Chapter 26: Training
Note: Sonica helped me with some of the rough parts.
Cartel couldn't walk on her own, her arms and legs were starting to have an ugly shade of black and blue. Whenever she wanted to go to the library or visit some of the dwarfs, either Thorin or Legolas would help her walk. Fili and Kili were more than happy when Cartel visited them first. Their room was a little dirty but Cartel expected as much. They were dirty boys after all, but they did try to clean up before Cartel got there. Fili was even trying to dust the chandler when Cartel walked in, he saw her and fell onto his bed gasping for a breath of air.
As Cartel sat in one of the chairs, she asked with a laugh, "So boys, have you been practicing your combat skills lately?" Fili chuckled nervously while Kili looked aimlessly around the room. "I may not be able to help train you right now, but Legolas can if you haven't been practicing. Now don't lie to your dear Aunt." Cartel warned. With that Kili confessed in one breath, "We haven't been practicing as frequently only because we were so worried about you." Cartel smiled triumphantly, "Thank you for being honest, Kili. As for you Fili two hours training time with Legolas, now." Kili giggled as Legolas grabbed Fili by the hood to lead him out.
"Hold on you are not off the hook yet Kili, you could have been training with that new arrow of yours." Cartel said as Kili headed toward the door. Kili turned around to face his Aunt with a pout, "Are we going to the training grounds?" "Of course we are, where else are we going to train you. But I'll need some help getting there Thorin has other business to attend to and Legolas is training Fili at the moment." Cartel replied as Thorin left the room. "Just put your arm on my shoulders then." said Kili as he helped Cartel out of the chair.
The training grounds were very quiet with the small exception of Fili grunting from the far side of the grounds of course. "Show me your form." Cartel said after a few moments. Kili got into his usual stance, feet apart, arms straight, and one eye squinted. "Kili, your feet are too far apart, move them in about a centimeter." Cartel said softly. Kili was a little embarrassed. He had been a bit off when he aimed in his old stance, he just thought it was because of the angle of his arms. "Now your arms are too rigged, loosen up a little bit." Kili groaned, this was a little too much perfection.
Thankfully the two hours went by pretty fast. Fili was already covered in sweat and Kili's fingers burned from gripping his bowstring too hard. Legolas was a little surprised to see Cartel training Kili at first. The bow was Legolas' weapon of choice after all. But then he remembered in hand-to-hand combat, Fili needed an able partner and Cartel couldn't walk on her own. So he deemed it as a good thing for her to be helping Kili.
"Boys one hour break and for Mahal's sake Fili, go wash up, even Thorin has the decency to wash every day." Cartel called holding her nose. Legolas helped Cartel up to her bed for a little rest. Thorin was already there, Legolas told him about training Fili. "Lad needs to work on his stamina does he?" Thorin asked rubbing his beard. Fili and Kili walked into the room. "You two should be resting. Even I don't know what your Aunt has planned for you." Legolas chuckled softly. "Actually we came to see how Dain's torture is going." replied Fili. Thorin straightened up in his chair at the mention of Dain. "Dain is nearly finished, we still need to have him suffer the infection from the arrow." "I doubt he'll survive that." chuckled Cartel as she painfully sat up.
"Fili, Kili you two are going to fight Legolas in hand-to-hand combat and I want no buts about it. You both need to work as a team and from what I have seen you two have a long way to go." Cartel said as Thorin helped her off the bed. Fili groaned and Kili whimpered as she said this. "If you do well I'll tell Bombur to make an iced cake for you two." Thorin said rolling his eyes. They immediately shut up, grabbed Legolas by the collar of the shirt and dragged him to the training grounds nearly tearing the shirt completely off in the process.
"Kili move your feet, not just your arms." Cartel called. "Fili stop defending and start attacking!" yelled Thorin. "How are we supposed to focus if you two keep yelling at us." grunted Kili as he blocked a blow from Legolas. "That's not what we are doing, we are yelling advice." shouted Thorin. "It's still distracting." called Fili when he escaped Legolas' sword. "Legolas is tall, what do you do to a tree?" Cartel asked. To Fili it was some stupid riddle, but Kili had already got it. "We make it fall." Kili responded in a whisper. He then grabbed onto Legolas' legs which made him topple over. Fili aimed his practice blade at Legolas. "I yield." Legolas gasped in surprise.
Cartel nearly fell over giggling, "You gave up far too soon, dear brother." "You do realize that they are my nephews now, too." Legolas laughed. "That's true Legolas, they are your nephews too." Thorin chuckled. Fili and Kili dropped their jaws. Legolas was indeed their Uncle on Cartel's side. They had thought Cartel marrying Thorin that they would just gain an Aunt, but they gained an Uncle as well. And they were happy with that, so they both tackled Legolas, laughing. Legolas tried pinning the boys but ended up with Kili sitting on his back and a mouth full of dust and dirt. The taste never left his mouth completely.