As Kíli ran to hug his uncle, he thought absentmindedly that he really should get more weapons.
He grabbed Thorin and hugged him tightly. "Uncle!"
He looked into Thorin's face. There was an amused look there. "Really Kíli, I saw you yesterday."
Then he saw Kíli's face. "Are you alright?"
Kíli nodded enthusiastically. He knew that he would look different. He had seen war, he had seen death. That sort of changes someone.
Kíli's heart was fit to bursting. He was back. Back with his beloved family. He could save them. He let Thorin go, his throat too tight to speak.
Thorin sat down at the table. Dís gave him a plate of food. Thorin nodded his thanks at her.
Thorin then turned to the brothers, a serious look in his eyes." I am off to see if Dain will help us." He said. "You boys will go to the Hobbit's house. Dwalin will be going along with you both." Thorin saw Fíli's affronted look, "It's not that I don't think that you cannot look after yourselves, I just want to make sure you are safe." Kíli flinched. He wished that he could have kept his brother safe in the end. He pushed the thoughts of the past away.
Or was it future? Anyways, he was going to change everything now.
But first, "Uncle," Kíli said. Thorin looked up from his food. "Do you think I could get some more weapons." He gestured to his bow. "My bow does work well, but I would feel easier if I had a few more knives."
There was a bit of surprise flickering in Thorin's eyes. Kíli cringed inside. When he was younger, he had always said that his bow was plenty in the way of weapons. In fact, he remembered himself protesting against more knives or weapons. Saying that he had enough with his bow and hunting had always preferred traveling light.
Oh well, he was going to make sure that they were ready this time. He didn't really want to go through Mirkwood without enough food again.
"I am sure that could be arranged." His uncle said. Kíli shrugged. His uncle shoved the rest of his food in his mouth and stood up. "Well, I must be going now." He hugged his sister, and said quietly to her, "I will do my best to keep them safe." She sighed. "You had better. Or I will come and tan your hide. I don't care if you are my elder."
Thorin chuckled. "Well, then I will be extra careful." He clapped Kíli and Fíli on the shoulders. "Be good." Then he walked out the door. "Stay safe, uncle," Kíli called after him.
Their mother clasped her hands together. "Well, I guess you two better get going also." Kíli shoveled the rest of the food in his mouth. Oh, it was good to be the younger prince again. When he was king, he had never been allowed to eat like that.
" About those weapons." Kíli started. "I'll let you borrow some of mine Kee." His brother said. Kíli looked at him gratefully."Thanks." Fíli smiled. "While we are waiting for Dwalin, how about we spar to warm up our muscles." Kíli glanced at him," You just want to beat your younger brother at swords since I always beat you at archery."
Fíli laughed, "Maybe I do, but it will help with the walking to lightly spar." Kíli shook his head, grinning "We don't walk with our arms."
"Aw c'mon. It will help pass the time."
"Maybe later brother. I want to say farewell to Amad."
Kíli looked up at his mother lovingly. She had died a few years ago, or was it ahead? Anyway, he wanted to treasure the time he had with her. There would be plenty of time to see his brother and uncle on the quest.
Fíli said something about going to watch for Dwalin and walked outside.
Kíli put the dishes in the sink. "Oh Kíli, you don't need to do those." His mother protested. Kíli smiled, "It doesn't matter." His mother heated up some water for rinsing. As son and mother worked together on the morning chores, Kíli felt his resolve become stronger. He would save everyone.
He would destroy the Ring with Bilbo, or at least give it to Elrond for safekeeping.
The determination to succeed his goal had become ever stronger, the longer he had been here. Or when.
Fíli came in like a whirlwind announcing Dwalin's arrival. Kíli marveled at how young his brother seemed to him. Usually, Fíli was the mature one, but Kíli had aged. Well, his spirit had anyways. He wondered if his coming back in time was the doing of the Valar or just a blip in the large scheme of things.
He was pulled from his thoughts when Dwalin thumped into the house.
Dwalin hadn't been the youngest of dwarves when they started on the quest, but it still surprised Kíli at how much younger he looked. Kíli nodded a greeting to his former bodyguard and advisor, not trusting himself to speak.
"Fíli here was tellin' me you were wanting more weapons." The gruff voice of the warrior startled him. Kíli felt himself flinch almost imperceptively. "Er," Kíli cleared his throat, managing to clear away his emotions as well. "That would be much appreciated."
Then he realized that he didn't sound like the old Kíli at all. The old Kíli would have eagerly nodded or something. He had to get used to talking like he was not a king again.
Dwalin looked at him closely. "Well, it's about time you got somethin' more than that bow of yours." Kíli tried not to bristle at the words. Then he realized that his old self would have burst out in defense of his bow, and rapidly searched for something to say.
"My bow has served me faithfully, there has never been any reason to add to my weapons till now." Oops, that was too diplomatic. And spoken much too softly.
Ugh. This stuff was hard. Dwalin seemed to accept the answer though. "We'll pick some up on the way out."
Dwalin grabbed a leftover biscuit from the table."I'll have to see how well you do with a sword and knife against me." He said through a mouth full of food. "You do need more training with those."
Kíli nodded. It would be hard to pretend that he was as unskilled as he was when he was younger but he always liked a challenge.
Fíli hugged his Amad goodbye, and Kíli did the same.
His mother gave him the little pebble. He looked at it. "I'll do my best." He said. He would do his best to come back to his mother, but saving Fíli, Thorin, and destroying the Ring would be the priority.
He had already lived once, and while it would be nice to settle down and have a family, he was also ready to die for his brother and uncle.
Anyone of the company really.
They trio shouldered their packs and started down the road. They stopped at Thorin's forge to pick up some knives and swords for him. Kíli supposed that he could always pay his uncle back later. At first, Fíli was going to let Kíli borrow some of his weapons, but Dwalin had said that it was best to just get some new ones at the forge.
Fíli had looked rather relieved.
Kíli let the motions of walking drown out the rest of the thoughts and worries in his head. He would succeed or die trying.