THE SWIFT FOX (Kili X Reader X Fili) (RE-WRITTEN & UPDATED)

Chapter 9: Shaft in my Heart (1/2)

"Kili!" you shouted as soon as you reached the shore and pushed your barrel away. There he sat on a huge rock, unable to move. "Kili..." you said, voice thick with worry as you fell on your knees before him. You cupped his cheek with your hand to make him look at you.

"What have you done?" you whispered, tears threatening to fall.

"I did what I had to do..." Kili replied stubbornly, unwilling to meet your eyes with his.

"I promised to look after you, but I can't if you're so reckless," you told him.

He was obviously in a lot of pain, yet he steeled his face so you wouldn't see the magnitude of his agony. You needed to do something, that was all you knew. Fili appeared soon after and told you that Thorin had allowed you a moment to patch Kili up. Fili tore the fabric of his brother's breeches right where the arrow had entered his flesh to get a better view at the wound.

"The shaft is still in there," you muttered and wrinkled your forehead.

"We don't have enough time to remove it," Fili told you. "Let's bandage it and move on."

You wrapped a piece of cloth around his leg as carefully as you could. Kili was wincing and whining throughout the whole process. When you were finished, you helped him up and supported him from one side, while Fili grabbed him from the other.

"Go, Fili. I've got this," you huffed and adjusted Kili's hand on your shoulders.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am," you answered. "Besides, the Orcs can catch up with us any minute. We need as many able bodied fighters as we can get."

Fili nodded as he made sure you were holding his brother steadily before leaving. Kili now leaned only on you. His face was ashy and sunken, and he cried out in agony every time he put too much weight on his wounded leg. The company seemed to be negotiating with a trader, probably from Laketown. You placed a hand on Kili's forehead. He was burning up. But when his eyes met yours, you only smiled weakly.

"You're doing fine."

...

"You're not coming with us!" Fili repeated for the hundredth time.

"Oh, but I am!" you argued back. "Thorin deemed me worthy of this quest. I am one of you now. I have every right to be there when you enter Erebor."

You were at Bard's house, waiting for the night's cover to steal weapons and began the last and probably the hardest phase of your journey.

However, despite all the excitement it elicited from everyone, Fili's expression appeared pained.

"Don't you understand? I do not care where you are as long as you are safe. This is too dangerous. You could get yourself killed. And I do not doubt your strength and your will, but I cannot take that risk. I cannot see you..." His voice trailed off. "Please. You must understand."

"It is not your decision to make," you said as you got up from your chair. You walked over to the window and pulled the curtains aside to peer outside. You saw the mountain tower over the whole town. You shivered and sat down on the steps instead where nobody would bother you. Fili's words pained and angered you. Did he really think so little of you that he would not want you to join them in Erebor? Or did he doubt the strength of your arms and the endurance of your spirit?

Bofur appeared out of nowhere and plopped down next to you, breaking your bitter train of thought.

"It is not wise to be in my company right now," you said cautiously, warning the usually cheerful Dwarf of your foul mood.

"I know, lassie. I've heard it all," he said. "And I got yer point. Nevertheless, consider what Fili said. He wants what's best for you."

You looked at him in disbelief.

"Come on! We all know the lad fancies you! We might not be the most clever Dwarves out there, but we're not blind. Besides, he's lookin' at you all the time! Even now."

You peeked up through your lashes and saw Fili's gaze on you. You averted your eyes and looked at your hands rested on your lap instead.

"Just think about it, lass," Bofur said as he flashed you a smile and patted you on the shoulder. "You've been through so much already for us, it's a miracle you're still in one piece. None of us wants to see you get hurt, not in the very end of things."

...

You cried to yourself quietly as the night grew closer. The descending sun cast shadows on the wooden houses of Laketown. You were full of despair. Kili was shot and he obviously felt sick and pained, you argued with Fili about finishing the quest and now he wouldn't talk to you. To top it all off, you were taking part in a quest that could very well equal suicide. You hugged your knees closer to your chest and buried your face in your hands. You stifled the sobs arising in your chest.

"(Y/n). What is the matter?" Thorin asked in a gentle tone. He sat down next to you and cradled you in his arms.

"Have you no faith in the quest? In me?" he asked.

"I believe in you. I trust you. The person who isn't trusted here is me," you sobbed and hugged him. "After everything I've done, I am still no more in the eyes of the company than a frail woman in need of protection."

Thorin remained silent. Your words moved him so much he wasn't able to compose a single sentence for a long time. He pressed his forehead to yours and if it were possible, he held you even tighter. You cried and cried, and your tears fell as an endless and bitter waterfall.

"I see you for who you are," he finally said. "You are a warrior, someone I would proud to fight side by side with. Someone I would be proud to call family. Nobody can stop you from joining us but yourself. I will make sure of it."