Chapter 23

*Fili*

Kili woke him around midnight to keep watch. Fili would have preferred to sleep, but Kili was persistent and so he did get up. He really did not even remember of falling asleep; just of feeling tired and lying down. His little brother settled down on his bed roll and closed his eyes. The fire Kili must have started had died into glowing embers of orange, the stars in the sky were bright and there was a new moon. It was much like a different time on the adventure when Fili and his brother were on watch duty and they had gotten bored. The memory of what they had done to amuse themselves brought a smile to the blonde's face.

When it seemed Kili was asleep, there came a howl echoing over the land and his brother sat up, very much awake now and wide-eyed.

"What was that?" Kili asked.

"Probably just a lone wolf, nothing to worry about. Go to sleep, Kee, or you're going to fall off your pony again." Fili warned.

"Sure, everyone falls off their ponies when they don't sleep." Kili said. The sarcasm was as plain as his discomfort. Fili shook his head. Sometimes, his brother was stubborn when he was tired, but now he was also wary of what was lurking in the shadows just beyond his line of sight and calming down always took him a while. Fili moved over until he was next to his brother.

"Kili, it's all right. It was not even around this area and even if it was, they hunt in packs, not alone." Fili said. Kili looked at him then nodded, but he did not make another attempted to sleep again.

Kili laid down on his roll and stared up at the stars while Fili poked the embers of the fire with a stick.

"Kili, why…" Fili started to ask when Kili jumped up and held a finger to his lips. Fili watched as his brother looked all over the area, looking for signs of something unusual. After a bit, the younger of the two shook his head and settled back down. But almost a minute after he got down, he sprang back up again but this time stepped away from the light. Fili cocked his head to one side, wondering what his little brother was doing when Kili bounded back into view and nearly ran right in to Fili who had just stood up to look for him.

"What in Durin's name are you doing?"

"There is something out there!" Kili exclaimed and Fili sighed.

"Of course there is! It's called the world."

"Not funny. I mean it Fili."

"All right, what have you managed to bring down on our heads now? A rogue bull or an Oliphant?" Fili asked and Kili glared at him.

"FILI! If you don't stop that, I'll go have it chase me!"

"Was that a threat? And what will chase you?"

"The thing out there!"

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"No, you are. Come on and I'll show you." Kili said. Fili sighed again and let his brother pull him the direction he had gone. Kili walked very lightly and paused every now and then looking around. It was very silent save for the breathing of the two princes and one could almost believe they were being watched from somewhere. Kili halted and held up his hand before Fili could ask him a question, so instead, Fili decided to make Kili happy and use Iglishmek.

"What is it?" he signed. Kili answered, "Don't say anything please."

"I didn't!"

Kili gave him a look and Fili didn't move his hands again. The golden hair Dwarf was really beginning that whatever Kili seemed to have seen was either his imagination or he was trying to scare him when there was a pop and a loud snap behind them. Kili whirled on his heel and Fili was knocked over when Kili accidently hit him.

"Kili!" Fili said at the same time as Kili shouted, "Look out!"

A large, gray furred wolf pounced at Fili just as soon as he laid eyes on it and he rolled out of the way just in time to escape the massive creature's white fangs. Kili slide his sword from his sheath and took up a defensive stand when the wolf turned to him and saw him as a bigger threat then his brother. Fili pulled a knife out of his gauntlet and was just about to throw it as the wolf jumped at Kili and tackled him.

There was a yelp and a grunt when Dwarf and animal hit the ground. Fili scrambled over to where his brother lay under the large wolf giving it a hard shove, but the wolf was bigger than he was and it hardly budged. He set his shoulder against it and push, his boots digging into the dirt as he did. Finally, it rolled off of Kili and Fili knelt at his brother's side. Kili gasp for air and closed his eyes with a little grimace. Fili could see no sign of injury and the blood that was on Kili had come from the wolf where it had stabbed itself on Kili's blade.

"Are you hurt at all, little brother?" Fili asked. Kili shook his head and reopened his dark eyes.

"I'm alright. It just knock my breath out a little."

"Let's go back. Are you sure you're alright?" Fili said again.

"Yeah. I think I want to go to sleep when we get back." Kili replied and got to his feet. Fili grinned and they both walked in the direction of their camp with Kili leaning a bit on his brother's sturdy shoulders.

They reached their destination a little slower than they had left it as they were both worn out and Kili seemed to limp a little but he insisted it was nothing so Fili had to let him alone. The ponies raised their heads at the Dwarves approach abd Fili thought that he actually caught what sounded like a nicker of greeting from Coal when he spied his young master.

Kili laid down immediately and soon was fast asleep. Fili dropped his cloak on top of Kili's own to insure that nothing would disturbed his brother's much needed rest. Nothing else bothered them again for the rest of the night and Fili went back to sleep just as the eastern sky was touched with light.

When Fili opened his eyes again Kili was still sleeping and he smiled to himself when his brother turned over in his sleep and muttered something in his sleep about being chased by an Oliphant.

A/N I hope you like this one. At first I had a hard time starting it, in fact most of this I just wrote earlier or, as you are most likely reading this in the morning, yesterday afternoon. Kili is passed out on Fili's shoulder after a tiring day and Fili also is nodding a little. Thank you leggomygreggo2, jaymzNshed, GregsMadHatter, Mira Meliandra, Syblime, Lady Hobbit :D, Apophis god of chaos, .3954, Alicia457, ACreativeHobbit, Akeea, and Wraven for your wonderful reviews! Please keep it up and make the Dwarrow smile and the little author writing.

If any of you are looking for a good Kili/Tauriel story, go look at leggomygreggo2's "fight for survival, fight for love" right now! I'm really enjoying it myself. :P