AN: Something is massively off with my formatting today for some reason, so if the type seems small or funny to you, that's why. Anyway, nice, reasonably long chapter for you, because you deserve it!
Fili needn't have worried. It wasn't Kili's way to harbor resentment or bad feelings of any sort, and once they were on the road and traveling toward the enthralling markets and great shipping wharfs of Harlond, located on the Southern shore of the Gulf of Lune, he perked up immensely.
They set out early, and at first rode mostly in silence. The small throng of dwarves, composed of Fili, Kili, Bofur, Bombur, and Dwalin, and led by Thorin Oakenshield himself, yawned and slumped lazily in their saddles until the cool morning sun broke gladly over the eastern ridge of the Blue Mountains.
The brothers looked out at the vast world around them with bright, hungry eyes, vehemently determined to take in every scrap of detail that presented itself to them during their journey. This earnest behavior was at first very amusing to their fellows, but after the lads' hundredth consecutive exclamation over some sweeping view or monotonous expanse of trees, it had quickly become less endearing.
"Fili! Kili! You'd think the pair of you had never been outside of the nursery before, let alone seen a rock or the sky. I think that a return to silence might be appreciated by us all." said their exasperated uncle in a carrying voice from the front of the line. Kili instantly dropped his eyes to the pommel of his saddle, shamefaced and silent. Fili took a moment to shoot his brother a sympathetic glance before he too followed suit and developed a sudden interest in the reins that he was holding.
After that, a distinctly relieved, yet uncomfortable silence hung over the group for the remainder of the journey. Thorin sensed the change in his company and somewhat regretted his harsh words. Ordinarily, he might have humored his lads with a bit more patience, but he had an ulterior motive for including them on this trip, and he was anxious that they comport themselves with some degree of dignity and maturity.
They pressed on hard over the easy flats, stopping only once for a light meal of oat bread and cheese before continuing. As their fellows gathered together and seated themselves wearily on the hard ground in a circle, Fili caught sight of his brother wavering irresolutely behind Bombur's back, apparently warring with the impulse to slip a small, green snake that he had found down the gap of the portly dwarf's voluminous trousers. Fili breathed a sigh of relief when common sense won out and Kili released the squirming reptile back onto the ground. He caught Kili's eye and gave him a small nod of approval before returning to his goat-cheese smeared oatcake.
"Budge up," Kili commanded, coming to join his brother on the ground. He opened his mouth to say something else, but before his backside had even touched the ground and he could get a word out the camp erupted into an uproar.
"What in Aule's name-?" Fili began, then blanched as one of Dwalin's twin battle axes came whistling down in the approximate vicinity of the recently reprieved garter snake.
"Oh," said Kili in a small voice, then promptly lost his head, trying in vain to hide the tears of laughter that streamed down his face behind his slice of oatcake.
Thorin shot the boys a suspicious glare, but couldn't think of any way to connect them to the situation as they were both sitting on the far opposite side of the circle. His baleful gaze lingered longer on Kili than was absolutely necessary.
"Mount up!" Thorin called out, still casting withering looks in the direction of his nephews despite the lack of any concrete evidence proclaiming their guilt.
Some things you just didn't have to see to believe.
The dwarves rode up to the walls of Harlond as twilight fell, and Thorin was pleased to have made such good time on their journey. He would have the opportunity to take Dwalin into the town and scout out the market in preparation for tomorrow while the others made camp. Bands of various other species were already ensconced outside the earthen walls, intent on completing their dealings as early as possible the next morning. Dwarves, hobbits, and even a haughty group of elves had gathered on the outskirts of the makeshift encampment, and Thorin gave the latter a meaningful look as he passed through the gates with Dwalin following close behind.
Fili and Kili mimicked the preparations of the other more seasoned travelers, spreading out their bedrolls and tending to their tired horses before gathering around a merrily snapping fire to warm their hands.
"What are we trading, Bofur?" Kili asked as he was offered a hunk of heavily salted venison jerky. His eyes went round and he grinned as the congenial toymaker passed him a half-filled cup of ale accompanied by a conspiratorial wink.
"Weapons, mostly. And a few trinkets and baubles made by Hamish, the jeweler. Bombur is after some spices, they're out of salt at the Hall, and I need some ivory and ebony wood."
"And Thorin?" Fili asked with interest. His uncle had never disclosed his reason for the journey or for taking his nephews along with him.
"Don't rightly know. I expect he just wanted to bring you boys out for a bigger taste of the world." Bofur reflected sagely as he seated himself beside the fire and beckoned for Bombur to leave off eyeing the elves long enough to join them in their conversation.
Kili thought of the little green snake and frowned. "Like some sort of a test, you mean?"
Bombur shuffled over and sat down heavily beside Fili. "Could be, although we never thought of it that way. Thorin plays his cards close. There's just no tellin' with him sometimes."
They talked long into the night, even after Thorin and Dwalin returned and bedded down for the count. Bofur and Bombur were aglow, recounting hilarious tales of misadventures and slick trades that they had made on some of their previous ventures into Harlond. Finally the talk wound down as the elders noticed Fili pointedly eyeing the edge of his bedroll, which was just barely visible as it poked out from beneath Bombur's generous bottom. They said their good nights and excused themselves, making off on surprisingly silent feet for their own bedrolls on the other side of the dying fire.
"What do you hope to find tomorrow, Kili?" asked his brother softly as he tucked his folded coat under his head for a pillow.
Kili's thoughts leapt immediately to Brede. "Dunno." he said. "Something different, I suppose."
"Well," Fili grinned through a stifled yawn, "There should be plenty of that around."
Morning dawned with a clamor of moving feet and much rustling and flapping. Kili opened his eyes reluctantly, then sprung up from his blankets as he realized where he was and what today was to bring.
"Fili!" he cried, shaking his still sleeping brother none too gently. Fili groaned, swatting at the unwanted hands that shook him with the accuracy of many years of practice.
"Gerroff me, you dolt," he mumbled into his balled up coat.
"Fili, get up!" Kili hissed. "Thorin's already gone, and the others are about to set out as well. Get up, I don't want to miss this!"
"Fine, fine, I'm up." Kili ripped away Fili's sleeping roll and dashed off to tuck it away into one of the many bags heaped upon the ponies' backs. When he returned, Fili was finally up and shrugging himself into his coat. "Dwalin is staying with the ponies." Kili explained. "He said he saw all that he ever wanted to see last night, except we're to grab a jar of foot salve for him if we see one."
Fili made a show of wrinkling up his nose. "I think I'd rather stay with the ponies," he quipped.
Kili grabbed his arm and began tugging him through the crowds that thronged the gates. Bofur and Bomber were already there, and when the great doors opened, the brothers tucked themselves behind Bombur's great bulk and followed in his wake as he parted the pressing sea of bodies that swarmed around them.
The streets of Harlond were a mixture of packed dirt lanes and a few wider roads that were paved with actual stones. The foursome followed the largest of the paved streets towards the city's center and the brothers gasped as it widened out into a brilliant kaleidascope of tents, booths, and shops. Every nook and cranny between the stalls was crammed with a horde of clamorous traders and buyers. Boorishly bellowing hawkers stood at every corner, vying jealously for the attention of each coin-carrying man, dwarf or elf that passed their way.
Bofur and Bombur wandered off in search of their own pressing needs and the boys continued ahead, weaving aimlessly through the thoroughfare and examining every shining parcel that greeted their eyes. Fili paused in front of a booth that sold various hair ornaments and pins and began to eagerly count his money. Bored with what was, in his eyes, nothing more than empty finery, Kili drifted on ahead and found himself keenly interested in a broad display of archery supplies and equipment. He hefted a few bows and tested a few shafts before finally purchasing a new bowstring and a fistful of points. The rough looking man who took his money grinned toothlessly in thanks.
Having already spent half of what he had brought, Kili waited idly for his brother to catch up with him. Fili soon arrived with twin flashes of silver dangling from the braids of his beard where none had been before. Kili rolled his eyes and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "dandy" to Fili's ears.
Nettled by Kili's implied insult, Fili retorted. "You should have looked there, too. Perhaps there was something there that might have finally caught Brede's interest." he said stingingly. He was instantly contrite, however, when he saw the wounded look that flashed across his brother's face before it was covered by a scowl. Fili sighed and looked away, mentally preparing an apology that he never got the chance to deliver, for when he looked back his brother had gone.
"Kili?" he called, but there was no answer from the crowd. "Oh, Thorin will have kittens if I've lost the little bugger," he muttered, and tore down the street, bumping elbows and knocking gawkers roughly aside without so much as a glance in their direction.