A joyous shout reached Fíli's ears, and his blue eyes searched the hills behind him for the black-haired, brown-eyed source. A grin split his face as Kíli shot over a rise in the distance. He was waving and shouting, and it was clear that something momentous had occured. As excitable as his little brother was, Fíli had to admit that he'd never seen Kíli so full of energy. He trotted down the slope, weaving through tree trunks and grazing the bark with his fingertips to keep his balance. When Kíli was five feet away, Fíli braced himself and was immediately glad for it. The younger dwarf launched himself at the elder and would have tackled him to the ground were it not for his preparation.
"What's happened?" Fíli queried with a chuckle.
Kíli danced away from him with a shout and a skip. "Uncle Thorin's returned from his journey! He says he has news for us and sent me to fetch you. Come on, COME ON! He won't tell me what it is until we're all together, but I think I know already!"
Fíli smiled broadly, indulging his brother. His chest ached, and he had a feeling he knew what the news was as well. There were mixed feelings in his heart, but he refrained from showing it. Thorin's arrival following his dream wasn't a coincidence. And he knew it.
"Race you back, Kíli!" he said brightly, hoping to dispel the gloom in his mind.
Kíli whooped in excitment and took off a pace behind his brother.
The boys entered their mother's sitting area, and there he was. Regal, majestic and warm, their uncle sat next to the hearth in their father's chair, refilling his pipe. He glanced upward at the great cacophony that was Fíli and Kíli's arrival. Thorin's smile glowed in his eyes.
"Hello, Fíli."
"Uncle!" The joy of seeing his uncle again banished his misgivings. They clasped forearms, and Thorin tugged on one of Fíli's braids affectionately.
"It's good to see you again, nephew."
"It's good to see you!" Fíli was about to ask about Thorin's recent journey, but one glance at Kíli was all he needed to remind him that their uncle had pressing news. His little brother was nearly bouncing in place in an effort to contain his impatience and curiosity. His gaze shifted back to Thorin and they shared a knowing smile.
"I understand you have news for us, Uncle," he said instead.
Thorin's expression sobered a little, and he nodded. "The time has come -"
"I KNEW IT!" crowed Kíli.
Thorin shot him a quelling look before continuing, "to reclaim our homeland. During my travels I had a chance meeting with a wizard of some repute: Gandalf the Grey."
Kíli's mouth gaped in awe, and Fíli hid a smile at the sight. "The wondering wizard?" the latter asked.
"The same," Thorin said. "You know that I've long planned to return to the Lonely Mountain and drive out the Great Worm. During our meeting, the wizard urged me to gather our people and return Erebor. I believe that his words are sound. The time is right, and if we don't go now, we never will. I have already spoken with some of our kin and a few trusted friends. They have all agreed to join the company, and I would ask the two of you to be our final members."
Kíli couldn't hold it in anymore. He released a triumphant shout and leapt upon Thorin, crushing him in a bearhug of youthful strength. The older dwarf untangled himself from the young one's limbs with a rumble that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.
"I'll take that as a 'yes'," he said. His blue eyes turned to Fíli then, and the prince could tell that it was his king who gazed at him now, not his uncle. He swallowed hard, and the memory of his dream hovered at the edge of his mind and made his heart thud painfully in his chest. He knew what his answer was already. There was never a choice for him. He would give his life for his uncle, his king, should he ask it. The thought made him catch his breath as the voice of the tall man in his dream echoed in his mind.
"I will follow you, Thorin," he murmured, inclining his head in a gesture of fealty. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his mother in the doorway. Her expression was hard to read. The tall man's words whispered to him. Thorin smiled in approval.
So it begins.
