The sunlight gleamed like carefully polished gold as it filtered through the naked branches of the trees, all asleep still from the winter that had held the land in its grasp for so long.
The light mist that was rising over the land gave it an appearance of softness that betrayed the biting of the wind and for a moment, the young dwarf wondered why they always had to wander on.
Could any swath of land look more beautiful, more promising in the soft light of the magic hour?
Why should they hide under mountains when they were just as suited to a life in the light of day?
Still, the night ahead would be as long and cold as any they had seen on the road and in the early hours of morning, he would find himself longing for what warmth and comfort the last little mountain village they'd stopped in had offered.
Wouldn't a home among strangers in a strange land be better than no home at all?
A light commotion from the other side of the trek distracted him from sinking deeper into these surly thoughts and he started making his way towards his mother's laugh and the mildly chastising voice of his uncle, going through the possible causes in his mind.
Fell off a wagon... annoyed the goats and got kicked... tripped and fell in a mud-hole. Again.
The counting off stopped abruptly when he saw the crestfallen look on his younger brother's face as he looked upon the sad remains of the little bow that had hit him in the face upon breaking.
Hearing Thorin explain about the importance of well-made weapons made something in his heart clench and his hand moved on its own, brushing over the hilt of one of the small throwing knives strapped to his arm.
Their father's words had sounded similar to his ears, calm and steady even as he worked the metal and formed that delicate blade, fit for a youngster's hand, but not to become useless with growth.
He remembered that proud gleam in his eyes when he'd handed him the finished knife, the weight of a strong hand on his shoulder.
"No more swordplay with the cutlery."
Clearly their uncle didn't possess his brother-in-law's subtlety in these dealing, if the word "childplay" was any measurement.
Its use seemed to rankle the youngster more than the splintered wood had.
Stepping behind his brother, the young dwarf put a hand on his shoulder.
"Come on Kili, do something useful and help me scout ahead, won't you?"
The first signs of protest had been there as soon as he'd started speaking, but by the end of the sentence, his brother was nodding eagerly and darted ahead just as their uncle spoke again.
And it was propably for the better.
"You handle him much better than I, Fili." the clap on his shoulder was strong, fatherly, and the young dwarf wondered if his advantage lay in remembering how their father had handled him, or maybe in having been his brother's age not that long ago.
He decided that it didn't matter when his brother called for him to hurry up, and he waited only a moment longer until Thorin had turned away before picking up the bowstring, slipping it into one of his bags.
The knowing smile on his mother's face made him feel a little warmer in the cold breeze and he had to admit to himself the foolishness of his earlier thoughts.
Better to be a family with no home, than to have a home without family.
Letting his eyes wander over the land as he followed the figure of his brother, Fili wondered if one day they might have both.