Hello, all my fellow Hobbit-lovers! I really hope you enjoy the second Hobbit fic I've ever written. I sort of threw this one together, but I still worked really hard on it. I wrote the entire thing in twelve hours and I'm so proud of how it turned out. I've also been working on changing the style of my writing a bit so it looks, sounds, and flows better. :)

Blood, Rain, and Tears

Kili winced as his mother dabbed a damp cloth at the split lip he had received after getting into yet another fight with a group of older Dwarvish boys who had insisted on taunting him because he hadn't yet grown into his beard. The young Dwarf found little comfort in his mother's nurturing manner because his uncle Thorin was pacing sternly back and forth in front of him with his arms crossed. He was clearly angered and Kili was just waiting for him to blow up. He could feel it drawing nearer with each thud of Thorin's heavy boots on the wooden floor.

"What have I told you about starting fights?" Thorin's anger finally erupted and he stopped his pacing to glare at his nephew.

"They're the ones that started it by making fun of me! I was defending myself! Haven't you always taught us to defend ourselves?" argued Kili, but to no avail.

"You threw the first punch, didn't you? You're the one who started it!" Thorin all but yelled with a finger pointed at Kili for emphasis. "The Line of Durin has been the most important ruling family of the Dwarves for thousands of years. We are held to a higher standard of behavior. Kili, this is no way for a Son of Durin to act! I don't know what I'm going to do with you!"

"Well, maybe I don't want to be a Son of Durin anymore!" Kili jumped to his feet and shouted before storming out of the house.

His mother called after him just as the front door slammed shut, leaving her and her fuming brother in silence. Dis shot Thorin a look that would make even an Orc sit down and eat its vegetables, threw the cloth at him that she had been using to wipe the blood from her son's chin, and stomped out of the room.

Kili ran from the house that he shared with his mother, brother, and uncle and into the nearby dense woods. This is where he always ran to when he wanted to be left alone. He had a dozen hiding places, but he was sure that Fili knew where each an every one of them were. He could hide quite effectively from Thorin, but there was no hiding from his big brother, no matter how hard he tried. He had never once won a game of hide-and-seek with Fili when they were younger.

But that was the furthest thing of Kili's mind right now. All he could picture was the look of anger on Thorin's face and his judgmental finger pointed at him. His uncle's disapproving words echoed over and over in his mind as he ran blindly deeper into the forest, weaving between trees and boulders and leaping over small streams. Dusk was falling and it would soon be dinnertime, but Kili didn't think he could enjoy even his mother's delicious cooking with Thorin staring daggers at him from across the table. Finally, he came to a stop under the shade of an aged, gnarled tree and leaned against its trunk for a moment to catch his breath. He clenched his fists and felt the sting of tears in his eyes as he slid to the ground, pulling his knees up to his chest. Dwarf boys were taught from an early age not to cry because it showed weakness, but Kili knew that he was alone. He wouldn't care if anyone saw him even if he wasn't.

His entire life, Kili had been teased by other Dwarves his age for not looking like a typical Dwarf. He didn't have large hands or a large nose, he wasn't especially muscled; he had respectable skills with a sword, but he preferred a bow and arrows; his features were somewhat feminine compared to other Dwarves, and worst of all (in his thinking) he didn't have much of a beard to speak of. He had been reminded by bullies on multiple occasions that most Dwarvish women had more facial hair than he did. He had even been compared to being 'Elf-like' more than once. Of course, his mother, brother, and uncle encouraged him to ignore them, and Fili had come to his defense numerous times, but if you've ever been bullied, you know that you can't just ignore it. It hurts, it cuts deep, and if endured long enough can leave unhealable scars.

Kili didn't know how long he'd sat there letting the tears fall when an extremely loud clap of thunder caused him to jump. Almost immediately, rain began to pour and he was soaked through in minutes. He sniffled and looked up at the darkened sky and the huge raindrops pounding him in the face and decided that he should start making his way back to the house. Even though he didn't want to look Thorin in the face at the moment, he knew his mother would be worried if he hadn't returned soon.

Standing up, Kili began making his way back through the maze of trees. To begin with, he was fairly confident that he was following the same path he'd taken into the forest, but with each passing minute, he began to realize that he was lost. The forest looked so different at night, especially in the rain. A nagging sense of fear tugged at his heart as he wandered deeper through the dense trees. He tripped more than once and his heavy boots continuously got stuck in the mud. The fear only increased when, out of the corner of his eye, he could have sworn he saw a hunched, shadowy figure disappear behind a tree when another flash of lightning momentarily illuminated his surroundings. Swallowing the lump forming in his throat, he started to run. He didn't know where he was going; he just wanted to put as much distance between himself and the shadowy figure as possible.

A few minutes later, he stumbled into a clearing, gasping from exertion and fear. Stepping timidly to the middle of the clearing, he couldn't shake the feeling that someone or something was watching him…hunting him. His heart pounded in his chest and his breath caught in his throat when he heard a twig snap behind him. He whipped around and shakily whispered, "F-Fili? Fili, is that you?" He prayed that it was Fili. Hoped against hope that it was Fili come to find him, but he was proven dreadfully wrong when a deep growl sounded to his right. He turned, shaking, and to his horror, saw a pair of huge, yellow eyes glaring back at him from the darkness. Lightning flashed once more, revealing a Warg - not fully grown, though, but a Warg nonetheless. The massive creature advanced toward him, baring its ugly, pointed teeth and growling low and menacingly.

Back at the house, Fili was growing increasingly worried; Kili had been gone over an hour. He knew Kili frequently ran into the woods when he was upset, but he was rarely gone this long and he certainly never stayed out after dark or in a storm like the one raging outside. Fili tried voicing his concerns to Thorin, but he seemed to dismiss him, saying that Kili would return once he'd had a chance to blow off some steam. Fili, however, wasn't convinced. He sneaked off to the room he and Kili shared, pulled his boots on, strapped his pair of swords across his shoulders just in case he needed them, and climbed out the window as silently as he could manage. His hair and tunic were drenched in seconds in the torrential rain as he sprinted into the forest.

He diverted from the main path because he knew Kili wouldn't have stuck to it even if he weren't upset. He continuously called out his brother's name as he ran, his worry intensifying when he received no reply. Barely a few minutes had passed, but it seemed to stretch on forever and Fili was becoming frantic. Where was his little brother? Was he lost? Had he been hurt? If he had been hurt, what had happened? Had he fallen from a cliff and broken his leg? Had the bullies followed him into the forest and exacted their revenge? Had he simply tripped and hit his head on a rock?

These and a dozen other questions vied for attention in Fili's mind, but were all silenced when a bloodcurdling scream resounded over the pounding rain. Fili's heart stilled. He would recognize that voice anywhere. Kili! Fili ran as fast as his short legs would carry him toward the screams. Fear and worry gripped him like a vice as the screams drew nearer. What was happening to his little brother?

Fili finally happened upon a clearing and what he saw made his blood run cold. There in the middle of the clearing was Kili being pinned to the ground by a Warg sinking it's razor-sharp claws into his chest and stomach. Kili looked so small struggling under the Warg's crushing power. The agonized cries he was emitting were like an arrow straight to Fili's heart. Once he overcame the initial shock of seeing Kili being attacked by some bloodthirsty beast, his warrior-like instinct took over and he drew his swords.

"GET AWAY FROM MY BROTHER, YOU FILTH!" Fili shouted at the top of his lungs as he leapt into the clearing, ready to take on the Warg single-handedly.

The Warg turned to look at Fili and snarled, drool dripping from it's bone-crushing jaws. With a new formidable opponent, it quickly lost interest in Kili, who had lost consciousness. It swiped his limp body aside as if he weighed nothing at all. Fili only had a split second to look at his brother, who still hadn't moved, laying a few feet away with blood pouring from his wounds before the Warg started advancing on him. Gripping his swords firmly, Fili stared the Warg intently in the eyes, waiting for it make the first move.

The first move came in the form of the Ward lunging forward, but Fili was ready and jumped aside. He let out a battle cry and brought one of his swords down across the Warg's large snout. It made a gash but didn't cause any serious damage. This was more of a diversion so Fili could move around to the Warg's side. He was about to bring his sword down again, but the Warg turned too quickly and caught him across his left bicep with its claws. The fair-haired Dwarf cried out in pain and almost dropped his left sword. He could feel the blood starting to flow and the pain was almost blinding, but he fought on, knowing that if he let his guard down, he and Kili both could die. The Warg would drag them both to its den, devour them, and no one would ever see them again. Their mother would have to go on, not knowing what became of her sons; and the last words Thorin said to Kili would have been spoken in anger. He couldn't let that happen.

The next couple of minutes went by in an adrenaline-fueled blur with Fili swinging his swords expertly, trying to remember every move and stance Mista Dwalin had ever taught him and trying to avoid the Warg's slashing claws and snapping teeth. The victory was decided when Fili slipped backwards in the mud and managed to bring one sword around just as the Warg lunged at him again and impaled itself in the chest. The foul-smelling beast shrieked and whimpered like a whipped dog before going limp. Fili groaned loudly in pain as the full weight of the Warg collapsed on top of him and dug the hilt of his sword into his stomach. With considerable difficulty, he managed to shove the furry mass off him.

Fili didn't take time to catch his breath or assess his own injury; now that the Warg was dead, there was only one thing on his mind. Scrambling to his feet, Fili rushed over to Kili's still form and knelt beside him.

"Kili! Kili, can you hear me? Kili!" he cried and shook him gently, but received no answer.

Kili was deathly pale and bleeding profusely from deep gashes in his chest and stomach with his tunic ripped open in places to reveal the wounds. He was breathing, but very shallowly. He hadn't moved or uttered a sound since the Warg had kicked him aside. It was only now that Fili noticed Kili's badly mangled left calf. He guessed it had happened when Kili tried to climb a tree for safety, but was pulled down by the Warg clamping down on his leg.

With shaking hands, Fili removed his tunic and pressed it against the wounds marring his brother's chest, whispering frantically, "Kili? Kili, stay with me. You've gotta stay with me, all right? P-please…Kili, don't do this. Don't leave me." He gently stroked Kili's pallid, cold cheek whilst he pleaded with him.

Fili tried with all his might not to panic. He couldn't fall apart. Not now. Not while his little brother's life depended on him. Deciding it was too risky to wait here until Thorin came to find them, Fili carefully lifted Kili's lifeless body into his arms and began making his way back to the main path. He had been paying attention to his surroundings and knew exactly where to go. He didn't bother taking either of his swords with him; it would only waste precious time and weigh him down. He could easily come back and retrieve them when he knew Kili was safe.

Fili found the path within a few minutes, but by that time, the pain in his injured arm was becoming too intense to ignore. It felt as if it were being ripped open all over again. He gritted his teeth against the pain and continued on through the rain, which was now falling impossibly harder than before. Though, he was only able to go a short way before an especially sharp twinge sent him to his knees with a loud groan. He squeezed his eyes shut and panted as he tried to control the pain, all the while continuing to hold Kili securely in his arms.

"Come on, Fili, you can't do this! You've got to push the pain aside! Kili needs you! You can't fail him now! He needs you!" he told himself repeatedly.

He was about to force himself back to his feet when he heard a distant voice calling out to them. It was difficult to hear through the rain, but the voice was definitely that of Thorin. Fili reckoned that Thorin had either became worried enough to come look for them himself or that his and Kili's mother had pestered him into doing it, all the while Thorin insisting that Fili and Kili were old enough to take care of themselves. Either way, Fili was beyond grateful that he had come.

"THORIN! OVER HERE!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "WE'RE OVER HERE! ON THE MAIN PATH!"

Within minutes, Fili heard the sound of fast-approaching hoof beats. Thorin quickly came galloping into view astride his faithful pony, Minty. When he saw the bloody and bedraggled state his nephews were in, he immediately jumped down from his mount and rushed over to them.

"What's happened?" he gasped when he was able to closer assess Kili's condition.

"He was attacked by a Warg. It had him pinned when I found him. H-he hasn't moved since." explained Fili on the verge of tears.

Thorin gently stroked Kili's wet hair with one hand and took his pulse with the other.

"He's barely holding on. Quickly, we must get him to Oin." he said as he gathered Kili into his arms and strode over to Minty, Fili not a step behind.

They all three mounted the sturdy pony, Thorin holding Kili in his lap and Fili sitting behind him. Thorin then spurred Minty into a run down the muddy path leading out of the forest. Fili held on tight around his uncle's waist and had to turn his face against his shoulder to keep the stinging rain at bay.

They stopped at Oin's house because it was closer than their own and it was no doubt better equipped with first aid supplies. Thorin pulled Minty to a halt at the hitching post next to the porch and ordered Fili to tether her while he ran with Kili in his arms up to the front door. He kicked at the door forcefully a few times because both his hands were full. Oin answered the door and ushered them inside before Thorin could offer any sort of explanation. He led them to the spare bedroom he used for administering medical attention. Fili hurried in the front door just as Thorin was exiting the room.

"Wh-where is he? Is he all right?" he asked frantically.

"Fili, calm down. Oin is tending to him." said Thorin with a calming hand on his nephew's shoulder. "He is in good hands. But in the meantime, you need tending to, yourself." He glanced to Fili's injured arm. "Come sit down and let me take care of it."

He led Fili down the hall to the kitchen where he sat him down on one of the benches next to the table and gathered the necessary first aid supplies. A much appreciated fire blazed in the small fireplace opposite them. Fili rested his clenched fists on his knees and tried to keep from groaning or showing any other sign of pain as Thorin began cleaning the three claw marks that had been sliced into his skin.

"I assume you sneaked out after I said we should wait for Kili to return?" Thorin asked after a moment of silence.

"Yes." came Fili's short answer. "Go ahead, scold me for doing the right thing like you did to Kili."

"I would never scold you for something like this. You saved his life." Thorin assured him. "And I admit, I may have been a little harsh with Kili…but I worry about the two of you. More than you will ever know. In a way, you remind me of Frerin and myself. We were always thick as thieves and somewhat reckless…and we had a certain disregard for the rules at times."

This brought a small grin to Fili's face. Frerin was Thorin's younger brother and the uncle he and Kili had never known. He had been slain in the Battle of Azanulbizar sixty years before Fili was even born. They never got the chance to meet him, but from the stories Thorin had told them, he sounded just as reckless, mischievous, and loyal as they were. Thorin had also told them more than once that he knew Frerin would have thought the world of his nephews, had he lived to know them.

"This may sting a bit." Thorin warned before spreading a special healing salve across Fili's wounds.

That, however, turned out to be the understatement of the Age. Fili almost came up off the bench as soon as the salve came into contact with his raw flesh. He groaned loudly and slammed his fist into the bench to keep from doing so.

"What is in that stuff?" he asked.

"I have no idea. Oin makes it himself and won't tell anyone how." answered Thorin as he set the small bowl of salve aside and reached for the bandages. He carefully covered Fili's entire bicep in a thick layer of bandages and told him, "It's best you not use that arm for a few days."

"Don't worry." Fili answered with a small grimace.

As Thorin finished tending to Fili and began putting the first aid supplies away, Oin entered the room, looking rather exhausted. But he didn't have a grim or sorrowful look on this face, which was a good sign…wasn't it?

"How is he?" Fili was up the second Oin walked in.

"I've managed to stop the bleeding and he's resting peacefully. He lost a great deal of blood, so he'll be weak for a while, and he will have to stay off that leg for at least a week." Oin explained to Thorin and a wide-eyed Fili.

"But he will be okay, then?" the fair-haired Dwarf asked.

"I believe so." replied Oin. "You may go in and see him if you like."

Fili didn't need to be told twice. As soon as Oin stepped aside, he walked as fast as he could without sprinting down the hall to the closed spare bedroom door. He paused, taking a deep breath to prepare himself for whatever condition, good or bad, that he might find his brother in. He quietly opened the door and stepped inside. The room was adequately lit by the fireplace and a few candles. It had furnishings suited for healing practices: a comfortable bed, a bedside table, a couple of chairs, a table to one side, and several cabinets of varying sizes containing nearly every medicinal herb and tool imaginable.

The furnishings, however, were of no concern to Fili; his eyes immediately fell upon the small form laying in the bed. Kili was now awake and had regained a bit of color in his face. His torso was swathed in bandages and his left leg (which was also bandaged) was propped on two pillows. His wet clothes had been removed and a warm blanket covered his lower half, save for his elevated leg. Kili looked over with a weak smile gracing his features as Fili strode over and seated himself next to him on the edge of the bed, one leg folded underneath him.

"Hello, brother." said Kili softly.

"Hello, yourself. How are you feeling?" Fili asked, taking Kili's hand into his own.

"Exhausted."

"Are you in much pain?"

Kili shook his head. "Not much. Oin gave me a special draft to help with the pain." He answered, but his attention was quickly drawn elsewhere. "What happened to your arm?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Just a scratch." Fili replied, then fell silent.

For a moment or two, he simply let his eyes wander over his brother's face; still so pale, so young, so innocent. This never should have happened to him. He should never have to know horrors of any kind. No blood, no pain, no taunting from his peers over something he can't control. Fili bowed his head as a tear slid down his cheek and he sniffled softly.

"What's wrong?" asked Kili, giving Fili's hand a gentle squeeze.

"This is all my fault." Fili began. "I should have protected you. We're brothers; we're supposed to look out for each other. I feel like I've failed you."

"Fili, look at me." Kili said. When Fili did so, he continued, "None of this is your fault. That Warg would be picking me out of its teeth right now if it weren't for you."

A small but comforted smile tugged at one corner of Fili's mouth; only Kili could joke at a time like this. He also knew that Kili was definitely going to be okay because of it.

"I love you." the younger Dwarf muttered as if other people were in the room and he only wanted the two of them to hear.

"I love you, too, little brother." Fili said tenderly as he leaned down to place a light kiss on Kili's forehead. "I always will."

Just then, the door creaked open and Thorin entered with a folded piece of dark material under one arm. He crossed the room, stopping at the foot of the bed.

"How's our patient doing?" he asked with a comforting smile.

Kili reassured him that the was fine, then Thorin handed the folded material, which turned out to be a fresh tunic, to Fili and told him to go inform Dis of what had happened. Fili did as he was told. Once he was gone, Thorin stepped around and sat down on the edge of the bed where Fili had just been.

"I, um…I want to apologize for earlier." he said. "Perhaps I was a bit harsh on you. You were right for defending yourself, albeit you went about it the wrong way. You should also know that there's nothing wrong with the way you look; some Dwarves simply take longer to grow into their beards than others. In fact, do you want to know a little secret?" He leaned a bit closer, amused by Kili's look of childlike excitement. "Mr. Dwalin didn't grow into his until he was almost a hundred."

Kili raised his eyebrows in disbelief, "He didn't?"

"No. He'll never admit it and you dare not let him know I told you." Thorin lightly warned.

Kili tried not to laugh, knowing the movement would cause pain to his wounds. A short while later, his mother came bursting through the door with tears in her eyes. She pulled him into a rather painful hug and proceeded to ask him an endless string of questions about what had happened and whether or not he was sure he was okay. Thorin eventually had to physically lead her from the room so Kili could get some rest. While everyone else was occupied elsewhere, Fili slipped back into the room with his bedroll in hand. He had no intention of leaving Kili alone even if it meant him having to sleep on the floor. Kili had no objections; he was rather glad his brother wanted to stay. As Fili settled into his bedroll, both of them heard their mother giving Thorin a thorough tongue-lashing for causing Kili to run off in the first place.

"I don't think he'll be yelling at either of us for a while, do you?" Kili asked in mild amusement.

"I don't believe he will." answered Fili. "Good night, brother. Wake me if you need anything."

"Good night." Kili muttered before sleep claimed him.

He knew he could rest safely now. He had Fili.

A/N: One little thing I want to point out before you remind me of it, I know that Dwalin is portrayed as having a full beard at the Battle of Azanulbizar (when he would have only been twenty-seven years old) in the movies, but Balin is also portrayed as being an adult Dwarf (also with a full beard) when Smaug attacked Erebor and if you go by the birthdates Tolkien gave them, Balin would have been only seven years old at the time. Anyhoo, I just thought Dwalin would be the best choice for Thorin's little joke since the two of them seem so close in the movies. :)