Chapter 10

*Kili*

Three days later…

Kili pulled on his coat, slung his sword, quiver and bow on his shoulder then buckled his dagger across his waist. Today is going to be a good day, he thought and was about to make a cheerful remark when Fili held out a gloved hand.

"Come on brother, pay up. You and Bofur lost the bet, now come on."

"Oh, Fee. You're mean, and I don't have the money on me right now. I'll hand the coin over when we come back." Kili grumbled while Fili smirked and slid two throwing knives into his gauntlets. Kili watch, amused, when a stack of daggers and knives disappeared, hidden in various places on his brother's person, he smiled faintly, remembering how the Elves in Mirkwood kept searching Fili over and over again and one of them had still found a dagger in the back of Fili's tunic as the elf was pushing him into a cell.

"By the time you're done there, the caravan's going to be here." Kili said. Fili looked at him.

"I'm done. Let's go!"

"You said it."

"I know I did, now hurry up." Kili rolled his eyes at his brother's cheeky remark.

Five minutes later, they were standing outside the front gates of Erebor breathing in the crisp, clear, winter air. Kili inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. Then he let the breath go and reopened his eyes to see Fili grinning at him.

"Well squirrel, let's go see if Mum's here, shall we?"

Kili grinned back nodding. Fili had not called him by that nickname for a long time and it felt good to hear it again.

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The princes strode down the one-time-well-worn road to the ruins that had once been the city of Dale where humans had lived in harmony with the Dwarves of Erebor. They reached what had been the middle of town, and Kili climbed on a standing wall of a house whose roof had caved in. His sharp archer's eyes quickly saw black shapes moving in their direction and he jumped back down at Fili's side jarring his tender midsection and he bit back a groan.

"See anything little brother?" Fili inquired of him when Kili was beside him once more.

"Yeah, if we head strait this way, we'll run right into them." he answered as he pointed in the direction of the caravan. After a bit of thought while they trudged onward blinking away the snowflakes that had begun to fall, Kili was struck by a very good idea. When he referred his plan to Fili, his brother nodded in agreement smiling widely. They reached the outside wall of Dale they halted and ducked into a doorway of a nearby ruin. In two minutes time, they were rewarded by the sound of tromping boots on the frozen ground and through the thin layer of snow that had formed. A surge of excitement ran up Kili's spine as he turned to Fili who gave him a small nod. At that signal from his brother, Kili drew an arrow from his quiver and nocked it to his bowstring while Fili silently drew his blades from his double sheath and they both sprang out of the building. The first person they ran into was Bard of Laketown.

"Hi ya, Bard!" Kili greeted him bow still bent. Bard took in their defensive position and raised an eyebrow.

"Um, hello Kili, Fili. What are you doing?" he asked.

"We're greeting our kin, what does it…" The words faltered and came to a stop when a Dwarf woman stepped out from behind Bard. Her gray-blue eyes showed almost no emotion, but Kili saw her hands start to shake. She opened her mouth, but no words came the three of them just stood and stared until Fili's hand moved on its on accord and his swords ended back in the sheath at his back. Kili's string loosened and, as his bow lowered, the arrow slipped from his hand. Bard stepped out of the way as the Dwarrodam suddenly rushed at Fili and Kili. As they were pulled into her warm embrace Kili whispered, "Hello, Mum."

"Oh my sons, my babies!" Dis exclaimed and she began to cry helplessly in their arms. Kili felt tears prick his own eyes but he blinked them back, he was a warrior now and a prince, he should not weep in front of a Man. He tried to appear annoyed at Dis's name for them as they were far from the children they had once been, or maybe that fact was just true in ways of the body as their minds were not quite so adult. When Dis finally stepped back from them she was smiling through her tears.

"I am so glad, so very glad; the two of you are safe!" she exclaimed and looked them over carefully. Kili straightened and grasped his brother's hand. Fili's lips twitched into a smile and he squeezed back before clasping their mother's shoulders in both hands.

"I told you I would look after my little brother, Mum, didn't I?" he said and Dis nodded.

"Aye, you did. But my brother swore to see to the both of you. Where is he?"

Kili answered, "Up at the mountain. It's quite a mess up there really, even with Dain helping."

Fili glanced up at Bard then said, "Perhaps we should talk when we get home, before the snow is over our heads. Come on Mum, or Kee will freeze without his hood up."

Kili glared and defiantly yanked Fili's hood down. Fili smirked in his characteristic way and, in response, pulled Kili's hood up over his brother's unruly dark hair. No sooner than the hood was up, when it was down again, for the youngest Durin had always hated something covering his head, unless, of course, a hood was the only shelter from rain. Nasty water…

"Alright, that's enough boys. There's a whole caravan of about eighty hungry Dwarves waiting on you." Dis said and something in the way she said it had the two trouble makers sobered in a heartbeat.

On the way back to Erebor, the young brothers told their mother and all who were listening about some of the things that had happened during their adventure. Dis found the troll story rather amusing and had laughed when Kili told of Bilbo's last minute distraction that had saved Bombur's life. When they told her of the imprisonment in the Wood Elf palace, her anger at the treatment of her sons was very visible. Just before they reached the gate Kili finished the tale and Dis sighed.

"If only Master Baggins had stayed a little longer. I would have liked to have met him." she said wrapping her arms around her boys, "I am very proud of you, in fact, I could never be more proud! I love to death, both of you!"

"I love you too Mum. I wish you could have come sooner; we missed you terribly." Fili said.

"Yeah, you're the best mum in all of Middle Earth!" Kili added and, just for good measure, gave Dis a little kiss on her cheek. Dis responded by ruffling Kili's dark locks and pulled them both closer to her.

A/N There that is the happy reunion between Dis and her sons. I hope you enjoyed! Please review, because you inspire me to no end :D Fili and Kili fun may be next…

OMG I am so exited! Fifteen favorites, twenty follows and one thousand nine hundred and six views is more than I ever dreamed for this story and I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart! When I saw how many it had, I wanted to dance, but my brother disowned me:/ He wasn't that thrilled when I started writing fanfiction. Oh well! What the heck, enjoy!