Hello!

Now all my other fics have finished (well, apart from one or two), I decided it was the perfect time to write another!

This will be a multichaptered fic featuring lots of hurt!Fili and Durin feels, so I hope you enjoy! It's set directly before the first film, as you will see ^^

Onwards….

It was dark and drizzly when Fili and Kili finally stumbled upon the boundary for the Shire. They stopped their pony by a low stone wall, looking tiredly up at the fields and hills. The two of them were exhausted, having not being told what to bring they had brought what they thought would be right for a long trek- consequently they were both laden with weapons, clothing and other essentials. Fili was sure most of it would need to be left before they went, but he had wanted them to be prepared.

He looked across at his brother- Kili was flexing his legs astride his pony, head drooping slightly. It wouldn't be long before they reached the house, he guessed. The Wizard, as cryptic as he had been, was very adamant about the meeting place- some house in a place called 'Bag End'.

'How much farther is it?' Kili moaned, hopping down from his pony and coming over to his brother, stretching his back. Fili breathed in, slight nerves bubbling. 'Not far now,' he said, smiling down at his sibling, patting his pony as he too got off it and onto hard ground. 'The Wizard said we should know where the meeting will be when the time comes.'

'What in Durin's name does that mean?' Kili grumbled, before something else grumbled, long and loud in the still of the evening.

'Hungry, are we?' Fili asked, eyebrow asked.

'A little- we haven't stopped since dawn.' Kili nodded, grinning.

'I would give you my provisions, but I'm afraid I ate them about ten leagues back!' Fili shrugged, looking apologetically across at his brother.

Sighing, Kili looked around- he spotted smoke nearby; a chimney. 'Look, houses- there could be a tavern there?'

Fili looked at where his brother was pointing. 'That's leading away from the Shire, or whatever this place is called-'he nodded back at the rolling hills before them. 'I'm sure there's a tavern there?'

'But it's only over there, and I'm hungry now…..' he moaned, making his eyes as wide as they could go.

'Now Kili, don't do that…..don't…' Fili warned, wagging a finger at his brother as Kili started to pout, walking closer to him and cocking his head to the side. He closed his eyes and sighed, utterly defeated. 'Alright, since none of the others have come past yet….but only for a little food, alright?'

'Done!' Kili grinned, before catching hold of both horses' reins and pulling, with Fili rolling his eyes and falling into step beside him.

After tethering the ponies in a rickety wooden stable, the two of them made their way to the door, pushing it open with the groan of old wood. A haze of smoke wafted over them, before the sweet smell of mead and spices hit them as they walked inside. Around twenty pairs of eyes bored into their own as they reached the bar- everyone had stopped their conversations and drinking to peer down at the newcomers.

Fili looked around defiantly, looking at each of them in turn, before he ignored them and looked up at the barmen. 'Two tankards of mead and some supper for me and my brother here, if you don't mind.' He asked, handing the man some money from his pocket. The man nodded curtly, a humourless smile curling on his greasy face.

Fili nodded his head to a table near the window, 'We'll be over there.' He muttered, before he and Kili walked to it and sat down. Finally, voices started to begin again, and soon the people were back to their conversations, although one or two kept giving them sideways glances.

'You'd think none of them have ever seen a dwarf before…' Kili muttered, shaking his head.

'Perhaps they haven't, and besides- as dwarves go you're hardly a great representation…now they'll are going to think our race looks like they could win beauty contests!' Fili grinned, laughing as Kili aimed a punch at his shoulder from across the table, a punch Fili was all too happy to return.

'Hey!' a man from a table near them said. 'We'll have none of that here!' he spat, before turning back to his drink. 'Savages…' he whispered. He was a muscly looking man with brown hair and eyes, but he wasn't very young.

'What did you just say?' Fili muttered, turning to face him. He guessed his exhaustion and hunger was getting to him; he wouldn't react to petty insults normally.

'Leave it Fili….' Kili growled, eyes wide as he pulled his brother back round. 'He's not worth it…'

'Did you not hear what he said about us?' Fili growled, but he did lower his head as the barman brought over their drinks. 'Food won't be long.' He stated, before turning away before either of them could answer.

The two of them sat back, giving each other wide eyed looks. 'Friendly place…' Kili muttered, taking a long draught from his tankard.

'It would seem so…we should make for Bag End as soon as we're done here.' Fili replied.

'And what would two savages such as you be wanting with the 'obbits?' A man slurred from the bar. He had greying black hair, his vicious looking blue eyes narrowed at the two of them.

Fili sat up, visibly bristling at his tone. 'Fili…' Kili whispered, but this time his brother took no heed.

'That's none of your business, is it?' he growled, eyes shining. 'And if you call us that word once more I'll give you reason to call me savage.'

'Which word?' the man feigned confusion, his one missing front tooth only making him look more absurd.

'Oh….savage!' he laughed out loud, proud of his joke.

'Right….' Fili growled, making to stand up.

'NO! Fili stop! We don't need this now!' he muttered, jumping up and pushing Fili back into his seat before sitting beside him. He pushed his tankard into Fili's shaking hands. 'Drink this and shut up- we'll just eat and be gone, like you said…' he nodded. Fili threw his hand off and moved closer to the wall, breathing heavily. 'Stupid men and their arrogance….' He growled, making sure as many people heard as possible.

'What did you say?' the man spat. Kili looked around and inwardly groaned; the man was now joined by what only could be described as a ragtag posse of drunken idiots. This only made them more dangerous, in his opinion.

'I'm sure you heard!' Fili called back, shaking his head. 'Stupid as well as drunks….makes sense.' He added.

'Fili…' Kili groaned, but he knew his brother had a point. This insult, however, seemed to have pushed the men right over their comfort area in drunken squabbles.

'You stupid little- let us show you how we deal with savages in this part of the world!' the man snarled, standing up (with a little help from one of his friends).

'NO! No no…my brother didn't mean anything- he's just a hot head….' Kili jumped up, palms outstretched. He could feel Fili stand behind him, but he wouldn't be releasing the blond fireball just yet.

'Out of the way, before I knock you down too!' he growled, placing a strong hand on his shoulder. Kili smelt the reek of alcohol on his breath- he looked up, dark eyes narrowed. He grabbed his hand and pulled it off, looking him straight in the eyes. 'I'd like to see you try.' He muttered.

'What are you going to do, bat your eyelashes at me?' the man joked, earning laughs from behind him. Kili grinned back at him, before forcefully pushing the man back- he toppled over his table, sending his tankard flying.

'Kili!' Fili muttered, standing up and coming over to join him. 'What happened to sit down and shut up?'

Kili shrugged. 'He started it.' he replied, before standing ready as one of the men's pals came up, fists raised. A well- aimed punch in the jaw sent him to the ground, now littered with empty tankards. 'Time to go, I think….' He muttered, massaging his knuckles.

'Not so fast!' a voice from behind his called- before he could turn he heard Fili yell out in surprise, and stars erupted behind his eyes as something hard hit his head. He fell to his knees, hissing in pain as he rubbed the back of his head.

'Leave him alone!' he heard Fili call, voice livid. 'Your problem was with me, not him!'

A shadow appeared in front of him, but as Kili looked up he was relieved that it was Fili, not another man who had stood over him.

He staggered upright, almost falling into the bar as he stood, breathing heavily.

'Now we're going to leave now!' Fili shouted to the rapt silence of the room; everyone else, who seemed to be used to frequent brawls, stood or sat at tables at the other side of the room, looking over at them with mild interest. Even the barman himself was looking on idly, wiping glasses with a greasy cloth.

The man laughed, deep in his throat. 'Oh no….you've just made the biggest mistake of your life, savage!' he called, eyes ablaze with anger.

'Well we'll see about that!' Fili spat back, letting the insult wash over him- plenty of times he had been warned with the same words. No one had ever gone ahead with it.

'Yes,' the man muttered, stepping forwards. 'We will.'

Fili shook his head, wry smile on his lips. 'As my brother said- I'd like to see you try.' With that he bent and hauled Kili to his feet. 'Let's get out of here.' He muttered, before the two of them went back to their table and picked up their dropped tankards.

With everyone still surveying the scene as a normal occurrence, they placed the tankards on the bar, with Fili placing more money on the wooden surface. 'For any damage we caused.' He muttered, before giving the man one final look- he was still standing in the middle of the room as if he'd been clubbed in the head by a troll. With Kili leading the way, still massaging his head, the two of them left the tavern, the door swinging shut behind them with a heavy thud.

The man stood very still, before someone behind him spoke up, voice slurring. 'Are you just going to let them walk out like that?'

He turned, dark smile playing on his lips. 'They said they were off to Bag End, didn't they?' he said to the room at large. He turned back to the door, watching Fili and Kili as they mounted their ponies and started the last leg of their journey 'They've got to come back down the hill, and when they do…..we'll be waitin' for them.'

Night had well and truly fallen by the time the two of them reached Bag End, and the small crop of houses in the area. 'How's your head?' Fili asked, looking across at his brother with concerned eyes.

'Sore, but I'll live.' He smiled back, getting off his horse and looking round.

'I've been thinking….what happened tonight-'Kili started.

'I'm sorry about tonight; I should have held my tongue better….' Fili cut across him, head slightly bowed. 'Not one of my best moments.'

'He was asking for it, calling us those names!' Kili retorted. 'But….maybe we shouldn't tell Thorin that it happened- he might think badly of us, considering he hasn't seen us in a while.'

Fili looked at his brother, knowing he was right. 'Agreed.' He nodded, rolling his eyes. 'Now, Gandalf said he put a sign on the door of the house we'd be seeking- let's start looking.'

Kili nodded, and the two of them began walking up and down the houses, looking at each of their doors. As they approached a few of them they could see little faces peering at them from behind the curtains, and they could distinctly hear locks being drawn in a couple of them as they got closer.

Just as they began giving up hope Kili pointed to a door in particular. 'It's here!' he called.

Fili looked; the sigil was glowing bright silver in the darkness, the green door behind it illuminated.

'Let's go then.' He muttered. The two of them walked to the door, with Kili ringing the doorbell.

The door was opened to reveal a flustered looking Hobbit in a patchwork dressing gown.

'Fili.' Fili addressed himself into a stunned silence.

'And Kili.' Kili added, before they both bowed low.

'At your service.'

Well, there you have it- I hope you enjoyed it!

I will try my hardest to at least update once a week, maybe twice if I can ^^

Thanks for reading, please leave a review!

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