"Uncle?"

Kili searched his uncle's infuriated gaze, confused and slightly frightened. He had seen his uncle go into a rage, though it was never directed toward him, nor had his Uncle ever looked quite this upset.

Thorin's nostrils flared, but then in a tightly controlled voice he said, "Kili, I might speak with you over in the side of the store, alone."

Kili nodded timidly, glancing nervously at Rae before following his uncle. Fili glared at Rae, memories of his uncle's stories running through his mind, though his attention was soon drawn back to his brother.

"What do you think you're doing?" Thorin growled to Kili, who shifted his weight nervously.

"I, uh, I met a selkie. They said if you meet a selkie, you're all honored, and so I wanted to show you. She's very nice… What's wrong?"

"Who told you that?" Thorin growled, "Who said it was good to meet a selkie?"

"Well, the traders… And Bofur, sort of…" Kili trailed off.

"Bofur?"

"Sort of," Kili gulped. "Why are you upset?"

"Kili, selkies are dangerous! I don't know why you stole her pelt, but give it's time to give it back and let her return home! You are not to listen to those old stories anymore, do you understand?"

"I didn't steal her pelt!" Kili cried, "Bofur thought I did too, but I didn't. I don't even know what people mean by that! Besides, how do you know if they're 'dangerous'? Rae is nice, she's not dangerous!"

"You know her name?"

"Yeah, she told me it. Why's it matter, I don't even have her 'pelt' or whatever it is!"

"No, Fili does."

Kili was silent for a moment, and then he frowned at his uncle, "How do you know he didn't steal it then?"

"Kili!" Thorin had to refrain himself from shouting, "I just know, and it isn't like you to accuse your brother of anything! I'm just telling you that it's time she get back her pelt so she can return home. Fili!"

Fili stepped forward nervously, glancing between his brother and uncle. Kili was pale and confused, completely unaware of why Thorin was suddenly so gruff, and abruptly Fili felt an uneasiness inside himself, as though he was choosing sides in a precarious situation.

"Yes?" he asked. His uncle glared at him as if what was expected should be much more obvious than it appeared to be.

"Give her back the pelt, it's time."

Rae looked quite confused, though all this talk of a pelt made something inside of her grow increasingly suspicious. This blonde haired dwarf obviously had negative feelings toward her, for each time she saw him, she sensed that he grew extremely on edge. Now there was a new person, Kili's uncle, and Rae wondered why Kili had been so enthusiastic to introduce her to this dwarf. He was more hostile that Fili, even, and every time the word 'pelt' was said, an anxiety grew inside her. She could say why, but that word made her think that there truly was something important missing, and yet for all the world, she couldn't remember what it was.

Fili suddenly fished around inside his coat, and his face paled. Desperately, he yanked his coat open, only to reveal a row of wicked looking knives that sent shivers down Rae's spine. If she hadn't disliked Fili before, she certainly was terrified of him now. Kili seemed so kind, how could he have family like this?

"It's gone!" Fili cried in fear, "It's gone, Uncle! I don't remember dropping it, but it's gone!"

Thorin again turned red with rage, and looked to Kili, who seemed just as confused as Rae, and just as uneasy, and then Thorin turned back to Fili.

It was then that the shop keeper, who had viewed this whole scene with growing dismay, approached the dwarves.

"Pardon me," he cleared his throat, "If you're going to buy something, feel free, but please don't create a disturbance in my store."

"Excuse us, please," Thorin's anger seemed to dissipate if only in the slightest, "Come."

Thorin marched outside, Fili, Kili, and Rae in his wake. They stood under the awning, and Thorin turned to Fili, "You'd best find that pelt, or we will all be very, very sorry. And you, Kili, had better be telling the truth about not having it. If you see it anywhere, you are to give it to Rae!"

"I don't even know what it is!" Kili cried, but Thorin marched away to the tavern, his anger disappearing the minute the others couldn't see his face. It was almost immediately replace by fear.

"Kili, are you sure you don't have it?" Fili asked, hopefully, and Kili gave a sort of lost laugh.

"I'm sure," he laughed nervously, and Fili sighed before turning away.

"I'm going to look for it; you'd really better be telling the truth."

"Fili!" Kili's shocked cry stopped Fili in his steps, and he turned to find Kili staring after him, a hurt look shadowing his face.

His brother had never really doubted him like that before. He'd never used that tone of voice with him! That tone of voice was reserved for mum and uncle alone!

"Look, I just don't want anything to happen to you, so you'd better be telling the truth."

Fili walked, hoping Kili could try to understand his worry, but Kili could really only find himself capable of a shock silence.

"Are you alright?"

Kili turned to find Rae staring at him sympathetically, and slightly nervously herself.

"I, I s'pose," Kili shrugged.

"What's wrong? Your uncle did seem awfully made as did, um, Fili, is that what's upsetting you? I had a brother who sometimes got upset, but it was usually for good reason because there was something dangerous of really wrong, though I don't know what's really wrong right now."

"You have a brother?" Kili's face lit up, maybe he could find the brother and could still help Rae get home, but she suddenly paused.

"Yes," she hesitated, "Yes, I did, and yet…"

"Yet? Yet what?"

"I don't know, I can hardly even remember him. What happened? Why can't I remember home? Why can't I even remember my brother?"

Kili shrugged helplessly; he'd hate to be unable to remember his own brother, though currently Fili was acting strange and rather upsetting. In fact, he'd never quite acted like he was now! Something certainly was upsetting Fili, but surely it couldn't be Rae that was upsetting him, not really!

"I don't know, I'm sorry," Kili offered, and Rae returned his half smile with one of her own.

"I'm sorry too, I hope your brother stops bothering you soon."

Bothering him? Fili had never bothered him before, but now Kili supposed he was being bothersome. Hopefully it would pass.

"Come on, let's go grab something to eat," Kili decided. Food was usually a good excuse to forget everything going on in the world and simply focus on a good meal, and Rae followed him to where, just a day or two before, Fili and Kili had been eating.

Fili hurried through town searching for where he might have dropped the pelt. It seemed so unlikely that he dropped it, yet what else could have happened?

Fili pushed open the door of one small, dingy shop he and Thorin had looked through, and he frantically searched the floor for the pelt.

"Can I help you, dwarf lad?"

Fili glanced up to see a man with dark eyes staring down at him, and he swallowed his gasps of nervous breath.

"Yes, I was in here earlier, and I might have dropped something. Have you seen a pelt? A seal pelt, you know, like one might buy, sort of? I think I dropped it."

The man's eyes widened for only a moment, but Fili noticed it immensely.

"I haven't seen anything like that," the man told Fili, "But I'll keep my eye out for it. What's your name, so if I see it I can find you?"

Suddenly, Fili felt a rush of insecurity. Perhaps it was simply the fact that the man loomed so much taller than himself, yet Fili couldn't help the feeling that something was wrong.

"Fili," he said uneasily, "I'd best be going. My uncle-"

"Oh, I understand!" The man assured Fili quickly, "I hope you find it!"

"So do I," Fili nodded, and then he hurried from the shop.

The pelt was lost! Perhaps if he found it, it could be extremely helpful! Maybe he could trade it to Kili for the token, which would be much easier than anything else. But what if he didn't find it?

He'd simply have to hope that he could.

Krangon glanced around the shop before stepping out and locking the door. Where to look for a pelt?

Perhaps at the beach? It was unlikely, but that was the traditional way to hide a pelt.

Krangon hurried down to the beach, wondering where to look, when suddenly he glimpsed something just slightly sticking out from under a rock. Krangon hurried over, and was amazed to find a pelt. Surely it couldn't be that easy, yet there it was!

Well, now he certainly had bargaining power!

Krangon hurried back to his store, stashing the pelt away and waiting for the perfect time to make his move.

AU: What do you think? Reviews are awesome :) What do you think just happened? Did he find Rae's pelt?!