Sorry for the late update! Here's the next chapter! And thanks so much to all who reviewed!
It was a solemn day of farewells. Hundreds of Men and Dwarves were killed in the unexpected battle. Hundreds of families would never see their fathers, sons, or husbands again.
Dís would never see Aldín again. He would never have the chance to raise his sons.
They held a separate service for Aldín. It was a small gathering, consisting of only his kin and closest friends.
Honorable words were muttered. Tears were shed. And as Thorin watched his sister stand by his side during the procession, his heart broke. She tried, with every ounce of her being, to contain her emotions. She held firmly onto Fíli's tiny hand, cradling the newborn Kíli to her chest. She held them as if they would be wrenched from her grasp if she let go. Durin forbid anything happen to those boys.
Aldín was to be laid to rest in a small, makeshift tomb of stone. Not a decorated chamber meant for kings. Not what he deserved.
Thorin cursed the circumstances. He cursed the Blue Mountains for their inability to suit his people's needs. The Dwarves had been treated with nothing but scorn since they lost Erebor. He wasn't even able to bury his own kin in the proper way. They were trapped until someone took action. Until Erebor was reclaimed.
Thorin would do it. Nothing would keep him from fulfilling his promise to his people. His promise to his late father and grandfather. He would do it for them. For Dís and her sons. For the only people he had left.
And when they reclaimed their homeland, he would give his kin a burial that would be honored until the Last Age of Middle Earth passed into shadow.
But he would wait for the opportune moment to do so. He needed a plan. He needed help. And he needed his nephews by his side. The rightful heirs to the throne of Erebor. They would rise with him, as princes of the most powerful Dwarven city in all of Middle Earth.
And when they finally defeated the Dragon Smaug, they would call for Dís to come home. They would continue the Line of Durin for centuries to come. Thorin and his nephews would continue the legacy his forefathers had begun.
Thorin was lost in his thoughts when he saw Dís's dark eyes locked on his. It was his turn to say his last words. He stepped forward.
"Goodbye, Aldín. You were a good husband to my sister, and for that I thank you. You were a brother to me, while my own was lost. Know that your sons will never be without a father. I will do everything in my power to raise them to be honorable as you were. May you rest happily in the Halls of Aulë until we meet again."
He bowed his head, and turned away.
Dís was silent most of the day. Forgotten tears dried on her cheeks. She fed Kíli and handed her sleepy children to Thorin, retiring for the night.
The proud King held the small Dwarflings in his large arms in the most gentle of ways. One would never expect a man of his size to accomplish such a feat as cradling young babes.
He began to doze when he felt a light tug on his braided hair.
"Uncle Thorin?" His small voice spoke. The child hadn't spoken a word the entire day.
"Yes Fíli?"
"Daddy wasn't sleeping today, was he?"
Thorin froze at those words. The way his oldest nephew looked at him made his heart clench. Fíli was thrust so suddenly into the horrors of the world, and he hadn't even experienced his sixth summer. His throat constricted.
"No Fíli. He wasn't sleeping." He choked out.
"He isn't coming back." This time it wasn't a question. It was a statement. Fíli knew. He understood death. And nothing hurt Thorin more.
"No."
The blonde child stared hard at the ground for a good few moments before looking back up at Thorin.
"Are you going to be our father now?" He asked with uncertainty.
Warmth burst through Thorin's chest at the words, and he smiled. Fíli's eyes brightened.
"I will try."
But in his heart he knew. He could never take the place of their father. He could be their king. He could be their leader. But he couldn't father him. He could never claim them as his own.
"I love you." Fíli said, snuggling close. "Kíli loves you too."
Thorin glanced at the younger. Kíli had been dead just hours ago. His life was a miracle. Miracles in this dark time were almost unheard of. Aulë must have had plans for the child if he decided he was to remain with them.
As he glanced at his nephews he gained a sense of hope. That was what they were. Fíli and Kíli were the new hope. They would rebuild the world from the ashes. Thorin only hoped he was up to the challenge of getting them to that point. He knew he wasn't suited for the task at hand. The task of being their father. But nothing would stop him from trying.
"I love you too."
Fíli smiled and wrapped his hand around Kíli's. A yawn escaped the blonde's mouth, and his eyes fluttered closed as he entered a world of his own, alongside his brother.
As the Dwarflings fell into a peaceful slumber, a tune formed in Thorin's mind. As he dwelt on his plans, his family, and his home, he sang.
Far over the Misty Mountains cold,
To dungeons deep and caverns old.
We must away ere break of day,
To find our long forgotten gold.
There you go! Sorry about the depressing chapters. I promise that it'll pick up with humor and Dwarfling-antics in the next few chapters. This is just the beginning of what I'm hoping will be a long story. It might go until the release of the next movie, that's how long I'm planning it to be:) Anyway's some of the things in this chapter are canon! Well, at least according to Richard Armitage. In an interview, he explains his relationship with Fíli and Kíli in pretty great detail. He even says that their father died in battle (which is ironic because I had no idea before I wrote this). If you want to watch the interview, go to Youtube and type 'Xbox SmartGlass Exclusive "The Company of Dwarves" Excerpt,' and you'll get a good idea of what I'm talking about. In another interview (sorry I don't remember where I found it) he said the Misty Mountains song was like a "cradle song he would sing to his young nephews." So there you go! Richard should just write his own fanfiction, he's that into the story:P
Please review and let me know what you'd like to see in future chapters!:)