From Beginning to End, We Are Brothers

                Fili waited outside his parent’s bedroom, fidgeting anxiously. He had been waiting out here for about an hour or so and he was worried. Only a few moments ago had his mother been screaming in pain. Never had he EVER heard her scream like that. And he never wanted to hear it again. It scared him, knowing that he was stuck out here, by his father’s commands, and he couldn’t do a thing to ease his mother’s pain. He felt utterly useless, and it didn’t help that had no idea about what was going on.

                Maybe it had to deal with his mother’s bump. Over the past few months, Dis had been getting larger and larger. Fili just thought that his mother was eating more and more. But when he had asked his father about it, his father had said; “Inside your Mother’s womb, there is a small dwarf, growing. Your mother is nurturing it, preparing it for when he enters the world.” This had left the poor 5 year old dwarf very confused but he had just nodded and acted if he understood.

                When the door to his parent’s room opened suddenly, Fili jumped a little, startled. His father smiled warmly at him. “Fili, come here.” He said, bending down as Fili ran up to him. He lifted the small dwarf in his arms and carried him into the room lit only by a crackling fire place. Fili spotted his mother who was lying in her bed, her eyes closed.

                Fili’s eyes grew wide with worry and he reached for his mother. His father carried the blonde dwarf over to Dis. When they reached the side of the bed, she opened her eyes and looked up at her child. “Fili,” she murmured, stroking his long, golden hair.

                He looked down at his mother. “Mama? Are you alright?!”

                Dis smiled tiredly and chuckled. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

                Fili didn’t want to seem stupid so he just shrugged. Suddenly, there was a soft yawn and it came from neither him or his parents. “What was that?”

                Again, his mother smiled, and his father placed him on the bed next to Dis. “Look,” she said softly, nodding her head to her arms.

                That’s when Fili noticed that in his mother’s arms was a bundle of cloth. There was another yawn and Fili knew it was coming from the bundle. He reached toward it, but stopped himself and looked up at his mother. Dis nodded and he reached over and moved the cloth to make an opening at the top and he gasped. Wrapped up inside the cloth was a small dwarf baby and he lay sleeping.

                “Fili, this is your brother, Kili.” Dis said.

                Fili’s eyes grew wide hearing that he was a brother. He leaned over the small dwarf. “Kili,” he whispered into the baby’s ear and kissed his cheek.

                Dis and her husband smiled, proud of their sons.

                It had been a few months after Kili was born. Fili had kept himself busy with chores, practice, and the like. His father had to work  in the village, and his mother was often busy with caring for Kili. Kili had grown quite a bit when six months passed. He had large brown eyes, thick brown hair, and a small nose. Yes, Fili loved his brother, but Kili was a handful. Kili’s curiosity would often get the infant in trouble, or he would be crying, and he was constantly hungry.