Much Ado About Dwarves: Part Two A: A Dwarf and a Thief
Chapter One
As Legolas walked through Laketown, he could see the destruction the dragon had wreaked. Although he looked around, all he could see were the dead bodies of the people who had fallen during the dragon's attack. Since it was unlikely there had been no injured, Legolas assumed that they'd already been taken to Laketown's healers by family or friends.
The stench of smoke wafted through the air and clung to Legolas' clothes, though he could see there were no fires blazing. When he thought about returning home, he couldn't help wincing. His father wasn't going to be best pleased that he had left against the express orders of his King - though he couldn't bring himself to regret those actions.
The blond-haired dwarf who had thrown himself over Kili's body had been very grateful to Legolas. Although Kili hadn't woken, Legolas was satisfied that the archer was completely healed. He would have liked to stay and make sure that Kili didn't need anything more, but after the reception he'd received from the leader of the company, he felt that leaving was really the best idea.
Besides, Legolas didn't want anyone to realise that he had saved a dwarf. He knew that he'd done the right thing, but that didn't mean he suddenly liked dwarves. And even if he had seen unexpected actions from two of them, they were surely the exception to what most dwarves were like.
Never mind that the other two dwarves had been trying to help the wounded one.
Although he was mostly caught up in his own thoughts, Legolas' eyesight was still working well. He walked past a house that had suffered very little damage in the attack, noticing a child out of the corner of his eye who had long, white-blonde hair. In other circumstances, he would have just pushed the sight out of his mind, since the girl had no obvious injuries. But it was what the girl was carrying that caught his attention.
"Surely you can offer me more than that," the girl said, apparently oblivious to Legolas' scrutiny. "You can trade this bow for money or goods. It's a fine make. There's very little damage to it."
"That looks to be a bow belonging to a dwarf - or a hobbit." The human standing in the doorway was dressed in clothes that were slightly finer than the girl's, which were scruffy and torn. "There are still some dwarves in Laketown and I will not be involved in the disappearance of one of their weapons."
As he came up behind the girl, Legolas recognised the look of the bow she held in her hand. The merchant - he assumed that was what he was - had been correct. Legolas knew it was a dwarven bow and he reached out and over the girl's head, plucking the weapon easily from her fingers.
The girl turned round and Legolas saw immediately that she was older than he had first thought. She frowned. "That's my bow. What are you doing with it?"
"This is a dwarven bow," Legolas replied. "How did you come by it?"
A calculating look came over the girl's face. "I found it."
"Inside a house, perhaps?" Legolas was aware of the human male going back inside his own house, but he didn't take his eyes off the thief.
The girl looked as if she were about to speak, but then closed her mouth. She feinted to the right and then suddenly made to dart to the left. Unfortunately for her, Legolas was used to fake moves. Holding the bow with one hand, he grabbed her arm with the other, holding her in place.
The girl tried to pull her arm free. Realising that she had no chance, she seemed to try a different tactic. She widened her eyes and tears welled up in them. "You're hurting me. You don't have to hold on so tight. I'll come with you."
Legolas wasn't fooled. He didn't tighten his grip, but he didn't loosen it, either. "Since you'll probably run if I let go of you, I think I'll just keep hold for now."
The tears were gone as if they'd never appeared. "I'm sorry I took the bow. It didn't look like it had an owner. It's been several days since I've had anything to eat."
Legolas looked her over. If she truly had been going hungry for several days, he imagined she'd be much thinner than she actually was. Besides, humans who were starving were generally much weaker than normal.
The problem was, Legolas wasn't sure what to do with her now. He needed to return the bow, but was it wise to turn a human thief over to dwarves? Admittedly, it was a weapon she was trying to steal rather than gold, but he didn't know how they would deal with a thief.
Perhaps he should return the bow and see what kind of welcome he got before he made any decisions.
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Kili muttered under his breath as he sat on the table, not quite close enough to hear what the Master of Laketown was saying to Bard. He would have got up and walked over to eavesdrop, but Fili had already warned him not to even think about getting up.
Bofur had gone to the door anyway.
Fili dug some food out of his pack and gave it to Kili. "Here. You need to get your strength up."
Kili looked at the food, but didn't take it. "I have my own rations."
"I'm not going to eat it, so you might as well take it."
Kili recognised his brother's tone. Although Fili was speaking calmly enough, if Kili continued to refuse to eat, the request would be followed by demands - and if that didn't work, then he'd start making threats that Kili knew he would have every intention of carrying out. Which was why he never fought on taking medicine after the first time Fili had literally forced it down his throat. He took the food without further argument.
As Kili was eating under Fili's watchful gaze, Bard returned from the door.
"Is something wrong?" Bofur asked.
Bard glanced at him sharply, but merely said, "That was the Master. He wanted to know who was going to pay for all of the damage caused by the dragon's attack."
"Surely he didn't think you were going to pay for it?" Bofur asked.
"I'm sure you're aware, Master Dwarf, that he wants me to speak to your leader about recompense."
Kili glanced at his brother, noticing that Fili looked quite worried. Before arriving in Laketown, Kili knew that Thorin would have willingly given the people gold to help them rebuild. But Fili was right. Their Uncle was a stranger now.
And Kili knew that Fili was struggling with how much to tell Bard.
A knock on the door broke into Kili's musings. As Bard went to open the door, Kili wondered if the Master of Laketown had realised there were four dwarves in Bard's home and had returned to speak to them.
But Kili was surprised by the elf that walked through the door, barely waiting for an invitation. In one hand, he grasped Kili's bow - and in the other, he held a small human female who was even shorter than Kili and his brother.
Ignoring Fili's warning glance, Kili struggled off the table. Disregarding the human for a moment, he bowed to the elf. "My brother told me you saved my life. My name is Kili. I'm at your service."
The elf paused, looking surprised. "I am Legolas. And you should still be resting."
Kili shrugged. "I've been told I have a very hard head."
"Yes, but it wasn't your head that was injured," Fili muttered, moving to support his brother. "I'm grateful too," he added to Legolas. "I don't know what we would have done if Kili had died."
Legolas seemed to recover fairly quickly, but merely nodded before he held the bow out to Kili. "I believe this is yours."
"Where did you find it?" Bofur asked.
Legolas glanced at Bofur, almost as if he were surprised by the other dwarf speaking. Kili wondered at that - and even more so about why an elf had bothered to save his life, though he was of course grateful. He finally looked towards the human Legolas held grasped by one arm. "Did you take my bow?"
"It's a well-made weapon - and I needed to feed myself," the human answered. "I'm sorry I took it. I thought it might have been left behind."
"You don't believe that, do you?" Fili asked his brother quietly.
Kili glanced at him. "It's likely a lot of people here are starving," he answered, just as quietly. "I would rather assume she's telling the truth than turn away someone who needs help."
"You have to recover so that we can join Uncle in Erebor."
Kili sighed at the mention of Thorin. It hurt that their Uncle had left without taking the time to make sure he was all right, Even if he was suffering from some kind of sickness, Kili wasn't used to being ignored by... well, any member of his family.
At least he still had his brother.
"Would you prefer me to take her to the human authorities?" Legolas asked.
Kili hesitated, glancing towards his brother. Fili didn't say anything, though, and Kili realised his brother was giving him silent support to decide what to do. After all, it was his bow that had been stolen.
"If Legolas releases you, will you flee?" Kili asked the human.
The girl glanced up at the elf and then at Kili. "If I tried, I don't think I would get very far."
"Then..." Kili felt a sudden wave of weakness flood through him and he stumbled, grabbing onto his brother's shoulders for support, as his leg refused to support him any longer.
Chapter TwoAs Kili stumbled, Legolas handed the bow to one of the other two dwarves and moved over to Kili and Fili. He still had hold of the human's arm, but ignored the fact that he was dragging her along with him. "Are you dizzy? Do you feel sick?"
Kili shook his head. "I think I put too much weight on my leg."
"Hold the human." Legolas passed her arm to Fili, who looked a bit confused, but held her anyway. Legolas thought he probably looked more natural holding a short human, but quickly discarded that thought as he started to reach out and then hesitated. "Is it all right if I help you?"
"You already saved my life. I trust you not to attack me."
"Can you get back onto the table?"
"Is it necessary to do this here?" Bard asked. "I have other responsibilities to take care of."
"The sooner Kili is recovered, the sooner we can go to Erebor," Bofur pointed out. "And then you can get your money."
Legolas kept his gaze on Kili, ignoring the other dwarves and the humans. He saw Kili try to lift himself back onto the table and then grimace with pain. Legolas decided not to just stand by and watch Kili struggle. He reached out and lifted Kili, placing him carefully on the table before rolling up his trouser leg and exposing the bandage he'd wrapped around the wound.
There was fresh blood on the bandage and Legolas frowned at Kili. "You reopened the wound."
"Hard head, remember?"
"My father often talks about how stubborn dwarves are."
"Who is your father?" Kili asked.
Legolas hesitated, suddenly realising that the dwarves probably wouldn't react very well to learning he was Thranduil's son. He didn't want to risk fracturing the tentative peace he'd built so far. "It doesn't matter."
"Is he very important, then?" Kili asked.
"You could say that. He certainly wouldn't be happy to learn I was here," Legolas muttered as he carefully unwrapped the bandage. Try as he might to be gentle, he couldn't quite stop the bandage from sticking to the wound. "Sorry."
"I didn't think healers were supposed to apologise."
"Do you need water to clean out the wound?"
The new speaker was one of the two remaining dwarves, the one who looked a fair bit older than even the other one whose name Legolas didn't know. Legolas gave his question the consideration it deserved. "I don't want to wash out the athelas just yet, so it's not necessary right now." It was easier to talk to the dwarves now. They were different to what he'd been led to believe.
Putting the dirty bandage aside - Legolas intended to make sure it was burned later - the elf tore a fresh strip of material and bound it carefully but tightly around Kili's leg, covering the wound. "Stay on the table. Don't get up."
"We have to go to Erebor," Kili said.
"That's where you were trying to go?"
"Your homeland might be overrun with spiders, but you still have it," the other dwarf said. "We were driven away from ours."
"You can't blame us for wanting to reclaim it," Fili put in.
Legolas frowned slightly. "I suppose I can't. But you aren't in any fit state to travel yet," he addressed Kili. "The athelas will speed your healing, but you need to at least give your wound a chance to heal."
"Whatever you say, Master Elf."
"If you can't walk, you can't fight," Legolas said bluntly. "An archer is of no use if he has to be carried to his position."
The half-smile that had shown quickly faded from Kili's face. "Have you seen many wounds like this one?"
"I've seen my share of bad wounds," Legolas answered. "Elves aren't immune to being wounded. Or having infection set in. As for your particular type of wound..." He hesitated. "I knew how to treat it because I lived with Lord Elrond in Rivendell for a time. When I discovered you had been wounded by a morgul weapon, I knew I couldn't just ignore it."
"And so I owe you my life."
"Your leader saved mine, so I think that makes us even."
Kili smiled. "You returned my bow to me, so I think I owe you more of a debt. Speaking of which..." He looked towards Fili. "My pack is on the floor over there." He indicated it, laying in the far corner of the room. "Give her my rations."
Fili glanced towards the thief, who had remained silent throughout this whole time, though she'd made no obvious attempt to get away. He frowned, but gently tugged her over to Kili's pack and picked it up before opening it, taking out some food and placing it in the girl's free hand.
The girl eyed the food suspiciously, as though she feared it might contain poison. Legolas nearly rolled his eyes. He could have told her that dwarves weren't subtle enough for poison. If they wanted to kill someone, they'd simply use an axe. Or a dagger.
Eventually, the girl began eating, after sniffing the food first. One of the other dwarves handed Fili a goblet, which he passed the girl once she'd finished.
"What do you mean to do with me?" the girl asked after she'd taken a swallow from the goblet.
Legolas lowered his voice, pitching it so that it was impossible for a human to overhear him. "I would suggest turning her over to the human authorities. Erebor is the natural home of dwarves, not humans - and it would be unwise to turn her loose on the streets again."
"What will happen to her?" Kili couldn't lower his voice as much as Legolas, but he made an obvious effort to speak quieter.
Legolas shrugged. "The normal punishment for a thief is to have a hand cut off - or so I have heard."
Kili's gaze darted towards the human and then back to Legolas. "That seems unreasonably cruel. Doesn't she work?"
"Many humans here are unable to find work. Those that cannot often turn to thievery or other crimes."
Kili looked lost in thought for a moment or two, before he finally spoke. "I can't make any decisions by myself. I'll have to talk to the others." His eyes were beginning to droop, although he made an obvious effort to keep them open.
"You need to rest now," Fili said. "We can discuss what to do in the morning. No one will make any decisions without you."
It was probably a sign of how exhausted Kili was that he didn't even try to argue and simply nodded before laying back down on the table and closing his eyes.
Fili pushed the human back to Legolas and once Legolas had grasped her arm again, he walked over to his pack and removed a blanket, which he settled over Kili.
Chapter Three
"We must travel at speed. You will slow us down."
"I will carry him if I must!"
"My duty lies with the wounded."
"I cannot risk the fate of this quest for the sake of one dwarf - not even my own kin."
"I belong with my brother."
"Kili? Kili!"
Kili jerked awake, surprised to realise his eyes were wet. He blinked a few times and then focused on the concerned face of his brother. Fili was leaning over him, one hand still on his shoulder. "Did I wake you?"
"You were having a nightmare."
"It was just a bad dream. You don't need to worry over it."
"You mean I don't need to worry over you."
"It's my fault you're not in Erebor." Kili looked away, not wanting to make eye contact with his brother and see the disappointment he was sure lingered on Fili's face.
"No one forced me to stay here with you," Fili answered. "I chose to. Because you're my brother and you were wounded. I wasn't going to leave your side."
"You don't have to keep looking after me, Fili," Kili replied. "We're both grown dwarves now. You should have gone to Erebor with Uncle. I would have been healed even if you hadn't been here."
Fili snorted softly. "Do we really need to do this again? The only time I listened to you and left, you were calling out for me only moments later."
"I was a child then."
"You weren't a child when you called me to rescue you from the spider that had you trapped, were you? And you weren't a child only days before we left on this quest, when you ate that poisonous plant and were sick for the whole day and night."
Kili shook his head. If he was honest, he didn't want to drive Fili away. But the voices that had echoed through his nightmare still rang through his mind now. How could his brother see him as anything other than a burden? "Are the others still asleep?"
"Yes - or the elf and Bofur and Oin are. Your human's awake and the elf's been sleeping by the door, so she can't try to escape. Bard and his little ones are upstairs. I assume they're asleep as well."
"You were keeping watch, then?"
"I thought you'd try to sneak out."
"I doubt I would have been able to get past Legolas."
"Tell me you wouldn't have tried."
Kili was silent, deciding not to even bother trying to argue with Fili. That decision to stay silent didn't last for long, though. It never did. "We can leave in the morning."
"We're not going anywhere while you're still weak, Kili."
"I can walk. Uncle told me to come to Erebor when I was healed. And I am. I want to see Erebor." Unable to help it, a slight pleading note slipped into his voice. "We should have been there with them." He wanted to get angry with his brother, but he was too tired to summon up that emotion. He couldn't even bring himself to shrug Fili's hand off when his brother touched his shoulder once more.
Despite the gentleness of Fili's touch, his voice was firm when he spoke. "If you try to get up, I'll just sit on you until you yield."
That startled a laugh out of Kili. "I'm too big for you to sit on any more."
"Are you so sure of that?"
Kili didn't bother making a response to that. He thought about trying to ignore Fili, but he knew his brother would never let him do that for long. "You didn't have to stay with me."
"I thought you might be dying." Fili spoke quietly, an intensity to his voice Kili had rarely heard before. "I wasn't going to go to Erebor and leave you alone. I could see how bad you were."
"I remember you talking to me."
"I was trying to stop you leaving me."
"I think you probably did." Kili continued watching the far wall, feeling oddly awkward, though he wasn't even sure why. After all, he'd had plenty of emotional conversations with Fili before. Kili knew that their mother and uncle often said they were more like twins than anything else, so he probably didn't need to give voice to his thoughts... but he did anyway. "I took strength from you."
"It's just as well I was offering it, then." Fili's voice was flippant enough, but there was an underlying note of seriousness to it as well.
"Do you think Uncle's angry with me?"
"I think that Uncle knew your life was in danger. He told you to stay here. He didn't need to say it the way he did, but I think he was still concerned about you."
Kili just shook his head, not knowing how to put what he was feeling into words. He continued to stare at the far wall, though he could feel himself relaxing as sleep began to overcome him once more. "I don't want to go back to sleep."
"I'm here, Kili. I won't let the nightmares trouble your sleep."
Kili smiled. "You're not a wizard. I don't think you can chase those bad dreams away."
Fili was silent, but a moment later, Kili felt the blanket lifted and another body crawl onto the table with him before the blanket was settled once more over the two of them.
Kili yawned as he relaxed back into the familiar warmth of his brother. "We'll get into trouble if you break the table."
"If we do, we can buy Bard a new one from our share of the treasure. Maybe even a new house," Fili suggested, his voice sounding rougher.
"I'll blame you if I find myself on the floor in the morning." Kili closed his eyes. "What about keeping watch?"
"Bofur's awake. And the elf's by the door. He wouldn't save you just to betray us at the first opportunity."
"Fili..."
"Yes?"
"I think he might be King Thranduil's son." Kili finally gave voice to his suspicions, right before sleep claimed him for the second time.
Chapter Four
Legolas hadn't really been sleeping while the two dwarves - who he assumed were among the youngest from the company - had their conversation. Although Kili had whispered the last words, Legolas had still overheard them. He was aware as Fili climbed onto the table with the other dwarf and settled down behind him. Within moments, Kili's breathing evened out, showing he was truly asleep.
The truth about Legolas' father was going to come out sooner or later - and if he was asked, Legolas knew he couldn't lie. He'd just hoped he would have a chance to prove he could be trusted before he had to explain things.
Letting out a slight sigh, Legolas sat up slowly, focusing on the blond dwarf as Fili gently pulled away from Kili and walked over to him. "How is he?"
Fili shrugged. "Tired and weak. That doesn't stop him from wanting to leave, of course, but at least he's asleep. For now."
"I imagine you'd feel the same if your positions were reversed."
"I expect so." Fili sat down opposite Legolas. "You overheard us."
Legolas nodded, even though it wasn't a question.
"Why did you help him? It's not that I'm not grateful, but you're an elf. We're dwarves. Why would you care?"
"I have a very good friend who I know would expect me to do anything within my power to help someone who was injured, no matter what race he was," Legolas replied. "As soon as I learned about his wound, I knew I couldn't just forget what I'd learned." He hesitated. "I'm glad I was in time."
"I am as well. He's my brother."
Legolas nodded. "I guessed as much. I have a brother as well, but we're not exactly close."
"He was right, wasn't he? King Thranduil is your father."
Legolas shrugged and then nodded. "There seems little use in hiding it."
"Thorin, our leader, is the rightful heir to Erebor," Fili said. "My brother and I are his sister-sons. We are in your debt." He hesitated. "My brother and I will each receive a fourteenth of the share of the treasure for our company. Would you be willing to accept our shares as payment?"
"I have no need for treasure," Legolas answered, though he remembered, with a disturbed feeling, how the light of greed had shone from his father's eyes. "And I would not accept a reward for saving anyone's life, be they dwarf, elf, hobbit, or human."
Fili was silent for several moments before finally speaking. "Will you be in trouble once you return?"
"My father probably believes I'm out on patrol, hunting either spiders or orcs," Legolas replied. "I don't plan on saying or doing anything to dissuade him from that." He hesitated briefly before continuing, "You should rest. I imagine it's been a long time since you were able to do so comfortably."
Fili didn't bother protesting and instead just nodded. Walking over to the table Kili was resting on, he sat next to his brother, letting his head drop lightly onto his folded arms that he rested on the table.
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When Kili woke the next morning, the first thing he noticed was the fact that his mouth was so dry, his lips felt like they were stuck together. It was a great effort to force his mouth open and then wet his lips enough to try and get some words out - if a grunt could count as words.
Kili's eyes were still closed, but he felt a waterskin placed against his mouth. It was depressed and water flooded down his throat, a gush that was so strong, it almost caused him to choke.
"Sorry," a woman's voice said - and the waterskin was pulled away enough to allow him to breathe.
It took another few moments of work to force his eyes to open. Although Kili's mind was awake, his body seemed to think differently. He focused on the face of the human thief as she leaned over him. "Thank you."
"I assumed you needed water - and it is your responsibility that I'm not being held by the authorities."
When the girl made to put the waterskin to his lips again, Kili put a hand on hers to stop her. Carefully sitting up, he took it from her. "I'm feeling much stronger now," he said, before drinking deeply.
Draining the contents of the waterskin, Kili placed it to one side and took a moment to look around Bard's house. He had yet to actually take in anything of the place they'd sheltered in.
There was just the one room where Kili and the rest of the dwarves, as well as the elf and human, were inside. There was a fireplace to one side of the room, above which there was a cooking pot. Kili could also see shelves full of crockery, but there were also many pieces that had been broken on the floor. Kili remembered the orcs attacking and saw the black blood that made it clear it hadn't been a hallucination brought on by delirium.
As he thought of this, Kili became aware of the pain in his hand - a separate throbbing from his leg. When he looked down at his hand, he saw there was a bandage wrapped around the palm.
"You saved my life."
Kili looked at his brother. "I thought maybe I'd dreamed that."
"You didn't," Fili replied. "But maybe next time, you should wield your sword by the hilt and not the blade."
"I'll try to remember that." Kili glanced towards the woman, who'd moved back a step or two. "What's your name?"
"Bliss."
Kili nodded. "I'm Kili - and that's my brother, Fili. The elf over by the door is Legolas. And over there are Oin and Bofur."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Bofur said cheerfully.
Bliss just nodded, but didn't say anything.
At the sound of footsteps, Kili glanced towards the stairs. As Bard came into view, he clambered off the table, relieved that his leg didn't hurt as much now, and bowed to him. "I apologise that none of us thanked you earlier, both for sheltering us and for killing the dragon. When we return to Erebor, my brother and I will see to it that you receive a fitting reward."
"The reward would be better shared among the surviving people of the town," Bard replied. "They are the ones who will need to rebuild what they've lost."
Chapter Five
A silence descended over the room at Bard's words. It was broken by the slightest of sounds - a faint huff of air, but enough to draw Kili's attention briefly back to Bliss. Her expression remained blank, but Kili was certain it had changed only a moment before.
"How many of Laketown's residents would see any of the treasure?" Legolas asked.
"Whoever's responsible for the distribution will have to see to that," Bard replied. "But words are all very well. I've yet to see any of this treasure."
Kili glanced at his brother and saw when the idea occurred to Fili. Instead of replying directly to Bard, Fili spoke to Oin and Bofur. "Kili is not yet fit to travel to Erebor and I won't leave him. But we can send a message with you for our Uncle, requesting payment of our shares to the city of Laketown."
"I could still travel, you know," Kili said, annoyed by the fact that he was still going to miss out on seeing Erebor.
"We've already had this discussion," Fili replied. "I'm not going to repeat the argument with you."
Kili turned his best scowl on his brother, but Fili seemed entirely unperturbed and spoke to Bard. "Do you have a quill and parchment?"
Bard merely nodded and walked over to one of the shelves, where he retrieved a slightly bedraggled quill, an inkwell and a piece of dusty parchment. He gave the items to Fili, who walked over to the table Kili had been resting on and set them out to start writing.
"When should we leave?" Bofur asked Oin, unable to quite contain his excitement.
"After breakfast," Oin answered. "If we're going to climb up the mountain, we need a hearty meal."
"Then that's settled," Fili said. "Once we've eaten breakfast, Oin, you and Bofur will take my message to Uncle. Make sure he knows how urgent it is."
Kili didn't make any comments, but he couldn't help wondering if Thorin truly would be willing to hand over any of the treasure to Laketown's residents - even his own and Fili's shares. He didn't want to admit that out loud, though.
He'd confide his doubts to his brother when they were alone.
"I suppose you want me to feed you," Bard said.
"That's unnecessary," Legolas replied. "I will go hunting for food."
"I'll go with you," Kili offered.
Fili glanced sharply at him. "No you won't."
"I don't need any help." Legolas smiled at Kili, taking any sting out of his words. "I do appreciate your offer, though, and once you're fully healed, I'm sure we could go hunting together on another occasion."
"I'm really not a delicate creature."
"Of course not. You're a dwarf."
"Somehow, that sounds like an insult" Kili muttered.
Legolas shrugged. "It wasn't intended that way, but I can't stop you from assuming that." He stood up, removing his bow from the quiver. "I assume dwarves aren't fussy."
"No green things," Bofur said quickly.
Legolas nodded. "I'll be back soon." He walked swiftly out of the house.
"So... you made friends with an elf," Bofur said brightly to Kili. "I don't imagine Thorin will be happy about that."
"I don't think it's a friendship," Kili replied. "I think he just wants to make sure I don't undo all his hard work in healing me."
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When Legolas stepped back into the house, Kili realised just how hungry he was. Although his brother had forced food on him earlier, he hadn't really had much of an appetite until now, when he saw the bird carcasses the elf carried.
By the time Legolas returned, Bard's children had joined the group. The youngest girl stared at Legolas in wonder, but the older one stepped over to him. "Would you like me to pluck the feathers from those birds?" she asked.
Legolas nodded and handed the birds to her. "There is enough for everyone to eat, even with the appetite dwarves have."
"Hey!" Bofur protested.
"He has a point," Fili said.
"He doesn't have to say it," Bofur muttered.
"At least we're not as bad as hobbits," Kili commented. "I haven't heard of half of the meals Bilbo was talking about. I don't understand how he can eat so much and stay smaller than us dwarves."
"I'm surprised he didn't waste away," Fili said.
"Well, I might have been sneaking him some of my rations," Bofur said, shrugging when Fili and Kili looked at him. "He was hungry."
Kili snorted softly. "You'd better not tell Uncle that. He was already complaining that we didn't have enough rations to go round." Even though the meat wasn't cooked yet, he could still smell it and his stomach growled. He shrugged when Fili glanced over towards him. "I'm obviously hungrier than I realised."
Fili just nodded as he rolled the parchment up and handed it to Oin, before giving the quill and inkwell back to Bard. Oin tucked the message into his belt and then walked over to Bard's daughter, taking out his dagger and cutting the meat into smaller pieces.
Bofur walked over to help Oin and the two dwarves, working quickly together, put the meat into the cooking pot, before Oin dug out some herbs and dried vegetables that the two of them added to the pot.
"I suppose Uncle's dining well in Erebor," Kili commented, unable to quite hold back the bitterness in his voice.
"You will enjoy your time there more if you wait until you're healed before you make the trek up there," Legolas pointed out. "That is, if no more orcs come here."
Remembering the pale orc, Kili glanced at his brother. He wasn't scared, but he knew the story. Balin had told it more than once. Kili didn't know where Azog was when the orcs were attacking them in the lake, but if more orcs came to Laketown, it would likely be too much to hope for that Azog was not among their number.