Black Gates of Moria

by Kassandra85

Thorin meets his One on the battlefield in front of Morias gates. Their love grows on the field of devastation, grief and need of comfort, but can it last? A not so short story to fill the time until the next movie! Update: the QUEST has started ;)

82. Chapter 82

A chapter dedicated to Fili and Kili.

While the bigger part of the company fought the dragon inside of the Lonely Mountain, three of them fought their own battle in Laketown. Kili was pale as death and Fili paced up and down in Bards house. Bard and his son had gone out with a black arrow in their posession. But only Bain had returned. He told them that the city guard had imprisoned his father for treason. Fili did not know what to do. A few moments ago the mountain had begun to glow in a golden light and the lake shimmered in the light coming from the mountain. They had heard a distant roar and Fili worried about the company. And about Kili. He did not feel any better and Oin had no idea what to do anymore. Bards daughters helped them and brought water and cloths for Kilis burning forehead. Sigrid, the older one, exchanged worried glances with Fili when she brought new water.

'He will die.' Bain sat in one of the corners and looked out of the window.

'Be quiet!' Fili hissed and stroke his brothers hair out of his face. 'He can hear you.'

'Your brother knows that he will die. He fights it, but it has no use.' Bain stated bitterly.

'Bain, shut up!' Tilda snarled at him.

'You shut up!' Bain hissed back, but Sigrid scolded them both.

'You both shut up, how dare you start a fight now?' Sigrid scolded them. 'Father is in prison and the dwarf prince fights for his life. Your fighting should not be the last thing he will be hearing!'

Sigrid bit her lip and looked at Fili with an apologetic look. 'I am sorry, master dwarf. I had not meant to...'

'It is quite alright, my lady.' Fili smiled sadly. 'We are all losing hope. And I am sorry about your father.'

Bain had sneered as Fili had called his sister "my lady" and he sneered at Filis sympathy.

'My father is in prison because of you and your company. He is the only one who sees what you bring upon us. Death and doom.' Bain told Fili and made for the door. But he never made it to the door. Before he could reach the door knob the roof crashed into the room and Bain was confronted with a filthy creature swinging a blade at him. Sigrid and Tilda screamed as they saw the orc and the dwarves did not know what hit them. The room filled with growling orcs and the growling and screaming woke up Kili, who looked at the intruders with red eyes. One of the orcs went for Sigrid, but Fili attacked him with his bare hands and pushed the aggressor back. This family had offered them shelter and he would protect them with his life if he had to. Bain threw half the kitchen at the orcs and Oin shoved Sigrid and Tilda under the kitchen table for protection. Kili managed to kick one of the orcs and made it stumble backwards, but he would not last for long.

It was when Fili thought that all was lost as Tauriel and Legolas stormed into the small house and the orcs fell back. Fili heard Kili cry out as one of the orcs lashed out for him and hit the injured leg. He quickly rushed back towards his brother, but he was not the only one. The red haired she elf also rushed towards Kili, neglecting her back. It was Legolas who had to save his friend's life this time and he did so cursing. He was aware of the fact that Tauriel was not paying attention to her own protection. Legolas saw her bow over the dark haired dwarf, her hand cupping his feverish cheek. The dwarf's eye closed in relief, but then he fainted. Tauriel noticed the rest of the kingsfoil and exchanged a look with Legolas. The prince knew that the captain of the guard was also an experienced healer and nodded. He would protect her as long as she needed to heal the dwarf, for she would be unable to focus on anything else than the wound.

Fili glanced at the elven prince in distrust, but he noticed the bond between him and the red hair, as well as the jealousy in the prince's eyes when he saw the look Tauriel gave Kili. At the moment, Legolas was the only thing standing between them and the orcs.

Fili tore his gaze away from the prince and towards his brother. Kili screamed as Tauriel pressed her hands and the kingsfoil against his wound, but the elvish enchantement out of the elf's mouth seemed to calm him. Oin stood at Filis side and watched the elf in amazement. The old healer had heard of the elvish healers before, but never would he have imagined that he would be able to see it with his own eyes one day.

#

Kili had almost lost consciousness as the kingsfoil had touched his skin and had begun to burn the infection away. He had looked upon Tauriels face and her shining eyes and he slowly felt his heartrate slow down. His head did not feel as if it would burst any moment anymore and his injured leg hurt less. Kili looked upon Tauriels face as he drifted away...and woke up in...where the heck was he?

'Kili!' the prince jerked around and stood before Brann. His aunt looked at him with a terrified expression.

But that was not all. His uncle was there, too, and also stared at him in shock.

'Is there something on my face?' Kili asked sheepishly. 'Wait a moment...uncle, what are you doing here? Please don't tell me that you are also...dead?'

'Do I look dead?' was all Thorin could mutter, but he continued to stare at Kili in astonishment. 'Why are you saying "also"?'

Brann was still walking towards Kili and grabbed him by the shoulders.

'Kili, please tell me that...you are not dead!' Brann shook him.

'I am not.' Kilis teeth shattered. 'But if you continue to shake me like this I might soon be!

Brann let go of him and frowned. 'But why are you here?'

'I...don't know.' Kili paused. Yes, why was he here? Where was here? 'Where am I?'

'You are in Erebor, Kili.' Thorin smiled faintly. 'This is Erebor and these are the halls of your kin.'

'It looks exactly like you told us years ago...I did not think that I would lay my eyes upon Erebor after this...' Kili muttered and pointed to his leg.

Brann looked down and remembered. 'Did the elves make it in time?'

Thorin rolled his eyes as he remembered that the red hair and the prince had been on their way to Laketown. He hated this, but he knew that they wer Kilis only chance.

Kili shook his head in amusement. 'I should have known that you were behind this, auntie. How did you tell them to help us?'

'I did not.' Brann smiled at Kilis surprise. 'They came in their own free will. Well, Tauriel did. The prince only followed a friend. He is there for her and now, he must watch her fall for you.'

Kili chocked on his own breath and Brann laughed. 'I swear Kili, you are as daft as your uncle when it comes to matters of the heart.'

Thorin grumbled into his beard about him not being daft and his nephew courting an elf only over his dead body, but Brann only smiled.

'She falls for me?' Kili said with a dreamy expression on his face and made Thorin sigh in defeat. 'Why?'

Brann laughed and hugged her nephew tight. 'Maybe you should ask her that...'

Kili chewed his lip and mused about that step. He would rather stay with his aunt and uncle than to face a possible rejection from the elf. But then he would never see Fili again. Which reminded him ...

'How did you come here, uncle?' Kili asked and sat down with Thorin and Brann. 'Did you swallow morgul poison to wander between the worlds like I do?'

Thorin smirked at the thought and shook his head. 'I used Bilbos...' he paused and realised that the rest of the company did not know about the ring. But he had to tell Kili that he was not dead. 'Long story short. The hobbit found a magic ring that makes him invisible to the world of the living in the goblin tunnels. This ring makes him wander between the worlds, where your aunt is lingering...' Thorin exchanged a soft glance with Brann. 'He gave it to me so that we could...'

'Ewwwww...thank goodness I did not appear when you were doing...that...' Kili exclaimed and Thorin realised what he had to be thinking.

Thorin shook his head and slapped his nephew on the back of his head. 'We talked, Kili. There is alot to talk about.'

Thorin sighed as he heard Brann snigger. 'I miss you, Kili. You and your dorkiness.'

Suddenly, Kili felt Branns and Thorins presence fade. He looked upon his aunt one last time. 'I miss you, too...'

'Be strong, Kili.' Thorins voice was sad and he could see Branns eyes fill with tears. 'We will meet again soon.'

Kili tried to stay with them, but Branns following words echoed in his mind. 'Go back, Kili. You do not belong here. Not yet.'

#

'Brann...' Kili whispered as he awoke. His surroundings became clearer and he saw Tauriel stand at his side. He had missed her pained face as he called out Branns name, but Fili had not. 'You... it cannot be you. Tauriel is far away, wandering below the stars...Am I dreaming? Tell me...would she be able to love me?'

Fili shook his head at his brothers words and frowned as he saw Kilis finger touch Tauriels. His uncle would not be amused. But he could see the bond forming between his little brother and the elf who saved his life. Oin had told him that the bond between healers and the ones they tended to could develop that way, it had often enough happened in the past. Brann and Thorin had even met that way. Brann...Kili had obviously seen her and Fili realised how close his little brother had been to death.

'Tauriel! We need to leave!' Legolas called out from the door. 'The orc leader fled this town, we have to follow him!'

Legolas carried Orcrist and Fili clenched his jaw at that sight. The prince had taken this sword from his uncle and had called him a thief.

Tauriel turned around and sadly looked at her friend. They talked in their elvish tongue for a moment, before Legolas face hardened and he turned to the door. In the door he paused and turned around, but this time he faced Fili. For a moment, the elf seemed to be unsure what to do, but then he unsheeted Orcrist and gave it to Fili.

'May this sword remind your uncle that he has allies and...apparently...' he looked at Tauriel and Kili. '... also more.'

Legolas turned away quickly and left Fili with Orcrist. The crown prince stood there and stared after the elven prince. It was difficult to hate the elves when they acted honorably. Oin, who had watched, also nodded in agreement. Maybe, but just maybe, elves were not that bad.

'Don't you want to follow your friend, lassie?' Oin asked Tauriel and Fili concentrated on his surroundings again.

'I am with friends, master dwarf.' Tauriel smiled. 'Legolas will return home.'

All of a sudden her face darkened. 'But he will return with elves who will not be so eager to propose friendship to the race of dwarves.'

Before Fili could answer, the ground shook violently and a mindblowing roar sounded through the air.

'What was that?' Tilda asked. Bards children had stayed silent for the time being, eyeing the elves and dwarves in their home. None of them had been badly injured, but they were shaken.

'What was what?' Oin, being nearly deaf he had not heard the roar.

'That...that sounded like a dragon.' Tauriel whispered.

'Kili, are you able to walk?' Oin asked and the young prince nodded. 'We have to leave, quickly!'

Fili turned to Bards children. 'Quick! We have to leave. Take what you need and follow us!'

'What about my father?' Bain was furious. 'He is in prison because of you and he will die there!'

Fili frowned at the boy's fury and had to make a decision. He had no idea what to do, but everyone was looking at him. He was the heir of Durin, Thorins heir. Thorin would have known what to do. Fili bit his lower lip. He felt overwhelmed by the responsibility which lay on his shoulders.

'Fili?' Kili looked at him with big eyes. Fili realised that Kili was still so young, too young to take responsibility and especially too young to die. He had to get his little brother out of Laketown.

'We leave. Now!' Fili tried to sound like Thorin, speaking with a deep and roaring voice.

'We will not leave before we have freed our father!' Sigrid put her foot down and for a moment, she reminded Fili of his mother, Dis. Headstrong and beautiful...wait what?

'I will free the bowman.' Tauriel stepped forward. 'I know where he is, we passed the cells on our way here. You should go for the mountain.'

Tauriel looked at Kili with a sad expression. 'Your uncle will need you.'

Kili was about to protest, but Fili nodded. The elf had a point. He felt bad about fleeing when the dragon was about to attack Laketown, but they had to other choice. But nothing could defeat the dragon but a black arrow. And Bard was the only one who could fire it.

'We will help you free your father.' Fili decided. 'After that we will leave. That is the least we can do to show our gratitude. For everything.'

Sigrid seemed surprised by Filis words, but she nodded nevertheless.

'Come one, then. We have no time to lose! Hurry up, you lot!' Kili exclaimed and limped down the stairs of the house.

Tauriel and Fili looked after him with big eyes.

'Ah, one moment he is near death and the next he is back to reckless...' Fili shook his head and Tauriel smiled. But before they could follow Kili Tauriel turned to Fili.

'Who is Brann?' she asked and Fili could not help but chuckle.

#

The small company of dwarves, an elf and three human children reached the prison cells shortly before the dragon reached the city. They could see fire flash up at the horizon and rushed passed the surprised guards. The guards halfheartedly tried to hold them back, but Orcrist in Filis hands and the determined look on the dwarf's face made them recoil. The moment Bard was free, Laketown was swallowed by fire.

'Bain! Where did you hide the black arrow?' Bard was on his feet the moment the key turned in the lock of his cell.

'In Giles' boat!' the boy answered as they rushed down the stairs of the building. Half the city was already on fire as they reached the harbor.

Fili rolled his eyes as he laid eyes upon the boats. There were hundreds of them.

Kili cursed under his breath and Oin fumbled with his trumpet. Tauriel looked at Bard in desperation.

'Which one is it?' Kili asked and Tilda looked up at him.

'The grey one.' she answered and Kili rolled his eyes.

'They are all grey, all four hundred and ninety two thousand of them! How are we going to find the freaking arrow? Ouch!' Sigrid had slapped him.

'Language, master dwarf! My little sister is with us!' she snarled and followed her sister down to the boats.

'Yes, Mom.' Kili muttered and Fili had to snigger despite of the situation.

Bard was the one who found the arrow. The lake shined as if it was on fire as the houses burned to the ground around them. Crying and burning people jumped out of the windows of their houses, the dragon had surprised them in their sleep.

'Leave!' Bard turned to Tauriel. 'Lead my children to safety!'

'But Da! I can help!' Bain exclaimed, but his father cut him short.

'No! You will guide your sisters to safety! Is that understood?' Bards expression softened as he looked upon his children. 'I love you. More than anything. I am doing this for you.'

With these words Bard turned around and ran into the night. Bain was about to follow him, but he was held back by Fili.

'You heard your father, Bain.' Fili had to struggle against the furious boy. 'You are the leader of your family now. Think about your sisters!'

At that, Bain stopped struggling and relaxed. He looked at Fili and then at his sisters and nodded. 'There is a way out of here...follow me.'

Filis eyes widened as the boy turned to a boat again. The nutshell did not look as if it was able to swim at all. And it had to carry seven people,three of them sturdy dwarves.

'I said hurry!' Bain whispered and Fili frowned. What an arrogant boy...he reminded him of his uncle though...

'Into the boat, hurry up!' Fili whispered and ducked as the dragon's shadow flew over them. Laketown was burning and its people were dying. Fili hoped that most of them had managed to flee. All the gold in the world would not bring back the dead of this night.

Against all odds, the boat made it to the shore and its passengers were unharmed. The three dwarves, Tauriel and Bards children watched in horror as Laketown was swallowed by flames. They could see the shadow of the dragon fly back and forth between the burning houses and they could hear the screams.

Suddenly, the dragon was gone. A earshattering roar and a loud splash were heard and then...nothing. Nothing but the roaring fire.

'Where is he?' Fili stared out into the night, but he could not see a thing through the smoke.

Tauriel tried to see through the smoke as well, but even her keen elven eyes could not see the dragon anymore.

'Father killed the lizard, I am sure of it!' Tilda nodded and looked up to her older sister. 'Da never misses with his arrows!'

'Lets hope that you are right, lass.' Oin muttered. 'Lets hope that he lives to tell the tale.'

'We need to reach the mountain!' Fili knew that they had no time to lose. 'If the dragon is dead, then we have to tell the others and secure the mountain. Are you with us?'

Bards children shook their heads and Tauriel exchanged a look with Kili.

'I will stay here and wait for the men of Laketown to join us.' Tauriel stated sadly. She wanted to go with Kili, but she knew that the dwarves had no time to lose. 'Will there be shelter for the men, women and children in Erebor?'

'There will be!' Fili ensured her. 'Unlike the elves, we do not turn our backs on those in need!'

Kili gasped as the words had left his brothers mouth and Fili regretted his words instantly. Biting his tongue, he walked up to Tauriel and took her hand. 'I apologise, captain. You saved my brothers life today. I will never forget that.'

The dwarven pride allowed him no more than that, but his words reached Tauriels heart. Her king hated dwarves and he thought them coldhearted, greedy and introverted. But he was the one who had denied his allies any help and had isolated Mirkwood. But these dwarves were the future of Erebor. A future worth fighting for.