Never Alone [Fíli]

[kili]

Kíli sat, eyes burning with exhaustion but fixed on the darkness surrounding the little camp. It had been a long day of travel, with the vague and disconcerting threat of wargs hounding their every step. Since they'd run into a massive storm hiding those that hunted them, they'd been on the run. At first, they had attempted to break the cover of the trees, but that had failed miserably. Instead of a successful turnabout, Kíli had lost sight of the rest of the Company and ended up on his own in the trees. He'd run into his brother, ever faithful, not far into the heart of the forest and the two had stuck together. They'd interrogated one another, but in the rush to get back among the trees they had both lost sight of the Company at large.

It had been pure luck that their hunters had lost their particular trail. Fíli had found a relatively safe spot where a boulder would shelter their backs and they had agreed to make camp and resume the search in the morning. Kíli had not initially started on watch, he was second shift, middle of the night when it was at its darkest. He knew it was better like this, with only the two of them, so they traded off on keeping watch and sleeping. Kíli was fine sitting on his own. Even when tired, his eyes were sharper than almost everyone else's, excluding only Fíli. Fíli was his equal in most things and his better in some things.

He kept a hand on his bow, something he'd started to do more and more often while on the journey. Tonight was far worse than other nights before, and the Dwarf kept his weapons handy, an arrow laid across his knees just in case. Kíli strained his eyes, sensing movement in the darkness, but he couldn't tell if it was malevolent or not. Uninhibited by the firelight, as Kíli had moved to the outer edge of their little camp upon waking up, he could discern darker shadows from other shadows. It appeared to be a forest creature, but he felt he should investigate anyway.

Glancing at the prone form of his brother and deciding all would be well if he poked around for a few moments, Kíli jumped to his feet, putting the arrow away and checking his quiver and his sword. Keeping the bow in hand, the Dwarf left his sleeping brother and the warm fire to venture out into the dark. Slowly, he traced the edge of the camp from the other side of the dense foliage, double-checking that nothing was close enough to attack the other Dwarf. As he moved further into the darkness, he moved in an arc - back and forth - to keep monitoring all viable areas of attack as much as possible.

Kíli heard something, a growl maybe, and his sharp eyes caught a shifting shadow some feet away. Without thinking, he darted after the shadow, snatching an arrow out of the quiver at his back. Gracefully, he nocked the arrow at the same moment he came to a stop. He saw nothing, could hear nothing outside of his own breathing, but he knew. He knew something was out there, something not good.

Whatever it was decided subtlety was no longer an option and crashed through the foliage in its hurry to reach the camp. Kíli whirled, bow taut and ready in his hands. He centered himself, glimpsed a darker shadow in the world of shadows he now resided in and released the arrow. It flew true, hitting his target in the throat and taking it down. And, that, of course, is when more noises reached him and Kíli, young and foolish, realized he was surrounded and unlikely to get back to the camp without help.

He loosed arrows at the moving shadows he could see, more often than not hitting an orc, but they were closing in on him. Kíli switched bow for sword, prepared himself as they came at him at once from all directions. It wasn't until he felt the sting of a blade in his side that he cried out. Only one name on his lips: "FILI!"

[fili]

Fíli could scarce believe their poor fortune! First it had come in the form of the fierce wargs, relentlessly hounding their trail. Second it had manifested in his, and his brother's, separation from the rest of the company. Despite this, Fíli remained hopeful that they would be reunited with their fellow Dwarves (and Wizard and Hobbit) shortly, but for now they they needed to lay low and wait for the night to pass, for the sun's rays had been fading fast. The wargs had lost their scent, or so it seemed, and Fíli had quickly scouted out a boulder behind which they could shelter and camp for the night. It would be much too dangerous to seek out their companions in the darkness, certainly with such foul creatures abroad, and much too likely that they would pass each other, unseen and unheard, like ships in the night.

Of all the souls to get lost with, Fíli was glad that it was with his little brother. Not that he bore any ill-will to the other Dwarves, of course, for he got on with them all rather well. No, it wasn't that. It was just the simple fact that he trusted Kíli implicitly and indeed they knew each other so well that, at times, it almost seemed that each knew what the other was thinking. As the darkness grew, they had spoken quietly to one another of a whole variety of subjects. They supposed what the others might be doing at that moment, where they might be, and they reiterated their certainty that they would find them, unharmed, with the light of the day to come. One subject they did not breach was that of their uncle Thorin. Thorin who would undoubtedly be anxious, and perhaps a little furious.

Fíli had taken the first shift, gazing out into the night, listening intently for any sound that might indicate the approach of friend or foe. There had been nothing but the gentle whisper of the wind through the trees. Despite the apparent calm, their apparent safety, Fíli had kept one of his blades drawn, his hand resting lightly on its hilt. As he watched and waited, letting the hours slip quietly by, Fíli would occasionally glance down at his younger brother, marvelling at how quickly the years had seemed to pass, at how much his little brother had grown. The Dwarf smiled to himself, remembering the day that Kíli, still so new to the world, had taken his first unsteady steps. Aye, much time had passed since then, and almost all of it they had spent together. It was with reluctance that he had woken the young Dwarf for his shift. As Kíli had rose, Fíli had laid down, making himself comfortable on the ground and pulling his coat closer about him. He had drifted off to sleep easily, knowing that Kíli was watching over him.

As is the way, it seemed he had been asleep only moments before he heard his brother calling out to him, sounding as though in pain. Fíli's eyes shot open and his hand was on his blade before he even knew whether it was a dream or reality that had woken him. Of course the empty camp (Fíli's heart dropped to see it) indicated it was the latter. This was no shade of sleep but it might yet prove a nightmare. As Fíli leapt to his feet he drew his other blade, sprinting into the dark foliage, desperate to find his little brother. Oh gods, if something happened to him Fíli would never forgive himself! The first orc sprang at Fíli from the darkness and the Dwarf severed the head from its shoulders without blinking an eye. Nothing, nothing, would come between him and finding Kíli.

“Kíli!” Fíli bellowed out in reply, to let his brother know he was close to hand and to draw attention to himself. Let the orcs come for him! Ploughing through the undergrowth Fíli felled another two orcs, the second putting up more of a fight than the first, dodging the Dwarf's blows until Fíli swung his sword in a particularly vehement downward arc, cleaving his blade deep into the creature's skull. In his eagerness, Fíli tripped and almost fell over the body of another orc. This was not one he had killed. No, the arrow in its throat indicated that Kíli had claimed its life.

“Kíli!” Fíli called out again, stepping over the orc corpse, his blue eyes darting to and fro, seeking out the warm brown eyes of his brother. That was when Fíli, having broke through the enclosing circle of orcs, spotted him. Relief flooded Fíli's face as he bolted to his brother's side.

[kili]

Kíli grunted in pain, adjusting his stance to accommodate the searing agony in his side. Almost like a sixth sense, he knew his brother was awake. Slicing the head off an Orc to his left, he swung the blade in an arc, just missing the big one who'd sliced into his side. He kept his sword moving, taking the hands - among other body parts - of any one that moved too close.

“Kíli!”

His name rang in the dark, drawing some attention which Kíli used to his advantage. Chopping another head off, he took a second Orc's legs and rammed one of his arrows into a third Orc's eye socket. His name again sliced through the violence, closer this time. Half a second later, his brother was at his side and Kíli felt immensely better.

"Didn't want you to miss the party. Besides, where's the fun in dying in your sleep?" He glanced at his brother, eyes dancing and grin dangerously cheerful. Kíli declined to tell his brother anything about the injury he'd already sustained, there was time enough for that later. "Half and half?"

With Fíli next to him, the young Dwarf felt invinible. One Orc darted too close to the blonde and Kíli sliced it's throat. Nothing would touch his brother if he could help it. "Watch the big one. Faster'n it looks." As if in answer, the biggest of the brutes licked his bloodied blade.

Kíli, under other circumstances, would have lost his temper at that. He didn't like being taunted and it had taken years and years of training to develop even the small thread of control he was holding onto at the moment. The Orcs, however, were done waiting on the Dwarves. In a moment, Kíli was a death dealing blur. He'd shifted his sword to use it one handed while his other hand stabbed whatever came near him with an arrow from his own quiver. The young Dwarf took great comfort in the feel of his brother's back against his own.

He did not give his wound any attention. Had, in reality, forgotten all about it. So when one particularly fast brute slammed his elbow into Kíli's side, he was taken aback at how much it hurt. He parried a blow meant for the blonde head behind him, but his movements weren't as well coordinated. The Orcs had thinned to almost none, most of their bodies on the ground. Kíli spotted movement out of the corner of his eye and yanked Fíli to the ground just as the big Orc swung his blade.

[fili]

Fíli's concerned expression changed into one of relief and then, almost reluctantly, it pulled into a smile. Ah, there was the bold and mischievous Kíli he knew and so dearly loved! Kíli's bold and assured demeanour distracted Fíli, putting the Dwarf's mind at ease and causing him to forget, momentarily at least, the pain that had earlier tainted Kíli's voice. After all, they were united and, when they were together, Fíli was confident that there was nothing they could not face and no challenge that that they could not overcome.

“Ha!” Fíli laughed in response, his eyes twinkling mischievously, “Did you really think I would let you have all the fun, little brother?”

Kíli took out the first Orc to rush at Fíli and warned his elder brother of the fast Orc. Gazing at the large brute, a look of disgust flickered across Fíli's face as the beast licked the foul blood from its blade. No, not foul blood, for it was red and bright in the moonlight. But if it was not Orc blood, then it could only be... Fíli frowned and set his jaw. He might not be the brightest Dwarf under the mountain but he was certainly no fool. He quickly pieced together what must have happened.

Unfortunately there was no time to check Kíli, for then the Orcs surged towards the pair. Armed with his double swords, Fíli parried and swung, drawing strength and comfort from his close proximity to Kíli, knowing that his little brother had his back. His little brother, who had long since grown taller than him. There had been a time when Kíli had literally looked up to Fíli (of course in many other ways he still did) but now it was Fíli who looked up to Kíli!

None could doubt that the Dwarf brothers made a superb team. When an Orc slammed its elbow into Kíli's side, Fíli rushed forward swinging his sword in a wide arc, furious at the pain it had caused his sibling. The Orc side-stepped but it was too little, too late, for the edge of Fíli's blade caught and tore out its throat. As it fell, gurgling horrifically, Kíli parried a blow that was coming for his brother. Then, when Fíli stepped forward looking for the next creature to slay, he suddenly found himself dragged to the ground by his younger sibling. A good thing too, for it had saved him from being decapitated by the blade of the largest Orc! They were almost done, the Orcs all but vanquished, and Fíli knew the end could not come soon enough – his brother was beginning to ail, his reactions slowing somewhat. Fear and concern threatened to grip Fíli's heart, for he did not yet know the extent of his brother's injuries.

Fíli rose to his feet quickly, narrowly avoiding another swing of the large Orc's blade and, when he was close enough, he raised his foot and kicked the creature firmly in the abdomen. As it fell, Fíli meant to dispatch it, but was distracted by a smaller Orc that stepped up to defend its vile comrade. It dodged Fíli's blade and, as the Dwarf crouched to evade its returning parry, he rose suddenly and plunged his other sword into its belly. Once again standing tall, Fíli warded off a blow from another small Orc that was meant for his brother. Armed with double swords, Fíli was nothing short of lethal.

[kili]

Kíli wanted to deny the weakness he felt. However, one could not deny the slowing of limbs in the heat of battle. He didn't know how much blood he'd lost but the elbow of the now-dead Orc was slick with blood. Probably not a good sign, but the young Dwarf decided it didn't matter. Fíli was still in danger and that's what he focused on.

The Dwarf prince did not try to regain his feet. Instead, he relied on his brother's protection while he searched out his bow. Dropping the arrow he'd been stabbing Orcs with, he let go of his sword too. It was a sign of how much he trust Fíli that he would leave himself defenseless so he could focus on his search. Another two Orcs were downed while he searched. Finally, his hand wrapped around his sturdy bow. He yanked it out from under a corpse and quickly checked it over.

Once assured that it was fine, he nocked an arrow and shot one of the remaining Orcs in the threat. It gurgled pathetically as it died, but his attention was already elsewhere. He left the last four to Fíli's dual blades, instead turning his attention to the big one. It had recovered from Fíli's kick and looked intent to kill the Dwarf. Kíli was having none of that. The first arrow hit the creature square in the chest. The second arrow, also in the chest, drew the Orc's attention to the taller of the brothers. Forcing himself painfully to his feet, he nocked another arrow. The Orc rushed him, do Kíli released the arrow and dove for his sword. Dropping bow for sword once more, it took two hands to lift it, just barely warding off the blow to his head.

The younger Dwarf scrambled to block his foe's blows, vaguely aware of Fíli a few feet away. Slowly, he moved further away from the blonde, making a show of his weakness for the Orc's benefit. It worked, the big brute's entire focus was on ending Kíli. When he felt he wouldn't lose the deadly attention, he stepped up his game and sliced into the Orc's thigh when he spotted an opening in the creature's defenses. Too late, he realized the Orc had done it one purpose.

Kíli twisted to avoid the sword and was rewarded with a large fist slamming into his injured side. Choking on a cry of pain, the Dwarf hit the ground. Never one to give up - and ignoring the urge to curl up and die - he sliced at the Orc's legs and feet, struggling to untangle himself from the creature. Kíli got his back pressed against a tree, his hand firmly wrapped around the hilt of his sword. The Orc parried a pathetic attempt at a blow and trapped Kíli's sword by stepping on it. The Dwarf scrambled for his quiver as the Orc lifted it's sword with a viciously victorious grin.

[fili]

Fíli was painfully aware that Kíli did not rise to his feet after their tumble, resorting instead to using his bow from his position on the ground. That was indeed a bad sign, for the younger Dwarf was both courageous and fierce in battle and was usually even faster on his feet than Fíli. If Kíli did not stand, it was because he could not. This worrying thought instilled an even greater determination in Fíli who defended his little brother as he lay. Of course, moments later Kíli did struggle back on to his feet, but it brought Fíli little consolation – Kíli was clearly in grave danger and needed immediate assistance. The small Orc that had made to strike at Kíli, but had been blocked by Fíli, was taken down by an arrow to the throat. And it served the beast rightly!

There still remained another four Orcs and Fíli was so focused on dispatching them that he failed to notice that his brother was drawing away the largest and fiercest of the lot. In the end, the remaining smaller Orcs did not put up much of a fight. The first, clearly unsure of itself, was swiftly decapitated by one of Fíli's blades. The second parried with Fíli frantically for several moments – until Fíli outmanoeuvred it and disembowelled it with a thrust. Fíli's success in this skirmish thus far would have been enough to bring a smile to his face if it were not for his overwhelming concern for Kíli. It was at this moment that he then heard his little brother cry out in pain. But he could not see what was happening! For he could not tear his eyes away from the third Orc as it advanced, a bloodthirsty grin on its face.

“Kíli!” Fíli cried out to his brother, his voice wrought with anxiety. The third Orc was quickly relieved of the hand in which it had clutched its wretched blade. As Fíli stepped forward to kill it, it pummelled with him with its remaining fist, until Fíli put it out of its misery by deftly running his sword through its chest. And the fourth, well, Fíli chose to be a little more creative with it. It gave a loud, menacing screech – no doubt furious at the demise of its companions – but as it surged forward Fíli dropped one of his blades, pulled a knife from his vambrace and threw it with all his strength. With Fíli's sharp eyes there was no way he could miss. The knife hit true to its mark, striking the Orc in the centre of its forehead and, though it was killed instantly, the creature ran a few steps more before collapsing to the ground.

It was then that Fíli had a moment to locate his brother and was surprised to see just how far Kíli had moved – no doubt he had done this intentionally to draw the largest Orc away! And there it was, standing over his dear little brother despite the protruding arrows, ready to strike a death blow. A fiercesome snarl passed Fíli's lips, it would not have his little brother! Fíli did not waste the precious moments it would take for him to retrieve his knife or second blade, instead immediately charging at the foul creature. He covered the ground quickly and, reaching his target, Fíli drove his blade into the creature's back with all the force he could muster, sinking it in all the way to the hilt. The Orc faltered, dropping its weapon and, as it finally slid to its knees, Fíli withdrew his sword and, in one fluid motion, decapitated the beast.

Immediately, Fíli kicked the beast aside and threw down his bloodied bade, kneeling down beside his brother.

“Kíli,” Fíli said again, his voice soft with concern, ”Let me see.”

Wrapping one arm about his brother's shoulders, he used his other hand to open up his brother's coat. It was even worse than Fíli had expected, Kíli's tunic was sodden with blood that was, even now, spreading. Fíli made a choked sound in his throat as he stifled the cry that threatened to come to his lips. What was he going to do? They had no medical supplies with them! Fíli quickly stripped off his own coat and laid it over his brother, pressing it firmly against the wound, and drew his little brother close to him, a terrible desperation stealing over him.

[kili]

Kíli slumped against the tree, his hand unable to find his quiver because it was trapped awkwardly between his body and the trunk behind him. He didn't see any way out of his current situation. He thought he'd heard his name a few minutes previous, but he wasn't sure of anything. He was aware of the pain in his side, the twisting agony that told him he was cut deeper than he'd thought. He was also acutely aware that he'd failed his brother. Here he was, about to die at the hands of an Orc and Fíli would have to face the brute all by himself. There was no fear, not really. Only shame, which flooded him. For the second time in his life, he'd failed Fíli and that was worse than any injury.

He stared up at the Orc, silently accepting his fate and remaining still. He didn’t have anywhere to run to and he didn’t have the energy anyway. He was at his rope’s end and Kíli knew it. Shock registered on the creature’s face and the Dwarf shifted from his spot on the ground. Why did the Orc hesitate? The big creature fell to it’s knees and a moment later it’s head was missing. The body was kicked aside and there was Fíli. His Fíli.

“Fíli. It’s fine.” He meant to wave his brother off, but his hand moved slowly. Kíli did not have to look down to know how bad the wound was. He could feel his tunic sticking to his skin. The press of his brother’s coat made the young Dwarf cry out in pain, although he didn’t pull away. Gritting his teeth and letting the sharp pain bring him back to full awareness, he tucked his head against his brother’s chest.

“We can’t stay out here, Fíli. It’s too dangerous. Collect the weapons, get them back to camp.” He struggled, figuring he had at least enough blood in him to get up and headed back to relative safety. “We’ll be safer by the light of the fire.” Translated: You will be safer.

Despite his words, Kíli felt lethargic and weak. Even so, he grinned at his brother. “Things could be worse. We’re both still in one piece.”

[fili]

Fíli held his little brother, resting his head against Kíli's own. It could have been a moment of tranquillity, following their victory over the Orcs, if not for the frantic flurry of thoughts racing through the young Dwarf's head and the anxiety that was consuming his heart. His coat had staunched the flow of Kíli's blood but how exactly was he going to stop it? When a couple of ideas finally occurred to him, Fíli held on to Kíli a little tighter, for both involved more pain for the younger Dwarf.

Kíli was right, though, they could not linger here. Fíli returned the young Dwarf's grin with a small and uncertain smile of his own, for it warmed his heart to see how brave and cheerful his sibling could be in a dire moment like this. Then he rose reluctantly, sheathing the blade closest to hand before jogging across the glade to retrieve his other sword and his knife. Storing them away he returned to Kíli's side as quickly as he could, bending to pick up the young Dwarf's bow, then offering a warm hand to pull his little brother to his feet. When Kíli was standing (though clearly unsteady on his feet) Fíli tucked the bow away alongside the quiver on Kíli's back and lifted his little brother's sword. It was heavy, he would not allow the injured Dwarf to carry it himself. Fíli used his free arm to support Kíli as they slowly walked back to camp together. They had done this countless times together when they had been children, usually after Kíli had taken a tumble and cut up his knees or some such thing. Even then, all those years ago, the young Dwarf had been brave, making light of his hurt even when pain showed in his young brown eyes. In this moment, Fíli would have given anything to trade his brother's injury for some superficial cuts on the knees.

Reaching their safe spot behind the boulder, Fíli immediately set to work, guiding his little brother to the spot where he had been sleeping until only a matter of minutes ago, getting him to lie there. The fire was still glowing hot, which was fortunate. Unsheathing the unused knife from his vambrace, Fíli set the blade into the red embers. Then he set about rummaging in his pack, on the off chance it contained a needle and thread, but it was to no avail. Cauterisation it would have to be. Fíli's heart sank.

“Lie back and don't look, let's get you patched up,” Fíli murmured, kneeling by his brother's side, lifting away the coat that had remained pressed to the wound all this time and unbuttoning the tunic to reveal the blood-smeared skin underneath. And the wound. The deep wound that even now continued to bleed profusely. Though Fíli was an honest Dwarf in nature, he did not want his brother to know what he saw, “Ah, it's not even that bad,” Fíli said, but the tone of his voice gave away his concern. Still, the hot blade would stop the bleeding, it just needed cleaned a little first. Fíli stretched out, grabbing a canteen of water and poured a little of its contents over the wound, washing some of the blood away. Perhaps it was a good thing that it had bled so much, for it would have forced away any filth left behind by the horrid Orc blade and make it less likely to get infected. Then... then it was time to close the wound.

“I'm afraid this is going to hurt, little brother,” Fíli told Kíli quiety, gazing into his brother's brown eyes and placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder, “But I will be as quick as I can.” And Kíli would be brave, that much was certain. Using his sleeve to protect himself from the heat in the handle, Fíli lifted the knife from the fire and, after hesitating only a moment, he pressed the flat edge of it against the wound, cauterising the wound shut. It pained Fíli to hurt his little brother like this, even though it would save his life, and it brought him sorrow to blemish Kíli's skin. This would be a mark that Kíli would carry forever, no doubt.