His Amorem

Falling Through The Floor

The collision was painful, but nothing was broken and they were left on the safety of a ledge with the rest of their half of the company. Shivering in his arms, Keerla pressed a quick kiss to Kili's lips and rolled off of him.

"Kili!" Thorin and Fili yelled as they appeared on the ledge, followed by the rest of the company.

"We're all right! We're alive!" Balin called over the wind as he and the others got up.

Bifur and Nori helped Bombur up as Fili ploughed into his younger brother. Keerla almost thought he'd never let go until the blonde grabbed her in a crushing embrace.

"Where's Bilbo? Where's the Hobbit?" Bofur yelled, causing the group to panic.

"There!" Ori exclaimed and Keerla followed his finger to the edge of the cliff where Bilbo hung on.

"Get him!" Dwalin ordered but as Ori dived for him, the hobbit's fingers slipped.

"No!" Keerla cried, but luckily, Bilbo caught hold of the rock just a couple of feet lower than the ledge.

Dori, Nori and Ori all failed to reach him, and Kili held tight to Keerla as he watched his uncle jump off the cliff. Thorin grabbed tight to Bilbo and threw him into the arms of the others, only the weight had caused him to lose his grip. Before he could fall, Dwalin grabbed him and hauled him back up.

"I thought we'd lost our burglar," Dwalin then said, low enough for only a few to hear him.

Irritated, Thorin snapped, "He's been lost ever since he left home. He should never have come. He has no place amongst us." He took a few steps away and turned back, "Dwalin!"

The two of them wandered into the cliff side to get a look at the cave that had been revealed. Keerla grasped tightly to Kili's hand, a sad look in her eye as she watched Bilbo, before turning her attention to her dwarf prince. He was examining her, making sure nothing was out of place before he tugged her after Fili and the others, into the cave.

"There's nothing here," Dwalin announced as they filtered in and Gloin dropped a bundle of word, rubbing his hands together.

"Right then! Let's get a fire started," he said.

"No, No fires, not in this place," Thorin said, glancing around.

He met Keerla's eyes briefly and she tried to smile at him. When she looked away, he noticed she was still shaking slightly from the near death experience, he also noticed her death grip on Kili's hand, the fingers of her other one curled into his shirt. Was she that scared?

"Get some sleep. We start at first light."

Behind him, Balin spoke up, "We were to wait in the mountains until Gandalf joined us. That was the plan."

"Plans change," Thorin muttered, then turned to look over his shoulder, "Bofur, take the first watch."

They didn't bother with eating; just got their bed rolls and blankets sorted and settled down for the night. Keerla sat on her cloak and watched as one by one they fell asleep until only she, Kili, and Bofur were awake. Bilbo pretended to sleep, but she knew he was more in thought that anything, and while Thorin had his back to her, she could see his breathing wasn't regulated.

"Are you feeling better?" Kili murmured in a soft voice that wouldn't be heard by anyone other than her.

"Yes," she replied, also very quiet, "Thank you."

"Anytime," he gave a silent laugh, and then cupped her cheek in his hand, "I would sooner have fallen myself than let you go."

"Kili we've not been together more than two months. And I'd never ask you to give up life for me."

"But i have loved you more than twenty years," he retorted, making her blush, "I love it when you blush," he kissed her check, "I love it when you smile," he kissed the tip of her nose, "And i love it when you look at me with those eyes, because i know you love me too."

She smiled as he kissed her lips, placing her own hands against his chest. She could feel how warm he was, how fast his heart was going and it only made her kiss him harder. Minutes turned to hours; they stopped kissing to breathe, and occasionally talked quietly before enjoying another kiss, or brushing their fingers against the skin of the other. Eventually, she encouraged Kili to get some sleep, and even lay down in his arms to try herself.

Before she could succumb to dreams however, she was startled out of her haze by Bilbo's footsteps heading toward the exit. She rolled to peer over Kili's shoulder and watched Bofur approach him. She bit her lip, worrying that Thorin had destroyed the hobbit's confidence.

"Where do you think you're going?" Bofur asked in a whisper.

"Back to Rivendell," came Bilbo's reply, and in the corner Keerla saw Thorin shift to try and hear them better.

She silently moved out of Kili's arms and sat up, just in case Thorin turned and saw them. They were still getting used to being together; they didn't need everyone knowing just yet. And she wasn't sure how well Thorin would take the news.

"No, no, you can't turn back now; you're part of the Company. You're one of us."

"I'm not though, am I?" Bilbo's voice was sad and Keerla frowned, "Thorin said I should never have come, and he was right. I'm not a Took, I'm a Baggins, I don't know what I was thinking. I should never have run out my door."

"You're homesick; I understand," Bofur tried to reason.

"No, you don't, you don't understand! None of you do - you're dwarves. You used to - to this life, to living on the road, never settling in one place, not belonging anywhere."

Keerla's eyes widened, and she looked worriedly to Bofur who had tensed, obviously offended. Bilbo seemed to realise as his face turned guilty.

"I am sorry, I didn't-"

"No, you're right," Bofur sounded close to tears as he turned and looked at the others, his eyes meeting Keerla's for a second, then turned back to Bilbo, "We don't belong anywhere. I wish you all the luck in the world. I really do."

He clapped the hobbit on the shoulder and Bilbo turned, only for Bofur to call him back, staring at the blue light emanating from his sword.

"What's that?"

Bilbo pulled his sword, and a look of horror crossed his face. Keerla's eyes widened as she remembered the specialty of the blade. Cracks formed in the sandy cave floor and Thorin sat up, watching them as well.

"Get up!" she yelled and slammed her hands on Kili and Fili's shoulders, "Get up, you fools!"

"Wake up. Wake up!" Thorin yelled, as the company stared to rise.

There was no time to react, in fact there was barely even time to scream as the cave floor collapsed, tipping them down into a tunnel. They hit the rocky ground hard but since it was at a steep slope, they slid down even further. There were sharp turns and twists and Keerla yelled in pain as she hit her shoulder against the side. The others fared no better and it would be a miracle if they all got out in one piece.

"Keerla!" Kili yelled, reaching out.

He managed to grab her hand and pulled her close just in time for them to fall from the edge of the chute into a basket-like cage that had been waiting for them. Keerla groaned as he landed on top of her, their arms bent at an awkward angle between them. It was made even worse when Bombur tumbled down on top of them.

"Are you okay?" Kili asked breathlessly, his eyes searching hers for the answer.

"Sort of," she groaned, "You on top i can deal with, Bombur not so much."

"Well next time i'm on top i can assure you Bombur will not be there," he grinned, making her laugh.

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