Epilogue

Fíli received a summons from Óin to meet him in Kíli's chambers. "What is so urgent? I have a Durin's Day feas…"

The cries of his brother hit his ears. He could see his Nadadith writhing in pain as he had a year ago. The fever raged through his body again. He looked to the old healer, his eyes wide.

"I can't explain it Laddy," the old dwarf shook his head, "other than phantom injury."

"What are you saying?" Fíli looked at Óin, not quire believing he'd heard correctly.

"This is the anniversary of the night he nearly died." Óin changed the damp cloth on Kíli's brow.

Mahal...He looked at his brother. "But he was well...the wound is healed." Fíli said with conviction.

Óin shook his head. "Morgul poison, laddy. It's terrible business...a wicked, cursed poison. Very few survive it, and only with Elvish healing. Little is known other than no one is truly cured." Óin bowed his head. "He's been calling for you," he mumbled, quietly withdrawing. "Stay with him. I'll bring a fresh poultice. The old scar is inflamed."

As Óin shuffled away Fíli grabbed his brother's hand. He watched as Kíli arched his back in the throes of some unseen thing that gripped him hard-just like that horrible night one year ago. When it passed, Kíli panted as his glassy eyes wandered half unseeing around the room until he found Fíli. He blinked as he seemed to try and focus as their eyes met.

"Fee..." His grip on Fíli's hand was iron-hard as his body began to tense again.

"Nadadith," Fíli murmured. He wished he could banish his brother's pain. But he knew he couldn't.

Kíli clenched his jaw as he growled in pain, his back arching off the bed again.

Fíli felt as though someone had thrust knife into his heart. "Hush, Kíli," He brushed his hair from his face, "I will stay with you." Whatever this was, he would not leave Kíli to face it alone Oh my Nadadith... first that wraith attack last month, now this.

Kíli calmed at his brother's touch and his breathing eased.

Óin returned with the fresh and pungent poultice. He pulled off the sagging bag of herbs from Kíli's knee, cleaned the swollen scar and applied the fresh poultice.

"Cool..." Kíli sighed with a weak smile, "S'good..."

"Go to Balin for me," Fíli said to Óin. "Ask him to attend the guests—let them know the Prince of Erebor has taken ill and the King sits with him this night."

"Aye, laddy."

"And attend the feast yourself, Óin. I'll stay." His people should celebrate. There was more food out there in the King's Hall than they'd seen all season, thanks to Durin's Day largesse sent by Dáin. And Fíli now had no appetite for it. "Tell me," he asked as Óin cleaned his hands on a cloth, "Will this happen every year?"

The old healer's head bowed and shoulders sagged. "It's a curse. Hard to say. But, you have to know this is sometimes the way of it." He shook his head and sighed heavily. "Call if you need me, Laddy." He gave a respectful nod as he departed to deliver Fíli's message to Balin.

As Óin left, Fíli's heart sank. Bad enough his brother had become quieter as this day approached. It was evident his grief had returned, hiding what little sense of humor that had re-emerged.

But to relive the physical torture as well. What had Kíli done to earn so much pain?

Slowly, Fíli eased himself onto his brother's bed and pulled him close, wishing he could find a way to heal this. Gandalf...He said to himself. Maybe Gandalf would have an answer, if he could be found

He felt Kíli shuddering again with the fever and vowed to try.

"I will do everything I can, Nadadith, to get you free of this."

###

Tauriel had felt Smaug stir as her essence felt it was on fire. She could feel the pull on her bond and Kíli's pain echoed through it. She'd expended too much energy earlier in the year keeping her love alive, that the dragon had no problem flowing through the bond as the curse flared to life.

She cast about for Narithelwen. She could sense their daughter concentrated on the far reaches of Erebor, holding back the evil the dragon had called. At least that protection held. Tauriel let herself be pulled by her bond to Kíli, the same one the dragon exploited through the Morgul curse she now somehow shared with her love.

She arrived after the wraith, and found him trying to possess Kíli through his afflicted scar. It seemed all the dragon could do was cause Kíli pain.

Tauriel smiled to see Fíli comforting his brother. It seemed to give Kíli the strength to push back against Smaug. She tried to force the dragon back to his prison, but found she had no strength to make the dragon leave. She settled for wrapping herself around Kíli as she had when he had given up, acting as a shield in hopes in taking at least some of the pain the wraith inflicted in his stead.

She stayed that way until the morning pulled her and the Smaug back to the lake. She would rest this time and hope she could keep him from much of the pain the dragon wrought next time.

A/N: So this comes to an end. Thank you for everyone that read this all the way through. Please do go read the Erebor 3022 series by Summerald . This story would not exist with out her stories.

Thank you Margaritasc and MiyonzMae for following.

Thank you to Summerald for help in playing in your AU.

I am working on a fanfic not related to this. As soon as I have a sufficient amount of chapters at least in first draft, I'll begin posting it.

Nenithiel