"No."

"Please Fili, pleaaaase."

"No. No. No. You are too young to go Kili, Mama agrees with that too." Fili looked down and his little brother who threaten once again to cry. He had already done that several times over the last few days when he had found out his older brother was getting to go on an overnight camping trip without him. Fili loved his little brother, but Kili could still hardly make it through the night without crawling into his bed after a nightmare about orcs, trolls or goblins. In other words he was an embarrassing baby still, and babies would not impress the older cooler boys on the camping trip. His mother already worried about him sleeping out in the woods anyways, and was more than happy to keep her youngest tucked up safe at home in the Blue Mountains.

Kili stomped his foot in annoyance before stalking out of their room. Fili sighed and finished the last adjustments to his pack before heading out of his room towards the front door where his mother was waiting to send him off.

"Have a wonderful time sweetheart" she said as she gently kissed him on the cheek. "Don't worry about Kili, we'll have a great time together." Fili could see his little brother glowering at him from under a table in the hall, but chose to ignore him and waved to his mother on the way out the door.

Kili stalked angrily back to his room. His mother had told him that he would be grown up enough in a few years to go on trips outside too, but it wasn't fair, he wanted to go now! He wanted an adventure, just like the type his Uncle told him about while they all sat in front of the fire in the evenings. Kili was sure he was old enough to go; his mother was just being overprotective. He would show them he was grown up. He grabbed his jacket and boots from the closet and quietly slipped out the window above his bed.

Fili happily trudged along the trail. While dwarfs loved to tunnel through deep rock it was nice to be outside in the forest every once in a while soaking up the sunshine. He felt very mature out in the big world with no adults around. His company happily chattered on about nothing in particular and Fili enjoyed the change from his regular life.

Kili trailed behind a ways behind the other boys. They were rough and loud, and failed to notice the small dwarfling stalking a couple hundred meters behind them. Kili wanted desperately to call to the other group to stop and rest for awhile, but he didn't want to make his presence known until it was too late in the day to send him back. His legs were getting tired already; he normally had no problem keeping up with Fili, as his brother was happy to slow down to accommodate his short legs. Fili didn't realize he was behind him though now, so his strides were long and fast.

There was a bunch of blowdown trees across the trail now and it slowed him way down as he had to work very hard to scramble over the waist high logs. Out of breath he stopped to rest on top of a large log. He suddenly realized he couldn't hear the boys voices anymore, he was alone with nothing but the sounds of the wild forest.

"He's gone!" Dis screamed.

"What?"

"Kili! I thought he was sulking in his room the last few hours, but he's not there, I can't find him, he's gone!"

Thorin felt his blood run cold. His youngest nephew was only 4 years old and barely reached his knee still. The thought of him off by himself anywhere was frightening.

"Don't worry Dis, I'm sure he is just hiding in the forges. We will find him within the hour." He gave her a weak smile, not fully believing the words that had just exited his own mouth. Kili was a wild child, and could be rash and impulsive at times. If he had got it in his mind that he wasn't going to be left behind, then he was certain to stubbornly follow that notion.

Kili felt very alone and small standing out here in the middle of the forest. After he had lost track of the older boys he had tried to take a shortcut to catch up, which had only resulted in him being hopelessly lost. He could see no trail and had no idea anymore which way he would want to be heading. He suddenly felt foolish for not bringing any food along with him as his stomach complained loudly to him.

Him and Fili often found themselves in tight jams, but his brother was always the one to think of a fix to get them out. Kili could think of nothing better to do than sit down on a log and cry.

The fear Thorin had felt before had quickly escalated and now was a hard knot in his gut. His nephew was nowhere to be found inside the bounds of their settlement. Him and every available man were prepping to head out and look for him. While they had managed to make their new home in the Blue Mountains relatively safe, Thorin could think of an endless amount of dangers that could befall a tiny dwarfling out in the big wide world. He felt his stomach churn even more at the thought.

No, he couldn't bear the thought of losing another one of his kin, he had to find his nephew safe and sound. His poor sister was already beside herself with worry, losing one of her precious sons at such a young age would destroy her.

Kili was miserable now. He had fallen in the creek when trying to get a drink, and was soaking wet and freezing cold. The sun was setting on the horizon now, and the air was picking up a chill. His teeth chattered violently.

He had given up all hope of finding a way home. Kili never went very far from his house, and on the rare occasion he did someone else was always leading the way. "Kili!" he heard a voice shout in the distance. He wanted so badly to run to it, but he did not recognize it. What if it was a orc tricking him? He curled up further into a ball in the crook of a tree and eventually fell into a fretful slumber, waking up numerous times during the night to strange noises in dark.

There was still no sign of his little nephew. It was dark now and the search had been abandoned for the night. Thorin lingered for a long time taking care of his pony, dreading having to face the wrath of his sister. "Coward" he muttered under his breath to himself before forcing himself to enter his sister's house. Normally it was abuzz with activity, heavenly food, songs, and his nephews who loved to run him over the second he got through the door. The house was eerily quiet now though. There were no two little boys to run and greet him, only his sister who watched him from down the hall with puffy eyes, messy hair and a tear stained face.

Fili was having a great time with his friends sitting around the campfire. Most of the time he only got to hang out with his brother, so it was nice to talk about more grown up topics such as weapons training. He did have to say he missed having his little shadow around though. Around Kili Fili could be just be himself, everything he did and said impressed his little brother. Here he felt he constantly had to try to impress the others and he was finding it a bit tiring.

Kili awoke at first light, every single part of him feeling stiff and sore. His head was foggy and if he had eaten anything recently, he most likely would have thrown it up. He had been so mad at the thought of having to stay home with his mother last night, but now he wished so badly to be home in his bed with her gently stroking his hair the way she always did. The thought of how much better that situation was compared to the one he was currently in made it weep again with despair.

Thorin stumbled upon the group of boys heading back to the village early the next morning.

"Fili! Have you seen Kili?"

"No, I haven't seen him since I left."

"He has been missing since then, he is not in the village, your mother is worried sick."

"Missing all night?" Fili heard his voice squeak out. His brother could barely tie his own shoes, the thought of his little brother off by himself was terrifying.

"I will help you look."

"No, go home and see your mother. I'm not in the mood to debate anything."

And with that his uncle took off on his pony into the woods. Fili felt like he might crumple into a million pieces right there on the trail. One of the other boys mentioned something about stupid younger siblings and the others laughed. Fili's ears were buzzing though and he tuned their hurtful words out while his heart caught in his throat. All he could think about was his baby brother out there trying to fend for himself. Kili was the sweetest little thing, who loved nothing more than to give sloppy wet kisses, and would take any opportunity to curl up in your arms and give you a hug. Kili had never hurt a fly, he certainly didn't have any sort of skill set to survive by himself. The idea that he had most likely spent the cold night alone in the woods made Fili want to scream at the unfairness of it. With that thought he turned on his heels back away from home.

"Where are you going?" One of his friends cried. "Your Uncle said to go home."

"I'm looking for my brother, tell my Mom I'm alright."

Fili felt sure he could find Kili. He knew him better than anyone else, and he couldn't just sit around at home waiting for bad news.

Fili started tracing his steps back up the trail towards where they had camped the previous night, trying to look for any sign of his brother. He tried think like his little brother would, but he found it hard to follow Kili's scattered thoughts even when he was standing right beside him, a whole day later it was nearly impossible. Kili was a wonderful free spirit who loved to live in the moment, any small little thing could have sidetracked him. That was if something more sinister hadn't happened to him...

Fili shook that thought out of his head quickly, it was too horrible to think of.

Kili was so thirsty, he had tried to stand before though and his legs had promptly turned to jelly. So there he sat, in a frustrated heap at the base of the old tree.

He was certain at least his uncle would be looking for him by now. How long would it take to find him though? Kili had no idea of how far he was from home. It felt like he had wandered in circles forever, but who knows where he had ended up?

Fili eventually left the trail and followed the small creek that crossed it at one point. His brother loved water. Fili was forever pulling him back from the waters edge as Kili leaned other looking for frogs, insects and other little creatures.

"Kili!" he yelled for the thousandth time that day.

Kili's ears perked up to a familiar voice in the distance yelling his name over and over. The world had gone a bit hazy, but he was almost certain it was who he thought it was. Sure enough before long he saw a very familiar blond dwarf drifting frantically along the creek bank off in the distance. Kili's throat was tight from a lack of water but he managed to squawk out a sad cry. Fili searched around frantically for the source of the yelp and quickly spotted the huddle mass of his brother by a nearby tree.

"Kili! Kili!" Fili screamed as he gathered his little brother into his arms. He could feel that poor little Kili was soaked to the bone and he trembled from the cold and fear in his arms.

"I have to put you down Kili, I need to start a fire and dry your clothes off."

"NO! Don't leave me!" Kili cried, tightening his grip on his brothers collar.

"I'm not leaving you, I just need to put you down for a second."

Kili eventually relented and Fili got to work on the fire. Kili curled up beside him soaking up the glorious warmth.

"Do you think you can walk Kili?"

Kili gave a mumbled "no" and shook his head.

Fili sighed. They were almost half a days walk from home still over somewhat rough terrain. He remembered 4 years ago he used to be able to fit his brother perfectly in the crook of his arm. Now it was like carrying around a sack of potatoes. Kili was in dire need of a proper meal and a good sleep and that was only possible back home. He carefully gathered his little brother into his arms and started walking.

Thorin was extremely worried by this point, it was late afternoon on the second day his youngest nephew was missing. Anxious eyes scanned the forest for any sign of the little dwarf. He had already heard gossip in town that morning before leaving that some dwarfs didn't even think the little one could have survived the cool fall night on his own. Dis has searched his closet and discovered that he had only taken a light jacket with him, which only lead to more stress and worry from her.

Thorin gave a large brooding sigh. He was at a loss at what else to do besides trudging in circles around the forest. His heart ached at the prospect at returning to his sister another night without her baby. A branch cracked behind him and Thorin wheeled around on high alert, expecting danger. It wasn't an orc or warg though, it was one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen in his life.

"UNCLE THORIN" the two little voices squealed at the same time.

"Dear boys" Thorin gasped as he gathered the two in his arms. He could feel his eyes misting up and the sense of relief flood other him. He drew back from the hug after a minute to get a better look at them. Fili looked his usual self, Kili looked a little worse for wear though. His bleary eyes looked tired and his brow felt a bit feverish. Thorin swung Fili onto the front of his saddle before placing his brother securely in his arms in front of him. He then shrugged off his large fur coat and wrapped it around their two small bodies. The three of them shared a smile before Thorin swung into the saddle behind them and they headed for home.

The look for relief and joy on Dis's face when the trio rode up was unmistakable. She gathered her boys in her arms and showered little Kili with kisses. He folded into her arms and held on like his life depended on it. Thorin had worn a scowl for most of his adult life but he couldn't help grinning like a fool witnessing the happy reunion.

Later that night after a warm bath, fresh clothes, and a hearty meal the four of them sat curled around the fire in the living room. Fili had his arm around Kili as the two were dozing buried under a mound of furs in the large armchair. Kili was a little snuffly, but knowing him would bounce to normal soon enough. Dis was kneeled on the floor beside them humming a soft lullaby and stroking their hair.

Thorin couldn't help but let another smile cross his lips. He had experienced so much loss in his life, but sitting here gazing around at his family he had never felt more content. Although Erebor was long lost, he felt very at home for once.