Hello friends,
You've clicked on this story for one of two reasons. One, you happened to be browsing the web for some quality the Hobbit content, in which case, I can't promise you will find that here but I'll do my best to please. Or, two, you are already familiar with this story that I started writing almost a decade ago. This story was my second foray into fanfiction and was my longest project at the time.
To those that read it, enjoyed it, reviewed it, asked me to update it: Thank you. It meant, and still means, more to me than you could possibly know.
Since my last update in 2015, Brili has gone through some changes. I've started working on an original story featuring her under a different name. However, I've had trouble putting that original piece together and part of me thinks that might be because I never finished telling the story of Brili. I began to pick up where I left off to continue her story and realized something else that's just as, if not more, important than simply finishing what I started. In the past decade I've grown as a writer and I'd like to think that I'm much better at it now at 32 than I was at 22. To be honest, the first 15 chapters were literally painful for me to try and read. (I'll leave the original story up just to prove my point.) I'd like to try and take a crack at retelling the story that I'd sloppily put together nearly a decade ago. In this version you can expect things to progress similarly but with much better writing, character development, and I've cut back on a ton of the angst (but none of that sweet, sweet drama that keeps you guys hooked).
So, whether you are an old friend or just meeting Brili for the first time, I would like to welcome you to A Child of Durin: Redux.
Hope you enjoy!
Kili was certain beyond any measure of doubt that his mother was dying.
The young dwarfling had once again crept past his brother's watchful gaze and made his way down the hall, all while he listened to the terrifying sound of his mother crying out for his father.
Father… Thinking about his father made him sad as his mother, uncle, and brother had already explained that his father was dead and that he would never see him again. With a sudden stop, he remembered what happened to little dwarves whose mummies and daddies left them forever; they became orphans. He did not want to become an orphan! No, he must save his mother from whatever was trying to take her, and then she could stay with him forever. He just had to reach the door. Okay, so he had no idea what to do once he got there, but he was a clever dwarf; his mummy would tell him that often! If Mummy said it, then it must be true! He would have to use that cleverness to save her.
"Kili!" a familiar voice in the dark called out over the muffled cries and moans from the closed door. Kili turned just in time to see his brother reaching out in an attempt to pull him away from the door. "You are supposed to stay away from here until Balin comes for us!"
Kili stopped reaching for the door, choosing instead to let out a frustrated sigh. How could he explain to his brother what would happen if they didn't save their mother? Why wasn't he nearly half as worried as he should be?
"Fili," the boy finally asked, his voice small with worry, "if Mummy dies, who will take care of us?"
Fili, his older and, therefore, wiser brother, gave him a puzzled look. "Um, Uncle Thorin, I suppose. But why would you ask me that?"
No longer able to contain himself, Kili let out a wail and wrapped his arms around his brother's waist. "Can't you hear her? Mummy is dying! I don't want to become an orphan!"
Fili was about to say something nice—about as nice as a dwarf his age could muster, at least—but the door swung open before he could. Uncle Thorin stepped out of the opened doorway. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the young dwarves and blocked the room from both of their sights. Behind him, Thorin heard yet another shriek, and he turned towards the sound of his sister.
Seeing an opening, Kili wrenched himself from his brother's grasp and made to sidle past the future king, all to no avail; he was lifted off the ground and into his uncle's arms.
"What in Durin's name is going on out here, Fili?" he demanded, holding one struggling nephew against his broad chest while shutting the door behind him. Kili cried as he pounded his fists against his uncle with as much righteous fury as a dwarfling could manage. "I told you to watch over your brother. Oin cannot afford to be distracted right now."
Fili had begun to mumble either an apology or an explanation, but Kili interrupted loudly. "Stop hurting her! I don't want to be an orphan!"
Thorin took this statement with surprise before lifting Kili so they were nose to nose. "What do you mean by that?"
"Why is she crying so loudly? What are you doing to her? Stop hurting my Mummy!"
Thorin wasn't planning to laugh, but after registering what his nephew accused him of, the dwarf reared his head back and laughed so loudly that it echoed down the hall. After he gathered what he could of his composure, he turned and sat down on the bench across from the room that Kili was trying so desperately to enter, placing his frightened nephew on his lap. Fili followed suit and sat beside his uncle, studying how the older dwarf handled the situation to be better prepared to reign his little brother in. Kili stayed warily on his uncle's knee, wincing every time his mother cried out.
Fili took his younger brother's hand and squeezed it.
"Mahal," their uncle muttered, "praise my ancestors that this is the last time I will ever have to explain this."
Kili let out a wail, convinced that his uncle was about to announce an evil plan to kill his Mummy and take him and Fili away to some horrible place that tortured little dwarflings like him and Fili. "We won't go with you!"
"Kili, that's enough!" their uncle scolded as he dodged one of Kili's flailing fists before it clocked him in the face. These children would give him a grey beard before he was ready. "You are not being taken anywhere, and your mother will be just fine. She is having a baby."
Kili stopped trying to beat his uncle to death and turned his head to face him, his eyes widening. "A… baby?"
"Yes, a baby," Thorin affirmed with a nod. "Last I saw of her, your mother was doing very well, and you will have a new brother or sister within the hour."
Kili's eyes grew as wide as saucers, and he stared at his brother in awe and disbelief. "We are having a brother? This is how you get brothers?"
Fili answered excitedly. "Yes! We'll play with him and teach him to climb trees and cliffs! But we must be careful at first because he will be too small to play."
Kili was about to share more thoughts and undoubtedly important opinions on the subject but was interrupted as the door opened again. This time Oin emerged from the room, wiping his hands on a bloody cloth with a broad smile. Kili, however, saw the blood and began to cry again. He had assumed the worst-case scenario, as children often do. He should have known his uncle was lying to him. Now, the two of them have killed his mother and baby brother. Thorin could not dodge the fist that collided into his nose as Kili made a valiant attempt to avenge his mother. Even Fili's efforts to explain that their mother was alive and well were in vain.
This was just the worst day of his life!
"Kili?" a soft voice floated into the hall from the birthing room. "What's the matter, my little treasure?"
"Mummy!" he screeched, flinging himself off Thorin's lap and sprinting past Oin's hands.
Even Fili could not be reined in by either adult dwarf, and he was hot on his younger brother's heels. He could hardly wait to meet his new brother. After all, like Thorin said earlier, this would be the last time their mother would be giving birth. He'd never get to experience something like this ever again.
"Boys…" Dis sighed gently, obviously exhausted from her ordeal. Her hair was matted and messy, but, all things considered, she seemed fine enough. "Were you two waiting in the hall?"
Kili's face flushed with guilt. "Well, yes. But only because I was—"
He stopped, staring with wonder at his mother and the small bundle pressed against her. Fili's smile stretched from ear to ear as he tried to peek inside the blankets. The baby inside was quite still besides the occasional flex of a tiny hand. This was not a new experience for Fili, but he was excited nonetheless. He could barely remember what it was like meeting Kili for the first time. He reckoned he would never forget this moment, though, not ever.
Thorin stepped in and stood behind the boys. The new mother smiled and pulled the blanket back to reveal a round, pink face. The newborn's eyes stayed closed, blissfully unaware of their audience.
"Wow, Mummy," Kili breathed, his eyes comically wide. "Can I hold him? What's his name? When can I play with him?"
Thorin, who seemed privy to something the boys didn't know, laughed again. Dis, however, smiled warmly and motioned for both of her sons to join her on the bed. Fili decided to stay where he was, valiantly offering to let Kili meet their brother first. This was the first time Kili would get to experience meeting their new sibling. The younger dwarf knelt on the bed before burrowing himself into his mother's neck, nuzzling her affectionately. Dis reassured her son with a warm smile before redirecting his attention to the newborn baby in her arms.
"This, Fili, Kili, is Brili," she announced, tilting the bundle just a little to allow Kili another close look at the baby's face. "I expect you two will take good care of her."
"A sister?"
Well, that was a surprise to Fili. Ever since he had heard of his mother's expecting, he had always thought they would have another brother. Having a girl was rare; at least, that's what he'd overheard his mother say once.
"A sister? But I wanted a brother! Gross."
Dis arched an eyebrow at her youngest son, who now crossed his arms over his chest and began to pout as if that would make all the difference in the world. Maybe someone had made a mistake and thought the new baby was a girl.
Yes, of course, it must be a mistake.
"Kili, that's enough," Thorin intervened. "Having a sister is an honor; you should be proud."
Kili deflated under the disappointment. "But she's a girl…" he whined.
He smiled and hoisted Kili off the bed to stand beside Fili. "She is a girl, yes, and you and Fili will love her just as you love your Mum over there. Now, boys, your mother and new sister need to rest. Let's go."
Thorin steered the boys out of the room, Kili loudly demanding that someone check again to ensure it wasn't really a baby brother wrapped up in all of those blankets.
It wasn't until late in the night, and everyone was tucked into bed, that Fili could sneak away from his uncle's watchful eye and creep into his mother's bedroom. He snuck right past her bed, where she lay sleeping soundly, and approached the cradle where his newborn sister lay. Once he'd reached his destination, he looked at her curiously. She looked very much like Kili did when he was that small. He supposed her eyes were a bit rounder, but she was really too little to tell. She barely moved except for the occasional twitch of her limbs.
"Hey," he whispered, reaching into the crib to stroke her cheek. The baby's hands tightened into fists before relaxing again. "I'm your big brother, Fili. That other boy, the one that's all mad because you're a girl, is my br— I mean, our brother Kili. Sorry, he's being so mean about the whole thing. I'm sure once he's a little bigger, he'll warm up to you a bit."
He paused, looking over at his mother's sleeping form for any signs of movement. She'd probably be mad at him for being out of bed so late. When she showed no signs of waking up, he looked back at the baby; she was also sleeping. That made sense, Kili slept a lot as a baby, too.
"You already know Mom; you were inside her, so… I hope you know her... And the big guy in the room with us, that's Uncle Thorin. He's not home much because he's always out adventuring and things like that. He came home this time because he knew you were coming and wanted to meet you. He's really great and me and Kili like him a whole lot."
Again, there was no response, not that he expected one.
"Anyways, I just wanted to say hi to you. So, sleep tight, little Brili. I'm gonna sit here and watch over you."
And that's exactly what he did.