"Kili. Kiliiii..." A harsh light brought Kili from his sleep. He couldn't see who was shining it at him.
"Whaaaaaa...?" Kili thrashed out in front of him, trying to block the light. "What is this?"
"You're under interrogation." An unfamiliar voice said.
"What...? Why? I didn't do it!" Kili didn't know why he was under interrogation. He also didn't know who it was pointing a light at him.
He heard a sigh. A familiar sigh. He heard this sigh of annoyance almost every day.
"Mummy?"
"Yes, honey?" Dis' voice was tinged with worry.
"What's happening? Why are you pointing the light at me, mummy? I can't see!" he squirmed more, rolling over on his bed so that he was lying face-first into the pillow. He felt a hand roughly jerk him back.
"Ouch! Mummy, make it stop!" Kili knew he shouldn't be doing this. He was a big boy now. But he felt the tears start to trail down his cheeks as he cried and squirmed. At least it worked.
"That's enough! Stop it! Turn the light off!" Dis commanded, but she couldn't hide the wavering voice.
"This is the law, ma'am. I have to follow strict interrogation practices." The unfamiliar voice didn't seem aware of his pain. He heard the pitter-patter of Fili's running feet down the hall, followed by the heavy thudding that could only mean one thing.
"Ma'am, I thought I asked you to keep your other son out of this."
"I'm doing all I can, but I can't see why this is necessary." Dis' voice was cold.
"But I can, ma'am. And I'm a police officer."
"And I'm the King." Kili heard Thorin's voice as he threw open the door. "And I command you to stop interrogating my nephew."
Kili blinked. He still couldn't get that weird little purple dot out of his eyes. The light had made his vision all weird.
"You ok?" Asked Fili. Kili nodded.
"Cool." Fili started to walk away, then felt his little brother's arms wrapping around his shoulders in an awkward embrace.
"Thanks. You got Uncle for me."
Fili blushed awkwardly.
"No problem. You would have done it for me, right?"
"Uh-huh." Kili trailed off. He was tired.
"Wanna go spy on the others?" Fili asked.
"Uh-huh." Kili sleepily got out of bed, smiling faintly, but appreciatively.
They stationed themselves at the door.
"How on earth would he do that?" Dis' voice was raised.
"I don't know, ma'am, all I know is that there is a highly valuable bow missing, and your son was seen practising archery with a similar one." The official voice seemed less self-assure now that Thorin was eyeing him warily.
"Kili's bow isn't stolen. He decorated it himself!" Dis protested.
"Aha!" he exclaimed. "What's this? This is a priceless arrow, that would have come with the bow!" Kili heard the sound of someone scampering across the room and picking something up.
"That? That's his lucky arrow."
"How did he come by it?"
"He found it in the woods."
"Were you there?"
"Well, no, but-"
"Then your testimony is hardly reliable!"
Dis gasped exasperatedly. "Thorin. Tell me you were with him. You're always with him!"
Kili heard Thorin's low voice mutter, "I'm sorry, Dis. I can't say that I was."
"Then let Kili testify!" Dis sounded a little frantic.
"We can't trust him! He's only a dwarfling!"
Kili heard Dis mutter something ferociously that made the officer gasp and Thorin stand up quickly.
"You can't send Kili to jail." Thorin interjected before anything got worse.
"I can if he's stolen something!"
"But you don't know he has!"
"Unless you prove he hasn't, he will be considered guilty."
"Wait!" Fili opened the door.
"Fili! Get back to bed!" Dis yelled, but Thorin hushed her.
"Um... sir, I can say I was there with Kili when he found the arrow." Fili stammered. The police officer was really... big. He was very squarish, Fili thought.
"And why should I trust the word of a dwarfling?" he scoffed.
"Because I'm telling the truth!" Oopsies... Fili's case seemed to crumble before him.
The officer laughed. "You're just standing up for your brother."
"No, I'm not." Fili heard Kili gasp. "Look. I know he's troublesome, and he's annoying, and he's quite adventurous, and-"
Thorin cleared his throat loudly.
"Well, he may be troublesome, but he's not a criminal. Or a liar. So I suggest you ask him yourself."
The policedwarf raised his eyebrow.
"Fili..." Dis started, but the officer said "No. No further discussion will be needed."
The officer opened the door to Kili, standing there, wide-eyed.
"You're going to jail, Kili."
