Author's Note: It's Monday again! For those of you who requested it; don't worry. Plenty of Kili whump in this chapter. And oh, yes. His hair really is gone. *evil laugh* But don't despair! Things will get better before the end...things just might get a little worse before they get better. :D

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters and stand to make no money off of this fiction.

Shame

Kili lay face-down on the wooden frame, still and quiet. His body shook violently, but he wasn't cold. The sweat gleaming on his shoulders and running into his wounds, renewing the burn of the salt, testified to that. He was looking at his own sword, which the king had thrown down in front of him, lying amongst tangles of his own dark hair. His neck ached from being strained backwards during his shearing, his head was splitting from being yanked to and fro by his hair, from the pain as the blunt, clumsy blade sawed through the dark locks even as they were wrenched away.

Shame, Kili thought, was far worse than pain. Or rather, it was a stronger, deeper form of pain, one that came from inside of him. Kili felt it keenly.

Shame.

He was consumed by it. And that was why he shook. The Great Goblin allowed him a moment to stare unbelievingly at his weapon that had so turned against him, and then wined his thick, clawed fingers through what was left of Kili's savaged hair and pulled his head up again.

Kili didn't struggle this time, even when the Goblin seized his face and leaned unbearably close. He met the King's searching gaze with a flat stare.

"Feeling less bold now, mm?" The King asked, silkily. "But you haven't even seen yourself yet. Rather a new look, don't you agree?" He held up a broken piece of glass and Kili looked away from the reflection, his stomach sinking. "Don't like it?" the King chuckled, "Let's see what the others think."

He unchained him and hauled him to stand on shaky legs. The Goblin gestured grandly with his right hand, while crooking a finger cruelly under Kili's chin, forcing him to hold his head high. A deafening roar filled the cavern; apparently all of Goblin Town was assembled to cheer and jeer and cackle at the abused dwarf. Kili's eyes were wide as he was spun slowly in a circle to take in the hundreds and hundreds of spectators and heard the harsh, derisive laughs and screams.

He blinked. This wasn't real. This was a dream. That's what it was. Any moment he would wake up in Erid Luin, feel the thick cotton blankets under his hands, look over and see Fili still asleep in the bed across from his. Maybe Uncle would still be sitting up by the fire, if he was there.

"Fili," he whispered, suddenly feeling a heavy weight of loneliness settle on him out of nowhere.

The Goblin King held a hand abruptly for quiet, and the noise immediately ceased. He leaned down to Kili.

"What? What did you say?"

Kili stared at him. He knew that he was being spoken to, but it took him a moment to register what was being said to him. It wasn't real. He didn't feel real. Nothing did. He realized he didn't actually know what he'd said.

"I…can't remember," he said, dazedly, thinking vaguely that he should be alarmed by the admission but not really feeling it. He felt dread squirm in his stomach, however, as the Goblin loomed over him once more with a look of displeasure.

"None of that. We'll need to wake you up a little. All of my victims are required to keep their lucidity, at least until I'm done with them."

Suddenly, two guards pounced on Kili, and seizing him roughly, forced him to his knees, holding him erect. Kili was still, and watched as the Goblin was handed another draught of the brew, which mercifully didn't appear to be heated this time. He felt cold now, though he knew he must not be, and he noted detachedly that the pain from his various punishments was all but gone. He felt numb. And then he was once again choking down the awful drink. He felt heat spread through him; he was once again quite conscious of every discomfort. But he was also coming back to himself. It was like waking from a trance. He could think again.

Kili began to struggle, and the Goblin lifted an approving eyebrow.

"Coming to life again, are we?"

The restraining guards unexpectedly released Kili, and he fell onto his back. Kili bit back a cry as three or four of his lashes began bleeding again. He felt anger surge through him, and with it a new sense of boldness and courage, though he unknowingly crawled backward a little when the King took a step toward him.

"I know what you're going to ask me. No, I won't tell you. Not now, not ever. I am of Durin's sons. We are strong." I'm a Durin. I'm Fili's brother. I'm Uncle's nephew. I can't fail them. I must be as one of them. And I will. I'll prove my worth.

The Goblin shook his great head wonderingly. Of course, they hadn't even got to the more heavy-duty tortures yet, but he hadn't expected that one so young and obviously inexperienced as this would hold out so long. It wouldn't last much longer, though. The loss of dignity went a long way, especially for someone proud, as almost all dwarves were. And so did pain. The Great Goblin would see to it that the young warrior would taste a great deal of both before it was over. He fixed Kili with a wolfish grin, and Kili met his gaze unwaveringly.

"String him up."

Author's Note: Reviews are awesome! XD