WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A DESCRIPTION OF HUNTING FOR FOOD AND DOES CONTAIN SOME DESCRIPTION OF GORE. IF OFFENDED BY THIS, PLEASE SKIP SECOND SECTION. YOU WON'T MISS MUCH IN THE WAY OF PLOT.
Gandalf wrapped his scarf around his neck before he picked up his staff and his bag, slinging the latter over his shoulder before he picked up his hat and popped it onto his head. He turned and walked out of the room that was reserved as being his without a backwards glance. In his head, Gandalf knew that Thorin would not want to wait in the mountains and the dwarves already had a few hours of a head start
Gandalf closed the door to his room and turned to leave before he stopped, spotting Elrond, Elladan, Elrohir, Glorfindell, Erestor and Lindir all approaching. Gandalf couldn't see Estel, so he guessed the boy was off playing somewhere else with one of the other elves that called the valley home.
"Come to see an old wizard off?" Gandalf asked cheerfully as the elves drew near. All the elves except for Elrond stopped, leaving the elf lord to step close to Gandalf.
"You'll look after him, won't you? Protect him?"
"Of course, as much as I can." Gandalf nodded, not needing to question who it was that Elrond was referring to. The way Elrond worried about the welfare of his children, both biological and adopted, was well known by all who considered the elf lord a friend.
"Make sure he eats and sleeps and doesn't take too many risks. He can be foolish at times and he often risks himself when he's fighting in order to protect others," Elrond continued.
"I understand, I will do all I can to ensure he does not put himself in undue danger." Gandalf nodded again, putting a hand on Elrond's shoulder.
"I know that you plan on leaving them before they reach the Greenwood but I ask that until then you will do all you can to protect Kili from being hurt."
"I promise," Gandalf told his friend solemnly, "on my powers and all I hold dear, that I will protect Kili and his kin from harm."
Elrond nodded in acceptance of Gandalf's promise before stepping aside. The other elves parted, leaving a walkway for the wizard, who continued on.
"Look after him, Mithrandir," Elrohir said as Gandalf passed.
"We want him back in one piece," Elladan added.
Gandalf nodded at both of the twins before he followed in Thorin and his company's footsteps and left the home of Elrond, his heart full of thoughts about the task Elrond had given him. Keeping one of the line of Durin safe and out of trouble... Gandalf was going to be kept very busy.
It would, after all, be a very difficult task.
THE HOBBIT
Kili was ready for the long march to be over when Thorin called a halt. He wasn't exhausted... a lifetime of trying to keep up with tall and graceful elves had built his stamina up well but Kili was at the same time looking forward to resting. His last night in Rivendell had hardly been peaceful and Kili was starting to feel the effects of not sleeping very much the night before.
Still, the day was not yet done and Kili listened intently while Thorin issued orders, instructing Oin and Gloin to get the fire going, Dwalin, Dori, Bilbo and Nori to keep watch, Bombur and Bifur to start preparing their evening meal, and Kili himself to take Bofur and Fili and go and see if he could find some meat for them.
Eager to do his father's bidding, Kili took off his pack and headed towards the trees, followed by Fili and Bofur. Kili had hunted in these woods many times with his brothers, so he immediately began heading downhill through the thick trees.
"Do you know a place where there is food or something?" Bofur asked. Kili nodded.
"There is a creek with water not far from here and the woods around the creek are teeming with all sorts of prey. It will not be difficult to find something if we keep quiet."
Fili and Bofur exchanged grins and kept quiet, watching how stealthy Kili was. He was almost as quiet as Bilbo as he crept through the undergrowth. Suddenly, Kili stopped, lifting his hand in the universal sign for stop. Kili and Bofur both froze, crouching down behind a fallen log. Kili slowly climbed up on top of the log, drawing an arrow from his quiver and notching it, drawing back. Fili shifted slightly, trying to see what it was his cousin was aiming at, but Kili released the arrow before Fili got a good look. In quick succession, Kili fired four more arrows, adjusting his stance and aim between each shot in mere seconds. It was an impressive display for Bofur, who hadn't seen Kili shooting before.
"Wow," Bofur muttered softly as Kili jumped down on the other side of the log, gesturing for the others to follow him once again. Fili and Bofur climbed over the fallen tree and stopped again as they watched Kili creep stealthily across the clearing towards the rabbit that lay on the ground, unmoving, with one of Kili's arrows sticking out of its side. There were four other rabbits in the clearing, all of them dead to Kili's arrows. And Fili and Bofur quickly got to work skinning them and preparing them for Bombur. Kili reclaimed his arrows, walking to the nearby stream to make sure the arrowheads were clean, something which made Fili send him a confused look.
"It doesn't really matter," Kíli explained, seeing the confusion on Fili's face, "not with well made arrows, but it is a good practice to get in. If blood dries onto the arrowhead, it could affect the balance and weight of the arrow. If you're using the arrow for hunting purposes, you could accidently contaminate the animal you've killed, making everyone sick, and if you don't clean the arrowheads, then, well, blood does tend to get a bit smelly after awhile, especially in summer."
Fili nodded. It made sense when Kili explained it like that.
"Come on, lads, let's head back to camp," Bofur suggested, looking up at the darkening sky. Fili and Kili nodded and they headed off with the meat back towards camp.
THE HOBBIT
Thorin lay on his side, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword, just as it always did when he was traveling. Around him, the other dwarves slept, the sound of their snoring cutting through the night air, drowning out the crackling of the wood in their campfire as it died, burning down to glowing embers. Thorin, however, had no interest in sleeping. He couldn't believe the day he had just had... and that Kili, for the first time in sixty two years, was sleeping beside him, curled on his side, his fingers wrapped around his blankets with only the top of his head and his fingertips visible.
Still, Thorin knew that he wasn't the only one awake. Balin and Dwalin were keeping watch. Thorin could see them from where he lay as they sat near the fire, watching the trees carefully, fully alert for any sign of danger. He also suspected that Bilbo was awake as well. The hobbit had taken awhile to get used to sleeping rough on the road and the few days of having soft bedding at Rivendell had probably undone what little progress the hobbit had made in getting used to sleeping on the ground.
A small smile crossed Thorin's face as Kili gave a quiet snore beside him and shifted in his sleep. The young dwarf had been obviously tired by the end of the day's march and he had felt guilty for sending him of hunting but the shy smile that Kili had carried upon returning had been enough to ease Thorin's guilt as Bofur and Fili raved about Kili's skill as a hunter and a woodsman. The company had lapped up their words and everyone had praised Kili's skill as they ate the thick, filling rabbit stew Bombur had prepared with Kili's catch (while a furiously blushing Kili had modestly tried to deflect the praise Bombur's way).
Shortly after the meal had been finished and the pots and bowls cleaned, Kili had fallen asleep curled in his blankets, oblivious to the dwarves around him, who had all been talking or smoking.
Thorin honestly couldn't blame Kili for falling asleep so quickly. The older dwarf couldn't even begin to imagine how draining the day had been for his young son, from the sleepless night the previous night as Kili had been forced to make a life-changing decision and then the emotionally draining separation from his so-called brothers and the subsequent departure from the only home Kili had ever known, followed by a grueling trek up into the foothills of the Misty Mountains.
Despite knowing all this, there was a part of Thorin that was pleased that Kili had been relaxed enough to fall asleep so quickly, given that he was surrounded by strangers. It was a reflection on Kili's upbringing, Thorin knew. Kili had grown up surrounded by elves, protected and shielded from any danger. He had little experience of life on the road and when he had been in the wild, he had been accompanied by elves with hundreds and, in many cases, thousands of years in battle experience, who would have protected Kili from any real danger. Elves also were blessed with superior senses to any of the other races, so it was unlikely that a camp of theirs would be caught in a surprise attack. Kili had never been betrayed ...unlike Thorin and the other dwarves. He had lived a peaceful life and he was trustful, having never had his trust broken by anyone. Kili still possessed the youthful naive innocence that Thorin had lost when Smaug had taken Erebor and Fili had lost when his father had been killed and Thorin was pleased to see it, although he feared that, by the time that their journey was over, Kili's innocence would all but gone.
Thorin was not so pessimistic about their chances as some, such as Balin, but he was realistic knowing that things could go badly and that there was a chance that the company would be destroyed or face heavy losses. Thorin prayed to Mahal that Kili would not be among the fallen, that the youngest of the dwarves would survive and be free to live out his life in peace. Fili too was in Thorin thoughts for a similar reason, and Ori as well. They were so young and had so many years to look forward to.
In his heart, Thorin wondered if he had made the right choice to invite Kíli to come along. Deep down, Thorin had known that Kili would never have turned down the opportunity to join the quest. He was, after all, of Durin's line... a direct descendant of kings. Bravery, courage, strength, and stubbornness all ran through his veins thickly, just as it did with Thorin and the rest of the family, and those traits, combined with Kili's youthful brashness, would have left the young dwarf unable to turn down the chance.
Still, Kili was painfully young. It was apparent as he had laid sleeping, curled in his blankets, beside Thorin as the other dwarves stayed up. Thorin couldn't believe how young his son had looked, his cheeks bare of any hair, his face peaceful and relaxed, free from any lines of worry.
Even as Thorin thought of his son's youth, Kili stirred in his sleep and rolled over so he was facing Thorin, his unbound hair falling across his face, moving slightly with each of Kili's even and steady breaths. Thorin watched, wondering if Kili was going to wake up, but soon Kili was quietly snoring again, obviously sound asleep. Slowly and hesitantly, Thorin reached out and carefully brushed his fingers through Kili's hair, pushing it back off his face, careful not to hit any knots or snags. It took a few strokes to get back, with each lock of hair being pushing back until Kili's face was unobstructed.
Thorin froze as he ran his fingers carefully through his son's hair again, his fingers having brushed against Kili's cheek. Kili, however, remained still and sound asleep. Thorin almost laughed and settled for smirking to himself as he left Kili's hair alone. Frerin had been a heavy sleeper as well. Thorin and Dwalin had once drawn all over Frerin's face and arms with charcoal while the younger prince had been sleeping and Frerin had never stirred from his slumber
Obviously Kili got more than his looks and his skill with a bow from his uncle.
THE HOBBIT
Dawn broke the next morning and the dwarves rose with the sun, having a quick breakfast of dried fruit and meat that they had liberated from Elrond's stores before they continued up the path. The plan was to get as far into the mountains as they could before darkness made the path too perilous and then wait for Gandalf before continuing on in daylight.
Kili knew that it would be another hard day of walking. The Redhorn Pass was not an easy path to take, with steep and narrow paths that wound and twisted their way through the mountains. In some places, the path had crumbled, eroded away by rain and snow and wind and the passing of time, leaving gaping cracks and crevices that were highly dangerous. He shuddered as he remembered the first time he had used the path. During a particularly narrow stretch of the path, the rocks beneath his feet had crumbled and Kili would have fallen to his death if Glorfindel had not grabbed him by his pack and pulled him to safety.
In his head, Kili prayed to the Valar that there would be no such occurrences during this crossing of the mountains. He had heard horror stories about the mountain passes from his twin brothers and Kili had a healthy respect for the mountains. It was not only that, however. He barely knew his companions and while he trusted them, he did not know them. He knew the majority, if not all, of them would have grown up underground, used to navigating narrow paths and ledges but Kili had little experience of life in the mountains, with only his few trips through the Misty Mountains on the way to visit Arwen his only experience.
One of Kili's biggest fears was making a fool of himself. While he didn't mind being on the receiving end of a joke or prank, Kili felt as though he needed to impress the other dwarves... especially Thorin, but the other dwarves as well. He was, after all, supposed to be the son of their king.
Kili startled when a gentle hand on his shoulder drew him from his musing, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Fili looking at him with a concerned look on his face. Kili felt his cheeks redden and busied himself with his bed roll, attaching it to his bag and keeping his gaze lowered, avoiding the concerned look in his cousin's eyes.
"Kee... are you alright?" Fili asked in a hushed tone. Kili sighed and nodded.
"We will have a long day ahead," Kili told him. "The mountains are a hard and unforgiving road with many dangers. When you live in the shadow of the mountains, you know what dangers they hold and yet you still expect to be surprised by some unknown evil that dwell there. I have been taught to both fear and respect the Misty Mountains but I am sure that you know far more about mountains than I do."
"Not like you just described. Ered Luin... it's peaceful. Occasionally, there is an orc raid but that is a rare occurrence. The most dangerous things are rock falls in the mines and sometimes we have trouble with bandits... men who think we have hoards of gold and try to take it by force, but time and Thorin's reputation have meant that even then we are seldom bothered. Ered Luin is not at all like the Misty Mountains," Fili admitted as he finished packing his bag. Kili noticed how Fili kept his most valuable possessions tucked against his skin, in pockets sown into the inside of his clothing. Kili had done the same, having been told long ago that it was more likely orcs would steal your pack than they were to steal the clothes off your back.
"Walk with me," Fili asked as Thorin signalled for the company to continue on up the mountain. "We will face the mountain together and we will watch each other's backs for whatever surprises it has in store for us.
Kili nodded and took his place in the line behind Fili, his bow slung on his back with his quiver. His hand dropped to rest at the hilt of his sword and Kili left it there, ready to draw the weapon at a moment's notice.