An Unexpected Addition (Fili Fiction)

Chapter 16

"Where are you going?" I asked the dwarves around me as they started walking to the front door. Balin opened it and rushed out along with Gloin and a few others.

"To the armoury. Where else?" Bofur said as he passed me and followed the others out the door. I simply stood confused as they rushed past me and out into the moonlight.

"Why on earth are you going to the armoury!?" I asked to the few remaining dwarves. Fili looked at me as he grabbed his brother's arm and helped him off the table. Kili roughly pulled his arm away and walked past me with little more than a glare.

"For weapons, of course." Fili said and brushed down his furs. All the others had exited and for a second we stood alone. "Don't take it personally." I furrowed my eyebrows and thought for a second.

"I've been trying not to." I said in a calm voice and looked into his eyes. He pursed his lips and seemed to take that in for a moment. Then, he too pushed past me and left me alone in the room until Bain and Tilda came upstairs. I though about his question and my response, wondering if he understood what i was really saying.

"Where have they all gone?" Bain asked frantically at the sight of the empty room. I froze.

"I cannot tell you, Bain." I stated and shifted my feet beneath me.

"Father told us not to let the dwarves out and that is exactly what has happened." The young boy narrowed his eyes on me and i pushed my shoulders down. He was taller than me but i imagined him to be much less scary than me. Although perhaps that is not even true... I am a hobbit after all.

"I will not tell you where they have gone. But i will tell you that i am going with them." I said and quickly turned to rush out the door. I frantically scurried  down the stairs and hid behind the side of their house. The front door opened and i heard Bain muttering something to himself and then going down the stairs and off in another direction.

"Now, how to get to the armoury..." I said aloud to myself and pushed my body off the wall. I chose a direction and walked past houses and calm water as night finally covered the air.

After a long time, i gave up on finding the armoury. It was very dark out and i feared falling into the water with a misstep so i turned around and started walking back to Bard's house. There would be some explaining, i knew.

As soon as i started walking back, i heard a loud clatter ringing around the city that was being carried across the water. I quickly spun around to face the ruckus but as fast as it came, it disappeared. I cussed under my breath and started running in the general direction i figured the clatter was coming from. The cold air was refreshing on my face and lights started being illuminated in front of me. I saw the fire on torches being lit and people not far away moving to find the source. Somehow, i knew it was coming from the armoury.

By the time i reached them, the dwarves were being hauled out of the armoury by their arms and i covered my forehead with a hand. I ducked behind a wooden house so i could be sure I wouldn't be found. As they were dragged off, i followed quietly behind as the town was awoken around me. Dozens of confused people left their homes and were told to return to bed but most of them followed the strange people until we reached the master of Laketown's home. The mansion is unsurprisingly elegant and has a beautiful balcony on the side.

I peek out from behind a post and watch as the town's people circle around the mansion and the company. Then, snow started lightly falling from the sky and turned into large clumps quickly.

I watched as the grand mansion door creaked open and two figures slowly walked out. The smaller one was a rather unpleasant man with dark hair and a sly smile while the other was taller and fatter. He had a long face and reminded me of the goblin king...

The master spoke in a common voice and questioned the presence of the dwarves. One soldier or guard told him the truth and the master never hesitated to accuse us of the worst. Dwalin quickly spoke up and put the two men in their place and forced Thorin to step forward. The king under the mountain proceeded to explain to the people our mission to the city and riled the villagers.

The whole ordeal was rather foolish in my opinion and watching it from the sidelines made it all the more annoying. Of course I want the villagers to support us and give us shelter but it makes me pity the poor fools and their stupidity. A man then stepped forward, it was Bard! He'd come here to prove to the villagers that we mean well and are going to take back the mountain for both the dwarves and men! 

I was much more than wrong... Bard told them the opposite and it made my blood boil! How many times was this damned oaf going to betray us or lie? We certainly hadn't gotten our money's worth on this smuggler.

Bard was eventually slayed down by Thorin's plucky promises of gold and riches and all the dwarves were confident that if they could snatch the mountain, they would repay the town. I too had such hope of glittering gold lining my velvet pockets and knew why the town's people were so eager to agree. 

Cheers echoed into the sky and were carried by the murky water all the way to the mountain's somber gold throughout the joyful night. I can never understand how a person could say the sky is so black on a night like today... Is it not lit up by the people's smiling faces and raised glasses? I know of a man who's smile can illuminate the dark places so I let my mind wander on about him as I lay down outside the tavern where dwarves and excited men drank and danced. The dwarf who's smile filled my mind danced inside the tavern that night. As an hour or so flew by and my eyes dawned on the shifting stars, a figure came out of the tavern and I barely cocked my head to look at the person. 

"Kili, come now. Please don't struggle with me and hurry up!" It was Fili and my eyes darted to the body he yanked along beside him. Kili. Of course? 

"What seems to be the matter with him?" I asked, coming out from the shadow out of the blue. I must have started the poor man as he jumped sky high, jolting Kili around a little in the process. Kili was mopping along being supported by his older brother, a rather touching if not an odd site. "Is he okay? He looks rather... wobbly."

I watched Fili's face tangle into a mess of thoughts before answering. "Come with me, will you? He's unfit for this tonight and the alcohol is just what he doesn't need while he's ill like this."

"Ill?", I questioned, a little concerned for Kili and his brother. 

"Oh, come on, Pilda. You knew he was ill. Have you not seen the way he's been grabbing his bloody head and sweatin' cold with a  fever?" 

"I suppose I have..." 

Kili then decided to add to the subject matter. "I'm not ill, you dimwits! I'm perfectly fine!" With that Kili gave Fili a sloppy shove, either weak from his sickness or alcohol intake. The shove did nothing and Fili kept his hands tightly around his brother, dragging him along the docks to god knows where. 

As I watched them for a moment, I was reminded of his conversation with Balin and how fili did have feelings for me... Should I try to speak with him soon or is this just not the time? My heart started to pound and I found myself at a crossroads. I should wait. I must wait. 

So much has changed in my views on him since that tiny little chat I'd overheard and it makes me wonder if I ever did hate him. Had what he said really hurt me? Of course! It broke little part of me but did that mean I hated him? No! there clearly wasn't any hatred in him either. What had I done? I'd bleen a bloody prideful idiot who blocked the man out for saying some words he didn't mean. The assassin in me had blossomed and I pushed him away at the slightest sign of a red light. Damn me...

I would turn this around. If not now, then soon. He has to know how I feel about him. He has to.