Chapter 2

*Kili*

Am I alive? I must be because if I was dead I wouldn't hurt so bad, Kili thought, I wander where Fili is. The last time I saw him, he caught me when I fell.

He opened his eyes and immediately he wished he hadn't. There was a light shining brightly in the room he was in. Ah, ha, he thought, more proof I'm not dead. Now I have a headache!

There was the sound of a door opening, and someone entering the room. Kili turned his head slightly to see who entered his now 'lair'. It was Balin, Oin, and… Fili? He was being half carried between Balin and Oin and half supporting himself.

"Brother," the word was hardly more than a whisper, for his mouth was dry and when he licked his lips, he tasted blood. Blood, my mouth is bleeding, he said to himself, I didn't bite my tongue or anything, did I?

"Kili, you're awake! Are you alright?" Fili said concern written plainly on his face.

"Yeah, but I guess I've been better. How are things with you?" he faked a smile.

"Kili, are you sure? Your mouth is bleeding." Fili said as he gently wiped the blood from the corner of Kili's lips.

"I am fine." Kili lied for Fili's own sake. If he told Fili he felt like his entire body was in the middle of a bonfire, Fili would not stop worrying for him. But it did not matter what he told him for Fili always knew when something was bothering his brother. In an attempted to change the subject Kili said. "I suppose we won the battle. Where's Thorin?"

"We won, but the casualties are great. What is wrong, I know there's something hurting, now what is it?!"

"You'd better tell him, lad. Or he'll work himself into a fit." Balin warned as he and Oin left the room to the two brothers.

When they had left Fili looked meaningfully at Kili. "Well? You going to tell me or not?"

"Okay, Fili you win. Everything hurts, but my chest hurts the most. I guess that's because that is where that Orc clubbed me. It's bruised no doubt. I'll be fine. You still did not tell me how you are." Kili said as Fili settled into a bed adjacent to his.

"I'm alright. Have a nice sword slash on my side but other than that, just sore. I have a feeling Thorin's okay, but they must not have heard me ask about him, so I'm not sure. I also have a feeling that you aren't telling me everything as well."

Kili closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Fili, I'll tell you what really hurts. It...it's my chest like I told you. Every time I breathe there's a bad pain."

"I don't know Kee; you had better tell Oin that." He said. After a small while, Kili fell into a deep sleep with Fili worrying what could be wrong.

Kili's dreams were tormented with the sounds of battle and the smell of blood and death. He used to wander, when he and Fili were boys, what death could possibly smell like. Well, now he knew. And he wished that he was still ignorant of it.

In his dream he was fighting the battle again. He could see Thorin battling Azog to the death and he saw the blade flash as Thorin decapitated the Pale Orc. Then he saw Thorin fall. He ran to him calling his name. Fili suddenly appeared next to him and they both defended their beloved uncle. Then Fili charged an Orc and he did a quick spinning slash with his duel blades. As soon as Fili had turned, that was when a monstrous Orc with a heavy wooden club struck Kili full force in the chest.

Kili's ears rang from the blow as he flew through the air and landed on his back on hard rock. He gasped as the breath was knocked out of his body. The Orc with the club ran at him. Kili was unable to defend himself as his bow had left his hand when he had landed and his sword had also fallen out of his reach, his dagger, too, was gone. As the Orc came closer it lifted its club for the kill when suddenly an arrow appeared in the side of its neck. Kili stood and turned to see the Wood Elf prince called Legolas grin cheekily at him.

"I believe that one was going to kill you." He had offered Kili a hand, but Kili stubbornly refused help from the Elf.

The pain in Kili's chest became worse with each breath. Another Orc with a large two handed sword rushed at him. Kili barley had time to grab up his own sword to parry the Orc's blow. Finally he was able to defeat his enemy with a quick thrust. But, as the creature fell, it made one final swipe with its blade, determined to bring down that young, beardless, Dwarf.

Blood flowed freely from Kili's abdomen where the Orc's sword had made an attempted to cut him in half. His vision was tinted red as he fell to his knees. He blinked and tried to focus.

"Kili!" Fili screamed. Then he fell back into his brother's arms and darkness claimed him.

When he slowly opened his eyes again he was covered in a cold sweat even though he was burning hot. Fili was watching him with a troubled expression on his face.

"Kili, how do you feel today?"

"What do you mean 'today'? And I feel awful, how 'bout you?"

"I mean what I say. You've been unconscious since five last night."

Kili frowned. "And what time is it now?"

"One in the afternoon."

"I wonder what Mum would say about me sleeping in so long?" Kili said.

"Oh, she'd probably say that you are a lazy bum, or worse." Fili replied grinning.

"I almost miss her scolding, of all things." Kili tried to smile, but he just could not. His lips were so dry and cracked he was afraid to try for fear they might fall off.

He decided to observe the room they were in.

It was nothing out of the ordinary. Floor, walls, and celling were black stone, which meant they were in Erebor. Fili's bed was on the other side of the room, it almost felt too far away. There was an end table in the middle of the room against the wall between the beds with two yards on either side. There were glasses of water on the table. Water…so thirsty, why on earth or under it is the water all the way over there?!Kili thought with frustration.

"Their trying to tempt you out there, Kili." Fili had apparently seen him look over at the water.

"I wish they would not. You never told me how you're doing today."

Fili gave him the smirk he was well known for, the one that made all the girls melt. "I'm going to be feeling worse in a minuet."

"Wait…why are you…" Kili started to say.

Fili had sat up from his bed with a wince and rose to his feet. He had a bandage all the way around his side. His right side was apparently the side that the wound he had told Kili about the day before, because the bandage was stained with blood. He pushed the table closer until it was against Kili's bed, then he went to the other side of his bed and pushed until it was against the table.

"There, that's better. Boy that hurt, I'm not doing anything like that again."