Of The Earth And Starlight (A The Hobbit/Kili fanfiction)

A Shadow Of The Mind

AN: Sorry for the late update, I moved to university so I've been settling in there. Anyways, I hope you like this and I just want to say that I am sooooo grateful for all of the likes that this story has got, I mean, I didn't think it would get any, so to get 20+ is amazing!!

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Emeril

The next morning the camp was awoken early by Thorin who trampled over the Dwarves' belongings while shouting at them telling them to get up. That was how I was woken, for my sensitive ears had thought that someone was shouting right in them. I groaned in annoyance and opened my eyes to see the other Dwarves rousing themselves. Below me Kili was sitting himself up while rubbing his eyes groggily. He glanced around briefly and then looked up at me and smiled.

"Morning," he called up to me which I returned with a smile and a small wave. I then folded up the blanket which he had loaned me and proceeded to climb down the boughs of the tree to the forest floor, landing with a small thud. I held out the blanket towards him which he took gratefully and put down next to him.

"How did you sleep?" He asked me as he got himself up and stretched.

"Well enough," I shrugged casually. That was actually a lie, for while I had slept strange dreams had plagued my mind. A shadow was forming in it, eating away at me bit by bit. My dreams had been filled with evil, beings of night that scurried in the darkness, screaming and squawking at their rotting lives, their flesh wasted and scorched. I knew these creatures to be of Orc origin however I did not know what the visions meant. For within these strange mirages that had filled my mind there had been a presence, a dark, menacing presence that seemed to watch over these foul beasts, draining their lives, yet also giving it to them. This presence was their Master and yet their death. I did not want to burden Kili or any other member of the company with these visions and so I decided to keep them to myself.

"How about you?" I asked him in return.

"About the same, the forest is not exactly comfortable." he complained.

I chuckled and then replied: "You better get yourself ready to go, I have the feeling that Thorin is not going to tolerate any laziness."

Kili sighed heavily and then began dressing himself and packing up his belongings. I glanced around the camp to see most of the Dwarves doing the same. Bombur seemed to be packing away the last of the cooking equipment, while Dwalin was strapping his swords and axes to himself. I turned my head to my right to see Fili trying to pack his belongings into a sack, however it seemed that his two arms were not enough; each time he tried to fit something in, the sack would fall open and something else would fall out. I darted across the few feet between us and quickly scooped up a blanket that was just tumbling out of the bag, before it hit the floor. Fili looked up and smiled gratefully.

"Thank you." I said.

"Let me help you." I offered and then knelt down in front of him. I folded the blanket that I had in my hand tightly and then tucked it neatly into the sack which Fili was holding open. I then picked up a spare tunic that he was carrying with him and did the same. After a couple of minutes all of his belongings were neatly folded and the sack was tied closed. He leaned back on his legs in his kneeling position and breathed a sigh of relief, for the task of putting away all of his belongings seemed to have been too big for him.

"I could not have done that without you, thank you once again," he told me sincerely.

"It was my pleasure." I smiled and then stood up, hauling the sack up with me so that Fili was free to stand as well. Once he had got his footing he took the bag off of me and slung it over his body and then picked up his sword which was propped up against the oak that he had been resting against and slid it over his back fixing it in place.