.

I just want to say thank you so much for all your reviews, follows and favorites!

Each one makes me WANT to keep writing and posting!

And congratulations to 'ThePhantominthemists' for being my 300th reviewer!

.

Chapter 18

~X~

As the next week passed, things began to settle down in Erebor, though nothing could dampen the excitement a new heir to the throne had stirred up. Everyone was anxious to see and speak to the new prince, and Fili was only too happy to escort his son, and wife, around the mountain to give his people ample opportunity to do so. Flinn ate the attention up with a spoon, and was quickly winning over the hearts of all who resided within the Lonely Mountain.

Sier, being a bit more shy, smiled and bowed to all those who spoke to her, making polite conversation while abdicating to Fili whenever the topic turned political or to matters of state. Her actions quickly earning her the reputation of being a very meek and mild dwarrowdam – an attitude that was coveted and seen as something of great worth in the eyes of all dwarves. However, from experience, Fili had learned over the past week that this was not the case, and respected Sier even more for her true disposition.

Taking care of a little dwarfling proved more difficult than Fili had anticipated, and several times he had watched as his demure wife turned into a force to be reckoned with when their little tyke got out of hand. She was never overly strict or harsh, but even Fili knew exactly when she had had enough tomfoolery and reached her boiling point. The stern look of fire that sprang to her eyes, and the way she would place her hands on her hips, often sent shivers down his spine. Thus far, Fili had managed to avoid being the recipient of such a glare, and was thankful that his son, upon receiving that look, was wise enough to immediately straighten up - either quickly finishing his unwanted meal, or obediently marching into the washroom for his much hated bath.

The closest Fili came to incurring her wrath was on the first day he had taken Flinn out on his own. Sier was busy with his mother and he thought it a fine time to take his son with him as he made his rounds, checking with the foremen of the mines and making sure their needs were being met. It was something that he and Kili usually both attended to, showing the workers that their king and princes did indeed care about their health and welfare. So off they went, swinging the excited little dwarrow between them, listening to him squeal with laughter.

The first hour went well, with Flinn being perfectly behaved and showing interest in everything his father and uncle were doing. Yet as the meetings and inspections began to drag on, so did the dwarfling's feet. During a very particularly heated discussion between two miners, one that Fili and Kili had to step in the middle of when things almost came to blows, the two princes foolishly took their eyes off of Flinn. When the argument was at last settled, and peace was restored, the two brothers gave a sigh of relief and turned to go…but Flinn was nowhere to be seen!

"Flinn?" Fili called, spinning around in a circle as his eyes searched frantically for his son. "Flinn!"

"Where did he go?" Kili asked, his own face alight with fear. "He was here just a second ago!"

"He's gone…vanished!" Fili choked out, instantly nauseous and sweating from sheer terror. His mind immediately went to all the worst case scenarios. Where was his son? What could have happened to him? His eyes scanned his surroundings, identifying at least a dozen dangers that could have easily taken his child from him; from the sheer drop at the edge of the mine, to any of the sharp objects that were lying around waiting to sever a finger…or a head! Sier was going to kill him…if he did not die from a panic attack first! "FLINN!"

Instantly the two brothers were on the run, talking to everyone, asking if they had seen the little prince, sending dwarrow in every direction searching for the missing child. The alarm bells were sounded and every available guard and bystander was pressed into service to look for the missing lad.

"Sier told me to watch him!" Fili moaned in despair. "She warned me to keep ahold of him! She is never going to forgive me for this…and I will never forgive myself!"

"Don't think that way!" Kili almost yelled, apparently on the brink of insanity himself, but doing all he could to hold it together for his brother's sake. "Just keep looking! He has to be here somewhere!"

Fili was about to literally break down, his mind unable to process the loss of his son, when he heard it. Flinn's little laugh! Whirling around, the battle trained prince immediately pinpointed where the sound had come from…a small alcove at the end of the hall. There was a thick curtain covering the entrance and perhaps the niche held tools or supplies that needed to be easily accessible…but it was the sight of a pair of tiny boots sticking out from beneath it that set Fili running. Kili, having no clue what had set his brother off, followed behind in hope and confusion.

Arriving there first, Fili grabbed the curtain and yanked it aside, his heart stopping in his chest when a happy little dwarf jumped out at him, giving a loud roar, with his tiny fingers held up like claws.

"Raaarrrrrr!" he cried, bearing his teeth in a comical threat. When Fili did not react like Flinn had apparently hoped, he dropped his arms to his side and cocked his head to the side. "Didn't I scare you?"

Fili sank to his knees, both to be closer to his son as well as because they would no longer hold him upright. Reaching out, he grabbed hold of him and brought him against his chest, perhaps a bit stronger than he meant to.

"Oh, Flinn," Fili gasped, his voice coming out in a hoarse whisper. "You scared me to death!" He began to rock his body back and forth, doing all he could to assure himself that his son was safe and in his arms once more. He never, never wanted to feel this kind of terror again!

"I was only 'tending to be a bear, Ada," Flinn told him, very confused as to why his father was acting this way. "It was a joke…it's only me."

Fili had to chuckle at that, yet it was weak sounding at best. His heart was still pounding like a war drum, and he knew it would to be quite some time before it subsided. He was at last able to loosen his hold enough to pull back, holding his son out before him, his eyes scanning him for any sort of injury.

"Flinn…" he began, taking a very deep breath and using every ounce of his self-control to keep his voice even. "You must never, ever, run off like that again, do you hear me? I didn't know where you were, where you had gone, and I thought I had lost you."

"I'm not lost…I'm right here," Flinn told him with all the innocence of a child.

"Yes…but I did not know that," Fili reasoned with him. "I thought maybe you had been hurt, and do you know how sad I would be if something happened to you?"

"Very sad?" Flinn guessed, judging by the way his father's hands seemed to be shaking.

"Very, very sad!" the older blond prince assured him. "I love you, Flinn, and I never want to lose you…not even for a second. So, please…never do that again. Promise me that you will never run off and hide from me."

"I'm sorry, Ada," Flinn replied, suddenly realizing what he had done was wrong. He didn't want his father mad at him, and he certainly didn't enjoy seeing the look of fear on his face either. "I only wanted to surprise you."

"Well…you certainly did that," Fili assured him. "Do you do this kind of thing to your mother?"

"Oh, no!" Flinn told him with a solemn shake of his head. "She would be very mad at me and I would have to go to bed without any sweets for a week!"

"Well, maybe that is what I need to do as well," Fili threatened, his face growing stern for the first time. "Would denying you dessert teach you to never play this kind of prank on me…or anyone else, ever again?" When Flinn's eyes grew wide and his lip began to quiver, Fili added softly, "Or do you think perhaps we have both learned our lessons, and we could just pretend like this never happened? Maybe not even telling your mother about it?"

This idea seemed to please Flinn a lot, and he bobbed his head up and down quite enthusiastically.

"All right then. You will never run off from me again, and I will never let you out of my sight." And while Fili said this to Flinn, he knew he was talking more to himself! Live and learn, he thought…live and learn. "Now, what say we forget all about this and head back to our rooms?" Fili was now quite certain that he needed a very stiff drink!

Flinn was all for that, and he allowed his father to pick him up and pack him in his arms – since Fili seemed unwilling to let him go. But when the two turned around, they found Kili sitting on the floor, with his back against the wall and his legs sticking out in front of him. The look on his face was priceless, and Fili would have laughed out loud, had he not been so sure that his own expression mirrored his brother's perfectly.

"We need to call off the search and tell everyone to stand down," Fili told his nadadith. "Let everyone know Flinn has been found."

"Yes…yes," Kili agreed, his breath coming out in labored gasps. "In just a minute. Right now I do not think I could stand up to do so." He then glanced up at Fili with a look of shame. "Is this how our mother and Thorin felt all those times we pulled stunts like this? No wonder Uncle has those grey streaks in his hair!"

"I think I will be sprouting a few myself after this," Fili murmured, leaning in and kissing Flinn's cheek, still needing to feel him close to assuage his fears.

"Who cares about you?" Kili laughed, his usually jovial nature returning. "You already have a wife! But I am still searching, and I can't be seen looking old before my time!"

"Oh, for Mahal's sake," Fili groused, kicking playfully at one of Kili's outstretched feet. "Get up Nadadith! I believe a hearty mug of ale will help you retain your youthful appearance well enough."

"Now you're talking!" the younger dwarrow grinned, leaping to his feet as the three of them went to inform the others.

.

.

Later that night, after Flinn had been put to bed, the two adults sat by the fire relaxing. Sier was busy working on Thorin's coat and Fili was enjoying his pipe while staring at the dancing flames. They had been quietly discussing the events of the day, nothing important, that is until Sier dropped a piece of news like a mountain of rock.

"So…I heard that there was a crisis in the mines today," she said, her voice as casual as if she were discussing the weather. "Word is that a little dwarrow got lost and they called in half the mountain to search for him."

Fili choked on his pipe, having to cough and sputter for a few moments before he could speak, or even breathe again.

"You…you heard that?" he asked, looking very much like a naughty dwarfling who had just been caught with his hand in the jar of sweets.

"Mmhmm," she hummed as she nodded her head. "Would you know anything about this incident perhaps?"

"I…I…" Fili knew he was sunk, he couldn't lie his way out of this, so he didn't even try. "I am so sorry, Sier! I swear that I took my eyes off of him only for a second and he was just…gone! I promise it will never happen again, and I didn't mean to keep it from you, I just didn't want you to worry, and Flinn was found, safe and sound, and I…"

"Fili!" she broke in, stopping his tirade. "It is all right. I am not angry."

"You aren't?" Now this was a surprise. "Why not? I am! I can't even begin to tell you how upset I am with myself over this. I lost our son, for Mahal's sake…our son!"

"And you think that has never happened to me?" she questioned, setting her sewing down as she looked at him with a measure of sympathy.

"He has run away on you as well?" Fili could not believe it…not Sier!

"Well, no…he knows better than to do that with me," she insisted, the glint in her eye making him believe her words to be true. "But once, when he was playing in our room back in Himros, I left him alone for a few minutes to start dinner, and when I came back, he had completely vanished. I looked, I called, I ran around the entire house, and was about to start searching the town next, when I heard his little snores coming from under the bed. He had crawled under there to fetch a toy and apparently fell asleep. I cried for hours, angry with myself and completely convinced I was a horrible parent. But eventually I pulled myself together, learned from my mistakes, and moved on. We can't wrap them in wool and lock them away until they reach maturity…no matter how much we would like to," she laughed, causing Fili to give a reluctant smile.

"I am very sorry," he muttered, still sounding like a scolded child.

"I know," she nodded, picking up her sewing once more. "And I forgive you." She then looked back at him with a raised eyebrow. "Now, your mother however…I can't speak for her."

"SHE KNOWS I LOST FLINN?" Fili cried, a look of sheer terror on his face.

"Ummm, your Uncle Thorin knows as well," Sier cringed.

Oh, Mahal…Fili was indeed one dead dwarrow!

.

.

Meanwhile, in Thorin's private chambers, he and Dis sat beside the fire, sharing a glass of wine and some much deserved quiet time. As king and princess of Erebor, most of their day was spent in the service of others, so it was nice to every once in a while relax and simply be Thorin and Dis, brother and sister.

"So, should we even mention that we know they lost Flinn?" the dam asked, sipping at her wine thoughtfully.

"Most assuredly!" Thorin barked, acting as if the idea of keeping silent was unimaginable. "They deserve all the ribbing we can give them…and then some! After all the panic those two put us through, it would be a crime not to!"

"Oh, but can you just imagine their fright when they turned around and found him gone?" Dis lamented, sounding sorry for her boys.

"I can indeed imagine, though I would have paid a ransom in gold to have seen it firsthand!" Thorin laughed. "From what I heard reported to me by those present, they both turned white as sheets, and their eyes were as wide as saucers. I suppose this will teach them to not take their eyes off of the lad…even for a second!"

"Oh, Thorin, you are being rather wicked," Dis scolded, though she did not sound very serious. "I just hope this does not deter Kili from actively seeking a mate…a scare like this could seriously hamper my youngest from wishing to have a family of his own, you know."

"Kili will marry and sire children when Mahal deems the time is right…not before," Thorin insisted, reaching out and placing his hand over his sister's. "For now, just be content with Fili being wed and giving us Flinn. It is far more than we both expected…or deserve."

"Speak for yourself, Thorin Oakenshield!" Dis said in an offended tone. "You might not feel you merit such a joy as our little Flinn, but I, dear brother, contend that I deserve no less! I have been a wonderful mother, after all, and shall settle for no less than a lap full of grand-babies!"

"Whatever you say, dear sister," Thorin said with a roll of his eyes. "Whatever you say."

And thus begins Fili's crash course in fatherhood!

Kili MAY recover in time. But doubtful

Sooooo, how did you like them apples?

Guest Reviews:

Where oh where have my guest readers gone...where oh were can they be? *sniffle, sniffle*