Disclaimer: All recognized characters and lines are copyright their respective owners not limited to J.R.R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson & Co. The fox, Kit, and plot are mine, and I have a muse as fierce as dwarvin warriors to support that claim.
Now comes the end of the fox's tale!
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Epilogue: There and Back Again—A Gathering Around the Durin Lane Hearth in the Shire
The main parlour of the house within the hill is filled with pipe smoke of the finest leaves of the Shire. A whole host of dwarves within, the dwarf king himself Thorin Oakshield son of Thrain, son of Thror, Balin, Dwalin, Oin, Gloin, Ori, Dori, Nori, Bombur, Bofur, Bifur, Fili, and the very owner of Durin Lane, Kili Refurrin. In addition to the dwarves occupying the main parlour is the wood elf king Thranduil and his his son and heir Legolas, and a certain adventurous hobbit, Bilbo Baggins of Bag End, just the next hill over.
The dwarves within the parlour are trying to keep up a lively atmosphere with song as muffled curses come from the room at the end of the longest hall within the burrowed home.
The owner of the house jumps and turns to the direction of the longest hall, but it is his brother, Fili, the prince of Erebor, that places a firm grip on his shoulder to halt him.
"Brother, now is not the time for blindly charging in. There is little you can do save wait. All will be well, Mother is with her," Fili says.
Kili takes in a deep breath and paces the length of his parlour, puffing on his pipe, until there comes a sound that cannot be ignored, one sweet wailing cry, followed by another. Fili and Thorin step into Kili's way to hold him, awaiting word on the health of babes and mother. Kili struggles against them and several other dwarves, Bofur, Dwalin, and Bifur try to hold Kili back as well, but then his inner light begins to glow from within and they back away from him, for there is no holding back the young owner of the house any longer as he drops his pipe to the floor and races down the long hallway to burst through his own bedroom door.
The soiled bed linens are being removed by several gathered hobbit women, and carefully replaced beneath and around the new mother within the bed. Kit looks exhausted and gloriously magnificent as the midwife hands her over a small squalling bundle, and Kili looks to see his mother, Dis, with a similar squirming, squalling bundle.
He approaches the bed in wonder, and looks down at his wife and the bundle she holds, settling in the newly made bed, as his mother brings him the second bundle. His eyes are wide with fright as his mother settles the bundle into his arms, showing him the proper way to hold the infant.
He gasps in wonder, his eyes widen as he takes in the small, perfect features, pointed ears and dark tufts of hair atop the babe's head, it's fists lifted from the swaddling, small hands, fingers all accounted for, and he touches the babe's soft cheek, cooing and shushing the squalling babe, and then he looks at the bundle that his wife holds, watching as the babe's mouth moves.
"It would seem that they are hungry," he says, his voice gentle and tender with affection for the two younglings so new to the world.
"Let's hope their appetites do not match that of Bombur," Kit says, her voice tired, but her tone proud.
"Aye," replies Kili, and he watches as the new mother feeds the child at her breast, and he continues to soothe the babe in his arms.
"Two healthy sons, Kili. What shall we call them?" she asks.
A smile alights his face and he looks to her with his suggestion, "Faron and Farrow."
"Fine names for my nephews!" Fili says from the door, and behind him are Thorin and the rest of the houseguests eager to look at the new babes. Kili does his best to shield his wife nursing Faron, while he continues to soothe Farrow, and then he lifts the sheet of the fresh bedding over her chest and the nursing babe to accommodate her modesty, especially with that damnable Thranduil in his house. Within a few moments they are trading babes and Dis is showing Kili how to burp the babe, while the men slip into the room and crowd around the bed to get a look at the boys.
The crowd does not remain for long as Kit lets out a yawn and Dis chases them all from the room.
"Once Farrow is fed we'll see them settled and you can rest, love," Kili says.
She smiles up at him, the glow of a new mother bright upon her, and she takes in a deep breath and lets it out slowly as the babe finishes suckling. Dis returns and takes Faron from Kili and beds him down in the cradle, one of two from Elrond and the elves of Rivendell. Kili then takes Farrow and burps him as well, Farrow spitting up a little on the proud new Papa, but Kili smiles and takes it in stride as he removes the soiled shirt and his eyes meet with his wife's.
She's laughing softly, wincing a little, as she adjusts herself on the bed, and Kili places Farrow by his brother in the cradle.
The two young parents look on their young, and with a smile Kit says, "It looks as though we are at the start of another great adventure."
Kili returns her smile with one of his own, already imagining the mischief these two boys will get into once they are old enough.
End.
Author's Final Note:
This story began from a dream I had of Thorin's sister-sons stumbling across their own little burglar on the way to the Shire to the initial meeting. I took some liberties with the writing of this, and I hope that this story will be well received. This concept I perceive to be unique, and I have yet to see an OC introduction quite made to this effect.
I began writing this story on 27 December 2013, and finished it on 30 December 2013. Not a bad venture for 4 days of writing, and met my 30,000 word prospectus that I set to meet in 30 days rather than 4. I am immensely pleased with the results, and hope that those reading this enjoy this story as well!
-Cassie
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Also a note on the other name of the Arkenstone:
gcroílár na Dragon- Irish for Heart of the Dragon
Kili's adopted surname at the end comes from the Icelandic word for fox, Refurrin