Chapter 4

*Kili*

The pain was excruciating when Oin had removed the last of the wrapping. It had, of course, pulled a little on the wound, which had made it burn like fire. No, worse than that, like he had fallen into the forge Fili and he worked at. He clenched his teeth and reached for Fili's hand. Durin's Beard! Why all the pain when I was just starting to feel better? He looked at Fili and silently gave him a message, Help me brother! Fili understood and took his hand. Fili's gentle squeeze told Kili he was there for him when he needed him to be.

Kili glanced down to his middle section and grimaced. He tightened his grip on Fili's hand when Oin lightly rubbed a healing ointment around his damaged area. The pain increased a hundredfold and his vision was beginning to fade because of it. He blinked and gasped when Oin began to rewrap him with a clean bandage.

"I'm sorry if that hurt, lad," Oin said when he was finished, "But it has to be done."

"I know." Kili managed to say, "It just feels like I'm being ripped apart."

"I can give you something for the pain, but I don't think you'll take it." Oin offered.

Kili closed his eyes as his hand slid from Fili's, "No, I probably wouldn't. I don't know why…"

"Don't know why what, Kee?" Fili asked, but there was no reply. Kili had passed out. The darkness had been sudden and half welcomed by the young dwarrow, however, the other half of him knew that he would only worry his brother more.

He woke to hear Fili talking to someone. As soon as his eyes began to open he felt a light weight on his chest. Kili struggled to see in the dim light. He could hardly make out a powerful form leaning over him. When he looked up a single word graced his lips, "Uncle."

Thorin's stern, slightly worried expression changed, and he smiled.

"Kili, how do you feel?" he asked in his deep rumbling tone.

"I've felt better, but I guess I'm alright for now." Kili answered his uncle with a small smile. Thorin's gold madness seemed to have left him after the battle. Maybe seeing the ones he loved hurt, cured him of it. Kili hoped so. Thorin had not been the same during the time they had in the mountain before the Battle of the Five Armies. Thorin's left arm was in a sling and he had a few cuts on his face, but under the cloak he was wearing, Kili could see his chest was bandaged heavily.

"You have made me proud, both of you. If Fain was here he would certainly say the same thing."

Kili's throat constricted, "Thank you, Thorin." He choked out with tears in his eyes although he did not know why. Perhaps it was because he had wanted to hear those words all his life. Thorin removed his hand from over Kili's heart and griped his shoulder.

"Are you hurting much?" Thorin asked.

"Not too bad. I'm sore like an Oliphant ran me over. Sometimes I hurt worse than others, but I haven't been awake very much." His head felt heavy and he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Suddenly he felt a twitch on his stomach and a slight moan escaped his lips. A muscle that had been severed in half suddenly was subject to a spasm. And it hurt.

"What's the matter, brother? You okay?" Fili asked, concern written all over his fine face.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just twitching, that's all." Kili said.

Thorin nodded, "That will happen. Torn tendons and such do that sort of thing when they're trying to mend."

"Have you seen the rest of the company yet? How is everyone?" Kili and Fili both asked at the same time.

"Yes, I have seen most of the others. Ori has only a few bruises, Dwalin, of course, went untouched. Nori has a minor concussion, but I suppose he's had worse. Bofor lost his hat during the battle, but other than that every else is fine."

Fili grinned, "Poor Bofor. We'll have to morn his lose with him, right Kili?"

"Of course, the poor, cheerful fellow." Kili faked a sniff, as if he was trying to hold back tears. Then he turned to his uncle, "What about you, Thorin? Is everything good with you?" he asked, eyes straying to Thorin's arm then his chest. Thorin followed Kili's glances and answered.

"This arm is broken, but not badly. One rib is broken and the two on either side of it are cracked. Out of all the company, though, Kili, you received the worst."

"Sounds like Kili. Always the one to get the worst end of something but never shows concern for himself." Fili said giving his brother a smile. Kili snorted, "Yeah right, silent one! How come you're never hurting? Tell me that!"

Fili shrugged, "I guess it's because I'm worried over you so much I really haven't had time to hurt."

"Why are you worried over me? Okay so that was a stupid question. I am fine really and truly!" Kili said with large puppy-dog eyes.

Thorin had stood and listened to their conversation all the while. He knew the boys had a way of losing themselves when they discussed something. The puppy eyes were something the younger of the two had not done since Rivendell. Too much had happened in his life to have a very eager chat with his brother, so now Kili was dying for some kind of idea to keep his sibling talking to him. No he's not dying! Thorin told himself. He would never see Kili or Fili die.

Fili began to doze lightly after a bit and soon Kili felt himself tiring. When Thorin saw that his nephews were ready to sleep, he excused himself after bidding them a good-night.

"G'night, Uncle." Kili replied with a yawn. Soon after Thorin pinched the candles out and left, Kili eyes closed and he slept. While he slept, he dreamed of pranks Fili and he had done, and also some of the crazy stunts they had done.

"Kili, are you sure that was a good idea?" Fili had asked. "Of course it was a good idea. We would not have done it if it wasn't good, or would have we?" Kili said with a grin. Fili rolled his eyes. Well, if they were going to kill themselves he might as well be cheerful about it. Kili, the Dwarf Prank Mastermind, had been at work again and, with any luck, they just might survive the thing he had started. He had gathered all manner of things he knew girls hated and climbed a tree. Somehow, Fili had been involved in all this and now they were both in BIG TRUBLE. What had Kili done? Oh, nothing much. He had just waited until a group of chattering girl Dwarflings walked beneath his perch in the tree and dumped a whole collection of grasshoppers, frogs, toads, lizards, and one large spider he managed to gather in a sack on the unfortunate young females. But, there was a problem Kili had not foreseen. The group had been headed by Ilay, and she was not a good person to mess with. Kili scrambled out of the tree as quickly as he could with Ilay screaming curses at him. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he ran for his life. Men and Dwarves alike stepped out of the way when Kili, closely persuaded by an angry girl, came running through the streets of the village. Kili flew past Fili, who had been desperately searching for his little brother, like a streak of dark lightning and Fili could only guess what had happened. Anyway, they were now hiding in the Training Grounds. They had figured that none of Ilay's guesses would bring her here. However, they were wrong. They soon discovered that when their hiding place had been overturned. Ilay had stood there with her hands on her hips and looked at them as if to see which pest she should get rid of first. "Okay, you guys, whose big idea was it?" Even though she and recently moved to their community from the Iron Hills and was only twelve years old, two years younger than Kili, she had a very commanding way of talking. Her glossy black hair and sapphire eyes helped her glare rather well, that and the fact that she was a natural born warrior-maid. Fili look at Kili, who in return looked at him. They turned to face Ilay at the same time. "It was his fault!" Kili said, pointing a finger at Fili. Fili stared at Kili with his mouth open. "Kili! It most certainly was not! You little scamp, come here!" Fili got Kili in a head lock before his little brother could react. They started to roll over and over, each one trying to stay on top of his opponent. Fili finally managed to keep Kili from rolling him over again. When the two stood up to meet their doom, Ilay was standing the way she had when they had started their tussle, only now with her hands behind her back. "Kili, since you were obviously the one behind that little annoying incident, I have something for you." "What is it? It better not be anything bad!" Kili demanded. "Come here and hold out your hand, if you want to know." Curiousness won over Kili's natural mistrust and he held out his hand. Ilay had than promptly dropped a baby Gardener Snake into his palm. Kili with a yell of surprise flung the snake away from him.

After that dreamKili fell into a deep sleep and did not wake until morning.