Hi, everyone! I'm going to be a little slow right now because of this paper I'm writing due in a week. Don't worry, I'm not stopping; in fact, I just made a whole list of planned chapters while writing this and I'm really excited. There's so much more, you wouldn't believe it, and I'll try my best to make them long. Hope you're up for it!:)
Chapter 11
Kyle woke up with terrible cramps in his thighs.
It was early in the morning when he woke up from his dreams to find little Lori sitting on his chest and leaning over him, her cute smiling face and twinkling brown eyes in his vision. "Morning!" she sang.
"You wish," he grumbled, and closed his eyes to fall asleep again, but the little girl patted his face.
"Nuh-uh! You already got to sleep in! We're leaving right now!"
"Already?" Kyle groaned loudly and opened his eyes, seeing the sky was a still pink from the sunrise. Dawn again. "There should be a new rule: people get to sleep in when they're out camping!"
"We're not camping, we're on an adventure!" Lori bounced up and down on Kyle's torso, causing her brother to grunt. "Come on, Sparky! Get up, get up, get up!" When her butt hit his hips, causing the soreness there to flare, he yelped.
"Ow! Lori! Get off!" Kyle pushed the kid off. He rubbed his eyes and groaned as he bent his legs in position.
A shadow appeared over him. Maia was standing over him, her arms crossed, and nudged his head with her boot. "You gonna lie around all day? Last one on a pony gets to share with Bilbo."
"Bug off and give me a minute, will ya? I have cramps from yesterday!" complained Kyle.
"Yeah, I figured. Unlike some of us, you had to quit your riding lessons!"
"Hey, do me a favor and call the Sassy Sister Show! They want their star back!" With that, Maia bent down quickly and tickled Kyle under his armpits, making her brother yelp in laughter and sit up rapidly, Maia pulling back before the clunked heads. "HEY!"
"There you go!" Maia smirked. "Now you can do the rest. Oh, and you're riding with Gandalf by the way!"
"In your dreams!" Ignoring his pain, he jumped to his feet and started racing toward the ponies, Maia protesting as she darted after him toward their ponies. As they wrestled over each other, trying to reach a riderless pony, pulling each other back and laughing, a little dark shape raced around them while they struggled.
Lori tapped the pony and swung her arms in the air. "I win!" In response, while still tangled in each other's arms, Maia and Kyle exchanged a glance. After a nod of agreement, they charged at Lori and scooped her up together under her arms. The little girl squealed, half in protest and half in delight, as she was swung around into the air by her older siblings. Kyle found her stomach exposed and started tickling her there, making Lori scream with laughter. They were certain that everyone was staring, but they didn't stop.
"No! Stop...Sparky, stop...no tickling...STOP!" she giggled breathlessly, trying to shake off his ruthless hands and kicking her feet in thin air. Gandalf, who was already on his horse, chuckled in the background and a few other dwarves, especially Fili and Kili, were smiling at the playful sight as they stepped onto their newly loaded ponies. Lori's laughter seemed to lighten some hearts.
There was, however, one who didn't share the happy mood. "Alright, that's enough," Thorin called out, sounding irritated. The dwarf leader had already mounted in pony and was prepared to leave. "Dainsons, I suggest choose your ride and hurry up! We leave now!" The company started moving without them.
"Kill joy!" Kyle called out, but Maia quickly covered his mouth and shushed him, trying to stifle her own giggles.
When they sobered up and put Lori down, Bilbo had managed to get on to his pony, Myrtle, one he seemed to grow attached to. The hobbit seemed a little nervous riding alone, but at least he loosened his grip on the reins. He was learning. But then the pony started to react, tossing her head with a whinny, and started walking backwards. Bilbo panicked. "Help!" he cried.
Maia went over and took the pony's reins, shushing her gently and petting her head. "Easy, easy," she murmured, stroking the flanks. "What's the matter with you, huh? Want a treat?"
Yes, I would! Could you adjust my saddle while you're at it?
Maia blinked and stepped back, frowning. She rubbed her temples and told herself to wake up. This happened sometimes...a lot, actually; her imagination having a mind of its own when trying to calm horses. And not just horses...dogs, cats, cows, bunnies, birds, like at their farm years ago, the pet store, or her friends' house back at home. It was getting a little ridiculous. Apparently, she never grew out of it. Her mom said it was a talent, while her dad said it was a skill...one passed down from his blood, though at the moment, Maia couldn't exactly take her missing father's words for granted. He already lied to her before.
"Everything alright?" Bilbo asked.
"Yeah...yeah, fine. Do you have a treat for Myrtle?" The hobbit reached into his sack and pulled out an apple, handing to Maia and the girl fed it to the pony, who ate it graciously. "Thanks. And Bilbo, I need you to get off for a moment. I need to check the saddle and see if it's on tight."
"What? Oh, yes, of course," Bilbo said, following Maia's instructions, aware that she was better at this than he was. He wasn't sure if he had the saddle on tight enough; in fact, he was certain it felt a little loose and crooked, but he was too proud to ask any of the dwarves for help.
"Hey, Maia, company's leaving!" Kyle pointed out. "Who's getting Firen?"
"Y'all go ahead," Maia announced, untying the saddle on Myrtle and straightening it. "We'll catch up in a minute."
Gandalf had offered that Lori ride with him, and the little girl accepted, getting lifted up and riding in front of the wizard before both walked on. Kyle seemed pleased to finally get a ride to himself and hopped on Firen with his backpack, who reacted a little, but the boy patted the steed's flanks and calmed him with a few encouraging words. Apparently, Maia wasn't the only one who had a way with horses. She just couldn't understand why Kyle quit riding lessons when he still had that gift.
When the saddle was adjusted, Maia and Bilbo hopped on Myrtle together, Maia taking up the reins and Bilbo shuffling uncomfortably in the back before wrapping his arms around her torso. Maia tried to ignore the awkward position and then nudged the pony forward, still amazed how the little horse can carry two people and a load of supplies all at once. Kili wasn't kidding about them being the sturdiest ponies.
While trying to catch up, she saw that Fili and Kili were waiting for her and Bilbo, even when Gandalf, Kyle, and Lori walked ahead. Feeling touched and aware of the way Fili was watching her, Maia said shyly, "You guys didn't have to wait."
"It's no problem, Maia," Kili assured her, winking at her as they walked side by side now. "Thorin will not go far without us, anyway. Some of us hate being left behind. Besides, we still need our burglar."
"I told you, I'm not a burglar," protested Bilbo. "I didn't even steal anything yet."
Fili cleared his throat. "And also," he said shyly, before meeting Maia's curious gaze, "I-we just need you to know that...that even though you're not part of the company...we just want to let you know that we'll look out for you. We'll be happy to teach you how to take care of yourselves out here, how to play a part. Because...it would make me-and my brother-feel assured that you, Kyle, and Lori were safe. That is...if you don't mind, of course, I just-"
"Thank you, Fili," Maia said, managing to breathe before speaking calmly. She was very moved by his concern and surprised of how shy he suddenly seemed around her. Bilbo seemed to notice, too, looking back and forth between her and Fili with a slight frown. Then she added with a smile on her other side, "And Kili. We appreciate it. That's sounds like a plan."
The brothers beamed.
It had taken a little less than a week before they all crossed through Eastfarthing, a few days through the edge of the Old Forest in Buckland, and then a day crossing through large hilly landscape viewing the Barrowdams, which led to the village of Bree. Once again, the Dainsons were reminded of how large the world really was, that they had a few months of travel ahead of them, and they had not even left the Shire yet. There was barely a trace of communities anywhere-once or twice, they would pass by a traveling caravan of fur and silk traders or a hobbit stirring a raft across the Brandywine River (he could be a Brandybuck), but wherever the Company of Dwarves went, there were only the wilds.
After crossing the Brandywine River and entering the outskirts of the Old Forest, Kili decided to teach Kyle how to hunt. The youngest dwarf member had taken a liking to the human boy, the two already fast friends ever since their time in the Green Dragon's Inn, and ever since he heard from Maia that Kyle Dainson was a good shot, he took it upon himself to become something like a teacher to the lad. To be the grown-up...for once.
While Maia was back at camp with Lori, deciding to use their stop for lunch as a chance to do some drawing in her sketchbook of the Old Forest (she sat next to Ori and Dori meanwhile, Dori fussing over his little brother and Ori protesting to not do it "in front of Miss Maia!"), Kili and Fili had taken Kyle with them on their hunt for rabbits. When they left camp, it did not escape Kyle's notice that Thorin and Dwalin had briefly looked up to watch them with narrowed eyes as they went, before returning to their conversation. That was when he was reminded of his thoughts from yesterday and had forgotten to ask until now.
As the three crouched like expert hunters behind a mossy log, after Fili had set a trap in the forest ground for smaller prey, Kili had readied in bow as they waited, the arrow latched between two fingers with graceful familiarity. They had cloaks on and hoods up (Kyle had borrowed one from Dwalin, who turned out to have a whole bag of them), their gray-green colors becoming an excellent blend to the forest surroundings. Kyle literally felt like he stepped into Sherwood Forest, but he never pictured a dwarf taking the place of a Merry Man. Even in his world, dwarves from the stories and myths usually use axes or hammers, expressing their rock-hard toughness, even in his video games. Maybe now that Kyle has seen Kili like this and how cool he looked, he was starting to think it was all stereotypical.
As they waited, Kyle decided to ask his question before he chickened out again, blurting out quickly, "Is Thorin your dad?"
The brothers looked at him at the same time, both caught off guard. "What?" they both said in unison.
Kyle felt his face heat up, suddenly embarrassed. What if he was wrong? "I mean, I was just wondering," he said carefully. "Ever since back at Bag End, I kind of kept getting some signals and...and guys kind of look a little bit like him. And-and there was that one time when he smiled at you...I-I-I just assumed you were related and...so is he your father?"
They were quiet for so long that Kyle was sure his face was growing hotter and hotter. All the rest of the dwarves who were related to each other had their names rhyme. Fili and Kili's name definitely does not rhyme with Thorin's. Maybe he was wrong.
Fili shook his head and Kili laughed silently. Kyle's stomach dropped, feeling like an idiot. Oh, my God, kill me now! But then the older sibling spoke, with a small smile, "Close. He's our uncle. Our mother's brother."
Kyle blinked. "Oh," he managed. Both right and wrong: they were related, but not that related.
"He's as good as one, though," said Kili, proudly. "He basically raised us, along with our mother. Taught us everything we need to know...along with Mister Dwalin, of course. We couldn't have had a better fath-better uncle," he quickly corrected himself, shifting uncomfortably while Fili shot him a glare.
Kyle noticed this exchange, but quickly figured it out. Their dad was obviously dead, and it probably happened when they were very young. If their dad had been alive now, he probably would have come with them on this quest. If he was alive and had abandoned them-like Kyle's had-Kili wouldn't have corrected himself and Fili wouldn't have looked at his brother so defensively like that.
Still, Kyle didn't ask. "It's kind of hard to picture Thorin raising you guys," he said, a little incredulously. "'Cause no offense, but the dude's a rock, and you guys...you're..." He couldn't find the right word for them without sounding dorky: free-spirited, funny, cool, friendly. "Well, you're you," he finished, lamely. "How d'you survive him and still be like this?"
Kili laughed at that. "How did we survive him? Master Kyle, I think you're one of the first people to imply it like that, and not the other way around!"
"Uncle Thorin may be difficult at times," admitted Fili, but nodding in agreement with his little brother, "but if you had known him before this quest, Kyle, like the rest of our company does, you would find that he is not unlikable. He can be a very decent dwarf when he wants to be...but he's also had a hard life. Ever since Smaug deprived us of our homeland, he has been struggling to take care of our people and his family. Even after losing nearly everything, he is the strongest person I have ever known."
"Can't argue with that," admitted Kyle, though he was in awe of how highly Fili and Kili spoke about their dark, hardcore uncle, who has barely shown any signs of care toward his nephews this whole time. As far as Kyle is concerned, Thorin has barely acknowledged them at all, but then again, the boy wasn't always looking at Thorin. He wouldn't know.
Then something else about Fili's words hit him. "Hey, when you said he was trying to take care of your people...is he like a top leader? Some kind of lord?" Kyle had suspected it from the start, that Thorin was a very important person, wearing that silver belt, the fur leather long coat, the rings, and not mention the silver key Gandalf had passed down to him. Also, Thorin's presence alone was enough to speak for itself.
"Aye, he's a lord, alright," Kili nodded, but exchanged a smirk with Fili, as the two silently communicated with each other. Kyle frowned. He didn't like being left in the dark...especially when he had the stirring feeling he was about to be punked. He had far too many of those experiences to not be able to sniff out some mischief that made him the victim.
Before Kyle could reply, there was snapping sound from the trap, sending a shock up his spine. Kili grinned. "That's one."
They had caught four rabbits that day...but on the walk back, they had spotted a doe. Kili had put a finger to his lips before he lifted his bow and notched his arrow into place. Kyle didn't dare move, or breathe, as he watched Kili move silently, crouching behind the root of a tree. His dark hair fell over his shoulder, brown eyes narrowing with sharp focus, his fingers running along the arrow slowly.
Kyle then looked at the deer. It was grazing grass beneath the tree. When there was a crick in the woods, it pricked its ears and the head shot up. Then it looked over at Kyle, whose breath caught in wonder. Both of them were absolutely still. He noticed the doe's eyes were brown. Like Kili's. Like Lori's.
Like Mom's.
Kili then raised the arrow and released it from the bow with a twang. The arrow hit the doe smack in the face and its body tumbled over with a loud thump. It didn't even make a sound. It was killed instantly. Kyle let out a shaky breath, still in shock.
Kili then stood up and walked over to the dead doe to collect his arrow. Kyle must have been frozen longer than necessary, because when Fili put a hand on his arm, he jerked. "Alright?" asked Fili, in concern.
"Y-Yeah," Kyle nodded, swallowing. "I'm good."
Fili smiled sympathetically. "You're certainly taking it better than Kili the first time he saw a deer fall."
"Oh, yeah?" Kyle said, as he watched Kili yank the arrow out of the deer with a loud squelch. He winced. "How'd he react?"
"He had a panic attack. We were still children back then," Fili added quickly. It sounded like there was more to the story that the golden-haired dwarf didn't want to share.
"What about you?"
Fili was silent for a moment, as if in hesitation. Instead of an answer, Fili walked past Kyle and met up with Kili. When Kili looked up, Kyle noticed how dark his look was, eyebrows furrowed and normally twinkling eyes a shade duller. Even as a great hunter, Kili didn't like his kills any more than Kyle liked watching that doe die. That doe with those innocent brown eyes.
And Kili...the young dark-haired archer could not have looked more like Thorin Oakenshield with that look. Stoic and frowning. He met his brother's eyes and took a deep breath, before forcing a smile and then called Kyle over. "We're going to need help carrying this back, mate!"
"Sure, but one question!" Kyle said, while coming over to join them. The boy pointed at the dead deer. "How are we gonna carry that back to camp with Lori still around?"
Just as expected, the brothers didn't have an answer for that. Then, the words came out of Kili's mouth that made Kyle feel sick, "Then we'll have the cut up the meat here. Fili, I hope you sharpened your knives!"
Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, thought Kyle with a groan, the feeling of anxiety returning.
Kyle Dainson's hunting days had just begun.
Gandalf had lead them through the safer parts of Eastfarthing, for in the darkness of the night, they could hear the moans and creaking of the trees that seemed to move like weight on floorboards. When everyone was asleep, Lori had curled up between Maia and Kyle, hugging her teddy bear and shivering beneath her blanket. Shadows lurked from beneath the branches and through depths of the woods, the strange effect that the darkness gave while adding shivers down her spine. The forest was alive! It was definitely not an owl, or a wolf, or even a bear. It was wood creaking and leaves rustling. It was the trees.
"Maia!" Lori shook her sister, frantically. "Maia, wake up!"
"What, Lori?" Maia muttered faintly, her eyes still closed.
Lori started to cry. "I-I'm scared, Maia," she whimpered. "There's m-monsters out t-there! Gandalf s-said...the trees c-come to l-life here...a-and that they c-can hurt you! I don't want them to hurt me!"
Maia then opened her eyes and then rolled over to wrap her arm around her baby sister, hugging her close until Lori's little head was buried into her chest. "Nothing's going to hurt you, Lori," she whispered in her ear, stroking the little girl's hair. "Alright? Not while you're with us."
Lori sniffled, feeling tears run down her cheeks, but Maia's warmth was comforting. "I'm afraid to go asleep," she whispered, burying her face in her sister's shoulder. "I want my momma!"
She felt Maia swallow hard, before the older girl hugged Lori to her more tightly, the teddy bear squished between them. Lori didn't want to see the pain in her sister's eyes, like she had many times before, but there was no denying how safe she felt in Maia's arms. They were like Momma's.
"Momma's waiting for us back at home," whispered Maia, before kissing the top of Lori's head. "Grandma and Grandpa are watching over her. Maybe by the time we get home, she'll already have woken up."
"Really?" Lori liked the sound of that.
"Yeah, I hope so."
"Do ya think Daddy's gonna come back? Will they keep looking for him?"
There was a moment of silence. "I don't know, L," Maia sighed heavily. She sounded so depressed. "They're probably too busy trying to look for us first, but whatever's happened to him, Dad's one of the toughest guys I've ever seen. Maybe he'll show up."
"Do you like Fili?" Lori asked suddenly.
Maia stiffened. "W-what? What makes you say that?"
Lori smiled mischievously in her sister's shoulder. "I heard y'all talking. I think I felt Fili's heart beat really fast every time you talked to him. He likes you."
"You-" Maia pulled back and stared Lori in the face in shock, her gray-blue eyes the color of the stars in the sky. Then a disbelieving smile appeared on her lips. "You were supposed to be asleep!"
Lori sniggered, her fear forgotten for a moment, and then whispered, "You guys gonna kiss yet?"
"God, Lori!" Maia buried her face in the ground, but Lori sat up, pushed the carmel hair strands away, and cooed in her ear, "Do ya think he's better than Bryce?"
"Please, stop talking!"
"'Cause I do," continued Lori, smiling. "He's nicer, handsomer, and even looks at you better than Bryce ever did!"
"How do you even know this things?" Maia complained, wrenching her hand in disbelief. "You're five years old, for Pete's sake! You play with dolls! And why do you even look at Fili?"
"I just know," said Lori, proudly. "And he looks at you almost all the time, Maia. Remember when you were drawing. He kept looking up at you and-and-and I know he's in love with you..."
"Okay, okay! You know what, Lori?" Maia lifted her face and glared sharply at the child, who had an adorable smile on her face. "Let's talk reality here, okay? Girl to girl! We met, like, forty-eight hours ago! There's no possible way that he can fall in love with me just like that!" She snapped her fingers. She also remembered what she learned from Kyle earlier today and it gave her a slight anxious feeling. "He's also Thorin's nephew," she added in a quieter tone. "Both him and Kili, and that dwarf lord scares the crap out of me!"
"Me too, but this is love at first sight!" Lori pointed out, gleefully. Apparently her fear of Thorin couldn't compete with her love of romance. "Just like in The Little Mermaid!"
"That's a Disney movie!"
"But it's real! I know it is!" Lori insisted. "Grandma says it's real, but just a very rare thing! Fili likes you, Maia. He likes you a lot...and I think you like him, too."
Maia closed her eyes and slumped her head back. "I'm really tired, L! Can we just go to sleep?"
"Sing me a lullaby first," said Lori, hugging her teddy bear as she settled back down. Then she extended her arm. "Rub my arm?"
Maia groaned, but Lori shook it and muttered pleadingly. Finally the older girl gave in and started rubbing the child's arm in small, soothing motions. When Lori's eyes started to flutter closed, Maia started to sing softly in her mom's musical voice:
"Sweetest little Lori,
Everybody knows,
Don't know what to call her
Yet she's mighty like a rose
Eyes just like her mommy
Brown instead of blue,
One would think that heaven
Was coming right to you"
While Maia had been hum softly to Lori, whose breathing had evened in her sleep, Kyle was listening, his eyes still closed. In that moment, in the dark, it felt like they were back at home and their mom was awake, singing her lullaby.
In the dark of the night, the one who had stayed awake to keep watch behind a nearby tree, was Thorin. He had his head leaned against the tree trunk and closed his eyes, feeling his heart stir when listening Maia's lullaby to her little sister. It was soft, barely heard from this distance, but he could hear it. As he listened, he felt sorrow. He felt nostalgia creep back. For Erebor, for all those he had lost, but also for Ered Luin, where his little sister still waited. He even looked over to observe the company, who was still snoring on the forest floor.
His eyes then landed on his nephews, sleeping together as usual, their faces peaceful in the moonlit darkness, breathing softly. They looked as they did as children. Fili's hair glowed golden while Kili's framed his young, softer features. Somehow, the lack of a beard perfected him. A small smile crept on Thorin's face as he watched them. It was moments like these when Thorin felt truly at peace. Just watching his sister-sons sleep, both precious and pure. Worth more than all the gold in the Mountain. His brave princes of Erebor. His children, by name if not by blood.
When Maia's lullaby faded away, reality slowly weighed down on Thorin and he sighed heavily.
When they would wake up the next morning, they would have resume where they left off the moment the quest had started. Thorin as their king and his nephews as merely two more members of the company, having the best eyes for scouting and hunting. He would not show favoritism, however much it pained him, but he had to focus on his status now, his role as leader...and his nephews would only acknowledge him as such.
They wanted to prove themselves. They were growing up. They had a kingdom to reclaim...but it was not the first time that Thorin wished that he could have left Kili back at home, where it was safer. Wished that he would leave both of them at home, even with Fili as his heir. There was not a doubt in Thorin's mind that Fili will be the greatest king that ever lived among the dwarf nation. Selfless and kind, while also brave to a fault and exceptionally fierce as a lion.
Thorin then turned his mind to the Dainson sisters, who had been awake only moments ago. They had been talking about something, so quietly Thorin wasn't able to overhear, but he could have sworn he heard Fili's name mentioned in the little girl's chatter and she had sounded excited for some reason, while the older girl sounded slightly exasperated.
Thorin had never ceased his suspicion toward the Dainson siblings and refused to let his guard down around them, no matter how good and innocent they seemed. It wasn't that he hated them. They gave him no reason to, just as the halfling never did, but Thorin could feel his anger and frustration toward them burn brightly. What good were they in the wilds? What good was a little hobbit? The siblings were children, and most likely impostors. From another world, indeed! He did not like it when Fili and Kili went over to them more often, staying by their campfires at night and dragging that scrawny human boy out to find game for the Company.
Once his nephews grew too attached to them, they would be encouraged to protect the children. And should danger come, Thorin knew his nephews well enough to know that they would give everything they have to protect something they care about. Even with their lives.
Thorin gritted his teeth, remembering all the nightmares he had of their dead, mangled bodies bleeding from the hands of orcs, wargs, Men, and even natural catastrophes. He also remembered all the terrifying events of their childhood, few that have taken away some of their innocence. Few that have nearly taken them away from him forever. The memories still haunted him to this day, shaking him to the core.
More than anything, Thorin wanted his nephews to live as the princes they truly were in the home that they should have been born and raised in, where they wouldn't have to struggle other their duties as heirs...but if he lost them...the thought was indescribable...and Thorin knew he wouldn't survive it if they died before him.
They will stop their nonsense in time, he told himself. They will lose interest in the humans and look after themselves. The Dainsons are not even part of the company. But now that Thorin was reminded of that, once they reached the Lonelands, it will no longer be safe for the Dainsons to be sleeping alone in their own camp, defenseless.
When there was another creak in the woods, Thorin tensed and raised Deathless slightly. When the creaking died down, he sat back and lowered his sword, but kept his eyes alert for any movement. He knew very well what the tree were capable in the Old Forest. He had never experienced it himself, but he had heard plenty of tales in the Blue Mountains of the ents and the trees they guard.
And the trees, with the fear axes and iron cutting into their bark, were especially not overly fond of dwarves. Thorin hoped they would reach the end of this forest, as soon as possible.
Kyle had repeated the hunting process with Kili and Fili, and then occasionally Dwalin. It went on for days, as they crossed through the Old Forest. Kyle, Maia, Bilbo, Ori, and Lori even had the privilege to sit by and watch the two young dwarves train with their weapons against Dwalin, watching wide-eyed swift and deadly they fought. Dwalin, as he expected, was as scary as heck, swinging his two axes in a way that made them practically twirl in his fingers.
Fili had twin swords that propelled and parried against Dwalin's axes, the blonde dwarf spinning, blocking, and dodging with sure footing, his normally cheerful face twisted into a blank and frighteningly focused look that made him seem unreadable and absolutely deadly. Watching him took Maia's breath away. It was surprising that there was not scratch on either dwarf's body, considering how realistic their fight looked.
When he was done, Fili winked at Maia, making her blush. Kyle saw the exchange and glared at him, but the dwarf turned away.
When Kili then jumped in, his own sword out, lighter and more lithe than most of the dwarves, he proved to be as swift and agile as his brother, though he showed more expression that made him look angry and determined. The effect, however, had usually gave Dwalin the advantage to read Kili like an open book and the elder warrior kept knocking the youth down from either under his feet or head over heels.
Dwalin kept pointing out to Kili that he was practically handing him an opening, causing Kili to growl irritably and his brother, the Dainsons, and Ori to laugh. Bilbo just smiled shyly, trying not to laugh for Kili's sake.
Dwalin grunted and then readied his axes when Kili got back to feet to ready his sword. "Again, lad," he said, and then added over to Kyle, "Oh, and Master Dainson! You best watch carefully, see how its truly done!" Kili gave Dwalin a shocked look, clearly not liking the idea of being used as an example, especially when he kept getting knocked over in front of them.
"Cool!" smiled Kyle, liking the idea that Dwalin may be considering to add him in the training exercises...if they offered him a sword first.
"Good grief!" muttered Maia, who was clearly nervous about the idea of her thirteen year-old brother fighting a fully grown and fully trained warrior.
They had finally made it out of the Old Forest and were soon crossing the wide-green landscape that passed through the mountainous hills. There were more trees, more lakes, and more small streams, the outstretch of this green land giving them a day and a night's ride. On the fifth day the next morning, the sunny days had faded into the cloudy weather, the sky rumbling with thunder from the horizon. The ponies whinnied nervously as they walked.
"We are close to Bree," announced Gandalf. He pointed his staff in the distance. "There."
Maia squinted. There was a forest ahead of them, but sure enough, she could see more than ten trails of smoke rising from the tree and the edge of what looked like a village. Bilbo said he had been there before, claiming that the place was known for travelers to stop by for shelter. He also mentioned that the area where Bree was located was normally weather driven with heavy rain.
Ahead of them, Thorin recognized the village and then glanced back at Gandalf, who gave him a nod of acknowledgement.
Instead of stopping at Bree, the dwarves continued onward on the landscape known as the Great East Road, even though Maia couldn't see any pathway considered a road. It had started raining, of course, everyone grumbling under their hoods (Dwalin had given the Dainsons and Bilbo some traveling cloaks to cover themselves). It was chilly; so unlike Texas in the summer.
When night had fallen, Gloin commented, "We must be nearing Weathertop!"
"Weathertop? No, I'm fairly certain that won't show for another night," Balin said, shaking his head.
Soon enough, when they traveled through the wilderness, it had gotten so dark and the Company felt so exposed that Thorin announced that they find a place to camp on higher grounds. They followed him without question, climbing along the mountain cliffs for a plateau to rest the whole group. The woodlands were beautiful, majestic, full of large rocky cliffs, enormous trees, and waterfalls as they walked through the mountainous environments. It was all so much to take in, but also too dark to see other than the moonlight that finally broke through the stormy clouds, clearing the sky to reveal frosty, silver stars.
Fortunately they found a wide enough cliff with grassy bedding, a few bent trees, and a rocky wall for them to take shelter and for Gloin to start the fire. Maia, Kyle, and Lori were about to set down their bags far away from the dwarf camp again, Bilbo and Gandalf about to set down their bedrolls when some of the company started arguing softly to each other. Finally, they all looked at Thorin in expectancy, even Dwalin. Fili and Kili's look were the most hopeful, making the same pleading looks they have always done as children.
Thorin sighed in frustration. He supposed it was around that time. They were in more dangerous parts of the wild, after all. The dwarf leader called out in a bold tone, "Dainsons!"
The children looked up in surprise. Even Bilbo and Gandalf glanced over. Gandalf seemed to figure it out and smiled, while Thorin lifted a hand and beckoned them in, "Come closer to camp. We are not in the Shire anymore," he ordered.
The siblings gaped and glanced at Gandalf, who chuckled and whispered to them, "What did I tell you?" Then he gestured for them to go. Looking relieved and happy, Maia, Kyle, and Lori picked up their bags and moved in with dwarves, Bilbo trailing after them.
"Good for you to join us! Finally!" Bofur announced cheerfully, standing up and patting Kyle and Bilbo on each of their shoulders. "Can't wait to tell ya what you lot have been missing!"
Thorin barely nodded at them as they sat down, but was surprised to find the little girl, Lori, walk up to him shyly. She was hugging her teddy bear to her chest when she said, "Thank you, Mr. Thorin!"
Then she turned quickly and rejoined Maia and Kyle near the tall boulder where Fili and Kili settled themselves, leaving Thorin frozen and wordless, but obviously touched.
They had already eaten dinner (bread and more stew), though it was small, having to reserve what food they had. Most of the dwarves were already so tired that they had retired for the night, and Fili and Kili had volunteered to take the first watch. Thorin was resting on the perch of the giant boulder, his head laid back and his eyes closed. Gandalf was leaning against the nearby tree, smoking his pipe, Balin sitting next to him, as if the two elders were in quiet discussion.
Fili and Kili sat where they have always been, taking out their pipes for a smoke. Bilbo had taken Lori to put her to sleep next to him, while Maia and Kyle sat with Fili and Kili, Kyle telling them this story of how he and his friends attempted to start a food fight at his school, but when Kyle was the one who made the first throw, his grilled cheese sandwich ended up landing smack into the vice principal's face. It was an instant month of detention and the epic fail of starting a food fight, although kids in the school had started talking about it for weeks and whispered about nicknaming their grumpy V.P. "Vice Principal Cheesevick," instead of Cheswick.
"Definitely not like on TV, and I had to be the one who took all the blame, of course," muttered Kyle, while Fili, Kili, and Maia were laughing to tears at that failed prank. Maia then excused herself and walked off to go do her thing. "Be careful," Fili warned her, and she waved him away in assurance before walking past Balin and Gandalf in the dark.
Kyle sat watching Kili started to clean his pipe handle. Kyle inhaled the spicy scent of the smoke, smelling a little like burnt bacon, and wrinkled his nose.
"Those pipes are really cool," Kyle commented. "What's the scent?"
"Hogweed, from Ered Luin," answered the brunette dwarf. Then he glanced over to where Maia walked away, checking to see if she was completely out of sight, and then Kili wiped his pipe handle before holding it out to the boy with a small smirk. "Here."
Kyle looked at the pipe in surprise and then Kili. "What?"
"Kee," Fili warned, frowning at the exchange.
"I-I probably shouldn't," Kyle stammered, eying at the pipe. He noticed the cup had tiny runes on the side.
"Oh, come on! Just give it one try!" Kili insisted, a daring glint in his eyes. "We were about your age-or something like your age-when we inhaled this the first time."
"Ummm..." Kyle glanced over to where Maia disappeared, then checked to see if no one else was looking-not Gandalf, not Balin, not Bilbo, not even Thorin-before he quickly took Kili's pipe. Fili's eyes widened and the blond was about to protest, but Kyle had already put the handle between his lips and sucked deeply.
Inhaled too hard....too much! Kyle's eyes teared up and his face practically exploded when he burst out coughing heavily, puff of heavily hot-spicy smoke escaping his nostrils and mouth. He was still coughing until his chest throbbed and tears streamed down his cheeks, and Kili had started laughing so hard that he gripped his chest and fell sideways. Even Fili couldn't help a smile that he tried to hide behind his own pipe, his shoulders shaking with quiet laughter.
Kyle finally managed to stop coughing, swallowing heavily and wincing, before holding the instrument out of reach. "Oh, man," he choked, still in a small fit while covering his mouth with a fist, "you can have your pipe back!"
Kili reached up and too it back, still shaking off his laughter when he sat up, gasping breathlessly, "You should have seen your face!"
Kyle's coughing finally ceased and he pointed out, "Yeah, that's me trying to breathe!"
Then seeing her come out from the bushes, he quickly wiped away his tears and cleared his throat. Fili stilled and Kili looked down and started cleaning his pipe. When Maia came and sat back down next to Fili, she noticed the tense silence between the boys and frowned suspiciously. "What?" she said. She looked at Fili, who immediately avoid her gaze, trying not to let her see the clear nervousness in his eyes.
Kili was struggling hard not to smile, his mirthful eyes hidden behind his bangs, and Kyle rolled his eyes.
The dwarves snored loudly. Bombur nearby snored the loudest of all. Groaning, Bilbo rolled over in his bedding, burying his face in his rolled up pillow. It had been much easier to sleep when sleeping with the Dainsons on the outside, he thought grudgingly. When Bombur kept snoring, Bilbo sat up quickly to glare at the sleeping fat dwarf. To his annoyance and disgust, the red-haired cook had his mouth opened when he slept...when he exhaled, flies scattered out. When he inhaled, they sucked right back in. The process kept repeating.
Bilbo groaned and dangled his head, realizing he was not going to go back to sleep. Then, when peering to his left, the bedding next to him was empty. Lori was probably awake.
When Bilbo stood up, he raised his arms over his head and stretched his stiff back. The grass was alright, but he still missed his soft bed back in Bag End. The ground was too hard and uncomfortable for his liking. It's been a week and he still hasn't gotten used to it.
Dropping his arms, he saw Maia and Kyle still with Fili and Kili, but no sign of Lori. Maia waved at him. "Couldn't sleep?" she said.
"Apparently not," Bilbo confirmed with a sigh. "Where's Lori?"
"She's fine. She's with the ponies over there. Hey, can you do me a favor and make sure she doesn't fall off the cliff?" asked Maia, looking a little uneasy now.
Bilbo nodded and then walked over to where he spotted the little dark-haired child was petting Myrtle, the pony's face bent down at her level and nuzzling her. Bilbo smiled and felt the last apple in his coat pocket when he joined them. Lori looked up and smiled. "Hi, Bilbo!"
"Hello, Lori! What are you doing out here by yourself?"
"The ponies got scared," Lori said, her brown eyes widening innocently. "They got scared of all the scary noise out there. I just wanted to take care of them."
"And you're doing a fine job at that," Bilbo said, smiling gently as her. Then he turned to the pony and started stroking her mane as well. "Hello, girl," he cooed softly. "There's a good girl."
The pony nudged his hand and Lori giggled. Bilbo looked over his shoulder, making sure the others weren't looking, and then pulled his last red apple out of his pocket. Food was scarce in the supplies now and some of the dwarves didn't like it when the halfling fed any sort of treats, especially apples, to the ponies, retorting it as going to waste.
Bilbo gave Lori the apple, who smiled in delight and held it out on her little palm for the pony to crunch up contently. Bilbo patted the pony as she chewed. "It's our little secret," he told them both, and leaned in to whisper to Lori, "We must tell no one. Sh sh."
Lori nodded and put a finger to her lips. "Shhh."
When Bilbo ruffled her soft curls, the loud, high-pitched screech echoed from the woods, sending chills down the hobbit's spine. The cry was inhuman, but unlike anything he had ever heard. Lori gasped in fear and then burrowed into Bilbo, who wrapped an arm around her and started towing her back to the fireplace.
Fili and Kili had looked up in awareness. Thorin had woken with a start, looking around in alert while placing a hand to his sheathed sword. Maia and Kyle also heard it, both looking alarmed.
"What was that?" Bilbo asked, the voice betraying his nervousness.
Kili was silent for a moment, his face wary as he said quietly, "Orcs."
"Orcs?" Bilbo hurried himself and Lori closer to the fire.
"What's an orc?" Kyle asked.
Kili looked surprised. "You don't know what an orc is?"
"We've never heard of an orc before," Maia said. She pointed at herself and Kyle. "Other world, remember?"
"So what is it?" Kyle asked again. "Some kind of monster?" Lori looked up, wide-eyed at the word.
"They're throat-cutters," Fili said, though his tone sounded matter-of-fact. The fire's light reflected off his face, playing with the shadowy angles of his features, making him look haunting and unworldly. "There will be dozens of them out there. The Lonelands are crawling with them."
"Really?" squeaked Lori, sitting down next to them, looking both scared and curious, like she was listening to a ghost story.
Kili nodded, his expression looking grave and seemingly haunting. "They strike in a few small hours when everyone is asleep. Quick and quiet...no screams." He leaned forward toward Lori and widened his eyes as though frightened, and whispered, "Just lots of blood."
Lori gasped, while Bilbo's face drained white. She wished she had her teddy bear right now, but she didn't want to leave the fire. Even Maia and Kyle looked scared. They definitely didn't expect this part. What did an orc look like?
After a moment's pause, the scared look on Kili's face was instantly replaced with a playful smile. He and his brother exchanged glanced and sniggered. Maia huffed at their joke, but Kyle forced a smile and started to laugh quietly, nervously, but still not sure whether it was true or not. Lori just hugged her knees and pouted at Kili for scaring her.
"You think that's funny?"
Everyone looked up in surprise to see Thorin standing there, glaring down at them, looking cold and angry. Kili's smile instantly faded when he saw his uncle and he shrunk back a little, but Thorin continued in a stern tone, "You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?"
Kili avoided his uncle's steel gaze, as though to hide under his bangs in shame. "We didn't mean anything by it," he mumbled.
Thorin glowered at his youngest nephew for a long stretch, and Kili kept his eyes down, ashamed. The silence was almost too tense to handle. Finally, the dwarf lord said in a low, venomous voice, "No, you didn't." He then walked past Bilbo, who looked away bashfully, and said quietly, "You know nothing of the world."
Kili flinched as Thorin walked away, sadly looking up as his uncle wandered toward the edge of the cliff and stayed there, his back on them. Neither the Dainsons or Bilbo had ever seen the young cheerful dwarf look this downcast (not even Kyle saw Kili shoot the deer, or when he was knocked over by Dwalin in training). Even Fili looked upset, but said nothing, while Maia and Lori were just uneasy, not knowing what to say.
"That was harsh," Kyle said, while glaring angrily after Thorin, feeling tempted to give that hard-ass dwarf a piece of his mind. Maybe even hit him. He didn't understand what the brothers saw in Thorin, but he realized how much their uncle's thoughts impacted them, which made Kyle even more pissed at Thorin for hurting Kili like that, especially over a little joke.
"Don't mind him, laddie." Balin had apparently saw the exchange and had come over to join them, leaning his arm against the boulder. Whether he was speaking to Kyle or Kili, the dwarf continued sadly, "Thorin has more cause than most...to hate orcs."
"We know," Fili murmured quietly. He looked after Thorin with a mixture of sympathy, understanding, and frustration. "But how can he say that we know nothing?"
"What do you mean?" asked Maia. Fili looked at her, his expression softening, but he sighed, not knowing where to begin.
Instead, it was Balin who spoke, in a grave tone, "What do you three know of Thorin's past?"
"Um...that he's a dwarf lord, I think," Maia said, though blushing fiercely when Fili started to smile a little at her attempts. "We know he's Fili and Kili's uncle and...and that he wants to be the one to reclaim your homeland. That's about it, I guess." Even Kili started to smile a little, making Maia's suspicions rise, just like her brother's. "Why?"
"I'm surprised the lads haven't told you by now," Balin said, eying at the young dwarf brothers suspiciously, before continuing in a proud tone, "Maia, Kyle, and Lori Dainson, I would properly like to introduce you to Thorin II, the leader of our people, the son of Thrain II, son of Thror. King Under the Mountain."
The shock on all the Dainson siblings was priceless, their mouth gaping and their eyes wide as saucers. They were speechless, completely paralyzed. Even Bilbo looked surprised. The hobbit plopped down next to Lori, but managed a quiet, "Oh."
When the children stared at the dwarf brothers-no, the dwarf princes-Fili looked down and cleared his throat, while Kili managed a small smile despite his previous hurt, "Um...surprise?" They had been planning on revealing their birthright much later, at a more convenient time so that it would catch the Dainsons off guard, but it seems that Balin's dramatic formalities did it for them, but unfortunately right when Fili and Kili weren't in the mood for more jokes.
Maia was staring at Fili, who mentally and physically braced himself and waited for her angry reaction or even a fearful one (both of which he dreaded from the moment he met her, the beautiful girl who had scolded him for stealing a barrel of ale). But instead, she scoffed and raised her eyebrows. "Swindlers from the wagon, huh?" she commented. Fili, surprised, let out a relieved laugh, his blue eyes that were sad starting to sparkle with mirth.
Kyle glared at him and then Kili. "So, that makes you princes, right?" he pointed out, stiffly. "Guess you forgot to mention that part!" Kili shrugged indifferently, but his brown eyes twinkled mischievously.
Lori looked thrilled. "You're princes?" she whispered excitedly. When Kili whispered, "Aye," she then bit into her palm to contain her squeals. "That is so cool!"
"But," Maia said hesitantly, "what does that have to do with Thorin having a thing against these...orcs?"
Balin sighed heavily. "It was because of them," he said slowly, "that most of his family...of Fili and Kili's family...are dead."
To Be Continued
When the Dainsons found out about Thorin, Fili, and Kili's lineage, they literally had their WTF faces. I know I would:)
I like filling in gaps of the journey that wasn't shown in the movie, as if we would be really living it, and it's not going to stop there. Things are starting to change: little Lori is warming up to Thorin and already notices Maia and Fili's attraction to each other (and she's five!), Kyle is learning how to hunt with Fili and Kili, Kili and Kyle are becoming BFFs, and Thorin really does have feelings under his grim and toughened surface (especially toward his nephews), but remains suspicious of the Dainsons, despite finally letting them in closer to camp for protection. Next chapter is going to reveal much about their past, more like flashbacks and hurt/comfort material, which should also be shown in more details in my story "The Little Lionheart," if some of you are interested and prepared to be heartbroken.
I'll be back with an extremely emotional chapter!
P.S. That lullaby Maia sang to Lori is real-live lullaby my own mom sings to me, but I had to change it slightly because I have blue eyes, not brown.
P.S.S. Kyle's attempted food fight story is also a true story, coming from my youngest sibling, and it's hilarious.
P.S.S. There might be around ninety chapters for this story *Gasp*