Kili and Rae were still out on the town until dinner time that night, at which point Kili suggested they purchase some food. He wasn't quite ready to go back and face his uncle and whatever demands he would offer up to Kili. He truly didn't understand why Fili and Thorin were acting the way they were, but Rae had talked about just trying to ignore it until everything went back to normal, as in the back of her mind she remembered doing when she and her own brother had a disagreement; so and Kili followed her advice, throwing his attention toward the town and Rae, rather than Fili and Thorin's unease.
Kili knew that he was beginning to run short of money, considering he'd been eating at this ocean shop for the last few meals, but he had a small bit more, and so he pushed it across the counter and purchased some food for Rae and himself. Then they sat down next to a window in the fish-odor restaurant and spoke quietly about their day exploring the town.
"And the, what was it, aquarium? Yes, the aquarium was just amazing, and the tanks were so big, and I loved those little blue fish! I also love this bracelet you bought me. You didn't have to though! It is lovely though."
Yes, the bracelet; that was another thing he'd spent some money on.
"And now I should get you something, but I don't have any of those coin things," Rae frowned.
"Oh no, that's alright," Kili assured her. Great, so they were both broke…
A young boy, presumably the shopkeeper's son, delivered the food, and then the two of them prepared to eat. Kili had hardly taken his first bite, however, when something bumped the back of his chair, and Kili turned to see Krangon sitting behind him.
"Why, Kili. I didn't know you ate here!" Krangon appeared surprised. "Oh and you're with someone!"
"Yes, Rae," Kili nodded, "Rae, I might have already said this, but this is Krangon! He's the owner of a shop in town."
"Hello," Rae nodded, suddenly shy, and she quickly looked down to stare at her food.
Whoever sat at the table across from Krangon suddenly spoke in a low voice, and Krangon turned to say something quietly to the other person, and then he turned back to Kili.
"It was nice seeing you, but I must be going. See you around; you should drop by my shop again to say hi," then he and whoever he was with got up and left, leaving to stare after Krangon and someone was about dwarf height leave the restaurant.
The rest of the meal was finished, and Kili and Rae debated about what to do.
"It's getting late," Kili glanced out at the setting sun, "Maybe I should be getting back to the inn, except you don't have anywhere to go…"
"I'm sure I'll figure something out," Rae said, though there was an air or uncertainty in her voice, and Kili chewed his lip. He'd already spent all his money, and by the way things were going, it was unlikely that his uncle would pay for a room for Rae at the inn…
"You know, I have a friend in my traveling group, and he might be willing to pay for you to stay in a room in the inn for one night," Kili suggested, "Do you remember Bofur?"
"Look lad, I've always respected your uncle and his judgments, and he seemed awful upset earlier. Look, I just don't want to do anything that would be against him, you know?"
Kili had approached Bofur about paying for a room, and then Kili paying him back with whatever he made as a vender during this trip, but so far Bofur had seemed quite uneasy about the idea.
"It's not that I don't trust that you'll pay me back, I know you would, it's just your uncle. You don't think he blame me if I paid for it?"
"I'll tell him that I bothered you into it," Kili shrugged, "You know how bothersome I can be, at least according to Thorin." Kili flashed a grin.
"Well," Bofur glanced at Rae, who was standing at the edge of the inn, staring out a window and desperately trying to not get herself involved in whatever slight conflict this was, "Here."
Bofur quickly shoved some coins into Kili's hands and back up, "But if Thorin comes up yelling to me, I not taking the brunt of it!"
"Thank you!" Kili declared. He then turned and called over, "Come on Rae!"
Time was growing quite late, and even Bofur appeared to be growing tired, and so Rae purchased her room and then she and Kili went their own ways.
As Kili hurried toward his own room, he heard an angry whispering coming from down one hallway, and he glanced down it to see Nori and Lesur arguing softly. That was strange, whatever would they be angry about?
'It seemed that everyone was angry about something these days, though,' Kili sighed to himself.
Kili entered his room almost in a dream as memories of the wonderful day floating through his head. He was quite taken aback when he found Fili sitting up, glaring at the door, thick worry coating his face.
"Kili," he demanded, "Where have you been? Do you have any idea how long you've been out?!"
"I was with Rae," Kili shrugged.
"So? That has no bearing on how long you can gallivant around the town without telling anyone what you're up to!"
"Look, I thought I was allowed to do whatever since we couldn't sell today. The others were just hanging around all day!"
"Yes, hanging around. As in, they didn't go off where no one could find them! Even if a few did, that's their own concern, but you're my little brother. I've got to look out for you!"
"You don't always have to look out for me. Sometimes maybe I can look out for myself," Kili threw back before marching over to his bed and pulling back the covers angrily.
"Look, I'm sorry for being angry, but I'm sure you can see why I am?" Fili's voice quieted, however Kili was tired from the long day, and tired from how his uncle and Fili had been acting earlier, so he wasn't in the best mood himself. He just wanted to sleep.
"Look," Kili said, "I'll see you in the morning, probably."
"Probably?"
"Well I don't know? Unlike you, I don't care if my brother goes out into town alone. Now, I just really need to sleep."
Kili rolled over in his bed, too tired to bother with anything but tugging off his coats and boots, and then he closed his eyes. As he tried to sleep, however, a sort of guilt for yelling at his brother was building, and taking away the anger he'd just felt. Now, he found it hard to even keep his eyes closed and not turn over and apologize.
Meanwhile, Fili stared at his brother's form in shock. Little fights were common between the brothers, but this had felt like a real row, and they didn't have rows. He stared at his brother's slumbering form for a moment more, and then he sighed.
"Goodnight," he mumbled, trying to mask the hurt in his voice, and then he blew out the light and tried to go to sleep himself, though he found it incredibly hard.
That night, Kili again dreamt of the sea. There was a lovely maiden frolicking on the beach, who Kili recognized as Rae, and Kili seemed drawn to go talk and dance with her. Looking up on the rocks, however, made Kili once again pause.
Again, Fili stood silently, frowning slightly at Kili. Kili called his brother over, yet instead of approaching, Fili turned and began walking away. Now calling desperately, Kili begged Fili to come back, but Fili continued to march away. Glancing at the sea, he saw the maiden returning to ocean, leaving Kili alone on the beach.
His gaze traveled between the two, and Kili again called Fili in desperation. When he didn't return, Kili almost sobbed with hopelessness, but then he followed after Rae, calling her back and feeling the smallest bit of hope when she stopped and waited for him to catch up.
"Why wouldn't you let me get that selkie? She is the one I was looking for, and she was right there! I could have gotten her, and she might have remembered me and come back with me!"
"Might have, my boy, might have. You don't want a 'might have'. This must be handled delicately, or the dwarf will fight back and never let her go. Or he might just catch another selkie, have you thought of that? We must keep him from ever catching a selkie again, and we must get that pendent from him!"
"What, so do you have a plan?"
Krangon smiled to himself, "Indeed," he said. "Now, listen…"
AU: Sorry this chapter was so short, but the next one will probably be long! It's also probably the beginning of the Kili!whump :)
Once again, please review and tell me what you think? What is Nori mad about? What is Krangon up to? And Kili's dream can't be a good thing... Thanks to those who have reviewed!