Prologue: Misconceptions
The princes of Erebor had always been as different as night and day, and while it was not abnormal to feel a strong bond amongst family, it was certainly unordinary for two brothers as dissimilar as Fíli and Kíli to get along so extraordinarily well. Those around them would shrug and pin the oddness of it on how their differences complimented one another. Kíli would say that it was because of how patient his older brother was, ever level-headed and easy going. Fíli would rationalize that it was because they'd grown up together, and had learned how to deal with one another. No matter the reasoning, it was undebatable that they were vastly contrary.
Fíli was the oldest, and he was a sturdy, level-headed dwarf. He managed to be quiet without being brooding or shy, and he was incomparably the easiest going of the company. Everything about the dwarf was fair, from his blond hair (an uncommon trait among dwarves) to his blue eyes. He was broad and stout, nearly always standing towards one side or another rather than the center of the group. He was passionate about his home and his family, and endlessly patient with both.
Kíli was the youngest, impulsive and open and curious. He was always one of the loudest, and he preferred to be in large groups at the center of the excitement. The dwarf was indescribably accepting, nearly always the first to trust a stranger regardless of race or age. He was dark haired and dark eyed, as most dwarves were, but his features were far more delicate. He was slimmer and taller than many of the company, but it made him faster and more agile. The prince was easy to love, and loved easily in return.
There were a few common misconceptions that often occurred when others met the Princes of Erebor, the first of which being the assumption that Kíli was the more emotional of the two brothers. While it was true that Kíli expressed emotion often and freely, it would be inaccurate to say that Fíli was less affected than the other. This misapprehension most likely stemmed from the fact that Kíli was simply more expressive than his brother; he tended to wear his heart on his sleeve and his feeling were nearly always plain on his face. Fíli had just as much heart (More so, in some cases, as he could bring himself to care about matters and circumstances, whereas Kíli either cared, or he didn't.) as the younger dwarf, but his restraint gave him the airs of being cool and unemotional. So as it was, things were not necessarily a matter of heart so much as they were of openness.
(If anyone were to ask, Kíli would tell anyone willing to listen just how impassioned Fíli was – his brother was the kindest, most compassionate dwarf Kíli knew, and he would sooner give away his bow than say otherwise. No one ever asked.)
There were other misconceptions that often stemmed from this singular fallacy, a notable few being:
Kíli is the easiest to anger of the two (While sometimes true, it was untrue often enough that it warranted noting, especially should one mistakenly find themselves face-to-face with an angry Fíli.), Fíli would be the one to shut down when hurt (As opposed to outwardly showing heartbreak; it was not that Fíli was the type to cry to others when he was broken down, but that most assumed Kíli was.), and finally, Kíli was less clever than his brother (Perhaps it was a belief that spread because Kíli was more prone to outbursts. Regardless, it was wholly inaccurate, and to underestimate Kíli would be a silly and risky business.).
Mistakes as simple as these were often not just the stem, but the root of multiple problems between the princes themselves and others. It would be a testament to this statement to record multiple of the goings-on that occurred under the mountain once Erebor was finally restored wherein many learned just how dangerous a misconception can be.