I stuck my head around the trunk of yet another tree, only to find its roots unoccupied. 'Dammit' I thought, where could those boys be? I had woken, early this morning, to find a note signed by both Fili and Kili saying that they were going up to the mountain. Now, there was nothing wrong with a child wanting to explore, but there is a problem when the area they want to explore is being used as God's green punching bag.

When Dwalin, an important member of The Company, was angered beyond reasoning with, he often went up to the remote part of the mountain to lash out his anger, and he lost it with anybody who disturbed him. It could've been anybody's nephews, but it just had to be mine who chose to go up the mountain on one of Dwalin's bad days. I knew if they got too close he would probably come after them, and the last thing I needed was to have to stand between my kin and an enraged dwarf of Dwalin's size.

I walked about, looking up trees and in between boulders looking for the boys, muttering about their choice of timing all the while. I was just about ready to tear my hair out when I heard a familiar sound. Kili. His voice was muffled, and far away and I couldn't tell what he was saying, but Fili indeed replied. I followed their voices being as quiet as possible, planning on scaring them.

As I grew closer, their voices became clearer.

"What if he doesn't come soon?"

"He'll come, don't worry."

"He better. I didn't hang that basket for nothing."

I didn't like the sound of that. No sir, not at all. It wasn't too long until I was in the middle of two large pin oaks, where my nephews were placed, one at each trunk. The boys silenced themselves immediately, unaware that I'd heard their entire conversation. But even though 'hang the basket' was stuck in my heads suspicion zone, I didn't bother to check the branches above me. I stepped onto the clearing and heard the sound of loosing rope. I looked up.

The last thing I remember was the bottom of a basket rushing towards my face, and pain spreading through my shoulders and nose. Then I saw fish.