Fly Away Little Birds

Chapter 9: If The Kill Me, Promise That You Will Take Care of Kili...

Fly Away Little Birds Chapter 9

Finally, the floating barrels had come to a stop some way down the river. Fili was immediately out of the barrel and was determined to go back to try and find Kili. He looked to Bilbo for support. Looked to Balin or Dwalin, or even Thorin or Therien. However no one was willing to go back with him. "Fine then," he said. "I'll go back by myself."
"Don't be a fool, Fili." Thorin said.
"Again, you don't get to say anything. Did he not just save us all? If he is in trouble, I must go to him. He's hurt and alone, and probably scared. I have to go. I belong with my brother."
"No." Bilbo said. "Thorin is right on this one. You cannot return."
"Try and stop me." Fili said, and he began to stomp off. Bilbo had had enough. He raced over to Fili, grabbed him by the shoulder, spinning him around. Then he did something he had never done before. He slapped Fili hard across the face. Fili stared at him in astonishment. Bilbo had never hit him before. The other dwarves were just as shocked as they gaped at the hobbit as well. "Listen to me, Fili. We cannot go back because those orcs are after us. If you try, they will kill you because you have no value to them. Kili will be alright. He was taken by an elf, not an orc. I saw it. They are not savages. They will probably heal him and when this is over I will go to them and try to secure his release."
"But what about the threats they made, Bilbo?" Fili said in a downtrodden voice. "That they would punish him...Hurt him?"
"I am telling you Fili, it will be alright. I have never really given you orders before, but I give you one now. You will come with us, and you will do as you're told, by me at least. Do we have an understanding?"
Fili nodded numbly. There was really nothing he could do, so he followed. His thoughts were with Kili as they made their way toward the mountain.
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Kili was lost in his delirium. They were in fact trying to heal him and not hurt him. Taking out the arrow had been its own adventure as he lay there, now strapped to the table, which was probably a good thing, as he would have flailed off of it some time ago if he were not. When the process actually began, they had given him some kind of medicine, some herbal concoction, and even now he felt his mind bending to its will. So he was healed, but he was also sure that he had spilled his guts while he was under the control of the herbs.
He had probably told them about the quest, Bilbo, Thorin's purpose, his childhood, his brother, everything about everyone he had ever met, the name of the dog owned by the hobbit down the road in Bywater that he often visited. He probably also told him things they really didn't want to know, like details about he and Fili's harrowing ordeal, about the torture, Winter, and maybe even the recurring thought he had about that beautiful hobbit lass that, despite the race difference he still really wanted to plow. And also the fact that he hadn't plowed anyone in a long time, and even if he had, he didn't want to talk about it.
When he woke, he was startled to find the elf king standing over him, stroking his hair again. He found it incredibly disturbing. "What do you want, Elf King?"
"Not so submissive now, are we, young dwarf?"
"I suppose not. I thought maybe all of this was just a bad nightmare and I would awake to find Fili."
"Fili. The other one. Your brother." Thranduil said. "And Thorin Oakenshield is your uncle."
"How did you?..."
"Know that? You have talked in your delirium and now I know everything about you. And that thing about that hobbit girl. I will add that to the things that I can never unhear. It was quite a detailed description."
"Sorry..." Kili said embarrassed.
"Well now that you have told me everything that I want to know, and you have been healed sufficiently, I believe it is time to go see Thorin and your elusive master. I wonder if I can sway Thorin when he knows your life is at stake. Or maybe I will not take your life, and you shall remain in this palace as my slave until he comes to his senses."
Kili shivered. "Please. You mustn't push Thorin, your Majesty. He is a stubborn as his grandfather. I fear he may face the sickness and it will take him just as easily."
"Then I suppose your fate is sealed, dwarf." Thranduil said. "Kirril, bring in the special gift that I have chosen for our guest. You see, little dwarf, when we kill orcs in the forest, we sometimes pick up what they have left behind. Sometimes...So I thought this would be fitting."
The elf Kirril brought in a plain iron collar. Kili hated collars after several bad experiences. He wasn't going to take this lying down. However, he was still strapped to the table, so subduing him and clamping the collar around his neck was no real issue. Now he truly felt like a slave again, chained like a dog once more. "A lovely thrall collar for a lovely thrall. Come, we must go. Bring the dwarf."
Thranduil walked out of the room. Kili was released from the table, but with the chain, he could not escape the elves. "I'm sorry," said Kirril under his breath. Kili nodded. It was not Kirril's fault. All he could do was follow as they led him toward whatever destiny waited.
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The people of Lake-town had welcomed the dwarves, but were less than thrilled that the dwarves had unleashed a dragon upon their home. The town was destroyed, but Thorin wasn't about to let any begging men take any of what was his. Fili could tell that whatever the curse truly was, it had already taken Thorin. He seemed to be lost in the madness, and he was being unduly cruel to everyone. Even Therien felt the bite of his wrath when Thorin had sent him away at one point because the young dwarf had suggested he just give the men what they want. Fili wasn't sure, but Thorin might have hit Therien again. It was getting to a boiling point.
The only one that Thorin was not angry with was Bilbo, who he still seemed to trust for some reason. However that did not extend to Fili, who Thorin watched constantly with distrust in his eyes. He wanted tp find the stone. The Arkenstone which was the heart of the mountain and the king's stone. It was a proud symbol of Thorin's Ereborian kingship and he would not stop until he found it. So he made Fili look for it simply because Fili could not refuse and he and Bilbo were too scared to try and make any protest. So Fili found himself on his hands and knees, looking through endless randomology under the threat of no food and that he was not allowed to sleep either until he found it. Some of the other tried to help, especially Bofur, Bombur and Ori, but the rest kept a distance, not just from this task, but from Thorin.
Balin and Dwalin agreed with Fili that Thorin had gone mad with the Gold Sickness and that there was no cure for it other than for Thorin to snap out of it himself. Fili found that to be no real comfort. The vague possibility that Thorin might come back before he got them all killed was simply an annoyance. Fili's mind went to Kili. What were they doing with him? Had they hurt him? Would he ever see his brother again? Now he wished he had braved the orcs and gone to find his brother. Even the elves would have been better company at this point.
"It's impossible." Ori said in a defeated tone. "We're never going to find the stone. Not in this manner I fear."
"It's just ridiculous." Bombur said grumpily. "How can Thorin expect any of us to find something that's been missing for so many years in a few short days?"
"I don't know." Fili said. "He's gone quite mad. He won't even speak to Therien. We need to do something."
"But Balin said there's no real cure." Bofur reminded him. "We just have to wait it out."
"Wait it out? Until what? We've been invaded and killed by men and elves? I think not." Fili said. "This is absolute insanity."
"It is," said Bilbo, picking through a box full of jewels. "He is the king now though."
"The king of what? A pile of useless shit that's going to get us all killed? You and I should go now, Bilbo. In fact, I would say anyone who wants to live."
"We can't do that." Ori said to him. "We made Thorin a promise, gave our vow that we would help him until the mountain was reclaimed and everything was settled."
"Then have him settle things!" Fili said exasperated. "Just tell him to give the men and the elves what they want." He took a hand full of gold and chucked it as hard as he could across the vault, which was not very far, but he had to get rid of the stress somehow. "I tell you, If I were to find that stone, I would take it and hide it in the darkest of caverns until he came to his senses."
Nobody said anything. They continued with their search. Later, when everyone else was resting, Fili continued his work in the vault. He didn't see Thorin when he stepped down from the upper level. "Fili." He said.
"Thorin..."
"I take it you have not found the Arkenstone."
"No Thorin. I shall continue to look."
"Very good, Fili. Very good." Thorin considered him for a moment. "You know, I think I heard someone say recently that if they found the stone, they would hide it in the deepest of caverns."
The hairs on the back of Fili's neck stood up. This was not good. Not good at all. "You heard that, Thorin?"
"I hear many things. Like when I hear lies and deceit in the words of others. When they are hiding things from me."
"Thorin?"
Suddenly a fist met Fili's face. He fell to the ground and rolled a short distance away. He tried to get up, but Thorin was there, grabbing a fist full of Fili's hair and shaking him hard. "Where is the stone, Fili?!"
"I don't know!" Fili said honestly.
"I don't believe you." Thorin said very threateningly. "I believe you do know where the stone is. That you have hidden it. Tell me where it is!"
"I don't know, honestly I don't!" Fili said.
Thorin threw him to the ground. There was a golden sceptre near Thorin's feet. He picked it up and then began to his Fili with it. The blows were hard, but not as hard as they could have been. When Dwalin stopped Thorin, Fili guessed that his ribs might have been bruised, but not broken. Fili lay upon the ground, panting as Dwalin held Thorin back.
"Let me go!" Thorin shouted. "I must show this slave what we do to thieves."
"Thieves?" Balin said. "Thorin, what are you saying?"
"This pathetic little bastard stole the stone and has hidden it somewhere."
"I doubt that." Bilbo said, checking to see if Fili was alright.
"I know he has. That has been his goal all along. He planned to take the stone as an act of revenge."
"Thorin, it's not true." Bofur said. "We did not find the stone."
"That's because he's hidden it." Thorin said, seething. "The deceitful cur. Ondra was right to try and destroy you."
"Thorin, stop it!" Bilbo cried.
Thorin's mind was made up though. "The cells in this place have not seen service in many a long year. Lock him away until he tells me where the stone is. Then I will see to his execution."
Gloin and Nori went and hauled Fili up off the floor, and took him away. Thorin stormed off again. Bilbo went to see Fili and make sure he was okay. He was indeed, locked away, huddled in a dark cell, waiting for what he knew would come.
"Fili?" Bilbo said. He was not quite tall enough to see well through the barred window in the door. "Are you alright?"
"I will live. If they kill me, promise me that you will take care of Kili."
"Of course, Fili. But you mustn't say such things. Everything will be alright."
"I didn't take the stone, I swear."
"I know. I have a plan, Fili. A plan that may save us all. You have to trust me."
"Of course." Fili said. "Just be careful, Bilbo. Be careful."
"I always am, aren't I?"
"I suppose."
"Don't worry. I'll be back for you."
"Promise?" Fili asked worriedly. He sounded like a frightened child, but Bilbo could certainly understand that.
"I promise." Bilbo left him then. That night he snuck out of the mountain and gave the Arkenstone to Bard and Thranduil. He did not know that Kili was there, and Kili did not know that Bilbo was there. Bilbo went back to the mountain with only Fili on his mind as Kili languished in the camp of the elves and humans away from prying eyes.