They spent three days in the village giving the bears time to prepare and say their goodbyes. Taliriktug and Tulimaq the oldest of the bears had families, so their wives and children cried when they prepared to depart. The younger bears and the young women chosen for the trip were clearly enthusiastic and thrilled with the very idea.
"Passing the mountains with the humans is going to take a long time." Bofur noticed worried.
"Nope!" Fili added with a grin. "I got it all worked out."
"He's crazy!" Kili added with a smile.
"So how do you plan to do it?" Yakone startles them with a grin.
"We'll ride!" Fili answered with a smile. "Are you ready?" He asked the people gathered there.
"Let's go!" Taliriktug responded. "The sooner we leave the sooner we return!"
The whole village walked them to the edge of the forest and waved goodbye. They walked for nearly an hour on foot, when finally Fili told them to stop. The girls seemed surprised, but the bears did not argue even one bit.
"Girls you'd better look away!" Fili told them with a smirk and began undressing. The girls just gasped and all but Yakone looked away. "It's bear time!" He told the bears with a smirk. Kili came up to Yakone and forcefully made her turn.
"What he says you do." He whispered to her. "He's usually right."
"He must be special to enchant a vampire like you." She whispered to him.
"And he's all mine, don't you even dare forget that." Kili immediately caught her slight attraction to Fili.
She just glared back at him and finally whispered. "I can give him more than you can. A family." She whispered to him with a mean grin.
"And I can live an eternity with him." Kili retorted. "And we're connected in our heads and we read each other's thoughts, so he already knows what you just said." He sniggered, and the girl blushed in horror of realization.
"Turn around." Kili told the girls, who were now standing in front of six bears and two wolves.
Bofur laced some of the parcels to the bears under Fili's instruction. Then Atuqtuaq and Lusa were asked to mount Fili, and Yakone and Aputi were brought to Nori.
It will be slower than last time, but still much faster than on foot. We go without stopping. Fili instructed the pack. Somehow this group already felt like a pack. Once we smell humans we stop and get dressed, we should be there in several hours.
They ran into the forest, for the vampires the pace was slow, but still it was better than traditional walking. The bears could easily keep up with the wolves, the girls seemed a little squeaky at first, but Kili firmly told them to hush.
"I love this way of travelling!" Lusa, the smallest girl gasped. She was barely a teenager, but she was nice and smart.
"And I hate it!" Yakone commented.
"The views here are breathtaking." Bofur told them with a smile as there were going into the mountains.
They reached the town within twelve hours, making one two short stops on the way. They stopped before the town and shifted and put on clothes. The receptionist at the hotel looked fazed with so many Inuit coming along with them, but Kili just placed his credit card on the counter and told him to get four more rooms. He called the airport to find out the next place would leave in three days, so he just asked how much it would take to leave tomorrow. The price was high, but not in Kili's standards so he just asked for a private flight for fourteen people.
They divided the bears into the rooms, and Fili faced the difficult task of telling Frerin what happened.
"What do you want?" Frerin mumbled as he picked up. He hated phones.
"We found them." Fili said curtly. "And we're on our way home."
"Will they help us?" Frerin asked in a thrilled voice.
"Yes, actually they are coming along." Fili slowly told him in a meek voice.
"Coming along?" Frerin's voice hung low.
"The tribe is small and the pack as well, their leader who is over nine hundred years old said he's too old to lead the pack, and they have no young alpha." Fili began explaining. "So we decided the young warriors with come to train with us before the mission and I will lead as pack leader for both wolves and bears."
Frerin was speechless for a moment. "Can you actually lead the bears?" He finally gasped.
"Yes." Fili replied no going into details. "So we should arrive tomorrow evening, nine Inuit are coming with us."
"What?" Frerin gasped with surprise.
"Five warriors and four tribe members." Fili clarified.
"Where are you planning to lodge so many people?" Frerin asked in a grim voice.
"I got it all worked out, so just relax." Fili told him in a cheerful voice. "Got to do some phone calls, I'll see you tomorrow!"
That went easy! Kili told him. Now comes the hard part.
Fili had to do several phone calls. His mother immediately agreed to put up two bears, Ori said he can take two as well in Dain's house. He told Dori he had to take one, to which the wolf tried protesting but Fili used his alpha voice. Then Fili grabbed his phone and dialed a number he never thought he would use.
"Hey Ketri!" He said. "I have a great favor to ask! For the good of the tribe!" Fili told the surprised man. He slowly explained there was a group of fellow native Americans coming to visit their village for training, and he said they need to find lodging for some people, and then he asked if someone could stay at the Stillwater house. To his surprise Ketri said they could easily put up two people.
"Thank you so much! I really appreciate it! Do you have any idea who can do the same? I still need to find room for two more people…" Fili asked with hope in his voice.
"The Foxtails have a big house, I'll arrange it with Harin!" Ketri immediately said, thrilled they were to take part in a big event in the village and that they were personally asked to do it.
He actually sounded happy and thrilled. Kili noticed when Fili finished the conversation.
I'm surprised to say the least. Fili replied. Thank Mahal you brainwashed him to be nice.
He was always nice, he just felt rejected from the tribe. Kili noticed grimly pointing out the mistake the Khuzdul made.
I'm planning to fix that. Fili noticed with a smile.
The gathered the bears in one room and Fili explained to them the rules of their journey. He told them about the trip and what to expect on the plane. At first he was worried they would have problems adapting, but later Yakone made him realize most of them went to a boarding school in Bettles, because the village was too small for a school. So they knew about houses, cars and internet and modern things. None of them ever flew a plane, but they knew the rules of the modern world, some even had normal clothes with them. He just smiled and told them how they were going to get to Erebor, about who was going to stay where. He told them about how Erebor was divided, and advised never to talk about bears and shifting at all, unless it was with him.
The next day proved very emotional especially for Nori who was dead scared of flying. The small planes bearable because he could focus on the views, but the moment they had to board a huge jet in Anchorage, Nori immediately went pale. The bears were taking it much better, clearly enthusiastic and interested. Many travelers stopped to take photos with the traditionally dressed Inuit, but they just smiled and agreed. The flight staff was also puzzled with the large group of traditionally dressed Inuit. But the real commotion was at the airport in town. Most people there had never seen so many native Americans in one spot, not to mention traditionally dressed Inuit. So many people asked about their journey and asked questions about the tribe. As instructed by Fili, if anyone asked where they were going they would say Erebor, and the reason was an exchange of experiences and cultures between the native Americans. As they all joked traditional hunting training, and art craft course.
Ori had arranged a special taxi to pick them all from the airport and drive them all the way to Erebor. At late evening hours they finally made it to their destination only to be greeted by a huge sign at the first houses.
"South greets North!
"I have a feeling your mother did something crazy…" Kili whispered to Fili with a grin.
When they arrived at the town centre they saw a crowd of people waiting for them. The whole town came to see the newcomers and greet them a traditional Khuzdul welcome.
Dis immediately hugged Fili, and greeted the Inuit with joy. The wolves helped unpack the luggage and later they pulled the shocked Inuit into the crowd to meet the council and leaders.
"You're tribe is huge!" Lusa gasped with delight seeing so many new faces.
"It's pretty big!" Nori told her with a smirk.
Fili guided the Inuit towards the people they were staying with, so that they wouldn't get lost in the crowd.
Ketri was delighted to meet Aputi and her brother Qamut, who were both going to stay with them. His brother Klur immediately started joking the small Inuit girl shot Ketri in the heart.
Harin greeted Atuqtuaq and Pamiuq with politeness and charm, so much charm so few could recognize the infamous troublemaker.
Dori just glanced at Yakone with spite, and the witty girl did exactly the same. They were both silent and brooding.
Ori had to take care of Lusa and Qimmiq, while the two eldest bears Taliriktug and Tulimaq were going to stay with Dis.
You're playing matchmaker again… Kili whispered to Fili.
And I'm going to have stunning results! Fili sniggered with a strong premonition.
"Dear friends and family!" Dain took the stand and began speaking the name of the council. "We welcome most unusual guests today! When we sent Fili to search for our missing relatives, we never could foresee him coming back with nine new tribe members! We welcome you with all the warmth in the hearts of Erebor! May this day mark the beginning of a long friendship between our tribes!"
"Tomorrow the men will join our youth at traditional hunting training, and the women will be accompanied by Dis to our traditional workshop! Make yourself at home because you are among sisters and brothers!" Frerin stood right next to Dain. "Tonight I hope you will enjoy this welcoming party, and we hope you will stay with us as long as possible! May the festivities begin!" People began clapping and walking towards the town hall.
"You've outdone yourself mother!" Fili gasped seeing the long tables with food.
"I had lots of help!" She told him with a smirk.
Lusa kept close to Nori clearly a bit lost. She was overwhelmed by the number of people around, so Nori pulled her towards Bombur's family.
"I'd like you to meet two from our pack." He told her in whisper. "Farin and Borin!" He introduced both wolves. The girl glanced from Farin to Borin, and both brothers glared at her with sudden interest. "Why don't you two take care of her?" Nori gently suggested and pushed her towards both wolves. "I need to go help Dis!" He quickly found a plausible reason to disappear.
"It's nice to meet you!" Farin gently smiled at the girl.
"We're really happy you came here!" Borin added, and glared at his brother. Mathilda just laughed sensing the upcoming competition between her sons, and she glanced at Moli and Dainy to get lost to give them more space.
Yakone was silent next to Dori. The tall man seemed severe and stiff as a wood plank. He did not join the festivities, he just gave her a plate with food and politely proposed something to drink. She glanced at the white hair.
"You're old aren't you?" She finally murmured.
"Not really." He replied with a gasp. "My hair became white at the age of twenty five, I used to have red hair."
"Like Nori?" She asked curiously.
"Exactly like him, he's my brother after all." He told her.
"He is?" She asked with raised eyebrows.
"Just like Ori over there." Dori pointed towards the younger brother. "You're staying with me just because I have a free bedroom because he moved out."
"What do you do?" She asked looking at him, immediately imagining him in front of a desk.
"I'm an accountant." Dori admitted calmly.
"That's boring…" She gasped.
"Not everyone around here had lots of money and a chance to go to college." He told her bitterly. "Some people had to stay home and make a living to keep their family."
"Your parents should do that." She told him with a strange smirk.
"They should." He replied in a very low hurt voice. She glared at him.
"Mine are dead. Our leader raised me." She told him slowly. "The ice was too thin, and they tried to save their dog sledge."
"My dad is fine, he just doesn't give a shit about me." He told her looking at her carefully for the first time. "My mom was the slut of the village and she died many years ago."
"So you did what you had to." She nodded with understanding.
"I would do anything to give my brothers a good life." Dori added.
"I'm tired, could we please go home?" She asked slowly.
"With pleasure, I'm not a person keen for parties." Dori agreed immediately.
"Me neither." She added in a very quiet voice. He grabbed her bags and guided her towards their small house.