Author's Note: I'm back with some more Fili and Kili, guys! I can't help it; I just can't stay away. I'm hopelessly fascinated with them, especially, I have found, with their childhoods. So here we go! This happens when they are both relatively small. Fili might be the human equivalent of eight and Kili six. (They are actually five years apart, according to Tolkien, but we all know dwarves age differently.) And as a rare treat for you guys, this one is actually angst-free, though not without a share of adventure. ;) Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: Fili and Kili do not belong to me. *bursts into tears*
The roar of his heart in his ears deafened him. The snorfling, sloppy breaths of the pursuing beast were drawing nearer though, he knew. And with them, the hot, red and black mouth and the large, clawed paws.
He forced his legs to put on another burst of speed. His chest felt like it might explode at the rate he was gasping in air. The combined oxygen and adrenaline made his body tingle with wild exhilaration.
"Keep running, Ki! Faster! The warg will get you!"
Fili fell back a little to cover his little brother, whose shorter legs couldn't carry him as fast. It wasn't for lack of effort, though. The big brown eyes were huge with terror.
"We're gonna die!" Kili wailed, "He's gonna eat us, Fili!"
"Only if he catches us," Fili gasped, "There's the house!"
The welcome shelter was just ahead; Fili stumbled over a root but quickly recovered. They fled out of the trees, across the short expanse of bare packed earth and weedy, stalky grass. The seeding stems stung as they whipped against his already burning legs, but in the charged static of panic, it was reassuring. It meant he'd not slowed up as much as it felt like he had.
It took far too long to open the door.
He felt Kili slam up against him, and then his brother started bouncing up and down, chanting feverishly, "hurry, oh, hurry, oh, hurry!" Fili glanced behind him; a blur of fur was streaking across the cleared yard. He turned back to the door, hands shaking desperately. It swung open and the boys tumbled inside, landing on the floor, one on top of the other. Fili felt his breath driven from his body as Kili's elbow rammed into his ribs.
He struggled to his feet and turned to close the door, queasy with the unpleasant feeling of a fish stranded out of water. The warg leaped, it's amber eyes gleaming…forget bolting the door. Fili had to plan to stick around that long. He flung the door hard, not waiting to see if it closed before he turned to…where was Kili?
A dark head popped up from behind the drying rack near the wood furnace in the corner. Fili dove behind it. They heard the collision of the pursuer's face with the door. Kili's eyes were shining with delirious excitement.
"He's coming inside!"
"Shhh!"
The boys held their breath. Growls. Snorts. The creak of the door being pushed in on it's hinges. Fili sucked in his breath but immediately two small hands were clapped over his mouth. He pulled Kili's hands off his face and held them in both of his. It was hard to hear over the thunder of his own heart, but they sat frozen, barely daring to breathe. Listening.
Heavy panting. A wet, clicking sound. Fili could see it as clearly as if he was watching, the large tongue flicking out over dripping jaws, the yellow and white teeth snapping once in anticipation. And then the hoarse scrape of dirt-caked nails on the wood as their hunter walked slowly across the floor. Directly toward their hiding place.
"Kili," Fili breathed in his brother's ear. The beast's steps paused. "When I say run-"
Without warning, they were face to face with the great creature. Both boys yelled in fright.
"RUN!"
Fili dragged Kili out from the rack and down the hall as the warg lunged forward, knocking the drying rack over completely and sending all the damp clothes into the floor.
Fili set his sights for the end of the hall. If they could get to the kitchen, maybe they could run out the front door and trap the animal inside…
His plan was interrupted by an earth-shattering scream. He skidded to a stop and whirled to see the younger dwarf on his back, arms crossed over his face to shield it, trying to push the attacker off with is feet. Shrieks rent the air.
Fili's heart leapt into his throat. He grabbed the coat-stand nearby with one white-knuckled hand and reached toward his brother with the other.
"Kili, noooooooooooooooo!"
Suddenly he was aware of the wooden sword stuck in the back of his shirt. He reached behind his head and yanked at it, frustrated by the awkwardness and slowness of the motion. It was snagged. He abandoned the attempt and charged at the beast.
He collided with the snarling mass of fir, barreling directly into it's ribcage, and knocked it over onto it's side, off of his brother. Kili didn't stop shrieking, and now Fili had his arms around the neck of the animal and was holding on for dear life as it turned back to Kili, nudging him roughly with his nose and pawing him insistently.
"Boys!"
Dis stood in the nearest doorway, her eyes wide, one hand over her heart. It took her a moment to take the scene in. A large, shaggy, black and white dog hopping excitedly over her youngest son, it's long tail sweeping from side to side. It seemed to have a great interest in his pockets. Fili was pulling at the dog, his face red and sweaty, but split in a wide grin. Kili's death-shrieks had dissolved into helpless giggles as he tried to get up and was pushed down again by the dog.
Dis felt relief wash over her, and with it no small amount of exasperation.
"Fili, why on earth is this mongrel in my house?"
Fili stood up, straightening his tunic and looking rather shame-faced. He opened his mouth to answer, but Kili cut in, excitedly.
"We were in the hollow and a dog jumped out at us and Fili said he was a warg and he was trying to eat us. So we runned and runned, and we got to the house. And we hided and he comed in anyway, and chased us down the hall, and- hey! That's mine!"
The dog had found a strip of dried beef in one of Kili's pockets, and was attempting to tug it free. Dis struggled to hide a smile behind her stern expression.
"He followed you home?" Dis asked, drying her hands on her skirt and resting them on her hips. They were still wet from the washing.
Fili nodded.
"He's really friendly, see? We were just playin'."
He looked back toward the dog, which was once again tackling Kili on the floor while his little brother squirmed and laughed. The importance of their discovery was suddenly dawning on him. He slowly turned back to his mother, and Dis could guess the next words from his mouth before he'd even drawn breath for them.
"Amad? Can we keep him?"
Kili gasped and bounced up off the floor.
"Yes, Amad, please? Pleeeeeaaase? He'll be good!"
"Yes, and I'll take care of him-"
"And he can sleep in our room-"
"And he'd guard the house for you, Amad-"
"And he never knock over the washing again!"
Dis eyes narrowed suddenly, and Fili glared at Kili.
"He won't do what again?"
"It was my fault, mamma," Fili said, quickly. "It was my idea to play the game, and we got him excited."
She pressed her lips together.
"I'm less worried about whether the dog will behave and more worried about whether you two will."
Fili looked suitably chastened.
She stared at them, arms crossed. The eager little faces looked up at her, expectantly. It was hard enough raising two wild little bairns on her own. A stray dog would be another mouth to feed, another responsibility. But Thorin was often away for long periods of time, managing what was left of his duties as King to a scattered people. Her little family hadn't seen him for two months. It would be a relief on her mind to have a formidable animal about the house. It was as big as a large goat, and much more muscled.
The dog nuzzled Kili's hand, which still held the beef strip. He gave it over, and wrapped his arms around the thick, furry neck. He couldn't reach all the way around it. A smile grew on his face before he buried it in the matted coat. Fili grinned and moved closer to ruff the dog's lopsided ears.
It made her lads so happy. And with all they had lost, all they still missed out on -a home, a father, a position- how could she take this away?
"Please, mamma?" Fili asked, quietly. Kili unburied his face and looked back up at her, wide brown eyes pleading. She'd forgotten they were still waiting on the answer.
She sighed, as if she was put-upon indeed.
"Alright-"
Before she could finish, both boys whooped with pleasure, which got the dog barking. Dis raised her voice to be heard over the sudden uproar.
"BUT! Fili, you are going this minute to pick up the washing that this stray knocked over."
"Yes, Amad." He moved toward the doorway, then hesitated. "But not Kili, too?"'
"Kili is taking the dog outside and cleaning him up. You can help after you've done with the wash. If he's sleeping in your room I won't have him smelling like dead fish and rotten leaves. He's disgusting."
Amad's eyes twinkled as she said it, and Fili suddenly ran back and hugged her tightly. She chuckled at the force of the impact and laid a hand on his golden head.
"Thanks, mamma."
Fili grinned into his mother's apron. She was warm and safe and comforting, and he loved her.
"That was the bestest adventure ever!" Kili's small voice crowed. Fili pulled back from his mother.
"I can't wait to tell Uncle Thorin when he comes back!"
Dis blew a stray strand of hair out of her eyes and her brow furrowed as she watched the boys bustle off to their tasks. Uncle Thorin. Now, he would take some convincing.
Author's Note: What did you think of Dis? Of the story in general? PLEASE review!