A story of a protective uncle Thorin and his two nephews growing up in the Blue Mountains. Now, fair warning, I know little about Ered Luin or dwarves growing up so I am winging this as I go. Regardless, I hope you like it.
Fili and Kili are very young in this. Since I don't really understand dwarf years that well, use your imagination.
Enjoy.
Thorin was having a long day. He had just spent most of it working but when he was supposed to return home, there was a large dispute among several of the miners. Thorin was the one who had to settle it before it turned violent, or at least more violent than needed.
Breathing in a lungful of the fresh air of the blue mountains, Thorin looked all around him. Dwarves everywhere were hustling about to and fro about their daily lives. Many were already home while others were moving toward the night shift at the mines. All hours of the day there were dwarves working there.
It was a life of peace and plenty here in Ered Luin, but to Thorin it was so very wrong. His kin should not be living like this. They should be in the grand halls of Durin's folk where they belonged.
Erebor, the Lonely Mountain, that was their true home. This one was a temporary home at best.
One day, not tomorrow, maybe not the day after that, but one day he would see it returned to his people. They would reclaim the mountain from the dragon Smaug.
Thorin spit out when he thought of the dragon's name.
The vast treasure horde of his kin would be theirs again. Their home would be theirs again.
As Thorin approached the home he shared with his sister Dis and her sons, the dwarodam herself was rushing out the door. She appeared frantic and panicked.
Dis was a strong dwarf woman, some feared her more than any male dwarf. She had a will stronger than the steel they forged, a temper quicker than any storm. There was only one thing in all Middle-Earth that would make her look so unhinged.
Fili and Kili.
The dwarodam's sons were sometimes a terror to behold. Most of that was actually Kili's doing, the black haired dwarfling had a restless heart. His older blonde brother Fili often followed just to keep his little brother out of trouble. This often led them to both get into the trouble instead of just one. Usually it was a prank gone awry or something along those lines. Perhaps the occasional property damage, nothing that would not be chalked up to the pair being children.
Thorin actually encouraged the brothers to act together. It would mean the two would always have each other no matter what happened.
Heart, that was what truly counted at the end of the day. Those two dwarflings had it in spades for each other.
The look of terror on Dis' face was something altogether different. The only reason she would look like that was if something was terribly wrong.
Thorin got his answer when she came running up to him. "Thorin, I can't find Fili or Kili anywhere." The dwarodam's voice matched expression of panic.
"Don't worry, I'm sure they're just hiding around here somewhere." Thorin tried to reassure his sister. It was only the safety of her sons that could make her irrational.
"Thorin... they missed supper." Dis almost whispered.
That made Thorin's heart skip a beat. Supper in the house of Dis was practically a sacred affair. More than once head knocking was threatened if someone missed it. Thorin was only allowed because he often had work to do but not the two dwarflings. They would never willingly incur their mothers wrath, not even for a prank in good fun. If they were still nowhere to be found it meant only one thing...
They were in trouble.
"Ask around all over for help to find them." Thorin snatched up the axe sitting beside their front door. "I'll search the woods, if they return here you should be here to greet them."
Thorin did not even wait for his sister's response before he was taking off in a sprint. The sun was already low in the sky, it would be dark in a little under two hours. The wilds outside Ered Luin was not a safe place for two dwarflings or even a full grown dwarf for that matter.
"Kili! Fili!" Thorin boomed as he entered the nearby forest. He was met with only silence.
If something happened to his two sister-sons he would never forgive himself. He was their uncle, he was supposed to protect them.
All around him the forest closed in on the dwarf man as he searched , growing more and more desperate by the second. There was still no sound save the occasional buzz of insects. No animals or dwarlfings, whether it was a blessing or a curse he was not sure.
Perhaps they were not even he...
A scream tore through the forest sending a shiver down Thorin's spine. It was one he recognized.
"Kili!" Thorin followed the sound, running as fast as his dwarven legs could carry him.
He heard the snarls before he saw them.
Wolves.
Thorin came upon the scene just in time to see Kili nearly get his ankle torn off by a large wolf. The blonde brother was up in a tall tree, he was safely out of reach of the pack of wolves that surrounded its trunk. The branch Kili had been on snapped off under the dwarlfings weight and he nearly fell to the pack below. Fili had managed to catch his younger brother's hand before he fell, but Kili was dangling above the wolves for several moments. One of them had almost managed to grab onto Kili's ankle but Fili had managed to pull him up at the last moment to the relative safety of his own branch.
Through the growls of the wolves, Thorin heard a quiet crack. If he did not act soon the other branch would snap off and both would be left to the mercy of the wolves.
Over Thorin's dead body would his nephews meet their end today.
Hefting his axe in both hands, Thorin let out a loud roar. It drew the attention of the wolf pack just as he hoped but the attention of his nephews as well.
"Uncle!" The dwarflings cried out as they huddled together in each other's arms. Hearing the sobs of his nephews spurred the dwarf on even further.
Seeing what they thought to be easier prey, the wolf pack turned their attention to Thorin instead.
There were three in total, most likely starving if they were going to attack an armed dwarf this close to Ered Luin.
"Come on!" Thorin yelled as the pack charged him. His axe swing caught the first directly in the maw as it tried to pounce on him and shoved it aside with a split skull.
The other two did not attack at first. The pair snarled as they circled the lone dwarf. Thorin held his axe tightly as he tried to keep himself turning so that he could keep his eyes on both animals. They were trying to divide his attention so the other could strike at his back.
Thorin knew there was no other way around it. He allowed himself to fall for their deception. Taking his eyes off one he rushed the other. Just as he expected, the other attacked his unguarded rear. He whirled around to catch the wolf mid-leap.
The metal of the axe bit deep into hide, bone, and flesh but did not tear free. The weapon became stuck in the wolf's ribs.
He knew there was no time to waste since his back was still unprotected. He spun around, drawing his knife from his hip.
The wolf was upon him before he could get the blade up.
Pouncing on the dwarf, the wolf's jaws clamped down tightly on Thorin's arm as he raised it to defend himself. The knife was knocked from his hand as dwarf and wolf fell backward to the ground.
Thorin snarled in pain and rage as he punched the wolf hard in the side but the animal held its bite fast.
Before the wolf could attempt to rip at his flesh, it howled in pain as it released the dwarf's arm. Thorin's lost knife sticking from its side.
Thorin did not hesitate as he tacked the animal and ripped the knife free. Only to plunge it back down again several times to ensure the wolf would stay dead.
Ignoring the bleeding and burning pain in his wounded arm, Thorin turned to find his wayward nephews.
Both were already out of the tree. It had been Fili that stabbed the wolf while Thorin was pinned. The dwarfling was shaking, his hands covered in the wolf's blood. Kili was beside him, just as distraught.
"Fili?" Thorin's voice snapped the older brother out of his trance. Both dwarflings were instantly running toward their uncle. Thorin was almost bowled over by the two boys as they crashed into him.
Fili and Kili both sobbed quietly as they held onto Thorin's coat in a death grip.
Thorin dropped down to one knee to look at the two better. "Are you hurt?"
The two boys shook their heads. Except for the blood all over Fili's hands, a few cuts and scrapes over both, they were no worse for the wear.
Thorin let out a breath as he tried to calm his racing heart.
His sister-sons were safe.
"Do you want to go home?" Thorin spoke as gently as his gruff voice would allow.
Small head nods were his only answer.
Thorin spoke no more. After tearing a small strip from his shirt to bind the wound on his arm, he took each dwarfling in one hand and led them back to Ered Luin.
They had just gotten back when they ran into Dis. The relief of the dwarodam's face was palpable.
"Mother!" Both cried out in unison as the dwarflings were immediately running to their mother. Dis dropped down to hold each in one of her wide arms.
It only took Dis about two seconds to notice the blood that covered Fili's hands. The worried mother wanted an explanation in an instant.
As the boys recounted their tale of what happened, Thorin could not help but smile as he listened. Oh yes, Dis was definitely going to be doing some head knocking later but for now she would just be happy her two dwarflings were safe.
The look on Dis' face soured somewhat when the Fili and Kili got to the part about their uncle's rescue. She had noticed the wrapped wound on Thorin's arm.
The dwarodam's protective attitude was strongest toward her two boys but that also extended to her brother as well. She would not be happy about seeing him injured.
It would seem the dwarflings were not the only ones in for some head knocking later.
As I said, some of this I had to sort of wing it. Regardless, I hope you liked it. If anything is wrong let me know.
I am also looking for ideas for new stories about The Hobbit seeing as how reception for my Saga of The Traveler ones are so poor.