Morning came too early for Kili's taste. It was the sound of Ulric's heavy footsteps that woke him, before his booming voice shouted out the daily morning wake up call.

"Kili! Lad, it's time to get up."

With a small groan Kili sat up on top of his cot. Rolling his shoulders, he tried to get the stiffness out of his shoulders and arms. Wordlessly, he shuffled into the kitchen, there he found Ulric standing at the cooking stove, cooking what smelled like eggs and ham. It was always best to stick to simple meals, since Ulric was married to his craft, he had never found his one, and neither Kili or Ulric were very good at cooking.

Sitting down at the dining table Kili ran a hand through his hair, it was a mess. Kili had tried to keep braids in his hair but they had gotten in the way of his work. Also most dwarrow wore beads with their family crest, except Kili didn't know what his family's crest was. Ulric had offered some of his beads but it just didn't feel right. So for the most part he just used a leather hair tie.

Taking the frying pan off the stove, Ulric turned around with two plates. "Morning Kili, here you go." He said, sliding a plate to where Kili was sitting.

"Thank you Ulric." Kili grinned picking up his eating utensil and started to dig in to his breakfast. "This is really good Ulric!" Kili said his mouth still full with his food.

"Your just saying that because you didn't have to cook it." Ulric smirked as he replied to the hungry lad.

"True, but if I had made it, it would have been a little more burnt. So this is very good, only a little burnt." Kili laughed his jovial laugh teasing his master.

Ulric shook his head, "Shut up, and eat your food ya dolt, we got things to do." Ulric might have disapproved of Kili's antics at times, but having Kili around had been good for him.

After breakfast the both of them went on with their daily routine. Cleaning, setting up shop, and starting up the forges fires for the day.

By the time they began to get the forge ready, the sun was on the rise, pale morning sunlight streamed into the forge. The prosperous city of dale seemed to wake up with the sun. Soon the streets started to slowly fill up with merchants, men, and dwarves.

When the fire got strong enough Kili grabbed the metal needed for the making of a sword. A man had came in the day before ordering a special make of sword. A master sword smith could finish the special ordered blade in a week, but since Kili was still an apprentice it would take a time of a fortnight.

Ulric had given him this task to improve his skills. For the last week Kili had been working on two short swords, which he had finished the night before.

While Kili worked he received an occasional shout of greeting by dwarves and men alike. Most knew Kili as Ulric's apprentice, but to many Kili was a friend. One problem of being raised in a city of men was that as a dwarfling Kili didn't have many children that matured at the same rate. So at sixty-seven Kili was considered as a very young adult by dwarven standards, but by the children of men that Kili knew as a child they were married, with children and grandchildren. It didn't really matter much to Kili, occasionally an old friend would come by and visit, sometimes they would bring their children, most of them he knew already from when he would teach/play with the children with wooden swords.

Kili was an exceptional swordsman, Ulric had noticed that when he began to train him, he was natural warrior, not a metal smith. But over time Ulric had taught Kili to be a fine smith. On occasion Ulric would let Kili and his friend Farden put on a show fighting blades, Kili hadn't gotten to do that in a long time since Farden had left to take up a position in the Iron Hills. Kili had sorely missed him, Farden had been his closest friend over the years. Farden and Kili were two of the very few dwarflings that lived in dale, and despite Farden being seven years older they got along very well.

After beating the metal in the beginning of shaping the sword, the metal started to cool and harden. Kili placed the metal back in the coals to heat the metal.

That was when Kili noticed a blond dwarf looking around.

"Hello," Kili greeted, "Can I help you find anything?"

"No, I'm just looking around." Motioning around the blond said, "This is nice place you have here, is it yours?"

"Oh no," Kili shook his head, "The forge belongs to Master Ulric he is working in the back, I am his apprentice, Kili at your service, and your family." He said bowing low.

"A noble name." The blond complented, "Fili, at yours and your family." He responded bowing.

"Well, you won't have to worry about any service to my family seeing as I have none. But thank you for the offer it is very kind of you."

The sadness in the young dwarfs voice made Fili sympathize for him, he had lost a lot of family but at least he still had his mum, Uncle Thorin, and several other further relations.

Seeing as Fili's face fell, Kili regretted mentioning his family. "No worries, it was a long time ago. I was just a babe, don't remember a thing about them."

An awkward silence passed between the two, Fili picked up a dagger inspecting it. "These are very fine blades, worthy of the smith's of Erebor. Is this one of your works?" he asked gesturing to the blade in his hand.

Kili took a quick look at blade, recognizing the work as his own. "Aye, it is."

"Truly amazing workmanship, especially from someone as young as yourself."

"Ay, I might be young but I'm no child, I doubt I'm much younger than yourself."

"True." Fili laughed lightly, he liked this Kili, there was just something about him, he couldn't place what it was, but he liked it.

With Kili occasionally checking the metal in the forge, they struck up an easy conversation, they talked about sparing and their weapon of choice. Kill thought it was amazing that Fili fought with twin swords, and Fili was quite intrigued when Kili told him he was an Archer as well as swordsman.

"My mother would probably say that I had enough blades and didn't need anymore, but I can't pass up a blade like this. How much?" He questioned.

"That would be three silver." Kili replied.

Fishing out his coin purse, Fili handed over three silver coins to Kili. Taking the coins Kili put them in his pocket to put up later.

"So how long have you lived in Dale?" Fili asked, as he tucked the blade in the folds of his coat.

"Ever since I can remember, Ulric has raised me In Dale." Kili answered.

Fili was intrigued, he wanted to know more about this dwarf Kili, who lived in a city of men, who is an archer and swordsman, Fili was certain that there was more than what reached the eye. He was about to ask another question when a scream peirced the air, and people began to frantically run about. Confused Fili looked to Kili, "What's going on?" He asked. Kili shook his head "I...I don't know." He said clearly just as confused.

Running out into the street Kili scanned the crowd of frantic people searching for a familiar face. When he saw a man he knew, he shouted out, "Percy, what's going on?"

"Orcs have broken into the lower level of the city! They've raided the lower market and burned some of the houses! The guards are out numbered, everyone is fleeing towards the keep."

That was all Kili needed to be told he ran back to the forge where Ulric and Fili now stood waiting to hear what was going on.

"What's all the commotion?" Ulric questioned concerned.

"Orcs have raided the lower city, the guards are out numbered. They need help, I'm going to help them." Kill said determinedly, as he grabbed his sword.

"I'm going with ya lad." Ulric stated.

"No." Kili answered "Ulric, if the orcs make it this far someone needs to be here to help."

Grudgingly, Ulric let Kili go. Turning away, Kili bolted out of the forge and ran towards the lower city.

Fili couldn't help but silently watch between Ulric and Kili. When he had heard Kili say that orcs had broke in the city Fili knew that this had to be Azog's doing. Kili had said that the guards had been out numbered, and the first thing that he said was that he was going to help them. He was brave, reckless even; but what could Fili really say he was going to help. Fili ran out, racing after the dark haired dwarf with determination, and two sharp blades.

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AN/ Hey guys, I regret that it took so long to update, I've just been busy, sorry.

Thank you for reading, I would love to know what you think. Please review! :)