Do You Wanna Be My Friend?

Chapter 6: Kili's Innocent Crush

Alyss and the brothers had left after lunch to go to the market with Thorin while Dis dealt with the mess the three little ones had left behind. It was amazing how much messier Kili was when there was a second target to fling food at, AKA Alyss.

When asked why he had started the small food fight, Kili simply replied, "Must I have to have a reason for everything?" That earned him some belly laughs and a good knock on the head from Dis.

"Come on Alyss!" Kili urged as he and Fili drugged her toward a toy merchant's stall, "You gotta meet Bofur and Bifur!"

Before Alyss could ask who they were talking about a strange pair of dwarves came into view, one happily selling a small wooden bird t a child and the other was busy making a toy. Alyss would have happy to see the toys, especially since that meant someone could help her clean Minty, but the one who was working had caught her attention. The dwarf has a strange and wild mane of hair, both black and silver in color, and the blade of an axe in his head.

"Oi!" the happy dwarf called as he spotted the brothers, "Bifur, look who came to visit us!"

The brothers dragged Alyss all the way up to the stall and happily began chatting away with the dwarves, though occasionally talking in a rough language that Alyss had never heard of nor understood. She wasn't excluded from their talking, she had heard her name more than once especially when Thorin joined in, but she was busy admiring the toys. She had seen her share of battle toys but what caught her attention was the beautiful display of various animals. From dogs to birds, they had almost every creature she had encountered during her travels with Gandalf.

"Whatcha looking at Alyss?" Fili asked when Thorin had taken up Bofur's attention.

"The toys." she answered simply, "I've never seen toys made entirely of wood before."

"Never?" Kili asked as he picked up a wooden sword, "Are all the toys you've seen stuffed like your rabbit?"

Alyss clutched Minty tighter and stuck her tongue out at him, "Don't be mean to Minty!"

"I bet you like that rabbit more than me!" Kili playfully pout, covering his heart like he was mortally wounded.

Fili laughed at the obvious jealousy Kili had for their friend's toy, he knew Kili had a small infatuation with Alyss and it was more than just painfully obvious. Fili also had overheard a conversation between his uncle and mother about whether Kili had found his other half, his one, in Alyss. As young as Fili was he knew what that meant, his father had explained it to him when he had asked how his mother fell for his father. Fili did not know if it was possible or even heard of for a dwarf to find their one in another race but Kili may have and as his older brother, he would give his blessing if Kili's other half was Alyss.

"Minty's my best friend!" Alyss argued back at Kili, "Of course I love him!"

"Oh!" Kili gasped, faking tears. "She loves him! She. Loves. Him!"

Fili had to end the melodrama his brother was acting out otherwise it'd go on forever. "Oh, cut it off Kili. You know what she means."

"Maybe I do!" he playfully stuck his nose high in the air, "She love a toy over me!"

Fili rolled his eyes, "Great, now he's not gonna stop till mum threatens to hit him with a wood spoon."

Alyss also rolled her eyes and continued to look at the toys, taking an interest in a wooden horse. She always loved horse, they were majestic creature who always seemed to hold themselves with pride and determination. Bifur noticed Alyss's interest in the toy and gave it to her, saying something in the language she heard earlier.

"He said the stallion is fit for a little princess." Fili translated when he noticed that Alyss was afraid to ask about what Bifur had said. "He wants you to have it."

Alyss immediately beamed happily at the dwarf, "Really?!"

Bifur nodded and and said something else that Fili said meant that if Alyss wanted any other toy to let him and Bofur know. Kili almost went into another dramatic fit about how Alyss had a new love interest over him but Thorin ended it before it could even begin by handing him a new toy sword.

"Hey Fili!" Kili said as his brother also received a toy sword, "We should go battle each other."

Fili grinned but Thorin cut into the boys' plan. "Oh no you don't. That's how your last swords broke and I don't intend on buying new ones so soon."

"Aw!" they moaned in unison, "That's not fair!"

"Besides," Thorin continued, "I do believe I was asked to take someone to buy another gift for their mother. Kili."

"Oops! I forgot!" Kili gasped, how cold of him to forget that he wanted to get his mother another gift. He had also wanted to get a small gift for Alyss too, something both Thorin and Dis had encouraged for some odd reason. "Can we still?"

Thorin nodded, "Of course, but I think we should make haste."

"Okay!" Alyss and Fili happily followed Kili and Thorin toward some other stalls, passing some that Alyss recognized from yesterday. She wasn't as wide eyed enchanted by the stalls now but she still looked around just to see what was going on.

"So," Fili asked so suddenly that Alyss jumped a bit, "what were you gonna get mum?"

Alyss hadn't noticed that they were in front of a jewelery stall and happily gazed at the sparkling accessories. Like most girls, she loved things that sparkled but she was more interested in having sparkling objects than showing them off.

"A necklace." Kili answered, "So that she has a memory of me near her heart everyday."

Fili broke out into a laugh, "It still amazes me that you will talk that way!"

Kili blushed, "Aw shut up!"

Alyss rolled her eyes at the scene of the brothers and moved towards some of the colored jewels. She always loved colored stones over plain see-through ones, she particularly liked dark colors like red and purple.

"What are you looking at Alyss?" Thorin asked when he caught Alyss staring at a particular necklace. It wasn't anything magnificent like the other jewelery, it was rather simple compared to other great dwarvish works. It was one, solitary crystal of two purples, light and dark, on a thick black string; again nothing compared to great works around it but it seemed to catch their little Alyss's eye.

"Thorin?" Thorin froze, he had never heard Alyss say his name before and it wasn't unwelcomed but it was odd. "Can I get this?"

Thorin smiled and replied, "I gave my money to Kili, why not ask him to buy it for you?"

Alyss slouched, "But isn't he mad at me?"

"Mad?"

"Because he think I like Minty more than him." she explained softly. True she knew he was being dramatic but her mother use to do the same thing, act like nothing was wrong when she was in distress.

Thorin gave her a soft chuckle, "He's not mad, he didn't mean anything by his little act."

"Are you sure?" she asked hesitantly, "And isn't the money for Dis's gift?"

"He might have enough to get both." Thorin gave her a small push toward where the brothers were. "Just ask."

Alyss nervously bit the inside of her cheek and silently decided against asking, she was afraid of coming across as rude since her mother always told her to never ask for anything when people are buying gifts for someone else. But she knew Thorin would notice if she didn't ask so she pretended to be distracted by the other jewels.

"Hey Alyss?" Kili asked as he and Fili eyed a particular set. "Do you think mum would like it?"

Alyss came closer to the brothers to observe the jewelery set they were discussing about. It was awfully sparkly but it was something that was very pretty. "I think she would but where would she wear it?"

Kili and Fili didn't think of that, "Um.."

"I don't think that would matter to Dis." Thorin said as he too eyed the set. "So long as it was given by you with all thought and consideration."

"You think so?" Kili asked, "Can I just get the necklace?"

Thorin nodded and took Kili to the she-dwarf who was selling the jewels. As he did so, Thorin leaned down and asked, "Did you still want to buy Alyss a gift?"

"Yeah!" Kili perked up, "But, I don't know what she likes..."

"There is a small necklace over there that she wanted." Thorin pointed over to the simple necklace, "I think she was afraid to ask you if you get it for her."

"But won't she notice if I go get it for her?" he asked worriedly, looking back at where Fili and Alyss were busy looking at different jewels.

Thorin chuckled, "I thought you'd say that." Thorin pulled out of his pocket the necklace Alyss wanted, "Now then, shall we?"

Kili smiled and happily nodded his head, "Okay!" Kili hurried over to the lady dwarf and happily paid for the two necklaces.

"Uncle?" Fili and Alyss followed behind Thorin, both realizing it was becoming time to leave. "What are we gonna do now? Go home?"

Thorin smiled a bit and shrugged, "Well, Balin is busy with some work but Dwalin is free. Why not take Alyss to the training grounds and let her watch?"

Fili perked, he hated lessons but training was different; training was amazingly fun and Kili would be happy to hear that they can bring Alyss. "Okay, come on Alyss."

Alyss smiled a bit and followed the eager blonde dwarf, she wasn't sure what they meant by training but since Fili was excited she could only assume that it was fun.

"Kili!" Fili grabbed his brother's arm, "We can go train today and Alyss can tag along with us!"

Kili's goofy grin appeared on his face, "Really? So Alyss gets to see me beat you?"

Fili playfully glared at his brother, "Don't you wish!"

That was how Alyss found herself on a bench watching the brothers fight each other with Dwalin occasionally interfering just to fix their stances.

"Wow.." Alyss giggled as Fili barely managed to block a surprise attack from Kili, "they're violent."

Dwalin had to laugh at that true statement, it was true that the brothers could be especially violent when fighting each other but today it was a competition. It was rare that they could fight each other since Kili preferred using a bow over swords but when they could it was always worth it to watch.

"Won't they hurt each other?" she asked, turning her attention to the gruff dwarf.

Dwalin shook his head, a fond smile still on his face, "They are training so they know better than to hurt each other, when they are older that will be a great concern."

Alyss didn't give an answer, she didn't understand but she chose not to ask about what the dwarf meant by that. "I'm thirsty." she said suddenly, smacking her lips.

Dwalin chuckled and pushed himself up from his seat, "Alright little one, wait here and I'll get you some water."

Alyss nodded and gave the leaving dwarf a small smile before continuing to watch the brothers' battle.

Fili and Kili stopped their battle to take a breather, they were after all huffing and puffing to the point that it hurt their lungs.

"Ha...we...should.." Fili panted with a wide smile, "give..it a...rest.."

Kili nodded with a similar grin on his face, "Ye...yeah..." Kili turned to ask Alyss what she thought of their mock-battle when he notice some dwarf children staring at her funny. "Fili?"

Fili, who was still leaning on his knees to catch his breath, looked up at his brother to see the strange combination of anger and concern. "Kili? What's wrong?" Fili stood to his full height and followed his sibling's gaze toward the group.

"Why are they looking at her like that?" Kili growled, "They shouldn't look at her like that."

Fili, realizing why the children were eying their friend, decided to join Alyss on her bench, "Remember Kili, dwarves don't trust outsiders and to them, she is one."

That helped Kili relax a bit but he still felt that no one should look at Alyss like she was a lesser being. "They won't hurt her will they?"

Fili shook his head, even though he knew they probably would try. "If we hang around her more often, they should realize she's welcomed here."

Kili figured that was a bit of a white lie, some dwarflings cared little that they were Thorin's nephews as they were too young to understand that they were royalty but he would hoped they got the message that she wasn't an outsider.

Though the brothers tried to get to Alyss as fast as they could, one of the dwarf boys came up to Alyss with a sneer of disgust on his face. "What are you doing here? This is a dwarf training ground."

Alyss gave him a stink eye and decided to give him a short simple answer. "I was invited here by Thorin."

The boy took offense that Alyss dared to answer him all high and mighty, "Men don't belong here!" the boy cocked his hand back and slapped Alyss hard enough to knock her off the bench.

Fili and Kili broke into a run toward their friend, the other children didn't dare come close to join the boy as they saw Thorin and Dwalin rushing in too. However, before the two duos could reach the fallen girl, she kicked her leg up and knocked the dwarf boy square in the chin.

"What was that for?!" Alyss growled while holding her injured cheek, "You're a jerk!"

Fili and Kili finally reached Alyss, Thorin and Dwalin were not the far behind, and assessed her small injury, "Are you okay Alyss?"

The boy panicked, he was old enough to know to fear Fili and Kili but he still wouldn't back down. After all, the girl didn't belong among them and he would have to get rid of her one way or another.

"You boy!" Dwalin came up to the dwarfling and grabbed his arm to prevent the child from scampering off, "What are doing, hitting a girl like that?"

"She's from men, not dwarf!"

Kili, beyond upset that someone hurt his friend, shot back, "If she wasn't welcomed she wouldn't be here!"

The boy mumbled something under his breath that sounded a lot like the strange language Alyss had heard the boys speak in earlier. Though Alyss hadn't a clue what he said, everyone else around stared at the child with wide eyes.

Kili glared hatefully at the boy and punched him in the cheek, "Don't you ever call her that again?"

Thorin didn't stop or scold Kili, instead gathering Alyss in his arms and handed her to Fili. "You boys take her home, Dwalin and I will handle this."

Fili nodded and they made their way back to their house. Kili remained quiet, still seething in rage, and Fili and Alyss decided against conversing in case he snaps. Fili knew Kili would go back to kill the boy but he hoped he wouldn't, especially since Alyss needed comfort.

"What are you doing home so early?" Dis asked when she saw her sons and Alyss enter the doorway, "I thought you'd be gone all day."

Kili, preferring to not answer, stormed off to his room while Fili explained to Dis what had happened at the training arena.

"Oh my!" Dis checked Alyss's red cheek, she complained that it still stung so Dis got a cold damp rag to sooth the injury. "I'm sorry Alyss, we didn't think someone would do that."

Alyss held the rag to her cheek and shook her head, "It's okay." Alyss turned to Fili and asked, "What did he say?"

"Who?"

"The boy." Alyss figured it was bad judging by Kili's reaction to it. "He called me something, what was it?"

Fili froze but eventually shook his head, "I can't tell you, Khuzdul is a secret language only dwarves know. Plus it's a bad word so I can't repeat it."

Alyss looked down and nodded, "Okay." She handed Dis the rag and decided to take a nap. When Alyss fell asleep, Dis pulled Fili into the kitchen and asked Fili what the boy said about Alyss.

"The poor dear." she sighed, "How is it that this child feels he needed to confront her when she's done no harm?"

Fili shrugged, "Don't know but Kili's furious."

Dis now understood her youngest's reaction, their theory of Kili's One being Alyss was definitely true.

Okay so Alyss is gonna stay for about a month until Gandalf comes back and I thought it would be awesome if I asked for suggestions for what the next chapters should be. I have some ideas but I thought it would be best to get you guys more involved with the story. Let me know in the reviews okay? Toodles.