Hello All!

I apologize for a VERY short chapter. This happens early in the quest for Erebor, shortly before the run-in with the trolls.

Ch. 1 Innocent Questions

The summer night was balmy and calm. The stars shone brightly overhead and the moon had just sunk below the horizon. The company was fast asleep save for Bilbo and Kíli who were sitting on watch. The threat of attack that night was low, so they were lounged out next to the dying fire quietly making small talk. Bilbo was using the opportunity to learn more about his traveling companions and Kíli was more than happy to comply. Thus far Bilbo had learned about Dwalin's irrational fear of mice, where Nori stashed his expensive beard oil, which of the company were married (Oin, Gloin, Bombur and Bofur) along with the fact that Balin had the highest tolerance to alcohol while Fíli had the lowest.

"Speaking of Fíli, I've been wondering. Why does he carry so many knives?" Bilbo asked. He had noticed over the past few days the sheer number of blades Thorin's heir carried on him. His current count was fifteen, not including Fíli's beautiful swords, but he was fairly sure the blond Dwarf was carrying more. Fíli was a walking armory.

"You've noticed?" Kíli asked with a lopsided grin. The flickering firelight caught in his wild mane of hair and dark eyes, giving him a bit of a wolfish look. Once, that look would have frightened the hobbit, but by now he was used to it. He knew that Kíli would never purposely hurt him. Scare him, sure, but never physically harm.

"It's a bit excessive," Bilbo said with a nod, "So why does he?"

Kíli paused for a moment as he considered the question. The stick that he had been poking the fire with caught a flame with a crackle. Kíli tossed it into the fire before answer the hobbit.

"Honestly, I have no idea," Kíli slowly admitted, a slight frown creasing his brow as he looked over to where his older brother lay wrapped tightly in his blankets, "We had a really bad fight a few years ago. Mum and I left for a month. We came back and Fíli's been armed to the teeth since. I think something happened, but neither he nor Uncle ever told me anything."

"Aye, something happened."

Both Kíli and Bilbo whipped around to see that Balin was awake and had overheard their conversation.

"I knew it!" Kíli crowed, turning so that he was fully facing the older Dwarf, "Tell me!"

Balin hesitated. This story had been kept from Kíli for a reason, Balin himself had a difficult time getting the full story from Thorin. But Balin felt that the youngest heir to the throne deserved to know what had occurred during the month he was gone. Kíli, seeing his hesitation, pouted at his old tutor, pulling off a pitiful look only he had mastered. Balin sighed. He knew Kíli would never leave him be now.

"Fine, I'll tell you lads…."