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The battle surged around him as Fili drove one of his blades into the torso of yet another advancing orc. They had been coming at him none stop for what seemed like forever ever since he and his brother had taken up positions back to back in the middle of the battlefield. Behind him, he sensed Kili more than he heard him, slicing up orcs with his own sword that matched Fili’s twin blades. While he was skilled with a sword he could tell from the sounds that his brother was making that the archer was struggling more than usual. His little brother’s bow lay on the battlefield next to his feet; thrown aside in haste from having run out of arrows long ago.
Fili looked to the left where he had seen Thorin charge off to three minutes ago… thirty minutes ago… however long it had been. He saw his Uncle cut down two orcs in almost the blink of an eye. The King under the mountain was still fighting strong, if only a little slower from the amount of energy he had already used during the battle, but he was still going as fierce as ever. Fili took less than a second to let his mind fill with relief before he went back to taking out the next few orcs of the never ending line that was coming at him.
His driving force was the ever repeating mantra that filtered through his head.
They’re alive. My brother is alive. My uncle is alive. My family- they are alive, and I have to keep it that way.
He heard Kili let out a loud huff as the sound of another orc fell to his brother’s blade. Fili backed up slightly as he fought to get closer to him.
“How are you doin, Kee?”, he shouted over the sounds of battle that roared around them.
“Oh just Fantastic!”, Kili yelled back. He could hear exhaustion laced in his brother’s playful tone. “Do you see Thorin?”
Fili chanced a quick glance back over in the direction that he had seen Thorin. The older warrior was still fighting, but he was moving a little funny, as if his leg had been wounded. Fili moved so that he was side by side with his brother. “He’s closer to the city gates… he looks wounded.”
Kili turned his head to find his uncle, then quickly looked back at Fili, a worried expression growing on his face. “We have to go to him, Fee.”
Fili Nodded. He knew the underlying tones of his brothers’ words. Yes, they would go to Thorin to protect their uncle, but also because they were warriors that needed to protect their king. We pledged to defend him with both shield and body. Taking one more slash at a passing orc, Fili started towards Thorin.
“Follow me! Stay close!”, he cried to his little brother, who he knew was already following one step behind him.
The pair of brothers cut down orc after orc as they made their way to their uncle. As they got closer they could see that Thorin was limping slightly; a long gash on his upper thigh seemed to be the cause. Once they were close enough to him the brothers went once again to their ‘back-to-back’ position and kept fighting. Fili made sure to keep his sights on Thorin, in case his uncle were to get a graver injury. For a moment they locked eyes, and Thorin gave his nephew a proud smile and a nod, then went back to fighting. Fili felt warmth grow in his stomach. In the distance he could also see Dwalin. The ever loyal dwarrow was never far, always protecting his king.
Fili fell into a routine; his twin blades slicing in every direction. He felt in control, or even remotely relaxed, as he cut through the advancing orcs with ease. His momentum only faltered slightly when he heard his brother call from behind.
“Now how are you doing, brother?”
Fili smiled, of course Kili was now worried about him. His little brother was always reckless with his own life but when it came to the lives of others Kili fretted unnecessarily. He was like their mother in that way.
“I’m fine , Kee. How’s that sword working for ya?”
“It’s perfect!”, Kili yelled back in a slightly sarcastic tone. “I prefer my bow though…. Oh I forgot my bow on the ground! I’ll have to go get it after the battle, you know I could never lea-”
Kili’s sentence was cut short but a small thud and a slight gurgling sound. Fili turned around in time to catch his brother as he fell. An arrow was protruding from the base of his neck.
Fili lost all feeling in his legs as he quickly but gently laid his brother down, keeping Kili’s head on his lap.
no no no no
Kili was looking up at him with eyes so wide that seemed to almost pop out of his head. His breathing was short and erratic but it was quickly slowing as he tried to say something. Instead of words, blood poured from his lips, staining his mouth red.
no no no no
Fili pressed one of his hands around the arrow wound in a pitiful attempt to stop the blood that was quickly draining from his brothers body.
“Shhh shhh d-don’t try t-to talk, Kee. It’ll be alright. You hear me? L-look at me i-it’ll be alright.” Fili choked on his own words and had to snap his mouth shut. His hands were shaking and he tried using one had to brush the hair out of his brother’s face. His other hand pressed harder into the arrow wound and Kili made a small whimpering noise.
“I’m sorry!” Fili quickly apologized, “But I need to stop the bleeding, okay Kee? It’ll only hurt for a little while I promise you Nadadith, then it will all be better. Kili?”
His brother’s breathing had now slowed down to a pace slower than any living creature’s should be. He could feel Kili’s chest shuddering every time he let out air. His eyes had lost their fear and pain, and were replaced with a look that was far older than his brother’s eyes should have.
no no no no
Kili’s face blurred in front of him, and he realized that he was crying. He quickly blinked the tears away as he pulled his brother closer to him. “It’ll be okay, Nadadith, please just hold on a little longer. Please Kee.” His last words came out as a beg, but at this point he didn’t care. His little brother was fading away in his arms and he was powerless to stop it.
“...fee…”
Fili blanched and looked down at his brother. Kili was now keeping his eyes completely focus on him. He felt a hand take his own and he looked down, unsurprised to see Kili’s hand in his grip. He squeezed it tight, bringing it up to his chest.
“I’m with you, Kili.” His own voice came out as barely a whisper.
Kili, despite the arrow wound and the blood still trickling from the side of his mouth, gave a small smile.
“...f-fee…”
He breathed out. But there was no inhale. Fili, slowly shaking his head, felt his brothers chest for some indication of breath but there was none. He looked back into Kili’s eyes just to be greeted with empty orbs; once filled with joy and mischief, now nothing but a void.
No!
Fili let out a strangled cry, his throat making a sound that even he didn’t know he could make. He pulled his brothers body up to his chest, curling around it protectively. As if it still needed protecting-
“Please Kili!” His voice cracked, the words catching in his throat.
He heard someone shout his name, but it didn’t matter. His brother was dead. Instead of listening to the voice, he leaned his head down and buried it in Kili’s chest. Maybe he’ll take another breath… maybe I’ll hear a heartbeat… I just need something… anything…
“Fili!”
There it was again. The disembodied voice calling out to him again. It sounded far away, like it was being called through a long tunnel. This time Fili looked up to find the source of the sound.
In front of Fili stood Thorin. He had his back facing him while he fought off attacking orcs. As soon as the last of the oncoming orcs were dead Thorin turned back around to face his nephews. Tear tracks fell down the king’s face and he looked upon the sight that was his nephews. One fallen while the other clutched tight to his body. Forgive me Sister, I have failed you. He looked up at Dwalin. The fierce warrior stood behind his nephews like a shield. Forever faithful to the line of Durin.
He looked back down at his nephews. The thought of his youngest boy dead broke Thorin’s heart into pieces. He wanted to do exactly what Fili was doing. He wanted so badly to rush to his fallen nephew and cradle his broken body to his chest. To protect him in this final way the way he couldn’t protect him in life. But there would be time for mourning Kili later, once he knew his other nephew was safe. He had to make sure Fili would live first.
He knelt down next to Fili. His eldest nephew was looking at him with unfocused, watery eyes. They were practically begging him to help. To bring his brother back. Thorin put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed tightly; shaking him slightly to get him to focus.
“Fili you need to listen to me. I know this is hard but you need to keep fighting. You need to Fili.”
Fili just shook his head, he clutched Kili tighter to him.
“I-I can’t Uncle… Kee…”
“Is not here anymore, Fili.” Fili flinched. Thorin knew as soon as the words left his mouth that it had been too harsh but he needed his nephew to see reason. He squeezed Fili’s shoulder again and this time took a lighter tone in his voice. “The battlefield is no place for mourning, my boy. You need to fight. You need to stay alive. For Kili.”
That did it. Fili looked back at his brother before leaning down and laying a soft kiss on his brow. His closed his eyes furiously to fight off the tears that again threatened to leave him, before he carefully laid his brother down flat on the ground. Slowly his covered Kili’s eyes with his hand, closing them. He looked back up to his uncle, nodding his head once before standing back up. His legs felt weak still so he stumbled but Thorin steadied him but keeping a firm grip on his shoulder.
“For Kili.” He said simply. His voice sounding broken, but his stance showed his resolve. He would fight for his brother; he would fight to live.
Thorin nodded. “For Kili.” He said back. Tears were shining in his eyes but his face was back to the stone cold warrior that embodied the King under the mountain.
Both charged towards Dwalin, who had been standing by defending Durin’s line from coming to any harm, and joined the fray once more.
As the battle surged on, Fili felt his strength dwindle. He muttered to himself over and over to kili to kili to kili but the battle had been a long and hard one. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed since he held his brother in his arms. His heart ached, and all he wanted to do was run back to his little brother, but he knew that his duty lied here. Protecting his king- no. Protecting his uncle, the only family that he had left.
Thorin fought beside them, and Dwalin beside him. The three of them were a force to be reckoned with, with the battle being almost over and none of them willing to lose anyone else.
Fili looked to Thorin, he could tell his uncle’s leg was still bothering him; even more so now than it had before. It was tripping the great warrior up. Which made it so he didn’t see the orc blade that was about to drive straight into his chest.
No! Not again. Not him!
Before he could think, Fili was on top of his uncle, pushing him out of the way of the blade, which only managed to put himself in harm's way.
Fili barely felt it when the orc blade pierced his chest, and when it slid back out. He felt his whole body go numb as he fell to the ground. He heard Thorin shout his name, and he looked up in time to see his uncle finish off the foul creature.
He could barely move when Thorin collected him in his arms. He, instead, focused on breathing, which was proving rather difficult after a sword went straight through his lung. Fili could vaguely understand that his uncle was talking to him, and he had to concentrate really hard to hear what he was saying. It was hard to hear with the noise of his pulse banging against his ears.
“-stay with me, Fili, do you hear me? Stay awake!” His uncle was shouting. His face was full of fear and the tears that had threatened to fall when his youngest nephew had fallen threatened to be released again.
“The battlefield is-s no place to m-mourn, uncle.”
A flash of anger passed through Thorin’s eyes as his own words were thrown back at him. “Don’t talk like that, Fili. You’re going to be fine, you’re going to live.”
Fili wanted it to be true, if only for his uncle’s sake, but he couldn’t feel most of his body anymore. It was getting even harder to breath, and every breath of air that he sucked in just added to the pain that formed on his chest. His vision started going fuzzy, but he could still see Thorin’s face looming over his. Fili shook his head.
“No Thorin. Y-you and I b-both know. T-this is it.” He felt a chill pass through his body. “It’s g-getting c-cold, uncle.”
He could hear his uncle's voice, but he wasn’t paying attention anymore because while his vision was getting worse, he could see a bright light had appeared behind Thorin. Fili could just see it over his shoulder. A Chestnut haired dwarf, too young yet to have a beard, was smiling at him.
He smiled back.
He could hear his uncle again. The mighty king, begging his last treasure to hold on.
“Just stay with me, Fili. I will find help and you’ll be okay just stay with me.”
Fili used the last of his energy to look at Thorin. He locked eyes with his uncle, wanting to look at him for this last moment.
“I’m sorry, uncle.” Fili turned back to his smiling brother, who was now so close he could touch him. Kili was holding out his hand to him, and Fili reached out and took it.
“I belong with my brother.”