Kili slapped hard Fili. "Fili, come on, you have to wake up!"

Fili didn't respond, just groaned in his sleep. He turned to his other side and tried to continue sleeping, but with Kili shaking him violently, that was hopeless. "Did you really have to wake me up?" He looked up to his brother. He was already dressed up and very excited. Fili failed to understand the reason behind this, something that Kili understood immediately.

"Come on, Fili! Don't say you don't remember which night is tonight!" shouted Kili while throwing a pillow to his brother "Tonight, we have to do our duty, and prove to that dwarfling, that we are strong as bulls… and courageous!"

Fili remembered, at last. Two nights before they had placed a bet with Gimli, after the last one accused them of cowardice. As to make matters worse he said that probably they weren't even strong enough to wild a sword. Kili was so angry at the point that he almost hit the youngest dwarf. To save them from the troubles that would cause them, he proposed the bet. Now he regretted this. He would be at least asleep now.

What done, was done now, so he just stood up. He dressed sluggishly, but Kili urged him to hurry up. "If you don't hasten up, brother, we won't have enough time to accomplish what we want. Please, do hurry up!" with a sigh, Fili put his boots on. "Happy now?" he asked his little brother while doing a pirouette for Kili to observe him.

Kili flashed him a smile, one of those that could make the little girls go mad about him even though he wasn't old enough to grow a proper beard. That was a bit unfair, but Fili didn't really mind it. "You look dazzling, Fili! Maybe on the way back home, afterwards, we could stop and greet that girl from next door. What was her name again? Dairla? Dirla?..."

Fili rolled his eyes. "Her name is Darla, and you know it. I just happen to find her very interesting as a…personality." He had to stop talking as he had blushed, something that did not go unnoticed by Kili. As he opened his mouth to make fun of his brother's crush Fili stopped him. "You don't want to be late, do you? We have to keep going." That saved him. For the moment being.

Kili led the way through the kitchen and the front door of their house. Their mother, Dis, and uncle Thorin were sleeping in the upper-floor chambers. They sneaked out without any problem. So, part one of their plan was complete. Now, they had to move as silently as before and go past Darla's house until the end of the road. While passing in front of her house, Fili couldn't help himself but look up to her window. Kili noticed itm but at the moment he was more interested in saving their reputation. Teasing Fili could wait until the morning.

After a few minutes they reached their destination. Fili whistled as low as he could. When they heard footsteps from the other side of the door, for a moment, Fili was afraid that the door would be opened from the wrong person. But his fears were incorrect. Gimli opened them. "Come on, hurry up! You are late! I thought you might have back out!" said Gimli with a hid of disappointment in his voice.

"Certainly not, Gimli! Did you hope for an easy victory? I am sorry to let you down." Responded Kili with a frown that had to be his best impression of their uncle, but it was only for laughs. Trying not to do so, Fili intervened "We are here, so show us the way." Gimli nodded them to enter. And so, part two was complete.

Gimli pointed towards a door. "He is in there. He is sleeping on a mattress on the floor." Kili flashed him one of his smiles "Don't worry dwarfling. Everything is going to be as planned. You should prepare the payment, because we are going to win this wager!"

Both brothers tip-toed through the door he had showed them. Inside, it seemed to be the living room. There, on a mattress on the floor, was sleeping a huge dwarf. He was Dwalin, a co-warrior of their uncle. Fili took a deep breath and approached the sleeping dwarf. He went down to the end of the mattress and caught one end, while Kili caught the other end. As far, all went as planned.

They started moving him out of the room and out of the house. Fili's heart was bumping loudly in his chest. What if he woke up? What if they dropped him and he woke up? Dwalin was known for his quick temper. He would be very angry and scold them and then they would be grounded, just like seven-year olds.

Kili must have been scared too, but he made his way out through the corridors without showing it. Once he almost let the mattress go. But he managed not to do it, just in time. Dwalin groaned in his sleep and mutered something that seemed like a really bad curse, but he didn't woke up. Sweat begun dripping down Fili's neck and back, but he had to keep going. That dwarf was really heavy! Kili must have been thinking the same, as he was sweaty as well. Both brothers had started breathing heavily, but they had to keep going. For a second time tonight, Fili regretted having proposed that.

After a lot of effort they managed to get in time to the nearby town-square. At last, they had reached the point of their destination! They let him down on the pre-decided spot, just in the middle of the square. That was good. Third and final part completed!

The brothers smiled at each other. They made it! It was not as difficult as they thought it would be. They had won the bet! Now Gimli had to pay them up and agree that they were strong enough to do it. As they were going away, they were congratulating themselves when a voice stopped them. "Well, well boys…where do you think you go?" they froze in their places. "Now, turn around boys to see my carriers up until here…" Dwalin continued with clear threat on his voice.

Left with no other choice the brothers turned around "Fili and Kili…at your service" said the two brothers while giving a deep bow. "I can see that. You are Thorin's nephews…and now, tell me what have you been up to?"

Fili noticed that his, otherwise talkative, brother seemed to have lost his voice. Annoyed Fili started explaining the situation to the older Dwarf. "…and so you see it is for that bet, you have ended up here Mr Dwalin." Awkward silence fell after his last words and both brothers suddenly found their boots really fascinating. They observed them so intensely that Dwalin had to hold back his laugh. "Well, what should I do with you boys? You know this cannot pass without something be done…what I should do?" wondered Dwalin, while rubbing his chin.

"Could you tell Gimli that he has to pay us up?" offered Kili bravely "We actually brought you here, so we have won the bet…"

Next morning

The two brothers strangled under the weight of their load. Dwalin must weigh more this morning that last night, thought gloomily Fili. He watched Kili strangle too at the other side of the mattress, but he didn't seem to have the same glooming thoughts as he did. The fact that they had to carry around Dwalin all day on his mattress on the streets it didn't bother him at all. Because, as he has already stated, they had been paid up their debt and their honor is not tarnished.

Just a small story on a mischieving couple...Thank you for reading! Any observations or comments welcomed!

Disclaimer on characters, those are the creations of Tolkien.