Chapter Text
“Kidnapped!”
Part One
“They’ve Taken Kili!
The settlement of Ered Luin was in an uproar, dwarves of all sorts pouring out into the town square, bells ringing, voices shouting. Dwalin was shoving his considerable bulk through the crowd, not caring who he ran over, roaring for them to clear the way. Behind him came an anguished Thorin and Dis, Fili clutched in Thorin’s arms, a long arrow shaft protruding from his chest, clothing splattered with blood. “Get outta the way!” Dwalin bellowed, one step away from pulling a weapon to move the crowd. “Move!”
They forced their way to Oin’s shop where the old healer had cleared off a table. “Lay him down here. How did this happen?” It was clear this was no accident, Fili’s face was bruised and there were cuts on his clothing and a tremendous amount of blood; more than could be accounted for from his wound alone.
“Uncle,” Fili croaked from the table, his voice hoarse from coughing. “They’ve taken Kili!”
It had been a normal afternoon for the brothers, Fili and Kili, sons of Dis and Nali, nephews to Thorin son of Thrain and Heirs of Durin. A morning of work in the forge and afternoon free to hunt and roam the woods surrounding their home. They were still in what was considered the safe part of the forest and the boys were old enough and well-trained enough to watch out for themselves as they relaxed in the good weather. They were sunkissed and beautiful, Fili the golden Alpha to Kili’s dark Omega, a perfect pair. On any day they could be seen running and laughing together or napping together in the shade, Fili’s protective arms around his precious brother. They fought back-to-back, like dancing, and when they flanked Thorin as a shieldwall they were unstoppable. Fili had presented five years before, a proud Alpha who would someday lead his people, and Kili was expected to present soon as an all-too-rare Omega, a precious jewel, a life-giver.
On this day they were walking down the path not especially caring where they were going. “We should bring some conies home for supper,” Fili opinioned.
“I’m hot,” Kili put in. “Let’s go swimming.”
Fili smiled indulgently. He liked giving his brother his way because a happy Kili was a joyous thing. “Quick swim and then we’ll roust up some meat for supper.”
Kili turned, walking backwards, his happy smile positively radiating love and affection at his other. Fili reached out and grabbed him, pulling him in for a kiss. “Come here you.” Their forward progress stopped as their lips pressed together, Kili’s hands nestled in the fur at the front of his other’s coat, Fili’s arms around his waist. They broke their kiss to press foreheads together. “My One.”
“My One.”
Kili saw his other lean back to look up and the smile faded from his face. “Kili, get behind me.”
Kili turned to see a group of men standing on the road ahead of them. His mind registered that they had been alone a moment before, so they must have stepped out of the trees. They must have been waiting for them. Fili stepped around him and drew his swords without hesitation. These men were armed, strange men he did not know, and men from the nearby villages and towns used the main road whenever they visited the Dwarven settlements.
“No need for that, lad,” called out the man in front. “We’re just on our way up to the mountain.”
Fili heard his brother pull his bow and the sound of wood-on-wood as an arrow left his quiver. “You’re on the wrong road,” he answered. “Turn around and go back the way you came.”
“Well then we must be lost,” answered the man. Fili was not foolish enough to believe they could have wandered off the trade road up the small path be accident. “Mayhaps you and your brother could show us the way.”
“He knows Kili is my brother,” the heavy thought registered in Fili’s mind. “They were looking for us.”
“Go! Get Uncle and Dwalin,” Fili hissed.
The men were walking towards them now, no weapons drawn but with smiling faces. “We don’t mean no harm, lad. We just wanted to talk.”
“I’m not leaving you,” Kili’s voice was hoarse with fear.
“I said go!”
“See? We’re not even armed,” the man called out to him as the brothers started backpedaling up the path.
“Know this,” Fili spoke loudly. “I will kill at least one of you. Who wants to be the one to die this day?”
“Alright,” the man held up his hands. “Two scared dwarflings. We’ll go our way and bother you no more.”
A slight sound made Kili turn around, a rustle, perhaps the crack of a twig on the ground. He spun around to see a large man just a few steps behind them, a knife in his hands. Without thinking he raised his bow and loosed the arrow. At this range he could not miss and the man fell backwards, choking on his own blood.
“Oh, now, look what you have done!” the leader shouted and leaped forward in the quick moment Fili had turned to glance back at the noise. The men had been sent to attack two dwarflings, boys they thought, not trained warriors who already knew what it was to kill, and although they were only bandits there were many more of them than Fili and Kili. The first three fell to Kili’s bow, yet it was not enough. Kili drew his sword and pressed his back to his brother’s as the men fanned out through the trees. They kept working their way back along the path, but Fili’s heart sank as he knew they were no where near enough to the settlement for anyone to hear them.
The men focused their attack on Fili and Kili sent several reeling back with injuries. Fili was the heavier fighter a sword in each hand as he blocked attacks and kept the men from closing in on them. Kili kept anyone from attacking from behind, moving them further and further the way they had come. The men seemed reluctant to press him, even though Fili was the stronger fighter. Just when the trees started to this out and Kili thought he could see the meadow opening up the leader shouted “Enough of this! End it! Kill him!”
Kili heard the all-to-familiar thrum of a bowstring and a sickening thud as Fili gasped out and dropped beside him. “Fee!” Kili stood over him, sword raised. “Fee, you have to get up!”
Fili’s only response was a gurgling cough. The leader of the men raised his hand. “That’s enough,” he called. “It’s over boy. Put your sword down.”
“Rukhsul menu!” Kili shouted. “Stay away from him you filth!”
The bandit motioned to the man holding the bow, the one who had shot Fili in the chest. “Now listen. We were told not to harm you, so we won’t, but,” he gestured towards Fili. “that don’ mean we can’t kill him. If you want him to live you will put that sword down and come with us.”
Kili knelt down next to Fili where he was on the path, legs crumpled up under him, hand clutched to his chest. “I’m sorry,” Fili coughed. “I’m sorry…”
Kili helped him to lay back. “Fee…”
“I want you to run, get as far back as you can, leave a sign…”
Kili leaned down and touched his forehead to his other’s and whispered, “Come find me.” Then without looking up he kicked up off the ground and sprinted up the trail as fast as his lean frame would take him. He could hear them running after him, away from Fili. That was all that mattered, getting them away from his other.
As he reached the meadow he unbuckled the strap holding his quiver in place and let it drop, arrows spilling out into the dirt. His bow fell maybe twenty feet beyond and he prayed with all his heart someone would find it. Prayed they would find Fili before it was too late.
Thorin and Dwalin were working out in the small forge near the house, a pile of tools and household items that needed mending on the worktable. It was easier to do these small jobs here than take them into town and they enjoyed each other’s company. Even though Thorin was a King there were no formalities between them. Friends all their life they were warriors both and understood each other without unnecessary talk. Dwalin picked up on his friend’s edginess. “What is it?”
Thorin turned and looked out towards the mountain. “I don’t know.” His furrowed brows and restlessness gave away his concern. “Something’s off.”
Dwalin straightened up and looked outward. “Aye, I’m feelin’ it too.”
Thorin thoughts went immediately to Fili and Kili. Their absence often meant trouble and he hadn’t seen them since the noon meal. “Let me go ask Dis where the boys are.”
His sister was standing on the porch in her working skirt and jerkin, a worried expression on her face as she look outwards. “You feel it too?” she asked.
“Where were they going?” Thorin’s concern had turned into a hackle-raising state of alarm. As the Alpha of their family it was his responsibility to protect them and he would kill or die to do so.
“They wanted to bring some game home for supper, but they’re overdue,” Dis’ voice was steady. “Sometimes when it’s hot they go swimming, but I thought they would be home before now.”
“Dwalin, let’s go!” Thorin called out as Dis went inside for their swords. He knew better than to tell her to stay at the house. He guessed the boys would have taken their usual route through the nearby woods on their way to the creek where they liked to swim. Thorin cursed himself for letting them go alone, even when he knew he couldn’t keep them within his sight every moment of the day. The three of them fanned out across the meadow, Dis on the trail and Thorin and Dwalin on either side of her, looking for any sign of them.
Dis cried out when she caught sight of a group of young Dwarves heading towards them up the path. There were six of them, all from families who lived nearby, and the oldest was carrying a bow in his arms. “Gamut manan ai-menu,” he called out. “Lady Dis, we found this on the road.” The boys bowed low as she approached.
Dis carefully took the bow from him. “It’s Kili’s,” she ran her hands over the runes carved into the grip.
“Boys, where did you find this?” Thorin knelt down as he asked.
“Down the path into the trees,” they pointed behind them. Dwalin ran down the path looking down until he saw footprints in the dirt that were too large for a dwarf.
“Men!” he called back.
Thorin and Dis looked at each other. “I want you to run home as fast as you can,” Thorin told the boys, who were now looking at them with wide eyes. “Tell your parents there are men in the woods and that they have attacked my nephews. Tell them to send word to the town. As fast as you can now! Go!”
The boys looked frightened, as well they should be, they were no more than forty and not much bigger than children. They bowed quickly and took off running in the direction of the settlement. Dis stood running her hands over the bow, her son’s bow that he had dropped or had been taken from him, and was afraid.
“Here,” Dwalin showed them. “One set of small tracks, at least six sets of larger.”
“Just one set?” Thorin asked.
“Kili, trying to get back to us,” Dis replied.
“The tracks come this way up the path but leave here through the woods,” Dwalin pointed, not certain which set to follow.
“Follow them,” Thorin commanded. “As far as you can. Dis come with me.”
Thorin and Dis hurried down the path as fast as they could without obscuring the footprints in the dirt. It was clear Kili was running full-out coming this direction. They quickly came upon the spilled quiver of arrows, some of them trampled and broken in the dust. “These did not fall be accident,” Dis said, clutching the bow. “He was trying to tell us to come this way.”
“You’re right,” Thorin replied. He had always taught them to leave a sign in times of emergency, and these had been left in a way which said Kili could do nothing else. “Let’s keep going.”
They were so intent upon watch the path for further signs they almost did not see the figure lying on the path ahead of them. “Thorin!” It was Fili, his gold and burgundy clothing stained with blood and caked with dirt. He was lying on his back on the path, a man-size arrow shaft protruding from his chest, his face bruised and swollen. Dis knelt over him and brushed his blood-caked hair from his face. “Oh, Mahal, my boy!”
There were bodies further down the path, men with their chests cleaved open or pierced by Kili’s arrows. It was clear the boys had put up a good fight and had been trying to get back up the path when Fili had fallen. Thorin did not recognize any of them, not from the settlement or any of the towns or villages he had visited. They didn’t bear any badge or signal, nothing to say who they were or where they had come from. They did not look to be farmers or tradesmen. Clearly the only reason they were here was to find the boys. Fili struck down, Kili taken and Thorin had a sick feeling he knew why.
“Thorin he’s alive,” Dis cried out, her voice wretched. “We have to get him to Oin!”
Her voice snapped him back to the present. He returned to her and carefully scooped his beautiful blond boy up into his arms. “Go ahead of me,” he told her. “Keep watch for the others.”
“Kili?” Fili started coughing in his arms, flecks of blood appearing at the corners of his mouth.
“Do not speak,” Thorin replied. “Let us take care of you.”
Fili turned his head and looked outwards, raising his hand and reaching out and Thorin knew he was looking for his brother, his Omega.
“We’ll find him,” Thorin swore to him. “If we have to burn through every settlement, town and city from here to Erebor!”
TBC