"They're leaving us?" Kili asked. They sat in their room with their mother.

"For elves too?!" Fili added.

"They're not leaving you. They're going to marry." Dis told them softly.

"Will we see them again?"

"Of course, Kili."

"Mum? Why elves?"

"Because they love them, Fili."

"But elves mum!"

"You'll understand when you find someone you love."

"I don't think I want to understand..." Kili muttered under his breath. His brother giggled.

"Me neither!" Dis raised an eyebrow then shook her head.

"I'm going to go and see your Uncle Thorin. Keep out of mischief you two."

"Whoops."

"Kili, Fili, what have you done?"

"Nothing! Bye!"

Eyva and Katla stifled their laughter at the embarrased tone of their brother's voices. Eavesdropping was a common occurrence in their household, though Katla and Eyva felt bad about it, unlike their brothers.

They hid around the corner as their mother left the room.

"I never knew they cared so much," Katla laughed, "But then again it is elves we want to marry."

"When Uncle Thorin found out he pretty much choked!" Both the sisters laughed.

"What are you two laughing at?" Kili stood in front of his two younger sisters.

"Nothing..." the twin girls giggled.

"Of course not," Fili remarked sarcastically.

Eyva grinned. "Well, I'm glad we're leaving for Rivendell! I bet eavesdropping won't be acceptable there!"

"Oh, ho! You've been eavesdropping yourselves!" Kili laughed.

Frowning, Eyva said, "You can only accuse us of eavesdropping if you haven't eavesdropped recently." She fastened her cloak and left the boys alone.

Thorin looked up as his niece entered the kitchen. "When are those elves supposed to arrive?"

"Soon." Eyva replied, trying not to laugh at her uncle's darkening face.

"They shouldn't be late."

"Uncle, please lighten up," Katla smiled.

"Elves in my halls. My father wouldn't have heard of it."

"No offence, Uncle, but your father isn't ruling. These are your halls to rule as you wish. If we treat them graciously, then they'll be the same back."

"Elves shouldn't be trusted. We trusted Thranduil, and he broke our alliance."

"That was once. Would you have made your men fight hopelessly against a dragon? Smaug? Would you have offered them to slaughter? Would you ha-"

"That's enough!" Thorin roared and stormed out of the room.

"Oops!" Eyva tried to appear nonchalant. "This is going to be a problem."

"It was Mum's idea for us to marry Elves." Katla replied.

Two mischievous faces appeared around the corner.

"Did you make uncle mad?" Kili tried to make light of something that wasn't funny.

Fili's mature side came out as he said, "It's not funny at all Kili! Uncle has a point there."

"WE have a point that Uncle is too thickheaded to get!" Eyva snarled in annoyance.

Fili and Kili stepped back, eyes wide. The dwarf children NEVER insulted Uncle Thorin...no matter what.

"Okay. So how do we do it?" Fili asked.

"I don't know..." Eyva admitted.

"We'd have to show that elves keep their promises. That not all elves are like Thranduil. That's why he's angry, right?" Katla added.

"No kidding, Sherlock. We guessed that, Katla," Kili replied sarcastically.

"You think of something then!" Katla argued back.

"Quit it you two," Fili told them, "Katla's right. It's just how we do it."

"Does anyone have any ideas?" Each of Dis' children shook their heads and stared glumly at the ground.

"I think I have an idea..." Kili spoke up.

"Well?" Fili looked expectantly at his brother.

"I'm not sure it would work..."

"When do any of your 'ideas' work?"

"I think you'll find, Katla, Fili and I's ideas always go to plan," Kili replied, matter-of-factly.

"Since when?"

"Since forever." Fili told his sister.

"I remember one not going to plan," Kili faced his brother.

"Oh? Which one?" Fili asked.

"The one with not having an annoying younger sister." Fili nodded approvingly at his brother, earning them both another hit.