Fili was sitting at the table, mostly minding his own business. The dwalfings—Kili and Ori—were happily playing with blocks in the living room and Fili was grateful for the break.

Just then, Fili heard the pitter patter of tiny dwarf feet and suddenly there was Kili. Looking up at him and grinning his tiny dwarf grin.

"Hey Kili." Fili said

"What are you up to?" he asked

Kili smiled, "Uncle Dwalin taught me how to tie knots today."

"Oh really? What kind of knots did you learn?"

"All kinds! A square knot, figure 8 knot, and a slip knot! And a few more….but I forgot."

"Well, that's really something." Fili said with a smile.

"I can show you!" Kili offered, holding up about three feet of sturdy white rope.

"Sure."

"Hold out your hands." Kili demanded, and Fili totally missed the michevious twinkle in his little brother's eyes.

"Okay." Fili held out his right hand, expecting Kili to demonstrate his knot tying skills on just his one hand.

"No no, hold both hands out. Like this." Kili said, and then he demonstrated holding his arms out with this hands and wrists together.

Fili hesitated, but then he held out his two hands. It wouldn't be too hard to get out of a seven year old's knot.

Kili smiled a toothy grin, and then he quickly wrapped the rope a few times around Fili's wrists holding them together tightly before tying them securely with a perfectly shaped square knot.

"That's a square knot. Mister Dwalin says that it can never come loose. Try—try to untie it." He demanded, looking at Fili.

Fili smiled and struggled to get his hands free, but Dwalin was right; a square knot is very, very strong. Even if it was tied by a seven year old dwarf.

"It's very strong, Kili. What other knots do you know?" Fili prompted, hoping that Kili would untie him.

"Hmmm let's see…Oh! This one!" Kili said, and he untied the square knot but to Fili's demise, kept the rope secured tightly around both wrists. He redid the ropes into a new, more complicated knot.

"This is a figure eight knot. It's stronger than a square knot." Kili commented.

"It's very good, Kili-."

"Let me show you another one." Kili interrupted, getting excited to show his brother all the knots he learned. He uncoiled the rope from Fili's wrists for a second but then tied a very neat slip knot and slipped it back over Fili's wrists.

"This is a slip knot. See, I can make it tight or looser." He demonstrated.

"That is awesome, Kili. You are an expert knotsman."

"Knots dwarf." Kili corrected

A small face peaked out from over the kitchen corner. Kili saw him and beaconed for him to come closer.

"Ori! Ori come over here, we're tying knots." He said

Ori shyly walked over to them, his huge eyes taking in Fili, the rope and Fili's bound hands.

"Does Fili like having his hands tied?" Ori asked shyly

"He doesn't mind, do you Fili? This is fun." Kili answered for his older brother.

"Well, maybe-."

"Come over to the living room, Fili. Uncle Dwalin left a whole basket of ropes. We can practice." Kili said, pulling on the ropes. Fili had no choice but to get up and follow his brother. They walked into the living room and Kili pulled on the rope.

"Lets sit on the floor." He said, the he pulled up the basket that Dwalin had left and saw that there was about twenty pieces of rope, in all different lengths. He silently cursed Dwalin for being such a proficient teacher as Kili wound a long piece of rope around his ankles and secured them with a very tight square knot.

"I wanna try." Ori said

"Here, there's some space below his knees. I can show you." Kili said, and then grabbed another length of rope.

"See, right over left, and then left over right." Kili instructed, pulling the knot tight.

Fili sighed. This was getting a little out of hand.

"Okay kids, enough with the knot tying. Let's do something else." Fili suggested as he unsuccessfully tried to wiggle his hands free.

"No no! Don't let him get free! Quick, Ori pass me more rope!" Kili shouted, and suddenly it was a new game called Don't Let Fili Escape.

Kili looped another rope around Fili's already tied wrists and quickly secured them to Fili's knees using another loop knot, then he took another long rope and wrapped it three times around Fili's chest and arms.

"Ori, I'm going to tie a nice big bow. Like Mama showed me. Can I use your finger?" Kili asked

"Sure."

Ori expertly put his finger on the knot while Kili made a rather sloppy bow. He double tied the loops so it would undo itself.

By now, Fili's arms, wrists, knees and ankles were tied up tight. He couldn't move a muscle and was starting to panic. What if Thorin and Dis came home and found him like this? Trussed up by a couple of kids. It was embarrassing.

Fili struggled a little, but the knots held tight. This prompted Kili to shout in excitement, "Quick Ori! He's getting away! More rope!"

The worse part was that Ori was totally playing along with Kili's game. Fili winced as Ori tied two of his fingers together with an expert square know.

"Okay kids. Enough. Games over, it's time for bed." Fili said in his most authoritative voice.

Kili just laughed, "We will if you can catch us!" and then took off with a laughing shriek down the hallway.

"Ori. Be a good lad and untie me." Fili pleaded with the five year old, but Ori just smiled a shy smile then ran after Kili.

"Kili! Ori! Stop it!" Fili shouted and he struggled so hard to free himself that he lost his balance keeled over onto the floor.

"You two come back here this instant and untie me!" he shouted, but all he heard was giggles and socked feet running around. Then he saw Kili out of the corner of his eye. The lad was smiling from ear to ear and holding something behind his back.

"Kili. Untie me. Right now." Fili said, using his best Thorin voice.

Kili just giggled and then walked over to Fili, revealing a feather from behind his back.

"Oh no you don't'-." Fili was cut off by Kili sticking the feather in his face, making him giggle and laugh.

"Stop! Stop that tickles!" he shouted, and then shrieked louder when Kili moved the feather from his neck to his feet.

Fili squimed and wiggled and laughed and shouted, but that didn't stop his little brother from tickling him with the feather.

"Damn Dwalin and his square knots!" Fili thought as he struggled to get his bound feet away from the tickling feather.

Fili then felt little hands on his stomach and saw that Ori had joined the tickle fight. All he could do though was laugh and struggle against the ropes that held him tied tight.

"Okay! I surrender! Enough! Stop!" Fili finally shouted, he fell limp onto the carpet covered in sweat from the struggle of being tied up and ticked by two little kids. It was very late by now, 20 minutes past their bed times.

"it's time for bed. Untie me." Fili demanded, struggling to sit up.

"But I'm not-." Kili's sentence was interrupted by a yawn "….tired."

"Yes you are. Untie me."

"Can you tell us a bedtime story?"

"I will if you untie me."

"Awww can't you tell us now? Just one story and then we promise we will untie you." Ori pleaded.

Fili sighed. "Alright.

"Yayyyy!"

The two dwarflings then took pillows and blankets from the couch, and snuggled up around him.

Fili tried not to laugh, they sure looked tired and oh so cute.

"Okay, Once upon a time there was a vicious dragon named Smaug…"

It took ten minutes and 3/4s of the story before both Kili and Ori were fast asleep. Fili sighed, he had done it. They were finally asleep.

And then he realized he was stuck until his mom and uncle came home.

Thorin and Dis's faces were priceless when they walked in and saw Fili tied up on the floor, hair disheveled from stuggling against the ropes, and their hearts were melted when they saw Kili and Ori sleeping peacefully next to their tied up babysitter.

"That went well." Thorin commented, hiding a smile. He was sure that it would be quite a while before the lad offered to babysit again.

888

THE END!

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