Homeward Bound Part One: An Unexpected Journey

Chapter Five

The door closed and Kili set her back on her feet. He tried to help her straighten her clothes but she slapped his hands away and began to stomp down toward the market.

"Curse that Dwarf, and his entire bloodline!" She said angrily, even as confusion raged inside her. She didn't know what to make of him. One second he was royal and the next a royal jackass. One moment he looked like he wanted to kill her and the next looked to be in so much pain she simply wanted to hug him.

And that was all in just two meetings with him!

"There's no reason to curse all of us," Kili said, taking up pace beside her. "It's not our fault Uncle has a bad habit of not thinking before he speaks."

Bilba stopped dead in the middle of the path, so hard that Fili, walking behind her, nearly ran over her.

She turned to look at Kili. "Did you say Uncle?"

He nodded. "Afraid so."

Bilba nodded, that just figured. It wasn't the Pretty Twins, it was the Pretty Triplets. She wondered briefly what family reunions must be like. Were they all that pretty or was it just these three?

"Was he dropped on his head as a child?"

Fili looked confused. "What?"

"I'm just trying to figure out why he's such a jerk," Bilba muttered. "You two seem reasonable enough."

"You should meet our mother," Kili said cheerfully, only to grunt as Fili elbowed him sharply in the side.

Bilba shook her head at their antics, turned and began walking again, at a more measured pace. The sun was still in the process of rising and a cool breeze wound its way along the lane, sliding around her legs and up her body. It was a peaceful morning, as most were in the Shire, and she started to relax in spite of herself.

Only a few others were out and about, though the market was already set up and waiting for her. As Bilba went in she saw a number of girls her own age giving Fili and Kili appraising looks.

Oddly, enough, it reminded her of another comment Thorin made.

"How old are you two?"

Fili answered. "I'm 82, Kili is 77."

Bilba nodded, doing the math in her head. She knew most Dwarves lived around five hundred years, though they reached maturity within the first hundred, which probably put Fili and Kili right about....she snorted. "I knew it."

"What?" Kili asked.

"We're the same age, more or less!" She said her voice angry. "It's not perfect but, going by the respective lifespans of Hobbits and Dwarves, I'm close to the same age as you two. So Thorin OakenJerk lets the two of you along, but calls me a child!"

Fili raised an eyebrow. "OakenJerk?"

Bibla moved forward to a table and began looking through bread. "Well, it's a more apt name than Okenshield, isn't it? What kind of name is Oakenshield anyway? Oh, look, I have a shield, and it's made of wood! Who cares?" She turned to look at them suspiciously, "your last names aren't Oakenshield are they?"

Kili was unable to answer, doubled over as he was laughing. Fili merely looked amused. "No. Oakenshield isn't really a last name. It's a title, earned in battle."

Bilba snorted. "That's even dumber then."

Kili actually collapsed on his knees, both arms wrapped around his stomach as he laughed. Fili kicked him but it made no difference.