The 15th Member

20

My mouth wouldn't stop rattling from the freezing water. "We have to do something."

"There is nothing we can do." Bofur said, "plus your safety is priority right now."

"At this rate we shall all freeze to death." I countered.

"Watch out!" Oin shouted at a boat approaching us.

Then Fíli's face peered over the side, but we weren't greeted with his usual smile.

"Get in, we are leaving for the mountain." He stated flatly.

"But we can't," Bofur said, "Kíli-"

"Is dead." He finished as he looked away.

My heart fell, this couldn't be true, "no, this is a lie."

"I saw it with my own eyes Maecel, now come, it is not safe here."

Bofur climbed upon the pier and then stepped into the boat, he and Fíli pulled Oin into the boat and then it was my turn.

Bofur and Fíli pulled me in and the first thing I saw was Kíli, sweet Kíli, laying in the boat. He looked as if he was sleeping peacefully, but the deep wound in his chest said otherwise.

I began to silently cry and then a pair of arms hugged me and sat me down.

"Do not cry Maecel, for Kíli died in the arms of his love." Fíli said.

I looked up and saw his own tear streaked face, I once thought that nothing could part the two, I guess I was wrong. I hugged him tight and then he picked up a spare set of paddles and all four of us began making our way to the lonely mountain, unsure of what we might find.

. . . . .

"Blessed be," Oin said as he stopped rowing and stood up, "THE GATES ARE OPEN!"

I smiled through my exhaustion, it seemed to take us forever to row here and we had finally made it.

The sun was just beginning to show signs of rising when all of a sudden a loud screech of agony ripped through the silence.

"It's the dragon." I said.

"It sounds in pain." Oin proclaimed excitedly.

"Bard must have indeed shot him like he said he would." I half laughed. "Do you suppose it is over?"

We weren't the only ones to have heard the commotion as the familiar faces of our journey ran out of the front gates of the mountain, we watched happily as they noticed us and we paddled faster.

Soon they were running into the water to greet us and finally we reached them.

We jumped out of the boat and carried it the rest of the way, we wanted to be excited but we had arrived with horrible news to share.

As soon as the boat touched the land everyone around us could see into it.

Kíli's handsome corpse.

Thorin stepped forward and fell to his knees, with shaky hands he reached in and pulled out his nephew.

He held him to his chest like a baby as he stroked his face tenderly, I knew in his eyes Kíli was still just a child, his little nephew that he helped raise like his own. His body rocked with heavy sobs, nobody dare speak as we watched this uncle grieve the loss of his nephew.

Then without warning he stood, he carried him all the way into the mountain without a word to anyone.

I walked over to Fíli and gave him a pat on the back as we entered after Thorin, everyone else followed behind us.