Chapter One

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from Tolkien's works belongs mainly to him.

Author's Note: Well, here's a new one! I really hope you enjoy this. By the way, I'm planning for this story to be a trilogy. One in Kili's point of view, one in Fili's, and the last in Thorin's. What do you think? Please REVIEW at the end! ;)

My name is Kili. I'm one of the nephews of Thorin Oakenshield, brother to Fili, and son of Dis. My grandfather is Thrain and my great-grandfather is Thror. We live in Erebor. Well, now we do. At first we didn't.

At first, our home was Ered Luin, also known as the Blue Mountains, and sometimes I'll stare at pictures of it, missing the gentle streams and small hills. Then I'll realize how lucky we were to have been able to reclaim the kingdom from the dragon Smaug and even survive the Battle of the Five Armies (though it had been a close one).

Fili, Thorin, and I are sons of Durin, something to be proud of. I'm a Prince—but I didn't think so before. Thorin, Fili and I each have a special story to tell everyone. I suppose I'll go first, since Uncle is resting and Fili is training with Dwalin, Thorin's old friend.

My story is mainly during the time when I was about thirty or so. And then I'll just skip many years forward, or else it'll take far too long to tell you this precious tale. For the first few parts, it'll be when I was thirty. For the next parts, it'll be when we set off for the Quest. Ah, the Quest! Another precious tale! I do hope that Uncle will sleep a long time and Fili will train for a while, because it is most definitely a tale worth knowing, my friends. It will only be good if you hear the full tale!

Fili's is probably when we were a bit younger—and got into more mischief. Perhaps he'll skip forward to the Quest too. I'll talk to him about it. And Thorin's? His entire story revolves mainly around the time where we started off with the Quest to reclaim Erebor. But never mind that now. You'll hear from Uncle and Fili later.

Right now, it's my turn.

My story.

It was dark and it was nighttime. The moon was high in the sky and it shone brightly. I trudged along wearily. My boots were muddy and my breeches were wet from falling to the ground over and over again. A sword hung from my belt and I occasionally stumbled on it.

I stopped when I was in front of the house before me. I looked, tipping my head up to peer into the high window. A dark-haired dwarf was pacing, seeming to mutter under his breath as he grumbled. His frown was mighty grumpy. There was a lighter-haired dwarf, but he was sleeping, stretched out on the couch and snoring softly. I let my gaze travel, not moving from the spot where my feet were planted. Dinner was set, now getting cold and I felt slightly guilty.

I'm sorry, Mother, I thought, biting his lip. I didn't mean for this to happen. I groaned silently. Thorin is going to kill me.

My mother was on the russet-coloured armchair, staring absently into the fire with a mug in her hands. I took a deep breath, and breathed a curse before pushing the door open quietly.

The moment I closed the door, footsteps sounded and my uncle appeared through the doorway, glowering and scowling at me. "Kili, where have you been?" he growled.

"Out," I murmured, placing my boots on the old papers next to the door for that exact purpose. "I'm sorry, Uncle. I didn't mean to—"

"'I'm sorry; I didn't mean to; it was an accident'," Thorin imitated in a voice that was fairly similar to mine. "That's all we ever hear from you." He lowered his voice and tugged me closer, breathing, "Do you know how upset your Mother was when you didn't come for dinner in time? She was worried and angry, nephew, and I still reckon she is."

"I'm sorry—" I began again, and then stopped at the exasperated expression on my uncle's face. Shame and anger pierced my heart—shame for letting my Uncle and brother and mother down, and anger at myself for being so foolish again.

"Get cleaned up, and then come downstairs for dinner," Thorin growled. "Hurry, boy, and don't take your time. Your mother's irked enough already."

I turned and fled up the stairs as fast as I could, leaving a pair of muddy boots on the papers.

Once I was clean and dressed in new clothes, I headed downstairs and entered the kitchen. My brother, Fili, was tapping his fingers impatiently on the table, and mother was scowling as Thorin tried to calm her down.

I gulped at the look on her face. My mother, whose name was Dis, stormed up to me and gave me a good, not-so-gentle whack upside my head. I cringed.

"What in Mahal convinced you to stay outside for that long?" my Mother snarled. "You'll catch a cold if you keep doing that!"

My eyes flicked uncertainly toward my uncle, who gave me a look filled with such disappoint that I dropped my head immediately to avoid his gaze.

You've failed him, a sneering voice told me inside my head. Thorin is disappointed in you. He's ashamed that you're his nephew, a dwarf in the line of Durin and that you're failing so miserably! What will he say when he sees your failures? What will he do?

Shut up, I told it, pushing the voice far away. I sat down beside my brother, muttering a quick apology to Mother for worrying her. Thorin gave a nod and I watched Fili eagerly begin to eat, and I felt guilty once more. Thorin had set rules for the house, and Mother agreed with him. One of the rules was: We eat as a family. If one family member is not here, then we shall wait until they come.

Of course, during when uncle was extremely busy, such as when he had to work late at night in the forge, that rule would be canceled. I realized that I was staring at Fili, and quickly bent down to start eating my soup.

Once finished, I waited quietly. Normally I would beg to be excused, and manage to find some kind of distraction would allow me an escape, but tonight I felt that if I asked, I would be pushing my uncle's and my mother's patience too much. I had pushed it enough anyway.

Relieved that everyone was finished, I stood up and began to help clear the table when Thorin called me over.

"Kili."

I turned with a puzzled frown

Thorin gestured ominously toward the stairs and pointed to his study. "Come."

I gulped. The only times Fili and I had visited Thorin's study was to receive a massive scolding, sometimes even a thrashing. But a thrashing from Thorin was rare; it was mostly Mother who did it. But, if we pushed our uncle's patience past the limit, he would be more than eager to teach us a lesson.

He would never abuse us, only tan our deserving hides, but it wasn't the best thing that ever happened to me. I wasn't that eager to get either.

"Yes, Uncle," I manage to croak, and watched him clomp up the stairs, kicking off his boots when Mother yelled at him to do so.

"Good luck, brother," Fili muttered as he bent to retrieve a fork that had 'accidentally' fallen.

"Thanks," I murmured. "I'll need it." I turned away from him, but not before Fili gave me a reassuring look. I felt much better after that, and I thanked Fili silently for his quiet encouragement. I inhaled sharply, and then climbed up the stairs and toward Thorin's study. When I reached it, I knocked quietly but sharply, twice.

"Enter," Thorin's voice called.

I turned the doorknob and stepped inside before closing the door behind me. I looked around. It had been a while since I had been called to his study. Not too many things had changed. The usual stack of papers was on Thorin's desk, and so were some pictures sitting on the bookshelves. Books sat on the shelves as well, but I couldn't read the titles even though Balin had taught me how to read and write.

Reading runes was Fili's thing, not mine.

"Kili?"

I looked at Thorin, and managed a weak smile when Thorin gestured to a chair. I sat nervously, fidgeting with my hands as he rummaged in a bag, muttering softly. What he was holding in his hand shocked me—salve. It was a salve for bruises and cuts; a salve that Thorin had applied many times to Fili and I when we had been younger and foolish and constantly getting into mischief.

He knows. I began to tremble. He knows. He knows what you've done. He knows what happened. Why else would he give you the salve? How else would he know? He knows. And you thought you were so smart, managing to hide them from him and mother and Fili. He knew all this time.

"Kili? Are you all right?"

I managed to swallow and mutter, "Yes, Uncle."

Thorin eyed me suspiciously, but he seemed to push the look away as he crouch down to avoid towering over me. "You can't hide these from me, Kili," Thorin murmured softly, tracing a hardly-healed scar with a gentle finger.

I couldn't help but flinch.

"Oh, my dear little nephew," Thorin murmured again. I looked into his eyes and was relieved to see that there was no disappoint, no shame. Only concern. "Where else are you hurt? Do you have any more bruises or cuts?"

I hesitated to answer, and Thorin took that as a 'yes'. "Would you like me to apply the salve for you?"

"No!" I blurted out. Thorin raised an eyebrow, and I felt myself flush a bit. "No, thank you, Uncle," I said, much more politely. "I can do it myself. Please."

He must have heard the desperation in my voice, for he nodded and handed me the salve, pressing it into the palm of my hand. "If you need any help, come to me," he instructed. Some hardness returned to his eyes as he seemed to brush the little touch of concern and affection away.

"Yes, Uncle."

"You are weak and cowardly!"

I spun around, my sword clutched in my hand so hard that my blood circulation was being cut off. I stiffened as I felt a gust of wind blow past me, and forced myself to relax. Stiffening up would not help.

"You are a coward, Kili!"

I spun again, trying to find the source of the voice. "You are the coward!" I cried. "You are hiding from me!"

"Hiding? Me?" A soft little laugh came, but there was no mirth or happiness in it. Only scorn. "Nay, little coward. I am not hiding. I am behind you."

Then, cold hands grasped me, shaking me, and I screamed and desperately tried to throw my attacker off. "Get off me! Get off me!"

"Kili, wake up! Please!"

My eyes snapped open and I sat up so quickly that bile rose in my throat. It took all of my willpower not to retch. I was drenched in sweat and trembling hard, my breathing ragged and harsh. Fili was staring at me, looking alarmed and worried.

"Kili, you were having a nightmare," Fili said in a hushed tone.

"I know," I muttered shakily. I looked up. "D-Did I wake up uncle o-or M-Mother?" My voice was shaking, and I felt my face flush in embarrassment.

"No," Fili replied. He paused, then asked, "Do you want me to go get one of them?"

"No!" I cried immediately.

Fili raised his hands in a defensive way and I muttered a quick apology for being so harsh. I felt something warm seep through my shirt sleeve, and I looked down. Blood. One of my cuts must have opened again. I moved that hand back as casually as I could, but Fili was my brother and nothing could get past him.

He grabbed my hand, making me wince, and pushed my sleeve up. He gasped. "Kili, what is this? You're bleeding!" He grabbed a towel and pressed it to the cut.

I winced again. "It's nothing," I muttered, swiftly trying to tug my arm away but Fili would not allow me to, much to my frustration.

"Stop that," he scolded instead. He rubbed some salve onto my arm, the same salve that Thorin had given to me. He wrapped the towel around it, wondering out loud, "How did that happen?"

I gulped. "I must have cut it when I thrashed my arms around," I said earnestly. I leaned down on my bed and it creaked. It always did. Fili's was in slightly better condition, but only because we had always jumped on my bed as little dwarflings.

"Perhaps," Fili agreed. He lay down again, closing his eyes and sighing softly. "If you have another nightmare, you can wake me up and I'll let you sneak into my bed." He gave Kili a wry grin. "We'll just tell Uncle that you fell onto my bed."

"As if he would believe that," I said dryly, but I nodded in reply and closed my eyes. "Fili?"

"Mmm?"

"Thanks."

"Anything for you, little brother," Fili murmured drowsily before the first few snores escaped from him.

The wind rattled, making me jump nervously. I glanced around anxiously, so desperately wishing that I was sleeping with Fili, but my pride wouldn't let that happen. Please wake up and invite me to your bed, I begged silently. Please, Fili.

But it didn't happen. Fili was already asleep. I sighed softly and pulled up the covers and furs up to my shoulder, burrowing deeper into them as if they could scare away the darkness that had appeared in my nightmare.

I couldn't help but grin as he remembered Fili's words: We'll just tell Uncle that you fell onto my bed. Thorin didn't like us sleeping together in one bed. As dwarflings, he had allowed us, but the moment I had turned twenty and Fili twenty-five, he had made me a new bed and separated us, saying that they were old enough to sleep alone by now. He had said that attachments would be a strength, but also a weakness on the battlefield.

The last thought that appeared in my head was, I wonder if Uncle Thorin sleeps with Mother, before I fell asleep. A troubled sigh escaped me as I slept, my nightmares charging into my dreams once more.

End of Chapter One

Author's Note: How was that? Was that good? Hope you enjoyed, please REVIEW!