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Now...let's peek in and see what Fili and Kili came up with to get the twins back for their prank.

And FYI...the twins only turned the furniture upside down in Fili and Kili's main room. Nothing was stuck to the ceiling, just turned upside down on the floor. The bedrooms were untouched, so Kili did not have to sleep on the floor and Flinn did not get to sleep on the ceiling...poor dwarfling, he was so disappointed.

Also, yes, in Part 3 of this story, Kili will be paired up with Tauriel. (if all the hints I have given out did not clue you in already) I know some of you are not big fans of our elf maid, however, my wonderful husband is, and he has put in his request that they be a couple in my story. So...in order to keep him happy - which you can't blame me for doing - that is how it shall be.

However, there will be plenty of Fili, Sier, Thorin, Marigold, Bergie, Dwalin, Dis, and of course Flinn and the new kids as well in it. Lots of adventure, both inside the mountain and out! Don't miss it!

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Chapter 85

Namaarie = Farewell

~X~

Fili was waiting outside Kili's room when the younger prince emerged, ready to take on the duties that their uncle and king would normally care for, if he were not sequestered within his chambers on his honeymoon.

"So…did you come up with a plan?" Kili asked, fastening his weapons belt over his old traveling coat. He had opted to not wear his new one that Sier had made him, just in case he found some other creepy crawly things taking up residence in his pockets.

"I believe I have," Fili told him with a smile of satisfaction. "One that will drive Elladan and Elrohir crazy."

"Oh?" Kili replied, rubbing his hands together in glee. "What are we going to do?"

"Nothing!" came Fili's triumphant reply. "Absolutely nothing!"

"What?" Kili stopped dead in his tracks, looking up at his brother in shock. "You mean we are not going to get them back?"

"Oh, but that is the beauty of my plan. We will get them back, by not doing anything at all," Fili tried to explain. "Just as we spent all night in fearful expectation of them pulling a prank on us, the twins are certain to be anticipating a form of retaliation from us."

"I still don't get it," Kili huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"We will go and bid them farewell, offer them a few tokens of our esteem, and send them off with wide smiles on our faces," Fili clarified. "All the while they will think we have done something…to their food again, or the gifts! All the way back to Mirkwood it will drive them insane, making them imagine that something will jump out and bite them at any second. It is the best revenge without actually doing anything!"

"Ohhh," Kili said, finally coming to appreciate his brother's devious mind. "That is sheer genius! So what shall we give them as parting gifts?"

"I don't know," Fili laughed. "I came up with the first part of the plan, the least you could do is help with the second."

"Fine," Kili laughed, throwing his arm over his brother's shoulders. "I believe a stop at the kitchen, and maybe the tailor shop, would be a fine start."

"I like the way you think, Nadadith," Fili nodded, seeing a great deal of potential in Kili's suggestions. "Now, let's get going."

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About an hour or so later, after the elves had enjoyed a nice breakfast, they gathered their things and made their way towards the front gate. Fili, Kili, Dis, Bilbo and Gandalf were already waiting there to see them off, yet just as they approached, Flinn and Frodo came running up. Sier was right behind them, though moving a bit slower due to her condition.

"Wait!" the children called, skidding to a halt in front of Thranduil. "We made you a present!"

"Oh?" the elf king asked in surprise, bending over slightly in order to get a better look at what they each held in their hand.

"We both drew pictures for you to take back to Mirkwood," Flinn announced, proudly displaying his work of art. "Mine is a drawing of you and your son, Leg…Lego…"

"Legolas," Fili once again had to prompt his son.

"Yes, you and Legolas!" Flinn nodded, handing him the piece of paper.

Thranduil took it in his hands and studied it for a long time, his face revealing no emotion, yet his eyes seemed to glisten just a bit more than usual.

"This is very fine work, Master Flinn," Thranduil told him, looking down at the dwarfling and giving him an unexpected smile. "You have captured the likeness of my son perfectly, which is no small feat, especially for someone who has never seen him."

"My adad told me what he looked like at breakfast this morning," Flinn explained, his hands clasped behind his back in pride as he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. "And you weren't hard to draw, since I know what you look like."

"Indeed," Thranduil nodded. "And who is this supposed to be?" he asked, pointing to a small figure on the other side of him in the picture.

"That's me!" Flinn announced happily. "That way, you won't forget me either."

"Nay, little one," Thranduil said quietly, with a shake of his head. "The years of an elf may be long indeed, yet I am quite certain that I shall never forget you…or your worthy sword-brother."

"I have a picture for you too!" Frodo announced, hopping up and down and waving his paper in his hand. "It's a drawing of Spark, the tiny dragon you told us about."

"So it is," Thranduil chuckled, finding it odd that even though he had never described the color of this creature, Frodo had chosen to depict it in the shade of purple. He then looked down at both lads, their adorable grins melting his heart even more. Perhaps dwarves were not as unpleasant as he had once thought…at least not all of them. "I will treasure your gifts, Master Flinn, Master Frodo. You have my thanks." With a nod of his head, he tucked the pages inside his satchel and went to stand before the two princes, accompanied by Glorfindel and the twins.

"We are sorry our uncle is not here to see you off, but I am sure you understand his absence," Fili said with a nod to the three elves.

"I imagine that if Thorin chose to leave his new bride just to bid us farewell, it would not bode well for his marriage," Glorfindel said with a laugh. "Please tell the king that we will see him again soon, and that we extend our best wishes to him and his queen."

"We will," Kili nodded. He then turned and looked up at Elladan and Elrohir, only recognizing which was which by the slight difference in how they parted their hair. "We too have parting gifts to present to you," he revealed, turning and accepting two small bundles from one of the guards standing nearby. "It was the least we could do after the interesting…kindness you bestowed upon Fili and I last night."

"Yes, please, take these with our thanks," Fili added, his smile just as wide as Kili's as he watched his brother hand them to the twins. "And think of us every time you use them." He made sure to add in a sly wink when he said that last part.

The two elf brothers accepted the small parcels with what could only be described as genuine fear, staring at the two dwarves with great suspicion. When Elladan cautiously made a move to untie the strings that held his bundle closed, he was stopped by Kili's words.

"No need to open them now!" the dark haired prince said quickly, holding up his hands in a halting gesture and taking a cautionary step back. "You can do so later…when you are far, far away from here."

"Yes…far away," Fili agreed, also taking a little step away from the items the twins now held.

"If I did not know any better," Glorfindel hummed, eyeing the four pranksters with a look of mirth, "I would think that there might be something perilous inside those packages."

"Oh, no!" Fili said, his tone one of complete seriousness. "They are simply tokens of our esteem, gifts from Erebor to our friends from Rivendell. Why on earth would we give Elladan and Elrohir anything dangerous? It's not as if they deserve such things…is it?" Fili sounded so offended by the blond elf's words that even Dis, who was more than aware of her sons' affinity for pranks, would have believed him.

"My apologies," Glorfindel said with a bow of respect. "I meant no offense."

"None taken," Kili grinned, absolutely loving the look on both of the twins' faces. "Although, we now feel rather lax in our manners, for we did not think to bring you a gift as well, Lord Glorfindel."

"I assure you, I need no such gifts," the blond elf replied, holding up his hands in defense as he began to laugh heartily. "Believe me, I am quite happy to part from you empty handed."

"Yet I hope you will accept a present from me and my brother," Dis spoke up, stepping forward. "Thorin asked that I give you this at your leaving." She then held out a bottle of the Dorwinian wine, offering it to Glorfindel with a warm smile. "He hoped that you would enjoy it, and think on him and your friendship when you do."

"I will indeed, Lady," the elf lord nodded, eyeing the bottle with great interest. "Please convey my appreciation to your brother…whenever you see him next." This part he said with a little wink, causing Dis to blush slightly at the implications.

"And for you, Lord Thranduil," she continued, turning her attention to their ally and neighbor. "The dwarves of Erebor wish to bestow upon you a gift as well." Dis then gestured to a dwarf that was standing nearby. He quickly approached, displaying a long item wrapped in cloth. As the princess pulled back the covering, one could see that it was a very finely crafted sword, with a mithril handle and intricate carvings running up and down the blade. Beside it lay an impressive sheath for it to rest in. "My brother himself forged this sword, and it would please him greatly if you were to accept it as a token of friendship."

Thranduil's eyes grew wide as he reached out and took the sword in his hand, holding it up as he inspected its detail.

"A finer blade no warrior could wish for," he nodded, obviously impressed, and a bit taken aback, by such a gesture. "Tell King Thorin that he has my thanks…and appreciation."

"I shall," she nodded, a pleased smile on her face.

"I also wish to extend my gratitude for being invited to witness such an auspicious event," Thranduil continued, sheathing the blade and holding it reverently. "It was obvious to all how much work and planning went into the festivities, My Lady. Your efforts did not go unnoticed."

"I am happy you enjoyed it," Dis beamed. "We were delighted that you came."

"As am I," the king said, looking over at the two grinning lads standing across from him. "I find that this visit has opened my eyes to a great many things."

"Yet, now, I fear it is time for us to part once again," Glorfindel said, placing his hand over his heart and bowing respectfully to all present. "It was a pleasure to see you two as well, Master Bilbo, Mithrandir."

"And you, My Lord," the wizard nodded.

"You won't forget your promise to ride with us on our return home, will you?" Bilbo asked hopefully.

"Nay, my fine hobbit, we will not forget," Glorfindel laughed, turning as he mounted the stallion that awaited him. The twins followed suit, treating their newly acquired gifts as if they were poisonous snakes ready to strike, while Thranduil mounted his magnificent elk once more.

"Goodbye, Mister Thranduil!" Flinn called, his little hand waving frantically. "Tell your son hello from me when you see him."

Tranduil nodded, though he could not help but grin slightly at the dwarfling's parting words.

"Farewell dear friends," Glorfindel said in parting. "A star shall shine at the hour of our next meeting. Until then, I bid you peace. Namaarie"

And with that the four of them headed down the path that would lead them past Dale and back to Mirkwood.

"And what exactly was that all about?" Fili asked, turning to his mother with a look of surprise as soon as the elves were out of earshot.

"What was what all about?" she questioned.

"All that nonsense about Thorin giving Thranduil a sword as a gesture of friendship?" he insisted. "You made the whole thing up, didn't you? And I, for one, do not plan on being within a mile of Uncle when you tell him what you said."

"Or that you gave away one of his own hand crafted blades!" Kili added. "One of his favorites too, if I recall."

"What my brother doesn't know, won't hurt him," Dis said with a huff of indignation. "I saw my chance to further friendly relations and I took it. Thorin will understand."

"Unlikely," Kili snorted in amusement.

"But as long as we are on the subject of gifts, what on earth were in those packs you gave Elladan and Elrohir?" Dis questioned, noting that everyone else turned and looked at her sons as well, eager to hear their answer.

"Nothing special," Fili said with a shrug. "Some crams, a bag of nuts, a couple pairs of finely knitted socks, and a few other trinkets."

"And what exactly did you do to them?" Bilbo asked, knowing full well that the four of them had been playing pranks on each other since they met. "Did you put itching powder in the socks? Or ink in the crams, to turn their teeth black?"

"Hey, those are some very fine ideas!" Kili laughed, making a mental note to pick the hobbit's brain later. "But no…there is nothing at all wrong with any of the items we gave them. Not one single thing."

"Ahhhh," came Gandalf's knowing reply. "I see your game, young princes. And I must say, it is probably the best idea you could have come up with. Those two will be jumping at shadows and looking over their shoulders all the way back to Mirkwood."

"Exactly!" Fili grinned, crossing his arms over his chest with pride. "We get our revenge, and no one can say we did anything that would hinder diplomatic relations. Elladan and Elrohir will eventually figure out there is nothing wrong with all our kind gifts, but the best part is, Kili and I walk away from this smelling like a rose."

"Well, that would be a first," Dis laughed, recalling how often her children's pranks would backfire on them, and they would return home smelling like anything but roses. Oh, what she wouldn't give to have those days back. "Now come, we have an entire mountain full of guests to bid farewell to, and while some live nearby, others must be leaving soon in order to put a large number of miles behind them before nightfall."

"Yes, Ama," Fili sighed. He really should have taken the chance to sleep last night instead of fixing his furniture and dreaming up this wonderful plan for revenge. Yet…after seeing the looks of fear and hesitation on Elladan and Elrohir's faces, Fili knew it had been completely worth it!

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Bard and his family were the next to depart, warmly thanking their dwarven hosts for their fine hospitality. And while Bard had minded himself this time, he still had been very grateful for the offer to stay the night so they did not have to make their way home in the dark the previous evening.

"Please tell Thorin," here he paused and gave a small chuckle, "whenever he deems it appropriate to emerge from his honeymoon suite, that I look forward to his wife's blessing to start the cutting of the early wheat crop," Bard told Dis, bowing to her reverently.

"Oh, you need not wait," the princess informed him. "In their absence, Fili is taking on all of Thorin's duties, and Saradoc, Marigold's brother, will be in charge of crops. I will be sure to send him down to Dale to meet with you tomorrow, and you two can proceed from there. It would not do to postpone harvesting simply because my brother and his bride are sequestered away."

"Excellent! I'll inform my men to sharpen their scythes and be at the ready," he nodded. "I will look for Master Brandybuck on the morrow." And with a final wave of farewell, Bard, Bain and Tilda headed home to Dale.

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After a few more partings, the little group found Beorn and Dain in the dining area, the two of them embroiled in a rather heated discussion.

"Honey is an excellent staple on a long journey, it cures sore throats, and can be used as salve for wounds!" Beorn admonished, glaring down at the short, yet formidable, dwarf beside him at the table.

"That is all good and well," Dain blustered, shaking his fork at the wild man before him. "But I still say the best use for the stuff is to make mead! You claim to keep bees the size of my fist, and yet you have never harvested their produce for the making of such a drink? Unheard of!"

"I do not keep bees…they choose to stay with me and offer me honey as a gesture of their own free will!" Beorn roared, leaning in just a bit, his lips curling into a snarl. "Animals should not be kept as slaves to do your bidding, Master Dwarf!"

"Oh, my," Gandalf breathed, concern evident in his voice. "This does not seem to be going well."

"Should we intervene before Beorn bites Dain's head off?" Bilbo asked. "Quite literally!"

"Aye," Fili nodded, taking a step forward. "Uncle would not be happy if we had to rouse him from his marriage bed to preside over the funeral of his own cousin."

"A headless cousin at that," Kili nodded.

Yet, just as the small group approached, the mood between the two combatants seemed to shift.

"A boar?" Beorn asked, his face softening a bit.

"Aye, a boar," Dain nodded in pride. "Raised the thing from a piglet, I did! Bottle fed him myself until he was old enough to eat mash."

"And this animal bears you willingly, not out of fear or threat?" the skin changer asked, sounding a bit skeptical.

"Me…threaten my darling Billie?" The lord of the Iron Hills sounded aghast at the mere idea. "Never! He is like one of my own children!"

"It's true, Master Beorn," Thorin Stonehelm spoke up, who had been sitting to the right of his father and listening quite calmly to the whole conversation. "I have often questioned whether my father loves me as much as he does that pig. Although he has promised to pass the crown on to me, and not Billie. Ain't that right, Adad?" The younger dwarf chuckled.

"Keep mouthing off like that, laddie, and it will be your wee sister that takes the throne first," he warned, shooting his son an amused glare. "The point is, my Billie bears me into battle out of love, not compulsion." He then got a bright look on his face. "Would you care to meet him? He is resting in the stables now, and I made sure he got himself a nice milk bath early this morning. He would be right proud to make your acquaintance."

"I would indeed," the skin changer nodded, standing up. He now towered over the red haired dwarf even more, but that did not seem to faze Dain in the least.

"Gather our things, laddie, and meet us in the stables," he told Stonehelm, gesturing for Beorn to lead the way. "I will see you there."

And so they left, both smiling and in no way looking as if they wished to mutilate each other in battle…much to Fili and Kili's relief. For had Beorn chosen to change shape, morphing into his bear form, they knew there would have been no stopping him had he chosen to eviscerate Dain.

"Well…that was a close call," Dis sighed as she approached the table, looking at Stonehelm. "For a moment there I was truly in fear for your father's life."

"It was a good thing they found common ground over the love of an animal," Kili chuckled. "Even if that animal is a pig."

"Aye," Stonehelm nodded, looking almost bored with the subject. "And believe me, if there is one thing my father can go on and on about, it's that pig. Do you know that we are not even allowed to eat bacon in the Iron Hills? Oh, they serve it under the table, so to speak, at some of the more discreet taverns, but just try and enjoy a slice of nice crispy bacon around my father, and you will find yourself in the dungeons for sure!"

This bit of information had the whole group laughing up a storm, all of them patting the poor dwarf on the back in sympathy.

And so by mid-afternoon, all of the guests had departed, leaving behind a happy and satisfied mountain of dwarves. The wedding had gone well, they had a new queen, their crops were flourishing…and for once, everything seemed right within the walls of Erebor.

Look! No cliff hanger or anything! Now you can relax all weekend without worrying that something is wrong in Erebor. ha ha.

So, what did you think of Fili and Kili's revenge? Was it good enough? You will hear more about how it turned out when Glorfindel and the Twins come back to Erebor to escort the hobbits home.

Was Flinn and Frodo cute with Thranduil again?

Oh, Dis...what have you done? In trying to make nice, you could have started a war by giving Thranduil one of Thorin's favorite blades! Only you could get away with it though, Dis. Only you.

OK, here is a question for you all: Beorn is supposedly the last of his kind...right? But in LOTR, he has a son called Grimbeorn. Wikipedia says that "Sometime between BOFA and LOTR Beorn emerged from his reclusion, and rose to become a leader of the woodmen living between the Anduin river and the fringes of Mirkwood." Do you think he found a wife from among them? Taking a daughter of men as a wife...or did he find another of his own kind to marry? Tolkien never said. Your thoughts?

Guest Reviews:

Aranel Mereneth: Kili knows how to be a great uncle to Flinn, since he had such a great example in Thorin. No, Kili is not overly silly, but I do use him to get a lot of laughs. ha ha. Sorry you are not a big Tauriel fan...but my husband is, and I must keep him happy. ha ha. I do hope you will not give up on my story though - there will be a lot of fun in the next part, I promise.

abc: Yes, our royal couple are too cute for words. So as you can see, I let them have their privacy and gave them no words in this chapter. ha ha. But the next one they will be talking again. So how did you like the dwarf counter strike against the elves? Was it funny? Thorin already did tell Marigold about his 'kid dream' telling her they will have a girl first and then another child later on. She is not sure she fully believes him, but she loves him enough to go along with it. ha ha. Either way they would be happy. I think in a few more chapters you will know more about Kili and this mysterious (or not so mysterious) elf maid. But you will have to wait till part three for her to show up.

Mjean: Not a big Kili and Tauriel fan, I take it? Ha ha ha, oh man, that would be a kick in the head if I did have him fall for the harpest in Rivendell. But she didn't even have a name! I do hope you will stick with the story, even if my choice of pairing is not exactly to your liking.

Feu d'Argent: First of all, your bones are right. And no, Kili has never mastered the art of subtlety. ha ha. But maybe a certain elf maid likes the direct approach. ha ha. I agree, where else would Kili have learned love words but from his mom and dad...or from what his mom told him about his dad. I see Flinn the First dying around the time when Kili was still very little, maybe just starting to crawl around. As for the upside down furniture...well, the vace was upside down, on a little table that was turned upside down...nothing was stuck to the ceiling, just turned upside down. Every knick-knack on the mantel was upside down, Sier's basket of sewing supplies, just turned upside down. Nothing damaged, just had to be put to rights. ha ha. I am feeling a bit better, well enough to write thankfully. ha ha. Thanks for the review!