"Fili, take your brother. Scout out the towers. Keep low and out of sight," Thorin commanded. "If you see something, report back, do not engage. Do you understand?"
The two brothers nodded in understanding but their eyes flickered with the slightest bit of fear. My heartbeat quickened. I couldn't let Kili out of my sight, it was too dangerous. I needed to stay close to him.
I began to follow Kili and Fili. "I'll go with them," I finalized to Thorin.
He grabbed my arm, stopping me in my tracks. "No," he said sternly. "We need you and your blade here if Azog returns."
I opened my mouth to protest but I was distracted when I felt Kili's fingers interlink with mine. He took a step closer to me and quickly pressed a hard kiss to my lips. I kissed him back, pulling him tight to me.
He pulled away and gave my hand a squeeze. "I will return to you," he whispered. His watery eyes glistened.
I took a deep breath. "Be safe." My words shook as they exited my mouth.
He nodded and pushed his lips together to form a smile, attempting to settle my worrying. "Always."
They turned and started towards the crumbling, stone tower. My heart burned as I watched him leave me and disappear within the stone passages. Normally I would've adored that kiss, but it felt different. It felt like goodbye.
_______
Several moments of silence had passed. The pace of my heart didn't slow at all. If anything, it picked up every time a dreadful second ticked away. I tried to slow my breathing but it was useless.
"Where is that orc filth?" Dwalin muttered impatiently.
I heard footsteps approaching as, panted breaths followed. I swiftly stood to my feet and unsheathed my sword, directing it at the direction the noise came.
"Thorin!" The voice cried. "Adina!"
I then recognized the voice. "Bilbo?"
Bilbo stumbled out of a tunnel. "You have to leave here. Now!" He pleaded through breaths. "Azog has another army, attacking from the north. This watchtower will be completely surrounded, there'll be no way out!"
"We are so close. That Orc scum is in there. I say we push on," Dwalin stated.
"No! That's what he wants," Thorin snapped back. "He wants to draw us in. This is a trap." His eyes widened with horror. "Find Fili and Kili, call them back."
Dwalin placed a hand on Thorin shoulder. "Thorin, are you sure about this?"
"Do it. We live to fight another day."
"I'll retrieve them," I called back to them, already making my way to where the brothers disappeared.
Above me, I heard a noise come up from the towers, followed by slurs of orcish. My heart stopped as I slowly raised my head, frightened by what my eyes may find.
There, at the top of the tower, stood Azog with dozens of orcs surrounding him. His arm stretched over the edge and in his grasp, he dangled Fili by his throat. Fili tried to pry away his grip but he was just too weak to do so.
My emotions began to flood my conscience. My heart pounded through my chest as my hands shook anxiously. "No," I whispered in disbelief. This couldn't be happening.
Azog raised his sword in the air. He spat out a string of words, that I still couldn't understand, to Thorin. Thorin's eyes widened and his jaw clenched.
I watched in horror as Azog ran his blade through Fili's back. Fili gasped for a final breath of sharp, cold air before his eyes rolled to the back of his head. My heart plummeted to my gut as Azog cold bloodily tossed Fili's body to the ground. I could feel the tears begin to stream down my face, burning my cold cheeks. My eyes followed his body till it hit the ground, right at Kili's feet.
Kili staggered back against the stone wall with look of terror. His eyes immediately grew dark with revenge while his entire body stiffened with hate. He bolted out from under the archway and raced up the steps after Azog.
"Kili!" I called out after him, watching him disappear from my sight once again. Without a second thought, I chased after him. Not for one moment did I care of what dangers he was leading me into. All I cared about was that he was safe.
I followed him up two flights of stairs and into tunnels that moved throughout the towers. Panic set deep within me. I frantically looked down every hall, scanned every rampart for any sign of Kili. I heard blades clashing above me. I rushed towards the sounds but before I could make it to the stairs to exit the tunnels, a sword came crashing down over my head. I pressed my body to the wall to dodge the swing, letting the blade carry the orc forward. In the split second the orc was caught off guard, I drove my blade through its back.
I scrambled up the stairs trying to regain myself. All of a sudden I felt my feet being pulled out from under me. My chest smacked against the stone walls. I could hear my ribs cracking at the impact. I winced at the pain but quickly gathered myself and kicked to orc in the jaw. My hands frantically searched for my sword. Once I felt the cool steel, I swung and slashed its throat. I leapt down from the stairs onto the back of another, sinking my blade into the orc's skull. I sprawled onto the ground after falling off the shoulders of the corpse. A stinging pain inflicted my arm as I felt an orc's sword slash through it. I gripped my last dagger that was wedged inside my boot and whipped my body around to face the beast. I flicked my wrist forward, splitting the dagger through the air to collide in between the eyes of the orc. The final orc fell to the ground.
I desperately grabbed my sword and retrieved my dagger. I sprinted up the stairs, trying to catch my breath the best I could. I finally reached the top, trying to find my way to Kili.
"Kili!" I screamed, my voice echoing through the icy air.
I searched over the towers. It didn't take me long to find him and his sword fending off Bolg. I raced to the two as fast as my feet could carry me, pounding over the ice.
Kili jumped and pushed off the stone wall to smash his sword into Bolg's leg. I was so close, now able to see the brown in his troubled, heartbroken eyes. Bolg boomed out a groan, grabbed Kili by his throat and raised his spear over Kili's chest.
"NOOO!!" I shrieked. I jumped from the stone ledge onto Bolg's back. With one swift movement, I sliced my sword deep into Bolg's throat, but I was too late. Bolg had already sunk his spear deep into Kili's chest. I found Kili's golden eyes as he gazed up to me with a tear streaming down his pale cheek. My breath escaped me. My heart stopped and fell to the ground. I felt my entire body go numb. Bolg's body began to tilt backward. I pushed myself off before I went down with him.
I frantically crawled to Kili's side. "No. No. No," I muttered to myself. I cupped my trembling hand around his face. "Y-You're o-okay. I'll go get Oin or-or the elves. They will know just what to do," I stuttered.
Kili reached up and grabbed my hands. "Adina," he whispered. His eyes had turned a light shade of grey. All of his expressions and movements were weak.
"No, no, shhh. Don't speak. You need to save yourself while I fetch someone."
His grip tightened. "Stay."
Tears were now streaming down my face. I took out the Rune Stone and gently placed it in his palm and squeezed it into his hand. "You have to keep your promise."
"Hey...we still found each other after running into fire, but now...you need it more then I." With all the energy he had left, he pushed the stone back to me. He lifted his other hand up to mine. "I made you something." He dropped a small gold bead into my hands. "Adina Fallonhide, will you be courted to me?"
I studied the bead for a moment, noticing every small yet important detail of its creation. I clasped my hand over it. "Yes, Kili." I sobbed and nodded my head. "Of course."
A faint, broken smile curled over his lips. "Good," was all he could manage to say.
"You're fading from me." The words shook as I spoke.
"At least I go with one last look upon my first and last love." With those final words, the eyes I had fallen so deeply for fluttered to a close. His breaths slowed to a stop but I could still see the faint smile that had now been engraved onto his lips. At that moment I felt like I had lost the most important part of me and at that very moment, my heart shattered to millions of irreparable pieces.
I leaned down and pressed a soft kissed to his cold lips. "I love you." I watched one of my tears drip down and land on Kili's face. I brushed it away. "For as long as the stars shine bright in the sky."
All the pain and tears I had been holding back flowed out in a river of sobs. I slowly lowered myself and rested my head on Kili's chest.
"You were my next adventure." I clutched his cloak, burying my damp face into it. Footsteps approached me but I didn't care enough to look. If it was an orc, it might as well kill me for all I cared. Strong arms pulled me close to them.
"I've got you, lass," the low voice said. The voice belonged to Dwalin. He scooped me up and lifted me so that I was cradled in his arms. I tried to push away, trying to get back to Kili. I couldn't just leave him, but Dwalin was too strong. "It's okay, lass. He is at peace."
_______
After what felt like hours of anguish and heart wrenching pain, Dwalin lowered my feet to the ground. I stood weakly, my body ready to crumble any minute. I tried to pull myself out of my daze and noticed that the rest of the company was gathered around a body. Who could've possible been taken from us now?
I stumbled to my feet and managed to join the crowd. I looked down to the body and found the face of Thorin Oakenshield. I kneeled next to Bilbo, who was sobbing over Thorin. I didn't even know what to feel at that point. I was in so much shock that it all felt impossible. I needed to wake up from this bloody nightmare.
I brushed his dark hair away from his face. "Not you too," I breathed. My eyes and chest burned, but I had no tears left to cry. I was left with heartache and sorrow, staring down at his lifeless figure.
I wrapped my hand around Bilbo. He shoved his face into my arms. I rested my head on his shoulders, holding him tight.
"Never leave me, Adina. I can't bare the feeling of this," he gasped through sobs. "Never. Never again."
I clenched my jaw and forced out two words. "I promise."
We sat there for several moments in each other's arms, shivering on the ice. The company surrounded us, sharing their own moments of grief. The Defiler may be dead and we may have won the war, but it didn't feel like it. Pride and gratitude didn't follow. I had lost everything. Erebor was saved... but the Sons of Durin had fallen.