A few days later Kili received a let from Dis about the assassination attempt on Thorin. She didn't say anything about Fili's part in it though because she didn't think that he'd be interested in that anyways.
The young dwarf was shocked. He had always thought that everything was relatively fine in Erebor despite Thorin's gold sickness. But apparently some dwarves were very unhappy about Thorin being king. Kili couldn't understand why they wanted Dain to be king. Of course he had send his soldiers to the Battle of the Five Armies but he hasn't helped to reclaim Erebor from the dragon in the first place.
Kili was that deep in thought that he didn't see Daisy standing in the hallway and bumped into her. He apologised and smiled at the hobbit but frowned when he saw the sad look in her eyes. He led her towards the forest and sat down on a log. He took her hands in his much bigger ones and looked into her eyes. "Daisy, what's wrong? Has anything happened to your family?"
Daisy shook her head. "You don't know about what has happened in Erebor?"
Kili frowned. "I've heard about the attack on my uncle but why are you so upset about it?"
Daisy swallowed and wiped a tear away. "I worry about my friends. Lady Dis wrote that Fili isn't too badly injured but he won't be able to work and they barely know how to afford enough food for everyone anyways."
Kili paled. "You received a letter as well? Fili has been injured?"
Daisy nodded. "You didn't know?" When Kili shook his head, she explained everything Lady Dis had written to her and how much she worried about her best friend and her family.
Kili felt some tears welling up in his eyes and wrapped his arms around the crying hobbit. "This is all my fault. None of this would have ever happened without me."
Daisy stroked Kili's short beard and kissed him. "Stop blaming yourself, Kili. You would never have done any of this without Tauriel. She has destroyed everything." She took a deep breath. "I want to go to Erebor to help Poppy! Do you think this will be possible?"
Kili smiled a bit. "Yes, but I did these terrible things because I was scared of losing her. I could have refused to do it." He looked down into his lap and sighed. "I don't know if we will be able to help but we should try. I will go to Erebor with you."
"Really? But Tauriel? What if she finds out about is?" Daisy asked with a frown.
"I don't care about her anymore. The only one I worry about is Ronon. He deserves to be raised as a better person." Kili explained and pulled Daisy close to kiss he again. "Go to pack a few belongings. We will leave as soon as possible." He kissed her once more and stood up to prepare their departure.
Half an hour later Kili was in his and Tauriel's bedroom to pack a light backpack for the journey to Erebor.
Then the elf entered the room. "What are you doing? I've heard you wanted to leave."
"I will go to Erebor for a few weeks together with one of the hobbits. Fili has been injured in an attack on Thorin and we worry about him and his family." Kili explained without looking up from the tunic he was folding.
"Why? Your brother doesn't care about you anymore and tried to kill you. Do Ronon and I mean nothing to you anymore? " Tauriel said and cooked an eyebrow at her husband.
"I understand why Fili punched me. I would have probably done the same. And even if he doesn't want to see me anymore, I will still help Daisy to get to Erebor. And I'm sure you and Ronon wouldn't want to come. That's why I didn't ask you." Kili answered with a colder voice than he had planned to.
"So you're going there with your hobbit whore?! Do you thing I don't know what's going on between you?" Tauriel sneered.
"I lo-" Kili bit his lip. "I like her. She's a good friend, that's all." He said in a low voice. "And I will help her to help her best friend no matter what you say or do."
"Fine! Than go with her! But I promise that you won't see Ronon again when you come back." She yelled and left the room.
Kili sighed sadly but decided to help Daisy nonetheless. He loved her and he knew that he had to choose between her and Ronon.
Two days after the assassination attempt on King Thorin the Ereborian council debated about what to do. The councillors from the Iron Hills and even some of those from Ered Luin tried to convince their king that Fili was behind the attack even though he had tried to save the King in the end. They were sure that he had done all of this to get out of the miserable life he was currently living. They wanted Fili to be punished in public to make sue that no one would ever try something like that again.
Lady Dis, Lord Balin and a few other dwarves believed Fili's story of course and blamed the miners from the Iron Hills who had led Thorin into the tunnel.
Thorin felt like his head would explode any minute since he somehow thought that both stories made sense. He was completely sure that Fili had pushed him into safety. But he could have still been behind the attack anyways.
In the end King Thorin decided that no one would be punished for the assassination attempt because there was no certain proof who was behind it. None of the councillors were happy with the decision. But Dis and Balin were relieved that Fili wouldn't be punished even more for a crime others had committed. The broken arm and the problem it caused were severe enough.
A few days later Fili was allowed to leave the infirmary. The young dwarf was relieved because he worried that he might have to pay for his stay and the treatment there. They would have a severe problem to pay for food anyways now that he wasn't able to work for a few months. So he didn't want to worsen the situation even more.
They talked to Balin, Dwalin, Dis, Bofur and Ori about their money problem and they promised that they'd find a way to help.
Balin used one of the moments when Thorin's mind was quite clear to talk to him about Fili. In the end Thorin decided that from now on Poppy would have to work from dawn to dusk and Fili would stay at home. They would receive their normal payment but when Fili would be able to work again, Poppy would have to continue working full time for at least half a year to pay back their dept.
Fili wasn't happy about that but Poppy didn't mind working that much. She was sad because she wouldn't be able to spend much time with her children but she would do everything to prevent them from starving.
After a few days everyone got used to their new way of life. With Poppy gone most of the day Fili tried to manage the household as good as possible with one arm. This didn't work well though. Luckily Bilbo, Dis or Runa came over every day to help though. So Fili spent most of the day with Vili, Lili, Tulip, Ruby and Runor. All of them were still quite shocked about their father or friend being injured and clung to him all the time. They played and cuddled a lot and Lili even tried to help her father eat.
Two weeks later Poppy felt nauseous at work and so Runa brought her to Oin despite her protests. She was pretty sure what was wrong with her and was scared of the healer confirming it and telling Fili. So she made her friend and Oin swear that they wouldn't say anything to anyone. They agreed with a frown and the old dwarf finally started examining the hobbit's belly.
In the end Oin confirmed Poppy's assumption with a bright smile. The hobbit thanked him and left. When she reached a corner where nobody was able to see her, she sank to the ground and started crying. Normally she would have been overjoyed about the news but in their current situation this was a nightmare. Poppy was completely sure that Fili and probably also their friends would never allow her to work like that. But she knew that she had no other choice than to continue working. She wiped her tears away and then put a hand on her belly and smiled sadly. She would keep her condition a secret as long as possible and prayed to the Valar that nothing would happen to her baby.
In Lothlorien the Lady Galadriel watched Poppy's future closely. A deep frown appeared in her beautiful face when she realised that the hobbit and her unborn child would die if she continued to work like this. She was almost completely sure that the fate of Thorin Oakenshield and with him the fate of the people of the East laid in the hands of this child. She summoned one of her servants and sent him to Erebor with food for the hobbit's family immediately.
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