For a moment when Kíli first awoke, the past couple weeks seemed to be only a nightmare; after all, he was in a warm bed, the fire was crackling, and Fíli was—
Fíli wasn't beside him.
Kíli started and looked around, his mind in a confused blur. Where was he? Where was his brother? As he surveyed his surroundings, the previous day caught up to him: the orcs, the rain, the hobbits… ah, yes. That was where they were. The guest room in the hobbit home… and Fíli would be in the other bed. He looked to his right, searching for blond braids shining in the firelight, but Fíli was not there.
Immediately Kíli ripped off his covers, jumped out of bed, and ran into the hall, praying that Fíli was simply somewhere in the hobbit hole and had not run off in the night.
"Fíli?" he called nervously, looking left and right down the long corridor. Voices drifted down from a room to his right, and he walked that way quickly, still praying that Fíli would be there. Soon he happened upon a sunny dining room, and he peered in; at the table sat several hobbits, and much to his relief, Fíli. He breathed out slowly and relaxed.
"Mister Kíli!" called Lily as she caught his eye. She wiggled out of her chair and ran to him, and much to Kíli's surprise, latched onto his legs in a warm embrace. Kíli grabbed onto the wall to balance himself and chuckled.
"Hello there, Lily," he said. "How are you?"
"Good!" Lily said, finally letting him go. "I had breakfast with Mister Fíli! He's got more hair on his face than you do!"
"Well, he's older than I am," Kíli said. He squatted down to her level and whispered loudly, "Don't tell him, but I'm a mite jealous."
Lily looked at him with a furrowed brow and then giggled, looking sidelong at Fíli. Kíli glanced up at his brother; he was sitting hunched over at the table, one hand on his injured abdomen and the other holding a fork. The two met each other's eyes, but Fíli looked away quickly and focused on his food. Kíli frowned.
"Lily, let Mister Kíli sit down and eat," said Bella from the table. Lily skipped back to the table and sat down, and Kíli chose an empty seat, leaving a chair between him and his brother. Eva set down a plate for him, and he picked out some eggs and ham eagerly, his appetite increasing at the smell of the most wholesome meal he had had in days.
"Eat as much as you'd like," said Bella. "My husband may want you out, but he did offer you breakfast, and I intend to set you off with full bellies."
"Thank you," said Kíli through a mouthful of food. Bella's two other daughters, Angelica and Molly, giggled, and Kíli looked at them, puzzled.
"What?" he said.
"Nothing," Molly said, still giggling. Kíli shrugged and continued to eat. He would take a full breakfast if he could get it, and Fíli certainly needed the strength. He grimaced as he thought of the pain Fíli would go through as they walked for another day, but it could not be helped. Adric had made it clear that he had no wish to help them, and Kíli had no right to impose himself upon these poor hobbits. He knew how hobbits looked upon dwarves, and Bella and her children had done more than was common among their folk.
"Where are your sons?" Kíli said to Bella. He had enjoyed their company at dinner the night before; they reminded him of him and Fíli when they were younger, even in their age difference—five years apart.
"Out with my husband on the farm," Bella replied. "He took them out early. I'm sure he was meaning to avoid you." She turned to Kíli with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, and Kíli smiled. He didn't think much of Bella's husband, but he knew his manners well enough to refrain from speaking negative words about him in his wife's presence, no matter what she said herself.
"Will you be all right, Fíli?" Kíli said, turning to his brother. Fíli looked up from his food, his eyes flashing in alarm, but he slowly nodded.
"Aye," he said quietly. "I just want to get this over with."
"Forgive me for asking, but what is it that you two are doing?" said Eva.
Kíli looked to Fíli, who glanced at him for a moment and then went back to eating. Kíli thought he caught the slightest shake of his head.
"It's a long story," he said. "And not really… breakfast conversation."
Eva eyed him curiously, but she did not press further. Bella looked from her daughter to Kíli, and he wondered how much he would tell her later; however, that was not really his concern. Once they were gone, they would probably never see these hobbits again, and it would not matter what they knew or what they thought.
They finished their breakfast in relative silence, though the hobbits talked among each other and occasionally asked their dwarven guests questions. Kíli answered for himself and for Fíli, who was clearly not in the mood for talking; though he did not say anything, Kíli caught his grateful expression several times, and it warmed his heart. After their meal, Kíli helped Fíli up and into the parlor they had sat in the night before. To his surprise, Fíli offered no begrudging looks or words; he simply cooperated. He left Fíli there to rest and went back to the guest room to pack their things.
As Kíli got his and Fíli's things together, there was a knock at the door. He opened it and peered out, and immediately Eva forced her way in and shut the door behind her. Kíli stepped back and stared at her in surprise.
"I'm going to help you," she said in a loud whisper.
Kíli blinked. "What?"
"I'm going to help you," Eva repeated. "Papa doesn't want to help you, but I know that your brother can't walk very far. I'll help you get to Buckland. I can get you that far."
Kíli stared at the young hobbit lass before him, dumbstruck. He had certainly not been expecting this at all.
"Are you sure?" he forced himself to say.
Eva nodded, her eyes wide. Kíli ran a hand through his hair and searched for words.
"How?" he said.
"Papa's got a wagon, and he's not using it today," said Eva. "I'll take you to the Brandywine Bridge. I don't dare go farther, but that'll save you at least a day's walk. From there you could reach the Old Forest by nightfall."
"Th-thank you," said Kíli. He wasn't sure that he should be accepting the help of a rebellious young hobbit, but if it saved Fíli a day's walk, he would take what he could get. "Thank you so much. Truly."
"Meet me out in the pasture closest to the road," Eva said. "If I'm not there, wait for me. I'll be there—I promise."
Kíli nodded, and without another word, Eva slipped back out of the room.
His mind in a daze, Kíli continued to pack up. He wasn't sure what to feel—should he be ecstatic or concerned? Should he worry about Eva? No—that wasn't his place. If she wanted to go against her father's wishes, that was her own business. He wasn't her father or her brother; he wasn't even a hobbit. It wasn't as if he and Fíli had never gone against Thorin's wishes, especially given his position at the moment. Fíli would surely be grateful for the help.
When he finished packing, he ran out to the parlor with their things and found Fíli, who was reclined on the couch with closed eyes and a pained expression upon his face. He did not open them as Kíli came closer and set down their supplies; in fact, he did not react at all until Kíli laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Fíli, we don't have to walk," he said in a low voice.
Fíli blinked slowly and stared at him with a furrowed brow.
"We don't?" he said hopefully.
"Eva says she'll cart us as far as the Brandywine Bridge," Kíli said. "We'll have to walk on foot from there, but that will save us a lot of distance and a lot of walking."
Fíli breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, a sight Kíli had not seen in a long time. He closed his eyes again and laid his head back.
"Tell me when we're ready to leave," he said.
"I'm going to say goodbye to Bella and thank her for her hospitality, and then I'll come and get you. Rest."
Kíli left Fíli on the couch and made his way to the kitchen—his first guess as to where Bella would be. She was indeed there, munching on a bit of bread and reading a book. He stepped into the room and cleared his throat; Bella looked up and smiled warmly.
"On your way, then?" she said.
"Aye," Kíli replied. "Thank you for all your kindness. I know Fíli appreciates it just as much, if not more, than I do."
"Take good care of him," Bella said.
Kíli blinked and bowed his head.
"I'm trying," he said. "He just makes it hard sometimes."
"I think you're doing a fine job," Bella said. "I don't know him, and I don't know you, but I can read people—and I can see that no matter what he thinks of you, he's starting to trust you. Have hope, Kíli."
Kíli looked up with wide eyes. "You really think so?"
"Even in the past day, he's become less afraid of you," said Bella. She tilted her head to the side. "You haven't noticed? He has offered no protest any time you have tried to help him."
Looking back, Kíli could see that Bella was right. The warmth that had started to spread in the past few days in Kíli's chest expanded, and he smiled.
"Ah, but I have one more thing for you," Bella said, nodding to a basket beside her on the table that Kíli had failed to notice. "Take this. There's food and some more cloth if you need it for your brother. And may fortune follow you wherever your path may lead."
"Thank you, Bella," he said. "Thank you for everything."
Bella smiled sadly and reached out her hand; Kíli took it, and she squeezed gently and let go.
"Goodbye, Kíli."
Kíli nodded and left the room, making his way back to his brother. Fíli lay in the same position Kíli had left him, his eyes closed and his brow furrowed, one hand over his abdomen as always. Kíli knelt beside him and opened his pack on the floor; he took the supplies out of Bella's basket and shoved them in. Fíli's pack was as light as he could have made it without overstuffing his own. The only thing Kíli added was a loaf of bread. Then he straightened and shook his slumbering brother's shoulder gently, but Fíli did not respond. Rolling his eyes, he shook harder. Fíli was the deepest sleeper he had ever seen. Slowly Fíli's eyes opened, foggy and confused, and he focused on Kíli's face as best he could. For a moment his eyes widened with alarm, but then they relaxed. Kíli smiled softly.
"It's time to go," he said. "Come on. I'll help you up. We don't have to go far."
Fíli grimaced, but he accepted Kíli's help. Kíli took his brother's arm and slung it around his shoulders, and Fíli pulled his legs off the couch and grunted as they rose together. Fíli put a hand on Kíli's chest.
"Stop for a second," he grunted.
Kíli eyed him, concerned. "What's the matter?"
"Same as before," Fíli retorted. "Just give me a moment. It hurts to move."
"Sorry," Kíli said sheepishly. He waited quietly, reminding himself of how long Fíli had had to move slowly to allow him to keep up after the incident with the arrow. If Fíli could be patient for him, he could be patient for Fíli.
After about half a minute, Fíli straightened and nodded, and Kíli helped him put on his pack. Much to Kíli's relief, he said that the weight was fine, and Kíli put on his own pack and returned to his brother's side. Together they made their way slowly to the front door of the hobbit hole.
Just before they reached the door, a small voice broke the silence.
"Mister Kíli?"
Kíli stopped and looked back to see Lily standing behind him, her hands clasped behind her back and a frown upon her face.
"What is it, Lily?" Kíli said.
"Are you and Mister Fíli leaving forever?" she asked.
Kíli smiled sadly at the small hobbit. "We're leaving for now," he said. "Maybe we will come back and visit you. Would you like that?"
Lily nodded vigorously, and Kíli laughed. The little hobbit ran forward and hugged Kíli's legs tightly, and Kíli laid his free hand upon her curly head. She let go and latched on to Fíli next, who started and looked down at the child with wide eyes. When she did not let go, he gently placed a hand on her head; Kíli looked from Lily to Fíli and grinned at the warm, hesitant smile on his brother's face.
After a few moments, Lily let go and smiled at the two brothers, her brown eyes sparkling.
"Goodbye!" she said.
"Goodbye, Lily," said Kíli. Fíli did not look at her again; instead, he began to move towards the door, and Kíli moved with him.
Wherever Eva was, she was late.
"I thought you said she'd be here," Fíli said.
"She said to wait," Kíli replied. "Just keep waiting. She'll come. She said she would."
"What if she doesn't, though?" said Fíli uneasily. "We'll have to walk…"
"Fíli, don't worry," said Kíli. "She'll come. Just be patient."
Fíli made an irritated noise in the base of his throat, and Kíli frowned. Even walking this far had almost been too much for his brother; when Kíli had offered to take a look at the wound, Fíli had swatted his hands away and insisted that he was fine. But Kíli could see that the pain was taking its toll. Fíli couldn't walk any further today. Kíli was fairly sure that he wouldn't want to, even if asked.
Instead of offering further placations to his irritable brother, Kíli remained silent. Fíli leaned into his back heavily.
Kíli was having enough trouble keeping himself from worrying. They had been waiting for a while now, and still they had seen no sign of Eva. The grass was wet from last night's rain, and the day was overcast, so the ground remained unpleasantly cool and damp. Having no other place to sit, they had settled down anyway, and Fíli's demeanor was becoming more and more cross with every moment that he had to be cold and wet and uncomfortable. Every once in a while, he shivered. Kíli prayed that Eva would arrive soon.
Soon enough, the sound of an approaching wagon reached Kíli's ears, and he straightened, searching for it. Fíli looked around as well.
"Do you hear it?" Kíli said.
"Aye," said Fíli. "Where is she? Took her long enough…"
"She could have left us to fend for ourselves, Fíli," Kíli scolded. "Here, let me help you up." He pulled Fíli from the ground carefully, and they spied the wagon approaching from their left. Kíli pulled Fíli along to meet their accomplice.
"I'm so sorry!" Eva said as soon as she saw them. She stopped her horse and hopped out of the wagon. "Papa kept talking and I couldn't get away. I had to make up an excuse! But he didn't see me. Are you—oh, is he all right?"
Kíli looked from Eva to Fíli with raised eyebrows. Fíli was pale and his eyes were half-lidded, but he did not seem to be doing worse than he had in the past hour.
"I'm fine," Fíli said. "Just get me in the wagon—please."
Kíli and Eva helped Fíli into the back of the wagon, and Kíli pulled his and Fíli's blankets out of his pack and laid them both over his brother. Fíli curled up and lay quietly, closing his eyes against the world.
"Stay in the back with him for now," said Eva. "When we get a few miles away, you can join me in front, if you'd like, but we've got to get past the neighbors first."
"Thank you, Eva," said Kíli. Eva nodded and ran back to her seat; soon, they were off again. They traveled for a while in silence, and Fíli fell asleep, despite the bumpy ride. When they had gotten past Eva's neighbors, she called for him, and he joined her at the front of the wagon.
"How is Fíli?" she asked, casting him a sidelong glance.
"I don't know," Kíli said. "He seems to be in a lot of pain, but when I ask him what's wrong, he just says he's fine."
"Hm," said Eva. She was silent for a moment.
"May I ask you a question?" Kíli said.
"Of course."
"Why did you decide to help us? You could get in trouble with your folks…"
"I could, and I probably will," Eva said. She sniffed. "At least, with Papa. I think Mama wanted to help you, but she respects Papa's wishes when it comes to the farm. I think more like my Mama. She always tells me to help people in need, and you're in need. But don't think too badly of my Papa. We don't come from one of the more respectable families, and I know he feels it."
"I can understand that," Kíli said.
Eva looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Can you?" she said. "Your clothes seem to be very fine, and you have fine manners—for a dwarf, anyway. You seem well-off."
"Well…" Kíli said. He wondered how much he should share with this hobbit. What could she do if he gave her more information? She was a hobbit—who would she tell? What danger could there be in telling her? "We are well-off, in some ways—but in others, we're not at all."
"I don't understand."
"My uncle is—well, he's the leader of our people," said Kíli. "He's done well by the dwarves of the Blue Mountains, so we have plenty, but I know he wants more for us."
"More?"
"He's supposed to be a king," Kíli said. "A rightful king. But our kingdom has been taken from us. It happened before Fíli and I were born, so this is the only life we know, but I can see the desire in my uncle's eyes—and even in my mother's. She was only ten when Erebor was sacked."
"Erebor?" Eva cried out suddenly. She turned to look at him with wide eyes. Kíli blinked.
"You know about Erebor?" he said, surprised.
"I know that a dragon lives inside of it," Eva said. "I've heard a story or two. Even hobbits hear those tales sometimes."
"Well, that's my uncle's kingdom," Kíli said. "Or—our kingdom. If we can ever reclaim it." He looked back at Fíli. "Fíli's next in line to be king."
Eva's eyes grew even larger, and she looked back to the slumbering dwarf in the back of the wagon. A sly grin, uncannily like her mother's, grew on her face.
"What?" Kíli demanded.
"I wonder what Papa would think if he knew he kicked out a pair of princes," Eva said.
Kíli chuckled. "I have a feeling he'd treat us the same."
"You may be right about that."
Kíli and Eva chatted easily for the next few hours as they made their way south towards the Brandywine Bridge. They reached the town of Scary by a little after midday and stopped at a small inn for lunch; Fíli opted to stay in the wagon, saying that if he didn't have to move, he would rather stay put. Eva and Kíli brought him a meal, but he would only eat a little. Kíli was concerned, but Fíli waved him off.
"I'm just not hungry," he said. "Leave it here. I'll eat it later."
Kíli let it drop, but he noted that Fíli seemed paler than before.
They quickly got back on the road again, Kíli taking his place once again at Eva's side. As far as he could tell, Fíli remained awake but stayed silent; every once in a while, he peeked back to check on his elder brother, and he always looked the same—lying still with one hand over his stomach. Kíli had no gauge for how much pain Fíli should or should not have been in and therefore nothing to go on but his brother's word that he was fine, and he was not sure that he believed him. He knew that Fíli had been unnaturally quiet ever since the incident at the creek, but even this silence seemed too much.
"How much longer to the Brandywine Bridge?" Kíli asked Eva.
"A while," said Eva. "We should make it before sunset."
"How are you going to make it back home before dark?" said Kíli.
Eva pursed her lips. "Don't worry about that," she said. "I'll be fine."
"Your parents will be worried," Kíli pressed.
"How long have you been away from home?" Eva retorted. "I don't see you rushing to get back."
Kíli looked down. "That's different," he said. "I can't go back. Not yet."
"Why not?"
"The way we left… my uncle probably thinks I'm a traitor," Kíli said. "I can't go back. Not until I've fixed the mess I've started."
Eva eyed him curiously. "What mess?" she said.
"He means me," Fíli said.
Kíli started at the sound of his brother's voice and looked behind him. Fíli was still lying down, but his eyes were open, and they looked up at Kíli with a strange, unidentifiable look. He wanted to negate Fíli's comment, but he could not come up with a correction.
"Well, I'm right, aren't I?" Fíli said.
"I…" Kíli said, but he faltered. Fíli was right, in a way, but he would not have him thinking that all he was was a problem. "You can get past this, Fíli. I know you can."
"You don't know that," Fíli muttered.
Kíli fell silent and looked straight ahead, the corners of his mouth pulling down involuntarily. Eva cast a glance in his direction, but she said nothing, and Kíli was grateful. He didn't feel like talking anymore.
To those whom I promised things: this chapter was split in two, so anything I promised "next chapter" will be the chapter after that. The next chapter should be relatively short, but I really shouldn't say anything like that because apparently I have a complete inability to gauge how many words it takes me to get anything down in this story. Did you know this fic was outlined at 8 chapters long? Go ahead. Laugh. That's what I do.
Please remember to be patient with me, as I am in school and cannot devote tons of time to writing. You should see how many papers I have not written that are past due or due this week already. (There are four of them.) Once again, I promise that I will continue this fic until the end. Do not fear.
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