thorin kept holding onto the bars, pulling and pushing on them trying to escape, till he heard the door slam as Dain left.
"Thorin…," Kili called out through his tears. "Is Fili really going to die?"
Trying his hardest to smile Thorin put his hand on Kili's shoulder. "No, Kili, I won't let him. Take off your jacket, we need to stop the bleeding," Thorin said and Kili did what he was told. They set the jacket on Fili's back, who flinched at its touch. Kili began to say things to his brother about holding on and telling him not to die. Thorin began to press down on Fili's wounds, hoping it would stop the bleeding. Fili screamed out. Thorin closed his eyes and prayed that Fili would live.
Aaaaand we are all caught up to where Bilbo left off! Still a lot more to come. Don't you guys just love Dain?
Review, pretty please, and have a good day!