Kili had never seen illness come on so rapidly. They had stopped after several hours of running to look for a herb Aragorn said might help. The others searched while he stayed with his brother but now the Dwarf wished he'd gone weed hunting instead.
His skin was white as bone and coated in a sheen of sweat, his eyes paled while the skin around them seemed to darken terribly. The worst part was the fact that he seemed to be conscious but not very aware. Bilbo's usually sharp eyes flitted back and forth as if in a panic, occasionally rolling backwards into his skull. No matter what any of them tried he still whimpered in between ragged breaths.
"He's going cold!" Kili cried, placing a hand on Bilbo's brow.
"Is he going to die?" Fili asked worriedly.
Aragorn shook his head.
"He's passing into the shadow realm, he'll become a wraith like them."
Kili suddenly found his head filled with a vision of another, short wraith draped in black cloth holding an Elven blade. The scene made him shiver, no, he'd never let that happen to Bilbo. It was a fate worse than death.
"The river isn't far from here." Aragorn informed them, "If we're lucky there will be a bridge or boat nearby."
"I'll carry him this time." Kili insisted, he knew now that Aragorn was an ally but when he'd carried Bilbo he hadn't focused on keeping him still. Bilbo had cried out and whimpered he entire journey, Kili was determined to keep his brothers pain to a minimum if he could help it.
"This poison is progressing too quickly." Thorin said quietly, taking Kili's pack along with his own so the younger Durin could focus on Bilbo.
"We can't let him become a wraith, we just can't." Fili argued, "Let's move."
Bilbo continued to gasp for air, high pitched whine coming through as well that sounded eerily similar to the cries of the wraiths. Thankfully, they saw no spiders on there way to the river and they located a boat quite quickly. Ever since trade had been opened tentatively between Erebor and Mirkwood the Elves had dotted the river than ran through their home with boats and bridges to ease travel. At least this vessel was bigger than the one they'd used a few years ago and it even had paddles.
Thorin, being the strongest, took the oars while the rest of them sat in concerning silence. Well, almost silence. The occasional screech of a wraith could still be heard off in the distance as well as Mirkwood's customary rustling and Bilbo's pained gasps.
Kili hugged his brother closer, as he did so, he felt his finger brush across something cool in Bilbo's pocket.
You promised he'd never be hurt under your watch...
Kili stiffened. That voice...
I can make you stronger...strong enough to protect all of Erebor...all of Middle Earth...
He quickly flinched his hand away, realizing Bilbo must have put the ring into his pocket once he'd removed it.
"Kili? What's wrong, you've gone pale all of a sudden." Fili cut in, snapping his brother out of his daze.
"I'm just worried." He replied, it wasn't technically a lie.
Did the ring whisper to Bilbo that way all the time? He'd had his finger brushing against it for seconds and he'd felt tempted. Not greatly, but it was there. He couldn't imagine resisting it all the time. They were just getting out of the boat when Kili realized Bilbo had stopped shaking or making any sound at all.
"He's getting worse!" Kili cried, "He's scarcely breathing anymore!"
-oOo-
How could things have gone so wrong?
Bilbo had gone limp in Kili's arms, his breath coming in short gasps and his eyes open but glazed and unseeing. He had become even paler, Thorin could see blue veins under the near translucent skin.
"Give him to me." Thorin ordered, quickly cradling Bilbo himself and setting off through the forest as fast as he could.
He knew the way from here and Dwarfs were natural sprinters, he would have to make it. He could hear the others running just behind him, Aragorn was even struggling to keep up with his long legs.
"Don't you dare give up now." Thorin whispered harshly.
For a second there was a flash of recognition in Bilbo's eyes but it faded quickly as the now almost grey irises rolled backward into his skull. Thorin ran faster, for the first time in his life he was grateful to see the great gates of Thranduil's home.
The Elven guards stood by the gate and drew their swords when they spotted the approaching Dwarf, but re-sheathed them when they saw he was carrying a wounded Hobbit.
"Elrond." Thorin panted, "Is he here? My son has been stabbed by a morgul blade, we need his healing powers!"
"Lord Elrond arrived two days ago, we will summon him to the guest rooms we have provided." The guard replied curtly, obviously taking in Bilbo's deteriorating condition.
"We need to hurry, I may not be a healer but even I can tell when somebody is clinging to the last threads of life."
-oOo-
The whole world had become blurred to Bilbo. A mixture of shadows and pain, he had no idea how quickly time passed or what was going on around him. His last clear memory was the battle and in those rare moments when he could concentrate, he wondered if he'd died.
Finally, all of the muddled world faded away into white and he was sure he was dead. But the white began to lessen and a face appeared. Bilbo suddenly became aware that he was laying on a soft mattress under thin sheets. His clothes had been replaced with something much softer and the name that belonged to the face suddenly came to him.
"Gandalf?"
"Well, it's about time you woke up." The wizard smiled fondly, "You've been asleep for some time now, a full night and well into the morning."
"What happened?" Bilbo mumbled, going to sit up but wincing when his shoulder throbbed.
"You were injured by a morgul blade." Gandalf answered gravely, "That shoulder will never fully heal. You will need to be careful."
Bilbo opened his mouth to ask why the wizard had not come to their aid but was interrupted by the yells of his brothers.
"Bili, you're awake!" Kili cried, jumping onto the bed and staining the white sheets with his boots.
"We were so worried." Fili sighed with relief, "It was a close thing, it took Elrond and half of the Mirkwood Elves healers to save you."
"I didn't mean to cause so much trouble." Bilbo chuckled tiredly, how could he be so tired after sleeping for so long?
Settling back against the pillows he opened his mouth to ask where Thorin was and if he was okay. But instead his eyes caught a small dash of red in Gandalf's grey hair, blood.
"What happened to you?" He asked pointing to the speck, "You've bled recently."
"Hey yeah, even I didn't see that and I've got the best eyes in Erebor." Kili muttered.
Gandalf took a deep breath and looked conflicted for a moment. Bilbo always hated it when people made that face, it was the face they made just before deciding whether or not to lie to him.
"I am afraid that Saruman has betrayed us." The old wizard admitted slowly, the brothers gasped.
"But, he's the most powerful wizard in Middle Earth!" Fili argued, "Why would he align himself with Sauron?"
"I do not know, Fili." Gandalf shook his head, "All I know is we will find no help, nor hope in Isenguard anymore."
-oOo-
"Well?" Thorin demanded as Elrond and Thranduil exited Bilbo's room.
Once news had arrived that the Hobbit was awake they had insisted to seeing him alone to check the wounds. Fili and Kili put up a good argument but Gandalf was finally able to pacify them. Thorin obeyed the orders only because it was in Bilbo's best interests. Being back in Mirkwood, even as a guest, made him anxious. At least in Rivendell there were more open spaces, the Mirkwood was more a compound, surrounded by high walls that made it all to easy to remember his imprisonment here.
"He is healthy once more." Elrond answered, "But that wound will never truly heal, his shoulder will always be weaker for it and there is the distinct possibility he could become terribly ill on the anniversary of it's infliction."
"There must be something you can do." Thorin demanded, "You say you're the greatest healer in Middle Earth! Yet you cannot even properly heal a stab wound?"
"It was the weapon." Gandalf insisted, "Peace Thorin Oakenshield, Bilbo will hardly notice the change for the most part."
"You all know I can hear you right?" Bilbo called from inside.
Woo, let the meeting begin!